The Sweetest Marriage Ch.304

Chapter 304 – The Hotel Owner

Chen Yunsheng was left speechless by Chen Yunlan’s questioning, his face turning red as he looked at him. His eyes were filled with resentment. Though he couldn’t answer Chen Yunlan’s questions, he stubbornly believed that Chen Yunlan and Chen Li still owed something to their family, the Chen family.

Only in this way did Chen Yunsheng have a glimmer of hope in his heart. He hoped that Chen Li could use their connections to help resolve the current issues facing the Chen family.

Chen Shihuai shared the same thoughts as Chen Yunsheng. His gaze turned somewhat sharp, but he quickly concealed it, replacing it with a face full of kindness. “Yunlan, if you examine your conscience, isn’t your current success, your position in the international art scene, because our Chen family provided support from behind? The Chen family is your root. Now, your family is about to be uprooted. Are you just going to watch this happen? Are you truly so cold-blooded?”

Facing Chen Shihuai’s deliberately affectionate expression, Chen Yunlan raised her lips, forming a cold smile. “Isn’t being cold-blooded the tradition of the Chen family?”

With those words, Chen Yunlan didn’t want to engage further with this father and son pair, turning around to leave.

However, Chen Shihuai and Chen Yunsheng couldn’t easily let Chen Yunlan slip away when they finally caught up to him.

As the saying goes, a cornered dog will jump over a wall. Chen Shihuai and Chen Yunsheng were currently in a desperate situation. They exchanged a glance, both seeing intense malice in each other’s eyes.

“Chen Yunlan, you can’t refuse the toast only to be forced to drink the penalty.” Chen Yunsheng stopped Chen Yunlan, his gaze coldly fixed on him. “Do you want to know to what extent Chen Li would go for you, his father?”

Feeling the malice emanating from his father and brother, Chen Yunlan immediately furrowed his brows. “What do you mean?”

“What do you think?” Chen Yunsheng said, pulling out the dr*g he had prepared long ago from his pocket. Unless absolutely necessary, they wouldn’t have reached this point. It was all forced by Chen Yunlan and Chen Li!

Chen Yunlan had already become cautious. When Chen Yunsheng tried to cover his face with the dr*g-soaked cloth, he dodged. But he forgot that Chen Shihuai was still behind him. He grabbed his hands, assisting Chen Yunsheng in holding him down.

Chen Yunlan began to struggle and cry for help, but the hotel’s security outside seemed as though they hadn’t noticed anything, standing silently.

As Chen Yunsheng covered Chen Yunlan’s face with the cloth, he fiercely kicked him. However, Chen Yunsheng persisted despite being kicked, determined today to take Chen Yunlan away!

As the cloth covered Chen Yunlan’s face, the choking scent of the dr*g seeped between his mouth and nose. His consciousness slowly began to blur, and his strength to struggle diminished.

He had never imagined that his father and brother would go this far!

Just at that moment, a person walked out of the hotel, temples already touched by snowy white hair, with a solemn face. Seeing the situation, there was no time to question why the security hadn’t acted. Instead, this person swiftly jogged down from the hotel entrance.

This individual was evidently trained. With just one kick, they sent Chen Yunsheng flying and then snatched Chen Yunlan away from Chen Shihuai’s grasp.

This person’s kick was forceful; Chen Yunsheng was sent flying, clutching his stomach, feeling his internal organs shifting. The hotel’s security was now sweating bullets, not because of this man’s martial skills, but because of his identity—he was the hotel’s owner!

Even if they had taken money from the Chen family and remained inactive when they took Chen Yunlan away, now with the owner present, they couldn’t afford to remain passive. Moreover, they would face the risk of being fired and completely ousted from the industry.

The hotel owner merely gave the security a cold glance. The lobby manager, who had escorted the owner out, was now drenched in cold sweat at the sight and hurriedly brought the owner’s car over, respectfully helping the owner and the unconscious guest into the car, not forgetting to call the police.

Chen Yunlan’s consciousness blurred until he knew he had been rescued. Only then did he relax, slipping into complete unconsciousness.

At the hospital, the person who saved Chen Yunlan hadn’t left. He was still waiting for Chen Yunlan to wake up, not out of kindness but because the incident happened at his hotel’s doorstep, and the inaction of his security was a fact. Therefore, he had to take full responsibility for this customer.

Now, three hours had passed since Chen Yunlan inhaled the dr*g. The person who saved him sat by his hospital bed, serious-faced, sitting upright on the chair. He wore a meticulously neat three-piece suit with no wrinkles.

He was someone in a high position, radiating authority without anger. His gaze was sharp, with a few streaks of gray at the temples, but his face didn’t have many wrinkles, indicating he was around fifty years old.

To ensure nothing would go wrong, Chen Yunsheng had applied an excessive amount of the dr*g on the cloth, causing Chen Yunlan’s rescue to take over half an hour in the hospital.

Now, after dozing for over three hours, Chen Yunlan slowly woke up. Outside the window, it was already dark, in the early hours of the morning. Both outside and inside the hospital, it was quiet and tranquil.

Chen Yunlan opened his eyes, taking a moment to realize where he was. He turned his head, meeting a serious face.

To be honest, when Chen Yunlan was rescued, his consciousness was already fading, and he hadn’t seen clearly who had saved him. It was all blurry, just hearing, vaguely remembering that this person had gray hair at the temples and seemed older.

So now, seeing this person, Chen Yunlan didn’t need to think to know that this person had saved him.

He croaked out, “Thank you.”

The hotel owner shook his head. “No need to thank me. It was our hotel’s mistake that led to this. We’ll take responsibility for all your hospital expenses.”

“No, thank you.” Chen Yunlan directly refused. Regardless of whether it was the hotel’s fault, he didn’t want to owe more favors.

Sensing Chen Yunlan’s mood, the hotel owner didn’t say much. He simply left his business card. “Here’s my card. If there’s anything else later on, you can reach out to me.” Even though he knew that this person, with his lofty demeanor, probably wouldn’t seek him out, he still needed to show his willingness.

“I’ll have the doctor come in now. If you’re fine, I’ll leave,” the hotel owner spoke.

The doctor arrived, conducted various tests on Chen Yunlan, and apart from the weakness caused by the dr*g’s aftereffects, there was no major issue.

Only then did the hotel owner feel reassured to leave.

In the hospital room, Chen Yunlan was alone. Despite the lingering effects of the dr*g, he couldn’t sleep. A faint light seeped in from outside the window. It was a slightly chilly autumn night, but Chen Yunlan felt cold, a bone-deep chill.

He wrapped himself tighter in the blanket, curled up, trembling incessantly.

As the night gradually brightened, before the day fully broke, Wei Chen and Chen Li received the message and hurried to the hospital.

By the time they arrived at the hospital, Chen Yunlan had fallen asleep. After inquiring about his condition from the doctor, both of them let out a sigh of relief.

Thankfully, it wasn’t anything serious.

The couple gently pushed open the door to the ward, walked to the bedside, and looked at Chen Yunlan. Even in his sleep, Chen Yunlan’s posture was restless, curled up like a child, filled with fear and devoid of any sense of security towards the world.

Yes, anyone treated this way by their family would resist the world, especially someone like Chen Yunlan who had never experienced gentleness from this world.

These years, beneath the facade of charm and nonchalance, there was only a lifeless shell, and he himself didn’t know why he was alive. Perhaps, staying alive was merely to honor a promise made long ago.

This world had inflicted too many wounds upon Chen Yunlan, wounds that cut deep into the bones and pierced the heart and lungs.

These years, for others, living was the most ordinary thing, even a blessing from heaven. Yet for Chen Yunlan, being alive was worse than death—a painful, unbearable suffering.

However, he couldn’t break free from this gut-wrenching pain just yet.

When he finally learned of Chen Li’s existence, a glimmer of light in his despairing life. He thought he could escape the pain. Yet, his father and brother, the two people with the closest blood ties, ruthlessly stabbed him. The pain inflicted by this new wound was no less than before. He felt confused and scared, resisting this world, devoid of any sense of security.

Chen Li, witnessing Chen Yunlan’s state, eyes instantly reddened. He turned and buried himself in Wei Chen’s chest, silently weeping. This person was his father, and due to the closely knitted blood relationship, Chen Li seemed to sense the hurt Chen Yunlan endured, an overwhelming and suffocating pain.

Wei Chen held Chen Li’s waist, gently, tenderly patting his back, not uttering any words of comfort because he knew they would be futile now.

“Will everything be alright, Achen?” Chen Li mumbled in Wei Chen’s embrace, his voice hoarse.

Wei Chen gently kissed Chen Li’s soft hair and tenderly said, “Yes, it will, it will get better.”

At that moment, a gust of wind blew in through the window, causing a business card on the table near the hospital bed to fall to the ground. Wei Chen’s gaze fell upon the card.

The card was made of high-quality black paper, displaying only a name and a phone number, without any job title.

Xie Chunsheng.

Wei Chen knew this person, having crossed paths a few times before.

Xie Chunsheng, the helm of the Xie family, owner of the world’s most luxurious hotel brand headquartered in the famous gambling city in the United States. Before the Xie family’s properties were whitewashed, they were the largest Chinese gang in America.

Even now, no one knew for sure if the Xie family had completely turned legitimate.

Moreover, Xie Chunsheng had a fascinating aspect; he was a fervent admirer of Chen Yunlan’s art. It was said that several of Chen Yunlan’s paintings that fetched tens of millions were in Xie Chunsheng’s collection. He once publicly declared his intention to buy all of Chen Yunlan’s artwork circulating in the market, regardless of the cost.

Wei Chen glanced at the business card on the floor, squinting slightly, his thoughts unclear.

When Chen Yunlan woke up again, it was nine in the morning. By then, the lingering effects of the dr*g had completely faded from his body, but upon waking, his head still felt heavy and clouded.

“Dad, you’re awake?” A surprised voice came to his ears, clear and melodious.

Chen Yunlan turned and met Chen Li’s concerned gaze, instinctively smiling. “Xiao Li, I worried you.”

Chen Li shook his head. “Dad, are you hungry? Achen made congee for you. Have a few sips.”

Chen Yunlan naturally wouldn’t refuse Chen Li’s care. With Chen Li’s support, he sat up and took the congee. It was cooked just right, light and soothing, perfect for Chen Yunlan’s current appetite.

He was indeed a bit hungry. The bowl of congee quickly disappeared, and as he finished the last spoonful, Chen Li took the empty bowl. “Dad, do you feel uncomfortable anywhere? Should I call the doctor?” Chen Li asked with concern.

Chen Yunlan shook his head. “I’m fine, just a bit fuzzy-headed.”

Wei Chen followed the doctor in. Despite Chen Yunlan’s assurance, he underwent an examination.

The doctor concluded after a series of tests, “The patient is fine. Rest for another day, and you can leave the hospital.” Chen Li and Wei Chen were completely relieved.

A day later, Chen Yunlan was discharged. During this time, he didn’t inquire about Chen Yunsheng and Chen Shihuai, as if these two individuals had vanished completely from his life. Whatever this father and son did afterward had no bearing on Chen Yunlan.

Observing Chen Yunlan’s attitude, Wei Chen and Chen Li didn’t mention Chen Shihuai and Chen Yunsong in his presence. The father and son were still detained at the police station, and without intervention from the Beijing Chen family, they wouldn’t be released any time soon.

It was better this way, preventing these two from disturbing their peace.

When Chen Yunlan left, he didn’t take the business card of the hotel owner. That coveted card ended up in the hospital janitor’s trash can, disappearing without a trace.

However, fate worked in mysterious ways. Although the card was gone, the paths of Chen Yunlan and Xie Chunsheng began to intersect due to this incident, leading to endless connections in the future.

Perhaps, Xie Chunsheng’s appearance was a redemption in Chen Yunlan’s profoundly agonizing life. It allowed him to lay down that scarred past, preventing the memories from haunting him every midnight.

Initially, Chen Yunlan might have contemplated avoidance, but when an extremely assertive person emerged, relentlessly approaching him, Chen Yunlan had no choice but to compromise, to yield.

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