Chapter 39: Liang Xiaoqing's Secret

Xiaoqing did not let go of Jiang Yang. Instead, she took the opportunity to wrap her arms around his neck, slowly bringing her crimson lips toward his.

As their eyes met, the early autumn night felt slightly cool, yet their bodies were rapidly heating up.

Jiang Yang felt that perhaps they shouldn't move so fast. There were still many things he hadn't figured out, and the matter regarding Ruolan remained unresolved.

However, who could resist a passionate kiss from their "white moonlight"? For him, this was a kiss he had looked forward to for over twenty years.

Their lips drew closer and closer. Jiang Yang could clearly sense her warm, familiar scent; every breath she took was utterly irresistible.

Just as they were about to bridge the final distance, a sharp ringtone cut through the air, abruptly shattering the moment. It was Xiaoqing’s phone.

Jiang Yang paused and looked toward her pocket. "Sister Xiaoqing, your phone is ringing."

"I know." She pulled out her phone, took one look at the number starting with +1, and hung up. She then hugged his neck again, saying, "Ignore the phone, let’s continue."

But no sooner had she slipped the phone back into her pocket than it rang again, persistent and demanding. Xiaoqing frowned, checked the screen, and saw it was the same +1 number.

Jiang Yang had also glimpsed the number. "Sister Xiaoqing, it’s a call from the United States. Shouldn't you answer it?" He figured that if an overseas call was this urgent, something important must be happening.

Xiaoqing glanced at Jiang Yang, took a deep breath, and said, "Wait here, I’ll take this."

"It's fine, go ahead." Jiang Yang felt himself cooling down slightly.

She stepped about ten meters away, ensuring he couldn't hear her conversation before answering. Her expression darkened, and her entire demeanor shifted instantly, making her look like a completely different person.

Lowering her voice, she asked in a questioning tone, "Xiao Cai, didn't I tell you not to disturb me unless it was an emergency?"

A man's voice came from the other end: "I'm sorry, Ms. Liang. Mike and the others are waiting for you to start the meeting. You didn't reply to the messages, so I had to call."

"Am I the boss, or are they? Is there some damn thing they can't handle themselves? What am I paying them for?"

"You are the boss, but the market opens in forty-five minutes. A company we have a heavy position in has suffered a major collapse. Mike doesn't dare make a decision; we need your final call before the pre-market session."

Liang Xiaoqing took a deep breath. She knew that throwing a tantrum now was useless; the manager, Mike, had limited problem-solving skills. If she didn't join the meeting, there would definitely be trouble when the market opened.

"Tell them to wait ten minutes. I'll be online shortly."

"Understood, I'll notify them right away."

"Wait," Xiaoqing called out to her assistant, Xiao Cai.

"Do you have any other instructions?"

"Make arrangements—fire Mike after the market closes!"

"Uh... Ms. Liang, what should be the reason for his dismissal?"

"The reason is that he displeased the boss! Tell him to get as far away as possible; I don't want to see him ever again!"

"Understood, Ms. Liang. I will handle it."

Hanging up, Xiaoqing’s expression instantly transformed from that of a domineering executive back to the tender, affectionate elder sister. Her softness was reserved only for Jiang Yang.

She walked gracefully back to him and reached out to loop her arms around his neck, but he stepped back, dodging her. "Sister Xiaoqing, I heard you on the phone—it sounds like you have work to attend to?"

Xiaoqing’s expression stiffened, but she didn't have much time to play games with Jiang Yang now. She could only say, "I have to have an online meeting with my colleagues. Let's hurry and finish what we started."

By this time, Jiang Yang’s brain, previously dominated by pheromones, had sobered up. "It’s alright. You’ve just returned to the country; work comes first. We can talk about us later."

Xiaoqing cursed that useless American in her heart. She and Jiang Yang had been so close to their first moment together.

"Alright then," she said. "But I have to go back to my hotel for the meeting tonight, so I won't be able to stay at my sister's place. Could you let her know for me?"

"Sure, I'll tell her."

Watching Xiaoqing drive away, a question suddenly surfaced in Jiang Yang’s mind. Didn't she say she was just a small, low-level employee at her new company, Sunshine Capital?

Why was she being summoned for an international meeting in the middle of the night? It seemed she was quite highly valued at her new firm.

Of course, there were no answers for Jiang Yang at the moment, and the reality of his childhood sweetheart, Liang Xiaoqing, was far beyond his imagination.

Left alone, he found the park quiet and decided to sit for a while before slowly walking home. He took a seat on a bench and pulled out his phone, planning to scroll through some videos to clear his mind.

As soon as the app opened, the system pushed a newly updated video from "Midsummer Bingbing."

This time, the video wasn't a new song, but an interview from a variety show. In the footage, she was wearing a cream-colored dress with her signature ponytail, her beautiful legs stretched out casually in front of her, looking bright and lovely.

The host asked her, "Bingbing, your birthday is coming up. Do you have any birthday wishes?"

Bingbing giggled. "I do! My birthday wish is to not have a birthday."

The host’s mouth formed an 'O' shape. "Why?"

"Because it means I'm a year older! But getting older isn't the main point—the main point is that I'm still a single dog."

"You're so young and beautiful, why are you worried about being single?"

"Of course I am. I'm a very materialistic girl; I won't just settle for anyone."

The host, perhaps surprised by her bluntness, didn't know how to respond for a moment. She asked, "So, do you have very high standards for a boyfriend? Can you tell us?"

Xia Bingbing started counting on her fingers: "Well, he needs to be able to drive me around in a convertible, take me to eat the most authentic local food I love, make me laugh when I'm sad, and share my joy when I'm happy... Actually, I don't think I'm asking for much, am I?"

The host smiled. "I’m sure there are many guys who meet those criteria and would be genuinely willing to pursue you. Is there anything else?"

"Of course there is! It would be best if he could spend my birthday with me in the place I find most beautiful."

"And where do you plan to spend your birthday?"

"That... is a secret. Only the person who needs to know will know."

"So you have someone special in mind?"

Xia Bingbing’s pretty face flushed. "That... is also a secret..."

The video ended there.

Just as Jiang Yang finished watching and was about to swipe to the next video, his phone vibrated. He had received a message from Xia Bingbing: "Senior, are you free to spend my birthday with me next Wednesday?"