Chapter 38 Private Time: You are priceless in my heart. ...
The essence of all jobs in the world is sales. After seeing through this fact, Xiang Ziqing decisively chose to avoid decades of detours and jumped straight into the beauty sales pit after graduating from university, where she has been for seven years now.
Because of her free-spirited and bold personality—as her mother described her, shameless—and her boundless energy comparable to a beagle, Xiang Ziqing thrived in the industry.
In her seven years in the industry, she was the top salesperson for six years. The year she didn't become the top salesperson was because she had only graduated from school in June, losing to her colleagues in terms of time limit, rather than due to a lack of ability.
Due to the nature of her work, Xiang Ziqing's words were somewhat exaggerated. Zhou Jinqin, of course, could not relay her words to Liang Minghe verbatim, but only told him the details of the incident.
When Liang Minghe, who had rushed to the hospital, saw Zhou Jinqin sitting unharmed in a chair fiddling with her phone, he breathed a sigh of relief. However, Xiang Ziqing, who was still grimacing, was still nagging the young man who looked like a student in front of her.
"Come on, tell me how you plan to compensate me?"
The boy's handsome face was a little pale. He said in a low voice, "I'm still in school. I might have to ask my parents for help for now."
Xiang Ziqing snorted coldly: "Aren't you afraid they'll curse you to death?"
Seeing that she wasn't aggressive and her tone was somewhat lenient, the boy's tense heart relaxed a little. He tentatively said, "I'm scared. Actually, I'd rather bear it myself, but I might not be able to come up with that much money right away. If you agree to let me pay in installments, I would be very grateful to you."
Although only the headlights and paint were damaged, it is still a Maserati, which is an astronomical sum for a student who is still in school.
"Oh? Installment payments." Xiang Ziqing raised her chin at him. "Tell me about it."
“I have 2,000 yuan for living expenses, 2,000 yuan for my supervisor’s subsidy, and 600 yuan for the national subsidy every month. There should also be some bonuses in between…” The boy completely exposed his financial situation, and then pledged his loyalty, “I only keep 500 yuan for living expenses every month, and I will give the rest to you. Until the money is paid off, I will be considered your person, and you can order me around as you please.”
Xiang Ziqing was amused by his serious demeanor, but she still maintained a cold expression. She agreed to his request and immediately ordered him to serve tea and water and run errands without any hesitation.
After getting the person out of the ward, Xiang Ziqing said apologetically to Liang Minghe, "I'm sorry, you kindly lent me your car, and it ended up like this. How about I buy you a new one?"
She never intended for the boy to pay her any money. The fact that he suddenly emerged from the non-motorized vehicle lane was because some unruly kid had dragged the road repair sign and blocked the middle of the road. He thought the road ahead was blocked, so he thought of riding into the motorized vehicle lane to temporarily pass through. The responsibility was not entirely his.
Although the other party was not careful in making the decision, fortunately nothing serious happened, and the person was also honest, so Xiang Ziqing proposed to settle the matter privately. Although it hurt her, she was prepared to take full responsibility herself.
Nowadays, ordering others around to do things for you is just a way to teach them a lesson and make them remember.
Liang Minghe looked away from Zhou Jinqin and shook his head: "No need, it's not a big deal."
See? That's the confidence N-generation guy has when he speaks.
But one thing at a time, regardless of whether Liang Minghe's generosity stemmed from protecting his wife's best friend, Xiang Ziqing was not one to feel indebted to others, and despite both sides' refusal, she still insisted on bearing the repair costs.
Liang Minghe didn't argue with her any further, only saying, "You're already in a hospital bed, you should rest."
"It's just a fracture, no big deal. Maybe I'll even grow taller from this misfortune." Xiang Ziqing raised her elbow and grinned mischievously at the two people next to her. "But they say it takes a hundred days to recover from a broken bone. Does that mean I have a reason to take a long leave from the company and continue to stay happily by my darling's side?"
Liang Minghe sneered: "Who's your darling? Was it that male classmate who just claimed to be yours?"
This "treasure" obviously refers to Zhou Jinqin. She smiled and teased Xiang Ziqing, "Judging from the location of your fracture, you can only grow into a gibbon at most."
"Sigh, I guess nobody cares about me anymore. Celery, you've been kissing Liang Ming too much, now you talk so inappropriately." Xiang Ziqing pretended to be hurt. "Alright, you two go out and be lovey-dovey, I can't stand any more hurt."
Zhou Jinqin blushed at her blunt words, blinked and pretended nothing had happened: "Didn't you say you wanted Meimei to stay by my side? Why are you kicking me out?"
"What do you think?" Xiang Ziqing gestured with her chin toward Liang Minghe. "If you don't water this flower in your garden soon, it'll wither. She's waiting for you to nourish her. Go on, just remember to come back later."
She laughed heartily: "Don't worry, Liao Zhengqing has already promised to serve me faithfully, so you don't need to put in any effort."
The patients who went to the emergency room that night were all there. The doctor gave them a quick look and said it wasn't a big problem, so he wouldn't let them cut in line. He just told them to wait a while before going into the examination room for a more detailed check-up.
Having said all that, Zhou Jinqin knew that the other party was creating an opportunity for her to be alone with Liang Minghe, so she simply stopped arguing. She waited for Liao Zhengqing to return with the takeout and give him a few instructions before going out with Liang Minghe.
The door closed, but the faint rustling conversation between the two people inside the ward could still be heard.
"Can you still move your hand?"
What do you think?
"Then I'll feed you..."
Zhou Jinqin suddenly remembered Xiang Ziqing's alternating relationships with men younger than her and men older than her. The last man she dated seemed to be a social elite in his thirties.
"What are you thinking about?" Liang Minghe pinched her cheek.
Because Xiang Ziqing had just said some inappropriate and crude things, her face was still hot, like a freshly baked, soft loaf of bread, warm and cozy.
The two walked to the pavilion in the courtyard. The summer wind should be hot, but it would be cool no matter what when it entered a hospital.
Zhou Jinqin took a step forward, wrapping her arms around the man's lean waist, and looked up at him: "Can you please not blame Qingqing? This actually has nothing to do with her. Of course, I know you're also wronged, but..."
She sighed, "Go ahead and yell at me, okay?"
Perhaps it was because of the cool breeze, but her eyelashes were fluttering violently, like a butterfly struggling to flap its wings.
Liang Minghe lowered his head and kissed her eyes, as if he had been soothed, and her restlessness was quickly calmed down.
“I don’t blame her, and I certainly won’t blame you. I lent her the car willingly, so I have an obligation to bear the consequences.” Liang Minghe tapped her small nose with his index finger. “You probably believed the nonsense online that a car is a man’s second wife.”
He shook his head: "But no, at least not for me. I only want you as my wife."
"Besides, it's just a cheap car. I don't think it's worth it for you and her, for us to have a falling out."
He spoke with such arrogance, casually dismissing a seven-figure car as worthless, yet it didn't evoke resentment or envy. Instead, his voice was gentle, like a spring breeze, warming even the chilly air and bringing a sense of comfort to the heart.
Zhou Jinqin hugged him tighter, thinking that those who couldn't express their hatred were probably just those who hadn't met Liang Minghe.
Although she disliked Liang Zongqiang, she had no choice but to agree with her father-in-law at this moment; Liang Minghe was indeed incredibly adorable.
Zhou Jinqin poked his cheek and chuckled, "Am I that valuable?"
“Yes.” Liang Minghe rubbed his fingertips together, his eyes crinkling as he told her, “You are priceless in my heart.”
He smiled and said sweet words: "You are so precious, I feel I should thank Xiang Ziqing for giving me a reason to see you before tomorrow and to have some private time with you."
Using the hospital as an excuse was no longer effective; the summer wind was still too hot. Zhou Jinqin's face was flushed, and even her voice was sticky and pink.
She timidly looked up at him and whispered, "If it's Liang Minghe, I can exchange my time for him free of charge."
Liang Minghe suddenly smiled brightly, his eyes curved, his eyelashes curved, his lips curved, and he looked incredibly beautiful.
He kissed her lips and gently took her hand: "Then... I'll request to exchange for another half hour."
"Where are we going?" Zhou Jinqin nodded and followed him outside.
"Let's eat," Liang Minghe replied.
He was having dinner with Kong Feifei when a phone call ended his meal, leaving him only half full.
The hospital is located near the university town, and there is a night market nearby. Although it is still summer vacation, there are quite a few people coming and going. The two held hands and blended into the crowd.
Night markets across China are generally similar, offering mostly common snacks like barbecue, teppanyaki, ice jelly, pancakes, stinky tofu, fried noodles, and fried rice, with the occasional addition of local specialties.
For example, there is a Nanjing specialty snack called "live pearl" on the street. It is an egg that has developed into an embryo but has not fully hatched. It is said to be a nourishing delicacy and sells for three for ten yuan. The price is not expensive, but it is really misleading.
The two glanced at what the other person looked like after opening the shell; the outline could still be vaguely seen inside. They looked at each other and, without looking back, ran away.
Liang Minghe laughed and said, "It turns out that people from Guangdong don't eat everything."
Zhou Jinqin smiled, her eyes crinkling, "Is there anything you'd like to eat? It'll be my treat."
Before anyone could answer, a nearby stall owner stepped in to promote his food: "Eat! Eat tofu pudding! It'll make your mind sharp! Make you a hundred times smarter! Make you get perfect scores on your exams! Eat! You have to eat tofu pudding!"
They probably thought they were students. Zhou Jinqin asked Liang Minghe, amused, "Want some?"
Liang Minghe whispered in Zhou Jinqin's ear, "If you eat tofu pudding, will your brain turn into tofu? Will that really guarantee you a perfect score?"
"You don't have to take an exam."
What to do about the answers in the love questionnaire?
"I'll let you in on a little secret: Teacher Zhou gave you a perfect score."
"Boss, one bowl, please!"
Before this, the two only knew that tofu pudding could be either sweet or savory, but they never expected that the owner with a Sichuan accent would make it spicy.
Staring at the bright red chili oil, the two people who don't eat spicy food stared at each other.
Zhou Jinqin can only eat a little spice. As for Liang Ming and her, she doesn't know. After all, there are almost no chili peppers in the food at home. But given the reputation of Cantonese people, she guesses it probably won't be very good.
Zhou Jinqin tentatively asked, "Boss, could you please omit the chili peppers?"
Without even looking up, the owner scooped a spoonful of chili oil and poured it over the slippery tofu pudding: "Girl, this won't do, it won't taste good without chili."
Zhou Jinqin held the bowl of tofu pudding, thinking she would set an example first, so she scooped out a small spoonful and put it in her mouth.
Liang Minghe carefully examined her expression: "Are you alright?"
Compared to the spiciness, the first thing you taste is the rich aroma of the seasonings. The owner probably adjusted the spiciness to suit the Cantonese palate, and it was actually quite palatable.
Zhou Jinqin nodded: "It's alright, actually the taste is not bad, quite fragrant."
She asked, "Would you like to try?"
Liang Minghe looked at the increasingly thick red oil in the bowl, his Adam's apple bobbing. He thought that if he didn't eat it soon, things would only get worse, so he simply nodded early.
Because she didn't know his tolerance for spice, Zhou Jinqin only scooped out a spoonful of relatively clean tofu pudding to feed him.
Liang Minghe opened his mouth, cautiously sipped the contents, swallowed, and remained silent for a long time.
"Are you alright?"
As soon as Zhou Jinqin finished speaking, she saw a layer of sweat appear on the man's forehead, and the powder around his eyes slowly spread to his entire face, even blurring his eye sockets with a thin layer of mist.
It turns out this scene wasn't limited to the bedroom; she had indeed overestimated his tolerance for spicy food.
Zhou Jinqin hurriedly went to a nearby stall to buy a cup of coconut water. As soon as she returned, she saw him surrounded by two of Liang Zongqiang's men.
One offered reassurance, while the other reported to the person on the other end of the phone.
"Chairman Liang, the young master is crying, and I suspect the young mistress is seriously injured."
-----------------------
Author's note: The saying "words fail to express the meaning" doesn't apply to Xiaoming. Who supports this? Who opposes it? [doge emoji]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com