Chapter 23 You're laughing more often now than before...
In the awkward atmosphere, Liang Huaixu quickly got up and went to the bathroom to wash up first.
While having breakfast, he told Aunt Yuan, "During the day, repel mosquitoes all over the house, especially in her room. Also, make sure to air out the bedding in the guest room when no one is staying there, and take care of it regularly."
Liang Huaixu gave a long list of instructions, hoping that the situation from last night would not happen again.
Once I got to the company, the downsides of not getting enough rest the night before became apparent.
Liang Huaixu looked slightly tired and asked his assistant Zhou to make him a cup of coffee.
Assistant Zhou was slightly surprised.
Mr. Liang has abstained from coffee for a long time, and even during the busiest time of the year, he did not break this abstinence.
What's happening today?
Zhou Ting pursued a Master of Business Administration degree at Jiangnan University. She met Liang Huaixu while she was in school, and after graduation, she joined Changting.
Therefore, their relationship was not only that of superior and subordinate, but also somewhat like that of teacher and friend. Zhou Ting was also very bold and dared to say many things.
"What did you do last night?"
Liang Huaixu rubbed his temples. "I ate a late-night snack and then had some insomnia."
"You even had a late-night snack?!" Zhou Ting exclaimed in shock.
Liang Huaixu: "What's wrong?"
Zhou Ting shook her head, "It's nothing, it's just that I feel like you've finally come back to life."
Liang Huaixu had known Zhou Ting for so many years, so he didn't mind and even found it a bit funny, "What kind of description is that?"
"We all feel that you have a very 'human-machine' quality to you," Zhou Ting said, worried that President Liang might not know the meaning of "human-machine" since he doesn't surf the internet much. "You've been too self-disciplined these past few years, almost like a human-machine without any desires..."
Even in terms of romantic relationships, it's a complete blank.
"Nonsense." Liang Huaixu chuckled softly. "Does having a late-night snack and a cup of coffee turn a machine into a living person?"
Zhou Ting: "Look, you're laughing more often now than before."
After noticing that the smile on Mr. Liang's face disappeared after she said that, Zhou Ting quickly changed the subject, "I'll make you some coffee."
-
Around 3 PM, Zhuang Fuyao drove to the neighboring city.
Liang Chaoluo sent her a message asking her to dinner, saying he had something to tell her, but he had to work overtime at his company, so Zhuang Fuyao had to drive to the next city to find him.
Around nine o'clock, Liang Chaoluo arrived looking travel-worn. His hair hadn't been styled in a long time, as it was much longer than before, and he had some stubble on his chin.
This image is a bit too unkempt.
He was a handsome and refreshing guy last time.
Zhuang Fuyao joked, "I didn't know that management trainees at Changting had to go down into the mines to dig coal."
"Mom, please stop laughing at me."
Liang Chaoluo's eyelashes drooped slightly, casting a faint shadow.
Yi Han came to see him a couple of days ago. During their conversation, Yi Han's words revealed her closeness to his family.
For example, the bag she was carrying was a gift from Ms. Zhuang when they traveled together before.
He then took out a rare draft of the design concept for a historical building from several hundred years ago, which he had acquired at an auction.
She said she took the photos at home and asked him to pass them on to Uncle Liang.
Liang Chaoluo knew that Yi Han had always had a good relationship with Ms. Zhuang and Lao Liang, and compared to her, Shu Run was not well received by them.
This is also why he has been delaying the arrangement for the two families' parents to meet.
It's not that he doesn't want to, but that his current abilities haven't reached the point where he can stand on his own.
He can't keep the promise he made when he was studying, so he can only try to improve himself while fighting against living at home.
But what Yi Han took out next shook his long-held conviction.
The photo shows Shu Run chatting and laughing with a young man on the street.
He glanced at Yi Han, his tone ambiguous, "What does this mean?"
Yi Han raised an eyebrow. "Keep scrolling down."
Liang Chaoluo continued flipping through the pages, and when he came to the part where Shu Run got into the car with the man, his fingertips trembled almost imperceptibly.
It was the dead of night, and the man and woman were alone together. Although he didn't want to admit it, the man in the photo was indeed quite handsome.
That would be the type Shu Run likes.
He focused his mind, controlling his emotions. "You called me out here just to show me this?"
Yi Han slowly took a sip of coffee. "From this perspective, your girlfriend might not be worth all the effort you put into fighting against your family."
"You must have heard about the recent turmoil at Changting. Although Changting has done well domestically in recent years, its national recognition still can't compare to some established local companies. If it could join forces with the Yi family, its development would definitely reach new heights. And once the news of the family alliance is released, not only will it resolve this crisis, but the stock price will also rise..." Yi Han smiled, "And it will also please both sets of parents. Isn't that killing two birds with one stone?"
"As for your girlfriend..." Yi Han said tolerantly, "I won't interfere with what you do outside. You can continue dating her. We can even not be a real couple, just business partners."
"Alo, think about it."
……
Liang Chaoluo naturally rejected Yi Han, but his inner defenses began to crumble.
Before discovering the personal trainer, Xiao Z, in his game stats, he had noticed other clues.
For a while, Shurun would often be holding her phone and smiling, checking it every few days even when it was out of her sight.
They even bring their phones into the shower.
He knew very well that this was a typical characteristic of the honeymoon phase.
If all of these could be considered coincidences...
These photos are practically irrefutable evidence.
After he started dating Shurun, they shared their social circles, and they knew each other's friends. Now, suddenly there's this guy who's close to her but whom he doesn't know. There must be something wrong.
He was depressed for two days, doing nothing but work and sleeping. Then he realized that as long as he didn't contact Shurun, Shurun wouldn't contact him either.
For a moment, he suspected that Shurun might have wanted to break up with him for a long time, but was just too afraid to tell him and chose to ignore him.
Sometimes, adults don't need to explain their feelings so clearly.
"Mom," Liang Chaoluo said, his voice tinged with fatigue, "I saw the news a few days ago. Is Changting's condition not good?"
Zhuang Fuyao was slightly taken aback. She didn't know anything about it, and she couldn't see anything unusual from Liang Huaixu.
Liang Huaixu clenched his fists slightly. Seeing Ms. Zhuang's silence, he knew the seriousness of the matter.
Old Liang is right. He shouldn't just act on his own whims and think only of his own happiness; he also needs to contribute to the family and Changting.
He made up his mind: "If Changting needs me, I am willing to marry him."
"ha?"
Zhuang Fuyao was a little confused.
The original storyline didn't mention who Liang Chaoluo was going to marry. Although Yi Han appeared along the way and interfered with their relationship, it didn't come to the point of a marriage alliance.
Could it be that her time travel caused a butterfly effect?
But she doesn't seem to be involved either?
She didn't even express any objection, and even kindly hoped that Liang Chaoluo would bring his girlfriend to meet her.
Zhuang Fuyao: "Chaoluo, I'm not aware of the arranged marriage yet. But have you and Shurun had any conflict?"
Liang Chaoluo looked at him with a hint of disbelief, "You didn't know?"
Given Ms. Zhuang's position in the family, how could she not know?
He gritted his teeth and decided to cut to the chase, "Mom, to be honest, do you not like Shu Run and want me to be with Yi Han?"
Zhuang Fuyao needs to think carefully about how to answer this question.
She hesitated for a few seconds, "That was true before, but people's thoughts change. Now I think that a girl like Shurun is actually quite nice, and since you like her, I won't object... I was telling you the truth when I asked you to bring her over to see her."
She softened her tone, "So, did you have some kind of conflict with her?"
In a corner where Ms. Zhuang couldn't see, Liang Chaoluo pinched his thigh hard.
hiss.
It hurts, it's not a dream.
"No." He shook his head, not wanting to bring his unpleasantness with Shu Run to Ms. Zhuang's eyes.
Because a sliver of hope remained in my heart.
What if it's a misunderstanding?
-
After meeting with Ms. Zhuang, he was assigned by the branch office to go on a business trip to headquarters on Friday.
After finishing his work, he slipped up to the top floor to find Lao Liang. Many people at headquarters recognized him, so the journey there was quite smooth.
Seeing that President Liang was still in a meeting, Secretary Cheng asked the young master whether he wanted tea or coffee.
"Coffee bar."
“Okay.” Secretary Cheng smiled. “President Liang is still in a meeting. Please wait for him in his office for a while.”
"Um."
Sitting on the black leather sofa by the floor-to-ceiling window, Liang Chaoluo looked around. Fortunately, the office was furnished fairly normally.
He no longer has the same girlish heart as he did at home... He's afraid to go home easily now.
Half an hour later, Liang Huaixu arrived.
He glanced disdainfully at the person sprawled on the sofa, his tone stern, "You have no manners! Sit properly!"
"oh."
Liang Chaoluo sat up straight reluctantly.
He's currently going through a period of emotional distress due to a breakup, so he doesn't care about any of this.
"And what's with your hair and beard? Look in the mirror, what a mess you look like!"
He was scolded as soon as he met Lao Liang.
Liang Chaoluo scratched his head in frustration.
Old Liang's words, meant to pierce the heart, were still running through his mind: "If we go to unfamiliar places, people might think you're older than me."
"..."
He couldn't refute that.
Old Liang certainly doesn't look old, and his skin is fair. If it weren't for his steady and mature dressing style and the aura he has developed from being in a high position, he would look much younger.
Once you step out there, you're no different from a male college student.
"Dad," he said, his eyes downcast, his voice tinged with hurt, "I'm about to break up with my boyfriend, and you're still scolding me."
Liang Huaixu was taken aback. "You broke up with Shu Run?"
"Not yet," Liang Chaoluo chuckled self-deprecatingly, "but I reckon it'll be soon."
"So if there's anything your family needs me for, feel free to let me know. I reckon I'll be single soon, and an arranged marriage..." He paused, "isn't out of the question."
Liang Huaixu frowned. "When did we tell you that we wanted you to go through a political marriage?"
"Isn't that right?" Liang Chaoluo paused, "Didn't you tell me before that I should contribute to the family? And you and Mom both dislike Shurun, and you even joked about me and Yi Han when we were little. I thought..."
"...Actually, you don't need to hide it from me. I recently learned that Changting has run into trouble. I'm not that naive. If you need me, I will step forward."
"Oh, right." Liang Chaoluo corrected, "I misspoke a little. Mom doesn't dislike Shurun. I talked to her about it a couple of days ago, and she doesn't object. She even said she wants to meet Shurun."
After listening to so much, Liang Huaixu grasped the key point: "What trouble did Changting encounter?"
"Just from the news a few days ago."
Upon hearing this, Liang Huaixu gave him a cold glance. "Where did you lose your business acumen?" he said patiently. "Think about it again."
Liang Chaoluo was puzzled, so he went back to read the previous news and the more he read, the more he understood.
I see!
He's been a bit out of it these past few days and didn't realize that Lao Liang was using negative news about senior executives to carry out internal restructuring.
His voice was weak, "I can see it now."
"Hmm." The fact that you can still tell means your brain isn't damaged.
"You just said your mom doesn't object to you and Shurun? And you even want to meet her?"
Liang Chaoluo nodded, "Now you're the only one who's against it."
Liang Huaixu pondered for a few seconds.
It was to be expected; given Zhuang Fuyao's temperament at twenty-two, she might get along very well with Shu Run.
Cheng Beibei's personality is very similar to Shu Run's.
If Zhuang Fuyao agrees, he will have to readjust his attitude towards Shu Run.
“I didn’t object, and I never asked you to get married. I just wanted you to be ambitious. As for when you were little, that was ages ago. You were never this obedient before.”
Liang Huaixu glanced at him and used this incident to teach his son, "You are already an adult who has entered society. You need to learn to control your emotions. It's disappointing that you've made yourself like this because of a little quarrel between lovers."
Liang Chaoluo didn't react for a long time.
Things were spiraling out of his control.
How come now it's all settled that Changting is fine, his family doesn't need him to arrange a marriage, and his parents don't object to his relationship...?
So it turns out he was just being delusional?
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