Chapter 58

Chapter 58

“What the hell?” Yun Li’s usually gentle voice nearly cracked from the force of her shout.

“You two were bored, so you decided to play pretend?” Zhuzi was so shocked her jaw practically hit the floor.

Xia Wanzhi nodded haltingly. “Yeah. You know, back and forth, helping each other out…”

Even she was running out of ways to make it sound reasonable.

How had she agreed to it in a moment of madness?

Xia Wanzhi had never imagined that one day, she and Xie Qiyan would end up in this sort of unconventional partnership.

“Why bother pretending to be boyfriend and girlfriend? You two might as well pretend to be married.” Yun Li recovered from her shock, crossed one leg over the other, and leisurely took a sip of tea.

It had only been a few days, and the girl had already been conned away.

Xia Wanzhi pouted. “Did I just sell myself?”

“You only figured that out now?” Yun Li and Zhuzi said in perfect unison.

Yun Li snorted. “That old fox Xie Qiyan. He really knows how to scheme.”

“Didn’t you hate him?” Zhuzi’s memory was still stuck on the version from long ago.

Xia Wanzhi braced herself and explained, “Turning hostility into friendship?”

Zhuzi said, “…Ha-ha.”

Xia Wanzhi spent the entire day in a daze.

Fortunately, Xie Qiyan was away on a business trip today. She wouldn’t have to see him all day.

When she got home that evening, Xia Wanzhi instinctively glanced at the door across the hall before opening her own.

At the same time, Xie Qiyan, who was still in Nancheng on business, stood before the floor-to-ceiling window of his hotel suite, gazing out at the neon-lit city nightscape. Suddenly, a burst of multicolored fireworks blossomed above the lake.

Some rich second-generation heir was probably proposing. Even the fireworks had been designed in the shape of hearts.

Tacky.

Xie Qiyan pinched the bridge of his nose, wrapped up a full day of work, and went into the bathroom to wash away his fatigue.

There was a new message notification on WeChat. After his shower, he came out wrapped in a bath towel and casually opened it.

Xia Wanzhi: [Butler Qi, the showerhead in my bathroom is broken. Please come fix it tomorrow.]

Xie Qiyan: “…”

The renovations in both apartments were practically identical, so why were the things in Xia Wanzhi’s unit so fragile?

If it wasn’t the pipes, it was the showerhead.

Xie Qiyan sat down on the sofa and lowered his head in thought. Only after a long while did he reply: [I’m away on business.]

Xia Wanzhi: [Butlers go on business trips too?]

Xie Qiyan: [Yes. Miss Xia, please trouble your neighbor instead.]

Xia Wanzhi froze for a moment and instinctively thought of her neighbor, Xie Qiyan: [My neighbor is away on business too.]

Xie Qiyan’s expression softened.

So she did remember that he was on a business trip today.

At noon the next day, as soon as Xie Qiyan returned from Nancheng, he called Xia Wanzhi. “The Old Master wants me to bring you home for dinner.”

Xia Wanzhi said, “That is truly unfortunate news.”

Xie Qiyan’s lips curved. “Then I’ll tell you some good news.”

“What?”

“I brought you a gift.”

Xia Wanzhi’s breathing unconsciously quieted, and she was a little stunned.

Was he finally starting to act human?

“Xie Tan likes the pastries from Nancheng, so I brought an extra box for you,” Xie Qiyan explained.

Xia Wanzhi let out a breath of relief. “Well then, I really have Xie Tan to thank.”

“Mm. I’ll pick you up at six this afternoon.” Xie Qiyan had just arrived at the company and specifically reminded Yu Fei to put the gifts in his car.

Xia Wanzhi stumbled over her words. “I… I mean, do I need to prepare anything?”

“No need.” There seemed to be a smile in Xie Qiyan’s voice. “Just show up.”

Xia Wanzhi held her breath. From the moment she received that call from Xie Qiyan, she couldn’t stop getting distracted.

Zhuzi comforted her from the side, pressing down on the hand that was trembling even while holding a paintbrush. “It’s fine. Stay calm. Meeting the family for the first time is always like this. Relax, relax.”

Xia Wanzhi gritted her teeth. “It’s not like this is my first time going over there for dinner, right?”

Zhuzi gave a dry laugh. “Are you asking me? How would I know?”

Xia Wanzhi: “…”

At six in the evening, Xie Qiyan appeared right on time outside Xia Wanzhi’s Studio.

Xia Wanzhi was sorting through order information. She looked up, saw him, and asked in passing, “When will President Xie be free? I should finish your order first.”

Xie Qiyan brushed it off with a single sentence. “No rush.”
“I am in a hurry.” Xia Wanzhi braced her hands on the desk and stood, shooting him a glare. “You just want me to draw you, right? What’s there to be shy about? It’s not like you need to fast and bathe for three days first. I can start drawing the moment I pick up a brush, and I guarantee you’ll be satisfied.”

Xie Qiyan stared at her in amusement for a while. “So Xiao Wanzi wants to draw me.”

Xia Wanzhi’s knees nearly gave out.

Xiao…

Xiao what?

What the hell did he just call her?

Was Xiao Wanzi something he was allowed to say?

When it came to verbal sparring, Xia Wanzhi really was no match for him.

She took a deep breath and was just about to say something when Xie Qiyan beat her to it.

“It is about drawing a person, but not me. We’ll talk in detail after dinner tonight, when we get back.”

From the sound of it, he meant to talk at home.

Xia Wanzhi shut her eyes. “Work is work, and off-hours are off-hours. You work seriously on the clock, then happily lie flat after. President Xie doesn’t even understand that?”

“I don’t need you to work. You just need to listen.” Xie Qiyan lifted his wrist to check the time, then simply grabbed her and hauled her toward the door.

“My bag-”

Xie Qiyan hooked her bag on the way out.

Xia Wanzhi smoothed down her mussed hair, thinking that this man’s attitude toward her was getting worse and worse.

Before, he only used his mouth. Now he was even using his hands.

When they arrived back at the Xie Family Old Mansion, Xia Wanzhi headed toward the dining room as if she knew the place by heart. But the closer she got, the slower her steps became.

“Scared?” Xie Qiyan stopped with her.

“Who’s scared?” Xia Wanzhi mustered her courage, steeled herself, and grabbed Xie Qiyan’s arm to drag him inside.

Xie Qiyan’s eyes flickered. He turned his hand over, caught her wrist, and pulled her back.

“What are you doing?” Xia Wanzhi froze, her forehead nearly bumping into his chest.

Xie Qiyan seemed to be holding back a smile as, under her gaze, he placed her hand in the crook of his slightly raised arm.

Xia Wanzhi looked everywhere-up, down, left, and right-anywhere but at Xie Qiyan.

The moment they crossed the threshold, everyone in the dining room who had been whispering among themselves turned to look at them.

“Congratulations, Father, your wish has finally come true,” the Second Uncle of the Xie Family said to the Old Master. “Qiyan and this Little Princess of the Xia Family look like a perfect golden boy and jade girl.”

The third uncle and his wife hurried to flatter him as well. “Exactly. Didn’t I say this girl was fated with our Xie Family? Look, Father-your dream has come true, hasn’t it?”

The Old Master was delighted by their coaxing. He braced himself on the table and rose to greet her. “Wanzi, come here. Let Grandpa have a look at you!”

“Grandpa Xie.” Xia Wanzhi released Xie Qiyan’s hand and quickly walked over to support the Old Master back into his seat. “Please sit down.”

Without a change in expression, Xie Qiyan glanced sideways at the crook of his arm, which had suddenly gone empty.

At the dinner table, Xie Lin quietly sent the photo he’d just taken to someone, then watched like he was waiting for a good show as the people from the two branches forced smiles and fawned over the Old Master.

The Old Master truly was happy. Today’s seating arrangement directly placed Xie Qiyan and Xia Wanzhi together.

Only after Xia Wanzhi sat down did she realize there were two unfamiliar faces at the table.

They were seated beside Xie Lin and Xie Nan respectively. Presumably, they were the fiancées of the two Xie Family brothers.

Xia Wanzhi was slightly stunned.

Xie Qiyan hadn’t lied.

If she hadn’t agreed to his request, then the person sitting beside him today might have been some other young lady from a family of equal status.

During dinner, the Old Master kept urging Xie Qiyan to serve Xia Wanzhi food. Every time he opened his mouth, it was to show concern for her.

Xia Wanzhi had thought she would be interrogated about some private matters, but to her surprise, the entire meal passed and the Old Master didn’t ask a single thing. He really had only called her over to share a meal with the Xie Family.

“The Old Master favors Xia Wanzhi far too much. Even if the Xia Family has paid off its debts, her parents have emigrated. Xia Wanzhi is just an ordinary woman now. Is she really worth our family treating her like this?” the second aunt-in-law of the Xie Family said, clearly unconvinced.

“Don’t say that. Your future daughter-in-law is the only daughter of the Luo Family, but after coming to our Xie Family, she still hasn’t received any special regard. If the Old Master keeps this up, I’m afraid he’ll end up chilling her heart.” The Third Aunt of the Xie Family stopped with a hand on her pregnant belly. “We’d better think about how to soothe our future daughters-in-law instead.”