Chapter 116: Should She Pretend Obedience?
As Liancheng finished identifying the last character, footsteps sounded from outside the door, and someone knocked from door to door, “Lian~cheng?”
It was the waitress who had stopped her earlier. Foreigners couldn’t pronounce Chinese characters accurately, so after calling out once, “Liancheng,” omitting “cheng,” it was just “Lian~”
“Lian~”
Liancheng quickly tore up the note and responded.
The waitress’s footsteps grew closer.
She pressed the flush button, watching the paper scraps get swept away by the water, and after none were left, she pushed the door open, “Is something wrong?”
The waitress happened to stop at the doorway. The door panel opened unexpectedly, startling her. She patted her chest, “OMG, OMG, your husband is worried if you have any inconvenience.”
Liancheng apologized, “Sorry, it was my carelessness. There’s no inconvenience, everything went very smoothly.”
She washed her hands and went out, Liang Chaosu was waiting outside.
The shop’s lighting was bright and a warm, orangish-yellow. A beam of light and shadow happened to fall from above his head, casting shallow shadows on his sculpted and sharp features. Even in a down jacket, he was still dignified and precious, exuding an imposing aura.
In a roadside chain fast-food restaurant like this, his striking presence was completely out of place.
Liancheng walked straight to him, “Did you order food?”
Liang Chaosu’s gaze passed over her, looking at the waitress behind her.
The waitress pinched her thumb and index finger together, like an “OK,” with her other three fingers splayed out, not like it.
“Everything went very smoothly.”
Liancheng turned her head, “You had the waitress monitor me?”
Liang Chaosu strode in front of her, taking her hand. The water was still wet and coolly slippery, “You took too long.”
Liancheng pulled her hand away, “You told her you’re my husband?”
Liang Chaosu’s gaze lingered on her face, “You’re unwilling?”
Liancheng tilted her head to look at him. Her skin was cold and pale. Under the dry, hazy orange light of the fast-food restaurant, she looked warm, unreal, and calmly unreal, “Would you?”
Liancheng turned and left.
After arriving in Iceland, the ring, the ends of the earth, the husband, even if it was just a fantasy, it had already surpassed the scope of being kept, as if to explicitly indicate that Liang Chaosu was preparing to marry her.
Especially now that she was pregnant and he knew it clearly.
He indulged and doted on her immensely, tugging her hair, ignoring her, retorting to him, he accepted it all.
It was as if for the sake of this child, he was willing to make concessions and marry her, allowing her to return to the days before she was eighteen, to write off the four years of terrifying oppression.
From a wealthy family’s daughter to a wealthy family’s wife, his four years of diligent governance had established a glorious status that he would share with her.
What a beautiful and grand prospect. Decadence, immense splendor, world-class top resources, she could summon and dismiss them at will.
Liancheng opened the car door and sat in the co-pilot seat, her fingers trembling uncontrollably, unable to fasten the seatbelt after several attempts.
But on what grounds.
On what grounds did he assume women were superficial, materialistic, and vain creatures? Love and hate stemmed from power. If the power was great enough, one could forget the hardships and bitterness inflicted by the abuser, and gratefully accept it without any reservations, living happily and raising children with him.
Furthermore, she was not foolish. Not to mention how intensely the Liang family would react internally. Just looking at the outside, Gu Xingyuan was a prime example. Challenging societal norms, their power and status would be difficult to maintain. They were devoted to each other and didn’t care.
What about Liang Chaosu?
Given his actions over the past four years, would he give up power, fame, and wealth for her?
It was simply preposterous paradox, a fool’s dream.
In the end, it was still for the child. She had resolutely left twice, and her resistance must have exceeded his expectations, making him feel it was troublesome. That’s why he was retreating step by step this time, making the promises bigger and bigger, rounder and rounder, just to keep her steady.
Liancheng drooped her head, thinking of Old Ghost’s note just now. Father Liang was shrewd and never acted rashly. Immediately dispatching personnel to bring her back to the country could only mean he was about to confirm the evidence of her pregnancy.
If he confirmed it, Liang Chaosu would be completely certain as well.
At that time, would he still pretend to have a tacit understanding with her? Would the people watching her become more stringent? Would Old Ghost have an opportunity? Would she have an opportunity?
Or should she feign acceptance and obedience, showing a desire for marriage, to relax his vigilance?
Liancheng’s mind was in a mess, confused and disorganized, and she didn’t notice the movements outside the car.
……………………
Liang Chaosu declined the waitress’s offer to pack the food and gestured for it to be given to a homeless person sitting by the window.
He strode out, and the mercenary captain got out of the car, met him, and whispered a few words in his ear.
Liang Chaosu’s expression remained unchanged, yet inexplicably became more somber.
Silence all the way.
Liancheng returned to the villa, feeling tired and weary, unable to even open her eyes.
She just wanted to go upstairs, wash up, and go straight to sleep.
Liang Chaosu called out to her, “The fast food outside isn’t clean. The new cook just arrived, so have some supper before you sleep.”
Since renting the villa, meals had been managed by the mercenaries. They had been abroad for many years, and several of them had excellent culinary skills. French, English, Italian. Before Liang Chaosu arrived, Liancheng had rotated through them for every meal, tasting cuisines from all over Europe.
After Liang Chaosu arrived, he was pickier than her and immediately sent people to find a cook. However, this small town was not a famous tourist spot, so there were few cooks who could prepare Chinese dishes, and even fewer with authentic taste.
Liang Chaosu found one, then replaced him, and by calculation, this was already the fourth one.
Liancheng had lost her sense of taste nowadays, and eating anything was like gnawing on wood. She didn’t want to make things difficult for herself when her nutritional intake was sufficient.
“I’m not hungry.”
“After frolicking in the snow for so long, doesn’t the exercise consume your energy and make you hungry?”
Liancheng stood on the stairs, using the terrain to look down at him.
He tilted his head slightly, and the bright light from the first floor enveloped his face. His eyebrows were dark, his eyes bright and deep, and the light and shadow seemed to gather gentleness in the depths of his eyes.
Liancheng’s expression also softened, “What’s for dinner?”
“Shrimp and egg custard, red bean porridge.”
Liancheng went downstairs, walked past him, and sat down at the dining table, “Red beans are not easy to cook. Did the cook arrive this afternoon?”
She spoke softly, not overly gentle, her posture graceful. Her eyes held no smile, appearing delicate and pure in the lamplight, creating a hazy and stable atmosphere.
Liang Chaosu gazed at her for a few moments, then walked over and sat beside her.
Since they entered, the mercenaries had dispersed and disappeared. Liancheng knew they would guard the villa in shifts, but their vigilance was likely not high.
After all, they weren’t guarding against legitimate enemies with weapons, but merely “protecting” a defenseless woman from encountering danger if she went out.
If Father Liang’s people found this place, and the two sides clashed, and she escaped in the chaos, how much of a chance would she have?
The new female cook, who was not old, brought up a bowl of egg custard first.
Liancheng was preoccupied and didn’t examine it much, wolfing it down. When the red bean porridge arrived, she couldn’t eat it at all.
“Are you hungry?” She pushed the porridge towards Liang Chaosu’s hand, “Driving in the snow at night is draining even with concentration.”
Liang Chaosu was unusually fond of gazing at her tonight, his eyes fixed on her face for a long time. Based on past experience, this kind of gaze was a precursor to his outburst.
Liancheng’s heart skipped a beat, and her palms immediately started to sweat.
“Go upstairs and sleep first,” he said.
Liancheng was startled and then recovered, turning to leave.
When Liang Chaosu entered the room, Liancheng had already fallen asleep with the light on.
The night was too deep, and it was too quiet around. The lamplight was a warm, soft yellow, flowing over the head of the bed. Her long hair was spread out on the pillow, and she was curled up asleep, the quilt covering her nose and mouth, revealing only a pair of sleeping eyebrows and eyes, clear and beautiful in the light and shadow.
Liang Chaosu lifted a strand of hair that had fallen onto her cheek, placed his palm on her cheek, silently. He himself was silent.
