Chapter 1824
Wei Li’s features twisted, a layer of cold sweat seeped from his forehead, and he drew in sharp breaths, about to cry out when suddenly, his hand released.
The pain disappeared along with it.
Looking up again, Liang Jiajia’s boyfriend was smirking at him.
This smile was unbearable for Wei Li, who had a strong sense of pride, and he was about to lash out in anger when Liang Jiajia said, "Let’s go."
Only then did he come to his senses, holding back the urge to curse.
He didn’t want to lose face in front of Liang Jiajia, nor did he want to lose his composure.
"Mr. Wei, you should head back to celebrate the New Year early."
These words were so piercing that Wei Li’s brow twitched as he watched them walk into the community.
Once they had walked far enough away to be out of sight, he cursed under his breath, "Fuck you!"
He rubbed his right hand and walked toward a car parked by the roadside.
As soon as he got in, he wanted to make a phone call to invite a few close friends over to teach Song Guanchao a lesson.
But when his finger hovered over the dial, he pulled it back.
Ultimately, anger didn’t drown out his reason.
He had to remain calm; even if he wanted to take action, he first needed to understand who this guy was.
If he ended up provoking someone he couldn’t afford to, that would be bad.
...
"Does that guy like you?"
Song Guanchao opened the gas stove and poured in water, asking casually.
"Plenty of people like me,"
Liang Jiajia stood to the side, watching him cook dumplings, and mischievously counted on her fingers, "Four people in the training class confessed to me, another wrote me a love letter, and three or four asked me out for dinner..."
Listening to this, Song Guanchao’s mouth twitched, and a sense of crisis slowly crept into his heart.
Fortunately, he came during the New Year; during such holidays, women alone abroad are more easily influenced by the atmosphere and feel lonely.
They’re more likely to take that step towards making a mistake.
Whether it’s cheating or being unfaithful, it’s hard to say whether these things are right or wrong.
But Song Guanchao would never allow such things to happen.
He secretly reminded himself that before Liang Jiajia returned to Jiangzhou, he had to visit at least once a month.
"Is that guy a local?" Song Guanchao recalled Wei Li’s accent and asked.
"His cousin is the deputy director of the city branch."
"Quite a position."
A deputy director in Beijing wields significant power.
But that power only extends within Beijing.
Outside of this area, local governments don’t really accommodate it.
Song Guanchao didn’t regard him highly, but considering that Liang Jiajia was still in Beijing, he had to give a heads-up.
He decided to wait until after the New Year, not wanting to ruin anyone’s holiday mood.
The dumplings were cooked, and Liang Jiajia eagerly picked up chopsticks, putting the spicy oil in a bowl ahead of time.
Looking at the tender, steaming dumplings with thin skin and large filling, Liang Jiajia picked one up, biting it without dipping it in sauce, her face instantly showing satisfaction.
"Pork crackling filling, my favorite!" Liang Jiajia reveled in delight, swallowing it in two or three bites.
Song Guanchao, upon hearing this, curiously picked one up, took a bite, and marveled, "Pork crackling can be used in dumplings?"
Liang Jiajia was even more surprised, "You’ve never had it?"
"No, my family doesn’t really eat dumplings." Song Guanchao tried the pork crackling filling once, the rich aroma of lard filling his nose, the vegetables balancing the grease, tasting better and better, and he ended up eating six in one go without feeling greasy.
Hu Xing made about a hundred dumplings, cooking thirty in one go.
Each one was as big as three sold in stores, and with his big appetite, Song Guanchao felt full after eating twenty. Liang Jiajia ate ten as well.
It was only Liang Jiajia; most women couldn’t manage more than three to five.
After eating their fill, the two relaxed in their chairs, not wanting to move.
Song Guanchao came over and pulled her up, moving to collapse on the sofa for over half an hour.
After digesting the food, feeling full and warm led to desires; Song Guanchao’s hands started to wander, exploring her waist and slipping under her clothes.
"Go take a bath," Liang Jiajia batted his hand away.
"Let’s bathe together."
Suddenly, the phone rang.
Liang Jiajia grabbed it, "It’s a video call from my mom, don’t mess around."
Song Guanchao immediately withdrew his hand, keeping a distance from her.
Although Liang Jiajia’s parents knew about their relationship, given his status, both Liang Jianfeng and his wife believed they probably wouldn’t last.
Moreover, their relationship hadn’t been made public, feeling quite like secret lovers.
Though accepted by Liang Jianfeng and his wife, letting them see their daughter in Song Guanchao’s embrace would still likely irk them.
Song Guanchao understood this, not wanting to disturb their peace of mind.
At least in front of them, he needed to maintain some distance. Even if it was just for appearances, they had to do it.
"Mom, are you still awake?" Liang Jiajia asked coquettishly.
"What are you up to?" Hu Xing didn’t ask if Song Guanchao had arrived, worried that if the flight was delayed, she’d ruin his surprise.
"Just had dumplings, Mom, why didn’t you tell me earlier?" Liang Jiajia complained.
"Xiao Song didn’t want me to say, said it was a surprise for you." Hu Xing was also happy, "Where’s Xiao Song? Did he eat?"
"He ate twenty like a pig."
"Eating well is good." They chatted for a while, then she said, "Your dad wants to say a few words."
Liang Jianfeng’s unsmiling face appeared on the screen.
He stared at his daughter’s face on the screen, "Is he with you?"
Liang Jiajia didn’t know how to respond, pouting, "Where else would he be? You can’t have someone bring you dumplings just to send them back afterward, can you? It’s too late to book flights."
Hu Xing pinched him, and Liang Jianfeng’s face visibly twitched in the camera.
He coughed, "Just asking, it’s getting late, you have to patrol tomorrow, rest early."
"Got it." Liang Jiajia stuck out her tongue, chatted with her mom a bit more, then hung up.
As soon as she set down the phone, Song Guanchao pounced over, but Liang Jiajia held him off, "My dad told me to sleep early, you’re not allowed to bug me."
Song Guanchao chuckled, slipping his hand under her legs, picking her up from the sofa, "I won’t bug you, let’s go bathe, I’ll give you a back rub."
As he picked her up, he noticed Liang Jiajia trembling slightly.
Counting the time, it had been months since they last saw each other, let alone been intimate.
Her body was already desperately craving; even the simplest physical contact could ignite her flame.
Entering the bathroom, Song Guanchao, also excited, clumsily helped her undress.
Liang Jiajia hooked her arms around his neck, only exhaling warm breaths, letting him peel off her clothes.
Soon, he stripped her to just her underwear, her white-tinged with red skin spread with a faint blush.
Raising his head, Song Guanchao was surprised to find her eyes were hazy with a misty sheen.
Her red lips gently parted, the shy nose exhaling an intoxicating fragrance.
Yet when their eyes met, she panicked like a startled deer, averting her gaze, too shy to look at him.
It was as if she felt embarrassed being so close to him.
Song Guanchao had the same reaction; he knew it was the natural unease from not seeing each other for so long.
He didn’t force her to look at him, instead reaching to click off the bathroom light, then undoing her final defenses.
In such an atmosphere, a thrill of forbidden excitement blossomed in their hearts, like an illicit affair.
They silently and passionately kissed, deliberately controlling the noise, creating an even more shy yet exhilarating atmosphere.
Eventually, Liang Jiajia’s satisfied yet trembling cries broke the silence.
This was followed by even more intense activity.