Chapter 68 Liang Yanru x Ji Peiqian: Endure the disgust and spend the rest of your life with me.
When Ruan Ruan was three years old, Dr. Liang Yanru graduated successfully. She didn't want to stay in the hospital anymore and wanted to work at the family's traditional Chinese medicine clinic. However, her father insisted that she stay for another two years, saying it was a kind of training for her.
She couldn't understand her father's intentions at all, and felt that he had relapsed into his chauvinistic ways. However, she was of low status and no one in the family stood by her side, so she could only obey his arrangements.
"Dr. Liang, it's time to get off work," the head nurse kindly reminded him.
Liang Yanru was engrossed in reading a book on traditional Chinese medicine. She politely responded with a couple of sentences, then continued to focus on her book, showing no sign of leaving get off work.
She didn't close the book and answer the phone until Aunt Gu called.
A sweet "Mom" came from the other end of the phone.
"Ruanruan, are we home?" Liang Yanru's serious tone softened, and a relaxed smile appeared on her face.
Ruanruan nodded earnestly twice: "Where's Mom? When are you coming home?"
Liang Yanru: "After Ruan Ruan finished eating and took a bath, her mother came home."
Not receiving a response from her daughter, she could roughly guess the little one's expression at that moment—a pout and big, mournful eyes.
"Sweetie, Daddy will have dinner with you tonight." Liang Yanru had to accompany her father and uncle to a dinner party and couldn't turn it down, otherwise she would be subjected to a 'tripartite interrogation' to be judged for not being proactive in socializing and not accumulating connections.
She said "okay" softly, drawing out the words in a long, drawn-out tone, clearly indicating her reluctance.
With an hour to go before dinner, Liang Yanru grabbed her documents, draped her trench coat over her arm, and hurried out.
During the journey, Liang Yanling sent a voice message teasing her, asking if she was going to socialize again, wearing a friendly mask and trying to win over those family friends.
As a junior, she needs to arrive at least fifteen minutes early.
This is the etiquette the Liang family taught her from a young age; it's ingrained in her bones. She's become numb to it. She's had to attend these kinds of dinners since she was little. Before, she was there as a mascot, but after starting her formal career, she needs to build her own network of connections. After all, traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes inheritance, and it's always a good idea to cultivate good relationships with her family's uncles, aunts, and other relatives.
Since she has chosen this path, she will convince herself to do it willingly.
Cut off Liang Yanling's chat window and open the chat window with Ji Peiqian.
He sent an update saying he's arrived home.
Liang Yanru replied with an OK and didn't chat any further, focusing on her work.
Today, all the guests were close friends of Liang's father. Liang Yanru drank some red wine with them. Since she couldn't drive, she originally planned to hitch a ride home with Liang's father to spend the night, but was refused.
Mr. Liang looked at Liang Yanru for a few seconds, then sighed twice: "I heard from Auntie that you've been coming home later and later lately, and Ruanruan hasn't seen you for a week. Yanru, you can't do this. How can you shoulder great responsibilities if you can't balance family and work?"
Liang Yanru rolled her eyes inwardly. She had to have dinner with him for three consecutive nights. Where was she supposed to find time to spend with her daughter?
"You get to see your daughter every day. Since it's a family gathering, next time have Auntie bring Ruan Ruan over. I can see my daughter, and you can see your granddaughter." Liang Yanru tried her best not to say these words through gritted teeth. She wanted to be scolded, but she couldn't help but say those sarcastic words.
"Nonsense! Is this a dinner party for a three-year-old?" Mr. Liang's brows furrowed coldly. "If you've had too much to drink, get some rest. Be careful not to say something inappropriate in front of outsiders and damage the Liang family's reputation."
Liang's father got into the car and closed the door, not giving Liang Yanru a chance to get in.
Watching the car drive away, Liang Yanru regretted it. She should have known better than to act impulsively; now she didn't even have a chance to stay overnight.
Liang Yanru opened her contacts and finally dialed Tu Xia's number.
"Young Miss, what brings you here?" Tu Xia answered immediately. "You always assign me tasks late at night, what's wrong? Are you afraid to contact Mu Mu?"
“Jia Shu is still young, and it’s not good to bother Mu Mu at night,” Liang Yanru said matter-of-factly. “At this time, you are the only one who is willing to go through all the trouble to come to my side.”
"You're just taking advantage of me." Tu Xia was speechless.
The young lady loves clubbing and motorcycles, and he always drags her along. If they get caught, he pushes her out to take the blame, all to maintain the image of a well-educated, gentle, and charming heiress.
Liang Yanru smiled and said, "Then I'll call Mumu."
"Send me the address!" Tu Xia was truly at her wit's end.
Of the three, Lin Fei is the most loyal. Liang Yanru is cunning and manipulative; if she plays the victim on the phone, Lin Fei might just come to pick her up with her son.
Fortunately, the hotel wasn't far from where Tu Xia lived; it only took twenty minutes to get there. Then, he drove Liang Yanru to a hotel a kilometer away from the hospital and booked a room for her using his own ID card.
"I'm saying you're married and have a family now, how can your family still have such a terrifying control over you?" Tu Xia was afraid that He Jingshi might suddenly decide to check her hotel records one day, and tonight's situation was not the first time.
Liang Yanru shrugged: "It's not as scary as it used to be, but it's better to be cautious just in case."
"I heard you haven't seen Ruan Ruan for a week?" Tu Xia handed over the room key, then pulled it back. "You'd better pay more attention to my goddaughter, or if something like tonight happens again, you'll be sleeping on the streets!"
“You guys spread the word really far.” Liang Yanru rubbed her temples. “Except for tonight, I’ve been home every day for the past week, and the first thing I do when I get home is to check on Ruan Ruan, who is fast asleep.”
This was the child she had given birth to with such high hopes, how could she not feel heartache? However, she had too many social engagements and couldn't refuse them. She only returned home after Ruan Ruan had fallen asleep, and she went to work again before Ruan Ruan woke up, which is why they didn't meet.
"Alright, I won't say anything more to you. Get some rest." Tu Xia shoved the room key into Liang Yanru's hand and walked away gracefully.
Liang Yanru worked non-stop for a week, set the phone to silent mode before entering her room, and fell asleep immediately.
I woke up promptly at 6:30 the next morning, took a shower, checked out of the hotel, and rushed back to the Liang family home to accompany my grandfather for his morning exercise.
Mr. Liang lives in an old house on the old street. Although it is in a bustling area, the street is full of well-preserved old buildings and is only open to visitors as a regular tourist attraction, without being commercialized.
While others might imagine the bustling, vibrant life of ancient Jiangdu as they stroll along the old streets and breathe in the fresh air, Liang Yanru only felt a sense of stagnation.
Crossing the high threshold means being careful with your words and actions and adhering to the rules.
"Fourth Miss, you've arrived." Uncle Fang, who takes care of the old man's daily life, came out of the house to greet him. "Fourth Son-in-law has also arrived and is in the backyard practicing Tai Chi with the old man."
"Ji Peiqian is here?" Liang Yanru realized she had said the wrong thing and coughed in a low voice. "He left early this morning, which is unusual for him. I thought he was going to the company."
"Your fourth son-in-law arrived only half an hour earlier," Uncle Fang asked considerately. "Would you like to have breakfast first?"
"No, I'll go with Grandpa and the others." Liang Yanru walked quickly towards the backyard.
In the central pavilion by the lake in the backyard stood an old man and a young man. The old man was the Liang family patriarch, dressed in a white Tai Chi uniform, practicing the movements. The young man was Ji Peiqian, dressed in dark gray casual clothes, following the old man's example with great skill.
Liang Yanru watched from a distance for a while, then decided to let Ji Peiqian take her place today.
"Aru, you're here?" Grandpa Liang noticed his granddaughter standing by the lake and waved with a smile. "Come here."
Liang Yanru walked slowly to the pavilion in the middle of the lake, her gaze meeting Ji Peiqian's before parting. The whole process was very quick, and her eyes looked distant at each other.
However, she quickly handed a handkerchief to Ji Peiqian and smiled slightly.
Ji Peiqian took it, wiped the thin layer of sweat from his forehead, and held it tightly in his hand.
"Qian said he wanted you to rest a bit more since it's a rare day off for you, so he didn't ask you to go out with him." Grandpa Liang was very pleased with the young couple's interaction, his eyes crinkling with laughter.
Liang Yanru didn't speak because she wasn't sure what Ji Peiqian had said, but now she probably guessed it and replied with a smile, "No wonder he turned off my alarm clock."
It looked very natural, not like acting.
The old man didn't notice anything amiss and continued to smile broadly: "Your uncles and aunts all called me this morning to praise you."
“They’re all exaggerating, Grandpa, you must help me be modest.” Liang Yanru poured tea and handed it to him with both hands. “About my return to Jiu’an Hall to study…”
"It's getting late. I'll go back to my room and take a shower first. We'll have breakfast together later before I leave." Old Master Liang interrupted him directly, then strode away with his hands behind his back.
Looking at the imposing figure behind her, Liang Yanru almost ground her teeth to powder.
Ji Peiqian stood silently to the side, not uttering a sound to disturb him.
It wasn't until Liang Yanru recovered on her own.
"Why did you suddenly come to the old house?" Liang Yanru turned around, crossed her arms, and looked Ji Peiqian up and down. "I don't need you to flatter the old man for me."
Although they were married, she didn't need Ji Peiqian to flatter anyone in the Liang family. He only needed to show his face at important occasions and accompany her to create an atmosphere of stable relationship.
"I came to ask if our afternoon appointment could be changed to the evening? Ruan Ruan hasn't seen you for a week. She'd be very happy if you could pick her up from her extracurricular class." Ji Peiqian glanced at her quickly, lowered his eyelashes, and avoided her gaze.
“I canceled all my appointments for today and was planning to pick Ruan Ruan up from her extracurricular class,” Liang Yanru said. “Why didn’t you just call me? It would be scary to suddenly show up at the old house.”
Ji Peiqian: "I can't get through to your phone."
Liang Yanru then realized that her phone had been on silent the whole time, so she decided to keep it on all day, not wanting anything else to disturb her precious mother-daughter time.
"I understand. You can go now. I'll find an excuse for the old man." Liang Yanru said and walked towards the restaurant.
Ji Peiqian paused for a moment, then followed.
“You…” Liang Yanru suddenly stopped, and they almost bumped into each other.
Ji Peiqian: "I'm not in a hurry. I can go pick up Ruan Ruan with you later."
"You'd better not stay for breakfast. I'll go pick up Ruan Ruan. You should go back first." Liang Yanru was unhappy that Ji Peiqian was with her. The Liang family had many rules, and she had never had a pleasant breakfast.
After a long silence, Ji Peiqian gave a cold "hmm" and strode towards the door.
Looking at Ji Peiqian's tall figure, Liang Yanru felt a little depressed.
In the past two years, she and he have rarely been alone together. They discuss matters on their own terms, and after that, there is a deathly silence. Apart from matters concerning their two families and Ruan Ruan, there is nothing else for them to talk about.
Unlike when we were first engaged, when we could still exchange a few words.
-
Around 11 o'clock, Liang Yanru received a call from Ruan Ruan.
Ruan Ruan was very excited to see her mother and insisted on being hugged, refusing to walk on her own.
"Missing Mom?" Liang Yanru felt heartbroken seeing how much her child adored her. She thought she should try to leave work earlier, at least to see her daughter one last time before she fell asleep.
"Hmm... just a little bit." Ruan Ruan observed her mother's expression and said considerately, "Mom has to work, and Dad is with me too."
"I'll come pick up Ruanruan often from now on and have meals with her, okay?" Liang Yanru seemed to see herself as a child, when she learned to be hypocritical, always putting her real needs last, and growing up to meet the expectations of adults.
"Okay!" Ruan Ruan was clearly much happier than before.
When the mother and daughter returned home, they ran into Ji Peiqian, who was leaving. He was wearing a neatly pressed, custom-made suit, his tie was perfectly tied, and his hair was styled in a slicked-back manner.
"Daddy! Where are you going?" Ruan Ruan rushed over and hugged Ji Peiqian's leg.
Ji Peiqian picked up his daughter, not caring whether his suit would leave creases: "Daddy has a meeting this afternoon and dinner with clients tonight. You and Mommy will stay home."
"Okay." Ruan Ruan pouted, thinking that the three of them could finally have dinner together after a long time.
Aunt Gu went to the entrance to pick up Ruan Ruan, and took her to change clothes and wash her hands, leaving only the two of them in the space.
"I'll be back very late tonight, so you can sleep with Ruan Ruan tonight." Ji Peiqian put on his shoes and straightened his cuffs a little.
Liang Yanru noticed the cuffs reflecting light.
That was her graduation gift to him, which she bought on a whim while accompanying her mother to a jewelry store. It cost a little over five figures, but compared to the antiques in the house, it wasn't an expensive piece of jewelry.
He rarely wears suits. As the boss of a game company, unless it's an important meeting, his attire is mostly a mature yet casual style.
Standing before him now, she realized that in the two years they had lived under the same roof like strangers, he was no longer the quiet boy in a simple hoodie. His business empire had expanded day by day, and he had become a well-known figure in the domestic game industry. Their relationship was no longer that of a rich girl and a down-on-his-luck boy, as the outside world had been talking about. When people talked about them, they said that the Liang family knew how to choose a son-in-law and had picked the promising young man from the Ji family.
Liang Yanru leaned closer to the wall, making enough room for herself.
Not receiving a reply from her, he glanced up at her, then subtly looked away, as if looking at her for even a second longer would be an offense and a desecration.
"Okay, be careful." Liang Yanru walked past him and went into the house.
Ji Peiqian watched her retreating figure until she disappeared around the corner before unlocking the door and leaving.
After having lunch with her daughter, Liang Yanru took a nap together.
She doesn't have the habit of taking a nap, so she picked up a book on traditional Chinese medicine, intending to read it after the child falls asleep.
Sitting on the bed waiting for her mother, Ruan Ruan was so sweet and obedient that Liang Yanru couldn't help but turn around to look at her. She immediately flashed a sweet smile that would melt anyone's heart.
"Mom, why do other people's parents live in the same room, but you and Dad don't?" Ruanruan even counted with her fingers, "You and Ruanruan live on the second floor, and Dad lives on the third floor."
"Who told you that Mom and Dad should sleep in the same room?" Liang Yanru didn't expect her child to notice something was wrong.
Ruan Ruan looked serious, trying to prove that what she said was true: "Don't husbands and wives live in the same house? Grandpa and grandma live together, Grandpa and Grandma live together, and there are also Uncle and Aunt, Second Uncle and Second Aunt. And also, Godmother Mu Mu and Uncle Ze, Godmother Tu Tu and Godfather He."
“There are other couples who don’t sleep together, you just don’t know that.” Liang Yanru paused for a moment, “My parents don’t sleep in the same room because their schedules are different and they don’t want to disturb each other. Our relationship… is pretty good too, we both love Ruan Ruan.”
"Mmm." Ruan Ruan's response was somewhat muffled.
The truth was not as her mother said, but she shouldn't argue with her mother over such a small matter, so she could only sulk.
Liang Yanru sat on the edge of the bed and gently pulled her arm close to her.
"Mom, I won't ask you anymore."
“Baby, Mommy doesn’t mean to blame you at all.” Liang Yanru hugged her daughter. “Sleep now, Mommy is holding you.”
Ruan Ruan closed her eyes, neither crying nor fussing, and fell asleep in no time.
After putting her daughter to sleep, Liang Yanru lost all interest in reading and leaned against the headboard, deep in thought.
My sisters and friends have also had children. Most of them are innocent and childlike, while Ruan Ruan always seems to have something on her mind. Does the relationship between parents really affect a child's personality?
-
It's 11 p.m.
When Ji Peiqian returned home from a social engagement, he turned on the light and was startled by Liang Yanru, who was curled up in a corner of the sofa, lost in thought.
Liang Yanru smelled the strong odor of alcohol and frowned: "Are you drunk?"
"They only drank two glasses of red wine. They drank white wine and their bodies smell a bit strong. I'm going back to my room to take a shower first." Ji Peiqian stood ten meters away and didn't go into the living room.
She was wearing clean loungewear, her long hair casually draped over her shoulders, exuding a sweet fragrance. He subconsciously took a half step back, worried that his scent might offend her.
"See you in the study in fifteen minutes." Liang Yanru had something to say to him, and to be on the safe side, she chose the well-insulated study, worried about disturbing Ruan Ruan who was fast asleep.
Ji Peiqian agreed, pressed the elevator button, and quickly returned to his room.
Liang Yanru sat in the rocking chair in front of the French windows in the study, looking at the bustling night view of Jiangdu outside the window. She felt much calmer and less flustered than at noon.
She turned the doorknob and looked back.
Ji Peiqian was wearing a white T-shirt and black lounge pants. His hair was slightly damp and hung down softly, covering his eyebrows. He seemed to have turned back into that male college student who was obsessed with games and had extreme social anxiety.
"Should we move to the same room to sleep?" Liang Yanru asked, getting straight to the point.
Ji Peiqian was slightly taken aback: "Hmm?"
“Today, Ruan Ruan asked me why other kids’ parents sleep in the same room. She must feel a bit disappointed. I think we could share a room.” Liang Yanru shared her well-thought-out idea. “Why don’t you move to the master bedroom? We can just add another bed.”
Each person sleeps in a separate bed in a room.
“Okay, I’ll talk to the housekeeper tomorrow.” Ji Peiqian cooperated unconditionally.
Before he turned to leave, Liang Yanru said, "If you have any other ideas, you can tell me. If you find it troublesome, you can also refuse. I said I wouldn't interfere with your development of new relationships."
Ji Peiqian's eyes gradually darkened: "Are you supporting my extramarital affair?"
"Um...that's not what I meant."
“If you want me to develop a new relationship, let’s get a divorce first.” Ji Peiqian knew that mentioning divorce was Liang Yanru’s sore spot.
Sure enough, she frowned and said, "You know my bottom line."
A divorce would displease the old guard in the Liang family and also affect her career. She's come this far; she can't let it all go to waste.
"Don't mention this again." Ji Peiqian opened the study door.
Liang Yanru quickly walked in front of Ji Peiqian, blocking his way.
"You know what I mean. If you have someone you like, I support you in pursuing them. Divorce... at least not within the last five years. Besides, neither of us will be happy if we keep dragging this out."
In the past two years, their relationship has become increasingly strained.
"You're very generous."
Ji Peiqian left Liang Yanru feeling completely bewildered.
"You promised to get engaged, you promised to get married, you promised to have children." Ji Peiqian pressed on relentlessly.
Liang Yanru almost bumped into the bookshelf, but he reached out and grabbed her waist to prevent her from doing so.
"You...aren't you the beneficiary?" Liang Yanru pressed down on the man's wrist, but the difference in strength was too great, and she couldn't break free.
"Yes, but did I ever mention divorce?" Ji Peiqian leaned closer, his breath falling on her earlobe. "If you're going to use me, then use me completely. Don't try to lessen your guilt by just verbally supporting my pursuit of happiness."
He brushed aside the stray hairs that had fallen beside her cheek and said expressionlessly, "You're destined to hate me more as time goes on, but you chose this path. Endure the disgust and spend the rest of your life with me."
Liang Yanru's heart skipped a beat.
The man who had cornered her against the wall seemed like a madman who had been silent for a long time and was finally about to explode.
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