I See Roses

I See Roses – Chapter 47

“Hey, is Brother Xian with you?” Cheng Yu’s voice came through.

Ming Si was reclining in the bathtub, her phone placed beside her with the speaker on.

Unimpressed by his words, she replied, “I’m taking a bath. Can he be with me?”

“Oh, right, I forgot. I was going to ask you to give the phone to him. I wanted to say goodbye to him,” Cheng Yu’s voice trailed off.

Ming Si was speechless for a moment, “Your family’s branch office isn’t far from Pingcheng. You can come back on weekends.”

Why did he make it sound like he’s never coming back?

“But I’m taking on a big responsibility there. I can’t just keep coming back and forth. It’s not like playing house,” Cheng Yu’s tone turned serious, seemingly as if he was truly set on doing something important. After a pause, he seemed to check the time, and then exclaimed, “Ah! I need to go, I’m boarding soon.”

“Goodbye!” Ming Si responded decisively, picking up a strawberry from the crystal bowl nearby.

“Can you say goodbye to Brother Xian for me? Tell him…” Cheng Yu pondered for a moment, “Tell him not to miss me too much. I’ll surprise him by appearing quietly.”

Ming Si took a bite of the strawberry, replying absentmindedly, “Sure.”

He had said this to her as well, a copy-paste response. Probably even Yu Chuan and Ke Lijie had received the same farewell message.

“Also, tell him to treat you well. Even if you annoy him from time to time, he can’t treat you casually,” Cheng Yu added.

Ming Si set down the half-eaten strawberry and glanced at her phone, “…Is it appropriate for me to tell him that?”

There was silence on the other end for two seconds, then it sounded like Cheng Yu suddenly realized something and he hung up with a beep.

Ming Si didn’t bother calling back to argue with him. She ate two strawberries, watched the rubber duck float around in the hot spring water for a while, then got up and dried herself off.

Liang Xian still hadn’t replied to her message, leaving her feeling a bit complex.

She wanted him to see the message a little later, but she also hoped that he would reply once he saw it. However, she couldn’t really determine what kind of response she hoped for. After all, the content of the message was a bit embarrassing and suggestive.

She figured she must have been a bit dizzy from the hot spring to send him such a playful and suggestive message.

Coming out of the bathroom, Ming Si pressed a button on the electronic screen on the wall, making a call to the housekeeper to come and clean up.

In the villa they were staying at in Guanlan Manor, the caretaker’s quarters were separate from the main house, ensuring a high level of privacy. Unlike Shuiyun Bay where the caretaker’s quarters were adjacent to the garage and a staircase led directly to the living room.

The longer Ming Si stayed here, the more she appreciated the place. She even regretted not claiming this spot earlier.

Humming a tune, she played with He Sui on the window sill for a while, attempting to teach it to say something different.

However, she realized that it was only willing to repeat phrases like Happy New Year and Wishing you prosperity, so she gave up.

This bird really had its own personality.

When Liang Xian entered the living room, he saw Ming Si coming from the hot spring direction.

She was wearing a loose white cotton bathrobe, the belt cinched around her slender waist and loosely tied into a knot; her figure appeared slender and elegant. The hem of the robe barely reached her knees, and her calves were faintly visible with each step, creating a tantalizing sight.

Her long hair, which had been tied up with a hairband, was now being let loose as she walked. Her silky locks cascaded over her shoulders like satin, contrasting vividly against her fair skin, emitting a certain alluring charm.

At this time, Ming Si’s gaze also shifted over, and she exclaimed in surprise, “Liang Xian?”

Almost instinctively, she lifted her hand to check her watch, only to realize she had taken it off before getting into the hot spring. In the short span of time it took her to notice her empty wrist, she found herself enveloped in his embrace.

She caught a whiff of his familiar woody cologne, leaving only a subtle and gentle undertone that seemed to linger in the air.

Burying her face in his embrace, she sniffed it strenuously, her curiosity piqued, “You didn’t drink?”

Living together for a while, she had observed a pattern in Liang Xian’s behavior. Whenever he returned from social events, he rarely came back without having had a drink or two.

Liang Xian slightly loosened his hold on her and looked down at her, “Didn’t you tell me to drink less?”

“Didn’t think you’d actually listen,” Ming Si muttered.

He raised an eyebrow playfully, “Now you know?”

Ming Si pursed her lips and raised her hand to gently pinch his cheek. With a coaxing tone, she leaned in and said, “I know.”

Her bathrobe was of a loose style, with a cross-over front secured only by the belt tied around her waist.

When she lifted her hand, and then let it down, the neckline had slightly opened up, revealing a generous expanse of fair skin around her collarbone. Further down, the subtle curves of her body were tantalizingly hinted at.

Liang Xian reached out to adjust her collar slightly higher. His voice took on a slightly hoarse tone, “Next time, wear something with a higher neckline.”

Ming Si: “?”

Have you ever seen anyone wear a high-necked bathrobe?

She hadn’t thought of anything else in that moment. Her mind was consumed by the realization that despite Liang Xian’s appearance of carefree nonchalance and even a somewhat roguish playboy aura, he was surprisingly conservative? Was he an emperor from the Qing Dynasty to be concerned about what his wife wore at home?

“Your perspective is off,” Ming Si poked his cheek as if she were challenging him, and announced, “I like this bathrobe, and I’ll wear it.”

“Alright, you wear it,” Liang Xian didn’t forbid her, he simply held her hand, slightly bending down so their gazes met at the same level, “But could you take a bit more responsibility?”

Ming Si was about to ask what kind of responsibility, but just before she spoke, she had an epiphany. She understood.

“…”

She froze, completely caught off guard, and then after a moment, her face slowly turned red. She couldn’t bring herself to look at him.

Liang Xian observed her change and chuckled as if in good spirits. “I’m not telling you not to wear it, you know?”

“I know,” this time, Ming Si didn’t need him to say it, and she quickly covered the neckline of her bathrobe, giving him a cautious look, “You’re such an animal.”

She lifted her foot as if she intended to leave, but the next second her body was lifted off the ground. He carried her horizontally in his arms, causing one of her slippers to fly off with a snap and land on the ground. The other one didn’t fare any better, unsteadily hooking on her toes.

This guy always launched surprise attacks with his princess carries. Ming Si was still startled. When she felt like her slipper had been flung off, she hurriedly patted his shoulder, “I lost my slipper, my slipper!”

Without even sparing a glance at it, Liang Xian continued walking with his long strides.

This position made Ming Si strain her neck awkwardly to look at him. She had no choice but to shift her gaze away from the abandoned slipper and leaned her head on his shoulder for support, “Why are you suddenly carrying me?”

He arched an eyebrow and gave her a half-answer, “Do you want to walk on your own then?”

“No,” Ming Si quickly declined. Her slender legs still swung uncooperatively, “When there’s free labor available, why not take advantage of it?”

However, it turned out that free labor wasn’t that free after all.

Liang Xian carried Ming Si into the room, lifted his leg to hook the door closed, then promptly pressed her against it. Before Ming Si could steady herself, a deluge of kisses rained down on her.

With one hand on his shoulder, Ming Si tilted her head slightly, allowing his tongue to part her lips and plunder her mouth. His exploration was intense, sweeping over every nook and cranny. At some point, her body grew lighter, and she found herself being carried onto the bed.

Liang Xian’s half-knelt at the edge of the bed, encircling her within his arms, and he leaned down again.

In this position, their passionate kissing was liable to escalate.

It felt as if every inch of her was enveloped by his masculine aura, leaving no space unclaimed. Liang Xian’s hand trailed over her waist, exerting a slight pressure that made Ming Si whimper, “That hurts.”

Liang Xian chuckled, lightly brushing her lips, “Are you made of tofu?”

“Hmph,” Ming Si playfully pounded his shoulder, “Why don’t you say you’re incapable of being chivalrous?”

Right now, her eyes were misty and watery from the kisses. Her lips were flushed, shimmering with a glossy sheen. Even her annoyed expression carried a hint of coquettishness that made her seem even more alluring.

Liang Xian’s breathing grew heavy, and even his eyelids seemed to burn with warmth, causing them to twitch.

Indeed, he wasn’t really inclined to be chivalrous.

He propped himself up with one arm, his gaze deep and intense. His voice, slightly hoarse, called out to her, “Ming Si.”

“Huh?” Ming Si didn’t know why he suddenly propped up and looked up with a bit of confusion. One of her hands instinctively reached out to touch his arm.

This action seemed to indicate reluctance.

Liang Xian glanced at it and curved his lips into a smile, “The message you sent me on WeChat, what did you mean?”

“…”

Ming Si’s cheeks grew even redder. She pushed him a little and spoke in an annoyed tone, “I just sent it casually. Why are you suddenly asking? And besides, you were the one who dirtied my hand, why are you acting like you can’t own up to it?”

“I can own up to it,” Liang Xian lowered his head, lightly grazing her earlobe with his lips, and then his lips traveled down to hers, “I can own up to anything.”

His fiery breath accompanied his words, causing Ming Si’s hair to stand on end. Her fingers instinctively clenched his shirt. The kisses were making her emotionally stirred, yet she wanted to stop him. Her voice was a bit unclear as she said, “Stop, we don’t have… at home…”

Liang Xian paused for a moment and then gently brushed his lips against hers, “We don’t have what?”

“Nothing!” Ming Si suddenly realized her mistake and responded with a hint of annoyance, covering her face in embarrassment.

Oh no, how did she even think about that!?

Liang Xian laughed softly, pecking her lips, “We can buy it tomorrow?”

That night, they ultimately didn’t take that final step. After being intimate for a while, Liang Xian leaned against the headboard while Ming Si nestled on his shoulder, scrolling through her phone.

He started massaging her hand.

Ming Si fully embodied the essence of being spoiled. She had been complaining about her sore hand all along, occasionally making a few picky comments about his technique—neither too light nor too heavy.

But perhaps due to their more intimate relationship now, while she complained on the surface, her heart was actually brimming with sweetness. After criticizing a bit, she put down her phone, hugged Liang Xian’s waist, “I want to open a studio, do you think it’s a good idea?”

“A jewelry studio?” Liang Xian’s fingers slipped into her hair and began to comb through it.

“Yes, my ideas are quite mature now. Do you want to hear about them?” As she talked about this, the drowsiness that had been plaguing her suddenly vanished. Her eyes even sparkled a bit, “I’ve already given some thought to the location.”

“Go on.”

In fact, Ming Si had always entertained the idea of starting her own jewelry brand. Their circle was not lacking in independent designers with various reputations. Her group of girlfriends who always praised her were constantly encouraging her to open a studio. They even vied with each other to be the guest of honor for the opening.

When Ming Si returned to China, Cen Xinyan proposed to fund her studio after Ming Si declined to go to Hong Kong Island. But Ming Si had a stubborn personality. She felt that if she refused the former, there was no reason to accept the latter, or else it would seem like she was bargaining.

However, creating a personal jewelry brand single-handedly was easier said than done. In the past half-year, Ming Si had been busy, but she had only managed to produce a few pieces.

Her personality was such that when she decided to do something, she wanted to do it properly. Every design was finished, then scrapped, redesigned, and repeated at least ten times before finally being settled on.

The same applied to branding concepts, logos, and location selection. She meticulously scrutinized every step.

During moments of feeling powerless, she sometimes thought weakly: If only I had known, going to Hong Kong Island wouldn’t have been a bad idea.

But fortunately, she didn’t give up. Many of her ideas gradually took shape.

Ming Si had never discussed these matters with anyone else. She wasn’t the type to share everything with others.

But strangely, she could with Liang Xian.

When talking about it, she added many details about her own feelings and complaints. It was as if she was unconsciously seeking comfort and cuddles.

“The location of the store on Yuan’an Road isn’t good. The one on Nanhua Road is decent,” Liang Xian looked at the map on her phone, analyzing it seriously with her, “I’ll have my assistant accompany you to check it out tomorrow. If you’re not satisfied, we’ll find another one.”

Ming Si used her finger to trace the screen, her voice sounding slightly coquettish, “Aren’t you going to accompany me?”

“I can’t free up my schedule tomorrow,” he lowered his eyes, “How about waiting for me to accompany you in a couple of days?”

“Hmph, I’m not interested,” Ming Si intentionally retorted, “Then send me a good-looking one.”

“You’re thinking too much,” Liang Xian lowered his head, his forehead gently touching hers. He teased her by flicking his eyelids, “I’ll send you a female assistant.”

“You actually have a female assistant?” Ming Si’s tone rose.

Liang Xian chuckled, ruffling her hair, “She’s married, capable at her job, and my executive assistant transferred her here for me.”

“You’re married too,” Ming Si pointed at the tip of his nose, playfully competing.

“Yeah,” Liang Xian leaned down and lightly kissed her lips, “And my wife is a fairy.”

Ming Si couldn’t help but secretly smile for a moment. She couldn’t resist the corners of her lips turning upwards.