Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The Xie Family dinner ended with both Zhou Yu and Xie Nan sporting bruised faces.

As soon as Xie Qiyan arrived, the farce came to a halt. Xia Wanzhi, the very cause of the commotion, was sitting calmly to the side, applying medicine to the corner of Zhou Yu’s mouth.

The elders hadn’t been disturbed by the squabbles of the younger generation, especially with Xie Qiyan present.

“What’s the matter? Have you all gone mute?” Xie Qiyan withdrew his gaze from Xia Wanzhi and sneered. “Little Sister Xia certainly has a way with things. All by yourself, you’ve managed to turn my Xie Family upside down.”

“It has nothing to do with Zhi Zhi. I’m the one who started it,” Zhou Yu said, brushing Xia Wanzhi’s hand aside and standing up. “But it was only because Xie Nan spoke out of turn first.”

“Bullshit! You motherfucker, quit acting like some saintly white lotus in front of me!”

“Xie Nan.” Xie Qiyan shifted his gaze slightly. With just the mention of his name, Xie Nan immediately lost his momentum, swallowing his immense resentment back down.

No one dared to provoke the current Xie Qiyan.

“Big Brother is right to lecture us. It’s my fault for not disciplining my younger brother and cousin properly.” Xie Lin, the second son of the Xie Family, secretly grabbed Xie Nan’s wrist. After a couple of dry laughs, he turned to apologize. “Cousin-in-law, about this matter…”

Xia Wanzhi looked up at him, a sterile cotton swab still pinched between her fingers. She didn’t say a word, simply tossing the swab away, closing the medical kit, and walking straight out of the side hall.

To say she didn’t care about those words earlier would be a lie.

She was used to being pampered and had spent her life hearing nothing but flattery. Now that she had fallen from grace, it felt as if the entire world was hostile toward her.

Every person and every incident was forcing her to cast aside her pride.

“This…” Xie Lin looked toward Zhou Yu.

Zhou Yu, however, looked at Xie Qiyan and hurriedly took his leave. “Today’s matter is on me. If Grandfather blames anyone, just tell him to come to me.”

After a long moment, a smile curled on Xie Qiyan’s lips.

It was mocking and cold.

Zhou Yu chased after her, grabbing Xia Wanzhi’s hand and pulling her into his arms. “Zhi Zhi, listen to me. I never had those kinds of thoughts. They were talking nonsense. You have to believe me, believe me…”

Xia Wanzhi struggled for a moment, then went still when she realized it was futile. Feeling Zhou Yu’s tension and fear, her voice cracked slightly. “Zhou Yu, what are you so panicked about?”

She wasn’t stupid.

Ever since the trouble started with the Xia Family, Zhou Yu seemed to have changed.

His current panic wasn’t because he was afraid of her being angry; it was a frantic attempt to cover up his own heart because of a guilty conscience.

He was someone whose original intentions were easily shaken.

Xia Wanzhi knew she could no longer trust him.

Zhou Yu’s back stiffened. He released his hold and looked at Xia Wanzhi in a daze. “What do you mean?”

“I need to head back to the Studio in a bit. I still have half a painting to finish for a client.” So much had happened recently, and people had changed significantly along with those events. Xia Wanzhi’s heart was still in a knot, and she didn’t want to continue this conversation with Zhou Yu.

She knew deep down that if they kept talking, she and Zhou Yu would hit a crisis of trust.

“But…”

“Just drive me there,” Xia Wanzhi interrupted.

Zhou Yu hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Alright.”

***

Ever since Xingyao Building was acquired by Xie Corporation, the small companies and businesses inside had been relocating. Those whose leases were up moved out sensibly; those whose leases hadn’t expired moved out quickly because of the massive compensation offered by the higher-ups.

The only ones left were a few stubborn holdouts.

Xia Wanzhi was one of those holdouts.

“Sis, someone came again today. They said the compensation amount has doubled, but we have to move out within a week.” Zhuzi was organizing the paintings of clients who had canceled their orders. As she spoke, she specifically turned to see the expression on Xia Wanzhi’s face.

Xia Wanzhi held a contract in her hand. The compensation amount listed on it was indeed no small sum.
Further down, a striking official seal of the Xie Group caught her eye.

“I don’t want to move.” Xia Wanzhi’s expression was somewhat melancholy as she set the contract aside and walked toward Zhuzi. Together, they began organizing the paintings that, despite being finished, had become discarded works.

Being a Dream Painter was actually a niche profession, but with her family’s support, Xia Wanzhi had founded her own Studio during her university years.

She was reluctant to leave because this place held her youth, her hard work, and all her achievements.

She had started here, and she wanted to create her own glory from this very spot.

The Studio was located on the top floor of the building, featuring an exceptionally wide floor-to-ceiling window. Outside that window, one could see the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets in Beicheng.

She loved it here.

Most importantly, this Studio was a gift from her grandmother.

It was precisely because it was a gift from her grandmother that the Studio was not part of the Xia Family assets, which was why it hadn’t been seized by the court to pay off debts.

Zhuzi let out a long sigh toward the ceiling. “I don’t want to move either. If we move, where else are we going to find such a great spot? But it’s not up to us anymore.”

“What do you think that Xie guy is trying to do? He makes such a huge scene the moment he returns to the country. It’s all acquisitions and mergers. Does he think he can just cover the sky with one hand?”

Xia Wanzhi suddenly looked up, as if she had made a decision. “I’ll go ask.”

Zhuzi’s eyes widened in shock at her words. “Ask where? A Big Shot isn’t someone you can just see whenever you want, not to mention…”

“Not to mention what?” Xia Wanzhi stopped, her amber eyes looking straight at her.

Zhuzi’s lips moved, and she let out a choked sound. “Not to mention that with your current status, even if you show up at his door, he might not…”

After a moment of silence, Xia Wanzhi lowered her gaze, pulled over a high stool, and sat down. She spoke calmly, “I’m not going to the Xie Corporation.”

Zhuzi was slightly stunned. “Then you…”

“I’m making a call.” Xia Wanzhi picked up her phone and initiated a video call right in front of Zhuzi.

It took Zhuzi quite a while to snap out of it.

How did she not know her boss had this kind of connection with the head of the Xie Family?

It wasn’t until the video was picked up and a little girl’s head popped up on the screen that Zhuzi had an epiphany. “I get it. To take down the Big Shot, you start by winning over his family.”

Xia Wanzhi glared at her. “Is he a Big Shot? He’s a psychopath.”

“Sister Wanzi, who’s a psychopath?” Xie Tan’s childish voice was full of curiosity.

“Your big brother,” Xia Wanzhi said without hesitation.

Zhuzi swallowed hard, admiring her boss’s reckless courage.

Xie Tan suddenly slapped the table. “Right! You think so too!”

Xia Wanzhi was amused. “Mhm, great minds think alike.”

The two were just about to continue their chat, and Xia Wanzhi was preparing how to get Xie Tan to subtly feel out Xie Qiyan, but before she could speak, Xie Tan suddenly vanished from the frame.

Then, Xie Qiyan’s voice came through, sounding cold and indifferent.

“Is your homework finished?” Xie Qiyan asked.

Xie Tan answered honestly, “There’s still a little bit left.”

“Who are you talking to?” Xie Qiyan’s gaze fell directly on the smartwatch on Xie Tan’s desk.

Xie Tan sold her out in a second. “Sister Xiao Wanzi.”

This was something Xie Qiyan hadn’t expected. After a few seconds, he continued, “What does she want with you?”

Xie Tan could clearly hear the hostility in Xie Qiyan’s tone. Frightened, she confessed everything. “She’s calling you a psychopath.”

Xia Wanzhi: “…”

Xie Qiyan’s eyes darkened as he walked over and picked up the watch.

On Xia Wanzhi’s end, his face – which looked like a thousand-year-old snowy mountain – suddenly appeared.

“Little Sister Xia, are you that bored?”

Xia Wanzhi gave up on herself and retorted, “Yeah. Want to hang out, Brother Xie?”