Chapter 14 Thirsty. Would you be willing to sleep in the same bed with Xiao He? ...
Marriage begins on the foundation of strangers, skipping the crucial foundational stages of lovers or even friends. Zhou Jinqin doesn't believe her relationship with Liang Minghe will advance rapidly with just a marriage certificate.
Of course, whether it was due to her attractive appearance or the repeated help she received from him, goodwill was definitely growing. Otherwise, Zhou Jinqin wouldn't have proposed marriage to Liang Minghe out of all the passersby.
But it's too early to say you love someone. An adult's heart is like a mountain, heavy and guarded, and it's not so easy to be moved.
Even at the very beginning of this marriage, Zhou Jinqin harbored a clear self-interest. On the one hand, she was being pressured by her mother to get married hysterically and desperately needed someone to help her cope; on the other hand, she also fantasized that if she formed her own family as her mother demanded, would her mother completely abandon the idea of compromising for her child?
At least for now, Lü Jianying has not experienced such psychological ripples.
The news was received after Zhou Jinqin had already returned to Shenzhen. Lü Jianying avoided talking about her husband's infidelity, only instructing him: "Don't spread it, lest you become a laughing stock."
Who will laugh at me? And who will laugh at me?
Making mistakes in relationships has costs, but the person involved doesn't need to feel guilty. On the contrary, their family suffers the most and then takes the blame and covers for them.
Lu Jianying knew this was a family scandal, but she still chose to forgive.
It's not surprising, but it's disheartening. People's hearts are much stronger and more resilient than we imagine. If they've endured it for the past few decades, why would they still cause trouble in their twilight years?
It seems that in the general public's mind, the days that have already begun to show signs of vicissitudes are not worth making a big fuss about, and they can't make any waves at all. It seems that it is too late to start a new chapter in life at this stage.
Really? Life is only a hundred years long, it's all just time. Why should the first fifty years be more precious than the last fifty?
Zhou Jinqin tossed her phone onto the sofa.
Tuantuan, whom she hadn't seen for a few days, clung to her. It was an adorable and clingy creature that easily won people's hearts. Zhou Jinqin still couldn't understand how it could be a stray at the age of eight with such a lovable personality.
She reached out and picked up the cat, lifting it high in the air. She seemed to feel a little strained. She tapped the cat's pink nose and teased, "Have you gotten fat again?"
Just then, Liang Minghe, who had just finished a phone call, walked in from the balcony. He pointed to the scale and said helplessly, "It's two ounces heavier."
For the past two days, Kong Feifei has been acting as a temporary cat servant, coming to his house. This guy can't resist any temptation. Whenever Tuantuan shows its belly in front of him, he rushes to eat more. The fact that he only eats two ounces is already a result of restraint.
Zhou Jinqin looked up at the man in front of her. He looked normal and didn't seem to think that the misunderstanding last night was anything worth remembering.
Zhou Jinqin was extremely embarrassed, feeling like she had been presumptuous. She coughed, shook her head, trying to quickly put the matter out of her mind, and then, feigning composure, chimed in, "It's okay, losing weight has to be done gradually, let's take it slow."
She proactively started a conversation: "Do you usually speak Mandarin with your family?"
Liang Minghe can speak Cantonese, but he seems to rarely speak it. Even when talking to his family, he speaks almost entirely Mandarin, including the phone call he just hung up.
Liang Minghe casually picked up a cat paw, rubbed it a couple of times, and said calmly, "It depends. My grandparents don't speak Mandarin well, so it's a bit difficult for them to talk to me. Sometimes when they urge me to get married and have children, they say things I don't like to hear, so I speak Mandarin. They find it difficult to talk to me, so they naturally ignore me."
That's a good approach...
Zhou Jinqin grasped the key point and asked, "Do you need my help to meet your parents?"
"No rush," Liang Minghe said. "It's not too late to go when you're ready."
“There’s no such thing as being prepared or not. We got married under the guise of dealing with each other’s parents. Now that you’ve helped me, it’s my turn to reciprocate,” Zhou Jinqin said.
Zhou Jinqin estimated that Liang Minghe was under a lot of pressure during this period. After all, the two had been married for several days, but the elders had not even met their daughter-in-law yet. This was indeed enough to make them panic.
Her eyes are bright, and when she looks at people steadily, they are always full of strength and determination.
Looking into her eyes, Liang Minghe knew she didn't want to feel indebted, so he compromised: "Okay, then I'll leave it to you."
The two set off for Liang Minghe's maternal grandparents' house that afternoon.
They live in a villa halfway up the mountain. The environment is quiet and the scenery is beautiful. There is a bus that goes directly to the city right outside the door, and there is also a hospital at the foot of the mountain, making it a very suitable place for retirement.
Aside from the regular cleaning service, there are only two elderly people living in the house, but the house is still kept in good order. Even the planting area in front of the yard is divided into neat little squares with patterned bricks, and the vegetable seedlings inside are growing vigorously.
The elderly couple waited at the door early in the morning, and immediately greeted the visitors with smiles.
"Welcome, Xiaoqin!" Grandma grabbed Zhou Jinqin's hand and greeted her with a smile, but her expression changed to surprise the moment she saw that familiar face. "Hey! It's you!"
What a small world! It turns out that Grandma was the same grandma Zhou Jinqin had helped block the water on the street a few days ago.
As for that neither-cat-nor-dog avatar, it was actually a fat tiger drawn by Liang Ming himself. It's a feline animal with a dog-like body, but it's definitely neither a cat nor a dog...
Seeing that it was the man she knew, Grandma, who had been anxiously waiting, breathed a sigh of relief. She patted Liang Minghe's arm, both angry and annoyed, and scolded, "You brat, you got married so secretly without even telling me or your grandpa! You made us worry for so long!"
As she spoke, she smiled at Zhou Jinqin: "I originally wanted Xiaoming to add you to my list. I was trying to set you two up, but it turns out you two knew each other beforehand, which is a good thing. You know I like you the most."
Grandpa, who was standing nearby, had heard his wife talk about good deeds for a long time, so he had a good impression of Zhou Jinqin. He chimed in, "I've never seen Xiaoming have any taste before, but I didn't expect him to have such good taste when it comes to choosing a wife."
Liang Minghe's maternal grandfather used to be an antique dealer and had very high aesthetic standards. He usually looked down on the pile of flashy trinkets his grandson had hoarded.
The two elderly people were very hospitable. Zhou Jinqin had never seen anything like this before and didn't know how to respond. Just as she was hesitating over her words, a pair of large hands pulled her into their arms.
"Grandpa and Grandma, is this how you treat your granddaughter-in-law? It's so hot, and you make us sit outside in this sauna. Why don't you invite us inside to enjoy the air conditioning?" Liang Minghe teased.
After this explanation, the old man suddenly realized what was going on and quickly led the person into his home.
"Oh, I got too excited. Let's go inside."
Liang Minghe gently grasped Zhou Jinqin's thin shoulder and whispered in her ear, "They didn't mean any harm, they were just a little agitated. If there's anything you don't want to answer, just quietly squeeze my hand and I'll handle it."
Zhou Jinqin blushed at his intimate gesture. She lowered her eyes, shook her head, and said softly, "It's okay, they're fine, there's no pressure."
Liang Minghe scrutinized her face for a long time, and only after confirming that she was telling the truth did he say, "Well, that's good. Let's go in."
Inside, a faint fragrance of incense wafted through the air, and various antiques were displayed, creating a very stylish ambiance.
Freshly cut fruit was prepared on the table in advance, and the desserts were all Zhou Jinqin's favorites, which most likely meant that Liang Minghe had informed her beforehand.
The two elderly people seemed very interested in the development of the couple's relationship. Zhou Jinqin was afraid that they would think that the progress was too fast and irresponsible, so she deliberately blurred the time and only said that they met in Shanghai.
Grandma felt very sorry for you. She said, "We've wronged you. You gave up everything for love and traveled all this way to start over here. We're the ones who have wronged you."
Zhou Jinqin hadn't expected her to interpret it that way, and after a moment of stunned silence, she awkwardly said, "No, it's just that I really want a change of environment..."
"In short, we owe you something." Grandma pulled out a property certificate with a generous gesture. "This one is for you. Xiaoming is not good with manners. He didn't even give a betrothal gift when he married you, and our parents haven't even met. We were inconsiderate. We will definitely make up for it later. Don't worry."
Zhou Jinqin dared not accept it and quickly declined, saying, "Grandma, you don't need to do this. I was the one who brought up the marriage. It was my fault for being so inconsiderate. It has nothing to do with Liang... or Xiao He."
Grandma got happy when she heard this, and she leaned closer with a bright smile: "I know, it was you and Xiaoming, your Xiaohe, who proposed to me. I heard it all."
Zhou Jinqin was so embarrassed she could hardly breathe. She blinked at Liang Minghe as if pleading for help, but he just smiled and didn't move. So Zhou Jinqin reached out and pinched his thigh, and the young man immediately sat up straight and serious.
But the other party wasn't on her side at all. Liang Ming turned around and stuffed the red booklet into her bag.
“Take it. Ever since I reached the legal marriage age, I’ve been able to receive one every year. Now that you’re part of my family, you should share it with me,” Liang Minghe said with a smile.
Zhou Jinqin was a little uneasy: "This...isn't this a bad idea?"
“What’s wrong with that?” Grandpa agreed. “You can’t take a house with you when you die. Your grandma and I only have you two grandsons. If we don’t give it to you, who will?”
As he spoke, he lamented that Liang Minghe was illiterate and that marrying her, a PhD, was a step up for him. He felt that Liang Minghe should work harder in other areas, or he would be dumped sooner or later.
It's obvious that Liang Minghe's sweet talk is genetic; the family atmosphere is so wonderful that Zhou Jinqin unconsciously relaxes.
After dinner, Grandma said it was unsafe to drive in the dark and asked the two of them to stay overnight.
Zhou Jinqin understood that the old man simply wanted to spend more time with the child, so she couldn't bring herself to refuse.
With the elders watching over them, it was impossible for the two to have separate rooms or enjoy a double room; sharing a bed seemed to be the inevitable outcome.
The sound of running water filled the bathroom. Behind the door, Zhou Jinqin was in a state of turmoil, switching between apps on her phone several times without finding a way to go.
Finally, the sound of water stopped, and the room returned to silence. It seemed that only his own heavy, uneven breathing could be heard in the room.
Just a second before the door opened, Zhou Jinqin lay down and pulled the blanket over her head.
With a click, the door slowly opened, and the man's steady footsteps sounded like drumbeats, stirring up a sense of anticipation.
Finally, the footsteps stopped beside her ear, and a pleasant male voice, tinged with laughter, asked, "Are you afraid?"
"No...no," Zhou Jinqin said stubbornly, her voice muffled through the blanket.
"Really?" The man's voice trailed off, full of seductive charm. "Then tell me, would you be willing to sleep in the same bed with Xiao He?"
What kind of question is this? Zhou Jinqin's mind was buzzing, her face flushed red, and she couldn't bring herself to give a willing answer.
"3, 2, 1," Liang Minghe counted methodically. "Okay, that means they don't want to."
As he spoke, he bent down and pulled off the blanket that was covering Zhou Jinqin tightly. Her face under the blanket was flushed, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her fair forehead, as if she was extremely nervous.
Liang Minghe smiled and chuckled, "Alright, I was just teasing you. I told you, you have the right to say no."
After he finished speaking, he turned around and found a straw mat in the wardrobe next to him, which he then laid out in the narrow passage between the bed and the wardrobe, seemingly preparing to make do with it for the night.
Zhou Jinqin's eyes widened in disbelief. "You just sleep like that?" she asked.
Liang Minghe shrugged and smiled innocently: "Is it strange? This should be quite common in Guangdong and Guangxi."
Zhou Jinqin hesitated for a moment, but considering the significant regional differences, she didn't say much and simply handed over a pillow.
This room was originally intended for Liang Minghe to live in. It was still packed full of things, with all sorts of novel items scattered everywhere. There was hardly any space left to stand, so there was naturally no room left to store bedding.
The temperature is unbearable without air conditioning, but figuring out how to share one blanket between two people has become a problem.
At this point, it would be too easy to ask Grandma for another one; that would arouse suspicion.
After thinking for a moment, Zhou Jinqin moved closer to Liang Minghe, to her right side, where she didn't usually sleep.
Before Liang Minghe could react, half a blanket fell from the sky and covered him.
The rich, fresh scent of soap wafted over him instantly, and Liang Ming's originally clear mind was suddenly thrown into disarray.
Unexpectedly, Zhou Jinqin fell asleep early in the morning. In the arid desert, she woke up thirsty while searching for water.
When she woke up, it was still dark and her mind was not clear. Zhou Jinqin forgot that she had fallen asleep on her right side and instinctively reached for her slippers. Unexpectedly, she found a hot male body.
Her mind cleared instantly, and Zhou Jinqin instinctively tried to pull her foot back, but it was firmly grasped by a pair of large, warm hands...
A note from the author:
----------------------
Thank you everyone for the nutrient solution! [hugs]
They didn't even hold hands, but they grabbed each other's feet first. Is that right? [question mark]
I plan to release "Don't List Your Cat on Xianyu" in March. Please add it to your favorites!
The text is as follows:
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."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com