Chapter 133: Bone-Setting

Liang Jinshang knew she needed a shower before going to sleep. Never mind the scent of smoke and alcohol clinging to her from the bar; she was drenched in her own sweat. She knew she wouldn't be able to rest comfortably without washing up. She had intended to take a short nap and then get up to clean herself, but once she collapsed onto the bed, she couldn't bring herself to move again.

The swelling and pain in her ankle were still within the limits of what she could endure, but the fever brought with it an overwhelming sense of misery—the scorching heat, the aching in her bones, and the chills. Despising the feel of her filthy, torn clothes, she stripped them off and wrapped herself tightly in the quilt, hoping to stave off the cold and perhaps sweat out the fever.

In the past, she had always bundled herself up like this whenever she had a fever, never daring to disturb her mother with such a minor illness. When she was much younger, those few scattered memories of being sick felt like a luxury she no longer dared to hope for. Whenever she caught a fever back then, she could eat whatever she wanted and play with whatever she liked. She didn't have to go to school, and her parents would indulge her every whim. She would even refuse to take the tape off the back of her hand after an IV drip, just so she could solicit a little more pity and affection.

She was drifting in a hazy, feverish stupor on the bed when the doorbell rang. She thought she had been asleep for a long time, but in reality, only half an hour had passed. She was so exhausted that she couldn't be bothered to get up and answer the door. Besides, who would come looking for her in the middle of the night? The only person who might was Shang Yucheng. But she had just slammed the door in his face; given his aloof and prideful nature, how could he possibly come crawling back? So, Liang Jinshang decided to play dead with a clear conscience.

However, once the doorbell stopped, her phone began to buzz incessantly. It was sitting on the coffee table, unreachable without getting out of bed. With a painful groan, she resigned herself to the inevitable. She pulled on a nightgown and limped over. Glancing at the phone as she passed the coffee table, her suspicions were confirmed: it was exactly who she had guessed.

He was nearly thirty years old—how did he have so much energy? It had been less than a week since they had last shared a bed. What could possibly drive a CEO of his stature to lower himself and pester her like this?

Liang Jinshang peered through the peephole. Shang Yucheng was standing outside with his hands behind his back. As if sensing her gaze, he turned his eyes toward the peephole. Even though she knew he couldn't see her, she had the fleeting illusion that they were staring directly at each other.

"Open the door," Shang Yucheng said.

Seeing that he seemed calm, and not wanting to start another conflict while she was ill, she obediently opened the door. She stepped back and asked him in a raspy voice, "What do you want?"

Shang Yucheng didn't show the predatory intensity she had expected. Instead, he said with cool nonchalance, "I brought you medicine."

Liang Jinshang felt a flicker of emotion and met his gaze. To be honest, if Shang Yucheng hadn't done those off-putting things earlier, she wouldn't have been moved by him simply bringing her medicine. But because of his unintentional "push-pull" dynamic, combined with her own vulnerability, even such a small gesture touched her. She pursed her lips and held out her hand, gesturing for him to give it to her.

"Can you apply the medicine yourself?" Shang Yucheng asked.

Before the word "yes" could even reach the tip of her tongue, Shang Yucheng walked right in. She instinctively retreated a step, and he shut the door behind him. Since he was already inside, she couldn't very well throw him out. He had, after all, come to bring her medicine, which meant his conscience wasn't entirely gone. For now, she chose to believe he wouldn't do anything beastly.

Her room was tiny, and he could have reached the bed in a few steps, but seeing her limping, he picked her up instead. However, she had miscalculated; he didn't carry her to the bed, but straight toward the bathroom.

"Shang Yucheng..."

"You haven't showered," he said bluntly. "How am I supposed to apply the medicine?"

...He must have smelled the alcohol on her. As a woman, being told by a man that you smell, regardless of the nature of your relationship, was an incredibly humiliating situation. If he had even a shred of affection for her, surely he wouldn't be so repulsed?

"Put me down, I'll wash myself!"

Shang Yucheng carried her to the shower stall, stepped out, and crossed his arms while looking at her. "And then what?"

It was her own wishful thinking! Humiliated by his disdain, she not only showered but washed her hair as well, taking quite some time. When she finally walked out, Shang Yucheng had fallen asleep. He sat up, his voice thick with a sexy, sleepy nasal tone. "Took you long enough?"

Yes, it did take a long time! Liang Jinshang regretted it deeply. If she had just taken the medicine and applied it, she might have broken her fever by now! Instead, she had spent forever in the shower, and now she felt her temperature rising again, lightheaded and swaying as she reached the bed.

Shang Yucheng sat up and pulled a bottle of bruise ointment from the plastic pharmacy bag. "Sit here."

Liang Jinshang extended her swollen ankle. Shang Yucheng lacked a gentle touch, and his movements were far from tender. Since she was already feverish and unable to handle the pain, his firm kneading of her injury made her let out a few involuntary groans.

Shang Yucheng froze. He looked up, locking eyes with her, and remarked with a faint sneer, "We've already broken up... yet you're still trying to seduce me?"

Liang Jinshang felt deeply wronged. But with her foot resting on his thigh, she could feel the tension in his muscles. She didn't dare look at his expression. To avoid provoking him further, she bit her lower lip to suppress the pain, letting out only soft whimpers and ragged breaths.

She thought she had kept it under control. But for Shang Yucheng, the sounds she made were no different from the involuntary noises she let out in moments of uncontrollable passion. The pressure he applied to her ankle began to shift. Liang Jinshang tried to pull her foot back, but he gripped it tightly.

She stopped moving and gave him a look of pure condemnation. Shang Yucheng, however, let out a puzzled, "Hmm?"

His hands were still covered in ointment, so he leaned in and pressed his forehead against hers. "You have a fever?"

Liang Jinshang: "..."

"Didn't you come here to bring me medicine?" she asked, only realizing something was wrong as the words left her mouth. Had he really not noticed she was sick? Was he only here for the bruise ointment?

She didn't believe him and reached over to dig through the bag he had brought. Aside from the bruise ointment, there was indeed another box. But that was...

She really shouldn't have expected him to act like a decent human being. Even if she hadn't been feverish and had only twisted her ankle, she had already rejected him so firmly outside the door. Why did he still feel so entitled to bring his "tools" over and seek to "commit a crime"?

Liang Jinshang gritted her teeth. "Shang Yucheng, am I nothing more than an object to you?"