51 Moonlight (2)

◎Becoming you has been my only dream since I was little.◎

"When did Jingyi leave?"

During the intermission of the banquet, Liang Ting'an glanced calmly at the empty seat at the next table and asked.

Liang Zhihui didn't follow, sipping her pear soup. "Half an hour into the banquet, she said she wasn't feeling well, so I sent her home." As the soup slid down her throat, she frowned slightly. "And—brother, did Mu He change the head chef? It feels a little too sweet."

"Are there any?" Liang Ting'an opened his own can, scooped a mouthful with a white porcelain spoon, and tasted it carefully. "It tastes pretty good."

Liang Zhihui said helplessly, "It seems like every dessert you eat tastes the same." She put down the plain green bowl and said, "Is someone looking for Jingyi? Why are you asking this all of a sudden?"

"It's okay, it's better to leave early. It'll be ten minutes at most, and I guess it'll be the usual blind date part. I'm worried Liang Jingyi will lose control of his temper and make a scene later." Liang Ting'an took another sip of pear soup and pondered for a moment. "But anyway, it won't put us in a hurry, don't worry."

"Um."

After a while.

"...Is it really that delicious?" Liang Zhihui was surprised to see his elder brother still drinking it, and picked it up to taste it again in disbelief.

Liang Ting'an smiled and said, "Not bad."

"It's just ordinary. Brother, can you at least have some taste?"

"Try your best next time."

“…”

What happens at this time every year is basically the same. Just as Liang Ting'an said, ten minutes later, soon after the elders sat down again, they brought up the marriage of the younger generation of marriageable age.

"I was originally thinking of asking for help and introducing someone to that little girl Jingyi, but she was so smart that she didn't want to listen to my nagging and ran away halfway." The old man of the Si family smiled helplessly, pointing at the empty seat and shaking his head. "Zhihui, did you tell your sister in advance?"

Liang Zhihui smiled. "Grandpa, you're wrong to blame me. I wanted to give my sister the news in advance, but she caught a cold last night while staying up all night, and now she has a low-grade fever. I can't not go back, right, brother?"

She called out the ally's name, and the ally's expression was very natural: "Well, Jingyi caught a cold and needs to rest."

"So, Grandpa, please be magnanimous and spare my little sister, right?"

The old man usually loved the Liang brothers and sisters the most. After hearing Liang Zhihui's long-lost coquettishness, he couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Okay, okay, since Zhihui said so, how can I blame her?"

Liang Jiangsheng was so busy toasting and socializing with the men around him that he had no time to pay attention to what was happening here, so let's not talk about it for now.

Anyway, his biological children are all very promising.

"Grandpa Si, the Liang family's little sister is sick, but our little sister is still here."

The atmosphere was cheerful and some people even laughed and joined in the fun.

As soon as she heard the familiar voice calling "Grandpa Si", Zhao Lingyu's eyes turned cold.

Zhao Lingchuan—that bastard. How much did he fear her? She wasn't even twenty years old, and she was being arranged into some shabby marriage?

"Oh?" The old man looked over with a smile, kind and gentle: "Lingchuan, are you talking about Lingyu?"

The man, with a brow that bore a striking resemblance to Zhao Lingyu, was broad and plump, his eyes narrowed in a smile, and his calm demeanor resembled the Maitreya Buddha. "That's right. Xiao Jing has been asking me lately, 'Dad, when can I have some of Auntie's wedding candy?'"

Almost as soon as he finished speaking, an equally fat little boy at another table responded excitedly: "Yes, when is Auntie getting married? Ningning's auntie is married! I want a little sister, can Auntie give birth to a little sister to play with me~"

Everyone laughed again and started chatting.

"Xiao Jing is such a hasty kid, what nonsense is he talking about. But children's words are innocent, so Lingyu shouldn't take it too seriously."

"Our Lingyu is a first-rate girl, beautiful and smart, but I don't know which boy she ended up with!"

"Who says it's not true? When Lingyu was eighteen, she took over Grandma Loves to Brew Tea. She changed the recipe, adjusted the image, and renovated it. With drastic changes, she increased profits by 320% in just one year. Marrying Lingyu is like marrying a little god of wealth, hahaha!"

“…”

Everyone seemed happy and talked about her future.

Zhao Lingyu's hands, placed under the table, had already scratched her skin, and bright red blood oozed out drop by drop. The pain from inside and out almost made her tremble. But she still smiled, three parts shy and seven parts humble: "Uncle, you are too kind. I still have shortcomings, and I will definitely continue to learn from you."

She only talked about work and didn't mention marriage at all.

But there are many people who are interested in Zhao Lingyu's marriage, whether they are her own brothers and sisters or uncles and aunts from outside. They either want to kick her out of the list of heirs or want to recruit her to be a free worker or a living signboard.

Although the room was as warm as spring and everyone around was smiling and talking sweetly, Zhao Lingyu felt cold all over and the soft silk was stretched to pieces.

She was even a little confused. In their mouths, she had so many titles, "the most promising girl of this generation", "a rare young talent", "a keen business sense"... Aren't these all good words?

Since she was so talented, why didn't she be encouraged to focus on her career? Why was she forced to get married? Why did she give half, or even more, of her glory to her "husband"?

Why?

And why?

In their eyes, her nineteen years of hard work were just the "best match" for marriage? Were they determined to take advantage of her completely?

Zhao Lingyu found it difficult to breathe, her heart pounding wildly, her vision darkening, and she was nearly in tears of hatred. But she gripped the chair handles even tighter, refusing to show any sign of vulnerability, her back straight.

At this moment, a soft female voice with a smile sounded.

"How old is Lingyu? She hasn't even finished her studies, and you're talking about whether she'll get married or not. It's a good thing for a girl to love studying, but we should at least wait until she finishes her doctorate. Grandpa, by the way, isn't it time for Yan Li to graduate with his master's degree and return home this year?"

Zhao Lingyu slowly turned her stiff neck to look over, meeting Liang Zhihui's tolerant and calm gaze. But she only glanced at her, passing her glance by in passing, looking at her no differently than she would look at anyone else.

Glass, porcelain plates, water, pearls, diamonds…the brilliance reflected from all of them was not as dazzling as her eyes. She was enveloped in crimson and ivory, a golden peony blossoming at her waist, a white jade cup clutched in her hand. Like a noble and elegant phoenix, she dominated the conversation with a single gesture.

Gradually, no one noticed her and Zhao Lingyu's shoulders relaxed.

Everyone clinked glasses and changed topics of conversation.

After an unknown amount of time, a woman in a Beijing-style cheongsam stood up, walked over to him, and whispered softly, "Would you like to go out for some fresh air, Lingyu?"

·

"Thank you, Sister Zhihui."

Fresh air filled the air, and Zhao Lingyu was finally able to breathe normally. She paused, turned around, and solemnly whispered her thanks.

The noise was locked outside the balcony with Liang Zhihui's actions, and a glass door separated the two worlds.

The other person smiled, clearly not taking it to heart. This wasn't the first time she'd done something like this, so there was no need to constantly repeat it: "Don't take their words to heart. Study hard, work hard, you have a long future ahead of you."

As she spoke, she lowered her eyes, looked at the palm of her hand, and raised her eyebrows slightly: "Of course, don't be too hard on yourself."

Zhao Lingyu subconsciously clenched her fist, trying to hide her hand, but the other person reacted faster than her and clenched it first.

"Instead of hurting yourself, it's better to grow up seriously and repay an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth in the future."

Liang Zhihui took out the silk handkerchief that matched her cheongsam, calmly wrapped it around her palm, and tied a beautiful and delicate knot to cover up all the bloodstains and "indecency".

"...Sister Zhihui, am I not good enough?"

With her eyes fixed on the handkerchief, Zhao Lingyu asked in a low voice.

Liang Zhihui stopped pulling at her shawl, lowered her head slightly, and looked into the man's eyes: "How could that be? You are already very good."

"But they don't seem to think so. They all think I'm destined to get married, and that my strengths are just decorative elements for my future husband."

Zhao Lingyu was truly baffled and terrified. She muttered to herself, "How far do I need to go? What can I do to avoid being treated as a gift? Or is it that, because I'm a woman, I deserve to be suppressed, looked down upon, and excluded from the hierarchy? But why? I'm clearly better than them. I've clearly done everything perfectly..."

"Lingyu, stop. Don't think about it anymore."

Seeing the person in front of her was about to reach a dead end, Liang Zhihui frowned and interrupted her thoughts: "Every family has its own problems. I don't know the distribution of interests within the Zhao family, but one thing is certain - Lingyu, you are indeed the most outstanding child of the young generation. If Uncle Zhao is conscious, he will only give you that position."

"Nothing can be achieved overnight. Even a genius needs to grow. Besides, you're only nineteen, you're still so young. No one knows what Uncle Zhao is thinking. If I were him, I wouldn't give you a clear answer at this moment. The thing the world has the most is uncertainty. In the Zhao family, you don't have any brothers or sisters from the same mother; in the company, you don't have any subordinates or confidants who are indispensable to you."

Liang Zhihui and Zhao Lingyu had a close relationship, they would just nod to each other when they met on weekdays. Logically speaking, she shouldn't say so much to her.

But when she met those stubborn eyes, she couldn't remain silent or polite. Liang Zhihui didn't know why, but she felt that she should lend her a hand.

Maybe it’s because she’s just a little sister, another possibility for Jingyi.

"But Zhao Lingyu, you've always been the most eye-catching and shining one, haven't you? I still remember it—when you were twelve, you attended a summer camp with other junior high school graduates. Military training, first aid, cultural exams—no matter what, you were first in every aspect, surpassing all those who were older and stronger than you."

Liang Zhihui's voice was steady and his tone was gentle and persuasive.

"So why not be confident? Why doubt yourself? You just need to stay at the same level and keep moving forward."

"You need some time, that's all."

Zhao Lingyu raised her head slightly and looked at Liang Zhihui who was bathed in the moonlight, appearing unusually naive.

"Really?"

She seldom asked such childish questions, but at this moment, this was the only question in her mind.

"Of course." Liang Zhihui smiled. She reached out her hand and gently stroked Zhao Lingyu's hair, adjusting the gold and jade bat hairpin. "I believe you."

Having said this, that should be enough.

Liang Zhihui felt that she had said all she wanted to say, so she withdrew her hand, nodded slightly, and prepared to turn around and leave.

But before turning the cold doorknob, Zhao Lingyu spoke again, her tone obviously more urgent than before, and even sounded a bit uneasy if you listened carefully.

"Sister Zhihui!"

She looked back and saw Zhao Lingyu taking a deep breath.

"Um?"

Silence reigned, the cold wind ruffling her hair. Zhao Lingyu listened to her frantic heartbeat. Summoning her courage, she looked directly at the woman before her, emphasizing each word.

"Sister Zhihui—no," she clenched the soft silk in her palm, her tone more serious, her words clear and firm: "Liang Zhihui, will I become you?"

Hearing this, the woman was stunned. Just then, a dead branch fluttered in the wind, making a rustling sound.

She hadn't expected him to ask such a question. She was puzzled, but didn't mean to laugh at him. Instead, she asked earnestly, "Why do you want to be me?"

Being stared at so intently by that person, Zhao Lingyu felt goosebumps all over her body and she was about to lose control of her heart.

"…Becoming you has been my only dream since I was little."

【Author’s words】

Liang Zhihui is very strong in the setting of this story, but it is not written explicitly. It is not surprising that Lingyu admires her. Of course, there is also subtle jealousy here, but it is harmless. There are not many factors related to Liang Youwei in this jealousy. What Lingyu envies is Zhihui's background and smooth career. She hates those who stand in her way. The keywords of Lingyu and Jingyi's life are hate, hate, hate. Loving Liang Youwei is a kind of relaxation for them, and it is also the spiritual candy in the bitter life, so they will never leave Weiwei, and Weiwei will not leave them (so these chapters are also very important, otherwise why would they care so much)

In a way, Lingyu is Zhihui's dream girl. Zhao Lingyu is a very proud girl. She believes that she can stand shoulder to shoulder with Liang Zhihui. If Liang Zhihui can reach a high position, then it means that she can too. Therefore, in her heart, Liang Zhihui must succeed.

Also, while rereading the story today, I discovered someone had figured out where Jingyi studied. What a pleasant surprise! Technically, it could be any city in northern Jiangsu, Xuzhou, Suqian, or Huai'an would be fine. Since I only attended high school in northern Jiangsu, writing about high school life there would definitely be more realistic. More importantly, while northern Jiangsu doesn't have the same educational resources as southern Jiangsu, the Jiangsu Province Gaokao is no less challenging. Even in this environment, with Jingyi's abilities, he could still have achieved the provincial top scorer.

ps: *The inspiration comes from "Becoming Chen Duling is a kind of heroism in my teenage years"

Shouldn't dream girl literature also be considered a form of fan fiction? Anyway, let's start chanting - ah, the great fan girl.