Chapter 63

Chapter 63

“Who is Brother Ayan?” Xie Qiyan looked up at the sky.

“Oh. So it’s me.”

Xia Wanzhi wanted to leave Earth. “…”

“Am I useful?” Xie Qiyan asked with a half smile.

“I must be pretty useful. You seem to use me quite to your satisfaction.” Xie Qiyan answered his own question.

Watching him sit down like he owned the place and pour himself tea with smug ease, Xia Wanzhi kept a stiff face as she snatched the cup from his hand, then snatched the health tea pot too, refusing to let him touch even a single drop.

“I’m thirsty.” Xie Qiyan looked innocent.

“Go home and drink.” Xia Wanzhi glared at him fiercely.

Xie Qiyan couldn’t hold it in. His shoulders trembled faintly with laughter.

Xia Wanzhi remembered dreaming about Xie Qiyan last night again and awkwardly looked away. After a while, she still couldn’t help glancing back to see what exactly he was laughing at.

The man had a pair of flirtatious peach-blossom eyes, especially captivating when he smiled. He sat loosely in the chair, his whole posture lazy and unhurried. When he laughed, his head dipped slightly, and his long, well-defined fingers rested against his forehead, as if he were deliberately posing to seduce someone.

Xia Wanzhi held firm to her principles and did not let him steal her soul so easily. Her face remained taut, as if she might bristle at any moment.

Xie Qiyan knew when to stop. Slowly, he reined in his smile before he truly pushed things too far. “I came over right after a meeting. I really am thirsty.”

Xia Wanzhi eyed him suspiciously a couple of times, then gave a little huff and poured him a cup of tea. “Your order is a big project. I plan to paint it at home. Whenever I finish one, I’ll let you know. Don’t rush me.”

Xie Qiyan nodded. “All right. I’ll listen to Teacher Wanzi.”

Xia Wanzhi: “…”

Sensing the murderous look in Xia Wanzhi’s eyes, Xie Qiyan chuckled and stopped teasing her. “There’s a banquet tonight. I’m here to invite my girlfriend to attend.”

What wealthy families lacked least were all kinds of banquets. Xia Wanzhi didn’t particularly like those occasions; she found them especially boring.

But before she could say no, Xie Qiyan had already predicted it and kindly reminded her, “The Old Master will be watching.”

Xia Wanzhi’s professional ethics instantly snapped into place. She squeezed out a forced smile. “Of course, President Xie. It would be my honor to attend tonight’s grand banquet with you.”

Night fell.

A lavish cruise ship was steeped in the scent of indulgence and excess. Glasses clinked, guests mingled, and music and dancing filled the air. Nearly half of high society seemed to have gathered on this one vessel, and on closer look, there were quite a few celebrity faces as well.

Xia Wanzhi wore a champagne-colored mermaid gown that made her look like a proud Little Princess. When she entered with Xie Qiyan, countless gazes were drawn to them.

Logically speaking, a Little Princess accustomed to such extravagant places shouldn’t have been nervous. Yet everyone saw Xia Wanzhi take only a few steps before her diamond-studded heel caught the glittering gauze hem of her dress, and with one careless stumble, she fell straight into Xie Qiyan’s arms.

Xie Qiyan, the King of Hell on earth.

A name that made people in high society shudder the moment it was mentioned.

Tonight, he had actually brought a female companion to the cruise banquet.

And the woman he brought was none other than the Little Princess of the Xia Family.

“It’s just an ordinary banquet. You don’t need to strike a pose for your entrance.” Xie Qiyan’s warm palm rested lightly around her slender waist, while his other hand was still tucked into the pocket of his suit pants. Amusement rippled through his dark eyes, and his breath brushed Xia Wanzhi’s ear. “So many people are watching. I’m a little shy.”

Of course Xia Wanzhi felt the crushing embarrassment of wanting to disappear on the spot. Mortified and furious, she reached out and pushed away his deliberately approaching head, scolding him coquettishly, “Cut it out. Isn’t this all because of the heels you prepared?”

Everything she wore tonight, including her styling, had been arranged by Xie Qiyan. The diamond-studded heels were a full seven centimeters high, and paired with this mermaid gown, the whole outfit was practically a carefully prepared trap.

Xie Qiyan seemed to be smiling as he held her waist and steadied her. “It’s all Yu Fei’s fault. He prepared them.”

Xia Wanzhi wasn’t buying it. She shoved him lightly. “You’re standing too close to me.”

“If I don’t stand close to you, who am I supposed to stand close to?” Xie Qiyan spotted Jiang Baichuan watching the show from within the crowd, then took Xia Wanzhi by the hand and led her purposefully forward.
A murmur rippled through the crowd, and people began whispering privately about the relationship between the two.

Most of the people here had never seen Xie Qiyan before, but they all knew Xia Wanzhi. Not long ago, the trending scandal about Xia Wanzhi keeping a pretty boy had caused quite a stir. Now that they had learned this so-called pretty boy was actually the newly appointed person in power of the Beicheng Xie Family, quite a few people present felt more than a little complicated.

“How is this Xia Wanzhi keeping a pretty boy? She clearly climbed her way onto a high branch,” someone in the crowd sneered.

“Say less. You dare mock someone who belongs to the Xie Family?” the person beside them advised cautiously.

Xia Wanzhi was led forward the entire way. Xie Qiyan seemed to be deliberately slowing his pace for her. She lowered her lashes, her gaze quietly falling on the hand wrapped around hers.

Her hands were cold all year round, yet at this moment, held in his, her palm had inexplicably begun to sweat.

She did not know whether it was because she was nervous or because Xie Qiyan’s warmth had scalded her.

“Have someone send over another set of clothes,” Xie Qiyan said before they even reached Jiang Baichuan. He shot him a cutting look, warning Jiang Baichuan to keep that mouth of his in check.

Jiang Baichuan, who had just been about to tease him, leisurely tucked away his unrestrained grin. He raised a hand, called over a waiter, and gave the order.

“Here, room card.” Since he was the one who had invited them over, naturally he had to take good care of his guests.

Xie Qiyan did not take it. His eyes narrowed slightly. “One?”

Jiang Baichuan gave a noncommittal hum. “It’s a suite.”

Creating an opportunity for him and the beauty to share a roof-another day, Xie Qiyan really ought to award him a gold medal for being the ultimate wingman.

Xia Wanzhi had been distracted just now. After snapping back to herself, she still failed to grasp the main point and instead asked, “This is your event?”

Xie Qiyan answered before he could. “Just one of his methods for treating heartbreak. Ignore him.”

Other people threw banquets because they were happy and wanted to celebrate. Jiang Baichuan, on the other hand, threw banquets when he was sad, just to distract himself.

Jiang Baichuan had been stabbed right in the heart and, for once, did not retort to Xie Qiyan.

Seeing him like that, Xia Wanzhi guessed he must have been utterly crushed by Yun Li. She cast him a sympathetic look. But on the way back to the room, with Xie Qiyan leading her along, she still muttered, “Suffering a little setback and then throwing money around on such an extravagant all-night party… What a spendthrift. No wonder Yun Li doesn’t want him.”

Xie Qiyan’s ears twitched. “…”

While Xia Wanzhi was changing, he forwarded that sentence to Jiang Baichuan word for word.

Jiang Baichuan was deeply traumatized.

Once Xia Wanzhi took off the high heels, her whole body felt lighter. But when she opened the box and saw the gown Jiang Baichuan had arranged for someone to prepare, her face flushed, and she put it right back.

A strapless red velvet gown, with a wide-open back and cutouts at the side of the waist. Three buffs stacked to the max-chilly just looking at it.

Xie Qiyan’s hands were far too hot, and he liked touching her too much. Later, he would definitely either hold her waist or touch her back. Xia Wanzhi knew herself very well. She definitely would not be able to withstand that kind of…

Physical intimacy.

When the door opened, Xie Qiyan saw she had not changed out of the fishtail dress and arched a brow slightly. “Why didn’t you change?”

“I don’t like it.” Xia Wanzhi walked out barefoot, dragging the hem of the fishtail dress behind her with a serious expression before turning and sitting down. “I still prefer the one President Xie prepared.”

Xie Qiyan let out a soft laugh. His slender fingertips swiped across his phone screen a few times. Before long, someone came over and rang the doorbell.

“The clothing arrangements were my oversight. Sorry.” Xie Qiyan had no experience with this, so he had handed the matter over to Yu Fei.

But he had forgotten that Yu Fei was also a lifelong single man, an iron-blooded straight guy straighter than steel.

That had been his miscalculation.

Xia Wanzhi pressed her lips together slightly, a little unaccustomed to hearing Xie Qiyan speak like a normal human being. She gave a light cough. “There’s nothing wrong with the clothes. It’s just the shoes…”

Before she could finish, Xie Qiyan went down on one knee, opened the box, took out the freshly delivered pair of French flats, and put them on for her.

Xia Wanzhi suddenly froze. Her heart seemed to skip a beat.