Chapter 35 Indulging Your Arrogance "Is it troublesome to touch up your makeup?"...
Fushun Hutong is located right next to a tourist area, making driving inconvenient. The supermarket was reached in ten minutes.
Before leaving, Aunt Wen said that some seasonings were out of stock, so they went to the seasoning section first, and Xie Qingci noted down several commonly used brands in the kitchen.
After carefully examining the items on the shelf, I took down the ones Aunt Wen said she had used up and put them in my shopping cart, and also picked up some baking seasonings.
The kitchenware in Fushun Hutong is quite complete. I saw an oven this morning and asked Aunt Wen about it. Aunt Wen said she had never used it. Liang Jingzhuo doesn't live in Jingzhao often, and even if she did, she doesn't like baked goods.
Even though they don't eat baked goods, the menu is still so complete.
Then she used it.
After buying the seasonings, Xie Qingci turned to the person pushing the cart quietly behind her and asked, "Do you have any dietary restrictions?"
Liang Jingzhuo glanced at the refrigerated display case in front of her and replied, "No, I'm fine with anything."
She nodded and replied, "Okay," before turning back to continue selecting ingredients.
But as she picked up a slice of freshly cut meat from the refrigerated display case and was about to put it in the cart, the person behind her, who had been quiet all along, spoke up: "I don't eat lamb."
The hand holding the box paused for a moment, then had to put it back. "Okay."
Then he reached for the beef on the side, "Beef is fine?"
He nodded. "Okay."
After buying some meat in the chilled food section, Xie Qingci went to the fruit and vegetable section. While selecting vegetables, she noticed that the celery and water bamboo were quite fresh, so she decided to buy some.
A voice came from behind again: "I don't eat celery, and I don't eat broccoli."
"..."
What happened to the promise that anything was possible?
Xie Qingci took a deep breath, put the celery and broccoli she had just put in the bag back in their place, turned around, and calmly asked him, "So what would you like to eat?"
The person standing behind the cart, with a calm expression, said, "Either is fine."
Xie Qingci: "..."
Do you want some carrots?
"I don't eat much."
"Kale?"
"What's this?"
"...Where are the vegetables?"
"Can."
...
After searching for a while, I finally only bought half a bag of green vegetables, a few broccoli florets, and a few tomatoes.
Buy and consume on the same day; there's no need to buy too much.
After leaving the vegetable section, Xie Qingci decided that from now on, if she ever invited him to come grocery shopping with her again, she would be his puppy!
When we went to Xie Family Manor for dinner before, I didn't ask him about his taste preferences in advance. Ms. Zhou took care of everything, and he still ate quite well.
After buying the vegetables, they went to buy fruit. This time, Xie Qingci simply shoved the bag into Liang Jingzhuo's hands, saying, "You pick what you want."
Fruits can be bought separately, without worrying about taste differences; she buys hers, and he buys his.
"I……"
"Don't talk." If you say anything more, she's going to flip the table!
Liang Jingzhuo remained silent until she was picking out fruit from the fruit counter with her own bag, at which point she put down her bag.
He really isn't picky about fruit.
After selecting the ingredients, Xie Qingci casually picked up two bags of candied fruit. She doesn't eat many snacks, except for candied fruit.
I went to the checkout area and saw the familiar shelves again in front of the cashier.
Her gaze swept over the colorful boxes on the shelf, and she figured she didn't need to buy anything today. She had just bought some yesterday, and she was going back to school tomorrow, as was Liang Jingzhuo, so they wouldn't use them all.
The customer in front of me pushed his cart forward, and the line moved forward. Suddenly, the person next to me paused for a moment, took two more boxes off the shelf, and put them into his shopping cart.
Xie Qingci paused abruptly, slowly turned her head to look over, and whispered a reminder: "We just bought it yesterday."
Has he lost his memory?
Is this within the range where I can easily bring two items along?
Liang Jingzhuo turned to look at her. "Yesterday's was a little small. Didn't you notice?"
"..."
Xie Qingci's face suddenly turned red, remembering that he had whispered in her ear halfway through, "It seems a little tight."
She initially thought he was talking dirty and told him not to speak, so it was actually true that the size was too small.
But what could she sense?
People around her looked over, but she looked away, mumbled a reply, and just wanted to pay the bill and leave as soon as possible.
But then someone nearby boldly announced, "They've changed to a new design and fragrance."
"..."
-
In the afternoon, Liang Jingzhuo returned to his study to continue working, while Xie Qingci sat in the garden drinking tea and chatting with Aunt Wen.
The weather is unpredictable after autumn arrives. Yesterday's weather forecast said it would rain today, but the sky was overcast all day and no rain came.
Most of the apricot leaves in the courtyard had fallen. They had just been cleaned up in the morning, but by the afternoon they were scattered all over the ground again. Xie Qingci picked up some, washed off the dust, and sat down at the small tea table to do some handicrafts.
Golden roses were made by her hands, and she even made a butterfly wing strap from the leftover scraps.
Aunt Wen watched from the side and kept praising, "Miss Xie, you are so skillful. A few days ago, my granddaughter's kindergarten teacher assigned homework, saying that we should collect fallen leaves in autumn to make small crafts. Our family was so busy, searching for leaves and looking up tutorials online."
Xie Qingci smiled and said, "Children do have these kinds of assignments."
My cousin got married and had a baby a few years ago. After starting kindergarten, the teacher often assigned this kind of homework. The kids naturally didn't know how to do it, so it was the parents' responsibility. She often complained in the family group chat that she used to do her own homework when she was a child, but now that she's a mother, she has to do her child's homework.
Aunt Wen smiled, glanced at her, and suddenly changed the subject: "When you and your husband have a baby, the child will definitely be very cute!"
Aunt Wen has been working here since Liang Jingzhuo bought this property in Jingzhao, for about ten years now. She only knows that the male homeowner's family background is extraordinary, and she has never seen any women other than the elders in the family interact with him.
When she first met Xie Qingci, she told Uncle Zhong that she was really beautiful and a perfect match for her husband. After spending time with her, she found that she had a very good personality.
Xie Qingci paused for a moment while smoothing out the leaves, smiled, and said nothing.
Looking up, my gaze swept over the study on the second floor of the main house. Liang Jingzhuo was sitting at his desk, looking down at documents with a focused and serious expression.
Her thoughts paused for a moment.
Is this possible?
-
Xie Qingci eventually gave the butterfly baby carrier to Aunt Wen, saying that if the child liked it, she could give it to her, and it could also be used as a kindergarten craft project.
Aunt Wen was flattered and said that it was so exquisitely made, like the wings of a little fairy, and the little girl would definitely be overjoyed.
While tidying up the mess on the table, Xie Qingci's phone suddenly vibrated. She turned her head to look at it and found that it was Liang Jingzhuo.
She looked up at the study on the second floor, where Liang Jingzhuo was standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, holding his phone to his ear and watching her.
She picked up her phone, pressed the answer button, and asked him, "What's wrong?"
I called her even though we lived so close.
Seeing that she had answered the call, the person by the window turned and walked toward the study door, saying, "Change your clothes. There's a cocktail party tonight. Come with me."
I remember when we were in Hong Kong Island, Auntie Ari complained to her that he never went to parties or banquets, saying it was useless socializing and simply boring!
I changed my mind today and I'm actually going to participate?
She glanced at the retreating figure that had already walked away from the window and replied, "Okay."
-
Xie Qingci doesn't have many formal dresses, unlike Shen Chutang who loves to throw parties and taverns from time to time. She might wear them at school dances or ceremonies, but most of the time these clothes are not needed.
Moreover, formal dresses are usually worn only once and never again; they are one-time luxury items. She buys them very infrequently, but there are always occasions when she needs to wear them, so she still keeps one or two new seasonal pieces in her wardrobe.
When Xie Qingci entered the dressing room, Liang Jingzhuo was changing clothes. He had just put on his trousers, but his upper body was still bare, revealing his broad and firm back muscles. Xie Qingci paused for a moment, slightly averted her gaze, walked past him, and opened the cabinet door on her side.
Some of her clothes were brought over a few days ago when the interior design was being renovated, and two places were set up next to his wardrobe to store her things.
She took out the evening dress she had just ordered last month while shopping with Mrs. Xie, and prepared to change. She turned around and glanced at the person standing in front of the dressing mirror.
He's already wearing his shirt and is getting his suit jacket.
She decided to go to the master bathroom to change.
Although they had done every intimate act imaginable, she still wasn't used to changing clothes in front of him.
The person in front of her seemed to read her mind, opened the drawer of her clothes, and took out a silk scarf from her collar. "I'll wait for you outside."
After saying that, he turned and walked out, closing the door behind him.
Xie Qingci held the dress, glanced at the closed door of the dressing room, and suddenly found it somewhat interesting, letting out a soft chuckle.
Liang Jingzhuo tied her scarf and realized she had forgotten her cufflinks. She glanced in the direction of the dressing room and decided to wait for Xie Qingci to come out before going in to get them.
Just as I was about to pick up my phone to check the time, a voice came from inside the dressing room: "Liang Jingzhuo".
The tone was low and soft, with a hint of embarrassment at encountering difficulties.
He paused for a moment, then replied, "What's wrong?"
The girl's voice was still soft and gentle, "I can't zip up my jacket, can you help me?"
The door separated them, so her request wasn't very clear, but he still heard it and replied, "Okay." He walked over, opened the door to the dressing room, and went inside.
Xie Qingci originally planned to change into a different outfit, but after rummaging through her wardrobe, she couldn't find a single simple design; each one had more or less steps that she couldn't complete on her own.
In the end, I decided to call someone outside.
The door behind me was pushed open, and a light of a different hue than the one inside the dressing room shone in from outside. Then, a tall and straight figure stood up behind me.
He took the lock of the invisible zipper from her hand, lowered his eyes, and zipped it up for her.
His warm fingertips brushed against her waist, and Liang Jingzhuo withdrew his hand, glancing at her dress.
The silver skirt shimmered like starlight falling on water, its flowing hem accentuating the slender curve of the waist. The V-shaped open back design revealed a flawless, white back, as smooth as jade, captivating the eye.
With her waist tightening, Xie Qingci turned around and habitually said, "Thank you."
This time, Liang Jingzhuo didn't correct her. His gaze swept over her back, and he responded very softly, "Mm."
While Liang Jingzhuo was putting on his cufflinks and watch, Xie Qingci also put on her jewelry.
The necklace she chose was the aquamarine one he gave her on their first date, the earrings were her own, and she didn't wear a bracelet. Accessories shouldn't be too complicated.
As her fingertips brushed against the jewelry box, her gaze lingered on the diamond ring she hadn't worn since returning from Hong Kong.
Looking down at the relatively simple wedding band on her hand, which could be worn as a set with the diamond ring, she thought for a moment and then took out the diamond ring.
Liang Jingzhuo put on his watch and turned around. Xie Qingci had already put on her jewelry and was bending down to change her shoes.
She wore silver lambskin evening shoes with heels nearly ten centimeters high. At first, she didn't sit on the shoe bench but stood barefoot on the floor and stepped into them.
The slender and delicate instep fits the shoe perfectly. After putting on one foot, I was about to put on the other when I found that I couldn't stand steadily on one foot, so I decided to sit down.
Just as she sat down on the shoe bench, Liang Jingzhuo came over, squatted down in front of her, and gently lifted her foot, carefully placing it into the shoe.
She rested her hands on the leather cushion of the shoe bench beside her, the warmth from her fingertips seeming to rebound and return to her skin.
After putting on her shoes, Liang Jingzhuo placed her feet back on the ground, looked up, and saw the necklace she was wearing.
He hadn't seen her wear it since he bought it for her last time. Just as he had imagined when he bought it, it suited her very well.
His gaze, which had been fixed on the pendant, moved upwards to look into her eyes. "It's beautiful."
Xie Qingci lowered her eyes and said softly, "Thank you."
The person squatting in front of her didn't get up, their gaze lingering on her. After a moment, they asked, "Is your makeup easy to touch up?"
"Huh?" Xie Qingci thought she hadn't heard clearly, and looked up. "What?"
He looked into her eyes and patiently repeated, "Is it troublesome to touch up your makeup?"
Just as he repeated this, Xie Qingci understood what he meant and glanced to one side. "It's alright."
She rarely wears heavy makeup, but today's occasion required it, so her makeup routine involved a few more steps than usual, mostly on her eye makeup.
As soon as she finished speaking, a hand reached out from behind her ear and neck, and a familiar scent pressed close. Liang Jingzhuo brought her head back from its slight turn, looked down at her lips, which were covered in glossy lip gloss, and slowly kissed them.
The hair piled on top of her head gently touched the wall behind her. A warm, soft touch pressed against her lips. He took her lips in his mouth, sucked lightly, then slightly opened them, pushed aside the barrier, and captured her tongue, which instinctively retreated.
...
When Lu Li called, the kiss was coming to an end. The intimate, deep kiss turned into a soothing light kiss on the lips, and they parted after a light peck.
Their noses were still almost touching. Xie Qingci lowered her head slightly, her cheeks flushed, and reminded her, "Your phone is ringing."
Looking at the glistening moisture on her lips, Liang Jingzhuo replied in a slightly hoarse voice, "Mm." Then he picked up his phone and answered the call.
Lu Ligang had just arrived in Jingzhao when he respectfully said on the other end of the phone, "I've arrived at Fushun Hutong, boss."
He stood up and replied, "Okay."
After hanging up the phone, I glanced back at the full-length mirror and saw a blush spreading around my lips. I went to the dressing table, grabbed a wet wipe, and tried to clean them, but it didn't come off.
Xie Qingci watched his actions, pursed her lips, and pointed to the makeup remover on the dressing table, "We need to use makeup remover."
Lip gloss is a bit harder to remove than lipstick.
She got up from the shoe stool, took a makeup remover wipe, squeezed out two pumps of makeup remover, and handed it to him, saying, "Use this."
Xie Qingci's lips weren't smudged much; most of it rubbed onto Liang Jingzhuo's lips, and he ate some of it.
I applied a light layer of foundation, and then applied lip gloss to perfectly repair it.
Makeup remover was indeed more effective; it wiped away the smudges in no time. After throwing away the makeup remover wipe, Liang Jingzhuo turned to look at him.
His lips, now touched up, returned to their previous pink and alluring appearance, and his gaze lingered on the bright pink.
His Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he looked away. "Let's go."
-
Lu Li escorted them to the banquet hall. Today's event was not a formal business reception, but rather a quarterly reception for a previously cooperating group. Knowing that Liang Jingzhuo was in Jingzhao, he sent him an invitation, but Liang Jingzhuo had not originally planned to attend.
In the afternoon, a business partner who had also received an invitation came over to ask if he would be attending that evening. He habitually said he couldn't go back, but then the other person continued, "I heard there are quite a few projects planned for this event. It's a casual cocktail party, and everyone is bringing their wives. Why don't you bring your new wife to show her off?"
The words of refusal that were on the tip of his tongue suddenly stopped him. He turned to look at the person who was still doing handicrafts with Aunt Wen in the yard and replied, "Go."
In the glitz and glamour of the night, the car rolled over the red carpet of the porch and came to a smooth stop. The doorman came forward to help open the car door.
Upon hearing that Liang Jingzhuo was coming, the organizers' leaders were already waiting by the door. Seeing the familiar three-place sign, they immediately came to greet him.
As I got out of the car at the porch, several leaders arrived before they did, their voices already calling out, "President Liang!"
Liang Jingzhuo extended his hand to shake the hand that was offered to him, "Hello, Mr. Yu."
The other person couldn't hide their delight. "Welcome, welcome." After saying that, they glanced at Xie Qingci beside them and were just about to greet her.
This morning, the wedding announcement from Liang's public relations department was already known to everyone.
Liang Jingzhuo introduced her first: "This is my wife."
Mr. Yu smiled and said, "Hello, Mrs. Liang."
Xie Qingci smiled and replied, "Hello."
Mr. Yu's gaze lingered politely on Xie Qingci before turning to Liang Jingzhuo and smiling, "Mr. Liang and your wife are a match made in heaven. This morning, my wife saw the news and told me that they are such a perfect couple, like a celebrity couple."
Liang Jingzhuo nodded politely and thanked him, saying, "Thank you."
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, General Manager Yu gestured behind him, saying that the venue was ready and that "General Manager Liang and Mrs. Liang had a good time tonight."
It was a casual cocktail party, without as many taboos as in business settings. In addition to some leaders from group companies, some media professionals were also invited to attend, and the atmosphere was quite relaxed.
It was rare for Liang Jingzhuo to attend a cocktail party, especially such a casual one. Before the event started, President Yu came to ask him if he could be invited to give the opening remarks.
Since he was already there, there was no harm in going through the formalities of social etiquette. Before going on stage, he looked at Xie Qingci beside him.
"Wait for me a moment, or go to the bar for something to eat, I'll come find you after I'm done."
He spoke softly, with a hint of coaxing, which made the leaders who had come to invite him smile slightly.
Xie Qingci nodded, "Okay, go ahead."
After Liang Jingzhuo left, Xie Qingci turned around and looked at the venue. She didn't often attend parties unless they were family-related, in which case she would go with Xie Mulin and Zhou Mingzhen. Most of the time, it was just the two of them.
Her gaze landed on the bar area, and she decided to go to the lounge area to wait for a while. There was no one she knew there, so sitting down was better than standing there.
After finding a seat in the rest area, Liang Jingzhuo was invited to give an opening speech after a brief speech by the organizer's leader on the stage in front of him.
The podium changed hands, and he bowed slightly in greeting before walking to the microphone amidst applause from the audience.
Xie Qingci recalled seeing a replay of his lecture on the outdoor screen in the school auditorium that day. He was equally elegant and charismatic, and his speech was gentle and fluent, delivered entirely without notes.
That day, while watching the fireworks in Victoria Harbour, the trembling roar in her chest seemed to slowly rise again, and she looked away.
A passing waiter carrying a tray asked her if she wanted champagne or red wine. She glanced at the neatly arranged drinks on the tray, picked up a glass of champagne, and said, "Thank you."
The other person bowed slightly and left.
A hushed discussion came from two tables away from her: "Did you guys see today's trending topic? Isn't that Liang Jingzhuo's wife?"
"It seems so."
Xie Qingci paused as she brought the wine glass to her lips, then turned to look at the table where four people were sitting, their table piled high with filming equipment.
They were probably media people invited to the reception.
The moment their eyes met, the other person quickly looked away, turning their head as if they hadn't just spoken.
Xie Qingci didn't care about such discussions. Just like when she went out, people would occasionally talk about whether she was "a young lady of the Xie family." She was already used to it.
Seeing that she didn't react, the group lowered their voices even further and continued gossiping together.
"I checked, and it seems to belong to the Xie family."
"The Xie family? Isn't it said that the Xie family has been declining in recent years? The Liang family is a wealthy and prominent family in Hong Kong for generations. Why would they want to form a marriage alliance with the Xie family? Wouldn't that be beneath them? Besides, haven't there always been rumors that her father, Xie Mulin, and Liang Jingzhuo's father, Liang Junshi, don't get along?"
"What's the big deal? It's a family marriage, there's definitely no affection involved, there's absolutely some inside story that we ordinary people don't know about. There's always an exchange of something, maybe it'll fall apart in a few years. Aren't these kinds of things common in the industry?"
A union based on shared interests will inevitably fall apart due to those same interests.
"But it must be said that Xie Mulin's methods are quite remarkable. No matter how you look at it, it's a sure-fire deal for the Xie family."
A few ambiguous laughs rippled through the small circle. "Where's the compensation? We didn't compensate by taking a girl to jail?"
As they talked, they glanced at Xie Qingci again. "But I have to say, Xie Mulin's daughter is quite good-looking. If you ask me, she should take advantage of the fact that she still has some looks and is young and beautiful, and have a child quickly. That way, she can get something out of it, and when she gets divorced, she can sit down and negotiate terms."
The group laughed again. "How can you be so sure they'll definitely get a divorce?"
The man who dared to make the bold guess sneered as if he had seen through the ways of the world: "All men are like this. You're all men, don't you know what's going on? If you're rich and good-looking, how could you lack women? No girl can stay eighteen forever, but there will always be girls who are eighteen!"
Xie Qingci took a sip of champagne, put down the glass, and prepared to get up and walk over there, but a figure had already walked to the table of the four people ahead of her.
Liang Jingzhuo had just finished his speech and stepped down from the stage. After searching around for a while, he found Xie Qingci in the rest area. As he passed by a group of people sitting in a circle, he heard the following discussion, stopped in his tracks, and turned to look.
Several media people, whose origins were unknown, wore enigmatic smiles. Although they didn't utter any vulgarities, their words were practically vulgar. Since it was still related to Xie Qingci, he changed direction and walked towards them.
Suddenly, a dark shadow loomed over the table. The group looked up in surprise. The bright lights in the banquet hall highlighted the man's face, which was almost cold to the extreme.
Which media outlets are you from?
The group was taken aback for a moment, then belatedly realized what was happening and stood up one after another, smiling obsequiously, "Hello, Mr. Liang."
Liang Jingzhuo looked at the smiles on their faces, his expression cold and devoid of warmth. He didn't respond, then took out his phone and made a call.
The call was answered after one ring.
"Hello Mr. Yu, this is Liang Jingzhuo. I would like to confirm a few media outlets with you."
As he spoke, he glanced at the logos on the cameras of the group and asked, "Pioneer, Bit, Deep Dive, Yuanchuan, did you invite them all?"
He heard a reply from the other end, and his gaze shifted from the filming equipment back to the group of people in front of him who were now too afraid to even breathe. "Okay, I understand."
After saying that, he hung up the phone.
"You all seem quite interested in my life with my wife?"
The group fell silent, shaking their heads. They were all seasoned veterans who had worked on the front lines for many years, and they skillfully tried to liven up the atmosphere. "No, no, no, you misunderstand. We just saw the announcement from your company and noticed that you and your wife were getting along very well, so we chatted for a bit."
Liang Jingzhuo nodded twice slowly, a gesture that, though seemingly one of agreement, sent chills down one's spine.
"There are a few misunderstandings that I would like to clarify. First, my marriage to my wife is not a purely business arrangement; it was my own choice. Second, we will not get a divorce. Third, the Xie family is not for you to judge."
Every word and phrase was polite and courteous, yet also a powerful counterattack, causing Xie Qingci to pause for a moment.
Then, amidst the sudden silence, he spoke again: "Fourth, pregnancy is not the purpose of marriage. If my wife is willing, we will naturally have a child, so please don't worry about it."
Someone opened the balcony door of the venue, and the late autumn breeze suddenly swept through, carrying a chilly feeling. It stirred up the warm and fragrant air inside the venue, and the crystal chandelier swayed and tinkled as it blew past our ears.
Xie Qingci's feet sank heavily, accompanied by a strangely rising heartbeat, echoing deafeningly beneath every pulse hidden on the surface of her body.
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