Volume One, Chapter 131: Brother Jinmo, How Are You So Amazing?

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Later, Xu Zhi was carried into the bedroom by Liang Jinmo.

The details were somewhat blurred in the chaos. She only remembered how desperately they had clung to one another in a fevered kiss, and that he had been the one to remove her coat.

They fell onto the bed in the spare room, and the man covered her. That familiar woody scent pressed down around her, dense and inescapable. He held her chin and kissed her deeply, the repeated brush of his tongue kindling a fire anew each time.

He had been drinking beer, while the fruity wine on her lips mingled with it and spread between them. Astringency gave way to a sweet fragrance, and the alcohol seemed to be rising endlessly through her body. She felt as though she were suffocating, yet she was utterly lost in it.

Her camisole, along with the garment beneath it, was pushed up. A thread of cool air immediately brushed over her waist, abdomen, and chest, only to be replaced the next moment by the warmth of his kisses and caresses.

Clearly, they had both lost control, and neither of them wanted to regain it.

Unable to restrain herself, Xu Zhi tipped back her head and drew a deep breath. The bedroom lights were off, and moonlight spilled through the window. Her eyes were clouded with mist. She was just reaching out to embrace him when her phone suddenly began to ring.

It was her phone. She turned her head toward the sound, which came from the living room, and remembered that she had left it in the pocket of her coat.

The man above her seemed completely oblivious. Even while kissing her, he remained focused with the concentration he might have brought to his work. When she lowered her head, she caught an unexpectedly shocking glimpse of a scene with overwhelming force.

The place that was usually covered so thoroughly was now completely exposed, left at the man’s mercy, and unmistakable red marks marred her fair skin.

His touch was somewhat rough. She did not know whether he was venting something, but even if he was, she accepted it. But—

The phone continued to ring. She pressed a hand against his shoulder. “My… my phone is ringing.”

“Leave it.”

Xu Zhi did not want to answer it either, but as soon as the ringing stopped, it began again.

Liang Jinmo’s kisses eventually came to rest on her abdomen. His warm breath swept across her skin, and she could not help trembling.

When he lifted his head and sat up, his face was dark. “Who’s calling?”

“How should I know?” Her breathing was still uneven, and she felt that this side of him was unlike him.

He was supposed to be calm and aloof. Yet it seemed that even in bed, he could have moments of urgency—and could be displeased when interrupted.

Still, that contrast made him seem more real. Unable to resist, she touched his cheek and coaxingly kissed the corner of his lips. “It’ll only take a moment to answer. We still have the whole night, and tomorrow, and the day after that… We have the rest of our lives.”

Xu Zhi had become very good with words lately. Whether she was retorting at someone or whispering sweet nothings, they came to her effortlessly.

Liang Jinmo felt that her mouth really was different from before.

Unfortunately for him, he was susceptible to exactly this sort of coaxing. He kissed her hard once more, then helped straighten her clothes as best he could.

The moment he stood, she climbed out of bed and hurried into the living room to find her phone.

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The phone was ringing for the third time.

She dug it out and pressed the answer button while tugging down the underwear that had not quite been put back into place.

The caller was Zhao Nianqiao. The moment the call connected, Zhao Nianqiao asked what she had been doing. “Why did it take you so long to answer?”

Xu Zhi’s cheeks were burning. She could hardly tell the truth, so she said, “I just got back from outside and didn’t hear the phone.”

There was a brief silence on the other end. Then Zhao Nianqiao said, “Let me say this first: even though you’re engaged now, don’t go and have a baby before the wedding.”

Xu Zhi’s face turned scarlet. “Mom!”

Zhao Nianqiao spoke earnestly. “I’m not joking. This is important. I fully support the two of you being together, but you can’t put the steps out of order.”

Xu Zhi mumbled, “I know.”

She had begun to calm down as well. Tonight had indeed been impulsive. At first, she had only wanted to express her feelings properly to Liang Jinmo. She had never expected things to develop this far.

Zhao Nianqiao continued, “There’s something I called to tell you about. Your father phoned me this afternoon.”

“Oh.” Xu Zhi immediately tensed. “What did he say? Did you two have another fight?”

Zhao Nianqiao chuckled. “You’ll never guess. His attitude was exceptionally good. He asked where we were living, whether we were settling in well, and how things were between you and Jinmo.”

Xu Zhi frowned, filled with suspicion. Xu Heping was absolutely incapable of such genuine concern.

Zhao Nianqiao said, “Your father has started trying the soft approach. I thought there had to be something strange going on, so I called his assistant to ask, and sure enough…”

There was indeed a reason for Xu Heping’s sudden change in attitude.

He himself had never expected that, that very morning, an investor with whom he had been unable to reach an agreement despite every effort would take the initiative to seek him out—and would be unusually warm besides.

After exchanging pleasantries in the office, the man tactfully brought up Liang Jinmo. He said that he wanted to work with Liang Jinmo and asked whether Xu Heping could put them in touch.

Xu Heping had been somewhat dazed. His thoughts turned slowly, and he repeatedly confirmed it with the other man several times. Yes, the man really was looking for Liang Jinmo.

Xu Heping’s eyes widened in astonishment. He could not understand it at all.

The man explained that he had once had the good fortune to work with Liang Jinmo’s mentor overseas. Information technology in the United States was indeed more advanced than in China. The fully automated intelligent assistant they were currently trying to develop required an exceptionally professional team. Yet in China, there were only a handful of top-tier teams, and other companies had already monopolized them by offering enormous sums of money.

They had previously approached Liang Jinmo’s team as well, but Liang Jinmo had been too busy at the Liang Corporation, so they had never managed to speak with him properly.

“President Xu, didn’t you know? Your son-in-law’s team was already highly sought after when he was abroad. I truly never expected him to return to China to develop his career. Ever since his team came back, I hear competition in this field has become even fiercer. His mentor is one of the world’s leading architects of computer languages and has trained numerous top experts. With connections like that, who wouldn’t want to work with him if they’re trying to develop online distribution channels?”

Xu Heping was stunned.

He was conservative by nature. He had started out in traditional business, then later transitioned into distribution channels of his own, most of which were conventional. His company did have an online distribution department, but he had never paid much attention to it, believing the investment-to-return ratio was unreasonable.

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He had never imagined that, in other people’s eyes, Liang Jinmo was such an outstanding talent.

The man spoke with him for a long time, tactfully making it clear that as long as Xu Heping helped put them in contact, the investment could be discussed.

After his assistant saw the visitor out, Xu Heping lit a cigarette. No matter how long he thought about it, he could not understand how that illegitimate son he had looked down on—and who had never been favored by the Liang family—had suddenly become a prize everyone else wanted.

An illegitimate son certainly could not compare with a legitimate heir like Liang Muzhi. But the situation before him was perfectly clear: Xu Zhi and Liang Jinmo had become engaged in front of everyone, and there was absolutely no possibility of her and Liang Muzhi getting back together.

As for Liang Jinmo, he seemed to have his uses.

Xu Heping felt a measure of regret. In the past, whenever he encountered Liang Jinmo, he had always treated him with a cold expression and an icy gaze. He had also fiercely opposed Xu Zhi’s relationship with him. Now, trying to swallow his pride and repair the relationship would obviously not be easy.

All he could do was call Zhao Nianqiao first and sound out her attitude.

Xu Zhi was utterly shocked after hearing the whole story.

Zhao Nianqiao seemed to be in an excellent mood and went on. “You should have heard the way he talked to me—so falsely solicitous, asking whether I was eating and sleeping well. He even said that if we weren’t accustomed to living outside, we should come back home. Then he asked what you and Jinmo planned to do and whether you had discussed getting married… That ingratiating face of his made me question my entire life. How did I ever marry such a snob?”

Xu Zhi’s feelings were complicated as well.

She had realized long ago that Xu Heping was a snob. He was always obsequious whenever he faced Liang Muzhi. But she had never expected him to possess the talent of instantly changing direction with the wind.

“Then, Mom…” Xu Zhi asked. “What did you tell him?”

“Oh, that?” Zhao Nianqiao laughed again. “I told him that I was having a wonderful time living outside, that you and Jinmo were very much in love, and that our family was doing perfectly well without any concern from him.”

Xu Zhi silently gave her mother a thumbs-up.

The mother and daughter chatted so happily that the call went on a little longer than expected.

During that time, Liang Jinmo went to the bathroom and splashed cold water over his face. By the time he came out, he had calmed down considerably.

He sat at the far end of the sofa and waited quietly.

By the time Xu Zhi ended the call, more than half an hour had passed.

When she turned and saw him, excitement still surged through her. She tossed aside her phone and threw herself into his arms.

“Brother Jinmo, how can you be so amazing…”