Reporter F: "Is this really true love, letting two men to be b.a.s.t.a.r.ds at the same time? One had his wife betrayed him with an affair, the other had an affair with a married woman and tried to legalize the son as his?"
The crowd were discussing incessantly. Lu Zhenghang tapped the microphone and said, "I do not wish to look into the parents" tripart.i.te dispute. This is also not my reason of organizing the press conference today. My main objective is to announce my real ident.i.ty. I know why Ms. Jiang Changdai separated me from my biological father and lied to me and my stepfather and making me a son of the Lu Family. When I found out about my ident.i.ty, I questioned Ms. Jiang but it is not convenient for me to elaborate further here."
Reporter E: "Today"s news is really scandalous."
Reporter B: "I"m overwhelmed with the information overload. I need to organize my thoughts."
Suddenly a reporter asked loudly, "Mr. Lu, does the Yan Family know about this? Why is there n.o.body from the Yan Family here today?"
Lu Zhenghang replied calmly, "The Yan Family is not aware."
"Since you already have evidence, why didn"t you go and look for the Yan Family directly but instead, hosted a press conference here?" The reporter continued asking.
"The Yan Family does not approve of Ms. Jiang and the Lu Family due to Ms. Jiang"s relations.h.i.+p with my stepfather," Lu Zhenghang said.
His words directly confirmed that Jiang Changdai had committed a.d.u.l.tery with Lu Zhenghang. 1
The reporters were suddenly pumped up and stood up from their seats, all of them extended their microphones in a bid to hear Lu Zhenghang clearer.
"Hence if I were to visit them suddenly with this news, you can imagine how the Yan Family would react. They would just treat me as a member of the Lu Family who is purposely disgust them and would not believe me. No matter how solid my evidence would be, they would not believe it and would think I"m deceiving them," Lu Zhenghang said.
"Such a shameless being!"
A loud scolding suddenly came from behind Lin Chu, scaring Lin Chu and the other two girls. They turned back to look and saw Old Master Yan and Old Lady Yan standing behind. They had no idea when they came and how long they stood there watching the video.
"Grandpa, Grandma, when did you come?" Lin Chu asked in surprise.
"We"ve been here awhile. We saw the three of you watching something in deep concentration and got curious and we saw it," Old Lady Yan explained. Old Master Yan was standing by the side in anger.
Lin Chu quickly ushered the two elders to sit down and said, "Don"t believe a word he said, they"re all lies. He came to me earlier and told me funny stuffs saying that he is Father"s son and Beicheng is not. It was a joke. I came back and told Beicheng and he explained to me that people who are aware of the situation would not believe a single word he said."
Old Lady Yan patted Lin Chu"s hand gently, saying, "Don"t worry, we don"t believe him too. There"s always a way to fake a report."
"He is really shameless. He thinks that we will believe him by playing such tricks. Even if we don"t believe him, we will be forced to accept him into the family?" Old Master Yan pointed to the phone and said angrily.
"Don"t feel anxious. We have to stay calm and pretend that we do not know anything. Once we get anxious, we will lose the battle," Old Lady Yan said calmly. She sat in the couch, her usually benevolent face now had a stern and slightly frightful expression.
This was Old Lady Yan"s imposing manner when she met with issues. She might look to be benevolent and kind old lady, but deep down, she was still the matron of the Yan Family and would not hesitate to be merciless when she had to.
The elder ladies from the Eight Dominant Families might always be comparing their grandchildren matters with each other like how little kids would do, but each of them was not your ordinary ladies.
Old Master Yan glared and said angrily, "Of course I know, you don"t have to tell me that. We will not comment anything or do anything, we will do whatever we like!"
Lin Chu suddenly remembered something. She quickly picked up her phone and called Yu Zi and explained the situation to her briefly. Yu Zi was in the hospital together with Jiang Changdai. Being an involving party, the reporters would try to get in touch with her. They could not let Jiang Changdai spew nonsense to the media during this crucial moment.
Lin Chu ended her call and saw that a reporter had managed to call Lu Zhenting and he had answered the call.
Old Master Yan sneered, "It"s all an act arranged earlier!"
The reporter then repeated his question, "Mr. Lu, I am a reporter with Jing Du Newspaper. Mr. Lu Zhenghang just announced in public that he is the son of Mr. Yan Huaiyuan and Ms. Jiang Changdai. Do you have anything to comment on this?"
"There"s nothing much to comment. He is already an a.d.u.l.t and deserved to know the truth with the right to recognize his biological parents," Lu Zhenghang 1 "s calm voice said through the phone"s speaker.
This is the first time that Lin Chu heard Lu Zhenting"s voice. His voice was common, not the type that will leave a deep impression unlike Yan Beicheng"s or Yan Huaian"s.
Even if there was an age factor, Lin Chu have heard of other public figures" voices of the same age as Lu Zhenting. Some of them might be middle-aged, but their voices were warm, mellow and distinctive, making it unforgettable.
However, Lu Zhenting"s voice was not like that. Lin Chu could not understand, was Lu Zhenting particularly handsome, or was he exceptionally charming in certain aspect that made Jiang Changdai so devoted to him?
The phone"s speaker volume was put at its loudest, every word could be heard clearly.
"To my understanding, Ms. Jiang was still married to Mr. Yan back then. That means, she had an extramarital affair with you, is that correct? I remember that your wife was still around that time," the reporter asked.
Lu Zhenting kept quiet for a while before replying, "Yes."
"If a paternity test was done at that time, why did Ms. Jiang still claim that Mr. Lu Zhenghang was your son? Did you do a paternity test yourself to confirm?" The reporter continued asking.
Lu Zhenting"s tone was calm as he replied, "No, I did not. Ms. Jiang and I were in love that time, she said the child was mine and I believed her. During that period, Yan Huaiyuan was based in the company"s overseas office most of the time. When he was not around, Ms. Jiang would return to Ning City. She told me that she has not been with him for a long time. If I calculate the timing, the child should be mine. We loved each other hence I believed every word she said."
Lu Zhenting dared not say that he already knew about it much earlier. The message would be different, and he could be accused of child abduction.
"I also just found out about the truth not long ago from Ms. Jiang. She told me that her marriage with Yan Huaiyuan was not voluntary and she did not want to bear him a child. She gave me the child out of revenge, wanting to let Yan Huaiyuan not knowing for the rest of his life that had another son. She was not happy with her marriage, and used her son as a tool of revenge," Lu Zhenting said. "I feel sorry for Zhenghang. I have always treated him like my biological son, even after I found out about the truth. This relations.h.i.+p will never change. But I feel that the child is a grown up now and he deserves the right to know about his origin and know who his real father is. I will respect his decision no matter what."
In the ward, Yu Zi was holding up her handphone showing the screen to Jiang Changdai from afar, Jiang Changdai could hear Lu Zhenting"s words loud and clear.
Jiang Changdai only knew from Lu Zhenghang that her reputation might be sacrificed slightly but she was not aware of the details. Lu Zhenghang also did not explain to her the specifics as there was no opportunity for him to do so.
Lu Zhenghang was just starting to explain to her when Yan Zhiqing b.u.mped into them. Now that Yan Zhiqing was in a coma in the hospital, she had to stay watch over Yan Zhiqing and dared not leave. Her handphone was confiscated by Yu Zi, and she had no other ways to get in touch with Lu Zhenghang.
From Yu Zi"s phone screen, she could see a reporter holding up a phone with its speaker on. She could hear every word that Lu Zhenting said, he got away clean but at the same time, had also forced her to beyond redemption.
This was more than just a small sacrifice.
Apart from revealing that she had committed a.d.u.l.tery at the time of her marriage, and even righteously justified why she betrayed Yan Huaiyuan, the public would still judge her for doing wrong. Jiang Changdai has never felt that she did wrong, but at the same time, she was also aware that n.o.body would believe her heresy. She knew that she was the losing party, but she was selfish to admit it.
Lu Zhenting"s every word was pus.h.i.+ng all responsibility on her!
What if they prosecuted her for child abduction?
She would go to prison if she was sentenced!
Just then, Yu Zi"s phone in her bag rang. Yu Zi did not respond to it immediately as the ringtone was unfamiliar.
As she was taking it out from her bag, she then remembered that it was Jiang Changdai"s phone that she had confiscated. The number on the phone"s screen was an unknown number. The live stream Internet video had delays, it showed that the reporter had just ended his call with Lu Zhenting. At the press conference site, another reporter was dialing Jiang Changdai"s number to call her.
Yu Zi was not in a hurry to answer the call. After a while, the live video showed the reporter calling Jiang Changdai and a lot of microphones were huddled near to the phone.
Yu Zi raised her head in a taunting manner and motioned with her chin, saying, "It"s the reporter calling from the press conference, they must be wanting to ask you about Lu Zhenghang"s matters. Don"t say I did not remind you; once you admitted your doings, you would be liable for the crime of abducting and trafficking in women and children, under which includes any act of abducting, kidnapping, giving or receiving payments of benefits, use of coercion, fraud and deception, and transporting or transferring of a woman or child for the purpose of exploitation and intentional revenge. In accordance with the provision of Article 214 of the Criminal Law, persons committing any of the aforementioned act can be sentenced for imprisonment from five to ten years and imposed a fine. For slightly serious cases, it would be more than ten years or life imprisonment, with a fine imposed and all a.s.sets confiscated. For circ.u.mstances which are really serious, the death penalty would be imposed, and all a.s.sets confiscated."
Jiang Changdai was in great shock and felt her head had burst. She fell into the chair with a pale face. Her mouth was opened but she could not speak. She clutched her chest, feeling an obtuse pain and difficulty in breathing.
"Of course, this would only be valid if Lu Zhenghang is really Yan Huaiyuan"s son. However, he is not, and you are very clear about it. So long he is not, then you would not be liable for the crime. If you are clearly aware about it but still insist to help Lu Zhenting and son and claimed that he is, then you would be liable for fraud and deception," Yu Zi continued calmly.
She glanced at the phone which was ringing non-stop. She ignored it. She was not concerned that the reporters would give up calling as they were the ones anxious for a story. How would you survive in this industry if one were to give up so easily?
Yu Zi retrieved her glance lazily and looked at the pale-faced Jiang Changdai. She said, "Persons committing any act using fictional facts or concealing the truth for the purpose of illegal possession and deceiving a large amount of public and private a.s.sets will be liable under the crime of fraud. In accordance with the provision of Article 266 of the Criminal Law, persons committing any of the aforementioned act can be sentenced for imprisonment for three years or less, criminal detention or control with a fine imposed. If the fraud amount is huge and there are other serious implications, the sentence will be imprisonment of more than three years and up to ten years with a fine imposed. If the fraud amount is substantial and significant with very serious implications, it will be an imprisonment of ten years and above or life imprisonment, a fine imposed and all a.s.sets confiscated."
Yu Zi"s spoke so loudly that her voice covered the phone"s ringing. Her voice was clear and sounded confident, worrying Jiang Changdai and making her more anxious.
"With the Yan Family"s value worth and Lu Zhenghang"s motive, this could be construed as a significant amount." Yu Zi raised an eyebrow and continued, "You"re the one who said Lu Zhenghang is Yan Huaiyuan"s son. If you stand by it, you will be liable for the crime of abducting and trafficking in women and children. If you don"t admit to it, then you are deceiving the Yan Family plotting for their money and a.s.sets and you will be liable for the crime of fraud. They pushed all responsibility on you and if anything were to happen, they can escape unharmed. You will be the who have been deceiving left and right, what responsibility will they own?"
"I…I…" Jiang Changdai panicked. She cuddled her head, shaking it vigorously and said, "I"m not responsible, I"m not! I did not say any of those, I did not! I did not give the paternity test report, I don"t know where they got it from. They would not frame me…they would not frame me…"
Jiang Changdai did not believe it. Her natural reaction was to steer herself clear from the matter and claimed her innocence.
To put it bluntly, she loved Lu Zhenting, she loved LuZhenghang, but she loved herself the most.
She could betray Yan Huaiyuan, Yan Beicheng and Yan Zhiqing for Lu Zhenting and Lu Zhenghang; partly because she liked Lu Zhenting and Lu Zhenghang and was willing to do it for their benefit. However, the main factor was still her self-interest.
After all that was said and done, it was still her self-indulgent and as such she agreed to help Lu Zhenting and Lu Zhenghang; but as soon as these two persons threatened her self-interest, Jiang Changdai would protect herself first.
"Don"t lie to yourself. You heard what Lu Zhenting said. This was not made up by me, and I am not making inflammatory statements. Think about it yourself, if they were to blame everything on you, what sort of consequences that you would have to face," Yu Zi said. The phone by now had stopped ringing.
Yu Zi casually glanced at the phone and did not put it back. She was sure that it would ring again.
"The reporters are hunting you now, even if you can hide today you would still not be able to hide your whole life. Didn"t Lu Zhenting and son give you a way out after forcing you into a corner like this?" Yu Zi asked tauntingly.
"I don"t know…I don"t know…they…they did not tell me anything…they would not frame me! I know, they would not frame me," Jiang Changdai said inattentively, shaking her head.
"If they did not frame you, they would not have said those words and would tell you first. I"m afraid they did not tell you anything. They pacified you first to get your agreement; as for the rest, they"ve already said it. Even if you were to know about it, you would not be able to stop them in time too," Yu Zi said. She was in no hurry as she poured herself a cup of hot water. She blew it a few times to cool it down below sipping it.
Only Yan Huaiyuan knew that when she got nervous, her body would feel chilly and her limbs would feel cold and would need to drink hot water to feel comfortable. She felt calm cradling the cup of hot water in her cold hands.
"I…What should I do…" This was already beyond sacrificing her reputation slightly.
Even if she was unwilling to admit, Jiang Changdai knew that this matter was not the same as agreed before. Lu Zhenghang only mentioned that it would be sufficient sacrificing her reputation a bit, but now it looked like they were sending her to prison!
Lu Zhenting and Lu Zhenghang were not impulsive persons. If they dared to do this, it meant that they calculated the risk and probably also seek for legal advice; yet they never mentioned anything about the risk to her and pushed her out.
Yu Zi did not speak and only looked at her with a smile. Jiang Changdai suddenly remembered that Yu Zi was a lawyer and said, "You…"
"I can help you. As long as you agree for me to be your lawyer representing you, I can speak on your behalf and help you get out of this rut," Yu Zi said. She had just finished speaking when Jiang Changdai"s phone rang again.
Yu Zi held up Jiang Changdai"s phone, waving it and asked, "Have you thought about it?"
"You…you will only speak on my behalf, but you cannot say anything about Lu Zhenting and Lu Zhenghang and cannot set them up," Jiang Changdai said as she gritted her teeth and clenched her cold hands.
Yu Zi sneered. Jiang Changdai was unable to fend for herself, yet she was still thinking for Lu Zhengting and his son. It must be true love. Possibly a typo by the author as it should be Lu Zhenting. Possibly a typo by the author as it should be Lu Zhenting.