CHAPTER 137: CHAPTER 137 THE IMPRISONED YOUNGER SISTER OF THE FEARSOME MOVIE EMPEROR

Lai Shenyan laughed with a meaningful look, as if Liang Siyun’s heartache was no more than a spectacle to him.

"Are you sure you want to know the answer? The answer might not be what you hope for."

"As your girlfriend, don’t I even deserve an answer?"

"If you were just my girlfriend, of course you’d have your answer by now," Lai Shenyan’s piercing gaze swept toward Liang Siyun.

Liang Siyun felt inexplicably guilty under his stare. "What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean."

Liang Siyun retorted angrily, "What am I supposed to understand? That my boyfriend pretends to love me on the surface, but deep down, he’s already got a woman he’s barely met? And that I should be sensible enough to back out early? Lai Shenyan, is that what you want me to do?"

Lai Shenyan said lightly, "If you could act this well in your dramas, you would have been famous long ago."

His attitude further enraged Liang Siyun, who despaired, "At this point, you’re still beating around the bush?"

All of a sudden, Lai Shenyan reached out and pinched Liang Siyun’s delicate face. "If it were not for Lai Rumu’s mark on you, I would’ve believed your outburst just now. Liang Siyun, playing my cousin’s woman while pretending to be deeply in love with me must be quite satisfying, huh?"

Liang Siyun’s expression became one of panic.

Although she quickly suppressed it, Lai Shenyan still caught the slip in her control.

Lai Shenyan laughed. "Women truly are interesting creatures. So soft and weak, yet they’ll do anything for men and money."

Liang Siyun’s expression blanked for a moment, then she suddenly cried looking at Lai Shenyan.

"After three years together, you actually don’t trust me. I believe I’ve been a competent girlfriend."

"Indeed, quite competent. Besides being my girlfriend in name only, you’ve skillfully used that status to alienate my fans and steal my endorsements. When you list it all out, no one’s more ’competent’ than you. Liang Siyun, go back and tell Lai Rumu to keep up his foolishness. It would be even better if he ran the Lai Family into the ground. I don’t stand to gain anything from it anyway, so if the Lai Family collapses, I’ll be even happier."

Lai Shenyan said this as he walked forward.

Fen Du stood outside the studio, and Lai Shenyan shot him a sidelong glance.

"What’s the matter? Still playing the spy?"

Fen Du hurriedly shook his head. "I’ll go with you."

"That’s more like it. Otherwise, if everyone around me was just placed by others to monitor me, I’d be sad."

He said that, but there was no hint of sadness in his tone.

Fen Du followed Lai Shenyan into the elevator.

Hearing no sound from outside, Liang Siyun quickly grabbed her phone to call Lai Rumu.

"Mr. Lai, Lai Shenyan found out about my identity. What should I do now?"

Lai Rumu sat up straight. "What did you do? You weren’t discovered for so many years. How did he suddenly become aware?"

"Judging by his attitude, he’s known for a long time. He wasn’t angry at all, completely calm throughout."

"Then that’s your problem," Lai Rumu said before cutting off the call.

Liang Siyun panicked inside.

She knew Lai Rumu had cast her aside. She didn’t dare call Lai Rumu again, only waiting patiently for the next opportunity. No matter how capable Lai Shenyan was, he was still just an actor. Lai Rumu was the true successor to the Lai Family. With Lai Shenyan’s impulsive and brainless actions, he would never be able to overturn Lai Rumu in a lifetime.

After Lai Shenyan got into the car, he stared coldly at the streetscape of Jiangcheng and said, "Go back to the Lai Family."

Fen Du’s hands on the steering wheel paused momentarily. "Aren’t you the one who hates going back the most?"

"Shenlan is still at the Lai Family."

Fen Du looked at him in surprise. "Is your stage name your real name?"

"My real name is too nice not to use; it’d be such a waste."

Fen Du silently turned his head, no longer wanting to speak with him.

Lai Shenyan’s expression was exceedingly grim.

The Lai Family lived very close to the Qin Family. Lai Shenyan turned his head to look at the Qin Family under the night sky and then withdrew his gaze.

The members of the Lai Family saw Lai Shenyan return and remained seated without moving.

Lai Shenyan also ignored them and headed straight upstairs.

Old Lady Lai knocked her cane heavily several times. "What is this attitude? I, an elder, am sitting here, and he didn’t even see me? Not even willing to offer a greeting?"

Lai Rumu’s mother, Ni He, tried to calm her. "Maybe he has something on his mind. Why don’t we ask him later to understand clearly?"

Lai Shenlan was still in their hands. No matter how capable Lai Shenyan was, he couldn’t turn the tide. Besides, Lai Shenyan didn’t have the brains for it.

Lai Shenyan went straight to Lai Shenlan’s room.

Lai Shenlan was startled awake by the sudden light. She opened her eyes in confusion and, seeing Lai Shenyan had returned, she could hardly believe it.

"Brother, is it really you?"

Lai Shenyan smiled with exceptional warmth. "It’s me. Brother is planning to go to Jiangnan for a trip. Do you want to come with me?"

Lai Shenlan’s eyes suddenly brightened. "Can I... go with you?"

Although she was young, she understood that she was the means by which the Lai Family held her brother back. The Lai Family wouldn’t let her leave with her brother.

"If you want to go, then you can." Lai Shenyan helped her tidy her sleep-mussed hair. "I know a very good doctor. Perhaps, after taking her medicine, you could grow taller."

Lai Shenlan was already sixteen, but her body remained in the state of a ten-year-old child. Her body had forever stayed in the year he had taken her to commit suicide.

Lai Shenlan shook her head, her tender voice speaking softly, "It doesn’t matter whether I can grow taller or not. I just want to go wherever Brother goes. I want to see the views you’ve seen. I don’t want to hear about you from others. They will slander you and maliciously smear your name. The you in my heart is definitely not like that."

His heart ached as he hugged her. "Do you have the strength to stand up?"

"I do. I secretly hid some food. I’ve been eating my fill every day," said Lai Shenlan, a bit embarrassed.

Anger flashed in Lai Shenyan’s eyes, but he quickly suppressed it, not wanting to scare her.

"This time, we won’t take Mother’s spirit tablet with us. Once we are safe, we will find a way to bring it. Are you willing?"

Lai Shenlan hesitated for a moment then nodded firmly.

"Mother will follow us. A wooden spirit tablet is just a keepsake; you needn’t worry too much about it."

Lai Shenyan helped her pack the essential items, which all fit into a single backpack.

As he helped Lai Shenlan downstairs, every member of the Lai Family was staring intently at the two of them.

Lai Rumu had just come in from outside, frowning in displeasure.

"Shenyan, what are you doing? You haven’t returned for half a year, and now you’re stirring up trouble as soon as you’re back."

Old Lady Lai huffed, "Now that his wings have hardened, he comes home and doesn’t even glance at his grandmother."

Lai Shenyan replied, "Who says I didn’t look? I even noticed all the new wrinkles you’ve developed, especially those cute and charming ones under your eyes."

Old Lady Lai quickly reached to touch her eyes.

With age, even the best skincare and medical aesthetic treatments couldn’t eliminate wrinkles and aging.

Lai Rumu looked at Lai Shenlan. "Xiaolan, Grandmother and I have always treated you well. Are you going to join your brother in his nonsense and hurt our feelings?"

Lai Shenlan smiled obediently. "I haven’t seen my brother for a long time and I’ve missed him. I just want to go out and stay with him for a couple of days."

Fen Du had no right to enter the Lai Family home and could only look at the inside from the courtyard.

When he clearly saw the little girl by Lai Shenyan’s side, shock flooded his eyes.