Using Marriage as Bait : Chapter 53
Chapter 53: Scheming Dog
A few days passed like this. Before getting off work, Lu Junting received a call from Lin Xiyu. On the phone, she told him that he didn’t need to pick her up in the afternoon.
“What’s wrong?”
“Something’s happened to Lin Xiqian, I have to go check on him.”
“En? What happened to him?”
“Didn’t he have a heart stent? I heard that something went wrong with the stent and he fainted.”
“In that case, I’ll pick you up after getting off work later.”
“No need. I’m over there, now.”
Lu Junting’s fingers tightened as he held the phone. He was silent for a while and said, “That’s fine. You go there first. I’ll go after I get off work.”
After Lin Xiqian returned to China, he returned to Jiangyuan Hospital. He suddenly fainted at work, so he was admitted to the Jiangyuan Hospital. At this time, Lin Xiyu was helping him peel fruit in his ward.
“I’m really sorry to trouble you. I don’t have any other relatives here except you.”
Lin Xiyu said, “It doesn’t matter. If you don’t look for me, who else can you look for? Everyone has to help each other. You helped me before. Now it’s my turn to help you.”
Lin Xiqian glanced at her face and said, “You look fine.”
Lin Xiyu said, “If you don’t have anything to worry about, things will be fine.”
Lin Xiqian said no more.
Lin Xiyu added. “It’s time for you to find a girlfriend. Having someone who understands you is good. If anything happens, it will be easier to take care of you.”
Lin Xiqian laughed at himself and said, “How can I find a girlfriend like this? It’s better not to harm other girls.”
“You can’t say that. Aren’t you quite normal now? You can go to work and play basketball.”
“But I’m not really a normal person after all.”
Lin Xiyu was about to say a few words of comfort when there was a sudden knock on the door. Lin Xiqian responded, but neither of them expected that the person coming in was Lu Junting.
Lin Xiyu asked him, “Why did you come over so quickly?”
Lu Junting said, “I got off work early because I have nothing to do.” He walked forward, glanced at Lin Xiqian, and asked in a concerned tone, “How are you?”
In front of Lin Xiyu, Lin Xiqian responded politely. “It’s nothing much.”
“It’s good if it’s nothing.”
Lin Xiqian said, “Xiyu, please go out for a while. I’ll have a chat with Mr. Lu.”
Lin Xiyu was not at ease and glanced back and forth between the two of them. She was worried that there would be another misunderstanding between them when she turned around.
“Go on, it’ll be fine.” Lu Junting told her.
Lin Xiyu then went out.
Lu Junting and Lin Xiqian were the only two people left in the ward. Lin Xiqian took out his mobile phone, deliberately pressed the record button in front of Lu Junting, and then put the mobile phone next to the bed.
Lu Junting saw his actions, but remained unmoved.
“What do you want to say to me?” Lu Junting asked him.
Lin Xiqian said, “I have a problem with my heart stent and have to go back to the United States to fix it.”
“Let me know if you need anything when the time comes. I’ll do my best to help.”
What a hypocrite, knowing he’s recording and deliberately pretending to be a good person.
“I will take Xiyu with me. She knows that I’m going to have surgery, so I don’t think she’ll say no.”
Lu Junting pondered for a while, but his expression did not change much. He said, “Of course, I should go and visit you. I will go there with her then.”
“Mr. Lu is a busy man. How can I bother you with such trivial matters? It will probably take a long time for Xiyu to accompany me. After all, there is still a recovery period after the repair. I hope she can always be there to accompany me.”
Lu Junting’s gaze narrowed slightly, but his tone remained slow and steady. “She has to go to work. Not to mention, the child also needs her. Isn’t it a bit overwhelming to let her stay there for so long?”
“For work matters, I will compensate her for the loss caused by her wasted time. As for the child, I can arrange to bring my little nephew with me.”
Lin Xiqian’s words were just short of directly telling him that he would bring both his wife and child to the United States.
There was a chill in Lu Junting’s narrowed eyes. A strong evil aura condensed around him in an instant. He glanced at Lin Xiqian’s mobile phone placed next to him, but he remained motionless and looked at him with a warning look.
“Have you already told Xixi about this?” Lu Junting asked him.
“I haven’t told her yet, but if Xiyu agrees to go there, I don’t know if Mr. Lu will be willing to let her go.”
Lu Junting said, “If she is willing to go, of course, I’m willing to let her go. I have never restricted her freedom.”
“That’s good.”
Lin Xiqian picked up the phone and deliberately saved the recording in front of Lu Junting, while calling out toward the door, “Xiyu, come in.”
Lin Xiyu pushed the door and entered. Judging from the expressions of the two people, they seemed to be quite normal. Nothing happened that she was worried about. Lin Xiyu breathed a sigh of relief.
Lin Xiqian said, “I have to go to the United States in a while to repair my heart stent. Would you like to accompany me? I will feel more at ease if you can be by my side. In case something goes wrong and I don’t see you for the last time.”
Lin Xiyu said hurriedly, “Don’t talk nonsense. Didn’t you fix the serious problem before? It’s just a simple repair.”
“Then are you willing to go?”
He had already said that. Lin Xiyu would be too ruthless if she didn’t go over. She said, “I will definitely go over to see you then. I’ll go with Lu Junting.”
Lu Junting, who wasn’t very happy because of Lin Xiqian’s words, instantly felt better because of Lin Xiyu’s words. He was still thinking about Lin Xiqian, he even wanted to take the girl with him.
Lin Xiqian said, “Mr. Lu is a busy man, so I won’t bother him. Moreover, this trip will probably be delayed for a long time. Of course, I just asked Mr. Lu just now. If you are willing to go, he will agree.”
“Will it take a long time?” Lin Xiyu hesitated.
Lin Xiqian added. “If you’re afraid of missing your child, you can take your child with you when the time comes.”
If she brings the child with her, how about her family Junting ah? She also has to work, but Lin Xiqian wants to do the operation. If she doesn’t go, she will feel a little sorry for her parents. After all, her parents are still thinking about the child they almost adopted before they passed away.
Lin Xiqian said, “You should consider it first.”
Lin Xiyu couldn’t give him a reply for a while, so she said, “Okay.”
“I have nothing more here. You can go back first.”
“Get some rest and call me anytime you need to.”
Lin Xiqian nodded.
Lu Junting also politely said before leaving. “When your health is better, you can come to my house to play. You haven’t seen my child yet. He’s very cute.”
Lu Junting’s words were probably just out of politeness, but Lin Xiqian nodded in agreement after hearing this and said, “That’s right. I don’t even know what Xiyu’s current home looks like now. By the way, what does the Little Baby like? I’ll go there when the time comes and buy it for him.”
Lin Xiyu said hurriedly, “No. He has too many toys than he can put away. We’ll be very happy if you can go.”
The couple came out of Lin Xiqian’s ward and got into the car. Lu Junting asked her, “Do you really want to accompany Lin Xiqian and stay there for so long?”
Lin Xiyu was also quite torn. “He’s going to have an operation. Logically speaking, I should go, but I don’t want to stay for that long.” Lin Xiyu glanced at the man beside her. She moved over and hugged his waist. “And what will you do if I really go with the child?”
Lu Junting’s condensed eyebrows slowly relaxed because of these words. He put his arms around the little girl’s shoulders, and spoke with a smile, “Still care about me?”
“How could I not care about you?”
Lu Junting combed her hair with his fingers as he lowered his head to kiss the top of her head. At this moment, the little girl was lying in his arms and couldn’t see his expression, so he revealed a deep and icy stare without hiding it. “What if your stepbrother really wants you to go?”
Lin Xiyu frowned with some annoyance. “I have to consider it. It’s his business if he wants me to go, but I’m not that idle.”
Lu Junting said, “You should consider it. Originally, you should have gone over when he was sick, but not because of him that you should disregard all other things. He also doesn’t think about you. You still have a family and have a job. Even if he doesn’t think about your family, at least he should consider your work. When I listened to his tone, it was as if he did not think about your job of promoting your Lin family’s calligraphy. It’s meaningful for you, but he seems not to care about it. He thinks that he can compensate you, and your job is unnecessary, although your Lin family has given him a bite to eat before.”
After being reminded by Lu Junting, Lin Xiyu also discovered this. When Lin Xiqian asked her to come over just now, he didn’t seem to think much about her work. Lin Xiyu liked her current job very much. Because of her father’s influence, she had been fond of calligraphy since she was a child. She had promoted her own calligraphy. She felt that her job was really meaningful, but Lin Xiqian didn’t seem to think that her job was anything special.
Even Lu Junting, a person who had never stayed with the Lin family, knew how important the Lin family’s calligraphy was to, while he, a person who had once been helped by the Lin family, didn’t care that much.
Lu Junting rubbed her head and said, “Forget it. Don’t think about it now. We can just take a look at him out of courtesy. After all, he’s not your real stepbrother, so you don’t have to feel guilty. Just treat it as if you are interacting with relatives. Relatives are not a family, after all. My child and I are your family.”
Lin Xiyu felt that what Lu Junting said made sense. Anyway, she just had to take a look when the time came. She couldn’t ignore work and family just to be with him. She had done all the etiquette she should have, so her parents wouldn’t blame her.
Lin Xiyu nodded in his arms. “Okay. I’ll listen to you.”
Lu Junting answered gently. “En.”
Then his gaze fell into the distance. The softness on his face became a little colder, and then a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, a kind of a disdainful smile as if any demons and monsters were not enough to look at in his place.
On the weekend, Lin Xiqian called early in the morning. He wanted to come to the place where Lin Xiyu lived to take a look. After all, he was a guest. The couple was still quite welcoming to his arrival. Lu Junting even made a point of telling the chef to cook according to Western tastes.
Lin Xiqian didn’t come empty-handed and bought a lot of gifts, but they were all for Lin Xiyu and the child. He handed a set of toy cars to the child and said with a smile, “Are you Xiao Chengmao?”
Chengmao liked toy trains, but not toy cars. However, his mother taught him that he had to show his appreciation even if he didn’t like it when someone gave him a gift, so the little child took it and obediently said, “Thank you, Shūshu(Uncle in general/Father’s younger brother).”
Lin Xiqian touched his head and said, “Call Jiùjiu(maternal uncle).”
The little guy turned his head and glanced at his parents. Lin Xiyu nodded at him, and then he called, “Thank you, Jiùjiu.”
“Should I show you around?” Lu Junting asked politely.
Lin Xiqian looked around and said, “That’s fine.”
The couple took him for a stroll and finally came to the backyard, where Lu Junting said to him, “This backyard is Xixi’s masterpiece.”
In early summer, the grass and trees were lush. As the weather became warmer, they set up a few cool chairs in the backyard. Lin Xiqian strolled around the yard and praised. “She’s quite capable. She did a good job.”
Lin Xiyu smiled modestly, “No, No. I just do it casually.”
Lin Xiqian sat down on the recliner in the backyard. He probably didn’t plan to stroll around anymore, so Lin Xiyu said, “You guys sit down for a while. I’ll go cut some fruits.”
Lin Xiqian said, “Don’t bother.”
“It’s okay, it’s okay, no trouble.”
After Lin Xiyu left, Lu Junting also sat down on the chair next to him. There was a small table next to the chair, and Lu Junting lazily leaned back. His fingers pinched his mobile phone, spinning mindlessly on the table to play.
“Did you record again today?” Lu Junting asked him.
Lin Xiqian raised an eyebrow and asked, “What? Are you afraid that I will record you?”
“I can sit upright. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
Lin Xiqian secretly thought. This is something he has the nerve to say. If not because this person has too many underhanded tricks, he won’t have to defend himself against him every time they meet.
“I see you’re still in good spirits. Does your heart stent really need to be repaired?”
Lin Xiqian said, “You’re not a doctor. How do you know whether it needs to be repaired or not?”
“I just care and ask.”
From the corner of his eye, Lu Junting would glance at his mobile phone from time to time. The black screen of the mobile phone had a reflective effect. He seemed to be bored with turning the phone to play. In fact, from the reflective mirror surface of the mobile phone, he could see the movement behind him. He saw Lin Xiyu wash the fruits from the mirror.
A little closer, and a little closer again. Lu Junting lowered his head to cover the sneer at the corner of his mouth and said to Lin Xiqian, “I know that you have a misunderstanding of me. Of course, I’m also aware that perhaps some of my words have made you uncomfortable. I’m here to apologize to you.”
Lin Xiqian looked at him in surprise. “Apologize to me?”
“I apologize to you very sincerely, and I hope you can forgive me.”
“...”
Lin Xiqian looked at him suspiciously. What does this scheming dog want to do? Don’t you show your modesty in front of Lin Xiyu last time? Why do you apologize to me again?
“Xixi is very important to me and I don’t want you to take her. I know there’s nothing wrong with your heart stent. You’re just using it as an excuse to try and take her.”
The warm breeze sent the conversation between the two to Lin Xiyu’s ears. She paused in her steps when she heard it. Lu Junting naturally saw it as well, and he knew that she must have heard it.
The wind rustled the leaves, masking the sound of Lin Xiyu’s footsteps. Lin Xiqian had his back to Lin Xiyu, so he didn’t realize that she was approaching.
“I don’t understand what you mean.”
Lu Junting continued. “The last time you fainted was because of hypoglycemia, not because of the heart stent. You thought you were a doctor at Jiangyuan Hospital and your people would keep your confidentiality but don’t forget, money is the most important thing in this world. With money, you can know everything you want to know. So naturally, I know that you didn’t faint because of something wrong with your heart stent.”
Lin Xiqian felt baffled. He didn’t faint that time; it was just a normal heart stent rejection reaction. There was a minor problem with his heart stent, but it was not serious enough to need repair. It was not like what Lu Junting said because of hypoglycemia. Moreover, this man was so serious about saying this kind of nonsense things.
Lin Xiqian couldn’t understand why this scheming dog suddenly talked nonsense.
“Don’t worry. I won’t tell Xixi about this. She trusts you. After all, she has lived with you for a while. You are like half of her family in her mind. If she knows that you intentionally lied to her, she will be very sad. I don’t want her to be sad. We all love Xixi, so please don’t take her away. I can do whatever you want.”
He said it sincerely. He really looked like the kind of poor man whose wife was about to be taken away. Lin Xiqian didn’t understand what this man was playing. As his mind raced, he suddenly had a bad premonition. Lin Xiqian subconsciously turned his head and looked behind him. Sure enough, he saw Lin Xiyu standing not far behind him.
Lin Xiqian instantly had a feeling of being struck by lightning, but then a chill that invaded the bone marrow rose from the soles of his feet. In an instant, he finally understood Lu Junting’s purpose. He suddenly turned his head fiercely toward Lu Junting. Lin Xiqian saw Lu Junting smile at him, and then Lu Junting turned his head to see Lin Xiyu. His expression instantly turned to panic, and his eyes were full of worry.
The casualness with which his expressions changed was so great that it would be a shame not to give him an award for his acting.
Lin Xiqian heard a thump in his heart. He fell into a somersault on this scheming man again!
He wondered why Lu Junting, this scheming dog, suddenly started talking nonsense. He deliberately said those words for Lin Xiyu to hear.
Lin Xiyu stepped forward and faced Lin Xiqian, obviously suppressing her anger. “Are you lying to me?”
“I didn’t,” Lin Xiqian explained in panic. “Xiyu, things are not as Lu Junting said. He said those words to you on purpose.”
“He said to me on purpose? How did he know I was coming when his back was turned the entire time? How did he say it to me on purpose?”
Lin Xiqian also felt something was wrong, but he had no intention of thinking about it at the moment. Lin Xiqian calmed down as quickly as possible and explained. “Things are not what you think.”
“Then tell me, the last time you fainted, was it really because of a problem with the heart stent that it was really serious enough to need to be repaired in the United States?”
Lin Xiqian was blocked for a moment. He closed his eyes and adjusted his emotions. If he could, he really didn’t want to lie to her.
“I didn’t faint, but my body did have a rejection reaction. It was not that serious.”
“So… you don’t need to go to the United States to repair it?”
Lin Xiqian was silent for a moment and nodded his head a little. He added. “But even so, it’s not because of hypoglycemia, as Lu Junting said. He told you on purpose. Although it wasn’t to the point of fainting, I did feel uncomfortable. It’s time for me to go back to get checked out. I don’t know what exactly he wanted to do, but he spread such panic. I don’t think that’s a good purpose either.”
Things had come to this point, and there was really no need for Lin Xiqian to give Lu Junting any more face.
However, after hearing this, Lin Xiyu’s expression became even colder. “It’s all a lie to me. What difference does it make if it’s because of a hypoglycemia or because of a rejection reaction.”
“Xiyu, I…”
Lin Xiyu interrupted him. “You know. I’ve always wanted an older brother, so I was very happy when my parents told me that I would have an older brother. Although you didn’t live with us later, my parents often missed you over the years. I felt a sense of intimacy when I saw you again. I really wanted to treat you as my older brother. So, even though I knew you had been interfering in my life, I still rushed after hearing that you fainted. I went to see you, but I didn’t expect you to lie to me. It’s good that you need no more operation. Of course, I’m really happy for you.”
Lin Xiqian was filled with guilt. “I know that I was not thoughtful about this matter.” His gaze landed on Lu Junting. His expression suddenly turned cold. “However, you still have to be more careful about this person beside you.”
“I will live my life well. I don’t need you to worry about anything. You should stop interfering in my life in the future.”
Lin Xiqian could see that she was angry. He knew that it was useless to say anything now. He sighed softly and said, “I’m leaving first. Thank you for your hospitality today.”
Lin Xiqian turned around to leave, but Lu Junting said politely, “I’ll take you out.”
Lin Xiqian glanced at him and didn’t say anything. Lu Junting kept sending him to the gate.
“Xiyu isn’t here anymore. You don’t have to pretend with me. You just let her hear those words on purpose, right?”
“It doesn’t matter if it was intentional or not. If you lied to her, you lied to her.”
Lin Xiqian sneered and said, “How dare you say that I lied to her? Haven’t you lied to her enough?”
“I have been punished for lying to her, and you deserve to be punished, too.”
“Lu Junting, you’ve tried every way to provoke my relationship with her. Just tell me the truth. Is it because me being around her prevents you from controlling her?”
“You think too much. I don’t pay that much attention to you. If I really want to control anyone, you can’t stop me. If you weren’t so nosy, I could treat you like a stepbrother and be polite to you because of Xixi. However, if you like to dictate other people’s lives, I won’t be polite.”
“So you admit that you just did it on purpose, right? You were trying to stir up my relationship with Xixi, right?”
“So what?” Lu Junting admitted readily.
Lin Xiqian took out his mobile phone. “I did lie to Xiyu and I will apologize properly, but I also want her to understand what kind of person you are.”
“Don’t bother.” Lu Junting said slowly, “I don’t know if you’ve heard of Storm Technology under the Changheng Group. The CEO of Storm Technology is my right-hand man. I had him install the system in my house, and your recording won’t work from the moment you stepped into my house.”
Lin Xiqian had indeed been recording, mainly because this man was too cunning. He had to be on guard at all times. He was planning to play the recording to Lin Xiyu to let her know that he did it on purpose. Hearing Lu Junting’s words, his heart skipped a beat. He hurriedly turned on the recording, only to hear a harsh noise inside, with no human voice at all.
Lu Junting.” Lin Xiqian gritted his teeth. “You are such a despicable person.”
Lu Junting had his hands in his pockets, and his posture was relaxed. He was not angry at being called a despicable person. He looked at him with a smile, but not a smile. “If you want to take away my wife and the child, you are going to take my life.” At this point, his eyes became colder a little. “If you want to take my life, then I should let you know the price. Don’t you have a heart problem? Don’t be too excited, be careful of sudden heart attack and sudden death here.”
“You…” Lin Xiqian was infuriated by him, covering his heart and gasping hard for a few breaths.
Lu Junting was like watching a play as he looked at his uncomfortable expression. He spoke slowly but with complete indifference, “If you want to die, then die somewhere else, don’t die here. Moving is very troublesome. I hate trouble the most.”
Lu Junting's cold gaze seemed to convey his anticipation of Lin Xiqian's demise. Quickly, Lin Xiqian regulated his breathing, determined not to let Lu Junting's behavior irk him. After a moment of calm, his expression improved as he glanced at Lu Junting once more. However, Lu Junting had already turned away and entered the room, mercilessly slamming the door shut.
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