Chapter 80

Chapter 80

Every weekend, Xie Tan would spend two days at Xie Qiyan’s place.

Tonight was Friday. As usual, after finishing her dance class, Xie Tan was driven straight to Lanting Bieyuan by the family chauffeur.

The only problem was that Xie Qiyan had completely forgotten it was Friday-and that Xie Tan would be coming over tonight.

He had thrown himself entirely into his passionate new relationship with Xia Wanzhi.

“Brother, Sister-in-law, don’t worry! I, Xie Tantan, would never tell anyone what happened today, even if you beat me to death!”

After that night, Xie Tan finally fulfilled her dream and changed the way she addressed Xia Wanzhi to “Sister-in-law.”

“Sister-in-law, Brother is spacing out. He must be thinking about you.”

“Sister-in-law, when are you and Brother getting married?”

“Sister-in-law, Grandpa said he’s already prepared the betrothal gifts. Can you marry into our family next month?”

Xia Wanzhi: “…”

This weekend was a little hard to get through.

After finally making it to Monday and sending that little ancestor away, Xia Wanzhi had some free time in the evening and went to Yun Li’s flower shop to help out.

The autumn wind had just begun to rise, and night fell quickly. Ever since confirming her relationship, Xia Wanzhi’s complexion had been rosy and glowing. The moment she arrived at Yun Li’s shop, she was teased with a single line-

“I heard from Xie Tan that last Friday, you and Xie Qiyan came out of the room with your clothes all messed up?”

Xia Wanzhi’s eyes widened. “…”

Xie Tantan, you little traitor!

Taking a deep breath, Xia Wanzhi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Children say all kinds of nonsense. You actually believe a little kid?”

“That’s exactly why it’s believable. Kids tell the truth.” Yun Li came over with a grin and bumped her shoulder, then leaned in with sparkling eyes to share some best-friend gossip. “Be honest. Did you really do it? President Xie works at god-tier speed, huh? Are your parents going to have to come back tomorrow and discuss the big marriage plans with the Xie Family?”

“We didn’t, we didn’t!” Xia Wanzhi blushed, covering Yun Li’s chattering mouth and stamping her foot. “Oh my dear sister, please stop teasing me!”

“Ah, fine. You’re shy now.” Yun Li hooked a finger under her chin, delighted.

Xia Wanzhi really was embarrassed.

They had barely gotten anywhere yet.

Business at Jinzhi Flower Shop had always been good. Xia Wanzhi wasn’t very skilled at wrapping bouquets, so whenever she came over, she stayed inside and helped trim flower stems. Every now and then, when she looked up, she would see men who had come to buy flowers looking at Yun Li with admiration in their eyes.

“Boss’s Wife, would it be convenient to add you on WeChat?”

Xia Wanzhi had been counting in her head. From six in the evening until now, in exactly one hour, five single men had already tactfully asked Yun Li for her contact information.

As usual, Yun Li pushed over the standing sign printed with the shop’s WeChat QR code.

The white-collar man smiled faintly and pushed it back. “I meant Boss’s Wife’s personal WeChat.”

Oh-ho.

Xia Wanzhi craned her neck to watch the show.

Having encountered this many times before, Yun Li handled it with ease and said gently, “I’m sorry, sir. I have a boyfriend.”

The white-collar man’s smile stiffened. He seemed regretful as he replied, “All right. Your boyfriend must be very outstanding.”

Yun Li did not answer. She watched the customer leave, and the light in her eyes gradually dimmed.

Was Liang Jing outstanding?

The answer was beyond dispute.

He had graduated from graduate school at twenty-five, prepared for the civil service exam at twenty-six, and passed it at twenty-seven, successfully joining the Audit Bureau.

Liang Jing was competitive, earnest, and responsible when it came to work. He put work above everything else, and in both his conduct and his dealings with people, he always gave off an impression of steadiness and warmth.

On that point, Yun Li could not find fault with him.

But between her and Liang Jing, there was absolutely no spark.

Liang Jing said he liked her, but all he had really taken a liking to was her gentleness and domestic virtue.

She still remembered their first meeting on that blind date. Sitting across from her, Liang Jing had praised her in a very mild tone. “Miss Yun gives me the feeling of someone who is very family-oriented.”

What Liang Jing needed was a capable wife who could support him from home-a family-oriented, virtuous wife who could stay at home and keep his parents company.

But Yun Li was not only gentle and family-oriented.

Liang Jing did not care. The only thing he valued in Yun Li was her virtue.

He did not care whether Yun Li liked him, either.

Because he knew Mother Yun liked him. She liked his status, and she liked his family background.

He knew Yun Li would listen to Mother Yun.

And the truth was indeed so.

The moment Mother Yun stood on the rooftop and threatened to die in order to force her to be with Liang Jing, Liang Jing knew Yun Li would not be able to run away.
Because of that, he had never even formally pursued Yun Li. The two of them being together was nothing more than what he and Mother Yun wanted.

In this relationship, Yun Li had no self, no thoughts of her own-only compromise.

Beside her, Xia Wanzhi noticed the loneliness in Yun Li’s expression. She picked up a sunflower bigger than her face and poked Yun Li’s shoulder with it across the table. “Boss’s Wife, can I add you on WeChat?”

Knowing Xia Wanzhi was trying to cheer her up, Yun Li glanced sideways and teased, “Sure. WeChat me five hundred.”

“I’ve got money. I am willing to spend five million just to win a beauty’s smile.” Xia Wanzhi gave a sly grin.

Yun Li took the sunflower she was poking over and laughed helplessly. “Ah, the Becker Family’s Little Princess really is extravagant.”

“What’s wrong with that? To die beneath a beauty’s flowers would still make for a romantic ghost. If you dumped Liang Jing, there would be plenty of people willing to spend five million on you.” Xia Wanzhi couldn’t stand watching this and wanted to help, yet she was powerless. She looked at Yun Li listlessly, her eyes full of heartache.

Yun Li walked around the table and knocked lightly on her head. “What are you saying? Clean up. I’m in a bad mood. Come sing with me.”

Xia Wanzhi beamed. “Yes, Boss’s Wife.”

Yun Li lowered her head to tidy the flower stems, and something seemed to wrench hard at her heart.

There were plenty of people willing to spend money on her, but Liang Jing seemed to have never spent any on her.

The moment she compromised and got together with him, Yun Li had tried to persuade herself to accept him. But more than half a year had passed, and she still couldn’t lie to herself.

She didn’t like Liang Jing.

The more they spent time together, the more she wanted to avoid him and run away.

Especially after Jiang Baichuan had suddenly appeared by her side.

Even though her heart had been calm enough to withstand his flirting and pursuit, she couldn’t control the ripples he had stirred in it without her noticing.

–

Inside the KTV private room, Xia Wanzhi sat on the sofa drinking juice, her chin propped in one hand as she watched Yun Li, who was perched on a high stool on the stage and singing with deep feeling.

Whenever they were in a bad mood, KTV was the sacred place she and Yun Li always checked in at.

“This next song, ‘Gardenia’-” Yun Li held the microphone and tilted her head to look at Xia Wanzhi, her eyes seeming to glimmer with tears. “is for my beloved Princess Xiao Wanzi.”

Xia Wanzhi blinked. She leaned lazily against the sofa and quietly listened to the melody and lyrics.

This song was a birthday gift Yun Li had written and composed herself last year, then given to her on her birthday.

A gift just for Xia Wanzhi, and for no one else.

The song lingered in the air. Yun Li’s voice was clear and gentle. Xia Wanzhi raised a hand to wipe at her slightly damp lashes and softly hummed along.

Aside from her, no one knew Yun Li also had an identity as an original singer-songwriter.

Once the emotions and atmosphere were in place, Yun Li finished singing and immediately started drinking hard.

It was like this almost every time. Xia Wanzhi sat beside her with practiced ease, holding a large bottle of juice and clinking glasses with her.

Yun Li could get drunk, but she couldn’t.

The two phones lying side by side on the sofa lit up one after the other. Xia Wanzhi took a moment to glance over and caught sight of a WeChat message from Liang Jing popping up on Yun Li’s phone-

Liang Jing: [Go to the hospital tomorrow and see my mom. The old lady misses you. Yesterday she was still telling me the soup you made was delicious.]

The moment Xia Wanzhi finished reading the message, she felt as if she’d developed breast cancer; every part of her body felt wrong.

Bastard.

Her own phone was still vibrating nonstop. It was Xie Qiyan, who had turned clingy after falling in love, asking her for the address and saying he would come pick her up and take her home.

Her chest felt painfully blocked. A head leaned onto her shoulder. Yun Li drank as she raised a hand and flailed about. “Wuwuwu, I’ve had enough-”

Xia Wanzhi wrapped an arm around Yun Li to keep her from falling over while freeing one hand to reply to Xie Qiyan: [Yese KTV. Yun Li and I are both here.]

At that very moment, Xie Qiyan, who was at Jiang Corporation and had just finished discussing business with Jiang Baichuan, read the message, turned off his screen, and looked thoughtfully at Jiang Baichuan.

Jiang Baichuan lifted his eyes. “What’s with that look?”

“I’m doing you a favor.” Xie Qiyan flipped his phone over and placed it face-down on the table.

Jiang Baichuan answered without hesitation, “Don’t need it.”

Xie Qiyan said lightly, “I’m going to pick up my Wanzi and Yun Li.”

Jiang Baichuan immediately rose to his feet. “No time to waste. Let’s go, President Xie.”

Xie Qiyan raised an eyebrow. “…”