Chapter 13, Part 13: Reconciliation and a Chance Encounter – Meeting the Person Who Made Him Change Careers…
When dinner ended and Xu Aida got up to leave, she felt a little dizzy and lightheaded. She then realized that her body was not yet well-suited to alcohol consumption.
In her past life, he left her alone at JHU. During those long nights, she gradually learned to have a couple of drinks.
Liang Siyu noticed that she was walking unsteadily and realized that she couldn't hold her liquor. She drank naturally without the slightest hesitation, and he hadn't noticed it at all.
In front of her parents, he simply held her elbow firmly and helped her into the car.
Xu Aida kept thinking in the car that something must have happened.
Given condition 1: Richard is now looking forward to Ned completing his medical school studies.
Given condition two: Richard is not easily changed.
Known result: Richard supports Ned's career change.
So, something unusual must have happened.
What exactly happened? Did they have a conflict? Did it happen during the two months she was away studying in Europe? That's why she knew nothing about it.
Her first thought was that the Tense project team was facing a technical bottleneck at the time, which might have shaken Ned's confidence.
She didn't realize it at the time, and even remembers Ned being very calm, saying that it's normal to encounter difficulties and that things will get better with time.
Could it be that she was too oblivious to notice the anxiety and repression behind his actions?
Now that she's back in the game and ensuring their new superficial electromyography project goes smoothly, will he... not change careers?
Her mind was in turmoil, and her head felt even heavier. She pressed her temples and didn't say a word the rest of the way.
Liang Siyu drove her back to the hotel. The lobby was almost empty late at night, so he didn't hold back and simply picked her up—this time, she didn't protest.
Hsu Aida pressed her face against his chest, feeling a tightness in her chest. She wasn't sure if she had really overlooked some important information in her past life, or if she was just too weak after getting slightly drunk, wanting to find excuses for him and wanting to get closer to him again.
The receptionist on duty glanced at her a couple more times. Liang Siyu looked down, and she softly pressed against his chest, her slender heels swaying beside his arm.
He frowned slightly, not wanting others to see her like this, and quickened his pace.
When they reached the room door, she took out her room card, but it didn't go in right the first time. He had to hold her hand to help her open the door.
He gently laid her back on the bed and helped her take off her high heels and coat.
Her fingertips lightly touched his cuff: "Ned, shall we go back to the lab tomorrow?"
She wanted to ask, "Do you really want to go back to the lab?"
He took her small hand in his left hand and kneaded the back of her hand, while his right hand stroked her forehead: "Are you feeling unwell because you're drunk? Let's leave a day later. Take it slow, there's no rush."
They had planned to drive back to JHU tomorrow morning to continue the new project, but she didn't seem to be feeling well today, so they had to postpone their departure.
He said, "Take your time, there's no rush." She suddenly pressed her hand to her chest, a sudden, inexplicable pain striking her.
In his past life, when Tense was having a tough time, did he really say "take it slow" without any pressure? Maybe not.
She knew perfectly well that he was the kind of person who was proud and had a very strong sense of self-esteem. Had she really missed something?
When Liang Siyu saw her clutching her chest, a thought flashed through his mind: alcohol consumption could cause a sudden atrial fibrillation.
He tensed up immediately, quickly supporting her back and turning her to lie on her right side, staring intently at her: "What's wrong? Is your heart bothering you?"
She blinked and shook her head: "No, it's just a little stuffy."
After hesitating for a while, she finally couldn't help but say, "Ned, stay with me for a bit, okay?"
Liang Siyu secretly groaned. The way she looked at him with those hazy eyes only made him want to pull her into his arms even more.
He was willing to accompany her, of course, but those desires began to grow uncontrollably again. He was afraid that he would unknowingly cross the line and make her uncomfortable again.
“Of course.” He sat on the edge of the bed and held her hand.
She tried to get up and lean on him. He immediately supported her shoulders and moved closer so she could comfortably lean against him.
Listening to his heartbeat, her mind slowly went blank. She snuggled closer to him, her hair falling loosely over her shoulders, as if she were dazed by the cold wind and wanted to find shelter.
He was initially overjoyed by her closeness, but a moment later, he became worried.
Ada is usually independent and opinionated, and she doesn't easily change her mind. The reason she was willing to back down and accept his help before Christmas was because she had a terrible headache.
He tightened his arms around her, rested his chin on the top of her head, and asked softly, "What's wrong? Where does it hurt? Is your head hurting again?"
She shook her head in his arms, refusing to speak. She didn't know what was wrong with her—or perhaps she knew but didn't want to admit it.
She grabbed his shirt cuff and fiddled with the small button.
Liang Siyu's breath hitched, and her body tensed: "Ada, don't do this."
He took a few deep breaths, trying to distract himself, but it was no use, since she was leaning against his chest.
"Ada, I...I have to go." He said with difficulty, gently pushing her away.
"Don't go." She kept her head down, her voice muffled, and her soft fingers reached out to grab his hand.
He could no longer restrain himself, pulled her into his arms, held her tighter, and asked in a low, hoarse voice, "Aren't you going to let me go?"
"Don't go, don't move." She refused to look up, her voice carrying a hint of willfulness and sullenness.
The intense heat emanated through her Oxford shirt, making her feel both bittersweet and hot inside.
Liang Siyu was taken aback by her brazen shamelessness. He cupped her small face in his hands, trying to look into her eyes, not missing a single detail.
"How did you become like this? You said it yourself, let's calm down first."
"I don't want to calm down anymore, is that not allowed?"
She looked at him with a strange determination in her eyes, then suddenly leaned in and kissed him.
His breathing was visibly erratic, but he still held onto his last line of defense: "No slacking off. I will never accept you going back on your word. You'll say you need to calm down tomorrow and then you'll break up with me again."
"Then let's not break up this year." She was also out of breath, panting slightly as she leaned closer to him.
He grabbed her hand: "How can you do this?" They're dating, not buying insurance, so why are you renewing the contract every year?
She glared at me and said, "That's just how I am! We'll see how you perform next year. Maybe... you'll run away on your own."
Who cares about next year? We'll deal with that next year. Right now, she just wants to focus on the present. She doesn't know what could be better anyway.
Before he could say anything more, she leaned closer and called him "Ned," her hair brushing against his shirt collar.
His faltering defenses of reason crumbled instantly. He sighed softly, tightened his arms, and lowered his head to cover her lips with his own—the same familiar softness and sweetness.
The next morning, when Xu Aida woke up, Liang Siyu was sitting on the edge of the bed reading a paper. She tidied her hair and pajamas, then gently leaned against his arm.
He leaned down and gave her a good morning kiss, helped her get up to wash up, and then they ate brunch together in the room.
After dinner, he pulled her into his arms and said, "You know, you've learned to act like a brat just because you've been drinking."
"No way!" Her ears burned slightly, and she resolutely denied it.
"Okay, I'm not cheating, I'm just giving you a hard time." He shook his head.
"If you don't like it, then I'll go and create problems for others," she retorted irritably.
"You dare!" He tightened his grip on her arm instantly.
Rationally, he knew she was just saying it casually, but hearing those words made him a little anxious and angry.
"Let go! I can't breathe!"
She immediately begged for mercy, but as soon as he let go, she rolled her eyes at him and provoked him again, "Double standards, only you are allowed to do it."
"You're talking nonsense. I haven't even glanced at any other woman." He glared at her, looking down at her.
"That's not necessarily a woman." In his past life, he was seduced by the film crew.
He was utterly furious, completely unreasonable. A perfectly straight man, being subtly insulted by his girlfriend like that. If it weren't for considering her health, he really...
Seeing that he was truly angry, and recalling her latest guess, she softened a bit: "Ned, I only look at you, not at anyone else."
She also regretted arguing with him earlier. Last night, she had actually planned to find out what had happened—whether it was her parents' expectations or other pressures that made him suddenly change careers.
To control variables and maintain consistency with her past life, she shouldn't argue with him, especially not to increase his anxiety in the relationship.
She rarely speaks so tenderly or proactively.
The thorn in Liang Siyu's heart was instantly soothed. He hugged her tighter and exchanged a precious, slow kiss with her.
When he left her lips, his breathing was heavy. He could only turn his head to adjust his breathing. No, he absolutely could not do anything reckless today.
She moved a little further away and unconsciously pressed her lower abdomen, feeling a deep, aching pain, like her period was about to start.
Seeing her frown, he reached out and almost wrapped his arm around her waist.
"Still feeling unwell? Rest a little longer, I'll stay with you."
She has a strong personality, but she is petite and needs careful care.
Previously, in his apartment, he always made sure she had everything she needed, including nursing supplies and medications, so she wouldn't feel uncomfortable.
A large, warm hand extended through the cotton pajamas, offering a familiar comfort.
But she gently pushed him away, her words tinged with stubbornness: "I'm not sleepy."
She felt that going out for a while would help to distract them and be better for both of them.
"You want to go out?" He looked at her with difficulty, and there was still a hint of weariness between her brows.
"How about we rest a little longer? How about we go to the Peninsula for afternoon tea later? It's relatively quiet there."
She leaned back against the pillow and pushed him away a little: "I'm fine on my own."
He frowned: "Are you going to back out again?"
She rolled her eyes at him: "You don't appreciate kindness. Whatever."
He realized what was happening, moved closer to her from behind, and carefully wrapped his arms around her: "Ada, don't worry. I'm not so weak that I can't even control myself."
She didn't say anything, but silently thought to herself, "You just don't have it." In his past life, the time he had the most self-control was during the two weeks he was forced into quarantine after contracting pneumonia.
In the afternoon, she washed up and changed her clothes, choosing a long skirt. He frowned slightly, secretly regretting his actions, and silently helped her wrap her in her coat before picking her up and carrying her upright.
She protested a few times, but he held her back protectively: "Don't move. There aren't many people in this hallway. I'll put you down when we get to the elevator."
She could only bury her head in his arms and silently pray that no one was in the corridor now.
Once inside the elevator, he did as promised and put her down. After they got out, he simply put his arm around her waist to make it easier for her to walk.
They went for afternoon tea, and he specifically booked a corner seat.
For the first time, he didn't follow social etiquette by sitting opposite her, but instead sat on the same side of the sofa with her so that he could take care of her. He also carefully tucked cushions behind her to make sure she was comfortable.
The waiter handed her the menu without glancing at her, but Xu Aida blushed. He was being so dramatic that she regretted suggesting they go out.
Liang Siyu remained calm and composed, exchanging a brief chat with the waiter about the weather as usual.
He chose caffeine-free roseberry tea, the must-order scones and sandwiches, and asked the other person to add a few cookies.
He even smiled and asked, "Although it's not on the menu, could you ask if I could have a honey-baked apple?"
"Of course, please wait a moment." The waiter put away the menu and turned to leave.
Soon, the tea and snacks were served. The waiter introduced them one by one, and then mentioned, "The honey-baked apples are being made and will take a while, please wait a moment."
The blush on Xu Aida's face had mostly faded by now, and she was able to calmly meet the eyes of others.
Liang Siyu was a little annoyed. If he had known she would be so shy, he shouldn't have brought her out.
Fortunately, he was sitting next to her, blocking all possible prying eyes.
The rose berry tea exudes a soft rose aroma, rich and relaxing, and its light red color is just like her lip color today.
He looked down at her: "Are you alright? Are you tired?"
"No." She took the teacup, took a small sip, and leaned back comfortably on the cushion. "It's quite comfortable here."
That's good. He casually chatted with her: "Do you like this tea? Or is it the linden blossom tea from yesterday?"
She quickly replied, "This is better, a bit sweet and sour, more layered." Then she whispered, "Don't tell Claudia."
He laughed: "I'm not stupid." How could he possibly sow discord between his girlfriend and his mother?
She suddenly realized that she could take this opportunity to talk to his family and see if she had misunderstood Richard's attitude.
She tried to steer the conversation: "Claudia and Richard would probably enjoy the afternoon tea here, wouldn't they?"
“Yes, this is where they used to go on dates.” Liang Siyu said without suspicion, “Mom loved the cheesecake here the most.”
He likes it too, but he didn't order it today because it goes best with black tea.
"Is he not coming now? Is it because Richard is too busy with work?" She tried to steer the conversation toward his father.
“No, they still come once a week. When I was little, Nanny took care of my brother and me, and Dad would go on dates with Mom alone.”
He suddenly smiled as he thought of something, adding, "Ada, I'll always be like that; you'll always be my number one."
Still number one? In his past life, he went to Los Angeles and then to China, and they were in a long-distance relationship for so long.
She felt a little down for a moment, but she quickly composed herself and asked about the matter that mattered most to her.
"It seems Richard really wants you to graduate early and help him, so he'll have more time to date Claudia."
Liang Siyu sighed: "Yes, Dad has mentioned it a few times."
He shrugged again. "But it's okay, he plans to retire at 70, so there are still more than ten years left. I won't be too busy to go on dates in the future."
He smiled as he helped her fix her hair.
Xu Aida really wanted to knock him on the head. This love-struck fool! Was she worried about not having time for dates? She was worried about whether he would be under too much pressure.
However, judging from his demeanor, he was unhurried and did not seem resistant to the topic of succession, as if he were being overwhelmed by family expectations.
Besides, being a neurosurgeon is very stressful; taking over a family rehabilitation center might be easier. Maybe it's not family pressure? Was she mistaken last night?
She didn't say anything more, just lowered her head and continued drinking her tea, when she suddenly heard a somewhat familiar voice.
"Ned? It's you! Long time no see!"
She looked up, wearing a black turtleneck sweater, her posture elegant and graceful, but that face suddenly sent a chill down her spine.
Andrew Lim, Ned's high school classmate, is a rising director who invited him to make a short film in his past life.
That short film won Best Short Film awards at several film festivals, including Sundance, and also launched Liang Siyu's acting career.
A note from the author:
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