The news and photos of Shen Tiancheng being taken away by the police department quickly surfaced online.
People had still been discussing Shen Zhinian, but the moment this news broke, the entire internet was shaken.
At this point, nothing else needed to be said. Shen Tiancheng being hauled away explained everything.
The child-selling incident was true.
Shortly after, someone else dropped another bombshell online.
Shen Tiancheng had been taken away not just for selling his son, but also for murdering his wife.
In an instant, the stock prices of the Shen Group plummeted.
Shen Mingyi and Zhao Yi rushed to the company immediately to discuss countermeasures.
Yet at that moment, Bo Chengjing was still at the police department. Everything had been arranged by him in advance.
Including the media, the whistleblower, and the evidence delivered to the police.
He had gone to the Shen residence purely to beat Shen Tiancheng up and vent his anger.
For daring to let Shen Zhinian take the fall and get cursed at online, Shen Tiancheng only deserved to be carried out of the Shen house horizontally.
Shen Tiancheng was transported to the hospital in a police car.
By the time the police arrived, Shen Tiancheng had already been beaten to the point where he couldn’t get up.
The reason provided by Bo Chengjing’s side was that Shen Tiancheng had attempted to throw a punch at him, prompting his bodyguards to step in.
Though beaten until he couldn’t stand, Shen Tiancheng remained fully conscious.
Hearing that explanation, he nearly vomited blood on the spot. When on earth had he tried to hit him? He had merely stood up for a split second, and those thugs had charged right at him!
At the police station, Bo Chengjing was exceptionally cooperative, maintaining an exemplary attitude. Moreover, given his status, in Jiangcheng, everyone showed him a few points of respect.
Thus, it didn’t take long before he walked out of the police station.
Afterward, he had lunch with some senior officials from the department.
Once finished, he bought some of Xia Zhihao and Shen Zhinian’s favorite snacks before heading home.
On his way back, he received a text message from Shen Zhinian.
[If you don’t come back soon, you won’t live to see me anymore. Xia Zhihao’s palm almost slapped me into bleeding.]
Bo Chengjing chuckled and replied: [On my way.]
After sending the reply, Bo Chengjing looked out the car window, recalling the time when he had first sent Shen Zhinian back home.
The laboratory had been destroyed, and the police department had verified their identities and contacted their families.
It was Shen Zhinian who had voluntarily asked to return.
At that time, Bo Chengjing also had to handle the aftermath regarding the lab, and his time in the country was limited, so he agreed.
When Shen Zhinian first arrived at the Shen residence, Shen Tiancheng had immediately learned of Bo Chengjing’s identity.
Initially, he treated Shen Zhinian with extreme servility and diligence.
Later on, however, Shen Zhinian explicitly stated that he shouldn’t even think about using Bo Chengjing’s name to negotiate business outside, or else he would have Bo Chengjing publicly state that he had no relation to the Shen family whatsoever, leaving Shen Tiancheng completely humiliated in public.
As time went on, Shen Zhinian and Shen Tiancheng grew at odds, finding each other an eyesore.
Since Shen Tiancheng couldn’t extract any benefits from the Jingnian Group, and he knew that Shen Zhinian never mentioned their quarrels to Bo Chengjing, Shen Tiancheng gradually grew careless and forgot Bo Chengjing’s warning from back then.
His arguments and disdain toward Shen Zhinian were laid out entirely in the open.
This time, he had probably wanted to exploit a loophole and push the responsibility onto the side that published the company’s Weibo post, feigning complete ignorance.
Furthermore, in Shen Tiancheng’s mind, he assumed Shen Zhinian wouldn’t bear to watch the Shen family collapse and would definitely help them out.
Hence, he had recklessly published that information online.
Never had he imagined that he was walking a dead end.
When Bo Chengjing arrived home, Shen Zhinian and Xia Zhihao were fighting over the remote control in the living room over a movie.
Even though the living room wasn’t the only place with a screen, and the house even had its own private cinema, the two of them insisted on fighting right here.
“I bought food,” Bo Chengjing announced upon entering the living room.
Shen Zhinian and Xia Zhihao looked toward the entrance, watching the driver carry large and small bags toward the dining room. Both of them tossed the remote aside and sprinted straight for the dining area.
Then, they began fighting over the food instead.
After washing his hands in the bathroom and returning to see the two still wrestling, Bo Chengjing remarked, “If people saw you two like this, they’d think I went bankrupt and the food had reached the point of needing to be fought over.”
Shen Zhinian chuckled.
Taking advantage of his laughter, Xia Zhihao deftly snatched the cherry pinched between his fingertips. “Snatched food tastes better.”
Shen Zhinian: “…”
“They aren’t washed yet,” Bo Chengjing fretted.
Xia Zhihao tossed it straight into her mouth.
Bo Chengjing: “…”
Shen Zhinian pulled the entire box over and instructed the auntie to wash it.
Xia Zhihao moved on to grab something else.
Shen Zhinian walked over to Bo Chengjing’s side.
“Saw the news online?” Bo Chengjing asked.
“Mhm,” Shen Zhinian nodded.
“Is the young master satisfied with how I handled this?” Bo Chengjing asked.
Shen Zhinian smiled. “Extremely satisfied.”
“Then this matter is turned over,” Bo Chengjing said. “Don’t dwell on it anymore.”
“I know.” After saying that, Shen Zhinian looked at him for a moment before shifting his gaze away.
“Got something on your mind?” Bo Chengjing asked.
“Nothing.” Shen Zhinian turned away to avoid his gaze and went back to fighting Xia Zhihao for food.
He lost the fight and got whacked for it.
Bo Chengjing smiled.
When he was little, Shen Zhinian used to fight back, though he could never win.
Now that he could win, he chose not to fight back anymore.
Through all the bickering and noise that entire afternoon, even as Bo Chengjing handled work, the two of them never quieted down in front of him.
Fortunately, Bo Chengjing had long since grown accustomed to it and remained entirely unfazed.
After dinner, the two were peacefully discussing some modeling and coding concepts. But right before Bo Chengjing returned to his bedroom to sleep, he heard them starting to bicker again.
Ignoring them, he went straight to his room to sleep.
Late at night, the room was pitch black and dead silent.
Bo Chengjing was sleeping soundly when, after rolling over, he suddenly felt something patting his arm beside the bed.
He swiped his hand to brush it away.
Yet it seemed ineffective; something was still patting his arm.
The movement was very light, feeling like a feather.
Bo Chengjing shifted again.
After that something paused quietly for a moment, it began stroking his arm again.
Finally, Bo Chengjing drifted into full consciousness, sensing that something was amiss.
He opened his eyes. In the darkness, his vision focused, giving him a start that sent a dull thud echoing in his chest.
He immediately turned on the bedside lamp.
The warm light wasn’t glaring, though Bo Chengjing still blinked his eyes.
Opening them again, he saw Shen Zhinian squatting beside the bed, staring right at him while lightly massaging his arm.
Bo Chengjing wore an utterly speechless expression: “…”
While Shen Zhinian looked back at him with a picture of pure innocence.
After a moment of silence, Bo Chengjing softened his sharp gaze, adopting an indulgent tone: “Alright, tell me. What’s on your mind?”
From that hesitant, unspoken look during the day, Bo Chengjing had known he couldn’t keep it bottled up for long.
Still, this was way too fast.
Shen Zhinian didn’t speak, but a hint of grievance crept into the depths of his eyes.
Lingering sleepiness still clung to the corners of Bo Chengjing’s eyes as he reached out to stroke the younger man’s face. “What’s wrong? So wronged? Is it a matter of life and death?”
“A matter of life and death,” Shen Zhinian agreed with his phrasing.
Bo Chengjing chuckled. “Tell me, I’m listening.”
Shen Zhinian fell silent once more.
“Are you going to talk or not?” Bo Chengjing said. “If not, I’m going back to sleep.”
Shen Zhinian stayed quiet for a little longer before murmuring, “Brother, if you get a family of your own in the future, with a wife and children, will I become an outsider? Will you stop treating me as well as you do now?”