78 Before Marriage (Part 2)
◎The peacock spreads its tail.◎
"Your face is so red, what's wrong?"
Zhao Lingyu casually brushed her almost dry long hair to the back of her head and asked in confusion.
Liang Youwei felt extremely guilty. She silently pulled up her camel-hair shawl, covering half of her face, revealing only a pair of watery eyes. "Nothing... Um, Third Sister, don't you want to take a shower? Go quickly..."
The moss-green dress draped beautifully. Zhao Lingyu sat on the edge of the bed, the soft mattress sagging slightly. "We're getting married tomorrow. Are you nervous?"
"It's okay, that's how it feels." Liang Youwei hugged her knees, her eyes shining as she said with a silly smile, "But I'm especially looking forward to tomorrow's photo session. During today's rehearsal, I thought the place was so beautiful. The reception area was beautiful, and the auditorium was even more beautiful! And tomorrow's morning robes are really fairy-like and dreamy. If we get together, we can even take a photo of the four fairies in Joyful Joy."
She talked a lot excitedly, but none of it was about sadness and separation.
"Sister, Lingyu, do you like the dress I prepared? Last time I showed it to you, it seemed like you weren't very interested. We just tried it on briefly and that was it."
Liang Zhihui put down the book and tapped her between the eyebrows. Seeing her like a cat with her hands covering her forehead, he whispered back, "You're moving to the Shao family. How can I be so cheerful?"
Liang Youwei never cared about "overshadowing" the bridesmaids. Her custom bridesmaid dresses were each exquisitely crafted, perfectly matching their styles and temperaments, inlaid with countless small details. Liang Zhihui's gardenia and white crane, Liang Jingyi's fishtail pearl and lotus, Zhao Lingyu's swan feathers...it was impossible for them to dislike her.
However, no one can be happy when thinking about tomorrow.
"But I'm still me. The Shao family has nothing to do with me." Liang Youwei simply hugged her arm and acted coquettishly, "Aunt Gu and Driver Zhu will also follow me to the Shao family, and you're just about to stuff Yixing into the dowry book. I'm still very confident. So, don't worry too much about me, okay?"
Liang Youwei's dowry was divided into two categories: one was the regular dowry that was publicly available, and the other was the secret additions made by the six people, unknown to the public. Even if it's a bit absurd, it's not an exaggeration to say that Liang Youwei is now the richest woman in Asia.
When Zhao Lingyu, Qin Zhen and others completely inherit their father's business, the word "daughter" can be removed; if they work harder, maybe they won't even need to add the prefix "Asia".
"But having money and being happy are two different things." Zhao Lingyu was not optimistic. She looked at the rose bushes at the hem of Liang Youwei's skirt and muttered to herself, "Money, power and status are indeed necessities in life, but happiness is also important."
Liang Youwei didn't understand her worries and replied puzzledly, "But I've always been very happy because I have you. If I have you, isn't that happiness?"
Occasionally when she had nothing to do, she even imagined: If the six of them were just ordinary workers, without a rich family background and no material wealth, would she still like them?
The answer came out of her mouth, she would.
On the surface, they are good-looking. On the inside, they are good-tempered and have good personalities.
Liang Jingyi is tough on the outside but soft on the inside. When he loves someone, he would like to give her his heart. Liang Zhihui is mature and sophisticated, able to do everything thoroughly. No one can compare to the sense of security that comes with being in love with her. Zhao Lingyu is an outstanding person, and she is so loyal and innocent.
Just thinking of them, Liang Youwei would feel an infinite surge of happiness in her heart, a happiness that overwhelmed her.
How could there be no love? And how could there be no happiness?
"...Really?" Ling Yu lowered her eyes.
Liang Youwei nodded firmly: "It will be true for a lifetime."
She wanted to spend her whole life with them. If possible, it would be best if they could stay together in the next life and the next.
That night, Liang Youwei was silent for once. She used to be the one doing all the chattering, but tonight it was the three of them who were the talkers.
Things like "Greet people nicely when you meet them, but remember not to talk too much with new friends", "When living in the secular world, one must follow secular rules and not easily reveal one's personal relationships to others", and "The Shao family integrates politics and business, so they can't appear too extravagant and wasteful in public".
Liang Youwei originally thought she would be so nervous about tomorrow's wedding that she would suffer from insomnia, but as she listened to this long string of instructions, fatigue gradually set in. Before the three of them had said much, she was so sleepy that she couldn't open her eyes.
"Major General Song and his family don't believe in ghosts or gods. From now on, when you meet and eat with the Song family, try to speak as little as possible. You have to be careful with your mouth, okay? If someone asks about marital relations or children, you should keep silent until Shao Yue speaks... Weiwei?"
Liang Zhihui paused halfway through his words and called out softly.
"Hmm? Sister, please continue, I'm listening..." It's so hypnotic, I love listening to it.
Liang Zhihui remained silent, his eyes filled with tenderness enveloping her. Finally, he sighed, "Forget it. Shao Yue should be able to handle this. It's okay if you don't listen."
Since Shao Yue did not inherit the Shao family's main company, he needed to deal with far fewer people than Shao Qing.
Following her heart, Liang Youwei grabbed her fingers and murmured, "But I want to hear you talk. I'm not used to the sound, and I don't feel at ease..."
"So what should I do after tomorrow? I won't be able to coax you to sleep every day."
Liang Zhihui gently touched the side of her face, looking at her appearance, which was not exactly the same as when she was a child. For a moment, he felt dazed. Has she grown up so quickly?
This question is difficult to answer. Liang Youwei's subconscious self-protection made her remain silent, pretending not to hear it.
The room was so quiet that only the sound of the wind chimes could be heard. Liang Jingyi couldn't help but look in and asked, "Is he really asleep?"
There was still no response this time.
But this time it was not an act, because Liang Youwei was so sleepy that she fainted.
"She can actually sleep." Thinking of her own nervous state, and seeing her steady breathing, Zhao Lingyu couldn't help but feel resentful. She was too awake, and she could actually smile in her dream.
It's totally unfair and unreasonable.
Liang Jingyi also stared at her and complained in a low voice: "You are so heartless." But he did not roll his eyes.
"Are you tired?" Liang Zhihui lifted his bony fingers from the face and looked at his two sisters. He said gently, "If you're tired, just go to bed. It's already ten o'clock, and you have to get up at two-thirty tomorrow, and you'll have a hard day ahead of you."
Zhao Lingyu shook her head and said softly, "I can't sleep."
She leaned against the head of the bed, her straight black hair, which she had been growing since the Spring Festival, was naturally draped over her. The bright moon also had a special favor on her, making her long hair shiny. She looked indescribably melancholy and noble.
Liang Zhihui shifted his gaze and asked another question, "Hasn't your work been going smoothly lately? A few days ago, I was having dinner with Mo Li, and she mentioned that your export project was stuck."
Since you're awake anyway, you might as well chat for a while.
"Well, it's an internal company issue."
Zhao Lingyu smiled, feeling better than nothing, and didn't shy away from her, speaking frankly: "My family's situation is special. Originally, medical equipment wasn't my responsibility, but since it involves export, my dad didn't trust anyone else, so he temporarily handed it over to me to look after. The mentality of destroying it if I can't get it is playing tricks on me, so it's normal for someone to be trying to stumble. It's been stuck at the review for a month."
Liang Jingyi, who recently reaped the benefits of marketing, joined the conversation: "Maybe we can try to hype them up and use public opinion to force them to stop."
Zhao Lingyu was stunned: "Will it be useful?"
She wasn't asking this out of arrogance; after all, she'd been known to hype herself up as a "genius girl" in her early days. But medical equipment wasn't something she saw as commonplace, and she was simply worried that no one would pay attention, or that it might cause side effects and get her into trouble.
Liang Jingyi said indifferently, "It might not work for ordinary people, but outsourcing it to Qin Zhen might work. Of course, the premise is that you can trust him. He is very tricky in finding angles, and with the political resources of the Song family, it should be possible in a few days."
The girl with long black hair pursed her lips: "But my eldest sister and Zhao Lingchuan are siblings."
In other words, Zhao Lingchuan can also have the invisible support of the Song family.
Liang Zhihui massaged his fingers, chuckled softly, and patiently instructed: "But Aunt Song is partial to you right now. She may not like you very much, but she definitely hates Zhao Lingchuan even more. Didn't you find out about Zhao Lingchuan's third wife in February? You handed it over to Dad in March, and of course you can give it to your sister-in-law's family in May. Your second sister-in-law's stepmother is young and likes to joke around. She's been playing cards with Aunt Song recently."
How could a normal woman support a cheating man? Killing two birds with one stone, what a wonderful way.
"Okay, I'll give it a try in a few days. Thank you, Sister Zhihui," she paused, her voice lowered, not quite practiced, "and thank you, Sister Jingyi."
Liang Zhihui nodded, not caring much. "It's a small matter. If you have any questions in the future, you can come and ask me directly. The Lu family's resources are difficult to use in this matter, otherwise I would have said hello to them directly for you."
Someone from the Lu family works in the Procuratorate, so it's not easy to owe favors to them.
Liang Jingyi, who was brought up to thank him, looked unnatural: "It's okay."
There are so many things that women can talk about, and the three of them have a lot of common topics. Even if Liang Youwei is not there, they can still talk about it together.
Thinking of what was mentioned at the family gathering a few days ago, Liang Jingyi suddenly became curious: "Second sister, why did you go abroad to study at the age of eighteen? I heard from my fifth aunt that she planned to send her son to England, but the boy was only thirteen or fourteen, right? Is there any explanation?"
Liang Zhihui opened his phone and looked for some music suitable for a night chat.
"It depends on the individual. I had originally considered studying both high school and university abroad, but Ms. Si was worried that my older brother and I would learn bad habits. After all, she had her own things to do and didn't have the energy to visit us. My older brother and I discussed it and decided to complete high school in China, then go to Stanford for my undergraduate and master's degrees."
Facts have proven that Ms. Si's concerns were justified, as even the adult Liang Zhihui had committed many bad deeds abroad. Fortunately, He Jingshu protected her, and Liang Jiangsheng also forgave her, considering his daughter's youth and incompetence.
But Liang Jingyi's curiosity was not satisfied. She turned her gaze to Zhao Lingyu again and blinked, meaning "What about you?"
Zhao Lingyu didn't know her well, so to avoid the stare, she simply pretended to help Liang Zhihui choose music, whispering, "I'm afraid my mom will be bullied, and I'm also worried about falling into traps and picking up bad habits abroad, so I've been studying in my own country."
Liang Zhihui glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, observing silently with complicated feelings in his heart.
They say they are afraid of getting into bad habits, but actually they are afraid of death.
There is a shooting every three days and a riot every five days abroad. It is very easy to kill someone silently there.
Liang Jingyi was not a native of a wealthy family after all, so he did not understand her implication and only nodded: "Is that so."
She knew why Liang Youwei didn't go abroad to study. It was probably because she simply didn't want to.
She continued to ask: "So, you also took the college entrance examination to get into Qingdao University?"
Zhao Lingyu shook her head. "No, I participated in the Physics Olympiad when I was fifteen and was directly admitted."
Hearing the familiar yet unfamiliar term, Liang Jingyi was momentarily distracted. She even felt like the last time this competition was mentioned was decades ago.
Originally, she could have been admitted without taking the entrance exam.
Seeing her absent-minded, Zhao Lingyu couldn't help but add softly, "I'm a native of the capital. Even without that competition, I could easily go to university. The value of my university education is definitely not comparable to yours."
Sensing that subtle protective feeling, Liang Jingyi raised his eyebrows slightly and smiled at her: "I didn't think much about it. Anyway, the final result is good."
"Also, having completed a full high school program has its advantages. You get to see a lot of eccentric people, and you'll have a mental set of expectations when interacting with similar geniuses in the future, so you can be more calm."
Liang Zhihui smiled, unable to hide his smile. "When you say calm, do you mean throwing folders at everyone equally?"
Hearing this, Liang Jingyi blushed, a rare occurrence. Her thin lips pursed tightly as she stubbornly retorted, "Isn't that what you meant? You told me to go and cause trouble, and now you're blaming me for not being calm? How can that be?"
Zhao Lingyu had also heard of her sister's "heroic deeds". She covered her lips with her hands, seemingly coughing lightly, but actually trying hard to hold back her laughter.
…
The three people have different life experiences, and the books they have read and the scenery they have seen are also very different, but when they get together, they can unexpectedly chat with each other.
Bach's fugue flows slowly, the cool air floats on the skin, a corduroy blanket is placed on the bed, and a sip of refreshing cold lychee water is taken from time to time. I feel inexplicably comfortable and relaxed.
The late-night conversations never stopped.
The alarm clock rang at 2:30, waking the three of them from their dream. Had they actually been chatting like this for nearly five hours?
Looking at the bright Roman numerals on the phone screen, Liang Zhihui was a little stunned.
She opened her eyes to make herself more awake. Then, she stood up from the carpet and said, "I'll go wake Weiwei up. Jingyi Lingyu, please help me make some coffee."
——When it was eleven o'clock, the three of them consciously moved to the floor-to-ceiling window.
As a person with high energy, Liang Jingyi was full of energy: "Good."
Deep in the bedroom, on a large bed that was three or four meters long, Liang Youwei was still sleeping on her side, her face softly sunken in the fluffy pillow, her cheeks spreading from bottom to top, like a glutinous rice cake with rose filling.
Liang Zhihui was a little amused by her own analogy. She knelt on one knee under the silk quilt, her hands gently combing Liang Youwei's long hair: "Weiwei, it's time to get up? Aren't we going to take lots of beautiful photos?"
As she spoke, she reached out and pinched the tip of Nuomici's nose.
Five, four, three, two, one—
"What are you doing..."
As expected, there are always people who can turn complaints into a coquettish tone.
Liang Youwei finally couldn't stand this suffocating feeling anymore. She opened her eyes hazily. Her sister's figure was covered with a dreamy filter, making it difficult to recognize: "Second sister? I'm so sleepy, I don't want to get up..."
"Yes, sister." Liang Zhihui pulled her out of bed with a little force and gently patted her pink face. "I'm so sleepy, but there's nothing I can do. It's already half past two, and the makeup artist will be here at three o'clock. Shouldn't you get up?"
The other party had reasons and evidence, but Liang Youwei's brain was like a mess when she first woke up. She could only nod obediently, but the corners of her mouth were still aggrieved, curved into a small crescent shape.
"I should get up."
Liang Zhihui's smile deepened, and he rubbed her head as if rewarding her: "Good girl."
Just say that stupid ones are cute.
.
Today's wedding makeup artists are all the signature "Golden Hands" of the Zhiliang brand. Four of them stayed at the Liang family, and three went to the Shao family.
Three o'clock in the morning, Shao's house.
"Brother, where is my makeup artist sister? Am I not the best man? Why do you three have one but I don't?"
Looking at the well-trained staff in front of him, but the number and attire were obviously wrong, Shao Sheng keenly noticed that something was wrong and turned around to question them immediately.
He is now an expert and naturally knows how great Zhi Liang's signature makeup artists are. It is a great honor to be able to have their makeup done, and of course he cannot let it go easily.
Shao Yue, who had been excited and expectant all night and hadn't even slept for thirty minutes, had no time to pay attention to his younger brother. But when he thought that he had to do the work of three people today, he still squeezed out some sympathy for him.
The man who had just taken off the mask said in a gentle voice: "Shengsheng, Zhiliang only has seven golden hands, it's not that I didn't give any to you on purpose."
Shao Sheng was still jumping around with a black mask on his face. He was very dissatisfied and pulled his brother to the corner, gnashing his teeth and whispering, "Then give me Qin Zhen's makeup artist! Brother, he is Sister Weiwei's ex-boyfriend and should not have come today! And why is he dressed up so nicely? Qiuya is getting married, and he is just sitting there——"
Shao Yue held his forehead and said, "Shengsheng, this is a special situation, don't say anything nonsense."
"I didn't say anything nonsense!" Shao Sheng was so angry on behalf of his brother that he almost jumped up in the air. "Sister Weiwei is a decent person and treated her ex-boyfriend gently, but look at him, he actually posted those photos! My sister hinted that he couldn't post them, and he even said something about re-editing them? Do you want to - umm!"
It would be a lie to say that I wasn't touched, but it would also be true to say that I was upset.
Shao Yue had no choice but to block his mouth: "Calm down. Second brother asks you, what day is today?"
Shao Sheng pulled his hand away, frowning: "Your wedding with Sister Weiwei."
Shao Yue sighed and advised: "So, let's take a step back and let things calm down, okay? The principle of giving in is the most important thing for those who are happy. Have you forgotten everything your brother taught you?"
Shao Sheng felt wronged: "But I can be more handsome."
Shao Yue: "...How about I give you my makeup artist, handsome guy?"
Shao Sheng was stunned: "Ah? Not so good, right?" He showed a serious expression, "You are the groom after all."
You really dare to think so.
Shao Yue's mouth twitched, and he patted the back of his head: "Stop it. Your brother's skin has been good recently, so I'll help you after I finish my makeup, okay?"
"That's great. I'll go show off to my band members first. Brother, please change quickly. Bye, bye!" Shao Sheng was immediately overjoyed and he skipped away.
Shao Yue had a terrible headache and wanted to beat him to death.
"Boss Shao, are you ready?" the makeup assistant called out. Shao Yue turned around, his already fair profile glaring under the light. "I'll be right there."
During the makeup process, the three makeup artists assigned to the Shao family were shocked.
I hadn't expected the three male CEOs in front of me to be so surprising. Not only were their physical conditions excellent, but their skin was also far superior to that of people of the same class and gender.
"Mr. Liang, your skin is surprisingly good." The baby-faced makeup artist, wearing a mask, sighed in admiration. "I was also the one who did your makeup for the press conference. How come I didn't notice it then?"
Liang Ting'an didn't dare to meet her gaze, closing his eyes and pretending to be serious: "Really? Maybe it was the lighting at the time that made me not see it."
Baby Face: "Well, that's possible. But Mr. Liang, your skin condition is really amazing. I'm a little worried that I'll steal the show today, hahahaha."
After swallowing hard, Liang Ting'an said, "I want this effect." He said calmly, "Just work normally, don't worry about anything else. After the wedding, don't forget to ask Qiao Mi for the red envelope—just ask for it alone."
I mean, I packed this for you.
Hearing the hidden meaning, the baby-faced man was overjoyed and vowed to make his face look 300% more handsome and tough: "With your words, I feel relieved and bold to do it."
"Yeah, it's hard work."
"Boss Liang, whatever you say is my responsibility."
This side is full of joy, and the other side is also full of jubilation.
The makeup artist with the ball head held it in for a long time, but when she finished applying the concealer, she finally praised him: "Boss Qin, your skin is so good! Many male celebrities can't compare to it."
It’s so cool to put on this kind of face, and it’s a pleasure to look at it.
Qin Zhen smiled reservedly, gentle and polite. "Really? Thank you. Your skills are excellent. I've seen many makeup looks you've done, and they all highlight the individual's style."
The ball head said modestly: "You are too kind."
Qin Zhen remained gentle and kind. "Today is a good day. When you finish painting for me, my personal secretary will wrap a gift for you. Please don't hesitate. This new Hermès scarf will perfectly suit your temperament."
Good news came out of nowhere, and the girl with the ball head's eyes suddenly lit up. She felt that this person's beauty had reached a new level.
She didn't hide her smile through the mask: "Don't worry, Mr. Qin, I will definitely use all my strength on you and ensure that you can reach a new level of handsomeness while maintaining your personal characteristics."
The man nodded with restraint: "Thank you. You've worked hard."
“No, no.”
The girl with the ball head was grinning from ear to ear. It seemed that the online comments about Mr. Qin were quite true. Offline, he was handsome, had a clear voice, a good temper, was generous, and respected women.
The same thing happened to Shao Yue.
"Ms. Lin, what style do you think suits me better?" When putting on makeup, Shao Yue actively communicated with the makeup artist and politely asked for advice.
The makeup artist, wearing pure black glasses, looked at Shao Yue's face from front to side with a focused expression. "Because you have a strong complexion, Mr. Shao, I plan to give you a cooler, more bony look. There are two approaches to this kind of makeup. I'll show you some samples, and you can choose which one you want."
Shao Yue asked without hesitation: "Do you have any suggestions on specific ideas?"
"Looking at you in person, I'm actually leaning towards a more sheer look. The slightly smoky earth tones are really striking, but if you look up close, like you and the bride face to face, a sheer look would be more refined, as you have beautiful eyes and long lashes."
The man with black glasses took out a tablet, switched the picture, and showed it to him.
"Then I want the second one—the one the bride will like."
After reviewing the specific cases and combining them with the professional's evaluation, Shao Yue immediately made up his mind. He smiled with a hint of guilt: "But I still have a request. After you finish painting my copy, I'll have to ask you to take the trouble to do it again..."
He briefly explained Shao Sheng's situation and concluded, "I'm getting married today. In addition to the remuneration I should have given you, I'll also give you an extra bonus for your hard work. Please don't hesitate."
The man with the black glasses immediately understood: "You are too polite. It is our duty to satisfy the groom."
"Hard."
【Author’s words】
Ahhh, I want to apologize to a little angel here. When I clicked on the subscription column today, I accidentally touched the "Report Plagiarism". I don't know who I touched (slide kneeling)
I never want to open the details again... I just discovered this amazing feature and it caused trouble (I feel so disappointed)...
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