His Addiction - Chapter 38

Liang Mushi took Chen Jing downstairs to the restaurant.

Chen Jing hadn’t been happy throughout the journey. After sitting down and ordering, she asked Liang Mushi, “Is Xu Zhi still mad? We’re on a trip, and she’s being so cold. It’s really annoying.”

“She was humiliated at my house. It’s normal for her to be upset,” Liang Mushi said, feeling frustrated. “Don’t provoke her these next few days, and don’t be too enthusiastic. She takes time to warm up to people.”

“This is so difficult…” Chen Jing complained. “Then why did we bring her along? Couldn’t we have just apologized over dinner? Now we have to spend several days together at the hotel.”

Liang Mushi was silent for a moment before explaining, “My parents are mad at me. They don’t want me to see you. If I said I was coming to the ski resort alone, they would be suspicious. They might even have the staff here keep an eye on me. But bringing Xiao Zhi Zi along is different. As long as I say I’m with her, they’ll feel reassured, and I don’t have to worry about being monitored on this trip.”

Chen Jing understood, but then she pouted. “I’m actually a little jealous of Xu Zhi. Your family likes her so much.”

“Because she’s obedient,” Liang Mushi said dismissively. “My parents and grandfather like that type of good girl.”

Chen Jing leaned closer and asked, “What about you?”

Liang Mushi pinched her cheek, smiling. “I like bad girls. The worse, the better. Good girls are boring.”

Chen Jing giggled.

Just then, Liang Mushi felt a strong gaze on him.

He turned and saw a familiar face.

They were in the main dining area, but it wasn’t crowded. Yang Xue was standing a few steps away, glaring at him as if he were her enemy.

Liang Mushi’s heart tightened. He didn’t know why Yang Xue was here, how long she had been standing there, or how much she had overheard.

Yang Xue stormed over and asked directly, “Zhi Zi is here too, isn’t she?”

Liang Mushi maintained his composure. “Yes. Why are you here?”

They had been civil to each other before, but ever since Yang Xue had confronted him in front of the dormitory, he had held a grudge against her.

“You don’t get to ask me that. What you just said…” Yang Xue said, “I heard everything.”

Liang Mushi’s hands slowly clenched. “And?”

“I’m going to tell Zhi Zi!” Yang Xue had never met someone so shameless. She was furious.

“Go ahead,” Liang Mushi wasn’t intimidated by her threats.

Yang Xue was enraged. “Did Zhi Zi desecrate your family’s ancestral graves? Why are you treating her like this? Even as friends, you shouldn’t take advantage of her! You use her as a cover for your relationship?”

Liang Mushi frowned, glancing around. “Yang Xue, are you crazy? Zhi Zi is here to have fun too. She’s not here for free. If you want, you can join us. Just don’t cause trouble for me.”

Yang Xue took out her phone. “Fine, I’ll call Zhi Zi right now. I dare you to say those things to her face. Talking behind her back… What did good girls ever do to you? You’re disgusting!”

With that, she stormed off.

Liang Mushi watched her go, feeling irritated, seeing her bring the phone to her ear.

She’s actually going to tell on me. He cursed his luck. Why did he have to run into Yang Xue here? He wondered if she would exaggerate and twist his words.

Chen Jing looked at him, worried. “What are we going to do? If Xu Zhi finds out you brought her here as a cover for our date, she’ll be furious.”

Liang Mushi looked away. “We’ll deal with it later.”

He had come here to have fun, but this wasn’t a good start.

Xu Zhi, still in her room, received Yang Xue’s call.

“Liang Mushi is disgusting! He said he brought you here as a cover for his date…”

Yang Xue recounted the entire conversation in vivid detail. “He even called you a boring good girl and said he likes bad girls. Ugh, I can’t stand them! They’re such a despicable couple!”

Xu Zhi listened calmly and asked, “Why are you at the ski resort?”

Yang Xue was dumbfounded. “Did you even hear what I just said? Why are you asking about that?”

“I heard you,” Xu Zhi said. “Liang Mushi is like that. I’m used to it.”

She wasn’t stupid. The moment she saw Chen Jing, she had suspected she was being used as a cover again.

She had only played along to avoid another argument.

However, Liang Mushi calling her a boring good girl still stung.

It was true. She couldn’t offer him the excitement and adventure he craved. She should have known better.

Yang Xue, sensing her dejection, sighed. “You’re so silly. Why did you even come?”

“I didn’t agree to come,” Xu Zhi said with a bitter laugh. “My dad made the decision for me.”

It was ironic. Xu He Ping had sent her here to cultivate her relationship with Liang Mushi, but Liang Mushi had brought her here to facilitate his secret rendezvous with Chen Jing.

Yang Xue was speechless.

Xu Zhi: “You still haven’t told me why you’re here.”

“Oh, it’s like this. This ski resort is owned by one of Liang Corp.’s branch companies, right? They’re launching a new ticket purchasing app and need to collect some data, including photos and parameters,” Yang Xue explained. “It just so happens that Young Master Liang’s team is in charge of it, mainly Zhou He. Zhou He said we could come along and have some fun while collecting data. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity, so I came.”

Xu Zhi’s heart skipped a beat. “So Zhou He is here too?”

“Yes.”

Another name immediately popped into Xu Zhi’s mind. “Then…”

She paused. “What about Director Liang?”

Yang Xue: “Director Liang is busy with other work. He’s not here.”

“Oh.”

Xu Zhi couldn’t explain why, but she felt a pang of disappointment.

Yang Xue asked, “Do you want to come hang out with us? It’s better than being stuck with Liang Mushi and that girl.”

“I’ll think about it,” Xu Zhi said languidly, not wanting to move. “I’ll call you if I decide to go skiing.”

Shortly after hanging up, Liang Mushi and Chen Jing returned.

Liang Mushi knocked on Xu Zhi’s door, carrying a paper bag. “I brought you some beef stew. I remember you like it.”

Xu Zhi said politely, “Thank you.”

Liang Mushi put down the bag but didn’t leave immediately. He leaned against the table, looking at Xu Zhi. “Did Yang Xue call you?”

Xu Zhi hummed in agreement. “She said she saw you.”

Liang Mushi shifted uncomfortably. “What… what did she say?”

“Just what you said. That you brought me here as a cover for your date with Chen Jing, that I’m a boring good girl, and so on.”

Xu Zhi’s voice was calm throughout, and Liang Mushi, studying her expression, felt a strange unease.

He asked, “Aren’t you angry?”