Chapter 58: Father Liang Realizes Something Is Wrong
“Almost.” Mother Liang’s reasoning was sufficient. “Feifei was the first to notice the signs, and at that time, Chaosu had just returned from a business trip from the Gu family. With Gu Xingyuan’s ruined reputation beforehand, it was hard for me not to doubt.”
“Rest assured, Chaosu is not someone who can be easily hooked.” Father Liang hid his unease and comforted Mother Liang first. “This time, we’ll have her married off far away. We’ll provide a generous dowry, enough to ensure her wealth for the rest of her life. It’s also a way to make amends for her missing out on Li Chuan and to fulfill our parental duty.”
“But…” Mother Liang still had reservations. “If she really had something going on with Chaosu, wouldn’t sending her away be like letting a tiger return to the mountains? What if she uses it to threaten the Liang family in the future?”
Father Liang said, “You’re too protective of your child. Don’t worry, if something like that happens, I’ll handle it.”
Outside the door, the servant who came to collect the cups and saucers paused, silently retreated downstairs, and returned to the kitchen.
Upstairs.
Mother Liang rested her head on Father Liang’s lap. “It’s good to have you back. I’ve been worried sick for half a month, and now that you’re back, everything is fine.”
The Liang family’s reputation was restored, Chaosu’s defiance was gone, there was no need to fear Liancheng’s revenge, Feifei would soon be married, and life returned to its peaceful rhythm.
Father Liang gently patted her back. “It’s my fault. I’ll stay home for a few more months this time to keep you company. Chaosu’s marriage should also be taken seriously. After he gets married, I’ll retire. You won’t mind me being clingy then, will you?”
“I’d love that,” Mother Liang giggled. “When we first got married, you were stuck to me 24/7. You even got up to guard the door when I went to the restroom in the middle of the night, as if I would disappear if you blinked.”
She thought of Liang Chaosu and said, “They say sons inherit from their fathers. Do you think Chaosu will be so clingy to his wife after he gets married that she’ll be annoyed to death?”
Father Liang thought about it and waved his hands. “I can’t imagine. I can’t imagine. He’s much sharper than I was at his age, so cold he could cut someone. If he does get married, being respectful of each other would be good enough.”
………………
When it came to dealing with Liang Chaosu’s desires, Liancheng’s preparations had never failed.
Counting the days, it had been exactly one month since she last pretended to be on her menstrual period.
The timing was reasonable and compliant. Liang Chaosu, with his slight cleanliness obsession, would absolutely not be comfortable with a woman’s menstrual blood.
Liancheng was able to sleep and catch up on rest.
But Liang Chaosu was not easy to deal with. Even though the property deed now listed Liancheng as the owner, Liang Chaosu was like an ancestor who had walked into their home. Liancheng was on edge all night, her nerves completely drained. When he emerged from the shower and began to undress, she stared blankly for a moment.
“Aren’t you going to the company?”
“I need to rest.”
Liang Chaosu untied his bathrobe, revealing well-defined chest and abdominal muscles. He casually took it off and threw it on the stool at the foot of the bed.
Liancheng snapped back to attention, startled. Seeing that he had put on a pair of sleep pants, she still dared not relax her guard. “You’re a light sleeper, I’ll disturb you.”
“Sleep for four years, and you can still disturb me? You’re doing this on purpose?”
Liang Chaosu threw off the quilt and used the remote to close the curtains.
Inside the room, the light slowly shifted from day to night, becoming dim, making it difficult to discern anything but outlines of people.
Liancheng immediately shrunk herself and got into bed.
“Afraid of the dark?”
Liancheng replied, “Don’t you already know?”
His light sleep meant he was not only alert to the slightest sound but also sensitive to light.
Therefore, the sleeping environment had to be pitch black.
However, Liancheng had been afraid of the dark since four years ago. Whenever the deep darkness enveloped her, it felt as if that stormy night had never passed, and she was gagged and dragged into hell.
So, in their shared apartment in the North, after she frequently found herself staring at the ceiling until dawn, Liang Chaosu made a concession and replaced the curtains with ones that allowed a slight glimmer of light.
This apartment also had the same kind of curtains, which showed that he was aware of it.
Then why ask?
Her movement of rolling up the quilt paused, and she grew vigilant. “What’s wrong?”
Liang Chaosu gazed at her through the hazy, deep gray.
His night vision had been honed through combat experience in the military, and he hadn’t let it slide in recent years.
He could not only see her rolled up into a tight, slender cylinder, her hands defensively clutching the edge of the quilt, but also clearly see her disheveled hair, her tense expression, and her eyes that seemed ready for battle.
Resisting intimate contact with him, even concealing her daily habits – she wasn’t being perfunctory; she was resisting him from the bottom of her heart.
“A caterpillar is the ugly duckling’s counterpart. If you like butterflies, you can’t just like butterflies; you have to like caterpillars too,” Liang Chaosu said indifferently. “But I don’t like bugs.”
Liancheng trembled uncontrollably in that instant.
How could Liang Chaosu know the excuse she used to fool Shen Lichuan into catching cabbage worms on the cucumber trellis?
Liancheng pretended to be confused in the darkness. “Then do you like butterflies?”
Liang Chaosu’s voice became more complex and gloomy. “I don’t like butterflies, and I even more detest bugs.”
He leaned to the other side. He was far away, and Liancheng could only see a blurred silhouette, but his gaze was cold, chilling, as if it had substance and could pierce through a person.
Liancheng thought she looked like a bug now, all wrapped up. “The quilt—do you want it?”
In the darkness, there was no response, only a faint ripple of breathing.
Liancheng rolled from side to side, dizzy from the motion, and didn’t realize when he had moved closer. She bumped her head against his chest.
Her head buzzed instantly. Before she could react, his arm naturally wrapped around her.
It was like a steel cage baked by the summer sun, scalding hot, confining, and tightly encircling her, making her want to escape.
Liancheng remained motionless. “Why are you also using gardenia shower gel?”
“Don’t you like it?”
Liancheng yawned. “You don’t like it. You prefer that cool scent of mint.”
Liang Chaosu gazed at her through the dimness. The heat from her yawn sprayed onto his chest, a tingling sensation passing through his skin. “You pay attention to me?”
In the past, Liancheng would have immediately put up her defenses and dissected that sentence dozens of times.
But perhaps because she was pregnant now, she was too sleepy, her mind a muddled mess. She answered without thinking, “I used to buy all your toiletries.”
Liang Chaosu froze for a second.
He suddenly laughed.
Liancheng vaguely heard his laughter, the alarm deactivated, and she completely sank into darkness.
Liang Chaosu listened to her breathing even out in a second, her head resting in the crook of his arm, her long hair brushing against his chest and wrist.
Soft and boneless, it didn’t prick.
As for the dry, rough hair that Shen Lichuan constantly complained about, he would make it moist and radiant, no longer fooled by her lack of attention to her appearance.
……………………
Liang Family.
Aunt Wang finished handing over her duties and went to the small flower hall to bid farewell to Mother Liang.
Mother Liang trimmed the branches of a Chinese rose and gestured to the red envelope on the table. “Sister Wang, Chaosu has suddenly changed his taste. You’ll need to pay more attention after you go, and also his hand injury. Make sure to tell him it must not happen again.”
Aunt Wang accepted the red envelope. “I understand. Thank you, Madam.”
She turned and retreated. At the doorway, she happened to meet Father Liang. He was wearing an ivory white Tang suit. Although he was getting on in years, he had a refined demeanor, handsome and cultured.
Aunt Wang privately felt that, in terms of aura and temperament, he and Shen Lichuan resembled father and son more than the eldest young master, Liang Chaosu.
“Mister.”
Father Liang nodded slightly and glanced at the red envelope in her hand. “Is there some good news?”
The Liang family was generous to their servants. For any happy or sad occasions in a servant’s family, they would grant paid leave, provide generous gifts, and also prepare an additional red envelope like this.
Aunt Wang explained, “The eldest young master has assigned me to take care of him for a period of time. This is a bonus from Madam in advance.”
Father Liang’s smile gradually faded. “He’s going to live elsewhere?”
Before Aunt Wang could speak, Mother Liang called out from the flower hall, “Sister Wang, you can go first. The Mister and I have something to discuss.”
Father Liang frowned. “This matter, why wasn’t I informed?”
Mother Liang’s expression was somewhat dim. “Chaosu only just informed me. A few days ago, Feifei and I suspected him, and even spoke up for the Hu family. He’s unhappy.”
Father Liang felt something was wrong. He understood Liang Chaosu; he was vengeful but not petty, especially not towards his close family. “I remember he was never close to the servants. Why is he specifically instructing Aunt Wang this time?”
“I think Aunt Wang is in charge of the kitchen. He said he can’t get used to outside food.”
Father Liang’s face turned completely cold.
Mother Liang sensed something was wrong. “What’s wrong? Is that not the reason?”
