Chapter 37 Indulging Your Arrogance: "Have you missed me?"
Xie Qingci was taken aback again.
Holding my phone, I walked to the window and glanced downstairs.
A black Bentley with license plates from three different regions was parked in the night outside the front yard of the Zhou residence. Liang Jingzhuo stood beside the car, dressed in a sharp and meticulous business suit.
As if sensing her gaze, he looked up at her.
Across the dim lights of the courtyard, Xie Qingci's gaze inexplicably shifted slightly the moment he looked over, then she stepped back from the window and said into her phone, "Wait a moment."
After saying that, he hung up the phone, took his phone, opened the door, and went downstairs.
Zhou Mingzhen was sitting in the small pavilion in front of the courtyard chatting with several Zhou family relatives and friends who were staying overnight. She glanced at the time and calculated when to leave for the airport.
Looking up, I saw what looked like a car parked outside the courtyard gate, which was covered in flower shadows. I muttered to myself, "Who would come here at this hour?"
He got up to take a closer look, and was surprised when he saw who was standing outside the door. "Jing Zhuo?"
Liang Jingzhuo put away his phone and waited for Xie Qingci to come out. Hearing the sound, he turned around and subconsciously wanted to call her "Auntie," but he realized his mistake just before he could say it and changed his words to "Mom."
Zhou Mingzhen smiled and responded, then went to open the door for him. "Why are you here now? I heard from Yao Yao that you were supposed to arrive later tomorrow."
He walked into the courtyard and replied, "Yes, I finished work early today."
The relatives and friends in the small pavilion next to Zhou Mingzhen also looked over as she left her seat, their faces full of smiles, knowingly asking, "Mingzhen, who's here?"
Zhou Mingzhen glanced at them, but didn't reply. Instead, she introduced the people present to Liang Jingzhuo.
Liang Jingzhuo responded politely to each question. As he spoke, Xie Qingci came downstairs, wearing pajamas.
The late autumn night was cool and still. Under the watchful eyes of her aunts and uncles, she walked up to Liang Jingzhuo and asked, "Why are you here now?"
Zhou Mingzhen glanced at them, smiled, and walked back to the pavilion.
The layered flower stand acted as a partition, blocking out most of the laughter and chatter from that area. Liang Jingzhuo glanced at her thin clothes.
Autumn in Shanghai is still quite chilly. As he unbuttoned his suit jacket, he said, "I got off work early today, so I came a little ahead of time. Didn't you say there was a ceremony at the cemetery tomorrow?"
After he finished speaking, he took off his clothes and draped them over her shoulders.
Xie Qingci didn't say anything, but he understood that family members had to go with him to the cemetery. Although he knew that a group of relatives and friends would accompany him and it was impossible for him to be left alone, he was still a little worried. After finishing the project launch meeting for tomorrow, he rushed to the airport.
I wanted to call her, but I figured she must be busy, so I decided to wait until I got there before contacting her.
The familiar scent, carrying her body heat, evaporated the chill of the cool night from her clothes. Xie Qingci's eyelashes trembled slightly. "So you're rushing back to Hong Kong Island tomorrow?"
She remembered him saying that a very important project was launching the next day.
Liang Jingzhuo nodded. "Okay, I'll go back after the ceremony."
"Is it too late?"
"There's still time."
Xie Qingci pursed her lips, looking at the travel-worn person in front of her, and suddenly had an indescribable feeling. She turned around and said, "Let's go inside."
She came out in a hurry, still wearing slippers. The late autumn air already carried the chill of winter, and she felt a bit cold after standing there for a while.
Liang Jingzhuo agreed and followed her towards the main house.
In the main hall, groups of three or five Zhou family uncles and elders sat together. Xie Qingci introduced the elders to him, and he humbly greeted them in return.
Several uncles who were playing chess or cards asked him if he wanted to play a few rounds together.
He politely declined, saying, "I'm not really good at it, so I won't disturb your enjoyment, uncles and elders."
Xie Qingci glanced back at him, and saw him bragging without batting an eye.
Walk through the lobby and go upstairs.
The trip was a bit rushed, and Liang Jingzhuo didn't have time to pack his luggage. He had originally planned to stay at a hotel under the Liang Group and have the concierge help him with the arrangements.
Xie Qingci led him into the room, intending to tell him to take a shower and rest early, but a glance at his empty hands told her that he hadn't brought any luggage.
It seemed like a decision made on a whim.
She thought for a moment, "I'll go ask my mommy if she has any new pajamas for my dad."
After saying that, she lifted her foot to walk towards the door, but then remembered something else very important, stopped, turned around and looked back, "That—I might not have underwear."
"It doesn't matter."
"...You don't have to wear it for now, I'll have Lu Li deliver it."
Although she knew that for men, not wearing underwear for the time being wouldn't have much of an impact, Xie Qingci remained silent for a while, cleared her throat softly, and replied, "Okay."
Go downstairs and find Ms. Zhou. Ask her if she has Xie Mulin's new pajamas. Zhou Mingzhen thought for a moment and said yes.
I bought a few new outfits when I stayed in Shanghai during the Spring Festival this year, but I didn't wear them and they've just been sitting here ever since.
While looking for pajamas, Zhou Mingzhen laughed, "Like a seventeen or eighteen-year-old lad, he came here on a whim."
They were talking about Liang Jingzhuo, but Xie Qingci felt her ears burning for some reason.
"You two get along quite well?"
Zhou Mingzhen hadn't seen Liang Jingzhuo since the last meal at the Xie family manor. Taking out several sets of pajamas she had found, Zhou Mingzhen turned to look at Xie Qingci.
Judging from today's situation, things won't be too bad, which makes Zhou Mingzhen quite relieved.
Xie Qingci looked at the several sets of pajamas, picked out a set from the same brand as Liang Jingzhuo's usual pajamas, touched the skin behind her ear, and replied, "It's alright."
Zhou Mingzhen chuckled and didn't press further, telling her to send it over quickly.
When they returned to the room, Liang Jingzhuo was standing in front of the desk by the bed, looking down at something.
Her thoughts raced through her mind, and she suddenly remembered that in the afternoon, she found a high school diary in her drawer. She took it out and flipped through it, but before she could finish reading it, Ms. Zhou called her away, so she didn't close it.
Recalling the pretentious and artsy writing inside, she rushed forward and nimbly snatched the diary from his hands.
She picked it up and put it behind her back, a blush creeping up her cheeks. "You've been reading my diary!"
Liang Jingzhuo turned to look at her, his expression frank: "You didn't close it, so I didn't know it was your diary."
"..."
Unable to refute it, it was indeed her own fault for not closing it first.
He handed her the pajamas in his other hand. "You... go take a shower. The pajamas are new. My dad hasn't worn them yet. Turn left at the bathroom and dressing room."
Liang Jingzhuo glanced at the pajamas handed to him, took them, responded, and turned to go to the bathroom.
After Liang Jingzhuo left, Xie Qingci threw the diary back into the drawer and was turning the key to lock it when there was a knock on the door.
Remembering that Liang Jingzhuo had just asked Lu Li to deliver underwear, she guessed that it must have been delivered, so she turned around and went to open the door.
It was indeed a delivery of underwear. Since Lu Li couldn't come over, he asked the family's maid to deliver it for him.
After taking it and closing the door, Xie Qingci could already hear the sound of running water coming from the bathroom. She glanced at the direction of the bathroom and decided to place it by the sink outside the shower.
Pushing open the outer sliding door, the sound of water grew louder, and the rising steam condensed on the frosted glass, winding and rolling down, vaguely reflecting a figure standing behind the door.
Although it had a frosted finish, it was still glass after all, and some light was translucent. Liang Jingzhuo looked up and brushed the water from his forehead and his hair.
He has a broad build and a strong, agile physique.
He turned slightly to the side, and after his gaze inadvertently fell on a rather inappropriate spot, Xie Qingci quickly looked away and placed the packaging box in her hand on the table. "I put the underwear outside for you."
A soft "Mmm" came from behind her as she turned to leave. Liang Jingzhuo called out to her, "I didn't bring a towel. Could you ask and hand it to me?"
She was the only one living there, and indeed only her own towel was left. She replied with a "okay," then turned around and walked back, tiptoed to the storage cabinet above the sink to find a new towel.
After taking it out, I unpacked it, glanced at the vague outline of the shower door, bit my lip, walked over, opened it slightly, and handed it over. "It's new. Wash it before you use it."
Another low "hmm" came from the sound of flowing water.
Then, a damp hand emerged from inside, bathed in hot water. The knuckles were slightly red, and the veins were clearly visible. Water droplets slid down the edge of the palm, carrying the heat from the shower.
Certain inappropriate images suddenly flashed through Xie Qingci's mind, and her eyes welled up with tears. She turned her head and pushed the towel in her hand forward a few steps, wanting him to take it away quickly so she could get out as soon as possible.
Even before the items in her hands were taken away, she felt a warm, damp grip on her wrist. The next second, the door, which was only slightly ajar, suddenly slid open halfway, and she was thrown inside by the momentum.
Before I could even react, a wet hand reached out to my cheek, and kisses rained down on me.
She stumbled and thrashed a couple of times on the non-slip tiles, but the hand clasped around her wrist firmly supported her waist.
The kiss on her lips was anything but gentle and slow. After she regained her balance, the hand that had been supporting her face moved to hold the back of her neck, parted her lips and teeth, captured her tongue, and hooked it with hers.
The air was filled with water vapor, and the hot water was still flowing continuously, the fine water droplets quickly soaking Xie Qingci's clothes.
Liang Jingzhuo held her and kissed her for a long time, until the air seemed to thin out, before he finally let go of her.
The intrusion from between his teeth withdrew, his lips parted slightly, his mouth twitched, and he kissed her lips as she breathed softly.
Water droplets slid down his wet hair, flowing over his eyebrows and eyes. His damp nose pressed against hers, and his voice was misty and indistinct, "Have you missed me?"
He lied. It wasn't that he finished work early; rather, he turned down several social engagements for the night and put down the mountain of documents. As soon as he left the meeting room, he took Lu Li with him and flew over on a last-minute plane ticket.
I want to go to the cemetery with her tomorrow, and I miss her too.
When I called her, I was wondering if she would be angry because of his sudden appearance, but the moment I saw her, all I wanted to do was kiss her.
He was not good with words, and even less good at expressing his emotions in front of others. He suppressed his desires and thoughts, but in the end he couldn't help himself.
Xie Qingci was so overwhelmed by the kiss that her brain was almost deprived of oxygen. When she heard the question, she looked up and saw her flushed face, which was still damp with moisture. Her eyes shimmered, giving her a hazy, dreamy look.
She hadn't figured out how to answer that question.
The person in front of her kissed her forehead. "It's okay if you don't want to."
He said they would take it slow, and he knew she was a slow starter, so there was no rush.
After saying that, he glanced at her pajamas, which were already half wet, and reached out to unbutton them for her.
The moment I untied the first clasp, someone covered my hand.
Xie Qingci grasped the hand that was about to unbutton her clothes, her eyes slightly averted, "My period is about to start."
Liang Jingzhuo removed her hand from the back of her hand. "I know, your clothes are wet. Take another shower."
Xie Qingci looked away slightly and then brought her gaze back, a hint of surprise in her eyes. "How did you know?"
They've been together for so long, and she's never had her period.
Liang Jingzhuo continued to unbutton her pajamas one button at a time. "This is the first time we've eaten together. You didn't drink any cold drinks, and you didn't eat any raw food."
He initially thought it was just her lifestyle habit, until he later discovered that she would eat ice cream and drink cold drinks at other times, but only switched to hot drinks and hot food near the end and beginning of the month.
Although he had never been in a romantic relationship with a woman, he was aware that it was inevitable to encounter female business partners in business settings.
After taking off her clothes, Xie Qingci stood under the hot water, lowered her eyes, and muttered, "She's quite observant."
After taking a shower and leaving the bathroom, Xie Qingci, who had washed her hair earlier, didn't wash it again.
Liang Jingzhuo was drying her hair in front of the sink when she went outside first.
Turn off the main light, leaving only a nightlight. Just as I lifted the covers and lay down on the bed, Liang Jingzhuo came out after drying her hair.
Xie Mulin was wearing well-fitting pajamas, which were slightly too short for him.
Her hair was slightly damp and messy, and a little shorter than when I last saw her.
She glanced at him and curled her legs up.
My feet were still a bit cold after I took a shower without wearing socks and stood downstairs for a while.
Xie Qingci has always been like this. In autumn and winter, if she goes out without wearing socks after taking a shower, her feet feel like they've been stuffed in ice. Sometimes they don't warm up all night and she has to soak her feet to feel better.
But she was tired after a busy day and didn't want to bother with it; she figured she could get better by tomorrow morning anyway.
Liang Jingzhuo walked to the bedside, lifted the quilt, and got into bed.
She reminded him with her eyes closed, "Set an alarm for me."
She has to get up at 5:30 tomorrow morning; there are still some preparatory tasks to take care of. Her biological clock isn't that efficient yet.
The nightlight was turned off, and Liang Jingzhuo responded, "Yes, I called you."
A warm body lay down beside him, and he pulled her into his arms. Her cold feet accidentally brushed against his leg through her pajama bottoms, and she immediately pulled away.
"Why are your feet so cold?" Liang Jingzhuo frowned slightly and then gently tucked her feet between his legs.
Feeling the heat enveloping her soles and insteps, Xie Qingci paused for a moment before replying, "I forgot to wear socks."
Liang Jingzhuo replied, "Remember to wear it next time."
"Um."
Silence fell in the darkness. After a long while, Liang Jingzhuo heard the person in front of him speak: "Actually, there are some."
His feet, which had been tucked between his legs, gradually warmed up. He didn't understand. "What?"
Xie Qingci pulled her foot back, turned around, and faced away from him. "Going to sleep."
There was a moment of silence, followed by a kiss on the back of her neck. With a hint of amusement in his voice, he replied, "I understand."
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Author's Note: I'm out today, so there will be no extra chapters.
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