Volume One, Chapter 78: Soft as Water After a Kiss from the One You Love
In the realm of romance, Xu Zhi was a novice. She wondered if other girls felt the same way—when kissed by someone they loved, did they melt like water? She had no principles at all; even the minor grievances she once held vanished, swept away by his rhythm. Her hands unconsciously wrapped around his neck.
Liang Jinmo appeared cool and detached to outsiders, but when alone with her, he dominated every moment, leaving her no space to retreat. He seized all her breath, her heartbeat quickening for him alone, making thought impossible.
Their lips and tongues entwined, breathing utterly disordered. At some unknown point, several buttons at the front of her blouse had been undone.
Liang Jinmo’s breath paused; he withdrew from her mouth, his lips brushing hers as he spoke in a husky voice, “Not wearing a bra?”
He glanced down as he spoke.
Xu Zhi was slow to react, following the man's gaze.
The scene before her was too decadent. Why was there a bright incandescent light here, leaving nothing hidden?
His slender fingers, gripping her, revealed pale veins beneath the skin.
Beneath his palm was a patch of soft, bullied whiteness.
Xu Zhi’s mind buzzed; without thinking, her first instinct was to raise her hand and cover his eyes. “You’re not allowed to look!”
She gasped, her voice tinged with coy reproach.
His vision was blocked, but he wasn’t in a hurry. His fingers tightened, his tone slow and teasing, “I’ve already touched…”
He pinched gently again. “Still afraid of being seen?”
The sensation made Xu Zhi shiver, a soft moan escaping her lips.
Liang Jinmo—how could he be like this? He ought to be a block of ice, but now she felt he was a wicked flame at his core.
He remained blindfolded by her hand, kissing her by feel, lips landing at the corner of her mouth, then sliding to her chin, then further down.
Because of their posture, his lips soon reached her collarbone, gently sucking and kissing.
His fingers never stopped, unaffected by the lack of sight. Xu Zhi was so aroused that even her toes curled tight, her breath rapid, like a fish out of water.
“Jinmo, brother…” she called him, her voice soft and sweet, uncertain whether she wanted him to stop or to continue.
He paused at her call, moving her hand away from his eyes.
She tried to keep covering him, but truly lacked the strength, so she hastily grabbed her blouse to shield herself from exposure.
Liang Jinmo’s lowered gaze was heavy with desire. Though her shirt hid the most sensitive parts, the creamy skin visible above was marked with several deep red traces.
He looked away, leaned to her ear, and gently bit her earlobe. “Why cover up? It’s beautiful.”
Xu Zhi panted, her ears burning red. How was she supposed to respond to such words…
Liang Jinmo held her, calming himself for a while, even kindly helping her fasten her blouse.
He had waited too long; taking it slow was becoming difficult. But he knew, for her temperament, moving too fast might frighten her.
He asked, “Do you want to sleep here with me tonight? Just sleep.”
Xu Zhi blushed and shook her head quickly.
He didn’t insist. Instead, he picked her up and carried her to the guest room.
Just as last night, before leaving, he pressed a brief goodnight kiss to her lips.
After he left, Xu Zhi’s heart was still racing. She couldn’t help but rub her face against the quilt, remembering that she was supposed to discuss renting an apartment with him.
She swore to herself she would never again let a man lead her astray. Truly, the allure of a handsome man was disastrous.
The day Xu Zhi ran away, the Xu family was in chaos.
Zhao Nianqiao and Xu Heping had their most intense argument ever, the same old story: Xu Heping complained that their daughter was useless, and now, at the critical moment, she had run away.
Zhao Nianqiao hadn’t expected Xu Zhi to do such a thing. Xu Zhi had always been meek and compliant. In her imagination, Xu Zhi would resist and protest, but ultimately accept Xu Heping’s arrangements.
Not only had Xu Zhi fled, she had climbed out the window in the middle of the night. Xu Heping didn’t even dare make this public.
The Liang family valued Xu Zhi’s docility. If they knew she’d done such a thing, they’d likely abandon her as their first choice.
Zhao Nianqiao felt Xu Zhi had been forced too hard by Xu Heping. Last time, when Xu Zhi disappeared, she’d been anxious to find her. Now, she wasn’t even worried, because she knew that someone like Xu Zhi, once she ran, must have a solid plan.
The couple blamed each other for a while, until finally Xu Heping gave an order: “You must find her and bring her back. I’ve negotiated everything with the Liang family… She can’t just run away. I’ve raised this ingrate for over twenty years, and now she’s ruining me! How am I supposed to answer to the Liang family? If the company goes bankrupt, you won’t fare any better! The debts are ours together, do you think you can get off scot-free?!”
Zhao Nianqiao was fed up and slammed the door, only to run into Liang Muzhi outside.
Liang Muzhi was accompanied by bodyguards. He paused when he saw Zhao Nianqiao and greeted her.
Her expression was sour; unlike Xu Heping, she didn’t fawn over Liang Muzhi. Her tone was unfriendly, “What are you doing here?”
Liang Muzhi was somewhat embarrassed. He hesitated for a few seconds before confessing, “Actually… I wanted to ask Xu Zhi what her plans are.”
Xu Zhi had deleted all his contact information. He could have called her, but couldn’t bring himself to do it, so he came hoping for a chance encounter.
He hadn’t expected to run into Zhao Nianqiao.
He knew she was different from Xu Heping, more likely to consider Xu Zhi’s feelings, so he was sincere: “Auntie, you know Xu Zhi doesn’t want to marry me.”
“I’m well aware,” Zhao Nianqiao didn’t hide it. “She doesn’t want to marry you at all. To avoid the engagement, she climbed out the window last night and ran away.”
Liang Muzhi’s eyes widened, as if struck by lightning. “What?”
“You heard right. She won’t be getting engaged to you. Now neither her father nor I know where she is.”
“Wasn’t she living on the second floor?!” Liang Muzhi was incredulous.
“Yes, the second floor. I don’t know if she got hurt in the fall.” Zhao Nianqiao remembered how this young master had insulted her daughter in the hospital, and wanted to vent her anger. “For someone like her to do such a thing, it shows just how much she rejects marrying you.”
Liang Muzhi was so shocked he couldn’t recover for a long time.
Zhao Nianqiao said, “So don’t fool yourself into thinking our Zhi is desperate for you. I hear your parents are looking at other girls for you; that’s perfect. Our Zhi wants to marry a man who loves her.”
With that, Zhao Nianqiao left.
Liang Muzhi stood there in a daze for quite a while before slowly heading home.
He couldn’t describe how he felt. Xu Zhi had actually jumped out of the second-floor window in the middle of the night… Did she dislike him that much? So much that she’d risk injury?
That night, Liang Muzhi didn’t sleep at all.
He didn’t tell Fu Wanwen about Xu Zhi running away. On one hand, it was embarrassing; on the other, if Liang Zhengguo and Fu Wanwen found out, they’d immediately reject Xu Zhi as a candidate for fiancée and who knew where they’d find another girl.
He thought it over all night and concluded: if he was forced to marry, Xu Zhi was better than a random stranger parachuted in.
The next morning, he tried sending Xu Zhi a message on WeChat. As expected, he received a red exclamation mark in reply.
That woman…
Had she never thought about it? She ran away, but what about him? Now, with bodyguards around him twenty-four hours a day, he had no way to escape even if he wanted to.
Really, if anyone was going to run, it should have been him. He was furious.
He sent her a text: Where did you go?
Xu Zhi saw the message while eating breakfast.
Although she’d deleted his contact, so his number appeared as a string of digits, the tone made it clear: it was definitely Liang Muzhi.
She stared at it for a few seconds, then decided: read, but no reply.
Just as she put down her phone, Liang Jinmo’s phone rang.
He answered, exchanged a few words, then stood up.
“I’ll be there right away,” he said into the phone, then went to the bedroom for his coat.
Xu Zhi noticed his grim expression and followed him into the living room. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”
“It’s my mother,” Liang Jinmo said as he changed his shoes, not hiding anything. “She’s at a psychiatric rehabilitation center in the eastern suburbs of North City. The doctor said she had an episode early this morning and was very agitated. I’m going to see her.”
Xu Zhi took a moment to realize whom he meant.
It couldn’t be Fu Wanwen. Her heart clenched—how could his mother be in a psychiatric hospital?
She asked, “Could I… go with you?”
Liang Jinmo had finished changing shoes, stood upright, and looked at her. “You might be frightened.”
“I won’t,” she replied. “I… I want to be with you.”
He had always been solitary, but now that they were together, she felt some things could be faced together. Besides, she wanted to be closer to him, to understand him better.
Liang Jinmo pressed his thin lips together, silent for a moment.
Xu Zhi walked up to him, gazed into his eyes, and said, “If you don’t want me to, I won’t force you. But you must promise not to suffer alone. If you need anything, call me.”
She didn’t know if he still kept her at a distance, but years ago, when she’d sent him out sick with a fever, it became a knot in her heart. She hoped that from now on, when he needed someone, she would never be absent again.
Liang Jinmo was silent for a few seconds before finally speaking. “Are you sure your legs can walk?”