Giving You Dawn and Dusk (GL) - Chapter 15
Maybe just get a divorce.
This thought briefly crossed Liang Shi’s mind.
This job was impossible.
The mess left by the original owner was too much, like a tangled ball of yarn with no discernible end, impossible to untangle or fix.
When she left Xu Qingzhu’s ward, Bai Weiwei was still trying to persuade Xu Qingzhu to divorce.
Xu Qingzhu, however, remained indifferent. Though her complexion wasn’t good, she didn’t mention divorce.
But Liang Shi was never good at handling such matters.
Interactions between people were so difficult.
She almost lost her composure and argued with Bai Weiwei.
Even without an argument, she still felt out of sorts when she left the ward.
This damn system, what kind of crappy mission is this!
The original owner was such a scumbag, why couldn’t she just be killed off?
Let Xu Qingzhu be a young widow, rich and free, let her be a normal person, wouldn’t that work?
No, it had to make her go and conquer Xu Qingzhu.
Liang Shi sat on a bench in the hospital for a while.
This was a small path, usually frequented by people cooling off in summer. In autumn, very few people came, and with the recent bad weather and the autumn wind growing colder by the day, the hospital was also full of people with frail health, making this place very secluded.
She gulped down a belly full of ice water, slightly bringing down her temper.
Even a clay figure has a bit of temper.
Some people used to say that Liang Shi lived like an immortal.
Her assistant Jingjing often said, “Teacher Liang is a banished immortal from heaven, never gets angry.”
Facing Jingjing’s teasing, Liang Shi would just smile. “It’s not that exaggerated.”
She just felt it wasn’t necessary.
But her current situation made her feel very weary.
She could understand that the system gave her a chance at a new life, so it required her to do certain things, in other words, pay some price.
But if it didn’t tell her anything, how was she supposed to do it?
Was it really just a rotten wooden sword, forcing her to challenge a vicious dragon?
It was too challenging.
Autumn days changed incredibly fast. The sun had just been in the sky, and in a moment, large patches of dark clouds rolled in, obscuring the sky, making it gloomy, looking like a storm was brewing.
The autumn wind carried fallen leaves, and withered branches and rotten leaves were spun away by the wind.
Liang Shi sneezed. After a moment, she took out her phone and replied to Qiu Zimin’s message: [Got it, I’ll be there on time.]
Just keep living.
Take it one step at a time.
As things stood, there was no better way.
Liang Shi didn’t plan to clean up the original owner’s mess anymore.
Isn’t it happier to be yourself?
Anyway, she probably wouldn’t live much longer.
As for the system?
Let it do whatever it wants.
What did it have to do with her?
Once she understood these things, Liang Shi’s mood lightened.
Even the speed of her reply to Qiu Zimin quickened.
“That’s good then,” Qiu Zimin’s voice message quickly came back. “You know the Zhou family’s influence. Your father recently took a liking to a piece of land in the south of the city, and whether it can be approved still depends on Zhou Liye. So, take this opportunity to get along well with Yian.”
Liang Shi: “…?”
“Yian likes you, everyone knows that,” Qiu Zimin sent another voice message, still very long. “Don’t take advantage of her liking you and act recklessly. Things are different now. You should know, the Zhou family is not what it used to be. They’ve connected with the Shen family, rising to power overnight. If you still want your dad to finance the Xu family, then don’t be foolish. Talk to Yian properly.”
Liang Shi: “…”
She listened to the voice message twice, trying hard to understand its meaning.
Later, she converted it to text.
She probably understood it.
However, the first question that came to her mind was: If the original owner was such trash, why would Zhou Yian like her?
Was she blind?
Across the screen, Liang Shi hadn’t met Qiu Zimin, so she simply replied: [Understood.]
A conventional answer.
Turning off her phone screen, she sighed almost imperceptibly.
“What are you thinking about?” A cool voice suddenly sounded in her ear.
It startled Liang Shi.
Her eyelids twitched, and she leaned back, clutching her heart. She looked up and saw the person who had arrived—it was Xu Qingzhu.
Liang Shi exhaled lightly. “You startled me.” Then she complained softly, “Don’t you make any noise when you walk?”
“I do,” Xu Qingzhu sat on the bench not far from her. The buttons of her white knitted cardigan were unfastened, swaying in the wind, making her seem ethereal. Even her voice carried a cool, otherworldly quality. “You were just too engrossed in your thoughts to hear me.”
“Okay,” Liang Shi took another gulp of ice water, casually asking, “What do you need me for?”
“Can’t I seek you out for no reason?” Xu Qingzhu retorted.
“…You can,” Liang Shi rubbed her temples, briefly observing her from the side.
Hmm, very beautiful.
She averted her gaze.
After a moment, Xu Qingzhu said softly, “Thank you.”
Liang Shi was surprised. “Huh?”
Thank her for what?
“Yesterday, you took me back to the hospital,” Xu Qingzhu said. “And also, about Ya Ya.”
“They’re small things,” Liang Shi said. “I just did them along the way. Besides, you’re my wife, you know.”
Liang Shi said it offhand, but immediately felt awkward afterward.
Wouldn’t this sound a lot like sexual harassment?!
Having lived in that world for a long time, Liang Shi was a bit overly cautious.
Fortunately, Xu Qingzhu didn’t react. She merely softly repeated the two words—”my wife.”
Liang Shi’s ears felt hot, and she felt her glands behind her ears itching.
She rubbed her ears. “Anything else? If not, I’ll go.”
She also wanted to calm down for a bit.
Only after she completely calmed down could she figure out how to conquer Xu Qingzhu and complete the system mission.
“Liang Shi,” Xu Qingzhu called out to her.
“What is it?” Liang Shi asked.
Xu Qingzhu paused. “Is the Liang family facing a crisis?”
Liang Shi: “?”
“I don’t know,” Liang Shi answered confidently. “I never really pay attention to the company’s operations.”
With Liang Xinzhou and Liang Xinhe there, she didn’t even go to the company.
The original owner was just an uneducated, hedonistic rich second-generation.
“Did you hear something?” Liang Shi asked.
Xu Qingzhu pursed her lips, looking up at her. Their eyes met.
After a moment, she asked, “Then why are you going to see Zhou Yian?”
Liang Shi hadn’t expected Xu Qingzhu to ask so directly, and with such a frank demeanor.
But after asking, she added, “It’s okay if you don’t want to say.”
Liang Shi inexplicably felt like she had been caught having an affair by her legitimate spouse.
She thought for a moment. “Then I choose not to say.”
Xu Qingzhu nodded. “Okay.”
Xu Qingzhu stood up, pulling her knitted cardigan tighter around herself. “I’m leaving now.”
After saying that, she walked towards the inpatient department without looking back.
Liang Shi quickened her pace, just a foot’s distance from Xu Qingzhu’s shoulder.
Very close, so close that Xu Qingzhu’s long hair could lightly brush her face.
The ends of her hair carried a strong strawberry sweetness.
“I still haven’t figured it out yet,” Liang Shi added. “Everything will have to wait until I’ve seen her. So I can’t tell you now; anything I say would be irresponsible.”
Xu Qingzhu stopped and looked back at her.
After a moment, she suddenly smiled. She asked, “Liang Shi, will you always be like this?”
Liang Shi was surprised. “Hmm?”
She felt like she couldn’t understand Xu Qingzhu.
It was as if for a moment, Xu Qingzhu’s clear eyes illuminated her, leaving her nowhere to hide.
She had a fleeting illusion—that she could be herself without inhibition in front of Xu Qingzhu.
But it was only her illusion.
She definitely wouldn’t do that right now.
“Being like this is pretty good,” Xu Qingzhu said.
Liang Shi: “…”
She replied perfunctorily, “It’s alright.”
“Oh, right.” Xu Qingzhu took out a folded star from the pocket of her cardigan and handed it to Liang Shi. “You left this in the ward.”
Liang Shi took it. “Thank you.”
Liang Shi had a habit of folding stars.
She would casually fold one when she was feeling troubled.
The returned star still retained a little warmth.
As if to remind Liang Shi that the one who held it before was not a cold-blooded and ruthless person.
••••
Liang Shi arrived at Cangyue Restaurant at 7:20 PM.
Qiu Zimin had already reserved a private room. When she went in, Zhou Yian hadn’t arrived yet.
Liang Shi found a seat. Soon, the door was pushed open.
Only Zhou Yian entered.
She wore a custom-tailored suit, with her white suit pants slightly rolled up at the hem, and her black leather shoes polished to a shine. The white suit paired with a black tie exuded a purely ascetic style.
Liang Shi stood up and nodded to her. “Hello.”
Zhou Yian’s lips curved into a smile, a charmingly wicked expression. “Hello, darling, long time no see.”
Liang Shi: “…”
She felt some indescribable things.
But they were just feelings, impossible to confirm.
Liang Shi didn’t particularly like this form of address; it felt quite greasy.
Especially coming from a stranger.
However, given that she knew nothing at the moment, she could only endure it, though she instinctively frowned.
“Darling, did you miss me?” Zhou Yian walked towards her, smiling alluringly. Then, catching her off guard, she hooked Liang Shi’s chin. “In the days we haven’t seen each other, I’ve been missing you so much that…”
Liang Shi immediately dodged, interrupting her. “Show some respect.”
“Huh?” Zhou Yian smiled. “Didn’t you come here to discuss our marriage?”
“I’m already married,” Liang Shi said. “Whatever my mom told you doesn’t count.”
“Is that so?” Zhou Yian raised an eyebrow. “Then the land in the south of the city, the Liang family doesn’t want it anymore?”
Liang Shi: “…”
She said coldly, “The land in the south of the city is what Liang Zu wants. You can discuss it with him. There’s no need to come to me.”
Liang Zu was the original owner’s father.
“But darling, what can I do? I only want you,” Zhou Yian approached again. Liang Shi’s temples throbbed painfully. Almost instinctively, she threw a punch, hitting Zhou Yian directly.
“You damn b1tch,” Liang Shi cursed angrily. “Get out.”
She grabbed her phone from the table and started to leave, but Zhou Yian grabbed her wrist.
However, Liang Shi was no pushover. She twisted Zhou Yian’s arm.
Her phone suddenly rang, the caller ID showing “Zhuzi.”
Liang Shi answered with one hand, “Hello?”
Xu Qingzhu asked, “Are you done with your meeting?”
“Who is it?” Zhou Yian suddenly spoke up. Liang Shi twisted her arm harder, making Zhou Yian grunt in pain. “Damn it, I like this kind of thing.”
Liang Shi: “…”
This person must have Stockholm Syndrome.
Idiot.
She cursed inwardly.
“Check WeChat,” Xu Qingzhu said. “I sent you a message.”
Liang Shi replied, “Okay.”
“Is this your little lover?” Zhou Yian smiled provocatively.
Liang Shi said angrily, “Shut up.”
Her finger accidentally brushed the speakerphone, and Zhou Yian’s words reached Xu Qingzhu’s ear.
Zhou Yian chuckled, “Darling, how many little lovers do you have? But it doesn’t matter.”
“Darling,” Xu Qingzhu’s cool, indifferent voice came from the other end of the phone, carrying a cold and distant, ambiguous charm. “Why are you letting someone else call you ‘darling’ again? I’m going to get jealous.”
Liang Shi’s throat tickled.
Her face suddenly felt hot.
“No,” Liang Shi explained instinctively.
“Darling wife, I miss you,” Xu Qingzhu said in a soft voice, making one’s heart itch. “When are you coming home?”
Liang Shi swallowed, even her ears burning. “Coming home right away.”
“Then I’ll hang up,” Xu Qingzhu said. “Be careful on your way back. I’ll wait for you. Mua~”
Liang Shi lightly pursed her lips, her heart beating rapidly.
After hanging up, she released Zhou Yian. “Get lost.”
“Darling, one day you’ll come back begging me,” Zhou Yian said behind her.
Liang Shi had already left the room.
Her ears were filled with Xu Qingzhu’s voice.
She pinched her earlobe, hot as if on fire.
Walking out of the restaurant, a cold gust of wind hit her, and she finally cleared her head a bit, taking out her phone to check WeChat messages.
Xu Qingzhu had sent her two messages ten minutes ago.
[Zhou Yian is an Alpha.]
[If you don’t mind, pretend I didn’t say anything.]
Liang Shi now understood what her earlier discomfort was.
In that moment, it felt like a bucket of ice water had been poured over her head.