Giving You Dawn And Dusk - Chapter 28.1

Before Liang Shi came, she had already thought she might run into Zhou Yi’an.

When she did not see her at the auction, she thought Zhou Yi’an might not come.

In any case, the Liang family’s invitation must have been delivered to the Zhou family. She simply did not know whether it had been given to Father Zhou or Zhou Yi’an.

Everyone knew that the Liang family currently wanted to build ties with the Zhou family.

To be precise, the Zhou family was now the hot favorite in this circle.

Although they still could not compare to the rumored “two giants,” namely the Shen family and the Gu family, because Father Zhou had been promoted, they had instantly become the target all major wealthy families wanted to curry favor with.

No matter the era, one had to follow the favorable wind of policy.

Father Zhou was now the sky over Haizhou City. Naturally, Zhou Yi’an’s status also rose with the tide. Wherever she went, people had to smile and call her “Miss Zhou.”

After being flattered by others too much, Zhou Yi’an naturally developed the illusion that she could get whatever she wanted.

She also became increasingly unscrupulous.

In truth, this circle was extremely decadent.

Whether in politics or business, most second-generation heirs were not particularly promising.

So just in case, every family had many children.

If one was useless, there was still another.

Zhou Yi’an’s arrival was within Liang Shi’s expectations.

But even though she had anticipated it, suddenly hearing that voice by her ear still gave her the urge to hit someone.

She did not know whether it was her imagination, but Liang Shi always felt that Zhou Yi’an was teasing her, and in a particularly cheap way.

She was very much like the boys in elementary school who liked a girl, so they would pull her braids or snatch her snacks.

The method was very—low.

Liang Shi’s gaze drifted coldly toward her. Her outfit was still the same as usual, a black-and-white tailcoat, shoulder-length hair falling over her shoulders, and no earrings.

Zhou Yi’an met her gaze and raised the wine glass in her hand. She took a light sip. Her lipstick was imprinted on the transparent rim of the glass, and a trace of wine remained at the corner of her mouth. She raised her hand and gently wiped it away. Even the motion of wiping the corner of her mouth was slow and unhurried, as if she were trying to seduce someone.

Zhou Yi’an was not ugly.

But she was not Liang Shi’s type.

Besides, from the very first time Liang Shi saw her, she had felt uncomfortable.

So now, Zhou Yi’an’s deliberate movements only made her feel disgusted.

“Baby.” Zhou Yi’an swirled the wine glass in her hand, deliberately lowering her voice. At the same time, she leaned forward and moved closer to Liang Shi, smiling ambiguously. “You’re so beautiful today that I can’t take my eyes off you.”

Liang Shi: “……”

Her voice was cold. “Then gouge your own eyes out.”

“Hiss.” Zhou Yi’an covered her chest. “Baby, you’re so cruel.”

“Get lost.” Liang Shi frowned. “Stop calling me by such disgusting names.”

“Then what should I call you?” Zhou Yi’an reached out, wanting to hook Liang Shi’s chin, but Liang Shi avoided it and slapped her hand away. The sound was crisp.

The backlash from the force made Liang Shi’s own palm go numb.

Zhou Yi’an’s hand instantly reddened.

Zhou Yi’an lowered her head and glanced at her hand. She froze for a moment, then smiled. “Baby, do you know? The more you hate me, the more I like you.”

She extended the tip of her tongue and gently licked her lower lip, her voice carrying a hint of charm. “I really want to take you back to my bed…”

Liang Shi stepped directly onto her shoe.

Today’s heels were thin, and when they landed, they were especially sharp. Zhou Yi’an sucked in a breath from the pain, and her flirtatious words were cut off.

Liang Shi sneered. “Then you should like me a little more.”

She looked at Zhou Yi’an with disdain. “Because I’ll hate you very much.”

Zhou Yi’an’s body curled slightly from the pain. “Baby, let go of my foot.”

Liang Shi twisted her heel over the top of Zhou Yi’an’s foot, then withdrew her foot and said lightly, “Do you know what you look like right now?”

Zhou Yi’an let out a heavy breath, so angry that she laughed. “What the fuck.”

“You look like a dog in heat anytime, anywhere,” Liang Shi said viciously. “Disgusting.”

Zhou Yi’an’s expression changed. The aura around her instantly turned cold. She looked at Liang Shi and suddenly curved her lips. “You’re fucking relying on the fact that I like you to bully me, aren’t you?”

Liang Shi: “……”

“And you’re relying on the fact that this is a society ruled by law to keep challenging my bottom line,” Liang Shi sneered.

Zhou Yi’an glanced at the person beside her. “This is the Omega you like? She really does look good.”

Xu Qingzhu’s gaze was cold and clear. When it met Zhou Yi’an’s scrutinizing gaze, she did not avoid it in the slightest.

As early as when Zhou Yi’an came over, Xu Qingzhu had already guessed her identity.

She had simply remained silent.

First, she felt this was Liang Shi’s own matter, and Liang Shi would certainly be able to handle it. Second, she also had a bit of a desire to watch the show and see what Liang Shi would do.

After all, Zhou Yi’an had not revealed her trump card. No one knew what she wanted to do.

Today seemed to be only a simple banquet, but the identities of the guests from all sides were anything but simple.

Perhaps tens of millions, or even hundreds of millions, in business could be negotiated amid the clinking of glasses.

Making a scene at a banquet like this was not a wise choice.

If Father Liang’s serious business was ruined, then after the banquet ended, the Liang family would surely face another storm of blood and chaos.

If Xu Qingzhu took the initiative to step forward while Zhou Yi’an and Liang Shi were talking, it would definitely intensify the tension between them.

She could only stand by and watch.

But now that Zhou Yi’an had turned her gaze toward her, she naturally would not sit and wait.

After a long confrontation, Zhou Yi’an laughed softly and said, “Baby, your little Omega wife is quite interesting.”

Liang Shi’s brows furrowed slightly. “It has nothing to do with you.”

Xu Qingzhu, however, generously looped her arm around Liang Shi’s and suddenly smiled. “Baby, who is this? Aren’t you going to introduce her?”

Her voice was cold and clear. Perhaps because of her speaking habits, when she called someone “baby,” the ending note always lifted, carrying an indistinct hint of coquettish anger.

Their skirts instantly leaned against each other.

Because they were wearing evening gowns, there was no barrier on their arms. It was direct skin against skin.

Haizhou City in autumn carried a bit of chill at night. Long hair falling down could only block the wind from invading the neck.

Their arms were still cold.

An Omega’s body was already a little more delicate than an Alpha’s, and her skin was also slightly cooler.

The instant Xu Qingzhu’s arm pressed against hers, Liang Shi noticed her shiver. But nothing showed on Xu Qingzhu’s face. She still smiled, her expression management even better than a female celebrity walking the red carpet.

Being called that by her made Liang Shi’s heart tighten. She coughed awkwardly.

“Baby.” Xu Qingzhu turned sideways and leaned near Liang Shi’s ear, softly acting spoiled. “You let someone call you baby again. Don’t come back to the bedroom tonight. Go sleep on the sofa.”

She deliberately lowered her voice, but controlled the volume just right so Zhou Yi’an could hear.

Zhou Yi’an’s expression instantly changed. “What the—”

Before she could finish cursing, Xu Qingzhu coldly interrupted her, without the slightest trace of the softness from just now. “Ma’am, your behavior is detrimental to the harmony of our family. Please conduct yourself with dignity.”

Zhou Yi’an: “……?”

“Baby.” Zhou Yi’an was so angry that she laughed and looked at Liang Shi. “Baby, you really aren’t afraid of dying.”

Liang Shi glanced at her, her tone indifferent. “My wife is right. Please conduct yourself with dignity.”

She deliberately emphasized the words “conduct yourself with dignity.”

Hearing it made Zhou Yi’an feel stifled with anger.

Xu Qingzhu then stood on tiptoe and moved close to Liang Shi’s ear, but Liang Shi’s ears were the most sensitive part of her body.

She could not quite stand someone suddenly approaching, so she instinctively dodged to the side. But Xu Qingzhu reached out and pulled her head back. Caught off guard, Xu Qingzhu’s lips touched Liang Shi’s ear.

More accurately, Xu Qingzhu had intended to lean toward her ear and speak, but just as she opened her mouth, Liang Shi’s ear came closer.

Xu Qingzhu instinctively pressed her lips together, just in time to hold Liang Shi’s ear between them.

The ears were always the easiest part to turn cold.

Under the autumn night wind, Liang Shi’s ear was ice-cold.

Warm lips gently pressed against that cold ear, transferring warmth to it.

For a moment, both Xu Qingzhu and Liang Shi froze.

Xu Qingzhu’s heart pounded nervously. Although the large banquet was filled with people raising glasses and conversing, and was not quiet at all, she could still accurately catch the rapid heartbeat amid the lively noise.

She did not know whether it was hers or Liang Shi’s.

She was so nervous that she instinctively licked her lips, but after extending the tip of her tongue and touching Liang Shi’s skin, she quickly pulled it back.

Liang Shi felt dampness on her ear.

It was the soft, hotter-than-lips tip of a tongue, but it only peeked out before shrinking back in fear.

Like a mimosa.

Liang Shi was so nervous that her entire body stiffened. Xu Qingzhu’s hand, which was linked around her arm, also tightened in an instant, gently pinching the skin inside her arm.

Her fingertips carried a hint of coolness.

Liang Shi let out a soft breath, and Xu Qingzhu instantly withdrew.

For a moment, it was somewhat awkward.

Xu Qingzhu had originally wanted to put on a show for Zhou Yi’an, but in the end, she had messed it up and placed herself in an awkward situation.

Zhou Yi’an looked at the two of them, nameless anger rising in her heart. She sneered. “What are you doing? In public.”

Zhou Yi’an’s gaze swept over Liang Shi’s ear. “Baby, just now, you said I looked like a dog in heat. Then what about your little Omega wife? In front of so many people, she’s already starting to seek favor? Is there something you can’t do at home? Or do you just like having people admire the two of you doing it together?”

She deliberately bit down heavily on the word “doing,” giving it an indescribable meaning.

“If you really want that, why don’t you just take off your evening gowns? I can help you…” Zhou Yi’an’s words grew increasingly vulgar. “Stream it live.”

Hearing this, Liang Shi frowned and pulled Xu Qingzhu closer to herself. She even reached out and wrapped an arm around Xu Qingzhu’s waist.

But it was a gentlemanly hand.

She only lightly rested it at her waist, with the entire back of her arm hovering in the air. It tested one’s arm strength quite a bit, but Liang Shi had often done this before and was long used to it, so she did not find it tiring.

Xu Qingzhu’s evening gown had a fitted waist, just right for Liang Shi to hold.

“Sorry,” Liang Shi said. “We are legally married wives who have received a certificate. My wife simply wanted to whisper something to me. She isn’t like you, going into heat anytime and anywhere toward a married Alpha. I suppose in the eyes of a lewd person, everything looks lewd.”

Zhou Yi’an: “……”

She directly crushed the wine glass in her hand.

The crimson wine mixed with transparent glass and fell to the floor. The wine spread over the gray ground like blood.

The commotion drew everyone’s attention.

Liang Shi held Xu Qingzhu and took one step back, expressing only one meaning—she was the one going crazy, and it had nothing to do with them.

Liang Xinhe walked over at just the right time. He had drunk quite a bit for socializing, and alcohol showed easily on his face, so his face was now flushed. “Liang Shi, what are you two doing?”

“Nothing,” Liang Shi answered. “Zhuzi and I were chatting.”

“You keep chatting.” Liang Xinhe said, “Your wife comes with me.”

Liang Shi was stunned. “Ah?”

“I’ll take your wife to meet a few people,” Liang Xinhe said. “They’re all in jewelry-related businesses.”

Liang Shi understood. He was going to help Xu Qingzhu expand her network, so naturally, she had no intention of stopping him.

Only then did Liang Xinhe notice the shattered glass on the floor and Zhou Yi’an standing there with cold, angry eyes. He immediately asked as the host, “Miss Zhou, did something happen? If you need help, feel free to say so. No need to be polite.”

Zhou Yi’an glanced sideways at him, her arrogant, condescending attitude on full display.

She did not even bother with surface-level courtesy.

Liang Xinhe ran into a soft nail, but he was only embarrassed for a few seconds before calling the servers over. “Clean up the things on the ground quickly. Be careful not to let any guests get hurt.”

The servers repeatedly agreed.

Liang Xinhe was about to leave with Xu Qingzhu, so Liang Shi naturally wanted to follow.

But Liang Xinhe looked back at her, his tone disdainful. “What are you following for?”

Liang Shi: “……?”

“Second Brother, you’re taking my wife away,” Liang Shi said. “Of course I have to follow.”

She did not want to stay here alone with Zhou Yi’an.

Liang Xinhe waved his hand. “Go, go. I’m just taking your wife to meet a few people. I’ll return her to you in a while. You’ll be too much of a burden if you follow.”

Liang Shi: “……”

She said weakly, “At least I’m also a member of the Liang family. I should support my wife’s image.”

Liang Xinhe suddenly paused and seriously called her, “Liang Shi.”

Liang Shi said, “Ah?”

Liang Xinhe said very objectively, trying not to include any emotion, “Have you really forgotten what kind of dog-like state you used to be in?”

Liang Shi: “……”

She coughed lightly. “Second Brother, I’ve changed.”

Liang Xinhe waved his hand. “Enough. I’ll return your wife to you in a while. Among the people we’re meeting, there are some you offended before. If they see you, they might turn around and leave. I advise you to behave yourself and stay here.”

After saying that, he looked at Zhou Yi’an, who was standing in place like a sculpture, and lowered his voice. “Mom said you and Zhou Yi’an were high school classmates before, and your relationship was pretty good. You can have a good chat with her. Our family’s land in the south of the city still depends on the Zhou family.”

Liang Shi: “……?”

For a moment, she could not tell whether what Liang Xinhe said was true or false.

But Liang Xinhe’s eyes were too pure.

He looked like he had simply believed Qiu Zimin’s words, so he did not know that his Alpha younger sister was being harassed by another hidden-gender person who was 99% likely to be an Alpha.

After Liang Xinhe finished speaking, he was about to leave with Xu Qingzhu. But Xu Qingzhu lifted her skirt and said softly, “Second Brother, wait for me.”

“What is it?” Liang Xinhe asked.

Xu Qingzhu turned around and crooked her finger at Liang Shi.

Liang Shi walked over rather unhappily. “What is it?”

Xu Qingzhu said, “Lower your head.”

Liang Shi instinctively covered her own ear. Although the stimulation from just now had felt very good, she really could not withstand it happening again.

She… really was not that much of a gentleman.

Xu Qingzhu frowned lightly and said in a low, teasing voice, “Come here.”

In other people’s eyes, it looked like a young couple flirting.

Liang Shi obediently bent over and lowered her head. Xu Qingzhu raised her hand, her fingers gently brushing over Liang Shi’s earlobe.

The places her fingertips passed over carried a tingling itch, extending all the way from the tailbone to the top of Liang Shi’s head. It was both nervous-making and comfortable, making one instinctively let out a satisfied sigh.

This time, Xu Qingzhu truly lowered her voice, speaking in a tone only the two of them could hear. “Be careful of Zhou Yi’an.”

Liang Shi nodded. “I know.”

//

After Xu Qingzhu and Liang Xinhe left, Liang Shi stood beside the swimming pool in a daze.

There was no one in the pool.

Everyone was dressed in evening gowns, holding wine glasses and moving among the crowd, busy building connections and clinking glasses.

This was nothing more than a social occasion.

The wine glass in Liang Shi’s hand was merely decorative.

She had barely taken a single sip of the wine inside.

In the past, when she was alone, she liked drinking a little so she could fall asleep more easily.

Ordinarily, she did not drink.

She also ignored Zhou Yi’an.

Probably finding it boring to tease her, Zhou Yi’an followed a man away and turned back into the main rhythm of the banquet.

Holding a wine glass, smiling as she met one person after another.

Liang Shi had no interest in this kind of thing.

She only searched through the crowd with her gaze, looking for the person she wanted to see, but she never saw her.

Cheng Ran had not come.

She did see Cheng Ran’s older brother, who walked away in disgust the moment he saw her.

She thought she would be able to enjoy peace and quiet until Xu Qingzhu came back. But not long after, Zhou Yi’an appeared behind her and even took off her tailcoat, trying to drape it over Liang Shi’s shoulders.

Thankfully, Liang Shi had always been alert. She turned back and glanced sideways at Zhou Yi’an, avoiding her touch.

“What are you here for again?” Liang Shi said.

“Baby, you’re too heartless.” Zhou Yi’an looked at her. “People all have pride. You can’t hurt my heart again and again.”

“I do hope you have a little pride.” Liang Shi said, “Stop pestering me. I have a wife.”

Zhou Yi’an raised a hand to her forehead. “Your little Omega wife? That stick of bamboo?”

Liang Shi: “……Her name is Xu Qingzhu.”

“Whatever bamboo she is.” Zhou Yi’an curved her lips and laughed softly. “Is she prettier than me? Does she treat you better than I do? Baby, you should know that I can make you…”

She moved closer and lowered her voice, like a devil’s whisper. “Make you lose your wife at any time.”

Liang Shi: “……”

This was really a lunatic.

How on earth did the original owner provoke this kind of lunatic?

This was speechlessness opening the door for speechlessness—speechlessness had come home.

“Can you please look in a mirror?” Liang Shi said. “From top to bottom, from face to figure, which part of you can compare to Xu Qingzhu?”

“So you won’t choose me because I’m not as pretty as her?” Zhou Yi’an smiled. “Then can I slash her face?”

Liang Shi said, “……Why don’t you just kill me?”

Zhou Yi’an’s expression froze. She wanted to smile, but could not, so her expression looked especially strange. The corners of her lips lifted, then twitched several times. In disbelief, she asked, “Baby, you’re actually willing to die for her?”

Liang Shi: “……”

It was not a question of whether she was willing to die for Xu Qingzhu.

At present, of course she was not.

But who would want to be pestered by this kind of lunatic?

It was only an angry remark.

In any case, given her current situation, if Xu Qingzhu died, she would not be able to live either.

In a certain sense, she really would have to die for Xu Qingzhu.

“What about you? Would you die for me?” Liang Shi asked her.

Zhou Yi’an fell silent.

“I really want to make that Omega disappear. Baby, I can’t stand her being intimate with you. What should I do? I want to have you.” Zhou Yi’an said, “If you follow me, I’ll definitely treat you very well.”

“Can you stop being crazy?” Liang Shi said. “I don’t like you. I even hate you.”

“It doesn’t matter.” Zhou Yi’an leaned closer, her tone ambiguous and suggestive. “Affection grows with time.”

Liang Shi: “……”

She swept a glance over the venue. Someone had already noticed their side.

After all, one was Third Miss Liang, who was usually known to be dissolute, and the other was the newly watched Miss Zhou.

What were these two doing together?

Had the Liang family obtained that piece of land in the south of the city?

When Liang Shi looked over, everyone quickly withdrew their gazes.

“Baby, consider it?” Zhou Yi’an said. “After all, you’re the first woman I’ve ever wanted to have in this lifetime.”

Liang Shi pressed her lips together. “Are you going to act crazy?”

“How could liking you be acting crazy?”

Liang Shi sneered. “Then how about we go crazy today?”

Zhou Yi’an became interested. “Oh?”

“If you lose, then from now on, you’re not allowed to cause trouble for Xu Qingzhu,” Liang Shi negotiated with her.

Zhou Yi’an clicked her tongue. “Baby, you really protect her tightly.”

She kept calling her baby, and it made Liang Shi want to slap her.

The last man who had sexually harassed her like this had already been handed over to the police.

Liang Shi had climbed up from the bottom, so she naturally understood that when dealing with someone with greater power and status than herself, she could not clash head-on.

Different people had to be dealt with using different methods.

Liang Shi looked at her and provoked her. “Do you dare to bet?”

Zhou Yi’an nodded with great interest. “Sure.”

Liang Shi suddenly moved closer to her. “You know, right? I can’t swim.”

Zhou Yi’an’s expression changed slightly, her pupils tightening. “What are you going to do?”

Liang Shi grabbed her hand and smiled coldly. “Zhou Yi’an.”

“Mm? Liang Shi, what are you doing?” Zhou Yi’an’s tone was nervous.

Liang Shi placed Zhou Yi’an’s hand on her own shoulder and smiled at her. “You want to compete in craziness, right?”

As soon as the words fell, before Zhou Yi’an could react, Liang Shi immediately shouted loudly, “No~!”

Then her steps staggered. Her whole body fell backward, and with a splash, she fell straight into the water.

Zhou Yi’an’s hand was still suspended in midair, as if she had pushed Liang Shi down.

Liang Shi thrashed in the water, splashing up huge waves, and desperately shouted, “Help… help me!”

Then her head sank completely underwater.

The splashing water immediately drew the attention of the people around them, and everyone was stunned for a moment.

Some wanted to go down and save her, but because Zhou Yi’an was standing there, and because Zhou Yi’an herself was frozen in shock, no one dared to go down for a while.

Someone pushed down by Miss Zhou must have offended Miss Zhou.

If they rashly went down to save the person, wouldn’t they offend Miss Zhou along with her?

No one was willing to take such a risk.

So everyone looked at one another, and someone asked, “Who was pushed in?”

“I don’t know.”

“I think Third Miss Liang was standing there just now?”

“Fuck!”

“……”