Chapter 195

Chapter 195

Nancheng Arc: Shameless Anytime, Anywhere

August.

The last heat of summer was ending, and cool breezes were beginning to arrive.

But Nancheng’s summer had yet to draw its final curtain for the year.

A fine misty rain veiled the town’s blue bricks and green tiles. Drizzling raindrops slid down oil-paper umbrellas and fell into the flagstone alleys.

Xie Qiyan closed his umbrella and set it by the little courtyard gate. Just as he was about to push the door open, he saw it crack open all by itself.

Last month, a stray cat had wandered into the courtyard. After Yao Qin fed it twice, it simply refused to leave.

This door had been opened by that very cat.

It was a small calico, about a year old, with two long wisps of clever-looking fur and, beneath them, a bloom of stubborn little tufts sticking out every which way.

Yao Qin had taken in this clever little menace and named it Ping’an.

“Little Ping’an!” The doorway was wet, so Xia Wanzhi crouched down with a smile and scooped it into her arms, keeping it from running out and getting its paws dirty.

Perhaps because it smelled Changsheng on Xia Wanzhi, Ping’an, who was usually restless, lay obediently in her arms and sniffed at her clothes.

Xie Qiyan glanced at it and gave a sudden cold snort.

It was bad enough that Xia Changsheng fought him for attention. Now there was a Little Ping’an too.

“Wanzi’s here? Come on in!” Yao Qin came out when she heard the commotion, still holding a ball of yarn in her hand. From the look of it, she was knitting a collar for Ping’an.

Xie Qiyan gave her a brief once-over. Seeing that Yao Qin looked well and there was nothing to worry about, he went to the kitchen with practiced ease to help Liu Shubai.

Yao Qin and Liu Shubai had returned to Nancheng last month. Once they settled in, they officially registered their marriage. From then on, they were truly a family.

“You didn’t bring my grandson to play with Ping’an today?” Liu Shubai asked as he tossed the food in the wok. Knowing Xie Qiyan and Xia Wanzhi were coming over for dinner, he had started preparing early.

Everything he made was a Nancheng specialty.

Xie Qiyan surveyed the kitchen, grabbed another apron, put it on, and started helping.

“It’s raining. Changsheng has rheumatism.” Xie Qiyan’s tone barely fluctuated as he mixed the cucumber salad and stood nearby, secretly learning Liu Shubai’s cooking techniques.

Xia Wanzhi quite liked Nancheng cuisine, but Xie Qiyan wasn’t very good at making it.

“Rheumatism?” Liu Shubai froze for a moment. The next second, he teased him, though it sounded more like he was probing for information. “You’ve raised Changsheng pretty well. I really couldn’t tell. But speaking of grandsons…”

Liu Shubai smiled and paused symbolically. “Care to reveal when your mom and I will get to hold a real grandson?”

Xie Qiyan’s movements clearly paused. Then he lazily lifted his eyes. “No rush. Wanzi is only twenty-six.”

Only twenty-six. She was still like a child.

It was the age when she should be having fun.

Liu Shubai smiled. “That’s true. You’re a lucky brat. Don’t mistreat the girl. It’s not easy for you two to get free time, so don’t keep running over here every few days. Take her out more.”

Maybe people became more long-winded with age, because Liu Shubai spoke with great enthusiasm. “I’ve got everything covered here. Your mom is doing much better now. If anything happens, I’ll report to you. You take her and have a proper time in Nancheng. If you get tired of it, go somewhere else. The world is so big.”

The world was so big. If one could take in all its boundless scenery, one place after another, with the person they loved, then this life would be enough.

Xie Qiyan raised his brows slightly, a faint smile rippling at the corners of his lips. At this moment, he looked like an obedient child listening to an elder’s instruction. He nodded and replied, “Got it.”

–

Although Xie Qiyan was not in Beicheng, he still had to handle all sorts of important work for Xie Corporation every night. Remote work, video conferences-once he got busy, it basically started at two hours minimum.

When he decided to stay in Nancheng for a while with Xia Wanzhi, he had someone buy a large river-view flat here in advance.

On the other side of the river, another city of high-rises glittered with brilliant lights.

Xia Wanzhi sat cross-legged in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, a paintbrush dipped in color in her right hand as she slowly painted this moving city stroke by stroke.

The indoor temperature was comfortable. Xia Wanzhi was dressed lightly, and Changsheng was curled up fluffily beside her leg. Whenever it sensed Xia Wanzhi make a slightly larger movement, it would open its eyes to glance at her, then yawn.

Xia Wanzhi smiled and scratched its chin. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Xie Qiyan looking this way.

He had chosen a good spot. While listening to a subordinate’s work report through his earphones, he was also happily admiring his wife’s nation-toppling beauty.

“The Old Master is still around. They can’t overturn the heavens.” After leaving that final sentence, Xie Qiyan ended the meeting.

Yu Fei was a chatterbox. What he reported was nothing more than a few shameless little maneuvers the Xie Family’s Second Branch and Third Branch had pulled while Xie Qiyan was away.

“You’re done?” Xia Wanzhi still had paint on her brush. When she turned and saw Xie Qiyan take off his earphones and walk toward her with the impatient stride of a wolf pouncing on prey, alarms immediately blared in her heart.

Who said men lost it after twenty-five?

Xie Qiyan was already twenty-seven…

Flirting anytime, anywhere.

Getting hard anytime, anywhere.

“Isn’t the floor cold?” Having taken off his glasses, Xie Qiyan sat down on one knee beside Xia Wanzhi. The hand holding his glasses rested on his other bent knee.

The pose was especially bewitching.

“It’s not cold. It’s just right.” Xia Wanzhi liked this refreshing coolness. She turned her head to avoid Xie Qiyan’s overly scorching gaze.

Unfortunately, he was staring far too intently. Xia Wanzhi gave a soft cough and changed the subject. “Let’s go swimming tomorrow. I’ll teach you the backstroke. Then we can float in the water together and look at the stars.”

She was good in the water, and Xie Qiyan had praised her swimming posture as beautiful.

Xia Wanzhi never belittled herself. After happily accepting the compliment, she had turned around and criticized him for swimming too monotonously.

He only knew the traditional breaststroke.

Xie Qiyan nodded thoughtfully. “No rush.”

Xia Wanzhi tilted her head. “No rush?”

“There are other plans tomorrow.” Xie Qiyan’s body gradually leaned closer. He had meant to raise his hand and wipe away a smudge of paint on the tip of her nose, but she beat him to it, gently adding a stroke to his cheek with her paintbrush.
The brush was soft, and when it swept across his face, it raised a ticklish sensation.

Xie Qiyan’s movements came to an abrupt halt.

Xia Wanzhi bit her lip, desperately holding back a laugh. “You were the one with bad intentions first. I’m just striking preemptively.”

Xie Qiyan was so exasperated he laughed. “So from what Mrs. Xie is saying, you’re guarding against me?”

“Mm-hmm.” Xia Wanzhi admitted it with perfect confidence. Staring at the smear of paint on Xie Qiyan’s face, a sudden idea struck her, and with a mischievous grin she added a matching stroke of color to the other side of his face. “Don’t move. I’ve already started, so let me finish.”

And so Xie Qiyan stayed completely still and let her do as she pleased.

Until he caught a blurry glimpse of his own face in the floor-to-ceiling window.

“Xia. Wan. Zhi-”

The moment Xie Qiyan began grinding out her name one word at a time, Xia Wanzhi, who had long since prepared for this, scooped up Changsheng and bolted.

“You’re a cat-cat husband now, so you have to be gentle. Gen-hey, hey, hey, what are you doing, Xie Qiyan? Put me down…”

Xie Qiyan caught up to her in just a few strides and lifted Xia Wanzhi into his arms, doing something extremely immoral while wearing an extremely adorable face.

Once the bedroom door closed, Xia Changsheng, who had been left outside by Xie Qiyan, meowed and wailed several times, and the scolding sounded rather foul.

With the difference in build and the disparity in strength, Xia Wanzhi was ultimately no match for this dog of a man. In the end, she could only give in.

The moment her muffled whimpers lingered in the air, Xia Wanzhi felt a profound sense of having died before her campaign had even begun.

The next day, Xia Wanzhi’s biological clock woke her before Xie Qiyan did.

Half the reason they had come to Nancheng was for a honeymoon in the first place. With his lovely wife in his arms, Xie Qiyan, fully satisfied afterward, slept especially soundly.

When he woke, it was not yet nine, but the other side of the bed had already gone cold. Panic flashed through Xie Qiyan. Just as he was about to rush out to look for her, he noticed a note left on the bedside table.

It was in Xia Wanzhi’s handwriting.

[I am mad! I am very mad!

I’m leaving. Starting now, we are in a cold war for two hours.

You are not allowed to come find me. If you do, you’re dead!]

The signature was a timestamp: 8:05.

In just three seconds, that bit of panic in Xie Qiyan’s chest was chased away by laughter that reached the depths of his eyes. He immediately picked up his phone and the note Xia Wanzhi had left, then walked out of the bedroom.

Outside on the terrace, sunlight poured lazily over everything. Xia Wanzhi was lying on the wicker chair with her eyes closed, asleep, holding Changsheng in her arms, who was also sleeping deeply.

Neither girl nor cat noticed Xie Qiyan approaching.

Moving quietly, Xie Qiyan held up the note Xia Wanzhi had left as the foreground and took a photo. The next second, he switched to Weibo.

[Mu Xia V: That was close. Almost died.]

In the photo, the contents of the note were very clear, while Xia Wanzhi and Changsheng sleeping on the wicker chair were blurred.

The sun in Nancheng after nine was already a little strong. Xie Qiyan walked over and lifted Xia Wanzhi up, along with Changsheng in her arms.

His movements were gentle, but Xia Wanzhi still woke up.

“What time is it?” Still bleary with sleep, Xia Wanzhi’s first concern was the time.

“Not nine yet.” Xie Qiyan’s smiling voice was especially tender.

Xia Wanzhi: “…”

“Lucky you. I’ll spare your life.” Xia Wanzhi gave a little huff. Her hair and skin had been warmed by the sun, while Xie Qiyan’s body was cool, so she found a comfortable spot against him and closed her eyes to continue sleeping.

Xie Qiyan’s smile deepened.

It really had been close. Good thing he had made it to the battlefield within two hours.

If he had not woken up and come looking for her within two hours, she probably really would have gotten angry.

Last night had gone a little too far. Xia Wanzhi had shed more tears than usual.

She had not been able to make him stop and had ended up at his mercy. She had every right to be mad.

–

Night fell. The city lights came on, and points of starlight reflected across the river. The evening breeze carried the scent of the water.

Fresh, damp, and cool.

“Didn’t you say you had plans for tonight?” Xia Wanzhi pulled her hand out of Xie Qiyan’s grasp, feeling an indescribable premonition. “Don’t tell me your plan is just taking a walk by the river.”

Xia Wanzhi hated the heat. Compared to walking, she preferred swimming.

Xie Qiyan took her hand back. “Wait a little longer.”

“Wait for what?” Xia Wanzhi did not understand. After coming to a stop beside Xie Qiyan, she followed his gaze and looked in the same direction.

Only when a tremendous boom sounded from the sky, the people around them burst into astonished chatter, and the darkness before her was lit up by brilliant fireworks did Xia Wanzhi finally understand what Xie Qiyan’s arrangement was.

It was a fireworks show arranged for her.

The sparks exploding overhead were like a galaxy spilling down into the mortal world, taking countless shapes in dazzling colors. The display lasted for more than three full minutes.

Passersby raised their phones to record videos, and only when the fireworks ended did the sky fall silent again.

The horizon, once dyed red, returned to the night.

Just as Xia Wanzhi, like everyone else, thought it was over, dozens of clusters of fireworks suddenly lit up in midair, shooting into the sky at the same time like rockets dragging silver-white tails of flame behind them.

Xia Wanzhi’s gaze followed them closely.

With a thunderous boom, the entire river shone as bright as day. Gardenia-shaped fireworks burst open all at once, then transformed into streams of light cascading downward.

It was like a pure white baptism bestowed upon the mortal world by the gods.

“Shall we kiss, Mrs. Xie?” Xie Qiyan’s palm gently caressed her cheek, his deep eyes looking straight into hers, which seemed to hold a pool of spring water.

“All right, Mr. Xie.” Xia Wanzhi’s lashes trembled faintly. As he bent down, she rose onto her toes and took the initiative to meet the kiss.

Beneath those romantic fireworks, each kissed their Lover.

A one-of-a-kind, exclusive fireworks show that Xie Qiyan had given to his Little Princess.

Sparks shimmered, light and shadow intertwined.

Under a sky painted by fireworks, two people were in love.