Chapter 65: Despondency

"Qu An, you're no exception."

Every time she passed on Liang Shu's message to Gu Han Sheng, they had previously understood each other without speaking, but now it was being bluntly stated by Liang Shu, leaving her feeling quite embarrassed.

She wanted to say something, but before she could, Liang Shu took a few steps forward, holding Qu An's wrist. "Qu An, you're the best. I came back early to spare you from any trouble."

Qu An hurriedly shook her head. "Madam, please don't do this. I won't say anything to Mr. Gu."

"Alright."

Qu An was prone to worrying too much. She looked at the thick layer of snow outside, the main road outside the villa had been cleared by the servants, but elsewhere was not.

She frowned and said, "Madam, why don't we let the driver drive? The roads are slippery in the snow, and we shouldn't risk any accidents..." She then spat twice, "Ah, I'm jinxing it, I'm jinxing it."

Liang Shu chuckled, "Don't worry, I'm cautious. I've checked the news, the urban area is fine."

That was the truth. The Zero Mansion belonged to a relatively secluded villa area in Yu City, nestled against the mountains. Although not far from the city center, the snowfall here was heavier compared to the urban area.

Qu An had no choice but to let her go.

Though Liang Shu's driving was far less reckless than Gu Han Sheng's, she was still bold.

At this moment, she rolled down the car window, with a lit cigarette pinched between her left index finger, letting the cold wind whistle past as she rested her hand on the window frame.

She dialed Jiang Jiucheng's number.

During the interval while waiting for the call to connect, some ash blew into Liang Shu's eyes. She stopped the car by the roadside and blew the ash out of her eyes using the rearview mirror.

After a few rings, the call connected.

"Did you get the money?"

Liang Shu sat in her seat, her gaze coldly fixed ahead as she said, "Jiang Jiucheng, this concerns Jiang Pingsheng. If you dare to deceive me in any way, I won't let you off this time, regardless of Aunt Mei's face."

"Why would I deceive you? I just want the money. Hurry up, and I'll tell you the information you want."

Before she could speak, Jiang Jiucheng added, "If you don't give me that money by this Sunday, you'll never see Jiang Pingsheng's ashes again."

With a click, Liang Shu hung up the phone, tossing it onto the dashboard.

She took a half-smoked cigarette from her hand, took a harsh puff, then threw away the cigarette butt, shifted gears, pressed the clutch and accelerated downhill.

Qian Hui and Liang Shu met at a private high-end tailor's.

Before arriving, Liang Shu called Qian Hui, who was already waiting for her at the door.

Liang Shu found a place to park the car, got out, and wrapped her coat tightly around herself.

As she got out of the car, she accidentally stepped into a small puddle, soaking most of her foot in dirty water, and dirtying half of her shoe.

Qian Hui stood on the steps waiting for her. "Why haven't you replaced that car yet? It's in such a sorry state, you should replace it sooner rather than later."

Liang Shu smiled, "It's still alright, I'm used to driving it."

The two entered the glass revolving door together and headed towards the elevator.

The clubhouse was on the third floor, quite private. As soon as they stepped out of the elevator, a staff member greeted them at the door.

Liang Shu lifted her foot, stepping onto the smooth floor with her mud-covered shoe, causing the young employee's smile to freeze awkwardly on his face, looking rather unpleasant.

Feeling a bit embarrassed by the situation, Qian Hui finally noticed the condition of Liang Shu's shoes.

Liang Shu, however, acted rather nonchalant. She raised an eyebrow, smiling at the employee and asked nonchalantly, "What? Am I not worthy of coming in like this?"

The employee shook his head.

Qian Hui gave the employee a stern look, then pulled Liang Shu inside. "Let's go, I've arranged for someone. I promise you'll look stunning later, and they'll be in awe."

Suddenly feeling a bit irritated, Liang Shu remained silent.

Both Liang Shu and Qian Hui were there for styling.

The stylist responsible for Liang Shu's makeover was no different from the common impression of a stylist. His hair was medium-length, tied up into a small braid at the back of his head, with clean-shaven sides around his temples, and black earrings on his earlobes.

He had a somewhat effeminate demeanor.

He appraised Liang Shu from head to toe, then glanced at the clothes rack beside him to pick out some outfits for her.

After selecting for a while with no suitable choice, Nick suddenly slapped his forehead, "Forget it, let's pick after the makeover. None of these clothes suit your style."

Before Liang Shu could say anything, Nick said, "Take off your coat for now, it's bothering me."

Without hesitation, he walked up to Liang Shu, grabbed the collar of her coat, and pulled it down. Liang Shu felt somewhat uncomfortable with his behavior, and just as she was about to speak up, she saw him pointing at the label of her coat in astonishment, "Oh my god! How did you get clothes from this brand?"

Liang Shu furrowed her brows, directly taking off her coat and tossing it onto a nearby chair, looking expressionlessly at him, "What did you say?"

Nick picked up her coat, placed the label in front of her, "How did you manage to get clothes from this brand?"

Nick was very sensitive in this regard, known in the circle as a trendsetter in the fashion industry. He had already keenly noticed that the clothes were clearly tailored to Liang Shu's measurements.

"Can't I wear them? Is that strange?" Liang Shu asked in confusion.

What Liang Shu didn't finish saying was: besides this brand, there were other nameless brands of clothes in her wardrobe, almost enough to wear a different outfit every season without repeating.

Nick widened his eyes, poking his earlobe with his little finger, "Miss, are you kidding me? This brand is top-tier haute couture, even the lowest-priced item is worth tens of thousands. Regular people in the industry can't even get custom-made clothes."

He cleared his throat, "Of course, I haven't been able to..."

Liang Shu understood what he meant at this point. She blinked, looking indifferent as she said, "Tony, what are you thinking? This is a high imitation..."

Nick patted her shoulder, his mocking skills at maximum, "Ordinary people haven't even seen this brand, how could there be high imitations?"

Liang Shu, "..."

Liang Shu remained unfazed, "Just look at my shoes, and you'll understand. Clothes worth tens of thousands..." Liang Shu waved her hand dismissively, "Why would I waste money on clothes? Am I that foolish?"

At her words, Nick looked down at her shoes. Liang Shu was wearing a pair of flat shoes worth a hundred or so yuan, which were now quite dirty.

Holding his nose in disgust, Nick waved his hand, holding her clothes, "Miss, go change your shoes quickly, they're so dirty. Who let you in..."

Fortunately, they managed to smooth things over.

Liang Shu was grateful that she had taken her shoes with her when she left... Luckily, she hadn't thrown anything away at that time.

...

Liang Shu had good foundations. In terms of appearance, she excelled in all aspects. Even someone as critical as Nick praised Liang Shu endlessly, even with envy.

In the midst of applying makeup, Nick stretched out his index finger and tapped Liang Shu's cheek. She immediately pushed his hand away forcefully. Nick clicked his tongue twice, "How can your skin be so good?"

"Luxury skincare products that don't cost a penny," Liang Shu replied.

"Tsk tsk, look at these eyes, this nose bridge, and this complexion..."

Liang Shu suddenly stood up with a cold expression, glaring at him, showing signs of anger. "Are you going to do it or not? If not, get out."

The assistant beside them looked even darker than Nick. She sarcastically remarked, "Nick here is the most skilled. He rarely compliments people. Miss, you don't seem to frequent places like this..."

Liang Shu gave the assistant a stern look, which immediately silenced her.

Nick didn't mind. He was very fond of Liang Shu. Exaggerating a bit, having Liang Shu under his care was like having a treasure in his hands.

After that, Nick's professionalism shone through in the latter half of the session, and he became more concise with his words.

He brought out the best in Liang Shu in every aspect.

In the end, when Qian Hui finished her styling and saw Liang Shu, her eyes widened in amazement. After thinking for a while, she could only come up with a short praise, "A Shu, you look absolutely stunning."

Looking at herself in the mirror, Liang Shu couldn't help but agree. She really did look beautiful.

Nick clapped his hands, staring at Liang Shu in the mirror. Suddenly, he added, "I wonder which fearless wild boar will dare to intrude upon this thorny rose."

Liang Shu, "..."

Qian Hui, "..."

Back at the office, dealing with matters, Gu Han Sheng sneezed right on cue. Ting Jing, who was standing by waiting for him to finish signing, heard the sudden sneeze from the boss and nodded with concern, "Mr. Gu, are you catching a cold? Do you need me to buy you some medicine?"

After signing the documents, Gu Han Sheng threw them in front of Ting Jing without even looking up. "Get out."

Ting Jing smiled and nodded, "Of course."

...

Qian Hui looked at Liang Shu standing gracefully in front of her and suddenly felt tears welling up in her eyes. She gently dabbed at the corners of her eyes with her hand, "A Shu, if only you were born into a wealthy family..."

Liang Shu smiled, "Well, fate didn't give me that privilege."

As they left, Nick escorted Liang Shu all the way to the elevator, despite her reluctance, insisting on holding her hand. "I have a wide network of contacts and know quite a few talent scouts. If you have any intention of becoming a star, you can come to me."

Comparing Liang Shu from top to bottom with his hands, Nick raised an eyebrow, "With your looks, you wouldn't need to do anything. Just standing among the stars, you'd be a classic and a highlight, attracting thousands upon thousands of fans in no time."

Ignoring him, Liang Shu walked towards the elevator without even glancing at him.

Qian Hui smiled and said, "A Shu is used to being carefree. You should discover other potentials."

Outside, Qian Hui held Liang Shu's hand and walked towards the business car. "Leave your car here; you can come back for it tomorrow."

Liang Shu didn't refuse.

Inside the car, Qian Hui glanced at something and held Liang Shu's hand, "Say whatever you want to say; the driver is not an outsider."

Liang Shu pondered silently for a moment, then said, "Qian Hui, tonight's matter shouldn't be known to Aunt Mei. Also, if you can borrow the money, do so. If not, I won't force it. Consider it a celebration for you leaving the Red Chamber."

Behind her was Gu Han Sheng, that great Buddha. She couldn't fathom his thoughts. Since marrying Gu Han Sheng, she had been following the rules, and she hadn't contacted those people before. She even discarded the phone card she used to contact potential clients.

That man wouldn't like her associating with other men, even if he didn't like her anymore. After all, how could someone of his stature accept her being involved with other men?

Qian Hui patted her hand and continued to smile, "Don't worry, I won't let you go back empty-handed."

By now, it was dark outside, and the accumulated snow reflected a faint light under the street lamps.

Liang Shu looked at the scenery outside the window, her beautiful face slightly cold. Today was Wednesday, and she had to hand the money to Jiang Jiucheng before Sunday.

Five hundred thousand...

She slowly clenched her fists, lowering her head.

Qian Hui glanced at her, a fleeting expression of pity in her eyes. However, when she spoke, her tone became firm again. "A Shu, I won't see you often in the future. You must take care of yourself."

Liang Shu, preoccupied with her thoughts, turned her head and forced a smile at Qian Hui. "As long as you're happy."

After a pause, she added, "Why did he hide you for so many years and suddenly want to make you legitimate now?"

Qian Hui lowered her head, a faint smile on her lips. "Is it sudden? Because I waited for so many years, that's why I finally waited for this day."

And to reach this day, only one final step remained.

Liang Shu nodded without saying anything more.

One was happy, and the other burdened with worries.

After about twenty minutes of driving, Qian Hui suddenly said, "A Shu, you should consider what I said before. You have good conditions yourself. Find a backer, and you'll eventually succeed."

Liang Shu narrowed her eyes, looking at Qian Hui's almost overflowing smile, which was glaring and piercing.

She suddenly laughed, "Like you, huh?"

Qian Hui was taken aback for a moment, then said, "After all, people like us are only suitable to live in the gilded cage they've woven for us."

"But Aunt Mei doesn't allow me to casually associate with men outside, let alone someone like you," Liang Shu said softly.

Qian Hui smiled, "Aunt Mei's attention is all on Jiang Jiucheng now. She has no time for you." Some things were best left unsaid. Qian Hui shook her head. "Don't worry, tonight I'll definitely get you the five hundred thousand."

...

Indeed, it was a private gathering.

They chose a highly private club located in the bustling city, akin to a paradise hidden among peach blossoms.

The decoration style leaned towards Japanese, and standing in the low courtyard, Liang Shu could see the towering skyscraper next to it, with the bright logo of a six-star hotel catching her eye.

Qian Hui looked for her for a long time before finally spotting her slender figure in the courtyard.

She walked over, "A Shu, you were so hard to find. I was worried you'd left. I won't have anyone to talk to later."

Rubbing Liang Shu's hands, she added, "It's snowing again. Let's go inside; they're already here."

A female attendant dressed in a kimono bowed and led the two of them down the corridor. Liang Shu listened to the lively noises from inside and furrowed her delicate eyebrows slightly.

Someone pushed the door open, and Liang Shu caught a glimpse of a water-embroidered screen, reflecting the warm yellow light inside, creating a somewhat ambiguous atmosphere.

Qian Hui pulled Liang Shu's hand, "Let's go."

Liang Shu felt some resistance in her heart, her eyebrows furrowing tightly.

"What's wrong?" Qian Hui asked.

Liang Shu shook her head slightly, unable to express herself.

Jiang Jiucheng had better give her a satisfactory answer, or she would really kill him.

In the past, Liang Shu had attended many banquets with those patrons, whether it was elegant and refined or charming and vulgar. She had been adept at it, switching between innocence and coquettishness in the blink of an eye.

At that time, it was her instinct for survival. But why couldn't she do it now?

The world inside was more chaotic than Liang Shu had imagined.

There were several girls, all dressed provocatively.

And there were many men of various ages, except for one man wearing gold-rimmed glasses who looked elegant, the other men were just riffraff, indulging in luxuries.

But they were truly rich.

For example, the man facing her and Qian Hui now, Liang Shu had seen his watch in Gu Han Sheng's dressing room.

As they entered, the man with gold-rimmed glasses stood up and walked towards them. Qian Hui twisted her waist and took his arm, intentionally getting closer to him, her disheveled hair brushing against the man's ear, conveniently blocking his view of Liang Shu.

Qian Hui said, "Qiping, this is my little sister, Liang Shu. What do you think? Isn't she beautiful and captivating?"

Su Qiping looked at Liang Shu and was also taken aback.

She was indeed very beautiful. Su Qiping glanced inside, and his eyebrows furrowed imperceptibly.

He led the two of them inside. Glancing at Liang Shu, he remarked, "Miss Liang, isn't this your first time in this kind of setting?"

There was a step in front of them, and Liang Shu, wearing a long dress, was about to respond when Su Qiping interrupted, "Be careful on the step."

Liang Shu smiled and thanked him before answering, "No."

Su Qiping didn't say anything else because they had already entered the room.

The noisy atmosphere enveloped them, and Liang Shu heard Qian Hui introducing her to everyone, "Thank you all for coming here to gather. This is my sister, A Shu."

Before she could finish, a balding man's eyes landed on Liang Shu, and he immediately pushed the girl beside him away, his small eyes almost squinting into a line. "Such a beautiful face. Come here..."

As he spoke, the slightly chubby man stood up and walked towards Liang Shu, his hand almost reaching out. Liang Shu was already prepared to dodge.

Unexpectedly, Qian Hui hurried over and stood between the two, exuding the air of a madam from the Yu Lou Chun. She smiled without changing her expression and said, "Oh, Director Wang, why are you in such a hurry? Let's sit down and chat slowly. Isn't it better to take it easy and gradually?"

The chubby man looked towards Liang Shu and laughed, "You should sit next to me."

The woman who had just been pushed away by him sat on the floor with her legs crossed, looking at Director Wang with a resentful expression, her face full of unhappiness. She spoke in a coquettish tone, "Oh, Director Wang, you're so annoying. You want to make me give up my seat for her. If she sits here, where do I sit?"

Everyone watched this scene, and there were many private gestures and actions.

Director Wang couldn't stand women acting coquettishly. Her voice almost made his bones go soft. He turned around and sat next to the woman, putting his hand on her shoulder. "You're my sweetheart. No one else matters."

The atmosphere became lively with jokes and banter.

Qian Hui introduced everyone one by one, and Liang Shu finally sat down in the empty seat at the beginning.

Qian Hui leaned close to her and whispered, "The man next to you is the biggest protagonist tonight. If he's happy, everything will be yours."

At first, this man had been facing away from the direction they came in, but now Liang Shu glanced at him and was surprised to find that he was the same person as Su Qiping.

Wearing white-framed glasses, with deep eyes, the light refracted by the lenses obscured the emotions inside. Liang Shu sat next to him, but he didn't turn his head to look at her.

Strange.

She took the initiative to greet him, "Mr. Lin."

The woman's voice was cold and clear, particularly pleasant in this chaotic environment.

Liang Shu watched as the man's slender fingers poured a cup of plum wine into her cup from the small black-glazed neck bottle. Then he raised his own cup to her. "Lin Jingting."

She watched as he drank his cup of wine cleanly. After hesitating for a moment, Liang Shu also raised her cup and took a small sip.

The man with flushed cheeks beside her saw it and mocked, "You're so clueless. If you can't drink, why are you here? Mr. Lin finished his drink in one gulp, and you're just pretending to take a sip?"

The woman in the man's arms picked up her glass and poured it into the man's mouth, giggling, "Oh, how could someone with such a beautiful face like hers be the same as us? Mr. Lin knows how to cherish and pamper women. He's not talkative like you."

She poured another glass for him, saying, "No, no, you have to drink more!"

Others smiled, and Su Qiping looked at Liang Shu, squinting his eyes.

Qian Hui's face was all smiles as she leaned close to Su Qiping's ear and said, "Looks like Mr. Lin really likes her."

At that moment, Liang Shu reached out to pick up the black-glazed wine cup, which still had half of its liquid left. However, before her fingers touched the cold vessel, a hand pressed down on hers.

Liang Shu immediately withdrew her hand, furrowing her eyebrows.

But Lin Jingting spoke, "You don't have to force yourself. Drink as much or as little as you like."

"Listen to that, Mr. Lin is so considerate of women. It's really rare." The woman sitting across from Liang Shu giggled loudly.

At that moment, footsteps sounded, and Liang Shu turned her head, her eyes showing a slight hint of surprise.

The woman, equally exquisitely dressed but relatively revealing, exposed her well-proportioned figure without any reservation.

When the woman who had just spoken saw her, she waved and said, "Hey, Lulu, you finally came back. We were just talking about how considerate Mr. Lin is. You left for a while, and now he's showing his care to someone else."

Qian Hui became displeased upon hearing this.

She looked at the woman who had spoken with a cold expression and said, "Our A Shu is so beautiful. Naturally, everyone who sees her likes and cherishes her."

"Humph!"

The woman named Lulu's expression turned cold the moment she saw Liang Shu. She walked to the other side and sat down next to Lin Jingting.

Lulu poured herself a glass of wine and smiled, her bright red lips parting, "Hello."

Liang Shu's lips twitched slightly, but she didn't say anything.

After this episode passed, it was evident that everyone treated this man named Lin Jingting with great respect.

Midway through, Lulu ran to the other side to joke around with someone else, and Lin Jingting turned his head to look at Liang Shu. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "In need of money?"

Liang Shu pursed her lips lightly and looked at him. Slowly, she uttered two words, "...Not lacking."

Lin Jingting smirked. "Then why are you here?"

"Out of friendship and duty. Is that not allowed?"

"Friendship and duty..." Lin Jingting's eyes flashed with a hint of mockery, and he added, "Quite sacrificial."

Liang Shu had been kneeling for a long time, and her legs were numb. She wanted to stand up and stretch. Qian Hui handed her a glass of wine and said, "A Shu, here's a toast from me. The difficult days will pass."

Eager to leave, Liang Shu drank it all in one gulp. Beside her, Lin Jingting narrowed his eyes.

At the door, Liang Shu put on her shoes and headed to the bathroom.

She didn't have her phone with her; it was with Qian Hui. She didn't know if Gu Hansheng would try to contact her.

With makeup on her face, it was inconvenient to wash it off.

Liang Shu wetted a tissue and gently pressed it against her overheated cheeks. The quiet restroom was filled with the sound of high heels.

Lulu, wearing high heels and hugging her arms, appeared behind her, staring at the woman in the mirror.

"In the end, you found that it's more comfortable to earn money lying down, right, Arui?" Lulu's voice was cold.

Liang Shu paused, then threw the tissue into the trash can before turning to look at Lulu with a cold expression. "In your eyes, I'm still earning money standing up. That's quite an achievement."

Lulu, with heavy makeup on her eyes, looked Liang Shu up and down, her nails digging into her palms. "How is such a harmful ant like you still alive? Haven't you found a man to support you in the past two years? Do you still have to come out and pretend to smile?"

"Are you not the same?" Liang Shu retorted sarcastically.

As soon as she finished speaking, Lulu took two steps forward. Anger contorted her face as she raised her right hand to slap Liang Shu, but Liang Shu intercepted it.

Both women were wearing high heels, but Liang Shu was taller than Lulu.

Liang Shu grabbed Lulu's hand firmly, staring at her coldly.

Lulu struggled to break free, stumbling backward two steps. "Everything I've suffered today is all because of you! How dare you say such things? I regret not killing you back then!"

"All because of me?" Liang Shu shook her head. "You're giving me too much credit. If you want to blame someone, blame that man who can't control himself."

Three years ago.

It was also at a high society banquet.

There was a wealthy man named Zhou, named Zhou Qing.

Lulu used to be Zhou Qing's lover. Although Zhou Qing had a fiancée, he hadn't married yet. He had argued with his fiancée more than once because of Lulu.

There were even rumors in the circle at that time that Zhou Qing was going to break off his engagement with his fiancée for Lulu, a woman whose profession was unclear.

At that banquet, Zhou Qing attended ostentatiously with Lulu.

Lulu was undoubtedly the center of attention at the time.

Liang Shu used to earn five thousand just by being a decorative presence for one night. That day, as a gentleman's companion, the man took her to the salon for styling to save face. He even agreed to raise her price.

The man directly increased the price to twenty thousand, four times the original amount.

Liang Shu let the stylist style her. At first, Lulu stole the limelight, but later, Liang Shu captivated everyone's attention.

That night, everyone tacitly spread rumors that Zhou Qing was going to announce the cancellation of his engagement with his fiancée and officially make Lulu his girlfriend.

But later, a bathroom incident turned Lulu into a laughingstock in high society.

Later versions of the story spread in which the affectionate Zhou Qing, who had even broken up with his fiancée for Lulu, changed his affections after that night.

He fell in love with Liang Shu.

Yes, it was a case of love at first sight.

He didn't care about Liang Shu's identity as a socialite or the fact that she never spoke the truth. He didn't even care about her deception. He just wanted her.

But Liang Shu didn't care for him.

She rejected Zhou Qing straightforwardly, without any hesitation or remorse.

Lulu had seen it more than once, Zhou Qing, holding a bouquet of bright red flowers, offering them to Liang Shu, only for her to toss them to the ground without batting an eyelid the next moment.

She would never forget what Liang Shu said to Zhou Qing. She said, "Do you really like me? Right now, I only like dead people. Go die, maybe then I'll like you."

Except for Liang Shu, no one else knew that at that time, Jiang Pingsheng had just passed away two months ago.

In just these two short months, Liang Shu had become a famous socialite in this high society circle.

She moved among various men to make money, but she never showed any mercy.

And her words to Zhou Qing were particularly cutting.

Unable to bear it any longer, Lulu rushed out and slapped Liang Shu fiercely.

She yelled hysterically at Liang Shu, "What are you?! He's been begging you for over a month, and you've been tormenting him. Even if you don't like him, don't say such hurtful things. Look at him, look at how you've tortured him this past month!"

Anger was genuine, so was heartache. This was Lulu's most authentic state at the moment.

But Liang Shu remained unaffected, even blaming the sudden appearance of Zhou Qing for blocking her path. She was still eager to rush to the next event.

She lifted her foot and stomped fiercely on the bouquet of red roses on the ground, staring coldly at Lulu. "Are you angry? Can't stand seeing the man who once held you in the palm of his hand fall in love with someone else? So you keep watching him all the time? And when you see him being mistreated because of another woman, you rush out to support him, right?"

The mid-January weather was bitterly cold.

Lulu looked at Liang Shu's thin clothes and the slender neck exposed by her collar. She gritted her teeth and cursed, "Yes, I can't stand it! Look at what you've done to such a proud man!"

At these words, Liang Shu glanced at Zhou Qing, her eyes suddenly moist.

She also wanted to ask the heavens why they had hurt someone as outstanding as Jiang Pingsheng and taken his life.

Liang Shu looked at Lulu. "So what if you can't stand it? Let him continue to like you."

With that, Liang Shu didn't look at them again and prepared to walk past them.

But Zhou Qing stepped forward and grabbed Liang Shu's arm. She recoiled as if avoiding a viper, stepping back several steps. Zhou Qing's eyes showed hurt. "What do I have to do for you to accept me? I like you. They say you need money, I have plenty. How much do you want?"

Liang Shu's smile was cold. "I already told you, I like dead people. Go die."

This kind of rejection didn't move Zhou Qing. He stared at Liang Shu intently. "Arui, why won't you accept me?"

"Don't call me that, Zhou Qing, it's disgusting," Liang Shu replied, glancing at the scattered roses on the ground. "And don't bother sending me flowers again. Don't look for me either; there's absolutely no chance between us."

This time, Liang Shu wanted to leave, and Zhou Qing didn't stop her.

But Lulu did.

Liang Shu looked at the arm blocking her path, her eyes icy.

Lulu grimaced in anguish, pointing to her heart, "Truly, I have never seen a woman more ruthless than you. I won't vie with you anymore, I beg of you, treat Zhou Qing a little better."

Once upon a time, Zhou Qing adored Lulu.

He truly did break ties with his fiancée for her.

But you can never guarantee that the man who loves you at this moment will still love you in the next.

Take, for instance, Zhou Qing meeting Liang Shu.

Merely because of a fleeting glance in the restroom at a high society soirée.

It may sound absurd, but that one glance made Zhou Qing forsake everything, like a moth drawn to the flame.

Yet, this flame offered Zhou Qing no warmth, only destruction upon approach.

Lulu pleaded for Liang Shu to treat Zhou Qing better.

But what did this callous woman say?

She said, "Why should I be good to him?"

Even to the exemplary Jiang Pingsheng, she never treated him well. Even moments before his accident, she angered him. Why should she be good to other men?

You can never persuade a woman whose heart has turned cold.

Liang Shu departed.

Lulu turned around, at a loss, gazing at Zhou Qing, lips pursed. "Zhou... Zhou Qing, you..."

The tall figure with a stooped back still carried a smile at the corner of his lips. He bent down to pick up the rose, trampled to pieces by Liang Shu, looking at Lulu. "It's my fault for hurting you. Whether you hate me or resent me, I still choose her."

Though heartbroken, Lulu didn't want Zhou Qing to end up like this.

Pointing at the woman who was almost disappearing from view, she said to Zhou Qing, "But think about it, how has that heartless woman treated you? You've given her so much, has she ever spared you a glance? Those carefully chosen gifts, she just tossed them in the trash every time."

These were the experiences Liang Shu bestowed upon Zhou Qing.

He knew them better than anyone else.

But Zhou Qing didn't care.

He said, "Yes, I know. She might even want to throw me in the trash if she could. But Lulu, I love her, there's no reason."

Now Lulu understood completely.

Liang Shu is perceptive, and Zhou Qing is too.

The one who can't let go is Lulu.

It's all just a play of emotions, like Zhou Yu facing Huang Gai.

Lulu is determined to no longer meddle in Zhou Qing's affairs.

But Liang Shu, this woman, is simply excessive.

Another half a month passed.

At the end of January, Yucheng was already very cold.

It was one night.

They were by a lake in a park. Lulu watched as her beloved man reached out his frozen, crimson hands to hand her a box of snow boots. Zhou Qing said, "Wear these, your current shoes don't keep you warm enough."

Just moments before, Liang Shu had earned ten thousand yuan accompanying a tycoon at a banquet, yet she still wore a pair of silver, open-toed high heels adorned with water diamonds. The shoes didn't fit quite right, exposing a large portion of her cold, pale instep and several crowded, half-exposed toes.

She held a cigarette between her fingers, taking a puff as smoke wafted, obscuring her vision.

Zhou Qing sighed helplessly as he looked at Liang Shu through the pale haze of smoke, "Even if you don't accept me, please stop doing this in the future. Those men are all up to no good."

Liang Shu chuckled, adopting the demeanor of a female ruffian, "Those men are up to no good, and you're the only one who's sincere?"

"I genuinely like you."