Chapter 56

Chapter 56

Xia Wanzhi’s period was especially brutal this time. After eating a little lunch, she collapsed into bed like a corpse and slept all the way until nine at night.

The worst of the discomfort had finally eased a little, but the moment she opened her bedroom door, she heard Old Xia discussing things with Ms. Ross in a worried voice. “Maybe we should reschedule. Pushing it back two days won’t matter. I can’t relax with Wanzi like this.”

“Relax, relax, relax!” Xia Wanzhi materialized in front of Old Xia and Ms. Ross, forcing a determined smile onto her pale little face. “Mom, Dad, please relax. I’m a grown-up. I can take care of myself. You two should leave tomorrow as planned. You can’t let me delay your work!”

Old Xia: “…”

“Are you just dying for us to hurry up and leave?” Old Xia felt a lump of frustration lodge in his chest.

Forget your father once you’ve got a man.

Now he believed that saying.

And at long last, he understood how Mr. Richard must have felt back then.

“Of course not. I’m going to miss you so much.” Xia Wanzhi sat down beside Ms. Ross and wrapped her arms around her waist.

The Xia Family crisis had been resolved. Now it was her own crisis’s turn.

As long as the immigration issue was behind them and she was safe, she could fly to the UK anytime she missed her parents or her grandpa.

Rose stroked her head and smiled. “Then take good care of yourself. Your father and I will stick to our schedule and leave tomorrow afternoon. In a few days, Mom will complete the succession ceremony as the Heir of the Becker Family. By then, the whole world will know that you’re my daughter, and that the entire Becker Family stands behind you. From now on, in Beicheng, even dogs will have to step aside for you.”

Her daughter deserved the best things in the world.

No one was allowed to make her suffer the slightest grievance.

At noon the next day, the family was having hotpot at Lanting Bieyuan. As they took their seats, Comrade Old Xia shot Xia Wanzhi a look. “Call your boyfriend over for lunch.”

Xia Wanzhi choked. She still hadn’t even fully digested the fact that she had a “boyfriend,” and she stammered, “He-he-he… he might be at the office.”

“I called him and told him to come home,” Old Xia said casually as he set out the bowls and chopsticks.

Xia Wanzhi’s eyes widened. “Where did you get his number…”

Had those two secretly exchanged numbers behind her back?

Old Xia slanted her a glance. “He lives right across the hall. All I had to do was knock and ask.”

Xia Wanzhi: “…”

Danger!

She knocked weakly on Xie Qiyan’s door. It seemed as though he had been standing right behind it, because half a second later, the door opened.

“My dad told me to call you over for hotpot. Um… remember to…” Xia Wanzhi gestured with her hands, unable to organize what she wanted to say.

“I know.” Xie Qiyan pinched the bridge of his nose, his voice soft and lingering. Then he turned and went back inside. “I’ll change first.”

Xia Wanzhi leaned against the doorway and muttered under her breath, “Why do you need to change…”

It only took about two minutes for Xie Qiyan to change out of his perfectly tailored suit and into a loose white T-shirt and black pants.

A very casual style.

“You…” Xia Wanzhi’s eyes actually lit up a little.

“Is there a problem?” Xie Qiyan had also come out in a pair of slippers.

Xia Wanzhi held back a laugh. “Are you trying to look younger?”

Xie Qiyan: “…”

Xia Wanzhi pressed her fingerprint to open the door across the hall and explained, “You look like a college student.”

Xie Qiyan lifted a brow. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“You’re here? Come sit down. We’re about to start,” Ms. Ross said, wiping her hands as she came over to welcome him.

For some reason, Xia Wanzhi felt a little guilty and nervous.

Old Xia seemed to be deliberately keeping a straight face. In the past, whenever Ms. Ross said anything, he would always chime in. Today, it was as if he’d muted himself.
“President Xie, come on, let’s have a toast.” Xia Yongqing picked up the glass of red wine in front of him and clinked it with Xie Qiyan’s, clearly with an agenda.

Xie Qiyan lifted his own glass a fraction lower than Xia Yongqing’s and said calmly, “Uncle, you can just call me by my name.”

Xia Yongqing turned to Xia Wanzhi. “What do you usually call him?”

Xia Wanzhi choked. “Xie… Xie…”

Xia Yongqing frowned. “What?”

“I call him… Brother Xie,” Xia Wanzhi blurted out, forcing herself through it.

Xia Yongqing: “…”

Xie Qiyan froze for a moment as well, then a hint of amusement slowly colored his deep eyes. “Uncle, you don’t have to follow her lead.”

“Who said I was going to follow her lead?” Xia Yongqing’s eyes widened, and he lowered his head to finish the rest of his wine.

“You have several hours on a plane later. Drink less.” Ms. Ross confiscated his glass.

His chance to use the wine as an excuse to make trouble for Xie Qiyan had gone up in smoke. Xia Yongqing’s face darkened. His sharp eyes narrowed slightly as he carefully observed every move the young couple made.

Xia Wanzhi had never been able to walk away from hot pot. Her cheeks were stuffed full as she ate, completely focused and never stopping once.

As for Xie Qiyan, even eating hot pot looked as elegant as dining on Western cuisine. The two of them barely interacted, yet somehow, just looking at them together was strangely pleasing to the eye.

More pleasing than when she had been with Zhou Yu.

Back then, Zhou Yu had confessed to her in public, Xia Wanzhi had agreed in a rush, and the Zhou Family’s parents had casually brought up the matter of an engagement. Xia Yongqing had thought that Zhou Yu had always been hopelessly devoted to his daughter, that the two of them had grown up together, and that their feelings were mutual, so he had agreed.

Xia Wanzhi had not refused at the time either.

Now, it seemed it wasn’t that Xia Wanzhi hadn’t refused. It was that she had been pushed along.

“Do you two usually not talk when you eat?” Xia Yongqing asked after staring at them for ages.

Was this how young people dated nowadays?

Xia Wanzhi lifted her head. After exchanging a glance with Xie Qiyan, she stretched out her chopsticks and picked up a bunch of greens from the pot, placing them in his bowl.

“Isn’t it because you two are leaving? I was feeling sad and ended up neglecting him.” Xia Wanzhi licked her lips and forced out the nonsense.

Xie Qiyan couldn’t help laughing, the corners of his mouth curving slightly. “Mm. Wanzi is right.”

Xia Yongqing struck again. “Then why aren’t you serving Wanzi anything?”

“I was afraid you’d get jealous,” Xie Qiyan answered very sincerely.

“You…” Xia Yongqing’s eyes flew wide.

“Even food can’t shut that mouth of yours.” Ms. Ross stuffed a piece of meat into his mouth and ordered him to be quiet.

After the meal, Xia Yongqing was in charge of cleaning up, and Xie Qiyan tactfully followed him.

Xia Wanzhi was worried Xia Yongqing would keep testing him and that Xie Qiyan might give them away. Just as she was about to follow, Ms. Ross pulled her back to her room.

“Mom, I…”

“You and Xie Qiyan aren’t actually dating, are you?” Ms. Ross hit the nail on the head.

Xia Wanzhi froze. Seeing Ms. Ross’s somewhat serious expression, she guiltily lowered her lashes. “You could tell?”

“I gave birth to you. How could I not understand you?” Rose laughed helplessly and took her hand, leading her to sit on the bed. “Only that pig-brained father of yours, all suspicious and jumpy, would think you and Xie Qiyan were having some secret underground romance.”

Xia Wanzhi wrinkled her nose and nodded. “Exactly, exactly. Total pig brain. If it weren’t for him…”

Her words came to an abrupt stop. Xia Wanzhi gave a sheepish little laugh and looked at Rose.

Even without her saying it, Rose understood. She sighed and lightly tapped Xia Wanzhi on the forehead. “But no matter what, you still shouldn’t lie to your mom and dad.”