Due to recent turmoil in the Shang Corporation, the stock market was in turmoil, and the board of directors had some reservations. The atmosphere in the company was very tense, and the receptionists at the front desk wore serious expressions without smiles.
The well-trained receptionists used to greet people with polite smiles, but recently, the constant presence of media reporters had caused them a lot of trouble in their work, and they couldn’t afford to lose their temper, so everyone was in a bad mood.
Su Banxia hurriedly walked past them and took the elevator to the CEO’s office floor.
The receptionist noticed her and immediately greeted her, “Miss Su.”
Su Banxia asked, “Is Mr. Shang in his office?”
The receptionist smiled and said, “Mr. Shang just finished a meeting and returned to his office. Miss Su, please go in.”
Su Banxia followed her to the CEO’s office and coincidentally met Zhou, the executive assistant, and Lin Xuan as they were coming out of the office. Zhou greeted her with a smile, “Miss Su.”
Lin Xuan gave her a cold glance and walked past her.
A few days ago, Zhou had informed her to hand over her work to the new secretary. She would be leaving Shang Corporation in a few days, and to put it nicely, she was resigning voluntarily, but in reality, she was being dismissed and replaced.
She didn’t need to think too much to know that Su Banxia had spoken ill of her to Shang Lu, which led to her dismissal. Lin Xuan harboured resentment in her heart and, therefore, didn’t have a pleasant expression when she saw Su Banxia.
Su Banxia didn’t even spare a glance at Lin Xuan. If she cared too much about what others thought, she would only make herself unhappy. There was no need to waste emotions on other people’s opinions.
Upon entering the office, she immediately spotted the man behind the desk. He was dressed in a well-tailored suit with a navy pinstripe tie, which she had bought for him during their last shopping trip. It complemented his suit perfectly and highlighted the charm of a mature man.
When Shang Lulu looked up and saw her, he paused for a moment.
After their intimate encounter last night, not seeing each other for a day, she suddenly appeared before him, making him wonder if he was hallucinating. The pouring rain outside the large floor-to-ceiling window created a hazy mist, and their eyes met in the air. She should have been resting at home in this kind of weather, so why did she come to the company in the rain?
Despite the heavy rain, even with an umbrella, one couldn’t escape being pelted by raindrops carried by the wind. Her wet black hair hung down her fair face, and strangely, her clear, cat-like eyes seemed even more enchanting, as if they had been soaked by the rain, making people feel an itch in their hearts.
Shang Lulu moved his gaze away and wheeled his chair out from behind the desk. “Follow me.”
Su Banxia opened the umbrella, placed it on the ground, and followed him towards the lounge. Shang Lulu handed her a dry towel. “Wipe yourself.”
“Okay,” Su Banxia murmured.
In fact, she hadn’t even noticed that her hair was too wet. As she wiped her hair with the towel, she sneakily glanced at him.
Shang Lulu’s expression remained calm, and his dark eyes were fixed on her. The depth of his gaze made it difficult for anyone to hold his gaze.
Su Banxia sat down at the edge of the bed and quietly dried her hair.
She felt somewhat awkward for no reason. She had hurriedly come to the company, wanting to check if he was feeling unwell, but now that she was here, she didn’t know how to speak up.
They had clearly been so intimate, but why did it suddenly feel like their relationship was more unfamiliar than before? Was it just her overthinking, or was it a misconception?
Lost in her thoughts, her hand was suddenly held by him. She turned her head to see Shang Lu taking the towel from her hand. “Turn around.”
Su Banxia obediently turned around, and Shang Lu used the towel to help her dry the wet hair at the back of her head. His movements were awkward but very gentle.
“Shang Lu,” she called out.
“Hmm,” came the low, deep voice of the man.
“Um, well…” Su Banxia hesitated. “I didn’t listen to you and came to the company again. Do you find it annoying?”
The man’s hand, which had been drying her hair, paused slightly. “No.”
When it started raining outside, he was in a meeting room. His legs were subtly in pain, a situation he had experienced many times before. Even if his legs hurt, he could endure it without affecting his work.
Leg pain was very uncomfortable, and it made one’s mood irritable and gloomy. He had grown accustomed to burying all his emotions and silently enduring them.
Seeing her appear unexpectedly, even with the pain in his legs, he felt he could bear it.
After finishing drying her hair, Su Banxia turned to look at him. “It’s raining.”
She asked softly, “Are your legs okay?”
Su Banxia knew that Shang Lu didn’t like anyone touching his legs, even a strange look in his direction would make him uncomfortable.
She had touched his legs only a few times.
Seeing the girl’s cautious demeanor, Shang Lu felt somewhat uncomfortable. In front of him, there was no need to be so careful, as if he were a fragile object.
“My legs are fine,” he replied.
He was lying, and Su Banxia could tell. When it came to the health of his legs, maybe her attitude could be a bit more assertive.
Su Banxia crouched in front of him and asked, “Are you really okay?”
“Don’t you feel pain?” She reached out her hand to touch and continued, “I’ve looked up information, and rain can affect your legs.”
Shang Lu lowered his gaze to look at Su Banxia. Her hands were touching his legs through his trousers. If it were anyone else, he would have pushed her away angrily. However, in her case, he didn’t feel any irritation.
He didn’t need to pretend in front of her. Her gentle yet powerful gaze told him that he didn’t have to build rigid walls and could relax.
“It hurts a bit.” It didn’t hurt just a bit; it hurt a lot.
Su Banxia checked her phone and saw that it was still early before the end of the workday. “Take off your pants and lie down on the bed.”
Shang Lulu hesitated, “This is the office.”
Su Banxia glanced at him and said, “Get on the bed quickly.”
Shang Lu pursed his lips, seeming to struggle. “The office door isn’t locked.”
It turned out he was afraid someone might barge in and see his legs. Su Banxia walked over, closed the door, and locked it. She then said, “How about this?”
“There’s still an hour until the workday ends,” Shang Lu said.
If she really wanted to, he could satisfy her later when they went back home.
Su Banxia pushed him towards the bed and said, “One hour is too long; don’t waste time.”
Shang Lu had just sat on the bed when Su Banxia went into the bathroom, and the sound of running water could be heard.
Shang Lu’s earlobes grew uncontrollably warm, and his heart was pounding. He couldn’t believe he had agreed to do this with her in the office of all places.
Su Banxia came out with a towel and said, “Why haven’t you taken off your pants yet?”
Shang Lu stared at the towel in her hand and asked, “Are you going to wrap my legs with it?”
“Otherwise?” Su Banxia suddenly realized what he meant, and her cheeks flushed. She pouted and said, “Shang Lu, what are you thinking?”
Shang Lu remained silent.
This is probably what it feels like to be socially dead.
Shang Lu quietly bent down and rolled up his pants until his legs were exposed.
Su Banxia watched his legs with nothing but tenderness in her eyes. She placed a hot towel on them and gently massaged him with her slender fingers.
As Shang Lu looked at her with a serious expression, her heart grew warm.
After work, they returned to the apartment together. Su Banxia eagerly took out the information she had obtained in the afternoon and entered the study. She said, “Shang Lu, take a look at these.”
Shang Lu reviewed the evidence that could be used, and his deep black eyes were fixed on her.
Su Banxia felt a bit uneasy under his gaze and asked, “What’s wrong? Can’t these things be used as evidence?”
“They can,” Shang Lu replied with a dark expression. She was able to find this information, and he wondered if she already knew about his painful past, how he had been bullied even by a dog.
Su Banxia breathed a sigh of relief, as long as they could be useful. She said, “Then Zhang Qiang will be released soon, right? You should quickly clarify things with several official media outlets and let the lawyer sue Zhang Qiang. That way, Shang’s crisis will be resolved.”
Seeing her joyful expression, Shang Lu’s internal discomfort quickly dissipated. He said, “Come here.”
Su Banxia went over to him, and he pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly. Her cheeks grew slightly warm. Shang Lu wouldn’t be thinking of playing in the study, would he?
Shang Lu had her straddle his lap, held her chin, and leaned down to kiss her.
“Stop,” Su Banxia quickly pushed back. “Not in the study.”
Shang Lu just wanted to give her a kiss, a reward for what she usually asked for. Seeing her misunderstand him, he decided to hold her by the waist and said, “How about trying?”
“No…” Su Banxia’s lips were sealed, and her body went soft.
Afterwards, she lay lazily in his arms, with a hint of allure from the rain beating on her cheeks.
“Shang Lu, that Zhang Qiang is too despicable. You must make sure he gets the punishment he deserves.”
Shang Lu caressed her silky black hair and said, “You can trust me.”
On his side, he had also begun to cast his net. Everyone involved in the recent turmoil would pay the price.
Soon, it was the end of August, and colleges and universities were starting their new semesters. Su Banxia had to report to school, and Lin Qingya invited her to go shopping.
The weather was still scorching, and people crowded the shopping malls while the streets were nearly empty.
Lin Qingya’s family was not as wealthy as the Su family but not lacking either. She was a shoe shopaholic despite already owning an excessive number of shoes. There was always the urge to buy more.
A luxury shoe store had recently introduced new arrivals, and the store manager couldn’t wait to send Lin Qingya photos. So, she dragged Su Banxia to the offline store to try on some shoes.
Luxury stores typically treated their customers in a first-come-first-served manner. As the two of them arrived, the store staff politely asked them to wait in line.
The two of them sat down on the sofa to chat.
“Banxia, have you signed up for the Flower God Cup?” Lin Qingya asked as she sipped her tea. “The competition is coming up after the school starts. Don’t tell me you’ve prepared everything but forgot to register.”
Su Banxia replied, “Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten.”
“That’s good,” Lin Qingya said. “What are your chances of winning the Flower God Cup this time?”
Su Banxia wasn’t sure if there would be exceptionally strong competitors, so she said, “I’d say around ninety percent.”
She had great confidence in her dancing skills and technique. After all, in her previous life, she had won numerous international awards, and her original dance videos had been studied by students from various art schools, earning her the reputation of being a ceiling-breaker in classical dance.
“Hmph,” a scornful voice interrupted.
Two girls, dressed in luxury seasonal fashion, appeared before them, looking down at them with disdain.
“Su Banxia, you’re ‘too confident,’ aren’t you?” Xu Leyi sneered. “Daring to claim a ninety percent chance of winning the first place.”
She held hands with the girl beside her and continued, “Have you forgotten how many times you lost to Ruxue in dance competitions?”
“Leyi,” Mu Ruxue gently pulled her, a hint of a smile in her eyes.
“I didn’t say anything wrong, Ruxue. You should perform well in the Flower God Cup this time and show someone with a big ego what real talent is,” Xu Leyi retorted.
Since their last encounter at the bar, Xu Leyi had been holding a grudge. She recently heard from Mu Ruxue that the board of directors at the Shangshi Group was secretly discussing ways to replace Shang Lu with Shang Jingyao. This news delighted Xu Leyi, as it meant that Shang Lu, who was supporting Su Banxia, would soon be reduced to nothing. She even hoped that she could step on Su Banxia herself in the future.
Lin Qingya sneered, “Do you already know that Mu Ruxue will win before the competition even starts? Could there be some conspiracy behind this?”
Xu Leyi rolled her eyes and said, “Last year’s competition, Su Banxia was criticized by the teacher for dancing like a puppet. With her current skills, she still thinks she can beat Mu Ruxue?”
The store manager hesitated, wondering if they should intervene as the two groups of customers were starting to argue.
Su Banxia spoke up, “Qingya, weren’t you planning to buy a bag?”
The store manager quickly said, “Please bring the newly arrived items for Miss Lin.”
The other store employees escorted Xu Leyi and Mu Ruxue outside.
Seeing them leave empty-handed, Lin Qingya knew that they hadn’t made a purchase and mocked them, saying, “If you can’t afford it, don’t bother shopping. It’s embarrassing.”
Her words seemed to strike a nerve, causing Xu Leyi and Mu Ruxue’s faces to turn red and white alternatively. They had their eyes on a classic bag, but the price wasn’t very good, so they hesitated to make the purchase despite their desire for it.
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