Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Waking up in Xie Tan’s bed the next morning, Xia Wanzhi lay flat on her back, replaying everything that had happened the previous night.

From being plucked out of the car like a little chick by Xie Qiyan to being hauled back into Xie Tan’s room over his shoulder like a sack of rice, Xia Wanzhi remembered it all with vivid clarity.

Indignation, confusion, despondency, and humiliation.

Xie Qiyan was simply not human; he was truly a man of stone.

“Sister Wanzi, what are you thinking about?” Xie Tan lay down beside her, mimicking her posture as they both stared up at the stark white ceiling.

Xia Wanzhi rolled her eyes. “I’m thinking about how to cut your brother’s heart out to analyze whether its cellular structure is any different from a normal person’s.”

Xie Tan hissed, rubbing her arms. “Yikes, how malicious.”

Xia Wanzhi let out a long, melancholy sigh. “Yes, how malicious indeed.”

Giving a little giggle, Xie Tan said, “I was talking about you.”

“I was talking about your brother,” Xia Wanzhi replied, propping herself up on her elbows for a moment before flopping back down.

Xie Tan scooted over, grabbed Xia Wanzhi’s phone, and handed it to her. “Cousin called you several times. I picked up the last one and told him you were sleeping.”

Xia Wanzhi’s first reaction was, “Which cousin?”

“Cousin Zhou Yu,” Xie Tan answered. She then flopped onto Xia Wanzhi’s stomach and hummed, “Sister Wanzi, are you really going to marry Cousin Zhou Yu?”

Xia Wanzhi dazed out, that disgusting scene from the bar last night suddenly flashing through her mind.

If Xie Tan had asked this question a little earlier, she might have said yes.

But now, she patted Xie Tan’s head, her gaze resolute. “No. I don’t want to marry him anymore.”

Xie Tan beamed, cupping Xia Wanzhi’s face in her hands. “Really? Truly? Then you should break off the engagement today. I’ll introduce you to someone new!”

Xia Wanzhi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

In her memory, this little brat Xie Tan seemed to have been telling everyone she was single from the very beginning.

“What do you think of Xie Qiyan?” Xie Tan leaned in to whisper in Xia Wanzhi’s ear. “I think he’s great. Sister Wanzi, why don’t you become my sister-in-law?”

Xia Wanzhi’s entire body stiffened, and she swallowed hard. “I’ll pass.”

Xie Tan pouted. “Brother Qiyan is very good.”

Xia Wanzhi chuckled. “He’s been back in the country for less than two months. How much do you actually know about him to say he’s good?”

“He’s handsome. Handsomer than any of my other brothers,” Xie Tan answered with total earnestness.

“Then what about your Cousin Zhou Yu?” Xia Wanzhi’s voice was soft, the loneliness in her eyes nearly impossible to hide.

Xie Tan thought about it for a moment before giving her answer. “Cousin Zhou Yu is handsome too, but not as handsome as Brother Qiyan. Besides, I don’t like Auntie. Auntie is mean.”

Xie Tan was the youngest child of this generation in the Xie Family. She and Xie Nan were both from the third branch, but they were half-siblings. Xie Tan’s mother had passed away from a hemorrhage while giving birth to her. Later, Xie Tan’s father married his third wife, who was Xie Tan’s current stepmother.

Although the Third Madam of the Xie Family treated Xie Tan as her own, Xia Wanzhi knew that without Old Master Xie’s protection, Xie Tan’s life in the Xie Family would not have been easy.

However, it seemed that since Xie Qiyan’s return, Xie Tan had become much more lively than before.

After leaving the Xie Family residence, Xia Wanzhi went to the flower shop to find Yun Li. As the two stood face-to-face, Xia Wanzhi felt an inexplicable sense of embarrassment. It was Yun Li who broke the silence with a laugh.

Xia Wanzhi covered her face. “How humiliating.”

Yun Li poured her a glass of warm water and pulled her down to sit, asking about the progress. “So, did you go home with your Brother Xie last night?”
Xia Wanzhi glared at her. “What ‘Brother Xie’? That Xie Qiyan isn’t worthy of being called my brother!”

“Fine, you’re pretty, so you have the final say. But what happened between you two after we went our separate ways last night?” Yun Li couldn’t help teasing her.

Xia Wanzhi puffed out her cheeks. “Don’t even mention it. It was a total buzzkill.”

Yun Li continued to chatter away. “Tell me about it. Anyway, you’re going to dump that trash from the Zhou Family sooner or later. You might as well start thinking about your Second Spring.”

Xia Wanzhi looked at her in shock. “Boss Yun, you’re something else. Is this how you’re supposed to give advice?”

Yun Li nodded smugly. “Of course…”

“Then why don’t you dump your own piece of trash?” Xia Wanzhi asked softly.

Yun Li’s smile vanished instantly.

Xia Wanzhi looked at her and returned a smile of her own.

Even though she had been drunk, she hadn’t blacked out. She remembered every word of the conversation they’d had at the bar the previous night.

Yun Li’s parents had divorced when she was ten because her father had an affair and became a kept man for a wealthy socialite. This was the reason Yun Li’s mother had always loathed the wealthy elite.

Back then, Yun Li’s mother had rejected a stable government job match arranged by her family, choosing instead to sever ties with them to be with Yun Li’s father. After his betrayal, she was left utterly devastated. Not long after, her father died in a horrific car accident, and her mother’s personality changed drastically, becoming extremely strict with Yun Li.

When Yun Li reached marriageable age, her mother repeatedly pressured her to find a partner with a stable government job.

Eventually, her mother took a liking to Liang Jing. Regardless of whether Yun Li liked him or not-even going as far as threatening to jump off a building-she insisted that Yun Li stay with him.

Yun Li was being controlled like a marionette.

“I’m just taking it one step at a time,” Yun Li said with a bitter smile.

–

Xia Wanzhi didn’t return to the Zhou Family home until after dark. She ran straight into Zhou Yu as she entered. The two stood in silence until Xia Wanzhi finally broke it. “Do you have something to say?”

“I told you to stay away from Xie Qiyan, but you clearly didn’t take my words to heart.” Zhou Yu’s gaze was complex; beyond his helplessness, there was a great deal of resentment.

Xia Wanzhi met his eyes. “I need something from him.”

“Is staying at Xingyao really that important?” Zhou Yu closed his eyes, suppressing the anger in his heart. “You can set up your Studio anywhere. Besides, you are the core of the Studio, not that dump of a place, Xingyao!”

“It’s important,” Xia Wanzhi repeated, her voice gradually softening. “It’s very important.”

But Zhou Yu didn’t understand her. He never had.

As they brushed past each other, Zhou Yu realized he had lost his composure. He suddenly grabbed Xia Wanzhi and pulled her into his arms. “I’m sorry, Zhi Zhi. I shouldn’t have lost my temper. You didn’t come home all night, and I was just so worried that…”

“I’m tired. I’m going to my room to rest. I already ate dinner with a friend, so don’t call me.” Xia Wanzhi used all her strength to break free from his hold. As she steadied herself, she caught the gaze of Zhou’s Mother standing behind him. She felt a bitter laugh rising in her heart, but it didn’t seem to matter anymore.

“She doesn’t recognize her own status anymore, but have you lost your mind too?” Once Xia Wanzhi had returned to her bedroom, Zhou’s Mother began to berate Zhou Yu with a look of utter disappointment.

“Enough!” His pride wounded, Zhou Yu clenched his fists. He let out a sharp retort before turning to head downstairs.

Zhou’s Mother chased after him in her high heels. “Where are you going?”

“You say I’ve lost my mind? Mom, I’ve never been clearer.” Leaving her with those words, he strode away. Once in the car, he closed his eyes and gave the driver an address. “To the Jiang’an Club.”