The Sickly Beauty Gives Up Struggling [Rebirth] Chapter 69

The sunlight streaming through the window cracks had quietly receded. Outside, a drumming rain began to fall, soaking the ground and leaving traces of dampness everywhere.

The sky seemed stitched along a sharp boundary: on one side, torrential rain, on the other, radiant sunlight. Falling rain quickly evaporated upon hitting the ground, leaving behind a humid, metallic scent.

In Jiang Weide’s office at the Hongsuo Research Institute, several research experts, including a visibly drained Li Baishou, were gathered.

The group hesitated for a long time, reluctant to speak. Finally, it was Li Baishou who broke the silence. “So, the paper on Li Qingli’s hypothesis submitted by the research institute—is it true or not? This story went from the police station to A University, and now even the university president is baffled!”

This was Li Baishou’s primary concern.

For months, he had been eyeing Li Qingli’s work, waiting for an opportunity to claim it for himself, only to find out the paper had already been published.

He had been living on edge, constantly paranoid that someone was out to get him and make a spectacle of the matter.

He’d never fully trusted Jiang Weide’s words at the social event and even suspected that Jiang was trying to eliminate him as a rival.

But hearing the wild developments of this seemingly mundane theft case had convinced Li Baishou that Jiang Weide wasn’t targeting him.

The president of A University had immediately checked Li Qingli’s email logs and found that the submission time, reviewer feedback, and revisions all aligned perfectly with the date Xu Tanghui used the university’s local network.

In front of a large audience, Jiang Weide claimed that Li Qingli’s paper had been submitted by the Research Institute, essentially staking his and the Hongsuo Research Institute’s reputation on it.

The president of University A, realizing the gravity of the situation, had already instructed those in the know to keep the matter under wraps. However, despite these efforts, the news had spread among the university’s upper echelons.

Jiang Weide, massaging his temples and leaning back in his chair, let out a heavy sigh. “I’m telling all of you this in confidence and hope you won’t spread it further. The truth is, Professor Li’s paper wasn’t submitted by us. The investigation team has sealed all the materials from his computer, and we don’t even have the original draft of his hypothesis. That said, once the materials are unsealed, the institute does intend to continue his unfinished research.”

The office immediately erupted into chaos.

“What’s going on?!”

“Then why admit to it at the networking event?”

“This is going to be impossible to contain. Just imagine what Hu Yuming and his people will say about us!” 

“Exactly! The companies collaborating with us will definitely start questioning the Hongsuo Research Institute. Some might even defect to the United Commerce.”

“This was reckless—how could you claim we submitted the paper?”

“Haven’t we already taken steps to control the narrative internally? A University is cooperating fully, and the media can be managed. It’s not like any reputable outlet will report this carelessly. Our legal team is strong enough to handle this—it’s not as bad as everyone thinks. Calm down.”

Jiang Weide slowly shook his head. “Things happened too quickly. The director messaged a few of us privately, and after some discussion, we decided maintaining stability was the priority. That’s why I said what I did. Besides, while Professor Li may no longer be with us… I still hope his work can be preserved and acknowledged. With the Hongsuo Research Institute backing it, unnecessary controversy can be avoided. My personal reputation and position are insignificant in comparison. If anyone questions me because of this, I’ll accept it.”

As he finished, Jiang Weide removed his glasses with one hand, leaned back, and gazed up at the ceiling, his eyes visibly moist.

The office gradually fell silent. After some thought, everyone conceded that, given the circumstances at the time, Jiang Weide’s approach had indeed been the best option.

Still, regardless of whether a better solution existed, hindsight was useless now.

After a long silence, someone finally spoke. “Do you think what Li Rong said is true? That someone really handed him Professor Li Qingli’s manuscript? Who could it have been, and why would they do such a thing?”

Before Jiang Weide could respond, Li Baishou straightened his back and jumped in.

“I think it’s true. You don’t seriously believe a high school student could handle this paper on their own, do you? Even if Professor Li had explained it to him before, he probably wouldn’t even understand the English technical terms, let alone address the reviewers’ revisions!”

Jiang Weide sat up, placed his hands on the desk, and nodded in agreement. “I’m inclined to agree with Baishou. Expecting a high school student to handle all of this is far-fetched. I was familiar with Professor Li, and I know Li Rong is a bright kid, but his parents never exposed him to biochemistry knowledge ahead of time. They were so busy they rarely spent much time at home.”

“Someone is clearly trying to use Li Qingli’s son. What exactly is their goal? We’re completely in the dark here.”

“Exactly. That’s why we need to find out who this person is—it’s too dangerous to leave this unresolved.”

“Could it be someone from District Four, like Hu Yuming’s people? Maybe they’re trying to ruin the reputation of the Hongsuo Research Institute and use the opportunity to expand District Four’s influence?”

“Hah, that’s not out of the question. Haven’t you heard? The Blue Pivot District Six’s medical industry association is about to be dissolved. Private hospitals, private pharmaceutical companies, and medical equipment firms will no longer be allowed to join any associations. With District Six gone, District Four is bound to grow even stronger.”

Jiang Weide frowned impatiently. “Those matters have nothing to do with us. Let the United Commerce do whatever they want. What’s important now is identifying the person manipulating Li Rong. This individual is clearly well-versed in biochemical knowledge.”

Li Baishou, realizing he wouldn’t get any useful information from Jiang Weide, stood up and brushed off his pants. “Finding people is the police’s job, not ours. We can’t do much to help. I have a class to teach this afternoon, so I’ll head back now.”

In truth, he felt a sense of relief.

After being on edge for so long, he was finally reassured that the target wasn’t him. He could breathe easier now.

As for Jiang Weide, Li Baishou knew the Hongsuo Research Institute wouldn’t let Jiang’s reputation be tarnished over this incident, though it might still affect corporate collaborations.

If Jiang Weide had to make some concessions, it could mean more funding for his research—a potential silver lining.

With that thought, it didn’t seem like such a bad outcome after all.

Jiang Weide watched as Li Baishou left, his gaze lingering on the office door.

It wasn’t that he suspected Li Baishou of anything; the sound of the door closing had simply caught his attention. For a moment, it distracted him before he drifted back into his own thoughts, his eyes fixed on the same spot.

After Li Baishou left, someone muttered in frustration, “I wonder if the police have made any progress.”

Jiang Weide murmured, almost to himself, “No matter what, as long as the Li couple’s child stays safe, I…”

He didn’t finish the sentence.

Above, the thick clouds had drifted away, and the damp sunlight spilled onto the ground. The world continued to turn, as if nothing had happened.

The police had pulled surveillance footage from the Binhu neighborhood from a few months prior. The video clearly showed a suspicious individual cautiously approaching Li Rong’s home. While there was no footage of how they entered, their movements suggested they went to the rear window of the house.

About half an hour later, Li Rong appeared on the footage, matching his account that he had gone home to retrieve his phone.

So far, everything aligned with Li Rong’s story. However, the lighting was too poor, and the individual had covered their face, making it impossible to discern any identifying features from the footage.

Later, Cen Xiao appeared on the surveillance footage. Shortly after his arrival, the masked individual left Li Rong’s home, walking away at a deliberate pace—no longer cautious, but upright and composed.

This also made sense: once Li Rong had seen them, there was no need to hide anymore. They had even extorted money from two high school students.

As one of the individuals involved, Cen Xiao was also brought in for questioning to provide additional details.

This time, Yang Fenfang accompanied Cen Xiao.

The involvement of two students from her class in an incident that connected to the theft of a portable hard drive at A University left Yang Fenfang completely baffled.

Theft wasn’t unheard of at A High, but typically, a report would be filed, and that would be the end of it. Lost items were rarely recovered, aside from the occasional reminder from the homeroom teacher to stay vigilant.

When Cen Xiao arrived at the police station, confusion was written all over his face.

He glanced at the other department head from A University who had been sent, then at Li Rong. “Why are we suddenly talking about what happened that night?”

Li Rong crossed his arms, rubbing his elbows with his palms, his voice tinged with unease. “I didn’t want to bring it up, but Aunt Hui’s situation got dragged into it, and I’m a little worried.”

Cen Xiao stepped closer and gave Li Rong’s shoulder a reassuring pat. For a brief moment, their eyes met before Cen Xiao subtly looked away, raising an eyebrow. “You’re too timid. I already gave them the money. What’s there to be afraid of?”

The officer frowned. “So you’re the one who handed over the money?”

Cen Xiao chuckled lightly, his face brimming with undisguised arrogance, his tone exceptionally lazy as if the matter wasn’t serious at all. “Of course. Do you think he has any money?”

The officer spoke earnestly, “You’re young. Why would you handle it this way?”

Cen Xiao looked utterly indifferent, his gaze sweeping the room as he began to spout nonsense. “What else could I do? Money solves most of the world’s problems anyway. Besides, this was a mutual agreement, wasn’t it? He didn’t ask for much—just think of it as a small expense.”

The officer: “…”

Cen Xiao came across as a quintessential spoiled rich kid, detached from the struggles of ordinary life.

Though his worldview was a bit skewed, his choice to ensure personal safety at the time was understandable.

Li Rong, seemingly lacking his own resolve, hesitated after hearing Cen Xiao’s remarks. He asked uncertainly, “So… should we just leave it at that? Avoid making a fuss?”

The matter was significant yet trivial. The man hadn’t caused any actual harm, so if Li Rong chose not to press charges, the police had no grounds to pursue the case further.

However, the department head from A University was particularly anxious. His eyebrows shot up, and his face flushed with urgency as he practically sprayed spit in his agitation. “How can you just let this go? Identifying this person is crucial for our university. I hope you two will cooperate and try your best to recall any identifying features!”

Someone had used Li Qingli’s manuscript to publish a paper under Li Rong’s name, dragging Hongsuo Research Institute’s reputation through the mud. The submission loophole had occurred at A University. If the culprit wasn’t identified, the university president wouldn’t sleep well at night.

No one knew what the perpetrator might do next.

Yang Fenfang, watching and listening, was utterly confused.

She couldn’t even piece together the logic of the situation, let alone understand the remarks Jiang Weide had made at the social event.

Instinctively, however, she felt that the A University faculty member was right—this was clearly a very serious matter.

Yang Fenfang said, “Yes, yes, you two should think carefully and cooperate with A University to get to the bottom of this. It also involves Li Rong’s father.”

The department head naturally assumed that a homeroom teacher held significant sway over her students and quickly chimed in, “Your teacher is absolutely right.”

But Li Rong seemed deeply hesitant. He cast a glance at Cen Xiao, his almond-shaped eyes furrowed in confusion and grievance. “It’s been so long, and I was terrified at the time. I don’t remember much.”

As he spoke, he nervously shifted behind Cen Xiao, clutching his arm with both hands and lowering his head to avoid the intense gaze of the department head.

Seeing Li Rong suddenly adopt a conciliatory posture, the department head scratched his thinning hair in frustration and sighed heavily.

Cen Xiao, however, remained indifferent. Resting a hand casually on Li Rong’s, he said nonchalantly, “He really was scared out of his wits. When I arrived, he was completely dazed. That guy…” Cen Xiao paused, squinting as though recalling something but sounding uncertain. “He wasn’t particularly distinctive. Looked like a typical thug. Probably sent to deliver someone else’s message. Even he stammered through it. I think he just saw we had money and decided to try his luck. He didn’t ask for much—less than two days of my allowance—so I just paid him off.”

Yang Fenfang cautiously added, “Uh… Cen Xiao’s family is indeed well-off.”

But she found it strange. Cen Xiao wasn’t usually one to flaunt his wealth and was relatively low-key. Li Rong’s behavior also seemed off—she’d never seen him afraid of anything before, yet today, he seemed utterly dependent on Cen Xiao.

The department head could only grumble, “You…”

He didn’t know how to describe this rich kid, who seemed to be causing more trouble than solving it.

He was unaware of Cen Xiao’s family background. If he had known, he wouldn’t have dared to scold the son of the Blue Pivot District Three president so openly.

The police officer sighed helplessly. “If you gave him the money willingly, it could technically be considered a gift.”

The investigation seemed to have hit a dead end. Li Rong, weighing the pros and cons, also felt reluctant to pursue the matter further.

But under the department head’s strong insistence, Cen Xiao still cooperated with the police in describing the man’s appearance.

The officer told the department head, “We can run a comparison here, but it will take time.”

Cen Xiao interjected with a sarcastic comment, “Why not post notices around the neighborhood? You’re not planning to arrest him anyway—just to ask about his boss. Offer a reward of ten thousand yuan, and I bet he’ll show up at the station the next day.”

The department head snapped, “…Is money the only solution you can think of?”

Cen Xiao replied bluntly, “Pretty much.”

The department head was speechless.

When they left the police station, the sunlight was no longer as intense.

Three days had passed since the incident began to unfold.

As promised, A University compensated Xu Tanghui for her medical expenses and damaged belongings. The head of campus security even personally went to the Changjie residential area to apologize to her and return her campus card.

Xu Tanghui finally felt vindicated. Once her hand healed, she could resume her stall at the fountain square, this time without fear of further harassment.

Yang Fenfang, clutching her handbag, jogged to catch up with Li Rong and Cen Xiao.

“Why didn’t you tell the teacher about this earlier? Don’t be afraid; if you need help, the school will do its best to support you. As long as you’re a student at A High, we teachers and A High are here for you…”

She rambled on, saying much without really saying anything.

Yang Fenfang herself wasn’t sure how she or the school could take responsibility, but comforting Li Rong still seemed necessary.

Having been a homeroom teacher for so long, platitudes like these flowed effortlessly.

Li Rong stopped and smiled. “Got it, Teacher. You can head back now. I need to chat with Cen Xiao for a bit.”

Yang Fenfang: “…”

It was clear that Li Rong was politely dismissing her.

Li Rong let go of Cen Xiao’s arm, slid his hands into his pockets, and said with a calm demeanor, “Maybe the air inside was just bad, and I got too nervous. Now that I’m outside for a bit, I feel much better and less worried.”

Yang Fenfang, still off rhythm, noted that Li Rong did look significantly calmer. Feeling perplexed, she asked, “So… should I head back to school then?”

Li Rong had no intention of stopping her.

He watched as Yang Fenfang’s heels clicked away down the street. Once she was gone, he leaned casually against Cen Xiao’s shoulder with a relaxed smirk. “A University’s leadership is so eager to get to the bottom of this. Clearly, they don’t know much themselves.”

Cen Xiao remained steady despite the nudge. He glanced at Li Rong with a meaningful look, taking a slow breath. “That frightened act of yours back there was pretty convincing.”

Li Rong leaned against Cen Xiao’s shoulder, tilted his head slightly upward, and looked at him with a playful glint in his eyes. “And your spoiled rich-kid performance was quite the act too.” He inhaled the rain-cleared air and spoke with ease. “Now we just have to wait for the final actor to take the stage. While A University appears to be suppressing the matter on the surface, they’ll definitely take internal action.

The people at the Hongsuo Research Institute will also be desperate to know who that person is. Whoever helped me complete that paper must be an expert in biochemical knowledge, which will stir mutual suspicion within the institute. ‘They’ likely won’t dare make any rash moves for the time being.”

Since their kiss, certain intimate gestures between them had become natural.

Li Rong particularly enjoyed leaning against Cen Xiao while talking, placing part of his weight on him as if he genuinely needed that support.

Cen Xiao felt something subtle and complex.

On the one hand, he knew Li Rong’s spirit was entirely independent. On the other, he enjoyed being relied on, even harboring selfish thoughts of keeping Li Rong dependent on him—only him—forever.

But Li Rong wasn’t that type.

Li Rong was a swan, a phoenix. He might rest somewhere briefly, but he would never willingly be caged by anyone.

The only way to keep him close was to be unconditionally good to him, enough that he’d willingly draw near and reveal his softest, most unguarded side.

Cen Xiao remarked thoughtfully, “If I’d known, we should’ve stayed inside a bit longer.”

Li Rong’s eyelids fluttered as he observed Cen Xiao for several seconds.

He quickly realized Cen Xiao wasn’t interested in discussing serious matters now; he was reliving certain rare and precious moments.

Moments rare for both of them.

Li Rong glanced at their shoulders leaning together. His tongue lightly brushed his lip as he relaxed his eyelids, his soft hair gleaming faintly in the sunlight.

Sliding his fingers into Cen Xiao’s palm, Li Rong softened his voice and smiled innocently. “Big brother, I’m scared. Protect me.”

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