Volume 1, Chapter 129: "When I graduate, let's get married, shall we?"

The late night was too quiet, magnifying every sense, making every subtle touch feel exceptionally provocative.

Xu Zhi felt as if she could hear the rhythm of her own heart, and the sound of... their kisses.

It was incredibly shaming, yet she could not help but want to meet him halfway, unable to resist getting tangled up with him. As he teased and enticed her, her breathing grew shallow, and her body began to burn.

Yet, in the end, it remained just a kiss.

It was a long, deep kiss, shifting from gentle to intense, then returning to softness.

His hand gently cupped her chin, his lips brushing lightly against the corners of her mouth, the tip of her nose, and her forehead.

Xu Zhi felt as though her heart were melting; a strange, inexplicable urge to cry welled up within her—she was simply too overwhelmed.

As her breathing gradually steadied and Liang Jinmo moved to pull his hand away, Xu Zhi caught it, holding it fast.

She blinked in the darkness. "Just give me your hand."

In the dead of night, her voice was delicate and soft, like a coquettish plea, dropping a tender hook into his heart.

Liang Jinmo’s breathing turned heavy. After several moments of restraint and silence, he pulled back the quilt and said in a hoarse voice, "Come here."

Xu Zhi was so happy she completely forgot about being reserved, shifting over obediently to nestle into his chest.

Liang Jinmo held her, bowing his head to kiss her forehead again. "Satisfied?"

Xu Zhi, face buried in his chest, nodded.

"Then shall we sleep?" he asked.

This time, she was exceptionally well-behaved. She tilted her face up to plant a kiss on his chin. "Goodnight, Brother Jinmo."

Seeming at peace, Xu Zhi’s breathing soon grew long and even.

Liang Jinmo, however, remained awake, listening to her breathing in the dark.

After a long while, he left another light kiss on the top of her hair, tightened his arms around her just a fraction more, and finally closed his eyes.

The next day.

Zhou He started making a fuss bright and early.

"Boss, how could you do this? Do you have any idea how anxious I was when I opened my eyes and didn't see you?"

Liang Jinmo was washing up, with Zhou He trailing behind like a buzzing bee.

"A man needs to learn some restraint! Do you understand? Restraint! You can't just throw yourself at her like that!"

Unable to bear the noise any longer, Liang Jinmo dried the water from his face and glanced back at him. "Have you ever shown any restraint with women?"

Zhou He was choked by the question.

Liang Jinmo continued, "When you were chasing that girl from the business school, everyone said you were her lapdog."

Zhou He’s face turned bright red. "That... that’s different!"

Liang Jinmo walked to the doorway and said, "Don't block the path."

Zhou He deflated, stepping aside while muttering, "I’m looking out for you and you won't listen. Even if I act like a lapdog, I’m not obsessed with any one person. If I can't catch one, I move on to the next. I’m much more carefree than you."

Liang Jinmo ignored him and walked out.

It was Sunday. After the three of them had breakfast, Xu Zhi decided it was time to get down to business. She borrowed a laptop from Liang Jinmo and began to polish her resume, hoping to send it out between today and tomorrow to see if she could land an interview within the week.

Liang Jinmo was busy in the study as usual. Zhou He, after stewing in his own frustration for a while, walked past the study while going to get water and heard voices coming from inside.

He took a look and saw that, at some point, Xu Zhi had moved into the study with her laptop, pointing at the screen and asking Liang Jinmo a question.

When Liang Jinmo spoke to her, he bowed his head, his expression calm, his presence gentle, and his tone filled with patience.

So this is what they were like together...

It was actually quite fresh. Liang Jinmo was not a patient man; to most people—men or women alike—he gave the impression of being somber and unapproachable.

Zhou He watched quietly for a moment, then went to get his water, lost in thought.

That afternoon, Liang Jinmo and Zhou He had to go out to meet a client. Yang Xue took advantage of the opportunity to visit Xu Zhi.

Yang Xue wasn't her usual lively self. The reason: she had been dumped.

Cheng Yu had told Yang Xue that the reason he agreed to join the Liang Corporation was for a woman—a woman who was already a junior manager there, a quintessential "office siren" type.

As Xu Zhi listened, she immediately thought of the woman she had seen with Cheng Yu at the mall.

Yang Xue hung her head dejectedly. "Turns out he likes that mature type. Sigh, do I really look that childish? He said I was childish."

Xu Zhi glanced at Yang Xue.

She was indeed childish...

She comforted her, "Don't be sad. Matters of the heart are hard to force."

Yang Xue was sullen. "Zhizhi, I’m so envious of you. Young Master Liang treats you so well. Even though you went off to get engaged to someone else, he was still willing to take you back, and when you wanted to move in, you did so without any trouble. I’ve been devoted to Cheng Yu for nearly three years, so why won't he even look at me?"

Xu Zhi faltered. "...Weren't we talking about your situation?"

Yang Xue replied, "I’m just speaking from the heart. Mutual affection is so hard to find. Cheng Yu is truly a stone. Young Master Liang seems much colder than Cheng Yu, but in private, he really knows how to cherish someone."

Xu Zhi sighed inwardly. It was hard for her, too. Even though there had been a tiny bit of progress, she knew their relationship had only reached a temporary truce; there was still a long way to go before she could fully resolve the knots in Liang Jinmo’s heart.

When Liang Jinmo and Zhou He returned that evening and saw Yang Xue’s despondent look, they learned she was heartbroken. Zhou He waved a hand grandly, offering to treat everyone to drinks so Yang Xue could drown her sorrows.

Yang Xue responded enthusiastically, so the four of them headed to a bar.

Xu Zhi didn't dare drink much. Beside her was a low-alcohol fruit wine ordered by Liang Jinmo, of which she only took small sips.

But Yang Xue was there to get drunk, and soon she was completely incoherent.

Her drinking style was not much different from Xu Zhi’s, but now, fueled by heartbreak, she took it to another level. With glassy, unfocused eyes, she tugged at Zhou He’s collar, demanding to know what exactly was wrong with her.

In the end, there was no choice but for Zhou He to take the drunkard home.

Liang Jinmo and Xu Zhi stood outside the bar, watching Zhou He help Yang Xue into a taxi.

After the taxi pulled away, Xu Zhi felt a bit melancholy. "Did you know? Yang Xue has been chasing Cheng Yu for nearly three years."

Liang Jinmo did not know, nor was he interested. He was generally indifferent to other people's affairs; it was a flaw rooted deep in his nature.

Xu Zhi looked back at him and suggested, "Let's walk back."

It was only two blocks from the hotel.

Liang Jinmo did not object.

Spring Festival was approaching, and the shops along the street were hung with festive decorations. The holiday atmosphere was thickening, so even though it was cold, there were a few pedestrians on the road.

The two walked side-by-side. Passing by a hotel, Xu Zhi remembered something and said to Liang Jinmo, "Do you remember the day we reunited? The day it snowed? I had nowhere to go, and you let me stay for the night."

Liang Jinmo gave a soft "Hmm."

Xu Zhi took her gaze off the hotel. "That night, I was originally at this hotel. Liang Muzhi had gotten into a fight over Chen Jing, and I went to bail him out. When I came out to this spot, I discovered they had already booked a double room. It was that day I learned Liang Muzhi had a girlfriend."

Liang Jinmo didn't speak. Of course he remembered that night.

After settling her in the guest room, he had tossed and turned in the master bedroom for half the night. Her appearance was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, stirring up ripples that lasted a long time.

When she said she had never actually been with Liang Muzhi, his nerves had been wildly agitated by the words.

He knew Xu Zhi hadn't brought this up for no reason.

As they walked forward, Xu Zhi continued, "I did like Liang Muzhi before, and I had thought about marrying him... but I only had those thoughts because the elders kept harping on about our childhood betrothal. It was such a subtle influence, as if my future had already been mapped out for me. You know how it was; I didn't have any ideas of my own back then and just listened to them."

"I can speak to you about this calmly now because I truly have no feelings for Liang Muzhi anymore. Saying these things doesn't make me feel hurt. I think it’s better to face the past squarely than to hide it. I’ve let it go. No matter how much conflict there has been between you and Liang Muzhi, I don't want him to be a problem between us. I am on your side now, and I will be in the future."

"When I got together with you, I really didn't think that far ahead. It was because meeting you was the first time I ever truly fell in love," she said, her voice dropping a little as she moved closer to his side. "They all told me you were no good and that I shouldn't be with you, but for the first time, the voice in my heart drowned theirs out. Before this, I had never imagined a future for myself, but..."

She paused. "I am thinking about it now."

Liang Jinmo stopped in his tracks, turning his head to look at her.

Xu Zhi also stopped. They were standing on a street corner that felt somewhat chilly compared to the bustling main road.

Xu Zhi said, "I told you before, as long as you're willing to wait, you will meet someone who cares about you, someone who likes you, and you will marry and even have children..."

Her heart was pounding. Her hands were inside her coat pockets, clenched tightly.

"I want to be the one who gives you all of that, Brother Jinmo," she gazed intensely into his eyes. "When I graduate, let’s get married, okay?"