Chapter 51: Chess Pieces
Care causes chaos. Although Xiao Moyan had always been proud and strong in front of others, at this moment, seeing Mrs. Xu's arms held down and her body pressed to the ground, fearing something might happen to her, she lost her usual composure. Xiao Moyan trembled violently, covering her mouth, and watched Mrs. Xu cry.
Mrs. Xu breathed heavily, twisting her body, trying to struggle. However, being old, she couldn't break free after several attempts. Instead, her entire body seemed to collapse, her vision blurred, and her limbs became weak. The two men behind her continued to press her down, staring at Lan Chen, awaiting orders.
"Don't cry—"
Mrs. Xu twisted her face and glared at Xiao Moyan, her chest rising and falling rapidly, silver strands of hair scattered across her forehead. Yet, she still quietly gave orders. She would rather die than let Xiao Moyan, whom she cherished like a treasure, cry and plead in front of others!
Xiao Moyan’s face was streaked with tears. She lifted her body, gritting her teeth and glaring at Lan Chen, hatred bursting in her eyes. Upon meeting her gaze, Lan Chen instinctively took two steps back, bumping into the sofa behind her. After a moment, her face returned to its initial cruelty.
"Lan Chen, let Mrs. Xu go."
Xiao Moyan slowly uttered the words, her face growing increasingly pale.
"Let go? Why should I? Xiao Moyan, do you think you're still the CEO who could cover the sky with one hand? How dare you speak to me with such a commanding tone?"
Lan Chen crossed her arms and spoke aggressively, her voice seemed strong, but it carried a hint of weakness.
Xiao Moyan took a deep breath, narrowing her eyes as she looked at Lan Chen.
"If you have grievances or hatred, you can direct them at me, Xiao Moyan. There's no need to threaten Mrs. Xu and do such despicable and vile things!"
Lan Chen shook her head and sneered after hearing this.
"Despicable and vile? Xiao Moyan, haven’t you done these things yourself? Back then, if it weren’t for my godfather’s secret help, would I, Lan Chen, still be alive today?"
Lan Chen looked at Xiao Moyan with a blank expression, but inside, a storm was already raging.
She couldn’t not hate! Back then, she had exhausted all her energy serving Tianhuang, but in the end, what happened? After Xiao Moyan rose to power, she eliminated all the loyal supporters, secretly sending people to force their families to move abroad. Her elderly parents couldn’t bear life in a foreign land and died far from home, leaving only her and her frail sister to depend on each other. If it weren’t for meeting Xia Ran, Lan Chen didn’t know how she would’ve survived. She had suffered so much, mixing with a bunch of filthy men in the underworld, and crawling through hardships to get to her current position. After returning to the country, to hide her strength, she had been humiliated and plotted against by Xiao Moyan countless times. Now, with Xiao Moyan’s downfall, the scene that had appeared in her dreams a thousand times—how could she let go so easily?!
Thinking of this, Lan Chen no longer hesitated. She turned her head and nodded at the two men holding Mrs. Xu. The two men exchanged a knowing glance and simultaneously increased their grip, pressing Mrs. Xu’s head against the cold floor.
"Mrs. Xu!"
Xiao Moyan let out a loud cry, stumbling as she ran toward Mrs. Xu, but Lan Chen stepped forward and grabbed her wrist. Xiao Moyan tried to twist her wrist to capture Lan Chen's, but Lan Chen sneered disdainfully, increasing her grip and not allowing any resistance. Xiao Moyan let out a muffled groan, the pain in her wrist felt as though it were being snapped, a sharp, heart-wrenching pain that made her squat down involuntarily.
Lan Chen looked at her and sneered.
“Xiao Moyan, for a woman, look at yourself. What are you now? The mighty Tianhuang, collapsed overnight. Heh, you didn’t expect that, did you? If it weren’t for being lost in a woman’s embrace, constantly giving in, how could I have seen you cry so easily? Who should you blame for this? Do you realize how pathetic you look now? Like a helpless dog. But what about the woman you love? Let me tell you, after you signed the stock transfer agreement, godfather immediately announced that she would replace you as CEO! You’re truly a failure, Xiao Moyan!”
Xiao Moyan seemed to not hear Lan Chen’s words, letting her humiliate her. She merely raised her head, looking in the direction of Mrs. Xu, and slowly stretched out her hand.
“Mrs. Xu…”
Mrs. Xu, who had been strong all her life, was suddenly in tears. Lan Chen's words caused a burst of suffocation in her chest. Mrs. Xu looked at Xiao Moyan, crying softly, shaking her head.
“Miss, it’s my fault, I’ve dragged you down.”
Xiao Moyan shook her head vigorously, while the tall man behind Lan Chen frowned at the two, his expression slightly anxious. He stepped forward a few paces and whispered into Lan Chen's ear.
“Issac, hurry up. I heard from the driver that Miss Xia was called out by a reporter with the last name Fang. If I’m not mistaken, she should be back at the Xiao residence in ten minutes.”
Lan Chen's expression changed when she heard this. She nodded, glanced at Xiao Moyan, and quickly walked up to Mrs. Xu. She exchanged a glance with the two men beside her, who understood the signal. One man held Mrs. Xu's hands, while the other lifted her right leg. Mrs. Xu remained calm, letting them move her, her sharp eyes staring intently at Lan Chen’s face. Lan Chen felt uneasy under her gaze and turned to look at Xiao Moyan.
Sure enough, upon seeing Lan Chen’s actions, the hatred on Xiao Moyan’s face was replaced by panic and fear. She stared helplessly at Mrs. Xu.
Lan Chen raised her right foot, hovering above Mrs. Xu's right leg, glancing at Xiao Moyan occasionally.
“Lan Chen, what are you going to do?!”
Lan Chen let out a soft laugh, her right foot gently landing on Mrs. Xu’s leg as she said,
“I want this old woman’s right leg.”
“You dare!”
Xiao Moyan screamed hoarsely, but Lan Chen shook her head, gradually increasing the pressure with her foot. Mrs. Xu gritted her teeth, enduring the pain, her whole body tense. Large beads of sweat slid down her forehead, and her old face turned a deep shade of purple.
"Don't—"
Xiao Moyan cried out in a broken voice. Upon hearing this, Lan Chen smiled with satisfaction. She lifted her right foot again and looked at Xiao Moyan with a proud expression.
"Don't? Hehe, alright, beg me!"
Mrs. Xu turned her head to look at Xiao Moyan. Her face, usually filled with smiles, was now contorted with pain, yet she still stubbornly shook her head.
Xiao Moyan was already overwhelmed with sorrow. She softly sobbed, biting her lip, and whispered,
"Please—"
Unexpectedly, as the pleading words left her mouth, Lan Chen did not spare Mrs. Xu. Instead, she increased the pressure with her foot. Mrs. Xu screamed, tilting her head to look at her right leg. Her body jerked to the limit, and her breathing became rapid, clearly unable to endure any longer.
Xiao Moyan screamed and tried to rush forward, but several men blocked her path. Lan Chen looked at her with a triumphant smile.
"Do you think you can get away with this? Xiao Moyan, you need to show some sincerity, do you understand? Kneel, I want you to kneel!"
Xiao Moyan raised her head, looking at Lan Chen in disbelief. On the floor, A'Sen, covered in blood, gasped weakly and murmured in a hoarse voice,
"Don't, Miss, don't—"
Xiao Moyan bit her lower lip tightly, staring at Mrs. Xu, whose face had turned ashen. A commotion came from the doorway, and Lan Chen furrowed her brows, growing anxious. She shook her head and sighed.
"Xiao Moyan, I see you won't shed tears until you see the coffin!"
After speaking, she lifted her right foot high and slammed it down. Mrs. Xu gritted her teeth and closed her eyes. For a long time, there was complete silence. When Mrs. Xu slowly opened her eyes, Lan Chen's foot had already moved away, and her face was filled with a satisfied smile. On the opposite side, Xiao Moyan had both hands on the ground, her head lowered, and her legs bent as she knelt.
"Please, please—"
At that moment, time seemed to stop. Mrs. Xu, her face ashen, looked at Xiao Moyan. Xiao Moyan's coffee-colored hair covered her face, her lips mechanically forming words, and her expression could not be seen clearly.
"Xiao—"
Outside the door, Xia Lingying screamed and rushed in, pulling Xiao Moyan up with all her strength, not understanding why such a scene unfolded. The woman she loved, the queen who had always been cherished by everyone, was now kneeling before Lan Chen. The pain in her heart spread through her body in an instant. Xia Lingying called Xiao Moyan's name, pulling her up with all her might. Behind her, Fang Ruolin, holding a black iron camera, swung it several times, knocking down the two men who had been holding Mrs. Xu. Fang Ruolin rushed to Mrs. Xu and moved her toward the sofa.
Rolling up her pants leg, she saw a dark bruise on Mrs. Xu's calf. Fang Ruolin gritted her teeth, glaring at Lan Chen.
"Lan Chen, are you still human?"
Lan Chen turned her head, not looking at her, and glanced at Xia Lingying. She waved her right hand, and a group of men in black followed her out of the villa.
"Issac, don't you think we went a bit too far?"
The tall man nervously looked at Lan Chen and quietly asked. It wasn’t that he was scared, but the look in Xiao Moyan's eyes as they were leaving made him uneasy.
Lan Chen shook her head and casually said, "What’s there to be afraid of? This is what my godfather ordered. I’m just lending a hand. The old fox still has the sharpest mind. This time, Xiao Moyan will definitely not forgive Xiaxia."
"You mean the old master?" The man stared at Lan Chen in surprise.
Lan Chen looked up at the sky, nodded, and sighed, "They're all just chess pieces."
Inside the villa, Xia Lingying stared at Xiao Moyan with a face full of tears, pulling her hands forcefully, trying to lift her. It was only after Lan Chen had completely left that Xiao Moyan withdrew her vengeful gaze, pushed Xia Lingying away, and stood up. She quickly walked to Mrs. Xu's side. Before Mrs. Xu could speak, she began crying first.
"Miss, it's all my fault. I deserve to die—"
"Mrs. Xu—"
Xiao Moyan stared at her swollen right leg, tears streaming down her face, trembling as she dialed the phone, calling for an ambulance. She held onto Mrs. Xu's hand the whole time and sent both her and A'Sen into the ambulance. Fang Ruolin had never seen this side of Xiao Moyan. Watching her helpless figure, her heart was already shattered into pieces. Glancing at Xia Lingying, who was softly sobbing, she gritted her teeth and said,
"Xia Lingying, Xiao Moyan gave you everything without reservation. And what did you do? At her most vulnerable and helpless moment, you took over Tianhuang? Do you even love her?"
"I didn't—I didn't take over, how could I—"
Fang Ruolin took a deep breath, stared at Xia Lingying, and whispered,
"I once thought you could give her happiness, but now it seems I was wrong. Xia Lingying, go ahead and do your CEO job, but stay away from Xiao Moyan. From now on, she—will be protected by me, Fang Ruolin!"
"You—"
While they were talking, Xiao Moyan walked in, disoriented. She didn’t even blink as she passed by the two of them. Fang Ruolin sighed and walked out.
Fang Ruolin knew that Xiao Moyan still didn’t want to see her.
Xia Lingying slowly moved her heavy steps into the room. On the sofa, Xiao Moyan sat with a blank expression, staring at the blood left on the floor. Her fingers gripped the edge of the sofa tightly, her nails turning a pale gray. A seed of hatred gradually climbed up her marble-like, cold face, and she looked completely ice-cold.
"Xiao—"
Xia Lingying was terrified, softly calling out her name. Xiao Moyan lifted her head, staring at her with an expressionless face.
"CEO Xia, are you here to laugh at me?"
There was a kind of hatred called cold as ice. The words "CEO Xia" cruelly tore her heart apart. Xia Lingying covered her mouth, looking at Xiao Moyan. Tears surged down her face in an instant.
"Xiao, do you believe me? I really haven’t done anything to hurt you..."
Author's Note:
I’m about to lose internet, so I wrote this in a hurry. I’ll fix any mistakes tomorrow. Also, everyone stay calm...