Chapter 59 It's okay to take a group photo, there's still plenty of time.
Are you going to treat me to dinner again?
Jia Yang's words were devoid of emotion, sounding more like a serious inquiry, but it was somewhat unexpected for someone as gentle and reserved as him to take the initiative to provide a response.
From a more sinister perspective, it might be acceptable to speculate with a touch of unfounded sarcasm. If we were to explore this from such a angle, it would be impossible for it to be without reason, but Zhou Jinqin avoided thinking about it.
She forced a calm smile and asked casually, "Is that alright?"
"How about dinner?" Liang Minghe joined in.
From the perspective of etiquette education at home, Jia Yang should politely decline at this time, but sometimes people are led by their emotions and their behavior becomes involuntary.
He looked at their intertwined fingers, smiled and nodded: "Of course."
Ou Xiaoya, who was standing to the side, tugged at Liang Minghe's sleeve and asked curiously, "Brother, can I go too?"
Liang Minghe doesn't particularly like children, but whether it's his work or the personal charm he exudes, he always inexplicably attracts a large following among kids.
Liang Minghe smiled at her with his eyes crinkling: "Of course, you are the hero today. If you hadn't been watching over Liang Jiahe, that idiot would have been lost somewhere. This meal was mainly for you, so eat more for dinner."
With just a few words, he transferred the affection Jia Yang had gained from Zhou Jinqin back to him, leaving no reason or temper to argue with a ten-year-old elementary school student about giving and receiving.
Ou Xiaoya was very happy and praised Liang Minghe for being very handsome, asking if she could take a photo with him.
It is undeniable that people's aesthetic standards tend to converge; whether it is children or adults, their definitions of high attractiveness are actually quite similar.
Liang Minghe has been called a scoundrel, a street urchin, a mischievous brat, a freeloader, and a scoundrel throughout his life, but no one has ever denied his outstanding appearance.
A mind untouched by social corruption is pure. Ou Xiaoya simply viewed Liang Minghe's appearance with admiration and appreciation, and naturally no one would refute this pure wish.
"Of course." Liang Minghe nodded, then pointed to Zhou Jinqin beside him, "Can I bring my sister along?"
Ou Xiaoya also liked Zhou Jinqin, who was always gentle and smiling, so she agreed. However, she didn't want to leave her uncle alone like an outsider, so she suggested that she also bring Jia Yang along.
With three adults and two children, the children stood in the front row and the adults in the back. Jia Yang had no reason to choose to stand on Liang Minghe's side, so he naturally stood next to Zhou Jinqin.
Some people regretted it, hating themselves for speaking out of turn.
The staff member who was pulled in to help take photos saw everyone in position, held up the camera that Liang Minghe had brought, shouted "Three, two, one, cheese!", pressed the shutter, and the group photo of the five people was taken.
Jia Yang stopped the staff member who was about to leave, handed over his phone and pleaded, "Could you please take another picture with my phone?"
His reason was impeccable: "I'll send the photos to my cousin later, so Xiaoya can keep them as a memento, and I won't have to ask you for them."
So the five of them took another group photo. The child in front was all smiles, while the adults in the back had their own ulterior motives.
Zhou Jinqin felt a little embarrassed and worried. She secretly hooked her hand with Liang Minghe's palm and only felt relieved after receiving a not-too-cold response from him. She was glad that the lemon hadn't turned sour yet.
After the photos were taken, the staff confirmed that the group had nothing else to do. Before leaving, they reminded them that the parade was about to begin and recommended that they go to the nearby street to watch the performance.
It was too late to enter; the streets were already packed with tourists, and they couldn't squeeze in. So, they could only watch from afar on the outside.
For adults, it's fine; with their height advantage, they can see most of the performance. But it's not the case for children with developmental delays. Even if they stand on their tiptoes, they can only see the backs of the dense crowd and the backs of their heads.
Liang Jiahe looked dejected: "It's all my fault for running around."
Ou Xiaoya comforted him with great empathy: "So, it's also my fault for insisting on taking pictures and wasting time."
Liang Ming and Xiao, the two little brats, took the blame: "It's not like there's no solution."
As he spoke, he squatted down and picked up the two children side by side, one on each side.
Suddenly, his view opened up, and while he was pleasantly surprised, Liang Jiahe was also a little embarrassed, feeling that he was too heavy and insisting on getting off the ground.
He was not tall, but he was seriously overweight, weighing nearly 20 kilograms more than Zhou Jinqin, who was 20 centimeters taller than him.
Jia Yang took Ou Xiaoya at the right time. Liang Minghe nodded to him, then turned around and used his free hand to lift the little fat boy up and put him on his shoulder.
He said nothing, yet it was as if he said everything.
Liang Minghe is 185 cm tall, which is quite prominent in Shenzhen. Liang Jiahe, sitting on his shoulders, is over two meters tall, with a wide and unobstructed view. He was both happy and proud, but he couldn't help but shed tears.
Zhou Jinqin knew that he was a sensitive child, so she didn't tease him or pay too much attention to him, but chose to give him plenty of space.
Liang Ming put his arm around Zhou Jinqin's shoulder, naturally widening the distance between her and Jia Yang. He teased her with a smile, "I could easily hug you again, want to try?"
Zhou Jinqin certainly believed he had the strength; at night, he was always as domineering as an inexhaustible ox.
She blushed and glared at him, muttering softly, "I can see it myself..."
"Uncle, did you see that pretty lady on the float waving at me?"
It wasn't until his niece asked that Jia Yang's attention returned to the street performance. He smiled and replied, "I saw it."
For children, the junk food that parents don't allow them to eat is always the most delicious, such as hamburgers. So, the adults followed the children's wishes and went into a McDonald's in the park.
McDonald's is almost entirely meat-based, and Jia Yang looked at Zhou Jinqin with some concern: "Should we go to another restaurant?"
Zhou Jinqin shook her head: "It's okay, as long as the child likes it. I'm not completely averse to meat either."
That being said, when ordering, she only ordered a taro pie and a cup of hot milk, and didn't touch any meat.
Jia Yang is often in a rush when he goes on business trips, so he usually chooses fast food to quickly fill his stomach. Therefore, he is already tired of McDonald's. In addition, he was not hungry at the moment, so he only ordered a cup of oat milk tea.
Of the three adults, only Liang Ming and the two children ate together harmoniously.
Jia Yang glanced at him and said, "I thought Mr. Liang would become a vegetarian after marrying you."
Zhou Jinqin said gently, "I think marriage is about two people who are compatible coming together. It doesn't require anyone to compromise or make unnecessary changes. I don't want to compromise because of love."
"And isn't this a good thing?" Zhou Jinqin smiled at him. "Adults shouldn't spoil the fun of adults, and adults shouldn't spoil the fun of children either."
Looking at that serene smiling face, Jia Yang's heart skipped a beat. After that, no matter how hard his heartbeat tried to catch up with the missed rhythm, it always seemed rushed and unsteady.
Jia Yang cannot deny Liang Minghe's value in relationships. He is emotionally sensitive, generous with his words of love, and not ashamed to express his affection. He is the perfect guiding partner for a reserved and introverted spouse.
But Jia Yang prefers to think about it because his other half is Zhou Jinqin. She is kind, gentle, resilient, brave, ambitious, and hardworking. She treats everyone equally, and no matter who is standing next to her, she will look at them with a positive eye and discover their strengths.
Even if it's him.
But it wasn't him.
After the meal, the two groups said goodbye and went home.
In the car, Zhou Jinqin asked Liang Jiahe if he was having fun.
Although Liang Jiahe didn't participate in many activities due to his timidity, he still nodded excitedly, saying, "I'm super happy."
He listed the interesting things that happened that day and was happy to have met his best friend in class.
Zhou Jinqin asked him, "Do you like Xiaoya very much?"
Of course, the liking here is pure, just like liking the azure sky, lush trees, and soft earth; it has no other connotations.
Liang Jiahe nodded, looking somewhat aggrieved, and said, "I like her. She's the class's discipline monitor. If she hears classmates cursing at me, she'll tell the teacher on my behalf and even treat me to lollipops to comfort me."
He chattered on and on, praising Ou Xiaoya's outstanding performance over the previous four years. Only then did Zhou Jinqin feel that he and Liang Minghe were like brothers.
The car quickly arrived at the Liang family's gate, where Liang Zongqiang could be seen waiting in the garden. Liang Minghe did not intend to get out of the car.
Liang Jiahe unbuckled his seatbelt, hesitated, and asked in a low voice, "Brother, is it because you hate me that you're not going home?"
"Who told you that?" Liang Minghe asked him expressionlessly.
“The housekeeper and the gardener,” Liang Jiahe said timidly, “they said it’s because I stole your dad…”
Liang Ming paused for a moment and said, "If someone can be taken away, there's no point in keeping them. I'm the one who doesn't want them anymore."
Liang Jiahe couldn't understand this explanation. He racked his brains for a long time but still couldn't crack the riddle pieced together with simple words.
Zhou Jinqin patted his head and said softly, "What my brother means is that he doesn't dislike you."
Liang Minghe glanced at her, his eyes filled with mixed emotions, but he didn't say anything. He simply asked Liang Jiahe, "Which school and class do you attend?"
Liang Jiahe answered every question, and after he finished, Liang Minghe urged him to get out of the car. He didn't give Liang Zongqiang outside even a glance.
The distance is only three kilometers, and it only takes ten minutes to drive there. The couple arrived home quickly.
Liang Minghe casually teased the cat, seemingly unaffected by Zhou Jinqin's earlier outburst, as if nothing had ever happened.
Zhou Jinqin nestled into his arms and asked softly, "Are you unhappy?"
“If you’re talking about Liang Zongqiang, I’ll say no, because he’s not worth it.” Liang Minghe patted her head. “But if you’re talking about Jia Yang, I’ll tell you honestly, I’m really not happy at all.”
Zhou Jinqin lifted her head from his embrace to look at his open expression: "Is that so? Then why don't you seem angry at all today?"
Liang Minghe lowered his head and pretended to bite her lips: "Because I'm acting, I'm afraid you'll think I'm always so sour and that will upset you."
Zhou Jinqin chuckled softly, her eyes crinkling, "So, according to you, shouldn't I reward you with something?"
"Yes, of course." Liang Minghe said shamelessly, his burning eyes fixed on the woman in front of him.
Zhou Jinqin was too embarrassed to look at him, so she turned her head away and pulled him towards the bathroom.
Liang Minghe's desires were far less than what he expected. He raised an eyebrow in surprise: "I have to go to work tomorrow."
"Hmm, it's alright, there's still plenty of time," Zhou Jinqin said softly, her blushing face almost buried in her chest.
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Author's Note: Jia Yang: I wanted a group photo, and I got it! [hug]
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