CHAPTER 1004: CHAPTER 1004: MING DAILAN’S FINAL FATE

"In discussion." He Chen walked over to the sofa, sat down, crossed one leg over the other, and smirked, "Have you really thought it through? I’ve heard that MECT therapy can have side effects, more or less, and it doesn’t rule out short-term memory chaos."

"Need to think?" The man stood by the window against the light, his brows and eyes heavy with indifference, "Arrange it as soon as possible."

He Chen touched his eyebrow, his smile slightly cold, "As long as you cooperate, everything can proceed step by step. What’s your hurry, afraid Li Qiao will run away?"

Shang Yu glanced at him indifferently, "So much nonsense?"

"Alright, you’re sick, I’m not going to stoop to your level." He Chen took out a cigarette case and lit a cigarette, "I saw He Qing yesterday."

The man picked up a bottle of medicine and poured out two pills, "If you want to go back to seize power, take Black Hawk with you. I’ve already given you the details of the contacts for each branch of the International Club, contact them yourself."

He Chen: "..."

He put down his long legs, leaned forward, and picked up the bottled water from the table, "Shang Shaoyan, which eye of yours sees that I’m going back to seize power?"

"As you please."

He Chen tilted his head back to gulp a few mouthfuls of water, staring deeply at Shang Yu, "What’s your attitude towards He Qing?"

The man took the pills, his tone extremely cold, "Indifferent."

Months ago, Li Qiao was targeted by He Xi in Parma, and at that time, He Qing’s laissez-faire attitude destined that they could only become nodding acquaintances in the future, making it hard for them to become friends.

But He Chen is different; he’s a brother.

...

At the suburban sanatorium of Parma, Li Qiao stood downstairs looking at the surrounding rudimentary facilities, walked expressionlessly through the gate.

By chance, she just walked to a wooden corridor covered in vines and looked up to see Ming Dailan sitting on a wooden stool, in a daze, holding something in her hand.

She was wearing a simple convalescent outfit, her hair bun a bit messy, her body swayed back and forth, seemingly out of her senses.

The calmness in Li Qiao’s eyes suddenly rippled.

Luoyu didn’t notice her change, standing next to her, said coldly, "The family head settled her here and informed the Ming family, but the Ming family seems unwilling to take care of her. They only sent some supplements and haven’t shown up since."

Li Qiao didn’t reply, walked into the wooden corridor, and slowly sat across from Ming Dailan.

On the first day of the new year, bright sunlight shone through the vines, creating a dappled shadow on the ground.

Li Qiao stared into Ming Dailan’s empty eyes, "Do you believe in retribution?"

Today, Madam Xiao, without the embellishment of luxurious clothes, looked no different from an ordinary woman.

Even that once graceful face had a few more conspicuous wrinkles.

The first half of Ming Dailan’s life was supremely privileged.

But the second half of her life is destined to be full of twists and turns.

In a place like a sanatorium, one can’t expect the caregivers to treat the patients like their own family.

The insane and foolish have no awareness, being abused is commonplace.

Li Qiao crossed her legs, murmured softly, "If you’re truly insane, perhaps it’s a joyous end, but if you’re feigning madness, I wonder how long you can hold on."

At this moment, Ming Dailan tilted her head, looking at Li Qiao in confusion, and then offered up what she was holding with both hands, "Little girl, look, this is my wedding photo with Ah Zun, don’t we make a great match?"

Li Qiao looked indifferently at the thing in her hands, which wasn’t a wedding photo at all, but an admission certificate for the sanatorium.

Ming Dailan hardly mentioned anything unrelated to Ah Zun, whatever she said, it was always tied to Ah Zun.

Listening to her long-winded nonsense, Li Qiao pinched her brow, lightly mocking, "If I were you, instead of proving sincerity this way, I’d rather make a last stand in front of Ah Zun."

Behind her, Luoyu frowned in confusion, Madam...what is she saying?

Li Qiao closed her eyes, turned her head, and asked, "Who arranged the caregiver for her?"

Luoyu stepped forward and answered truthfully, "It should be Wei Ang, he handled the admission procedures."

"Call them over."

Not understanding what Li Qiao intended to do, Luoyu responded and turned to find the person.

Ming Dailan, across from her, continued to cradle what she was holding, muttering incessantly.

In less than three minutes, the caregiver hurriedly followed Luoyu to the wooden corridor.

The woman, who appeared in her early forties, bowed quickly upon seeing Li Qiao, "I have seen the young madam."

Li Qiao, her expression unchanged, bent her lips slightly, "Are you from the old mansion?"

The caregiver seemed a bit nervous, "Yes, Mr. Wei assigned me here to care for the former madam and instructed me to report anything significant promptly."

"What necessity is there for reporting?" At this moment, Li Qiao’s tone was gentle yet mocking, casting a sidelong glance at the suddenly silent Ming Dailan, "Why waste the old mansion’s resources?"

The caregiver’s eyes flickered, not daring to speak or ask more.

Soon after, at Li Qiao’s command, the caregiver assigned by Wei Ang was removed.

Once the caregiver left, she gazed at Ming Dailan, who looked bewildered, leaned forward, and spoke softly, "Since you want to be a lunatic, you should have no expectations.

You can’t distinguish right from wrong, tormenting Shaoyan for eleven years, I haven’t settled the account with you, yet how do you still have the face to expect to return to Shang’s?

Ah Zun, Ah Zun...don’t you feel you taint him when you call his name?"

Li Qiao had always been Li Qiao; even if her body still felt unwell, it didn’t affect her in standing up for Shang Yu.

Ming Dailan, what right do you have to enjoy everything arranged for you by Shang’s?

Having said this, Li Qiao stood up unhurriedly, "Madam Xiao, you and Xiao Hongdao never completed divorce proceedings, even if he’s dead, you can only ever be his widow, never Ah Zun’s wife."

Ming Dailan hadn’t uttered a word from start to finish, and only after Li Qiao left did the small notebook she held in her palm slip and fall to the ground.

...

Leaving the sanatorium, Luoyu was still puzzled, "Madam, is it possible that she...isn’t mad?"

"Self-serving people aren’t that fragile." Li Qiao closed her eyes and leaned back against the chair, her pretty face frostbitten.

Before seeing Ming Dailan, she couldn’t be certain.

But just a moment ago, when Ming Dailan handed over that so-called wedding photo, Li Qiao caught a faint scent of tea.

That was the scent of hand cream.

How would someone out of their senses apply hand cream, and even have their nails meticulously trimmed into such a nice shape?

The caregiver wouldn’t do such a thing, or even if they did, it wouldn’t be so attentive.

Luoyu gasped in astonishment, "What’s her motive, then?"

"She hopes Ah Zun can soften, to bring her back to the old mansion."

Regardless of whether Ming Dailan truly had such deep feelings for Shang Zonghai, her constant mentioning of Ah Zun was nothing more than an attempt to use others’ mouths to get this message back to Shang Zonghai’s ears.

How could she claim to be a woman who loves a child so much, yet even if mad, could only remember her former husband?!

Pretending to be insane is enough for her to evade all rightful consequences.

Li Qiao’s gaze cooled as she looked outside the window, "Return to the old mansion, and by the way, inform Wei Ang that from now on, no one is allowed to use Shang’s name to aid Ming Dailan."

"And the family head..."

Li Qiao gently opened her eyes, and at this moment, it seemed she returned to the bold and proud Li Qiao of the past, "Dad will agree."

She wanted Ming Dailan to atone for Shang Yu with the rest of her life.