【49】It’s fun to accept defeat
One of the most common topics of contention between couples is money. Tan Xu had anticipated some conflict between him and Liang Zhiyao over this, and he'd prepared for it. After all, she had a tenacious, strong-willed nature and a reluctance to admit defeat, and now she was facing bankruptcy. He, on the other hand, had been born into a wealthy family and had never worried about material things. During their relationship, he had always insisted on paying the bills, acting like a dandy. But that didn't happen. Besides covering her own tuition and living expenses, she quite naturally accepted him as the primary financial support during their dates. However, on their first Valentine's Day together in February, they did have a deep discussion about the sensitive topic of money. His gift was a watch, a matching pairing with the one she was wearing. When he presented it to Liang Zhiyao, she was a bit surprised. Tan Xu observed her expression: "Don't you like it?" "Of course," she smiled. "But if you keep giving me gifts of this magnitude, I won't be able to reciprocate for now." Given Liang Zhiyao's financial situation, he couldn't afford to flatter her, so he had to find another way, using his time, a resource that was equally scarce for him. She bought a good quality solid color mug, borrowed paint from a classmate, painted a pattern on it, and gave it to Tan Xu as a Valentine's Day gift. "Is this a sunrise?" He looked at the painting carefully, "And maple leaves?" "Yeah," she nodded, "We saw it together in M City." "Thank you, I like it very much." He asked again, "Is it waterproof? Such a thoughtful gift, if it's not afraid of getting wet, I might not plan to put it away. I want to really use it every day." "It can be waterproof. It's painted with acrylic. Just don't use too much force when washing it." That night, when they were sitting on the sofa drinking the wine mixed by Tan Xu and watching a movie, the two talked about this topic again. He examined the watch Liang Zhiyao had just put on her wrist, interlocked their fingers and held it up to her eyes, then suddenly asked her, "A watch... do you wear it every day?" "To be honest... maybe not," she thought for a moment. "After all, sometimes I have to work part-time, which is really inconvenient." "If you have any thoughts about our relationship, you can tell me directly," Tan Xu said seriously. "Sometimes I talk to myself and do things my own way, but that may not be the most comfortable way for you. Gifts, dates, and many other things are the same." Liang Zhiyao paused the movie and took a sip of her wine. "How should I put it... It seems like we should face up to the economic gap between us. Being with you these past two months is definitely not something I would choose if I were alone...
One of the most common topics of argument between couples always revolves around money.
Tan Xu had anticipated some conflict between him and Liang Zhiyao over this, and he'd prepared for it. After all, she had a tenacious, strong-willed nature, unwilling to admit defeat, and now faced a bankruptcy crisis. He, on the other hand, had been born into a wealthy family, never worried about material things, and even insisted on paying the bills during their relationships, acting like a dandy.
In the end, she didn't. Apart from paying for her tuition and living expenses, she quite naturally accepted that he became the main financial force when they were dating. However, in February, when they spent their first Valentine's Day together, they still had an in-depth discussion on the sensitive topic of "money".
The gift he gave her was a watch, a couple's watch, just like the one she was wearing. When Liang Zhiyao took it out, she was a little surprised.
Tan Xu observed her expression: "Don't you like it?"
"I like it." She smiled, "But if you keep doing this kind of thing, then I won't be able to reciprocate for the time being."
Financially, Liang Zhiyao couldn't afford to resort to ostentatious tactics, so she opted for a different approach, investing her time, an equally limited resource. She bought a high-quality, solid-color mug and borrowed paint from a classmate. She painted a pattern herself and gave it to Tan Xu as a Valentine's Day gift.
"Is this a sunrise?" He studied the painting carefully. "And maple leaves?"
"Yeah," she nodded, "We watched it together in M City."
"Thank you, I like it very much." He asked again, "Is it waterproof? It's such a thoughtful gift. If it can survive getting wet, I might not want to put it away. I want to use it every day."
"It's water-resistant. It's acrylic painted. Just don't use too much force when washing it off."
That evening, while they were on the sofa, drinking a glass of wine prepared by Tan Xu and watching a movie, they talked about this topic again. He examined the watch Liang Zhiyao had just put on her wrist, interlocked his fingers with hers, and held it up to his eyes. He suddenly asked her, "A watch... do you wear it every day?"
"To be honest... maybe not?" She thought for a moment, "After all, sometimes working part-time is not very convenient."
"If you have any thoughts about our relationship, you can tell me directly," Tan Xu said seriously. "Sometimes I talk to myself and do things my way, but that may not be the way you are most comfortable. This applies to gifts, dates, and many other things."
Liang Zhiyao paused the movie and took a sip of his wine. "How should I put it...I think we should face up to the economic disparity between us. Being with you these past two months isn't the lifestyle I'd choose if I were alone, but forcing you to accompany me in my solitude doesn't seem right either. If your quality of life were to decline just to make me feel better, or if you'd have to eat, watch movies, and play basketball all by yourself, that wouldn't seem right either."
"As for the gift, it's indeed a bit too expensive, but if this is the way you like, I won't refuse it."
After all, she had lived in luxury for the first twenty years of her life, a pampered daughter, and didn't have the burden of rejecting all gifts for the sake of her self-esteem. After thoroughly considering the logic behind this matter, she forced herself to let it go.
"That's good," Tan Xu breathed a sigh of relief. "I was overthinking it. I thought you would be unhappy."
"Why are you unhappy?"
"Well... for example, it's easy for people who don't know the truth to interpret it as materialism?" He said jokingly, "Even if you like me, it has nothing to do with money."
Liang Zhiyao shook his head: "That's not objective. Our love for each other can't be completely unrelated to money."
"Oh?" He showed an interested expression. "I'm all ears."
He had known for a long time that Liang Zhiyao had her own ideas about many things, but she was very restrained in sharing these complicated thoughts, especially in front of people she was not familiar with. Many times, her slowness to warm up and sense of propriety would be mistaken for introversion and silence.
However, since they started dating, he'd seen her gradually become more talkative, more willing to share and reveal her inner thoughts. He'd often felt a secret sense of accomplishment, because he knew deep down that she hadn't really changed, but was simply more willing to show him her true self.
"For example, movies and TV shows always seem to feature a lot of 'Do you love me or my money?' plots, with the protagonists always prioritizing pure love over money. I didn't think much of it as a child, but as an adult, I suddenly felt something was wrong. Why do people insist on separating money from a person's past experiences and charm?"
"A person's confidence, conversation, and experience are clearly all closely related to money, but it seems that only by saying that the reason you're attracted to someone is because of these relatively abstract things can you seem more authentic and avoid being looked down upon."
Tan Xu raised his lip corners when he heard this: "I think I understand. But can you give me an example?"
Liang Zhiyao put the wine glass on the coffee table and found a comfortable position to lean against his arms: "Take the two of us for example, you were attracted to me at first because you thought I looked handsome when playing basketball, but in fact, all of this was earned by my parents paying for a coach and taking lessons one by one."
"That's true," he didn't deny. "But talent and hard work are equally important. Even if you spend the same amount of money, not everyone will get the same results."
"Of course," she laughed, "but ultimately, spending money is a prerequisite. Conversely, part of your charm must also be given by money. So, there's nothing to be uncomfortable about. If part of your way of expressing your affection involves wanting money, and that's certainly possible, I wouldn't feel offended or pressured."
Tan Xu smiled but didn't answer. Liang Zhiyao looked up and asked him, "Why aren't you talking?"
There's a classic saying in the online world that the second generation of wealthy people are often obsessed with love, and the less they worry about making a living, the more likely they are to pursue the ultimate pure love. In her mind, Tan Xu is actually a rational and mature person, far from being a love-brained person. However, Liang Zhiyao couldn't help but reflect: although what she said was all the truth, wasn't it a bit too straightforward and unromantic?
She was about to say something else to lighten the mood, or resume the paused movie, but he suddenly lowered his head and kissed her.
He always liked to surprise people when kissing, and Liang Zhiyao was already used to it. However, he did not expect that they could suddenly become intimate under such a topic that had no ambiguity and was even a bit destructive to the atmosphere.
Tan Xu's bartending skills and the length of his drink menu had improved significantly. Today, he was drinking a Cosmopolitan. The sweet and sour taste of cranberry juice passed from his lips and teeth to hers, seized and devoured in a passionate, deep kiss.
"Hey..." Sensing something, she pushed him away breathlessly, "We're only halfway through the movie."
Even when watching movies at home, Liang Zhiyao likes to do it in one go, prepare all the food and drinks, and not go to the bathroom in the middle, preferring to experience the whole thing from beginning to end.
"We'll see later," he asked bluntly, the desire in his eyes unconcealed. "Let's do something else first?"
After drinking, the sensory experience was magnified several times. She actually couldn't stand the teasing and soon lost her objection.
"Liang Zhiyao, you should talk to me more often," Tan Xu said, grabbing her wrist and pushing her onto the bed as they moved from the living room to the bedroom. "If we ever quarrel in the future, I'm sure I won't be able to win the argument with you."
"Why?" She reserved her opinion suspiciously. "It's hard for me to get the upper hand over a finance guy like you who's good at talking."
They were both dressed formally for the Valentine's Day dinner, so the metallic clang of him unbuckled his belt in the dark was particularly noticeable in the quiet room, causing her body to tremble inexplicably in the unclear environment.
Tan Xu lowered his head and whispered in her ear, "Because I love listening to you talk so much. The way you look at me and speak so seriously...it's very sexy."
These words sounded like the kind of sweet nothings men say in bed, easily betraying their feelings in a real argument. Liang Zhiyao didn't take them seriously, but she didn't care much either. She raised her head, put her arms around Tan Xu's neck, and kissed his Adam's apple.
Tan Xu didn't know if this was a special kind of possessiveness. Beyond their daily interactions, he loved Liang Zhiyao sharing thoughts with him that he wouldn't share with anyone else, and discussing topics he rarely touched upon with his parents or close friends.
In addition to her physical body, some parts of her spiritual world were also open only to him. There were countless Liang Zhiyao that had never been shown to the outside world and only he had seen them. Just thinking of this fact, he would feel an irrepressible joy and satisfaction.
In reality, Liang Zhiyao hadn't finished her words; the rest was swallowed up as she kissed Tan Xu. She wanted to say that their meeting was likely inevitable due to the various worldly circumstances, but if she hadn't faced bankruptcy, there wouldn't have been a chance to unfold their story. That's why every unexpected event in life is so wonderful.
Hardware is just hardware. People whose core is not similar enough will find it difficult to recognize each other, and it will be impossible for them to continue to be attracted to each other as they spend time together day after day.
He was very bad at kissing, unleashing all the bad elements and destructive desires in his character. His actions were nothing but aggression and teasing, which always made Liang Zhiyao unable to resist. When they talked about it one time, he confidently said that this was a male instinct and did not conflict with his emotionally stable personality.
She brought her serious approach to everything into the bedroom, often surprising him. Though known for her thin skin, she was surprisingly bold in intimate situations, and despite her shyness, she insisted on exploring new things with him.
Tan Xu considered himself a vulgar man, with the bad qualities of a man, and had to admit... sometimes he really wanted to bully her.
"Do you remember my suggestion about the ball bet, the one you made that slip of the tongue..."
While Liang Zhiyao was breathing, he kissed her on the back of her neck, and the tip of his teeth rubbed her earlobe. "I finally beat you yesterday. Shouldn't I reward you and try a new name for you?"
"I didn't agree to it. And that was just your luck, it doesn't count..." she protested.
Yesterday, Tan Xu missed a red ball and it didn't go into the hole, but thanks to his powerful shot, after hitting the edge of the net twice, it landed squarely in the middle pocket. This kind of shot happens all the time in American pool, but with a large snooker table and a small hole, such blunders are rare. It's the kind of lucky shot that even a god would admire.
More importantly, that shot was almost the turning point of the match, and after scoring it, there weren't many other difficulties. He continued to play smoothly from then on, while Liang Zhiyao's touch and luck suddenly plummeted, allowing him to turn the tables and lose the best-of-five match for the first time in a long time.
"I'm willing to accept the loss," he refused to be evaded. He forcefully lifted the corner of her clothes and reached in, his hot palms igniting her skin. "It's fair, actually. If I lose, I'll call you back."
"...How can it be the same?" She glared at him, but her voice softened involuntarily under the caress of his hands.
"What's the difference?" he said cheekily. "...it's all fun anyway."
Knowing she was being stubborn, Tan Xu quickly gave up on trying to seduce her with words and instead used his body to attack her. His palm touched her chest, while his other hand caressed her leg, teasing it with his fingertips without hesitation.
When Liang Zhiyao collapsed and gasped uncontrollably, he finally pulled back the long line he had already let out. He approached her several times, but suddenly paused, teasing her with a coaxing tone, "Are you willing to scream now?"
"...You bastard." She said angrily.
She didn't expect this man to be so shameless as to arouse her desire and then use it as a threat. It was really despicable.
"You just like assholes." He retorted like a scoundrel, and then placed delicate and passionate kisses everywhere.
In the end, Liang Zhiyao didn't give in. She was actually quite overcome by Tan Xu's intermittent teasing, and she wondered if he was a bit of a psychopath. He'd endured it all just to hear a greasy, clichéd line of flirtation, and she didn't know if he was embarrassing her or himself.
But in the end, he felt that interest was one thing, and they were clearly still just a couple in the honeymoon period. Even in bed, it would still seem strange to use names that sounded like promises, so he stubbornly refused to speak.
Her principles were as strong as a wall of iron. As time dragged on, Tan Xu had no choice but to compromise. He bit her ear and whispered hoarsely, "Then call my name."
Liang Zhiyao had actually been much more relaxed about this than she had been initially, but due to her personality, a few soft hums of pleasure were her limit. Tan Xu often felt guilty about corrupting a good student because he always made various requests, both acceptable and not, and he found pleasure in seeing her indulge in her desire for him and tear open even a corner of her tightly guarded boundaries.
Perhaps the strategy of raising the threshold and then lowering the requirements worked. This time, she didn't hesitate at all. She gritted her teeth, looked him in the eye, and shouted, "Tan Xu..."
"Yes," she agreed so quickly that he couldn't help but push it further. He asked knowingly, "What do you want me to do?"
"...Forget it," she felt like she'd been tricked and rolled her eyes at him in frustration. "Anyway, I'm really curious about what's going to happen next."
This kind of thing is just a matter of who can endure more. She doesn't mind saying a few sweet words, but her competitive spirit has come out and she doesn't want to admit defeat.
By the end of the day, Liang Zhiyao regretted it. She had triumphed in that tug-of-war, but at the cost of being tormented by Tan Xu all night. He had done everything he could to please her, and once he had fully mastered her pleasure, he turned to his own mischief, not stopping until he had heard words of satisfaction. By the end, the shameful words that escaped her lips went far beyond his name.
As she was brought to the peak, Liang Zhiyao thought vaguely that she would not argue with him about this kind of thing next time. The saying that beautiful women are the root of trouble was a bit of a generalization; male beauty was equally lethal. Since the king didn't attend the morning court, it shouldn't be particularly shameful for her to say a few ridiculous words to satisfy her primitive desires...
Author's Note
Reversible light path
author
08-25
Today I drank a little bit and updated the article, and I was happy again -w- I was surprised to find that I was actually a sweet article writer
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