Qiao Liang really liked the confident look Tang Xi had when she was working. At this time, she looked dazzling and nothing could cover or suppress her light.
…
Qiao Liang took Tang Xi to his home to do acupuncture for Qiao Yuxin. Tang Xi had been telling him about her designs and about her career on the way. She spoke excitedly as if nothing would be difficult for her. Qiao Liang reached out to rub her hair and raised his eyebrows as he said, “You look really happy.”
Tang Xi nodded and her eyes were shining. “Yes, I’m very happy.” She held Qiao Liang’s hand and her eyes were narrowed as she smiled. “The Empire Group was founded by Grandpa. Although it was my duty to manage it, I actually don’t like management. What I always wanted to do was to design. As the heir to the Empire Group, however, I can’t willfully choose to become a designer instead of the leader of the company. Now…” Tang Xi paused and looked up at Qiao Liang. “Although I can’t go back to Grandpa, I can love him with another identity and do what I like to do.”
Qiao Liang fell silent. He clenched her hands and said in a low voice, “You silly girl.”
Although you can continue to love and care about your grandpa with the identity of Xiao Rou, you’re still sad, because you can no longer accompany your grandpa as his granddaughter who was brought up by him and who was cared for by him since you were born. I know how painful this is for you . But I can’t do anything to help you even though I feel so sorry for you… This is what makes me feel most helpless and distressed…
Tang Xi smiled and looked up at Qiao Liang. “Miracles happen. Perhaps Grandpa will take me as his foster granddaughter, and then I can accompany him again.”
Qiao Liang smiled and looked at helplessly at Tang Xi, shaking his head. “Do you know how much your grandpa hates seeing me? Although he didn’t show any trace of it nor outwardly blames me, when I met him last time I knew he must be cursing me despite his smile. So I know he will never take my new girlfriend as his foster granddaughter.”
Tang Xi glared at Qiao Liang and curled her lips. “Although what you said is true, can you please not burst my bubble?”
“I just don’t want to let you down.” Qiao Liang looked helplessly at Tang Xi. “The more we expect, the more disappointed we’ll be…”
“Alright, alright!” Tang Xi hurriedly interrupted Qiao Liang, turned to look at the view outside of the window, and then raised her hand to signal him to pull over. “I’ve arrived. Go about your business. I’m going to do acupuncture for Aunt. I’ll have Little Six send me home. Call me when it’s time to have dinner with Lu Li.” Qiao Liang pulled over and Tang Xi got out of the car.
Qiao Liang looked at Tang Xi and closed the window. “I’ll have Little Six waiting for you here, and then he’ll send you straight to…”
“Okay…” Tang Xi turned to walk into the house without even looking at Qiao Liang. Qiao Liang looked at her back and his face darkened. The corner of Little Six’s eyes twitched. “Gracious… why was it him again? Would Young Master who was given a cold shoulder by Miss Tang vent his anger on him?! No way! He was not going to tolerate it!”
Tang Xi swiped the card to open the door. Then she closed the door, leaned against it and looked up at the azure sky. Her eyes were full of sadness.
“Ah Liang, do you know how much I want to let Grandpa know his beloved granddaughter is still alive? How much I want him to no longer have the pain of losing his granddaughter. I don’t want to let the Empire Group’s enemies get away with it, but I want even less to disappoint you…
Design… yes, I like designing very much, but designing is not an indispensable part of my life. What was indispensable to my life before was only Grandpa and you, but now… there are more people who are important to me… including my family and my friends who are so nice to me…
What is indispensable to me is nothing but my people.”
“Hello, Rourou.” Qiao Yuxin’s voice brought Tang Xi back from reverie. She looked up only to see Qiao Yuxin doing rehabilitation on the lawn with the help of several servants.
It was not hot during mid-October in City A. It was okay to stay under the sun in a short-sleeved T-shirt, not to mention there was a sunshade on the lawn. Tang Xi fixed her mood, came up to Qiao Yuxin with a smile, and helped her to exercise. Then she supported her to sit down on the chair. “Aunt, you’re recovering quickly.”
Qiao Yuxin nodded and looked down at her legs and all kinds of feelings welled up in her heart. “I thought I would never stand up again and that I would become the Qiao Family’s laughing stock and live in agony for the rest of my life…” She took Tang Xi’s hand and smiled. “But because of you, Rourou, I now have hope.”
Tang Xi smiled and pursed her lips. Qiao Yuxin took a look at her and sighed. “Rourou, I know you and Ah Liang are not as simple as what appears, but I’m not going to ask what happened between the two of you. I just hope that you two can live together happily ever after. I can tell that you love each other very much, and are trying to do your best for each other, but I see tiredness in the eyes of you both sometimes. That’s not because you don’t love each other enough but that you love each other too much, so you’ll feel tired…”
Qiao Yuxin stopped speaking when she suddenly noticed Tang Xi was in tears. She hurriedly reached out to wipe the tears for Tang Xi and said anxiously, “Rourou, don’t cry. If you have anything on your mind, you can pour it out to me. I’ve been through it and perhaps I can give you some advice.”
Tang Xi shook her head. “Aunt, it’s between Qiao Liang and I and you can’t help me. We didn’t fight. It’s just… I feel there is something wrong between us… I don’t know how to put it… I just don’t feel right… I don’t know what is bothering me… I…” Tang Xi shook her head and was about to say something but fell silent and instead then pursed her lips. “Perhaps… I’m feeling this way… because I am Xiao Rou now.”
Qiao Yuxin was confused to hear her words. She became Xiao Rou? She looked at Tang Xi and said gently, “But you’ve always been Xiao Rou, haven’t you?”
Tang Xi fell silent. She had always been Xiao Rou?
Was it because people thought she had always been Xiao Rou that things became like this?
