At first, he had restrained himself, but later on, he grew impatient with her slow movements and pulled her close, demanding more.
The pain was sobering, and it accompanied a profound sense of sinking.
It turned out that being with her was so enjoyable, a feeling of wanting to give himself entirely to her, to be bound together until death do them part.
In truth, he hadn’t known her for very long, and even though they had obtained a marriage certificate, it was all based on a lie, driven by ulterior motives.
He didn’t understand why she had approached him or why she never gave up despite him pushing her away time and time again.
She always said he was good, but he didn’t know what was so good about him.
And now, he wanted to hold her tightly within himself, imprisoning her forever, not allowing her any escape, making sure they faced the rest of their lives together.
Su Banxia lay on her side, sensing his desire for another round. She said, “Shang Lu, I’m uncomfortable.”
As she spoke, she realized her throat was hoarse, feeling a bit irritated. She grabbed the arm that was wrapped around her waist and scratched him with her nails.
This man was truly vexing. Even when she had called for a stop, he intentionally became rougher and faster.
She felt like a piece of seaweed in the sea, drifting along, almost being drowned by him. Her throat was now hoarse, and her body was covered in sweat, sticky and clinging together with his, feeling the lingering warmth on his body.
Shang Lu held her and gently kissed her rounded shoulder, enveloping her with his entire being. His voice was soft as he said, “I’m sorry.”
Su Banxia’s earlobes instantly turned soft. His low, magnetic voice was so gentle; who could resist it, especially in moments like this?
She released her nails, no longer intentionally scratching him, but her hand was still held by him, fingers interlocked. He seemed to like it very much, holding her firmly, as if he wanted to grasp her for a lifetime without letting go.
Su Banxia buried her head halfway into the pillow, her black hair scattered behind her, making her fair and tender skin stand out even more, tempting one to leave marks.
For Shang Lu, she was no longer just a mission partner bound to him.
The more she understood him, the more she felt a deep affection and sorrow. As long as she was with him, she felt happy, and her emotions fluctuated for him.
If there were no feelings involved, why would she want to be intimate with him?
Other people might think he had a disability in his legs, that he had a quirky and reclusive personality, that he was difficult to get along with. But so what?
People shouldn’t live their lives based on others’ opinions. Shang Lu was Shang Lu, excellent and powerful, and other people’s prejudices couldn’t affect her in the slightest.
She trusted him without reservation, and she would always stand by his side.
Su Banxia couldn’t remember falling asleep. Shang Lu had apologized and then initiated another round. Once she became familiar with the process, he became even more unrestrained, and she was completely defenseless against him.
After they were done, Shang Lu looked at the girl sleeping soundly in his arms. Her black hair was drenched in sweat, and her small face had a charming blush.
He lowered his gaze to focus on her, and he couldn’t get enough of her no matter how much he looked. If it weren’t for the concern for her well-being, he would have considered going for another round.
At this moment, she was obedient, quite different from the girl who had cried with red eyes. He especially loved to see her with her watery eyes half-closed, clinging to him as if he were her entire world.
As a result, he lost control, exploring her to get various emotional feedback through the changes in her body.
The room was filled with an intimate atmosphere, and in this bedroom of their new home, they left behind a strong presence.
The next day, the early morning sun shone through the gaps in the curtains, casting a floor of golden fragments on the ground, warming up the bedroom.
Shang Lu had hardly slept all night, as his biological clock was set to wake up early. He looked at the girl still asleep and got up to freshen up.
He came out of the closet after changing his clothes, and the girl on the bed had shifted her posture but was still asleep.
A smile curled up at the corner of Shang Lu’s lips as he drove his wheelchair over. He extended his well-defined fingers to gently push aside a strand of hair from the corner of her lips, his gaze filled with tenderness.
Downstairs, Xiang Lei waited, and when he saw Shang Lu coming out of the elevator, wearing a sunny expression on his face, he doubted if there was something wrong with his eyes.
As Shang Lu’s personal bodyguard, Xiang Lei rarely saw Shang Lu smile. Such emotions were a luxury for Shang Lu, and even Zhou, his special assistant, had once bet with him that Shang Lu hadn’t smiled in a year.
In the eyes of others, Shang Lu was seen as a reclusive and gloomy character, a kind of oddity who wouldn’t show much emotional fluctuation even if the world were to collapse.
As they made their way to the company, Xiang Lei couldn’t believe his eyes. He had to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. Shang Lu, who rarely displayed emotions, had actually laughed.
He must be seeing things.
When Xiang Lei emerged from the CEO’s office, the receptionist stopped him with a mysterious look on her face. “Is CEO Shang in a good mood today?”
Xiang Lei nodded, his expression unchanged.
“I wasn’t mistaken then,” the receptionist murmured. “CEO Shang actually smiled at me.”
The entire floor of the CEO’s office was abuzz with amazement the whole day, and no one could figure out what had such a magical effect on Shang Lu’s mood. Everyone could feel that Shang Lu was in an extremely cheerful mood.
When Su Banxia woke up, it was already noon. She took a shower and came out, feeling all her muscles sore and weak.
She thought to herself, “If he can be this active with his legs still not fully healed, what’s going to happen once they are?”
Su Banxia rubbed her waist while making her way to the living room. The new housekeeper, hired by Shang Lu, heard the commotion and came out of the kitchen with a bowl of soup, smiling as she greeted, “Miss Su is awake.”
Su Banxia smiled and nodded before approaching the table to see the Chinese lunch.
Li, the housekeeper, was appointed by Shang Lu to take care of cooking. She had over a decade of experience as a senior nutritionist and was primarily responsible for the family’s diet and healthcare.
After finishing lunch, Su Banxia rested for a few hours before going to practice dancing for a while. In the afternoon, Xiong Da and Xiong Er arrived at the apartment with the information they had gathered. Li, the housekeeper, had cleaned the apartment and left earlier, so Su Banxia casually threw two pairs of slippers from the shoe cabinet toward them.
“Come in,” she said casually.
Xiong Da and Xiong Er exchanged glances, thinking that Miss Su had changed quite a bit and didn’t seem as aloof as before. They walked into the living room and stood there like two door gods, respectfully handing over the information.
Su Banxia waved her hand and said, “Please, have a seat.”
“Miss, this isn’t in line with the rules of etiquette,” Xiong Da remarked. Wealthy families had many rules, and the host and guests had to be polite and formal. They were supposed to follow these rules.
Su Banxia found the two brothers a bit stiff. They were probably used to being ordered around and treated without respect when they followed Father Su before. Even after joining her, they seemed cautious and deferential.
“Just sit when I tell you to sit. Don’t worry about so many rules,” she said casually, and then lowered her gaze to review the information. “Of course, if you prefer standing, you can stand. I won’t stop you.”
Xiong Er plopped down on the sofa without hesitation, ignoring the stern look from Xiong Da. He said, “Miss Su said it’s fine, why be so uptight?”
Xiong Da, inexplicably provoked by his brother’s remark, wanted to give this silly brother a good beating.
Su Banxia didn’t bother looking up and said, “You’ve worked hard to bring this information. If you’d like some water, you can get it from the fridge.”
“Okay,” Xiong Er immediately got up, opened the fridge, and took out two cans of soda. He handed one to his brother and said, “Here.”
Xiong Da took the drink while casting a glance at Su Banxia.
Outside, the weather was hot and muggy. In the morning, the two had been walking on the streets under the scorching sun, their dark skin turning red from the sun’s rays, covered in sweat. Drinking the soda helped relieve their discomfort.
The surveillance footage of Zhang’s mother stealing from the Shang family’s villa had been secretly hidden away by Lu Yurou in the past. After Zhang’s mother was dismissed, Lu Yurou deleted all the evidence that had been used to threaten her, fearing that she might reveal the truth about the threats she had received.
After so many years had passed, finding any traces related to those events was challenging. Su Banxia had asked Xiong Da and Xiong Er to spend a significant amount of time visiting and searching for clues. Finally, they had located a secondhand trading store that had only changed its address.
Zhang’s mother and Zhang Qiang had sold the stolen gold and silver jewelry through secondhand channels, some to passersby and others to certain stores. The shop owners who bought the items were meticulous and kept records of the transactions in the form of receipts.
With this evidence, it was enough to prove that Zhang’s mother had engaged in dishonest activities and was rightfully dismissed by the Shang family. Even if she was fired, she wouldn’t face public condemnation.
There was another way to handle this situation: for Shang Lu to voluntarily provide the videos showing the abuse by Zhang’s mother. Such evidence would be powerful, but it would also expose Shang Lu’s painful past to the public.
Su Banxia didn’t want Shang Lu to suffer secondary harm, and she believed that even if those videos were shown, some people would argue that it was Shang Lu who, due to his past suffering, was seeking revenge on the Zhang family.
As for the incident involving the pet dog, she didn’t believe that Shang Lu could be so cruel. It was undoubtedly a case of someone falsely accusing him.
Xiong Da looked at Su Banxia with a solemn expression and said, “Miss, not only have we found evidence of Zhang Qiang’s mother’s theft, but we’ve also located a witness.”
Su Banxia raised her head and asked, “A witness?”
“Yes, Miss,” Xiong Er hurriedly responded, “We’ve found the former maid who worked alongside Zhang’s mother. She knows some things.”
Su Banxia said, “Tell me.”
Xiong Er hesitated for a moment and then said, “That maid not only saw Zhang’s mother stealing with her own eyes but also heard instructions from Lu Yurou, instructing Zhang’s mother to mistreat Mr. Shang, who was disabled and unable to walk.”
If this was true, it would be terrifying. It turned out that Shang Lu’s stepmother had been so malicious in private.
Su Banxia felt a heavy weight in her chest, trying to change the subject, “Have they found the driver who hit Zhang’s mother with a car?”
Xiong Da replied, “We’ve already found some leads. It may take a few more days to locate him.”
As long as they put their hearts into investigating, they could always uncover the truth. The drunken driver who had hit and run, hiding for several days, was not entirely at fault for the accident.
Su Banxia gathered the information and said, “Thank you for your hard work. Please find him as soon as possible.”
Xiong Da and Xiong Er responded and left the apartment together. Shortly after they left, it started to rain heavily outside.
The sky was gloomy, covered in dark clouds, and the entire city seemed to be shrouded in a gray veil. Rain poured down relentlessly, making a pattering sound as it hit the windows, and large raindrops slid down the glass.
Su Banxia walked to the transparent floor-to-ceiling window and looked outside through the glass.
Suddenly, she felt a bit worried about Shang Lu.
People with bone problems would usually feel uncomfortable when it rained.
She used to enjoy rainy days, occasionally getting in the mood to bathe in the rain and experience the refreshing feeling bestowed by nature.
But now, she didn’t like it anymore because Shang Lu’s legs would hurt when it rained.
The last time she had an argument with Shang Lu, he had forbidden her from going to the company. She had stubbornly stayed away, but now she felt like going to see him.
Su Banxia went to the bedroom to change her clothes, grabbed an umbrella, and went downstairs. As soon as she stepped out of the apartment, a hot wind mixed with rain hit her face, making it feel muggy and hot.
Rainwater poured onto the ground, and hot air rose from it, leaving her feeling sticky all over.
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