When Tan Zhiwan heard this, a deep shock flickered across her eyes.
Wife?!
…Did they get married already?!
Before Tan Zhiwan could say anything else, Xie Qichen took Tan Mo away.
Holding her hand, Tan Mo felt completely dazed, “Xie Qichen, why did you say that just now…”
She still heard the lingering words he’d said with a touch of intimacy: “I don’t want my wife to misunderstand,” causing her face to flush red.
Xie Qichen calmly replied, “Just stating the facts. It’s better to prevent her from making up unnecessary things and spreading rumors everywhere, which might mislead certain people into almost believing them.”
Tan Mo was slightly stunned.
Surely he wasn’t referring to her…
Thinking back to Tan Zhiwan’s words, Tan Mo wasn’t particularly surprised. She knew that although Tan Zhiwan claimed to disdain the idea of an arranged marriage, she was actually quite displeased that the final match ended up being Tan Mo. After a fierce internal struggle, Tan Zhiwan had swallowed her pride and approached Xie Qichen herself, not necessarily out of affection, but likely hoping to change his mind so she could humiliate Tan Mo.
It was regrettable. From childhood, Tan Mo had never wanted to be compared to anyone, and she was well aware she was an adopted daughter, never intending to take anything from Tan Zhiwan.
The two walked back to the living room from the backyard. Inside, Tan Mo’s father was brewing tea. Seeing them, he smiled and beckoned.
“Come, come, you two sit here.”
They sat on the sofa, and Tan Mo’s father handed them tea with a smile.
“Drink up. It’s been a while since you came to our home, Qichen. I remember when you often came over to tutor Mo Mo during her high school days. Back then, you lived quite close to us.”
“Yes, Uncle, I remember.”
Tan Mo’s father chuckled. “I heard from your father that you moved to Haixu City after returning to the country?”
“Yes, temporarily staying there.”
Tan Mo’s father casually added, “They’re building a subway in Haixu recently. It seems like a detour to come here. Was it inconvenient to drive today?”
Xie Qichen smiled gently, “Not sure about the details. I’ve been too busy with company affairs lately to go back often. This morning, I came from Mo Mo’s neighborhood.”
Tan Mo’s father paused, then smiled.
“I see…”
Tan Mo noticed the knowing, yet unspoken, happy expression on her father’s face and suddenly froze.
Could her father have misunderstood that she spent the night with Xie Qichen last night?!
Her face flushed instantly, and she secretly glared at Xie Qichen.
Couldn’t this man be more careful with his words to avoid misunderstandings?
He raised an eyebrow, puzzled. “What’s wrong?”
Tan Mo: “…”
At that moment, there was a noise at the entrance. Tan Mo’s mother had returned home, handing the purchased items to the housemaid and walking into the living room.
“Jasmine and Qichen are here already?”
Xie Qichen stood up to greet her, and Tan Mo’s mother asked him to sit, smiling, “We’re family. Don’t be too formal here.”
Tan Mo’s mother sat beside her husband. At that moment, Tan Zhiwan entered the living room from the backyard.
Tan Mo looked up, their eyes meeting mid-air. Tan Zhiwan quickly looked away, her expression stiff.
Unaware of what had happened, Tan Mo’s parents invited Tan Zhiwan to join them for fruit. Tan Zhiwan glanced at the other two, tightened her grip, and muttered:
“…No, I have something to do. I’ll go upstairs first.”
After Tan Zhiwan left, Tan Mo hesitated before speaking up: “By the way, Mom and Dad, there’s something I haven’t told you yet…”
“What is it?”
Xie Qichen, understanding her hesitation, volunteered: “Uncle and Auntie, I’ve already taken Tan Mo to get the marriage certificate this week.”
“The marriage certificate?! So fast? When did this happen?”
“Last Wednesday. We had time, so we decided to finalize the arranged marriage.”
“It’s fine that you two have made the decision yourselves,” Tan Mo’s father wasn’t surprised, as the marriage had already been settled. “Coincidentally, I was just discussing with your father the other day. Although you don’t need to rush the wedding, you should still hold a simple banquet to announce it publicly.”
“Okay.”
Upstairs, Tan Zhiwan stood at the staircase, listening to the conversation from the living room below, her face darkening.
So they had already gotten married a few days ago.
How foolish she had been, still entertaining illusions—it was nothing but a joke.
Tan Zhiwan couldn’t understand why Xie Qichen would choose Tan Mo! Just like she had never understood back then why Tan Mo had such a spell that made their parents refuse to send her away!
If she hadn’t been abducted as a child, Tan Mo would still be an orphan on the streets, never having the chance to be adopted by the Tan family. She wouldn’t even have the opportunity to meet Xie Qichen in her entire life! How could she deserve such a good life!
Tan Zhiwan pressed tightly against the wall, her body seemingly shrinking into that raging fire of jealousy, her teeth clenched tightly.
Xie Qichen spent a long time chatting with Tan Mo’s father, from work to daily life, their conversation flowing smoothly.
At lunchtime, Tan Zhiwan excused herself by saying she wasn’t feeling well and didn’t come downstairs. Tan Mo’s parents, knowing her usual dislike for Tan Mo, didn’t think much of it.
After lunch, when Tan Mo and Xie Qichen were about to leave, Tan Mo’s father mentioned that they could start preparing for the wedding banquet gradually. Xie Qichen agreed and said he would start making arrangements.
Leaving the villa, Tan Mo returned to the car. Xie Qichen asked her, “Where would you like to hold the wedding banquet?”
“Hmm?”
“Although it’s not a formal wedding, we’ll still make proper arrangements. You can choose the location.”
Tan Mo loved the sea. She recalled how she used to dream of having a particularly romantic wedding by the seaside with someone she loved. As a girl with a romantic heart, she had always held beautiful fantasies about marriage and love.
But now it was a business marriage, and those dreams no longer mattered to her.
“Any place is fine. You decide.”
Xie Qichen spoke gently, “Then let’s go to the seaside.”
Tan Mo was stunned.
“The city is noisy. The seaside has a better environment.”
He turned to look at her slightly surprised gaze, his eyes calm, “What do you think?”
Tan Mo thought it must be a coincidence; otherwise, how could it be so coincidental, “Okay…”
“Where are we going next?”
“I need to go back to my apartment to edit a video,” she looked at him, “What about you?”
He glanced at his watch, “I need to go back to the company. There’s a meeting with the senior management this afternoon.”
She sighed in admiration, “Xie Qichen, you’re so busy. Why are you working so hard to earn money?”
He replied earnestly, “To support the family and make a living.”
Tan Mo: “…”
This person spoke as if he were so poor.
The car slowly drove under the afternoon sunlight. After a while, Xie Qichen’s phone rang. He answered it, and Tan Mo heard his deep voice slowly drift over: “Yes, please confirm with the designer again… My wife will decide these things later…”
After finishing the call, Tan Mo looked at him and casually asked, “What do I need to decide?”
“Nothing much. You’ll know in a while.”
Tan Mo gave a confused “Okay” and didn’t press further.
The wedding preparations started to take shape gradually. In the following days, the man seemed very busy, and Tan Mo didn’t see him again.
On the weekend, in her apartment, Ji Shu sat on the sofa, finishing the last bite of Lay’s potato chips, smiling as she asked Tan Mo: “Let me interview Tan同学. How’s married life treating you? Are you getting used to it?”
Tan Mo’s thoughts drifted away from the movie on the projector screen as she sipped her juice and mumbled, “What do you mean by getting used to it? It’s just like before.”
Although she had officially entered marriage, Tan Mo still felt like she was living a single life, which was quite free.
“What do you mean, just like before? How often do you see your husband?”
At the unfamiliar term, Tan Mo choked on her juice and turned red, “Ji Shu, can you please speak properly…”
“Did I say anything wrong? You two are married and have the marriage certificate. Who else is Xie Qichen if not your husband?”
Tan Mo didn’t want to respond to her, but Ji Shu kept asking, so she had to say, “Xie Qichen is usually very busy with work and doesn’t have time to see me.”
“Come on, no matter how busy he is, can he be busier than you, a newlywed wife?”
“…You’re pushing it!”
“So, so far, you and Xie Qichen haven’t… done anything?”
Tan Mo knew what she meant and bluntly broke her speculation, “We sleep at our own homes, okay?”
“Wow, you really live separately?”
Tan Mo’s face turned red, “Xie Qichen isn’t the kind of person you’re implying.”
Ji Shu teased with a mischievous smile, “That remains to be seen.”
Tan Mo was too embarrassed to respond and continued watching the movie.
At noon, Ji Shu stayed at her apartment for lunch. In the afternoon, the two girls had originally planned to go shopping, but Tan Mo received a call from her graduation advisor asking her to come discuss her final project and start preparing in advance.
Ji Shu let her go, saying they could reschedule, so Tan Mo took a ride to F University.
After arriving at the school, Tan Mo met with her advisor.
Tan Mo had always been a good student in the eyes of her teachers, with clear ideas for her final project, requiring no extra concern.
In the evening, after finishing her discussion with the advisor, Tan Mo exited the office building. Noticing it was almost dinner time, she decided to eat at the cafeteria before returning to her apartment.
On her way to the cafeteria, her phone suddenly rang.
She answered, “Yueyue—”
A faint voice came from the other end, “Jasmine, are you at school? Wuwuwu… I need help.”
…
Five minutes later, Tan Mo, holding cold medicine, pushed open the dormitory door.
The curtain on the upper bunk was drawn back, and Chang Yue peeked out, her pale face instantly brightening:
“My dear Jasmine, you finally came to save my life…”
Chang Yue was one of Tan Mo’s roommates, and they had the closest relationship. This semester, the other two roommates were interning elsewhere and rarely came back, so the dormitory usually only had Chang Yue.
In the afternoon, Chang Yue found herself with a fever and ordered medicine through a food delivery app. However, the medicine could only be delivered to the dormitory entrance. Feeling too dizzy to get out of bed, she was lucky that Tan Mo was at school and could help bring the medicine up.
Tan Mo handed her the medicine and warm water, softly scolding her with a helpless tone:
“You caught a cold these past two days. You ate two ice creams last night. If you didn’t get a fever, who would?”
Chang Yue swallowed two cephalosporin pills, looking pitiful, “I thought eating ice cream wouldn’t be a big deal. I didn’t expect my body to be so weak.”
“Just sleep well. You should be fine tomorrow.”
“Okay, why are you back today?”
“I went to see my graduation advisor.”
“So what are your plans tomorrow?”
“Hmm? What plans do I have on the weekend?”
Chang Yue thought of something and pitifully blinked her eyes at Tan Mo, “Little Jasmine, can you do me a favor?”
“What?”
Chang Yue came from a poor family and often worked part-time jobs. Recently, she had found a part-time job at an electronics store in the Wanxiang Mall. Tomorrow, Sunday, was her shift, and she couldn’t ask for leave. No one wanted to swap shifts with her on the weekend. She wanted Tan Mo to cover for her and then give her the wages.
“But will the boss agree to let you replace me?”
“He will. I just asked the boss. It’s a simple part-time job. Because I already took a leave last week, I’m afraid I’ll lose my job if I skip again.”
Seeing her pitiful look, Tan Mo agreed, “Okay, I’m free tomorrow anyway.”
Tan Mo didn’t find it difficult because Chang Yue had always taken good care of her in the dormitory.
“Wuwuwu, I love you so much!”
Tan Mo smiled, “Remember to send me the address for the part-time job.”
“Okay.”
In order to take care of Chang Yue, Tan Mo stayed in the dormitory. The next morning, she got up, got ready, and took off.
On the bus, she received a message from Chang Yue:
[Jasmine, thank you for helping me out today. It’s the Aochuang Tech Lifestyle Authorized Experience Store at the east entrance on the first floor of Wanxiang.]
When Tan Mo saw the message, her eyes widened.
Aochuang?!
How coincidental could it be!
In fact, besides researching drones, Aochuang also designed various electronic products for photography and daily life, covering a wide range of fields.
Tan Mo didn’t expect that right after marrying Xie Qichen, she would end up working as a part-time employee at his physical store…
But she didn’t mind, after all, it was just helping out with a part-time job.
Around 9 o’clock, she arrived at the store and went to find the manager, learning that her task for the day was to wear a mascot costume and help promote a new product event at the entrance.
It wasn’t difficult, just required being cute.
Later, with the help of other staff members, Tan Mo put on a fluffy white bear costume and finally donned the bear head.
Luckily, it was winter. If it were summer, she might have died of heat.
After changing, she stood at the store entrance and quickly attracted the attention of many passing children.
Some kids ran up to interact with her, and Tan Mo smiled as she handed out small gifts.
Spending the morning as a mascot, Tan Mo drew in many customers.
After having lunch and a short break at noon, she continued wearing the costume and stood by the entrance.
Few customers passed by, and Tan Mo leaned against the door, slacking off slightly, when her gaze suddenly caught sight of a figure walking in her direction—
Surrounded by several people, the tall man in the center wore a finely tailored high-end suit, exuding an extraordinary aura. Looking up, she recognized the familiar face immediately. His features were as if carved by a knife, with bold eyebrows and bright eyes, drawing attention wherever he went.
Why would Xie Qichen be here?!
Upon seeing him, the little white bear stood up straight and immediately turned her head to cover her face.
Then she paused—
Why was she so nervous? Would he even recognize her dressed like this?
She secretly turned her head, peering through the helmet to see Xie Qichen and his group approaching the Aochuang store. The store manager, having received notice, hurriedly came forward. One of Xie Qichen’s staff introduced, “Manager Li, this is our CEO Xie from Aochuang. He’s here today for an inspection to understand the store’s situation.”
The store manager quickly bowed respectfully, “Hello, Mr. Xie. I didn’t expect you to visit us today. We’re not really prepared…”
The murmurs of conversation reached Tan Mo’s ears from three meters away. She noticed several passing girls glancing at Xie Qichen, their eyes filled with infatuation.
She rolled her eyes silently.
That dog of a man was always attracting attention from the opposite sex.
As Tan Mo saw the store manager exchange a few words with Xie Qichen, suddenly Xie turned his gaze, directing his eyes toward the bulky figure of Tan Mo standing at the store entrance.
Tan Mo met his gaze through the mascot head.
Suddenly, she stiffened, frozen in place.
What was he staring at?
Xie’s gaze fell on her, and after a few seconds, his thin lips parted slightly to ask:
“What is that?”
“…” Tan Mo was speechless at his expression, which seemed to be looking at some bizarre creature.
Wasn’t that obviously a person? Or was it really a bear?
Hearing this, the store manager chuckled and explained, “We’re having an in-store event today, so we had an employee dress up as a mascot to attract customers. It’s actually been quite effective; this little white bear is very popular.”
Xie Qichen gazed silently at it.
Two seconds later, the white bear suddenly raised its hand, mimicking aiming a gun at him, and made a “bang” sound.
Everyone: “……………………”
What the heck was that?!?!
Suddenly, the air grew awkwardly stiff.
The staff were all stunned for a moment, then someone quickly broke the silence, “Mr. Xie, would you like to come inside and have a seat?”
Xie Qichen withdrew his gaze and agreed.
Tan Mo, unbothered by her headgear, stomped in place slightly, humming a tune. Then she saw Xie walk past her and heard his calm voice:
“The mascot is cute, but next time, please someone with a sound mind to play it.”
Tan Mo puffed her cheeks indignantly.
Who was mentally unstable?!?!
Xie Qichen entered the store, and the store manager approached Tan Mo, scolding her anxiously, “What were you doing just now?! Are you crazy? Do you even know who that man is?!”
Meanwhile, the man inside glanced toward the entrance again, witnessing the scolding scene, his eyebrows slightly furrowed.
Wen Cheng immediately caught on, “I’ll go talk to them.”
Wen Cheng walked to the store entrance, “Manager, Mr. Xie is calling you inside. And he wasn’t offended just now, so please don’t blame your employees anymore.”
“Alright, alright…”
The manager was called away, and Tan Mo resumed her post at the entrance. After a while, her break time came, and she walked into the store, found a seat, took off her headgear, and had some water.
As she was wiping sweat, she turned her head and saw Xie Qichen finishing his inspection and coming out.
She quickly put the headgear back on, watching as the group sat down on the nearby sofas, where the manager poured tea for them.
Meeting Xie Qichen’s gaze as he looked over, Tan Mo indignantly turned her bear head away.
She didn’t want to see this man again.
Seated at the head position, Xie Qichen listened as the store manager and staff chatted. Tan Mo noticed her bag beside the sofa and stood up to retrieve it, passing by Xie Qichen when she heard the man say, “Please bring me a glass of warm water.”
Tan Mo: ?
She met the man’s gaze.
“Yes, I mean you.”
Tan Mo: You just boss people around now?
With his legs elegantly crossed, the man remained composed. Not knowing why he didn’t just drink tea, Tan Mo reluctantly went to pour a glass and brought it back.
Approaching him discreetly, she handed him the water and, in retaliation, secretly kicked him. However, her body was suddenly pulled back.
She flailed awkwardly in his grip, “Mmm…”
Then, a low, amused voice came by her ear:
“Tan Mo, you’re acting up again.”
How did he recognize her?!?
He released her quickly, without drawing attention from others. Tan Mo ran to where he couldn’t see her, thinking of her ridiculous behavior moments ago, leaning against the wall, wanting to cry and wail inwardly.
Despite the embarrassment, she still had to endure the last half hour of her part-time job.
Luckily, Xie Qichen stayed inside chatting and didn’t pay her any more attention.
In the evening, when her shift ended, Tan Mo entered the store’s break room, exhausted as she pulled off her headgear. Suddenly, she turned and saw Xie Qichen walk in.
Instinctively, she put the headgear back on. Xie approached her, “What? Addicted to wearing it now?”
She covered her face, pretending to be dead. Xie chuckled softly, removed her headgear, revealing her messy hair.
He smiled helplessly, “You’re so silly, aren’t you afraid it’s stuffy in there?”
Blushing and embarrassed, Tan Mo asked, “How did you know it was me inside?”
Xie Qichen smiled, “With such a silly look, I recognized you immediately.”
“You’re the silly one!”
“You came to work at my store like this—do you need money?”
“I’m just helping my roommate with a part-time job, okay?”
Xie Qichen asked if she had plans tonight, and Tan Mo said she didn’t. He said, “Change your clothes. I’ll wait at the door and take you out for dinner.”
Tan Mo was embarrassed, “Forget it, you go first…”
“Hmm?”
“It’s really awkward to leave like this…” How would she explain it to the employees?
The man smirked, “Then I’ll wait for you in the underground parking lot.”
“Okay.”
So Xie Qichen left with the other staff first, while Tan Mo changed and said goodbye to the store manager, who surprisingly didn’t scold her. Then she went to the underground parking lot.
Arriving there, she walked forward, looking for the car, when she noticed a Rolls-Royce parked ahead.
A refined and elegant man stood by the car, smoking, with a flamboyantly dressed woman beside him, smiling sweetly.
After separating from the other staff, Xie Qichen had come to the underground parking lot to wait for Tan Mo. A young socialite passing by saw the eldest son of the Xie family, her eyes lit up, and she approached flirtatiously.
Tan Mo approached curiously, and the woman’s coquettish voice floated into her ears:
“Mr. Xie, I have some business to discuss with you. Can we meet for a drink tonight at eight?”
The implication was too strong; anyone could tell the underlying flirtation.
Tan Mo inwardly rolled her eyes.
Of course, that dog of a man was always attracting bees and butterflies.
Tan Mo stomped over indignantly, faking a sweet tone, “Xie Qichen, I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”
She reached Xie Qichen’s side. A glimmer of amusement passed through his eyes as he looked at the woman, “Let me introduce—this is my wife.”
The woman froze instantly. Tan Mo turned to her and smiled brightly:
“I’m sorry, but we have an eight o’clock curfew at home. If you have business, please talk to him tomorrow.”
Beside her, Xie Qichen lowered his eyes, suppressing a deeper smile, and added, “Yes, my wife is very strict.”
The woman was so startled she couldn’t speak and left in embarrassment.
Then Tan Mo turned to face the man’s smiling eyes, her face reddening, and solemnly clarified, “Xie Qichen, don’t get the wrong idea. I don’t care about you. I just don’t want people saying I’ve been cheated on less than a month after our arranged marriage.”
Then her head was tapped, “What nonsense have you been thinking all day?”
She glared at him, and he said, “Let’s go, get in the car.”
Inside the car, Xie Qichen told the driver a restaurant’s name. Tan Mo turned to look at him, “Are you still working today?”
“Mm, I just finished dealing with something these past two days.”
“Oh…”
The car drove through the gradually darkening night.
In the evening, the two arrived at the restaurant. During dinner, Tan Mo curiously asked him, “Did you have something to tell me tonight?”
Xie Qichen lifted his eyelids to look at her, “Can’t I just see you without a reason?”
“…You can come see me.”
So he must have felt that they hadn’t met for a few days and decided to schedule a routine dinner?
He cut his steak, speaking indifferently, “After dinner, come with me somewhere.”
She understood instantly.
Of course, this man definitely didn’t call her for no reason.
Around nine in the evening, the Rolls-Royce drove through the neon-lit streets and finally entered the Jiayu Tiancheng villa district.
This area was located in the most prosperous downtown of Licheng, where land was more precious than gold. It was built along the river, and crossing a bridge would lead directly to the dense financial district. It was also only twenty minutes from Licheng’s university district. Each villa here started at tens of millions.
Tan Mo was puzzled, “Why are we here?”
“To help look at a house.”
The car stopped in front of a luxurious riverside villa. Tan Mo followed Xie Qichen out of the car, puzzled, and walked inside.
The villa consisted of three connected buildings. Passing through the jasmine-filled front yard, the two entered the entrance of the central building.
The lights automatically turned on, making the indoor space warm and cozy, instantly dispelling the chill from outside. Tan Mo saw that the interior was exceptionally spacious—the living room alone had a seven-meter ceiling height, with clear views through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
The room wasn’t coldly decorated in black, white, and gray. Instead, it featured a relatively soft wooden style, with warm orange lighting casting a cozy glow.
A fireplace was burning in the living room, radiating warmth, with a fluffy carpet in front of it, on which two recliners were placed.
On a cold winter night, it would be so comfortable to curl up in the chairs, roast marshmallows, and read books.
Besides the living room, the kitchen, study, dining area, and more were all tastefully and comfortably arranged. Going outside, there was a riverside backyard and an outdoor swimming pool, filled with many flowers and fruit plants, perfect for summer barbecues and relaxation.
This didn’t seem like just a house—it felt like a real home.
Standing there, she could already imagine all sorts of beautiful life scenarios.
Tan Mo wandered around, eyes wide with amazement, “This is too amazing. Are you buying it yourself, or are you helping someone else choose a house?”
Xie Qichen looked at her and slightly curved his lips:
“Do you like it?”
“Me?” She didn’t know why he asked that, “If I were to live here, of course I’d be satisfied.”
“Mm.”
He said, “It’s for you to live in.”
“???”
Tan Mo was shocked. As she saw the man step in front of her, leaning down to meet her gaze, his eyebrows slightly raised:
“It’s our future marital home. You said you wanted an eight o’clock curfew at home, right? Well, now you can have it.”
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