I See Roses

I See Roses – Chapter 21

On the elevated bridge, the black Bentley sped along, splashing rainwater into sharp lines.

The atmosphere inside the car was unusually silent. The two young masters and the young lady in the backseat hadn’t spoken since they got in the car. Even the usually quiet Chai Tai, who rarely spoke unless necessary, had become the one with the most words because of his courteous greeting to Ming Si when they got in.

Ming Si propped her chin up and looked out the window, trying her best to maintain a calm appearance as if nothing had happened.

Liang Xian leaned on the backrest, lightly tapping the armrest box with one hand. Although he hadn’t done anything, Ming Si noticed from the corner of her eye that his calm demeanor and the faint curve of his lips were very suspicious.

She wanted to ask him several times, but she was afraid of stirring up trouble for herself, so she forced herself to suppress the urge and diverted her attention.

At this moment, her phone vibrated, and she opened it to see a reply from Lin Xijia:「Stop talking about it. I feel like I’m dead just by reading it through the screen.」

「Playing-dead.jpg.」

Ming Si: “…”

The previous message in the chatbox was her description of the whole incident, and because she was too emotional at the time, she used several “ahs” and exclamation marks to express her overwhelming frustration at being caught red-handed. Rereading it now, she still felt a strong sense of suffocation.

Lin Xijia couldn’t bear to look at it even through the screen, but Ming Si had actually experienced the brutal scene for real.

She glanced at those lines and quickly looked away, tightly closing her eyes.

But she couldn’t stop the scenes from playing out in her mind, and there were even a few seconds when Ming Si tried to look at the scene from Liang Xian’s perspective, trying to find evidence to convince herself that it wasn’t as awkward as she had imagined.

The result was that she also felt like wanting to play dead.

Ming Si turned her head slightly, placing one hand on the car’s storage shelf, with her index and middle fingers resting on her forehead, blocking her view.

After a moment, she let out a low and brief murmur in her throat. Although it was just one very soft syllable, it was filled with deep regret.

Liang Xian held back a laugh for a moment, then spoke again, “I didn’t see anything.”

Ming Si hesitated for a moment, then withdrew one finger and glanced at him sideways.

Likewise, he also saw her eyes.

The corners of her eyes were slightly raised, with long and defined eyelashes casting a faint shadow on her fair skin. Her beautiful light brown irises were clear and translucent, now filled with suspicion and uncertainty.

He added, “Really, I’m not lying to you.”

“You’re so kind?” Ming Si said, half-believing.

Liang Xian chuckled softly, “Why don’t we recall together then?”

Ming Si immediately became annoyed, giving him a sideways glance. She lowered her hand from her forehead, straightened her back, and didn’t even spare him a side glance.

Liang Xian hooked the corner of his lips and lazily leaned back in his seat.

He had actually come to pick Ming Si up for a family banquet. After making a few calls and failing to reach her, he came to her villa on his own.

Unexpectedly, the little peacock who complained about his wheelchair seemed to enjoy using it. She even skillfully performed a difficult move of spinning 180 degrees in place and then gliding smoothly. It seemed like she had practiced a lot.

Perhaps it was too surprising. Now, as he tried to recall the details, everything in his mind had become somewhat hazy, leaving only the memory of her beautiful and stunned expression when she was caught red-handed.

The remaining ten minutes of the car journey gave Ming Si just enough time to adjust her mindset.

After resting for about ten days, her foot was actually almost fully recovered, and there was no problem with walking normally. However, on one hand, the doctor advised her to minimize exertion, and on the other hand… the wheelchair was indeed fun and convenient. So she decided to be a bit lazy, never expecting that she would get caught using it even in her own home.

It can be said that when one is unlucky, even drinking water can lead to trouble.

But in any case, Liang Xian had acted like a person of integrity. Since he assured her that he hadn’t seen anything, it could be considered sincere.

After thinking it over, by the time they got off the car, Ming Si had adjusted her mindset and restored her usual beautiful and proud appearance.

When getting off the car, the driver held an umbrella over her head, and she, the peacock, took a few steps in her high heels and suddenly stood still, turning back.

Liang Xian raised an eyebrow and walked over. He took the umbrella with one hand and lowered his other arm slightly, and Ming Si took his arm naturally.

In front of their elders, they had developed an unspoken agreement.

Under the eaves, Liang Xian handed the umbrella to a servant; the rainwater streamed along the edge of the umbrella, forming a winding trail. The two walked arm in arm into the small hall, where the butler greeted them warmly.

Ming Si was wearing an elegant floral top today, with long ribbons hanging at the elbows. Her black curly hair was casually scattered, and she wore a single pearl earring on one side, with a long, slender thread hanging down.

Her fair skin was adorned with vintage red lips, but it wasn’t the traditional classical beauty; instead, it was stunning and had a hint of seductive charm.

Liang Xian, on the other hand, wore a black suit with a silver-gray tie. Standing there with broad shoulders and long legs, his peach blossom eyes casually swept over, exuding both ease and grace.

At first glance, the two of them were undoubtedly an extraordinary pair.

Several of Liang Xian’s cousins were whispering among themselves, “Cousin-in-law looks so beautiful! What shade of lipstick is she wearing? Is it the new one from YSL?”

“Cousin is handsome too, don’t you think they match perfectly?”

“Absolutely, they are a perfect match!”

“I-I can’t believe it! I can’t believe it’s real!”

“…”

The cousins were young. They had only heard from their family that their cousin and cousin-in-law had known each other since childhood. Today, seeing the two of them hand in hand with such a heavenly appearance, they naturally conjured up a bunch of pink bubble-filled fantasies.

“I-I’m so nervous, I want to say hello to them!”

“Don’t be shy, they are our own cousin and cousin-in-law. Show some courage like when you ship your favorite CP!”

“But we’re not close with them QvQ”

“…”

Even though they were secretly discussing, Ming Si could hear everything clearly. But since they were praising her beauty and with so many people around, she decided to let it go.

Moreover, when their eyes met, she even smiled politely at them.

Liang Xian glanced over at this moment and Ming Si maintained her sweet smile. Offhandedly, she said, “You have quite a few cousins.”

He followed her gaze and nonchalantly replied, “En.”

The group of CP fans almost collapsed with excitement.

In contrast to the lively atmosphere in the small hall, which resembled a celebrity meeting, the main hall was shrouded in gloom. Stepmother Zhong Wanzhi leaned on the sofa, her makeup failing to conceal her disappointment and depression, making it difficult for people to ignore.

The last time Liang Xian came back, she had displayed her dominance with Liang Jinyu at the entrance, but this time, she couldn’t summon the same arrogance.

Even when she saw them, she instinctively stood up and greeted, “You’re back.”

Liang Xian nodded lightly in response, considering it as a greeting.

He had always been indifferent, even towards Liang Zhihong. However, Zhong Wanzhi was accustomed to it and smiled slightly. Then, she turned to Ming Si and said warmly, “I’ve heard so much about Miss Ming, and finally, I get to meet you today.”

Ming Si sat down on the sofa, smoothing her skirt, and smiled at her with a beautiful yet unfriendly smile, “Is that so? I’ve also heard about you.”

The tone sounded quite sincere, as if she was just returning the compliment of I’ve long admired you. However, as a woman, Zhong Wanzhi could easily detect the underlying meaning in Ming Si’s words.

There were already rumors about the young Miss Ming, saying that she was pampered since childhood, powerful and dominant, not someone to be trifled with.

Zhong Wanzhi had originally thought that no matter how arrogant the other party was, she was still the daughter-in-law of the Liang family and would give her some face. But she didn’t know that Ming Si looked down upon women who were the third party from the bottom of her heart and did not consider her as a mother-in-law at all.

In the spacious main hall, the atmosphere seemed to freeze for a moment.

Even the butler on the side felt awkward and subtly glanced at the clock several times. However, Liang Xian and Ming Si seemed oblivious and took out their phones with great understanding.

They each had an @ message from Cheng Yu.

Cheng Yu:「@Everyone, where are you? Come to my place for hot pot!」

Ke Lijie:「I’m at home. It’s raining, and I don’t want to go out.」

Yu Chuan:「I have an experiment in the evening.」

Cheng Yu:「Hmph, I’ll find my dads then! Yu Chuan, you’re always doing experiments, be careful of going bald!」

Kind-hearted Yu Chuan:「Thanks, my hair is fine.」

Ke Lijie:「Why don’t you ask them? If they come, I can join too.」

Cheng Yu:「@Liang Xian @Ming Si, Dads? Are you here? Come out for hotpot.」

Liang Xian:「Not here.」

Ming Si:「Not eating.」

The two messages almost popped up simultaneously, both exuding a sense of coldness and indifference. Ke Lijie, who was watching the fun from behind, joined in:「Get lost.」

Not here, not eating, get lost—successfully struck at Cheng Yu’s fragile and small heart.

He complained with resentment:「Do you no longer love me?」

Without waiting for their response, he added:「Huh? You both almost replied at the same time. Are you two together?」

This was one of Cheng Yu’s few Sherlock Holmes moments, but unfortunately, he had encountered two opponents who could lie without blushing. One said he was at home sleeping, while the other claimed to be watching a movie at her best friend’s place.

Cheng Yu:「Alright, then let’s plan another time TvT.」

The emoticon at the end almost made people imagine his dejected expression.

Ming Si suddenly felt a guilty feeling as if she was deceiving a child. She asked unconsciously, “How long are we going to hide it from him?”

“If I remember correctly,” Liang Xian casually leaned against the sofa, “it was your idea.”

After getting their certificates that day, Ming Si sternly pressed the red book against his shoulder, commanding him to keep it a secret, especially from Cheng Yu and the others.

“…” Ming Si also thought about it and fell silent for a moment. After some inner struggle, she finally said in a low voice, “Then… let’s just go with the flow.”

With Cheng Yu’s straightforward temperament, she was afraid he would start doubting life once he got to know the truth.

In any case, he would find out sooner or later.

Liang Xian raised an eyebrow slightly and was about to say something when the butler reported in a low voice, “Mr. Liang and Young Master Liang Jinyu have arrived.”

So, the topic came to a temporary end.

Through the Roman columns in the hall, Ming Si saw Liang Zhihong walking towards them, followed by Liang Jinyu. Both of them had a faint look of weariness on their faces, indicating that they must have just had a long and intense discussion upstairs.

“You’re here. Why didn’t you inform us?” Liang Zhihong took the main seat and after a few pleasantries, he instructed the butler, “Go check if everyone has arrived.”

The butler acknowledged and left.

“We are all family, so I won’t keep it a secret anymore,” Liang Zhihong clearly had the upper hand in the conversation he had upstairs. Liang Jinyu stood by his side, listening without any change of expression, “Tonight, I will formally announce your engagement during the family banquet and also introduce Liang Xian to several members of the board of directors.”

“Liang Xian, the future of the Liang family will be handed over to you.”

Bestowing such a generous gift, even if Liang Jinyu had already known about it, it was still difficult for him to maintain a calm expression.

However, Liang Xian remained indifferent, merely nodding lightly. His tone was obviously perfunctory.

Over the years, Ming Si only knew that his relationship with his family was not good, but she didn’t know that he didn’t even bother pretending to be polite.

Taking advantage of Liang Zhihong’s departure with Zhong Wanzhi, Ming Si lightly tugged at Liang Xian’s suit cuff, “Do you want to stay here?”

The banquet tonight was ostensibly a family gathering, but in reality, it was more of a celebration for Liang Xian. After the catering, there would be parties and performances, and he, as the protagonist, was destined not to leave early.

Liang Xian loosened his tie slightly, his gaze flickering over, wondering what she was planning, “En?”

“I have a way for us to leave early. Anyway, I don’t like your stepmother,” Ming Si shrugged and looked at him, “Do you want to go?”

When she spoke, her lips carried a confident smile, and her eyes were bright.

Liang Xian wanted to tease her again and asked with a low chuckle, “You’re so kind?”

“Hmph,” Ming Si thought he was quite vindictive, unexpectedly returning her words. So she simply followed his lead, “Of course, it’s not that simple.”

She lightly linked her arm and thought for a moment, “Why don’t you write Ming Si is a fairy one hundred times.”