Several months ago, Su Banxia’s elopement had caused a sensation in the city and had greatly embarrassed Shang Lu. Although the situation was quickly resolved, and only those in their social circle and certain media reporters were aware of the details, the general public remained unaware.
Furthermore, she had been brought back to marry Shang Lu without a wedding ceremony, making it a low-profile marriage.
The term “low-profile marriage” simply meant that it was not publicized for everyone to know. Those within their social circle and the media were aware, and the union between the Shang and Su families was established.
The sharp-eyed media reporter had spotted her coming out of the CEO’s elevator and deduced that her relationship with Shang Lu was significant, hence calling her “Mrs. Shang” to draw the attention of the group.
Su Banxia’s gaze fell on Li Qiang and the group of people behind him. These individuals had faces that either looked cunning or were covered in muscles, and it was clear they weren’t the kind of people to mess with. They seemed like a bunch of troublemakers.
Shang Enterprises had called the police before to handle the situation, but these troublemakers had returned after being detained for a few days. They even brought media reporters along, turning it into a sensational news story, making it difficult for the police to intervene again.
Su Banxia neither confirmed nor denied anything. Trying to reason with this group of people wouldn’t work, and getting into a confrontation would only result in negative publicity for Shang Enterprises.
The media reporter quickly stopped her as she prepared to leave. “Mrs. Shang, please don’t go. I have a few questions I’d like to interview you about.”
Having taken money from Li Qiang and finally managing to block the protagonist’s wife, he wasn’t going to let her leave easily.
Li Qiang clenched his fists and made a threatening gesture. “You, stop right there! If Shang Enterprises doesn’t give me an explanation today, no one can leave!”
Su Banxia’s two bodyguards, Xiong Da and Xiong Er, immediately stepped in front of her like a pair of door gods, ready to defend her.
“If you take another step closer to Miss Su, be careful with your face.”
The two bodyguards were nearly two meters tall, incredibly strong, and exuded an aura of having been through countless dangerous situations. They were intimidating, and they instantly subdued the group of people.
Both sides stood in confrontation, and the atmosphere in the lobby became tense.
The incident in the lobby was reported to the CEO’s office by the front desk staff as soon as it happened.
The receptionist and the security staff were also quite alarmed. These people had been shouting outside the building every day, but today, they had somehow managed to rush into the lobby and aggressively block the path of the CEO’s wife.
With so many people present, if something were to happen to Miss Su in the lobby, it would be a serious issue that no one could afford to take responsibility for.
“I understand,” Shang Lu hung up the phone with a sharp click, his handsome face turning icy, and his eyes becoming menacing.
He activated his wheelchair and left the CEO’s office.
Lin Xuan, who worked in the secretary’s office, saw him and immediately stood up. She asked, “Mr. Shang, you have afternoon appointments. Where are you going now?”
Wherever Shang Lu went in the company, he always had his secretary and personal assistant with him, and his close protection bodyguard, Xiang Lei, was always by his side.
His assistant, Zhou, was out on business, and she didn’t know where Xiang Lei was. She needed to follow him.
Shang Lu glanced at her and said, “Continue with your work.”
Lin Xuan’s office door was open, and she heard the front desk of the CEO’s office say that Su Banxia was in trouble downstairs. She knew that Shang Lu was going downstairs, and she strongly disapproved.
Shang Lu had a disability in both legs, and there were so many thugs downstairs. If things got physical, he would definitely get hurt.
In her heart, Lin Xuan couldn’t help but blame Su Banxia for not staying at home and instead coming to the company to disrupt Shang Lu’s life. She seemed to always bring trouble to him.
“Mr. Shang, you can’t go downstairs,” Lin Xuan said.
Shang Lu’s brows furrowed, and he scolded in a cold voice, “Get out of the way!”
Lin Xuan wore a distressed expression and reached out to block his path. “Mr. Shang, you really can’t go downstairs. Those thugs are there to force you to appear. They have low standards, and if they happen to be carrying any weapons, it could be dangerous for you. If something happens to you, what will the company do?”
Did you want to abandon the company for the sake of a woman? That’s what she thought in her heart.
Shang Lu couldn’t wait any longer after hearing her words. Even if Su Banxia had brought bodyguards with her today, with so many people around, there was no guarantee she wouldn’t get hurt.
“I’ll say it one more time, move aside,” he ordered with a dark tone.
“Mr. Shang, even if you fire me today, I can’t let you go downstairs,” Lin Xuan stubbornly tried to stop him.
Suddenly, the front desk exclaimed, “The power is out.”
Lin Xuan felt like fate was on her side; the power outage happened at just the right moment.
If Shang Lu were a normal person, he could have used the stairs to go downstairs. However, he was a person who couldn’t stand up due to his disability. Unless he could fly down, he could only stay upstairs.
Lin Xuan concealed her inner satisfaction and advised, “Mr. Shang, with the power out, you can’t go downstairs either. Please return to your office and rest. You still have two appointments in the afternoon.”
Shang Lu clenched his hands on the wheelchair, his eyebrows lowered, revealing no expression.
After a brief pause, he headed toward the dimly lit stairwell doorway in his wheelchair.
Lin Xuan stood there, stunned and disbelieving, watching the man’s retreating figure. What was he doing? Had he gone mad, or had the world gone mad?
Was Su Banxia really that important to him?
She had been with Shang Lu since graduation and could be said to know him very well. This man was cold and ruthless, keeping his distance from everyone, and no one could get close to him. She had seen many purposeful women trying to get close to him, but it was all in vain. The only woman who stayed by his side was her.
It had only been two months, and yet this arrogant young lady named Su Banxia had made him care to this extent?
Lin Xuan bit her lip, refusing to believe it. She was certain that it was because Su Banxia was his wife in name, and he couldn’t ignore her.
“Mr. Shang,” Lin Xuan caught up with him, “please don’t do anything foolish.”
The entire building had lost power, the elevators were out of service, and the dark hallways were only lit dimly by emergency lights. Even a healthy person had to be cautious walking in these conditions, and he, with his disability, couldn’t possibly make it down. Did he really intend to risk his life to climb down?
Shang Lu wheeled his chair into the hallway, his solitary and cold figure barely visible in the darkness.
Lin Xuan pushed open the hallway door and hurriedly said, “Mr. Shang, Su Banxia has bodyguards with her. She will be fine. With your legs like this, you can’t go down. Please don’t act impulsively.”
“Get lost!” Shang Lu shouted in anger.
Lin Xuan stepped back in fear, looking at the man’s side profile in the darkness, with his veins bulging. She trembled all over.
She had seen Shang Lu lose his temper before, but this was the first time she had been so frightened that her legs went weak.
An enraged man in the darkness was both sinister and terrifying, like a ghost. She was scared, so she backed away and left the hallway.
In the darkness, Shang Lu slammed his legs with his hands.
He didn’t need anyone to remind him; he knew his legs were disabled, and he couldn’t walk. It was as if he were a cripple.
For years, he had tried his best not to think about his disabled legs, striving to live like a normal person and ignoring the pitying or mocking gazes of others. Normally, Xiang Lei would accompany him, helping him get in and out of cars, taking him home, and both the villa and the company were equipped with facilities to make his life easier as a disabled person.
Everyone only saw his elevated status and feared his thunderous business tactics, but no one saw his vulnerability. Whether at the company or at home, he always acted cautiously, never letting Su Banxia see his weakness.
But now, in this crisis, he realized his own helplessness. That deep sense of powerlessness felt like a monstrous force trying to drag him into the abyss.
Shang Lu wheeled his chair to the railing in the dimly lit hallway and reached out to grip it. After the accident, he had gone through rehabilitation, trying not to pay attention to the outside world’s noises. When he couldn’t successfully stand up, he gave up further treatment. The chances of recovery were so slim, and he didn’t want to waste his efforts. The wheelchair became his legs.
In the darkness, no one saw his attempts to move. Shang Lu gritted his teeth and exerted all the strength in his trembling arms.
Xiang Lei, seeing Shang Lu in this state, was almost scared out of his wits. He rushed over in three steps: “Mr. Shang.”
Shang Lu released his grip on the railing. He looked like a bird that had lost its wings, plummeting into the deep blue sea. There was a splash, and then he went completely still.
Xiang Lei had gone to the restroom and returned to hear that Shang Lu was about to descend to the lobby via the stairs. He hurried over and was almost scared out of his wits when he saw Shang Lu gripping the staircase railing, half-standing.
Shang Lu was usually calm, his deep black eyes devoid of emotion. Xiang Lei had never seen him so impulsive, willing to risk his life.
Shang Lu sat in the wheelchair, his disheveled black hair partially covering his brows. He said coldly, “Carry me down.”
Xiang Lei replied, “Mr. Shang, the building will have power back in half an hour. Please wait a little longer.”
Shang Lu’s tone turned even colder. “Don’t make me repeat myself.”
Xiang Lei clenched his teeth and turned the wheelchair around, crouching down to allow Shang Lu to climb onto his back.
—
Su Banxia had never been harassed by hooligans before, but today she got a taste of just how shameless these people could be. Despite having two bodyguards protecting her, the other side had strength in numbers. The presence of journalists added chaos to the situation, making it difficult for her to leave the lobby.
Facing the recording cameras, she couldn’t just ask her bodyguards to beat up these people and then leave. She was certain that if her bodyguards got physical, the media would embellish the story, portraying it as the Shang Corporation bullying ordinary people and resorting to violence.
In the midst of the commotion, half an hour quickly passed.
Su Banxia was getting impatient and wanted to leave. A man reached out and tried to assault her chest. She immediately changed her expression, and Xiong Da forcefully grabbed the man’s hand and pushed him away.
The man screamed and lay on the ground, shouting, “Assault! Assault! My hand hurts so much, it’s about to break…”
Li Qiang pulled a journalist over and said harshly, “Quickly film this, it’s evidence.”
Su Banxia looked at Xiong Da.
Xiong Da had a stern expression and said coldly, “This man was attempting to harass Miss Su. I intervened to protect her. If my actions caused any harm, I am willing to take responsibility. You can go to the hospital for a check-up now.”
The man, who had been loudly complaining and holding his wrist, suddenly broke into a cold sweat. He knew his wrist was perfectly fine, and going to the hospital would expose his deception.
Su Banxia stared coldly at the greasy bald man on the ground and said, “If you accuse my bodyguard of injuring you, I am willing to cover your medical expenses. However, if you insist on false accusations and harassment, I can have my lawyer charge you with malicious behavior, which carries a potential sentence of up to five years in prison.”
The group of people brought by Li Qiang had little knowledge of the law, and they were instantly scared into silence.
“Brother Qiang,” the bald man looked toward their leader.
Li Qiang, while signaling with his eyes, shouted, “What are you trying to fool us with? He didn’t even touch you! Brothers, this woman is trying to scare you on purpose.”
Suddenly, a dark object from the crowd was hurled towards Su Banxia.
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