Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The sky hadn’t cleared by the next morning. Opening her window to breathe in some fresh air, Xia Wanzhi let out several sneezes in a row.

Born prematurely, she had always been physically weak with a poor immune system; it seemed every illness under the sun eventually found its way to her.

In the past, whenever she fell ill, Old Xia and Ms. Ross would always be by her side.

Now, she was all alone.

A month ago, her grandfather in the UK had sent people to bring the whole family over, but Xia Wanzhi had adamantly refused to go.

If she went, she would have to break off her engagement with Zhou Yu.

At the same time, she would have to give up her Studio here.

She and Zhou Yu had only recently gotten engaged, and her Studio was just starting to gain momentum. She couldn’t bear to let go of either.

Because of her refusal, her grandfather had been so enraged that he not only cut off her credit cards but also refused to help the Xia Group pay off its debts.

As a result, Old Xia and Ms. Ross were unable to return to the country, and she was left facing a mountain of difficulties.

That grandfather of hers was trying to force her hand.

Not only that, but Old Xia and Ms. Ross had been swayed over to his side. It had been so long, yet they hadn’t contacted her once.

It had reached the point where everyone in Beicheng was whispering that they had abandoned their daughter and fled abroad to seek refuge.

“Zhi Zhi, it’s time to go.” Zhou Yu gave a light knock on the door. When he saw Xia Wanzhi dressed in an elegant and dignified outfit, a smile touched his eyes. “You look beautiful.”

Zhou’s Father and Zhou’s Mother were already waiting downstairs. Xia Wanzhi offered a faint smile and greeted them, “Good morning, Uncle, Auntie.”

Zhou’s Mother glanced at her and gave a soft huff before offering a preemptive warning: “Once we get to the Xie Family’s home, stay close to Zhou Yu. Keep your mouth shut and stay sharp.”

“Mom!” Zhou Yu pulled Xia Wanzhi behind him, his face clouded with displeasure.

Xia Wanzhi didn’t mind. She nodded in response. “Understood.”

She closed her eyes for a nap once they were in the car. There was little conversation between the two of them. When they arrived at the Xie Family residence, Zhou Yu crooked his elbow as they entered, signaling for her to take his arm.

She hesitated for a moment before looping her arm through his.

They had grown up together, held hands, and shared hugs, but back then, their bond had been one of pure friendship.

Not long ago, however, Zhou Yu had proposed an engagement.

She had known Zhou Yu for twenty-five years.

The man beside her had been a constant presence since the day she was born.

Xia Wanzhi couldn’t tell if what she felt was love or simply habit, but she knew that Zhou Yu loved her.

A person should always marry someone who loves them.

So, when Zhou Yu proposed, she accepted.

No one could have predicted that shortly after their engagement, the Xia Family would go bankrupt.

Pushing the stray thoughts from her mind, Xia Wanzhi maintained a slight smile as she followed the group into the main hall of the Xie Family estate.

Among the prestigious clans, the Xie Family was one of the Four Great Families of Beicheng. Their power and status were roughly on par with the other three, especially now that the position of head of the family had fallen to Xie Qiyan.

Xie Qiyan was a formidable figure who could not be underestimated.

Since he took over the Xie Corporation, he had acquired several trading companies in a single month. Not only had he secured several major deals, but he had also single-handedly revived the family’s declining stock prices, exceeding all performance targets for the year.

What concerned Xia Wanzhi even more was that he had acquired the Xingyao Building.

And her Studio was located right inside that building.

A large crowd had gathered in the Xie Family’s main hall. Xia Wanzhi sat in her seat and scanned the room, only to find that Xie Qiyan was the only one missing.

Xia Wanzhi’s memory of what Xie Qiyan looked like as an adult was actually a bit blurry. The rain that night had been heavy, and she had only caught a vague glimpse of his silhouette.

But if she were asked to identify him now, she might still recognize him at a glance.

After all, the man had been blessed with a fine face since he was a child; it was unlikely he would have grown up to be eyesore.

Of course, if he had, that would be for the best.

“Zhi Zhi.” Zhou Yu pulled her back from her thoughts, maintaining his smile. “Grandpa is asking you something.”

When Xia Wanzhi looked up, she realized the entire family’s gaze was fixed on her.

“I’m sorry, Grandpa Xie, I didn’t hear you,” Xia Wanzhi said apologetically to Old Master Xie.

The great families often socialized, so this wasn’t her first time meeting the Old Master, nor her first time at the Xie Family home.

However, it was her first time visiting as Zhou Yu’s fiancée.

The Old Master shook his head, his kind eyes filled with concern. “You look pale. Are you feeling unwell?”

“Are you okay? Are you sick?” Before she could answer, Zhou Yu cut in with his own questions, reaching out to touch her forehead.
Xia Wanzhi leaned back slightly. “Just a bit of a cold. It’s no big deal.”

“Xie Tan is over in the dining room. I’ll have someone take you there to find her and get something to eat.” After saying this, the Old Master gestured for someone to lead Xia Wanzhi away. Seeing Zhou Yu about to follow, he spoke up to stop him. “She’s familiar with this place; you don’t need to worry about her.”

Zhou Yu’s expression stiffened. He nodded in agreement and sat back down.

He seemed to have forgotten that the Xia Family and the Xie Family used to be very close.

–

The dining room was right behind the main hall, accessible through a long corridor. When Xia Wanzhi entered, she looked up and saw a little girl sitting at the dining table, swinging her legs and happily eating dessert. Speeding up her pace, she instinctively teased, “Whose little foodie is this?”

“One more bite and all your teeth will rot.” The voice came at the same time as Xia Wanzhi’s, belonging to a man sitting at a coffee table near the dining area, sipping coffee.

His tone was cold, his attitude ruthless.

Xia Wanzhi’s footsteps faltered, and the smile on her face vanished instantly.

As their eyes met, Xia Wanzhi became even more certain that this person was the Suit Thug she had seen deep in that old alley last night.

She hadn’t been mistaken. The Suit Thug was indeed Xie Qiyan.

The two stared at each other for two seconds. Behind his lenses, the man’s gaze seemed even more bone-chillingly cold.

Xia Wanzhi felt a wave of disdain in her heart.

What a pity he hadn’t grown up ugly.

“Sister Wanzi!” Xie Tan jumped down from her chair. Still clutching her fork, she rushed toward Xia Wanzhi excitedly, completely ignoring Xie Qiyan’s words. “Everyone said something happened to the Xia Family, and my little stepmother wouldn’t let me go see you. I thought I’d never see you again!”

Xie Tan was ten years old, the daughter of Third Uncle Xie and the youngest-and only-girl of this generation.

Xia Wanzhi withdrew her gaze from Xie Qiyan and leaned down slightly to rub Xie Tan’s head. “It’s nothing serious. I’m hungry; what is there to eat?”

“There’s chocolate ice cream cake!” Xie Tan pulled her toward a seat.

“I’m not eating chocolate.” Xia Wanzhi was close with Xie Tan, so she simply wrinkled her nose and refused.

“Blueberry cake!” Xie Tan pushed a small cake over.

Xia Wanzhi glanced at it. “The blueberry jam looks sour.”

Xie Tan was stumped. She turned to look at Xie Qiyan. “Brother Qiyan.”

“Eat it or don’t.” Xie Qiyan didn’t even look up at them.

Xia Wanzhi’s smile faded. She suppressed the urge to snap back, grumbling inwardly.

A leopard can’t change its spots. This man was just as obnoxious as ever.

After being exiled to the UK for all those years, not only had his face become more somber, but his tongue had grown even more poisonous.

Especially with those terrifying methods of his, people in their circle likely both feared and hated him now.

Xie Tan pouted. “Don’t be mad, Xiao Wanzi. He’s possessed by a ghost today; he’s been scolding people all day long.”

“Xie Tan.” Xie Qiyan’s voice turned a fraction colder. He stood up, looking down at the two sitting at the table. “When you’re finished, get lost and go back to your room to do your summer homework.”

Xia Wanzhi glanced at Xie Tan, not bothering to look at Xie Qiyan. A wave of dizziness from low blood sugar hit her, so she reluctantly picked up a fork and took a bite of the blueberry cake in front of her.

Given Xie Qiyan’s current attitude, he’d probably clear every dessert off the table in the next second.

“Sister Wanzi, I’m going back now.” Xie Tan walked a few steps, then remembered something. She suddenly hurried back and swiped on the small screen of her smartwatch. “Big Brother bought me a watch. Let’s add each other on WeChat. That way, if I miss you, I can video call you.”

Xia Wanzhi licked a bit of cream from the corner of her lip, then looked down to input her ID on the watch to send a friend request.

“Brother, do you want to add her too?” Xie Tan looked up and saw that Xie Qiyan hadn’t left yet, so she hurriedly tried to introduce them. “Sister Wanzi is single, you know. You can flirt with her.”

Xia Wanzhi: “…”

Children say the darndest things, but Xia Wanzhi couldn’t help but let out a cold laugh.

Add him?

Setting aside the fact that he’d be wasting a spot on her contact list, keeping a ‘Black Rakshasa’ like him in her phone would only invite bad luck.

Xie Qiyan stood there, his expression not changing in the slightest.

Xia Wanzhi poked at her cake, pretending she hadn’t heard.

She expected Xie Qiyan to remain silent, but instead, he let out a cold sneer. His deep voice was thick with sarcasm.

“Single?”

“Is Zhou Yu dead?”

“Or did you get dumped?”