kiwanis-nylisc Chapter 369 It wasn't him.
Chapter 369 It wasn't him.
Lu Cheng gently patted her shoulder and comforted her softly, "Don't think too much. The world is so big, it's not uncommon for people to look alike. Ming Xiangyang... he's gone."
Shen Li took a deep breath and nodded.
But she knew in her heart that she and her second brother had both experienced fantastical things, and they could not easily let go of such bizarre coincidences.
She's not afraid of encountering fantastical events, but she's afraid of being deliberately misled; she must find out the truth.
Afterwards, Lu Cheng talked to her about business.
It is now 1995. The Xiangjiang River has not yet been returned to its original state, the situation is chaotic, and it is mostly controlled by gang forces.
Although they have deep connections in mainland China, the assistance they can provide on the Xiangjiang side is very limited.
Based on the development of future generations, Shen Li said to Lu Cheng, "The real estate industry in Xiangjiang will be the first to rise. If we can make a move now, the future benefits will be immeasurable."
"However, the current situation is too chaotic, and it is not the right time for large-scale development. Instead, we can acquire some land at low prices and stockpile it, and make plans later."
"Land prices now are much cheaper than they will be in ten years."
Lu Cheng had made thorough preparations for his trip to Xiangjiang to inspect the land. He was accompanied not only by his secretary but also by more than ten elite bodyguards, anticipating the chaotic situation there.
The next morning, Lu Cheng led his men out to inspect the land.
Shen Li was sitting in the hotel living room when Zhao Qing came over.
"How is it?" She immediately stood up, her tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible tension.
Zhao Qing nodded and replied truthfully, "There is a corpse in the grave, but it has been there for a long time and has decomposed into bones."
Zhao Qing didn't say much, after all, it had been almost a year, and the decay was too gruesome to look at.
The boss is pregnant, so it's best not to say too much.
Shen Li was struck dumb, frozen in place.
There really is a corpse... So who exactly is Xiangyang?
She actually dug up Ming Xiangyang's grave because of her suspicions, disturbing the deceased.
Overwhelmed by guilt, she raised her hand to cover her face, her voice trembling slightly: "I'm so sorry... so sorry."
She looked at Zhao Qing and said in a deep voice, "Go and invite a Buddhist monk to perform a proper ritual to help the deceased pass on to the afterlife."
"Okay." Zhao Qing replied and withdrew.
Feng Ye stood to the side, his expression complex, but he said nothing.
To find out the truth, the boss even went so far as to dig up a grave; no one could dissuade him from this obsession.
Shen Li walked to the window, picked up the hotel landline, and dialed Xiang Yang's number.
Even though she knew he wasn't Ming Xiangyang, that identical face still made her want to get closer, even if it was just to have another friend.
The phone rang twice before being answered, and Xiangyang's gentle voice came through the receiver: "Hello, who is this?"
"It's me, Shen Li." Shen Li adjusted her tone, trying to make her voice sound gentle.
"You looked familiar yesterday, and I was thinking of inviting you to dinner. I was wondering if you had time? Mainly because... you look so much like my old friend."
Upon hearing this, Xiang Yang readily agreed: "Sure! You reserve a table, and I'll be right there."
Shen Li gave the name of a Chinese and Western restaurant in Tsim Sha Tsui, gave a few more instructions, and then hung up the phone.
After Xiang Yang hung up the phone, Ming Cheng walked over and respectfully asked, "Young Master, do you have any plans?"
"Yeah, I ran into someone at the mall yesterday. We got along pretty well, and we exchanged contact information. She asked me out for dinner today," Xiangyang explained casually.
Mingcheng immediately said, "Then I'll go with you."
Xiang Yang waved his hand, thought for a moment, and said, "No need. The other party is a lady, and it's inconvenient for you to come along. Besides, my skills are no worse than yours, so don't worry."
Seeing his insistence, Mingcheng stopped trying to persuade him and just sighed softly, a mixture of worry and relief flashing in his eyes.
He thought to himself: If only he could stay like this forever, without regaining his memories, and meet someone who understands him, and settle down to get married and have children...
If the master can live out the rest of his life in peace in the capital, then perhaps that would be good enough.
Shen Li arrived at the Western restaurant early and chose a window seat.
The view from here is expansive; you can see her as soon as you enter, and you can also keep an eye on what's happening outside through the window.
Not long after, the restaurant door was pushed open, and Xiang Yang walked in.
Shen Li spotted him immediately, a faint smile unconsciously appearing on her lips as she raised her hand and waved at him.
For some reason, he had never liked getting close to strangers, but looking at Shen Li in front of him, a familiar warmth inexplicably rose in his heart, as if he had seen them somewhere before.
No matter how hard he tried to recall, his mind was completely blank, and he couldn't grasp even the slightest related memory fragment.
Shen Li felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze. She lightly stroked the rim of her cup with her fingertips and teased, "What's wrong? Is there something on my face?"
He snapped out of his daze and shook his head somewhat awkwardly: "No, it's just that...you look familiar."
After the two sat down, Shen Li pushed the menu in front of him and asked softly, "What would you like to eat? Order whatever you like."
"I don't have any dietary restrictions, I can eat anything." Xiang Yang's tone remained gentle, but his gaze remained calm as he looked at the menu.
"Okay, then I'll make the decision for you." Shen Li smiled, closed the menu, and waved to the waiter.
This Western restaurant serves both Chinese and Western food, but Shen Li specifically chose Chinese food—Chinese dishes are diverse, making it easier to observe clues from dining habits.
She didn't cut back on the dishes just because there were only two of them. Instead, she ordered five dishes in one go, each of which was something Ming Xiangyang used to eat often or something he would avoid.
After the dishes were served, Shen Li barely touched her chopsticks, her gaze remaining fixed on Xiang Yang as she carefully observed his eating habits.
When Shen Li saw him naturally pick up the fish tail and slowly chew and swallow, his hand holding the chopsticks suddenly paused, his eyes filled with disappointment.
Ming Xiangyang never eats fish tails. Even if there is the freshest fish at the banquet, he will subconsciously pick the fish tail to the side.
Could it be... that he really isn't Ming Xiangyang?
But how can there be two people in this world who look exactly alike and whose relationships with those around them are so complicated?
Doubts overwhelmed her once again like a tidal wave.
Suppressing the turmoil in her heart, Shen Li asked casually, "Do you live here alone?"
Xiang Yang shook his head: "No, there are two other people with me, responsible for my safety."
"Oh?" Shen Li raised an eyebrow, her tone carrying a hint of deliberate doubt. "You're already this skilled, why do you need someone to protect you closely?"
Xiangyang smiled helplessly: "There's nothing I can do. They're always worried that something will happen to me, so they insist on coming with me, and I can't refuse them."
For the rest of the time, the two chatted casually.
Shen Li subtly probed, always trying to find traces of similarity between him and Ming Xiangyang in his words and actions.
The more I observed, the colder my heart grew—the person's posture, the way they held their chopsticks, the tone of their voice.
Even the curve of his smile was completely different from the Ming Xiangyang I remembered.