Chapter 38

Chapter 38

The puddles that had pooled on the ground over the past two days had already been dried by today’s sun. The summer night breeze remained cool and refreshing, carrying a faint, lingering scent of autumn.

Xia Wanzhi enjoyed sitting in the car and feeling the breeze, but on this particular trip, Xie Qiyan seemed dead set on opposing her.

Every time Xia Wanzhi lowered the window, he would close it from the control panel within three seconds.

Fuming with frustration, she turned her head to reason with him, but Xie Qiyan didn’t even spare her a glance.

They hadn’t spoken a single word since getting into the car.

Neither of them brought up what had happened last time.

Perhaps because of that day’s events, Xia Wanzhi’s hostility toward him had lessened significantly.

However, Xie Qiyan’s somber face clearly broadcasted the words “Do Not Approach,” a stark contrast to his attitude that day.

The words at the tip of Xia Wanzhi’s tongue were swallowed back down. She turned away dejectedly, staring listlessly at the night scenery outside the window.

“You’re sick. Don’t blow in the wind so much,” his calm voice suddenly broke the silence of the cabin.

Xia Wanzhi’s reaction time was a bit slow. It took a long moment before she let out a surprised cry: “Are you… caring about me?”

The moment the question left her mouth, Xia Wanzhi regretted it.

For the first time, she felt the interior of the prestigious Rolls-Royce was incredibly cramped.

“What do you think?” Xie Qiyan countered.

Xia Wanzhi couldn’t tell.

Her impression of him was mostly solidified by childhood influences. After not seeing him for over a decade, she had mostly heard about him from others lately.

Many people said he wasn’t a good person.

Yet this “bad person” was constantly praised by Xie Tan.

Even Yun Li felt comfortable entrusting him with important tasks.

When a person is at their most helpless, they subconsciously feel grateful to those who help them.

And yet, it was Xie Qiyan who had appeared by her side when she was at her most pathetic and vulnerable.

She had thought he was there to mock her.

But he had said he would take her home.

“How long do you plan on staying in my car?” Two knocks sounded on the window as Xie Qiyan’s voice drifted in from outside.

Xia Wanzhi snapped back to reality. Looking around, she realized they had arrived at the Xie Family estate at some point.

She had been zoning out a lot lately.

Xia Wanzhi sniffled and unbuckled her seatbelt to get out.

The car door was opened from the outside. Xia Wanzhi instinctively looked up at Xie Qiyan. Behind his lenses, his eyes always gave off an inscrutable feeling.

“What’s your prescription?” Xia Wanzhi walked side-by-side with him after getting out. Wearing flats today, she seemed even shorter standing next to him.

The question slipped out as if possessed.

Xie Qiyan’s footsteps seemed to falter slightly. A flash of bewilderment crossed his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by calm.

They had never communicated as normally and peacefully as they were now.

In their childhood, they were at each other’s throats over a certain incident. After reuniting as adults-coupled with the fact that Xie Corporation had acquired Xingyao and ordered her Studio to move out-Xia Wanzhi’s words toward him were always laced with thorns.

When one side opened fire, he couldn’t help but retaliate.

Consequently, their relationship was like that of sworn enemies, filled with either blatant mockery or subtle sarcasm.

The reason Xia Wanzhi asked about his prescription was because she felt he wasn’t actually nearsighted.

She had heard a theory once.

People who aren’t nearsighted but like to wear glasses in public do so because the lenses act as a barrier for the eyes.

Eyes can speak.

Eyes are the windows to the soul.

Wearing glasses means one is unwilling to let others see their eyes-to see their true self.

She always felt that a man like Xie Qiyan must be hiding many secrets.

“Who told you I was nearsighted?” Xie Qiyan tilted his head to look at her.

They had already crossed the small stone bridge and were about to reach the main hall. Xia Wanzhi had assumed he wouldn’t answer such a private question, but this man seemed to love giving answers just when people had stopped expecting them.

Xia Wanzhi suddenly let out a soft laugh.
She had actually guessed correctly.

Xie Qiyan stopped in his tracks, looking at her as if she were a ghost.

She had never laughed in front of him before.

Xie Qiyan’s eyes were filled with deep thought, incomprehension, and doubt.

This little princess, raised on milk flown in from New Zealand since childhood, was bred to be delicate and charming. Even while ill, the vivacity that seemed naturally rooted in her amber pupils easily shone through.

If the Xia Family hadn’t gone bankrupt, the person he encountered upon his return to the country should have still been that willful little princess whose eyes always curved like crescent moons when she smiled.

“What are you looking at me for?” Xia Wanzhi pursed her lips, feeling unnerved by his gaze.

“I’m looking at what you’re laughing about.” Xie Qiyan withdrew his gaze and stepped over the threshold in front of him.

Xia Wanzhi followed his lead, her eyes darting around the surroundings without answering.

At this hour, everyone was in the dining room waiting for the meal to begin.

It was only when Xia Wanzhi was led through the door that she realized the entire Xie Family was present.

It felt as if her feet were filled with lead. She curled her fingertips slightly, feeling a sudden urge to flee.

No one had told her she would be eating with the whole Xie Family.

And no one had told her that the entire family was sitting at the dining table just to wait for her.

“Can’t walk anymore?” Xie Qiyan specifically turned back to look at her.

Xia Wanzhi’s brain didn’t connect in time, and she nodded reflexively. When she realized what she’d done, she abruptly looked up and shook her head stiffly. “I…”

“Xie Tan,” Xie Qiyan called out loudly.

The Little Girl, who had been sitting on a chair swinging her legs, immediately hopped down and rushed over to Xie Qiyan. “Sister Wanzi, you’re here!”

Xie Qiyan looked down. “Take her over to eat.”

Xie Tan was more than happy to oblige. Ignoring everyone’s stares, she took Xia Wanzhi’s hand and chattered incessantly as she led her toward the Old Master’s table.

Having someone familiar by her side naturally reduced her awkwardness. Xia Wanzhi greeted the Old Master as she sat down, then shifted her gaze to Xie Qiyan, who was unhurriedly rolling up his shirt sleeves.

He always seemed to like rolling up his sleeves when he ate, revealing a section of his wrist.

Further down, the faint blue veins on the back of his hand were partially visible. His fingers, holding the chopsticks, were long and powerful. For some reason, Xia Wanzhi found a sense of sexiness in that pair of hands.

Realizing she had been staring for too long, she felt a pang of guilt and hastily withdrew her gaze, only to collide halfway with the look Xie Qiyan was sending her way.

It was a bit awkward.

The Xie Family’s old residence was built in a traditional Chinese style, unlike the European-style villa of the Xia Family. The dining room here was very large, and the dining table was a traditional Eight Immortals table.

Her seat this time was the same as when Zhou Yu had brought her over for dinner previously.

She and Xie Qiyan sat on either side of the Old Master.

Logically, it shouldn’t have been this way.

“Wanzi, eat.” Old Master Xie pointed his chopsticks toward a plate of roast duck, signaling Xia Wanzhi to start. “These are all your favorites. Don’t be formal; treat this like your own home and eat more.”

Xia Wanzhi nodded, picked up her chopsticks, and responded softly, “Thank you, Grandpa Xie.”

The Old Master’s eyes were full of heartache. With so many people at the table, he didn’t mention the matter of her breaking off the engagement with the Zhou Family. However, his actions tonight were a declaration to everyone: Xia Wanzhi was under his protection from now on.

The meal was exceptionally quiet. The elders of the Xie Family treated her no differently than before, offering only polite pleasantries.

No one knew what they were secretly thinking.

“This girl broke off the engagement with the Zhou Family, and now the Old Master has specifically brought her back to protect her. Do you think he’s planning to keep her in our family as a granddaughter-in-law?” As they left the table, the Second Aunt of the Xie Family pulled the Second Uncle of the Xie Family aside to whisper her guesses.

The Second Uncle of the Xie Family looked displeased. “What nonsense are you talking about? Keep her as a granddaughter-in-law? Whose wife?”

The Second Aunt said anxiously, “I’m afraid it might be our Xie Lin!”

“No, it’s not! If Sister Wanzi is staying, she’s staying for Big Brother!” Xie Tan popped out from nowhere, hands on her hips as she haughtily declared her sovereignty. “She won’t like anyone else!”