Chapter 19: Lie Detector

No one had ever called Jiang Xingxing sexy before.

In the past, it was rare for anyone to even compliment her on her looks, aside from Jiang Zhi and Lu Wuque, of course. But Jiang Xingxing had always returned the favor by complimenting them with phrases like “handsome and dashing” and “charming and debonair.” It was all mutual flattery, devoid of any sincerity.

But now, Shang Jie was gazing at her with an obsession in his eyes, a gaze so full of emotion that it made Jiang Xingxing wonder if this guy had been hit in the head or had extremely poor eyesight to be this fond of her.

“Mr. Shang, you should know that I’m really just a very, very ordinary woman—not even close to being beautiful.”

She tried to make him understand how ordinary and insignificant she felt.

“Hmm?” His hand encircled her slender waist, gently supporting her back, pulling her closer to him.

As Jiang Xingxing tried to shift her body to the side, she said, “So… I really don’t understand what it is you like about me.”

Shang Jie replied, “What I like about you doesn’t matter. What matters is that I like you now, right?”

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“R’x dsv y zkvvzl xswpl.”

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But Shang Jie simply leaned in, lightly licking the lipstick from the corner of her lips.

“See, you love me.”

Being exposed like that made her feel embarrassed, but she still denied it. “No, I don’t.”

Shang Jie didn’t argue with her. He glanced at his watch and said, “I sneaked out from work. I need to go back now, but I’ll come by later tonight to keep you company.”

“Come where?”

Shang Jie opened the door to the dressing room, a gentle smile spreading across his face. “Our home.”

…

After Jiang Xingxing returned home, she hurried to dig out the black bag from the closet—his ashtray, razor, men’s shampoo, body wash, and even his shirts, t-shirts, and shorts. She organized everything.

She had said before that she would throw it all out, but every time she got close to the trash bin, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She just couldn’t.

Because if she threw it all away, the last trace of him would be gone forever.

Luckily, she hadn’t thrown anything away. If he came over and found everything gone, who knows what kind of tantrum he might throw.

Jiang Xingxing checked the time—still early. The supermarket should still be open, so she quickly threw on a coat and went out to buy a few cans of beer. Yes, and maybe get some groceries too, so she could make him a late-night snack.

As Jiang Xingxing pushed her full shopping cart down the aisle, she passed the shelf with condoms and hesitated for a moment. The two boxes she hadn’t opened last time—she really had thrown those out.

In hindsight, it seemed absurd to her that she had agreed to something like that.

She hadn’t fully figured things out yet, but better to be prepared than not.

She grabbed a box of condoms off the shelf and tossed it into her cart without much thought.

After getting home, she started tidying up her small apartment. She turned off the main light and switched on a soft magenta night light, setting up some candleholders on the table.

But after a moment, she reconsidered. A candlelight dinner? Why was she trying to create such a romantic atmosphere? It made it seem like she was eagerly welcoming him back.

After a bit of internal struggle, she stashed the candleholders back in the cupboard.

“Forget it, forget it. Just treat it like two ordinary friends hanging out. Stay clear-headed, don’t overthink it!”

Jiang Xingxing then went into the kitchen and made a few of his favorite dishes, laid them out on the table, and snapped a photo. After adding a filter, she sent it to Shang Jie with the caption: “Hungry? 😉”

Shang Jie had just left the meeting room and was heading to his private quarters for a shower, planning to tidy himself up before heading to her place, looking sharp and handsome.

Seeing the picture, the corner of his mouth curved into a slight smile. He typed a response:

“I’m starving.”

He was starving for her.

Just as Shang Jie set down his phone, his assistant, Lin Chuan, walked in and said, “Second boss, Dr. Lawrence is here.”

Shang Jie frowned. “What’s he doing here?”

Lin Chuan nervously replied, “I didn’t say a word, I swear.”

“I know. You wouldn’t dare.”

Lin Chuan was a young guy who knew his boss well enough. He knew the second boss had his… issues. But Lin Chuan never took sides. He’d assigned both personalities a ranking: the first personality, Shang Jie, was the big boss, and the second personality, also Shang Jie, was the second boss. Regardless of who was in charge, they were both the boss, and whatever they said was law.

So, while the second boss had hidden the truth from everyone, letting people believe he was the first personality, Shang Jie hadn’t been able to deceive Lin Chuan. There were many things Shang Jie couldn’t handle directly, so he often had to rely on Lin Chuan to help out, like when it came to saving the Red House Theater.

“Boss, I couldn’t stop Lawrence from coming, so be careful.”

“Let him in,” Shang Jie said as he tugged at his tie, leaning back in his swivel chair, propping his long legs up on the desk.

Lin Chuan, still nervous, advised, “Second boss, maybe… control yourself a bit.”

Shang Jie snorted in dissatisfaction, but he pulled his legs back and straightened his posture.

Dr. Lawrence entered the office, carrying a small silver case.

“Dr. Lawrence, what brings you here so late?”

Lawrence was a tall man, about 6’2″, nearly as tall as Shang Jie. He wore refined gold-rimmed glasses, exuding an elite air.

He had the classic British demeanor—polite, reserved, always maintaining an elegant and vigilant composure, never revealing his emotions.

Shang Jie thought his personality was quite similar to that of his first personality. No wonder they had become close friends in college.

“Mr. Shang, just routine. I’m here to check on your health.” Lawrence spoke in flawless Mandarin. “This was something you requested, to regularly test you, just in case…”

He paused for a moment before choosing his words carefully. “Just in case the second personality tries to replace you, sneakily taking over.”

Lin Chuan raised an eyebrow, looking sideways at Lawrence.

This guy has only been following Shang Jie back in the country for a few years, yet he’s using idioms so fluently. He speaks them better than me, a native-born Chinese!

“I did say that,” Shang Jie calmly nodded. “Let’s start. Don’t waste time; I have plans later.”

“Understood.” Lawrence signaled to his young assistant, who came over to help. They opened the silver case, revealing a highly advanced miniature heart monitor.

This device could detect subtle emotional changes through pulse and heart rhythm, allowing it to determine if the subject was lying. In simple terms, it was a polygraph (lie detector), though a simplified version—not as precise as the ones used by law enforcement, but good enough for ordinary people who hadn’t undergone special training.

“Apologies for the intrusion, Mr. Shang.”

Shang Jie unbuttoned his shirt collar one by one, revealing his smooth neck with defined muscle lines and firm skin stretched over taut muscles.

Lawrence attached one lead of the device to the artery on Shang Jie’s neck and another to his chest, near the heart.

“Mr. Shang, shall we begin?” Lawrence asked, sitting in front of the computer. His blue eyes, framed by gold-rimmed glasses, fixed on Shang Jie. “Have you recently seen Miss Jiang Xingxing?”

“I have,” Shang Jie replied bluntly.

“Why did you meet her?”

“We ran into each other by chance, and she spoke to me.”

“Can you share what she said?”

“She told me that the second personality had promised to make her famous and begged me for a chance.”

“Did you agree?”

“The men in my family don’t break promises to women.”

Lawrence nodded. Shang Jie’s heartbeat remained steady without any noticeable fluctuations, indicating he was likely telling the truth.

…

On the other side of the city, Jiang Xingxing sat at the table, hugging her knees. The food had already gone cold, but she was still waiting for him to show up.

She yawned.

If he doesn’t come soon, she’s going to sleep!

She casually dialed Shang Jie’s number.

The phone on his desk buzzed, and the name displayed was blunt and simple—”My Woman.”

Both Lawrence and Shang Jie glanced at the screen.

Before Shang Jie could explain, Lawrence asked, “Mr. Shang, haven’t you deleted that contact name?”

Shang Jie responded indifferently, “Busy. Forgot.”

“Mr. Shang, aren’t you going to answer?”

“No need. She’s probably just asking for help again. Let’s continue the test. I have things to do tonight.”

Lawrence suggested, “Mr. Shang, I would like to request that you answer the phone and let Miss Jiang listen to your responses.”

Shang Jie’s expression turned cold, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes as his gaze tightened. “Lawrence, you’re crossing a line.”

“Please forgive me, Mr. Shang. Due to your unique condition, you signed a medical agreement with me. Within the scope of that agreement, for the sake of your health, I have certain rights to intervene.”

Their gazes locked in the air, and the tension between them crackled like sparks. Lin Chuan, standing nearby, felt a shiver run down his spine.

Suddenly, Shang Jie gave a faint smile. “I did say you could use any method necessary to treat me.”

He picked up the phone and swiped to answer. On the other end, the girl’s tentative voice came through, “Mr. Shang? Is that you?”

Shang Jie didn’t respond, but Lin Chuan, worried she might say something inappropriate, anxiously held his breath. Fortunately, when the girl noticed his silence, she didn’t continue talking either.

Lawrence then asked, “Mr. Shang, do you like Jiang Xingxing?”

Under the desk, Shang Jie’s fist clenched abruptly, and the heart monitor on the computer screen spiked for a moment before quickly settling back into a normal rhythm.

On the surface, Shang Jie remained calm, his expression unchanged, and he replied with ease—

“Are you joking with me, Dr. Lawrence?”

Lawrence chuckled. “I suppose so. After all, how could someone like Mr. Shang ever fall for a woman of her status?”

Shang Jie’s hand tightened into a fist again. He knew Lawrence was deliberately provoking him.

He couldn’t let his anger show, or everything would be for nothing.

“A woman like that is beneath someone of your stature, Mr. Shang. Even the impulsive second personality only saw her as a fleeting novelty—something to be played with and discarded when the thrill was gone, wouldn’t you agree, Mr. Shang?”

“Dr. Lawrence, watch your words,” Shang Jie’s tone grew cold, his voice carrying a sharp edge, though his emotions remained steady. “Does your elite education permit you to insult women with such vulgar language?”

Lin Chuan hurried over and ended the call on Shang Jie’s phone.

Lawrence smiled and began removing the wires from Shang Jie’s body. “My apologies, Mr. Shang. Every word I just said was part of the test and not my true thoughts. My concerns are now alleviated. Please offer my apologies to Miss Jiang Xingxing.”

“I will. Dr. Lawrence, you may leave now.” Shang Jie issued the polite but firm dismissal with a frosty expression.

Lawrence and his medical assistant bowed politely and left the office.

As soon as they were gone, Shang Jie grabbed the porcelain cup on his desk, but Lin Chuan, quick on his feet, snatched it away and replaced it with a cheap cup.

“This porcelain cup is a prized item the big boss bought at auction for 500,000. The second boss can smash this one—it’s five bucks for two.”

Shang Jie shot him a glare, and Lin Chuan quickly backed off, handing over his phone. “Do you… want to call Miss Jiang and explain?”

Shang Jie grabbed his jacket and strode out the door with large, determined steps—

“I’ll explain in person.”

---

Sansukini: I like the assistant, Lin Chuan. He certainly knows there’s only one boss, whoever personality he is.

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