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墨書 Inktalez
As he spoke, my father opened the door to our house.
This is a small Western-style house of about one hundred square meters, with two bedrooms, two living rooms, one bathroom, and one kitchen. My parents occupy one bedroom, and I occupy the other.
Liao Siyuan has been staying at my house for the past few days.
When my mother saw Liao Siyuan enter our home, she was just as happy as my father.
I sternly warned him that aside from the living room and the bathroom, he should not think about exploring any other areas.
Liao Siyuan simply maintained a smile and obediently sat in the living room, chatting happily with my parents.
"Uncle, don't worry about me; I'm not thirsty at all."
My parents politely sat beside him while I returned to my room.
I tightly closed the door to my bedroom and sat on my bed. On the nightstand lay a birthday gift that Cheng Zihua had given me. We had been together for eleven years, and every year he would surprise me with unique little gifts. Now, none of that seemed important anymore.
I pulled out a cardboard box and began sorting through these gifts along with some old clothes, planning to donate everything.
At that moment, my mother knocked on my bedroom door. She said, "Jingjing, we have guests; come out and prepare a sumptuous dinner to welcome Xiao Liao."
I opened the door and went into the kitchen. "Mom, we're out of soy sauce, vinegar, white sugar, ginger, and green onions."
I glanced pointedly at Liao Siyuan. My mother awkwardly smiled and said, "Don't make anything too complicated; we don't need a full banquet."
My father added, "Jingjing is excited that Xiao Liao is here. Jingjing, what delicious dish do you want to prepare for Xiao Liao? Your dad and mom would love to enjoy it too."
I: ........
I never intended to make things complicated, but it seems there was a misunderstanding.
Liao Siyuan thanked me for my hard work and asked what I needed; he could just go out and buy it.
I caught the main point, but now I'm under restrictions.
To be honest with him, I didn't expect to be able to buy anything.
Twenty minutes later, Liao Siyuan returned carrying bags of seasonings along with a box of fruits.
I looked at him in surprise, and he said he just happened to have some in his car.
That evening, I made steaming Knife-Shaved Noodles with Tomato Sauce with Noodles. Each of our bowls had a shrimp in it. My father shared his shrimp with my mother, and my mother gave some sauce to my father. They were sweet and affectionate with each other.
The large shrimp I gave to Liao Siyuan was the biggest one. I told him, "The thing that made me cry today must be kept a secret."
He replied, "Girls don’t need to be strong; you can show me your vulnerable side, and I'll help you deal with it."
Liao Siyuan also said, "Do you need to throw away Cheng Zihua's stuff? I can help as a free mover."
Just then, the community announced that everyone would undergo nucleic acid testing tomorrow. Residents who were not from this community could now go home.
I waved goodbye to Liao Siyuan, saying, "Take care. Since you lent me your shoulder today, I plan to show you what it means to be a '90s kid' next time we meet."
I called all my friends to help me keep an eye on things; I absolutely cannot make a mistake with Liao Siyuan.
Liao Siyuan still smiled calmly, but his nervousness was revealed when he spoke, "All your friends?"
I nodded and gave him a small encouraging fist bump. "Well, let's see how you perform."
Liao Siyuan gathered information about all my friends from my father.
My father told me that Liao Siyuan always does a lot of homework before meeting me.
He advised me to understand more and to follow my heart, as it is the most important thing.
After experiencing the pain brought by Cheng Zihua, I had to be more cautious.
I arranged to meet Liao Siyuan at Mantou Mountain with a large group of my friends.
This is the most famous wild mountain near Haicheng.
The elevation of this mountain is not the highest, but it is notoriously difficult to climb.
For this event, I invited my closest friends to come along.
Otherwise, how could I showcase my popularity and the support of my fan club?
After we met, we briefly exchanged our climbing experiences.
My friends suggested splitting into groups and requested to draw lots.
I was grouped with my classmate Lin Lin.
Liao Siyuan was paired with the most talkative Pang Xiaohu.
Our group of seven set off towards the wild mountains.
Pang Xiaohu and Lin Lin were chatting back and forth.
Liao Siyuan didn't walk far and stayed behind me.
He talked to me about the ecology, geography, structure, altitude, and other aspects of Mantou Mountain.
He mentioned that there would be many insects in this weather, and the bugs in the mountains are quite poisonous. We were walking on undeveloped paths, making it very likely that we would encounter snakes.
I enjoy hiking, but this was my first time in the wild mountains. During this low point in my emotions, I needed the strength of the mountains.
As we climbed higher, the mountain path became increasingly shaky and difficult to navigate. I was exhausted, and I had finished all the water I brought with me.
Liao Siyuan handed me a bottle of mineral water as he moved ahead of me.
"Fang Jing, just follow my footprints on the way back; make sure each step is solid," he said, giving me a branch to help support myself as I climbed.
Lin Lin could no longer keep up; she planned to head back down, and Pang Xiaohu was worried she would go back alone.
The three people at the front had already disappeared from sight.
Liao Siyuan asked for my opinion; if I wanted to go back down, he would accompany me.
Climbing the wild mountains with a stranger I had only met once, especially as a man and a woman alone together, was not the best way to spend time.
Yet, I still wanted to walk to the end of this mountain with Liao Siyuan, catching up with my friends who were ahead of me.
After parting ways with Lin Lin and Pang Xiaohu, I followed the path that Liao Siyuan had taken and entered the mountain behind him.
When the trail became difficult, he would lend me a hand.
By the time we reached the summit, I was so exhausted that I just wanted to lie down. Liao Siyuan stood not far from me, and when I looked up, I could see the sweat-soaked hair on his forehead.
Our breaths were so close that I could even smell the scent of sunlight on him.
My friends called for us to head down together. Although we didn’t take a break, I once again followed behind them.
After descending, my friends told me, "Liao Siyuan is not good enough."
I looked at them in surprise, and Lin Lin said, "Even though we all think he doesn’t fit into our circle, he is really good to you."
"When your water runs out, he gives you his own.
When you get bitten by bugs, he immediately offers you ointment.
As the mountain path becomes more challenging, he walks ahead of you, ensuring each step you take is secure.
Whenever you need help, he reaches out his hand to pull you up.
Liao Siyuan is truly considerate towards you."
We, a few friends, were all watching.
"Jingjing, you might as well be bolder."
Liao Siyuan drove me home while playing cheerful music. He asked if I was tired. Mantou Mountain was closer to his house, and as we passed by his neighborhood, he remembered he needed to grab something for my dad and had to go back home for a moment.
I waited for him downstairs at his apartment building, but unexpectedly, the area around his home was under lockdown, and his community was on lockdown as well, preventing anyone from leaving. I couldn't go home and had no choice but to sit at Liao Siyuan's place.
Liao Siyuan had long been living apart from his parents; he lived alone in an apartment in the west of the city. As soon as I walked into his home, I was greeted by his lazy cat, Dou Dou.
Dou Dou was a small white cat that loved to lie sprawled out on the floor, sleeping in a relaxed manner.
Liao Siyuan picked up Dou Dou and waved at me, saying, "Welcome, welcome."
I reached out to pet the little white cat, but it shyly ran away.
Liao Siyuan's apartment was about 160 square meters with three bedrooms and a living room. Besides the room he lived in, the other two were empty. I quietly sat in his living room.
"There’s no boiled water at home; how about some bottled vitamin water?" Liao Siyuan handed me a bottle. Such bottled drinking water would cost about five yuan and sixty cents at the supermarket.
I usually only drink plain cold water, so I smiled and accepted it.
Liao Siyuan wasn’t idle either; he took out some fruit from the fridge. His refrigerator was packed full of everything from beer and coffee to watermelon and grapes, with face masks crammed into the bottom shelf.
Although the face masks he used were affordable domestic products, they were still a step up from what I usually used.
Seeing that I had a good impression of his refrigerator, Liao Siyuan smiled shyly.
"When you go back, bring some face masks with you. You've been out in the sun all day and need to replenish your skin."
I felt too shy to ask for anything, so I just said I would sit for a while and if I could leave later, I would appreciate it if he could give me a ride.
What I didn't expect was that the area where Liao Siyuan lived wouldn't be unblocked so soon, and I would have to spend the night at his place.
I wasn't really in the mood for dinner; Liao Siyuan made Spicy Hot Pot. He said he would give up his bed for me to sleep in, while he would sleep on the couch since he hadn't bought a mattress for the other two beds.
He told me not to feel burdened and that I only needed to be responsible for him.
He had never had a girl stay over before.
He jokingly said that wasn't the main point; after climbing mountains all day, I felt sticky all over.
Liao Siyuan didn't have any women's clothing at home,
nor did he have any of my change of clothes.
Taking a shower at his place made my mind wander,
so Liao Siyuan found a new set of men's pajamas and then asked if I minded wearing new men's underwear.
Thank goodness for his good looks; otherwise, I would have definitely punched him.
I stood there without moving, glancing at him sideways.
Liao Siyuan said, "How about we just make do for now and think of a solution tomorrow?"
This was undoubtedly a challenge for me.
Liao Siyuan quickly washed up, and when he came out, he looked like a beautiful person emerging from a bath. His strong physique and wet hair dripping with water made him quite the sight.
As he wiped his hair, he walked towards me. I turned my face away in shock, wondering what to do if I ended up with a nosebleed.
Just then, Lin Lin's reply came through: "What? You're stuck at Liao Siyuan's place? Miss Fang, you two are moving pretty fast!"
If it weren't for the phone screen between us, I would have definitely wanted to hit her for teasing me. I asked Lin Lin what to do.
She told me, "There's been a case reported in that area, but Liao Siyuan's home isn't in the lockdown zone. Just now, that neighborhood has already been cleared."
I felt a wave of relief wash over me.
I patted Liao Siyuan on the shoulder and asked him to take me home.
Liao Siyuan relaxed his brow and grabbed the gift he was going to give my father before heading downstairs to get the car.
The next day, Liao Siyuan introduced me to his friends. I told him, "There’s a girl named An An who doesn’t seem to like me very much."
Liao Siyuan laughed and said, "From now on, she won't be my friend anymore."
I asked, "Is that really how it works? Is An An interested in you?"
I flicked my forehead with a finger and thought, "Don't overthink it; I'm already a stranger to her."
After having dinner with Liao Siyuan, I received a notice from work that an employee event would be held in three days, with plenty of exciting prizes.
Liao Siyuan looked at it and said, "Can you take me with you? We have to win a prize!"
He showcased his strong physique and unmatched strength in front of me, declaring, "This event is a piece of cake; as long as I'm here, we're guaranteed to succeed."
His confidence inspired me.
On the day of the event, we were paired up, and unsurprisingly, I ended up in a team with Liao Siyuan.
Before the competition started, we had no idea what the events would be; they were only revealed that day.
One of my legs was tied to Liao Siyuan's, and we had to work together to be the first to reach the finish line.
On the field, our height difference was quite adorable, but it made moving forward particularly challenging.
We quickly fell behind by quite a bit.
Looking at the distant finish line, I felt a bit unwilling to accept defeat.
Just then, Liao Siyuan decided to take action; he simply picked me up.
He carried me as he ran, leaving all the teachers present stunned by his bold move.
Everyone was giving it their all, racing for first place.
Lin Lin and the others were also there, and when they saw my pairing with Liao Siyuan, they laughed so hard they were holding their stomachs.
In the end, Liao Siyuan outperformed all the teachers in the district, and I took first place with him.
He handed me the prize, which was the latest Huawei phone.
Before the competition, I had been wanting a new phone because mine was too old.
I didn't expect him to notice; his thoughtfulness really touched me.
After the competition, our grade's teachers went out to celebrate, and I brought Liao Siyuan along.
We played Werewolf, and surprisingly, Liao Siyuan lost. Lin Lin laughed and said, "Liao Siyuan, a bet is a bet. You lost, so you have to drink three bottles of beer or kiss Fang Jing. You can choose one."
In front of everyone, Liao Siyuan drank down three bottles of beer.
On the way back, he broke out in a rash on his neck and looked very uncomfortable. I asked him, "Liao Siyuan, if you can't handle alcohol, why did you insist on drinking all three bottles?"
Liao Siyuan replied, "I am seriously pursuing you; kissing you isn't something to be taken lightly in front of everyone."
I walked him downstairs. Liao Siyuan was pressing his temples due to a headache and said, "Isn't your friend Lin Lin quite mischievous?"
I smiled and slowly leaned in to give him a light kiss on the corner of his mouth.
Liao Siyuan was taken aback and blushed.
A few days later, I went to Liao Siyuan's workplace to find him, which had been arranged in advance.
When I arrived at the front desk, they directed me straight to the 18th floor, saying that Mr. A had instructed them to do so. Liao Siyuan's company occupied two floors in the prime location of Financial Street at the Gemini Building, and he was well-known in both political and business circles. This was my first deep dive into his career and work.
I knocked on the door and found that there was someone in his office.
The girl inside was truly beautiful.
From her fashion sense to her demeanor, she was clearly from a different social circle than mine.
Her dark eyes were constantly directed at Liao Siyuan, sparkling with interest.
"Si Yuan, I've been asking you about this for a long time, and now that I'm here..." Her voice was as sweet as a lark's song, instantly captivating.
Liao Siyuan maintained a professional demeanor.
Upon seeing me enter, his gaze suddenly brightened.
The girl noticed the change in Liao Siyuan's attitude towards me; her beautiful face immediately fell.
"Fang Jing, right? I've heard a lot about you. I'm a shareholder here, my name is Ning Ning. I hold 37% of the shares in Siyuan's company, so I have absolute say."
I thought she was just a cat that knew how to act cute, but it turned out she was a leopard charging through the workplace.
Her strong woman aura left a deep impression on me.
I smiled at her as Liao Siyuan showed me around his company. When it was time for lunch, we went to their cafeteria. Liao Siyuan introduced it as a robot-assisted self-service cafeteria, which sounded quite impressive, and I felt a bit excited.
I was waiting for him in his office when Ning Ning came over again to find him.
She looked at me provocatively and said, "Fang Jing, you might not know this, but Liao Siyuan and I are each other's first loves. This company was founded by the two of us."
Ning Ning smiled openly, "Every decoration here was approved by me. Back then, Siyuan and I really struggled and couldn't gain the approval of his family. But our company is like our child; you probably can't understand my feelings."
I didn't reply, just smiled politely. I wasn't falling for Ning Ning's tactics.
After Liao Siyuan returned to the office, Ning Ning stuck to him again, and they quickly disappeared into the office.
After having lunch with Liao Siyuan, I went to the break room to get a cup of coffee when Ning Ning appeared in front of me again. She said, "I discussed getting back together with Siyuan. I'll let you know that the person he needs more is me."
Afterward, Ning Ning went back to cling to Liao Siyuan again. I had a friend who had known Liao Siyuan for a long time, so I asked him to tell me about Ning Ning.
Just as I was about to head back, Liao Siyuan's mother walked by with Ning Ning, both chatting and laughing while Liao Siyuan followed behind them.
I received a provocative text from Ning Ning: "Fang Jing, Liao Siyuan and I are back together. I wish you could find your own happiness."
When I went to the underground parking lot to get my car, I ran into Liao Siyuan coming out of the garage. I asked him, "Liao Siyuan, did you get back together with Ning Ning?"
Liao Siyuan said, "Fang Jing, let's break up."
I drove away feeling dejected, subconsciously checking WeChat, where I received a reply from a friend.
Ning Ning had broken up with Liao Siyuan three years ago. The company Liao Siyuan founded is his family business, and the shares Ning Ning mentioned were just empty talk; the the Liao Family would never give such a large stake to an outsider. The company was indeed established during their relationship, but the renovations at the new location happened two years ago, and Ning Ning had no opportunity to be involved.
What is this woman, who wraps herself in lies, trying to achieve?
Liao Siyuan has a major project that she has her eyes on.
She just returned to the country not long ago and needs Liao Siyuan's help in her career.
Now she has packaged herself as someone who has worked hard alongside Liao Siyuan, just to gain recognition from those who are unaware of the truth.
She even tries to assert dominance.
How could Liao Siyuan possibly get back together with her?
She broke up with him when he was at his lowest point.
Let me tell you something: there is a photo of you on Liao Siyuan's office desk.
If Liao Siyuan likes you so much, how could he break up with you?
It must be due to the pandemic; Liao Siyuan's company is also unstable now.
With that thought in mind, I pressed the brake and turned back toward Liao Siyuan's company.
I rushed in front of Liao Siyuan.
"Liao Siyuan, you bastard, I know everything," I told Ning Ning to leave. She stuck her tongue out at me and said, "It was all Liao Siyuan who made me say that. If you want to settle the score, go find him."
I glared at Ning Ning, and she helplessly replied, "Si Yuan, it's all your fault for making me the bad guy. Alright, now this bad guy is disappearing."
After Ning Ning left, I confronted Liao Siyuan, "Is it just because the economy is unstable that you can defy your parents' wishes?"
He gave a helpless smile and said, "I hadn't looked at the accounts for a month, and when I did, it really shocked me. If I go bankrupt, I definitely can't drag you down with me."
He continued, "I'd rather you think I'm a scumbag and look down on me for life than have you fall in love with me and suffer alongside me."
"But I already know. You are the quality guy I've set my sights on. Investing in you when you're at your lowest is my long-term investment strategy. I not only want to share ups and downs with you but also help you out of this predicament. I've worked for seven years and have some savings. Plus, with some funds my mother gave me, I'm investing all of it in you. From now on, I'll be your major shareholder."
Liao Siyuan finally broke into a smile despite his troubled expression. "I didn't expect that I'm pursuing a little rich girl."
I grabbed his tie and pretended to be angry. "Are you still going to say we should break up?"
He repeatedly said he wouldn't dare to say that again.
With my investment and the the Liao Family's years of savings, the funding issue was resolved.
I added many of my things to Liao Siyuan's office.
One day, I noticed that a pink desk mat I had placed in Liao Siyuan's office was missing.
Liao Siyuan emphasized that he has been working hard and asked me what aspects of the company's management I was dissatisfied with, assuring me that he would make improvements.
I replied, "What happened to the desk mat I placed on your desk?"
He responded, "I reported it to the Major Shareholder. It was dirty, so I took it for cleaning. It will be back in its place by this afternoon."
I patted his shoulder and said, "Considering your management is organized and you have a good grasp of things, I'll give you an extra chicken leg at lunch."
Liao Siyuan said, "I can't accept that; it's just my duty."
Given Liao Siyuan's positive attitude, I felt pleased.
Liao Siyuan introduced me to his parents. His mother handed me a large red envelope containing 18,888 cash.
With that much cash, his parents insisted that I accept it. Liao Siyuan said it was a gift from his mother to his future daughter-in-law.
I playfully looked at him and asked, "Are you sure I'm going to marry you?"
He immediately became nervous and said, "I've already given you the dowry; if you don't want to marry me, just tell me how I can win you over."
[Well, I should think it over carefully, after all, I am the Major Shareholder.] I joked with him.
Liao Siyuan said, [Arrange it.]
Six months later, Liao Siyuan organized a grand wedding, inviting many prominent figures from Hai City’s political and business circles. I wore a red wedding dress, sitting in a flower palanquin, while Liao Siyuan rode a white horse in front of the palanquin. The wedding procession stretched from the old town of Hai City all the way to the new city at the western end, a ten-mile display of red decorations was no exaggeration.
On the other hand, today was also the wedding day for Cheng Zihua and Zhan Minglu. Cheng Zihua was notoriously stingy and had no basic understanding of transportation; he referred to anything that moved on the road as a vehicle. However, Zhan Minglu was different; she valued grandeur. Unfortunately, they couldn’t hire a convoy for help today.
Liao Siyuan had booked all the vehicle fleets in Hai City to transport guests and family members, leaving only trucks and water trucks for Cheng Zihua and Zhan Minglu.
I had worried about Liao Siyuan's finances, but he said that the leader of Hai City's vehicle fleet was his brother, and it was just a matter of him saying the word to get as many vehicles as needed.
Liao Siyuan led the way as the wedding procession moved toward Hai City's most upscale hotel, Great Wall Hotel. Another wedding procession approached lazily from the opposite direction; they honked their horns. I lifted the curtain of the palanquin and saw Cheng Zihua stepping down from his extravagant vehicle worth hundreds of thousands.
[Liao Siyuan, I'm getting married today; you better make way for me.]
Liao Siyuan frowned and replied, [This road is wide enough; you go your way on Hexi Road, and I'll go mine to Wangyue Tower.] Wangyue Tower was the oldest restaurant in Great Wall Hotel; even with money, one might not be able to make a reservation.
Cheng Zihua looked at Liao Siyuan riding his tall horse and felt utterly humiliated. He truly regretted not listening to Zhan Minglu's advice about not bringing out his old car. When Zhan Minglu saw that Cheng Zihua had stopped moving, thinking something was wrong, she got out from behind their vehicle with her bouquet and discovered Liao Siyuan's wedding procession.
To use the world as a dowry is nothing less than this.
Her twisted face made her even more repulsive.
Liao Siyuan had no intention of acknowledging either of them and continued his determined stride leading the wedding procession.
Cheng Zihua and Zhan Minglu stood by the roadside, taking in the entirety of the Tang Dynasty. I walked away with Liao Siyuan's wedding procession, leaving behind a sense of desolation that swept a fallen leaf to Cheng Zihua's feet.
At the wedding venue, I wore a bright red wedding dress and slowly walked towards Liao Siyuan, and in that moment, I saw the tears welling up in his eyes. "Fang Jing, you are finally my wife now."
The emcee insisted that I share why I decided to marry Liao Siyuan. I chose him because he tirelessly repairs the broken lights in my parents' home, because he prepares warm meals for me when I'm tired, because he meticulously picks me up and drops me off when I need it, because he holds the umbrella over me on rainy days, keeping my feet dry as I run through the rain.
He gives me peace of mind; isn't that what a home in life is all about?
Liao Siyuan wiped away the tears from his eyes and placed the wedding ring on my finger.
A few days later, I learned from a friend that Zhan Minglu had been troubled by the wedding, arguing with Cheng Zihua every day. Cheng Zihua's family had built their fortune through e-commerce, but due to business issues over the past two years, they ultimately went bankrupt.
When I heard this news, I felt very calm and eventually deleted the message.
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