Chapter 39: Half a Ruined Life
Yuan Xi was clearly someone well-versed in such matters; she didn't even need to squeeze the shape—the look on her face revealed she had already guessed what was inside.
Liang Jinshang was about to leave when Yuan Xi suddenly called out, “Xiao Liang.”
With a meaningful glance, Yuan Xi asked, “Just now, you said someone asked you to deliver this to me. Who was it?”
Liang Jinshang thought for a moment and replied with an especially innocent look, “Did I deliver something to you just now?”
Yuan Xi smiled, clearly satisfied with Liang Jinshang’s tactfulness.
She casually praised, “The lipstick is quite pretty. What shade is it?”
Liang Jinshang’s lashes fluttered as she mumbled that she had forgotten. After the back-and-forth by the lakeside, who could remember the shade of lipstick—was it ‘Shang Yucheng Red’ or something?
But Yuan Xi hadn’t meant the compliment; her mind was already elsewhere.
Liang Jinshang returned to her room, sharing a twin with Le Quan that night.
Unlike her, a working girl, Miss Le had not come to attend the summit. She’d only tagged along after hearing that this rustic little town was an excellent vacation spot.
After Liang Jinshang showered, Le Quan noticed she was about to go to bed without applying body lotion and dragged her out, insisting, “Use mine! The real man-killer scent!”
The moment Liang Jinshang heard it was a ‘man-killer’ scent, she was even less inclined to use it, but Le Quan declared she was more than happy to help—she’d long been ‘coveting’ a chance to feel Liang’s skin.
Exhausted, Liang Jinshang let herself be manhandled, limbs sprawled, wearing short-sleeved pajamas and shorts, her face bare of makeup. She looked and felt like a teenager.
She didn’t know when she fell asleep, only that she was awakened sometime past two in the morning by the sound of the doorbell.
Who would ring the bell at this ungodly hour?
Le Quan, half-awake, muttered a curse but clung to her pillow, refusing to get up.
So Liang Jinshang had no choice but to answer the door herself. A hotel staff member stood outside, apologizing profusely before presenting a brass tray—on it, a box of condoms.
Liang Jinshang’s mouth fell open; she wanted to curse just like Le Quan!
“Sorry, miss, but Mr. Shang in 3308 specifically requested that you bring this up to him.”
It had been four hours since Liang Jinshang had passed the room card to Yuan Xi.
Had they really gone through an entire box in four hours? And that still wasn’t enough?!
With cold indifference, Liang Jinshang replied, “Take it up yourself. A word of advice—the size… is way too large.”
The attendant looked troubled. “Mr. Shang said if you refuse, I’m to check back with you every half hour, to see when you change your mind.”
“…!” Liang Jinshang fumed, “I’ll file a complaint against you!”
“Yes, ma’am! …Shall I come back in half an hour, then?”
“Give it to me!” Liang Jinshang reached out and added, “Bring the smallest size next time!”
She made her way to room 3308, intending to treat Shang Yucheng to a little midnight doorbell revenge, but the suite door was already ajar, so she pushed it open and stepped inside.
She barely entered the living room before spotting a red dress tossed on the floor, followed by intimate apparel and the high heels Yuan Xi had worn that day.
The battle had clearly been fierce.
Well, of course—after listening to all that gossip, Shang Yucheng must have been burning with frustration. If he was considerate, fine, but if he let himself go, with his stamina, Yuan Xi would hardly stand a chance.
Numb to it all, Liang Jinshang made her way to the master bedroom and knocked. “President Shang, I’ve left the things at your door.”
“Bring them in,” came Shang Yucheng’s voice.
Was she being treated like some eunuch from the imperial household?
Liang Jinshang shot back stiffly, “It’s inconvenient.”
With that, she bent to place the brass tray on the floor, deliberately making a noise so he’d hear.
She hadn’t even straightened up when the door swung open.
Liang Jinshang spun around, ready to flee, but it was too late; the man caught her around the waist and dragged her into the room.
She squeezed her eyes shut, terrified she might see something indecent.
With a clang, Shang Yucheng kicked over the tray and, his tone unreadable, said, “Seems you’ve forgotten my size. Let me refresh your memory.”
Thinking of all the discarded clothing, Liang Jinshang truly found him filthy. “President Shang, having multiple partners at once is high-risk behavior—it’s disgusting.”
Shang Yucheng was already tugging at her pajamas. At her words, he gave a cold laugh. “The partners you picked for me are all clean. As for you… didn’t you bring a condom yourself?”
He was mocking her for being unclean.
They both knew the accusation was hollow and meaningless, but Shang Yucheng insisted on humiliating her.
Liang Jinshang guessed Yuan Xi was no longer in the room. She opened her eyes and glared at him.
He ignored her, already inhaling the scent of lotion on her skin, his voice rough. “Came prepared, didn’t you? What did you put on—smells so provocative!”
In both actions and words, he seemed unsated from the previous round and intent on having a second with her.
Liang Jinshang bitterly regretted letting Le Quan slather her in that so-called man-killer scent. It seemed the heiress truly had good taste—one whiff and even someone as repressed as Shang Yucheng grew increasingly shameless.
Trapped in his grip, Liang Jinshang could only manage to push his lips away from her collarbone. “There are cameras outside the hotel rooms! I can accuse you of rape!”
“So, you know there are cameras.” Shang Yucheng shed all pretense of gentlemanliness, his movements growing rough. “Bringing the tools with you to entrap someone isn’t called rape—it’s a setup!”
Liang Jinshang was thrown onto the bed and immediately tried to crawl away, but Shang Yucheng grabbed her ankle and dragged her back, pressing her down firmly.
Without thinking, she raised her hand to slap him, but he easily caught both her wrists and pinned them above her head. “I hear Hu Zhinan has been looking for someone surnamed Liang lately.”
“Am I supposed to be afraid?!” In this position, Liang Jinshang’s temper flared. If she couldn’t fight, couldn’t she at least run?
“You think you’re the only Liang in the world?” Shang Yucheng reminded her icily.
In that instant, Liang Jinshang’s blood ran cold.
Liang Xizhou was also a Liang.
He couldn’t escape.
“Shang Yucheng…” Liang Jinshang tried to draw some sense of safety from that powerful name.
But Shang Yucheng offered no promises, not even conditions for exchange, as if he only wanted her to know this one fact.
He wanted to see her frightened, to make her afraid.
And right now, there was only one thing he wanted to do.
Some people, when their needs are met, seek pleasure; others can’t even find comfort or safety.
Liang Jinshang relaxed her resistance. Trading her body—after the first time, the second brought far less shame.
“Shang Yucheng, do it.” Liang Jinshang unbuttoned the shirt he hadn’t managed to remove, one button at a time. “But you must guarantee Liang Xizhou will not be harmed.”
Shang Yucheng, however, stopped. “That’s not a promise I can make. He’s barely hanging onto half a life as it is.”
Liang Jinshang spoke slowly and clearly, “That half-life, I intend to keep. If anything happens to him, I have nothing left to lose—I’ll do whatever it takes, and you’ve seen what I’m capable of.”