Tomorrow as Bright as Day – Chapter 49
Chapter 49
Zhang Min’s request appeared to put him in a difficult position—but in truth, it made things even harder for herself.
Liang Jiancheng gave a faint, inward scoff.
Between him and Zhang Min, no real emotional bond had ever had time to form. It was true that he had been the first to lose emotional clarity, and for that, he was at fault. He was willing to shoulder the moral burden—
—but only within reasonable limits.
Now that Zhang Min stood on higher ground, she had trampled on his pride. Liang Jiancheng maintained his composure, slightly raising his head. A faint, polite smile playing on his lips as he prepared to speak.
“Zhang Min, I think your proposal is unreasonable—not to me, but to you,” Liang Jiancheng said rationally and calmly.
“Not only is it unreasonable, it may also damage the Zhang family’s dignity.
“At present, we have no relationship whatsoever. From the perspective of an outsider, if you explain this matter personally—state your reasons yourself—you retain your dignity. As for me, even if my family is furious or deeply troubled by my current actions, they would never disown me as their son.”
Zhang Min: “…”
Liang Jiancheng’s words were indeed for her benefit. It wasn’t a threat, but rather a well-intentioned warning.
Realizing she had shot herself in the foot, Zhang Min’s eyes widened suddenly. A subtle, tingling sensation rising within her.
She had been reckless. She might manipulate Liang Jiancheng’s sense of morality—but how could she possibly control him as a person?
Acting out of emotion was always like this.
Liang Jiancheng gave Zhang Min a small nod and took his leave.
He was tall and lean, with long, well-proportioned legs. His stride was swift and unrestrained. Turning down the stairs, he crossed the path and disappeared from her sight in just a few steps. Even his retreating figure carried traces of a youthful vitality she had never seen in him before—
—a spirit brimming with anticipation for the future,
And a clear, unmistakable certainty and confidence born of complete self-control.
—
The next day, Ming Xi logged into OICQ at the Anteng Internet Cafe and found that “Smiling Without Talking” had sent her a revised development letter at 3 AM.
Looking at this English development letter, which was not only revised and improved but also carefully highlighted key points, Ming Xi wished she could immediately change her Tianya username from “Brother Ximen” to “Jiangliu’s Junior Brother.”
She might as well take Brother Jiangliu’s surname outright.
[Something came up yesterday, so I sent it late.] Brother Jiangliu left her a message.Beyond the letter itself, he had also listed detailed notes on writing development letters—how to grasp the core points, how to be concise and effective. Combined with her own recent hands-on experience, Ming Xi felt instantly enlightened.
She was incredibly grateful to Brother Jiangliu, suddenly realizing why he had sent at 3 AM. Revising the development letter didn’t take much time, but compiling the subsequent teaching materials must have taken real effort.
Propping her head in her hand, Ming Xi felt a surge of heartfelt warmth—there truly is genuine kindness in this world. It was as if her heart had been gently touched, her blood surging, her entire chest felt warm.
At that moment, she felt she needed stronger words to express her gratitude.
Without much thought, Ming Xi typed in the chat box: [Waaah, Brother Jiangliu, I love you!] At this moment, “I love you” was simply an emotional way of saying thank you.
Liang Jiancheng, sitting in his study at home, didn’t react much to Ming Xi’s message. He had only fallen asleep at 5 AM the previous night, and was woken up by a phone call from Old Liang before 9 AM.
Glancing at the time on his computer—it was already 10:30. She really was becoming an internet-addicted girl, spending every rest day at Anteng Internet Café now.
Liang Jiancheng didn’t have time to go online right now. His mother must have called Old Liang yesterday. Gu Shuangyang, with her exceptional logical reasoning skills, attributed his sudden broken engagement to Old Liang, concluding that it was all the result of Old Liang’s “fine upbringing.”
This year, Old Liang finally transferred back to Haigang University of Economics and Trade from Yicheng, a university very close to his residence.
—Liang Jiancheng would definitely have to pay him a visit today.Between his parents, if Liang Jiancheng were honest, the one he truly feared wasn’t Gu Shuangyang—but his father, Liang Yuzhi.
He resembled his mother more in temperament, so with Gu Shuangyang there was a sense of mutual understanding. Old Liang, however, was different. Professor Liang could see straight through his character and criticize him mercilessly.
Put another way, Gu Shuangyang’s feelings for her son were not especially deep—but Old Liang was different. His father truly carried lofty, profound expectations for him.
—
Taking advantage of the last day of the export exhibition, Ming Xi took a taxi and spent a long time browsing. It turned out that Dezi’s words about Xinghai’s strength were no exaggeration; not only was its location excellent, but the products it sold were also very high-end.
And the reason why Dezi said Liang Jiancheng was also involved in import business was because his booth was filled with high-end digital products such as cameras and computers.
At this time, such items were still novelties. Even on the exhibition’s last day, Xinghai’s hall remained the most crowded.
The staff member in charge was a familiar face—a sales rep who often visited Longmao and did business with her.
“Hey, Ming Xi…” he greeted her warmly.
“Hey, Brother Han.”
They were familiar enough now that Ming Xi had long started calling Lin Han from Xinghai “Brother Han.”
Ming Xi came to Xinghai’s exhibition booth with no other intention than to look at the computers. Now that she was the customer, Ming Xi pointed to a laptop and asked Lin Han, “Could you tell me about this laptop?”
As a foreign trade sales representative, she definitely needed a laptop to work more efficiently.
“Ming Xi, you really have an eye,” Lin Han laughed. “You picked our top-of-the-line model right away.”
Ming Xi: …
Then her eye for value must be terrible—she definitely hadn’t chosen the best value for money.
Ming Xi smiled politely, withdrew her hand, and prepared to look at other models.
But Lin Han grew serious and launched into a detailed explanation: “This one is indeed a bit pricey, but it’s the best-equipped, top-of-the-line ThinkPad product currently available.
“Let me give you a brief overview. First… and… most importantly, it uses the latest 700MHz processor, 64MB of RAM, and can be expanded to 256MB if needed…
“In short, it can meet all your needs, whether for work, office use, or entertainment.”
Ming Xi nodded politely as she listened. No wonder Liang Jiancheng had put Lin Han in charge of the digital exhibition—he truly knew his stuff. He could talk endlessly about configurations, hard drives, and components.
She understood him—but she didn’t really care.
She asked the key question: “How much?”
“Thirty-two thousand. Fully imported.” Lin Han smiled politely.
Oh.
Ming Xi silently said “goodbye” in her mind.
Lin Han was also a little embarrassed. After a moment’s thought, he offered another reason: “It’s the same model our boss owns.”
Liang Jiancheng’s computer? Wow…
Thirty-two thousand! Spending all her savings to buy the same computer as Liang Jiancheng? No way, she’s not crazy.
“Do you have any cheaper ones?” Ming Xi asked directly, not feeling embarrassed. She figured no normal person would spend thirty-two thousand on a computer.
In Yicheng, thirty-two thousand could buy a fifty-square-meter government-subsidized apartment.
Lin Han naturally understood. He himself wouldn’t buy such an expensive computer either.
“Look at this one, also imported, but with slightly lower specs. It’s not as thin and light, a bit thicker and heavier. Fifteen thousand.”
Ming Xi decided to leave, not wanting to look any further.
“Are all your products imported?”
“This is an export exhibition, Xinghai’s import business mainly deals with digital electronics. If you’re not buying a laptop, how about checking out our digital cameras? The brands we represent are excellent too…”
Ming Xi shook her head firmly, making it clear she had no interest.
Lin Han smiled warmly and friendly. He used to get the highest discounts from Ming Xi when he bought clothes at Longmao. Although his authority was limited, he could ask Boss Liang himself to see if Miss Ming Xi could get the best price.
“Ming Xi, I know you’re working as a foreign trade sales rep at Haiou now, and you really need a decent laptop. This fifteen-thousand one is honestly very good—most of our sales staff use it. I’ll ask the boss if we can make it cheaper for you.”
With that, Lin Han took out his Sharp phone, ready to call Liang Jiancheng.
Ming Xi panicked immediately and stopped him, “Don’t ask—”
Lin Han smiled at her gently. “Our boss is really nice. I’m on good terms with him too—actually, the digital import business at Xinghai was my suggestion in the first place. A lot of the stock at the electronics mall this year comes from us… Don’t worry, I’ll tell the boss you’re my friend, and he’ll definitely give you some preferential treatment.”
Ming Xi’s emotions turned into a chaotic mix—she was touched, yet deeply conflicted, almost to the point of tears.
She wanted to tell Lin Han… that she was also friends with his boss.
Since they were all friend, could she really just walk away without buying anything?
Lin Han smiled, cleared his throat lightly, and dialled his boss Liang Jiancheng’s number.
Right in front of her, Lin Han spoke to Liang Jiancheng, his tone truly as he said—clearly familiar with his boss.
“It’s like this, Mr. Liang, I have a very good friend who wants to buy one of our laptops… Yeah, she just became a sales rep—not ours, but from the company next door. A young woman from out of town, working in Haigang—it’s not easy. I was wondering if we could sell it to her at import cost. Just this one unit. Would that be okay?”
“Yes, yes… that’s Ming Xi, the girl in the green dress at last year’s year-end banquet. She’s my friend.” Lin Han winked at her as he spoke.
Ming Xi…
She froze completely, standing there without moving—not even blinking.
She had really gone through connections to ask Liang Jiancheng for a favor.
—
Meanwhile, Liang Jiancheng took Lin Han’s call while already at Old Liang’s house.
Old Liang had just finished scolding him and was still simmering with anger, his expression grim, his voice cold, his gaze sharp as knives.
Liang Jiancheng got up and handed his father his blood pressure medication and a glass of water.
Professor Liang didn’t calm down—instead, he let out a cold laugh, glaring at the son he hadn’t seen in a while, and said, “So impressive now, aren’t you? Back when you got engaged, I told you to think carefully. You said you were happy—said you’d planned your life out, that Zhang Min was the woman you wanted to marry.”
After a pause, his gaze turned ruthless. “Then tell me—why is she suddenly ‘not suitable’ anymore?”
“It’s me who’s unsuitable,” Liang Jiancheng replied seriously.
“Ha. Not suitable already? It hasn’t even been that long—what, did you change genders?” his father mocked.
“…” He hadn’t changed genders—he was about to lose his sanity.
Liang Jiancheng tried not to argue. His handsome face showed restraint and silence, the corners of his mouth carrying that familiar guilty, cautious smile he used to wear only when he messed up as a child. He was already an adult, and it was rare for him to be scolded by his father like this.
Old Liang had lectured him for a full thirty minutes without ever naming the real core of his anger.
Liang Jiancheng felt the matter would probably end there.
But unexpectedly, Professor Liang’s gaze sharpened again and coldly asked, “You cheated, didn’t you?”
Liang Jiancheng: …
He felt embarrassed and amused at the same time, yet he still tried to defend himself. “Zhang Min and I weren’t married—weren’t even officially engaged. Isn’t ‘cheating’ a bit harsh?”
No one knows a son better than his father. Professor Liang’s eyes narrowed. “So there is someone else. Who is she?”
The embarrassment vanished from Liang Jiancheng’s face. He tugged at the corner of his mouth helplessly. This was what makes his father more terrifying than his mother; Gu Shuangyang only judges his actions, but Old Liang could see right through him.
Liang Jiancheng wasn’t always this reserved, but in this family, being unreserved makes one seem like a fool.
Liang Jiancheng naturally wouldn’t mention Ming Xi’s name. Just as he locked eyes with Old Liang, pondering how to respond, Lin Han, the employee in charge of the export exhibition, called.
This work call came at just the right time.
Liang Jiancheng answered the phone in front of Old Liang—and heard Ming Xi’s name spoken from the other end.
Those who are meant to appear will always appear.
Like the name he had nearly spoken moments ago, now emerging unexpectedly from the receiver.
“Ming Xi is my friend, Mr. Liang, could you take care of her a bit…”
Liang Jiancheng’s mind went blank, and his voice involuntarily tensing. He wasn’t slow to react—but under Old Liang’s scrutiny, he couldn’t show the slightest abnormality.
“You decide for yourself,” he tossed Lin Han these words and hung up.
Old Liang, with his sharp ears and keen eyesight, had already heard Ming Xi’s name from the speaker.
“So, did Ming Xi go work for you?” Professor Liang asked casually, his tone carrying a hint of probing.
“No, she did change jobs, but went to another foreign trade company downstairs from mine. The boss there used to work for the Foreign Trade Bureau, and the company is quite reputable,” Liang Jiancheng answered truthfully.
Ming Xi changing jobs so quickly didn’t make Professor Liang angry. It simply reminded him that she often exceeded his expectations. Fine—she had always had her own ideas.
“Then why did your employee mention Ming Xi?” Professor Liang continued.
“There’s an exhibition in Haigang this month, and Ming Xi probably visited our booth. Our company started importing electronics products last year, and Ming Xi probably needed to buy a laptop for work.”
Old Liang moved his lips, then said in a noticeably softer tone, “You should give her a discount.”
A genuinely sincere concern for a student. Liang Jiancheng slightly turned his head, revealing a hint of guilt for the first time since arriving today. Even he found it amusing—especially hearing his father calmly remind him to make it cheaper for her.
“How about I just give her one?” Liang Jiancheng suggested to Old Liang, his eyes clear.
Professor Liang snorted. “Boss Liang is certainly generous.”
Liang Jiancheng replied with a smile: “Since you care about your students, I’ll be the sponsor.”
At last, the tension between father and son eased. Regarding the failed engagement, Liang Jiancheng could sense that although Old Liang was angry, he was actually relieved.
It could be said that Old Liang’s dislike for him outweighed his blame regarding the broken engagement.
“So that settles it. Did the Zhang family make any demands?” Old Liang asked him, his tone becoming calm and steady as he began to discuss serious matters.
“Yes.” Liang Jiancheng finally seemed to have found family who could stand up for him, and casually mentioned Zhang Min’s request to him in a joking manner, “The woman’s side wants the man’s parents to personally come and apologize.”
At last—
Hearing this, Professor Liang finally understood why the ever-busy Gu Shuangyang had called him—and also why Liang Jiancheng had been so cautious from beginning to end.
So that was it. That formidable mother-and-son duo were planning to sacrifice his dignity!
“You—” Professor Liang’s temper flared up again, wishing he could kick his son out the door, “You and that mother of yours were so capable before. Now what? You get to enjoy all the glory and respect, and when it’s time to lose face, then you think of me?! You want me to go? No chance! I—I’m cutting off our father-son relationship right now! Don’t you dare keep the surname Liang. You’re not worthy of it! Go take your mother’s surname! Take that Yang’s surname!”
“…”
His father was so angry he was nearly jumping with rage. Liang Jiancheng stood up as well.
He swore on his conscience—he truly had never harbored such a shameless thought.
Even when Zhang Min made that request, he had never intended to let Gu Shuangyang, Professor Liang, or even Yang Minwen resolve it for him.
He wasn’t so incompetent as to be unable to handle this matter himself, nor would he ever let his father lose face for his sake.
But Professor Liang’s temper was already boiling over. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Back then, who had patiently reasoned with him? That all-powerful Director Gu had even called him naive! Now he was indeed naive! And very angry!
“Get out—” Professor Liang pointed to the door without any mercy.
Liang Jiancheng nodded and reassured him, “I will handle my own affairs. Don’t worry. Take care of your health and don’t get angry. I’ll come see you another time.”
“If it’s for my health, then don’t come at all.”
Liang Jiancheng was helpless. As he left his father’s house, coincidentally, he received a message from Zhang Min on his phone.
It was a text message saying that she was no longer being stubborn or demanding, and that she had come to terms with it.
“I’ve already explained everything to my family. Liang Jiancheng, I wish you find your true love soon.”
Sitting in his car, Liang Jiancheng replied to Zhang Min’s text message—“Zhang Min, I wish you the same.”
After sending the message, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Liang Jiancheng called his employee, Lin Han, back.
Lin Han picked up quickly, speaking with a mix of embarrassment and excitement. “Mr. Liang, I sold the already-unsealed demo laptop to my friend Ming Xi. Since it was a demo unit, I gave her a 30% discount—10,500 yuan.”
Liang Jiancheng held his phone in silence.
Lin Han’s cautious, nervous voice followed. “Did… did I sell it too cheaply?”
Liang Jiancheng looked out at the street ahead. The fragmented afternoon sunlight spilled across the top of his windshield, scattering into uneven flecks of gold that shimmered unsteadily, dazzling his eyes.
Light and shadow intertwined, his thoughts splintering like shards of light.
He returned to his calm, businesslike tone. “It’s fine. You handled it well. Selling a demo unit at a discount—that was the right call.”
—
Before changing jobs, Ming Xi had about 30,000 yuan in savings. She never expected to spend a third of it after just one export exhibition.
She had to admit, Lin Han was a really good person, thinking to sell her a demo unit at a 30% discount.
10,500 yuan was Ming Xi’s first major impulsive purchase. The reason she bought it so quickly was mainly because she was worried Liang Jiancheng might give her the computer outright. She didn’t want to owe him a bigger favor and to be trapped by obligation, so she bought it on the spot.
Sometimes, she really did jump to conclusions.
Well, 10,000 yuan was gone in a flash! And it wasn’t even the same model as the boss’s…
Ming Xi suddenly felt she owed Liang Jiancheng nothing anymore.
Her money was so easy to spend… Liang Jiancheng’s money was so easy to earn.
Ming Xi left the Xinghai exhibition booth, carrying the computer Lin Han had carefully packaged for her. Since the money was already spent, there was no point agonizing over it. Though her assets had instantly shrunk by a third, she trusted that she’d earn it back with this computer. She had that much confidence.
But why… did she still feel a pang of heartache that made her want to cry? Ming Xi took a deep breath, raised her gaze, and looked around. Her sharp eyes landed on a home-textile booth.
Money was just a tool of circulation. If one clung too tightly to something meant to flow, didn’t that actually block opportunities to make more of it?
This booth specialized in silk quilts. She could accept feeling heartache over a pricey imported laptop—after all, imported computers were expensive. But why were these silk quilts so costly too?
Bold yet polite, Ming Xi approached the agent directly.
The agent was a Taiwanese businessman, who explained in Taiwanese dialect, “Because these are all pure handmade.”
Handmade?
Handmade justified prices that high?!
Yet these thin silk summer quilts were selling exceptionally well at this exhibition, and most of the buyers were foreigners and wealthy people.
Ming Xi’s mind worked fast. She immediately thought of Cai Ni’s parents, who had once run a factory producing quilts. Though they’d been laid off, their silk-quilt craftsmanship was unquestionably at master level.
She had stayed overnight at Cai Ni’s house many times before and always slept comfortably because Cai Ni’s parents would make quilts from leftover silk from the factory and bring them home.
Ming Xi, not knowing where the courage came from, confidently raised her head and told the Taiwanese agent in crisp Mandarin, “Your quilts aren’t very good. I know a factory that makes much better ones, with finer hand-stitched seams. And are you using real silk? They look more like silk batting to me!”
The agent was stunned.
Carrying her laptop, Ming Xi walked a few steps, inspecting carefully. Her expression remained calm, even carrying the composed assurance of someone well-versed.
She went back and forth, touching the quilt fabric, then smiled faintly—an idea forming. Turning back with newfound momentum, she looked at the Taiwanese agent and said, in a playful yet friendly Minnan accent, “Boss, if I can supply you with better products, would you be willing to give me a chance to work together?”
—
When Ming Xi left the export exhibition, the Taiwanese agent’s business card was already tucked into her pocket.
The setting sun outside cast a magnificent, golden glow.
Suddenly, the laptop worth over ten thousand yuan no longer felt heavy in her hands—its weight felt just right.
Her phone rang abruptly in her pocket.
Ming Xi freed one hand to grab the phone and glanced at the caller ID on the small screen—
Professor Liang?
“Hello, Professor…”
“Are you free tonight? Come over for dinner.” The professor’s voice came through the receiver crisply.
—
Half an hour earlier—
Liang Jiancheng had been preparing to drive home. After thinking for a long time with his eyes closed, he gripped his phone, got out of the car, and went back upstairs.
When Old Liang opened the door, the person outside practically slammed it open.
Professor Liang was startled by the aggressive momentum.
Liang Jiancheng’s brows furrowed slightly, his Adam’s apple rolling involuntarily. The movement was small, yet it revealed emotions struggling to rise to the surface.
Then, seemingly for the first time, Liang Jiancheng, displayed before his father the brash confidence and careless masculine pride of youth. Facing the old man who was glaring at him, he blurted out, impulsive yet earnest: “That person—you know her.”