Su Banxia wanted to hear everything related to Shang Lu; she wanted to understand more about him.
“I want to listen,” Su Banxia said with a curious look, her eyes fixed on the old lady as her thirst for knowledge grew.
The old lady had heard some rumors about the young people in their circle, but she wasn’t very clear about the details. She had been surprised when Su Banxia attempted to run away from her marriage. Young people had their own thoughts, and she didn’t want to force anyone into marriage. However, she couldn’t have imagined that Su Banxia, who had initially been unwilling to marry Shang Lu, would now be willing.
If the young couple could live happily together, the old lady was delighted to see it happen.
The old lady retrieved several thick photo albums from the room and placed a white album on the tea table.
“You haven’t seen any of Shang Lu’s old photos, have you? Here are some of his pictures. Take a look.”
There were no photos of Shang Lu in his social media accounts, and Su Banxia had never seen what he looked like before. She immediately opened the album.
The first picture showed a young boy, dressed in a school uniform, with a handsome but indifferent expression. He seemed a bit impatient and had a cold and aloof demeanor that made him look quite arrogant.
Su Banxia couldn’t help but chuckle and reached out to touch the photo.
She knew that Shang Lu wasn’t the sunshine boy-next-door type, and indeed, his appearance as a young boy lacked warmth, and his expression was far from friendly.
“Shang Lu lost his mother at a young age, and his father was busy with business matters, so he didn’t pay much attention to him, which resulted in his somewhat eccentric personality.”
“This picture is from his junior high school graduation, and I had to insist to get him to take a photo.”
The old lady sipped her tea and said with a smile, “Don’t be fooled by his cold exterior. In reality, this child is just shy.”
Su Banxia flipped through the photos and came across a picture of Shang Lu surrounded by several beautiful young girls. She looked slightly surprised.
The old lady put down her teacup and explained, “Banxia, don’t be jealous. This picture was also one I insisted on. When Shang Lu was in high school, he had so many girls who liked him. They all wanted to take a photo with him.”
“Shang Lu would go around with a cold face every day, and I don’t even know what those girls saw in him. They begged me to let them take a photo with him, so I had to force Shang Lu to take pictures with them.”
Su Banxia felt a little strange, not jealous of the girls in the photos, but rather a sense of regret that she hadn’t met him as a young boy.
Shang Lu, being both stubborn and obedient, was indeed quite cute.
She continued to flip through the pages. Compared to other albums, this one was quite thin, most likely because Shang Lu didn’t like taking photos.
The album wasn’t filled to the brim, and each page had varying sizes.
In high school, Shang Lu had a tall and slender figure. There were a few pictures of him on the basketball court, and he looked extremely handsome, with a lean body that exuded the vibrant energy of youth. He held a basketball or was in the middle of taking a shot, and he looked incredibly cool.
From the background of the photos, Su Banxia could see Qi Jiashu, also wearing a basketball uniform and talking to a group of girls while smiling.
So, Qi Jiashu and Shang Lu had been friends since childhood.
Qi Jiashu had been trying to charm girls since high school, and he always had a charming smile on his face, making him look like a bit of a rogue. Surprisingly, Shang Lu had not been influenced by him.
As she continued to flip through the album, she came across a photo of Shang Lu and Qi Jiashu together. Qi Jiashu had a bright smile and his arm draped around Shang Lu’s shoulder. Shang Lu, on the other hand, had a slightly pursed lip and a cold expression.
“This is Qi Jiashu,” the old lady said. “He and Shang Lu have been friends since childhood. That boy hasn’t come to see me in a long time. I wonder what he’s been up to lately.”
Su Banxia almost blurted out that he had been drinking and fooling around with women.
A quick lie came to her rescue. “We met a few days ago,” Su Banxia said, “He mentioned you, and he said that once he’s not busy, he’ll come to visit you.”
She turned to another page in the album and saw several photos of Shang Lu holding various trophies. However, there were no more photos beyond that point.
“During Shang Lu’s sophomore year in high school, he was in a car accident,” the old lady said with a pained tone. “Afterward, he refused to take any photos.”
Su Banxia closed the album and looked at the old lady.
“When Shang Lu woke up after the accident, he initially didn’t know he had suffered serious leg injuries that left him disabled. When he realized something was wrong, he went crazy, smashing things around him. The doctors had to use sedatives to calm him down and barely saved his life.”
“You know, that child grew up without the love of his parents. In his pursuit of recognition, he almost had no interests or hobbies, and even playing basketball was something Qi Jiashu had to force him into.”
“Now, with his legs disabled, he couldn’t even play basketball anymore.”
The old lady recalled Shang Lu from a few years ago with a heavy heart. “He worked hard in his studies, wanting to take over the company’s affairs early to preserve his mother’s shares.”
“I knew that he could never forget his mother’s death, and losing the use of his legs was a cruel blow for him.”
“Banxia,” the old lady held her hand and said earnestly, “When Shang Lu tried everything to heal his legs, he endured the most bitter medicines and painstakingly went through rehabilitation.”
“But later, for some reason, he gave up on his rehabilitation. The doctors told me that his legs could still be treated, and as long as he went through proper rehabilitation, there was a good chance he could stand up again.”
Su Banxia knew well that Shang Lu’s legs could be healed, or else she wouldn’t have taken his place and fallen into the pool to save him.
Shang Lu had an inner sense of inferiority and sensitivity. He feared getting hope and then losing it, falling into despair. It was better not to have hope at all.
So, he chose to stay in his wheelchair every day instead of attempting to stand up again.
The old lady patted her hand and said, “Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. I’m not forcing you to help Shang Lu. That child is very stubborn, and he won’t be willing.”
“Grandma, please don’t worry,” Su Banxia wiped away the tears at the corner of her eyes and affirmed, “I will definitely help Shang Lu stand up again.”
“Good child,” the old lady’s face looked kind but weary, “Grandma is a bit tired. I might go to sleep soon, so both of you shouldn’t go back tonight. Stay here in the house.”
Su Banxia thought about the old lady’s late-stage cancer, realizing that her time might be limited. Her heart ached with sorrow.
“We won’t leave. We’ll be here tomorrow to keep you company,” Su Banxia replied.
Helping the old lady back to her room, she hesitated and asked, “Grandma, can I have this album? The one with Shang Lu’s photos.”
The old lady smiled and said, “Of course, you can take it if you like.”
Su Banxia blushed slightly and expressed her gratitude.
The living room was filled with the sound of mahjong and chatter. She didn’t want to confront those people who held negative feelings towards her, so she decided to go upstairs to her room with the photo album.
Su Banxia felt extremely happy tonight, and her footsteps were filled with joy. She held Shang Lu’s photo album, as if she were embracing his youth. Although she hadn’t been a part of his past, she looked forward to their future together.
As she passed by the third-floor outdoor balcony, a voice called out, “Su Banxia.”
Su Banxia turned her head and looked at the man standing in the darkness, her brows slightly furrowed.
With a cigarette in his hand, Shang Jingyao stood on the outdoor balcony. The dim lighting made it hard to discern his expression.
Su Banxia didn’t want to engage in a lengthy conversation with Shang Jingyao. His mother’s animosity towards her had affected her perception of him, and she felt a visceral aversion to him.
Shang Lu was the legitimate son of this family, and if it weren’t for Lu Yurou’s marriage into the family, Shang Jingyao would have been considered an illegitimate child at best.
Shang Jingyao extinguished his cigarette and walked over to grab her arm, pulling her onto the outdoor balcony where they stood in the dim light.
“Su Banxia, do you really like Shang Lu?” he questioned, his voice filled with doubt.
The flawless cooperation between Shang Lu and Su Banxia in the game had left a profound impact on him. Even though he had ultimately secured the most kills and earned the MVP title, he found it all tasteless.
The dynamics between Su Banxia and Shang Lu were visibly changing, and more and more things were happening beyond his expectations.
He couldn’t quite articulate his emotions but felt an overwhelming sense of frustration.
After dinner, almost involuntarily, he found himself on the third floor, smoking, while the voices of the old lady and Su Banxia carried clearly from downstairs.
He heard Su Banxia firmly declare her intention to help Shang Lu stand up.
Her clear voice was filled with hope for Shang Lu’s future, and her unwavering determination moved him.
Shang Jingyao was acutely aware of the restlessness brewing within him. He felt deeply unsatisfied, as though something that belonged to him had been taken away.
So, when he saw Su Banxia walking down the corridor with the photo album, he couldn’t help but call out to her.
Faced with Shang Jingyao’s question, Su Banxia was utterly baffled. What did her liking or not liking Shang Lu have to do with him? As the male lead, he loathed her, the malicious female supporting character. He should keep his distance, and now he was interrogating her as if it was some big deal.
Could it be the absurd possessiveness that lurked within men, that when someone was infatuated with them, they took it for granted, but when that person shifted their affection elsewhere, they couldn’t stand it?
“Let go,” she rebuked.
Shang Jingyao didn’t release her. “Su Banxia, I…”
Su Banxia realized that he was losing control of his emotions. This was the Shang family’s old mansion, and if Shang Jingyao went berserk here, it could ruin her reputation.
“Back off, I don’t want to hear you speak.”
She forcefully pulled her hand away, taking a few steps back, and warned, “Shang Jingyao, show some respect. I am your sister-in-law.”
Shang Jingyao’s expression darkened as he replied, “In name only.”
Everyone knew that Shang Lu detested physical contact with people. Even if Su Banxia shared a room with him, nothing of that sort would happen.
Su Banxia glared at him fiercely.
In the corner of her eye, she seemed to catch a glimpse of the wheelchair.
Su Banxia turned to leave, but Shang Jingyao stepped forward, grabbing her elbow. He said, “Are you sure you want to gamble your future on a man with disabled legs?”
Su Banxia felt anger surging through her, and she forcefully shook off his hand. “Leaving aside whether Shang Lu’s legs will recover or not, I despise people like you.”
Shang Jingyao’s expression turned cold and menacing, revealing his ambition. He said, “Su Banxia, don’t regret this.”
His mother was right; one had to fight for things themselves, and some things couldn’t be avoided. If he didn’t strive for it, he would only end up losing.
Su Banxia left without looking back, quickly reaching the room where they were staying and pushing the door open.
Inside, Shang Lu sat in his wheelchair, his expression cold.
Indeed, it wasn’t her imagination; Shang Lu must have seen her talking to Shang Jingyao on the balcony.
“You’re back.” Su Banxia placed the photo album on the table and walked up to him, crouching down with concern in her eyes. She asked, “Did Grandpa say something to you?”
Shang Lu remained silent and wheeled himself into the bathroom, closing the door with a loud snap.
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