Chapter 46: He Xiaoque!
When Shang Yiming entered, he found Shang Yucheng sitting in his office chair, his expression as cold as if it had been tempered in ice.
He quickly glanced at Liang Jinshang, afraid she might have done something to provoke Shang Yucheng.
In his mind now, Liang Jinshang was a remarkable woman who couldn't be judged by ordinary standards.
But judging by her demeanor, she didn't seem to have offended anyone; she simply said to Shang Yiming, calmly, "Engineer Shang, I'll be leaving now."
As soon as she left, before Shang Yiming could even hand over the coffee, Shang Yucheng’s cold voice snapped, "Get out!"
"...Understood, President Shang."
...
It was nearly the end of the workday when Liang Jinshang finally saw Yuan Xi return to the company.
To think she dared keep Shang Yucheng waiting for an hour—truly, the favored are always fearless.
Today, Liang Jinshang needed to hurry to the hospital after work to bring a meal to Liang Xizhou. She rushed out, not noticing whether Shang Yiming was following her as usual.
During rush hour, traffic was at a standstill; Shang Yucheng’s car had barely gone eight hundred meters before becoming thoroughly stuck.
The one privilege of a luxury car in a traffic jam was that no one dared to cut in.
Yuan Xi watched Shang Yucheng's stony face, unable to help but tease, "You’re really holding a grudge over having to wait a little longer, aren't you?"
Shang Yucheng lit a cigarette, propping his left hand, cigarette between fingers, out the window.
Yuan Xi wasn’t annoyed by his indifference; instead, she gazed out the window, then suddenly exclaimed, "Huh?"
Shang Yucheng’s eyes followed hers.
Liang Jinshang’s light figure hurried past them on the sidewalk.
Shang Yucheng withdrew his gaze and took a drag of his cigarette.
The spot on his inner thigh where she’d kneed him earlier still throbbed dully. If he hadn't reacted quickly and avoided a crucial blow, he might have been lying in a hospital bed by now.
She was quick, and more importantly, surprisingly strong.
Yuan Xi exclaimed again, "Yucheng, look—doesn’t it seem like there’s a man following Liang?"
Shang Yucheng had no interest in looking.
Who else could it be? That man surnamed Shang had admitted as much in the break room earlier.
Seeing that Shang Yucheng was uninterested, Yuan Xi reluctantly fished out her phone, "I’d better warn Liang to be careful!"
At that moment, the traffic started moving. Shang Yucheng stepped on the gas, and the force of the Bentley’s acceleration threw Yuan Xi forward, nearly causing her to drop her phone.
Shang Yucheng said coolly, "If you have time, you might as well decide where we’re eating tonight. Other people’s business isn’t worth your concern."
Yuan Xi could sense Shang Yucheng’s indifference toward Liang Jinshang.
She was such a pretty girl; Yuan Xi had always assumed men were drawn to that harmless-looking beauty.
Otherwise, why would Shang Yucheng have chosen her to deliver the room key that first night in the eco-village?
But then again, Yuan Xi couldn’t help but feel pleased by Shang Yucheng’s disregard for pretty girls.
Distracted by these thoughts, she forgot entirely to warn Liang Jinshang.
...
Liang Jinshang carried two insulated meal boxes, one of them for Zhao Jingyu.
Her mother’s cooking was superb; she had even taught herself nutrition to help strengthen Liang Xizhou’s health.
Ever since Zhao Jingyu had once praised her mother’s skill in meal planning, every time she cooked something particularly nourishing, she would prepare an extra portion for him.
Afraid Zhao Jingyu might not accept it, yet eager to show her gratitude.
Luckily, Zhao Jingyu was always considerate, accepting with a thank you each time.
Gong Xueyuan’s home truly seemed blessed; it was hard to imagine what lucky woman would end up with such a perfect man as Zhao Jingyu.
Lost in thought, Liang Jinshang quickened her pace toward the hospital.
Passing by a row of shop windows, she unconsciously checked her hair, but then caught sight of a man’s shadow in the glass behind her.
Whenever she walked, he walked; whenever she stopped, he stopped.
She never expected that after warning him, Shang Yiming would still dare follow her!
Liang Jinshang turned into a side alley and stopped abruptly.
As the footsteps behind her drew closer, she spun around and shouted sharply, "Shang Yiming, you—!"
Her heart stopped for a beat, the rest of her words stuck in her throat, fear squeezing the breath from her.
It wasn’t Shang Yiming at all.
The man wore a baseball cap pulled low, but his bearded jaw was clearly visible.
It was Hu Zhinan!
Because she had stopped so suddenly, they were now only an arm’s length apart—close enough for him to grab her in a second.
Without time to think, she turned and ran on instinct.
The footsteps behind her gave chase at once.
The setting sun, the narrow alley, the relentless pursuit—those terrifying memories surged up, clinging to her like parasites.
The two insulated meal boxes were too heavy; she quickly abandoned them.
If she could just make it through this alley, she’d reach the hospital’s main entrance and the busy street beyond.
She was about to run faster when she suddenly came to a halt.
Ahead lay a construction site—a dead end.
Liang Jinshang paused for two seconds, then reached into her bag for her knife.
She had carried it with her ever since she received that video.
She knew she would inevitably do something to provoke him.
Hu Zhinan curled his lips into a malicious, chilling smile and lunged at her.
Liang Jinshang whipped her hand from her bag, slashing hard—blood spurted across both their faces.
Hu Zhinan had seen her hand in her bag, but most women, even armed, rarely dared to use a weapon so decisively.
Drawing blood required courage.
The first strike landed, but the second would not be so easy—Hu Zhinan’s skill was evident. With a metallic clang, Liang Jinshang’s knife was knocked away.
Unarmed, trapped with no way out!
In such a desperate situation, she found herself thinking of Shang Yucheng...
That night in the eco-village, she had traded with him—asked him to protect her and Liang Xizhou from Hu Zhinan.
He knew well enough about her blood feud with Hu and Gong.
And yet... he did nothing?
She was no match for a grown man’s strength. Hu Zhinan grabbed her, slapped her twice without a word to vent his rage over that knife wound. "Bitch!"
At the sound of his voice, Liang Jinshang’s terror deepened.
This wasn’t Hu Zhinan at all!
She’d assumed it was him just because of the beard.
"Let me go! Who are you?!" Liang Jinshang struggled frantically, panic rising.
At that moment, a deafening roar shattered the alley’s silence—a heavy motorcycle burst through the narrow lane like a wild beast, charging straight toward them!
The engine thundered, closer and closer, showing no sign of slowing.
Summoning a sudden burst of strength, Liang Jinshang shoved the man in the cap aside and rolled to the side.
That perfect, unspoken understanding allowed her to avoid the collision.
As she looked at the lean, fierce figure atop the motorcycle and sensed that familiar, ruthless aura, tears welled in her eyes for the first time in years. She cried out, her voice breaking, "He Xiaoque!"