Chapter 5 Torture

The light in the corridor was pale. The woman stopped opposite and whispered, "The 16th is my birthday. Ji Shen wanted to make our relationship public. He understands that I am insecure. Miss He was kept in the dark. Ji Shen and I are sorry for you."

He Sang stood there. A gust of wind blew in from the skylight, blurring her eyes and making them damp and unclear.

Song He smiled. "Ji Shen isn't sure what drastic actions his mother might take. You're my shield. If she does, you'll be the first to suffer. If you're safe, Ji Shen won't have to worry about anything." She said freely and boldly, "As for who comes first in love, the one who isn't loved is the third party who shouldn't exist."

He Sang's feet felt weak and twitching uncontrollably. She calmed herself down and asked, "Why are you telling me this?"

Song He glanced at the door that had been opened from the inside. The man's shadow was so close to her. She felt particularly innocent and emotional. "I don't want you to hate Ji Shen. If you must seek revenge, come after me, okay? I can sacrifice everything for him. You're with him just for money, right?"

As if drowning in a quagmire, his bones were shaking and he couldn't even utter a word. He Sang barely managed to keep his balance and staggered away.

Song He stared at her back, suppressed the sneer on her lips, turned around, and was startled at first, "Ji Shen, why did you get out of bed?" She pretended to be at a loss, "Have you been standing at the door the whole time?"

The elevator numbers jumped one by one, as if his chest was being churned by huge waves. Liang Jishen leaned against the wall with one arm, feeling suffocated for no reason. "What did you say to her?"

Song He lowered his eyebrows and said in a choked voice, "I beg her to forgive me. As long as she withdraws, I can give her anything she wants."

Liang Jishen's face was gloomy and unclear, "Then."

"Ms. He cares about fame and fortune, so she acquiesced to such an attractive offer."

He glanced at Song He indifferently, "She doesn't even want a breakup fee."

"Maybe she's after something more." Song He adjusted his collar. "Miss He is a smart woman. If she doesn't want 10 million, what about 100 million?"

The man was like a deep, silent ocean, depressed and still, as he walked back to the ward.

Song He stood there and chuckled.

Whores are disloyal and actors are heartless.

Liang Jishen was a suspicious person by nature, and suspicion led to estrangement.

*

He Sang stopped by a pharmacy to buy some anti-inflammatory drugs. Just as he was about to get in the car, a man jumped over the fence and asked, "Xiao Sang! Did Dayong notify you too?"

The sky was dark, and she recognized Zhou Chen in the dim light.

There were about ten men and women in the open-air seafood restaurant behind him. They were all alumni of the same class and had never been in touch since leaving school.

"reunion?"

"Dayong is back in his hometown to get married, and we're treating everyone today." Zhou Chen warmed his hands. "His wife is our homeroom assistant, Jiang Yuanyuan."

He Sang wasn't too interested in his classmates' personal affairs. "It's Teacher Jiang."

Seeing that she was lightly dressed, Zhou Chen took off his scarf and gave it to her. He Sang tilted her head and refused, "It's not cold in the car."

He froze in mid-air, lowering his hands. "Are you healed?"

He Sang kicked the pile of dead leaves beside the tree, "Okay."

"You..." Zhou Chen hesitated, "Have you broken up with him completely? I'm worried about you."

The toes of her shoes were buried in the fluffy fallen leaves, just like the touch of Liang Jishen's short hair after it had been blown dry. She couldn't help but laugh, "Why are you worried about me?"

His eyes were blazing. "The Liang family's background is not something you can handle."

The class beauty of the same year found a godfather in her sophomore year and was parachuted into the Shanghai Drama Theater to play the second female lead. However, she found it too tiring and immigrated to Australia, where she gave birth to a son and a daughter. Later, her godfather favored his new goddaughter and ignored the class beauty. She was greedy and asked for 300 million in child support. Later, she accidentally drowned on a yacht.

This incident caused a sensation in the whole school. The rich and powerful man was too deep. Zhou Chen was worried that He Sang would repeat the same mistake as the class beauty.

She shook her head. "He's not that kind of person."

Zhou Chen's hands in his pockets unconsciously clenched, "Do you still have him in your heart?"

He Sang didn't answer him, a cloud of mist gathered around his lips. "Didn't the Central Academy of Drama invite you to be a teacher?"

"Xiao Sang..." Zhou Chen said firmly, "I don't want to go back."

He Sang went to open the car door and said, "I've said everything I need to say. Whether you want to stay or leave is up to you."

Zhou Chen looked at the rear of the car going away, his hands clenched so hard that they made a crackling sound.

When He Sang returned home, the voice-activated light in the hallway wasn't working. She stomped her feet, startling the neighbor across the street. The neighbor poked his head out and said, "Old He's daughter, there's a man asking about you."

She paused, "What kind of man?"

"I couldn't see your face clearly because of the cap. You're about 1.7 meters tall, a bit hunched. I'm asking where you've moved to and why you haven't been to the theater." The neighbor kindly reminded him, "Maybe you've made enemies? Living alone is dangerous. Go somewhere else to avoid the limelight."

He Sang felt a chill on her back, she couldn't believe where her enemy came from. Out of caution, she didn't delay, took out the key and ran downstairs.

She drove the car to the garden downstairs, locked the front and rear windows, and waited until nine o'clock when there was finally movement.

A dark shadow jumped out of the bushes and peeked at the corridor door stealthily.

He Sang's pupils dilated in panic. It was his stepfather.

The unforgivable man is here again.

She held her breath and lay down on the seat, not daring to move.

The black shadow wandered back and forth for a while, avoiding the surveillance and disappeared into the bushes.

He Sang rushed upstairs, packed his clothes in the dark, and marked the doors and windows with anti-theft labels. Suddenly, he heard the sound of stairs climbing at the door.

She shuddered and instinctively grabbed the clothesline on the balcony, her footsteps just behind the door.

It was pitch black all around, and He Sang was extremely frightened when he felt the doorknob turn.

With a determined heart, she unlocked the door, opened it and swung it hard.

"He Sang—" The man was confused and clamped the pole, "It's me!"

She was like a frightened elk, her lips pale as a tear. "Zhou Chen?"

The man turned on the flashlight, "What happened?"

As if all his strength had been drained away, He Sang collapsed to the ground, "How did you know I live here?"

"I came here in your car," Zhou Chen confessed. "Cui Manli's financial sponsor was once imprisoned, and for some reason, he took refuge with the second son of the Liang family. I was afraid she would be jealous of you and attack you."

He Sang hugged his knees and his whole body twitched.

"Come inside first." Zhou Chen tried to comfort her, "I'm here."

She stood up with the help of the wall, "I'm going to stay in a hotel. He will come again."

Zhou Chen asked, "Did Cui Manli really send someone?"

He Sang didn't say anything.

My stepfather won't give up until I get the money.

If calling the police angered him, her mother would have a hard time.

He Sang booked a room in a hotel for temporary stay and asked an agent to find houses around the theater. Zhou Chen asked her to live in the same community with him, saying that it would be safer with a man around, but she declined.

Since you don't like him, you can't keep him in your fantasies.

The last time He Sang went to the hospital to change the dressing, he ran into Li Zhen who was doing a prenatal check-up. She was conceived through in vitro fertilization, and the sperm came from a mixed-race male model with authentic tall, white and handsome genes.

Li Zhen's husband has necrospermia and is unable to have children. As a well-known boss, she must have offspring to prevent gossip. She suffered a lot for this, but fortunately it was not in vain. After she successfully became pregnant, her husband no longer held any grudges against her for having any connection with her ex.

He Sang accompanied her to queue up for medicine on the first floor. At this moment, a group of people poured out of the special passage opposite.

The man in the middle was walking very fast and was closely guarded by several bodyguards. It was quite a scene, but because of his status he deliberately kept a low profile. He Sang couldn't help but take a few more glances at him.

The man was in his early thirties, with clear eyebrows, a calm demeanor, porcelain-white skin, and neatly groomed hair and beard.

Such gentleness and elegance are rare.

Li Zhen noticed that He Sang was distracted and poked her with her arm, "What are you looking at?"

She was stunned, "That man looks familiar."

"Is that the man in the champagne-colored suit?" Li Zhen looked around. "He's quite tall. Going to the men's department... maybe the gynecology department?"

The upper class is already corrupt, and it is very common for people to do paternity tests, have abortions, and treat syphilis.

She dragged Li Zhen away and pretended not to see anything.

"I'm so glad my husband can't do it." Li Zhen was quite relaxed. "As long as I can stay a widow, my marriage will be fine."

The elevator door opened and the nurse ran to catch up with the man. "Mr. Liang! Your wallet was left at the nurses' station."

Mr. Liang.

No wonder he looked familiar, it turned out to be Liang Chihui.

This was He Sang's first meeting. He was out of town signing a project on Liang Yanzhang's birthday and wasn't there. Liang Chihui was a notorious playboy, with four or five known lovers. However, he had a good reputation. Although he didn't give her a formal status, he didn't play two women at once, and he handled things quickly before moving on to the next one. He was a true figure among the rich and powerful.

It is said that the one who is least interested in women is the eldest son, Liang Jing, born to the original wife.

The Liang family's current generation is ranked from young to young: the eldest son is Liang Chijing, the second is Liang Chihui, and the youngest is Liang Chishen. Liang Jing had a feud with his father and changed his name without his permission. Liang Yanzhang then "exiled" him to the United States. Now, Liang Jing holds a prominent position as the Secretary General of an embassy abroad, and even Liang Yanzhang has to respectfully address him as "Secretary Liang."

Li Zhen squeezed out of the crowd, and the prescription stuffed in her bag fell out and slid right into the sole of Liang Chihui's shoe.

He Sang reminded her, but she ignored him and happily video-called her husband, "He's very healthy, and I guarantee we'll have a chubby son!"

"Sir, you stepped on my prescription." He Sang stopped Liang Chihui and was about to squat down when the man leaned over, picked it up in a second and handed it to her.

She thanked him, and Liang Chihui stopped and looked at her, "Ms. He."