Volume 1, Chapter 116: The Young Master of the Liang Family Was Cuckolded by His Half-Brother.

At that moment, Liang Muzhi was in a hotel room in Hong Kong.

He had already smashed one phone. The one he now held in his hand had just been delivered by a local mobile store at his request. As soon as he inserted the SIM card, he began calling Xu Zhi. He called nine times in a row, but not a single call went through.

The first four times, the calls were hung up. After that, there was simply no response from the other end. He was nearly driven mad by the agonizing ringback tone.

Perhaps Xu Zhi had put her phone on silent. Clenching the device, he felt the urge to smash something again.

After leaving the engagement party yesterday, he had gone straight to the airport and headed directly here the moment he landed.

He had sent Xu Zhi an apology on WeChat while in the taxi, but she never replied.

He couldn't begin to imagine what Xu Zhi had gone through after he left. His father, Liang Zhengguo, was a man who remained unflappable in the face of crisis and would have surely found a way to cancel the ceremony, but Xu Zhi would inevitably become the target of public gossip.

By the time he arrived at the hotel, it was already late at night. Chen Jing had been waiting anxiously in the room. It took a long time of coaxing and comforting before she finally agreed to rest.

Even in her sleep, she clung to him, gripping his hand tightly and refusing to let go.

His patience was limited. By this morning, he was already feeling rather irritable. He suddenly regretted his actions; had he known Chen Jing was the type to make such a dramatic, life-and-death scene, he never would have gotten involved with her.

He was just contemplating how to tactfully suggest she see a therapist when she spoke up first, asking him to go abroad with her.

That would make it a true elopement. He refused, using the excuse that he didn't have a visa.

But Chen Jing suggested they could go to a visa-free country and return only after the storm surrounding the engagement blew over.

Looking at the expectant hope in Chen Jing's eyes, a chill ran down his spine. He realized he was trapped. He didn't even dare to argue with her for fear of triggering her, yet he was not the type to submit to someone else's control.

Their discussion about going abroad yielded no results, but Chen Jing's words reminded him to check the news forums back in Beicheng on his phone.

Since the media had been present yesterday, there ought to be news about how the engagement ceremony had ended.

And indeed, he found it.

On the forums, there were not only written reports but also photos and videos.

He replayed and reread the content several times, unable to believe his eyes.

Xu Zhi and Liang Jinmo had walked onto the stage together, completing the engagement ceremony he had abandoned.

Finally, his gaze locked onto a video posted by a gossip account.

In the footage, Liang Jinmo held Xu Zhi tightly. Because of their height difference, he had to bend down deeply to kiss her.

The kiss lasted for over three minutes. Liang Muzhi watched as Xu Zhi's eyes widened in shock, and then, later in the video, her fingers involuntarily clenching Liang Jinmo's clothes...

The comments below were vulgar and unbearable to read:

*He definitely used tongue. [smirk]*

*Oh my god! Why is this kiss so erotic? Ahhh, I want a man like that too!*

*This kiss is so seductive, it makes a single-since-birth like me want to fall in love.*

*Looking at these two, I'll bet a pack of spicy strips that this isn't their first time kissing. They've probably done even more unspeakable things. Body language doesn't lie.*

*Wait, what are you guys thinking? Shouldn't the main point be that the groom-to-be was swapped? Did the young master of the Liang family just get cuckolded by his own half-brother?*

*I think it's a bit of cuckolding, and a bit erotic... How can just a kiss be this hot? The height difference, the looks, the bodies, and the dominant-meets-helpless dynamic—they are a match made in heaven, okay? Where is there even room for the younger Liang master...*

Liang Muzhi couldn't bear to read any further. He smashed the phone.

Chen Jing, who had been in the bedroom, didn't know what was happening. Hearing the crash, she ran into the living room only to find Liang Muzhi's face ash-pale with rage, the phone shattered into pieces on the floor.

It was clear how much force he had used.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?" Chen Jing asked.

Liang Muzhi was too furious to speak.

What was Xu Zhi thinking? Had she been tricked by Liang Jinmo again? How could she do something so stupid! He spun around and headed for the door, blood rushing to his head. He wanted nothing more than to fly back to Beicheng right this instant, beat Liang Jinmo to a pulp, and demand an explanation from Xu Zhi.

Seeing him like this, Chen Jing panicked and ran to block his path. "Tell me... what on earth happened?"

"I'm going back to Beicheng," he spat out through gritted teeth.

Chen Jing froze, and her heart sank further into panic.

She didn't know what had transpired, but if Liang Muzhi went back now, even if he wouldn't be forced into the engagement again, this elopement would look like a joke. How could it possibly send a message to his parents?

What she wanted was for Liang Muzhi to leave with her, to go somewhere far away and stay there long enough for his parents to compromise for their son's sake. Only then could she be with him openly and legitimately.

"If you go back now, your parents and your grandfather will still be furious," she urged him. "At least wait until their anger cools down before you return. Otherwise, have you thought about how you'll face them or how you'll explain this?"

Hearing this, Liang Muzhi paused, seemingly regaining a sliver of rationality.

It made no sense. If Liang Jinmo had dragged Xu Zhi onto the stage to get engaged, there was no way onlookers like Liang Zhengguo and Fu Wanwen would remain indifferent. And his grandfather, along with Xu Heping—they shouldn't have just stood by and let such an absurd engagement take place.

He had no idea what had happened to turn the engagement into such a farce. His father, Liang Zhengguo, cared about reputation and face above all else. Because of Liang Jinmo's stunt, the Liang family had truly become a laughingstock.

He used Chen Jing's phone to place an order, and before long, a new phone was delivered. He immediately inserted his SIM card and made his very first call to Xu Zhi.

The call was rejected.

It wasn't entirely unexpected; she was bound to be furious.

He called again, and again it was hung up. He persisted, but as time went on, listening to the ringback tone on the other end, his heart sank heavier and heavier.

The image of Xu Zhi being kissed by Liang Jinmo replayed relentlessly in his mind. Moreover, in the beginning of that scene, it was Xu Zhi who had initiated it.

Why would she initiate a kiss with Liang Jinmo? He couldn't wrap his head around it. A dull, suffocating pain throbbed in his chest—a sensation so foreign to him that it made even breathing feel oppressive.

Didn't she say she liked someone else? She had been so resistant to the idea of marrying him at first, so how could she accept Liang Jinmo so easily and be so cooperative?

It was too bizarre. There had to be something wrong. He would rather believe she was forced. He just wanted to ask her for the truth, but she wasn't giving him the chance.

Chen Jing sat beside Liang Muzhi. While he was making his calls, she browsed her phone for news about yesterday's engagement.

Xu Zhi had actually gotten engaged to Liang Jinmo.

She was utterly shocked. From what Liang Muzhi had told her before, Xu Zhi loathed Liang Jinmo just as much as he did.

In truth, this should have been good news for her. But now, she couldn't bring herself to be happy, for she quickly realized that the sole reason behind Liang Muzhi's fury was this very event.

He cared about Xu Zhi.

Just as the thought crossed her mind, Liang Muzhi suddenly stood up without warning.

Chen Jing was startled. "What is it?"

"I don't care anymore, I'm going back to Beicheng." As he spoke, Liang Muzhi walked straight toward the door. "I have to get answers."

Chen Jing quickly chased after him and grabbed his hand. "Your parents must still be looking for you. Aren't you afraid of being scolded when you go back? Besides, with such a massive scandal, they haven't cooled down yet. Your dad might even hit you!"

"Let him!" Liang Muzhi had a fire burning in his chest with nowhere to vent. He violently shook off Chen Jing's hand, no longer in the mood to care about her feelings. "It's not like I've never been beaten before! Even if it's raining daggers in Beicheng, I'm going back. Zhizi must have been forced... she had to be. I can't just stand by and watch her jump into a fire pit. They have to call off the engagement. That scumbag Liang Jinmo is definitely up to no good, he's going to ruin her!"

Chen Jing stumbled backward from his shove, nearly falling over.

Steadying herself against the wall, her eyes welled with tears as she cried out in despair, "Why are you still thinking about her? I am your girlfriend! Have you ever thought about me? What about me? What am I supposed to do? I'll die without you!"

Liang Muzhi had already put on his coat and bent down to change his shoes.

When he was this angry, he didn't want to say a single word.

But after putting on his shoes, he cast one final look at Chen Jing. When he spoke, his voice was cold and detached. "You got what you wanted. It's impossible for Xu Zhi and me to get engaged now. What more do you want?"

Chen Jing froze in place.

There was so much she wanted, but looking at Liang Muzhi's attitude now, the words died in her throat.

After stepping out, Liang Muzhi slammed the door shut. With a loud bang, her body trembled, and tears streamed down her cheeks. The jealousy and resentment in her heart flared up, utterly uncontrollable.

It was all Xu Zhi's fault!