Golden Scale [EN]: Chapter 48

Schemes within Schemes (5)

The sisters emerged from the bathroom, tear stains washed away. Chen Qian, in particular, had regained color in her face. “Brother Tao,” Chen Xi said, kneeling on the bed and hugging Hou Longtao’s neck affectionately, “What exactly is going on?”

“Yeah, Longtao, please tell us quickly,” Chen Qian added, equally eager for answers. It was all so unbelievable. Clearly, her virginity was still intact, meaning Shi Long definitely hadn’t violated her. But she couldn’t be sure if she’d been molested after passing out.

The man didn’t look happy at all, but rather guilty. “I… I knew Shi Long was going to drug the drinks.”

“Ah!?” The sisters exclaimed in unison. Chen Qian took two steps back. “You…”

Chen Xi also moved away from him, looking at her sweetheart in confusion.

Hou Longtao went to the TV cabinet and opened a drawer. “See for yourselves.”

“This is…” Both women leaned over, peering into the drawer, which was full of CDs and videotapes. “Qianqian, do you remember me telling you once that Shi Long has a very bad habit?”

“I remember.”

“This is it,” the man said, casually taking out a CD and putting it in the DVD player. “That kid was afraid of his mom finding out, so he stored all this stuff here with me.”

“Ah!” Chen Xi covered her mouth, while Chen Qian turned away. The TV screen showed a naked couple engaging in a shameful act. The man was, of course, Shi Long. “He likes to film himself, and every time he sets up a camera to record the whole process.” As Hou Longtao spoke, he took out the videotape he had filmed the previous night.

Chen Qian didn’t even look at the TV. Just hearing the sounds coming from it was enough to make her blush. She found that besides being embarrassed, she didn’t feel angry at all that her boyfriend was messing around with other women. Actually, this was easy to explain. She didn’t really love Shi Long in the first place, and now she was filled with hatred for him. Not being angry was even more intense than hating Hou Longtao back then. She couldn’t bring herself to be angry about his promiscuity.

Hou Longtao started playing the video again. “He not only likes to find prostitutes, but he’s also interested in men. If I hadn’t sternly refused him before, I would be like that on TV too.” The first disc he filmed wasn’t of much value. At the time, it was just because he had the opportunity, and he didn’t know if it would be useful in the future, so he filmed it just in case.

Chen Qian turned her head slightly, glancing at the screen out of the corner of her eye, then immediately turned away, muttering a curse, “Pervert.”

Only then did she truly understand the meaning of the last few words of the two men that morning. “Ugh, what is this? It’s disgusting.” Chen Xi couldn’t bear it anymore and went over to turn off the TV. “Brother Tao, stop being so mysterious and just explain everything clearly.”

Hou Longtao was slightly surprised, seeing that the girl was almost getting impatient. He hadn’t expected her reaction to be so strong. “A week ago, Shi Long wanted me to pay for a villa for him to celebrate Qianqian’s birthday. When I heard that, I wanted to bring you along, but he didn’t agree to anything. Finally, when I pressed him, he told me his plan.

He said it wasn’t convenient with others around. He said he couldn’t wait any longer. Anyway, he was going to France in a few months, and he had to get Qianqian before then.”

The man lit a cigarette and continued his story. “I pretended to agree with him, and then I got some special sleeping pills from a friend and had my people put them in that chicken soup. Not long after Qianqian passed out, Shi Long also lost consciousness. Hmph, that kid should be awake by now. He probably thinks he already got Qianqian.”

“Brother Tao, you knew about his dirty deeds and that he was going to harm my sister, why didn’t you tell us earlier?” Chen Xi’s tone was reproachful.

“I… I told you, I have business matters to ask of his mother. I can’t offend him.” Hou Longtao looked at the ground as he spoke, avoiding Chen Xi’s gaze, like a child who knew he had done something wrong.

“You… you…” The girl was really angry. “Business, business, you only think about your business. Can you disregard my sister’s safety for money?”

“Of course not, how could I? I value you sisters more than my own life,” Hou Longtao turned around suddenly, his facial muscles twitching. “I swore to your sister that I would protect you for the rest of my life. If I wasn’t sure that Shi Long couldn’t harm your sister, I would never have done that.”

“Tao… Brother Tao, don’t be angry, I’m not blaming you…” Chen Xi saw the fire burning in the man’s eyes, pouting her lips, not because she was afraid of him, but just feeling a little wronged. “Longtao,” Chen Qian hadn’t spoken for a while. “How did you know that Shi Long would lose consciousness right after I passed out? Since he was unconscious, how could I have slept in the same bed with him? Who took off my clothes?”

“This…” Hou Longtao was speechless. He knew that Chen Qian was a smart woman, and she could naturally hear the flaws he had deliberately revealed. “Why did Shi Long’s two accomplices see him last night?” Chen Qian suddenly grabbed her collar. “He… they are your people…”

“Is this true?” Chen Xi grabbed the man’s arm. Although she had felt something was wrong just now, one reason was that she loved this man and trusted him, and the other was that she hadn’t heard the conversation between the two people in the villa like her sister had, so she hadn’t thought about anything else. Now, after hearing her sister’s words, she also began to suspect.

Hou Longtao looked at the girl’s dark eyes, filled with confusion and anticipation. He knew she wanted him to deny it, but he couldn’t. He had already come this far, and he couldn’t be soft-hearted. He had to continue. “Xi, I can’t lie to you anymore. I still love Qianqian. Last night, you were so sleepy because I gave you sleeping pills. After you fell asleep, I went to Huairou [a district in Beijing] and only came back this morning.”

“No… no, you wouldn’t…” Chen Xi slowly walked to her sister’s side, her face pale. “It’s impossible.”

Chen Qian hugged her sister, her voice trembling. “You… you took off my clothes? What… what did you do to me?” The sisters hugged each other, looking at the man with a look of fear, as if they didn’t recognize him at all.

“No, I didn’t desecrate your body.” Hou Longtao took a step forward. In his heart, everything he did to Chen Qian last night was out of love. “Don’t come over,” Chen Qian pulled her sister back a step. “Hou Longtao, why? Why? I just forgave everything you did eight years ago, why…”

“Everything I did was for you. Shi Long is a perverted and despicable bastard. I can’t watch him ruin you. I knew that if I told you in advance, even if you believed me, with your personality, as long as he pleaded with you, you would definitely forgive him. I can’t allow that to happen.” The man’s face turned green.

“I had two people stay there, deliberately saying those words for you to hear, not only to make you hate him more, but also to prevent you from doing something stupid. Originally, I didn’t plan to tell you all this, but I couldn’t bear to see you in pain.” Hou Longtao sat weakly on the bed. “Then… then the blood on my sister’s head…”

“It’s my blood,” Hou Longtao held out the finger wrapped in a Band-Aid. “It’s a custom of a minority ethnic group. If a man puts his own blood on the forehead of the woman he loves, that woman will always be his. Qianqian, don’t you understand? I love you so much that I can use any means to get you.”

“What about me? You just said you loved me, was that all a lie?” Chen Xi stared at the man with extreme disappointment.

“No, absolutely not. Xi, every word of love I said to you came from the bottom of my heart.” Hou Longtao was also a little excited. These words weren’t made up. He had also used real feelings for Chen Xi.

“What about my sister? You also love my sister?”

“I love both of you.”

“Liar, how can you love two people at the same time?” In Chen Xi’s heart, love is limited to one man and one woman.

“Why not? Besides you two, I have five other girlfriends. They are like sisters. I love them all equally, not favoring any one. Everyone is happy together, what’s wrong with that?”

“Woo…” The girl covered her mouth, bright tears rolling down from her eyes. “You… you…”

“Xi, don’t cry, don’t shed tears for someone like him, it’s not worth it.” Chen Qian wasn’t originally this kind of strong woman, but the man in front of her had deceived her sister’s feelings, plus the previous grudges, she really hated him to the bone. She took her sister’s hand and walked out. “He doesn’t understand what love is at all. He only has possessiveness in his heart.”

“Xi,” Hou Longtao grabbed the girl’s arm. “Xi, I love you, you have to believe me.”

“Slap…” After He Liping, Hou Longtao was slapped by the same woman for the second time. “I hate you! I hate you!” Chen Xi screamed hysterically twice, turned around, and rushed out of the suite.

“Xi…” The man wanted to chase after her, but Chen Qian blocked the door. “Hou Longtao, what did we sisters owe you in our past lives that we have to be haunted by you like this in this life? I beg you, please let us go.”

“Qianqian…” Hou Longtao stopped, watching the woman’s figure disappear behind the closed door.

Yes, maybe Hou Longtao really doesn’t understand what love is, maybe he really only has possessiveness in his heart,

but love without possession is just a sad fairy tale, seemingly beautiful, but actually false. The nonsense like “I don’t care if I have her, as long as she’s happy, I’m satisfied” is just something writers make up to deceive people. If a man can be satisfied because the woman he loves is moaning in another man’s arms, then he needs a psychologist…

“Mom, I’m home.” Shi Long entered the house, went straight to his room, and lay down on the bed. He still couldn’t recall anything from the previous night. “It’s really damn weird.”

“Long, did you have fun last night?” Shi Ya walked in. She hadn’t been very happy these days. Her husband hadn’t come home for this Spring Festival either. He was the kind of man who put his career first. That’s how women are. They demand that their men be career-minded, but once a man’s career is too strong, women will play the “adultery” game.

“So-so,” Shi Long replied impatiently. “By the way, did Chen Qian call me?”

“No, aren’t you carrying your phone?”

“It’s nothing, it’s nothing, Mom, please leave.”

“What’s wrong? Did you guys quarrel?”

“No, don’t be so nosy, let me be alone for a while.”

“Sigh…” Shi Ya shook her head and walked out of her son’s room. Her son was getting older and older, but he was also becoming more and more disrespectful to her as a mother. What could she do? It was all her fault for spoiling him too much. He was going to France in a few months, and how could she bear to scold him at this time?

Just after dinner, the mother and son were watching TV in the living room when someone rang the doorbell. Shi Ya went to open the door. It was Hou Longtao outside. The woman was taken aback. “Why are you here? Long is home.”

“I know, open the door.”

“What happened?” Seeing the serious expression on the man’s face, Shi Ya had a very ominous premonition and opened the security door.

Shi Long turned around and saw that it was Hou Longtao. He jumped up. “Where did you go? Your phone is off. I’ve been looking for you all day.”

“You guys are friends?” Shi Ya asked in surprise. She had never heard her son mention Hou Longtao. Hou Longtao didn’t answer either of them and sat down on the sofa on his own. “Shi Long, you’ve done a good job.”

“Hey, why are you talking like that?” Shi Long took a step towards Hou Longtao. Since he met him, this was the first time he had been cursed by him. “Damn you.”

Hou Longtao unexpectedly stood up and landed a backhand punch on Shi Long’s face, knocking him back three or four meters. “You dare to yell at me?”

“Longtao, what are you doing? Are you crazy?” Shi Ya ran to her son’s side, supporting his back. “Long, are you okay?” Shi Long covered his swollen cheek. He was hurt by this sudden blow. He knew Hou Longtao’s background. Since he dared to hit him in front of his mother, then he must not be afraid of a falling out. He really didn’t know where he had offended him.

Hou Longtao sat back on the sofa angrily and lit a cigarette. “Ask your good son what he did last night.”

“Long…” Shi Ya looked at her son with a questioning gaze. “I…” Shi Long didn’t answer his mother’s question. “I don’t remember anything. Besides, that plan, you knew about it.”

“What plan? What do I know?” Hou Longtao frowned and began to play dumb. “You… Qin didn’t tell you?”

“Qin? Who is Qin? You wanted me to pay for a villa for you, so I paid for it. What does it have to do with anyone else?”

“This… this… Qin is one of those two women that day. She came up with the idea. She said she would arrange everything.”

“Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?”

“I… I thought she had already told you.”

“What are you guys talking about?” Shi Ya was completely confused. “Your son raped Chen Qian last night.” Hou Longtao threw out a gloomy sentence.

“What!?” The woman opened her eyes wide in shock, looking at her son in disbelief. “Long, you… you went out to play with classmates. You… how could you lie to me? Rape, that’s a big crime, you child, really…” Shi Ya hit her son angrily.

Don’t think that Shi Long didn’t dare to mess with Hou Longtao. He wasn’t so polite to his mother. He jumped up. “Why are you hitting me? I don’t remember what happened last night at all.”

“Hmph, go ahead and yell at your mom. The police don’t care if you remember or not. They just want evidence.”

“Police? Chen Qian called the police? No way?” Shi Long was startled. He felt that he knew Chen Qian relatively well. With that woman’s personality, she should be very concerned about her reputation. How could she call the police about such a shameful thing?

“Won’t? I’m telling you, I came with the police. They’re downstairs.”

“Ah!?” This time Shi Long was really scared. “Mom, Mom, what do I do? What do I do?”

Shi Ya was, after all, someone who had been in the officialdom. She wasn’t as flustered as her useless son. “Longtao, how did you come with those police? Why didn’t they come up with you? What exactly is going on? Tell me everything you know.”

“This morning, Xi and I hadn’t even gotten up yet when we received a call from Chen Qian. She started crying as soon as she got on the phone, and I couldn’t understand what she was saying. I finally managed to ask her where she was, so Xi and I went to pick her up together. When we saw her, she was sitting in front of ‘Jingbei World’ [a shopping center in Beijing] in a daze, looking distraught and disheveled. As soon as she saw Xi and me, she started crying again. No matter how we asked her, she wouldn’t say what happened, so I had to take them back to my hotel first.”

Hou Longtao’s “opening remarks” were well-crafted, very much in line with Chen Qian’s personality, making the mother and son believe it. “I thought Chen Qian was probably like that because of Long, so I called his cell phone, but it was turned off. Xi persuaded her sister for a long time before Chen Qian’s emotions stabilized a little. It was Long who put sleeping pills in the drink and raped her, and also found two bad guys to try to rape her and make a video or something. She took advantage of Long being unconscious and those two people being in the bathroom to sneak out the back door…”

“No! I didn’t!” Shi Long shouted. “I didn’t find anyone to rape her.”

“Sigh…” Shi Ya looked at her son with disappointment. His rebuttal was tantamount to admitting the first half of Chen Qian’s accusations. “Now I also know that you didn’t find anyone to rape her. All of this was probably Qin’s arrangement. How could you listen to her?”

“I… I’m very familiar with her. We often… meet.”

“Do you know what she does?”

“She’s… she’s a prostitute…”

“Hmph, she’s not an ordinary prostitute. Li Dongsheng once asked me to help them find some girls who were both beautiful and pure to expand their prostitution team. Of course, I couldn’t do that kind of immoral thing, so I cut off all contact with them. Who knew you would mix with them? This time, they probably wanted to use you to attack Chen Qian.”

“Long, how do you know those people?” Shi Ya couldn’t imagine that her son would come into contact with those lowlifes.

“I… I just know them.” Shi Long didn’t dare to implicate Hou Longtao, otherwise his gambling, prostitution, and even being fucked in the ass might all be exposed at once.

“Chen Qian doesn’t know what to do at all, but you also know that my Xi is a girl with her own opinions,” Hou Longtao continued, “She insisted on calling the police, so I took them to the Chaoyang Branch [a police precinct in Beijing]. Originally, the crime scene wasn’t in Chaoyang, and the parties didn’t live in Chaoyang, so they shouldn’t have reported it there, but I have acquaintances in Chaoyang, and I’ve already made arrangements.”

“Chen Xi, that bitch, she just wants to see me unlucky,” Shi Long muttered viciously.

“You bastard,” Hou Longtao jumped up, lunging forward and scaring the child into a shiver. “You’re the one who did all the immoral things, but now you’re blaming others. Why don’t you think about how to solve it?”

“I’ll go beg Qian. Our relationship is still pretty good. If I talk to her nicely, she might not sue Long.” Shi Ya looked at the man with a questioning gaze.

“Don’t be ridiculous. Although Chen Qian’s personality is relatively introverted and conservative, she hates your son the most right now, plus Xi. Wouldn’t you be adding fuel to the fire by going to her?” Hou Longtao lit a cigarette dismissively.

Just then, someone knocked on the door again. Shi Ya and Shi Long didn’t move. They knew who was coming. Hou Longtao went to open the door again. Several policemen walked in. “Longtao, aren’t you done yet? Let us take him away first.”

“Mom…” Shi Long trembled and grabbed his mother’s arm. But what could Shi Ya do now? At most, she could comfort her son. “Long, don’t be afraid, go with them. Mom will definitely find a way.”

“Yes, go with them first. It’s not an arrest, it’s just asking you to make a statement. Your mom and I will follow you.” Hou Longtao turned to the policemen again. “Don’t make things difficult for him.”

“Don’t worry, we’re just trying to understand the situation. We don’t even need to put on handcuffs. What’s so difficult about it?” The leading policeman was Wang Gang. “Let’s go.” He beckoned to Shi Long.

“Mom… you have to find a way.” The mother and son were like they were being separated by death, their arms stretched out straight, their fingers hooked together, not wanting to separate at all. Hou Longtao separated Shi Long from his mother, put his arm around his shoulder, and walked towards the door, lowering his voice. “Just tell the truth. I’ve already figured out a way to help you get out of this. Don’t be afraid.”

After her son and the police left, Shi Ya immediately took off her coat from the rack and was about to change her shoes. “What are you doing?” Hou Longtao sat back on the sofa.

“Going with them.”

“What’s the use of you going?”

“This… Longtao, you have to find a way to save Long.” Now that there was no man in the house, Hou Longtao was the only person she could rely on.

“Save him? How can I save him? Now there are both witnesses and physical evidence. The police have already found used condoms in the villa. As long as they extract Long’s DNA sample and compare it, they can formally arrest him. There’s also the drugged drink. Hmph, save him, it’s easier said than done.”

“No, Longtao, it’s not Long’s fault. Someone instigated him. Long can’t go to jail.”

Hou Longtao glanced at the woman with contempt. “Have you never thought about Chen Qian’s feelings? Your son is over eighteen years old. Shouldn’t he be responsible for his actions? Your son is your precious treasure, and other people’s daughters are just dirt and rubble?”

“No, no, I don’t mean that, but… but… Longtao… I…” Shi Ya sat down next to the man, tears already flowing. Her heart was very conflicted. Although she hated her son’s evil deeds, as a mother, it was difficult to be righteous and denounce her own son… (Golden scales are not things in a pond [a Chinese idiom meaning someone is destined for greatness and won’t be confined to a small place]).

Golden Scale [EN]

Golden Scale [EN]

金鳞岂是池中物
Status: Completed Author: Native Language: Korean
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[English Translation] From the bustling streets of Beijing to the sun-kissed shores of California, witness the audacious journey of a reformed hooligan turned unlikely millionaire. Armed with a college degree and a lottery ticket from the Golden State, he's about to shake up the world of high finance. Back in Beijing as an investment department manager, he navigates a treacherous landscape of seductive beauty, cutthroat competition, and unforeseen crises. Watch as he leverages his street smarts, newfound wealth, and a dash of pure luck to transform every obstacle into an opportunity, rising through the ranks to become a titan of industry. Prepare for a thrilling saga of ambition, intrigue, and the intoxicating allure of power.

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