Chapter 55: Never to Be Separated

Liang Jinshang was silent for a long time, but she had no second choice.

Fortunately, she still had a large sum of money at hand—not just the one million that Shang Yucheng had given her that time.

If she could find a way to sell Shang Yucheng's jade, at least for the rest of their lives, they would have no more financial worries.

At the very least, she could hire a few bodyguards for Liang Xizhou.

So she once again made her intention clear to Shang Yucheng, as if trying to convince herself as well. "I want a kidney donor. Please save my foster father first!"

Shang Yucheng neither agreed nor refused, merely commented loftily, "That cripple is nothing but a burden, even if he lives one more day."

Liang Jinshang couldn’t understand what Liang Xizhou had done to incur such deep hostility from this young master—every time his name was mentioned, it was with open enmity.

She wanted to endure it, at least until after Liang Yuanhan’s kidney transplant. She had to please him.

But it seemed nearly impossible. She could only try her best to negotiate calmly, "Mr. Shang, Liang Xizhou’s only disability is physical, but he still has the right to live. Could you, in the future, please refrain from attacking him verbally?"

Shang Yucheng raised his brows, his tone impatient. "I’m supposed to save the Liang family’s lives and also treat them with reverence? Fang Jiabao, even if you sold yourself to the Liang family, right now I am the buyer. The buyer is God, understand?"

It was the second time he’d called her by her original name.

He spoke it so naturally, as if they’d known each other for ages.

But every word stung.

She offered a faint smile to this arrogant “God.” "The truth is, I sold myself to the Liang family. So, right now, you’re sleeping with Liang Xizhou’s future wife. That’s already the greatest insult to him you could give. Show a little mercy—don’t add more sins on your tongue."

The moment she spoke, Shang Yucheng’s half-mocking expression turned instantly cold.

Liang Jinshang felt both a twisted satisfaction and a numbness inside.

Although Father and Mother Liang had never demanded she "marry" Liang Xizhou and care for him all her life, she knew she had no other path to walk in this life.

She wasn’t in a position to look down on Liang Xizhou, but in his heart, the person he cared for wasn’t her—he only wanted to torment her.

That night two years ago, Liang Xizhou had rolled his wheelchair into her room for the first time.

Liang Jinshang had only escaped after Liang Xizhou twisted her ankle.

In the middle of the night, as she wandered the streets, Shang Yucheng’s car happened to pass by and picked her up.

She had only met this high-and-mighty CEO once before, five days earlier, when she taught Shang Ao’er her first lesson.

Liang Jinshang was immensely grateful to that employer, whom she had only met once, for saving her.

Yet, under Liang Xizhou’s provocation, she had lost her senses and seduced him.

In the year or so that followed, Shang Yucheng treated her well. Though he was distant and taciturn, while he made endless demands of her, he was also endlessly indulgent.

Shang Yucheng’s face was cold as he enunciated, "Liang Xizhou’s wife?"

Liang Jinshang sensed something wrong in his tone. She was about to explain, but Shang Yucheng had already pronounced coldly, "You’re worthless now."

His promises and his betrayals came so suddenly that Liang Jinshang couldn’t react in time. She stopped him, "Shang Yucheng, you can’t do this! Nothing ever happened between me and Liang Xizhou..."

Shang Yucheng sneered, blunt and cruel. "A cripple can’t do anything to you, of course. But I find it disgusting."

Ever since the night on the rooftop, when Shang Yucheng had exposed her plan to kill, she had thought he had already investigated everything!

At least, he didn’t seem ignorant of her relationship with Liang Xizhou.

But now, his reaction was as if he’d heard for the first time.

Furious, capricious, breaking his promise on a whim.

Liang Jinshang deeply regretted it, but if Shang Yucheng truly wanted to keep her away, no matter how many places she tried to intercept him, she would never get a chance to speak to him.

That was the gap between them.

As the one-month deadline given by the doctor approached, the Liang family had accepted their fate.

Only Liang Jinshang was still struggling.

She sought out Shang Ao’er.

She begged her to introduce her, wanting to meet Shang Rong.

Shang Ao’er was troubled. "Sister... Uncle specifically told me I can’t—um..."

He was always so careful, ruthless to the end.

Liang Jinshang was driven to the brink, but two days later, Shang Ao’er came to her again. "I found a way to get you a kidney! I’ll take you somewhere!"

Shang Ao’er wouldn’t reveal the exact location, and Liang Jinshang didn’t press her.

Even if knives fell from the sky, she would go.

But in the end, Shang Ao’er only took her to an ordinary residential area. Aside from the worn-down buildings, nothing seemed unusual.

"Where is this?"

Shang Ao’er leaned in and whispered mysteriously, "The black market."

"The black market?!" Liang Jinshang was shocked.

She had thought Shang Ao’er was trying to circumvent Shang Yucheng and put her in contact with the family of the deceased driver.

Shang Ao’er looked pained. "Didn’t you know? That person’s kidney was transplanted into Uncle Rong days ago."

Liang Jinshang staggered—so Shang Yucheng had never intended to give her a chance to beg for mercy.

From the very beginning, he had come to seize the kidney...

Dazed, she followed Shang Ao’er into a building with peeling exterior walls, feeling that something was amiss. How could a sheltered girl like Shang Ao’er find the black market?

"This isn’t the black market," Shang Ao’er said smugly, rubbing her fingers together. "Someone just introduced me to a broker. As for how I found them—well, I have the power of money!"

"How much did you pay?" asked Liang Jinshang.

"I put down a deposit of seven hundred thousand."

"Seven hundred thousand?!" Liang Jinshang knew the black market was expensive, but if even the deposit reached that number, the final payment would be astronomical!

Something was definitely wrong.

Shang Ao’er had grown up in a greenhouse, but Liang Jinshang had not.

"No, Ao’er, let’s leave!" They were about to reach the agreed-upon sixth floor. The crude iron gate exuded a sense of danger.

Without hesitation, Liang Jinshang dragged Shang Ao’er back down the stairs.

They had barely reached the ground floor when a voice shouted from above, "That little girl surnamed Shang seems to have run!"

Liang Jinshang, alert as a deer in the forest, grabbed Shang Ao’er and ran as soon as she heard the rough shout.

As they ran, she called out, "Did you even give them your real name?"

Wasn’t this leading a lamb to slaughter?

"No! I used an alias!"

Then it was even stranger—how did they know her surname was Shang?

Dragging Shang Ao’er, Liang Jinshang raced toward the main road; only there could they hope for rescue.

But this area was in the heart of the old city, crisscrossed by alleys.

Liang Jinshang had a phobia of alleyways, but she forced herself not to think, only to run. Soon, Shang Ao’er could barely keep up. Spotting a low wall, Shang Ao’er, gasping for breath, said, "Let’s split up. You run faster. I’ll hide. Go get help!"

"No, we can’t separate..." Liang Jinshang’s face was ashen—almost too pale to look at.