Chapter 66: Private Cinema

Liang Jinshang could sense the subtle glances from everyone in the department these past few days, but she was long accustomed to disregarding the looks of others. She worked when it was time to work, and left when it was time to leave.

As everyone was packing up to go home, Shang Yiming passed by her desk, surprise in his voice. “Liang Jinshang, you’re leaving already?”

She didn’t even look up. “Yes.”

“Is that blueprint finished? I’m your team leader—why haven’t you sent me the completed version? It’s due for tomorrow’s meeting, and you still have the nerve to clock out?”

Shang Yiming didn’t believe for a moment that she could single-handedly finish the team’s blueprint in just three days. But seeing her mask on and her things packed, she really looked ready to go.

His tone grew mocking. “Go ahead and leave, but if you can’t hand in the blueprint tomorrow, a major mistake during your internship means getting fired.”

Liang Jinshang raised her eyes, a faint smile playing on her lips. “Fire me, then. You know I’m kept by some rich man, right? Worst case, I’ll just go back to being a pampered canary.”

Ever since those photos had surfaced, Shang Yiming—whether out of resentment toward the wealthy or simple jealousy—had made no secret of his contempt, insinuating repeatedly that she was nothing but a rich man’s mistress.

Her retort left him speechless, and she strode out without a backward glance.

Downstairs in the parking lot, Zhao Xinghe’s motorcycle was already waiting. She caught the helmet he tossed her. “Wasn’t your license—”

He shot her a “how naïve” look and jerked his chin. “Hop on.”

They had dinner together. Liang Jinshang had offered to pay, but Zhao Xinghe picked up the check anyway.

“We agreed I’d treat. You’ve helped me so much!”

“It’s nothing,” Zhao Xinghe replied, glancing around. “It’s still early. Want to catch a movie together?”

Liang Jinshang couldn’t shake the feeling that a few people nearby were watching her. Maybe it was the overwhelming influence of Shang Yucheng, or perhaps the rampant spread of doxxing techniques these days. She wasn’t sure if staying out any longer would get her photographed.

But by then, Zhao Xinghe had already chosen a private cinema. Liang Jinshang now had reason to decline. Spending two or three hours in such an intimate environment with a young man was hardly convenient—especially when this boy had been flirting with her lately, in his own playful way. His intentions were obvious.

She was no longer at the age where a handsome face could make her blush. “You have important exams coming up. Go home and study.”

“You’re right…” That was the best thing about Zhao Xinghe; he always knew when to advance or retreat, never pushing too far. “When I get into a good university, then I’ll be worthy of pursuing what I want.”

Liang Jinshang gazed at the sky, pretending not to hear.

He grinned mischievously as he said his goodbyes, and she, too, prepared to head home for some much-needed rest.

But fate always had its little coincidences. As she turned, she saw Shang Yiming leading a woman toward that same private cinema. The woman was slim and pale, her straight black hair cascading down her back. Even in a crowd, Liang Jinshang was usually the thinnest, but this woman, in profile, looked even more delicate—barely eighty pounds with her head and all.

At the corner of Nanyi’s eye was a teardrop mole, her nose beautifully shaped. In profile, she was reminiscent of a star from Hong Kong’s golden age—a hazy, ethereal beauty, unforgettable at a glance.

Even if she’d faded into the crowd, Liang Jinshang would have recognized her instantly. In the eight years spent by Liang Xizhou’s side, there hadn’t been a single day she’d forgotten Nanyi.

Shang Yiming bought tickets; Nanyi hesitated for quite a while, but eventually followed him into a private booth.

Without thinking, Liang Jinshang purchased the booth next to theirs. The soundproofing in these cinemas was notoriously poor—she never understood why anyone would choose such a place for that sort of thing. Then again, she couldn’t understand why, even after her stern warnings, this lecherous man would still try to force Nanyi into something she clearly didn’t want.

“Shang Yiming…could you not… I don’t like this…”

“Nanyi, you never let me touch you, it’s such a buzzkill! We’re dating with marriage in mind—”

“But we’ve only just met, it’s been less than a month… Please…”

“Just a little touch… bang!”

Liang Jinshang kicked open the adjoining booth’s door. Shang Yiming had Nanyi pressed against him, his hand already slipping under her shirt.

The noise startled them both. Nanyi quickly pushed him away and stood up. But before she could catch her breath, she saw who was at the door. Her face drained of all color, and she staggered back several steps.

Liang Jinshang couldn’t bear to see her so shaken and vulnerable, so she fixed Shang Yiming with a cold stare instead.

“Liang Jinshang! You again!” He finally understood what ‘haunted’ meant. “What’s your problem? Playing hard to get, is that it? If I don’t chase you, you get lonely? Come here—I’ll scratch that itch for you…”

Smack! Liang Jinshang’s slap cut his lewd words short.

“You’re always thinking about that, aren’t you?” Her voice was icy. “Do you remember what I told you last time? Today, I’ll solve that problem for you—at the root.”

Enraged, Shang Yiming prepared to hit her, not caring she was a woman.

But just then, a commotion erupted outside.

“That mistress surnamed Liang went in here, right?”

“There’s a man with her!”

“She’s seeing several men at once? What a professional home-wrecker!”

Hearing this, Shang Yiming shouted maliciously, “That Liang woman is right here!”

Liang Jinshang barely had time to cover his mouth when a swarm of reporters flooded into the small booth.

“She’s here!”

“It really is her—and there’s another man!”

“Alone together—a perfect match…”

Alone together?

Liang Jinshang swiftly scanned the room and spotted a corner of a blue dress behind the sofa—Nanyi’s dress from today.

After the incident years ago, Nanyi had been pulled from the wreckage like a ghost—only to be hounded by the press at the hospital, her most private moments exposed to the world. If He Xiaoque hadn’t found a way to suppress those unscrupulous reports, the secondary trauma would have driven Nanyi to jump from the building.

She probably never wanted to face a camera again in her life. The thought ached Liang Jinshang’s heart.

She shifted slightly, positioning herself in front of Nanyi, and asked coolly, “What do you intend to do?”

“Miss Liang, I’m a reporter from Xinjin Times. Can you comment on your relationship with the president of Nantian Construction?”

“Miss Liang, is this gentleman your official boyfriend? Does he know about your ambiguous relationships with other men?”

The questions grew sharper and sharper.

Liang Jinshang had no idea how to respond.

Shang Yucheng had been missing for four days. She didn’t know how he planned to handle this scandal—whether he intended to shield her from the storm, or leave her to face the barrage alone.