A complicated look flashed through Zhou Yanci’s eyes, and he hurried after her.
He did not pause for even a second as he passed Shen Mian.
Everyone else stood frozen in place.
What was going on?
Zhou Yanci had actually left Miss Shen behind and gone?
At the same time, Shang Wu hurried out of the bar.
The astonishment and hurt on her face had long since vanished, replaced by indifference.
There were many cars waiting outside to pick up passengers.
She walked straight to the nearest one, got in, shut the door, and took out her phone.
As she declined Zhou Yanci’s call, she said without looking up, “Excuse me, take me to Junyue Residence.”
The driver neither started the car nor said anything.
Shang Wu raised her eyes in confusion.
A man was sitting in the driver’s seat of the Lexus.
He glanced sideways at her. His features were striking, and there was no emotion in his eyes.
After they stared at each other for several seconds, Shang Wu finally reacted. “It’s you?”
Lu Rang gave a faint scoff. “Does Miss Shang only know how to say those two words whenever she sees someone?”
Shang Wu caught sight of Zhou Yanci coming out of the bar after her and immediately tapped the seat.
“Start driving.”
Lu Rang’s gaze had already turned displeased. “I’m waiting for my friend, not working as your Didi driver. Get out.”
Shang Wu bit her lip. Seeing Zhou Yanci beginning to look at the people inside every car, she immediately bent down and sprawled across the back seat.
Lu Rang frowned.
Zhou Yanci searched around but could not find anyone. Anxious, he went back into the bar.
“She’s gone. Get out now.”
His voice was cold, tinged with impatience and annoyance.
Shang Wu knew that this man disliked trouble, but she had not expected such a strong reaction, as though he were afraid of being dragged into her romantic affairs and caught in the crossfire.
She pressed her lips together and got out of the car without a word.
After thinking it over, Shang Wu turned back and walked to the passenger-side window, then tapped on it.
Lu Rang lowered the window halfway and looked at her.
“I’ll get the money. Please give some serious thought to whether you’ll take my case, all right?” Shang Wu looked at him earnestly, without blinking.
The bar’s sign cast shifting red and blue light. Lu Rang’s expression was hidden in the shadows.
After a long moment, he gave a soft “Mm,” so quiet it was almost inaudible.
Shang Wu breathed a sigh of relief, hurried away, and got into a taxi up ahead.
Inside the taxi, a tattooed arm extended out, and the hand wearing a gold watch flicked away some cigarette ash.
The driver did not look like a legitimate taxi driver.
Lu Rang’s eyes were still following the car.
A man came over and got into the passenger seat, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“Those bastards are real dogs! They only agreed to testify for the defendant after I negotiated with them all this time!”
After saying that, Yan Yue suspiciously wrinkled his nose. “Is something wrong with my sense of smell? Why does your car smell like a woman?”
Lu Rang started the car. After two seconds of silence, he said, “You’re imagining it.”
“True enough. You spend all day throwing yourself into your cases. Those beauties at the front desk have been batting their eyes at you for nothing, so why don’t you ever look at me? I’m not bad-looking either…”
Yan Yue leaned over, staring into the rearview mirror as he stroked his chin.
Lu Rang ignored him. He kept his eyes on the road and watched the taxi ahead, pressing down on the accelerator at an unhurried pace.
“Oh, right. I heard you asked a client for ten times your usual fee at noon today. What case is so difficult? Everyone’s already talking about it.” Yan Yue leaned back in the passenger seat and looked at him.
This was the first time Lu Rang had ever taken the initiative to ask for more money.
Lu Rang finally reacted. “The Shang Family Case.”
“Oh… What?!”
Yan Yue sat up in shock. “Wasn’t the Shang Family Case already settled? Some people went to prison, and others paid compensation. It was handled with great fanfare for more than half a year. There shouldn’t be any dispute left.”
Lu Rang glanced up at the traffic light.
Three seconds remained.
He stepped on the accelerator and sped up.
“Who hired you, anyway? Don’t tell me it’s Shang Wu. She’s engaged to the president of Chengzhou now. If she wants to investigate something, why not go to Jinshui Law Firm?”
Yan Yue rested his head on his arm and leaned back with a cold laugh. “Heh. Jinshui has Zhou Yanci backing it now, and it’s riding high. They actually dare to go head-to-head with us!”
Lu Rang stepped on the brake.
The car stopped outside Junyue Residence.
A slender figure got out of the taxi ahead and entered the residential compound.
Yan Yue was utterly confused. “What are you doing? Are the words ‘Junyue Residence’ really that similar to ‘Dingfeng Law Firm’?”
Lu Rang watched the taxi remain there for several seconds before driving away, then turned the car around.
……
When Shang Wu returned home, she kicked off her high heels, shook out her aching ankles, and took out a bottle of water to drink.
Her phone was still buzzing incessantly.
She declined Zhou Yanci’s call for the eighteenth time, then went upstairs to take a shower.
When she came out, there was indeed someone sitting in the living room.
Shang Wu lowered her eyes to Zhou Yanci. “What are you doing here? Go back to your house.”
Zhou Yanci immediately stood up, his eyes filled with anxiety and guilt. He was so flustered that he did not even know what to do with his hands.
“I’m sorry. I misunderstood you. But I have no interest in or feelings for Miss Shen. I just didn’t want you to be seen hitting someone in public and have it spread around. Really!”
A flicker passed through Shang Wu’s eyes as she walked downstairs.
Seeing that she was finally willing to talk, Zhou Yanci breathed a sigh of relief.
After Shang Wu had stormed out, he had chased after her without even bothering with Miss Shen. When he could not get through to Shang Wu, he had no desire to stay at the drinking party, much less pay any further attention to Miss Shen.
He had searched for Shang Wu like a headless fly until he found his way here. Only when he heard the sound of her shower running upstairs did he feel somewhat reassured.
Perhaps he was merely afraid that Shang Wu would notice something was wrong and that it would shake the feelings between them.
This was a crucial period, with the Jewelry Division preparing to release its new products. He could not allow problems to arise between him and Shang Wu.
Yes, that was all he was worried about.
Zhou Yanci focused intently on her and gently took Shang Wu’s hand, wanting to kiss the back of it.
Shang Wu pulled away.
Zhou Yanci sighed softly. “Shang Wu, forgive me. I won’t do it again.”
Shang Wu turned her head away and continued to ignore him.
When she refused to give in, Zhou Yanci grew somewhat impatient.
He had grown up surrounded by attendants and dressed in fine clothes, accustomed to having everything he wanted. He did not like lowering his head before a woman and humbling himself again and again.
“What do you want me to do before you’ll stop being angry? Shang Wu, I remember you weren’t this petty before. You always forgave me quickly. What’s wrong today?”
Shang Wu remained silent, her shoulders trembling slightly.
Zhou Yanci froze. He walked around to stand in front of her, then could not help sucking in a sharp breath.
At some point, Shang Wu’s face had become streaked with tears, and she was crying silently.
She bit her lip, her face full of restrained vulnerability. “You protected Miss Shen in front of so many people today. Do you think saying a couple of apologies makes it all right? Do you know how awful I feel?”
Zhou Yanci’s heart softened at once. He pulled Shang Wu into his arms. “I’m sorry. It was all my fault. Don’t cry, all right? It really hurts me to see you like this.”
Shang Wu leaned against Zhou Yanci’s shoulder, hatred spreading through her eyes as her hands slowly climbed up his arms.
“Then promise me one thing, and I’ll forgive you.”
Zhou Yanci smiled and rubbed the top of her head. “Tell me. What is it?”
“Give me back my savings account,” Shang Wu said, taking advantage of the moment to bring it up.
Zhou Yanci’s expression changed for an instant before returning to normal. Puzzled, he asked, “Why do you suddenly want your account back? Don’t you have enough money on your card for your usual expenses? I’ll transfer another million to you. Buy whatever you want.”
Shang Wu bit her lip. “But I want to manage the account myself. I’m planning to buy a plot of land and open a shop as a side business. I also want to buy Linjiang Villa for our marriage. There are so many things that need money.”
Zhou Yanci hesitated. “The Jewelry Division is so busy. Will you have time to manage a side business too?”
“But you promised to let me open a restaurant serving only the dishes we both like. And I want to decorate the villa in a style we both like.” Shang Wu’s eyes were filled with longing as she took his hand and gave it a gentle tug.
Every one of these things that required money revolved around Zhou Yanci.
Zhou Yanci smiled. He enjoyed the feeling that every part of Shang Wu’s life revolved around him, that she could not do without him.
His slightly satisfied gaze settled on Shang Wu, and he was successfully pleased. “All right. Go to the finance department tomorrow and tell them.”
Shang Wu curved her lips and gave him a faint smile.
“Yanci, you’re so good to me.”
She was smiling, but her eyes were as cold as ice.
Zhou Yanci was about to embrace her again when his phone suddenly rang.
He took it from his pocket. His expression changed slightly when he saw the number, and he turned to the window before answering.
“Mm. Mm.”
After murmuring twice, Zhou Yanci immediately lowered his voice. “How did she get drunk? All right, I’ll come over right away. Don’t let anyone take advantage of her.”
After hanging up, he looked up and found Shang Wu standing behind him with his suit jacket in her hands.
Zhou Yanci instantly felt as if his heart had been yanked upward.
She had probably heard what he had just said on the phone.
He nervously studied Shang Wu. “A-Wu, a friend of mine got drunk and got into a fight with someone…”
“Go quickly. Take care of it, and be careful.”
Shang Wu interrupted him with a smile and handed him the jacket.
Zhou Yanci relaxed. As he was leaving, his steps paused. He turned back and said firmly, “Shang Wu, I love you.”
Shang Wu pressed her lips together shyly. “Mm. I love you too.”
Only then did Zhou Yanci leave without looking back.
Once his car had driven away, Shang Wu’s expression turned cold.
She had heard clearly. Gu Ziqian had called to ask Zhou Yanci to go see Miss Shen.
Shang Wu felt not the slightest ripple in her heart.
She had more important matters to resolve.
……
The next day.
Shang Wu got up especially early.
She did not go to receive the team that had come from overseas. Instead, she hastily told them over the phone that the Jewelry Division had no plans to expand internationally.
The other party remained stunned on the phone for a full half minute, seemingly unable to understand no matter how hard they thought about it. Chengzhou Group could increase sales and make a fortune simply by spending some money on overseas publicity—was the group out of its mind to refuse such a profitable opportunity?
After hanging up, Shang Wu thought self-deprecatingly: She must have been out of her mind to seek so many benefits for Chengzhou.
Everything she had contributed to the group, every bit of revenue she had worked to create for Zhou Yanci, and every title and scrap of fame she had given Ji Yu—all of it would be taken back.
Before long, the car stopped outside a tall wall and iron gates.
Shang Wu looked up and saw the four characters on the prison.
Qingmu Prison.
She instinctively tightened her grip on the steering wheel.
After her Older Brother had been sentenced to prison for her sake, that pampered young master who had grown up surrounded by an aura of privilege, living in comfortable circumstances, had become a prisoner in an instant.
Although Older Brother had told her again and again that he did not regret being imprisoned to protect his family, Shang Wu knew that he could not get past that hurdle in his heart.
Older Brother told her not to visit him at the prison too often because he did not want to face the fact that his life had been ruined from that point onward.
Shang Wu knew Older Brother was still troubled by it, so she did not dare apply to visit him when there was no particular reason.
But now, she had to see Older Brother.