C32 He Wanted to Escape!

Liang Xinghao's words were like a chilling frost in July, cutting through the summer heat and freezing to the bone.

It took Shen Geyao quite a while to fully process what he had said. A shadow loomed over her heart, leaving her feeling cold and uneasy.

With his status as Young Master Hao of the Liang family, making everyone at Angel House Orphanage pay the price wouldn't be difficult. Shen Geyao felt genuinely anxious and unsettled.

The coldness in Liang Xinghao's eyes vanished quickly, replaced by his usual faint smile.

"As long as Miss Shen does what's expected of her, there's no need to worry about these things."

"W-what exactly is expected?" Shen Geyao's voice was a bit stiff and awkward.

"Don't date anyone for a year, and don't tell my family you're not my girlfriend."

"That's it?" She could hardly believe it.

"Do you think it could be more complicated than that?"

This time, Liang Xinghao's smile was genuine. This girl was so straightforward; everything she thought was written all over her face.

"Relax, I'm not some villain. I won't go out of my way to harm the orphanage. I don't have the time for that, understand?"

"But, what if you have someone else on the side?"

"Then the agreement is off. I'll be the one breaking it, and Xiaoping and the orphanage will still get every penny."

"Really?" Hope flickered in Shen Geyao's eyes. Suddenly, she had an urge to push Shen Nianxin towards him. Could that work? If he found a woman outside, she could gracefully step aside, right?

Liang Xinghao saw through her little scheme, and for some reason, it left a bitter taste in his mouth. "I'm picky about women. Don't think you can just throw anyone my way," he huffed, his tone slightly unfriendly.

Caught, Shen Geyao's face flushed again. She took a deep breath, bit her lip, and said seriously, "Alright, I promise you."

That girl ran off again. This time, it wasn't just a simple escape from his place; she ran into another man's arms! Great, just great! This was the third time, wasn't it? Seems like he had been too lenient with her!

The cold atmosphere made Chen Xuan's scalp tingle, and he didn't dare to speak carelessly. Shen Geyao had run off again, this time following Young Master Hao back to the Liang family. Chen Xuan couldn't decide whether to praise her cleverness or laugh at her foolishness. But right now, he couldn't laugh at all, because the volcano in front of him was about to erupt!

"Ninth Master," he stammered, knowing his words might upset him, but he had to report the situation.

Chen Xuan took a deep breath before cautiously saying, "Ninth Master, Miss Shen followed Young Master Hao back to the Liang family because they're engaged."

"Very well." With a sudden crash, the cup hit the coffee table and shattered into pieces.

Liang Chenyu's face remained impassive, as if none of this concerned him. Yet, the broken glass on the table was a testament to his intense anger at that moment.

Chen Xuan was so frightened he barely dared to breathe, stammering, "Ninth Master, should I go and bring her back?"

But by now, Liang Xinghao had probably already taken Shen Geyao to the Liang family home. Bringing her back would mean practically storming the place.

Liang Chenyu said nothing, but a cold smile flickered in his deep, star-like eyes.

Trying to escape?

Very well.

Did she really think she could slip through his fingers so easily? How naive!

Perhaps he should give her a surprise to reward her for her repeated attempts to escape from him.

It was the second day since Shen Geyao had returned with Liang Xinghao to the Liang family home. They had arrived late yesterday, so Old Madam Liang, Xinghao's grandmother, was already resting and they hadn't met.

Old Master Liang Yutian was a stern man, commanding respect without needing to raise his voice, making people hesitant to approach him. He felt indifferent towards Shen Geyao—not warm, but not particularly cold either, just neutral.

The person who insisted on fulfilling the engagement wasn't Liang Yutian, but rather the Old Madam. It was said that she was the one who initially favored Shen Geyao. So today, when the Old Madam saw Shen Geyao, she was overjoyed, holding her hand warmly, just like a loving grandmother.

Shen Geyao's own grandmother passed away early, and in her family, she was never truly valued. The Old Madam's warmth was something she had never experienced at home. Spending the morning with her felt like gaining a real grandmother.

After half a day together, Shen Geyao almost forgot her real reason for coming to the Liang family. The Old Madam treated her so well, even better than her own grandfather or father ever did!

"There's a banquet tonight. I've asked Aru to prepare some dresses for you. You can choose what you like later," the Old Madam said after lunch, before heading to rest. She kept reminding her, "Keep the dresses you like, and have the others sent away. Tomorrow, I'll have Aru bring you more."

"Old Madam, I have enough clothes," Shen Geyao quickly shook her head. The Old Madam had already given her so much today, more than she could use, and she felt undeserving.

"What did you call me?" The Old Madam frowned slightly, looking a bit displeased.

"I..." Shen Geyao bit her lip, struggling to change the way she addressed her.

It's not that she didn't want to change; it's just that she felt a bit guilty since she wasn't really Xinghao's girlfriend. But in the end, under the warm gaze of the old lady, she softly called out, "Grandma."

The old lady, satisfied, went back to her room to sleep.

Shen Geyao returned to her room, and within just a few minutes, Aru arrived with several maids, bringing a pile of items. Dresses, shoes, jewelry, hair accessories—everything was there.

"Miss Yao, shall I help you try on the clothes?" Aru offered eagerly.

Shen Geyao felt a bit uncomfortable. "No need, I can do it myself. I'm used to handling things on my own."

"But..." Aru hesitated, as the old lady had personally instructed her to take good care of Miss Yao.

"Really, it's fine, Aru. Thank you. You should go back and attend to Old Madam Liang. I'll call you once I've made my choice."

Aru hesitated for a moment but eventually left with the other maids.

Once the door closed, Shen Geyao let out a sigh of relief, collapsed onto the bed, and closed her eyes to rest. Old Madam Liang was so kind, yet she was deceiving her. If one day the old lady found out that her future granddaughter-in-law was a fake, would she be able to handle it?

After lying in bed for half an hour, Shen Geyao got up and started trying on the clothes. No matter what, since she had chosen this path, she had to play her role well.

Fortunately, that jerk Chenyu had really disappeared from her life. At least for the past couple of days, there hadn't been a trace of him. Even now, she could still feel a dull ache in her legs, and the memories of that night slowly started to come back to her. He had pinned her down, trying to force her legs apart with a desperate intensity. But he couldn't succeed. She finally remembered—it was because she was too petite that he couldn't have his way!

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