Chapter 78 "I want you to bite me..."
A week after New Year's Day, Jiang Nuanyu took ten days of annual leave and went back to China.
This year's Spring Festival falls in mid-February, followed immediately by Fashion Week in March. The various preparations beforehand are absolutely enough to keep her busy, making it impossible for her to take leave at this time.
Although she "secretly" returned to China once in August, she hadn't been home for a whole year, so she wanted to take advantage of the lingering warmth of the Gregorian New Year holiday to go back and celebrate the New Year.
Jiang Wenrui and Lin Zhiwei were naturally happy to see their daughter return, but both of them had their own established work schedules, so the time they could spend with her was really limited.
For the first two days after Jiang Nuanyu returned, it was the weekend, and things were fine. But on Monday, her parents went to work, and she had to stay by herself during the day.
With the house empty, Jiang Nuanyu felt a growing sense of emptiness.
It's not that she can't be alone, but after years of working, she's gotten used to having something to do at all times, even during her rest. When she gets home, everything is fine, but the traces of her daily life are almost frozen in time from ten years ago.
Being alone at home, with nothing to do, made Jiang Nuanyu quite uncomfortable.
On the first day, she wandered around the common areas like the living room, examining every unfamiliar little ornament and fiddling with the flowers Lin Zhiwei was growing on the balcony. After accidentally plucking a flower bud that hadn't yet bloomed, she stopped in time.
In the study, Jiang Nuanyu saw a neck massager on Lin Zhiwei's desk. She put it on and massaged herself for a while, wrinkling her nose and brows. The day passed by just like that; bored as it was, she was generally satisfied.
By the next day, Jiang Nuanyu couldn't stand it anymore. In the afternoon, she stayed by the bay window, watching her neighbor walk her dog downstairs for half an hour. When the dog went home, she had nothing to watch anymore. Then, she glanced at the storage cabinet on her balcony where she kept old things, and an idea struck her.
The cabinet, once opened, exuded a musty, old-fashioned smell, with dust floating in the sunlight. Jiang Nuanyu pulled a white canvas bag from the middle shelf; inside was the film camera she used to play with in middle school.
She sat on the floor fiddling with the machine for a long time, then turned it on and inserted a roll of film of unknown origin, the last of which she didn't know if it was even usable. But the machine was too old and kept jamming. After several attempts, she lost all interest and had to give up.
On the third day, Jiang Nuanyu simply stayed in bed until almost noon before getting up. When she came out after washing up, the breakfast her parents had left for her on the dining table was already cold.
She heated up the two-layered steamed egg custard and the dried-out fried dumplings in the microwave and ate them as is.
I had just taken a bite of the fried dumpling when my phone rang.
It was Liang Qi calling, saying he had just landed in the capital.
Jiang Nuanyu was genuinely surprised. According to the original plan, Liang Qi was not scheduled to return to China until Friday, two days later. However, she didn't ask for the specific reason. Since she couldn't stay at home any longer, she decided to return to Beijing that day.
She turned on speakerphone, talking to Liang Qi on the phone while simultaneously opening the app to buy high-speed rail tickets.
On the other end of the phone, Liang Qi suddenly asked, "Do you want me to come pick you up?"
"Huh?" Jiang Nuanyu was taken aback. "Come pick me up from my house?"
Liang Qi: "Mm."
"No need," Jiang Nuanyu said, picking out a train ticket for a little after 4 p.m. "I can get back in less than an hour by high-speed rail. It would take you two hours one way to come here, which is too much trouble."
Liang Qi didn't speak. Jiang Nuanyu suddenly realized something from the silence and paused as she was about to submit the order.
There was absolutely no need for Liang Qi to go through the trouble of picking her up, unless...
Jiang Nuanyu fiddled with the edge of her phone and asked him, "Do you want to come?"
Liang Qi said, "If you want me to go, I will go."
Jiang Nuanyu then asked, "So... do you want to meet my parents?"
Liang Qi said, "If you want me to meet with them, then I will."
Jiang Nuanyu's heart was filled with sweetness, but she pouted and said, "It sounds... like you listen to everything I say?"
From the speaker, Liang Qi seemed to chuckle, his deep, magnetic voice saying, "Okay, I'll listen to you."
Jiang Nuanyu was overjoyed by his flattery, tilting her head back and grinning foolishly. Halfway through her delight, she realized—his words were sweet, but he hadn't actually answered her question directly.
“I won’t let you listen to me on this.” She exited the ticketing app, but still said, “What if you don’t want to? I don’t want to make things difficult for you.”
Liang Qi countered, "If I didn't want to, would I have offered to pick you up?"
Jiang Nuanyu put her hands together, rested her chin on them, and said to the phone in a spoiled tone, "I just don't understand, you have to explain it to me clearly."
Liang Qi deliberately said, "Then forget it."
Jiang Nuanyu panicked: "No—" She sat up straight, picked up her phone, and repeated, "No..."
Liang Qi chuckled, then stopped teasing her and said, "I have to go back to Tianqi to take care of some things. I'll let you know when I leave."
Jiang Nuanyu was annoyed and remained silent.
Liang Qi said, "See you tonight?"
Jiang Nuanyu then softly replied, "Mmm."
Hearing her slightly dejected tone, Liang Qi coaxed her before hanging up, saying, "Remember to tell my girlfriend's parents beforehand, okay?"
Jiang Nuanyu's lips curled up instantly, she pursed her lips for a moment, and said, "I know." Then she added sweetly, "See you tonight."
*
In the evening, Jiang Wenrui went home after get off work to pick up Jiang Nuanyu, and the father and daughter then went to pick up Lin Zhiwei. The three of them drove to the restaurant they had booked in the afternoon.
Upon arriving at the parking lot, Jiang Nuanyu helped find a parking space through the car window. Passing a Maybach that had just backed into a space, and being a Beijing-registered car, she couldn't help but take a second look.
The streetlights in the parking lot shone directly on the Maybach's windshield, and in that flash of light, she recognized that the person in the driver's seat was Liang Qi's driver.
Jiang Nuanyu was overjoyed and couldn't contain herself any longer, so she started putting on her coat. As soon as Jiang Wenrui parked the car, she pushed open the door and jumped out impatiently.
Liang Qi got out of the car and turned around to see Jiang Nuanyu running towards him. Her breath turned into wisps of light white mist that drifted behind her.
He walked towards her, but Jiang Nuanyu stopped in front of him, panting, and said, "Liang Qi..."
Liang Qi straightened her coat collar, touched her face which was half warm and half cold, and asked, "Where did you come from?"
Jiang Nuanyu pointed behind her and said, "I saw you when I was looking for a parking space." She smiled at him and corrected herself, "I saw your driver."
Liang Qi glanced behind her; Jiang's parents had just gotten out of the car. Jiang Nuanyu turned around and saw her parents, suddenly recalling their unexpected meeting in Paris.
But she was so happy at the moment that she didn't care about being embarrassed. She looked up and whispered to Liang Qi, "I'll pretend this is the first time you've met."
Liang Qi smiled and said, "Okay."
Jiang Nuanyu took Liang Qi's hand and led him to her parents. She introduced him, "Dad, Mom. This is Liang Qi."
Liang Qi nodded politely to the two men: "Hello, I am Liang Qi."
Hearing his self-introduction, Jiang Nuanyu felt a strange sense of satisfaction, because it was something that belonged only to her. Just like how he had come all this way this time, solely for her.
After exchanging greetings, the four of them walked into the restaurant together.
Jiang Nuanyu and Liang Qi were positioned slightly towards the back. The two hadn't seen each other for several days. Jiang Nuanyu couldn't help but want to get closer to Liang Qi, but due to the occasion, she would only lean halfway towards him each time before realizing it was inappropriate and retreating herself.
They held hands again, and their arms stretched out and closed, stretched out and closed again.
Halfway there, Lin Zhiwei turned around and asked Jiang Nuanyu, "Pearl, is your suitcase already in Dad's car?"
"Yes, it's here," Jiang Nuanyu said. "That way, I won't have to go home to get it later."
"Okay." Lin Zhiwei nodded and turned back to continue talking to Jiang Wenrui.
Jiang Nuanyu was about to continue complaining to Liang Qi about the bruises on her neck from the cervical massager when she turned her head and saw Liang Qi looking at her with interest.
She paused, leaned close to his ear, and said, "Pearl is my nickname."
She spoke as if she were sharing some little secret with him. Liang Qi smiled and nodded without saying anything, but he clearly remembered it.
After sitting down in the restaurant, Jiang Nuanyu took the menu from the waiter and said, "Let me order!"
The other three people at the table were all surprised to varying degrees—Jiang Nuanyu was not usually someone who was keen on ordering food.
Jiang Nuanyu's real intention was not the food. While flipping through the menu, she turned her head and talked to Liang Qi about what each dish tasted like, which dishes she used to like but no longer liked, which dishes she had always liked, and which dishes he would probably like...
Jiang Wenrui and Lin Zhiwei exchanged a silent, amused glance, letting their daughter do as she pleased.
Jiang Nuanyu ordered a flavorful eggplant dish and said to Liang Qi, "This is delicious. I order it every time. You must try it."
Liang Qi glanced at the menu and said, "Why do I remember you don't like eggplant?"
“Hmm—” Jiang Nuanyu thought for a moment and said, “This place makes the eggplant better; it doesn’t taste like eggplant at all.”
Liang Qi was speechless for a moment, then nodded after a couple of seconds: "Okay."
Jiang Nuanyu spent quite a while ordering her food, with the waiter patiently waiting by her side. Once the order was finally placed, the conversation at the table began.
The conversation seemed to start with Jiang Nuanyu mentioning a Chinese restaurant in Paris, and then it unfolded naturally.
Neither of them brought up their romantic relationship; they talked about their own lives. For example, their impressions of a particular city, their preferred food, and the recent developments and progress of certain things. Inevitably, they touched on topics related to their respective professions, but only to share rather than pry.
While listening to Jiang's parents speak, Liang Qi calmly observed them, his gaze focused but not oppressive, maintaining just the right balance. As usual, he didn't forcefully dominate the conversation, but he could join in on any topic, occasionally offering a few insightful comments without showing off or being pretentious, nor feigning humility.
This alone is enough to make people like him, but Jiang Wenrui and Lin Zhiwei do not think that he is deliberately trying to please her for the sake of his daughter.
Even though they didn't ask about Liang Qi's role as their daughter's boyfriend, they had a very good impression of him.
It's not because of his appearance, his status or title, or how much money or resources he has, but because of the qualities he presents as an independent individual.
After all, as middle-aged people with rich life experience, they understand all too well that you can't expect someone who is inherently cold, rude, biased, and selfish to suddenly become gentle, considerate, thoughtful, and tolerant only in a close relationship with someone.
The vision, demeanor, and ability a person reveals in their speech, as well as their understanding and respect for different things, are the most convincing indicators of personal character and what they truly value.
Jiang Wenrui and Lin Zhiwei did not deliberately act like elders. This meal was more like an equal exchange and mutual acceptance between two adults connected by Jiang Nuanyu.
Despite trying to restrain herself in front of her parents, Jiang Nuanyu's eyes and small gestures still unconsciously reveal her affection for Liang Qi.
When Jiang Wenrui asked Liang Qi about his business development in Europe, Liang Qi mentioned the differences between domestic and foreign service industries and infrastructure levels, expressing a positive view of [unclear - possibly a specific entity or region]'s advantageous position in high-end fields.
Jiang Nuanyu looked at Liang Qi, deeply moved. She only learned later that Liang Qi had spent half of his childhood abroad, but she could feel that he possessed the sense of responsibility that a Chinese entrepreneur should have.
Her overflowing affection, unable to be expressed immediately, spilled entirely from her eyes. Liang Qi had stopped speaking, but she continued to stare at him. The other three looked at her one after another, and she suddenly realized what was happening, lowering her eyes shyly and smiling.
She rested her face on her hand, and a tuft of hair, pressed down by her hand, nestled at the corner of her eye. Liang Qi noticed this and casually brushed it aside for her.
In front of Jiang's parents, Liang Qi did not deliberately keep his distance from Jiang Nuanyu. He also readily accepted the intimacy Jiang Nuanyu showed him. He didn't need to hide their relationship from anyone.
Jiang Wenrui and Lin Zhiwei observed the interaction between the two and felt quite gratified. They could tell that the two young people opposite them liked each other. It wasn't just an instinctive attraction driven by hormones, but also a mutual appreciation based on shared understanding and tacit agreement on a spiritual level.
This makes it hard for them not to like Liang Qi more, because their daughter really is with the person she likes very, very much, just as she said before.
Considering that Jiang Nuanyu and Liang Qi had to return to Beijing overnight, the meal did not last very long.
After leaving the restaurant, the driver brought Liang Qi's car over. Jiang Wenrui took out Jiang Nuanyu's suitcase, and the driver put it in the trunk of Liang Qi's car.
This small gesture made Jiang Nuanyu, who had been relaxed and at ease all night, suddenly feel hot in the face, and she even had the feeling of wanting to "elope" with a man.
She glanced furtively at her parents, then at Liang Qi. Liang Qi noticed the little secret in her eyes and shook his head with a helpless smile.
At the dinner table, Jiang's parents didn't discuss the relationship between the two. Seeing the handover of luggage, Lin Zhiwei was probably moved by the scene. Before parting, she said to Liang Qi, "Liang Qi, you came all this way to pick up Pearl today. Although Pearl didn't express it directly, she sounded so happy and excited when she called me."
Liang Qi glanced at Jiang Nuanyu, who immediately blushed again, frowning at Lin Zhiwei to signal her mother not to expose her secrets: "Mom—"
Lin Zhi smiled and said, "It's good that she's happy, but it must have been hard on you. It must have taken you four hours to go back and forth, right?"
Liang Qi shook his head and said, "With a driver helping me drive, I'm not tired. It's only a two-hour journey each way, and I don't feel anything while riding in the car."
“You two are so close that you probably don’t need to say thank you to each other,” Lin Zhiwei said, glancing at Jiang Wenrui. “But Pearl’s father and I are very grateful to you. You have the ability to take care of her and you’re willing to make her happy.”
Liang Qi paused for a moment, then said, "You're too kind. I didn't actually do anything. She's gentle on the outside but strong on the inside, and she doesn't really want me to take care of her directly. The fact that she's happy because I didn't do anything is like me taking advantage of a loophole." He looked at Jiang Nuanyu and smiled slowly.
Jiang Nuanyu pursed her lips, feeling her face burning even hotter.
Liang Qi then said to Lin Zhiwei, "It's alright in China, she has family and friends, so she doesn't really need me. But abroad," he glanced at Jiang Wenrui, and said, "if she needs me, I'll be there."
Lin Zhiwei was silent for a few seconds, then nodded slightly and said with a smile, "Yes."
Listening to Liang Qi and her mother's conversation, Jiang Nuanyu felt a pang of sadness and tenderness in her heart.
Liang Qi had never said these words to her. Perhaps, subconsciously she accepted that he thought so, but hearing it actually made her eyes well up with tears without her realizing it.
*
On the highway back to Beijing, there weren't many cars at night, and the car sped along under the night sky.
With the heater blowing in the back seat, Jiang Nuanyu leaned against Liang Qi's chest and slept almost the entire way. She only woke up slowly when the car exited the highway and entered the city, where the speed changed noticeably.
She opened her eyes, looked at the traffic in front of her, and tilted her head back to find Liang Qi looking at her with his eyelids half-closed.
"You're not asleep?" she asked in surprise.
"I slept for a while." Liang Qi's voice rarely sounded tired.
After a flight of more than ten hours, and after handling official business upon landing, there was another four-hour round trip. The intensity was quite considerable.
Jiang Nuanyu knew that this was all for her sake, so she chuckled and, like a kitten rolling over, raised her arm and stretched lazily against him.
She twisted her waist and slid down in front of him. Liang Qi was worried that she would lose her balance, so he held her with his hand the whole time. But after she finished stretching, she took the opportunity to lie on his lap and didn't get up.
Liang Qi looked at her for a moment, then, with his protective hand, he gently pinched the ticklish spot on her side.
Jiang Nuanyu cried out, "Ah!" and pulled her legs up, twisting her body to burrow into his arms. She pushed against his arm, laughing and pleading, "No, no..."
Liang Qi listened to her and stopped moving. Her struggling body also calmed down, and she wrapped her arms around his waist.
She buried her face in front of him, closed her eyes, and smelled the scent of him that she missed.
Her hair had fallen down her back during the laughter, revealing her long neck. Liang Qi placed his hand on it and stroked it, saying, "Is your neck bruised?"
His touch made her tremble slightly. She pointed to the junction of her neck and shoulder and said, "Yes, right here."
Liang Qi lifted her collar slightly and glanced at her in the dim light, vaguely seeing a small patch of dark skin. He rubbed it for her and said, "Idiot."
Jiang Nuanyu glared at him, and Liang Qi looked down at her, saying, "Am I wrong? Can't you feel the pain yourself?"
Jiang Nuanyu turned her head back into his arms and said weakly, "I've never used a massager before... I thought it was normal for it to hurt."
Liang Qi then said, "Idiot."
Jiang Nuanyu: "..." She really wanted to bite his abs through his shirt.
Liang Qi massaged her bruised area for a while, then gradually moved his hand to her chin, stroking it a few times before turning her face to face him.
After Jiang Nuanyu got together with Liang Qi, she learned his vengeful nature. Even after someone rubbed her neck for a long time, she was still thinking about how to get back at him for calling her an "idiot."
Knowing she couldn't win an argument with him, and seeing his hand near her mouth, she opened her mouth to bite. Liang Qi reacted quickly, his fingers tightening around her chin, lifting it slightly, and said, "Trying to bite me?"
Jiang Nuanyu's cheeks were puffed up by his pinching, and she said indistinctly, "I'll bite you."
Liang Qi smirked and chuckled softly, saying, "Not an idiot, I think you're a bad guy, aren't you?"
Jiang Nuanyu grabbed his hand and said without thinking, "How am I as bad as you? You're the one who bites the most." As soon as she said it, she realized that her words were ambiguous.
Liang Qi indeed remained silent, feeling the face in his hand growing hotter and hotter. After a few seconds, he said, "If you like it, that's good."
Jiang Nuanyu's face turned completely red, like a cherry tomato.
The car was quiet for a while. Liang Qi remembered what he originally wanted to tell her and looked down at her: "Jingyao's wedding this Saturday. Are you coming with me?"
Jiang Nuanyu was stunned. She sat up abruptly and turned to look at Liang Qi for a good five or six seconds: "...Jingyao is getting married?"
Liang Qi glanced at her silently. Her reaction was much stronger than he had expected, and her focus was completely different from what he had thought. He didn't speak, but nodded vaguely and turned his gaze back to the front.
Jiang Nuanyu was completely unaware of Liang Qi's emotional changes. She frowned slightly, lost in her own thoughts.
Since getting together with Liang Qi, she's been chatting with Ye Ji much less. Ye Ji hasn't brought up Jing Yao at all; she honestly doesn't know what their relationship is like now, but Jing Yao is getting married?!
She pondered for a while, but couldn't come up with a solution. Then she belatedly realized that the car seemed too quiet.
She glanced at Liang Qi's expressionless profile and realized that her reaction just now was a little unusual.
The thing about her and Jingyao is something that really needs explaining; saying more will only make things worse.
After weighing her options for a while, she still tried her best to add, "Of course I don't care whether Jingyao gets married or not..."
Upon hearing this, Liang Qi raised an eyebrow and tilted his head slightly to look at her, seemingly showing some interest in what she was about to say.
Jiang Nuanyu said, "It's Ye Ji...she and Jing Yao, they..."
She said half of each sentence, not knowing how to define the relationship between Ye Ji and Jing Yao, and even less whether she should tell Liang Qi these things.
She didn't explain anything clearly, but Liang Qi seemed to understand, and his expression slightly changed.
Jiang Nuanyu knew he believed her, so she leaned closer to him and said gently, "Mr. Liang, just now... were you a tiny bit jealous?"
Liang Qi chuckled silently. The streetlights cast dappled shadows across the car window, making the interior flicker with light, but his dark eyes and the joyful smile on his lips shone brightly.
"Yes." He acknowledged her words, turned to look at her, and said, "That's why I need you to come with me."
He spoke as if it were the truth, and Jiang Nuanyu burst out laughing.
Liang Qi rarely spoke such unreasonable and domineering words, so hearing it unexpectedly made her feel quite uncomfortable.
She laughed and then shyly threw herself into his arms, wrapping her arms around his waist, and tilted her head back, saying, "Then I'll listen to you."
Liang Qi looked down into her bright eyes, then suddenly lifted her head and kissed her lips.
He quickly released her, but Jiang Nuanyu moved closer to his lips again, letting out a soft moan as she asked for a kiss.
He lowered his head and kissed her again, this time much deeper than before. When their lips parted again, Jiang Nuanyu's cheeks were flushed and she was breathing heavily.
She gazed at him tenderly, then suddenly said, "Liang Qi, I missed you..."
Liang Qi raised his hand to touch her face. She grasped his hand, propped her head up, and buried her face in his ear, her warm breath spraying onto his skin.
In a voice only he could hear, she said, "I want you to bite me..."
The temperature inside the car suddenly rose.
For the rest of the drive, neither of them spoke.
The last stretch of the road home seemed to stretch exceptionally long.
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