Chapter Twenty-Nine
Liang Yuheng was wearing a navy blue shirt and black suit pants today, and was browsing the coach information on the wall with one hand in his pocket.
If you look closely, you'll notice that he kept looking at Shi Qing's copy.
"Why are you here?" Shi Qing had thought he wouldn't want to see her again today.
Today was the first time Liang Yuheng had seen Shi Qing in yoga clothes. The fitted clothes made her look tall and slender, and even more capable than usual.
"I'm here to pick you up."
Liang Yuheng raised the corners of his mouth slightly.
When Xia Mingqiu was around, Liang Yuheng would wait for her near the mall so they could go home together.
Shi Qing felt a slight flutter in her heart when she heard that he had come specifically to pick her up.
She couldn't bring herself to say what she had originally intended to say.
Shi Qing: "I still have one more class, do you want to go back first?"
Liang Yuheng: "It's okay, I'll wait for you here."
"There's a sofa over there, you can sit and rest," Shi Qing pointed inside.
Shi Qing was about to get her some water when Liang Yuheng stopped her, saying, "It's okay, you don't need to worry about me. I'll pour myself a drink."
"Then I'll go to class now."
"Um."
Afterwards, as soon as Liang Yuheng sat down on the sofa in the reception room, his striking good looks and charismatic presence naturally attracted everyone's attention, and passersby couldn't help but steal a glance.
Luo Luo ran into Coach Xiao Ke while getting water from the tea room, and the two started gossiping quietly.
Xiao Ke exclaimed excitedly, "Is that the student's husband? He's so handsome!"
"Shi Qing's boyfriend. I told you last time he was super handsome, now you believe me, right?" Luo Luo said smugly.
Xiao Ke nodded vigorously: "I feel relieved to see that my beautiful boyfriend is so handsome."
"Agreed. Speaking of which, why are so many people looking for Shi Qing today, and all of them are ridiculously good-looking!"
Xiao Ke asked in confusion, "If this is Shi Qing's boyfriend, then what about the one from this morning?"
Luo Luo: "It's like we're friends, but it feels so simple to me."
Xiao Ke expressed her regret: "I heard he's also very handsome, but I was giving an extra class to a student at the time, so I didn't see him."
Luo Luo: "If I were Shi Qing, I would be so conflicted. This is such a difficult choice."
"What should I choose? Wouldn't it be better to just buy them all?" Xiao Ke joked.
Luo Luo laughed excitedly, "Yes, yes!"
The two were chatting happily and didn't notice Liang Yuheng approaching.
"Excuse me, where is the restroom?" Liang Yuheng asked politely.
Luo Luo and Xiao Ke were startled, and quickly forced a smile: "We have some in our store, just go to the end."
Xiao Ke had class, so she said goodbye and went back to class first.
Liang Yuheng thanked him and asked, "By the way, besides me, did anyone else come looking for Shi Qing today?"
Luo Luo finished speaking; their conversation had been overheard.
She pretended to be nonchalant and said, "Yes, a boy and a girl, both quite good-looking."
He knew that the girl was Zhou Han.
Who is the other person?
Liang Yuheng: "Do you know why he sought out Shi Qing?"
Luo Luo shook her head and said honestly, "I don't know the specifics. The two of them went out and talked for a while."
"Okay, thank you."
Seeing that he was quite easy to talk to, Luo Luo couldn't help but ask, "Just between us, are you Shi Qing's boyfriend?"
Liang Yuheng was slightly taken aback, but quickly realized that Shi Qing probably hadn't told them about her marriage: "Yes."
Luo Luo smiled and said, "Thank you for ordering food for us last week. You went to so much trouble."
You're welcome. I'm glad you like it.
Luo Luo smiled awkwardly: "Um, please don't mind what I just said. We were just talking nonsense. Coach Shi and that person are definitely just ordinary friends. Please don't overthink it."
"Yes, I know." Liang Yuheng smiled politely, seemingly unconcerned. "Would it be convenient to add you on WeChat?"
Luo Luo immediately took out the QR code: "Okay. I'll secretly tell you if anyone comes looking for Shi Qing later."
"Smart." Liang Yuheng's lips curled slightly.
After being praised, Luo Luo was less nervous and spoke her mind: "Shi Qing told us before that her boyfriend was really handsome, and today we finally saw it for ourselves."
Liang Yuheng raised an eyebrow slightly: "She really said that?"
"Yes, and she said you treat her very well."
"Thank you for telling me this."
Liang Yuheng's mood, which had been depressed all day, was slightly soothed.
"You're welcome."
After saying that, Liang Yuheng went to the bathroom.
As soon as he entered the room, he heard a man and a woman talking, accompanied by indescribable sounds.
He was about to turn around and leave when he suddenly heard Shi Qing's name.
Zhao Xiaoxue said with dissatisfaction, "I just really hate her. I can't have a single comfortable day when she's around."
The store manager lowered his voice: "I know, just bear with it a little longer. She has indeed brought in a lot of high-quality customers since she came here, and I need to consider our store's profits."
Zhao Xiaoxue complained, "We were running just fine before she came. I think you're just reluctant to let her go."
The store manager gently coaxed, "What nonsense are you talking about? Look at the assistant store manager position, I gave it to you despite the pressure from above. Don't you understand my feelings?"
"So, do you want her or me?" Zhao Xiaoxue asked sweetly.
The store manager sounded impatient: "I want you, I want you. Be good, let me have my way. When we get back, I'll ask the manager to transfer her to another store, okay?"
"That's more like it."
"You're twisting so fast, can't your boyfriend satisfy you?"
"He can't compare to you. I still prefer you the way you are."
"Keep your voice down."
...
Liang Yuheng silently withdrew.
He only found out then that Shi Qing had encountered so many things at the store, but she had never told him about them.
After finishing her class, Shi Qing hurriedly went to the fitting room to change her clothes, grabbed her bag, and went to find Liang Yuheng.
"Look how anxious she is." Wang Senran didn't even bother to lower her voice when she saw that no one was in the changing room.
Zhao Xiaoxue opened the closet, took out clothes, and said sarcastically, "You finally managed to curry favor with a rich second-generation, so you have to fawn over him to make him happy."
Wang Senran: "That guy does look quite rich. We underestimated her to be able to hook up with such a high-quality guy."
Zhao Xiaoxue scoffed: "She's just playing around. If she really got him, would she still be doing this lousy job?"
“I think so too. No wonder the clothes she wore a while ago were so expensive, and she said they were gifts from her friends.” Wang Senran pouted.
"She thinks everyone else is a fool, a hypocrite."
After Qi Li arrived, the two stopped talking and changed the subject.
Liang Yuheng parked his car in the underground parking lot today. The two of them walked to his car after coming out of the elevator.
"Wait a minute." Liang Yuheng stepped forward, opened the passenger door, and took out a large bouquet of Ecuadorian roses.
"Why are you suddenly sending me flowers?" Shi Qing was slightly taken aback, but did not accept them.
Liang Yuheng's lips curled up slightly, his eyes filled with a smile: "Chasing someone."
Upon hearing those two words, Shi Qing felt as if a string in her heart had been plucked.
"Thank you. The flowers are beautiful, but I can't accept them." Shi Qing lowered her eyes and pinched her palms tightly with her fingertips.
Liang Yuheng's movements froze slightly, and his smile faded: "Shi Qing, have you ever thought about living a good life with me?"
Shi Qing suddenly looked up, her heart skipped a beat: "What do you mean?"
Liang Yuheng's gaze was direct and ardent: "It's about becoming a real couple."
Shi Qing originally thought that Liang Yuheng only had some feelings for her, but she did not expect him to think this way.
This made her mind even more confused.
"No." After a few seconds, Shi Qing spoke with difficulty.
Liang Yuheng's hand fell to his side, his eyes darkening, and his Adam's apple bobbed: "Don't you have any feelings for me at all?"
“It has nothing to do with this.” Shi Qing didn’t dare to look him in the eye, and looked down at the blue-purple rose in his hand.
Liang Yuheng's voice trembled slightly: "Then why are you unwilling? Is it because I didn't do a good enough job?"
Shi Qing felt as if she had been pricked by a needle: "No, you've always been a good person, but I have no intention of living with anyone else. Otherwise, I wouldn't have entered into a fake marriage with you."
Liang Yuheng: "I was like that before, but now I want to try it seriously with you."
Shi Qing met his gaze: "We only lived together for a short time, you don't know the whole me at all."
"How do you know I don't want to know? Did you give me a chance to know?" Liang Yuheng suppressed his anger and questioned with red eyes.
Shi Qing felt a tightness in her chest: "Can you give me some time to think about it? I'm not prepared at all right now."
Liang Yuheng's tense nerves relaxed a little: "Sure. In the meantime, can I pursue you?"
Shi Qing: "Let me calm down first."
"Can't I even send a message?"
"Don't send it yet."
"knew."
Liang Yuheng drove Shi Qing back to her original residence, and then drove himself back to his own home.
Shi Qing turned on the light and saw her familiar room, but for some reason, she was enveloped by a huge sense of loneliness.
She had lived alone for so long before, and she had never felt this way.
"Such beautiful flowers should be given to someone who deserves them." A tear rolled down Shi Qing's cheek.
Liang Yuheng originally said that if she didn't want it, she could just throw it away, but Shi Qing still couldn't bear to part with it.
After all, it cost so much money to buy.
She placed the flowers on the table and lay down on the bed.
She shouldn't have gotten close to his world, otherwise she wouldn't feel this agonizing pain, like she was being detoxified.
In the days that followed, Liang Yuheng did not contact her, nor did he send her a single message.
Sometimes Shi Qing couldn't help but stare blankly at her phone. Although she tried to suppress it, she had to admit that she looked forward to something every day.
It felt like a little voice inside her was constantly screaming; she longed to see him.
Every day after get off work, an endless emptiness would engulf her.
She used to have plenty of things to do and wouldn't have these crazy thoughts, but now she just can't control herself.
On Sunday, Shi Qing treated Zheng Junzhe to a meal.
At noon, the two went to a barbecue restaurant they used to frequent during their university days.
The waiter brought the menu, and Zheng Junzhe asked Shi Qing to order first, but Shi Qing thought that since she was treating, she let him order first.
When Shi Qing received the menu again, she found that all the dishes she liked were checked off: "Jun Zhe, did you order the dishes I wanted to eat as well?"
Zheng Junzhe chuckled and said, "I just happened to remember your taste, so I just marked it."
Shi Qing praised, "No wonder you're a top student, your memory is so good!"
"I don't remember everything either." Zheng Junzhe filled her blanket with water.
"That's all then. I won't have any rice; I'm afraid of gaining weight." Shi Qing handed the menu to the waiter.
Zheng Junzhe took a sip of tea: "Have you been in contact with him recently?"
"No, but I'm struggling with something." Shi Qing also took a sip from her cup, her eyes darkening.
Zheng Junzhe: "What? Tell me about it."
Shi Qing stared at the table and said sullenly, "He asked me if I wanted to live together?"
"You agreed?" Zheng Junzhe tightened his grip on the cup.
Shi Qing gently shook her head: "No, I said I'll think about it."
Zheng Junzhe's speech quickened involuntarily: "What are you still considering? You don't actually like him, do you?"
Shi Qing: "I'm not sure, maybe I like it a little."
Zheng Junzhe placed the cup on the table and said seriously, "Perhaps this is just your illusion. He is indeed very outstanding, and it's easy to be attracted to someone like him if you spend too much time with him. Another possibility is that you only have a habit of him, and it's not true love."
Shi Qing couldn't quite describe her feelings: "I think so too. But if I really have to choose someone to spend my life with, I think he's a pretty good person."
"Men can all pretend. What if they change their minds after they get what they want? Besides, even if he's a reliable person, there's a huge gap between your family backgrounds. Do you know how many difficulties you'll face? A family like his needs someone who can provide him with support. Shi Qing, you're not a child anymore. Don't be so naive, okay?"
"I know, that's why I feel really frustrated."
"If you listen to me, you'd better divorce him as soon as possible, and then you should never have anything to do with each other again. We were never from the same world as him to begin with."
Shi Qing knew that Zheng Junzhe was right. Her mind was a mess at the moment: "But even after my divorce, I still face all kinds of pressure to get married. It's really annoying."
Zheng Junzhe looked at him earnestly: "You can come to me. I'll be in Beijing from now on. You can contact me anytime you need anything."
Shi Qing was very touched, but she knew she could no longer rely on him like she did when she was a child: "You'll have to find a girlfriend eventually, and besides, I can't keep bothering you."
"Don't worry, I won't look for it." Zheng Junzhe smiled faintly.
Shi Qing asked, puzzled, "Why? You're not young anymore. Are you also becoming a staunch advocate of not getting married?"
"No, of course I want to be with someone I like. But I don't want to develop feelings for a stranger, it's too much trouble." Zheng Junzhe looked at her directly, his heart pounding.
Shi Qing didn't think much of it and went along with his words: "You can ask your old friends or classmates. I remember you used to have a lot of suitors."
Zheng Junzhe knew he had wasted his breath again and sighed inwardly, "Why are you suddenly worrying about me? Anyway, if you have any problems in the future, come to me first, otherwise I'll be sad."
"Jun Zhe, thank you."
"Why are you being so polite with me? Shi Qing, if something is causing you trouble, it means you need to cut your losses. Listen to me, end it as soon as possible. Continuing to develop it will only create more trouble."
"I understand." Shi Qing's eyes stung a little, and her heart ached.
She thought that talking to others would make her feel better, but instead she felt even worse.
After the waiter set up the charcoal brazier for them, Zheng Junzhe placed a few slices of beef on it and said, "Don't think about anything unpleasant. After we finish eating, I'll take you to play ball."
"Great! It's been so long since we played together." Shi Qing hadn't played badminton since injuring her hand last time, and the thought of playing made her itchy to play again.
Zheng Junzhe: "Come back and let me see if you've regressed."
Even if you back down, I still can't beat you.
Shi Qing is right. Although Zheng Junzhe is not a professional player, he was on the school team before and won many awards on behalf of the school.
Zheng Junzhe placed the grilled meat on her plate and said with a smile, "It's okay, I'll add water for you."
Shi Qing laughed as well: "That won't do, it's not a fair victory."
The two then chatted about work and the past, and the conversation became much lighter.
-
After Liang Yuheng and Shi Qing parted on bad terms that day, Liang flew back to Malaysia the next day and returned yesterday afternoon after completing the final work on the project.
Zhou Han has been taking classes with Shi Qing these past few days, and Liang Yuheng occasionally inquires about her situation.
This morning, Liang Yuheng went to the company to deal with some work that had been piling up for two weeks.
But as soon as he stopped, he couldn't help wanting to see her.
He chuckled self-deprecatingly, wondering why his self-control was getting worse and worse.
Liang Yuheng leaned against the table and took a sip of coffee. When he heard his phone vibrate, he picked it up impatiently. Seeing that it was Cheng Jun, he resisted the urge to hang up and answered, "What is it?"
Cheng Jun said discontentedly, "No! Liang Yuheng, what kind of attitude is this!"
Liang Yuheng: "If you're busy, just say what you need to say."
Cheng Jun: "Never mind then. I was going to talk about your wife, but you can get back to work, you workaholic!"
"etc!"
Cheng Jun smiled smugly: "Why aren't you busy again?"
Liang Yuheng ignored him and asked, "What's wrong with her?"
"I called you to play ball today but you didn't come. Your wife was playing ball with a handsome guy! But you two have such a good relationship, didn't you know?" Cheng Jun rarely had a chance to tease Liang Yuheng.
"..."
Liang Yuheng feigned nonchalance: "She told me this morning."
Cheng Jun, seeing through her act without saying a word, simply said "Oh": "Who is she playing with? Why aren't you jealous at all? Could it be her brother?"
Liang Yuheng chuckled lightly: "What's there to be jealous of? I just finished a meeting. Send me the address, I can go over and do something with you."
"Alright, alright! I know you just came here casually, not specifically to see your wife!" Cheng Jun chuckled.
"roll."
-
After playing two matches with Zheng Junzhe, Shi Qing felt a bit sore in her wrist, probably because her previous sprain hadn't fully healed.
But since she was already there, she didn't want Zheng Junzhe to feel disappointed, so she didn't hit him as hard.
Seeing that she wasn't in good spirits today, Zheng Junzhe ran over from across the street and asked, "Why do you seem so out of sorts?"
Shi Qing twitched her lips: "I twisted my hand a while ago, and it's probably still not healed. Junzhe, why don't you find a sparring partner?"
Upon hearing this, Zheng Junzhe grabbed her wrist and asked, "When did this happen? Why didn't you tell me?"
"It's okay, it's been a long time." Although Shi Qing felt relaxed around Zheng Junzhe, she didn't like to have physical contact with him as she grew up, so she quietly withdrew her hand.
"Wow, you've arrived so quickly!" Cheng Jun couldn't help but tease Liang Yuheng when he saw him.
Liang Yuheng glanced at him sideways: "You can't stand not being sarcastic today, can you?"
Cheng Jun, seeing that things were going well, said, "Why don't you just go find your wife?"
Liang Yuheng said calmly, "Let them fight a little longer."
"Hey!" Cheng Jun's eyes widened, forgetting to drink the water he had just opened.
Liang Yuheng followed the gaze and saw that the two were holding hands. He narrowed his eyes slightly.
"What are you doing! This is my water." Cheng Jun's hand was suddenly empty.
Liang Yuheng, carrying the water, strolled over to Shi Qing.
"Why are you here too?" Shi Qing didn't expect to see him here.
Liang Yuheng wore a white tracksuit today, which made him look more youthful.
After not seeing him for almost a week, Shi Qing's heart began to flutter involuntarily when she saw him.
"A friend invited me to play a couple of rounds in the group chat." Liang Yuheng handed her the water, his gaze fixed on her face, not glancing at anyone else. He asked in a friendly and natural tone, "Are you tired?"
Cheng Jun: "..."
Zheng Junzhe naturally saw through Liang Yuheng's possessiveness and scoffed inwardly.
"It's alright. By the way, let me introduce you. This is my childhood friend Zheng Junzhe, and this is—" Shi Qing remembered that Liang Yuheng's friend was there, so she could only say, "My husband."
Liang Yuheng and Zheng Junzhe exchanged a smile, each appearing more gentle and polite than the other, though they were secretly exerting force when shaking hands.
“She has an old injury on her wrist, how about I help you fight?” Liang Yuheng asked politely.
Zheng Junzhe smiled politely and said, "Okay."
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