Chapter 13: Not Marrying Her, But You?
Liang Jinshang was removing her lipstick in front of the mirror when, behind her, she heard the click of the door being locked. The lights in the restroom were promptly switched off, leaving only the one above the mirror to illuminate the space.
In the darkness, the mirror reflected only herself and Shang Yucheng.
She tossed aside the damp wipe between her fingers and smiled, an indescribable allure in her expression. Then she turned, leaning casually against the sink. “You didn’t make a sound—you startled me.”
As she moved, the oversized shirt slid off her shoulder, revealing a cool, elegant collarbone. Shang Yucheng’s gaze followed the motion.
After a pause, he finally spoke. “I’ve come to take back what’s mine.”
“Me?” Liang Jinshang’s first thought was that he minded her closeness with Chao Jingyu. Unconsciously, she put on a soft, obedient look. “My relationship with Dr. Chao isn’t what you think—I can explain…”
Shang Yucheng cut her off, his tone indifferent. “No need to explain. I’m not interested.”
With the friendship he’d shared with Chao Jingyu for over twenty years, he didn’t need to guess to know the playboy wasn’t interested in her.
Liang Jinshang’s smile faded, a look of faint resentment in her eyes as she gazed at him.
He ignored her, stepping forward. His tall figure loomed in front of her.
He reached directly for the red string around her neck and, with a swift tug, drew out a piece of jade from inside her blouse—a piece of green jade, its luster and translucency marking it as something extraordinary.
Liang Jinshang instinctively pressed down on his hand, inadvertently trapping it against a sensitive spot. Yet she didn’t even blink.
That slender, powerful hand was all too familiar with this territory, having visited countless times. But her priority now was to stop him from taking her jade.
“Mr. Shang, what are you doing?”
A cold laugh escaped him. “I told you, I’m taking back what’s mine.”
“You already gave this jade to me,” she protested.
He frowned impatiently. “You’re not planning to sell it for cash, are you?”
Liang Jinshang didn’t reply.
In truth, the thought had crossed her mind.
If ever there was hope Liang Xizhou’s disability could be cured, she would try anything, no matter the cost. She owed him that.
Shang Yucheng sneered, “You’re mistaken. Even if a few in Jincheng could afford it, no one would dare buy it.”
She’d always known anything belonging to Shang Yucheng must be valuable, but it wasn’t until she saw an identical piece of jade in Shang Ao’er’s possession that she realized its true significance.
Shang Ao’er’s jade had been passed down after her parents died. According to her, even if the Shang family went bankrupt overnight, selling the jade would keep her in luxury for the rest of her life.
Most importantly, she’d hinted that these two pieces of jade were family heirlooms, treasures passed from one generation to the next.
More than half a year ago, Shang Yucheng had given his jade to Liang Jinshang, and now he wanted it back, prompting her to wonder:
“Are you giving this jade to Gong Xueyuan?”
Or had Gong Xueyuan already conceived his child?
Shang Yucheng looked at her coolly, clearly unwilling to answer.
Liang Jinshang enfolded his hand in both of hers, speaking softly, “Mr. Shang, please don’t marry her.”
He sneered. “If I don’t marry her, should I marry you?”
“I know I’m not worthy,” she lowered her lashes, recalling his words—“The daughter of a convict wants to be Mrs. Shang?”—words she would never forget. “But Gong Xueyuan isn’t a good person. I really don’t want to see you deceived by her.”
A thin sheen of tears glistened in her eyes—mourning those young lovers who’d fallen in their prime—making her appear fragile and deeply passionate, a sight no man could resist.
No matter what, she could not let Gong Xueyuan marry Shang Yucheng.
With the prestige of being a Gong heiress, Gong Xueyuan already wielded reckless power. If she gained the Shang family’s protection too, Liang Jinshang would never be able to touch her again.
“Why would I marry a good person? To worship her like a saint?” Shang Yucheng scoffed.
His standards for Mrs. Shang were only two: high birth and beauty. By those criteria, Gong Xueyuan was the perfect ten.
Who else but her?
Just then, a knock sounded at the door, silencing them both.
From outside, Chao Xinghe called, “Sister, are you in there?”
He was looking for her.
Liang Jinshang cleared her throat. “I’m changing. What is it?”
“Nothing, just wanted to ask if you’d prefer blueberry or mango mousse cake for afternoon tea, and what you’d like to drink?”
She replied casually. The hallway fell quiet.
The conversation inside had been interrupted, and for a moment, neither spoke.
Liang Jinshang looked up at Shang Yucheng’s impassive face. Whether for his looks or their remarkable chemistry in bed, she had never lost by sleeping with him—in fact, she’d gained.
She leaned into his arms as if boneless, her hands clasped around his neck, her voice pure yet tinged with seduction. “Yucheng, I regret it. Will you let me come back to you?”
She called him by a name she hadn’t used in a long time. To hide her awkwardness, she rose on tiptoe to kiss him before he could respond, but Shang Yucheng turned away.
A flicker of irritation crossed her heart. In the past, when she liked him, sweet words came naturally and Shang Yucheng accepted them all. Now, when she tried to please him with such affectation, even she felt disgusted. No wonder he always treated her with such disregard.
A few minutes later, the door was knocked again, this time by a woman’s voice. “Yucheng, are you in there?”
Hearing Gong Xueyuan, her annoyance only deepened.
She rested her forehead lightly against Shang Yucheng’s chest, nudging him gently, urging him to respond.
Unexpectedly, Shang Yucheng remained silent, gripping her chin and tilting her face up, signaling her to send the intruder away.