Chapter 83: Fright

Chen Xian glanced at Liang Shu, refraining from speaking.

Cheng Geling turned her head, her gaze slowly shifting to Liang Shu's face, in that instant, their eyes met.

"Is she his new love?"

Cheng Geling knew it couldn't be a new love.

Yet she persisted in asking.

At this moment, Liang Shu probably could guess the current situation, if her guess was correct, it was related to Lu Jinsheng.

Chen Xian looked at Liang Shu, "Wait for me outside, five minutes, and I'll come find you."

Liang Shu, hearing the sound unintentionally intruding, had no interest in knowing what had happened.

So she glanced at Cheng Geling on the sickbed, turned around, and left.

Cheng Geling pointed in the direction of the door, staring coldly at Chen Xian, her face still pale, "I'm asking you, who is she?"

Chen Xian said, "My friend."

"Friend?" Cheng Geling sneered, "How unlikely."

"Rest, I'll leave first."

Chen Xian didn't say much, walked towards the door, and as he closed it, something hit the door with a sound.

In the corridor, Liang Shu leaned against the cold railing, waiting for Chen Xian. When she heard the sound of the door opening behind her, Liang Shu turned around.

"Is that Lu Jinsheng's girlfriend?"

The former Liang Shu had no time to understand these things, she was busy avoiding debts, busy making money, and had no interest in the entertainment industry at all, so she barely knew Ruan Yunyun, let alone Cheng Geling.

Chen Xian nodded, "Yes, she slit her wrists a few days ago."

Liang Shu looked towards the ward door, pursing her lips, "He didn't come to see her either?"

"I came on his behalf."

Liang Shu smiled, how could she forget, Lu Jinsheng was such a ruthless person, what did a girlfriend cutting her wrists mean to him?

Lunch was chosen at a Chinese restaurant.

Midway through the meal, Liang Shu received a call from Gu Hansheng.

Because Chen Xian was present, Liang Shu ignored the call.

But the other party was persistent, Chen Xian couldn't help asking, "Should I leave?"

Liang Shu shook her head and simply turned off her phone.

"I remember you went to graduate school back then, how did you end up at Lushi?"

Chen Xian said, "Yes, I did go, but later, due to financial difficulties and coincidences, I settled down at Lushi."

In theory, Chen Xian, at his age and level of experience, couldn't possibly become Lu Jinsheng's right-hand man.

For example, the people around Gu Hansheng, like Ji Chen and Shi Qing, were all seasoned veterans, while Chen Xian... no matter how good his professional knowledge was, in terms of age, he was almost the same age as Liang Shu, far from reaching that position.

The reasons behind this, Liang Shu didn't ask.

But now, Chen Xian was quietly looking at Liang Shu, looking at this still beautiful face in front of her, as if the years deliberately skipped over Liang Shu, leaving marks only on other people's faces.

But Liang Shu was very thin now.

Chen Xian had looked for her for a long time back then, calling her, sending her messages, but Liang Shu had never responded.

Chen Xian cared about Liang Shu.

She just had some grievances.

So at this moment, Chen Xian asked Liang Shu, "Why didn't you answer my calls back then?"

Liang Shu smiled, "We are not on the same path, I couldn't take that call."

"Then why are you looking for me now?"

Why did the two of them meet now, and Liang Shu wanted to find Chen Xian?

She said, "Consider it an apology for leaving without saying goodbye all those years ago."

Chen Xian remained silent.

Later, she received a call from Lu Jinsheng. Without even finishing their meal, they parted ways.

Liang Shu looked at the remaining dishes on the table, raised an eyebrow, and instantly lost her appetite.

She turned on her phone and returned Gu Hansheng's call.

While waiting for him to answer, Liang Shu remembered the woman she had seen with Gu Hansheng at the wedding, from a distance, she looked remarkably similar to the one he kept at the Yushan Villa.

Was it a coincidence?

The call connected.

"What were you doing just now? Why didn't you answer my call?"

Liang Shu said, "I was having dinner with someone, ran into an old classmate today."

"Classmate?" The man's voice was gentle, "That's rare."

What exactly Gu Hansheng found rare, he didn't say.

His wife hardly had any social interactions, but she was full of secrets.

Gu Hansheng continued, "I'm almost done here, after I finish, I'll take my mother home, and we can have dinner together at the old mansion tonight?"

Liang Shu thought for a moment before replying, "Then I'll wander around the mall here for a while."

"Okay, I'll come pick you up later."

Around three o'clock in the afternoon, Gu Hansheng picked up Liang Shu.

It was Gu Hansheng himself driving the car. He got out and opened the passenger door for her, and Liang Shu got in.

In the back seat sat Wen Mingting. Liang Shu turned and called him "Mom."

"A Shu, in a couple of days, it will be Christmas Eve. You're finally getting over your cold. Yuzero Mansion is so deserted. Let's go back to our old mansion for a more lively atmosphere."

She nodded, but in the next instant, she saw Jingxing. He was sitting next to Wen Mingting. On such a cold day, he was still wearing thin clothes, his long legs seemed a bit awkward, and at the moment, he covered his head with the hat on his clothes, looking like he was asleep.

Wen Mingting smiled at her, "There's a lot going on with the Jing family these days. Aihang will stay with us at the old mansion for a few days."

This was Jingyu's request.

The Jing family is currently crowded and chaotic. Jingxing is about to take his final exams. It's good for him to have some peace.

Liang Shu nodded.

By this time, Gu Hansheng had returned to the driver's seat and sat down. He leaned over to fasten her seatbelt. Liang Shu didn't realize it for a moment. Her red lips brushed his cheek unintentionally, but when she realized there was someone behind her, her face turned red quietly.

Wen Mingting didn't see this scene, but Jingxing did.

He also saw the smile at the corner of Gu Hansheng's mouth.

It was glaring.

Jingxing pulled the brim of his hat down, looking like he didn't care about anything outside the window.

Just as the car started, Jingxing suddenly threw a tantrum.

"Aunt, I suddenly don't want to go to Gu Mansion. I want to go to a classmate's place for the next few days. He's good at his studies, and it's a good opportunity for him to tutor me."

Wen Mingting refused, "No, I promised A Shu to take good care of you. You'll come home with me. Don't you like the food cooked by the chef at home? I'll have him make your favorite dishes every day."

"But I want to go to my classmate's house."

Liang Shu sat quietly in the passenger seat, watching the road ahead.

Just as the traffic light turned green, Gu Hansheng stopped the car, looked in the rearview mirror, then spoke coldly, "If you want to get off, do it now."

Jingxing snorted coldly and turned his head to look out the window, refusing to speak any further.

Wen Mingting shook her head at the scene.

After returning home, Jingxing stayed up for two nights. As soon as he returned to the Gu Mansion, he went upstairs to sleep.

Liang Shu followed Liang Qing to the wine cellar to get some wine. Gu Hansheng instructed Liang Qing, "Ai, Yuz is afraid of the cold. The wine cellar temperature is low. Please bring her an extra piece of clothing."

Liang Qing smiled, "Don't worry, your wife won't catch a cold."

This made Liang Shu a little embarrassed, and she glanced at Gu Hansheng.

At this point, only Gu Hansheng and Wen Mingting were left in the living room.

Gu Hansheng went to wash his hands and returned to sit on the sofa, picking up an apple with a fruit knife from the coffee table and began to peel it. Wen Mingting, watching the calm and composed man, moved closer and sat beside him, "What's going on with Ah Hang?"

This conflict had been ongoing since the last time, and it still hadn't been resolved.

Unfortunately, Wen Mingting hadn't managed to extract any information.

The man calmly continued to peel the fruit, and after a while, he said lightly, "The kid doesn't understand a lot of things. I taught him last time, so don't worry."

Wen Mingting shook her head, "I'm too lazy to bother."

When Liang Shu returned, Gu Hansheng had just come from the dining room with a freshly squeezed fruit juice. He waved at Liang Shu, "Come here."

"Where's Mom?"

"Drink this." Gu Hansheng handed her the juice.

Liang Shu looked down at it, then sniffed under her nose, "What is this?"

Gu Hansheng patted her shoulder and said, "Apple juice, drink it, it's good for you."

Liang Shu drank it.

That evening at the Gu Mansion, dinner was served late, and it was snowing outside. Liang Shu sat in the living room with Wen Mingting, watching TV.

Jingxing had disappeared after dinner.

Gu Hansheng received two business calls. When he returned to the living room, he noticed that Liang Shu didn't seem to be in high spirits. He squeezed her hand and leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Go upstairs and take a shower, hm?"

Liang Shu glanced at the spirited old lady, "But Mom..."

The man leaned down and pecked her lips, "Go on, I'll be with you."

Liang Shu went upstairs.

Gu Hansheng stayed with the old lady to watch TV. During this time, Li Qing brought tea over, but Gu Hansheng shook his head, "Let's call it a night. It's late, and Mom might have trouble sleeping later."

Liang Qing smiled, "Only you dare to do this. You come every day, and Mom's habit of drinking tea at night can change."

At half past nine in the evening.

Gu Hansheng received another call and went upstairs to the study.

Almost at the moment he went upstairs, Liang Qing opened the door for Jingxing.

A large, furry object rushed towards Liang Qing, startling her. She quickly retreated, "Oh my ancestors, what is this... what is this..."

"A Yun!"

Jingxing scolded A Yun a few times, and only then did A Yun calm down, circling around Liang Qing.

Liang Qing patted her chest and shook her head repeatedly, "Little ancestor, how did you bring him over? I heard that A Yun had bitten Liang Shu before. If your elder brother sees this later, you might get scolded."

"He left A Yun somewhere else by himself. Look at this dog, he's so thin."

Leading A Yun, he walked towards the living room. Gu Hansheng had already informed Wen Mingting in advance, so seeing A Yun wasn't surprising.

She just glanced upstairs and instructed Jingxing, "Don't take A Yun upstairs. You might disturb your sister-in-law later."

Jingxing sat down on the sofa and rubbed A Yun's head. He sighed, "A Yun, you're really pitiful. Dad doesn't care, and Mom doesn't love you."

...

In the study, Gu Hansheng received a call from Ji Chen.

The person on the other end provided Gu Hansheng with some data, "Sir, there are thousands of graves in the suburban cemetery, nearly a hundred of which have 'Sheng' in their names. Following your instructions, we've eliminated a large portion of them and selected about a dozen that fit the criteria."

Gu Hansheng stood by the French window, looking at the cold night outside.

After a while, he said, "Check them one by one, and find a suitable opportunity to arrest Jiang Jiucheng."

"Okay."

He hung up the phone.

Gu Hansheng toyed with his phone with his fingers, pacing back and forth in the study. There was a string of familiar numbers in his mind. These days, he would take out this number and stroll around every once in a while.

Tonight, he finally intended to make the call.

...

Liang Shu finished her shower, dried her hair, and came out of the bathroom.

Then a black shadow rushed towards her from the door so quickly that Liang Shu didn't even have time to react.

"Ah—"

Wen Mingting and Liang Qing were chatting downstairs in the living room when they heard a piercing scream from upstairs. Wen Mingting was startled, her body trembling, she turned and looked to the side, but there was no sign of Jingxing.

She quickly got up and walked towards the stairs, "This Ah Hang, I just reminded him. If something happens, he'll have to bear the consequences!"

Gu Hansheng was the quickest to react.

In terms of distance, the study was the closest to the bedroom.

He rushed in just as Jingxing had exerted a lot of effort to drag A Yun away from Liang Shu.

As for Liang Shu, she had just been pounced on by A Yun, her long hair covering her face, and it was uncertain whether she had been injured.

Seeing this scene, Gu Hansheng's heart shook, and anger surged within him. He took two steps forward, first kicking Jingxing hard, then walking over to lift Liang Shu up.

Liang Shu had clearly been quite frightened.

She stayed in Gu Hansheng's embrace, trembling incessantly, her eyes staring anxiously at the excited dog not far away.

As A Yun seemed about to pounce again, Gu Hansheng grew furious. He turned back and roared angrily, "Get this thing out of here now!"

Jingxing, dumbfounded, also seemed stunned by Liang Shu's reaction.

He dragged A Yun away but stumbled a few steps, not paying attention, and failed to hold onto A Yun.

A Yun rushed back, causing Liang Shu's pupils to contract. She grabbed onto Gu Hansheng's clothes and couldn't help but tremble, her voice trembling, "Gu Hansheng..."

Despite Gu Hansheng's reprimand, A Yun didn't seem affected. In the moment before it was about to pounce again, Gu Hansheng managed to kick it away just in time.

"Get out!"

At the door, Wen Mingting and Liang Qing hurried over, watching Jingxing sitting on the ground and A Yun making panting sounds as it tussled. Wen Mingting's heart sank halfway. She walked over and sternly patted Jingxing on the back, "Ah Hang, you're really causing trouble, aren't you?! A Yun is a Tibetan Mastiff. If it goes berserk, who can control it?"

The scene had shocked Jingxing, who only now realized what had happened. He quickly dragged A Yun away.

Wen Mingting came over to check on Liang Shu, who was still trembling. "Gu Hansheng, quickly put Ah Shu on the bed and see if she's hurt. This child must be frightened."

Liang Shu had just been trembling, but now, burying her head in Gu Hansheng's embrace, tears wet his thin shirt fabric.

She was crying.

This silent cry, without any sound, shook Gu Hansheng to the point where he felt his ribcage ache.

He placed Liang Shu on the bed, but the woman clinging tightly to his neck refused to let go.

Gu Hansheng kissed her forehead softly and comforted her, "It's okay, A Yun is gone, everything's fine now..."

Wen Mingting signaled for Liang Qing to quickly heat up a cup of milk. She stood aside, lowering her voice, "Ah Shu, don't be afraid, everything's fine now."

That night, the sudden appearance of A Yun brought out Liang Shu's bad temper.

She hugged her knees, silently crying, refusing anyone to touch her.

This time, Jingxing acted quickly. Even though A Yun was about to bite Liang Shu, he managed to restrain it in time, preventing a disaster.

But its sharp claws still scratched Liang Shu's neck, leaving three obvious blood marks on her fair, slender neck, a somewhat shocking sight.

Wen Mingting was alarmed to see this. "I'll call the doctor."

Wen Mingting left, leaving Gu Hansheng alone in the room.

The physician arrived promptly.

Wen Mingting and Liang Shu watched from the side, and Liang Shu had to suppress any small grievances. She lay on the bed with the side of her body where she had been scratched exposed, allowing the family doctor to clean her wounds.

Wen Mingting held Liang Shu's hand the whole time, unable to hide her worry as she asked, "Do you need to get a vaccine or something?"

"I just got vaccinated a few days ago, so I don't need another one for six months. I just need to take care of the wound and avoid getting it wet. I'll buy some scar removal cream tomorrow and apply it regularly. It won't leave a scar."

"That's good then."

Having experienced such chaos, Liang Shu said to Wen Mingting, "Mom, I want to rest for a while. You don't need to stay with me."

"Okay, I'll have Hansheng bring you a cup of hot milk later. If you're still awake, drink it before sleeping."

"Okay."

In the living room.

As soon as Wen Mingting came downstairs, she saw A Yun standing in the middle of the living room with a leash in Jingxing's hand. Wen Mingting couldn't help but get angry. "You tied it up properly earlier. How could such a thing happen?"

Gu Hansheng was pacing in front of Jingxing with his hands behind his back. He didn't care that Wen Mingting was also present.

His face was terrifyingly cold, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes as he looked at Jingxing. "If you can't have it, you want to destroy it. Who taught you this principle?!"

Jingxing pursed his lips tightly, turning his head away.

A cold smirk played at the corner of Gu Hansheng's mouth. "Kneel."

Wen Mingting was also shocked. She looked at Gu Hansheng's tall figure and felt a moment of confusion. How long had it been since she had seen Gu Hansheng so angry?

He was Gu Hansheng.

The top figure in the food chain of Yu City. His signature on a contract was worth billions. In front of outsiders, he never hesitated to show his smile, which was his disguise, his mask.

So few people had seen Gu Hansheng truly angry.

Gu Hansheng was also a dutiful son. He had lost his father at a young age and relied on his mother for everything. He had overcome many obstacles and eventually secured his position through his own abilities, expanding his business empire into the unattainable realm it was today, becoming the largest conglomerate in Yu City.

He smiled often in front of his family. This smile was his rare tenderness.

But now, he had no disguise, no tenderness. He showed his most primitive side to his family.

He ordered Jingxing to kneel, but Jingxing didn't comply.

Then, without hesitation, he raised his foot and kicked Jingxing's knee. Wen Mingting had just returned after sending the family doctor away, and she stood at the entrance, covering her mouth in shock, preventing herself from screaming.

In the quiet living room, Gu Hansheng's voice, cold as ice, resounded, "I'm not blaming A Yun this time. It's a dog I raised. I know its temperament better than you do. I also know better than you why I sent it away. Tell me, what are you thinking now?!"

"The last two times, I thought you were just young and could figure things out on your own. But look at what you've done now?! I think you'll live your whole life in a greenhouse. Let alone anything else, you can't even distinguish right from wrong anymore!"