66 Marriage
How could I possibly refuse you?
Liang Jiangsheng told He Jingshu about this that night.
He Jingshu didn't even know why Liang Jiangsheng got angry a few days ago. Now he rashly said that "Liang Youwei will marry Shao Yue", which made her even more confused.
"Honey, does Weiwei like Shao Yue? Why did you think of pairing them up?"
Liang Jiangsheng's temper had returned to normal by then. He rarely acted like a madman in front of his wife, so he put on his head as the head of the family again: "Don't worry, she likes it, so it's not a random matchmaking."
Haha, who doesn't like Liang Youwei? I guess I'd be willing to marry either one.
He Jingshu hesitated. "But Shao Yue has too many ex-girlfriends. What if he cheats after marriage? You know Weiwei's temper. She definitely wouldn't be able to handle something like that."
Liang Jiangsheng raised the corner of his mouth, but there was no smile in his eyes: "Why don't you just let your precious daughter go back?"
One is a more nominal ex, the other is a more actual ex, isn't it a match made in heaven?
"What nonsense are you talking about? How could Weiwei do such a thing? She is so morally corrupt." He Jingshu frowned and patted his forearm in dissatisfaction.
Liang Jiangsheng didn't move, letting her take pictures. "The day after tomorrow, the three of us will go to Wangsheng to discuss the wedding. You don't need to tell Liang Youwei why we're going. Just say it's a normal dinner."
He Jingshu's brows furrowed even more. "But this is so obvious. The moment you open your mouth, it's exposed. Do you expect her to be so slow to understand? Besides, why don't you tell her proactively? It's Youwei who's getting married, not us."
"He didn't say it clearly at the dinner table." Liang Jiangsheng only answered the first question, "You don't have to worry too much. Shao Yue will treat her well and she won't feel wronged."
He even dared to guarantee that even the child in Liang Youwei's belly, Shao Yue could accept it calmly and say it was his.
Ms. He was still worried: "But why does it have to be Shao Yue? If you really want to marry into the Shao family, you can wait until Shao Sheng is a few years older. Xiaosheng is pretty, good-natured, and can play with Weiwei."
"...You also have to see whether Lao Shao and Song Yinbing will let him go."
Song Yinbing was over 30 years old when she had Shao Sheng. Shao Sheng was sweet-talker and capable, and the Shao family loved this youngest son very much.
He swallowed his frustration and said, "Besides, marriage is not playing house. How can we just focus on whether we can play together? Shao Yue is good-looking, Liang Youwei will like him."
He Jingshu bit her lip, still unwilling in her heart, but it was not easy to refute Liang Jiangsheng again, so she could only remain silent.
Shao Yue was indeed handsome, perhaps even the best-looking man of his generation in the imperial capital. His every move carried an indescribable sexiness, but he had also had many romantic affairs, which had never stopped since he was a teenager.
He Jingshu was afraid that he would be the next Liang Jiangsheng. No, she was afraid that Shao Yue wouldn't even be able to compare to Liang Jiangsheng. After all, He Liang and his wife had been happy for the first ten years of their marriage. Could Shao Yue and Weiwei have lasted the same ten years? They had no emotional foundation, so how could they possibly love each other?
"Anyway, don't tell Liang Youwei about this for now. Find a way to get her out of the boss's place the day after tomorrow and dress her up properly."
"Boss? When did Youwei start living with Ting'an?"
Ms. He always thought that Liang Youwei lived in her small apartment.
"...her clothes are right there. If you want to show off, go there."
"oh."
Liang Jiangsheng was exhausted both physically and mentally, and didn't want to waste any more time on these things. He simply took off his glasses and coaxed her to sleep: "It's getting late, go get some rest."
"Hey, don't go to sleep yet, I still have questions."
“Just ask, I’m listening.”
"When will the wedding be held? This is not a trivial matter, we need to prepare carefully. Liang Jiangsheng, open your eyes, don't sleep, look at me."
"I can see you even without opening my eyes. Liang Youwei announced her engagement on her birthday, and the wedding is in April."
"So urgent?"
"otherwise."
Waiting until your belly is bigger to hold the wedding? What a joke.
·
"Are you kidding me?"
In the box with a distinct postmodern style, Shao Yue's smile disappeared, his brows lowered, and he looked a little unkind.
When he heard about the meal the day before yesterday, he didn't think much of it, thinking it was just a routine patrol dinner, but who knew that today he was suddenly told to "have dinner with your fiancée today."
Where did he get his fiancée?
Seeing him frown, Song Yinbing quickly said softly, "Xiao Yue, the fiancée Mom arranged for you is none other than Weiwei—Youwei from the Liang family. Don't you like her?"
Hearing that name, Shao Yue's mind inevitably wandered for a moment, but he quickly recovered the unnecessary blankness, his tone as calm as dead water: "I don't love her, and she doesn't like me either. Mom, can you and Dad stop thinking about it?"
Song Yinbing pursed her lips: "How is that possible? Xiaoyue, don't say angry words. Mom knows that your family used to force you to do many things you were not willing to do, but now it's different. Your brother has become much more sensible and will no longer be afraid of -"
"mom."
Hearing this, Shao Yue suddenly interrupted his mother. This was also the first time he interrupted his mother. "This is a thing of the past. I have forgotten it. There is no need to mention it again in the future."
Shao Yue hated the past and was too lazy to pursue it, so he decided to just muddle through life. Born into the Shao family, he was already luckier than most, so why worry about empty reputation?
"Then about the marriage with Weiwei..." Song Yinbing looked at her son tentatively, wanting to confirm whether he was happy.
For more than 20 years, Shao Yue has basically lived with a hypocritical mask. Several elders think that he likes Liang Youwei, but that is simply because he has only smiled sincerely at this girl and only takes her words to heart.
"Let me talk to her alone." Shao Yue's attitude was vague, and his voice was also soft. "Don't force her. At least, don't talk about this kind of thing today."
Shao Feng nodded quickly and spoke: "Old Second is right. It's better to let you young people discuss yourselves. Wife, we are old now, so we should stay out of other people's business. Don't force him, don't force him."
"Don't force him? You said I forced him?"
Song Yinbing was stunned for a moment, then sneered repeatedly: "Back then, when you pushed Xiaoyue out to dance with Shan Xi in order to cooperate with Chonghui, why didn't you tell him not to force him? That old bastard Shan Yan is so shameless that he directly spread rumors that Xiaoyue and his daughter were in a premature relationship. In Hong Kong Island, those shameless Hong Kong media used words like "Love in a Fallen City" and "Beijing-Shanghai Alliance" to describe Xiaoyue and Shan Xi! Shao Feng, do you really think I know nothing?"
The older, yet still tall man was mortified by the insult. He gritted his teeth and asked without hesitation, "Yinbing, but didn't you say anything back then? I admit that half of the blame was mine, and a small half was on the boss, but there were remedies afterward. Didn't you acquiesce? Aren't you and your family among those making fun of me?"
Song Yinbing was speechless for a moment, but she quickly reacted and raised her voice, confidently saying, "That's because Second Uncle and Cousin Shan Yan were colleagues back then! Second Uncle just got promoted and needs to maintain a good relationship with their family. What can I say?"
"What can you say? You can tell a joke. It's not all my fault. Besides, I see our son has been having a lot of fun these past few years. Why do you have to dwell on those trivial things?"
Shao Feng didn't dare to look his wife in the eye, but he kept talking back at her without knowing the consequences.
Shao Yue hated arguing. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he gently advised: "Mom, Dad, let's not talk about what happened more than ten years ago, okay? I don't care anymore, and you don't need to prove who is more wrong or less wrong."
It's already been done, there's no need to regret it.
His voice immediately weakened the two men, and the room fell silent.
Shao Yue breathed a sigh of relief and glanced at his watch.
It's almost twelve o'clock, she will be here soon.
Song Yinbing lashed out at her husband, her anger rising as she wished she could tear him apart. Shao Feng was terrified by the glare, his eyes wandering, but he patted his hands soothingly under the table, sending a peace signal.
Song Yinbing directly opened his hand and called out coldly: "Shao Feng."
Someone's Adam's apple rolled: "...Hey, I'm here. Go ahead."
"When the Liang family arrives, you and Liang Jiangsheng are not allowed to talk about marriage. You can talk about anything else. Let Xiaoyue tell Weiwei about this in person, okay?"
The man climbed down the pole: "My wife is right, I've remembered everything."
Song Yinbing rolled his eyes, stopped talking, and just waited patiently.
·
"Mom, why am I the only one here today?"
Liang Youwei was dressed simply today, in a light green loose silk long dress and a small cross-body cloth bag. She wore no makeup on her face, only lipstick to enhance her complexion.
Ms. He, wearing the same new Chinese-style long dress as her, smiled and asked, "Weiwei, don't you want to have dinner with your parents?"
Liang Youwei shook her head and muttered softly, "It's not that I don't want to, I'm just curious. I usually go out to eat with my third sister, so why not with her today? And you specifically chose to go when my eldest brother and the others were at work."
He Jingshu could hardly hold back her smile. She looked at Liang Jiangsheng, signaling him to explain.
Liang Jiangsheng had a blank expression on his face. He followed his wife's gaze and said coldly, "If you don't want to eat, go back."
Hearing this, Liang Youwei stopped talking and had no more questions.
He Jingshu glared at him, silently scolding him for being so fierce. When she looked at Liang Youwei, she became gentle again and warned her kindly, "Your father is just joking with you, honey, don't take it seriously. When we get there, don't forget to call for help, okay?"
Liang Youwei quietly moved to her mother's side, a little further away from Old Man Liang: "I know, Mom. I know Uncle Shao and Aunt Song."
She thought she was the only guest accompanying the two parents in their chat, so when she entered the box and saw Shao Yue lowering his eyes to reply to the message, she froze in place.
"Weiwei is here? Oh, it's been a long time since we last met. The little girl has become even more beautiful." Song Yinbing smiled as soon as he saw her, and stood up first to greet her.
Liang Youwei was unaware of his presence and quickly retracted her gaze. Facing Song Yinbing, the girl smiled sweetly and said hello: "Good afternoon, Aunt Song. Thank you for the compliment, you look great too."
After calling this person, she greeted Shao Feng and Shao Yue respectively, being very polite.
Liang Youwei always knew that Aunt Song was good to her, but this time she seemed too warm and actually pulled her to sit down.
What’s even more terrible is that the location is next to Shao Yue.
Liang Youwei could even smell the alluring fragrance in her nose, and she subconsciously held her breath.
Unlike her nervousness and shyness, Shao Yue beside her frowned, with a hint of disapproval in his tone, and softly called out "Mom".
Song Yinbing thought he was just shy and pretended to be deaf and dumb and ignored him.
Liang Youwei couldn't pretend not to hear him. She didn't know what this sound reminded her of. She pursed her lips, turned her eyes away, and didn't even look at him.
...She was angry.
Shao Yue keenly noticed the girl's slight dissatisfaction beside him, moved his fingers, and pursed his rosy lips slightly.
The dishes were ordered in advance and started to be served as soon as the Liang family arrived.
After a brief greeting, the four elders began to chat, sometimes about the group's business and sometimes about fashionable things.
Liang Youwei was not interested and just focused on eating.
"Why don't you eat the sweet shrimp sashimi? I remember it's one of the few fresh foods you like to eat."
After a few bites, two more raw shrimp appeared on the porcelain plate in front of her, smeared with her usual sweet vinegar. The crystal-clear, fresh shrimp meat lay obediently on the geometric, ink-colored plate, which was very appetizing. However, Liang Youwei remembered her current physical condition and could only reluctantly shake her head and whispered:
"I can't eat raw food recently."
Shao Yue paused for a moment, not forcing himself, and hummed softly: "Sorry."
Then he glanced away, looking nonchalant.
Liang Youwei suddenly felt a little angry again for no apparent reason - angry that he was always so nonchalant, as if he didn't care about anything.
She didn't want to pay attention to him, but he brought new dishes.
"Then try some more beef. You like this dish too."
And eating red meat during menstruation is also good for the body.
Looking at the large piece of tempting beef cubes paired with refreshing pineapple, Liang Youwei was magically no longer angry.
She fell into self-doubt.
Was he too easy to coax? No, was it Shao Yue who was too good at coaxing people? How many girls had he coaxed this way?
So annoying.
"Are you still angry about what happened during the Chinese New Year, Weiwei?" Shao Yue's pleasant voice rang beside his ears, and he asked softly, "I was worried about a lot of things that day, so I didn't respond to you right away. I'm sorry."
Liang Youwei was in a low mood and said weakly: "It's okay, I forgot everything. You know, I lose memory when I drink too much. My memory only goes to the point where I drank, and the rest is not very clear..."
Based on past experience, she guessed that she had confessed her feelings to him out of "the courage of a coward emboldened by alcohol," and he had most likely refused. Just thinking about it now made Liang Youwei feel embarrassed enough, and she had no face to look at him.
Hearing the person next to him say "I've forgotten everything", those peach blossom eyes were filled with an imperceptible sadness. Shao Yue was very good at disguise, and he quickly suppressed this sadness and replaced his words with other concerns.
He smiled and said, "Nothing serious happened that day, so it's okay to forget. By the way, why didn't you wear high heels today? Are you feeling unwell?"
He wasn't entirely sure of Liang Youwei's specific menstrual period, but he knew of her hobbies, such as collecting all sorts of beautiful little things: shoes, jewelry, and clothes. Most of the time, she also loved dressing up, striving to be exquisite from head to toe.
Just a simple stomachache wouldn't make her give up her high heels and full makeup.
Her long eyelashes trembled, and Liang Youwei avoided his gaze: "It's okay, actually. I just don't want to wear them. Wearing high heels is very tiring and hard."
You can't say she's pregnant...
Shao Yue seemed to be lost in thought.
If I am lucky enough to marry Liang Youwei, I will order flat shoes as my wedding shoes.
Liang Youwei has had a good appetite recently, and her overall performance is almost contrary to the mainstream voice on the Internet. Shao Yue doesn't know why her appetite has suddenly increased, but he feels inexplicably happy seeing her eat a lot.
I can't explain why, I'm just happy. Just watching her eat is enough to make me happy.
Liang Jiangsheng watched the interaction between the two out of the corner of his eye, and the dissatisfaction in his heart caused by Liang Youwei's perfunctory dressing gradually subsided.
Fortunately, the kid from the Shao family is stupid enough.
The meal took neither long nor short.
Almost the moment she put down her chopsticks, Song Yinbing cast a smiling gaze over and said in a natural tone, "Weiwei, do you want to go out for a walk with your brother Shao Yue? Just think of it as a way to help digest the food. Canyu will be holding a show here in a few days. Now that the stage has taken shape, it's quite beautiful."
Liang Youwei nodded blankly: "Okay."
Maybe we need to discuss serious matters? It's not appropriate for the younger generation to be present. Without giving it much thought, she gathered her skirt neatly and stood up, then silently pushed the chair back to its original position.
Shao Yue and Liang Youwei left the box.
Wangsheng is a modernist five-star hotel chain owned by the Shao family, which is in stark contrast to the Chinese grandeur of Muhe and the European luxury of Quanling.
Shao Yue also took over Wangsheng for a period of time. During the two years of his management, Wangsheng's postmodern style became increasingly prominent and unique.
The hotel's interior is divided into several sections, each with its own distinct theme. Each lobby and entertainment area is connected by platinum crystal chandeliers shaped like flying birds. The birds vary in size and posture, creating a sense of fluidity that reflects the radiant core and casts a dazzling light.
Liang Youwei lowered her eyes and walked step by step, following the almost invisible reflections of flying birds.
It's not like she hadn't seen Shao Yue before since that unspeakable encounter during Chinese New Year. But those were always at crowded dinners or business events, and Liang Youwei didn't even dare to look at him, let alone chat.
God knows what he did that night...
"That night—"
Strolling to the junction of the glass garden and the leisure hall, Shao Yue's voice suddenly rang out. Liang Youwei, who was already feeling guilty, was startled. Almost without thinking, she tensed her body and interrupted him: "I definitely didn't do anything!"
Her almond-shaped eyes were about to open into cat pupils.
“…Not during the New Year.”
Shao Yue laughed dumbly, his tone inevitably filled with helplessness: "It was at the Zhiliang dinner half a week ago. You kept looking at me, wanting to say something but holding back. Now it's just the two of us here. Can I know what you were thinking that night?"
Half a week ago? The girl was stunned.
What did she do?
At that time, Liang Youwei seemed to have just learned of her pregnancy, and she was also caught up in an inexplicable melancholy and anticipation. A few days after discovering her sister's changeable mood, Liang Zhihui quietly moved up the date of Liang Gaozhu's spring dinner and decided that Liang Youwei would take her place as the last person to attend and the only one to pour the champagne tower.
She was obviously very happy that night, so why did she hesitate to speak to Shao Yue?
A not-so-serious thought suddenly flashed through my mind.
Could it be that Shao Yue was dressed so beautifully that day that I was mesmerized by her? No... It's so embarrassing...
"Weiwei?"
The gentle "death warrant" echoed in my ears.
Liang Youwei avoided the topic and said timidly: "I didn't..."
Shao Yue sighed: "It's okay, Weiwei, just tell me, I will answer."
It's like this every time.
The distant and peaceful Chopin Nocturne entered his ears through the high-ceilinged lobby made of pure glass, but Shao Yue's mood was mixed with anxiety and irritability.
It seemed that every time the two of them were alone, Liang Youwei was unwilling to face him when she was sober, or rather, she was unwilling to reveal her true feelings to him.
In this regard, Shao Yue envied Qin Zhen, envious of Qin Zhen being able to see a relatively real and vivid Liang Youwei. If possible, he also hoped that Liang Youwei could be more casual, willful, or even unreasonable with him.
This would at least make him feel that there was still a possibility that his life would not be controlled by others, and he would not completely become a full-time actor who only acted according to circumstances.
But now, Liang Youwei still didn't look at him directly, but just lowered her head and whispered: "Really not..."
"……good."
Maybe he really doesn't deserve it.
With a practiced smile on his lips, Shao Yue said softly, "So, Weiwei, do you have any questions today? For example, why is this dinner party happening?"
People need to accept their fate, but also make appropriate efforts to strive for it.
Shao Yue had never gambled on anything in the past, but today, he wanted to give it a try.
Bet on her heart.
When they reached the fully transparent glass garden, the man stopped and lowered his eyes to look at Liang Youwei who was secretly stroking her embroidered cuffs.
She was obviously unaware of her complicated feelings and nodded obediently: "Then why are we having dinner together today?"
Just don't ask her about her crazy behavior that day, nothing else matters.
Shao Yue paused for three seconds, then said slowly and firmly, "Because our parents want to discuss our marriage."
"Oh." Liang Youwei nodded thoughtfully. The next second, her mind suddenly flashed, and she raised her head in disbelief. "Ah? Us?"
It’s true.
Shao Yue laughed almost self-deprecatingly, his tone flat: "Yes, we."
He suppressed the urge to take a step closer to her, still maintaining a safe distance, and said softly, "If you could choose for yourself, Weiwei, would you marry me?"
Liang Youwei's pupils dilated instantly and she subconsciously clenched her palms.
The transparent glass wall separated the two people from the world. Unknowingly, there were no other customers or employees around them, only lush flowers for company.
Hydrangeas, lilies, dahlias, cornflowers, cymbidiums, lilies of the valley...all the orange-red flowers in the world seemed to be gathered in this corner. The afterglow was full of bright and warm colors, and Shao Yue was standing beside him, quietly standing in this bright and fresh scene.
As if possessed by some mysterious force, Liang Youwei opened her lips, but her first reaction was——
"These flowers suit you very well."
"So, it's a polite refusal?"
Knowing the outcome, he still insisted on bringing humiliation upon himself. Shao Yue suppressed all his sorrow and used all his acting skills for the rest of his life to manage a relaxed and calm smile.
How could I possibly refuse you?
Liang Youwei was surprised. Without thinking too much, she blurted out, trying to persuade him to stay: "What I mean is - flowers suit you very well, and so do I."
For a moment, Shao Yue was stunned on the spot, with a buzzing in his ears.
【Author’s words】
Little angels who don’t understand why Weiwei confessed her love to Shao Yue can try to think about it from another perspective.
When you were a teenager, you fell in love with a top star in the entertainment industry. He was handsome, good at his job, and very good at flattering and pampering you. Apart from his rich romantic history, he had no other shortcomings. He never hid such things and was extremely honest with you, his biggest fan. Finally, one day, the top star suddenly contacted you privately and asked, "Will you marry me?" As a female fan, what should your first reaction be?
A. Being a sister-in-law
B. Happy and excited to be a sister-in-law
C. Being a sister-in-law is not enough, you also have to forget your roots
So, when it comes to relationships, Weiwei, who's mentally only in her teens, chose A, which is perfectly normal. When I was sixteen, I also dreamed of a male idol. If he'd asked me to be his sister-in-law, I would have definitely agreed, and I'd even secretly show it off.
Diejia: But I haven’t chased after any male celebrities since I turned 18. Thanks to my ex-boyfriend for making me hate men for the rest of my life (lit a cigarette, but didn’t smoke)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com