Chapter 52
night.
When Leng Qingxiu returned home and saw Li Qingzhu sitting on the sofa, he felt a little dazed. He had just picked her up this morning, but he was still confused. He was married.
"You're back." Li Qingzhu asked casually when she saw Leng Qingxiu standing at the door.
"Yeah." Leng Qingxiu was a little tired today. There had been some problems in the company recently, and he had more things to deal with.
"Then let's eat. I'll ask Auntie to heat up the food." Li Qingzhu walked over and grabbed Leng Qingxiu's wrist under his puzzled gaze. She lowered her head and said, "I heard your mother call Aunt Zhao just now."
It was obvious what Leng's mother was up to. She was a clever woman who didn't trust her sons, fearing they might be colluding to put on a show for her.
Even when it came to going to the Civil Affairs Bureau to get their marriage certificate, the two hadn't really intended to go there, intending to just drive around and come back. But under Leng's mother's watchful eye, she said, "Show me the certificate after you get it," and Li Qingzhu and Leng Qingxiu had no choice but to go get it.
Leng Qingxiu lowered his head to listen to these words, frowning. He quickly reacted and took Li Qingzhu's hand, and the two of them walked to the dining table together.
"Come, dear, sit here." Leng Qingxiu took off his coat, pushed Li Qingzhu to sit on a seat, and sat down on the seat opposite her.
Leng Qingxiu called Li Qingzhu "dear" without any burden, and his tone was very natural, probably because he called her that often. But Li Qingzhu was surprised by the word "dear".
Aunt Zhao looked at the sweet newlyweds and tried to hold back her laughter.
This young man really knows how to have fun.
After Aunt Zhao left, Li Qingzhu said to him, "Even if we get married, your mother still doesn't believe you."
"I can't help it. My reputation has always been bad in her eyes. It's normal for her to be suspicious."
"You're going home tonight, so what about your girlfriends?" Li Qingzhu didn't notice Leng Qingxiu's unusual reaction. She asked casually, but she was actually curious about Leng Qingxiu's relationship status. She didn't know if Leng Qingxiu had any other women out there, nor did she know how far along Leng Qingxiu was with those women.
"Girlfriends?" Leng Qingxiu's lips stiffened slightly when he heard the word, clearly taken aback by Li Qingzhu's words. He put down his red wine glass and explained with a smile, "Where did you hear I have so many girlfriends? And all at once."
He has only five girlfriends in total. Maybe because all five of his girlfriends are female celebrities, he is often the target of entertainment news. Once a female celebrity is seen with him, rumors of an affair between the two will spread.
Thinking about it, he did have a lot of rumors about him being in a relationship with female celebrities, and some of the photos he'd taken were just normal partnerships. Leng Qingxiu never explained it to anyone, but tacitly acknowledged it. This allowed him to leverage the celebrity traffic to spread awareness for his company's products.
"Oh? I just heard it from others." Li Qingzhu blinked innocently.
It's not news she deliberately fabricated.
"I have principles when it comes to making friends. I won't have two relationships at the same time."
"Besides, today is your first night living here, so I can't stay out all night, right?" Leng Qingxiu said slowly.
"It's none of my business if you don't come home at night." Li Qingzhu spread out her hands nonchalantly.
They didn't know that the four words "not returning home at night" were heard by Aunt Zhao who was hiding nearby. At this time, she was reporting to Leng's mother.
"Madam, the gentleman will not be coming home tonight!" Aunt Zhao seemed to have heard bad news and hurried back to her room to report the situation.
Leng's mother had long ago told Aunt Zhao to report any unusual behavior or comments to her at any time. Aunt Zhao listened for a moment, not daring to get too close for fear of being discovered, so she barely caught a single word worth warning.
At this time, Leng Qingxiu received a call saying that there was a problem in the company and he had to go back to solve it.
Leng Qingxiu put on his coat immediately after receiving the call. Before leaving, he said to Li Qingzhu, "Something happened at the company. I'm afraid I really won't be home tonight. If you have any problems, please ask Aunt Zhao. She will help you solve it." After giving his instructions, Leng Qingxiu picked up his phone, called the driver, and hurried out.
Aunt Zhao heard the door open and came out to see only Li Qingzhu at the table. She asked, "Madam, where is the husband?"
Li Qingzhu saw that it was Aunt Zhao and smiled, "Something happened at the company, so he went back to work overtime."
"Auntie, I'm full too. I'll go back to my room first." Li Qingzhu sat here with nothing to do and planned to go back to the room to chat with Xu Li.
Aunt Zhao heaved a sigh of relief when she heard the news. She returned to her room and explained what had just happened to Leng's mother: "Madam, the wife said that the husband went to the company."
——
"You said that even though my son is married, he is still a source of worry." Mother Leng didn't quite believe that Leng Qingxiu was going to the company.
It’s so late, is there anything that can’t be dealt with tomorrow?
"It's an emergency at the company, so it's normal for him to handle it immediately. You don't trust him enough." Leng's father calmly scrolled through his phone. He felt it wasn't his son who was worrying, but that she, as a mother, had too much to do. But he didn't dare tell Leng's mother this.
"It's not that I don't think well of him, but every time I look for him, he says he's at the company. But every time, he's having dinner with his girlfriend. I've caught him doing this three or four times." Mother Leng reprimanded Leng Qingxiu for his dishonest behavior.
"That happened a long time ago. There's no point in bringing up old things from a few years ago. Besides, Xiaozhu didn't mind."
Leng Qingxiu had indeed been enjoying himself in his twenties, often not coming home. After graduation, he moved out, and his family had no control over him. Leng's mother had always been strict with him, fearing he might develop bad habits. She also wanted him to be a successful person. She hoped that even without the Leng family's influence, Leng Qingxiu could still achieve success, and even if he left the Leng family, he could still make a living.
"Qingzhu just moved in, and this guy isn't at home. A girl like that would be a little unhappy. But she's understanding and will understand this brat." Mother Leng thought of Li Qingzhu, "No, I have to give him a call. The son is unreliable, so I, as a mother, have to step in."
After saying that, Leng's mother went to call Li Qingzhu.
Li Qingzhu was a little surprised when she received the call from Leng's mother. She didn't expect a call so late at night and she said so many heartwarming words.
I thought to myself, this mother-in-law is quite understanding.
After finishing her call with Leng's mother, Li Qingzhu returned to her room to wash up. After washing up, she did some simple skin care and then lay down on the bed.
Li Qingzhu wanted to have a video call with Xu Li before going to bed. She couldn't let Xu Li think that he had forgotten her after getting married.
But Xu Li didn't answer.
Over there, Xu Li was watching a movie, her WeChat messages still unread. She'd originally planned to buy some flowers and then go out for dinner before heading home, but then she wandered off to the mall, saw a new movie, and decided to go see it, so she bought some tickets.
Li Qingzhu didn't wait for a reply, so she called several times, but Xu Li didn't reply. Li Qingzhu thought Xu Li might be asleep, so she stopped sending messages and crawled into bed, starting her sleep pattern.
At about one in the morning, Leng Qingxiu came back from the company after finishing his work. When he turned the door handle, he found that the door was locked. Leng Qingxiu had no choice but to go to the guest room.
The next morning, Aunt Zhao saw Leng Qingxiu coming out of the guest room and immediately went into reconnaissance mode.
"Why is sir sleeping in the guest room?"
"I came back late last night, Li..." Leng Qingxiu looked at Aunt Zhao. The word "Li" he had just said didn't sound right, so he changed the address and said, "Madam has gone to bed and locked the door."
Aunt Zhao understood and thought there was no problem, so she went to bring out the breakfast prepared by the chef.
When Li Qingzhu woke up, she found that there was no one around her and she was confused for a few seconds.
Did Leng Qingxiu not come back all night? Or did he come back and sleep somewhere else?
It seems both are possible.
Li Qingzhu got out of bed, washed up, and chose a white long-sleeved top from the closet. Picking up the top, Li Qingzhu looked at the jeans and denim skirt in front of her, thought for a while, and finally reached out for a denim miniskirt.
Today she plans to take a walk around here and get familiar with the environment.
Leng Qingxiu downstairs looked at his watch and asked Aunt Zhao, "Did she sleep late last night?"
Aunt Zhao replied, "Sir, I don't know about that. My wife went back to her room after you left."
Leng Qingxiu also thought his question was a little funny, so he smiled and said, "I'll go see her."
Leng Qingxiu knocked on the door. The person inside was getting dressed and waited until he knocked several times before going over to open the door.
"When did you come back?" Li Qingzhu opened the door and saw Leng Qingxiu standing at the door in home clothes.
He was wearing a dark blue sweatshirt, grey sweatpants, and his hair was smoothed down. He looked a bit like a teenager now, and his usual elitist air was gone.
"Last night around one o'clock." Leng Qingxiu saw Li Qingzhu's outfit and suddenly asked, "Isn't it cold?"
"Even if it's cold, I have to dress like this." Li Qingzhu put her hands in her pockets. Before opening the door, she put on a denim jacket, sneakers, and white socks that reached just above her ankles. Looking in the mirror, Li Qingzhu felt like she was back in college, full of energy!
Leng Qingxiu didn't interfere too much with Li Qingzhu's attire.
Li Qingzhu went out the door and walked around him down the stairs.
Leng Qingxiu followed behind and came to the first floor together.
Looking at Li Qingzhu's back and those slender white legs, Leng Qingxiu praised her generously: "You look pretty good."
Receiving the compliment, Li Qingzhu politely replied, "Thank you. This outfit looks great on you, too."
"You know what? You look different like this than when you wear a suit. The seriousness you carry around is gone a lot."
As soon as Leng Qingxiu put on his suit, he exuded a sense of solemnity. His casual attire softened his features. However, Li Qingzhu still liked seeing him in a suit; it was formal yet relaxed. He exuded a sense of nobility, and his every gesture captivated her.
"So in your eyes, I am a serious person." Leng Qingxiu sat where he had just sat, picked up the coffee on the table, and sipped it slowly for a while.
"But you didn't sound very serious after you spoke." Maybe it was because Leng Qingxiu rarely spoke with a stern face, Li Qingzhu didn't think he was very serious.
Seeing Li Qingzhu dressed neatly, it was obvious that she was going out. So Leng Qingxiu casually asked, "Where are you going today?"
Li Qingzhu didn't hide it and said, "I plan to go shopping nearby. Do you know where there's a shopping mall?"
Leng Qingxiu thought for a moment and said, "Can you drive?"
"Well... not really." Li Qingzhu lowered his head and said in a low voice.
Li Qingzhu actually had a driver's license, but she hadn't practiced for many years, so her skills were rusty. She didn't dare drive out in this situation. If she got into an accident, or hit someone else's car, it would be a big trouble.
"Have breakfast first, I'll drive you there later." Leng Qingxiu said, then went upstairs to change his clothes.
This time Li Qingzhu was a little confused, but she quickly realized that the other person might be on their way.
Leng Qingxiu rushed to the company last night, and this morning he was leisurely drinking coffee at home. The scene changed quite a bit.
Maybe the company’s urgent matter has been resolved, so I’m not in a hurry to go to work this morning.
So Li Qingzhu thought that Leng Qingxiu was going to the company and would take her with him.
Suddenly thinking about it, she felt how comfortable it was to not have to work. Li Qingzhu had no intention of looking for another job. She just wanted to live a carefree life for a while.
After breakfast, Li Qingzhu went to the garage with Leng Qingxiu to get the car.
"There aren't many people here, so taxis rarely pick up passengers. There's no bus stop nearby, so if you want to go out on your own, you'd better get a driver's license." Leng Qingxiu drove the car out of the community, watched Li Qingzhu observe the situation on the roadside, and said, "If you want to go out, you can find Lao Rao. I'll tell Lao Rao to save your phone number later."
Lao Rao is Leng Qingxiu's full-time driver. Leng Qingxiu has two drivers, one is Lao Rao and the other is Lao Zeng.
Leng Qingxiu drove to a commercial street, found a parking space, and parked the car.
Li Qingzhu watched Leng Qingxiu turn off the car and unbuckle his seatbelt. Her hands, which were gripping the seatbelt, paused as she stared at him and asked, "Aren't you going to work?"
Do I have to go shopping with her?
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