Tan Mo tilted her head up, looking at the man’s sharp brows and bright eyes, feeling dizzy, she murmured, “Want to find… someone like you…”
The girl’s voice, as soft as a rice cake, melted into the bones, her almond eyes shimmering with a beauty that seemed to beg to be crushed.
She was indeed very drunk.
Xie Qichen’s hand gripping her waist revealed faintly visible veins, his dark, smoldering eyes fixed on her as he coaxed her in a low voice:
“If I give it to you, do you want it?”
Tan Mo’s cheeks flushed, “Really? Don’t lie to me…”
“I’m not lying.”
Tan Mo looked at him, her voice hoarse and soft, “Then I want…”
Tan Mo sweetly raised her arms to wrap around his neck like a little kitten clinging to him.
Xie Qichen held her even tighter, his Adam’s apple visibly rolling under the dim lighting.
The girl’s soft body pressed against him, carrying a sweet fragrance of jasmine, igniting a blazing heat.
Xie Qichen was a normal man, how could he not have desires, especially at his prime.
Moreover, standing before him was Tan Mo.
The inherent mischievousness in a man only surfaced when he was with her.
Tan Mo hummed in his arms, Xie Qichen barely restrained the urge to crush her into his chest, suppressing the surging emotions with sheer willpower. He suddenly scooped her into his arms and turned to leave.
Hanging onto him, Tan Mo asked with a confused expression:
“Where are we going?”
The man held her steadily, “Go home.”
“But I haven’t finished my drink yet…”
Xie Qichen glanced at her, his low, cold voice extremely oppressive: “Tan Mo, if you dare to go out drinking again, just wait.”
“Why…”
“Why? Don’t you know how bad your alcohol tolerance is?”
The first time she drank, she had no caution at all and came knocking on his hotel room door.
This time, he had just been away on business for two days, and when he returned, she was already letting herself go like this. If it hadn’t been Ji Shu with her in the private room tonight but another man, what would have happened?
Walking all the way to the KTV entrance, Wen Cheng, who had been waiting beside the Rolls-Royce, saw his boss carrying someone out and felt a lurch in his heart.
It’s over, he really caught her.
Wen Cheng quickly opened the back door, Xie Qichen approached, placed Tan Mo inside the car, and got in himself, “Back to the villa.”
“Yes.”
The driver stepped on the gas, and the Rolls-Royce sped forward.
Ten minutes later, the car returned to Jiayu Tiancheng, stopped in front of the villa, Xie Qichen got out and carried Tan Mo out, Wen Cheng followed behind.
Back home, the others had already left as per his instructions.
He placed her at the shoe-changing area by the entrance, half-squatting down to help her change into slippers.
The girl kicked her feet, mumbling, “I want to wear another pair…”
“Hmm?”
“I want to wear the fuzzy slippers with the little rabbits.”
She raised her chin, pointing in the direction of the shoe cabinet.
…She was really drunk, yet still remembered which slippers she wanted to wear.
Xie Qichen recalled she had brought a pair of rabbit slippers when she first moved in. He got up to fetch them, and reluctantly put them on her, “Be a good girl and sit still.”
Wen Cheng, standing nearby, couldn’t help but marvel inwardly.
This was the first time he had seen his boss, who was ruthless and cold-blooded in business dealings, being so indulgent toward a girl.
Seeing Xie Qichen help her put on the shoes, Wen Cheng handed over the hangover remedy and lemon water, wisely deciding not to linger, “Mr. Xie, I’ll go back first.”
The man nodded slightly, “Alright, you’ve worked hard today. Come back to work tomorrow afternoon.”
Wen Cheng’s heart blossomed with joy, “Okay.”
Then he quickly left.
After changing shoes, Xie Qichen took Tan Mo into the living room and had her sit on the sofa.
The overhead chandelier cast a soft glow, leaving only the two of them in the villa.
Tan Mo sat on the sofa, hugging a pillow, her head drooping onto it, “I’m sleepy.”
Xie Qichen half-squatted in front of her, handing her some warm water:
“Drink a few sips first.”
“I don’t want to.”
“If you don’t drink, I’ll throw you out and let you sleep outside tonight.”
Tan Mo, like a child, was genuinely frightened and took the water, slowly sipping a few times.
Xie Qichen recalled when Tan Mo was in high school, once she had also been disobedient and gone drinking with classmates, and after getting drunk, she had been just as mischievous.
He sighed, “How old are you now? Still as disobedient as before.”
“Why should I listen to you?”
Tan Mo glared at him, pouting, “I hate you.”
“Why?”
Tan Mo hiccupped, tearfully spilling drunken words, “I just hate you. I was nice and cooked for you, but you criticized it as tasting bad…”
Xie Qichen was surprised, “When did I ever criticize you?”
“You hired a chef to cook for you and said I would blow up the kitchen.”
She cried, “I might be a bit clumsy at cooking, but you mocked me, making me feel so embarrassed.”
Xie Qichen was charmed by her, “Stupid girl, who said I criticized you?”
“Anyway, you hate me. You even wanted to throw me out just now…”
She accused him one by one, “Before, you said that ten of me wouldn’t be worth as much as your vase, and no one wanted me, waaahhh…”
The man chuckled, “You’re really drunk? How come you remember something I said so long ago?”
He gently rubbed her head, softly coaxing her by her ear:
“Who said no one wants you?”
“Really…?”
“Really.”
Tan Mo puffed her cheeks, letting them droop, “Then you’re such a good person… My parents didn’t want me from the moment I was born.”
This was the first time since returning to the country that Xie Qichen had heard her mention her parents voluntarily. He knew this was a painful wound she kept buried deep inside, rarely sharing it with anyone, only revealing it when she was drunk.
He looked at her, his heart aching as he softly said:
“It was their problem, they didn’t know how to cherish you.”
Tan Mo looked up at him.
“Jiaojiao is so good, who could possibly give you up, right?”
The girl didn’t seem to understand completely, but slowly nodded. She was coaxed into drinking a bit more water. After a while, Xie Qichen saw her looking drowsy:
“Go upstairs to sleep now, okay?”
“Okay, sleep…”
He picked her up and carried her upstairs. Passing his room, she pointed, “I want to sleep in this one.”
The man’s eyes darkened slightly, “Are you sure?”
“I want to sleep here, this is my room…”
She insisted on taking over his room, so the man had no choice but to open the door and carry her inside.
Since they started living together, the girl rarely entered his bedroom, usually standing outside if she had something to tell him. Who would have thought the first time she came in, it would be like this.
Finally, Tan Mo was placed in the center of the gray-blue large bed.
The girl’s jet-black hair, like dark clouds, spread over her snow-white neck, her skin as smooth as congealed fat, glowing white in the night, her cheeks flushed like peaches from the alcohol.
Truly like a beauty described by a poet, her delicate, translucent lips like red silk, her fair, smooth skin exuding a sweet, snowy fragrance.
His gaze lingered on her red lips glistening with moisture.
That special memory from that night surged back into the man’s mind.
Tan Mo lay flat on the bed, Xie Qichen propped himself up, staring at her. After a while, his fingertip wiped away the water droplets at the corner of her lips, his burning black eyes meeting her half-lidded gaze nearby. His throat tightened, “Tan Mo, look at me.”
She opened her half-closed eyes.
“Do you recognize me now?”
She focused her gaze on his face, as if trying to identify him. A few seconds later, she softly murmured:
“You’re Xie Qichen…”
Good, not completely drunk after all.
Tan Mo raised her hand, hooking her arms around his neck, trying to pull him closer, “Let’s sleep…”
The girl’s faint breath, mixed with the scent of alcohol, continuously broke through his suppressed restraint. Xie Qichen’s hot palm gripped her hand, turning his head, his thin lips brushing against her ear, emitting a scorching breath. His voice was low and hoarse:
“Don’t tease me, or I’ll discipline you.”
Tan Mo half-reclined in his arms, made a few soft sounds, and gradually quieted down.
Xie Qichen saw her close her eyes and fall asleep.
Even though the fire had already reached his throat, even though he wanted to press her onto the bed and kiss her fiercely, he still restrained himself, unwilling to take advantage of her vulnerable state.
A little slower, wait a bit longer. He wanted to give her enough time, let her gradually fall for him, let everything happen naturally and mutually.
—
The night passed, and Tan Mo slept soundly.
The next day, the sun rose, casting light into the room.
Tan Mo turned over, wrapping herself and the blanket into a ball, slowly waking from her sleep.
Along with the throbbing pain in her head, as if struck by a blunt object, Tan Mo slowly opened her eyes, finding herself in an unfamiliar environment.
She blinked sleepily, trying to figure out, “Where am I…”
A deep male voice came from the front of the room—
“You tell me where you are.”
Tan Mo was startled, sitting up abruptly from the bed. She saw Xie Qichen sitting on the leather sofa across the bed in the large bedroom, fully dressed, working on his laptop.
“Xie Qichen… Why are you here?!”
The man slightly raised his eyebrows, smiling:
“Is there a problem with me being in my own bedroom?”
Tan Mo’s gaze swept around, suddenly realizing this was indeed his room. Her mind suddenly clicked, confused and upset, “How come I’m sleeping in your room…”
“You shouldn’t ask yourself? Who insisted on sleeping here?”
Tan Mo: ?!?
“Do you need me to help you recall what you did last night?”
Tan Mo vaguely remembered drinking too much at the KTV last night, and later Xie Qichen came to take her home. But she couldn’t remember anything specific. She bit her lip lightly, embarrassed to ask, “Then… where did you sleep?”
Xie Qichen stood up and walked to her bedside, half-leaning over to look at her: “Where else would I sleep if not in my own bed?”
!!!
So they had shared the bed last night…
She shrank back, pressing against the headboard, her face suddenly flushed to her ears, her whole body heating up as if she might turn into steam. Then a soft laugh suddenly fell from above.
Hmm…
His tone was serious:
“Just teasing you, I slept on the sofa.”
“Ah?”
“I originally wanted to sleep in the guest room. But do certain people know how many times I picked her up from the floor last night?”
“…”
Tan Mo, whose sleeping posture was terrible, fell silent.
If Xie Qichen hadn’t been watching her in the room last night, she would have slept on the floor all night and definitely caught a chill when she woke up in the morning.
Tan Mo felt awkward, “I’m sorry, I got too drunk last night and caused you trouble…”
He heard her polite apology, his tone cooling slightly as he smiled, “Don’t you need to compensate me for the mental distress?”
She took him seriously, naively asking, “How much compensation do I need to give?”
As soon as the words fell, her head was tapped. She looked at him angrily and confusedly. The man looked down at her:
“Does your head hurt?”
“A little…”
“You know you can’t hold your liquor, yet you still went out drinking?”
“Last night I was just accompanying Ji Shu to have dinner with a CEO. We talked quite happily, and then we went to KTV to sing. I couldn’t help but have a little drink.”
Xie Qichen’s expression darkened further upon hearing this, “A CEO?”
“Yeah, she’s really nice and quite young,” thinking of Feng Zhi, she couldn’t help but want to share with Xie Qichen, “From what Ji Shu said, she’s in new media, owns several companies, and built everything herself. I really admire her.”
Xie Qichen looked at her starry-eyed expression, his face darkening slightly, his lips pressed into a straight line, “How young is she?”
“She’s probably in her early forties.”
“Alright. You say she’s young at forty, and you say I’m almost half-dead at thirty.”
“…”
Tan Mo couldn’t help but smile, “I was just teasing you. That Madam Feng is indeed impressive. She even invited me to visit her home sometime in the evening to chat.”
“Do you really plan to go?”
“If I have time, I can definitely chat with her. After all, I’m also in self-media. I can go to her for some advice.”
Xie Qichen’s black eyes darkened completely. He leaned forward, his hands braced on either side of her:
“Mrs. Xie, do you think it’s appropriate to go to a man’s house late at night?”
Trapped in his arms, Tan Mo’s face flushed slightly, weakly speaking up:
“That Madam Feng is a woman.”
“…”
The room suddenly fell silent.
Tan Mo was surprised, so he thought she was talking about a man at first?
Two seconds later, Xie Qichen spoke, his tone calm: “If you really want to go next time, I’ll drive you there, but no drinking.”
She nodded, “Okay…”
She thought of something and softly added, “Oh, did I say anything weird after getting drunk last night? I must have just been babbling nonsense. Don’t take it seriously.”
Xie Qichen scoffed, “I wish it were true.”
She didn’t hear clearly, “What?”
He didn’t say anything else, “Hurry up and get ready, come downstairs for breakfast.”
“Okay.”
Tan Mo returned to her own bedroom first to take a shower and wash off the smell of alcohol.
After showering, she picked up her phone, which had been charging on the bedside table. It had shut down last night due to no power.
After turning it on, Ji Shu’s message popped up, sent last night: [Jiaojiao, are you home? You probably didn’t see my message since you were so drunk.]
Tan Mo called her back, and the other side answered quickly: “Awake? Just saw the message?”
“Yeah…”
She held her forehead, “I didn’t feel like I drank that much last night. How come I blacked out?”
Ji Shu laughed, “So you really don’t remember what you did last night?”
“…” She felt a bit scared by what Ji Shu said.
Tan Mo kept asking what she had done, and Ji Shu answered, “After you left, I don’t know. Anyway, when Xie Qichen came to pick you up, you were shouting that you wanted to find a man.”
What the hell?! What was she saying!
“Actually, it’s fine. Isn’t Xie Qichen your so-called man? I wonder if you two had a passionate encounter after he took you back home?”
Tan Mo blushed, “No way! He was very gentlemanly and didn’t do anything!”
Hearing the gossipy laugh on the other end, Tan Mo angrily hung up the call, trying to cool down the heat on her face.
Xie Qichen, who was so cold and indifferent, would definitely remain unmoved in front of any woman!
Walking out the door, the housekeeper cleaning upstairs saw her and greeted respectfully, “Madam, the master is already downstairs. He asked you to come down for breakfast.”
“Okay.”
She went downstairs into the living room and saw Xie Qichen. She nervously tightened her palms and sat opposite him.
The man looked up, giving her a glance, “Drink the hangover soup first. The auntie made it for you.”
“Okay.”
At this moment, the man was sitting across from her, making her slightly nervous:
“Don’t you have to go to the group today?”
“Not until this afternoon.”
She nodded, drank the hangover soup, and started eating breakfast. After a while, she heard the calm voice from across:
“I didn’t dislike your cooking. What I said about you that day was a joke, but my words were inappropriate. I hired a chef simply because I was afraid you’d get too tired, having to cook three meals a day by yourself.”
Tan Mo looked at him in confusion. The man was cutting his steak, lifting his gaze to meet hers: “You said that last night.”
“…”
What else had she told him last night?!
Tan Mo’s cheeks flushed slightly as she shook her head, “It’s okay… no need to apologize. My cooking really wasn’t that good. It’s normal for you to think that way. But recently, I’ve been learning from a master chef. The chef you hired is amazing.”
“Then let me taste it next time, okay?”
Hearing him say that, the girl’s almond eyes sparkled with delight, “Then someone will have a real treat.”
Xie Qichen suppressed the curve of his lips, “You really can’t stay humble for more than three seconds.”
“Can’t I…”
—
In early January, after another snowfall, the temperature in Licheng hovered around zero degrees.
Tan Mo’s final exam for this semester was at the end of the month. In the middle of the month, she had already entered the review phase.
This was the last final exam of her college career. Although there weren’t many texts to review, failing could cause graduation issues. Tan Mo’s grades had always been in the top three of her department. Her diligent preparation wasn’t just to avoid failing but to win a scholarship.
So in the middle of the month, she mentioned to Xie Qichen her plan to move back to the dormitory for two weeks and return after the final exams.
After hearing this, the man’s expression was unreadable: “You have to live in the dormitory? Isn’t the villa quite close to the school?”
She pouted: “But living on campus is more convenient. I won’t have to commute back and forth every day, saving a lot of time.”
“I can have the driver pick you up and drop you off every day.”
“No, that would still be too troublesome.”
The man continued to focus on his work, and a few seconds later, his thin lips coldly uttered: “You decide for yourself.”
“Okay.”
Tan Mo happily walked out of the study, “Then I’ll go pack my luggage first!”
Xie Qichen: “…”
Not a second was wasted.
The next morning, the driver hired by the family drove Tan Mo to school. Before leaving, the man coldly reminded her: “Wear more warm clothes. Don’t go to any strange places with your classmates at night. Call me if anything happens.”
“I know.”
Why was this person more talkative than her parents?
She pulled open the car door to get in when Xie Qichen suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her in front of him.
They stood very close, their breaths mingling. The man lowered his dark, shining eyes to stare at her, his Adam’s apple rolling: “Isn’t there something you should say to me?”
? What should she say?
Tan Mo politely raised her fists in a bow: “The weather is cold. I hope Master Xie takes good care of yourself. If we meet again someday, we shall cherish each other.”
Xie Qichen: “…”
In the end, Tan Mo left mercilessly in the car.
Wen Cheng, who had witnessed the entire scene, stood behind Xie Qichen, looking at his boss’s gloomy expression, trying to comfort him:
“Mr. Xie, even though the madam has gone to school, I believe she definitely… definitely also has feelings for you…”
The man glanced at him sideways: “Wen Cheng, when your mouth can’t speak properly, there’s still the option to keep it shut.”
Wen Cheng: “…”
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