Chapter 12 Indulging Your Arrogance [Let's take it slow, Xie Qingci.]...
Xie Qingci laughed as expected.
His gaze paused for a moment when it fell on the words "father-in-law," and a strange, slight tremor ran through him.
It's a somewhat unfamiliar term, yet it makes perfect sense.
She smiled and replied, "Probably not."
After the message was sent, the dialog box fell silent for a short while, and his note did not switch to input mode for a long time.
She glanced at the time; it was almost eleven o'clock.
Is she... asleep?
Just as she was about to put down her phone, turn off the light, and go to sleep, her phone vibrated in her palm. She looked down at it.
Liang Jingzhuo sent me a photo.
She clicked on it casually.
The walnut wood wardrobe neatly displays a variety of women's home items, from pajamas to slippers, as well as a complete selection of small items.
He replied: "I asked Aunt Wen to buy some personal items for you today; you can use them next time you come."
Xie Qingci's gaze lingered on the photo for a moment, then she looked at the message he had sent, and she even stopped moving.
Next time, in the past.
The chat fell silent. After a few seconds, Liang Jingzhuo asked her, "Don't you like it?"
Liang Jingzhuo has little sense of aesthetics when it comes to girls' things, and is unsure whether the colors and styles prepared are to her liking.
This morning, when Aunt Wen went out to shop as usual, he gave her a new card and asked her to prepare some of Xie Qingci's things and put them here.
Yesterday she wore his pajamas and slippers, both of which were on the larger side and not very convenient to move around in.
He thought that women's aesthetic standards might be more uniform, but now he suddenly realized that the age gap between Aunt Wen and Xie Qingci might not be so uniform after all.
A new message popped up in her vision. Xie Qingci took a breath and replied: 【No.】
After a two-second pause, I still sent a message: "It's fine, thank you."
A very formal thank you was met with the same very formal response: "No need."
The conversation fell silent again.
Prior to this, Hsieh Ching-Tzu only knew that they were about to get married, but did not actually feel that marriage required living together.
She covered her face and sat quietly for a while, recalling the slightly awkward atmosphere when they were alone yesterday, and felt quite unwell.
After a moment, she picked up her phone again, bit her lip, thought for a moment, and asked him: "From now on, are you a permanent resident of Jingzhao?"
She was asking about what happens after we get our marriage certificate.
Liang Jingzhuo stared at the message for a moment, then suddenly understood the reason for her long silence, and answered directly: 【Yes.】
Ms. Zhuang said that Xie Qingci is still studying, and although they are not holding a wedding ceremony at the moment, he cannot leave his newlywed wife alone in Jingzhao.
Although she was prepared that he might not live in Beijing and return to Hong Kong Island after their marriage, as she had expected, Xie Qingci remained silent for a moment when she saw the affirmative answer.
She wasn't incapable of living with another person; when she agreed to the arranged marriage, she knew it was inevitable.
It's just that suddenly moving from the theoretical level to the practical level creates a sense of bewilderment and uncertainty.
She paused for a moment, then typed in the input box: 【OK.】
A new message popped up a second before I pressed the send button.
Liang Jingzhuo: [I didn't intend to be separated from you.]
Two seconds later, another message came in the next second.
【Let's take it slow, Hsieh Ching-Tzu.】
-
The next day, Ms. Zhou got up early as usual, carefully checked the recipe, and then led Aunt Luo and the family servants to tidy up the flower garden in front of the manor.
Once everything was ready, she went back into the kitchen to oversee the food preparation.
Xie Mulin leisurely went to work for a while. Ms. Zhou was dissatisfied with his careless attitude and did not help him take care of the orchids. After finishing, she sat in the living room and played chess by herself.
As the appointed time approached, Xie Qingci picked up her phone to check the time. Just as she was about to put the phone down, the screen suddenly lit up with a vibration.
Liang Jingzhuo: [I've arrived.]
She paused, holding the edge of her phone for a moment, then swiped to unlock it and replied: "Okay, I'm out."
After replying and putting down his phone, Zhou Mingzhen was about to leave when she heard the noise and came out from the kitchen in the distance. "You're here?"
Xie Qingci nodded and replied, "Mm."
After saying that, he pushed open the door and walked out.
At the manor gate, the sliding door slowly opened, and a black Maybach with a Beijing license plate (京A) drove in slowly across the newly changed red carpet, guided by the butler.
Upon seeing the completely unfamiliar car model and license plate, Hsieh Ching-Tzu paused for a moment before stepping down the steps in front of the door and walking along the red carpet.
Liang Jingzhuo parked the car and got out of the driver's seat.
Wearing a dark gray double-breasted British suit, a white shirt, and a navy blue striped tie, he exuded a more approachable and refined air, a far cry from the business-like formality of our previous two meetings.
His tall figure remained striking and eye-catching.
His clothes fluttered slightly in the wind as he went to the trunk to retrieve a gift.
Xie Qingci then realized that he had driven himself today, and Uncle Zhong hadn't come along.
The butler, who was helping out, paused for a moment when he saw the trunk full of things, and then called his entourage to come and help.
Xie Qingci walked to the car. She had already seen the list of gifts he had prepared last night, so she wasn't too surprised.
Sensing someone standing next to him, Liang Jingzhuo straightened up and turned to look.
Xie Qingci was watching the housekeeper help unpack things from the trunk when she noticed his gaze and looked up at him as well.
She wore light makeup today, without any deliberate embellishment, just to make her complexion look a little rosier. She wore a light gray fitted knit top, a white long skirt, low-top canvas shoes, and her long hair was half-tied behind her head.
His gaze lingered on her face for a moment, and after a few seconds of silence, he said, "Good morning."
Where is it early?
It's almost 10 o'clock.
Xie Qingci blinked, deciding not to embarrass him, and replied with a smile, "Good morning."
Behind him, Xie Mulin was half-pulled and half-pushed by Zhou Mingzhen. As the two approached, Liang Jingzhuo looked up and called out, "Uncle and Aunt."
Zhou Mingzhen smiled and replied, "Hello, Jingzhuo."
Xie Mulin didn't speak, his face blank, as if he hadn't heard. Only after Zhou Mingzhen pinched his waist hard did he reluctantly utter a soft "Mmm" through the pain.
Xie Qingci glanced at Xie Mulin and smiled gently.
It's alright, the situation isn't as bad as she expected.
There were so many gifts that we couldn't carry them all at once, so the butler brought over a luggage cart to help us carry them.
Zhou Mingzhen glanced at the pile of things, which was half a person high, and said with feigned displeasure, "Why did you bring so much stuff to dinner?"
Liang Jingzhuo politely replied, "I didn't prepare anything. I just asked my father about your and your uncle's preferences and prepared a few simple things."
Is that simple?
Xie Qingci pursed her lips and remained silent, assuming he had moved.
At the same time, I also noticed the subtlety in his words, which specifically emphasized his father.
Upon hearing this, she glanced at Xie Mulin again.
Xie Mulin paused for a moment, his cold and hard expression softening slightly. He coughed lightly, put his hands behind his back, and said, "Let's go. Let the housekeeper take the things. What are you doing standing outside?"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Mingzhen smiled and quickly replied, "Yes, let's go inside."
Liang Jingzhuo nodded and agreed.
Upon entering, Zhou Mingzhen stepped forward and said, "Yaoyao, get Jingzhuo some slippers. I'm going to check on how lunch is being prepared."
Xie Qingci agreed, changed her shoes, and took out a pair of men's slippers that Zhou Mingzhen had just bought yesterday from the shoe cabinet next to her, and placed them next to Liang Jingzhuo's feet.
Xie Mulin had already entered the house, leaving only the two of them in the entryway.
Liang Jingzhuo paused for a moment, then asked in confusion, "Yaoyao?"
Xie Qingci put down her slippers, straightened up, and nodded. "Yes, that's my nickname, given to me by my maternal grandmother."
When she was little, Zhou Mingzhen and Xie Mulin were busy, so Xie Qingci was mostly raised by the Zhou and Xie families in turn. Old Mrs. Zhou had someone calculate her birth chart and said that she lacked the element of wood, so she was given this nickname.
However, at home, she is usually called "baby," and only occasionally in front of strangers will she be called by her nickname.
After saying that, he pointed to the slippers next to his feet and reminded him, "Slippers."
Liang Jingzhuo glanced down at him and said, "Thank you."
After changing his shoes and entering the house, Xie Mulin was already back at the chess table. Xie Qingci knew a little about chess, but wasn't an expert. He rarely played with Xie Mulin and mostly figured things out on his own.
Aunt Luo brought tea, and Liang Jingzhuo politely thanked her. He glanced at Xie Mulin, who had been sitting quietly in front of the chessboard for a long time, and offered, "I'll play a game with you."
Xie Mulin looked up upon hearing this, "You can?"
Chess is not very popular in China, and there are very few people in the entire manor area who can play with him.
Liang Jingzhuo nodded, "I know a little."
Xie Mulin put down the chess piece in his hand, beckoned, and said confidently, "Come on."
Liang Jingzhuo turned his head and looked at Xie Qingci beside him.
She paused for a moment before realizing he was actually asking for her opinion, and nodded in response, "Go ahead."
So he went to the chess table and sat down.
Liang Jingzhuo and Xie Mulin started playing chess together, while Xie Qingci went to the kitchen to see how Ms. Zhou was doing.
Seeing Xie Qingci arrive alone, Zhou Mingzhen looked surprised and glanced behind her, "Where's Jingzhuo?"
Xie Qingci walked to the island platform, poured a glass of warm water, and replied, "I'll play chess with Dad."
Zhou Mingzhen chuckled, peered into the living room from the kitchen doorway. The layers of corridors blocked the view, making it impossible to see what was happening on the other side, but the tranquility already indicated a harmonious atmosphere.
"Your dad is just stubborn."
Last night I told him to be more friendly today, and he said he'd see how he felt, but overall he was quite accommodating.
Xie Qingci smiled, picked up the cup, and took a sip of warm water.
As lunch was being prepared and served, Xie Mulin and Liang Jingzhuo were just finishing a game of chess.
With a black piece piercing the center of the board, Xie Mulin won with a sense of satisfaction. He put the piece back on the board and said with a smile, "Thank you for the win."
Liang Jingzhuo withdrew his hand. "Before I came, I heard my father say that your chess skills were very good. Seeing is believing, and you are indeed outstanding."
Xie Mulin looked up at him. "Liang Junshi? He really said that?"
Liang Jingzhuo nodded, "Yes."
A hint of arrogance flashed across Xie Mulin's face as he tossed the chess pieces into the board, glanced in the direction of the restaurant, smiled, and stood up. "Lunch is ready. Let's go. I'm a little hungry after playing chess all morning."
Liang Jingzhuo glanced at the disastrous defeat of the white pieces on the chessboard, then stood up and replied, "Okay."
A note from the author:
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