Chapter 29 Do you have to indulge your arrogance?
Xie Qingci found this man quite interesting and couldn't help but lower her eyes and chuckle.
Liang Jingzhuo pulled out the car keys and looked at her, puzzled. "What are you laughing at?"
She smiled and shook her head. "I think—you're kind of cute."
He can be a bit of a straight man at times, and sometimes he's not good at expressing himself, but he's still very attentive and patient in our relationship. The walk she mentioned last night was just an excuse, but he remembered it.
The word "cute" appeared in Liang Jingzhuo's dictionary of images for the first time. He frowned slightly. "What aspect are you referring to?"
"..." Xie Qingci was stumped by the question and was speechless for a moment. After looking at him in silence for a while, she calmly joked, "It means I'm lucky to have found such a good man."
Liang Jingzhuo paused slightly, "...Thank you for the compliment."
"You're welcome, it's my pleasure."
The seaside promenade was brightly lit, and cruise ships sailed by one after another on the sea. There were many people strolling leisurely, and since it was a holiday, there were even more tourists. The two walked side by side.
As they approached the ferry dock where they had boarded the ship the day before, Liang Jingzhuo suddenly spoke up: "Thank you, Qingci."
Xie Qingci paused slightly and turned to look.
He gazed at her for a moment, then slowly said, "Our marriage is not a game. I have never thought about separating, nor do I feel that our relationship is bound by mutual interests."
After saying that, he paused for half a second and continued, "There is an age gap between us, and sometimes I may not be able to understand what you mean, but I will not lack patience. You have to tell me, and we will get along well."
Actually, he had wanted to find an opportunity to make things clear with her for a long time, but he could never find the right time.
He wasn't sure how she really felt about their relationship, but he had been very serious from the start and hadn't anticipated anything unexpected.
Xie Qingci was suddenly taken aback.
The evening breeze by the sea tousled his hair, and the vibrant night light blended into his eyes as he gazed at her with sincere and unwavering eyes.
She suddenly felt a little guilty. Before this, she had not considered the outcome between them, and even felt that after the value of this marriage was used up, separation would be the best ending for them.
She glanced at him slightly and nodded in agreement.
-
It was late at night when they returned to the Liang family mansion, and everyone in the house was already asleep.
While changing her shoes in the entryway, Liang Jingzhuo told Xie Qingci that the Liang family had a curfew, and there would be punishment for returning home after 11 o'clock. He told her to be quiet and not to wake others.
He spoke so seriously that Xie Qingci tensed up instantly, turning to look at him. "Really? What do you do when you're always working overtime?"
I used to chat with her, sometimes sending her messages in the early hours of the morning, and she wouldn't see them until the next day.
He put on his slippers and stood in front of the floor mat waiting for her. "Working overtime is fine, but nothing else is allowed."
Is there such a rule?!
Xie Qingci was somewhat surprised, but she silently accepted the fact. She peeked into the quiet living room and took off her shoes much more gently.
After changing my shoes, I tiptoed with him toward the elevator, being extremely cautious as we walked, afraid of making any noise.
Liang Jingzhuo followed behind her, and seeing that she was even holding her breath, he smiled.
Hsieh Ching-Tzu didn't know where Duo-Zai was sleeping, and she was worried about waking it up and causing a fierce attack and barking, just like in the afternoon.
Turning my head, I saw Liang Jingzhuo smiling.
She was initially puzzled as to what he was laughing at, but two seconds later she suddenly realized what he meant.
"Liang Jingzhuo!" She frowned, her eyes widening in anger, but still mindful of the late hour, she kept her voice low, expressing her displeasure, "You tricked me!"
She said, "Aunt Zhuang seems like such an open-minded and kind person, how could she set such undemocratic family rules?"
“No.” Liang Jingzhuo denied what seemed like a clear answer. “There was indeed such a rule when I was in middle school.”
"..."
Bringing up something from over a decade ago is just playing with her.
Xie Qingci remained silent and stopped talking to him.
However, when they got off the elevator, they ran into Duozai, who was chewing on its little toy and making "babbling" noises like it was sucking on a pacifier, and was standing at the elevator door watching them.
Xie Qingci paused as she stepped out of the elevator, then smiled and went over to pat its little head. "Why aren't you asleep yet, Duozai?"
When she read Duozai's name again, she suddenly realized that he could be paired with Jinzai, whom Grandma Xie raised.
Duojin, a name that sounds like a perfect couple.
Duozai was still chewing on its little toy, which had been rubbed so much that its ears had turned into airplane ears, and its big, dark eyes blinked.
"You want to sleep with me?"
This is usually what Jinzai means when he looks at her like this.
Its big, dark eyes blinked twice more, and it moved closer to her legs.
She laughed. "Okay."
After saying that, he stroked its fluffy head and led it towards the bedroom.
Halfway there, she suddenly remembered that she hadn't asked the other person in the room what they thought. She turned around, looked at Liang Jingzhuo who was still standing in front of the elevator, and asked softly, "Is it okay?"
Liang Jingzhuo glanced at her silently, then looked at Duozai, who was sitting beside her legs, and asked, "Are you going to let it sleep with us?"
Xie Qingci realized that this was, after all, his room, so he wisely conceded: "Then... I'll take it to sleep in the guest room?"
Liang Jingzhuo frowned, paused for a moment, and then said, "Never mind."
One night won't hurt.
However, what was unexpected was that in the following days, every time it was time to sleep, Duozai would bite its little toy and wait expectantly for Xie Qingci.
Not only did he get up from time to time in the middle of the night to walk around, sigh, and hum, but Xie Qingci also turned to lie on that side, making the already spacious bed even more spacious.
His stable sleep quality was greatly affected.
So on Xie Qingci's last night in Hong Kong Island, before Liang Jingzhuo could even express his opinion, Zhuang Shuying couldn't stand it anymore. After dinner, she grabbed Duozai by the ear and dragged him back to her room.
"You're sleeping with Mom tonight, and you're not allowed to disturb your brother and sister."
Before this, Zhuang Shuying had also taken Duozai back to the doghouse, but the little stinky dog still sneaked out in the middle of the night and scratched at Xie Qingci's door.
Aunt Ali laughed and said that the puppy also likes pretty older sisters and always wants to stick close to them.
Xie Qingci wasn't averse to it; she actually quite liked small animals.
Go back to your room before going to bed at night.
Xie Qingci finished taking a shower first. Without Duozai wrapped around her legs, she suddenly felt a little uncomfortable.
Meanwhile, the sound of running water coming from the bathroom indicated that she was about to return to the space where she could be alone with Liang Jingzhuo.
Some hazy memories surfaced in her mind, and a flush spread across her fair neck.
She found their relationship strange; they had been intimate, but they were still not close.
I don't know what category of communication it falls under.
Not familiar with the area under the bed?
Just as he was sitting on the edge of the bed, lost in thought, the bathroom door opened and Liang Jingzhuo came out.
Their eyes met, and Xie Qingci gripped the bed sheet slightly. "You're done washing?"
"……Um."
Liang Jingzhuo glanced at the empty carpet at her feet. Duozai had been sleeping here for the past few days. The aunt cleaned it every day and left no dog hair. Only a toy chick lay there all alone.
He walked to the bedside. "Go to sleep."
"good."
Liang Jingzhuo turned off the light and lay down on the bed.
After a moment of silence in the dim light, Xie Qingci asked him, "Are you going to Australia on a business trip next?"
I heard him mention it during his conversation with his assistant after he returned that day.
He replied, "Yes, I'll be gone for a month."
The Liang family has several projects to carry out there, so his trip will take longer this time.
Xie Qingci nodded. "Okay, be careful."
That means I won't see him for a month.
It really is—
That's brilliant.
The tension and anxiety she felt earlier vanished in the darkness. She closed her eyes, her thoughts drifting, and just as she was about to drift off to sleep, the person beside her stirred.
Then, a voice came from the darkness, asking her, "So, are we doing it today?"
"..." Xie Qingci was instantly wide awake and abruptly opened her eyes.
You can hide from the first day of the month, but you can't hide from the fifteenth.
She gritted her teeth and mumbled a reply, "Mmm..."
The moment the words left her lips, she was enveloped in a familiar, scalding warmth.
The awkwardness and lag have vanished, replaced by skillful exploration.
She felt like she was melting.
As it ended, Liang Jingzhuo got up and turned on the bedside lamp, his posture agile and elegant, like a wild beast in the wilderness.
He glanced at the tears welling in the corners of her gently closed eyes, glistening under the light, and asked, "Want to take a bath?"
Xie Qingci had no strength and didn't want to move. She buried her head in the pillow, her long, soft hair spread out, and there were traces of sweat at her temples. She said lazily, "I don't want to go."
Liang Jingzhuo recalled that during the process, the person in his arms had reminded him more than once, "Liang Jingzhuo, you're pressing on my hair."
Like her, she is utterly soft.
The restlessness that had just subsided was stirring again. He looked away, swallowed unconsciously, and only looked back after calming down. "I'll carry you. You'll catch a cold if you do this."
I just broke out in a sweat, and the air conditioning is on indoors.
Xie Qingci opened her eyes, which were buried in the pillow, her gaze flickered twice, and she responded with a slightly unnatural low voice, "Mmm."
Since we've already done it, what's wrong with taking a shower together?
She works so hard, it doesn't seem wrong for her to enjoy some service, does it?
This was the first time Liang Jingzhuo had taken a bath with someone since he could remember things and was with a woman—his legal wife.
Blind spots that are impossible to see in the dark are now fully visible under the light. Even if you try to avoid them, you can still catch a glimpse of them out of the corner of your eye.
The moment Xie Qingci entered the bathroom, she regretted it. She couldn't possibly let him help her take a bath unless he carried her in.
Although the space was large enough for two people to shower together, the atmosphere gradually took a strange turn.
The steam was rising, and as she looked at the wall in front of her, which was covered in condensation, all she wanted was to take a shower as soon as possible and escape this suffocating space.
She applied a hair mask to the ends of her hair, and as soon as the conditioning period was over, she untied her hair tie, took a step back, and planned to rinse it one last time before leaving.
Suddenly, her back bumped against a hot chest. She was stunned for a moment, then opened her eyes, which had been closed by the rushing water, and felt a kiss on the back of her neck.
A deep, hoarse voice, thick with mist, sounded from behind, "The last time."
...
Xie Qingci decided that she would never bathe with him again.
-
Xie Qingci's flight back to Jingzhao was scheduled for the afternoon of the next day. Zhuang Shuying was extremely reluctant to see her go, but it was already the last day of the holiday, and Xie Qingci had classes the next day, so she had no choice but to leave.
Even Duozai sensed the atmosphere of parting and rushed out to bite Xie Qingci's skirt, abandoning his beloved little doll.
Xie Qingci bent down and stroked the puppy's head, comforting it, "I'll come see you again next time, Duozai, and bring you something delicious."
The little dog's eyes lit up immediately. It loosened its grip on her skirt, blinked its big, round eyes at her, and barked twice, as if agreeing to the suggestion.
Uncle Zhong loaded Xie Qingci and Liang Jingzhuo's luggage into the car, saying that there would be some traffic in the tunnel, so they had to leave early.
Liang Jingzhuo was about to embark on a month-long business trip to Australia. Ms. Zhuang seemed completely unaware of this, not giving him a single extra glance, and only focusing on bidding Xie Qingci a reluctant farewell.
Hearing Uncle Zhong's urging, he turned his head and glanced at him, "Would you like to sing another 'Ten Mile Pavilion'?"
"..." Zhuang Shuying quickly suppressed the tenderness on her face, glanced at him, but knew that time was indeed of the essence.
Turning back, he reminded Xie Qingci, "Come to Hong Kong Island when you have time off. If Jingzhuo isn't here, I'll come pick you up."
Xie Qingci smiled and agreed. After hugging Zhuang Shuying and Aunt Ali, she got into the car, waved through the car window, and then left the Liang family mansion.
Liang Jingzhuo and Xie Qingci returned to Jingzhao on the same flight. After dropping her off, he flew directly from Jingzhao to Australia.
Xie Qingci didn't go back to the old house or Xie family manor because she had class tomorrow; she just asked him to take her to school.
Lu Li was required to accompany him on the business trip, so Uncle Zhong did not come along this time.
When the car stopped in front of the gate of the capital, it was already nightfall. Xie Qingci picked up her bag and said, "Then I'm off. Have a safe journey."
After saying that, he prepared to open the car door and get out.
The moment my hand touched the door handle, my other wrist was grabbed, and the car door, which I had just opened a crack, slammed shut again due to inertia.
Lu Liben unbuckled his seatbelt, intending to get out of the car to help Xie Qingci with her luggage. Upon hearing the sound, he paused for a moment, glancing up at the rearview mirror.
He then consciously avoided eye contact and got out of the car.
Xie Qingci sat back down in her seat and turned her head with a puzzled look: "What's wrong?"
Liang Jingzhuo looked at her for a moment, as if waiting for her to realize it herself.
But the gaze of the person before him remained clear and puzzled. He slowly said, "Aren't you going to say goodbye to me?"
Just now at the Liang family mansion, she hugged Ms. Zhuang and Aunt Ali, and even kissed Duozai.
Just wish him a safe journey?
Xie Qingci was about to say that she had just said goodbye to him, but the words caught in her throat before she realized what he meant.
Night had fallen heavily outside the car, and the interior was dimly lit. She looked at him, her lips parted, and she asked, "Then, shall we hug?"
Liang Jingzhuo didn't move, but gave her a slight nod, which was considered as tacit approval of the condition.
Xie Qingci glanced at him, slowly leaned in, and reached out to hug him.
She nestled into his arms with a soft, fragrant embrace, gently rested her head against his shoulder, and said in a tender voice, "Goodbye, have a safe journey."
Liang Jingzhuo's shoulders and back tensed up involuntarily.
After a few brief seconds, Xie Qingci released him, a clear smile on her face, "Then I'm leaving."
He looked like he couldn't wait.
Liang Jingzhuo gave her a deep look, but did not grant her wish, and pulled her back into his arms.
"My farewell has to be different from others."
Xie Qingci hummed in response, but before she could react, her lips were sealed with a kiss.
After the short holiday, students returned to school one after another, and at night, the school gate was filled with people pushing suitcases and walking towards the gate.
Xie Qingci got out of the car, her steps faltering slightly, as if she were fleeing in a panic.
Lu Li was standing behind the car and had already taken out her luggage.
The crimson tail reflected on her already flushed face. She composed herself, smiled, and thanked him, "Thank you, Assistant Lu."
Lu Li bowed slightly. "You're welcome, Miss Xie."
After watching Xie Qingci walk into the school gate, Lu Licai got into his car and started the engine to head to the airport.
As Liang Jingzhuo sat in the back seat, flipping through the documents, he paused for a moment, raised his thumb to wipe his lips, and no bright color was smudged.
Last time at the Xie family manor, Xie Qingci wore makeup, but not today, so she left nothing behind.
He glanced at his clean fingertips, smiled gently, and continued looking down at the documents.
-
As Xie Qingci approached the dormitory building, she ran into Ke Meng and Duan Siyu, who were returning.
As darkness fell, the two were still somewhat uncertain when they saw Xie Qingci at the school gate, but they realized it was Xie Qingci as they got closer.
"Aci!"
Xie Qingci lowered her head and smoothed her skirt. Hearing the sound, she stopped and turned to look.
The two of them charged over like screaming chickens, yelling all the way.
Ke Meng glanced at the suitcase in her hand. "Did you just come back from Hong Kong Island?"
Duan Siyu found her nagging, "There was a car with license plates from three different regions right at the school gate."
It's a top-of-the-line Rolex; who else could it be but Liang Jingzhuo?
Ke Meng smiled and said, "That's true."
Xie Qingci smiled and handed over the two gift bags in her hand, saying, "These are small gifts I brought for you."
The two accepted it with beaming smiles, their emotions overflowing. "Thank you, Aci, my darling!"
A quick glance at the packaging reveals that they are all small pieces of jewelry from a high-end luxury brand.
After thanking them, the two suddenly had a flash of inspiration and looked up at each other, "Could it be that your husband paid the bill?"
Xie Qingci smiled, pursed her lips, and said nothing, but the answer was obvious. She added, "He also helped me choose it."
That day, she was going out to the mall to pick out gifts for Ke Meng and Duan Siyu, and Liang Jingzhuo happened to be free, so he went with her.
He can be a bit taciturn at times, but he has a great eye for gifts, and she took his advice.
She had originally planned to pay herself, but at the same moment she handed over her card, he reached out and snatched the card from her hand, then pushed his own card onto the counter.
The original quote was: "I just hope these two kids won't help you collect flowers anymore."
She was surprised, "They're the same age as me."
How can it be a child?
He glanced at her and said calmly, "So you are too."
"..." Her cheeks flushed for a moment, and she wanted to retort, but he seemed to see through her thoughts. After thinking for a moment, he added, "It's not always like that." The implication was that it wasn't always like that.
"…………"
Xie Qingci sometimes really wanted to shut his mouth.
How can you say such inappropriate things with such a serious expression?!
For example, just now in the car, he held her face and kissed her passionately. Sensing the change, she blushed and called him lewd.
He kissed the moisture on her lips, suppressing a certain turbulent emotion, and said calmly, "Between husband and wife, that word doesn't exist."
She suddenly remembered the evaluation Ke Meng had shown her that day, from a classmate in the Business Management department: a logical genius with unique insights.
He's not a logical genius; he's clearly the number one sophist.
On my way back to the dormitory, I passed by the school auditorium, where a large screen on the outside was playing replays of lectures.
Ke Meng, with her sharp eyes, immediately recognized the person speaking eloquently on the stage. "Aci, your husband!"
Xie Qingci and Duan Siyu looked up together.
The latter sighed and stroked his chin, "I'll add one too, so I can have a face."
Students from other colleges passing by also stopped and praised her for being "gentle and refined".
On the screen, the man was impeccably dressed in a suit, his manners mature and refined, exuding elegance and sophistication. His professional theoretical knowledge was occasionally interspersed with a lighthearted remark to liven up the atmosphere.
His every move exuded a powerful aura, and his expression was aloof and indifferent.
Xie Qingci inexplicably recalled some scenes from last night, her desire barely concealed, her breath coming in soft gasps, making it hard to reconcile her with the gentle man before her.
She blushed and looked away.
Where does that make someone gentle and refined?
-
On the first weekend after returning to school, Xie Qingci took some time to visit Fushun Hutong.
When Liang Jingzhuo left that day, he gave her the key, saying that Aunt Wen had taken leave this month and he wasn't in Jingzhao, so he asked her to help water the flowers when she had time.
She hadn't been to Fushun Hutong many times and didn't know what kind of flowers were grown there, or whether they were drought-resistant. After autumn arrived, the temperature in Jingzhao plummeted, and she was worried that the flowers would freeze to death. Once she finished what she was doing, she went there.
As autumn approaches, the ginkgo trees in the courtyard have begun to turn yellow, and the water vat under the trees still holds water.
She put down her bag in the main hall and went to the courtyard to look for flowers. In the end, she only found a few orchids that did not like too much water, and some artistic bonsai.
The soil is still semi-dry; even if Aunt Wen comes back from her month-long vacation, it won't all dry out.
She sent him the photo and asked, "Is this the flower you said needed watering?"
Australia and Beijing have similar time zones, but they are opposite seasons.
Liang Jingzhuo replied to her: "Go to the door and take another look."
She frowned in confusion, not remembering seeing flowers when she entered. She took her phone, walked out of the outer courtyard, and stood in front of the door to look at them.
Apart from two white marble drums standing on either side of the door, there was nothing else; even the fallen leaves had been swept away by the sanitation workers.
I was just about to ask him what flowers were planted in front of his door, and whether they had died or been removed.
I had just opened our chat window, and before I could even type anything, a message popped up: "Look up."
There were no flowers when I looked up...
As he was muttering to himself, he looked up and saw the security camera installed in front of the door.
His gaze froze for a moment, then the phone in his hand vibrated, and he looked down at it.
Liang Jingzhuo sent over a screenshot of her looking up at the camera.
The photo, taken from an overhead angle, made the head appear larger than the body, and he even captioned it: "This."
Her cheeks flushed red for a moment; she had been teased.
He turned and stepped inside, then closed the door.
He said to him: "You're not serious."
He said righteously, "How is it inappropriate? The flowers I sent you last time really suited your name."
It refers to that lovely piece of porcelain.
Xie Qingci didn't want to talk to him anymore. [Don't save my ugly photos, delete them.]
He remained unmoved. "I think it's beautiful."
"..."
They haven't been in much contact for the past two weeks, mostly chatting via text or occasionally making phone calls.
Hsieh Ching-Tzu usually only makes video calls with close relatives and friends; she uses voice calls with everyone else.
Liang Jingzhuo rarely had a moment to spare, so he called her via video, but she always answered with voice messages.
The main problem is that he always calls at inconvenient times; either she's taking a shower or she's not dressed properly and is getting ready for bed.
The two engaged in several back-and-forth battles.
Liang Jingzhuo: "Let me see."
Xie Qingci: "No."
"..."
He wanted to say where he hadn't seen her before, but after thinking about it, he figured she might get embarrassed and hang up, so he gave up.
Xie Qingci didn't reply to him. She went into the courtyard, closed the door, and cleared away the fallen leaves in the corridor. Since it would rain for the next few days, she also closed all the windows tightly before putting on her bag and leaving.
The slender figure in the picture stepped down from the doorway and walked towards the alley entrance.
Liang Jingzhuo suddenly smiled while holding his phone.
His subordinate sitting next to him glanced at him, thinking he had said something wrong.
He looked up, put down his phone, and gestured for the other person to continue.
-
With the sudden drop in temperature as autumn arrives, Ke Meng said she was going to buy a new quilt and also change the curtains in her dormitory, which she had been looking at for over two years and wanted to change the pattern.
On a nice afternoon when they had no classes, the three of them went to the furniture store.
After browsing around for a while, Xie Qingci suddenly remembered the bedroom furnishings with the same style and color scheme that she had seen at Liang Family Mansion and Fushun Hutong.
She had asked him last time if she could replace the curtains and bedding in Fushun Hutong with new ones, and she also wanted to replace some of the small home furnishings.
After all, she'll be living here eventually.
She simply couldn't stand the somber and oppressive color scheme and the rigid style.
Liang Jingzhuo replied, "Whatever you say, just leave the load-bearing walls."
"..."
Finally, he reminded her that he had a few supplementary cards in the safe in his study, and that she could take them and use them.
Xie Qingci didn't take the money; she used her own card to purchase all the furniture she wanted.
As Ke Meng watched her shop, he sang in a cheesy, mushy tone: "The world is so big, but one sweet word from you melts my heart. Watching you decorate this little home, the overflowing happiness is almost too much to bear~"
Duan Siyu glanced at her and said, "Did you sing the wrong person? This should be Liang Jingzhuo's song."
Ke Meng covered her mouth, then suddenly realized, "Oh, that seems so."
Xie Qingci glanced at the two of them, ignoring their pointed teasing.
After purchasing the items, she left her address and arranged a delivery time. She then went to exchange all the items over the weekend.
The whole house looks brand new, and even just looking at it makes me feel better.
The home furnishings were mostly changed. Liang Jingzhuo replied that she could change some of them if she wanted, but she didn't touch the furnishings that she could tell were made of unusual materials.
On the weekend before Liang Jingzhuo was about to return from his business trip, Xie Qingci went to replace some of the murals.
During her visit, she saw several antique paintings and calligraphy pieces. Upon examining the seals and noting that they were from the Tang and Song dynasties, she simply hung them back up untouched.
Liang Jingzhuo's courtyard is truly a "hidden gem," and that day I even discovered that the vase he used to grow flowers in his study was a celadon porcelain piece from the Ru kiln of the Northern Song Dynasty.
After replacing the minor, harmless items, she remembered that the curtains on the master bedroom's decorative wall might also need to be replaced.
The master bedroom underwent the most significant changes in the entire house; the curtains were retained, but they no longer match the current style.
I went upstairs, walked in, stood on the decorative wall and looked at it, and decided to change it.
But after being busy for several weeks, she was too tired to bother with it anymore and planned to have Liang Jingzhuo come back to handle it.
Send the owner of the furniture store a photo of the curtain and ask if they have any similar decorative items.
The boss quickly replied, saying that he had some and sent her several sample pictures so she could take a look first, and if she wasn't satisfied, she could go to the store to choose one when she had time.
She took her phone, stepped back a few paces, lay down on the bed, and prepared to take a look.
As soon as I lay down, I suddenly pressed down on a soft touch that didn't belong on the mattress, accompanied by a cold, painful hiss from behind.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Two chapters combined! The second half of yesterday's chapter has been revised, so you can take a look again.
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