Chapter 44:Hansheng

Liang Shu was puzzled by this, seeing him still looking at her. She picked up the glass of tap water in front of her and took a sip, tapping her index finger on the glass tabletop twice. "I don't have money to buy you a drink. I'm just drinking tap water myself."

At first, when Ji Chen gave him this address, Jing Yu didn't believe it.

But now, he had no choice but to believe it.

This woman, despicable.

Jing Yu's expression turned somewhat cold, and he felt some inexplicable hostility towards Liang Shu. The environment here was noisy, so he had to raise his voice a bit. "Do you know Jing Xing?"

Liang Shu had never heard of this name and thought she hadn't heard him clearly, so she asked, "What did you say?"

Jing Yu directly pulled out a photo of Jing Xing from his phone and placed it in front of Liang Shu.

On the screen, despite the rebellious air, the youthful and handsome face of the young man couldn't be concealed, like the sun.

This time Liang Shu fell silent, her expression turning somewhat unsightly.

It was too noisy here, so Jing Yu directly pulled her to another booth, relatively quiet and secluded.

Liang Shu wasn't stupid; she felt a sense of familiarity when she saw Jing Yu.

"What is your relationship with him?"

"I am Jing Yu, his brother. He likes you, did you know?"

His tone implied interrogation.

But she considered herself straightforward, without sentimentality except towards Gu Hansheng.

This brother had nothing to do with her; she had only met him twice, and they didn't even have each other's contact information. No matter what happened, it couldn't be blamed on her.

Having figured it out, Liang Shu relaxed, took a drag of her cigarette, and said somewhat casually, "Then you should discipline your brother. This kid is too rude."

Jing Yu looked at her as if he had heard a joke. "I saw the surveillance footage from that night. You took his umbrella and yet you say he's rude?"

Liang Shu bit her lower lip with her teeth, looking somewhat innocent as she glanced at Jing Yu. "You can't just say that. He gave it to me himself; I didn't force him."

"Jing Xing likes you, but from what I see now..." Jing Yu looked her up and down. "You're not worthy of him in the slightest."

She coughed lightly twice, showing no reaction to his words. "I don't like him, so naturally, I don't need to be worthy of him."

But in this world, being worthy wasn't always a prerequisite for being together.

Take her involvement with Gu Hansheng, for example.

The affairs between her and Gu Hansheng, regardless of who knew the inside story, would surely be seen as unworthy.

Of course, she also felt unworthy herself.

But people always yearned for the good things in life.

Her unworthy self just had to go stir up that cleanly refined flower on the high peak.

Jing Yu's face turned cold. "Indeed, you disassociate yourself cleanly with just one sentence, yet he has been ill for half a month because of you."

Upon hearing this, Liang Shu froze.

A mouthful of smoke stuck in her throat, making her uncomfortable.

But soon, she said, "You can't blame me for this. I haven't even given your brother a way to contact me."

"If he could contact you, would I be able to find you here?" Jing Yu sneered.

Liang Shu extinguished the cigarette in her hand and looked down at her slender, fair fingers. "I understand what you mean. Keep your brother away from me, right? Fine."

Jing Yu just looked at her.

Liang Shu smiled with pursed lips, her red lips slightly curling up with a hint of mockery. "Not only do I not like him, on the contrary, I blame him a lot. Do you know that your good brother made me feel embarrassed and awkward the first time I met him?"

Seeing Jing Yu remain silent, Liang Shu leaned back.

She snorted, "That was the first time I met him. Because of your brother's family background and your high status and influence, he paid me two hundred thousand just to redeem someone, but as the person involved, he had nothing to do with it and still wanted to be treated with special care by everyone inside..."

Liang Shu shrugged at Jing Yu, "See, how ironic."

Though Ji Chen hadn't elaborated much to him, Jing Yu could probably piece things together now.

He approached Liang Shu, his tone somewhat unreasonable and lacking in compassion. "These are all objective factors. He knows nothing, has no involvement. You're the kind of woman with many tricks up your sleeve. Since you've already bluntly refused, don't give him any hope."

"What hope have I given him?" Liang Shu chuckled.

"He knows your name. Your type plays hard to get. I've seen too much of it," Jing Yu said sharply.

"If anyone plays hard to get, it's not him," Liang Shu scoffed.

Jing Yu emitted a cold sneer from the depths of his throat, audible even in this noisy environment. "As they say, 'to know the face but not the heart.' Who would have thought that beneath your beautiful exterior, akin to a poppy, lies such an unworthy soul?"

Seeing the woman furrow her brow, Jing Yu continued slowly, "Do you think I'm unjustly accusing you? Hanging around in this place, relying on youth to make a living, and racking up so much debt..."

Jing Yu scoffed again, "You claim you're not fishing for prospects, who would believe that?"

Liang Shu's clenched fists remained tight; it turned out some people could be so despicable.

At this moment, she truly felt innocent.

"Does it matter to you whether I fish or not? You're not from our world, yet you still need to assert your superiority in front of people like us? It's just an umbrella; we'll return it to you," she retorted.

Jing Yu waved his hand in refusal. "Just forget it."

At this point, Liang Shu couldn't be bothered to argue with him anymore. She glanced at her phone, feeling that her break time was sufficient. "Please rest assured, I'm getting married soon. I have no interest in your brother. You should advise him to be more open-minded and keep himself happy."

With that, she adjusted her clothes and left.

Jing Yu watched her slender figure gradually disappear into the crowd, the furrow between his brows deepening.

...

Following the doctor's advice, Gu Hansheng transferred Su Yan to the hospital.

However, Su Yan's condition remained unstable, and she couldn't be moved for the time being.

In the past few days since his return from the neighboring province, Gu Hansheng had been busy with official matters, but his mind was also preoccupied with Su Yan, leaving him feeling overwhelmed.

Liang Shu received a call from Ji Chen that day.

Ji Chen mentioned that Gu Hansheng had arranged for them to meet in a certain room at a particular hotel.

Liang Shu didn't suspect anything and arrived punctually for the appointment.

However, she didn't anticipate the two difficult choices awaiting her behind the door.

It wasn't Gu Hansheng who had summoned her but Ji Chen.

The hotel room boasted excellent lighting, with today's rare sunshine cascading through the transparent French windows and spilling onto the carpet.

Ji Chen stood in front of the sofa, as if he had been waiting for her for quite some time.

Liang Shu pursed her lips and approached.

"Assistant Ji, where is Mr. Gu?" she inquired.

Ji Chen gazed at her. "It was I who summoned you."

"I see," she acknowledged.

Ji Chen placed some items on the low table and glanced at her before speaking. "Here is a plane ticket and a check."

"And then?" Liang Shu scrutinized the ticket, noting that the destination was Budapest.

Without waiting for Ji Chen to respond, Liang Shu took a seat first and raised an eyebrow. "Is this Mr. Gu's intention?"

The man who had previously despised her to the core and wished to tear her apart was now offering her a plane ticket?

Clearly, that was highly improbable.

"It's my idea. Leave this place. After you arrive at your destination, you can go wherever you want. Just stay away from Mr. Gu and Yu City," Ji Chen explained.

It was quite commendable for an assistant to go to such lengths for his superior.

However, Liang Shu, feeling confident, responded, "Will Mr. Gu agree to this? His severe condition is heavily reliant on me as a mobile blood source. If anything were to happen, how could you, as an assistant, bear the responsibility?"

Many knew that each cuff of Gu Hansheng's shirts was embroidered with a dark purple iris.

But few knew where this iris originated.

During her stay at the Yu Mountain Villa for nearly half a month, Liang Shu had seen these flowers everywhere, growing in clusters in the backyard of the villa.

One might ask, isn't Gu Hansheng in love with that woman?

Otherwise, how could Liang Shu be so bold as to challenge him?

Gu Hansheng, high and mighty as he was, could easily crush her bones.

However, Ji Chen seemed to downplay her words. He lowered his gaze to the plane ticket on the table and spoke calmly, "She's not someone you can save. But you cannot ruin Mr. Gu. Therefore, leaving this place is your best option right now."

"What if I refuse?" Liang Shu asked.

Ji Chen gave a cold smirk. "There are plenty of means to coerce you into compliance. Do I need to enumerate them all?"

"Even if you do, it would be futile. I cannot agree to this matter," she asserted.

For her to leave Yu City would be a crime. She could do anything else, just not leave Yu City completely.

But how could Ji Chen possibly know this?

As Liang Shu rose to leave, Ji Chen blocked her path at the door.

Liang Shu clenched her fists, her expression devoid of emotion, her tone sharpening several degrees. "Step aside!"

"Are you truly so obstinate?" 

She smiled, her exquisitely beautiful face seeming to be coated with a layer of frost, her eyes, which could easily serve as exemplary specimens, harboring layers of coldness. "You think a few words will make me leave here? Think again."

Liang Shu stared coldly at him, her red lips moving slightly. "Ji Chen, I know you don't like me, or rather, your master doesn't like me. But who gave me the leverage over your master? I've already called Gu Hansheng on my way here. He'll be here shortly. If you don't want your disgraceful side to be exposed to him, you'd better step aside now!"

Ji Chen closed his eyes briefly, surprised by Liang Shu's resolute attitude.

This woman, he had underestimated her.

As Liang Shu walked out, she hadn't gone far from the hotel before being intercepted by a group of people.

A group of men surrounded her, conveniently blocking her line of sight, so she didn't see the black Land Rover that passed by her.

If she hadn't recognized the leader among this group of people, she might have thought they were Ji Chen's contingency plan.

She had refused Ji Chen's request at the hotel, and then Ji Chen's men could have dealt with her.

But that wasn't the case.

At this moment, Liang Shu struggled to maintain a smile on her face.

"Gentlemen, didn't I transfer tens of thousands to your side before? Why are you back so soon?" 

The leader of the men suddenly reached out and grabbed Liang Shu's chin. The force was no joke, and tears rolled down her face as if her thread had snapped.

"What's the use of those tens of thousands? Let me tell you, from now on, if you can't pay back the money, don't even think about living peacefully. You, you owe our big brother tens of millions, yet you're still alive and well. It's really surprising."

This man had a shaved head, wore a gold chain around his neck, had a gold tooth in his mouth, and had a sharp face with square lips—a typical gangster look.

After he finished speaking, he let go of her hand and, as Liang Shu wiped away her tears, he sneered, "I'm afraid you don't know yet—your creditor is dead. Now it's our big brother who's in charge. He's not as easy to talk to as before, and he's not afraid of not getting his money back. If you can't repay, he'll make sure you suffer!"

Liang Shu was shocked to hear this news, and at this moment, she was genuinely afraid.

She didn't care about the pain in her chin; instead, she said, "Then let me congratulate your big brother first. It's a joyous occasion for him to rise to power. Let's give him some more time, shall we?"

How could that man agree? He immediately grabbed her arm and breathed out a smell of leek dumplings. "Do you think this is a vegetable market where you can haggle over prices?!"

With that, he signaled to the people around him, "Take her away!"

Liang Shu was taken away by the men, knowing that she was uneasy and usually quite cunning. Therefore, he threatened her in advance, "Don't think about seeking help halfway through, or you won't be able to walk away from it."

These people took her to a bar, where she saw their leader.

His fierce and evil-looking face was enough to turn one's stomach.

Especially that scar across half of his face, truly repulsive.

Liang Shu suppressed her discomfort and, seizing the moment when the two henchmen released her, she quickly lowered her head. "Boss, congratulations on your promotion. I will definitely repay your money!"

The man sat on the black leather sofa, legs apart, with a scantily clad woman on each side of him, presenting a scene of debauchery.

He stared at Liang Shu for a while, then pushed aside the person on his left. "You will repay today! Can you do it?"

Liang Shu glanced up at him and gritted her teeth. "I'll try to figure something out."

This was clearly an excuse; the boss didn't believe it at all.

Suddenly, he stood up, kicked over the low table in front of him, and various items on it, including bottles and ashtrays, scattered all over the floor, clattering around them.

Afraid of hurting innocent bystanders, Liang Shu closed her eyes and stepped back several paces.

Suddenly, she was grabbed by one of the boss's men, and the man was already in front of her, his face fierce. "Figure something out? Damn, you've been dragging your feet for two months, and you still haven't figured anything out? Are you trying to fool us?"

Liang Shu repeatedly apologized with her eyes closed, forcing out a few tears. "Boss, I'm not lying to you. I've really been trying to figure it out, and I'll be able to repay you soon."

"I don't believe you! Unless you come up with the money now!"

"I..."

The boss lifted her face with a finger and clicked his tongue twice. "Do you know? Your previous creditor allowed you to procrastinate, but I won't. I can take him down, so what makes you think you're anything special? If you don't repay, I'll use your face as payment!"

Of course, Liang Shu knew this wasn't a joke.

She had been in this line of work for a long time and always heard some rumors.

There were many dark sides to this world, and many dirty deals hadn't been exposed to the sunlight, sold on the dark web countless times.

Liang Shu gritted her teeth and looked at him firmly. "Boss, give me one more day, just one day!"

"I can't wait even a day!"

He picked up a grape offered by the woman next to him with his mouth, then turned around and looked Liang Shu up and down. Suddenly, he smiled sinisterly. "Alright, I'll give you one more day."

Hearing this, Liang Shu hadn't even had time to breathe a sigh of relief when he said, "Today, you leave behind a piece of your finger, and I'll keep it for you. If you bring the money tomorrow, I'll give it back to you."

He laughed several times. "I'll soak it in a medicinal solution for you, so it should be able to reattach nicely tomorrow!"

Liang Shu's back chilled, and cold sweat broke out on her forehead in waves.

The man approached her and asked, "What do you say? If you don't repay tomorrow, we'll cut off another finger..."

Liang Shu couldn't speak for a while.

The man had run out of patience and ordered someone below, "Bring the knife, and chop off one of her fingers!"

Two minutes later.

Liang Shu watched as the knife approached her, with someone holding her hand on the table. Her delicate and fair hands, juxtaposed with the gleaming blade, presented a cruel scene.

She closed her eyes and raised her voice regardless. "I'm Gu Hansheng's person! You can't touch me! If anything happens to me, not only will you not get a penny, you'll definitely lose your lives!"

The boss, holding a large cigar, turned his head back, frowned, and looked at Liang Shu. "What nonsense is this?"

"She says she's Gu Hansheng's person," someone whispered to him.

"Gu Hansheng?" The boss furrowed his brow, repeated the name, then shook his head, spat on the ground, and said, "Don't know him. Cut off her finger."

"Hey boss... If she really is Gu Hansheng's person, we can't touch her. Even when the old boss was alive, he still feared this person to some extent. Now that you've just taken over, many aspects might not be clear yet. This person is an existence that even the Yucheng Public Office can't control."

The boss, cigarette held between his fingers, exhaled a large smoke ring towards Liang Shu. "You claim you're his associate. Do you truly believe he would allow you to default on a mere twenty million? Would he spare you the loss of a finger?"

With his words barely finished, he circled around Liang Shu, clicking his tongue twice. "You, woman, with your myriad of tricks, owing so much money yet still living unscathed until now, I won't indulge your insolence today!"

It was evident that he was ignorant and unfamiliar with the figure of Gu Hansheng, hence why he didn't take him seriously at all and dared to speak so arrogantly.

Liang Shu clenched her teeth, staring at the gleaming tip of the knife. "Boss, I truly am associated with him. He has no knowledge of my debt to you. Would you allow me to make a phone call to him? I'll have him send the money over."

Seeing this, one of the henchmen leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Boss, perhaps we should be cautious. That individual is indeed not someone to trifle with. Let her make a call; have her request several hundred thousand to come over first. We can wait for a short while."

After a moment of contemplation, the boss nodded and signaled to him with his eyes.

The henchman, hands behind his back, walked up to her in a pretentious manner, gesturing for the other two to release her.

Liang Shu stood in place, rubbing her sore arms, looking at him.

"Our boss has spoken. Since you claim to be associated with him, kindly prove it. It would be best if you immediately call and have him send over a few hundred thousand. Otherwise, there won't be even a day's grace!"

"Understood."

Just as Liang Shu was about to act, the man suddenly stopped her. "Wait, just say you want to make a purchase and ask him to transfer a million."

Liang Shu: "..."

...

Gu Hansheng was irritated at being stood up at the hotel, but considering the person was Liang Shu, he could barely tolerate it. So, without even bothering to call her, he left in his car.

Midway back to Zero Mansion, he received a call from Liang Shu.

Glancing at his phone from the dashboard, he remained expressionless, casually tossing the phone back where it was, his gaze indifferent as he focused on the road ahead.

Almost a minute later, the call automatically disconnected.

Immediately afterward, it persisted and rang a second time.

This time, Gu Hansheng simply ended the call.

On the other end, Liang Shu was naturally nervous, breaking out in a cold sweat. She had no certainty in this matter and completely pinned her hopes on Gu Hansheng.

But he didn't even answer her call.

Liang Shu wiped her sweat with her hand and looked at the several people staring at her. "How could he not answer my call?" She looked up at them and said, "Maybe he's too busy. Yucheng is quite remarkable, with numerous affairs to attend to; it's understandable."

"Hmph, are you sure you contacted the right person? Don't play tricks in front of us!"

She quickly shook her head. "I dare not. Let me try again..."

...

Gu Hansheng glanced at the countdown for the red light ahead: 89 seconds.

This time, he answered Liang Shu's call, calculating that he would give her these eighty-odd seconds.

Unexpectedly, as soon as the call connected, a woman's soft and gentle voice, reminiscent of the Jiangnan accent, assaulted his eardrums. With a hint of aggrieved tone, it was enough to touch the softest part of a man's heart. "Hansheng, it's me, Ah Shu."

Hansheng.

A name that evoked a myriad of tangled feelings.

It clawed at his heartstrings like a kitten.

Gu Hansheng didn't respond, holding the phone in one hand and resting the other on the steering wheel, absentmindedly tapping his index finger.

Then she continued, "Mr. Gu, why did you just hang up on me? Do you still remember the one million five hundred thousand? I want to buy wine, the same ones I broke last time..." She paused, her tone even more plaintive, "Could you call me back?"

Half the time had passed.

Gu Hansheng's fingers rubbed the metal body of the phone, his gaze gradually deepening, but he remained silent.

"Hansheng, please transfer it quickly. I need to save my hand..."

Gu Hansheng: "..."

A few seconds later, he asked, "What do you need the wine for?"

She replied, "To compensate you for the ones I broke last time, using your money to buy wine to compensate you?"

"Remember my number clearly, otherwise, you won't be able to find anyone later..."

Liang Shu's speech lacked logic. The other party voluntarily ended the call.

She took a deep breath, pursed her lips. "Over a million isn't a small amount. He might not