Never, under any circumstances, should you tell a man, “You can’t.”
Su Banxia’s words had clearly ignited something in Shang Lu, and he was tempted to ravish her with just a few words.
How could she easily say such things to a man?
In Shang Lu’s heart, there was a mixture of anger and other emotions, burning somewhere inside him.
Physically, he was a normal man. Most of his energy was channeled into work, and apart from his mundane job, he maintained his health through exercise. Occasionally, when he had desires, he took care of them himself. Sharing a bed with someone occasionally led to impure thoughts, but he quickly suppressed them.
Seeing Shang Lu’s silence, Su Banxia felt a bit embarrassed herself.
Could it be that Shang Lu couldn’t perform?
Su Banxia suddenly felt like a deflated eggplant, unable to determine if she felt disappointed or sympathetic.
Oh my God, this was too much for a big shot like him.
The original novel not only gave him the disability of being unable to walk but also stripped him of his abilities in that department. The author must have had no heart.
Shang Lu sensed her strange gaze and said sternly, “Don’t overthink it.”
Until he knew her intentions, he didn’t want to offend her. Intimacy required mutual consent for both parties to be comfortable.
“I’m not overthinking it, really,” Su Banxia hurriedly waved her hands, but her attitude only raised more suspicion.
Shang Lu gripped her slender and delicate arm and pulled her closer. “I…”
It seemed like the man found it difficult to speak, and he clenched his teeth, uttering each word slowly, “No problem.”
“Um, I understand,” Su Banxia blinked her eyes.
But she clearly didn’t believe it.
Shang Lu squeezed her hand harder, his lips pressed tightly together.
“You’re gripping me too hard, it hurts,” Su Banxia furrowed her brow lightly.
Shang Lu suddenly released her hand, saying, “I’m sorry.”
Su Banxia rubbed her reddened wrist from being pinched and then climbed onto Shang Lu again, placing her hands on his shoulders.
“Since there’s no problem, let’s give it a try,” the girl’s voice was soft and alluring, like a siren’s, making it hard for anyone to resist.
As she spoke, her cheeks were burning hot. She had never done something like this before, and it was the first time she had taken the initiative like this. When she pinned Shang Lu down, she felt an inexplicable desire for dominance.
With her eyes closed, she moved her hands all over his body.
Shang Lu grabbed her hands, his breathing growing heavier. His seductive voice became husky as he said, “Wait a moment.”
Su Banxia looked at him with a puzzled expression, “What’s wrong?”
“It’s just… not good for you,” Shang Lu said, lowering his eyelashes slightly.
Su Banxia belatedly realized that they didn’t have the necessary supplies for intimacy. If anything were to happen, and she ended up pregnant, what would they do? The excitement she had felt was suddenly doused like cold water. She bit her lip and whispered, “Let’s not do it.”
Shang Lu helped her get off the bed and said, “I’m going to take a shower.”
Su Banxia covered her face with the blanket, blaming herself for igniting the situation.
The next day.
The old house was quite large, and everyone visited their grandparents there every couple of weeks, usually on Saturdays. Shang Lu and Su Banxia were staying overnight, and so were the others.
When Shang Lu woke up, Su Banxia was already up and about. Although she wanted to sleep in, she still wanted to make a good impression.
Together, they headed downstairs and encountered Shang Mingkai, the son of Shang Lu’s second uncle, in the elevator.
Shang Mingkai was a few months younger than Shang Jingyao and was known in their social circle as a playboy. At school, he led a group of rich kids who were all devoted followers of Mu Ruxue.
“Big brother,” Shang Mingkai greeted Shang Lu and cast a casual glance at Su Banxia. He nonchalantly addressed her as “sister-in-law.”
Shang Mingkai was quite arrogant when it came to gaming, but in Shang Lu’s presence, he behaved quietly, not daring to speak loudly or act out.
Su Banxia glanced at him but remained silent.
The servants had already prepared a variety of breakfast options. The entire family sat down at the long dining table, taking the same seats as the previous night and quietly enjoying their meal.
Su Banxia guessed that they might not leave until after lunch today.
Halfway through breakfast, Shang Erbo spoke up, “Shang Lu, when are you going to resolve the issue with those people causing trouble outside the company building recently?”
Su Banxia tightened her grip on her chopsticks. She had forgotten to ask Shang Lu last night about what exactly he had discussed with their grandfather and whether he had been pressured to apologize, as their father had been.
Shang Lu was the beloved grandson of their grandfather, and he wouldn’t compromise his dignity for the sake of business interests, would he?
All eyes at the dining table turned toward Shang Lu.
Shang Mingkai smirked and said, “Big brother, the media is reporting wildly about this online. It’s having a significant impact. If this continues, it might cause problems for the group.”
“Grandfather and uncle entrusted the company to you because they wanted you to lead it to a better future. Don’t ruin the company, big brother.”
Shang Erbo’s wife chimed in, “Shang Lu, this entire family relies on the company for their livelihood. Sometimes, one’s dignity takes a backseat to immediate concerns. If you can’t handle it…”
She glanced at Shang Jingyao with a suggestive tone and continued, “We can let someone else take over.”
Shang Fu coldly reprimanded, “The company is bound to be ruined by you, this rebellious son of mine.”
He had distanced himself from the company in recent years, having been gradually stripped of power by Shang Lu. He rarely had a say in company matters. Being able to regain some shares through this situation was the best outcome he could hope for.
Lu Yurou’s eyes flickered with amusement. She didn’t need to intervene personally; the Second Family was impatient enough. She just needed to wait for Shang Lu to roll down from the position of CEO.
Su Banxia grew increasingly irritated as she listened. They hadn’t even finished breakfast yet, and one by one, they were already trying to seize power and force Shang Lu out.
If Shang Lu didn’t have such talent in the business world, he would probably have been devoured by this family of wolves and tigers, leaving him with no chance for a peaceful life.
Shang Lu remained composed, his elegant demeanor undisturbed by the harsh words. He continued to eat gracefully.
Seeing that Shang Lu was not affected, everyone turned their gaze to the head of the family, the old patriarch.
“Dad, say something. What are we going to do about this? Are you going to watch the Shang family’s century-old legacy be ruined by Shang Lu?” Shang Erbo implored.
“Grandfather, even if you favor big brother, isn’t the company more important?” Shang Mingkai added.
Su Banxia suddenly slammed her chopsticks onto the table and glared at them all. “What do you mean by saying the company will be ruined by Shang Lu?”
“The company was originally managed by Shang Lu. What have you all done?” Su Banxia retorted. “You sit around, enjoying the benefits without contributing, and when something goes wrong, you blame it all on Shang Lu. Your faces are bigger than washbasins, and you suck blood like mosquitoes.”
Shang Erbo slammed his hand on the table, pointing at her angrily. “You have no right to speak here!” He then turned to his father. “Look at the daughter-in-law Shang Lu married, she has no manners and no respect for her elders!”
Shang Fu’s face turned as dark as coal. “Su Banxia, shut up!”
Shang Erbo’s wife chimed in with a strange tone, “She even dares to ride roughshod over her elders and nobody manages her. She’s ruining our family’s reputation.”
A tea cup shattered on the floor with a loud crash.
The old patriarch slammed his hand on the table forcefully and shouted, “I’m not dead yet!”
The living room fell into immediate silence. In this household, no one dared to challenge the authority of the old patriarch.
The old patriarch scanned the room with stern eyes, and anyone caught in his gaze lowered their heads and sat silently.
“Shang Lu will handle the matter. Control your tongues, and stop bickering here. If anyone dares to say another word, I’ll kick them out,” he warned.
The family members exchanged glances and suppressed their anger as they finished their meal. Lunch was far from pleasant, and before leaving the old house, they could still hear the whispers and gossip from Shang Erbo’s family.
Shang Mingkai complained, “I can’t understand why Grandfather is so biased towards a cripple…”
“If you could achieve something in your career like Shang Lu, you wouldn’t be estranged like this,” Shang Erbo said.
“Dad, what are you saying? It’s not like I don’t want to. Shang Lu controls the company, and I don’t have any real power even when I’m in the company,” Shang Mingkai responded.
“Enough, discuss this outside,” Shang Erbo ordered.
Outside the room, Su Banxia waited for Shang Lu and encountered Shang Jingyao, who gave her a cold and stern look.
“Grandfather has given Shang Lu one week. If he doesn’t resolve the situation by next week, he will be removed from the company by the shareholders,” Shang Jingyao informed her.
Su Banxia responded with a nonchalant “Oh.”
One week would be enough time. She had been diligently collecting evidence, and she was ready to launch a decisive offensive.
Seeing her indifferent expression, Shang Jingyao’s face turned even worse. He walked past her coldly and left with a parting remark, “Su Banxia, you’ll come to beg me.”
Su Banxia thought he must be seriously ill, and his illness was not a minor one. Why did he have to pick a fight with her?
In the afternoon, Su Banxia returned to her apartment to practice dancing. She immersed herself in dance for hours, completely unaware that the sky outside was gradually darkening. It was only when the apartment lights came on and she heard activity in the kitchen that she realized the time.
She went to take a look and saw that the housekeeper she had hired was preparing dinner, and Shang Lu had returned from outside.
Su Banxia was somewhat surprised. “Why are you here?”
“Starting from tonight, the CEO will be sleeping here,” Xiang Lei, who had helped Shang Lu respond, brought in two large suitcases from behind him.
Su Banxia hadn’t expected Shang Lu to move into the apartment so quickly. Xiang Lei and the housekeeper went to unpack Shang Lu’s luggage, and after dinner was served, they all left the apartment.
After finishing dinner, Su Banxia took a shower and then sat cross-legged on the couch in her pajamas, wearing a face mask and watching TV.
The television was broadcasting a popular reality show. After watching the show, she went to the bedroom to sleep. But as they were sharing the same bedroom, she suddenly remembered something.
Shang Lu was sitting at the bedside, his slender fingers tapping on the keyboard as he worked, looking handsome from the side.
“Shang Lu,” Su Banxia leaned closer.
Shang Lu responded with a low hum.
“Did you buy them?” she asked.
Shang Lu’s fingers paused, and he replied, “Yes.”
“Where are they?” Su Banxia inquired.
“In the drawer,” Shang Lu said.
Su Banxia crawled over and retrieved the boxes. She saw two boxes of condoms and remarked, “Xiao Lulu, you’re such a beast! You bought two boxes.”
Shang Lu remained silent.
She seemed to forget that she had been reminding them to have this item at home, saying that she didn’t want to get pregnant for several years.
Shang Lu closed his silver notebook with a snap, set it aside, and reached for her.
“Are you coming, or should I?” he asked.
Su Banxia stared at him. “…Actually, I’m not very experienced.”
Shang Lu’s dark lashes twitched, and his voice was low and husky. “Together.”
…….
When the pain hit her halfway, she went limp and clung tightly to him, burying her face in his chest. Shang Lu held her and gently massaged her waist with his hands.
She thought about giving up halfway, but he firmly held her hand, not letting go.
“It hurts…” She whimpered, her voice tinged with tears and a hint of grievance.
Shang Lu gently kissed her lips to comfort her, his movements restrained and full of self-control. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead.
Su Banxia found him incredibly sensual in this moment. She bit his jawline. “Bastard.”
Shang Lu’s arm and jaw were in pain from her pinching. He winced and his jaw tingled with an unusual sensation.
As their bodies struggled to find a rhythm, she moaned and tried to escape, but he firmly held her in place, kissing her passionately.
In the end, he held her tightly, their fingers intertwined.
The room was dimly lit, and Su Banxia lay on the bed, feeling completely drained. The gray bedsheets contrasted with her pale skin, making it look even more delicate.
Shang Lu pulled her into his arms and held her, his breath brushing against her neck. “Feeling better now?” he asked.
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