Even just thinking about it makes my mouth water.
I just... really want to bite down some more.
To close the teeth.
Touch it with the tip of your tongue.
Or you could touch that area of skin with your lips; that would probably feel even more comfortable.
...
stop.
Liang Shi slapped his forehead, stopping his whimsical thoughts.
What are you thinking about?
Her two long, straight legs were a little weak at the moment, and she was only slightly better by holding onto the stairs so that she wouldn't fall.
Once her heartbeat calmed down, she looked up at the second floor.
It's the kind of place where even a glance at it makes your heart race.
Mainly just now...
Liang Shi felt that his behavior was inexplicably childish.
But back then, they actually did it.
Forget it, I can't think about it.
Thinking too much can lead to feelings of wanting to bang your head against the ground.
Xu Qingzhu was afraid that the bell would fall to the ground, so she placed a cushion next to her to keep it from falling.
Lingdang's little hands were resting on the cushion, and she was dreaming about something, smacking her lips incessantly, as if she were having a sweet dream. Her whole face was tilted upwards, and she even tried to roll over, landing directly on the cushion. Liang Shi immediately caught her with quick reflexes.
One foot had already fallen to the ground.
Liang Shi quickly picked her up; Lingdang's head rested on his shoulder, her body limp.
Holding a little girl is so soft and cuddly.
She carried Lingdang upstairs, where Xu Qingzhu had already made the bed, with Lingdang sleeping in the middle as usual.
Not long after, Liang Shi received a video call from Liang Xinhe.
The two chatted for a few minutes, mainly asking if Lingdang was being good. But when they looked, Lingdang was already asleep, not thinking about her parents at all. Liang Xinhe couldn't help but say, "You little ingrate."
Liang Shi smiled helplessly.
Liang Xinhe reminded them to go to bed early, and then asked, "After you bring Lingdang back tomorrow, have dinner at home with your sister-in-law."
Liang Shi's smile froze, and he said somewhat awkwardly, "If we're here, it might not be appropriate to eat here."
"What's wrong with the food?" Liang Xinhe frowned, and said nonchalantly, "Are you still surnamed Liang?"
Liang Shi: "How could I change my surname in such a short time?"
"That's settled then," Liang Xinhe said. "Let Qingzhu come too. It's our own home, what's wrong with having a meal together?"
Liang Shi had no choice but to agree, "Okay."
After she finished her call with Liang Xinhe, Xu Qingzhu received another call from her mother, and they spoke in hushed tones.
Afraid of disturbing Lingdang's sleep, Xu Qingzhu went out to strike her.
It took a long time before I came back.
Liang Shi sat on the edge of the bed for a while, lost in thought, wondering whether to go back downstairs to sleep or stay here.
Before she could come up with a conclusion, Xu Qingzhu returned to her room, took off her hair tie, let her hair down, and took off her cardigan, revealing a sundress.
Her arms were completely free of excess fat, her collarbones were delicate, and she didn't appear overly thin even in a loose-fitting halter dress.
Liang Shi glanced at it only once before making a decision: go downstairs.
She didn't dare take the blankets and pillows, afraid that the mischievous little Lingdang would wake up and wail in the middle of the night, so she just planned to go downstairs to get new ones to make do with for now.
But before she could leave, Xu Qingzhu asked, "Where are you going?"
"Go downstairs to sleep," Liang Shi replied.
Xu Qingzhu got into bed, covered herself with the blanket, leaned against the headboard, took a book out of the drawer, and suddenly paused as she casually turned the pages. "What if Lingdang wakes up in the middle of the night?"
"Just say I'm in the bathroom," Liang Shi said. "I'll come up again tomorrow morning."
"There's no need to go through all that trouble." Xu Qingzhu didn't mind. "You can just sleep there. Otherwise, if Lingdang finds out, she'll start asking all sorts of questions."
Liang Shi: "..."
It is indeed more convenient to sleep upstairs.
Liang Shi's heart teetered on the edge of the scales.
Ultimately, they chose to compromise.
She turned off the main light in the room, leaving only two dim, yellowish lamps on the bed.
The room's style instantly became much more elegant.
Her long-sleeved pajamas and pants looked extremely conservative at this moment. As soon as she got into bed, Lingdang rolled over and snuggled into her arms, as if she felt the warmth.
Xu Qingzhu was surprised, then said, "She seems to really like you."
"A little," Liang Shi said in a low voice, afraid of waking Lingdang. "Little clingy brat."
"Isn't that how all kids are?" Xu Qingzhu glanced at Lingdang. Before going to sleep, Xu Qingzhu had helped her take her hair out, but the little girl was a restless sleeper, and now her hair was all over her face, which looked uncomfortable.
She simply found a small hair tie, smoothed her hair, and tied it into a loose ponytail that wouldn't constrict her scalp or stick to her face.
Liang Shi suddenly thought of what had happened during the day and sighed, "We can only have one child."
"Why?" Xu Qingzhu asked.
“Too many arguments will lead to fights.” Liang Shi told her about Lingdang and Rainbow, and after finishing, he sighed, “Rainbow is sensible, otherwise they would definitely have fought.”
“That’s how kids are,” Xu Qingzhu said. “Don’t be fooled by their arguing now; they’ll be fine in a little while and won’t even remember it.”
“It’s the adults who should act as judges,” Liang Shi said. “They have to settle scores with them.”
“No need,” Xu Qingzhu shrugged. “The best way is to let them handle it themselves. If they like to fight, let them fight. It doesn’t matter who wins. Anyway, it won’t be long before they make up on their own when no one plays with them anymore. Adults should not interfere in children’s affairs.”
Liang Shi asked in disbelief, "Is that even possible?"
“That’s how it should be,” Xu Qingzhu said matter-of-factly. “Otherwise, if your daughter gets into a fight with other kids at kindergarten, will you go and fight alongside her?”
Liang Shi: "..."
She said awkwardly, "Well, not really."
“You might be able to make it,” Xu Qingzhu smiled. “Then you can go with your daughter and tear off the hair clips from other kids’ heads.”
"How could that be?" Liang Shi said helplessly. "Teacher Xu, do you really think I'm that naive?"
"No, no, no," Xu Qingzhu denied three times, but then paused and said, "You spoil the child too much."
Liang Shi: "..."
After a while, Lingdang snuggled into her arms, soft and tiny.
Liang Shi looked at Xu Qingzhu, sighed helplessly, and muttered, "Such a young child, we have to spoil her."
Anyone in that position would be confused.
Xu Qingzhu smiled but said nothing, and opened the book to read.
Xu Qingzhu looked beautiful under the dim light. She wore a coat and sat there reading, looking serene and elegant.
Liang Shi glanced sideways, and his mind wandered without him noticing.
After a long while, Xu Qingzhu suddenly looked up from her book and turned to ask Liang Shi, "By the way, today Lingdang said that there is a child in Rainbow's class whose mother looks a lot like me."
Liang Shi's wandering thoughts were pulled back. "Huh?"
"Did you see it?" Xu Qingzhu asked.
Liang Shi nodded: "It is very similar."
Xu Qingzhu's fingers traced the pages of the book as she said gently, "Lingdang also said that the little girl's name is Shengyu."
Liang Shi paused.
"Hmm." Liang Shi tentatively followed her words, "She also has another name, Su Yu."
“A child with two names,” Xu Qingzhu smiled slightly, but her eyes were cold, as if she were deep in thought, and her voice was indifferent. “Not very common.”
“Her mother said one name was chosen by her father, and the other by her mother.” Liang Shi, who was constantly watching Xu Qingzhu’s expression, said slowly, “But now she’s using the name her mother chose, and then…”
She paused for a moment, then said, "Her mother's name is Su Mu. Your noses and mouths look very similar. She always wears sunglasses, so I haven't noticed how similar your eyes are."
Xu Qingzhu's grip on the book pages suddenly tightened, the sound of the paper being crumpled was unusually crisp.
“Surname Su…” Xu Qingzhu murmured, then smiled: “My uncle’s ex-girlfriend’s surname was Su, I think.”
"Huh?" Liang Shi feigned ignorance. "Really? That's quite a coincidence. I remember your mother's surname is Sheng."
Xu Qingzhu nodded: "Yes, but there are so many people with the surname Sheng in this world, and my uncle has been dead for many years."
Liang Shi pursed his lips: "Okay."
He didn't say anything more after that.
Before going to bed, Xu Qingzhu suddenly said, "Liang Shi, my mom wants us to come home for dinner this Sunday. Are you free?"
Liang Shi immediately replied, "Yes."
"And another thing," Xu Qingzhu said, "This Sunday is the anniversary of my uncle's death, and my mother wants to..."
Before Xu Qingzhu could finish speaking, Liang Shi readily agreed, "Sure, I'll go with you then."
"Okay, thank you." Xu Qingzhu breathed a sigh of relief.
“There’s no need for such a small thing,” Liang Shi said. “Teacher Xu, you’re coming back to the old house with me tomorrow, so let’s help each other out.”
Xu Qingzhu: "...Okay."
//