Chapter 13 It's cute to be spoiled.
Xie Mulin was in a good mood after winning the game of chess. Amidst the delicious food on the table, he took out his collection of wine and asked Liang Jingzhuo, "Do you drink?"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Mingzhen tried to stop him, saying, "Why drink alcohol at a meal? It's not a business dinner. Jingzhuo even drove here."
Liang Jingzhuo glanced at the wine bottle in Xie Mulin's hand and nodded in response, "I can drink a little."
Seeing that Liang Jingzhuo agreed, Zhou Mingzhen said nothing more and instructed Aunt Luo to cook some hangover soup in advance.
Aunt Luo smiled and agreed, then went to the kitchen to cook soup.
Xie Qingci glanced at the person sitting next to her, wondering if he was a real drinker or just pretending.
The butler opened the wine, brought out a decanter, poured two cups, and placed them next to Xie Mulin and Liang Jingzhuo.
A transparent Moutai glass, the liquor's rich aroma clinging to the sides, filled to the brim.
Liang Jingzhuo rarely drinks alone, but he inevitably encounters alcohol in social situations. His alcohol tolerance is not very high, but it is by no means bad either.
Red wine, white wine, Western spirits... I can drink a little of all of them.
Of course, they are also well-versed in drinking culture, and the first toast should be made to the most honored person and the host.
Today's occasion is different from every social event he has ever attended, yet there are similarities. Today, Xie Mulin is the honored guest and host.
He raised his glass to offer a toast, but paused for a moment as he handed over the glass, looking at Xie Mulin sitting opposite him in silence for two seconds.
I don't know how to address you for a moment.
In social situations, it's usually appropriate to use job titles instead of formal ones, as it's polite and less likely to make mistakes. But today, we can't just call him "General Manager Xie."
Xie Qingci held her chopsticks when she noticed the person beside her, who had gotten up, suddenly stop halfway and slowly turn their head to look at her.
After seeing a rare hint of hesitation flash across his face, she pursed her lips and blinked.
He recalled how he readily called her "father-in-law" when they texted each other last night, but now he couldn't bring himself to say it to her face to face.
In less than two seconds, Zhou Mingzhen also noticed the awkward atmosphere and was about to speak up to lighten the mood, saying that there was no need to worry about so much when eating at home, and that it was fine to just have a casual drink.
Liang Jingzhuo suddenly spoke up, "I toast you."
After speaking, he paused for a second and called out, "Father-in-law."
His tone was so serious that even the butler standing to the side chuckled silently.
Before uttering the words, Liang Jingzhuo pondered for a moment. Compared to "father-in-law," "father-in-law" was more formal and formal. Moreover, he and Xie Qingci were not officially married yet, so calling him "father-in-law" was a bit too intimate and inaccurate given their current relationship.
Zhou Mingzhen didn't utter the words of advice that were on the tip of her tongue, and instead lowered her head and smiled upon hearing this.
Xie Qingci inexplicably felt a burning heat on the side of her ear closest to him. Yesterday she had only read about it in words, but today she heard it with her own ears. She picked up a piece of fish from the plate in front of her and put it in her mouth.
Xie Mulin paused awkwardly for a moment upon hearing this form of address, but quickly recovered and responded, gesturing for Liang Jingzhuo to sit down and not to be too formal.
Aside from the slightly awkward atmosphere at the beginning, the meal was quite harmonious and warm. Although Xie Mulin pretended to be dissatisfied, his frequent inquiries about Liang Jingzhuo's work and life details betrayed him.
I'm quite satisfied.
Even after the dinner, he invited Liang Jingzhuo to his study to see the antique collection he had gathered.
Zhou Mingzhen watched him pretend with a cold eye, but didn't expose him. She then had Aunt Luo bring the hangover soup up to the two of them.
The servants cleaned up the mess in the kitchen, and Zhou Mingzhen pulled Xie Qingci to sit in the living room, waiting for Liang Jingzhuo and Xie Mulin to come downstairs.
Glancing at the harmonious atmosphere upstairs, Zhou Mingzhen smiled again, very satisfied with Xie Mulin's performance today. "Alright, give your dad a good compliment tonight."
Xie Qingci smiled and took a sip of the tea that the servant brought.
Zhou Mingzhen suddenly remembered that Liang Jingzhuo had come, and Xie Qingci should also visit the Liang family so as not to be less courteous than others.
"Why don't you find some time to go to Hong Kong Island with Jingzhuo?"
Xie Qingci thought for a moment after hearing this, "It probably won't work recently. We haven't finished with the exhibition hall yet, and school is about to start, so there's a lot to do."
The charity exhibition will last for a month, ending around the end of September, so it's difficult for her to get away from it.
Zhou Mingzhen nodded. "Then you can discuss it with Jingzhuo."
After saying that, he glanced at Xie Qingci's profile and chuckled, "It's best to go before getting the marriage certificate."
It's really impolite to go through the marriage registration process without the couple showing up at the door.
Get the marriage certificate.
Xie Qingci paused for a moment, and as time drew closer, this matter, which had already been on the agenda, suddenly seemed to become clearer.
She put down her teacup and replied, "Okay."
-
Liang Jingzhuo followed Xie Mulin on a tour of his private display case, where countless antiques from various dynasties were on display, each worth a fortune.
Liang Jingzhuo didn't study these things, only knew a little bit, and occasionally chimed in with a few words. He was somewhat knowledgeable, and Xie Mulin smiled and nodded, his expression satisfied.
After visiting several display cases, the two left the study and were about to go downstairs when Xie Mulin glanced sideways at the person following beside him.
His character, insight, vision, and strategy are undoubtedly top-notch, and there is nothing to criticize about him. But as a father, he sees more than just these things.
"Yaoyao is eight years younger than you. Although it is a marriage alliance, you should understand that it is not my Xie family's daughter who begged to marry into your Liang family. She is young, so you should be more accommodating to her. Marriage is not like buying vegetables at the market, where you can replace them if they are not fresh or you don't like them. I hope you can be tolerant and work through this together."
His tone was authoritative, but the implication was that he had already approved of the son-in-law.
After saying that, he realized that his expression was inaccurate, so he stopped, turned around with his hands behind his back, and said, "It's not about each other, it's about you. You need to be more tolerant of her."
What girl is so tolerant of a man?
Liang Jingzhuo also stopped, his expression sincere and earnest, and replied, "I understand."
Xie Mulin nodded in satisfaction and turned around.
As the two were about to go downstairs, they ran into Zhou Mingzhen and Xie Qingci, who were coming up from downstairs.
Xie Qingci glanced at Liang Jingzhuo, who was following behind Xie Mulin. He was upright and serious, and his expression was normal.
I wasn't scolded.
Zhou Mingzhen exclaimed, "Oh dear, we're done chatting. Just in time, the housekeeper just said that a new batch of flowers has arrived in the flower room."
As she spoke, she beckoned to Xie Mulin, "Give me some advice on how to arrange it to look good."
Xie Mulin looked bewildered. "What flower?"
Zhou Mingzhen glared at him, took a few steps to his side, and took his arm. "Didn't we order it a couple of days ago?"
After saying that, she pulled Xie Mulin downstairs, turned to Xie Qingci and Liang Jingzhuo and said, "Yaoyao, take Jingzhuo to see all the places. A few days ago, Grandma sent some Jin Jun Mei tea, saying that the quality was good. I'll have Aunt Luo brew a pot for you two to have some tea."
After speaking, he looked at Liang Jingzhuo and said, "Jingzhuo, please feel at ease and don't be shy."
Their hurried manner practically screamed that they wanted to give the two of them some space.
Liang Jingzhuo nodded and replied, "Okay."
Xie Qingci watched the two figures disappear at the top of the stairs, then turned around to look at the person in front of her.
The afternoon sun was dazzling and bright. He stood by the window, his tall figure almost completely blocking out the light, pulling her into his shadow as well.
As she turned her head, she looked at her.
In the silence, Xie Qingci and he exchanged a brief glance.
Liang Jingzhuo had drunk some wine, and the air was filled with a faint smell of alcohol, which mingled with his breath and silently permeated the atmosphere.
It didn't smell bad, but Xie Qingci still unconsciously slowed her breathing and looked away uncomfortably.
Xie Mulin had a decent drinking etiquette; he didn't pressure anyone to drink. The two of them only had a small, pleasant drink at noon, and she felt he wasn't drunk.
"I... will show you around."
Liang Jingzhuo looked at her and agreed.
The Xie family manor is very large, with the residential area alone occupying a considerable area. Xie Qingci's studio and room are on the third floor. Usually, she takes the elevator upstairs, but since she wants to be in the same enclosed space as him, she decides to take the stairs.
She led him out from the second-floor terrace, which overlooked the entire estate, to her studio on the third floor.
The room was too private, so she decided it wasn't necessary to visit it.
She has many paintings, so she set aside four rooms in her home and combined them to create an exhibition hall.
However, unlike galleries with professional curation, the exhibits are just randomly hung up, without any aesthetic considerations.
Liang Jingzhuo started looking at the first painting he saw upon entering. He didn't understand art, but he could tell that her painting style was quite varied and her use of color was very pleasing to the eye.
After looking at the first wall, he noticed that there were several stacks of framed artworks piled up in the corner.
"Did you draw all of these too?"
Xie Qingci looked over and nodded in response, "Yes, but there's nowhere left to hang it."
Hsieh Ching-Tzu may not be considered a naturally gifted genius, but she is definitely hardworking. She practiced her brushstrokes again and again when she was not proficient, and she tried different color combinations again and again when she was not satisfied with them.
Liang Jingzhuo shifted his gaze from the painting in the corner and looked at her. "Don't you plan to open a gallery or museum?"
It allows them to both exhibit their work and expand their influence, making it a win-win situation in terms of fame and fortune.
Xie Qingci shook her head and laughed, "I don't have the reputation to hold a solo art exhibition yet."
Liang Jingzhuo glanced at her smile and replied, "Mm."
He didn't understand these things and could only agree.
Xie Qingci thought that he liked this kind of exhibition, and remembered that Ke Meng had mentioned that the school's exhibition hall was donated by him.
“Our school is having a charity exhibition recently. If you’re interested, you can go and take a look. It features paintings by our teachers and students, as well as a few paintings by famous artists.”
She used the quantifier "small part" rather subtly; in reality, it was quite rare, and it was sold out on the very day it was exhibited.
Liang Jingzhuo looked at her and asked, "Do you have any?"
Xie Qingci's original intention was to recommend some paintings by the school's teachers. The Peking University Academy of Fine Arts is a top-tier art school, so its faculty is undoubtedly excellent and it's worth buying for collection.
Upon hearing this, he paused for a moment before nodding and replying, "There were two, but they've already been sold. You can go and see the works of our school's teachers."
As he spoke, he gave a thumbs-up and exclaimed with admiration, "Your technique is superb!"
Liang Jingzhuo's gaze shifted from her raised thumb to her playful expression with her nose slightly wrinkled.
I remembered her WeChat profile picture.
Now we can get in touch.
It's cute.
His gaze lingered for a moment before quickly shifting away, recalling the male classmate he had encountered standing with her outside the exhibition hall that day.
My thoughts paused for a moment, "Your classmate bought it?"
The classmate she said she wanted to ask out.
Xie Qingci turned and walked towards the wall below, answering crisply, "Yes."
Liang Jingzhuo paused slightly, as if he was thinking about something, before following after him.
A note from the author:
----------------------
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
