Volume One, Chapter 163: His heartstrings were gently plucked, and he could not help but kiss her lips.

Xu Zhi was well aware that the father-son relationship between Liang Zhenguo and Liang Jinmo was far from good.

However, given that Liang Jinmo still had his own agenda within the Liang Corporation, what would he choose if Liang Zhenguo truly took a dislike to her and wanted to drive her away from him?

She realized that she still felt anxious because he said nothing at all.

It was only at this moment that she finally understood his previous feelings. It turned out that worrying about whether one would be resolutely chosen by the other person was such a draining and agonizing thing.

Back then, she had left without a word, gone to become engaged to Liang Muzhi, and abandoned him... No wonder he had thought of himself as a mere backup option.

On the way back, and for the better part of the day that followed, she was enveloped by extremely complex emotions. There was regret, there was guilt, and because of this, she grew even more worried, having no idea what was truly on his mind.

Whether due to the emotional turmoil affecting her physical state or not, by evening, Xu Zhi felt a heavy, bloated sensation in her lower abdomen and was deeply uncomfortable.

Today was the second day of her period. She lay down early in the guest bedroom bed, her spirits utterly wilted.

After taking a shower, Liang Jinmo came into the guest bedroom, sat down by the bedside, and noticing her pale and distressed complexion, asked, "Are you feeling unwell?"

Xu Zhi answered honestly, "My stomach feels a bit uncomfortable."

Liang Jinmo: "Does it hurt?"

"It doesn't hurt, just bloated..." She said, "It's fine, it should be better by tomorrow."

He sat by the edge of the bed looking at his phone for a while, then got into bed, lying on his side behind her. He wrapped his arm around her, pressing his palm flat against her lower abdomen, stroking it very lightly and gently.

The man's body temperature was high, and his palm was warm. Xu Zhi felt a cozy heat radiating through her and couldn't help pressing back, leaning closer against him.

"Do you feel a little better?" he asked.

She nodded and suddenly smiled.

Liang Jinmo: "What are you smiling at?"

Xu Zhi said, "In the past, I thought you were so cold. You never liked to talk. Whether with other people or with me, you spoke very little, as if words were worth a fortune. Back then, I thought you must have really loathed me."

Liang Jinmo did not speak.

Xu Zhi turned over to face him. Feeling a bit more spirited, she asked, "I want to ask you a question... When did you... start having feelings for me?"

This question was a bit embarrassing, but she was genuinely curious.

Because of past events, she had once firmly believed that something like this was utterly impossible between them. How could anyone ever like someone who used to bully them?

"Aren't you feeling miserable?" Liang Jinmo raised a hand, tucking a stray lock of hair from her temple behind her ear. "You still have so much to say."

Xu Zhi lowered her long eyelashes. She was simply feeling a bit insecure.

He seemed never to bring up the past, but for all these years, the guilt she harbored deep inside toward him had never diminished. The amends she had made were very limited, and she had even abandoned him one more time... Therefore, when she suspected that her position was threatened, she lacked confidence and instinctively wanted to confirm his feelings for her.

She sighed softly. "If I had known, I should have pushed Liang Muzhi a little lighter."

She truly regretted it—not just because of the trouble it brought, but because seeing Liang Muzhi in the hospital room had genuinely shocked her. It wasn't that she still harbored any lingering affection, but rather that she had never imagined she could hurt someone like that, leading to such severe consequences.

Yet, she was unwilling to speak of this to Liang Jinmo. He already lacked a sense of security, and in front of him, her stance had to be resolute enough.

She tried very hard to banish Liang Muzhi's pathetic appearance in the hospital room to the back of her mind.

Right now, she was much more eager to resolve the issues between herself and Liang Jinmo.

Liang Jinmo frowned, feeling that the topic had jumped too abruptly. Why mention Liang Muzhi at a time like this?

He was silent for a few seconds before asking, "Did you soften your heart because he got hurt?"

Xu Zhi felt a sharp pinch at her heart. She paused, weighed her words carefully, and then spoke, "It's not really softening my heart; it's just that I felt somewhat uneasy inside. I've grown up this big and have never fought with anyone. Even though I find him deeply irritating, I truly didn't mean to turn him into this state."

Liang Jinmo remained silent.

He had imagined far worse scenarios—countless times, he had wished that everyone in the Liang family would just drop dead.

He knew Xu Zhi was different from him. She was kind, gentle, and it wasn't as if he hadn't seen the look in her eyes when she looked at Liang Muzhi today. She probably thought she had concealed it well, and he simply chose not to expose her.

A knock on the door sounded, and he got out of bed to open it.

Hearing the voice of a waiter, Xu Zhi scolded herself inwardly. She desperately wanted to ask what on earth Liang Zhenguo had said to him today, but because he had refused to speak of it earlier, her pride kept her from pressing the issue.

After a short while, Liang Jinmo returned to the guest bedroom, carrying a cup of water to the bedside. "Drink some brown sugar water."

Xu Zhi was slightly stunned.

Liang Jinmo stood by the bed, looking down at her. "Don't want to drink it?"

Xu Zhi hurriedly sat up. He had mixed in some cold water when preparing the brown sugar water, and the temperature was just right. After drinking it, her whole body felt warm.

Liang Jinmo then produced another item—a warm patch for her womb—and personally applied it to her abdomen.

Xu Zhi's face quietly flushed red, yet deep down, she was filled with joy. When he climbed back into bed and lay down with her, she mustered up her courage and asked, "Then... do you really not plan to tell me what you and Uncle Liang talked about today?"

He was so good to her; surely he wouldn't choose against her. She felt that rather than guessing blindly in the dark, it was better to ask directly.

Liang Jinmo paused slightly. Looking at her expression, he felt a mixture of helplessness and amusement. "There really was nothing much. Do you care that much?"

Xu Zhi burrowed into his embrace and said, "I... I'm a bit scared."

"Scared of what?"

Lowering her head, her forehead resting against his chest as she listened to the steady beat of his heart, she murmured softly, "Liang Muzhi is left with sequelae, and Uncle Liang must loathe me to death. If I'm with you, will he oppose it?"

"..." Liang Jinmo was speechless. "You're worried about this?"

Xu Zhi nodded, her fingers gripping the lapel of his loungewear. "Right now, I feel like I've caused a huge disaster."

His hand reached up to lift her chin, forcing her to look at him.

"What does Liang Zhenguo even count for?" he asked.

Xu Zhi was taken aback.

"I don't have a father, and he has no control over me," he said in a deep, resolute tone. "There is no need for you to fear him."

The heart that had been tossed and shaken all afternoon finally settled back into its rightful place at those words.

She bit her lip and, just as she was about to speak, heard him continue.

" Weren't you chasing me?" he asked. "At the slightest sign of trouble, your mind starts wandering wildly. Since you're chasing me, keep your eyes only on me. No one else matters. Our affairs are for us to decide."

His eyes were pitch black as he gazed into hers. She felt herself drawn into that dark vortex, watching him in a sort of trance, her heart fluttering violently because of his words.

He asked again, "Or is your so-called pursuit just this—backing out at the first sign of trouble?"

"It's not," she said eagerly, her voice dropping lower again. "I'm... I'm going to keep chasing you."

The words felt a bit mortifying. Lowering her eyes, she didn't dare look at him.

The girl in his arms had a blushing face, her eyelashes still trembling faintly. Clearly shy, she nonetheless insisted she would keep chasing him.

His heartstrings were gently plucked, and unable to resist any longer, he lowered his head and kissed her lips.