Chapter 67 Liang Yanyi x Zhou Hui: "Dating me."

The phone fell to the ground and landed silently in the quilt.

Liang Yanyi leaned forward to meet his passionate kiss.

Zhou Hui brushed aside the strands of hair clinging to her long, white neck and left a bright red kiss mark.

It's hard to part.

He wished he could meld her into his very bones.

"Answer the phone." Zhou Hui let go of his hand, stretched his arm back, and leaned back casually.

Liang Yanyi's eyes were glazed over, still not quite recovered from the passionate kiss.

"catch?"

"It's your senior's phone number." Zhou Hui picked up the phone and handed it over.

Liang Yanyi didn't take it, and asked him, "Do you want me to take it?"

"I don't want to," Zhou Hui said bluntly, "but I don't want to delay your important business even more."

Although he disliked those inconsiderate and unprincipled men who called Liang Yanyi late at night, not all of them had ulterior motives; some were calling for business.

Liang Yanyi was certain that Zhou Hui was sincere, so she took her phone and went to the balcony.

The phone call lasted a bit longer.

Zhou Hui grew impatient and deliberately paced back and forth in front of the French windows several times. He even opened the door and loudly asked Liang Yanyi if she wanted anything to drink.

The senior student on the other end of the phone didn't understand Zhou Hui's intention. Liang Yanyi interrupted in time, only saying that they would talk at the company tomorrow before hanging up.

Liang Yanyi entered the bedroom. Zhou Hui was leaning against the headboard, looking at the latest news on his tablet. He glanced up at her casually and asked knowingly, "Are you done with work?"

"If I keep talking, will you stop me?" Liang Yanyi sat down on the edge of the bed.

Zhou Hui stopped pretending and wrapped his arms around her waist: "No, but I will disturb you."

"It's getting late, let's get some rest." Liang Yanyi simply smiled slightly.

Zhou Hui closed the webpage, put down his tablet, and lay down first. Before Liang Yanyi could lie down, he pulled her into his arms, and she had no choice but to sleep close to him.

"You can interrupt me next time." After thinking for a moment, Liang Yanyi told him what was on her mind.

Zhou Hui refused decisively: "I don't want that. I want you to hang up on the other party like you did today."

"Are you happy that I did this?" Liang Yanyi had known his intentions for interrupting her time and time again before, but he rarely ended the conversation as promptly as he did today.

It wasn't that she intentionally didn't do what he expected, but rather that she figured she wouldn't be going anywhere tonight, and it was better to finish talking about work so as not to leave it for the next day.

Now, she prefers to put him first.

"Yes, I like it very much." Zhou Hui kissed her cheek.

Liang Yanyi seems to only now understand what kind of relationship he prefers, something she used to despise—knowingly ignoring the other person's expectations.

When did she become this kind of person?

It seems like a very, very long time ago. She confided her expectations to her grandmother but received no response; she confided her feelings to her mother but received no response; she expressed her thoughts to her eldest brother but received no response. Each of her family members had their own worries. They hid themselves in what they thought were very strong shells and lived together in solitude.

Gradually, she gave up expressing herself, giving up narrating her story, and giving up her emotions.

What she considered caring was silently doing what she thought was good for the other person.

"You... blame me for going to university in Beijing without ever asking if I wanted to go?"

"Have you ever blamed me for not asking your opinion on deciding to get married?"

Liang Yanyi understood that these questions came too late, but she should ask them.

Zhou Hui sensed the seriousness in her tone and dropped his nonchalant attitude.

“I’ll only get really angry if you decide to leave me behind and go to northern Beijing alone.”

"Although you were the one who proposed marriage, your willingness to hold a wedding for me makes up for it."

"Thank you."

Liang Yanyi meant it sincerely.

Zhou Hui suddenly became very impulsive.

Liang Yanyi spoke softly late at night, and he longed to kiss her.

He did just that.

It all started with a kiss, and then it was unstoppable.

A large, broad hand pressed down on a slender wrist, and the soft pillow sank in.

The pristine white sheets were stained with a mixture of sweat as they passionately kissed and made love.

He whispered sweet nothings in her ear.

"I also enjoyed the days I spent with you in northern Beijing."

"I enjoyed spending time with you at the library. Back then, my biggest worry was who was trying to pick you up on the confession wall. Luckily, you didn't respond."

"I love waking up to see you in the living room on weekends."

"North of Beijing feels like an isolated island for you and me, with only us there."

...

Tonight, Liang Yanyi no longer thought about leaving. She lay in his arms, feeling their intertwined breaths.

"Sleep well, I'll always be here."

This was the last sweet word I heard before falling asleep.

The adjustment period was long. Liang Yanyi woke up in the middle of the night, and Zhou Hui also woke up.

"I am here."

Zhou Hui's eyes were bloodshot, but she didn't dare to let herself fall into a deep sleep. Whenever she made a sound, she would pull her into her arms, pat her back, and gently coax her. She did this entirely out of instinct.

He woke up for the third time, his eyelids were almost too heavy to keep open, but he still held her and tried to lull her back to sleep.

Liang Yanyi completely abandoned the idea of ​​escaping.

The people who love her are working so hard and are willing to shield her from any difficulties; she can no longer be a deserter.

"Zhou Hui, I'll be alright."

"I will try my best to become a better person."

I have never longed so much to fall asleep in his arms until dawn.

Zhou Hui mumbled two "uh-huhs" in a daze.

-

After finishing her work the next day, Liang Yanyi left work early and made an appointment with Zhou Hui.

She decided to start psychotherapy.

I thought Zhou Hui would be happy to hear this, but he remained silent and pondered for a long time.

“I don’t want you to force yourself for me. If you’re not comfortable with it, we can do it four times a week.”

He said that treatment was not a trivial matter; it meant breaking himself down and rebuilding himself, because he didn't want her to suffer anymore.

Liang Yanyi smiled gently: "My sister-in-law told me that it feels wonderful to see Brother Ze every morning when I open my eyes."

With just that one sentence, Zhou Hui was hooked.

“Okay, I’ll go with you!” Zhou Hui actively helped find a doctor, and would always make time to accompany him whenever they met.

Perhaps because of her changed mindset, Liang Yanyi's sleep quality has indeed improved a lot.

Zhou Hui would stay up late to accompany her if he didn't have any recording scheduled for the next day, and he found that she woke up less and less often, and once she even slept for more than four hours.

When Zhou Jin saw Zhou Hui, who was beaming with pride, at the Zhou family home during the Chinese New Year, he chuckled silently several times.

"Second brother, are you a cow? You have to grunt a few times to make your presence known." Zhou Hui leaned back on the sofa with his arms crossed. "I know you're envious and jealous of how well my wife and I get along."

“Liang Zhouhui, our Zhou family doesn’t have a lapdog like you,” Zhou Jin retorted.

Zhou Hui: "You've already called me Liang Zhou Hui, so if you don't, you don't. Speaking of which, Liang Yanyi is so hard to win over, don't you want to know how I did it?"

Zhou Jin, who was pursuing someone, had a dark expression.

This kid's mouth must be poisoned; he always manages to pick on his sore spots.

“It seems you don’t want to know.” Zhou Hui stood up. “I won’t be back tonight. I’m going to see Miss Liang Er with Xiao Yi today.”

"You!" Zhou Jin said sternly, "Sit here."

Zhou Hui, in a show of compassion, sat down beside him: "Come on, tell me your troubles."

Zhou Jin had consulted countless friends during this period, but he didn't quite agree with their suggestions. Now he could only place his hopes on his cousin.

After listening to Zhou Jin's complaints, Zhou Hui didn't even frown. He said directly, "Listen to me, your situation is too tricky. Only the ultimate simp can win the beauty's heart."

"Damn, why are you all saying the same thing?" Zhou Jin had witnessed several of his friends win the hearts of their sweethearts, and the secrets he shared were almost identical to what Zhou Hui had said.

"Second brother, I'm not trying to be mean, but if you don't change your mind, no matter how much you fawn over her, she won't even give you a second glance." Zhou Hui had seen Zhou Hui's melancholic posts on WeChat Moments quite a few times. On this one kind-hearted occasion, he said, "If you think she deserves to be treated like this, you wouldn't use the word 'fawning' to describe how good you are to her."

Zhou Jin was stunned for a few seconds.

He suddenly understood why his friends had such calm expressions when they told him what to do.

—They believe that those who are loved deserve it.

Love is equal; it is not about condescension or charity.

Zhou Hui judged from Zhou Jin's expression that he had overheard.

"So even though you knew about all that mess with the Liang family, you didn't leave Liang Yanyi?" Zhou Jin was still a little overwhelmed.

Zhou Hui's tone was full of heartache: "The cause and effect of the Liang family's case are not her fault; she is also one of the victims."

If you don't have the determination to walk with her through life, then what kind of love is that?

Is love just something you say?

They still believe that simply being there for someone and having their relationship legally recognized constitutes love.

Love cannot grow in a greenhouse; it must be witnessed in the sunshine and in the rain.

He hoped that the bond between them would be like this.

Zhou Jin fell silent once again.

Seeing that he couldn't digest it anytime soon, Zhou Hui didn't linger any longer. He took his coat from the hired hand and hurried to the Cheng family's house.

After becoming pregnant, Leung Yinting became extremely clingy to Leung Yinyi, and her actions shocked the Hong Kong media. They had previously written extensively about how the Leung family heiress used ruthless tactics to undermine her rival for the position of heir, but after being photographed hugging Leung Yinyi and acting coquettishly regardless of the occasion, they belatedly realized they had been deceived.

"What is this?"

"I want to eat shrimp dumplings."

"Elder sister, let's have dinner together at the banquet the next day!"

Before even entering the living room, one could hear Liang Yanting making unreasonable demands of Liang Yanyi again.

No, not at all.

Zhou Hui appeared at the door: "Of course, Yan Zhou has to have dinner with me."

Liang Yanyi felt a throbbing pain in her temple.

First, he looked at the Filipino maid who was standing awkwardly at the door and told her to just prepare some food and bring whatever was in the house.

Liang Yanting pouted, looking extremely aggrieved. She just wanted to eat shrimp dumplings!

"Don't let anyone come to the company to bother me at noon." Liang Yanyi felt it was necessary to tell her assistant not to let anyone in at noon, as she just wanted a quiet moment during her rest time.

After being criticized for a few times, Liang Yanting finally returned to normal, sat down obediently, and stopped saying whatever came to mind.

"Pack your things, we're going to a manor in the suburbs tonight." Liang Yanyi stood up. "The ingredients there are fresh, and the chef is a master chef. Have them make a few dishes to nourish you."

Liang Yanting smiled again, hugged Liang Yanyi's arm, and said happily, "I know, you've always been the best to me."

She happily went upstairs to change her clothes.

Zhou Hui couldn't stand Liang Yanting's drastic change in personality after she became pregnant. She stopped being sarcastic and even started being quite sweet-talking.

Liang Yanyi saw through Zhou Hui's thoughts and said, "She found that I ignored her sharp tongue, so she started to act sweet to disgust me instead."

Zhou Hui: ...

They overestimated the second young lady of the Liang family.

"Will Young Master Cheng apply to return to China?" Zhou Hui asked.

His wife shouldn't have to suffer during pregnancy; Cheng Zhun, as the biological father, should stand up and take responsibility.

"Cheng Zhun was willing to apply, and his family supported him. But Liang Yanting went crazy and even contacted several political officials to stop his application from being submitted." Liang Yanyi couldn't understand Liang Yanting's thought process.

"Don't worry, Cheng Zhun has definitely guessed what she's up to. Let the couple fight it out." Zhou Hui couldn't guess Liang Yanting's intentions, but he knew Cheng Zhun well.

Recently, Liang Yanting was depressed for a few days because Cheng Zhun was applying to return to China, but the trip to the manor made her feel much better.

After enjoying the delicious chicken soup, I leisurely strolled through the garden.

Liang Yanyi and Zhou Hui were worried, so they went along.

"Why don't you want Cheng Zhun to come back?" After ignoring him for several days, Liang Yanyi still chose to stand on her own side. "If needed, I can help you reject his application."

“When he’s not home, I only need to show up at the Cheng family’s house during the holidays. I can spend the rest of the time with my dad, or hang out with my own family, or even go to Jiangdu for a short stay.” Liang Yanting sighed. “When he comes back, I’ll have to deal with even more people. It’s a headache.”

Liang Yanting has a very good relationship with her father and often goes back to stay with him for short periods of time.

"I'll help you reject his application." Liang Yanyi was already thinking about which high-ranking official she should invite to dinner.

"Forget it." Liang Yanting twirled the lace parasol draped over her shoulder. "In politics, the Cheng family has more influence than we do. His grandmother's grandson also works for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The paperwork is already being processed, and he should be back by next month at the latest. My father advised me to be more open-minded. He can come back and take care of the kids, and I can continue to live a carefree life."

Zhou Hui has a program to host for the Lantern Festival and a rehearsal tomorrow. He hasn't finished going over his script yet, so he left the space for the two sisters and went back to his room first.

Liang Yanting watched Zhou Hui's retreating figure, then looked at Liang Yanyi beside her.

"Having grown up with Zhou Hui, isn't it annoying?" Liang Yanting felt that Cheng Zhun was getting in her way after less than a year of marriage, and she couldn't imagine spending the rest of her life with one person.

Liang Yanyi: "I'm used to it."

"So you can separate again?" Liang Yanting asked brazenly. If Zhou Hui were still here, he would definitely roll his eyes at her.

Liang Yanyi's tone remained calm: "I never thought about breaking up."

"More out of habit than liking?" Liang Yanting wasn't a block of wood; of course, she could sense that Liang Yanyi, this seemingly stubborn woman, cared about Zhou Hui.

"I can't tell the difference, they complement each other." Liang Yanyi didn't want to make such a clear distinction. It would be a lie to say that the bond between childhood friends could be lost because of habit. Liking someone came later, but it was definitely no less than habit.

Liang Yanting, holding her belly, asked with a smile, "Have you considered having a child? If not, how about raising this one in my belly as an heir? I'll tell Cheng Zhun to let him take my surname."

"Didn't Cheng Zhun say long ago that this child would take your surname?" Liang Yanyi retorted. "You bragged to me the moment you got pregnant."

Liang Yanting: "..."

Does she have that? Is she really that forgetful after getting pregnant?

“We don’t plan to have children,” Liang Yanyi gave a clear answer. “You can use this to negotiate with Cheng Zhun, including moving back to the Liang family home and living with your father.”

Liang Yanyi left Liang Yanting standing there dumbfounded, walked forward, and slightly curled the corners of her lips.

Liang Yanting suddenly realized that she had been tricked.

"Hey! Your joke is so lame and so terrible!" Liang Yanting shouted at her retreating back, putting her hand to her lips. "Liang Yanyi, you're really something! You've succeeded! I'll be loyal to you for life! My children will take care of you in your old age and see you off when you die!"

Liang Yanyi turned to the side: "It's cold, let's go inside."

"I'm here, wait for me!" Liang Yanting jogged over, smiling sweetly, and took Liang Yanyi's arm.

This time, I'm not trying to disgust anyone; I genuinely want to be friends with the two sisters.

-

The winter nights at the manor were quiet.

Liang Yanyi woke up at three o'clock in the morning, while Zhou Hui was still leaning against the headboard reading the script.

"Awake?" Zhou Hui touched the light sweat on her forehead. "What did you dream about?"

"Some things from when I was little, I miss my older brother a bit." Liang Yanyi moved closer to where he was sleeping. "Let's go there the day after tomorrow."

"Okay, I'll come with you after the rehearsal." Zhou Hui put his hand on her exposed shoulder and patted it gently.

“I…” Liang Yanyi paused for a moment, “and I also dreamed about high school.”

"Am I included?" Zhou Hui asked with a smile.

Liang Yanyi: "Yeah, you were really angry because my senior and I went on vacation to a private island during the winter break. You didn't come to see me for a week. Later, you realized that I hadn't noticed that you were angry, so you came to me and we had a one-sided argument."

"Hmm...you can pretend you didn't dream about it." Zhou Hui was slightly embarrassed. In his youth, he couldn't hide too many things, and his behavior was very impulsive and bold.

The scene is still vivid in my mind.

After making a scene, all he got from Liang Yanyi was a suggestion that he should switch to studying art. He almost spontaneously combusted on the spot, feeling that she was mocking him, completely ignoring his emotions, and even indirectly insulting him.

After sulking for two days, he switched to studying art.

He couldn't draw, he couldn't sing, and he couldn't do traditional crafts, so he chose broadcasting and hosting.

That entire semester was the least they'd ever spoken to each other since they met. They'd only exchange simple greetings when they met. He felt extremely wronged, as if his heart was breaking. After school, he would bury his face in his blankets, feeling depressed.

“I was quite panicked that week, but I didn’t know what to do.” Liang Yanyi held Zhou Hui’s hand. “I was thinking about what I could do.”

“I went to see you, and you told me to study art. Do you think I have the talent to be an actor?” After returning home, Zhou Hui seriously reflected on whether his expressions were exaggerated when he made his hysterical accusations.

"No." Liang Yanyi chuckled softly, sat up, and moved closer to him. "I was thinking that I like you."

Zhou Hui froze for a moment, unsure whether to laugh or not: "Wow, you Liang family members are so strange, even your expressions of affection are... so unpredictable."

“So, I’ve been thinking about our future.” Liang Yanyi intertwined her fingers with his, “I’m thinking of a way for us to stay together longer.”

Zhou Hui swallowed hard, his throat feeling incredibly heavy, unsure of what to say, his heart completely filled with her sweet words.

He responded to her sweet words with a kiss.

That night, Liang Yanyi dreamed of high school again.

After the final exams of her second year of high school, she ran into Zhou Hui on the stairs.

He glanced at her, his eyes filled with unyielding sorrow, then turned and prepared to walk past her.

She walked up to him, looked at him, and didn't know how to start the conversation.

Unable to bear the awkward atmosphere any longer, he spoke first: "Have you finished the exam?"

Before she could answer, he continued, "My second brother recently bought a private island. The environment is quite nice. Are you going to the island for vacation this holiday? ... You can also go to my family's private island."

His eyes kept darting around, and he stammered out his last sentence.

She said, "You should take the art exam for Beijing University next semester, and I'll tutor you in your academic subjects."

His expression changed drastically: "Liang Yanyi, are you alright? You've been telling me to study art and take the art exam, what do you think..."

She interrupted him: "I will take the entrance exam for Beijing North University. Let's go to university in Beijing North together."

If only life could offer a moment's respite.

Let's escape together to a secluded island for just the two of us.

She asked, "Do you like being with me?"

He let out a blank "Ah."

"Date me."

————————!!————————

[Let me see][Let me see] The side couple is over!

The last two sentences roughly mean:

Do you want to be with me?

Dating me

-

Banquet at noon:

Day: From now on

That's about it. The rest should be easy to understand. My Cantonese is only so-so, so please be lenient. [crying emoji]

What else would you like to see? I might consider writing about it.