"No," Liang Shi stopped him. "I'm not your partner, you don't need to flatter me."
"You can whisper sweet nothings in my ear," Lu Jiayi teased ambiguously.
Liang Shi was speechless for a moment.
However, Lu Jiayi suppressed her smile and became more serious before getting to the point: "I had a question I wanted to ask before, but now I feel like I've glimpsed something about it. But I still want to ask it."
Liang Shi: "...Ask away."
"You seem to really dislike me," Lu Jiayi said. "From the very first time we met, can I ask why?"
She was very sincere; her tone and smile were impeccable.
Most people, seeing her like this, would probably think they did something wrong to cause this situation.
Liang Shi stared at her for a while, then suddenly said, "Because you are too perfect."
Lu Jiayi's expression froze for a few seconds. Before she could even force a smile, Liang Shi continued, "You can do everything and are good at everything, just like a... mannequin. It's too deliberate."
Lu Jiayi paused, somewhat speechless.
I don't know how to answer.
After a while, she said, "But in my opinion, Xu Qingzhu is also perfect. She has no flaws, does she?"
“Yes,” Liang Shi said.
Lu Jiayi: "?"
Liang Shi paused for a moment: "She can't cook, and she has a somewhat introverted personality."
Lu Jiayi shook her head: "That's not a flaw."
“But you don’t even have these minor flaws,” Liang Shi said. “You seem to know everything and are always strategizing. I don’t like people like you because if I’m too close to you, I’ll feel like a pawn on your chessboard.”
Lu Jiayi: "..."
After a long silence, Lu Jiayi suddenly smiled and chuckled softly, "You're right."
“But whether I like you or not is not important,” Liang Shi said. “Have you never been disliked by anyone since you were a child? Why do you need to find someone to answer that? Besides, I’m just unfriendly to you, not to the point of disliking you.”
Lu Jiayi replied, "Because I admire my partner, and I will value the people she values."
Liang Shi: "..."
Liang Shi certainly didn't understand business management, but he was unsure whether to praise Lu Jiayi's dedication or think she was hypocritical given her attitude.
Lu Jiayi didn't take it to heart and explained to herself, "I guessed you were angry because I saved Xu Qingzhu before you, but I didn't expect the real reason was this."
Liang Shi: "...Am I a petty person?"
Lu Jiayi shook her head: "I admire you."
Liang Shi didn't understand: "Why?"
“You’re very sincere,” Lu Jiayi said. “It’s been a long time since anyone has spoken to me like this. Although it sounds unpleasant, it’s the truth.”
Liang Shi pursed his lips slightly, then suddenly asked, "Aren't you tired of living like this, always wearing a mask?"
Lu Jiayi's expression changed slightly, then she put on that faint smile again and changed the subject, saying, "I'm getting engaged, so I have to go back to Kyoto tomorrow. Could you tell Xu Qingzhu that I'll be gone for about a week?"
"Engaged?!" Liang Shi exclaimed in surprise.
"What?" Lu Jiayi asked, "Does this mean you can only get married early, but I can't get engaged?"
Liang Shi: "..."
“This is too sudden,” Liang Shi said.
Lu Jiayi pursed her lips: "It was arranged by my family. I guess life won't be peaceful from now on."
"Then... will you come back?" Liang Shi asked.
Lu Jiayi nodded: "Yes, I'll come back after the engagement and taking care of things in Kyoto."
"I wish you all the best."
"Thanks."
As he was about to leave, Liang Shi suddenly asked, "So what kind of person is your fiancé?"
Lu Jiayi pressed her temples: "I haven't met her yet. I'll tell you when I get back, but I heard she's a..."
She paused slightly, struggling to come up with a suitable adjective: "a copy of Medusa."
Liang Shi: "?"
Liang Shiwan never expected that after the timeline was changed, Lu Jiayi's life would completely change direction.
Lu Jiayi told her that she wasn't saying these things to please her, but because she cared a lot about Xu Qingzhu as a business partner, and the engagement was no exception.
Lu Jiayi, unusually open with herself, told Liang Shi, "I can tell you're jealous, so if my engagement can dispel your suspicions and jealousy, allowing my collaboration with Xu Qingzhu to proceed more smoothly, I'd be happy to."
Liang Shi: "..."
"Why are you telling me this?" Liang Shi asked.
Lu Jiayi paused, then smiled: "Because your wife cares a lot about your feelings."
//
This change in Liang Shi's opinion of Lu Jiayi made him see her in a different light.
Only a little bit.
However, the news of Lu Jiayi's engagement still surprised her, but she could understand it afterward.
Liang Shi drove home and was about to go out to pick up Xu Qingzhu when he received a call from Chen Mian.
It was a bit noisy on Chen Mian's end; the heavy metal music was so loud it hurt Liang Shi's ears, so he quickly moved the phone away from him.
"What is it?" Liang Shi asked. "Where are you?"
"Four Colors of Dusk," Chen Mian said, referring to a bar. "Come here for a moment."
Liang Shi asked, "Have you had too much to drink?"
Chen Mian paused slightly: "It's not me, it's your sister."
Liang Shi: "?"
"Then take her to your home, or to a safe place, and I'll pick her up in about fifty minutes." Liang Shi asked, "Is that alright?"
Most people wouldn't refuse such a request, so Liang Shi was about to hang up when he heard Chen Mian hesitate for two seconds on the other end: "No."
Liang Shi: "?"
"Is there something you need?" Liang Shi said, "If that's the case, I'll go now..."
“No,” Chen Mian said, “but it’s not appropriate for me to be with her right now. I think… she needs you right now.”
Liang Shi suddenly became alert: "What happened between you two? What's wrong with her?"
Chen Mian gave the final notice: "You have twenty minutes."
He hung up the phone after saying that.
Liang Shi: "..."
Chapter 167
Liang Shi called Chen Mian again, but Chen Mian's phone was already switched off.
Helpless, she had no choice but to call Xu Qingzhu on her way out, "Are you planning to leave work?"
"Not yet," Xu Qingzhu said. "There are still some documents to process."
She finished speaking with a hint of excitement, "Are you downstairs already?"
"Not yet." Liang Shi got into the car, put on his Bluetooth headset, and started the engine. "I just left."
"Huh?" Xu Qingzhu drawled out her words, then added, "Be careful on the road."
“By the way, when you came…” Xu Qingzhu’s words caught up with Liang Shi, “Honey, Chen Mian just called me and asked me to pick up Wanwan from the bar. I’m going there.”
Xu Qingzhu stopped, paused for a moment, and then Liang Shicai asked, "What did you just say?"
"No..." Xu Qingzhu withdrew her request, "Did something happen to Wanwan?"
"You go first," Liang Shi said with a smile. "What are you going to do when I pick you up? Let me guess... Hmm, is it mango pomelo sago?"
Xu Qingzhu laughed on the other end and replied crisply, "Okay, no ice."
"I understand." Liang Shi asked, "Besides this, would you like some small cakes?"
“You can buy one too,” Xu Qingzhu said.
Liang Shi asked her if she had any other requests, and Xu Qingzhu thought for a moment and said no.
The two chatted for a few minutes before hanging up.
Liang Shi told her she could process the documents slowly and take a break if she got tired.
Xu Qingzhu laughed and said, "Who's slacking off while working overtime?"
Liang Shi said helplessly, "You can't overwork yourself."
"Okay," Xu Qingzhu said.
//
Liang Shi arrived quickly.
This bar is a quiet bar; the style and music volume are not excessive. In fact, since it's not yet peak season, the bar's lights are not flashing, but rather dim and yellowish.
As soon as Liang Shi entered, he saw Liang Wanwan sitting at the bar, her arms under her head.
Chen Mian stood beside Liang Wanwan, leaning slightly to the side, looking down at her phone.
"Chen Mian," Liang Shi called out as he jogged over.
Chen Mian put away her phone. "You're one minute late."
Liang Shi: "..."