Chapter 14
Where do you want to go for New Year's Day?
A perfect lovemaking session left Liang Shi drowsy. Hearing his question, Liang Shi found it amusing: "President Li, do you think I'll have a holiday for New Year's Day?"
"You've already generated a lot of revenue for the company. Your department members will definitely receive their bonuses and overtime pay. How about we take you out to relax for New Year's Day? California is a good option; it's warmer there."
Liang Shi pinched his waist: "Please, it's only three days for New Year's Day, and California is so far away. I'm not going. I don't really like North America."
"New Zealand?"
"Not interested."
"I'll listen to you. You can go wherever you want."
Liang Shi has spent twelve years in Europe, which is nearly half of her life. She once traveled to nearby cities with her close French colleagues.
It seems that travel is not the most important thing in her life, or rather, the people who travel with her are not the most important to her.
If this person were Li Junqian, wouldn't it be a perfect trip? Liang Shi thought back to the past, when he had traveled with him twice, but both trips ended inconclusively and were not perfect. Indeed, they should have a trip that was just for the two of them.
It's often said that a couple's trip can be seen as a short-term cohabitation, a time to eat, drink, and think about problems that arise during the trip. If they disagree, the trip won't be enjoyable, but it can also test how well they're compatible...
Thinking of this, Liang Shi perked up, and a world map automatically formed in his mind.
"You've been to so many places, is there any country or city you haven't been to? Preferably Europe, besides our own country, my favorite is European architecture."
To be honest, for Li Junqian, whether it was studying abroad or working, the place he flew to and stayed in the most was Europe, and he flew to almost every city, big and small.
"Then let's go to Lisbon?"
Liang Shi's mind wasn't quite working right now: "That sounds familiar, but where?"
"The capital city of Cristiano Ronaldo's hometown."
Liang Shi feigned confusion: "Who is Cristiano Ronaldo?"
Li Junqian lowered his head and kissed her: "I'll take you to see the World Cup next year."
Liang Shi returned his kiss: "Then you might as well take me to Argentina. I bet Messi will win the World Cup next year!"
"You know Messi, but you don't know Ronaldo? You little liar."
Liang Shi kissed the stubble that had sprouted on his chin: "Then punish me."
A warmth touched his chest; this man was certainly proactive: "How do you want to be punished? Hmm?"
Liang Shi wondered if indulging in his love affair with Li Junqian was a sin.
Who cares? Isn't love all about giving it your all?
"There's another condom, shall we use it?"
Li Junqian rolled over and pinned her beneath him, his eyes dark and menacing: "Xiaoshi, don't provoke me anymore."
Liang Shi lay there like a fish on a chopping board: "We slept naked together all night, who's provoking whom here? Li Junqian, please, let's do it again."
Not just men, women have desires too. Especially a handsome guy like him, with both good looks and a great physique, she was practically getting a nosebleed.
...
This perfect trip ultimately didn't happen. Before Zhao Jiaren contacted her, Liang Shi even thought he had let her down. She had already bought her plane ticket, but then she received a phone call at check-in. Li Junqian then bought a direct flight to Hong Kong International Airport, saying he would wait for her to return.
He actually left her alone at Pudong Airport just because his sister fell at Hong Kong Disneyland.
A nineteen-year-old girl, can't she take care of herself? No matter how busy her parents are, they don't even fly over to check on her? They even have to have her cousin, Li Junqian, go in person?
I did hear back then that Zhao Jiaren's younger sister had a difficult and premature birth during her second pregnancy. I guess that's what happens when you're part of a large family and you value blood ties more than anyone else.
In his heart, Liang Shi was ultimately just an outsider.
You can abandon it if you want.
At that moment, she actually wanted to fly to Portugal on her own out of spite, but reason brought her back. She didn't speak the language and was unfamiliar with the place, so why make things difficult for herself? As soon as she stepped out of the airport, she was ushered into a Bentley.
She recognized the Bentley; it was Zhao Jiaren's official car. Or rather, although the car had changed, it was still a Bentley, and the license plate was still that impressive five eights. She favored this brand. Or perhaps wealthy people simply like things that are expensive and can flaunt their status.
Liang Shi wasn't surprised at all. After all, she was from Zhao Jiaren, a prominent female entrepreneur in Shanghai. It shouldn't be surprising if she knew that Zhao Jiaren had returned from France or that Zhao Jiaren worked at Fanning.
In a private room on the second floor of the teahouse, a female tea master was performing tea ceremonies beside the tea table. In the past, Liang Shi would have been obsequious, like a eunuch before the emperor. But things were different now. She no longer owed them anything, and she had her own job; she had nothing to fear.
She greeted her with a smile: "Aunt Zhao, it's been a long time."
She'll be sixty in two years, but the woman in front of her is so well-preserved; she looks no more than forty-five. Tsk, money really does make the world go round. Liang Shi thought to herself, she really should hurry up and find a reliable beauty salon and get a membership card.
"Haven't seen you for years, you've really grown up! If I hadn't glanced at a few fashion magazines, I wouldn't have known you were back in China. If I hadn't kept an eye on you and done some research, I almost would have sent you two abroad for your 'honeymoon'."
She didn't use any profanity, but it was full of sarcasm. That's Zhao Jiaren for you; she always finds a way to make her uncomfortable.
She put on a smile and said, "Aunt Zhao, Junqian and I aren't married yet, so how can this be our honeymoon?"
Zhao Jiaren glanced at the tea master, who brought her a cup of tea and slowly left the private room. Now only the two of them remained. As expected, Zhao Jiaren's true nature was revealed; her wealthy hand, adorned with a jade bracelet, slammed its hand on the table: "Liang Shi, you orphan with no parents, you actually think you can marry into our Li family? If Li Guangting hadn't interfered and brought you back, you'd still be a little girl from some backwater village! Do you even deserve to be Junqian's wife?"
Liang Shi looked at the half-empty cup of tea left in the jade cup on the table. He wanted to throw a tantrum, but then thought better of it. He knew she didn't like him, and there was no need to ruin things further.
Liang Shi downed half a cup of tea in one gulp, forcing back tears, and stubbornly looked at Zhao Jiaren: "You want me to leave your son?"
Zhao Jiaren leaned back in the red solid wood chair, staring at her face with a smile: "Liang Shi, I have to admit, you've done quite well abroad these past few years, and you have indeed become more beautiful. But you also know that men judge by appearance for now; after a while, looks become irrelevant. I know my son very well; he likes girls with inner beauty. You're not good at anything—music, chess, calligraphy, or painting—what common ground do you two have? How long do you think he'll like you? I won't beat around the bush; you and Li Junqian are impossible. I don't know when you two got together, but if you still want to make a living in China, you'd better break up with my son right away. Otherwise, I'll make sure you have a hard time both in China and abroad."
Making threats requires substance, and Zhao Jiaren was clearly well-prepared.
Are you scared? To be honest, Liang Shi is terrified.
"If I say no, Aunt Zhao, what are you thinking about first to make me suffer?"
Zhao Jiaren touched the emerald on her chest and laughed: "People have to make money to live, right? And you, you especially need money. I heard you've been inquiring about houses in Shanghai? If you don't leave my son, I'm sure you won't be able to find any job, not even a food delivery job. Forget about buying a house in Shanghai, you'll probably have a hard time even renting one."
That's ruthless, typical of Zhao Jiaren. Liang Shi admired her. Her ancestors were clearly so wealthy, yet she still went out and started her own business. There were very few female entrepreneurs back then, let alone the CEO of three companies.
In other words, Liang Shi is someone you can't afford to offend.
"Okay, I agree. But, Aunt Zhao, have you considered that if I break up with you, your son will relentlessly pursue me?"
Having probably heard a huge joke, Zhao Jiaren's laughter filled the entire private room, and indeed, Liang Shi felt that he had been overconfident.
“Junqian isn’t the type to cling on relentlessly. I believe that once you break up with him, he won’t contact you even with a single phone call or text message. As for whether you still want to work at Fanning, that’s not impossible, but you have to stay within your bounds.”
Liang Shi chuckled, "Thank you for your magnanimity, Aunt Zhao. Fan Ning is indeed more attractive to me than Li Junqian. Don't worry, since I promised you, I will definitely keep my distance from him."
Zhao Jiaren probably didn't want to stay with her any longer, so she picked up the Himalaya and prepared to leave. Liang Shi stood up and stopped her: "Aunt Zhao, let me ask you one last time, was the girl from Hong Kong seriously injured in her fall?"
This answer isn't important, but Liang Shi wants an answer.
"It's just a scrape. By the way, because of this, you should break up with him. Look at you, you can't even compare to his little cousin, and you still want to marry into the Li family?"
Liang Shi clenched his fist silently; he had indeed brought this humiliation upon himself. Only after Zhao Jiaren's figure disappeared through the doorway did her pent-up tears finally burst forth.
I'm not reconciled, I'm really not reconciled. Why can't he and Li Junqian get married?
Just because she's an orphan? Being an orphan isn't something she can decide!
But then she thought, if she weren't an orphan, how could she have ever stood in this teahouse's private room, tormented by love and shedding tears for it?
Li Junqian, I like you, but I don't want to like you anymore.
...
He couldn't go to Portugal, but Liang Shi flew to Hong Kong the next day.
The final tenderness, and the final heartbreak. If she had to do these two things somewhere, she definitely wouldn't choose Shanghai.
And Li Junqian happened to contact her, asking if she wanted to come to Hong Kong. Sure, then Hong Kong it is, leaving all their last joys and sorrows in this city.
In the luxurious ocean-view room on the 100th floor of the Ritz-Carlton, Liang Shi looked out at the empty view through the floor-to-ceiling windows and unhesitatingly pushed the man behind him onto the chaise lounge next to him.
She sat on his lap, and every time they became intimate, she would tease him by wrapping her arms around his neck, and this time was no exception. But Li Junqian didn't seem to want to 'fall into depravity' with her so early: "It's still early, shall I take you for a walk?"
Liang Shi shook his head frantically: "Didn't you give me a bag a few days ago? That's enough. This room has mountains, sea, and a cluster of cities outside the window, isn't it beautiful?"
She raised an arm and pointed to the blue sky and white clouds outside the window: "Brother Junqian, it's so high up here, do you think someone might see us by the French windows..."
She didn't finish her sentence, but her eyes conveyed the entire meaning to him. Of course, the sparks between adult men and women are like swirls of flour meeting an open flame—they explode instantly.
This was the first time Liang Shi had been touched from behind by him. His hands limply braced against the French windows. It was broad daylight, and although he knew no one would see, he felt inexplicably ashamed. Zhao Jiaren's aggressive words seemed to echo in his ears…
She was still ashamed after all, and Liang Shi begged him to go to bed with her. This ambiguous affair she had started didn't end until the evening.
Then, he held her tightly in his arms, a feeling she longed to have for a lifetime, but she knew that this intimacy between them was probably the last time.
Liang Shi felt so bad she wanted to cry, and bit his chest hard: "Aren't you going to go see your cousin?"
When Li Junqian first received Zhao Jiaren's call, he thought Zhou Meng had fallen very badly. But when he arrived at the hospital, he found the girl sitting in the ward, watching TV and eating takeout with her legs crossed.
With his wonderful New Year's Day holiday plans disrupted, Li Junqian had no time to care about his cousin, who was already fine.
"She's alright. Being with you is the most important thing. I'm so sorry about Portugal, okay? Let's go again next time."
Next time? Liang Shi smiled bitterly, hiding under the covers.
"Plans can't keep up with changes, I know. It's good that your cousin is alright. Hong Kong is nice too, but I think it's more comfortable to stay in bed with you."
Liang Shi's face was slightly lifted by his hand, and he saw his handsome face. He gently stroked the bridge of his nose twice: "Xiao Shi, tone it down a bit."
He's really going crazy. Especially lately, every time she teases him, he can't stay calm and make love to her.
Liang Shi smiled and kissed him with lightning speed: "Why are you holding back? You're so handsome, with eight-pack abs, and that... it's quite impressive. If I don't feel that way, am I not a normal woman, okay?"
Li Junqian raised his hand to cover her almond-shaped eyes. Her eyes were clear and innocent, but how could they be so alluring?
"Get up, I've ordered dinner."
Liang Shi yawned lazily: "Pick me up."
...
Liang Shi faced a new day amidst her inner turmoil, which was also the last day of the New Year. She prepared to break up with Li Junqian and be honest with him before leaving Hong Kong.
Better a short pain than a long one. Li Junqian and her husband sat facing each other in front of a floor-to-ceiling window 300 meters above the ground, having breakfast. The last question he asked her was whether breakfast was good.
She then gave an irrelevant answer, even tossing her silver fork onto her plate. The clear sound of the fork caught the attention of the man opposite her, who even frowned silently as if asking her what was wrong.
Liang Shi stared at the ring finger of his left hand. How beautiful those slender fingers were! In the end, they could never wear the ring that belonged to them.
She picked up a white napkin and wiped her lips, then cleared her throat and began a series of insincere words.
"Li Junqian, let's break up. This farewell breakfast tastes good, but I can't eat anymore."
Upon hearing those two words, Li Junqian's brow furrowed, then relaxed, and he even laughed: "Little Shi, this joke isn't funny."
He would naturally think he was being silly, after all, they were doing intimate things on that soft, comfortable bed just yesterday.
Liang Shi raised her hand and loosened her hair, easily tying a loose low ponytail with the pink silk scrunchie on her wrist.
She leaned back in her chair, her smile gone, her eyes resolute: "Li Junqian, I'm not joking. Let's break up. Of course, this isn't a question, it's a statement."
Liang Shi didn't want to look at his handsome face anymore; she was afraid that she would regret it the next second and cry as she told him it was all a joke.
Sure enough, the man opposite him also lost his smile, and even leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers lightly on the table covered with a white napkin: "The reason."
As expected, a boss is a boss; he can switch from being love-struck to being a CEO in an instant.
"The reason is..."
She raised her chin, rested her hands on the table, and avoided his gaze. She appeared calm, but her heart was pounding.
"Maybe it's because I hate feeling insecure. You can easily abandon me with just 'Wait for me to come back,' and give me a verbal promise with just 'Let's go next time.' Li Junqian, I thought a lot last night, and I realized I really hate what you say. Who knows if what you say is just an empty promise or a real commitment?"
"Also, after being together for so many days, it seems like we haven't done anything else besides making love in bed, have we? Besides work, we don't have anything else to talk about. You have your social circle and complicated family relationships, but I only have myself. It's like when I was wearing a dirty t-shirt and met you, tall and handsome in a basketball uniform. We are incompatible."
She pursed her lips and looked out at the gray sky, which reflected her mood: "Even though I've worked my way up in this industry through hard work and talent, to be honest, I still can't hold my head up in front of you. Cinderella and the prince only exist in fairy tales. I should have known that sooner."
Li Junqian couldn't stand it anymore. When did this woman become so insecure? Why did she choose today to say these things?
He didn't believe it.
"We haven't been together for very long, and we've both been very busy with work lately, so I've neglected your feelings. I'm sorry. I'll be rethinking my career and life plans this year and try to spend more time with you."
Liang Shi scoffed, "Li Junqian, should I thank you? Thank you for generously making time for your girlfriend? Have you ever thought about whether I have time? Yes, you've almost reached the pinnacle of your life, you have everything you could want. What about me? I also have dreams and ambitions. I want to do more at this in-between age, to establish myself in this city. We're worlds apart."
"Last night I reflected on our brief relationship. It all started when you went crazy that day, and after you were done, you said you'd take responsibility for me. I'd never been in a relationship before, and I thought dating a handsome guy—no, a rich handsome guy—might not be a bad thing. But lately, you seem to have affected my emotions. I wait for your messages, and I worry about you and other women, which makes me feel terrible. I really don't like this feeling. As a thirty-year-old woman, I shouldn't be acting like a little girl."
"At thirty, I should indeed be thinking about the next stage of my life. I can't deny that I really enjoy being with you. You're probably my first man, so I've been a bit too forward with you. But Li Junqian, I don't want to waste time on meaningless things. Breaking up is the best solution I've thought of."
Li Junqian raised his hand and rubbed his temples, processing the woman's accusations against him and her life plans.
"It's meaningless? You mean it's meaningless for us to be together?"
Li Junqian admitted that he liked Liang Shi. His feelings after their reunion were completely different from back then. Perhaps it was because she was so different from then. Now she had a unique personality, was beautiful and confident, and had strong work ability. Every aspect of her was very attractive to him.
He couldn't understand where the problem lay between them that would lead her to say such things.
Liang Shi shrugged: "Alright, I'll just ask you one question. Will you marry me?"
Liang Shi noticed the change in the man's subtle expression and knew he shouldn't have humiliated himself. She smiled and said, "You hesitated subconsciously, Li Junqian. Your expression and silence tell me that you're just playing around with me. You have the means to play around, but I don't. I just want to be an ordinary person, to find a man at thirty who's willing to marry me and live a life with me. Obviously, you're not that man. So, it's better for both of us if I break up with you sooner rather than later. You can continue to find other women, and I need to find my own daily necessities."
So, the woman broke up with him because he failed to promise her a marriage certificate and a home?
But Li Junqian's hesitation just now wasn't because he was unwilling to marry her. He had never seriously considered the topic of marriage because he had never met a woman he wanted to spend his life with.
He had never considered Liang Shi as a person, but he couldn't deny that Liang Shi held a very special place in his heart. He had a good temper, but he only dealt with matters on a case-by-case basis. If anyone offended him, he wouldn't sit idly by and wait to be punished; he would retaliate.
But he knew that he had been much more tolerant of Liang. He loved watching her playful antics; they were funny and adorable, adding a splash of color to his otherwise dull life.
"You think I won't marry you? Xiaoshi, my hesitation just now was because I had never thought about marriage at all. You caught me off guard."
Liang Shi stood up, not wanting to argue with him anymore, but his hand was still held by him.
"Xiao Shi, do you want to get married?"
Liang Shi didn't know how she had brought up marriage. Actually, she was also using this as a reason to break up with him. She hadn't even established herself in Shanghai yet; her savings weren't enough to buy a one-bedroom apartment. She had nothing; how could anyone possibly want her?
Having said that, she had no choice but to play along: "Who doesn't want to get married? In a few years, you'll be in your thirties and won't be able to get married, plus being an older mother is very risky. Can you let go now?"
"Xiao Shi, I can't give you an answer about marriage right now, but you have to believe me..."
Liang Shi used all her strength to break free from his grasp: "You never do anything without a plan. Marriage gives you uncertainty, or rather, I'm not the right match for you. Fine, let's break up. Oh, by the way, even if you really marry me, I still have a question mark. Do you think your mother can accept me? Li Junqian, I'm leaving. When we get back to Shanghai, let's still have a normal superior-subordinate relationship, okay?"
...
Liang Shi felt strong. From leaving that hotel to being 10,000 meters in the air, she hadn't shed a single tear. Perhaps, her feelings for him were just that—feelings. At most, he was her first man. Maybe she'd have many more.
What she didn't expect was the conversation between a mother and daughter when she got off the plane.
She hadn't heard Sichuan dialect in a long time. Although it was slightly different from the Wenchuan accent, it sounded especially familiar. After following Li Guangting to Shanghai, she had never returned. Perhaps fate was trying to remind her?
Don't forget who you really are. Yes, she's just a country girl. How could she possibly dream of marrying a high-achieving man like Li Junqian?
As she stepped off the plane, she thought to herself that she must go back to Wenchuan to see her former hometown and her parents.
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