Chapter 39 Indulging Your Arrogance "I think I'm in love."
It was already past midnight when I got back to the Zhou residence. I parked the car in the parking lot and planned to return the way I came.
Xie Qingci still felt the flush on her face. She touched her cheek and got out of the car. She heard footsteps coming from the direction of the backyard, along with the voices of Zhou Mingzhen and her two aunts.
They were probably planning to pick up Xie Mulin, and since they were worried about Zhou Mingzhen driving alone at night, they decided to go with her.
Xie Qingci paused for a moment, then turned to look at Liang Jingzhuo, who had just gotten out of the driver's seat.
He pushed the car door shut behind him, preparing to walk with her towards the backyard, when Xie Qingci walked over and pulled him into the bushes on the side.
The short, leafy shrub, about half a person's height, was a bit too short for Liang Jingzhuo. She even tucked the leaves aside to hide him further down.
Liang Jingzhuo was pulled by the arm and forced to bend down. Not knowing what was happening, he turned to look at her, "What's wrong?"
Xie Qingci held up her index finger, "Shh, it's my mommy and my two aunts."
Although she had lied to him about the family rule that if someone left at 11 o'clock they had to kneel in the study, it was indeed excessively late for her to come back at this hour.
However, all Liang Jingzhuo could think of was being forced to kneel in the study as punishment. He frowned subconsciously. "Are the family rules on your maternal grandmother's side of the family really that strict?"
Xie Qingci wanted to mercifully tell him the truth, but when she turned her head and saw his innocent and confused eyes, she pursed her lips and said, "Yes."
Liang Jingzhuo glanced at the three people walking out of the backyard from the other side of the bushes. "Then why are your mom and the others still able to go out now?"
"...Because she got married, and she was there to pick up my father." Xie Qingci started making things up.
Liang Jingzhuo raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly. "We're married too."
"..." Xie Qingci blinked. "It doesn't count. There was no wedding, so it can't be counted."
"……OK."
Seeing that he believed her with a solemn expression, Xie Qingci bit her lip to suppress the curve of her mouth, turned her head, and looked through the bushes to see where Ms. Zhou and the others had gone.
But the people who were walking on the garden's stone path just a second ago suddenly disappeared, and even their voices could no longer be heard.
They've left?
I don't think so, I didn't hear the car start.
He tilted his head slightly, wanting to look at the parking lot, and suddenly his eyes met those of three people standing at the end of the bushes.
Liang Jingzhuo sensed the person beside her freeze, and looked in the direction she was staring.
Five gazes met in mid-air, and time seemed to stand still for a moment.
A few seconds later, he straightened up, holding Xie Qingci's hand, and asked the three of them calmly, "Where are you going?"
There was no sign of embarrassment at being caught; in fact, he took the initiative and turned the tables on the three people opposite him.
Xie Qingci stood to the side without saying a word.
Zhou Mingzhen glanced at the two of them and smiled, "We're going to pick up your dad."
After saying that, he looked at Xie Qingci and asked, "Did you go out, or did you just come back?"
Before Xie Qingci could speak, Liang Jingzhuo answered for her: "Just got back."
Just as he was about to confess and take all the blame, saying that he was the one who took Xie Qingci out, Ms. Zhou nodded, "Okay, go back and rest, you'll have to get up very early tomorrow."
After saying that, he and the two aunts, who were also all smiles, walked towards the car.
Liang Jingzhuo paused for a moment, then turned to look at Xie Qingci, "You're lying to me?"
Xie Qingci's eyes darted around. "You're just fooling me too."
“I’m not kidding you.” He said seriously, “My house did have a curfew before.”
After saying that, he thought for a moment, raised his eyebrows slightly, and continued, "I was indeed planning to take a nude bath with you, but you changed your clothes first."
"…………"
-
Xie Qingci nearly died of exhaustion the next day.
When Liang Jingzhuo woke her up, she felt like the end of the world was upon her. Her eyes were even more sore and painful than the day she had suffered from insomnia on Hong Kong Island, and she couldn't open them at all.
After visiting the cemetery, Liang Jingzhuo had to go to the airport to catch his flight. She saw him off, her eyes almost closed.
As Liang Jingzhuo walked to the car, he turned around and looked at the person behind him. The person looked drowsy, with dark circles under his eyes, clearly indicating that he hadn't slept well.
"I won't be coming over this weekend, you should get some rest."
I turned down social engagements and work last night, and with the project starting today, I'll definitely be working overtime this weekend.
He wanted to take her with him, but he couldn't. The memorial service didn't end until the afternoon, and she hadn't had a good rest these past few days. He didn't want her to suffer from the long journey.
Xie Qingci nodded and replied, "Okay."
"Think about the wedding photos in the next few days. I'll be less busy at the end of this month."
She nodded again and replied, "Okay."
I'm so sleepy, I can barely hear what the person in front of me is saying.
Liang Jingzhuo seemed to find her reaction cute, curled his lips, and said, "Don't fight with Xiaoju."
"Hmm...hmm?" Xie Qingci responded subconsciously, then realized something was wrong.
Little Orange is the stray cat that often comes to the Zhou residence. The day before yesterday, the nanny said that it had given birth to kittens, but she couldn't find where it had put its nest that day.
This morning, the little one actually ran out by herself, turning back every few steps to try and lead me to see it.
She then pulled Liang Jingzhuo along with her.
Little Orange built its nest next to the greenhouse in the flower room. It must have been because the temperature had dropped recently, and with the arrival of its baby, it finally gave up its dream of being a wandering knight-errant and decided to settle down.
The three chubby kittens were well fed by it; two were orange tabby like their mother, and the other was a calico kitten with bright fur, not like a stray kitten.
Xie Qingci wanted to keep a cat, but the Xie family manor definitely couldn't afford it, as Zhou Mingzhen was allergic to cat fur.
Grandma Xie's place won't work either; Jinzai is very jealous, and if he goes there, he'll probably get beaten three times a day.
After much deliberation, she asked Liang Jingzhuo, "Can I take them to Jingzhao and raise them in Fushun Hutong?"
Without hesitation, Liang Jingzhuo replied, "You can coordinate with Aunt Wen."
She smiled and agreed.
...
"Why would I fight with Xiaoju?"
Is she really that bored?
Liang Jingzhuo looked at her for a while. Time passed quickly, and it was time to leave. He leaned down and kissed her cheek. "Then take good care of yourself and Xiaoju."
There were many figures moving around in the Zhou residence behind her. Xie Qingci raised her hand to cover her cheek, which he had just kissed, and said in surprise and embarrassment, "There are people here!"
Lu Li got out of the car and reminded Liang Jingzhuo that Chairman Liang was calling.
He took the phone, said "okay," looked up at Xie Qingci carefully for a few moments, and then said, "I'm leaving."
The lingering drowsiness dissipated, and Xie Qingci pursed her lips, nodded softly, and said, "Yes, have a safe journey."
Liang Jingzhuo paused briefly, his phone vibrating so intensely that he turned and got into the car to answer it.
Xie Qingci stood in front of the door, watching the car drive away until it disappeared from sight at the end of the road.
The phone she was holding suddenly vibrated, and she picked it up to take a look.
Liang Jingzhuo: [What are you standing there for? Come inside, it's cold outside.]
She lowered her eyes, curved her lips slightly, and replied, "I understand."
After sending the message, she put down her phone, turned around, and walked into the courtyard.
-
After the celebrations for Old Madam Zhou's death anniversary were completed, Xie Qingci and Zhou Mingzhen stayed in Shanghai for two more days, while Xie Mulin went to Boston on a business trip the next day.
During a brief respite from the hustle and bustle at home, Xie Qingci contacted Aunt Wen to discuss getting a cat.
Aunt Wen happily agreed, saying that now that she and Liang Jingzhuo were busy, the house wouldn't be so quiet anymore.
After finalizing the details, she contacted a pet transport company and chose one that could provide real-time monitoring throughout the process and had a veterinarian accompany the kitten to ensure its diet and health. The kitten was transported away the following afternoon.
The journey will take two days, and she will arrive around the same time she returns to Jingzhao.
After taking care of everything, Ke Meng and Duan Siyu called her to ask how things were going.
She said it was over.
The two of them started talking at once, recounting what had happened at school in the past few days.
The afternoon sun lazily streamed through the windowpane. Xie Qingci leaned over the table, listening to the two gossip back and forth, occasionally offering a comment or two.
In the end, the two realized that Xie Qingci had become quiet at some point.
Ke Meng hummed in response and called out, "Aci? Are you still there?"
After a few seconds of silence on the other end of the line, Xie Qingci's voice came through again, "Mengmeng, Siyu."
The two responded in unison, "Huh? What's wrong?"
Xie Qingci sat at the table, resting her chin on her hand. After a moment, she said, "I think I'm in love."
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