Chapter 27: Indulging Your Arrogance is the Most Basic Respect for Marriage
When Liang Jingzhuo came out after taking a shower, Xie Qingci was sitting on the sofa in the living room, holding her phone.
He stood by the door and called to her, "Xie Qingci."
The person being called seemed to wake from a dream, stretched their shoulders, looked up, and showed a startled surprise. Their watery eyes were blank and innocent. "Huh?"
His gaze lingered on her expression for a moment before he said, "Take a bath."
On his phone, messages from Ke Meng and Duan Siyu kept coming in. The two had landed and were lying in the hotel making plans for tomorrow's trip.
Xie Qingci's message came at this time, asking them: "What should we do if we're sharing a room in a hotel?"
He seemed to have stopped being angry, but her situation seemed to have become more complicated.
Why say "book a room" when you're just staying at a hotel? Xie Qingci felt like she was in a really bad mood.
Ke Meng was the first to jump out, "Didn't you guys sleep last night?"
Xie Qingci: [...Strictly speaking, we were lying on the same bed.]
If this counts as sleeping, then so be it; it's just that the rule of chatting under the covers was strictly followed.
It was indeed a chat; they talked about whether he watched movies or not.
Ke Meng: [Wow~]
Duan Siyu: [Wow~]
Xie Qingci's cheeks flushed. "Stop yelling! It's still early. Should I treat him to a late-night snack?"
Based on her observations of Liang Jingzhuo over this period of time, his work and rest schedule has always been relatively regular, except when he works overtime.
After having a late-night snack, it's almost time to go to sleep.
Ke Meng: [That's a good idea. We can stop by a 7-Eleven on the way back.]
Hsieh Ching-Tzu: [? What are you going to 7-Eleven for?]
Duan Siyu: [Mengzai means to bring a small umbrella, in response to the national call for eugenics and healthy childbirth.]
Ke Meng: [If you understand me, you might as well sleep with me. On a side note, how's your figure? If it's as good as your face, don't hesitate, go for it!]
"..."
What the heck is going on...?
Recalling the scene she had just glimpsed in the dressing room, Xie Qingci's face flushed even more.
She decided not to learn from these two incompetent advisors; not a single word they uttered was serious. Yet, they dared to teach her, and she dared to listen.
Just as she was about to put down her phone, she heard Liang Jingzhuo call her name.
Startled, she looked up and saw that he had already finished showering, wearing pajamas, his deep eyes slightly damp, and he told her to go take a shower.
She paused for a moment, then replied, "Coming."
After saying that, he put down his phone, got up, grabbed his pajamas, and went to the bathroom.
After being exposed to the wind for a while, the chill seemed to seep into my skin, and it took a long time to feel the warmth after rinsing under the hot water.
A trickle of water poured down from above her head and flowed over her cheeks, and Xie Qingci suddenly opened her eyes.
It's really nothing, just like holding hands and kissing, it's all inevitable.
Sooner or later I'll get stabbed; the sooner I get it, the sooner it'll be over.
This is normal between husband and wife.
With this thought in mind, she closed her eyes as if facing death, took a deep breath, and turned off the shower.
After Xie Qingci went to the bathroom, Liang Jingzhuo went to the island counter to get water. Her phone, which she had previously placed face down on the table, kept vibrating.
He thought it was her call, picked it up, and was about to walk to the bathroom door to ask her if she wanted to answer it.
The moment my fingertips gripped the side of the phone and flipped it over, I saw the latest group chat message—
Ke Meng: [I think her figure should be pretty good. The other day, someone from the business management department posted some photos from the lecture in the group chat. They're amazing, with the perfect proportions of a domineering CEO—broad shoulders and a narrow waist.]
Liang Jingzhuo glanced at the message briefly, not intending to pry into her privacy, and was about to turn off the screen for her when a new message popped up again.
Duan Siyu: [That makes sense. Don't be shy, Aci is your husband, it's legal! Why not sleep with him? Did you hear me?!]
His gaze stopped, and he held his phone for a moment without moving, already guessing what they had just been talking about.
Recalling the look of surprise in Xie Qingci's eyes when he told her to take a bath, she instantly understood.
Actually, he decided not to go back to the Liang family mansion today because the return trip would definitely be congested, and he would have to get back late at night. He was worried that she would be tired if it was too late.
In the group chat, Ke Meng and Duan Siyu gradually calmed down when they saw that Xie Qingci had not replied for a long time.
He turned off the screen, put the phone down again, and took the water glass back to his bedroom.
When Xie Qingci came out after taking a shower, the housekeeping department had just delivered the meal.
Liang Jingzhuo went to the window to answer a phone call, and when he came back and saw her, his gaze paused for a moment.
A white satin slip dress with a lace V-neck design that subtly reveals her beautiful curves. The delicate straps fasten at the collarbone, and her half-dry black hair falls loosely over her shoulders, creating a striking contrast with her fair skin.
Xie Qingci stood on the carpet in slippers, clutching her nightgown to her side. "I...I'm done showering."
A pair of straight, slender legs, set off beneath the skirt, were as eye-catching as flawless jade.
Liang Jingzhuo's eyes flickered, and he froze for a moment.
His throat felt like it had been burned by smoke, dry and unbearable. He looked away and replied, "Yeah, I ordered food."
Xie Qingci didn't eat much for dinner, as he was worried she would be hungry.
In the morning, I accompanied Zhuang Shuying for morning tea, and after lunch, I arranged desserts and sweet soups for her. Xie Qingci was indeed not very hungry at dinner.
But seeing Liang Jingzhuo's careful preparation, she still ate some.
I was just saying I'd take him out for a late-night snack, but now I don't even need to go out.
After the formal meal, the hotel thoughtfully prepared some bedtime nourishing meals. Xie Qingci drank a bowl of bird's nest and white fungus porridge, but Liang Jingzhuo did not eat any.
After watching her finish eating, I called room service to clear the table.
It's still very early.
Looking out the window, the dazzling night view of Victoria Harbour was breathtaking. After a moment of silence, Xie Qingci felt her buttocks getting heavier and heavier as she sat down, and she began to feel uncomfortable.
"Um..." She sat up straight and looked up, "Should we go for a walk, or go to sleep now?"
Liang Jingzhuo leaned back in his chair, his meticulously styled hair loosening during the day and falling over his eyebrows and eyes. His deep, warm eyes looked at her for a moment.
"There will be a lot of people around Victoria Harbour tonight, so it's not a good time for a walk."
Xie Qingci nodded and said, "Oh."
The atmosphere fell silent again, and she belatedly realized that it was time to go to sleep.
She slowly raised her head, about to speak, when Liang Jingzhuo suddenly opened his lips and called her name: "Xie Qingci".
She looked over. "Hmm?"
He paused for a moment, thought for a moment, his expression remaining unchanged, as if he were facing a negotiation, and continued: "In marriage, physical fidelity to one's partner is the most basic respect for the marriage. Do you agree?"
Xie Qingci rested her hands on her lap, listening intently to him. She looked puzzled for a moment upon hearing his words, then nodded gently, "Hmm... I know."
After speaking, she felt that he might still be bothered by the message Duan Siyu had sent her in the car, about He Yi sending her flowers.
“I’m not really familiar with him. I’ve only met him a few times at school events, and then there was the charity exhibition. He bought my painting and asked me out to dinner. You were there too, but I declined.”
She truthfully recounted everything from their initial acquaintance to the development process and the final outcome, stating that these were truly the only interactions she had with He Yi.
"Of course, it's also wrong of me not to explain everything clearly. If you don't mind, I can post on my WeChat Moments that I'm getting married."
Although he said there was no need to keep the marriage a secret, he would still need to consult his partner about announcing the marriage.
As she spoke, she picked up her phone, pulled up the group photo they had taken earlier in the car, and asked him, "Can I send you the group photo? This one."
The girl held up her phone on the table with her fair, lotus-root-like arms, asking for his opinion.
Behind the phone were a pair of bright, clear eyes and a face with a serious and focused expression.
Her long, thick black hair hung down in front of her, with her temples tucked behind her ears, making her look gentle and obedient.
Liang Jingzhuo glanced at the photo she handed him, "That's not what I meant."
Seeing how serious she was, he had a feeling that he was bullying her.
When he met her questioning gaze, he changed his tune: "It has nothing to do with this, I mean..."
He paused for a moment, then said, "We're not going back to the Liang family mansion tonight because there will be traffic jams on the way, and it won't be very convenient to get around."
Xie Qingci was taken aback. How did he know the answer to the question that had been puzzling her?
After a rapid mental whirlwind, he couldn't recall the time he'd let something slip in front of him.
Liang Jingzhuo looked at her and continued, "But there's something I need to clarify: physical fidelity to one's partner is the most basic respect for marriage, that's my opinion. But I won't do anything against your will unless it's entirely voluntary."
Xie Qingci stared blankly, blinking her eyes.
If Xie Qingci wasn't certain he didn't know her phone's lock screen password, she would have even suspected he had secretly read her chat history with Ke Meng and the others.
But he didn't know that, so she was completely relieved.
She felt a warm sensation on her neck. He didn't say it explicitly, but she understood what he meant. She pursed her lips and nodded, "I understand."
Seeing that she understood his meaning, Liang Jingzhuo nodded and said, "Let's rest."
Before going to bed, room service came to collect the food cart. Liang Jingzhuo returned a few work calls, and when he returned to the bedroom, Xie Qingci was still awake, sitting on the edge of the bed looking at her phone, waiting for him.
Hearing his footsteps, she looked up, bit her lip, and said, "I've been waiting for you."
Her soft, gentle voice, like a misty cloud, touched my heart.
Liang Jingzhuo's gaze lingered on her for only a moment before shifting away, as if he felt uncomfortable or uneasy, and he simply hummed in response.
Before lying down, he told her again to turn off the lights, and she nodded under the covers. The hotel curtains were so thick they blocked out the sun, and the room was eerily quiet due to its excessively good soundproofing.
Liang Jingzhuo lay down as usual, trying to fall asleep, when suddenly the back of his hand, which was pressed against the blanket, was gently poked twice.
His drowsy thoughts momentarily froze for a moment before he realized where the two taps came from, and he turned to look.
His voice, slightly hoarse from being dazed, asked, "What's wrong?"
After lying down, Xie Qingci hesitated for a long time before deciding to make things clear to him, "That's not what I meant..."
The things he said made it sound like she was very averse to being around him.
Liang Jingzhuo didn't understand. "What?"
She pursed her lips. "I don't reject contact with you, nor is it against my will. And I agree with your point of view."
After she finished speaking, she paused for a long time. In the darkness, you could hear a pin drop. Her heart was pounding in her chest, gradually accelerating, and the heavy heartbeat seemed to be right next to her ear.
After several seconds of silence, coupled with her slurred tone when she spoke, Liang Jingzhuo assumed she had fallen asleep. Just as he was about to turn back, he heard her voice again.
In a very soft, gentle voice, tinged with nervous trembling, she asked him, "So, shall we start today?"
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Author's note: There will be something tomorrow... I'm not sure, it depends on what the reviewers think...
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