Chapter 15: You Despicable Scoundrel, I've Finally Found You
“Cooperation is possible, but what benefits would I gain?” Zhao Qiang was no fool; he could tell that Chu Mengyao was scheming against Zhang Zihao. Although they shared the same target, he was not about to become a pawn for someone else without compensation.
“Benefits? Zhang Zihao and Liu Ruyan betrayed you. Aren’t you furious?” Chu Mengyao crossed her arms.
“Of course I’m furious! Now that I know who he really is, I can handle this myself,” Zhao Qiang replied.
“Is that so, Miss Chu?” Zhao Qiang smiled slyly. He wasn’t about to rush into anything foolish just because of a few words.
“What do you want then?”
“Miss Chu, you speak plainly. Once I expose Zhang Zihao’s sordid affairs, he will surely retaliate against my family. What can you do to protect them?”
His parents must not be implicated; otherwise, provoking Zhang Zihao would be like an egg against a rock.
“At that time, I guarantee the safety of your whole family, and I’ll help you deal with Liu Ruyan’s family as well.”
“How’s that sound?”
“Pleasant cooperation,” Chu Mengyao snorted, and the two sealed their agreement with a high-five.
“Don’t forget me, Zhao Qiang. You promised to clear my name too,” Chu Siqi called anxiously from the side. She was still misunderstood by her fans.
Their conversation was interrupted by the driver, Xiao Zhou.
“President, we have arrived at Blue Waterfall Kindergarten.”
Chu Mengyao suddenly remembered she was here to pick up her daughter, Xiao Taozi, almost forgetting.
“Mom, why are you wearing a mask?”
“Because Mommy has a cold and doesn’t want to pass it to you.”
Soon, Chu Mengyao got into the car carrying an adorable little girl.
Zhao Qiang wanted to get out; as an outsider, he felt awkward inside the vehicle. But Chu Mengyao stopped him.
Disrupting the engagement banquet was a major affair involving two families; she still had much to tell Zhao Qiang.
Once Xiao Taozi got into the car, her big, sparkling eyes curiously fixed on Zhao Qiang.
After a long pause, the child said in a soft, babyish voice, “Mommy, is this uncle Daddy?”
Zhao Qiang was stunned, unsure how to respond.
Quickly, Chu Mengyao said, “Xiao Taozi, don’t call him that. He’s not your father.”
But the little girl stubbornly pouted, ran over, and hugged Zhao Qiang’s arm tightly. “No, he is Daddy. Mommy, you’re lying.”
Zhao Qiang felt awkward as Xiao Taozi suddenly grew close to him.
If only he had such a lovely daughter, his dreams would be filled with joy.
Unfortunately, the twins Liu Ruyan bore were not his.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have stirred up such a big mess.
Unable to push Xiao Taozi away, he gently stroked her head. “Xiao Taozi, be good. I’m not your daddy.”
Upon hearing this, the child’s eyes instantly reddened. With tears in her voice, she asked, “But you are, aren’t you? Does Daddy not want Xiao Taozi anymore?”
“Xiao Taozi!”
“Daddy, Daddy, you are Daddy. You can’t fool Xiao Taozi.”
Ignoring admonitions, the child tugged at Zhao Qiang’s hand, shaking it.
Chu Mengyao sighed helplessly. “Please help calm her down for a while. Don’t let her cry.”
She felt guilty toward her daughter; although well cared for, Xiao Taozi lacked a father’s love. She hoped Zhao Qiang could soothe her.
Zhao Qiang had no choice but to carefully hold Xiao Taozi in his arms.
This was the precious daughter of President Chu; he dared not slack off.
The child’s plump cheeks, with baby fat, made her all the more endearing.
A future wealthy heiress—perhaps this would be the only time he could hold her in his arms.
---
“Xiao Taozi, don’t cry. Even if I’m not your daddy, I’ll still play with you,” Zhao Qiang whispered, his face soft with a gentle smile.
The child stopped crying and smiled through her tears. “Then pinky swear, you’ll play with me.”
Zhao Qiang extended his hand, smiling as he linked pinkies with Xiao Taozi, though an odd feeling stirred within him.
With Xiao Taozi, there was an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
Suddenly, Chu Mengyao’s eyes widened as she noticed a deep bite mark on Zhao Qiang’s wrist.
“What’s that?” she asked.
“This…” Zhao Qiang chuckled, unwilling to explain. It was a private matter.
Suddenly, a blurred memory flashed in Chu Mengyao’s mind.
A wild, reckless night—she remembered biting a man’s wrist during an intense moment.
At a karaoke bar with classmates, she suddenly felt drugged.
She escaped to the restroom, fleeing several pursuing men in a panic.
At that moment, she encountered a boy on an electric scooter.
He seemed young but carried a resolute courage.
That boy sped away with her through the night, successfully helping her escape.
What followed was an indescribable incident at a hotel.
In the haze, she never saw the boy’s face clearly.
The next day, when she woke, he had already left.
She was furious—although he saved her, her honor was not preserved.
If she ever found out who he was, she’d tear him apart.
She suspected Zhang Zihao had arranged the drugging, but lacked proof.
She tried to find that boy afterward but came up empty, though never giving up.
After all, he was Xiao Taozi’s biological father.
Though she hated him bitterly, she wanted her daughter to see that scoundrel.
“This… this bite mark…” Chu Mengyao’s voice trembled; she couldn’t believe the coincidence.
Zhao Qiang, puzzled, said casually, “Oh, I bit myself.”
The bite mark had been with him for years, bleeding when the girl bit him.
Even after hospital treatment, the mark remained.
“You bit yourself? But why does it look like a woman’s bite?” Chu Mengyao frowned, staring intently.
Zhao Qiang froze, then smiled faintly, trying to hide his inner panic.
That episode was his shame, one he intended to bury forever.
“What? Miss Chu, you’re joking, right?”
“Where were you four years ago on the last day of university break?” Chu Mengyao suddenly asked, her gaze sharp and probing.
Without hesitation, Zhao Qiang answered, “I went home for the holiday.”
“Miss Chu, why are you asking? Does this have something to do with Zhang Zihao’s leverage?”
Zhao Qiang thought she was discussing how to handle Zhang Zihao, so he cooperated readily.
“Riding an electric scooter home?”
Chu Mengyao clenched her fists, her tone urgent.
“How do you know I have a scooter?”
A flicker of doubt rose in Zhao Qiang’s mind.
---
The same ringtone, identical bite marks, and the electric scooter—all these coincidences strengthened Chu Mengyao’s conviction.
“That night, on your way home, you saved a girl?”
She cautiously probed, eyes fixed on Zhao Qiang’s expression.
“How do you know? No, I went straight home…”
Zhao Qiang hastily corrected himself, sweat beading his forehead. A foreboding feeling crept over him.
“You scoundrel! I’ve searched for you all these years.
Finally, I’ve found you. You’re dead meat.”
Chu Mengyao’s fury boiled over, her voice rising.
“Miss Chu, what are you talking about?
I don’t understand!”
“Don’t understand, huh? Then I’ll make you understand.”
Before he could react, Chu Mengyao removed her mask.
Her stunning face appeared before him, her delicate features alive with rage.
Zhao Qiang’s mouth fell open—it was the very girl he saved four years ago!
“Miss Chu, that night was you?”
His head buzzed; it was almost unbelievable.
Chu Mengyao smiled slyly, grabbing Zhao Qiang’s hand with a grip so strong it hurt.
“Surprised? That night, it was me!”
“No way, Miss Chu, don’t joke with me.”
Zhao Qiang refused to believe such a coincidence could exist.
“Don’t believe me? I’ll prove it.”
Chu Mengyao bit Zhao Qiang’s arm sharply. He cried out in pain.
When she released her mouth, two bite marks, identical to his own, appeared clearly.
“It really was you!”
Zhao Qiang was speechless, his mind in a daze.
“Xiao Zhou, go to the police station immediately. I want the cops to arrest this scoundrel right now.”
Chu Mengyao said loudly, holding Zhao Qiang tightly, afraid he might escape.
After all these years, she never forgot that boy.
Her honor was stolen—this was a humiliation beyond measure.
Damn it, heaven rewards the diligent. Finally, she had found the bastard.
Beside her, Chu Siqi was shocked—her eldest sister’s long-sought man was none other than Zhao Qiang.
Zhao Qiang’s wife was Liu Ruyan, who was secretly involved with Zhang Zihao.
Zhang Zihao was betrothed to their eldest sister, who also bore Zhao Qiang’s child.
It was a perfect closed loop!
Chu Siqi gaped, speechless.
Was there really such a ridiculous thing in the world?
Even novels wouldn’t dare write such a plot.
“I’m innocent! How am I a scoundrel?
I saved you from those bad men. If you’re ungrateful, fine, but seeking revenge?”
Zhao Qiang blushed in frustration at the mention of the police.
He was a good man, so why was he being called a scoundrel?