Chapter 4: It Begins with Heartache

Shang Yucheng glanced at Liang Jinshang, and for once, a rare smile flickered across his lips, though it seemed more as if he’d just heard an amusing joke. “Of course your bag is at the security desk. Just sign for it and take it yourself. Do I look so idle that I’d look after your bag for you?”

This answer indirectly addressed Gong Xueyuan, and the particularly biting tone seemed to soothe her mood. Without giving Liang Jinshang another chance to speak, Gong Xueyuan slipped her arm through Shang Yucheng’s and headed for the exit. “Yucheng, I really don’t like this tutor you hired.”

Shang Yucheng gave a monosyllabic, indifferent response. “Oh?”

“I know plenty of teachers from top schools. Tomorrow I’ll find one for Ao’er! You should dismiss her—I find her terribly lacking in tact.” Gong Xueyuan turned her head, casting a sidelong glance at Liang Jinshang, her challenge overt.

Liang Jinshang’s expression remained unchanged. Calmly, she simply followed behind them, making her way directly to the guardhouse.

Shang Yucheng replied, “Mm, bring your candidate for Ao’er to meet.”

That was agreement.

And he sided with her without a trace of hesitation or inquiry, which finally let Gong Xueyuan feel a sense of satisfaction. “I’ve made dinner reservations. Let’s hurry and eat!”

Outside, a fine drizzle was falling. The driver was already waiting for them.

Gong Xueyuan gazed out of the car window in the posture of a victor, watching as Liang Jinshang stepped into the rain.

Her bare face, untouched by makeup, looked all the paler with the rain on her skin; dark brows, delicate eyes, and rosy lips—amid the misty drizzle, she seemed like a figure from a southern ink painting.

Gong Xueyuan’s heart tightened. For reasons she couldn’t explain, she found herself wanting to see Shang Yucheng’s reaction.

It wasn’t that she was overly sensitive.

Beautiful women were never in short supply around Shang Yucheng, and she didn’t guard against every one of them.

It was just that the sight of that woman walking in the rain so easily stirred a man’s instinct to protect.

Many men’s affection for a woman begins with a sense of pity.

Fortunately, he didn’t glance out the window even once.

...

A few days later, Liang Jinshang received a call from Shang Ao’er. To celebrate finishing the midterm exams, she wanted to go out for drinks and karaoke and invited Liang Jinshang to join.

Liang Jinshang had caught a cold from being out in the rain that day. “I’ll pass. I’m not really used to that kind of scene.”

But Shang Ao’er insisted, “It’s not the wild kind of bar you’re thinking of. My uncle arranged the place. The atmosphere is great—no way it’ll scare a goody-two-shoes like you!”

At the mention of his name, Liang Jinshang agreed.

When she arrived, it turned out to be a high-end club.

What Shang Ao’er didn’t know was that those so-called wild bars were places where Liang Jinshang had once moved with ease. It was these clearly stratified venues that made her feel out of place.

So, from the moment she entered the private room, she quietly settled into a corner.

A boy glanced her way several times before finally approaching. “Hey, which class are you in? Mind if I add you on WeChat?”

Liang Jinshang found it both funny and a little exasperating.

She was here to fish for big catches, not to snack on tender shoots—even if this particular shoot was of school heartthrob quality.

Just as she was about to refuse, the door to the private room swung open.

The person she’d been waiting for had finally arrived.

With Shang Yucheng’s looks, it wasn’t just students—he could turn the heads of an entire city.

The room fell silent for a few seconds, then some of the girls couldn’t suppress their exclamations of awe.

Shang Ao’er, feeling particularly proud, greeted him affectionately. “Uncle!”

The cold war between them had ended; they were back to being a genial uncle and niece.

Shang Yucheng had been discussing business in the next room and only meant to make a token appearance to see if things were under control before leaving.

But as his gaze swept the room, it landed on Liang Jinshang in the corner.

Dressed in a blouse and pleated skirt, she appeared gentle and serene amid the group of uninhibited high schoolers.

Sensing his gaze, Liang Jinshang didn’t even turn her head.

She simply took out her phone and handed it to the “tender shoot.” “Sure, go ahead. Scan me.”

Shang Yucheng lingered for a few more seconds, and soon the bolder girls began urging Shang Ao’er to get her uncle to stay.

Shang Ao’er waved them off. “Do you really think my uncle would drink with a bunch of kids like you…”

Though she said that, she still made a perfunctory invitation to Shang Yucheng.

To everyone’s surprise, he actually walked in.

His tall, lean figure exuded an even stronger presence up close, and now, no one dared invite him to sit by their side.

Only the corner remained open. Shang Yucheng calmly walked over and, with a seat between them, sat down beside Liang Jinshang.