The sales clerks all looked at them in unison as Xu Leyi and Mu Ruxue left the store looking defeated, like they had just lost a battle. They retreated in a dispirited manner.
Lin Qingya was pleased that she had managed to drive those two away. With the store manager’s recommendations, she bought several more bags and then went to another store to shop for shoes.
As they tried on shoes, Lin Qingya asked, “Baixia, I hope I didn’t cause you any trouble back there?”
She was in high spirits, and she wanted to make sure she didn’t make things awkward for Su Banxia. Earlier at the luxury handbag store, Su Banxia hadn’t said much.
Su Banxia looked at her and replied, “No, you didn’t. In fact, thanks for speaking up for me. In the future, I’ll try to speak up more and maybe even make them angry enough to spit blood.”
She didn’t enjoy engaging in verbal sparring with others unless she was really upset. Lin Qingya had just gotten into a quarrel with Xu Leyi earlier, all for Su Banxia’s sake. If Su Banxia had been unwilling, she would have stopped Lin Qingya right there and then, rather than blaming her friends later.
The system then reported a surge in emotional values, with Mu Ruxue leading the way with feelings of jealousy, anger, resentment, and more, pushing her score to over a hundred thousand points. Now, she could exchange it for another item in the store, which made her quite happy.
After shopping, the two of them found a cozy afternoon tea spot, sitting in a window booth with a view of the city outside. The sun was shining brightly, and the blue sky and white clouds bathed the steel and concrete jungle in a golden radiance, creating a beautiful real-life painting.
The upscale shopping district was only a street away from the Shang Group’s building, and from a distance, they could see the company’s logo.
Lin Qingya asked, “Recently, there have been rumors about turbulence in the stock market and that Shang Lu isn’t having an easy time at the company. Banxia, is that true?”
Su Banxia stopped stirring her coffee, and she smiled faintly, saying, “I’m not too sure.”
Lin Qingya, however, was still a bit worried. “Banxia, what if… I mean, just in case, Shang Lu is forced to step down, what will you do?”
Su Banxia knew that Lin Qingya was concerned for her. In wealthy families, interests always took precedence, especially in marriages like hers, where the union was primarily driven by mutual interests. Recently, her mother had also come to inquire about the situation, asking about her emotional relationship with Shang Lu. She had been adamant about staying with Shang Lu and had even received some secret funds from her mother, who was worried about her daughter.
As for her father, he hadn’t said much to her. He was probably still observing the situation, considering that the initial marriage arrangement had been a collaboration between her father and Shang Lu’s father, rather than a direct match between her and Shang Lu.
“If Shang Lu loses his job, then I’ll just have to make him stay at home and look pretty while I go out to earn a living,” Su Banxia replied with a playful tone.
Lin Qingya was taken aback. “Really, Banxia? Are you serious?”
Su Banxia pretended to contemplate. “In a few days, there’s the Flower God Cup competition. If I can win the top prize and earn some recognition, I can participate in various major competitions in the future. It should be enough to support him.”
Lin Qingya said skeptically, “I find that hard to believe.”
“Su Banxia, don’t joke with me. Even if Shang Lu is expelled from the Shang Group, with the deep-rooted wealth of the Shang family, they have enough family funds to last a lifetime. He won’t end up in a situation where you have to support him,” Lin Qingya remarked seriously.
Su Banxia gazed through the window at the towering Shang Group building, and then she turned back to Lin Qingya, saying, “No matter what happens, I will never be separated from Shang Lu.”
Lin Qingya was surprised. “Have you fallen in love with Shang Lu?”
Last time they met, she had thought that Su Banxia was only interested in Shang Lu’s appearance. She had assumed that Su Banxia had chosen to compromise because she couldn’t escape the arranged marriage.
Su Banxia blinked and replied, “I’m not in love with my husband. Who could I possibly love?”
“You shameless girl,” Lin Qingya teased her.
Su Banxia said, “Then you should find a partner too. Let’s show our affection together in the future.”
“I’m going to have one soon,” Lin Qingya said with a hint of shyness on her face.
Su Banxia’s mind flashed back to the original plot, immediately becoming alert. “Which guy is pursuing you?”
Lin Qingya felt a bit embarrassed as she thought Su Banxia might be jealous of her. “You’ll know when the time comes.”
“Now show me,” Su Banxia said with a serious expression, furrowing her brow. “It’s not Shang Mingkai, is it?”
Su Banxia was determined to prevent her friend from being victimized by a melodramatic storyline. She had already given Lin Qingya a warning about Shang Mingkai, telling her that he was one of the lackeys of Mu Ruxue.
Women, once blinded by love, didn’t need men to lie to them. They would find reasons to deceive themselves.
Su Banxia was afraid that Lin Qingya would unquestionably believe in the sweet words of men. In the original plot, Shang Mingkai had concealed his ambiguous relationship with Mu Ruxue and repeatedly lied, claiming they were just friends and that he had no other intentions. This had caused Lin Qingya deep pain, and in the end, she was played by Shang Mingkai and heartbroken.
Upon hearing Shang Mingkai’s name, Lin Qingya sneered, “Su Banxia, rest assured, how could I possibly like that scumbag? He’s disgusting, trying to use me as a substitute for his girlfriend. I wouldn’t even pee on him if he were on fire.”
“He harassed me a while ago, but after getting beaten up, he hasn’t shown up again,” Lin Qingya added.
Su Banxia, being perceptive, honed in on the key point. “Who helped you beat him up?”
Lin Qingya blushed, avoided eye contact, and stammered, “We haven’t even started anything yet. I didn’t agree.”
“Oh,” Su Banxia drawled out, “but from the looks of it, it seems like you’ve caught the love bug.”
Lin Qingya pleaded with clasped hands, “Please spare me. I’ll tell you who it is when the time comes.”
“Alright,” Su Banxia reluctantly agreed.
After chatting for a while and having dinner outside, the two of them went home with their bags.
The time was a bit late when they arrived home, around nine o’clock. As soon as they entered, they saw Shang Lu sitting on the couch. He had changed into casual home attire, wearing a gray hoodie and leisure pants, which softened his usual sharp and stern appearance.
Su Banxia thought it was bad. When they went out in the afternoon, she hadn’t informed Shang Lu. The girls were having so much fun that they didn’t have time to check their phones.
On the way back home, she realized that Shang Lu had sent her several messages in the car. The text messages didn’t reveal his tone, and she didn’t know if he was angry.
She got carried away with the fun, leaving Shang Lu alone at home for dinner.
Recently, there had been a lot of rain in the summer. Although it had been sunny in the afternoon, it had started raining again in the evening. Shang Lu’s leg must be hurting again.
Su Banxia kicked her shopping bags aside with her foot and walked over in slippers.
Financial news was playing on the TV, and Shang Lu’s gaze was fixed on the screen. When she came back, he didn’t say anything and his profile had a cold and distant look.
Su Banxia felt anxious. She sat down next to him and hugged his arm. “Have you had dinner?”
When dealing with her adorable little deer, it was best to be affectionate and coax her when he was acting childishly or upset. She knew that Shang Lu found it difficult to refuse her, and those who were doted upon always had confidence, so she wasn’t afraid of being pushed away by him.
Shang Lu glanced at her and nodded slightly.
Su Banxia placed her hand on his knee and asked, “It rained again today. Is your leg hurting?”
Shang Lu’s thin lips tightened slightly as he replied, “I’m used to it.”
Su Banxia’s heart sank, feeling guilty. Shang Lu’s simple three-word response conveyed a lot of emotions.
Not that it doesn’t hurt, but he’s gotten used to it, which is even more heart-wrenching.
She looked up at him and said, “Stop watching the news. Let’s go to the bedroom. I’ll help you apply some treatment and give you a massage.”
Li, the butler, had taught her how to massage effectively to alleviate Shang Lu’s leg pain. She had studied diligently for several days and had gained a lot of professional knowledge.
Shang Lu liked seeing Su Banxia’s eyes full of concern for him. In fact, his legs weren’t as painful today, but he pretended to be uncomfortable while watching her taking care of him.
Su Banxia knelt on the bed to massage his legs, occasionally looking at him and asking, “Is this okay?”
Shang Lu’s eyes flickered slightly as he responded with a faint “Hmm,” and his tone sounded somewhat pleased.
Su Banxia put in even more effort, and beads of sweat formed on her forehead.
His articulate hand reached over, and he used a tissue to wipe her sweat away gently.
Banxia lowered her head, and a sweet smile appeared at the corner of her lips. She felt content.
After the massage, Su Banxia collapsed onto the bed, tired from helping Shang Lu. She took a shower and then automatically snuggled into Shang Lu’s embrace. From being kicked off the bed to now being held by Shang Lu like a precious treasure, there had been a significant change in their relationship during this time.
Su Banxia played with his artist-like slender fingers and asked, “Tomorrow, Zhang Qiang and those thugs are going to be released.”
With Shang Industries unable to withstand being protested against and making headlines again, the evidence they had collected needed to be released quickly to restore the reputation of Shang Industries.
“Don’t worry; it will be resolved tomorrow,” Shang Lu reassured her.
Taking advantage of the pleasant atmosphere, Su Banxia said, “Shang Lu, there’s something I want to talk to you about.”
“Hmm?” Shang Lu’s voice was slightly hoarse.
“In a few days, I have a competition. Would you like to come and watch?”
Shang Lu had a routine of either being at the company or at home, rarely appearing in public. She knew that it might be uncomfortable for a disabled person to appear in public and face curious stares. However, she really wanted Shang Lu to come and watch her competition. She wanted him to see her on stage and also wanted to use the competition to make a request to him.
Shang Lu didn’t immediately agree and instead kissed her on the forehead. “Go to sleep.”
The next day, the conflict between Zhang Qiang and Shang Industries was making headlines all over the city. Media reporters were eager to cover the latest developments and had gathered outside the police station, waiting for his release. Some media outlets even started live broadcasts early in the morning, anticipating his appearance.
Millions of viewers were watching the live broadcast, and many of Zhang Qiang’s supporters were either giving tips or insulting Shang Lu, portraying Shang Industries as a heartless capitalist entity, and wishing for the company’s downfall.
Zhang Qiang and the thugs he had brought with him were no strangers to prison life, and when they were notified of their release, smiles appeared on their faces.
Being in jail hadn’t affected Zhang Qiang’s demeanor at all. He thought about the substantial amount of money he would receive upon release and how he could tarnish Shang Lu’s reputation, bringing the high and mighty businessman down to a miserable state. His face was filled with the satisfaction of a small-minded person achieving his goals.
“He’s coming out, Zhang Qiang is coming out!” Media reporters rushed to the entrance, clamoring to interview him.
As Zhang Qiang stepped out, he massaged his shoulders, acting as if he were the number one person in the world. He said, “Don’t rush, one by one.”
He had decided to smear Shang Lu’s reputation even further, hoping to ruin his credibility beyond repair.
Just as the reporters were about to ask questions, two police officers came out from inside. “Zhang Qiang, you are suspected of multiple crimes, including attempted murder, assault, and defamation. You are now under arrest.”
The media was left dumbfounded. They had pulled Zhang Qiang out and then immediately took him back inside the police station.
Leave a Reply