Chapter 68 Even though you're so proud and aloof, she still misses him.
However, Lin Lexin did not realize that there was anything wrong with her behavior. In fact, for the next week, she would bring out some new and interesting things to play with Xie Qingci every night.
I have absolutely no idea how to write the word "self-awareness".
But before Liang Jingzhuo could get rid of this "light bulb" from the house, he had to go on an emergency business trip for three days.
The trip was a bit sudden; he had to leave that afternoon. After collecting his luggage, he only had time to send a message to Xie Qingci on his way to the airport.
He reminded her that he had scheduled a follow-up appointment for her on Friday, and that if any further examinations were needed, she should listen to the doctor and cooperate fully.
Also, if you feel tired, just send Lin Lexin home directly; there's no need to be lenient.
Also, ask the doctor if there are any safer and more reliable ways to help her sleep besides medication and hormones, so that she can take as little melatonin as possible.
A whole bunch of details, like a parent making meticulous arrangements for their child's food, clothing, shelter, and transportation before a last-minute trip; it's so detailed it can't all be contained in a single page of dialogue boxes.
When Xie Qingci received the message, she and Lin Lexin were waiting in the cinema's waiting area. A movie was recently re-released, and they both liked it. They also felt that even the most high-end home theater couldn't compare to the giant screen and immersive atmosphere of a movie theater, so they decided to watch it many times.
Lin Lexin was slurping her shaved ice when she saw her pick up her phone, pause for a long time, and then turn to look at her. "What's wrong?"
Lin Lexin didn't look at the chat content in detail, she only saw Liang Jingzhuo's WeChat profile picture and the last message he sent that he would return in three days.
"My brother is away on a business trip?"
His tone and expression were both calm.
After all, this kind of situation of flying all over the world often happened to Liang Jingzhuo before. At family gatherings, halfway through the meal, everyone would leave, and by the time he realized it and sent him a message, they had already boarded a plane.
Lin Lexin was already used to it, and even felt quite relieved. She let out a long sigh of relief, "It feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders."
Xie Qingci replied, "Okay." She put down her phone, glanced at Lin Lexin beside her, and asked, "What's the matter?"
Lin Lexin wrinkled her nose and whispered to her, "Let me tell you, I don't know why, but these past few days I've felt that my brother's gaze towards me isn't very friendly."
After saying that, he took a deep drag on his shaved ice and said with an air of righteous indignation, "I've thought about packing up and going home several times, but I thought I couldn't let you be bored and alone. Compared to enduring my brother's glare, staying with you is more important!"
Xie Qingci looked at the smiling people around her and couldn't help but smile as well.
Lin Lexin, unaware of what she was laughing at, asked innocently, "What's wrong?"
She suppressed her smile and said, "No, I just wanted to thank you."
Lin Lexin smiled affectionately and lifted her chin slightly, "You're welcome, it's my pleasure!"
-
Business trips within Asia are usually similar in timing and flight time is not long; Liang Jingzhuo landed in Hong Kong Island in the evening.
After the business dinner, on his way back to the hotel, he texted Xie Qingci to ask if she was asleep.
The previous message was him reporting to her that he had landed.
She had just finished watching the movie, replied "okay," and wished him a safe journey.
It was the same as every time they had parted ways because of his business trips, yet somewhat different.
Although he was reluctant to part with it at that time, he was not so attached to it.
In the past, Lu Li would always go back to help him pack for urgent business trips, but not today; he went back by himself.
While answering busy work calls, I rushed back, just wanting to see her one last time before leaving.
Unfortunately, just ten minutes before he got home, Xie Qingci and Lin Lexin had already left to see a movie.
So he didn't mention that he had gone home, but sent her some instructions on his way to the airport.
Slightly tipsy, he suddenly felt a strong urge to see her face. He typed in the input box to ask if it was convenient for him to call, and Xie Qingci replied.
Not yet, but I ran into some of Lexin's friends and we had late-night snacks together.
When Xie Qingci types, she likes to add some interjections like "ne," "a," "ya," and so on, just like when she speaks.
Upon seeing the word "呢", Liang Jingzhuo had already mentally visualized the expression and tone of the voice, and a smile crept onto his lips.
There were still a few blocks to go before reaching the hotel, so I decided to chat with her for a while. Mimicking her tone, I sent her a message: "You seem so happy!"
Xie Qingci sat at a small table in the night market. The barbecue and fried skewers on Hong Kong Island were different from those in Jingzhao. The salty, sweet and spicy sauces had a unique flavor.
When she saw the message, she was holding a string of mushrooms and realized he was mimicking her speech.
A gentle evening breeze caressed me, and for no apparent reason, I felt a warmth creep up my ears. [Don't you dare mimic me.]
The other end quickly replied: 【Okay.】
There were only words, no physical presence, but she could almost guess he was smiling. She took a bite of the mushroom in her hand and asked, "Are you done with your social engagements?"
He told her about his itinerary for the evening when he got off the plane; there was a dinner party right after he landed, and he wouldn't be able to go back to the hotel until after that.
The chat window remained silent for a few seconds before a reply came: "It's over. Would you like to call me now?"
Xie Qingci stared at the message for a moment, then looked up at the people sitting around the table.
She and Lin Lexin ran into her classmate when they left the movie theater.
We happened to be watching a movie in the same theater.
Lin Lexin enthusiastically introduced Xie Qingci as her sister-in-law. A group of boys and girls of similar age greeted Xie Qingci with surprise, saying that they had finally met her in person. Just as Thea had said, she was a hundred times more beautiful in person than in the photos!
Thea is Lin Lexin's English name, and that's what her classmates usually call her.
Lin Lexin proudly raised her chin and said that of course she would not lie.
It was lunchtime, and a group of people invited them to eat with them.
Liang Jingzhuo was away on a business trip, and there was no one at home who needed to come back for dinner. Xie Qingci asked Aunt Li to go home first in the afternoon. Lin Lexin quietly asked her opinion and only accepted the invitation after receiving a positive reply.
Since it was still early after dinner, Lin Lexin had originally planned to take Xie Qingci to stroll around the Yau Ma Tei Night Market. Now that there were more people to accompany them, they leisurely sat down and started eating again.
The group of men and women at the table chatted happily, and to accommodate Xie Qingci, they all spoke Mandarin.
Xie Qingci paused for a moment, then replied: "[It might not work; there are quite a few people here.]"
In public, Liang Jingzhuo is always quite restrained and will not put Xie Qingci in a difficult or helpless situation.
At the airport, when it was time to part ways, he would only hug her or kiss her forehead.
Xie Qingci thought he would reply, and she would call him again after she got back.
But no, he simply replied: "It's okay, I just wanted to take a look at you."
After replying, I didn't call her back rashly; I was still waiting for her answer, whether it was yes or no.
In the afternoon, she received a sudden message that he had to go on an urgent business trip, which slightly lifted her spirits. After thinking for a moment, she replied: "Okay."
Almost the instant I pressed the send button, a video call invitation popped up on the screen.
With her phone on silent, Xie Qingci could only feel the vibrations making her palms tingle. She told Lin Lexin that she was going to the restroom and then left with her phone.
I quickly walked away from the noisy area, pressed the answer button, and a face bathed in the dim light of the carriage appeared on the screen.
He must have just come from a business meeting. His dark, handmade suit blended into the night, and his royal blue tie shimmered with the luxurious texture of silk in the flowing light and shadow. His serious and dignified image didn't quite match the slight smile at the corner of his mouth.
Xie Qingci paused for a moment as the image popped up.
They'd had plenty of video calls before, but for some reason, he seemed a little different today.
Her gaze involuntarily shifted slightly, and she felt a faint burning sensation in her eyes.
"Can't you speak anymore?"
His voice, tinged with a faint smile and a mellow, drunken quality, seemed to resonate directly in my ear as it came through the receiver.
Xie Qingci turned her gaze back, easing the strange unease, "You haven't gone back to the hotel yet?"
He looked at the camera, his lips a little redder than usual, perhaps because he had been drinking, and replied, "On my way back."
Xie Qingci said "Oh," and Lin Lexin, who had been away for too long, had already turned back to look for her.
After seeing the phone in her hand, he nodded knowingly, gave her an OK sign, and let her continue.
Liang Jingzhuo was almost at the hotel when he asked her, "When are you going back? I'll arrange for a driver to pick you up."
Xie Qingci declined, "No need. We don't know when it will end. If it's too late, Lexin and I will just take a taxi back."
It shouldn't be too long. I just said I'd leave after having my late-night snack, so I should be leaving in about an hour at most.
Liang Jingzhuo glanced at his watch; the time had been set to local time. He converted it to Hong Kong time and said, "Listen to me, it's late. Send me the address, and I'll have someone pick you up."
The tone was conciliatory yet carried an irresistible undertone, and Xie Qingci replied, "Alright then."
After saying that, Liang Jingzhuo arrived at the hotel. He bent down to get out of the car, and the bright light suddenly illuminated him.
Xie Qingci finally realized what was different.
For some reason, I felt he looked a little more handsome today.
She pursed her lips and remained silent for a moment, then said, "I'll hang up now. You can go home first."
Liang Jingzhuo agreed and reminded her to send her address and to be careful.
She agreed.
After hanging up the phone and sending the detailed address, Xie Qingci bit her lip and paused for a moment.
After he replied, she pursed her lips, smiled, and mischievously exclaimed, "Honey, you look really handsome today!"
Liang Jingzhuo was contacting his driver on Hong Kong Island when this slightly flirtatious message caught his eye.
He paused for a moment.
Aside from the last time he coaxed her into calling him that, he had never heard her call him that again.
Under normal circumstances, no matter what you say, they just won't agree.
When it suddenly came into view, he thought he was seeing things.
After reading the entire message, I looked back at the first two words, smiled slightly, and asked, "What did you call me?"
The message disappeared as soon as it was sent, like a fish diving into the water.
She withdrew it.
Xie Qingci regretted sending the message as soon as she did. She had only used that nickname on certain occasions, which made the atmosphere a bit ambiguous. She decided to take it back.
Seeing his inquiry, I calmly replied: "It's nothing, you must have misread it."
The next second, a new message popped up: "I took a screenshot."
"..."
Do we really need to be this meticulous?
Just as I was trying to think of a topic to steer the conversation away from this, the little bubble popped up again: "Don't go out tomorrow night."
Two seconds later, another message appeared: 【Don't sleep with Lexin either.】
-
Liang Jingzhuo's business trip is scheduled to end next Monday. Upon arrival, he will first need to return to the group headquarters, as this trip involves a merger and acquisition deal after the Lunar New Year, and he will need to negotiate with the board of directors.
Lin Lexin had a friend coming from the mainland to visit her that day, and the two planned to go to Hong Kong Disco. She asked Xie Qingci if she wanted to go with them.
Xie Qingci shook her head and said that since it was a gathering of friends, and they were traveling in pairs, she wouldn't disturb them.
Lin Lexin didn't force her, and happily finished her makeup and outfit before heading out, saying she would bring her something delicious when she came back that evening.
After seeing Lin Lexin off, Xie Qingci suddenly felt that the house seemed much quieter. Aunt Li also noticed it and said with a smile while wiping the floor, "It seems like the world has become several degrees quieter since Miss Lexin left."
Xie Qingci laughed and replied, "Indeed."
"By the way, is the gentleman coming back today? Will he be back for dinner?" Just as Xie Qingci was about to turn around and go back to her room, Aunt Li suddenly remembered this.
Xie Qingci hadn't forgotten; someone had reminded him last night that he was coming back today, and then said it again just as he boarded the plane.
She nodded and replied, "Yes, I'll arrive at Hong Kong Island at three o'clock this afternoon."
But he didn't say whether he would come back for dinner.
I checked the time on my phone; it should have already taken off. So I replied, "I'll ask him when he lands."
Aunt Li replied, "Okay."
Lin Lexin wasn't home, so lunch was simple. There wasn't much to do in the afternoon, so Aunt Li went home first.
The house was unusually quiet. Xie Qingci took a one-hour nap. When she got up, the warm sun was still hanging in the sky. She took out her phone and checked the time.
It's just past a little while.
Feeling a slight sense of urgency, she noticed for the first time that time seemed to be passing slowly.
During her lunch break, Lin Lexin sent her many beautiful photos from the day. She looked through them one by one and sent a compliment: "Princess Lexin is so beautiful."
Lin Lexin was probably playing and hadn't replied to the message. She got up and got out of bed, thought for a while, and decided to go out for a walk. She figured that time would pass faster if she strolled around.
As I stood in front of the dressing mirror taking off my pajamas, my gaze lingered for a moment on my unbuttoned chest. Suddenly, something occurred to me, and the skin behind my ears quickly became hot and burning.
The day after having a late-night snack with Lin Lexin's classmates, Liang Jingzhuo told her not to sleep with Lin Lexin that night.
She guessed that he would call her that night, and felt it wasn't appropriate to have someone else around, especially her own sister.
So after Lin Lexin fell asleep, she took her phone and sneaked back into the master bedroom. She had just gotten into bed and told Lin Lexin that she was all better when the phone rang.
He had just returned to the hotel and, while loosening his tie, asked her, "Is Lexin asleep?"
Based on Liang Jingzhuo's understanding of Xie Qingci, he would never directly say something like that he would be sleeping alone tonight.
Lin Lexin would ask all sorts of questions.
He guessed that Lin Lexin must have fallen asleep.
Xie Qingci lay face down on the pillow. The bedroom lights were off, but the light shining through his phone screen illuminated her face.
She smiled and replied, "Yes."
Seeing him loosen his tie, take off his suit jacket, and unbutton his shirt, she suddenly remembered that he had just returned to the hotel and should take a shower. So she said, "Then you take a shower first, and I'll call you later."
To my surprise, he flatly refused: "No need. It's not like I haven't seen it before. I'm not that petty. Can't my own wife watch me shower?"
With a teasing smile in her voice, Xie Qingci blushed slightly, "I won't watch it, I'm not a pervert."
She hardly watches it when he's home, so what's the point of watching it through a screen?
He laughed on the other end of the line, took off his suit vest, and said, "Then I'm a pervert, show me."
Having always been at a disadvantage in verbal exchanges, Xie Qingci just wanted to get back at him and retorted, "I've already taken a shower, why didn't you say so earlier?"
My neck felt hot when I spoke.
As soon as she finished speaking, the person on the screen raised an eyebrow slightly, somewhat surprised by her shameless progress. "No need to shower, you can do it now."
As he spoke, his gaze lingered on her pajamas, the implication quite clear.
She glanced down, then covered her loose neckline with her hand, giving in, "You're such a pervert, Liang Jingzhuo."
Her displeased voice held a hint of reproach. The person on the other end of the phone looked at her with a smile for a moment, then sat down on the sofa behind her, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly. "So, can I be a hooligan today?"
Xie Qingci didn't understand at first, but she did miss him a little. She rested her head on her arm, tilted her head slightly, and said, "But you're not in Hong Kong."
She went to the hospital for a follow-up visit that day and there were no problems. Her previous stuffiness had also improved a lot. As soon as the examination was over, Liang Jingzhuo asked her about the results.
Until the person on the screen called her by her nickname: "Not this Yaoyao."
His voice was somewhat hoarse and thick, his head was leaning back on the sofa, and his gaze was a little drunk.
In a flash, she suddenly understood, and after three seconds her face remained normal, it turned bright red.
Finally, he coaxed her to show him, his hot, moist breath seeming right next to her ear. She blushed from her earlobe to her neck, only unbuttoning her pajamas before refusing to go any further.
He didn't force her, only letting her call him by his name or husband.
Until the breathing inside the receiver became heavier, like a cheetah chasing its prey in the wilderness, its rolling throat emitting a sexy low growl.
He called her in a hoarse, off-key voice, "Yaoyao," "Baby," "Wife"...
His rapid breathing grew faster and faster, then suddenly stopped, and a deep, hoarse groan entered my ear.
Xie Qingci felt her ears becoming a little sore.
But before she could say he was vulgar, she heard Lin Lexin calling her softly from outside.
The boiling bubbles were suddenly burst open, and her body and mind plummeted from mid-air to the ground. She hurriedly hung up the phone, buttoned up her clothes, and replied, "I'm in the master bedroom!"
Lin Lexin responded with a "okay" from outside, then paced back and forth for a while, probably getting up to get a drink of water before returning to her room.
Xie Qingci only breathed a sigh of relief after the sound completely disappeared. A message from Liang Jingzhuo came through; her phone vibrated in her palm: "[Have her go back on Monday.]"
He can't fake the image of a good older brother anymore.
Xie Qingci lay on the bed and smiled.
The bedding in the master bedroom had just been changed the day before Liang Jingzhuo went on his business trip, and hadn't been changed for the past few days. Xie Qingci buried her face in the blankets.
His scent still lingered between the blanket and the pillow, crisp and warm, like the scent of plants.
She missed him too.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Tomorrow! A big meal! [Huang Xin]
I didn't write about [The Joker] today, I'll check back tomorrow.
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