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 other sisters had never seen Liang Shu before, but they were stunned by her face, casting upon her looks of either malice or great surprise.

Qian Hui only handed the wine to the boss, pinched her throat, and said, "Mr. Wang, the girls here are the most delicate, how can they withstand your harsh scolding?"

The man took the wine from her hand and then handed it to Liang Shu beside him, squinting his slightly wrinkled eyes gently, "New here?"

After a brief internal struggle, she decided to widen her smile even more, "Exactly, Sister Ling almost didn't think I was up to par."

"That's her short-sightedness. Such a beautiful girl like you, I think you're just fine."

He draped his arm over Liang Shu's shoulder, and although Liang Shu's body stiffened, she repeatedly admonished herself to endure.

She opened a bottle of wine and handed it to him, "Please have some."

Earlier, someone had made the rules clear here: if the bosses drank, the girls got a cut, split fifty-fifty with the establishment.

Once Qian Hui left, there was no one left to protect her.

Her whole body was aching, with numerous injuries large and small. When the man realized she wasn't fun to play with, he tossed her aside and found another companion.

Liang Shu caught the attention of others in the private room.

When that hand reached into her skirt, she couldn't help but fiercely pinch the back of the man's hand, leaving blood marks.

Yet he persisted, reaching his hand towards her again. Liang Shu grabbed his hand and issued a harsh warning. The stiletto heel of her shoe ground onto the man's shiny leather shoes. Liang Shu saw his face contort into a grimace.

When he came to his senses, it would be Liang Shu who would suffer.

But as soon as she reached the lobby, someone grabbed her by the hair, and without any hesitation, slapped her across the face. "Selling yourself out, yet pretending to be noble? I'm going to deal with you here today!"

Liang Shu was stunned, not knowing what she had bumped into. There was a loud clatter beside her, accompanied by screams.

She raised her hand to touch the center of her head, feeling the sticky sensation spreading on her fingertips.

Before she could take a closer look, she was dragged and thrown onto a nearby seat. Spit flew almost onto her face. "I'll see who can protect you!"

If you were to ask Liang Shu, whether money or life was more important, she would have undoubtedly answered: life is more important!

But now, as the palm came down towards her, Liang Shu could only desperately protect her head, and yet she still had time to calmly think to herself: if anything happened to her, she must demand a hefty sum.

At least those people wouldn't come after her for a long time.

Qian Hui was the first to rush over to protect her. "Silly Ah Shu, why didn't you fight back? He's just a drunken lunatic; even if you fought back, he might not have been able to overpower you."

Liang Shu's inner fortitude gradually collapsed, as if she had returned to the moment when she was drinking last night.

She leaned against Qian Hui's embrace, her ears buzzing. "Sister Qian Hui, I need money. What if I fought back and had no money?"

She watched as figures approached them in the dim light. Was it her eyes playing tricks on her, or was it an illusion, how...

"You can't fight back, just like last night when I drank so much. My stomach was so full, wasn't it? Wasn't I uncomfortable? But I still couldn't stop..."

Sister Ling temporarily held back the man in the lobby and came over to check on Liang Shu. Seeing her bloodied face lying in Qian Hui's arms, barely conscious, she squeezed through the crowd, holding her hand to her mouth, "My goodness, how serious are these injuries?"

Chapter 35: Beaten Up