Chapter 5: People like this, who indulge your arrogance, probably don't like women.
Xie Qingci looked at the message that had been sent, and then glanced at the time at the top of the screen.
She left Fushun Hutong in the afternoon, and now it's almost nine o'clock. Even if she doesn't live in Jingzhao, she should be home by now.
She replied: "I've arrived, thank you for your concern."
Finally, a happy smiling emoji was added.
A very polite yet distant reply.
Liang Jingzhuo looked at the reply, paused for a moment, and then her cheeks turned red and her eyes crinkled into a smile after the last line of text.
A few seconds later, Xie Qingci received another message—
Have you eaten?
"..."
She remained silent for a moment, then replied: 【I ate…】
Seeing that the note at the top of the page had changed to "typing" again, she clicked on the input box and decided to end the awkward conversation first.
I just typed on the keyboard: 【I'm going to sleep now, you should get some rest too.】
As usual, I found the cheerful emoji in the emoji list and added it. Just as I was about to press the send button, a new little bubble popped up on the other end.
Do you like the taste?
Xie Qingci paused slightly, hovering her fingertip in mid-air before pressing the send button. After a moment, she selected the entire paragraph in the input box, cut it, and retyped: 【What flavor?】
Ask her what she liked about dinner?
Liang Jingzhuo: [Candied fruit. This afternoon, Uncle Zhong gave it to you; there were two boxes of candied fruit inside.]
When Grandma Zhuang was instructing him on what to prepare, she mentioned Xie Qingci's sweet and sour treats.
I was thinking of preparing some snacks for her elders, so I should also bring some to her.
Xie Qingci was slightly taken aback. Uncle Zhong only told her that it contained a pastry box from Fangxinzhai and some Jin Jun Mei tea, but she didn't open it to take a look.
The chat window fell silent for a moment. Xie Qingci glanced at the golden cub in her arms, who was snoring away and almost asleep.
She picked it up and put it on the bed, then took her phone, put on her slippers, and went downstairs.
Aunt Lin was busy in the kitchen. She stood in front of the island and asked, "Aunt Lin, where is the box of pastries I just brought back?"
Aunt Lin turned around upon hearing the sound and replied, "I've already put them in the living room!"
Xie Qingci agreed and turned to go to the reception room.
Among the mountain of snacks and fruits, I finally found the pile she had brought back that afternoon.
There are indeed two boxes of candied fruit left.
Liang Jingzhuo leaned against the table, holding his phone. He waited for a long time but didn't receive a reply. Just when he thought she had fallen asleep, his phone finally vibrated.
【It's delicious, thank you! [happy.emoji]】
He glanced at the emoji at the end, hesitated for a moment, and then sent a message: 【Hmm.】
Xie Qingci sat down on the floor next to the tea table and picked up a candied fruit, popping it into her mouth.
Grandma Xie loves sweets but dislikes sour foods, so she's always the one who finishes the candied fruit at home.
The latest "hmm" on her phone made her secretly breathe a sigh of relief.
According to the usual chat process, this should be the end, and she was about to paste the closing message that she hadn't been able to send earlier from the clipboard.
A new message came in.
Liang Jingzhuo: [You really like this emoji?]
Xie Qingci paused for a moment while she was eating the candied fruit, glancing at the three soybean emojis she had sent in the chat history.
"Hmm...it's alright."
She only sends emojis to ease the awkwardness when she doesn't know what to talk about.
But this was her limit, so before his contact name could change to "typing" again, she took the initiative.
Paste and send in one go.
Xie Qingci: [I'm going to sleep now, you should get some rest too.]
No emojis were used this time.
A few seconds later, a new pop-up appeared in the dialog box.
Liang Jingzhuo: [Okay.]
That single word was like a pardon, and Xie Qingci finally relaxed. She glanced at the box of candied fruit in front of her, which she had already quietly eaten half of.
He popped the candied fruit he had just taken into his mouth, closed the box, and got up to go back to his room.
The chat window fell silent. Liang Jingzhuo held his phone for a moment, his gaze sweeping over Xie Qingci's profile picture.
It has a cute, carefree vibe.
He recalled the first time he saw her that afternoon; she was beautiful and gentle, unlike the feeling her profile picture gave him.
Outside the door, Uncle Zhong knocked and said he would bring his daily change of clothes.
He looked away, put down his phone, and replied, "Okay."
-
The Xie family elders returned early the next morning. The old lady kept nagging, saying that Xie Qingci hadn't told them she was coming back, otherwise she wouldn't have gone to even the most interesting farmhouse.
After saying that, he looked her over from head to toe, saying he wanted to see if she had lost weight.
Xie Qingci had always been thin and frail since childhood, which the old lady was not very satisfied with, saying that girls should be a little plump for better health.
She smiled helplessly, "I've only been away for a little over two weeks, how could I lose weight so quickly?"
The old lady was still worried, and only after seeing her drink an extra bowl of soup made from the free-range chicken she brought back from the farmhouse at noon did she feel relieved.
In the afternoon, while the old lady was still taking a nap, Xie Qingci quietly slipped away.
Aunt Lin saw her to the door, glanced at the bright sun outside, and said, "It's still early, the sun is so strong. I just made some white fungus and lotus seed soup. Why don't you eat it before you go?"
Xie Qingci changed her shoes at the door and said with a smile, "We might not be able to leave later."
Once the old lady wakes up, I'll probably have to go to great lengths to keep her for dinner before letting her leave.
If we don't leave now, we really won't be able to leave.
Aunt Lin smiled and handed over the parasol from the locker. "I'll have Lao Wen drive the car to the front door so you don't have to walk over and get sunburned."
Old Wen is the driver for the Xie family's old residence, and he is responsible for the elderly couple's daily transportation.
Upon hearing this, Xie Qingci immediately stopped him, saying, "No need, I can go by myself. I also have some other things to take care of on the way. Let Uncle Wen rest."
After speaking, worried that Aunt Lin might insist, she took the umbrella, pushed open the door and went out, saying, "The car I called has arrived. I'm leaving now. Please wait."
With that, he stepped out of the gate and walked towards the garden.
Yesterday it was pouring rain, but today the sun is shining brightly and the temperature is rising rapidly. The jasmine in the garden is in full bloom.
Grandma Xie usually likes to tinker with flowers and plants. This year, she has planted a whole garden of jasmine. This flower is delicate and not easy to take care of.
As a result, her annual tradition of going to Fushun Hutong to escape the summer heat was also not followed this year.
They said they had to personally watch over it until it bloomed.
As they were leaving the garden, Xie Qingci acted like a flower thief, breaking off a few branches and taking them with her.
Looking at the vibrant flowers on the branches, she muttered to herself: "What a sin, what a sin."
The rich aroma was so irresistible that she couldn't resist.
As I sat in the car outside, a light sheen of sweat had already dampened my forehead.
The driver checked the destination with her: "The Municipal Inspection Center, right?"
She smiled gently and replied, "Yes, thank you."
The extra thing she needs to do today is to schedule a medical check-up.
The old lady can't find out, otherwise she'll definitely keep asking me if I'm feeling unwell.
Upon arriving at the medical examination center, I quickly completed the process of making an appointment, filling out forms, and selecting items. The examination was scheduled for three days later.
As Xie Qingci left the medical examination center, she glanced at the appointment form in her hand and paused for a moment.
After considering whether or not to tell Liang Jingzhuo that she had already scheduled a medical check-up,
She dismissed the idea as soon as it popped into her head.
I'd rather not.
The scene of their conversation last night was still vivid in her mind, and she didn't really want to continue the awkward conversation with him.
-
On the way back to school, Xie Qingci brought Ke Meng and Duan Siyu some desserts from their favorite place.
The two, who had been working hard at the exhibition hall all day, suddenly perked up and exclaimed how lucky they were that the beautiful Xiangxiang had come to distribute relief food.
Xie Qingci smiled and glanced at the two of them, then took out her painting tools and began to paint her exhibited work.
The air conditioner was fixed yesterday afternoon, and Duan Siyu felt like she was in paradise, saying that she finally didn't have to suffer the hardship of running around wrapped in a cotton-padded coat anymore.
But considering that half of the summer vacation had already passed, they still encouraged them to strike, saying, "Who would believe that college students have to come to school during the summer vacation? It's better to strike."
The event was hosted by their teacher, Mr. Jiang Songting, a leading figure in the oil painting industry.
Besides teaching, the old man is most passionate about various public welfare activities. He even took the initiative to hold a charity exhibition at the newly completed school exhibition hall.
But it was just a small-scale exhibition on campus, and it couldn't cause much of a stir. Very few famous artists came to participate, and the few that did did so did so out of respect for Mr. Jiang.
Others either said they were out of inspiration or were exhibiting abroad and simply couldn't get away.
The entire exhibition hall has three floors, each floor is thousands of square meters. With such a large scale, a few paintings are not enough.
So Mr. Jiang called on students whose families lived in Beijing to do their part, saying: "Those who are willing can participate voluntarily."
But after sending out the notice, he immediately called a few of his favorite students. He didn't say it explicitly, but the implication was that he wanted them to come and help.
The entire art academy, including students whose homes were far away in Hainan, responded to the call and sent their works from afar to participate in the exhibition; of course, they could not refuse.
Since receiving the notification, the group has been working day and night at the exhibition hall.
When they didn't have enough exhibits, they painted them themselves; when funds were insufficient, they personally participated in the installation work. They truly treated the school as their second home.
Upon hearing this, Ke Meng peeked out and promptly reminded them, "The school gave the teachers a subsidy for this art exhibition, so be careful your teacher's wife doesn't come looking for trouble!"
Mr. Jiang has been working for decades, remaining incorruptible, and still lives in the teachers' dormitory assigned to him by his workplace when he first started working.
As their colleagues moved out of the teachers' building one by one, leaving only their family in that generation, the old lady in the family finally couldn't stand it anymore.
They say he only does things that don't please anyone, but even when people do charity work, they don't do it like this!
All these years, I haven't moved houses, and I've always struggled to make ends meet.
They forced him to either increase his salary contribution from 50% to 70% or quit his charity work altogether.
After working with passion for decades, how can I just quit? If my salary is less, I'll find some other work.
Every weekend, Mr. Jiang would teach at an art studio outside the school, and he charged a reasonable price of only 800 yuan per lesson.
For an art studio, hiring such a renowned teacher for only 800 yuan is a huge profit.
Unexpectedly, he suffered heatstroke on his way to class not long ago and was sent to the hospital. Only then did the school learn about the situation. After deliberation, the school decided that in the future, as long as Mr. Jiang's public welfare project is carried out once, the school will provide corresponding subsidies.
And they repeatedly emphasized that the subsidy should be collected by their teacher's wife.
This can be seen as a way of indirectly supporting Mr. Jiang's charitable cause, while also comforting his wife.
Duan Siyu was taken aback by what she heard, and immediately shut her mouth, saying, "Never mind what I said."
Ke Meng added insult to injury: "Watch out for your teacher's wife's one-finger Zen!"
As he spoke, he playfully gestured with his fingertip, which startled Duan Siyu so much that she immediately sat up straight.
Hsieh Ching-Tzu was amused by the two's playful interaction. She picked out a suitable paintbrush, dipped it in the prepared paint, and began to paint on the canvas.
The plaster sculptures she made a few days ago were also requested by Mr. Jiang, who said that the foundation of clay sculpture is of paramount importance in the traditional academic school, and this exhibition should also reflect that.
Among the students, Xie Qingci had the most innovative and unique use of color, and she also had the best basic skills in sculpture. So this arduous task fell to her.
From scaffolding, shaping, casting, pouring, to the final color mixing and application, she handled everything by herself.
The only advantage is that I can paint fewer works for the exhibition.
It's not bad.
After finishing their dessert, Ke Meng and Duan Siyu sat back down in front of their easels.
Ke Meng suddenly remembered the news she had just learned yesterday, "But wasn't the person who donated the exhibition hall a student of Dean Lin? Couldn't they ask for a little more and raise some funds?"
Duan Siyu glanced at her and said, "Dean Lin isn't from our art academy, so what obligation does she have to raise funds for us? Besides, there's no profit to be made from this charity sale. What businessman would do something like this without considering the costs?"
Even if things don't go well, they should at least make a name for themselves. This is such a small-scale operation with nothing to show for it; only a fool would invest in it.
Xie Qingci turned her head to look at him upon hearing this, and casually asked, "Dean Lin from the Business Management Department?"
Ke Meng nodded, "Yes, we invited him to give a speech yesterday."
After saying that, she suddenly remembered that Xie Qingci didn't know about this, and Xie Qingci had already left when they started talking about it.
He immediately put down his pen, picked up his phone with great interest, and walked over. While looking through yesterday's posts, he said, "Yesterday, the Business Management department invited one of Dean Lin's former students to give a lecture, and it completely blew the business management staff away. Guess who it was?"
Xie Qingci shook her head. "I don't know."
"The new head of the Leung family on Hong Kong Island is Leung King-chuk."
When the last name reached her ears, Xie Qingci held her breath, moved her lips, and remained silent for a moment.
Ke Meng buried himself in the search engine, trying to find the resume about Liang Jingzhuo that he had seen yesterday.
"Do you know what this guy's resume looks like over the past thirty years? I suspect he's a humanoid high-precision processor; his resume is longer than my life!"
The signal inside the exhibition hall was poor, and the page took a few seconds to load. The first thing that caught my eye was the personal information introduction at the top of the humanities encyclopedia page, as well as a half-body photo of a person.
A very ordinary white background, a man in a suit and tie, with thick eyebrows and a high nose, staring straight at the camera with an almost expressionless face. Unlike celebrity photoshoots that have camera skills, his looks are still in no way inferior.
Xie Qingci's gaze lingered on the half-body photograph for a moment.
He was exactly the same as when we met yesterday, equally serious and aloof, exuding a faint sense of authority.
Ke Meng quickly swiped his finger, skipping over the biography and heading straight to his life story.
Since his student days, he has won gold medals in various science and technology competitions.
He earned his first pot of gold in venture capital at sixteen, founded an AI company at eighteen, established an angel fund at twenty, took over the Liang family business at twenty-two, successfully secured several major cross-border mergers and acquisitions, and achieved record-breaking revenue. Since then, he has continued to thrive, implementing sweeping reforms, eliminating some old-fashioned forces within the group, and drastically changing the group's revenue structure.
His resume of honors after joining the Liang family was like a book written in heaven, incomprehensible and endless.
Then, at the age of twenty-five, he withdrew from the limelight at the peak of his career to pursue an MBA in the United States and reflect on himself.
Even now, he remains a regular figure in the financial sections of Hong Kong media.
"And yet, he still has that face." Ke Meng swiped back to the top of the encyclopedia page to see the photo. "I couldn't even find a single scandal about him."
The entire search interface is filled with news about the honors and achievements that major media outlets are vying to report on; there isn't a single piece of gossip.
Xie Qingci pursed her lips and remained silent, recalling yesterday when she asked him if he had ever had a girlfriend, and his answer was that he was too busy and didn't have time.
Considering his life trajectory over the years, this reason becomes even more credible.
The room was crammed full of work messages, leaving absolutely no space.
Upon hearing this, Duan Siyu turned her head and glanced at him. "Look at it from a broader perspective, is it possible that someone like this probably doesn't like women?"
An elite man, a hotbed of lesbianism, impeccably handsome, and with zero scandals, he's likely already been eliminated internally.
Ke Meng paused, her hand holding the phone momentarily, then looked up, as if struck by a sudden realization, and said, "That makes sense."
After saying that, he turned to Xie Qingci and asked, "Aci, what do you think?"
Xie Qingci pursed her lips and blinked twice. "Hmm... right...?"
A note from the author:
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