Why was Liang Shi so wary?
They weren't married then, and Liang Shi wasn't as much of a jerk as he became after marriage. She even tried asking, "Why are you afraid to take me home?"
At that time, Liang Shi replied, "My parents are quite materialistic and they want me to marry Lin Xingcan, but I chose you, so I'm afraid they will hurt you."
Xu Qingzhu was deeply moved by that answer.
Later, it turned out to be nothing more than a flower in a mirror or the moon's reflection in water.
At this point, Liang Shi raised the question, and Xu Qingzhu asked, "Is there a problem?"
“There’s a big problem.” Liang Shi closed his eyes and let out a soft breath. “The photo you saw on my phone the other day is my room. The layout is exactly the same. When I went in, all I felt was oppression, discomfort, and fear.”
“So I have a reasonable suspicion,” Liang Shi said. “I am not the biological daughter of the Liang family. My mother, or perhaps I should also call her Madam Liang, is using me to set up a trap. Although I used to be a staunch materialist and a believer in science, I can’t always win against the ignorance and superstition of some people. I suspect that I have become a sacrifice and will be offered up.”
Actually, she had another guess.
But he didn't say it.
What if they accuse her of cheating again?
Xu Qingzhu is so smart, she should be able to guess it too.
Just as Liang Shigang finished thinking about it, Xu Qingzhu said, "Is it possible that the sacrifice was a pretense, and the real intention was to destroy you?"
Liang Shi: "...!!"
Sure enough, talking to smart people doesn't take much effort.
“To be honest, I’ve suspected before that you might be your father’s illegitimate daughter. There are four children in your family, so why is your mother making an exception for you? It’s very easy to ruin someone: just let them listen to everything she says, prevent them from developing proper values, and they’ll be destroyed. And you, in the past, clearly became that kind of person.” Xu Qingzhu said, “But your mother isn’t incapable of educating children. She raised your eldest brother, your second brother, and even Wanwan very well.”
Liang Shi's eyes lit up, but he couldn't show it too obviously, so he could only say, "Yes, I only recently figured that out myself."
"So I followed the clues and ended up at Yunfeng Mountain," Liang Shi said. "My colleague said he was going to Yunyin Taoist Temple this week to get a peace charm, so I went with him. The Yunyin Taoist priest wasn't there, but I met another fortune teller."
Liang Shi gave Xu Qingzhu a general account of what had happened at the Taoist temple that day, omitting some details that might cause her trouble.
Liang Shi also recounted part of the story about Mrs. Qi, saying that he would occasionally dream of Mrs. Qi beating him when he was a child, and that Qi Jiao was also being beaten along with her. He couldn't remember anything else.
She told Xu Qingzhu about most of the things, and after Xu Qingzhu finished understanding, she stared at her for a while, then patted her on the shoulder, "It's okay, things will get better in the future."
Liang Shi: "..."
Is this considered a consolation?
Liang Shi and Xu Qingzhu didn't really want to look at that picture again, so they let it go.
As for the matter of the sacrificial ceremony, they needed to ask others and consult with professionals, and they were temporarily caught in a dilemma.
But it's not a very important matter.
Liang Shi handed over the amulet he had obtained for her, and Xu Qingzhu took it and weighed it in her hand.
He then smiled and said, "Thank you for your thoughtfulness."
“I really went to ask for a peace charm,” Liang Shi said. “I also went to ask about those things, since those things are in the past for me, and thinking about them again would only cause me more trouble.”
"Even if I know the truth, so what? Life still goes on as usual, doesn't it? But when I had my fortune told today, the fortune teller said I would have a bloody disaster."
"How serious is the bloodshed?" Xu Qingzhu asked.
Liang Shi: "I don't know, that person didn't say."
"Then you should be careful lately," Xu Qingzhu said. "Wear a good luck charm."
"You've never believed in these things, have you?" Liang Shi laughed. "Science student."
Xu Qingzhu: "..."
After they finished talking, the atmosphere between them returned to normal.
They were even closer than before.
Night falls, twilight descends, and darkness descends.
Liang Shi asked Xu Qingzhu what she wanted to eat for dinner, and Xu Qingzhu shook her head and said that she didn't want to eat anything.
After thinking it over, Liang Shi asked her if she wanted to eat cake.
Xu Qingzhu: "...That's acceptable."
Making desserts is a rather troublesome task, but Liang Shi does it with ease.
Xu Qingzhu then assisted in the kitchen.
They weren't really of much help, but the busyness allowed them both to relax.
I stopped thinking about those complicated things.
//
Meanwhile, in another corner of China, in Taozhi Village, Taoyuan County.
The courtyard was muddy after the rain, and with the funeral just over, the whole place was deathly still.
A girl wearing a blue sweater came in from outside and called out loudly, "Xinran, are you home?"
The girl, who was stroking the golden Pixiu in her hand, looked up and said, "I'm here."
The girl came in carrying a bowl of rice. "My mom said you might be scared to be alone at night, so she asked me to come and keep you company. Also, you haven't eaten all day, so my mom made this for you."
"No need," Guo Xinran said. "Please thank Auntie for me. I'm fine on my own, and I'd like to have some peace and quiet."
The girl still asked worriedly, "Really? Then please accept the food."
Guo Xinran smiled and said, "Okay."
The girl perceived the smile as forced.
Then the girl sighed, "So what are you going to do? Go find your biological parents?"
Guo Xinran nodded: "Yes, I do. For so many years, I didn't even know that I was adopted."
“Your family must be rich to leave you such valuable things,” the girl said sincerely. “If you find your biological parents, your life will definitely be better than it is now.”
Seeing that she wasn't in a good mood, the girl said a few words and left. Before leaving, she repeatedly told her not to be sad and to call her if she was scared at night, and that she would definitely come to keep her company.
Guo Xinran smiled and didn't say anything more.
After the girl left, Guo Xinran's expression changed. She got up and poured the bowl of stew directly into the chicken coop, looking at everything in the yard with disgust.
The lights in the courtyard were dim. She stared at the dark, imposing roof and thought, "Finally dead."
She can go find her biological parents now.
Chapter 45
After dropping out of high school, Liang Shi worked at a dessert shop.
She was probably talented in cooking. She not only quickly mastered how to make cakes, but also improved the recipe. For a time, the cake shop was packed with customers.
When she left the dessert shop, the owner was quite reluctant to see her go.
After she started filming, she rarely had time to cook for herself, let alone make desserts.
When I have some free time, baking myself an egg tart is a treat.
The mango cakes I made for Lingdang last time were small, and the method was different from this one.
This time, Liang Shi brought out his best skills.
However, having not done it for so long, Liang Shi was also worried about things going wrong.
Xu Qingzhu looked at her with great trust, so she could only force herself to pretend to be at ease.
Fortunately, she remembered most of the things.
Cooking is a relaxing process for her; she doesn't have to think about anything else and can just focus on what she's doing.
Since Xu Qingzhu couldn't help, she stood at the kitchen door and waited.
The kitchen is large and semi-open.
Liang Shi paced back and forth in front of the kitchen counter, and after a while, he exclaimed in surprise.
Xu Qingzhu hurriedly asked, "What's wrong?"
I went over to take a look and noticed that there was a patch of flour on her shirt.
"Let me find your apron for you." Xu Qingzhu said as she reached out to wipe the flour off her clothes, but it wasn't just dry flour that was stuck on; there was also a little bit of wet flour mixed together, making it difficult to clean.
"No need to do it," Liang Shi said. "Just put it in the washing machine to wash it later."
Xu Qingzhu frowned, as if she was determined to get back at that small piece of flour. "Wait a minute."
After saying that, she turned around and went to the living room to get a pack of wet wipes. Her slender fingers held the wet wipe in her hand, and she used one hand to pull up the hem of Liang Shi's clothes.
The wind slipped silently under the hem of her clothes, blowing relentlessly across her skin.
Xu Qingzhu lowered her head, her hair spread out to both sides, revealing her slender, fair neck. The curve of her back was hidden under her plain clothes. If Liang Shi lowered his head slightly, he would inadvertently see the spring scenery peeking out from behind the wall.
White with lace trim.
The fact that the bra strap adjustment buckle was pulled up almost to her shoulders was enough to show how thin she was.
You can even vaguely see the shape of her collarbone.
Liang Shi glanced at her and turned her face away, but when Xu Qingzhu tugged at the hem of her clothes, her little finger would unconsciously curl up.
Xu Qingzhu is not used to having long nails. All her nails are trimmed neatly. However, she likes manicures and changes her nail designs from time to time, but they are never too intense and are mainly in cool and light colors.
So at this moment, her fingertips gently touched the skin of Liang Shi's abdomen.
The sensation of skin against skin was very noticeable. Liang Shi held his breath and sucked his abdomen back in.
But her fingers were too slender, and even though Liang Shi had tucked in his stomach to the extreme, he would still touch her almost imperceptibly.
The most alluring thing is that which seems to exist yet not exist, that which is sometimes hidden and sometimes revealed.
Liang Shi inexplicably felt that the kitchen was a bit small, and even the air circulation was poor, making it difficult for her to breathe steadily.
Xu Qingzhu lowered her eyes and looked serious. After wiping the small piece of flour with a wet wipe, she loosened the hem of her clothes, but that area was already wet.
Xu Qingzhu was a little dejected. "Why don't you go upstairs and change your clothes?"