Chapter 25025 A Mess
"What exactly did you tell my father about me?" Lan Xi held the phone and stared at the chat box. Lan Hui typed for a long time on the other end, and a voice message popped up.
"It's unfair, it's really unfair. I just said you were watching a boxing match in the club, and I didn't say anything else!"
She turned off the screen of her mobile phone, put her chin in her hand and stared out the car window in a daze.
Lan Xi had never been interested in engagements. Ultimately, a marriage was simply a union of interests, and the person being married was a partner. They both benefited from the exchange, and she simply followed her parents' arrangements. So, dating was optional; even if she ran away, it wouldn't affect anything.
She has always been an obedient and good heir, no matter what aspect. If it were Lan Xi a few months ago, she would have seized the opportunity to propose to Jiang Sui or Qin Xing without hesitation. For her, it would be no different from signing a contract.
But now, she really doesn't want to date someone she has no interest in, and she doesn't want to walk into the marriage hall holding her partner's hand.
Lan Xi let out a long sigh.
She got out of the car with a nervous heart. Lan Hui appeared from nowhere, grabbed her and reminded her, "Father doesn't look too good, but he's not going to tear you apart... I heard him on the phone inviting Mrs. Qin to have afternoon tea. Qin Xing should be there too. You better stop making a fuss this time and just cultivate your relationship with him."
"What the hell is this about training?" Lan Xi couldn't help but complain. "I don't even have anything to say to him. Do you know how many words he can include in a sentence that I don't understand?"
"Boss Lan."
Liang Qing rolled down the car window. "Is there anything I can do for you? Park the car and I'll be leaving."
Lan Xi was about to say it was okay, but Lan Hui interrupted her: "Um... Assistant Liang, don't leave yet. Father asked you to come in."
Liang Qing's expression froze.
"What did you say to your father?" She suddenly became nervous.
"No," Lan Hui lowered his voice, "I don't know why..."
When the siblings returned trembling with fear, Lan's father was kneading dough in the kitchen, wearing an apron. Lan Xi tactfully went to wash her hands and help, trying her best to act nonchalant: "You made the snacks yourself? Who are you entertaining this afternoon?"
"Mrs. Qin."
Lan's father glanced at her and said indifferently, "You're asking even though you already know the answer. They're very optimistic about you and think their Xingxing is a bit reserved. They want you two to get to know each other better... You can't get engaged after just a few meetings."
"Engaged?" Lan Xi laughed dryly. "It's too early. Lan Hui is engaged, so am I. Is there a promotion where you get one for every two you buy?"
"It's only a matter of time," Lan's father instructed her to get the cream. "It depends on your progress. Anyway, I'm more satisfied with Qin Xing."
Getting engaged early is not a good thing. Lan Xi put on a serious face and said, "What's so good about Qin Xing? He's in such poor health and doesn't like to talk. He's not interested in what I like, and vice versa. I don't have much to say to him. Engagement... at least there should be some emotional foundation."
She simply started talking nonsense: "Actually, I had a good chat with Jiang Sui, why don't you consider him?"
"Jiang Sui..." Father Lan thought for a moment, "That child's upbringing is a bit poor."
"Okay, okay, let's talk about something else instead of the engagement."
Lan Xi felt completely oppressed by her bloodline, completely ineligible for any independent choice of mate. She was like an endangered animal that always failed to breed successfully, and now the breeder was chaining her to someone else, forcing her to mate even if she didn't want to.
"If not engagement, what are you talking about? That you left Qin Xing to go to the club and ask three omegas to accompany you drinking?" Lan's father patted her arm, "If you want to find someone, you should find someone clean."
"You've already decided on your fiancée," Lan Xi said, "No matter how much I play, I won't bring him home... Leave me alone."
She suddenly grew tired of always aligning with her parents' perspectives and beliefs, always being the infallible and obedient heir in the eyes of the family elders. She had made mistakes and acted erratically, but her parents had selectively ignored and covered them up.
Lan's father keenly sensed her displeasure: "Are you unhappy? With the Qin family's support, you'll be able to move forward more smoothly and achieve greater heights. Even if you don't have feelings for Qin Xing, you can't tear her apart. A little impatience can ruin a great plan."
"I see."
Lan Xi quickly ended the topic.
She was a little envious of her idle brother. Because of his mediocre talents and abilities, he'd been able to get into trouble and make mistakes as he pleased, always admitting his mistakes and apologizing. He could choose anyone for marriage, as long as she was acceptable.
"You seem absent-minded. Go sit for a while."
She said "Okay" and turned to leave when she met the eyes of an unexpected person. It was Liang Qing, standing at the kitchen doorway, who knew how much of the conversation had been overheard. Finally discovered, a look of embarrassment flashed across his face.
"what are you doing here?"
Lan's father behind him said with a smile: "Don't question him, I asked him to come here."
"...Excuse me."
Liang Qing said to her softly.
He heard almost the entire conversation just now, and Lan Xi's expression when she left was quite interesting.
He heard it all. She was about to get engaged, and although she disliked her fiancé's reserved and boring personality, the chairman and his wife valued the Qin family, so the marriage was a done deal. She couldn't help but find someone to entertain her... so he was also there to entertain her? After all, she had just said she didn't like his personality.
Liang Qing seemed to have lost the ability to judge and analyze.
He walked step by step to the chairman's wife and lowered his eyes: "Are you looking for me?"
"Xiao Liang," Lan's father put his arm around his shoulders, shortening the distance between them. "You work very hard and have been taking care of Lan Xi, right?"
"Yes."
"Then have you noticed...that something is wrong with her?"
Liang Qing held his breath.
"She told me a few days ago that she had someone she liked... I've been thinking about it, but I can't guess. Do you have any impression? Would you mind telling me what kind of person that child is?"
Time seemed to stand still. Liang Qing couldn't control his pounding heart. He clenched his right hand, regaining a bit of courage from the dull pain. He spoke with difficulty, "Sorry... I don't remember..."
Lan Xi's words echoed in his ears. She said she didn't like dull personalities, that she had already decided on her fiancé, and that... no matter how much fun she had, she wouldn't bring him home.
In fact, he felt that she was right. He had clearly thought so before, but when Lan Xi actually said it, his heart suddenly ached. The pain made his pounding heart slow down little by little. Liang Qing found his voice again: "Based on my observation, Mr. Lan probably doesn't have anyone he likes."
"Yeah," Lan's father laughed, "That's what I said. She said it just to trick me. If it was real, she should have brought it here for me to see."
"You're right."
"Xiao Liang, you did a great job. Please help me look after her and Qin Xing this afternoon and let them get along well." This was the end of the task. Liang Qing nodded in agreement and slowly walked out.
Lan Xi came forward and asked, "What did he ask you?"
"It's nothing." Liang Qing's gaze stopped at her chin, unwilling to meet her gaze. "I just wanted to tell you to get along well with Young Master Qin."
*
After lunch, the Qin family came to visit. Lan's father and Mrs. Qin chatted in the garden, naturally allowing Lan Xi and Qin Xing to get along. The purpose of today's meeting was simple: the elders of both sides would see each other and discuss the engagement if they were suitable, and by the way, let the two young people get along better.
The truth was, Lan Xi and Qin Xing hadn't gotten used to each other yet, as they were still at the stage of introducing themselves. She listened to Qin Xing talk about the exhibition, counting the flowers on the flower stands as they walked.
"...You seem very busy," Qin Xing turned the topic to her, "Did dating you disrupt your schedule?"
He turned his head to glance at a young beta following in the distance. That person seemed to be Lan Xi's assistant, and perhaps there were some work matters waiting for her to deal with.
"I'm free today," Lan Xi held up an umbrella to block the sun for him. "Let's take this opportunity to have a good chat - what do you think about the engagement?"
She didn't like to slowly trickle in and wanted to get straight to the point. If Qin Xing disagreed, that would be fine, but if he agreed... things would become a little tricky.
"Engagement..." Qin Xing lowered his head and looked at the tip of his shoes, "..."
"What did you say?"
Lan Xi tilted her head towards him.
She finally understood what "sound as soft as a mosquito's hum" meant. Even at such a close distance, she couldn't hear it clearly. She wished Qin Xing could speak into the loudspeaker and cover her ears directly with the sound.
A couple walking under the flower stand is in an intimate posture, with a parasol covering their upper bodies. Looking down, you can see that their shoes are almost overlapping, which easily arouses people's imagination.
"Look," Father Lan pointed at their backs, "I told you these two kids are a perfect match, Xiao Liang, don't you agree?"
"Yes," Liang Qing stood aside stiffly, "They are a good match."
Mrs. Qin couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh. Before coming here, she had thought the Lan family would look down on her introverted daughter Xingxing, but she hadn't expected Lan Xi to take such good care of her. She picked up a chocolate cookie from the dessert stand, and the moment she took a bite, her smile abruptly died.
"This is the cranberry scone I made," Lan's father looked at her expectantly, "How does it taste?"
“The taste is very rich…”
Liang Qing followed Lan Xi from a distance, watching her holding an umbrella for others and whispering intimately to each other, like every couple in love, telling each other their secrets. He responded to Mrs. Lan's words sincerely, saying that Lan Xi and Qin Xing looked very compatible.
They have similar family backgrounds, are talented and good-looking, no one would object or question them, and everyone hopes they will be together.
They strolled leisurely, talked for a long time, and finally returned excitedly. Even the reserved Qin Xing's eyes were dancing with light.
"We plan to get engaged next month, and it will be a double happiness with Lan Hui." Lan Xi announced in front of everyone.
As expected. As expected, things were progressing according to plan, and Lan Xi should be engaged to an omega of equal status. The autumn sun was a little too glaring, and Liang Qing moved to an unnoticed corner and stood in the shadows.
"Okay, I think so," Lan's father said with a pleased smile, "Let's do good things together!"
They praised Lan Xi's proposal highly and started talking to the soon-to-be-engaged young couple.
At this moment, a gaze pierced through the crowd and fell on Liang Qing with a searching look. This look was very familiar, and Liang Qing flinched for a moment, and had to look up - the female alpha's eyes were quite playful, so hot that it seemed to penetrate him, and any fear he had was exposed.
After a full minute, she couldn't find what she was looking for, and finally looked away.
The phone in my pocket vibrated. It was a message from Lan Xi. It had only two words: "Fountain." There was a fountain in the center of the garden, surrounded by tall shrub walls and flower stands, making it quite secluded.
Liang Qing stared at these two words again and again, unable to guess what she wanted to do.
Not long after, Lan Xi found an excuse to leave temporarily. He suppressed his doubts and walked around to the agreed place from the other side.
He was thinking about congratulations all the way, but every word that came out of his mouth sounded hypocritical. Congratulations are words that carry good wishes, but when he said them, they sounded extremely dry.
Liang Qing turned the corner and a figure rushed over to him, pinching his jaw and kissing him.
Unlike the previous kiss of pity and comfort, this one was filled with too much restless emotion, almost a bite. Sharp canine teeth bit his lips, quickly breaking the skin, and strands of blood seeped in. Her breathing was rapid and disordered, and he was even more embarrassed by this unexpected kiss. Saliva overflowed from his lips, and the lack of oxygen to his brain made him whimper and push away.
Lan Xi let him go, and a silver thread stretched and fell with her movement, and finally broke.
"Why aren't you jealous?" she demanded. "I told you I was getting engaged, so why were you laughing with everyone else? Do you also think I should be with him? Even you think... I shouldn't like you?"
Questions came out like a string of cannonballs. Lan Xi looked extremely angry. She gritted her teeth with every word, as fiercely as if she wanted to bite something off.
"You shouldn't like me. You said you can't get along with introverts..." Liang Qing was a little incoherent.
"I also thought I wouldn't like you, but the result is obvious, isn't it?"
Lan Xi used her fingertips to caress her lips, which were kissed until they were red. She felt that no matter how much she said, it would be useless, because this hateful beta in front of her would always take the blame on himself. He was good at using a microscope to find the slightest trace of discord in the glaring truth, and then believe it to be true and make the most depressing, worst and most uncomfortable "conclusion".
And if she slapped the truth in his face, he would be in disbelief and run away immediately... It was so hateful, so hateful that she wanted to lock him up and turn him into a fool, so that his head could only think about her tentacles all day long.
She pinched his neck and kissed him again.
Liang Qing suspected that he would be torn to pieces. After all, Lan Xi was too fierce. She kissed him only to vent her anger and was merciless. The buttons of his clothes were torn off and he was pinched hard, and the pain made him want to cry.
“I’ll be gentle…”
She murmured and patted his face, her lips covering the red and swollen area that was pinched, forcing him to almost cry out.
Although this place is secluded, the sound insulation is average. The noise made by Lan Xi is already loud enough. He bit his broken lips tremblingly and endured all the sounds.
The beautifully tied tie was still hanging around her neck. Lan Xi thought it was in the way and threw it aside. Ignoring Beta's pleading, she unfastened the buckle with a "click" and put her fingers around Liang Qing.
The dazzling autumn sun was gleaming, and the tall shrubs and flowers around seemed to be talking to the breeze, rustling with everything that was happening around the fountain.
Lan Xi stood up, dressed neatly. She wiped her hands with the tie and looked down at Beta, whose eyes were dazed. She felt very happy because she had messed him up.
"Can you still walk?" She kindly held out her hand to him.
Liang Qing dodged her hand and struggled to his feet, his body still trembling slightly from the lingering sensation. He slowly buttoned his clothes one by one, rolled his tie into a small ball and stuffed it into his pocket. Aside from the lingering passion on his face, he had returned to his usual self.
It's like the obedient look after accommodating excessive catharsis during the susceptible period.
Lan Xi's good mood was completely ruined. She found that no matter what she did, Liang Qing would always think of himself as an obedient vessel. Even if she tried her best to make him happy and suppressed her impulses, he would not think that she liked her.
Or maybe he knew everything, understood everything, but just refused to admit it, building up thick walls to isolate her feelings, as if she were some hot and terrible lava.
"I won't be with Qin Xing."
She said this to Liang Qing solemnly. Lan Xi wanted to make it clear, to show her hand like the most daring gambler, but she had a mountain of chips at the gambling table, and she only had a few chances against Liang Qing.
"You and him are a good match," Liang Qing thought for a moment and said what he had been brewing for a long time. "I hope you can tolerate and cherish each other... Stop looking at me."
He just wanted to be her assistant forever. But that was impossible, because the purpose of the personal assistant position was to urge Lan Xi to go on blind dates. Now that she and Qin Xing were making great progress, his assistant role was useless.
By then, I won’t even be able to see her face.
Liang Qing suddenly felt bitter. He was so insignificant and insignificant that even the smallest of his wishes couldn't be fulfilled. Madam Lan's veiled warning was still ringing in his ears. He felt that his feelings were clearly visible to that weathered man, and not stating them explicitly was the greatest mercy he could show him.
"I don't like hearing this from you."
Lan Xi interrupted his chaotic thoughts. A bright light flashed in her eyes, like an illusion. She looked a little aggrieved.
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