I See Roses

I See Roses – Chapter 14

I’ll back you up was a phrase Ming Si had heard many times before.

For instance, when she was young, Cheng Yu would often act like a big brother and say confidently, “Ming Si, did Liang Xian bully you again? Don’t worry, I’ll back you up!”

His grandiose declaration, filled with vigor, was quite impressive and intimidating.

Unfortunately, Ming Si had never believed him.

However, Liang Xian’s casual and even nonchalant remark now somehow gave her a little… feeling of assurance.

Pushing aside her strange thoughts, Ming Si composed herself, glanced at him, and retorted, “Do I look like someone who can be bullied? Of course, that little white lotus got scared off by me.”

Liang Xian chuckled lightly in response, “En.”

For some reason, Ming Si also curved her lips slightly, then suddenly noticed that the atmosphere in the car seemed unusually harmonious.

So harmonious that it felt a bit unfamiliar.

The curve of her lips gradually faded, and she turned her head to look out the window.

Liang Xian seemed to have noticed too, and for a long while, neither of them spoke.

Outside the car window, the streetlights passed one by one, and in the hazy light, shadows retreated rapidly.

Finally, he broke the silence and asked, “Was she the one who spread the rumors about our relationship back then?”

Ming Si replied, “Yes.”

The whole incident was quite infuriating.

Feng Shiru was a narrow minded person. She had a crush on Liang Xian but didn’t dare to confess, and she seemed to suspect every girl of having a connection with him. Among them, Ming Si became the biggest target—she and Liang Xian were childhood friends and later attended tutoring classes together, naturally having a closer relationship than regular classmates.

In Feng Shiru’s eyes, this became evidence of her supposed involvement with Liang Xian.

Later, the matter reached Cen Xinyan’s ears, and when Ming Si complained to Cheng Yu and the others in frustration, she accidentally revealed the incident of being falsely accused of early dating.

One day before their tutoring class, they were all sitting together eating fruits. Somehow, the conversation turned to Feng Shiru.

Cheng Yu suddenly coughed and said, “Liang Xian, Ming Si, there’s something I’ve been wanting to say for a long time—Are you two really dating?”

How did she respond back then?

Right, she picked up a physics book and was about to hit him, saying, “Don’t dodge, bring your head over, and I’ll check your temperature!”

Cheng Yu fled with his head in his hands, finally curling up on the sofa with a look of grievance, saying, “But you two look good together… Have you ever considered exploring it further?”

Ming Si retorted irritably, “Looking good together my foot! No need to explore anything!”

“What about you, Liang Xian?” Cheng Yu asked, sticking his neck out again.

Liang Xian seemed to have started doing homework at that time—he might look carefree, but his grades were excellent.

He lifted his head slightly upon hearing Cheng Yu’s question, and his gaze swept lightly towards her before replying, “Not interested.”

Ming Si huffed, “Coincidentally, I’m not interested in you either.”

……

She didn’t know if it was to refute Cen Xinyan’s baseless suspicions or because she had been praised by countless boys since childhood, Liang Xian’s words slightly hurt her self-esteem… In any case, Ming Si found him increasingly unpleasant since then.

In a way, Feng Shiru also had a share of the credit for her strained relationship with Liang Xian.

However, all of these were in the past, and Ming Si didn’t want to dwell on them anymore as they only added to her unhappiness.

Suddenly, she remembered something else and turned to look at him, “I have a cat at home. What if it eats He Sui?”

Liang Xian vaguely remembered that she had posted pictures of it a few times on her moments, “The ragdoll, right?”

With his gem-like blue eyes and white fur, that cat looked beautiful and well-behaved.

Ming Si nodded, “Yes. Si Si has a pretty good temperament, but…”

A cat and a bird were natural enemies, right?

“It’s fine, just don’t let them interact. He Sui loves watching MMA and can be aggressive towards unfamiliar little ones,” Liang Xian seemed indifferent to the safety of the parrot, leaning against the backrest and looking relaxed, “According to him, he’s a martial arts master who can kick kindergartners.”

Listening to Liang Xian’s tone, it seemed as if He Sui had a MAX level of combat power, capable of beating up Si Si.

However, no matter how much MMA it watches, He Sui is just a parrot. Can it really beat up a cat?

After arriving home, Ming Si propped her chin and looked at He Sui, who was calmly grooming itself in its cage, “Your owner has no conscience, he’s not afraid of you being eaten.”

He Sui happened to be preening its chest feathers, nodding its head repeatedly, as if agreeing with her.

Ming Si was pleased and happily took a photo with He Sui.

Although she wasn’t sure if Liang Xian’s words could be trusted, she still remained cautious. She didn’t let He Sui out and only allowed it to greet Sisi through the cage, not expecting them to become best friends.

Before leaving Pingcheng, Liang Xian met with the new bodyguards.

The assessment took place at his MMA club; the bodyguards fought each other without any restrictions on the rules.

Liang Xian sat on the sidelines, propping his forehead with one hand as he watched their battles, occasionally glancing down at the documents in his other hand.

Shi Tai was reliable in handling things; he had found detailed resumes for the hired bodyguards, each accompanied by relevant certifications, and they were all skilled.

After sending out the employment contracts, the four bodyguards would then take turns undercover to protect Ming Si.

With everything settled, he set off for the airport.

The black Bentley sped down the road. Liang Xian leaned against the back of the seat as he took the file handed over by his assistant. He raised a finger to press against his forehead and used his other hand to flip open the file.

On the paper, there were densely packed lines of English text.

Ming Si had been enamored with He Sui from their first meeting. Now that she could keep it at home, she was genuinely satisfied.

As she got closer to take a look, she once again found that He Sui was truly beautiful. Its feathers were a bright red with yellow and blue feathers along the edges of its wings and tail, reflecting like satin.

Moreover, it was quite clever. When Ming Si worked at her desk in the evening, He Sui would stroll along the table’s edge, not making a fuss and even helping her by holding a pencil in its beak.

Occasionally, it would walk over, tilting its head to rub against her hand.

With its fluffy appearance, it could easily melt anyone’s heart.

Ming Si propped her chin and looked at it. Suddenly, she recalled the recent incident when Liang Xian sent her a video of He Sui grooming itself.

When it concerned Liang Xian, she always retaliated for any grievances. So she picked up her phone, took a picture of He Sui holding a pencil, and sent it to him.

「Isn’t it cute?」

It took Liang Xian over half an hour to reply.

At that time, Ming Si was sitting in front of her dressing table, following her nightly skincare routine. She saw her phone screen light up briefly; it was a question mark from Liang Xian.

Ming Si ignored it and waited until she finished her skincare routine before picking up her phone and sending him the exact same words he had previously sent her:「It’s for you to watch」

Upon seeing Ming Si’s response, Liang Xian tilted his head and chuckled.

He knew she wouldn’t message him for no reason; it turned out she was waiting for him to respond.

This little peacock sure holds grudges.

He raised a finger to type a few words:「Cute, as expected of my bird.」

Just as he was about to send it, he suddenly remembered the incident when she had blocked him last time.

Then, after thinking for a moment, he changed his response to a series of ellipses.

「Isn’t it cute?」

「?」

「It’s for you to watch」

「……」

Ming Si looked at those frustrated ellipsis and couldn’t help but curl her lips triumphantly.

After the cocktail party, it was time for the art exhibition. This season’s ready-to-wear collection focused on contrasts, with a charming yet slightly edgy style that perfectly resonated with Ming Si’s aesthetic taste.

During the fitting session the next day, without even batting an eye, she placed orders worth over a hundred thousand, not including the bespoke high-end gown in red pear color that she had ordered from the workshop.

In terms of family affection, Ming Zhengyuan was actually quite generous towards her.

Ming Si held a certain percentage of shares in the conglomerate, not too much to pose a threat to others but enough to ensure her comfortable life.

However, she wasn’t just a free rider.

Regarding the matter of the their family’s alliance with Jinghong, Ming Zhengyuan had already received returns several times over.

Unexpectedly, her thoughts were interrupted by a phone call. She picked up the call, and on the other end, she heard Lin Xijia crying and wailing, “Ah ah ah, I can’t write anymore, how am I supposed to submit it the day after tomorrow?!”

Coincidentally, both of them worked in creative fields where inspiration was crucial. Thus, Ming Si empathized with her pain and directly told her not to write for the time being, and instead, come out to have some fun.

“I just arrived at the airport, how about I pick you up directly?” The driver opened the car door for Ming Si, and she gracefully entered the car, adjusting her skirt gently.

Lin Xijia asked, “Where did you go?”

“I went to Paris to for a little dress,” Ming Si felt great whenever she thought about the little dress and smiled.

Lin Xijia had been immersed in writing the script during this period and hadn’t had time to update her seasonal wardrobe. Hearing Ming Si’s words, she felt even more aggrieved, slamming the table, “Let’s go! Accompany me shopping! I won’t write anymore! What am I going to submit?!”

The two of them headed straight to the central shopping mall, and after meeting up, they swept through the four floors of the mall. The driver followed behind, carrying seven or eight large and small bags. Despite his height and size, he struggled to keep up with the two ladies in high heels.

Finally, Lin Xijia sat down in a café, feeling distressed as she covered her wallet.

“Let’s change to a less expensive way of entertainment…”

Outside the [PARROT] club, after Ming Si got off the car, she took off her sunglasses and looked up slightly.

She hadn’t noticed last time, but now, looking at the club’s black sign, [PARROT], she realized it was the English word for parrot.

It seemed that Liang Xian was really attached to He Sui.

It was nearly 8 o’clock when Lin Xijia held her hand as they entered the club. The atmosphere inside the club was already heated, with people gathering everywhere. The competition was about to begin, and the fans of MMA were quite restless.

Ming Si and Lin Xijia found their seats and sat down. Before long, Manager Zhao hurried over.

“Miss Ming, Miss Lin, good evening! Please go to the VIP area!” He rushed over, his forehead beading with sweat.

The last time they were here, Manager Zhao had warmly welcomed them. This time, he was almost bowing and scraping.

Lin Xijia found it strange, “Aren’t the VIP tickets sold out?”

[PARROT] was rising in popularity in Pingcheng’s MMA world, and its tickets sold out quickly. They decided to come on a whim, so they didn’t expect to get good seats.

“For others, yes, but the boss has specifically instructed that whenever you two come, no matter when, you can sit in the boss’s private area,” Manager Zhao’s breathing eased, and he explained with a smile.

“The boss of this club… You mean Liang Xian?” Ming Si reacted after two seconds.

Manager Zhao maintained his smile, “Yes.”

Since there were good seats available, they had no reason to refuse.

Just as the competition was about to begin, Ming Si and Lin Xijia quickly took their seats in the VIP area. From this angle, their view was unobstructed, making it the best seat in the house.

After watching for a while, Ming Si took out her phone and opened the chat with Liang Xian.

Their last conversation was still from a few days ago when he sent her a string of ellipses after she managed to choke him.

Thinking about it, he had never been bad to her.