Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Today was the Start of Autumn. Mottled light and shadows filtered through the gaps in the branches, dancing upon the light-colored tips of Xia Wanzhi’s hair.

Most of the trees in the Xie Family estate were evergreens, providing ample shade. On a summer day like this, it was the perfect spot to set up a small chair and table to enjoy some tea in the cool air.

“Like this tree?” Xie Qiyan’s voice suddenly rang out from behind her.

Xia Wanzhi wasn’t afraid of much, but she was terrified of things suddenly popping out like ghosts.

Especially a “Black-Faced Yama” like Xie Qiyan.

Still shaken, she smoothed her chest to catch her breath and turned around to glare at him. “What are you doing?”

“Aren’t you going back to the Zhou Family?” Xie Qiyan didn’t seem to feel the slightest bit of guilt. He stood behind Xia Wanzhi; originally, a bit of sunlight had been hitting her, but as he stepped forward, he completely blocked out the refracted light.

Xia Wanzhi shot him a sidelong glance, her gaze involuntarily drifting upward.

Xie Qiyan’s height and looks were truly exceptional.

With the shoes she was wearing, she gained a few centimeters and stood at about 1.7 meters, yet whenever she stood next to Xie Qiyan, she felt like a tiny, helpless chick that could be snatched up at any moment.

She remembered Xie Tan saying that Xie Qiyan was 1.88 meters tall.

“What does it matter to you where I go?” Xia Wanzhi looked at his face and felt a pang of intimidation. She simply maintained her posture, tilting her head back to continue staring at the lush canopy above.

“The Old Master told me to see you off.” Xie Qiyan’s tone was unreadable. He stared down at Xia Wanzhi for a few seconds before letting out a dry chuckle. “You think I want to bother with this?”

Xia Wanzhi couldn’t be bothered to argue with him.

Seeing that she didn’t respond, Xie Qiyan looked up and asked again, “Have your eye on this tree?”

Xia Wanzhi frowned, not understanding why he was fixating on a tree. “What if I do?”

“It’s a century-old tree; it has a spirit. It’s not suitable for hanging yourself.” Xie Qiyan’s gaze swept over her dismissively. “If you want to die, do it somewhere else.”

Xia Wanzhi: “…”

At that moment, she really wanted to throw away the twenty-five years of upbringing she had maintained and give Xie Qiyan a piece of her mind.

But it didn’t matter. A big person doesn’t hold a grudge against a small person; she would just treat it as if she’d been bitten by a dog.

Xia Wanzhi suppressed her rising fury and slowly forced a harmless smile. With a turn of her head, she walked toward the main gate.

She really did have to go back to the Zhou Family today.

She needed to pack her things and try her best to move out today.

The first time she had ridden in Xie Qiyan’s car was because of Xie Tan; this time, it was because of Grandpa Xie.

However, this time, as soon as she opened the back door and sat down, before she could even close it, Xie Qiyan ordered with a cold face, “Sit in the front.”

Time seemed to freeze for three seconds.

Xia Wanzhi swallowed hard, doubting her own ears. “What did you say?”

Was the passenger seat of the King of Hell a place where a mere mortal could sit?

“Am I your driver?” Xie Qiyan scoffed. “I’m brave enough to drive, but are you brave enough to sit there?”

Xia Wanzhi: “…”

They remained silent throughout the journey. While she grumbled about his faults in her head, Xia Wanzhi tried her best to maintain a calm expression when she opened the passenger door to leave.

When you’re indebted to someone, you have to keep your head down. Since she was on his turf, Xia Wanzhi knew she had to mind her manners.

If this were the past, Xia Wanzhi would never have let herself be disadvantaged, let alone wear this expression of suppressed frustration.

As expected, a fallen socialite had to act like a fallen socialite.

Xie Qiyan left the moment he dropped her off at the Zhou Family, not staying for a single second.

At first, she hadn’t realized why Grandpa Xie had arranged for Xie Qiyan to personally escort her. It wasn’t until she walked through the door and noticed that Zhou’s Mother was being significantly less harsh than usual that she finally understood.
Xie Qiyan had dropped her off, and everyone in the Zhou Family had seen it.

Regardless of what her relationship with Xie Qiyan actually was, the mere fact that she had stepped out of his car was enough to make Zhou’s Mother fix her attitude.

One had to remember that back when the Xia Family fell into ruin, Old Master Xie had proposed taking Xia Wanzhi into the Xie Family home.

Later, when Xia Wanzhi decided to stay with the Zhou Family instead, the Old Master had deferred to her wishes.

But now that the engagement between the two families was off and Xia Wanzhi was moving out, the first people to offer her a helping hand would undoubtedly be the Xie Family.

The Xia Family might be in shambles, but Old Master Xie’s previous gesture was a clear hint to the Zhou Family that Xia Wanzhi wasn’t without backing.

The Xie Family could very well be her support system.

Knowing that Xia Wanzhi was coming over today to pack her things, Zhou Yu had skipped work all day, staying home to wait for her.

“Xie Qiyan dropped you off?” Zhou Yu was waiting at the door. When Xia Wanzhi ignored him and walked straight toward the bedroom, he followed closely behind her, demanding an answer. “Did you stay at the Xie Family’s place last night?”

Xia Wanzhi stood by the bed, looking around the room, suddenly unsure where to even begin packing.

“Zhi Zhi, I’ve told you before, Xie Qiyan isn’t a good man. You…” He had never carried himself with much authority in front of Xia Wanzhi, but this time, he was genuinely frustrated by her cold shoulder.

He felt he was doing this for her own good.

“Do I need to report to you?” Xia Wanzhi couldn’t stand his interrogative tone. She turned around and exposed his facade with conviction. “Don’t act like you’re doing this for my sake, Zhou Yu. If you really wanted what’s best for me, we’d have a clean break. Leave me alone, and I won’t bother you either.”

She had never owed him anything.

Over the past twenty years, the Zhou Family had gained more than enough by using the childhood friendship between her and Zhou Yu to cling to the Xia Family’s coattails.

Under his mother’s influence, the moment he entered society and tasted the fruits of self-interest, the boy Zhou Yu used to be had ceased to exist.

He had begun to weigh her value based on what she could do for him.

He began to prioritize the Zhou Family’s interests in everything.

It wasn’t that Xia Wanzhi hadn’t noticed; she simply hadn’t wanted to believe it.

“A clean break?” Zhou Yu let out a bitter laugh, reaching out despondently to grab Xia Wanzhi’s arm, his posture sinking even lower. “Our twenty years of history as childhood sweethearts, and all I get is ‘a clean break’? Zhi Zhi, are you really not even going to give me the chance to be your friend?”

“But do you even need a friend like me?” Xia Wanzhi lowered her gaze, a sudden sting in her heart. “Stop lying to yourself, Zhou Yu. What you need is the Xia Wanzhi who is useful to you.”

“You can question my character, but you cannot question my feelings for you!” Zhou Yu’s eyes reddened, his voice rising several decibels. “I truly love you, believe me.”

“So what? You still…” Xia Wanzhi choked up slightly, falling silent for a moment before continuing. “You still crossed every line to share drinks with another woman, you had no bottom line when you kissed another woman in a bar, and you didn’t even hesitate to sleep with someone else.”

“When you were doing those things, did you ever stop to think about how I would feel?”

“I might not understand love, but I know that isn’t it.”

“Zhou Yu, the person you love most is yourself.”

Zhou Yu recoiled, stung by her words.

He couldn’t find a single reason to argue.

There was no turning back once the arrow had been shot. The moment he accepted another woman’s advances, today’s outcome was already set in stone.