Chapter 52 About Death I don't want you to die.
"After that" is a very broad concept. It's like the polite "Let's meet up sometime" when you meet a regular friend; it doesn't necessarily have or require a result.
Zhou Jinqin comforted herself in this way, thinking that she could just say a few perfunctory words and quickly move on from this embarrassing topic, so she blindly agreed.
Unsurprisingly, Zhou Jinqin is the sole victim of this love scam. Judging from Liang Minghe's composed demeanor, it's clear that Xiang Ziqing had already leaked the secret to him long ago...
Fearing the other party would hold a grudge about her clothes, Zhou Jinqin quickly changed the subject the moment she finished speaking.
She coughed lightly and asked awkwardly, "Are you really sure you want to go to Chairman Liang's for your birthday?"
Her transition to this topic was really too abrupt, but Liang Minghe didn't intend to make things difficult for her any further. After all, if people were kept burning like that, they would probably really get cooked.
"Do I look like someone who goes back on their word?" He pinched Zhou Jinqin's not-so-high nose bridge and smiled. "Don't worry, this decision was made by myself, and I certainly won't do anything that would be a loss."
Zhou Jinqin asked curiously, "What benefits could there be?"
"Find Old Deng to get gold coins," he replied casually.
Judging from the previous situation in the mountains, it was already quite good that the father and son were just silent to each other. However, even so, the high spirits of both sides were inevitably stripped bare afterward, and Zhou Jinqin found it difficult to have a positive opinion on whether the trip was worthwhile.
Zhou Jinqin refused to believe that her past fate hadn't influenced Liang Minghe's final decision. However, given how things had developed, she couldn't keep wavering. Nevertheless, she wanted to use her own strength to ease some unnecessary conflicts.
For example, she acts as a bridge of communication between the two.
“Okay, then I’ll let Chairman Liang know in advance.” Zhou Jinqin nodded.
"Did he ask you for his contact information?" Liang Minghe frowned, a hint of anger creeping in.
“Yes, but not entirely…” Zhou Jinqin pursed her lips and hurriedly explained, “You had a high fever on the mountain that day, and I was afraid that I would need his help later, so I agreed.”
As she spoke, she took his hand and shook it in the air, her tone soft and coquettish: "I don't want you to die."
Suddenly, a lost memory flooded Liang Ming's mind. Back then, he was just a five or six-year-old kid. One day, his mother suddenly fainted due to low blood sugar. He grabbed his mother's hand like this, his eyes filled with tears, begging her not to die.
But in the end... things often don't go as planned.
Liang Ming was somewhat moved. He reached out and pulled the slender and delicate woman in front of him into his arms, placing his large hand on the back of her small head and holding her close to his chest.
He sighed and said softly, "I won't die. It was my fault before. I didn't take good care of myself and made you worry."
Like a head peeking out from under the covers in winter, Zhou Jinqin raised her head from his warm chest to look at him: "Do you want me to delete him and never contact him again?"
"It's okay, just leave it at that. If he's willing to give you anything, just accept it. Don't be shy." Liang Minghe patted her head. "But if he dares to make any demands on you..."
Zhou Jinqin answered quickly: "I'll just pretend I don't see it!"
"Yes, that's right." Liang Minghe praised her with a smile, "You're really smart."
He said, "You don't need to worry about this. Liang Zongqiang will find out. Just remember not to go hungry."
Indeed, on Liang Minghe's birthday, Gao Bai and another man under Liang Zongqiang arrived early to pick them up.
Liang Zongqiang lived in a luxury villa in the city center, a four-story building with two floors above and below ground. It was very close to Liang Minghe's house, only three kilometers away. Even by bicycle, it would only take about ten minutes to get there. However, Zhou Jinqin had lived there for so long without noticing anything.
Even after renovations, the house doesn't look new. Zhou Jinqin thinks it's because of the decor, which seems to be a style popular more than ten years ago.
The house employs quite a few staff, but it doesn't add much life to the building. Even when the midday sun shines down, it doesn't feel very warm. It doesn't feel as comfortable as the family that my grandparents built on the hillside.
Zhou Jinqin took Liang Minghe's hand and walked into the house. Along the way, several aunties greeted them respectfully, which made Zhou Jinqin feel embarrassed and ashamed. Only then did she realize that she had really married a rich man.
Liang Minghe squeezed her fingers and comforted her, "Relax. The way they address each other is part of their job. They're just acting for money. You don't need to take it too seriously. You've worked for many years, so you should understand."
Nowadays, in foreign companies, regardless of position or age, everyone addresses each other by their first name, so it's hard to truly empathize. But when Zhou Jinqin thinks back to her work as a doctor a few years ago, she suddenly understands it deeply.
When work pressure is high, people inevitably complain. Back then, a male classmate privately complained about a department head, saying, "Director, Director, after following him around and calling him that so much, I feel like I'm calling him my master, and I'm just a loyal dog by his side."
That's just how society is these days, and no one can change the ingrained way of thinking on their own. Zhou Jinqin smiled helplessly, thinking that there was no other way, since equality for all people has never been a simple issue.
Composing herself, Zhou Jinqin smiled and shook her head: "Okay, let's go."
As soon as Liang Minghe pushed open the door and stepped inside, his trouser leg was soaked by cold water.
Looking down, I saw that the culprit was a chubby little boy carrying a heavy watering can. He looked to be around ten years old and was sitting ramrod straight, looking extremely tense.
The child caught a glimpse of Liang Minghe's cold gaze, shrank back slightly, and said guiltily, "I'm sorry, brother..."
"Who's your brother?" Liang Minghe asked him, raising an eyebrow.
His tone wasn't actually that cold, but the person standing in front of him was a timid and vulnerable young boy, and it was hard not to be frightened in this situation.
Seeing that the child looked like he was about to cry, Zhou Jinqin quickly stepped in to smooth things over. She tugged at Liang Minghe's hand and said softly, "Okay, go change your pants, or you'll feel uncomfortable."
Just then, the nanny came in. She took the pot from the little fat boy, sighed, and didn't dare to say anything more. She stood up and said she would find Liang Minghe a change of clothes.
Liang Ming hooked his arm around Zhou Jinqin's hand and, without caring that there were outsiders present, asked, "Will you come with me?"
"What am I supposed to do while you're changing your pants..." Zhou Jinqin's ears burned, and she pushed him away, "I'll wait for you outside."
Liang Ming glanced at the still tense child, nodded, and followed the aunt upstairs.
Only two people, one big and one small, remained in the space. The child would steal glances at Zhou Jinqin every now and then. His counter-surveillance skills were really subpar; he was discovered by the person involved five times out of five.
Zhou Jinqin found it somewhat amusing, and she changed the subject by asking him, "Is this little hamster your pet?"
The chubby boy glanced at the hamster that was running wildly in the running wheel and shook his head: "No, this belongs to my brother."
It is obvious that this child is Liang Ming's child with his stepmother. Liang Zongqiang mentioned him before, and I think his name is Liang Jiahe.
Liang Jiahe is probably less than 1.5 meters tall, but he doesn't look light. He has a round face and a chubby build, looking somewhat overweight. He's not particularly handsome, and his personality is sensitive and gentle, frankly speaking, he's nothing like Liang Zongqiang.
Zhou Jinqin patted his head and asked, "Why is it your brother's? He's not home, the hamster won't die..."
The word "death" had barely escaped Zhou Jinqin's lips when she suddenly realized that the topic might be too cruel for a child, so she reluctantly shut her mouth.
Liang Jiahe was a smart kid and guessed what Zhou Jinqin was about to say. He shook his head and said, "Tang Bu Shuai won't die."
"Tang Bu Shuai? Is that the name of this hamster?" Zhou Jinqin asked.
Liang Jiahe nodded: "Yes, it was my brother who named it. He said that the hamster he raises is a clingy person."
This answer aroused Zhou Jinqin's suspicion. Hamsters usually only live for two to three years, so it's impossible for them not to die. Moreover, Liang Minghe and Liang Zongqiang haven't been in contact for a long time, so why would he take the initiative to name the hamsters on the Liang family's side?
She found it strange, but didn't dare to ask, since life and death were not topics to be taken lightly.
Fortunately, Liang Jiahe was not one to keep secrets. He beckoned to Zhou Jinqin and whispered, "Sister-in-law, I'll tell you a secret, but don't tell my brother."
“Okay, I won’t tell him.” Zhou Jinqin nodded and bent down to get closer to him.
"Actually, hamsters do die." He suddenly said seriously, "Dad is lying to my brother because he's afraid my brother will be sad if he finds out the hamster died. So Dad always buys a new hamster and secretly replaces it. Actually, this one isn't the one he had when he was a kid."
After he finished speaking, he suddenly shut up and became as quiet as a chicken, looking like he had seen a ghost. Zhou Jinqin turned her head and saw that Liang Minghe had indeed arrived.
Liang Jiahe, with his neck stiff, reminded Zhou Jinqin again to keep the secret, and then immediately ran away before Liang Minghe arrived.
Zhou Jinqin looked at the tall man beside her and smiled helplessly: "Why is he so afraid of you?"
"Who knows?" Liang Minghe didn't care about the question. He took her hand, kissed it, and asked softly, "I don't think I've introduced you to my mother yet. Would you like to meet her?"
Zhou Jinqin nodded: "Of course, but..."
Liang Minghe smiled faintly and said softly, "It's just a photo."
He took Zhou Jinqin to his childhood bedroom, which was filled with all sorts of strange and unusual things. More than ten years had passed, but his tastes remained unchanged.
Liang Minghe pulled her to the bookshelf and took out a photo frame to show her: "Look, this is my mother."
That photo must have been taken in a square. The paper is a bit blurry and faded, but it can't hide the woman's beautiful face. Her smiling eyes have a naturally bright and cheerful look.
Zhou Jinqin said, "I suddenly realized that you look more like your aunt, especially when you smile with your eyes crinkled."
Hearing this, Liang Minghe smiled, his usual arrogance replaced by a gentler demeanor, making him look even more like the person in the photo. He said, "No one who has met my mother would say such a ridiculous thing as me looking like Liang Zongqiang."
He looked at the photo again, his pupils filled with an undisguised deep longing.
After a long while, Liang Minghe finally composed himself and carefully stuffed the photo frame into the backpack he had brought.
The bag arrived empty, but now it's bulging like an inflated balloon. Clearly, Liang Minghe's trip was worthwhile; as he said, he wouldn't do a losing business. I wonder if Liang Zongqiang will be furious when he discovers he's been robbed in his own home.
But it doesn't matter. The father and son's struggle over their mother's belongings started with the house on the mountain, and they've never been too concerned about such a small thing.
Liang Minghe put his bag aside for the time being, reached out and held Zhou Jinqin's shoulder, leaning her against the edge of the table. Then he lowered his head and kissed her small, fair nose, saying in a somewhat childish tone, "Although I loved what you just said, I still have to correct one thing: you just said something wrong."
Zhou Jinqin's face flushed slightly from his breath, and her mind went blank for a moment. She looked up at him blankly and asked, "Huh? What?"
Liang Minghe's lips descended, precisely pressing against her soft lips, his words gentle: "It's Mom..."
He was about to say "not Auntie," but before he could get the words out, the auntie who had carelessly pushed the door open forced the words back down his throat.
The auntie clearly grasped the key words precisely, and she explained somewhat self-deceptively, "Young master, I didn't hear anything, really, I swear!"
Zhou Jinqin's face flushed red; she thought to herself that it would have been better to hear it...
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Author's note: Thank you for the nutrient solution! [Applause]
Updated a little earlier today! [panda head emoji]
I'm planning to start this next book, so please add it to your favorites! [heart emoji]
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1.
Hang Sheng has a crazy black cat that usually climbs onto the roof every three days and removes tiles every two days. Hang Sheng, who is already unemployed, is often so angry that he vomits blood.
After a bottle of perfume worth a thousand yuan was broken, Hang Sheng, enraged by the failure of his mass recruitment efforts, put the cat up for sale on a second-hand platform for one cent, determined to expose the cat's heinous crime to the world.
Less than a minute after the link was posted, Hang Sheng encountered a strange person with an ugly cat avatar who bought it: "I've paid, waiting for you to ship."
Although the cat was mischievous, it was a real treasure. Hang Sheng was so frightened that he immediately said he would not sell it and quickly refunded the money and removed the link.
A few days later, the cat committed the same crime again. Enraged, Hang Sheng once again put the cat up for public display. To prevent a repeat of the previous incident, she specifically set the price at 9.99 million. However, the strange person appeared again: "[I have paid, awaiting your shipment.]"
Hang Sheng, who was unemployed at home, was extremely envious of the money: "Boss, don't buy a cat, buy me to go back to work. I'm a top-notch ox or horse, cheap, and incredibly hardworking."
The eccentric man: "I can consider it. Let's discuss it over the phone."
2.
Hang Sheng found a part-time job as a temporary caretaker for more than fifty cats, earning a daily wage of one thousand yuan.
Hang Sheng initially thought it was an unscrupulous cattery, but upon arrival, she realized she was completely wrong. The owner was clearly a kind-hearted and handsome man, after all, no one else would spoil an ugly cat like that.
As her half-month part-time job was coming to an end, Hang Sheng couldn't help but feel a little lost. She thought she would probably never find such a wonderful job again, with high pay, low workload, an attractive but not stupid boss, and ugly but not talkative colleagues.
She looked at her tall, handsome temporary boss, shook her head, and sighed, "I wish I could stay with you forever."
Fang Huaijun stared at her face, considered it carefully for a moment, and then nodded: "Okay."
"Can what?" Hang Sheng looked at him blankly.
"Didn't you want to be with me?" Fang Huaijun asked seriously. "Okay."
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