Chapter 73 "Say you like me, then..."
The interview lasted for nearly an hour before it ended. The three members of the Chaleur team gathered their work on the spot, divided up their tasks, and then Eric and the accompanying photographer went upstairs to change clothes in preparation for the dinner that followed.
Jiang Nuanyu did not go upstairs with them. The interview was over, and the banquet was only about socializing. But she suddenly lost interest in changing into a dress and going to greet people with champagne.
Liang Qi didn't send her any messages on his phone either.
She was both angry and heartbroken. She had originally planned to eat something in the dining area to fill her empty stomach, but standing in front of the food counter, her frustration overwhelmed her and she had no appetite. She put her plate back and decided to go straight to her room.
As you turn into the elevator lobby, an elevator going up diagonally opposite is about to close its doors.
Jiang Nuanyu walked over quickly, pressed the button on the door with one hand, and the half-closed door reopened. She nodded inside, instinctively about to thank them, but when she looked up, the words caught in her throat.
Liang Qi stood in the elevator with his eyes half-closed. When he looked up and saw her, he put away his cold expression that he had when they were alone, gave her a slight smile, and moved half a step to the side to make room for her.
Seeing him like this, Jiang Nuanyu's heart, which had just been hardening, softened. However, upon catching a glimpse of his dark blue tie, that sour feeling rose in her chest again.
Turning around and leaving would be too inappropriate, so she hesitated for a moment, then walked in with a stiff face.
She pressed the button for her room's floor. Another number lit up on the panel was much higher than hers, most likely a suite.
The elevator doors closed, and Jiang Nuanyu stared at the door without saying a word.
Liang Qi asked, "Is there any work scheduled later?"
After several seconds, Jiang Nuanyu finally answered him, "No."
Her voice and tone were deliberately distant and cold. Liang Qi glanced at her and asked, "When did you arrive in Milan?"
"This afternoon." Her tone was still not very pleasant.
Liang Qi glanced at her again, then turned his face forward and said nothing more.
As the elevator ascends, the small space is filled with an increasingly tense silence.
Just as Jiang Nuanyu felt like she couldn't breathe, "ding—" sounded, and the elevator arrived at her floor.
The door opened, and she was about to walk out without saying a word when Liang Qi grabbed her wrist from behind.
Her heart pounded in her throat, her steps faltered, and her eyes were fixed outside, yet she hoped Liang Qi in the elevator would say something to her. Just one word, and he would keep her there.
All around was quiet. The elevator doors opened for a few seconds, then suddenly began to slowly turn back.
Jiang Nuanyu snapped out of her daze and hurriedly pressed the door open button. With her other hand, she pulled away from Liang Qi's hand and said without turning her head, "I'm going back to my room." Before she finished speaking, she quickly walked out of the elevator.
Her mind was a complete mess; she had no idea what she was doing. The further she walked, the clearer her mind became, and the more panicked she felt. She turned the corner and, just as she reached the corridor, regretted it. She quickly turned back, grabbed her bag, and ran back. But the elevator had already left that floor and gone up.
Standing in the quiet elevator lobby, Jiang Nuanyu felt a sudden sting in her eyes and nose, and she felt like crying.
She couldn't quite explain what had gotten into her earlier, but she knew Liang Qi hadn't done anything wrong. In public, in front of so many media outlets, he could only be Mr. Liang. Even so, he was already trying his best to soothe her and subtly bridge the gap between them.
The numbers on several elevators changed back and forth, going up and down continuously, but none of them stopped on her floor.
Jiang Nuanyu walked back to her room in utter dejection, closed the door behind her, and sat on the corner of the bed without turning on the light, using the light from the window.
Overwhelmed by self-blame, her heart sank to the bottom. Liang Qi's time in Paris was already limited, and this trip to Milan was a rare opportunity to spend time together after not seeing each other for a long time. She clearly missed him, yet things had turned out this way.
During their time together, she and Liang Qi hadn't had any real conflicts. She suddenly started to worry that he would think she was too emotional and dislike her immaturity. What should she do if he re-evaluated their relationship because of this?
Jiang Nuanyu didn't know how long she had been sitting there. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Just as she was about to turn on the light, her phone in her bag suddenly started vibrating.
She had no hope and thought it was Eric calling. She slowly took out her phone and saw Liang Qi's name on the caller ID. Her heart skipped a beat.
She answered the phone almost without hesitation, holding it to her ear, but suddenly fell silent.
There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone, then Liang Qi's voice was normal as he asked her, "What's your room number?"
Jiang Nuanyu's breathing was very light: "...1007."
Outside the door, Liang Qi paused, took a half step back, and turned his head to glance at the door number on his left—it was 1007.
He stopped and said, "Open the door."
Jiang Nuanyu immediately glanced at the door and realized that Liang Qi might already be outside. She hurriedly got up to open the door.
The door opened, and unlike the pitch-black room, the corridor was brightly lit. Liang Qi stood in that bright light, put his phone back in his pocket, and looked up at her.
Jiang Nuanyu frowned, took a big step forward and threw herself into his arms, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist, burying her face in his chest, and said in a trembling voice, "I'm sorry."
Liang Qi didn't say anything, but raised his hand to put his arm around her shoulder, then wrapped his arm around her waist and back, pulling her into his embrace.
Feeling his strength, the tears that had been welling up in her eyes suddenly began to fall uncontrollably, one after another.
She buried her head deeper, choking back sobs as she repeated, "I'm sorry..."
Hearing her crying, Liang Qi turned his head to look at her. Her nose was red and swollen, her eyes were closed, and tears were streaming down her cheeks and under her eyes.
Seeing her like this, he felt as if his heart had been washed away by her tears.
He used the back of his hand to wipe away the tear stains on one of her cheeks rather casually, then hugged her again and said, "Your clothes are wet from crying, and I have to go upstairs to change. What will you do if you have nothing to wear tomorrow?"
Jiang Nuanyu stopped sobbing, raised her eyelids and looked up, only to find that he had changed his clothes and was not wearing the same outfit as during the interview.
She sniffed and asked in a muffled voice, "Did you change your clothes?"
"Hmm." Liang Qi looked down at her, then casually wiped away a tear from her eyelashes, teasing her, "I don't think you really like that outfit, do you?"
She suddenly choked up again, tightened her arms around his waist, but refused to admit it: "No."
Liang Qi said, "I think so."
"No..." Her confidence had already waned considerably by the time she said that. After a couple of seconds, she added, "...I just don't really like that tie."
"Oh." Seeing that she had taken the initiative to speak, Liang Qi knew exactly what was going on, but he asked her, "So what did the tie do to you?"
Jiang Nuanyu realized he was doing it on purpose, and with a hoarse voice, she drawled out her words in dissatisfaction: "Hmm—"
Liang Qi laughed: "Can't I ask?"
Jiang Nuanyu remained silent, and Liang Qi lowered his head and touched her temple with his lips: "Speak."
She pursed her lips and didn't say anything.
He kissed her ear and said, "Tell me, is it something I can't ask?"
Under his gentle and affectionate advances, Jiang Nuanyu subconsciously said, "You can ask."
“Hmm,” Liang Qi lifted her chin, his hand casually grasping her neck, and looked into her eyes as he said, “Then tell me.”
Jiang Nuanyu vaguely sensed that he was setting a trap for her again. She blinked a few times and said, "You can ask... but I won't answer you."
Liang Qi paused for a moment, finding her cleverness—both obedient and stubborn—quite amusing. He looked at her and slowly smiled.
Seeing that she genuinely didn't want to bring up the topic of Julie tonight, he stopped pressuring her. He ruffled the hair at the back of her head, pulled her head back into his arms, and said, "Okay. You don't have to answer."
Jiang Nuanyu pressed her face against his chest, held in his arms, her heart melting completely. Compared to the helplessness and unease she had felt alone in the room just moments before, the peace and happiness he gave her at this moment felt both clear and precious to her.
She called him: "Liang Qi".
"Um."
"I shouldn't have shaken you off and left in the elevator back then."
Liang Qi closed his eyes briefly and said, "You can shake it off."
She insisted softly, "No."
So he went along with her and said, "That won't do."
She apologized again, her voice trembling with grievance: "So I'm sorry..."
He accepted, saying, "Okay."
She fell silent. He asked, "Is this alright?"
Two seconds later, the person in his arms nodded.
Liang Qi looked up at the angle between the opposite wall and the ceiling, and breathed a sigh of relief.
After a while, he patted her head and said, "You only arrived this afternoon, so you haven't eaten anything yet, are you hungry?"
"Hmm," she replied truthfully.
"Yes, I'm hungry too."
Jiang Nuanyu was taken aback. Hearing him say that, she suddenly realized that Liang Qi must have been much busier than her that day, and there might even be a time difference.
She recalled his quiet yet somewhat weary expression in the elevator downstairs, and felt a pang of heartache. She looked up at him and asked, "What would you like to eat?"
Liang Qi smirked: "You have an idea?"
Jiang Nuanyu had been to Milan on a business trip before, but the trip was rushed and she didn't have many meals, so she was far from having any "ideas". But she wanted to do something for Liang Qi at this moment, even if it was just deciding on a restaurant for them to eat at.
She said, "How about we try the local-style buckwheat pasta? Would you like some?"
Liang Qi nodded: "Okay."
Jiang Nuanyu blinked hard, wiping away the remaining tears in her eyes. After hesitating for a moment, she said, "...I want to touch up my makeup first."
She didn't want to eat with Liang Qi with a face covered in graffiti.
Liang Qi smiled, lowered his head and kissed her reddened nose, then released her and said, "Okay."
After quickly touching up her makeup in her room, Jiang Nuanyu took Liang Qi's hand and went downstairs.
As she stepped out of the elevator and turned into the lobby, she suddenly stopped.
She had just hurriedly touched up her makeup, and some small particle had gotten into her eye; her right eye felt a bit dry and irritated. She rubbed it, but it still didn't feel quite right.
Liang Qi stopped and turned to look at her: "What's wrong?"
Jiang Nuanyu leaned closer to him, tilted her head back, and pointed to her right eye: "It looks like something got into this eye."
As she was about to rub her eyelids again, Liang Qi grabbed her hand first. He lowered his face, leaned closer to her, and gently lifted her eyelids with his fingertips. Sure enough, there was a single eyelash nestled at the corner of her eye.
He straightened her eyelashes, then withdrew his hand and asked, "Is it done?"
Jiang Nuanyu blinked twice and said, "It seems... it's better now."
"Hmm." He was still staring at her reddened right eye.
Their faces were very close, Liang Qi leaned forward slightly, his tall figure blocking most of the light. Jiang Nuanyu was enveloped by his soft shadow, and felt that everything in the hotel lobby had become quiet.
She blinked a few more times, but this time it wasn't because she was uncomfortable.
Sensing the change in atmosphere, Liang Qi's gaze shifted, sweeping across her eyes before settling on her lips.
They hadn't seen each other for many days, and naturally, they hadn't kissed in a long time. Jiang Nuanyu pursed her lips, and a blush quietly rose on her cheeks.
Liang Qi stared at her for a moment, then suddenly smiled silently.
She was always too easily embarrassed in his presence, even before anything had happened.
However, he ultimately did not choose to kiss her there. He stroked her head, took her hand again, and walked towards the door.
At the other end of the lobby, Song Lanxin walked towards them arm in arm with Jing Ru.
When Liang Qi saw them, he glanced at Jiang Nuanyu but didn't stop. Jiang Nuanyu also recognized Song Lanxin and was momentarily at a loss, unconsciously loosening her grip on Liang Qi's hand.
Song Lanxin and Jing Ru had already seen them. After taking in their interaction, Song Lanxin smiled at Liang Qi from afar, revealing an expression that said, "I finally caught you."
Jingru smiled and opened her arms. Liang Qi stepped forward and hugged her: "Long time no see."
"Long time no see." Jing Ru patted her son on the back, and after letting go, she looked at Jiang Nuanyu standing to the side.
Liang Qi also turned to look at her, took her hand, and said to Jing Ru, "Mom, this is Jiang Nuanyu."
Upon hearing the word "Mom," Jiang Nuanyu gasped in surprise.
She glanced quickly at Liang Qi, still reeling from the surprise, and instinctively nodded politely to Jing Ru, smiling, "Hello..."
"Hello." Jing Ru smiled slightly at her and asked gently, "Are you... a media professional?"
Jiang Nuanyu nodded and said, "Yes, I work at Chaleur magazine."
“Fashion media, huh?” Jing Ru raised an eyebrow slightly, his gaze sweeping over Jiang Nuanyu with considerable discretion. “No wonder, she has such an outstanding presence.”
Jiang Nuanyu smiled slightly, pursing her lips. It seemed like a compliment, but she didn't know how to respond. Facing Liang Qi's mother without warning, she couldn't help but feel a little awkward.
Fortunately, Song Lanxin suddenly asked, "Hey? Where have we met before?" She glanced at Liang Qi and confirmed, "We have met before, haven't we?"
Jiang Nuanyu's face flushed, and she felt even more embarrassed.
The last time they met, she appeared as Jingyao's friend—at least that's what everyone else thought—but now she's with Liang Qi, and she doesn't know how to respond.
Liang Qi glanced at her and continued Song Lanxin's words for her: "I saw you at your birthday party." He added, "Last year's."
“Oh—” Song Lanxin recalled, “Yes, yes, I remember now…” She stopped halfway through her sentence, clearly thinking of Jing Yao as well.
The atmosphere suddenly became a little awkward. Liang Qi looked at Jing Ru and subtly changed the subject, asking, "Why did you come here?"
Before Jingru could speak, Song Lanxin interrupted, "I asked my aunt to come and support me!" She gave a half-coquettish, half-complaining hum, saying, "You're so busy, I can't even see you. I wouldn't dare trouble you."
Her sarcastic tone didn't immediately provoke Liang Qi, but his expression was unfriendly.
Song Lanxin vaguely sensed his "threat" and didn't dare to say anything more.
Jingru glanced at the two of them and said with a smile, "It just so happens that your father and I are both in Italy. We happened to come across this event, so we thought we'd drop by."
Although Jingru's appearance was not planned in advance, as the chairperson of the Tianqi Charity and Culture Committee, her appearance is also a personal endorsement from Tianqi's senior management of this foundation that focuses on the cultural aspect.
"Oh right." Song Lanxin suddenly remembered and turned to ask Jing Ru, "Where's my uncle? Why didn't he come along?"
“He’s not arriving until tomorrow; his friend left him in Tuscany today,” Jing Ru said, feigning a complaint. “He’s busier than me.”
Song Lanxin joked, "Hey, you guys don't have to be together all the time."
Jing Ru glanced at her and laughed, "Nonsense!"
Song Lanxin chuckled, then turned her gaze back to Liang Qi and Jiang Nuanyu. A smile played on her lips as she asked ambiguously, "Are you... going out?"
Liang Qi nodded: "Let's go get something to eat."
"Great!" Song Lanxin pointed between the two people opposite her. "You're skipping the banquet to go on a date, huh?"
Jiang Nuanyu's cheeks flushed, but Liang Qi remained unmoved and replied calmly, "Isn't it because you're here?"
"..." Song Lanxin was stunned by his words. "You really trust me?"
Liang Qi raised an eyebrow: "Of course."
Song Lanxin: "..." She was at a loss and could only glare at him defiantly.
Liang Qi curled the corners of his lips into a faint smile, but his gaze continued to suppress her.
Song Lanxin was getting increasingly angry. She took Jingru's hand and started calling for reinforcements: "Auntie, look at him!"
Jing Ru smiled and said to Liang Qi, "Then we'll go up first, so we won't disturb you any longer." She turned to Jiang Nuanyu and smiled gently, "See you tomorrow."
Jiang Nuanyu nodded and smiled: "See you tomorrow."
After exchanging greetings, the group parted ways. On the way to the restaurant, Jiang Nuanyu was still not recovered from the previous situation.
Liang Qi held one of her hands and placed it on his lap, their fingers intertwined.
Noticing her quietness, he glanced at her and saw that she was frowning, looking restless.
He looked away and silently tightened his grip on her hand.
Jiang Nuanyu turned her head and asked blankly, "Liang Qi, I...didn't mess it up just now?"
Liang Qi smiled, turned to look at her, and instead of answering, asked, "What do you think?"
He didn't answer her question directly.
Jiang Nuanyu pushed his leg unhappily and covered his hand with hers.
She unconsciously circled his knuckles with her fingers and said, "I don't know, I'm a little confused."
She was genuinely stunned. Even if she didn't have time to think much about it at the time, she still felt uneasy and nervous afterward.
Moreover, it seems that Jing Ru's appearance was not within Liang Qi's expectations, meaning that the introduction just now was a decision he made on the spur of the moment. So... what should that be considered?
As if reading her mind, Liang Qi said, "We have to get to know each other eventually."
Jiang Nuanyu stopped what she was doing and looked up at him. Liang Qi calmly looked back and met her gaze.
He didn't say anything, but she felt incredibly warm inside and happily leaned her head against his arm.
“But…” After a while, she suddenly said, “Your mother is really beautiful and young. She doesn’t look like an elder at all.” She looked up and said sincerely, “Although she only said a few words to me, I already have a good impression of her.”
Liang Qi touched her face and said, "She probably thinks so too."
"Huh?" Jiang Nuan didn't react. "What do you think?"
Liang Qi looked down at her and said, "You."
Jiang Nuanyu blinked, and after a moment of surprise, she understood what he meant.
She sat up facing him, opened her eyes, and was both surprised and incredulous: "Really?"
Liang Qi kept his gaze fixed ahead and didn't answer her.
She bit her lip and smiled. Although she already knew his answer, she suddenly wanted him to explain himself clearly.
She then leaned closer to his face, tilted her head slightly to look at him, and repeated coquettishly, "Really?"
Liang Qi still didn't look at her, and asked instead, "How do you want to confirm?"
Jiang Nuanyu shook her head and said very firmly, "I'm not sure! Of course I trust your judgment."
Not knowing what she was up to this time, Liang Qi pursed his lips and didn't reply.
Jiang Nuanyu couldn't resist asking him, "And what about you?"
"What about me?"
"Do you think so too?" She moved closer and closer, bombarding him with questions one after another, "Do you think I'm pretty? Young? You like me too?... You like me?"
Her lips were almost touching his chin when Liang Qi finally looked down at her.
Car headlights and streetlights mingled, shining through the car windows and casting warm shadows inside. Her royal blue coat shimmered with a soft glow around her, and her eyes seemed to be illuminated by the light, like two pools of affectionate water.
The car was quiet. He looked at her, his eyes subtly reflecting his emotions.
After a moment, he said, "What do you think?"
"..." Jiang Nuanyu was speechless for a moment, her smile froze on her face, and after glancing at him, she leaned back in her seat dejectedly.
She should have known long ago that it was impossible to get any genuine feelings of liking out of Liang Qi!
Liang Qi let her sulk beside him, and instead chuckled softly with amusement.
Jiang Nuanyu was even angrier. Looking at the two hands clasped together on his lap, she suddenly squeezed them tightly as if to vent her anger.
There wasn't much flesh on any of her ten fingers; the knuckles were touching each other, and she felt a sharp pain at first.
"hiss--"
This move will injure the enemy by 800, but also harm yourself by 1000.
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