Chapter 73 Femme Fatale (Revised)

Liang Jinshang sat in Lequan’s car, unable to discern her current attitude toward him, and so for a moment remained silent.

Lequan, however, kept glancing at him between shifts of the steering wheel. “Why do you keep looking at me?” she asked.

Lequan teased him, a smile hovering at the corners of her lips, “You seem so understated, but I get the feeling you might be a bit of a femme fatale.”

Hearing her tone, Liang Jinshang was finally certain that Lequan no longer wished to draw a boundary between them. “You’re not angry with me anymore?”

She hadn’t realized it herself, but this was one of the rare times she had taken the initiative in their relationship.

Lequan gave a noncommittal grunt.

Her previous resolve to sever ties had stemmed from her disdain for those who played both sides, but just moments ago, Chao Jingyu had made his relationship with Liang Jinshang clear.

Besides, Liang Jinshang always referred to him as “Dr. Chao”—she herself never used such formalities when addressing Chao Jingyu.

Lequan didn’t answer directly, instead continuing from her earlier remark. “What happened with Shang Yucheng today—wasn’t it just a case of a man risking everything for a woman?”

Liang Jinshang found it difficult to explain the ambiguous relationship she had with Shang Yucheng, but neither could she let herself be saddled with such a reputation. “Did you forget? Hu Zhinan cuckolded Shang Yucheng publicly. That’s quite a humiliation.”

Lequan glanced at her again, trying to determine whether she was genuinely modest or merely feigning humility.

Previously, Hu Zhinan had embarrassed Shang Yucheng before the entire nation, and Shang Yucheng had only retaliated by crushing Hu Zhinan in the business world. But today, when Hu Zhinan threatened Liang Jinshang, Shang Yucheng dealt him a blow that would end his prospects entirely. Wasn’t that telling enough?

Still, Lequan offered a word of caution. “Although I said that, don’t get too caught up. I only found out recently that Shang Yucheng still pines for Si Rong. I saw with my own eyes that he keeps a photo of the two of them in his office—he probably looks at it every day, reminiscing.”

Liang Jinshang fell silent for a moment, recalling what Chao Jingyu had once said—that she was somewhat like Si Rong.

She herself didn’t see any similarity. Si Rong was coldly beautiful, dignified and aloof. If anything, Si Rong was more like a refined version of Gong Xueyuan.

She hadn’t expected that, in the eyes of others, she could be compared to the goddess Si Rong, though she wasn’t entirely pleased by it.

“Lequan, do you think I’m like Si Rong?”

“Why ask that all of a sudden?” Lequan replied naturally. “Not at all.”

“Really?”

“Really not!” Lequan laughed. “You’re a one-of-a-kind woman. Who could possibly resemble you?”

…

The next day, news came that Chao Jingyu’s leg injury required hospitalization.

Liang Jinshang arranged to visit him with Lequan.

But when they arrived at his ward, they found only Shang Yucheng.

Lequan asked in surprise, “Mr. Shang, where’s Chao Jingyu?”

Shang Yucheng glanced at Liang Jinshang. “He’s gone to deal with a complaint—off to speak with his future father-in-law.”

Liang Jinshang was startled, then hurried to Liang Yuanhan’s hospital room.

She arrived just in time to hear a man’s voice in the room: “Liang, you truly found yourself a fine son-in-law. I’ve been waiting five years for a kidney, and nothing. Yet as soon as you’re admitted, you get one! No matter how much you say today, I’m not withdrawing my complaint. Tomorrow I’ll go to the media and expose this. People who abuse their power for personal gain don’t deserve to be doctors!”

Liang Jinshang entered and saw Liang Yuanhan, his face dark and ashen, half-reclined on the bed.

Chao Jingyu stood nearby, uncharacteristically dressed in patient’s attire instead of his usual white coat.

Even so, he did not appear frail in the least.

Facing the aggressive patient, Chao Jingyu spoke confidently, “Mr. Li, I didn’t come here to ask you to withdraw your complaint. To be frank, as long as I, Chao Jingyu, wish to practice medicine, there isn’t a hospital in the world that would turn me away. But your unfounded accusations not only harm my personal reputation, they are far more damaging to Mr. Liang’s recovery. If you persist in making such statements, the hospital will take legal action as appropriate.”

The patient, Mr. Li, clung stubbornly to his argument. “Say what you like, but Liang Yuanhan’s kidney source is dubious! This family is dirt poor—who besides their ‘fine son-in-law’ could possibly procure a kidney for him?!”

At that moment, Chao Jingyu noticed the arrival of Liang Jinshang and the others. He paused, then said slowly, “I’m afraid you’re mistaken. I am not Miss Liang’s boyfriend.”