Upon hearing those words, Tan Mo’s eyes flickered with shock.
Chen Ningning smiled at her and said, “Isn’t this exactly what we expected? The Xie family called this morning. Right now, your uncle and aunt are upstairs discussing things. Perhaps the marriage arrangement between your sister and Xie Qichen will soon be on the agenda.”
As Tan Mo listened, her heart felt tightly constricted, as if caught in a tightly woven net, and her mind suddenly went blank.
At that moment, Tan Zhiwan was still immersed in shock: “I thought the Xie family wouldn’t agree. How did Xie Qichen end up accepting?”
“Zhiwan, you’re beautiful and excellent—who wouldn’t want to marry you? He probably wouldn’t look twice at an ordinary girl. Maybe Xie Qichen actually has feelings for you?”
Hearing this, Tan Zhiwan’s heart raced.
Could it be that Xie Qichen had secretly investigated her and found her to meet all his standards, and now wants to get to know her better?
Thinking of how he, a man who usually keeps his distance from women, was willing to marry her, a surge of pride welled up inside her. Suddenly, the idea of this arranged marriage didn’t seem so hard to accept anymore.
“Zhiwan, when I said earlier that I was interested in Xie Qichen, I was just joking. If you can marry into the Xie family, I’d genuinely be happy for you.”
As Chen Ningning spoke, she shifted her gaze and raised an eyebrow toward Tan Mo:
“Tan Mo, you must be pretty happy too, right?”
Tan Mo’s gaze paused, and Chen Ningning smiled at her:
“After this, your family and the Xie family will be related by marriage. Having such a great brother-in-law in the future must make you feel proud, right?”
Tan Mo tightened her grip on the spoon, turned her eyes away, gave a faint response, and then left with her tray.
Back in her bedroom, Tan Mo placed the toast on her desk, picked up a glass of water, and drank it in one go, trying to calm the unease in her chest.
A few seconds later, she slammed the glass down on the table.
Chen Ningning and Tan Zhiwan’s conversation still echoed in her ears. She lifted her head and gazed out the window, her vision gradually blurring.
So it was true—Xie Qichen had agreed to the marriage arrangement…
In his mind, marriage always came after interests. It didn’t matter to him who he married. Or, as Chen Ningning had speculated, he was actually quite satisfied with Tan Zhiwan and willing to spend the rest of his life with her.
The wind blew in from outside the window.
The light and shadows gently swayed.
It felt as if sand had gotten into Tan Mo’s eyes. Blinking, she felt a stinging sensation in her eyes. She lowered her gaze and noticed a small box in the corner of the desk.
She opened it and saw a faded red piece of paper inside.
She remembered that when she was eighteen, she and Xie Qichen visited an ancient town. When they came to a wish wall, she wanted to make a wish too.
She took a red piece of paper and wrote three characters on it:
Xie Qichen.
He had been like the only candy in her glass jar from childhood—carefully preserved, secretly cherished. Nothing else was needed.
After writing it, she clasped her hands together to make her wish. When she opened her eyes, she saw the boy leaning against a nearby tree, his long lashes gently holding the warm sunlight, smiling at her:
“What did you wish for? You looked so sincere.”
Nervously, she clutched the red paper with her teenage secrets and dared not look at him.
But that day, after hesitating for a long time, she still didn’t hang the paper up.
Because she knew this wish would never come true.
In those tender memories,
She had always been the one with one-sided feelings.
Later, she sealed away her secret affection for him in that scorching summer when he left for overseas studies at eighteen.
Outside the window, the tree shadows danced, yet the brilliant sunlight still couldn’t rescue her. In the midst of surging emotions, Tan Mo finally couldn’t control herself and sank into a low mood.
Tan Mo, why do you care so much…
It’s been four years already. She didn’t like him anymore. It had nothing to do with her who he married…
Tan Mo sat on the edge of her bed, her eyes downcast. Suddenly, her phone screen lit up, displaying a name—
Xie Qichen.
What did he want to call her for now?
Thinking about how he had decided to marry Tan Zhiwan today and had also intercepted her at the company building yesterday,
What exactly was he trying to do?
Tan Mo felt irritated and hung up the call.
A minute later, the man called again.
She hung up once more.
Before long, Xie Qichen called for the third time, showing no sign of giving up.
Her frustration reached its peak. She took a deep breath, and after two seconds, picked up the call and coldly asked:
“Any business?”
The man’s voice came through, with a noisy background, seemingly from outdoors.
“Did your father tell you about this morning?”
Did he specially call just to say this?!
Tan Mo scoffed lightly: “About your marriage arrangement with my sister? I already know. Congratulations in advance, Mr. Xie. You’ve achieved both career and family success. Is that all? I’m hanging up now.”
Before the man could respond, she cut off the call.
Biting her lip, she angrily added his number to her blacklist.
After all, they wouldn’t be able to contact each other privately anymore. Out of sight, out of mind. She would pretend he never even came back to the country.
Tan Mo lay down on her bed and rubbed her slightly aching nose.
She lay there quietly for a long time.
Later, someone knocked on her door. Madam Zhang came in: “Momo, your father wants to see you.”
Tan Mo had an idea of what it was about and softly replied:
“…Okay.”
A few minutes later, Tan Mo composed herself and walked into the living room. At that moment, Tan Zhiwan and Zhao Ningning were getting increasingly excited:
“Zhiwan, what kind of wedding do you want? How about having it overseas? A castle wedding would be great.”
“A castle would be quite romantic. I haven’t decided yet. I wonder if the Xie family would arrange it…”
At that moment, Tan Mo’s father came out of his study. Tan Zhiwan stepped forward and spoke with restraint:
“Dad, how did your talk with the Xie family go? I want to meet Xie Qichen first. I haven’t decided yet whether I’ll marry him.”
Tan Mo’s father chuckled dryly and patted her shoulder:
“Ah… Zhiwan, there was a misunderstanding this morning. I haven’t had the chance to tell you yet.”
“What?”
Tan Zhiwan looked startled. “Did Xie Qichen change his mind?”
“Not exactly.”
Tan Mo’s father turned his gaze toward Tan Mo, and with an expression of disbelief, he said:
“Chairman Xie said that Xie Qichen agreed to the marriage arrangement, but he proposed—to marry Tan Mo.”
Tan Mo, who was beside the sofa, almost stumbled.
Marry her?!
Tan Zhiwan stared in shock: “Xie Qichen wants to marry Tan Mo?!”
“You refused a few days ago, right? Probably the Xie family didn’t want to force you, so they proposed another plan.”
Tan Zhiwan was momentarily speechless.
She had refused a few days ago because she thought Xie Qichen would never agree to it…
Tan Mo’s father: “Zhiwan, come here. I need to talk to you.”
Tan Zhiwan’s mind was in chaos. Meanwhile, Chen Ningning, sitting on the sofa, was also struck like by lightning, her face turning various shades of color.
On the other side, Tan Mo was forced to follow her father into the study.
Her father explained the situation in detail, and Tan Mo finally learned that Xie Qichen had only learned about the marriage arrangement last night. Somehow, he had chosen to marry her instead.
Her father’s face was full of smiles: “Momo, Chairman Xie said it was Xie Qichen’s idea.”
Xie Qichen’s idea?
Was he out of his mind?
She had thought in the morning that Xie Qichen was going to marry her sister, and now it turned out to be her. Tan Mo felt her mind was in a complete mess, unable to think clearly.
At that moment, her father’s phone rang. He answered, spoke a few words, and handed the phone to her with a smile: “He’s calling for you.”
“What?”
“Xie Qichen.”
“??!”
Tan Mo was stunned but had no choice but to take the phone. Her palms were sweating slightly. She answered in a low voice: “Hello…”
The man’s familiar, calm voice came through the phone line:
“You blocked me?”
Tan Mo: “…”
“Your father should have explained everything to you by now.”
His deep voice gently brushed against her ear: “Only you are the other party involved. Where did Tan Zhiwan come from?”
Tan Mo was stunned.
At this moment, at Licheng Airport, Xie Qichen walked steadily toward the departure lounge, his assistant following behind.
When he had just learned of the girl’s misunderstanding and couldn’t get through to her, he had immediately postponed his flight.
“I originally wanted to find you today, but there was an issue at the branch office in a neighboring city, and I had to go deal with it.”
He told her: “Don’t think too much these two days, and you don’t have to make a decision so quickly. Wait for me to come back and talk to you about this, okay?”
The man’s voice lingered at the end, almost like coaxing.
When Tan Mo came back to her senses, she had already agreed and hung up the phone.
Her father smiled at her: “Momo, you and Xie Qichen already knew each other before. This marriage arrangement will be much easier. I think you and Xie Qichen are quite a match…”
Her father, like a top salesman, began to explain all the benefits of the marriage arrangement to Tan Mo. Looking at her excited father, she felt a mix of emotions: “Dad, so now you’re choosing to push me forward, replacing my sister as a tool for exchanging interests?”
Her father chuckled awkwardly: “Momo, how can you think the same way as your sister? This is a win-win situation.”
In her heart, Tan Mo thought, if the person in this marriage arrangement had been a completely stranger, wouldn’t he still arrange her marriage without asking for her opinion?
Just like he had persuaded Tan Zhiwan before.
But she didn’t have the same resistance as Tan Zhiwan.
“Momo, you’ve always been the most obedient. Don’t make Dad feel bad. Go back and think about it for a few days, and you’ll understand eventually,” her father said.
Tan Mo lowered her eyes, unable to speak.
—
After the news of the Xie family proposing to marry Tan Mo was announced, it quickly spread through the upper circles of Licheng.
Many young ladies who heard this were shocked and couldn’t understand why Xie Qichen would choose Tan Mo, the adopted younger daughter of the Tan family, believing that her status was not worthy of Xie Qichen at all.
Rumors spread rapidly, all targeting Tan Mo.
During these two days, Tan Mo’s mind was especially confused.
The next day, Ji Shu, who had heard the news, came to her house and understood her feelings: “Momo, your dad is forcing you to marry like this, treating your marriage as a pawn for the company’s development. That’s just too disrespectful to you…”
Tan Mo lowered her head, “And I don’t know why Xie Qichen would propose to marry me.”
Xie Qichen definitely didn’t like her. If it wasn’t out of love, then why? Could it be that since Tan Zhiwan refused, he settled for her instead?
“Momo, what exactly do you think of Xie Qichen now?”
Tan Mo was slightly taken aback, “No thoughts at all.”
“Then for now, don’t think too much. Xie Qichen said he would come back and talk to you. At least you should clarify his intentions first. You can still refuse him when the time comes, right?”
Tan Mo was troubled, her head helplessly resting on a brown bear pillow.
In the evening, after chatting with Ji Shu, she left. Her father came to inform her that the chairman of Yonghai Group’s daughter was holding an engagement banquet tonight. The two families had a long-standing relationship, and they were invited to attend with their entire family.
Tan Mo disliked such social occasions but couldn’t refuse.
A stylist came to the house to help her get ready. After finishing up, she walked out of her room. Tan Zhiwan was sitting in the living room and turned to see her.
Tan Mo was wearing a coral green long dress, with varying shades of dark and light green complementing her smooth, silk-like pale skin. Because of her good complexion, even a light makeup looked beautiful.
Tan Zhiwan was also beautiful, but standing next to Tan Mo, she seemed like the real lady of the house.
Tan Zhiwan irritably turned her eyes away. Her father and mother were also ready, and the four of them set off.
Eventually, they arrived at the ancient manor where the engagement banquet was to be held.
Walking into the hall, Tan Mo’s father and mother introduced their two daughters to the chairman of Yonghai, who looked at Tan Zhiwan and said with a smile:
“I heard that Zhiwan has already made a name for herself in her own entrepreneurial venture. At such a young age, she’s already achieved success in her career. She truly inherited her father’s drive.”
Tan Zhiwan smiled, her words carrying hidden meanings: “Thank you, Uncle. I’m Dad’s daughter, of course I inherited that from him.”
The chairman turned his gaze to Tan Mo, his smile deepening: “Momo has grown more and more beautiful. I’ve heard that there’s going to be a marriage arrangement with the Xie family?”
Tan Mo’s father smiled and agreed. Beside him, Tan Zhiwan glanced at the expressionless Tan Mo, gritting her teeth in displeasure, once again filled with regret.
This marriage arrangement was supposed to be hers…
A while later, the engagement ceremony began. After the ceremony came the banquet. Tan Mo’s parents went to socialize and left Tan Mo and Tan Zhiwan to stay for a bit.
Tan Zhiwan gave Tan Mo a glare, held her skirt, and turned to find her friends.
Tan Mo stood alone in the room for a while but felt many guests’ prying eyes sticking to her, whispering among themselves.
Most likely discussing the marriage arrangement again.
Feeling restless and uneasy, Tan Mo went outside.
In the late autumn night, the air was filled with a chill. She walked onto the lawn, instinctively hugging her arms tighter.
Not paying attention to the uneven ground, she stumbled in her high heels.
Tan Mo quickly steadied herself, inhaled sharply, and looked down at her ankle, feeling a sharp pain.
How unlucky could she be…
Frowning, she slowly moved forward. After a few steps, several laughing female voices called out:
“Hey, Tan Mo—”
She turned her gaze and saw Tan Zhiwan walking in the middle, with Chen Ningning and three other rich young ladies following behind, approaching her with subtle smiles:
“Tan Mo, do you have time to chat? Let’s sit together.”
Tan Mo was already very annoyed at this point and didn’t feel like dealing with them: “No, I have something to do.”
“Oh, Tan Mo, you’re really different now. Thinking about marrying into the Xie family, you’re already acting like a madam.”
Another young lady sneered: “What’s there to be proud of? It’s only because Zhiwan didn’t want it that it fell to you. Tan Mo, you should really thank your sister for giving you the position of Mrs. Xie. Otherwise, how could such a lucky chance come your way?”
Tan Mo’s smile vanished from her face.
Chen Ningning stepped forward, raising her eyebrows with a smile: “Tan Mo, with someone like Xie Qichen’s status, how could he genuinely be interested in you?”
Chen Ningning turned to the girls around her and laughed: “He’s just using you as a tool for exchanging interests. After all, some people were abandoned by their parents, picked up by the Tan family, and are completely worthless.”
As soon as Chen Ningning finished speaking, she felt a sharp slap across her face.
The stinging pain spread. Chen Ningning held her cheek, glaring at Tan Mo who had slapped her, and screamed:
“Tan Mo, are you crazy?! How dare you hit me!”
Tan Mo’s pretty porcelain-like face showed no expression as she coldly replied:
“How can’t I hit you?”
“You’ve kept making sarcastic remarks in front of me again and again, Chen Ningning. Did I give you the right to talk to me like that?”
Chen Ningning was furious: “You…”
The women around her didn’t expect Tan Mo to be so strong-willed and were filled with anger. Tan Zhiwan glared at Tan Mo: “Tan Mo, you’re going too far!”
Just as they were about to confront her, suddenly, from not far away, a deep and cold male voice broke the tense atmosphere—
“Tan Mo.”
The familiar voice was like a steady chip placed heavily on the gambling table.
Tan Mo quickly turned her head and saw that Xie Qichen had somehow returned. He was now stepping onto the lawn, walking toward her, his assistant following behind.
The man was wearing a dark brown overcoat, which accentuated his tall figure, exuding a cold and noble aura. He carried the dust of his journey, his face half-hidden in the dim night, radiating an intimidating presence even without speaking.
When Tan Zhiwan and the others saw him, they were momentarily stunned.
How did Xie Qichen get here?!
A few seconds later, Xie Qichen reached Tan Mo’s side, as he always had, standing protectively beside her.
He looked down at her and asked:
“Are you okay?”
She shook her head blankly: “It’s nothing…”
Xie Qichen raised his eyelids, his dark gaze settling on the women.
“Had enough?”
This sentence sounded like a threat, yet also a warning, carrying an overwhelming sense of oppression that sent chills down one’s spine.
With just one sentence, a few people were so intimidated that they suddenly lost their words.
Xie Qichen then took off his suit jacket and draped it over Tan Mo, the lingering warmth from his body enveloping her like an embrace.
The man looked down at her, his voice deep and exuding a strong sense of security as he spoke:
“I’m back, come with me.”
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