Xu Qingzhu paused slightly, "Is it the Qin family, the ones who do exports?"
"Yes."
Xu Qingzhu thought for a moment: "Go."
"Are you bringing your family?" the secretary asked.
After a long silence, Xu Qingzhu slowly shook her head: "No."
After speaking, he lowered his eyes and said in a cold voice, "Is there a requirement to bring companions over there?"
The secretary nodded: "It wasn't explicitly stated, but they gave us two invitations."
"I understand," Xu Qingzhu said. "Put the invitation on the table. I'll be there."
The secretary handed it over, and Xu Qingzhu opened it to read.
The gilded invitation was signed Qin Liushuang.
Chapter 145
That evening, Liang Shi went to pick up Xu Qingzhu from get off work, only to find that she had left the company to attend a social event.
Liang Shi waited downstairs at the company for a long time, calling Xu Qingzhu but no one answered, so he called her secretary.
The secretary then told her the location.
The restaurant where Liang Shi entertained his clients was the place where he first met Gu Yixue.
She quickly drove the car over there.
Liang Shi sat in the car, the headlights were dim and the light was somewhat dim.
The cold wind was blowing fiercely outside, but the car's heater made the small space very warm.
Liang Shi looked down at his phone; he still hadn't received a response to the message he'd sent to Xu Qingzhu.
Liang Shi inquired about Xu Qingzhu's secretary again, but received no response.
They're probably busy.
She waited downstairs until almost ten o'clock before she finally saw Xu Qingzhu.
A group of people came out of the building. Xu Qingzhu was dressed in thin clothes, and the wind made her loose clothes sway wildly. Xu Qingzhu waved to the other party, standing slightly unsteady, but she persevered so that no one would easily notice.
After those people left, only Xu Qingzhu and her secretary remained.
Xu Qingzhu immediately suppressed all her smiles.
While Xu Qingzhu was talking to her secretary, Liang Shi drove up and stopped in front of her.
The car window slowly rolled down, and their eyes met.
Xu Qingzhu asked in surprise, "Why are you here?"
Liang Shi said gently, "I'll take you home."
The argument that took place at noon seemed to have never happened.
Perhaps it was because of the cold wind, but Liang Shi's voice also sounded a bit cold. She looked at Xu Qingzhu and asked, "Aren't you cold?"
Xu Qingzhu shivered at the right moment, and a layer of goosebumps rose on the fair skin of her neck.
She nodded: "It's cold."
After saying that, she looked at Liang Shi with a slightly aggrieved expression, "Aren't you coming down?"
Liang Shi's hand was already on the car door handle, but he hesitated and stopped. "Get in the car."
Xu Qingzhu didn't speak, but stared intently at her.
It was as if she had said something unbelievable.
In fact, even the most good-tempered person would be extremely impatient and frustrated if they were stood up at the last minute and then had to wait in their car for three hours like an idiot.
During those three hours, Liang Shi's thoughts shifted from: Was she angry? —Should I say more? —Is she giving me the silent treatment? —We should communicate properly —I don't want to wait anymore —I'll give her some space and time —What exactly went wrong? —How should I say it?
For nearly three hours, Liang Shi did nothing.
All my time was spent on these things.
But I still can't figure it out.
It was like a tangled mess; Liang Shi couldn't find the starting point and could only helplessly face this mess.
From initially being enthusiastic about solving the problem to later losing interest and even wanting to give up.
When he saw Xu Qingzhu, he naturally couldn't act the same way as before.
The events of that noon left a lingering resentment in her heart, and she didn't know how to make Xu Qingzhu believe her.
It's obviously obvious.
Moreover, those questions don't seem to be of much significance.
It's not like saying "I love you" a thousand times means you truly love someone.
It always comes down to what the person did.
Moreover, Liang Shi had said these things when he was emotional.
That was the most sincere expression.
She didn't know what else Xu Qingzhu wanted.
The frustration of not being able to figure things out, coupled with the wasting time of waiting, often makes people particularly indifferent after wasting time.
Therefore, Liang Shi's voice unconsciously turned cold when he spoke.
But when he met Xu Qingzhu's pitiful eyes, Liang Shi pursed his lips.
After some hesitation, she still pushed open the car door and got out.
The cold winter wind blew mercilessly against her, instantly waking her up.
She only looked at Xu Qingzhu.
Their eyes met.
Xu Qingzhu took a step forward towards her, hugged her waist, and buried her head in the crook of her shoulder.
"Wife," Xu Qingzhu's voice was soft and gentle, with an indescribable sense of grievance, "I miss you so much."
Liang Shi: "..."
Just a moment ago, Liang Shi had a fleeting thought of a cold war, but at this moment, all his indifference crumbled.
Liang Shi stretched out his arms, which were hanging at his sides, and hugged Xu Qingzhu tightly.
A cold wind swept past them, blowing wildly.
Xu Qingzhu sobbed, feeling wronged: "I drank a lot of alcohol, and I missed you."
Liang Shi stroked her thin back, her long hair entwined around his fingers.
"Wife," Xu Qingzhu said, her voice choked with emotion, "please don't be angry with me... I really didn't mean to say those things."
Liang Shi smelled a very strong smell of alcohol.
Xu Qingzhu must have drunk quite a bit, because she was even having trouble speaking, and her body was shaking violently by the end.
Hearing her say that, Liang Shi felt heartbroken. "I'm not angry with you."
Xu Qingzhu's eyelashes brushed against Liang Shi's neck. "I'm sorry, wife."
This isn't the first time Xu Qingzhu has called her "wife".
He usually only calls out teasingly, or when he's been really roughed up in bed, he'll cry out, "Wife, be gentle..."
If Liang Shi stops, she will say pitifully, "Wife, I feel so uncomfortable."
These things only happen during the heat cycle.
When she was truly sober, Xu Qingzhu would never call her that. She would usually call her Teacher Liang, Liang Shi, or occasionally teasingly call her Sister.
But today, she spoke in such a wronged tone, her voice trailing off, that it was heartbreaking to hear.
Liang Shi patted her back, "It's okay, I'm really not angry with you."
In the afternoon, Liang Shi also kept reflecting on whether he had done something wrong.
However, the three-plus hours of waiting made her somewhat unhappy.
I didn't like Xu Qingzhu as much when I first saw her.
But the moment she looked at him with that kind of gaze, all of Liang Shi's rationality and resistance crumbled.
His wife was so aggrieved right in front of him, yet he just sat there coldly and ignored her.
Liang Shi couldn't do it.
Xu Qingzhu hugged her neck, his warm breath washing over her skin as he spoke, "Wife...please don't be angry, okay?"
Liang Shi patiently explained to her, "I'm not angry with you."
The secretary, who was standing not far away holding clothes for Xu Qingzhu, was so shocked that her jaw dropped.
This...this...this is the Mr. Xu she knows?
A persona can crumble in an instant.
//
Xu Qingzhu was so drunk that she couldn't wait to get home and fell asleep in the car.
Miraculously, she woke up after Liang Shi parked the car and, forcing herself to stay awake, went upstairs with Liang Shi to go home.
As soon as she entered, Xu Qingzhu asked Liang Shi to carry her.
She leaned against the door, clinging to Liang Shi as if she had no bones.
Liang Shi hugged her tightly and whispered, "Xu Qingzhu."
Xu Qingzhu was stunned for a moment: "Huh?"