Chapter 9.9 The awkward man doesn't want to accept a downgrade in the relationship...
Xu Aida drove along, swaying to the upbeat rhythm of "Shake It Off." The road ahead was smooth, and he would be home in a few hours.
If she could ignore the grumpy face of the person in the passenger seat, she would definitely be in a better mood.
Liang Siyu listened to the cheerful song with a straight face, but felt agitated—was she also planning to shake off her "ex-boyfriend" like Taylor?
He remembered what she had said yesterday and was so angry that he didn't want to talk to her anymore. She said she didn't want a serious relationship anymore, she just wanted to go on casual dates, that would make her happier.
Very well, she successfully extinguished all desire in him, leaving him only with anger and resentment.
Of course, he wasn't as conservative and stubborn as his father, who thought that "informal dating" and "pursuing happiness" were irresponsible—he understood that everyone has the right to choose their own lifestyle.
However, he was serious about his relationship with Ada from beginning to end.
She's telling him now that as long as he's happy, that's all that matters? So, after spending all this time with him, she only thinks he's physically okay? Everything else is just garbage?
He was furious and wanted to ask her why she viewed him that way, downgrading him from "boyfriend" to "someone you can play around with occasionally."
But if you were to ask that question, you would lose all self-respect.
Compared to Professor Nelson, at least she has some class. We can compare who has better chemistry with her in scientific research and who can give her a happier future.
But compared to those bar hustlers? It's an absolute humiliation.
He couldn't bring himself to ask, so he just yelled at her, "I absolutely refuse to accept this! You're just... going too far! Do you think I'm with you just for physical pleasure?"
Yes, their physical attraction is too strong, and he is easily aroused by her and loses control, but he shouldn't be so disrespected by her as to think that he will succumb to the most basic desires and accept the "relationship downgrade" like this.
He absolutely did not want to be seen as a man who would easily bow down to his desires.
She could also gently remind him, "I was just saying, can you calm down? Don't disturb the guests in the next room."
He immediately fell silent; he had truly brought shame upon himself.
When they arrived in Davis at noon, Liang Siyu remained silent, so she took it upon herself to choose an organic restaurant with simple food but a beautiful courtyard.
They had just finished ordering when they heard an excited voice next to them: "Oh my god, Ada?"
Xu Aida looked up and saw her freshman roommate, Rene, who was now studying finance at UC Davis.
The other person was wearing a camel-colored short coat over a white sweatshirt, paired with blue yoga pants, and her figure was as hot as ever.
The boy she was arm in arm with was three or four centimeters taller than Liang Siyu, with broad shoulders and sunny features. Was he on the rugby or basketball team? In short, Renee's standard was that he had to be an athlete, and that had never deviated from it.
Xu Aida stood up, and Renee gave her a big hug: "What a coincidence that we met here. It's a pity we just finished eating."
They exchanged a few pleasantries and introduced each other's male companions.
Renee's boyfriend was indeed from the football team; his name was Leo, and he was the captain and quarterback.
“Ned Leung, MD/PhD candidate,” Xu Aida introduced, “is my classmate at JHU, and we work together on a neuroprosthetics project.”
Renee smiled and extended her hand with an "Oh my!" expression: "Hi, Ned."
Liang Siyu smiled politely and said, "Hi, Renee."
Renee nodded to him, then moved closer to Ada, smiling and exclaiming, "You've finally figured it out! I told you you'd understand me eventually. No wonder you have such refined taste under my influence. He's the sexiest MD I've ever seen. Is he a tennis player? He has a great physique."
Xu Aida blushed: "Keep your voice down, you used to play rowing."
At this distance, Ned would be able to hear, she thought, glancing at him furtively. Sure enough, he took a step closer to Leo, pretending to listen attentively to what the other was saying.
Renee pulled her a couple of steps closer: "I used to think you'd like those computer geeks. Now it seems our tastes are becoming more and more aligned. Congratulations, you finally understand what kind of man is worth experiencing."
Xu Aida lowered his voice: "Stop talking, let's talk later."
He was already angry enough yesterday. If he hears this again, won't he be so angry that he'll just fly to the sky?
Renee smiled: "Sure, let's get together again when I get home in a few days. Should I bring him?"
Xu Aida immediately explained, "He won't stay here any longer; he's going back to New York tomorrow."
"Oh, a New Yorker? They specially brought you back just for a day?" Renee raised an eyebrow; she had assumed the other person was also from California.
Ada quickly explained, "We went to Seattle for a conference together, and he stopped by on his way."
Oh, so it seems he's not a boyfriend, just a date, Renee thought with a quick dart.
"He's not bad, but you need to try a few more to know who's better. I can recommend a few during Christmas. Don't worry, their muscles are definitely no worse than his. Remember to check out my Instagram, you can choose whichever you like."
Xu Aida had no choice but to push her away: "Go on, Leo is getting impatient."
"It's okay, if one doesn't work out, we'll move on to the next. There are plenty of muscular men out there." Renee said nonchalantly, cheerfully bidding them farewell, "Bye~"
"Goodbye." Liang Siyu nodded politely and watched her walk away arm in arm with Leo.
He was so close that he heard almost everything.
Those despicable and superficial California girls, with their "try more" and "next one" attitudes, are simply unbearable.
They remained silent, waiting for the food to be served. Suddenly, Ada's phone lit up; he scanned it and saw it was an Instagram notification.
Liang Siyu tried to control herself from peeping, but her mind started racing uncontrollably: No way... did that Renee really post some kind of "recommendation list"?
He nervously rubbed his hands, picked up the cup and took a sip of water, almost spitting it out—it was tap water, and he had completely forgotten that the sparkling water hadn't been served yet.
He forced himself to swallow it down; the tap water in California was absolutely awful, with a distinctly rusty taste.
He turned to look at her, and she was actually blushing. Blushing?
Holy hell, it must be that Renee who posted the muscular man's photo.
He also has eight-pack abs, and he can show them to her. Why not?
What if she doesn't want to consider a serious relationship right now? What if she just wants to enjoy the moment and go on dates with other people?
He was furious just thinking about the possibility. No, absolutely not.
He almost blurted out, "If you're going to make a date, could it be just with me?"
But those words stuck in my throat, I just couldn't say them. His attitude last night was so firm, his opposition so resolute—was he going to contradict himself so quickly?
Moreover, she already stated that it was casual dating, and making such a request for exclusive dating would definitely be seen as a lack of self-awareness.
He gripped the glass tightly, his fingers clenched, completely unsure of his current position or what to do next.
The waiter came over and said, "You ordered sparkling water."
She looked at him and said, "Rinse your mouth. Is a mouthful of tap water making you feel this uncomfortable?"
He took two sips; it had a faint lemon flavor, refreshing and slightly sour.
He felt a mix of emotions; she still cared about him. He wondered if he could wait a bit, and maybe she wouldn't break up with him after things calmed down. There was no need to scare himself unnecessarily.
After lunch, they continued their journey. In another hour and a half, they would arrive in Cupertino. Ada's father was a senior software engineer at Apple, and her family lived near Apple's headquarters.
He watched the navigation time dwindle, with only half an hour left, but after thinking it over, he couldn't come up with anything to say.
The car turned into a quiet residential area, where there were almost no cars on the road, except for the occasional person riding a bicycle or jogging.
The journey was about to end. He turned his head, and she had a relaxed smile on her face, her index finger tapping lightly on the steering wheel.
Soon, the car stopped in front of a light blue villa with a neat lawn in the front yard and two lemon trees.
He suddenly realized what was happening and quickly got out of the car to help her with her luggage.
They stopped at the gate and looked at each other.
He tried to speak several times, but he never knew what he could say or what he could ask for.
In the end, all I can say is, "Ada, Merry Christmas."
She winked at him: "Ned, Merry Christmas. And... don't go on dates with other people."
She turned and went into the courtyard, as light as a cloud.
What? What did she say?
Liang Siyu almost wanted to rush in and ask her what it meant, whether it meant what he thought it meant.
She turned back to him and smiled: "When you get back to New York, remember to let me know you're safe."
He waved to her blankly, his heart pounding. Back in the car, he gripped the steering wheel and took several deep breaths to steady himself, grinning foolishly the whole way.
She's not the kind of girl who applies double standards. When she says "don't date other people," it means she doesn't plan to easily change partners. She just doesn't want to commit to the future too quickly.
That must be it; that's the most reasonable explanation.
He repeatedly gave himself positive affirmations, but when he got home and found an envelope containing cash in his suitcase with "Vegas Bill" written on it, he couldn't help but start to wonder what she really wanted.
For Liang Siyu, Christmas is usually a pleasant and relaxing time.
Sometimes the family would go on island vacations, and sometimes they would stay on Long Island, spending holidays together with their grandmother, Geneviève.
In recent years, as my older brother and cousin have gotten married or had children, it has become inconvenient for everyone to stay at my grandmother's house after Christmas Eve dinner, so they usually go home on their own.
The only exception was Liang Siyu. The suite with a study on the second floor was specially reserved for him by his maternal grandmother.
He was the one among the children in the family who could sit still and spend a whole afternoon with her, listening to old vinyl records, looking at art books, mixing essential oils, and tending to plants.
That afternoon, his grandmother took his arm and, as usual, strolled along the pine path. They would usually walk to the apple orchard and then turn back, but today, she decided to turn back after walking halfway.
He turned his head: "Granny?" Is Grandma tired?
She patted his arm: "Ned, you checked your phone at least ten times just now."
His ears turned bright red, and he awkwardly straightened his coat: "I'm sorry, I..."
Ada made it clear the day before yesterday that she told him to stop bombarding her with messages unless it was necessary, as it was affecting her work.
But it's the Christmas holidays, what is she still busy with? Did she go out... to see other people?
He was a little flustered; after all, she had only given a hint and hadn't made any direct promises. He had held back all day yesterday, but sent a few more messages today.
“Ned, go back and have a hot chocolate,” Jenny Viv smiled knowingly. “Maybe it will help you relax.”
She had already heard from her daughter Claudia that Ned had ordered an engagement ring before Christmas, but nothing came of it. Actually, Ned's father knew as well, but the two of them tacitly kept quiet about it, to save Ned's face and protect his pride.
This is not too surprising, as Ned matured very late in this regard, only having his first relationship at the age of 25.
He wasn't a bad person by nature, but he was actually a bit spoiled and arrogant, looking down on everyone.
The girl who can win his heart must have something special about her, and she must also have her own pride, so she might not be able to tolerate him.
Sometimes, encountering setbacks early on isn't a bad thing; too much success can be dangerous, as the higher you climb, the harder you fall.
Jeanne Viv never uses chocolate powder to make hot chocolate; she's half French and insists on only drinking French hot chocolate. Liang Siyu has followed her example many times.
She chopped the dark chocolate and started simmering the milk over low heat. She prefers a light texture, so she didn't add any heavy cream.
“Ned, what’s the key here?” she asked him with a smile.
"Keep it low, don't let it boil." He always remembered that.
"Yes, don't boil it. Boiling is not the best state for hot chocolate."
She seemed to be talking about chocolate, but then again, she seemed to be talking about something else. Liang Siyu seemed to be lost in thought.
Once the milk was just beginning to steam, he carefully added the chocolate chips and stirred until melted. Finally, he added sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt to taste, until thick and silky.
They poured out two small glasses, which they shared in front of the fireplace, drinking them slowly.
Jenny Viv leaned back on the sofa and handed him the empty glass: "Ned, you have to be patient with good things."
Heeding his grandmother's advice, Liang Siyu endured for a few days—and his patience paid off.
A few days later, Xu Aida took the initiative to message him for the first time, saying that there was something important that needed to be discussed via video call, and asked if he was free that evening.
He was so happy he almost jumped for joy, but he restrained himself and quickly went over to hug his grandmother, thanking her for her guidance.
As the appointed time approached, he paced back and forth in his study, feeling a mix of joy and worry, unsure of what decision she would make.
His phone vibrated; an email had arrived from Ada. He stared at the subject line, dumbfounded.
A note from the author:
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