Chapter 46: Injured

"It's shameless." Gu Hansheng pulled the door shut behind him.

But the door quickly opened from the inside. Gu Hansheng realized that not only could she gamble on him with the medicine, but she could also use the little video to threaten him. The concept of shame had long been irrelevant to her.

Liang Shu leaned against the door frame, watching the man smoking in the corridor. "Is this where we'll live after marriage?"

The man's slender figure leaned against the wall, fingertips flickering with sparks. Only now did he finally begin to confront the word "marriage" she had mentioned intentionally or unintentionally along the way.

He exhaled a puff of smoke, gazing at her through the curling smoke, "Did I ever say I wanted to marry you?"

"..."

Liang Shu clenched the door frame with her fingers. "Then why did you bring me here? Your assistant and housekeeper know."

He brushed off the cigarette ash, his eyes profound but his tone casual, "As you said, the woman I deeply love is critically ill and needs your blood. Since you're unwilling to cooperate in donating blood, I had to bring you here and use means to make you comply."

"I have something on you, you wouldn't dare."

The man took two steps towards her, earnestly looking into her eyes, "Whatever you have, I don't care."

"Shouldn't you care about the person in your heart?"

Gu Hansheng extinguished the cigarette, squinting his eyes, and continued, "So did you bring the household registration with you?"

"What... what?" She hadn't reacted yet. The man raised an eyebrow, didn't continue, and turned to leave.

Seeing his slender figure about to leave her sight, Liang Shu caught up, grabbing his hand. "I can't just carry that thing around casually," she said, glancing at the sky outside, "It's getting late today. The government office must have closed by now. Tomorrow morning, okay, tomorrow morning."

Gu Hansheng smiled lightly, very calmly, his lips forming a cold arc. "Since you aspire to be Mrs. Gu, how can you not seize every opportunity?"

Liang Shu pursed her lips, whispering softly, "My aunt keeps a tight rein on the household registration."

The man's smile deepened, glancing down at her finger on his wrist. "She doesn't even control you, let alone the household registration?"

Liang Shu looked up at him, silently letting go of his hand, "Tomorrow then, anyway, I can't run away."

Gu Hansheng, "..."

That night, Liang Shu had dinner at Zero Mansion.

After Gu Hansheng finished speaking to her, he went into the study and didn't come out until dinner time.

There was still a couple of hours before dinner.

Liang Shu wandered around Zero Mansion and found that there was a dog kept here. The breed wasn't uncommon, but it was rare for ordinary people to keep it as a pet.

Tibetan Mastiff.

At the sight of it, Liang Shu pictured snowy peaks and a group of majestic creatures, their bodies black as ink, their fur thick, their eyes shining brightly.

But she didn't forget that this animal was extremely ferocious, capable of tearing apart wolves and leopards, and even sacrificing itself to protect its master.

But Liang Shu wasn't its owner.

She only dared to stand outside the fence, watching from a distance.

When the dog heard movement, it opened its eyes and looked at Liang Shu. In less than a second, it showed a fierce look, baring its teeth as if facing an enemy.

Liang Shu knew it was restrained by a rope, so she wasn't afraid. She just stood there quietly, watching it.

To this place, she was too unfamiliar, so it was normal for the dog to react like this when it saw her.

Tibetan Mastiffs didn't boast their strength like pet dogs by barking loudly; they only emitted a low growl from deep in their throats, seemingly ready to pounce and tear you apart the next second if they broke free from their restraints.

Liang Shu wasn't afraid of it because apart from baring its teeth, it couldn't harm her.

It was time for the Tibetan Mastiff's dinner. Liang Shu heard noises and turned around. A maid was carrying a basin of food, with large bones and piles of lean meat, all raw, with traces of blood still visible.

The Tibetan Mastiff became even more excited when it saw its food, but at the same time, it didn't forget about Liang Shu, the unwelcome guest.

Mr. Gu brought a strange woman this afternoon. Qu An, the housekeeper, had informed everyone in the villa earlier, advising them to be respectful and polite to this woman.

This was the first time the young maid had seen Liang Shu, so she paused for a moment, then nodded at Liang Shu, "Miss Liang."

Liang Shu removed her finger from the fence and smiled at her, "Are you here to feed it?"

The maid walked over to her, looking at the Tibetan Mastiff with a puzzled frown, "Strange, Ah Yun doesn't usually show such hostility to outsiders. I wonder what happened today."

Liang Shu just stood there, narrowing her beautiful eyes, not reacting much.

The young maid opened the gate and went in, then gently closed the door behind her.

Liang Shu noticed the dog glaring at her fiercely, refusing even to acknowledge the food. How deep and intense must its animosity towards her be?

She turned away, unaware that the young maid behind her had untied Ah Yun's leash.

...

At a quarter past six, Qu An hurriedly knocked on Gu Hansheng's study door.

Without hearing any permission from inside, Qu An hesitated to disturb him rashly.

But considering the seriousness of the matter, she finally pushed the door open.

Gu Hansheng was in the midst of a video conference with the head of the overseas branch. When interrupted, his gaze immediately turned sharp, his displeasure evident.

Qu An braved herself and bowed, "Sir, Miss Liang has been injured by Ah Yun."

She used a conservative term for "injured."

Everyone in the mansion knew that Gu Hansheng's Tibetan Mastiff had a bad temper. Normally, it was Gu Hansheng who found time every day to take it for a walk.

This Tibetan Mastiff was named Ah Yun.

Its temperament, however, was like night and day compared to its name.

It only listened to Gu Hansheng's commands and ignored everyone else's. The young maid who usually fed it was also appointed by Gu Hansheng. Since Ah Yun obeyed him, it naturally obeyed those arranged by Gu Hansheng.

Fortunately, the maid was not afraid of Ah Yun. In fact, she occasionally showed off her ability to get close to Ah Yun in front of others, with a hint of pride.

At this moment, Ah Yun had injured Liang Shu.

Gu Hansheng's handsome face immediately turned cold upon hearing this. He quickly ended the call and headed downstairs.

As he walked, he instructed Qu An, "Check the surveillance."

Liang Shu had already been helped into the living room. Someone brought disinfectant and was attending to her leg. Liang Shu furrowed her delicate brows tightly. The person's technique was lacking, causing her to involuntarily cry out in pain several times.

When Gu Hansheng came downstairs, he happened to see the woman sitting on the sofa with her back to him, shrinking back due to the pain. Her injured leg was visible, blood flowing down from the wound, staining her entire calf.

"Arrange for the driver," he ordered.

Approaching, he took over the task of disinfecting Liang Shu's wound himself. The maid, startled by Gu Hansheng's arrival and his stern expression, lost her composure, her hands trembling.

"Ssss—" Liang Shu's brows knitted as she swiftly withdrew her leg.

Gu Hansheng's complexion worsened, inevitably becoming angry. "Step aside."

Liang Shu, also startled, recoiled further inward. But she witnessed the man who had been imposingly standing in front of her suddenly squatting down and grasping her ankle.

His scalding palm touched her icy skin. Liang Shu looked up at him, only to see the man, with his head lowered in concentration, examining the wound on her leg. From this angle, Liang Shu noticed that this man had long eyelashes, no less beautiful than a woman's.

His nose was straight, his lips thin, and his facial contours perfect. This face seemed like a masterpiece crafted by a divine hand.

Liang Shu remained still, and Gu Hansheng, hesitant to forcefully pull her leg away, had to raise his head to look at her. His thin lips formed a line. "Do you not want me to tend to the wound?"

She snapped out of her reverie and looked at the cotton swab in his hand, hesitating for a moment. Finally, she extended her leg, placing it on his knee.

In doing so, her entire calf rested on his knee. His black trousers were stained with her blood and disinfectant.

But Gu Hansheng remained focused, paying no mind to the bloodstains. Liang Shu felt reluctant to spoil the moment and let him proceed.

Midway through, Gu Hansheng asked her, "Does it hurt?"

Liang Shu shook her head.

Then she remembered he couldn't see her and added, "It doesn't hurt."

As soon as she finished speaking, Gu Hansheng mischievously applied a bit more force. Liang Shu immediately furrowed her brow and let out a cry of pain. She noticed a barely perceptible smile playing at the corner of his mouth.

Liang Shu pursed her lips. "Your dog is too ferocious."

Gu Hansheng corrected her choice of words. "It has a name, Ah Yun."

Ah Yun was clever, but also prone to biting.

It happened to bite Liang Shu's calf, where there was more flesh. The wound was quite deep and might even leave a scar.

Gu Hansheng thought of the woman lying in the white bed one night, her legs long and flawless, without a single blemish.

If this incident left a scar, it would certainly be regrettable.

Just then, Liang Shu's soft voice came from above. "Ah Yun is just like you, but a bit more ruthless. If it weren't for my wit, I might have lost my leg."

"Ah Yun rarely attacks people on its own. Did you provoke it?" Gu Hansheng asked.

Liang Shu shook her head. "No."

After a moment, she added, "It's probably because it knows I'm the future Mrs. Gu and will take away your favor. So it went crazy and bit me."

Liang Shu shook her head again. "Your dog, it's no good, too jealous."

Gu Hansheng chuckled, then fetched a damp towel from the side to gently wipe away the blood on her leg. "Ah Yun is closer to me, but it won't harm people without reason. Don't say that about it."

Liang Shu blinked. "Your servants all say it's the most ferocious, always biting anyone it sees."

Hearing her nonchalant tone, Gu Hansheng became attentive, narrowing his eyes and looking up at her. "Who said that?"

Sensing his change in tone, Liang Shu stared at him, speechless.

She curled her toes, furrowing her brows. "Are you done? Can we go to the hospital now?"

Upon careful consideration, although the dog had been hostile to Liang Shu, it had been tethered at the time. Even when she faced it, she couldn't break free from the chain to attack, so it made no sense for it to continue targeting her after she left its territory.

Unless someone deliberately intended it.

However, Liang Shu was unwilling to publicize this matter. Creating enemies on the first day she entered Gu Hansheng's life was not her intention.

And for some people, the phrase "patience is a virtue" is most suitable.

She remained calm, and naturally, Gu Hansheng said nothing, just nodded in acknowledgment.

Liang Shu was wearing tight-fitting leggings today. Just now, to facilitate applying medicine, she had forcefully rolled up the leg of her pants. Now, the wound was not suitable to come into contact with fabric.

Qu An handed over scissors. With distinct knuckles, the man held the scissors and cut off the portion of her pants from her calf to her knee.

Finally, he stood up, wiping his hands with tissue paper as he said, "Wait here for me. We'll go to the hospital shortly."

Gu Hansheng went to the bathroom.

Liang Shu looked at her mottled leg and sighed silently. Qu An stood by, smiling reassuringly. "Miss Liang, rest assured. Medicine is advanced now, and it's unlikely to leave a scar."

She shook her head, smiling faintly.

Qu An felt a bit embarrassed and apologized, "It's all my fault. Normally, few people go to Ah Yun's yard, and I didn't inform you in advance. It's my mistake. If the injury on your leg doesn't heal, then Mr. Gu will blame me."

Liang Shu couldn't let this highly esteemed and influential female housekeeper at Zero Mansion take the blame. So she said, "Nonsense, it was my own carelessness. Don't blame yourself anymore."

"Ah," Qu An nodded.

By dinner time, everyone hadn't eaten because of this incident.

Liang Shu had difficulty moving, so Gu Hansheng carried her to the parking lot outside. Liang Shu clung tightly to his neck, leaning against his chest, and whispered softly, "I guess I've gained something good from this misfortune."

Gu Hansheng glanced at her and said nothing.

Liang Shu continued, "I've got something that half of the women in Yucheng can't get," she smiled, "Look, Gu Hansheng is carrying me."

After saying this, Liang Shu silently added in her heart that she had also slept with a man that half of the women in Yucheng couldn't get.

Above, Gu Hansheng suddenly said, "Ah Yun injured you today. I'll take it somewhere else to raise it, just in case."

Hearing this, Liang Shu tugged at his clothes. "No need. I won't go to its area in the future. There's no need to treat it like this. You're usually closer to it. If you drive it away because of me, it might resent me in the future. Next time, it might even tear me apart when it sees me."

Gu Hansheng didn't say anything, whether he agreed with her or not.

...

Liang Shu received two shots of rabies vaccine and one shot of protein, then sat in a chair to wait for the half-hour observation period to pass.

Gu Hansheng went to the smoking area to smoke.

In fact, she was quite afraid of her leg scarring. Although her life had been a mess, she still cherished herself. She knew that drinking, staying up late, and smoking were bad for her skin, but in that environment, she had no choice.

So she tried to spend money on expensive skincare products and her aunt had never treated her unfairly in this regard. Having struggled in the world of romance, she understood what facial features, figure, and skin meant to women.

After they finished their tasks, it was approaching nine o'clock in the evening.

Gu Hansheng naturally should have taken her back to Zero Mansion, but Liang Shu refused. Gu raised an eyebrow teasingly. "Are you afraid?"

She shook her head. "No, isn't tomorrow our registration day? I need to go back and get my household registration."

He glanced at Liang Shu's leg, some thoughts fleeting through his mind. He squinted and said, "Let's wait until your injury heals, there's no rush."

"The injury on my leg won't affect taking photos for the registration. We can do it tomorrow," Liang Shu said straightforwardly. "I'm afraid you might change your mind later."

Gu Hansheng suddenly leaned in, his hot breath brushing against her face, a playful chuckle emanating. "Didn't you boast to the assistant and the housekeeper that you are the future Mrs. Gu? Are you afraid I might change my mind?"

"It's precisely because I'm afraid you might change your mind that I'm like this."

With one hand supporting the half-open car door and the other hand on the car, he leaned slightly, staring at her sitting in the seat. His tall figure blocked out the light from outside, and he said, "Or shall we draw blood first and then register?"

Liang Shu looked up, but because the man was against the light, she couldn't see his expression clearly. She firmly refused, "No, this is the bottom line. Otherwise, the suffering I endured in the neighboring province would be in vain."

In the chilly night, everything was quiet and still.

Seeing Gu Hansheng remain silent, Liang Shu thought for a moment and tentatively said, "Getting a certificate is very simple."

"After getting the certificate, will you obey my every command?" 

Liang Shu nodded, but her attitude remained firm. "I can understand your eagerness to save someone, but my lineage is limited. You must give me a marriage certificate first as a guarantee, otherwise, I cannot agree."

At this moment, the man's eyes deepened significantly, even holding a thick shadow at the bottom, staring at her as if he wanted to carve out a few holes in her before giving up.

Liang Shu couldn't see clearly and didn't take it to heart. She thought he was just dissatisfied with her.

But years later, when the secretary heard Liang Shu mention this incident, he expressed regret and revealed the true meaning behind the boss's words at the time. She said: How could he bear to take Mrs. Gu's blood to save someone? Mrs. Gu is meant to be pampered, not a tool to save lives.

The secretary said: Mr. Gu is not that kind of person.

So he couldn't bear it, which is why he suggested drawing blood before getting married.

...

Liang Shu still had one leg half exposed, feeling the chilly wind, she felt a bit cold, but seeing Gu Hansheng had no intention of moving, she just stayed with him.

After a while, Gu Hansheng closed the car door on her side, walked around to the other side, and got into the car. He casually tossed out three words, "Save people first."

Liang Shu pinched her fingers, feeling more and more that there was something fishy about this. She turned her head and asked him, "What's the name of the person you want to save?"

"Suyan."

"Oh."

She felt that the name was not very good, not pleasant to the ears.

The driver got in, and Gu Hansheng squinted and instructed the driver, "Back to Zero Mansion."

Liang Shu objected, "Send me home first, we'll go to the Civil Affairs Bureau tomorrow morning."

The man pressed down her restless fingers firmly. "I said it's not urgent."

In the end, they returned to Zero Mansion.

Qu An was notified in advance, so he had prepared dinner early. Gu Hansheng carried Liang Shu into the living room and personally took off her coat, handing it to Qu An along with his own.

Qu An smiled at Liang Shu. "Dinner is ready, Miss Liang. Shall we eat first or..."

"Let's have dinner first," Gu Hansheng interrupted Qu An.

As Liang Shu's leg was not convenient, she had to wipe her hands slowly with a wet towel. When everything was done, Gu Hansheng came downstairs just in time to carry her to the dining table.

Earlier, Qu An had thoughtfully placed a cushion on the chair where Liang Shu would sit, considering her situation.

Liang Shu was slightly moved by this understated warmth. She tentatively placed her injured leg on the ground and tested it. Fortunately, it wasn't too bad, not to the extent where she couldn't walk.

Although Ah Yun's injury was somewhat serious, it hadn't affected her bones.

The table was filled with exquisite dishes. Liang Shu, seeing Gu Hansheng not sitting down to eat, furrowed her brows in confusion. Gu Hansheng then said to Qu An, "In twenty minutes, bring a cup of coffee to my study."

Qu An acknowledged.

Liang Shu, holding the chopsticks, saw Gu Hansheng leave without even putting on his coat. She looked at Qu An, the housekeeper standing nearby. "Qu An, isn't he eating? It's so late, and he's having coffee."

The elegantly smiling housekeeper seemed accustomed to such occurrences and replied, "Sir probably has some unfinished work. He knows his limits, Miss Liang, you need not worry."

Liang Shu looked at the food in front of her, suddenly losing her appetite. She just nodded.

...

Gu Hansheng had been busy lately, and Ah Yun hadn't seen him for a long time.

At this moment, the well-fed and satisfied Tibetan Mastiff heard his master's footsteps approaching from a distance and began to get excited. Its dense fur was adorned with two particularly shiny eyeballs. From the moment it heard Gu Hansheng's footsteps, it started getting excited in place.

It was completely unaware that it had injured someone.

Gu Hansheng walked over, his expression not very good, but Ah Yun acted as usual, lifting its front legs to approach him.

Ah Yun was strong; if it were an ordinary person, its approach might have knocked them over. But now, just a glance and a reprimand from Gu Hansheng made it behave.

The man reached out and freed it from its restraints. Liberated, the dog happily circled around Gu Hansheng, occasionally sticking out its tongue to lick the man's large palm.

Until it had enough playtime.

Gu Hansheng squatted down, pointing to the floor in front of him. The dog, which had been excited until now, obediently sat down in front of him, raising its eyes to look at him.

"Ah Yun, do you know you injured the future Mrs. Gu?"

It whimpered twice, still looking at Gu Hansheng in the same way.

Gu Hansheng reached out and patted its head, his tone much gentler. "Remember, Mrs. Gu is as important to me as you are."

This time, Ah Yun didn't respond at all, turning its head away.

Gu Hansheng knew its temper, so he wasn't annoyed. Usually, at night, it was let loose in the backyard, but thinking that there was another restless person in the villa, he shook his head with a wry smile and put the leash back on.

Ah Yun was dissatisfied, but it listened to Gu Hansheng. After the leash was put back on, it found a place to lie down on its own and ignored Gu Hansheng.

Gu Hansheng, with a chilly air about him, returned to the villa and went straight upstairs.

Liang Shu had just been vaccinated against rabies, and her wound couldn't touch water. Qu An helped her with her bedtime routine.

However, there was a small incident midway.

The bathroom floor in the guest room of Zero Mansion was too slippery, and besides Gu Hansheng, there were usually no other people staying here. Therefore, the bathroom's anti-slip measures hadn't been dealt with separately.

As she was not able to take a shower, Qu An had prepared a bath for her, even adding a basin of rose petals.

Liang Shu undressed herself in the bathroom, and Qu An went out to prepare the clothes she would wear later. Just as she had walked to the door, she heard a woman's scream coming from the bathroom.

Qu An had just opened the bathroom door, and the master of the mansion appeared at the room's entrance as if he had descended from the heavens.

For a moment, Qu An didn't know whether to attend to Liang Shu first or go back to Gu Hansheng. The next moment, she saw the man striding over with his long legs. Qu An quickly bowed. "Sir, Miss Liang seems to have fallen."