Chapter 48: Scumbag

The man pondered for a moment, then nodded, "Very well."

He then cast a meaningful glance towards Ji Chen.

Ji Chen had already tacitly acknowledged their relationship; if Gu Hansheng liked her, he naturally had to respect and protect her.

He alighted from the car and hailed a taxi for Liang Shu at the roadside, handing a red note to the driver and saying, "Safely escort this young lady home, no need for change."

Liang Shu smiled at Ji Chen and got into the car.

Ji Chen gave her a deep glance, nodded, and closed the door for Liang Shu before returning to the driver's seat.

However, instead of immediately starting the car, he looked at Gu Hansheng's cold expression in the rearview mirror and asked, "Sir, are you concerned about the surgery the day after tomorrow?"

The taxi in Gu Hansheng's line of sight was gradually disappearing into the distance; he glanced at Ji Chen before replying, "I'm not worried."

The doctor had reassured him multiple times that the surgery would go smoothly.

But what was he occasionally furrowing his brow about?

Ji Chen didn't know.

Liang Shu went home to pack her things, glancing at the calendar: November thirteenth, just half a month away from winter.

She had spent this week at Zero Manor, with all expenses taken care of by Gu Hansheng.

The clothes were all the latest seasonal brands, and the skincare products were also of the highest quality, delivered in waves to Zero Manor.

These things were all arranged by Shi Qing.

When Shi Qing saw Liang Shu opening the door at Zero Manor, she was shocked, her usual smile vanished, and she frowned at the woman in front of her, "Miss Liang."

That was the first day; Shi Qing brought a group of people to Zero Manor to deliver clothes, from underwear to coats, everything was there.

This was arranged by Gu Hansheng the night before, personally providing the sizes.

Shi Qing didn't sleep well that night; following Gu Hansheng's instructions, she picked out several high-end brands, and due to the supply issue, she was busy until one or two in the morning.

The next day, she personally brought people over, only to be startled when she saw Liang Shu behind the opened door, unable to conceal her surprise.

Liang Shu seemed unperturbed; she greeted Shi Qing as she leaned against the door frame, "Secretary Shi, good morning."

Shi Qing quickly regained her composure and nodded, "Good morning."

"Please come in." Liang Shu stepped aside, waiting for the people behind her, still carrying things, to enter first.

After everyone entered, Shi Qing turned to see Liang Shu walking unsteadily towards her, a slender woman wearing a man's shirt. As the indoor temperature was moderate, she only draped a knitted shawl over herself.

Beneath were long and fair legs, but it was quite obvious that there was a bandaged wound on her right calf. She wore oversized men's slippers and approached Shi Qing.

Shi Qing's inner doubts filled her chest, but her face remained unchanged as she smiled, "Miss Liang, these are the clothes Mr. Gu instructed to be sent to you according to your measurements. They are all the latest styles of the season. Would you like me to take them directly to your dressing room upstairs?"

Liang Shu looked at the people holding numerous boxes and bags; even without Shi Qing saying anything, she could understand Gu Hansheng's intention. She nodded, "Alright, please take them upstairs."

As the group went upstairs, Liang Shu stopped Shi Qing again.

Turning around, she saw a plain-faced woman holding a cup of flower tea, smiling and looking at Shi Qing, her beautifully colored lips moving, "Secretary Shi, just deliver them to Mr. Gu's dressing room."

This morning, Liang Shu woke up early. She didn't know if Gu Hansheng had slept in bed after coming out of the bathroom last night; she didn't see him when she woke up.

She didn't see him downstairs when she came down for breakfast either. When she asked Qu An, Qu An just said that the master had left early.

She got up and tidied up before coming downstairs, it was not even seven o'clock yet, where could Gu Hansheng have gone so early?

Upon inquiring with Qu An, she asked what time the master had left.

Qu An replied: "Six o'clock."

While she was having breakfast, Qu An said, "Miss Liang, Mr. Gu has instructed to make half of the master bedroom's dressing room available for your use. I will go and prepare it for you shortly."

Liang Shu had no objections to the arrangement and agreed.

Meanwhile, Shi Qing's curiosity grew, but she could only suppress it and nod, saying, "Very well."

As Liang Shu ascended slowly to the master bedroom, Qu An, along with the others, had nearly finished tidying up the dressing room. All the clothing had been hung up. Liang Shu, who had previously studied high-end brands, recognized that these were all luxurious and extravagant items, some of which were so exclusive that they had never even appeared in the eyes of ordinary people.

Upon seeing the graceful figure of the woman entering, Shi Qing nodded to her and said, "Miss Liang, please take a look. These are all procured as per Mr. Gu's instructions. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to let me know."

Liang Shu had no issues and nodded, saying, "Thank you, Secretary Shi."

Hastily, Shi Qing departed with her entourage.

Qu An escorted them downstairs.

Liang Shu stood at the doorway of the dressing room, observing all of this sudden development. At this moment, she truly understood that she had completely entered Gu Hansheng's life.

His bed had half of her presence.

His dressing room had half of her belongings.

His study, too, had half of her presence.

Liang Shu pondered with her fingers intertwined. She was a woman of the streets, with no academic or professional background. What use did she have for a study?

None.

So, she decided not to claim his study.

When Qu An returned after seeing the guests off, she approached Liang Shu, smiling brightly, "The master has procured many things for you. This is just one of them."

Liang Shu hugged herself, tilting her head to look at the pile of neatly arranged clothing. She asked Qu An, "What else is there?"

Qu An took out a piece of clothing from the wardrobe and set it aside before replying, "There's also jewelry, skincare products, and cosmetics, among other things."

These seem to be the standard provisions for wealthy men to support their mistresses.

Liang Shu smiled, albeit with a smile that did not reach her eyes. She pressed her lips together and said, "Are other women also provided for in this way by the master?"

At first, Qu An's face was all smiles. However, upon hearing Liang Shu's words, she furrowed her brows and turned to face Liang Shu. "Miss Liang, please don't speak like that. Our master is the epitome of virtue. He is unlike other scions of affluent families. I have been here for so long, and the master has never brought anyone else back except for you. Please don't think otherwise."

"I see."

Liang Shu asked again, "Do you happen to know if the master already has someone he fancies?"

Qu An's hand holding the clothes paused, and she remained silent.

The curvature of her lips widened, but the smile in her eyes grew colder. "Your master harbors a white moonlight in his heart. He hides her away carefully, never buying her clothes, bags, or jewelry. He—"

Liang Shu shifted her gaze to the pile of new clothes. "He draws from others' blood, that clear and cold white moonlight, nourished by crimson blood."

In the tranquil space, only the voice belonging to a woman lingered.

Qu An felt a chill creeping up her spine upon hearing this. She looked at Liang Shu and said, "Miss Liang, please stop. It's eerie. We know who our master is better than anyone."

As if afraid that Liang Shu would say something inexplicable, she hugged the pile of clothes she had just taken down from the rack and said, "Your leg isn't convenient. The master instructed us to keep an eye on you and let you rest properly. These clothes are all new, and it's not good for the skin to wear them for the first time. Let me take them to wash first."

Liang Shu nodded, then stepped aside to let Qu An leave with the heap of clothes.

Gu Hansheng's bedroom was spacious, not to mention the dressing room, which was large enough on its own. Even the outer area almost matched the size of the whole apartment she rented in the old city.

His room was also quite barren, with plenty of blank space and minimal decorations, appearing somewhat desolate.

Liang Shu considered herself not to be someone who intruded into others' belongings, yet she coincidentally stumbled upon a keycard in his drawer.

She was very familiar with this keycard; it took Liang Shu a lot of effort to obtain it after inquiring about Gu Hansheng's schedule.

She just didn't expect when she lost this keycard on that night.

Or when Gu Hansheng found it.

In the following two days, Shi Qing indeed sent over other items, and Liang Shu accepted them all.

Except for Qi Ming and Ye Xiaoxiao, Liang Shu had no other friends. She had always been a loner, almost always keeping to herself.

Apart from a brief acquaintance with a dormmate during her university days, named Chen Xian, who took the initiative to befriend her, Liang Shu was deeply moved and considered her the best friend she ever had.

But later on, after graduation, Liang Shu was different from her classmates.

They had promising futures, some continued their studies while others directly signed with companies, and their salaries were calculated on an annual basis upon graduation.

Only Liang Shu disappeared before graduation.

She didn't attend the graduation ceremony, nor did she bid farewell to anyone. Everyone knew she was a loner, so no one cared about her.

Only Chen Xian called her several times, but Liang Shu never answered.

She remembered on the day of the graduation ceremony, Chen Xian sent her a text message: A Shu, you didn't come to the degree awarding ceremony. Will you come to the graduation ceremony? I'll save the best spot for you.

At that time, the so-called best spot was not in the front three rows or the middle section, but the position at the back by the window.

Chen Xian was a good student, obedient and hardworking. She secured her place at the university through her own efforts. Her future would be entirely different from Liang Shu's.

In any class, she always sat in the front row, sitting upright during lessons like an elementary school student.

Once, due to skipping classes too often, Liang Shu was called out by the teacher, and Aunt Mei was called upon. Aunt Mei couldn't bear to see Liang Shu's distress and tears flowed as she urged her to attend classes diligently. Liang Shu, not wanting to cry in front of the crowd at school, agreed.

On that day, as she entered the classroom to the sound of the bell, it was filled to the brim, and there was no seat left for her.

It was Chen Xian who waved to her and called out, "Aru."

Liang Shu looked expressionlessly towards her, Chen Xian was seated in the front row, directly facing the lectern, and conveniently, there was an empty seat next to her.

After Liang Shu sat down, Chen Xian blushed and whispered to her ear, "I knew you were coming to class today, so I saved the best seat for you, Aru. Please pay attention in class from now on. The professor's lectures are quite interesting."

Liang Shu didn't know if the professor's lectures were interesting or not; she only remembered that on that day, she sat in the front row with Chen Xian. Chen Xian noticed she hadn't eaten, so she shared half of her breakfast with her. However, Chen Xian strictly adhered to class discipline and refused to eat during class.

But Liang Shu wasn't afraid. During that class, under the cover of Chen Xian's textbooks, she managed to finish all the buns and soy milk that Chen Xian had given her.

As the class drew to a close, Liang Shu pointed to the seats at the back and said to Chen Xian, "This isn't a good spot, you see? That's the one."

Later, until graduation, Liang Shu never attended classes with Chen Xian again.

After Liang Shu received Chen Xian's text message, she also received a picture message, showing the back row of the auditorium.

That day, she cried rarely, and after she had enough, she deleted the text message along with the picture.

Chen Xian was going to pursue further studies, and she had a better life. She was different from herself.

Liang Shu would become insignificant in Yucheng in the future, so she didn't bid farewell to anyone.

At present, she had stayed at Zero Mansion for several days and could only speak with Shi Qing.

When Shi Qing was going downstairs, Liang Shu stopped her at the staircase. "Secretary Shi, can I have a word with you?"

Shi Qing turned back to look at Liang Shu and replied after a moment, "Of course."

In the warm atmosphere of the floral room, Liang Shu poured a cup of tea for Shi Qing. Watching the steam rise before her, she said, "Secretary Shi, do you think someone like me is very detestable?"

Shi Qing smiled as she looked at the woman in front of her, dressed in a loose white sweater, her long black hair adorned with just the right amount of curls, naturally cascading over her chest. Behind her was the bright bloom of flowers in the room.

But the woman was even more beautiful than the flowers.

Shi Qing held the cup of hot tea in her fingers and chuckled softly. "You are... Mr. Gu's woman. He likes you, how could you possibly be detestable?"

Liang Shu lowered her head and spoke bluntly, "All of this, I manipulated it to my advantage."

A hint of imperceptible astonishment flickered in Shi Qing's eyes, but she quickly regained her smile. "You're mistaken. I've followed Mr. Gu for these years, and he hardly has any weaknesses. No one could manipulate him."

Unless he willingly allowed it.

In Shi Qing's eyes, Liang Shu was relatively capable. Over the years, there were plenty of women who fancied Gu Hansheng and tried to establish a relationship with him, but none had boldly moved into Zero Mansion like her.

Previously, apart from Shi Qing as his secretary, hardly any other women entered Zero Mansion.

But Shi Qing didn't know how far the boss and Liang Shu's relationship had progressed, so she couldn't let her draw anything out from her own mouth.

After finishing her tea, she got up and bid farewell.

...

Later, it was Gu Hansheng who took the time to accompany her to the vaccination station and then informed her of Su Yan's surgery schedule, and Liang Shu returned to her rental house.

She had few belongings, and there wasn't much to tidy up.

The next evening, she returned to Aunt Mei's place.

Liang Shu didn't expect Jiang Jiucheng to be there this time.

As she unlocked the door with her key and entered, Jiang Jiucheng was sitting on the sofa smoking, wearing a black overcoat, sporting a pair of summer sandals, and slipping on a pair of black cotton socks, his expression one of enjoyment.

The smoke he exhaled differed slightly from others'; he preferred smoking the traditional hookah.

Made of white bronze, the smoking tool was filled with water in a tin basin, with a pipe inserted into it, and another pipe attached, resembling a crane's head, allowing the smoke to pass through the water, greatly reducing the toxicity of the smoke itself.

Jiang Jiucheng's tool was even better than usual, with a gold-trimmed mouthpiece and inlaid with ink silver, adorned with some Western patterns, much more luxurious than ordinary pipes.

It was said to have a history, a gift from an Arab man in the past, claiming it to be an heirloom passed down from ancestors.

Occasionally encountering someone who understood this tool, he would boast to everyone that it was a precious heirloom passed down for many years.

Liang Shu couldn't stand this thing at a glance, not knowing how many people had used this thing, yet Jiang Jiucheng still treated it as a treasure.

At this moment, he was sitting on the sofa with his legs apart, twisting some tobacco into the pipe, lighting it with a piece of paper, and as soon as a spark emerged, he began to smoke.

He took a deep drag, raised his head from the white smoke, and looked at the person suddenly appearing at the door, his brow furrowed, hurriedly blowing out a smoke ring, his eyes showing a hint of fear, and to assert himself, he deliberately raised his voice, "Why have you come back?"

Liang Shu's foot hooked, and the door slammed shut with a deafening sound.

Her face was very cold, her pair of stunning eyes now as sharp as poisoned daggers, staring fiercely at him without saying a word, standing straight at the doorway.

Jiang Jiucheng leaned back against the sofa and said, "Don't look like someone who's owed money by everyone. You can flaunt yourself in front of everyone outside, but when you're with someone, it's like you've lost your parents!"

"Bang!"

A simple folding chair was kicked over by Liang Shu and smashed in front of Jiang Jiucheng. The force scared him backward a bit. He was fine, but the paper in the pipe he was smoking was suddenly extinguished.

"You!"

Liang Shu walked over, "They only speak sweet words and can smile and hand over money. Can you?"

"You... you're despicable!" Jiang Jiucheng glared at her angrily.

Liang Shu tossed her bag onto the table behind her, accidentally knocking over a glass of water, spilling it across half the table. The plastic cup fell to the ground without even a sound of shattering.

"I may be despicable, but does Aunt Mei allow you to say that about me?" she said.

Seeing her kick away the chair and approach, Jiang Jiucheng hastily flicked the cigarette butt away and crawled to the corner of the sofa. But he persisted, "Even if she's not here, I still want to scold you! Look at your despicable bones!"

Jiang Jiucheng was outwardly strong but inwardly weak, no, his body now looked nothing special, rotten inside and out.

Liang Shu, after hearing this, didn't get angry but smiled instead, her red lips bearing a delicate smile, but the coldness in her eyes overflowed in the air.

She slowly bent down, picked up the folding chair, and said lightly, "Since Aunt Mei isn't here, that's even better. I'll smash you right away!"

Saying that, she lifted the chair.

Jiang Jiucheng naturally became afraid. He knew too well what this woman was like when she went mad; she could really end his life.

"If you dare to lay a hand on me, Pian Pian will take your life first!"

He tried to get up and leave, but Liang Shu grabbed the back of his clothes and pulled him back onto the sofa, coldly humming, "Aunt Mei is sad for you every day, isn't that enough? You spend her money on women outside, and your body is probably empty. Since Aunt Mei can't do without you, I'll ruin that thing of yours. Let you go out and not find those women. Spend the rest of your life with Aunt Mei!"

With that, Liang Shu really picked up the chair and headed towards him.

Jiang Jiucheng stretched out his hands to protect his head, his legs tightly closed.

Before Liang Shu's chair could fall on him, the door behind her opened. Aunt Mei stood at the door in a black coat, looking at them in shock, "A Shu, what are you doing?"

This voice was simply Jiang Jiucheng's salvation.

He crawled to Aunt Mei, pointing at Liang Shu and accusing her, "She wants to harm me. She came back and wanted to harm me. If you hadn't come back in time, I might have..."

As he spoke, he lowered his head to look at his pants.

Liang Shu threw the chair in her hand and looked at his khaki pants. There was already a very obvious wet spot between his legs. Anyone could figure out what had happened.

Aunt Mei put down what she was holding and walked towards her, "Why did you suddenly come back?"

Liang Shu glanced at Jiang Jiucheng, who was already quickly returning to his room. She lowered her head, looked at her hands, and said, "I came back to see you."

"I know he must have angered you with his words, but A Shu, don't hurt him. He once risked his life to save mine. Spare his life. I have no hopes for the latter half of my life; I just hope to have a companion."

Liang Shu clapped her hands, looking at the pile of things Aunt Mei bought, and said, "I didn't intend to harm him. I know you like him, but he can't control himself at all. Anyway, people are not the same as hearts. I might as well ruin his flesh, so he can spend the rest of his life with you."

Her words displeased Aunt Mei extremely. "A Shu, do you know what you're talking about? What's the difference between what you're doing and taking his life?"

"Aunt Mei, you've lived a clear life. Why do you only cling to this one man? Forget about saving your life back then, even if he had saved your whole family's lives, it should have been paid back by now. Why did you fall for him in the first place?"

Perhaps because of the recent series of events and the upcoming appointment with Gu Hansheng, Liang Shu's mood was somewhat on the brink of collapse. She continued, "You have that kind of relationship, and he can still let you continue in this profession as if nothing happened, even enjoying the money you make by selling your body. What's the point of such a man?"

With that, Liang Shu looked again at the things she had just brought back, a basket of vegetables. Liang Shu snorted coldly, "You never used to cook before. What's going on now?"

Aunt Mei pays great attention to her appearance. She cherishes her hands and her face. She says washing vegetables will hurt her hands, and cooking will damage her skin with the grease. So she basically never touched these things before.

And now?

Aunt Mei took Liang Shu's hand, a face still with a hint of charm, and smiled, "At this age, I'm not afraid anymore. Your uncle rarely stays at home for such a long time. He likes the food I make, so I cook for him."

At this point, Liang Shu didn't want to speak anymore.

She didn't even bother to expose Aunt Mei.

If it weren't for the fact that he didn't have money now, how could he possibly eat what Aunt Mei cooked?