A_Ray_of_Light

Years later, the people of Yucheng still regard the bygone scandal of the aristocratic family as an after-dinner topic.
A cunning woman of the streets ascended to the summit of society, becoming the esteemed lady of a high-priced aristocratic family. 
She was addicted to gambling, once accumulating millions in debts.
Her demeanor was worldly and vulgar, known as a prominent socialite.
Yet, Gu Hansheng still favored her.
Until, this femme fatale of the century dug her own grave, causing the demise of Mr. Gu's beloved, the White Moonlight.
Henceforth, she vanished from Yucheng without a trace.
People say: "Blood debts must be repaid with blood, and death settles it all."
No one knew that night became a thorn in Gu Hansheng's heart.
On the snowy streets, a woman wrapped in a coat stood trembling beneath neon lights, delicately reaching for the car door.
The window lowered, a man gazed at her, softly laughing: "Madam Gu, there is no one in this world more cold-hearted and ruthless than you."
She grasped the door handle, lips pallid, face filled with grievance, "Hansheng, I'm cold."

The dead are colder than you.

The black silhouette departed into the night.

In the rearview mirror, snowflakes fluttered like tattered fragments, nearly engulfing the woman's shoulders.

In later recollections, in the midnight reveries, Mr. Gu could always hear her saying, "Hansheng, I'm cold."

The most missed when departing

The result was that Liang Shu was seen standing in the arms of that remarkably striking man, and Mr. Yu, while furious, couldn't help but show a hint of disdain. No wonder he couldn't find her earlier; it turns out he found an even better patron.

But since Liang Shu had already agreed to accompany him tonight and had accepted the money, naturally she couldn't leave with another man.

Following Liang Shu's gaze, Gu Hansheng easily spotted Mr. Yu in the crowd. Ji Chen received a signal from Gu Hansheng's eyes and made his way through the crowd towards Mr. Yu, who was heading towards Liang Shu.

Then Gu Hansheng looked at the woman trembling in the bodyguard's arms and spoke with the same coldness in his tone as on his face, "Miss, do I have to personally escort tonight's other half in front of you before you remember to pay attention to your status and manners?"

Hearing this, Liang Shu felt even more shocked and angry. She really wanted to expose this man's lies on the spot.

In that moment of distraction, Mr. Yu had disappeared from the crowd. Liang Shu lowered her gaze, realizing that tonight's situation couldn't get any worse.

She was ushered to the car by Gu Hansheng, with many cameras pointing at them in the meantime. The crowd started buzzing, various remarks filling the air, some of which reached Liang Shu's ears, while others reached Gu Hansheng's.

Liang Shu was helped into the car first by him. Gu Hansheng's sharp gaze swept over the area, Ji Chen nodded, handed him his coat, and then calmly closed the door, completely shutting off the outside world.

The driver kept his eyes on the road, starting the car after Gu Hansheng got in.

Liang Shu pressed against the car door, her chest rising and falling irregularly, every emotion visible in her eyes and at the corners of her mouth reflecting her dissatisfaction with Gu Hansheng.

The space inside the car was limited, and with Liang Shu's attire being inconvenient, her skirt lay in disarray on the seat. She didn't bother to tidy herself up and turned her head to glare at Gu Hansheng, saying, "I want to get off."

A faint smile played on the man's thin lips as he handed the coat to Liang Shu. His tone was slightly mocking. "Are you annoyed?"

She looked at the gray overcoat in front of her, a faint woody scent wafting into her nostrils. She didn't take it, her expression colder than before as she said, "Let me off the car."

"Put on the coat so you don't catch a cold."

"I said I want to get off the car, Mr. Gu. Just because I didn't expose your lies earlier, thinking of the money you gave me, doesn't mean I'm easy to bully."

The woman hesitated to take it, and Gu Hansheng couldn't force her to put it on. So he released his grip, and the coat fell onto the space between the two seats.

He said, "Is it out of consideration or fear?"

Liang Shu's eyes flickered lightly as she looked at him.

Gu Hansheng also looked at her, a hint of imperceptible astonishment flashing in the depths of his eyes. Tonight's Liang Shu was indeed very beautiful and captivating.

Seeing her at the hotel was indeed unexpected, but a certain thought flashed through his mind at that moment. He almost didn't spend much time considering before capturing her. Therefore, Gu Hansheng could understand Liang Shu's anger and annoyance.

Gu Hansheng's gaze suddenly became complex, his eyebrows slightly raised. "Why are you here tonight?"

Liang Shu furrowed her brows tightly, her lips pursed into a straight line. "I haven't asked you why you used me. As for why I'm here, do you think just because I need money, I'm a pauper who shouldn't appear in such places?"

Her overly eager retort made Gu Hansheng's expression somewhat ambiguous. Only after Liang Shu finished speaking did she realize it.

Chapter 30: Exploitation