Chapter 18, Second Update Combined: "Want to try again?"
Hsieh Ching-Tzu fell asleep after watching half an hour of the two-hour film.
When I woke up, my hearing was the first thing to return, along with the stiff and sore neck, and familiar lines of dialogue entered my ears.
Her mind was hazy. She first frowned at her sore neck, then immediately realized she had fallen asleep.
She's asleep!
If her memory isn't playing tricks on her, she should be watching a movie with Liang Jingzhuo right now.
The last vestige of longing for sleep vanished instantly, and she abruptly opened her eyes.
The projector was still playing a movie, and the scene depicting the male protagonist's chance encounter with his first love was being shown on the white wall.
She doesn't remember exactly when she fell asleep, but her last impression of the film is the first meeting between the male and female leads, and the male and female leads exchanging phone numbers.
Calculating the time, she slept for almost half an hour.
I breathed a slight sigh of relief; thankfully, I didn't end up sleeping through the entire movie.
Just as she was about to adjust her posture, the stiffness, soreness, and numbness in her neck made her frown and let out a soft "Ah..."
"woke up?"
Just as he landed with a low cry of pain, a voice asked from above.
She was stunned for a moment before realizing that she was leaning against something; the warm body heat penetrated her shirt and touched her forehead.
Liang Jingzhuo's shoulder.
Her back stiffened abruptly. She slowly sat up, making sure that aside from leaning against him, she hadn't done anything else out of line. She reached up to touch her neck, turned her head, and said, "Sorry, I fell asleep..."
She invited the other person to stay and watch a movie, but she herself fell asleep.
Liang Jingzhuo glanced at her and responded softly, "Mm."
Then he added, "Then you should rest first."
I fell asleep as soon as I started watching; I must have been very tired.
After half an hour of sleep, plus being roughly startled awake, Xie Qingci was no longer sleepy at all. "It's okay, I'm not sleepy anymore, let's finish reading."
Even energetic.
Liang Jingzhuo looked at her for a moment through the changing light and shadow, and replied, "Okay."
Our attention is now focused back on the film.
The male protagonist and his friends bump into his first love while watching a performance. When he goes up to greet her, she introduces her female companion as his "girlfriend." The male protagonist gets nervous and blurts out that this introduction will make others mistakenly think she is "gay." Unexpectedly, his female companion admits that she is indeed lesbian. This leads to a plot where the protagonist travels back in time to avoid an awkward situation.
Xie Qingci paused for a moment, then turned to look at the person beside her.
Noticing the gaze directed at him from the side, Liang Jingzhuo turned to look at her. After their eyes met, he asked, puzzled, "What's wrong?"
Xie Qingci's eyes shone brightly in the dim light. "You...like the opposite sex, right?"
"..."
Liang Jingzhuo stared at her for a few seconds. "Do I not look like a heterosexual?"
That's not it.
Xie Qingci looked away. "No, it was triggered by the plot. I just wanted to ask..."
That's a really flimsy excuse.
But you can't exactly say that my friends suspect you're gay, can you?
Ke Meng and Duan Siyu looked horrified when they saw the news that the Hong Kong tabloid that had spread rumors about him having homosexual tendencies had disappeared.
This must have been quite a shock for them.
Liang Jingzhuo glanced at her profile, hidden in the shifting lights, and said, "I think I should make it very obvious."
Xie Qingci's attention had just returned to the plot when she heard this and turned to look at her. "Hmm?"
He looked at her and continued, "Homosexuals instinctively reject intimate contact with the opposite sex."
"..."
"I kissed you."
Xie Qingci met his gaze silently for a moment, then slowly nodded, "Okay..."
"Shall we try again?"
"Wh...what?" Xie Qingci wasn't sure if she had heard him clearly.
What to try?
Liang Jingzhuo looked at her calmly, "Kiss."
"..."
Do I need to submit a report and apply for this in advance?
Xie Qingci suddenly felt a burning sensation behind her ears, which spread to her neck.
She recalled the kiss that hadn't gone on last time, and her throat seemed to tighten instantly. Her slightly pursed lips moved, and after a long while, she responded with a slightly unfocused look, "Mmm..."
Liang Jingzhuo's gaze first fell on her neck, which was slowly turning blush, like a piece of glaze that had been slowly colored by firing in a kiln, its porcelain pink color alluring.
A moment later, when he felt his tie was a little too tight and the air was thinning, he slowly raised his hand and cupped her face.
The slight dampness in his palms was hard to tell whether it was the temperature of her cheeks or just his own feeling of heat.
The hand that reached out to support her face made Xie Qingci freeze for a moment, and her gaze, which had been shifting away, returned.
The main lights in the reception room were all turned off to show a film, and the only light source in the room was the projector that rotated through the ceiling.
His gaze lingered on her face, slowly moving towards her lips amidst the clamor of the dialogue.
With her face flushed and rosy, Liang Jingzhuo suddenly remembered the sensation he felt with his fingertips when he held her face just now—a sensation that resonated with their last kiss.
His heart pounded in his chest like the excitement of someone after strenuous exercise. He gently approached and kissed that breathtakingly rosy cheek.
The dialogue and background music in the film seemed to suddenly stop, and all that could be heard was the buzzing sound from behind the card.
A warm pressure pressed against her lips. Xie Qingci's hands, which were resting on her knees, tightened slightly, her breathing slowed, and she closed her eyes.
Practice makes perfect. Relax, don't be nervous, Xie Qingci.
When the kiss, which had been as intense as before, shifted direction and the lips parted slightly to deepen the kiss, she couldn't help but stiffen for a moment, her neck, which had been tilted back, being lifted into a burning hot palm.
As if to prevent her from escaping, he pressed down slightly, drawing her even closer to him.
The kiss that couldn't be completed at the Xie family manor last time was carried out today without any disturbance.
Still exploring awkwardly, when her tongue touched the soft flesh, she felt the person in front of her stiffen for a moment, but only for a moment, before supporting the back of her neck and deepening the kiss.
Their intermittent breaths became scalding hot, and Xie Qingci felt like she was about to suffocate. She raised her hand from her knees and placed it against Liang Jingzhuo's chest.
She instinctively tried to push him away, but then realized what was happening and loosened her resistance.
The silky fabric of her suit vest crumpled in her palm, damp with her slightly sweaty sweat, yet she could also feel his heartbeat pounding against her chest, strong and rapid, in sync with the pulse emanating from her hand.
The last time they kissed, he was standing and could hold her hand. This time, sitting opposite each other, Liang Jingzhuo suddenly didn't know where to put his free hand.
After hesitating for a moment, he slowly placed his hand on her waist.
The loose pajamas enveloped her, and when she pressed her palm down, it suddenly sank in, conforming to her slender curves.
The silk fabric felt slightly cool against the skin, and Xie Qingci tensed her waist slightly when it touched her skin, but the slight chill was quickly dispelled by the warmth of her palms against her waist.
Her tension never eased.
Liang Jingzhuo had only kissed twice before, and his lack of experience, both in practice and theory, made him somewhat awkward and stiff at first.
An experience unlike any I've ever had before, a very special, thrilling touch.
Until the background music for the next scene started playing from the speakers, his lost senses were awakened, and he slowly released the pressure from his palm.
Their intertwined breaths finally separated. Xie Qingci lowered her eyelashes, her lips slightly parted as she panted, her lips bright and moist.
The flushed cheeks, the delicate skin on the back of the neck touched by my palm, the warm and fragrant scent filling my embrace, sending a jolt of electricity through me.
Sensing something amiss, Liang Jingzhuo withdrew his hand and looked away.
Only after the strange excitement subsided did he turn back to look at her, "Want to keep watching?"
The question is about movies.
The tone has returned to clarity, but still retains a slightly hoarse quality, as if it has been soaked in a kind of intoxicating liquid.
Xie Qingci's breathing gradually calmed down. She turned to the side, looked at the still-playing video, and responded with a soft "Mm".
The redness on her face was stubborn and hadn't completely subsided for a long time. If the lights were on now, she would probably be as red as a red shrimp.
Liang Jingzhuo stared at her profile for a long time before suddenly standing up. "Wait for me."
After saying that, he walked out.
Xie Qingci sat with her knees drawn up in front of the tatami mat, watching blankly as the tall figure disappeared through the doorway.
A moment later, the sound of approaching footsteps came again from outside the door.
The door opened, and Liang Jingzhuo returned, carrying two beautifully packaged small boxes.
That day in London, after having dinner with local officials, he went to a nearby shopping mall and picked out a gift for her during her business trip.
He had never dated a girl before and didn't know that he was supposed to bring a gift back to his partner after a business trip.
It wasn't about making her happy or having a hug and kiss; it was simply about wanting to bring her a gift and showing that he cared about her.
But if it's available, it's not impossible.
Xie Qingci watched him approach, sit down, and hand him the box in her hand. "This is a gift I brought back for you from London."
She glanced at the box he handed her, and was about to thank him when she remembered that he had said they didn't need to say thank you between them. She closed her mouth again, took the box, and replied, "Okay."
"Want to give it a try?" Liang Jingzhuo asked.
Xie Qingci rarely wears jewelry. She hasn't worn the necklace he gave her last time. She pursed her lips and replied, "Okay."
Liang Jingzhuo took the box back, removed the carefully tied ribbon, and opened the box.
Two hair clips were placed in a velvet holder; they were not a necklace, nor any other jewelry.
Xie Qingci looked slightly surprised, thinking he would give her jewelry or something similar like last time.
Ever since he gave her a necklace on their first date, Liang Jingzhuo has noticed that Xie Qingci doesn't seem to like wearing jewelry; her neck, wrists, and ears are all unadorned.
I spent a long time browsing in the mall that day before finally finding these two hair clips.
In the few times I saw her, the most common accessory she wore seemed to be a hair clip.
SA brought out a whole tray of hair accessories for him to choose from from the display stand. The dazzling array of choices made him realize that he had never bought such items before, and he had never even chosen these kinds of accessories as gifts for business occasions.
Ultimately, one was chosen from each of the two categories: one with a large amount of hair that could be clipped, and one with a small amount.
Hsieh Ching-Tzu can style her hair in both updo and half-up styles, and she can use both.
He first took out the hair clip that could hold more hair, a light blue cotton one with a bow. "Let me help you."
Xie Qingci replied, "Okay," and turned around knowingly.
Liang Jingzhuo glanced at her hair, which was loose behind her back. The freshly washed fragrance filled his nostrils. Her hair was smooth, black, and shiny, like satin. It felt silky and cool to the touch.
Similarly, he had never tied anyone's hair before. He adjusted it several times, but strands of hair always slipped out of his palm.
Even Xie Qingci could tell from the clumsy technique that the needle was stuck in her hand. She couldn't help but laugh and raised her hand to try to do it herself. "I can do it myself."
Liang Jingzhuo didn't hand over the hair clip. "It'll be ready soon, just wait a little longer."
It took quite a bit of effort for the latch to finally snap into place.
He styled her hair in the same way she had done it herself the previous times he saw her—a gentle and serene half-up hairstyle.
"alright."
Xie Qingci raised her hand and touched it. It wasn't messy, and no extra strands of hair had slipped out. It was clipped quite well, but it had been there for a while.
"fine."
Hearing her satisfied answer, Liang Jingzhuo picked up another small clip from the box and turned to put it on her.
The starfish-shaped rhinestone design didn't quite match her hairstyle today, but it was still very pretty.
He genuinely complimented, "It's very beautiful."
He doesn't boast about his own products; he praises the people who wear clips.
Xie Qingci, of course, understood, and her cheeks flushed. She said, "Thank you."
Liang Jingzhuo glanced at the hair clip in her hair and replied, "Mm."
A two-second silence fell over the room. Xie Qingci looked up and met his gaze. Not understanding why he was looking at her like that, she asked, "Is there a problem?"
He pursed his lips and looked at her for a moment. "Are you happy?"
?
Xie Qingci looked blank for a moment, then smiled and said, "I'm happy."
Should we be happy?
It seems like it needs to be done?
Liang Jingzhuo didn't speak, looked at her for a long time, then looked away and replied, "Mm."
Xie Qingci didn't understand the reason for his unusual behavior, but suddenly remembered that she also had something to give him. "I also have something for you."
Liang Jingzhuo's gaze, which had been averted, lingered for a moment, her heart skipped a beat, and she turned her head back.
The person in front of him leaned forward slightly, his neck stiffened for a moment, and he even held his breath slightly until he saw her stand up.
...
Xie Qingci went to pick up the gift she had bought for him while shopping with the old lady today. She had said she would treat him to a meal next time.
I couldn't invite you to dinner, but I can send a gift.
It was a tie. She had never given a gift to a man who wasn't a relative or friend before. It was the old lady who suggested it to her. In everyday business settings, ties are as frequently worn as suits, and even come in more styles.
However, instead of choosing a business-style design, she opted for a more casual one, featuring gray and white jacquard stripes and the brand logo print on the back where the small sword would be, making it suitable for more relaxed occasions.
The main reason was that she felt he wouldn't lack business-style items, and the hair clip he gave her was from the same brand.
She walked back to the tatami mat and sat down next to him again. "I went shopping with my elders today and picked out a tie for you. I don't know if it suits your taste."
Based on her observations of his clothing during their previous meetings, she realized that he had a high standard for the quality of his attire.
Considering the gifts he gave her, although he was somewhat of a straight man when he was with her, his taste was far from that of a straight man; he had excellent taste.
Liang Jingzhuo looked at the gift box she handed him and, prompted by her to "open it and take a look," accepted it.
He rarely wears semi-formal attire on ordinary days, and he rarely attends business banquets or parties unless absolutely necessary, so he doesn't wear that kind of clothing much.
"It's great, I really like it." Even when expressing his opinion, he used a very formal tone. "Should I give it a try?"
Xie Qingci blinked.
Shouldn't it be up to you to make your own decision?
She moved her lips slightly, "Hmm... Sure, let's give it a try and see if it suits us."
After the sound faded, Liang Jingzhuo still held the box and didn't move.
She looked up at him, paused for a moment, and then asked, "Shall I help you?"
He handed the box back, saying, "Thank you for your help."
"...No trouble at all."
Taking the tie out of the box, Xie Qingci pointed to the tie he was still wearing at his collar and said, "You need to take this off first."
Liang Jingzhuo glanced down and obediently removed his original tie.
His hands were strong and long, and he slowly loosened the full Windsor knot at his collar, pulling out the small tail.
Xie Qingci's gaze lingered for a moment on his action of loosening his tie before shifting away somewhat uncomfortably.
I felt something was off for some reason.
After loosening her tie, Liang Jingzhuo reminded her, "That's all."
She turned her gaze back and replied, "Okay."
He straightened the tie in his hand, held both ends, and hung it around his neck.
The height difference between them meant that even when she was sitting, she had to raise her arms to wrap the tie around his head. Fortunately, he lowered his head to accommodate her, otherwise she felt like she would have to stand up.
Xie Qingci didn't know much about tying ties. The few she knew were the ones she learned at the last school arts festival when Ke Meng, who was in the fashion design club, asked her to help tidy up the models' clothes.
Her technique was just as good as when he put hair clips on her.
On a move that required repeatedly wrapping the large tail around twice, she hesitated for a moment, awkwardly pinching the end and feeling a bit uncomfortable.
As she considered whether to change direction and tie it again, Liang Jingzhuo raised his hand, grasped the back of her hand, and guided her smoothly around the knot.
Feeling the soothing warmth against the back of her hand, her wrist involuntarily tensed up.
With their cooperation, a fairly perfect Windsor knot was tied, and Liang Jingzhuo released her hand.
With a spirit of teaching someone how to fish rather than just giving them fish, I asked her, "Would you like to try again?"
Actually... there's no need for that.
She glanced at the knot on his collar and still said, "Okay."
The second time, she finally got the hang of it a bit better, tightening and tidying it up, tucking the small tail into the buckle, and letting down his shirt collar.
She ran her fingertips down the notch of his waistcoat, a slight smile playing on her lips as she admired her work. Satisfied, she said, "All done."
Liang Jingzhuo shifted his gaze from her face to her collar. It was the first time he had tied a tie for her that wasn't his own hand. The tie was neatly and properly fastened at her collar, like a soft ball of cotton spreading from her throat to her chest.
Like kissing, it's a wonderful feeling.
He looked up. "Very talented."
Even the praise was so cold and strange. Xie Qingci laughed, "I remembered it before, but I've forgotten some of it."
As soon as he finished speaking, Liang Jingzhuo's brows furrowed slightly. "Did you tie it?"
The cotton ball that was spreading towards his chest swelled up infinitely, making him feel somewhat bloated and uncomfortable.
She looked up at him and nodded. "Yes, I helped tidy up the costumes backstage for the school's arts festival before."
Liang Jingzhuo's brows were still furrowed. "A boy?"
Xie Qingci didn't understand why he asked that question, so she nodded slowly and then added, "There are girls too."
At the time, Ke Meng also choreographed a women's suit dance for her model team, which was so cool and stylish that it ignited the entire audience.
Liang Jingzhuo remained silent.
Xie Qingci tilted her head. "What's wrong?"
He glanced down at the Windsor knot at his collar again and replied, "It's nothing."
After saying that, he glanced at the time, picked up his tie, and said, "It's getting late, you should get some rest."
Xie Qingci sat on the blanket, and upon hearing this, she also turned on her phone to check the time. It was almost eleven o'clock, which was indeed very late. She stood up and said, "Okay, good night."
"Okay, goodnight."
-
Liang Jingzhuo went back to his room and took a shower. Before going to bed, he went downstairs to pour himself a glass of hot water and ran into Uncle Zhong. He told him that one of his suits had been sent for maintenance and he wouldn't be able to pick it up for another week.
He responded with a faint "Mm".
Uncle Zhong glanced at him, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Just came from Miss Qingci's place?"
Liang Jingzhuo didn't want to talk to Uncle Zhong, who had the potential to be a gossip and a big mouth. Holding his water glass, he said, "You should get some rest too."
He was about to turn around and go upstairs.
Uncle Zhong clicked his tongue and said meaningfully, "Forget it, I just saw that someone seemed to have something on their mind, and I was thinking of seeing if I could give some advice. Since they don't appreciate it, then forget it."
After saying that, he turned to leave.
Liang Jingzhuo stopped and turned to look at him. "What's your opinion?"
Uncle Zhong glanced back at him and said, "When you get old, you need to rest early."
Having said that, he continued walking towards the door without stopping.
Liang Jingzhuo took a sip of water from his glass and said quietly, "Last time you said you were going to take a French class, but you actually went fishing all day. Aunt Ali doesn't seem to know that yet."
Aunt Ali is the cook at the Liang family mansion. She is an excellent cook of Beijing cuisine, and she is mainly responsible for Zhuang Shuying's meals.
She is also Uncle Zhong's wife.
Aunt Ali previously said that times are progressing and they have to keep up with the changes, so she enrolled Uncle Zhong in a French class and herself in a Japanese class.
Uncle Zhong was very unhappy that Aunt Ali had assigned him such a difficult language, while assigning herself a simpler one.
So every now and then I would skip a few classes to express my protest, but I didn't dare let Aunt Ali know.
As soon as the voice fell, the person who had already stepped out of the door stopped, quickly turned around and came back, sat down in front of the island platform, and extended his hands in invitation: "Sit down, I would like to hear the details."
That brat, it doesn't work on him anymore.
As for how Liang Jingzhuo knew that Uncle Zhong was skipping class, it was because the French teacher that Aunt Ali hired for him was the one who taught him French back then.
I ran into him at an event and asked him with concern if his housekeeper's health had improved.
Only then did he realize that Uncle Zhong had taken several days off under the pretext of being unwell, but in reality, he had secretly gone fishing in the wild.
During that period, there was much more fish on the tables at the Liang family mansion than usual.
He didn't sit down, but stood behind the island counter with his cup in hand. After a moment of silence, he asked, "You said the other day that Xie Qingci was very popular?"
Uncle Zhong laughed when he heard this, but after meeting Liang Jingzhuo's cool gaze, he immediately turned serious, coughed twice, and said solemnly, "Yes, that day Dean Lin invited you to give a lecture. I was waiting for you outside, and since I had nothing to do, I wandered around and saw Miss Qingci's photo on the honor wall."
It has won national and municipal awards multiple times.
Liang Jingzhuo looked at him. "And then?"
After talking for so long, I still haven't gotten to the point.
Uncle Zhong continued, "I just complimented her, saying that she was very beautiful. There happened to be some of her classmates there, and they told me that Miss Qingci was very popular at school."
He still remembers the expressions on the faces of those two classmates when they spoke to him—they were so bright and lively. "Uncle, this girl is very popular at our school! Lots of boys want to date her, and she's super pretty!"
Later, he caught a glimpse of her walking along the tree-lined avenue at school, holding an umbrella, but at the time he didn't know it was Xie Qingci. Before they officially met, he only knew she was a girl from the Xie family. He had heard her name a few times, but he hadn't remembered it carefully, and he didn't know which characters it was.
If he had known, he definitely would have stopped to give someone a ride.
When he saw her in person later in Fushun Hutong, he was initially surprised, but then he agreed with his two classmates that she was indeed more beautiful in person than in the photos.
Liang Jingzhuo remained silent, lost in thought for a long while.
Uncle Zhong glanced at him. "What, is someone pursuing Miss Qingci?"
After saying that, she exclaimed, "Oh!" "That's normal. Miss Qingci is still in university. She's beautiful and has a good personality, so she's bound to be popular with the male students."
What little boy wouldn't like that?
As she spoke, she seemed to recall her student days, and sighed with a nostalgic look, "It's so good to be young."
Just as he finished speaking, Liang Jingzhuo looked up, turned around with his water glass in hand, and said casually, "I sent a text message to Aunt Ali."
"..."
-----------------------
Author's Note: Starting tomorrow, the update time will resume at 8:30 PM. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, there will be two updates per day. Today's two updates are combined into one! [kissing emoji]
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