Chapter 15 is now available for purchase (three chapters combined) [I feel great about it too.]...

When Zhou Mingzhen and Xie Mulin came in from outside, they happened to run into Xie Qingci and Liang Jingzhuo coming downstairs.

The two walked down the spiral staircase one after the other.

Liang Jingzhuo walked ahead with steady and composed steps, while Xie Qingci followed behind him, walking a little slower. Whether it was because of the heat or something else, her cheeks were slightly flushed.

Zhou Mingzhen noticed that Liang Jingzhuo was about to leave. "Are you leaving already? Have dinner before you go?"

Liang Jingzhuo nodded, his tone humble, "No, there's been a last-minute change in my work. Thank you and Uncle for your hospitality today."

Hearing that it was work-related, Zhou Mingzhen stopped objecting and nodded in agreement, saying that work was more important.

Then, remembering that Liang Jingzhuo had been drinking at noon, she asked, "Is there a driver coming to pick you up? Do you need me to arrange one for you?"

Liang Jingzhuo replied, "Yes."

He had already contacted Uncle Zhong right after receiving the call, and he had arrived by now.

Zhou Mingzhen nodded, then glanced at Xie Mulin, who was standing silently beside her, and nudged him with her elbow.

Xie Mulin coughed lightly and said, "Be careful."

Liang Jingzhuo nodded in agreement, then turned around to look at Xie Qingci, who was standing a few steps away.

Zhou Mingzhen and Xie Mulin also looked over.

Suddenly being stared at by three pairs of eyes, Xie Qingci glanced at the three of them, her gaze fleeting as it touched Liang Jingzhuo before she quickly looked away. She took a few steps forward and whispered, "I... will see him off."

After saying that, he opened the door and went out first.

Liang Jingzhuo glanced at the figure that had disappeared from the doorway, then turned to Zhou Mingzhen and Xie Mulin and said, "I'll visit again next time."

Zhou Mingzhen smiled and nodded in agreement, watching him leave.

As the door closed, Zhou Mingzhen turned her gaze away and praised the person beside her who had performed quite well today, "You did a pretty good job today, are you satisfied, President Xie?"

Xie Mulin glanced at her sideways with his hands behind his back, then walked upstairs to his study. "It's alright."

Zhou Mingzhen rolled her eyes at him, ignored him, and turned to attend to other things.

As they walked out of the front garden, Uncle Zhong had already driven the car to the end of the red carpet. Seeing Xie Qingci come out with him, he greeted her with a smile, "Good afternoon, Miss Qingci."

Xie Qingci smiled and nodded, "Hello."

Liang Jingzhuo followed and glanced at her cheeks, which still had a slight blush in the sunlight.

Although it was nearly September, the sun showed no signs of abating, remaining intensely hot and scorching, its rays still stinging the skin.

He shifted his gaze from her cheek to her entire beautiful profile. "I'll send you the materials you need for registration when I get back."

The policy spans two locations, requiring more documents than a regular marriage registration.

Xie Qingci nodded and replied, "Okay."

The dazzling sunlight made her already vibrant lip color appear even more vivid, and her lips had a unique softness as they opened and closed.

Liang Jingzhuo's gaze swept over the vibrant red, and he said in a low voice, "The sun is too strong, let's go inside."

Xie Qingci took two steps back and stood at the edge of the flower bed. Her body felt strangely stiff. Without looking at him, she replied, "Okay, I'll go back once you get in the car."

-

As the car drove out of Xie Family Manor, Uncle Zhong looked up at the rearview mirror.

Liang Jingzhuo sat in the back seat, seemingly looking through something.

He asked, "Have you booked your plane tickets?"

Liang Jingzhuo was looking at the medical report Xie Qingci had given him. He only flipped through the first page briefly and didn't look at it in detail.

My gaze lingered on the section on basic physical attributes: 169 cm tall and 49 kg in weight.

He frowned slightly.

He's too thin; no wonder he looks so frail. His hands are also very small, as if he could break them with the slightest touch.

Thinking of this, the light, thin touch of his palm resurfaced, and he paused for a moment before closing the medical report.

In response to Uncle Zhong's earlier statement: "Lu Li has already made the order."

Uncle Chung wouldn't accompany him on business trips. Lu Li, carrying the relevant official documents, would depart from Hong Kong Island and Beijing respectively, and they would meet in London.

Uncle Zhong responded, "Okay."

After saying that, he glanced at the car logo on the steering wheel and asked, "Why did you suddenly decide to change cars today?"

Liang Jingzhuo put down the medical examination report and casually replied, "It's more convenient."

It would be more convenient to meet Xie Qingci's father.

Most of the other cars were specially approved tri-license plates from Hong Kong Island to the mainland, which usually enjoy preferential policies, but not today.

To avoid a certain stress response—being enraged at the sight of a Hong Kong Island license plate—he decided after careful consideration to drive a car with a Beijing license plate.

After all, it was difficult to gauge the extent of the deterioration in the relationship between Xie Qingci's father and his father.

However, after talking to them today, it seems that it's not that serious.

Uncle Zhong understood the reason and laughed, "That's true."

After speaking, he looked up again, and his gaze suddenly stopped on the rearview mirror. Taking advantage of a red light, he turned his head and looked over.

Liang Jingzhuo felt a little strange being stared at. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Uncle Zhong smiled, turned around, glanced at the countdown timer on the red light ahead, and casually pulled out a wet wipe and handed it to the person behind him.

"Get yourself together, or Lu Li will laugh at you later."

Liang Jingzhuo paused for a moment, as if remembering something, took the wet wipe, covered his lips, and a not very bright color appeared on the clean white cloth.

Uncle Zhong was all smiles.

He had been in the Liang family for decades, watching Liang Jingzhuo grow up, and he could immediately notice even the slightest change in Liang Jingzhuo.

From the moment he got into the car, he felt that Liang Jingzhuo's lip color was different from usual.

His young master, who seems to care about nothing but work, probably wouldn't be so reserved as to need to put on makeup and dress up for his first meeting with his future in-laws.

So, he immediately figured out what had happened.

His expression remained unchanged as he wiped the remaining color from his lips and said calmly, "If you report this to Ms. Zhuang, you won't need to come to Jingzhao with me next time."

After saying that, he looked up and said, "Also, you called a little too early."

-

Xie Qingci watched Liang Jingzhuo's car drive out of the manor gate before turning back into the house.

Zhou Mingzhen and Aunt Luo went to the flower room to cut flowers, while Xie Mulin went upstairs to the study. After changing her shoes, she went straight upstairs to her room.

The door closed behind her, and she leaned against it, letting out a soft breath. The numbness on her lips gradually subsided, replaced by a burning heat.

She pursed her lips, her thoughts momentarily pausing.

Just now in the hallway, Liang Jingzhuo asked her if kissing was also included under the premise of having a premarital medical examination report.

She was stunned for two seconds by the question, and looking at his slightly pursed lips, she felt that it would be somewhat inappropriate to answer whether or not he included the answer.

Including that would mean distrusting what he previously told her—that he had never been in a relationship or had any intimate behavior.

This does not include... that is, before a premarital medical examination report is available, they can kiss, for example... right now.

During her silent moments, the way he looked down confirmed the guess that had crossed her mind the instant he asked the question.

In the stillness, the sounds of cicadas and wind outside the window seemed to grow louder, expanding infinitely in my ears.

After an unknown amount of time, he slowly took two steps toward her, and the men's slippers that Ms. Zhou had carefully selected, in the same color scheme and brand as her slippers, gently touched her feet.

She instinctively leaned back, her head hitting the wall behind her first, leaving her with nowhere to retreat.

His voice was low, his breath slightly unsteady, and his long eyelashes drooped as he asked her further, "Is it included?"

My mind was in complete chaos, my throat felt constricted, dry and burning, and I couldn't make a sound.

She mumbled a soft "hmm," trying to look away from him, but the next second, even before her answer, came the warm touch on her lips.

Soft, stiff... He turned his head and kissed her.

An overwhelming, breathtaking aura enveloped her completely, and she took two small steps back, pressing herself against the wall.

My mind exploded into a wasteland, and my lips gradually lost their sensation.

He held the hand that he had just personally placed the ring on her finger in his palm, warmly enveloping it.

The touch on her lips was clumsy; she moved them gently a couple of times, and felt her palms sweating, the backs of her hands damp and warm.

Liang Jingzhuo had never kissed her before either. He awkwardly sucked on her lips, and for the first time, he felt that his tie was tied a little too tightly.

My throat tightened, I wasn't getting enough oxygen, and my Adam's apple bobbed twice.

With his eyelids slightly closed, he caught a glimpse of the slender, white neck of the person in front of him as they raised their head.

Apart from the gushing hot breaths mingling between her nostrils, Xie Qingci had lost all other senses.

Before her eyes were Liang Jingzhuo's enlarged, deep-set eyes. Her eyelashes trembled twice, and her hands, hanging at her sides, unconsciously tightened around the hem of her skirt. She slowly closed her eyes.

They are in a relationship where they are going to get married.

Kissing is perfectly normal.

She kept telling herself this in her mind, hoping to relax her stiff body a little.

All the self-suggestions that had worked every time in previous exams were ineffective today, and she was completely unable to relax.

Until, limited to a light, gentle sucking motion on the lips, the barrier between lips and teeth is broken.

Her straight back suddenly stiffened.

He released her hand from his and lifted her slender back. Just as the kiss was about to deepen, Liang Jingzhuo's phone rang.

All his movements stopped halfway through. He slowly opened his eyes, his blank gaze lingering for a moment before slowly withdrawing.

It was Uncle Zhong calling to tell him that he had arrived at the Xie family manor.

After hanging up the phone, the chaotic atmosphere that had just arisen suddenly cooled down, and Liang Jingzhuo silently returned to his original position.

Xie Qingci was still standing against the wall, her fair cheeks as rosy as her lips.

His throat tightened involuntarily, and he reached out to wipe the moisture from her lips, saying, "Let's go."

Xie Qingci's gaze drifted away, and she responded with a soft "Mm".

...

The warmth pressing against her lips seemed to still linger in her memory. Xie Qingci covered her burning cheeks and decided not to think about it anymore.

Her phone vibrated, and she picked it up to take a look.

Liang Jingzhuo: [I feel great too.]

"..."

The burning sensation that had just subsided on my cheeks returned.

There's no need to comment on every single time.

She: [...You're not allowed to speak.]

Two seconds later, a very cooperative reply came through: 【Okay. 】

-

Liang Jingzhuo only replied to Ms. Zhuang's message, which she had sent before he boarded the plane, when he landed in London. He chose to ignore it, turned on airplane mode, and didn't even connect to the in-flight Wi-Fi, leaving the plane idle for the entire flight.

I had just opened WhatsApp and hadn't even had a chance to open the input box when a voice call came in.

I really can't wait even a moment longer.

As she answered the call, she walked towards the airport exit, calling out, "Mommy."

The same opening line, the same response: "Don't call me Mommy!"

Lu Li jogged a few steps forward and opened the car door for him. He didn't say anything and sat down in the car.

Zhuang Shuying waited for more than ten hours and didn't sleep well all night. Liang Junshi advised her, "Since Jingzhuo didn't say anything, there's probably no problem. Why are you so worried?"

That's what they say, but who knows if this kid messed up and deliberately kept it from them?

When asked, Uncle Zhong said that he did not go to the Xie family with them today and did not know the specifics. However, when he went to pick them up, it was Miss Qingci who came out to see them off.

He didn't say anything more, as Liang Jingzhuo wouldn't let him report, so he only hinted, "In short, there shouldn't be any problems with the relationship between Jingzhuo and Miss Qingci."

To be precise, it should be described as a major breakthrough.

Zhuang Shuying was overjoyed for a moment, thinking that everything was fine as long as the two children were doing well, and that there shouldn't be any major problems, but she still couldn't help feeling worried.

The president's office said Liang Jingzhuo had an unexpected trip to London today, and she sent the message right on time, but who knew that this brat wouldn't reply!

When I called again, the call could not be connected!

I finally got through on the phone, and couldn't help but ask, "Why didn't you reply to my messages?"

Liang Jingzhuo settled into the car and replied, "I'm in London now, just got off the plane. How could I reply to you from the plane?"

Zhuang Shuying snorted coldly: "Then it seems we have to ask which airline it is. Even the VIPs at Zhongbai can't connect to their in-flight WiFi."

Given Liang Jingzhuo's frequency of business trips and mileage, which airline wouldn't have him as a full-time white-collar VIP?

When have you ever seen me use my phone on a plane?

I'm either working or on my way to work.

Zhuang Shuying, of course, knew, and rolled her eyes at the sky, "What should we say when we go to the Xie family? Did Xiao Ci's father say anything?"

He answered truthfully, "I did."

Zhuang Shuying's heart tightened. "What did he say?"

"Let me be more accommodating to Xie Qingci."

"Nothing else?"

"Um."

Zhuang Shuying breathed a sigh of relief, then secretly asked, "Did you tell Xiao Ci about getting the marriage certificate in Hong Kong?"

"I said so."

All her concerns were answered satisfactorily, and Zhuang Shuying felt relieved. "Okay, then it's alright."

Just as she was about to hang up, she remembered something else: "You're not allowed to return to Hong Kong Island after your business trip. I've inquired about your work arrangements, and you don't have any mandatory trips to Hong Kong Island for the next month."

"..." After sitting on the plane for nearly ten hours, Liang Jingzhuo was a little tired. He closed his eyes and patiently replied, "I know."

He was returning from his business trip just before the day he and Xie Qingci were to register their marriage, and he had no plans to go back to Hong Kong Island.

Zhuang Shuying was very satisfied with this attitude and hung up the phone contentedly.

Lu Li was driving ahead. When he heard the call end, he looked up and said, "It's still early. You can go back to the hotel and get some rest."

Liang Jingzhuo glanced at the night view outside the car window, responded, put down the table, and planned to take a look at the relevant documents for a while during the journey.

He paused as his palm touched the table, his gaze falling on his knuckles, before taking the ring box out of his pocket a moment later.

Only his men's ring remained inside. Compared to the exquisite design of the women's ring, the men's ring was much simpler, with a sturdy platinum band and a few small diamonds.

He gazed at it for a long time, then took out the ring and put it on his ring finger.

-

The school's charity exhibition was unexpectedly successful, with all the works selling out a week before the exhibition closed.

Ke Meng and Duan Siyu actually posted a message in the school group chat to sell the plaster statues. Since these things would be useless after the exhibition ended, they might as well raise more funds for Mr. Jiang.

When it was first listed, there were very few inquiries, but after Xie Qingci's name was added, there were indeed more private messages in the background.

Looking at the private messages popping up one after another, Ke Meng clicked her tongue, "It feels like I'm being pursued by a bunch of handsome guys."

Duan Siyu told her to stop dreaming, "Let's negotiate the price properly, take the opportunity to rip them off, and let them know that beautiful women aren't so easy to pursue."

Most of the people who come to buy things want to get Xie Qingci's contact information.

The plaster statues have no set price; it's entirely up to them to decide.

Ke Meng nodded solemnly, "Ten thousand each, how about that?"

"..."

Duan Siyu glanced at her speechlessly, "Aren't you going too far?"

The charity exhibition was very well received, and some students who were unable to participate during the summer vacation asked after the start of the new semester if they could still participate.

There were still spaces available in the exhibition hall, enough to frame a few more paintings. Xie Qingci led the craftsman to hang the newly exhibited paintings in the empty spaces before returning.

After mid-September, the temperature in Jingzhao suddenly dropped several degrees. Xie Qingci wore a thin sweater and a long skirt, still maintaining her gentle and kind temperament.

The two exchanged a glance. "How about... we give it a try?"

After saying goodbye to the workers, Xie Qingci overheard their secret plot and asked, "What are we testing?"

Ke Meng turned his head and said honestly, "We are considering whether to price your plaster statues at ten thousand yuan each."

Upon hearing this, Xie Qingci took out her phone, searched on an online shopping app for a while, and held up the final mass-market price in front of them, saying, "People will sue you heartless profiteers!"

An uncolored, simple image of this size is priced at around 200; if colored, it will cost an extra 50.

Ke Meng glanced at the price, waved his hand, and quoted 280. "250 doesn't sound good, add 30 more!"

The prices were reasonable, and all ten or so plaster statues were sold quickly. As expected, someone asked if they could add the artist on WeChat.

What kind of author is this?!

Just thank Qingci.

Knowing that Xie Qingci didn't add people casually and had refused them all, Ke Meng and Duan Siyu mischievously came up with a bad idea: "Let's set up a stall at the school gate when we graduate and sell Aci's WeChat IDs for 100 each. Let's see if we can get rich quick."

"I think it's a good idea."

Xie Qingci watched the two of them talking and answering, putting on a show, and after a moment, she said softly, "It might not work."

In the past, when they made these kinds of jokes, Xie Qingci would usually just laugh it off and not say anything, but today she actually refused outright.

The two sensed something was amiss and turned to look.

Ke Meng stared at Xie Qingci for a long time, "Aci, you don't have a boyfriend, do you?"

Xie Qingci glanced at the two of them, "Actually... he's not really my boyfriend."

The words "not really" alone were impactful enough, and the two of them widened their eyes instantly.

My brain processed the information rapidly, and it took me a long time to come to my senses.

"What's that? A potential boyfriend? Someone I'm interested in? Is he from our school? Do we know each other?"

Why haven't we heard a single word from them?!

Xie Qingci smiled, openly raising her left hand, a ring firmly on her ring finger, "Actually, I'm getting married."

That day, Liang Jingzhuo said there was no need to hide her marriage from those around her. She was still thinking about what opportunity to find to tell Ke Meng and Duan Siyu.

She thought that the two of them would have noticed the ring the day she came to school wearing it, but almost half a month has passed and neither of them has shown any sign of noticing.

The atmosphere suddenly fell into a deathly silence, then three seconds later erupted in unison—

"What?!!!"

Not long ago they were saying they felt very secure and at ease, but today the fairy directly said she wants to get married?

marry! ! !

It's not a relationship!

Their gazes were fixed on the ring on Xie Qingci's hand; not that they hadn't noticed it, but rather that they hadn't expected it.

They thought it was just a decoration, but it turned out to be real!

Ke Meng took a deep breath. "OK, fine."

When did you start dating?

They had been in the same dormitory for over two years, and Xie Qingci had never mentioned having a boyfriend!

Xie Qingci put her hand down and smiled, "There was no romance involved; strictly speaking, it was arranged by my family."

"The marriage partner?"

"yes."

I've only ever seen this kind of plot in romance novels before, I never thought it would actually happen to me one day.

The two tried to calm themselves down and suddenly remembered that Xie Qingci had said she had private business to attend to at the exhibition hall that day.

"So, you didn't go out that day just to go on a blind date, did you?"

This conjecture was confirmed by Xie Qingci's smiling nod. "Yes."

Duan Siyu was utterly shocked. "First time meeting you?"

She nodded. "It's our first time meeting."

Ke Meng immediately performed first aid by pinching her philtrum and reached out her hand for Duan Siyu to support her, saying, "Slap me twice, let me see if it hurts, and if I'm dreaming."

After a sharp, throbbing pain shot through her face, she covered her mouth and screamed.

It's true.

In just one month, my beautiful roommate, who had been single for many years and had rejected the most popular girls in various departments, got married in a hurry!

This is a post that would go viral on any Q&A app!

Compared to Ke Meng's "soul departed," Duan Siyu was much calmer.

Since it's a marriage alliance, the family background is obviously exceptional. Xie Qingci's family, the Xie clan of Jingzhao, is already quite prestigious, so the other party must be no less impressive.

So she asked the most important question, "How old are you? Are you handsome? Are you bald? Do you have abs?"

While family background is important, if she were told it was a pot-bellied middle-aged man, she would choose to die on the spot.

Xie Qingci laughed, "What...?"

The more they talk, the more outrageous it gets.

This was very important to Duan Siyu. "Never mind that, answer me first."

Xie Qingci bit her lip and thought for a moment before answering one by one: "He's eight years older than me, quite handsome, not bald, has abs..."

She didn't know that she had only seen him in pajamas in Fushun Hutong that day, but judging from his appearance, he probably wasn't too bad-looking.

"I don't know."

She's never touched it.

Thinking of this, her thoughts paused for a moment.

He prepared daily necessities for her in Fushun Hutong. Does that mean she has to move in with him after they get their marriage certificate?

A sudden surge of heat rose behind my ear.

When Duan Siyu first heard that Xie Qingci was eight years older, she was very excited. She even prepared herself to advise Xie Qingci to sleep with any of the most handsome men in the courtyard if he was bald, not handsome, and didn't have abs.

If you can't fight back, then sleep with the handsome one first!

Hearing that he was quite handsome, she breathed a sigh of relief. And since he wasn't bald, she was completely at ease.

And Ke Meng, who had been dead for a while, finally returned to life and accepted the fact that Xie Qingci was indeed getting married.

"Who says older people can't be handsome?" After saying that, he tapped his phone. "That student of Dean Lin, the one who caused a sensation in the entire Business Management department, is 28 years old, in his prime, handsome, rich, and mature men are even more charming!"

Duan Siyu stroked her chin and thought about it for a moment, and felt that it seemed to make sense.

So the topic was dropped, and the two of them leaned closer with gossipy expressions, "Do you have a photo? What's the name? Can you find it in a humanities encyclopedia?"

Xie Qingci looked at the two pairs of big eyes that were coming closer, blinking with curiosity.

Yes, you were able to find it; you searched for it a while ago.

She paused for a moment, blinked, and then shook her head. "I don't have the photo."

Then, he continued, "Name... Liang Jingzhuo."

As the name was uttered softly, Ke Meng and Duan Siyu exchanged a blank look.

Why does that sound so familiar?

Three seconds later—

Um?

Um? ! ! !

-

Liang Jingzhuo's business trip ended two weeks later, and the day before his return, he had a meal with relevant policy officials in London.

Before the end, the other person noticed the ring on his hand, was surprised, and asked him when he got married.

He glanced at the ring on his ring finger, which shimmered under the light, and replied, "Not yet, we're just registering our marriage at the end of this month."

The other person looked surprised and offered their congratulations enthusiastically, then laughed, "You've been on a business trip to London for half a month. Won't your fiancée be angry with you being such a workaholic?"

angry?

He paused for a moment, wondering if Xie Qingci would be angry because he was too focused on his work.

It seems unlikely.

During the two weeks he was in London, they had very little contact, except for a brief chat the day he sent her the documents he needed to prepare for marriage registration in Hong Kong Island.

She thanked him.

He told her again that she didn't need to thank him.

She said she would be more careful next time.

After that, they only contacted each other a few times, mostly about her questions about the details of the documents, which he answered for her, and about him asking her to scan the documents required for registration so he could submit them to his lawyer to apply for a notice of intended marriage.

After that, we signed and filled out a notice of intended marriage via email, and there was no further communication.

In fact, he opened the chat window with her several times in the middle of the conversation, but each time he ended up exiting WeChat because he didn't know what to say.

He doesn't know how to interact with girls, and she doesn't allow him to force conversation.

He twirled the ring at the base of his finger and replied, "Probably not."

The other person laughed and said that he didn't understand women at all, that his tolerance and generosity were all an act, and that he actually hoped his partner could see through his outward appearance and understand his inner emotions.

After saying that, he nodded to him and said, "Try it if you don't believe me."

He paused slightly, "Try what?"

The other person laughed, "When you go back, bring her a small gift she likes, and see if she'll happily kiss you and say thank you."

No girl would dislike it if her partner thought of her during a business trip and brought back a thoughtful little gift.

Liang Jingzhuo paused for a moment.

kiss.

The memory of that warm, soft touch on his lips came back to him, and he immediately snapped out of his reverie.

After leaving the restaurant and saying goodbye, Lu Li got into the car, started the engine, and planned to take him back to the hotel.

As the vehicle drove away from the restaurant, he suddenly spoke up, "Let's not go back to the hotel yet."

-

With the busy month of September over and the National Day holiday just around the corner, Ke Meng and Duan Siyu had been planning for several days to go out and join in the fun.

After the two finished discussing their travel plans, they turned to ask Xie Qingci, but suddenly stopped, taking a deep breath as if to say, "Okay, I know you're not coming with us."

After learning that Xie Qingci would be getting her marriage certificate at the end of the month, the two of them silently processed the news for a long time before they finally accepted it completely.

They once couldn't imagine what kind of man could be worthy of Xie Qingci, but now they have a standard answer.

Not disappointed, they are indeed a good match.

But Ke Meng was more concerned about the question: "Does he really like women? Aci, don't be fooled into marriage!"

After all, after having a heated discussion with Duan Siyu that day, she spent two more days surfing the internet and finally managed to dig up a Hong Kong tabloid for her.

He even thoughtfully showed Xie Qingci the tabloid.

Entertainment media headlines, with eye-catching words proclaiming—

[Exclusive Breaking News] The heir of the Liang family refuses to get close to women! His scandal-free reputation has been exposed, and his alleged homosexual relationship has shaken up the elite circles!

"..."

The title is very mysterious, and the specific details below are in such small font that it's impossible to read them without knowing where Ke Meng saved them.

However, the logo watermark of a certain legal aid website in the lower right corner is clearly visible.

Xie Qingci glanced at the watermark in the lower right corner and asked her, "Where did you save it?"

Ke Meng put her phone away and started scrolling through her browsing history. "Wait a minute, let me look for it."

A few minutes later, "Wow, this is a direct case alert! Liang's legal department has sued this newspaper directly."

As they were saying this, a quick search revealed that even this newspaper had disappeared from the media scene.

"..."

Ke Meng pursed her lips tightly. "Aci, don't tell your husband that Siyu and I have gossiped about him behind his back. We will definitely turn over a new leaf and be good people from now on."

Xie Qingci: "..."

Husband?

It doesn't seem like it yet.

-

On the weekend before the National Day holiday, Xie Qingci returned to the Xie family's old house.

This time, we called the old lady in advance, so the two of them didn't go out for a stroll and waited for her to come back at home.

When I entered the courtyard, the old lady was still tending to her jasmine flowers. When she saw me come in, she pretended to be displeased and got up to wash her hands by the sink.

"So you still know to come back and see this old lady?"

It has been almost a month since Xie Qingci last returned to the old house. Knowing that she was in the wrong, she took out the pastry box from Fangxinzhai that she had been carrying on her back and put her arm around the old lady's shoulder in a conciliatory manner.

"It's because I'm too busy at school and can't find the time right away, so I came back to see you as soon as I had some free time."

The old lady gave her a reproachful look, then glanced at the pastry box in her hand. "I already know. Those pastries weren't brought to me by you last time, and the Jin Jun Mei tea wasn't a gift from someone else either."

It was only afterward that Aunt Lin told her that a car with a Hong Kong Island license plate had brought the young lady back that day, and after thinking about it carefully, she realized who it was.

The old lady didn't know much about the Liang family, but she did know about the Zhuang family. Knowing that Xie Mulin had arranged this marriage for Xie Qingci, she specifically asked someone to inquire about it.

Fortunately, there wasn't any bad news about the Liang family's son, otherwise she would be a hundred times unwilling for her precious son to marry so far away.

Xie Qingci smiled and took the old lady's arm. "Are you satisfied now?"

The old lady wiped the moisture off her hands. "It's alright, but I need to check it out further."

Aunt Lin, who was standing to the side, took the pastries from Xie Qingci's hand and smiled when she heard this. "Miss Xiaoci will be going to Hong Kong Island to register her marriage in two days. You'd better hurry up, there are only two days left for the trial period."

The old lady chuckled, patted Xie Qingci's hand, then her face darkened. "If he ever bullies you in the future, you must tell me. My darling is marrying him to enjoy a life of happiness, not to suffer!"

Otherwise, even if she gets married, she'll still have to be brought back by someone else.

Xie Qingci smiled and replied, "Okay, I still have more than a year before graduation, and I won't be going to Hong Kong Island before graduation."

That's what she said, but in the end, the old lady still couldn't bear to part with it.

That evening, Xie Qingci stayed at the old house. She had two more days to go, so she took leave. Her third-year classes weren't too demanding. Tomorrow, she would accompany the old lady shopping, and the day after tomorrow... she would go to Hong Kong Island with Liang Jingzhuo.

Just as I thought of this, my phone vibrated.

The name that hadn't appeared since I submitted the scanned copy of my identity information jumped into view.

Liang Jingzhuo: [Have you rested?]

She sat on the edge of the bed, picked up her phone, and replied: 【Not yet.】

Then, the dialog box went silent for a while.

A moment later, he asked, "I'm going to Jingzhao tomorrow, shall we have dinner together?"

She pursed her lips and considered for a moment, then asked, "What time?"

I'm going shopping with my mother tomorrow, so we probably won't finish early, and lunch might not be an option.

The old lady will be unhappy if she runs away beforehand.

Liang Jingzhuo: [Dinner. I only arrived in Jingzhao this afternoon.]

This timing is reasonable, she replied: 【Okay.】

He replied with: 【Good night.】

Since I told him not to force conversation when there's nothing to say, their chats have become much more concise and straightforward.

Very good, she was very satisfied.

She smiled slightly, replied with "Goodnight," then put down her phone, turned off the light, and went to sleep.

The next day, Xie Qingci accompanied the old lady shopping all day.

The old lady loved to buy her things. After buying them, most of the items were hers. Although she didn't need anything, it was still a pleasure for the old lady to buy her things, so she didn't refuse. As long as the old lady was happy, that was all that mattered.

After a whole day of shopping, the grandfather and grandson finally had some free time in the afternoon and sat down for afternoon tea.

The old lady didn't like the black tea at that teahouse, saying it didn't taste as good as the ones she usually drank, and that she should have brought her own from home.

After saying that, he glanced at Xie Qingci, who was sitting opposite him, drinking tea with her eyes down, looking a bit out of the loop.

She turned her head and called out, "Baby!"

Xie Qingci snapped out of her daze, looked over, and asked, "What's wrong?"

The old lady immediately noticed something was wrong. "Rushing off on your date? You seem distracted."

Xie Qingci put down her teacup and said seriously, "No, I was just wondering if I should go to Hong Kong Island to buy you a few bags?"

The old lady was amused. She glanced at the time; it was getting late. "Are you having dinner with Liang Jingzhuo tonight?"

Xie Qingci smiled and said, "You are incredibly insightful."

The old lady gave her a reproachful look, handed over her card to pay the bill, picked up her bag and stood up, saying, "Let's go then. We can't let a little old lady like me ruin the sweet time for the young people."

Where does the sweetness come from?

Xie Qingci stood up and offered to help the old lady with her bag, saying, "It's just a meal, you're overthinking it."

To this day, she still feels that their relationship is more like the initial contact period before falling in love, with infrequent contact and occasional meals together after a long period of not seeing each other.

Except... we kissed.

Besides that, there are no other ingredients.

After sending the old lady back to the Xie family's old house, Xie Qingci took a bath, changed her clothes, and just as she came out of the bathroom, she received a message from Liang Jingzhuo.

He said he had already gotten off the plane and asked where she was.

After she replied, he said, "Okay," and then there were no further messages.

The phone went silent again. Xie Qingci stood in front of the mirror, wiping the water from her hair with a towel. A strange tension slowly welled up inside her.

She paused for a moment, glanced at the mirror in front of her, took a deep breath, dropped the towel, and quickly started drying her hair with a hairdryer.

After she changed her clothes and put on some light makeup, she received Liang Jingzhuo's message that she had arrived, just in time.

She paused for a moment, then replied: "Coming."

He then picked up the file bag containing the registration materials from the table and went downstairs.

The old lady went shopping all day and came back saying she was tired. She has already gone to her room to rest. The old man went to play chess with the neighbor and hasn't returned yet.

Aunt Lin saw her off and casually complimented her, "Miss Xiao Ci looks so beautiful today!"

Xie Qingci rarely wore makeup. Hearing this, she laughed, walked to the entrance hall to put on her shoes, and went out.

Liang Jingzhuo sat in the car. It was another ten-hour flight. He had only rested briefly on the plane. His forehead was tense and tired, so he turned his head and rubbed it.

Suddenly, I saw someone walking towards me through the car window.

As dusk approached, the orange-red sunset painted half the sky crimson. In the courtyard, amidst a large patch of blooming jasmine flowers, she slowly approached, her white off-the-shoulder sweater outlining her straight shoulder line.

The soft light fell on her, like she was coated with a layer of orange-red cream.

Reaching the last section of the flowerbed, she reached out and took a jasmine bud that was about to bloom.

For no apparent reason, he suddenly remembered the delicate fragrance he had smelled on her nightgown in Fushun Hutong that day—the fragrance of jasmine.

Thinking of this, he glanced once more at the jasmine bushes in full bloom behind her.

A low chuckle escaped from his nostrils.

Jasmine Fairy?