Upon hearing that, Tan Mo was so shocked that her mind went blank. She quickly said, “You… you shouldn’t joke like that…”
Who in their right mind would believe such a thing…
Could this person please stop making such jokes…
Xie Qichen looked at the girl’s blushing face and a smile flickered in his eyes. After a few seconds, he calmly said, “Actually, my mother strongly opposes arranged marriages. She and my father got married for business reasons and had a very unhappy marriage filled with constant arguments. Therefore, she firmly opposes me following their path. Plus, her health isn’t great, and I don’t want her to worry, so I told her that we were already in love.”
Yang Xialan didn’t know that they had agreed to a two-year marriage contract and thought they were genuinely in love.
After hearing this, Tan Mo was troubled and said, “But… what if your mother misunderstands now…”
“It’s okay. Then we’ll just pretend in front of her for now.”
“Eh? How do we pretend?”
“Act like we’re deeply in love.”
Tan Mo was stunned.
He looked at her and chuckled softly, “At least we should seem harmonious, right?”
“Um…” Tan Mo’s cheeks flushed red.
They were supposed to act happily married in front of his mother without any psychological preparation—this was too sudden, wailing inwardly…
“Hey, you two, are you coming in or whispering secrets?” Yang Xialan’s laughter came from the villa entrance.
Xie Qichen responded, and Tan Mo reluctantly followed him into the villa.
While changing shoes at the entrance, Yang Xialan admired the warm interior decoration and couldn’t help but praise, “This must be the decorating style that Mo Mo likes, making it feel like a real home. It’s much better than the cold black, white, and grey style that Achen used to live in.”
“Yes, it was designed according to her preferences,” Xie Qichen replied.
Tan Mo quietly asked him in surprise, “How did you know what style I like?”
The man slightly raised his eyebrows, “Guessed.”
“…”
This person was so annoying.
Dinner was already prepared. Considering Yang Xialan’s health, the dishes were relatively light but still delicious.
During the meal, Xie Qichen served Yang Xialan some dishes, but she declined, “You don’t need to take care of me. Serve more food to Mo Mo. Look how thin you’ve made your wife, she’s too skinny.”
“Cough cough cough!”
Tan Mo choked on those two words. Xie Qichen handed her a napkin, his voice slightly concealing a smile, “Can’t you eat slower?”
“…”
Then he served her dishes, stacking her bowl into a small mountain and still asked, “Enough? Do you want anything else?”
This person wanted to stuff her to death!
Tan Mo kicked him under the table and forced a smile, “No thanks, I can manage by myself.”
Yang Xialan thought they were just flirting and urged Tan Mo to eat more.
Adhering to the principle of not wasting food and with Yang Xialan present, Tan Mo eventually forced herself to finish the food in her bowl, nearly turning her stomach into a ball.
After dinner, Tan Mo went to the kitchen to cut oranges. After a while, she looked up and saw the man walking in, then lowered her head and continued cutting.
She forcefully sliced the oranges in half and divided them into slices.
Juice splashed everywhere, making the scene quite intense.
The man leaned against the counter watching her actions and chuckled softly, “Why does it feel like you’re not cutting oranges but cutting me?”
Tan Mo smiled at him, “If you think so, it’s fine too.”
He laughed, “Still angry? I just wanted you to eat more.”
She glared at him, “Eat more? You wanted to stuff me to death.”
“You’ve always eaten so little, even back in high school.”
Tan Mo recalled that before she met Xie Qichen in high school, she was as thin as a bamboo pole and not very attractive. Later, Xie Qichen often took her out to eat, gradually increasing her appetite, and her weight slowly increased.
“Ever since back then, you liked forcing me to eat more. Today, I almost threw up.”
Bringing up the past, Xie Qichen leaned closer to her, his eyes curving slightly, “Don’t be angry anymore, okay? Brother apologizes to you.”
The long-forgotten term of endearment reached her ears, and Tan Mo felt her earlobes as if gently pinched by a warm hand. She tightened her grip on the orange and stiffened her face, “Wait for it. Tomorrow I’ll serve you some dishes.”
He smiled, “Okay.”
As she was about to continue cutting, the shadow of the tall man fell over the cutting board. He took the knife from her hand, “Let me cut. Be careful not to hurt your hands.”
Their fingers accidentally touched, like sparks flying from flint.
Tan Mo withdrew her hand and stood aside, “I make food videos for a living. Do you doubt my knife skills?”
“I just don’t want to eat bloody oranges later.”
“Hey, do you have to be so graphic…”
Tan Mo and Xie Qichen brought the cut fruit to the living room. That night, the sky outside was clear and not too cold. The three of them ate the fruit and decided to go out for a walk along the riverside of the villa area.
A gentle cold breeze brushed their faces, and the river reflected the neon lights on both banks, shimmering beautifully.
On the way, Tan Mo received a call from her graduation advisor and walked aside. Xie Qichen accompanied Yang Xialan walking slowly ahead.
Yang Xialan was concerned about her son’s career, “How do you feel about taking over Aochuang recently? I heard that the domestic drone industry is developing rapidly now.”
“The prospects are good. Aochuang is currently facing an important transition period. On one hand, it needs to expand upward, becoming more applicable in professional fields like agriculture or public safety. On the other hand, it needs to popularize downward, making drones ordinary products for more consumers.”
“Yes, the current domestic market demand for drones isn’t high, as flight regulations are still quite strict, and there’s genuinely not much need.”
“Right, so while gradually expanding the market, I want to let users or companies who need drones consider Aochuang first. This year, Aochuang will focus on technological research and development. Without keeping up technologically, nothing else matters. However, implementing reforms will face significant resistance.”
“That’s normal. New leaders often face disbelief at first. Once you achieve results, people will recognize you. Mom believes in your abilities. After all, you’re my beloved son, definitely inheriting my intelligence.”
“You’re complimenting yourself.”
Yang Xialan laughed and patted his shoulder, then casually changed the topic, “By the way, how is your father’s health now?”
Although Yang Xialan and Xie Wenzong had parted ways due to emotional incompatibility long ago, after so many years, she no longer held any resentment towards him, leaving only the relationship of “the child’s father/mother.”
“He’s been overworked for a long time and is currently recuperating. His heart isn’t in good condition either.”
“Sigh, why did he work so hard when he was young? There’s not much time left in old age to enjoy life,” Yang Xialan sighed, “I’ve realized now that living healthily and happily is most important. You should remember that too. Don’t always be busy with work; spend more time with Mo Mo.”
“Okay.”
“What about that younger son of Zhen Mei? Is he still in a coma?”
Xie Siyuan’s body hadn’t recovered since the incident, and the police investigation had been ongoing but with no progress yet. Xie Qichen appeared indifferent on the surface but was secretly conducting his own investigation, suspecting that this might involve a more complex situation behind the scenes.
Yang Xialan sighed, “It’s indeed unfortunate for this child, but his mother actually suspects you did it. What a thing to say! I at least helped Xie Wenzong have his first son. She, being a later addition to the family, dares to say you’re not a Xie and acts so defiantly in front of you.”
The man chuckled lightly, “Isn’t that just like her?”
“It’s just about Aochuang. She thinks everyone is as desperately protective as her. With your current overseas assets, you’re not worse off than the Xie family.”
As the mother and son chatted, they turned around and saw Tan Mo quietly following behind.
“Ah, you were too busy talking with me and left Mo Mo behind,” Yang Xialan said.
The man lightly grabbed Tan Mo’s wrist and pulled her beside him, “What are you doing, being a little follower?”
Tan Mo’s face slightly reddened as she smiled faintly, “It’s okay. I just felt that you and your mom were having a good conversation, so I didn’t want to interrupt.”
Yang Xialan patted her head, “We’re family. There’s no such thing as interrupting.”
They reached the riverside, and Yang Xialan leaned on the railing, saying to them, “Achen, Mo Mo, let’s take a photo together.”
Yang Xialan raised her phone, with Tan Mo standing in the middle. Yang Xialan held her arm, and then she felt the man on the other side leaning closer, as if pulling her into his arms. Tan Mo’s heart rippled, and she tightened her scarf, looking at the camera and genuinely smiling slightly.
The cold wind was bleak, but at that moment, it became exceptionally gentle.
After taking the photo, Yang Xialan happily sent the picture to the two of them, “This is our first family photo. Let’s take one every year from now on.”
Upon hearing that, Tan Mo was slightly taken aback, feeling a gaze seemingly landing on her, making her heart flutter.
Considering it was too cold outside, the three didn’t walk for long and soon returned to the villa.
“Indeed, it’s much more comfortable indoors. The winters in Licheng are getting colder and colder…”
Entering the entrance, Yang Xialan took off her coat.
Tan Mo took off her high heels that had been hurting her feet. The villa was especially warm inside, and the floor felt warm. She liked the feeling of walking barefoot on the floor. Just as she was about to walk in, her collar was grabbed.
“Put on your slippers.”
She turned to look at Xie Qichen, displeased, “The room has heating. It’s not cold…”
Facing Xie Qichen’s expressionless face, Tan Mo had no choice but to obediently put on the slippers, “Fine.”
Why was this person sometimes acting like an old father.
Yang Xialan watched and laughed beside them.
This was the first time she had seen her son caring about a girl like this. Before, she had thought he might remain single for life.
Good, very good.
It seemed the two kids had a pretty stable relationship.
After entering the house, Xie Qichen and Tan Mo brought Yang Xialan upstairs to put away their luggage.
Passing by Xie Qichen’s bedroom, Yang Xialan glanced at it, naturally assuming it was their master bedroom. However, seeing the room next door filled with various items belonging to Tan Mo, she felt puzzled, “Does someone usually live in this room?”
“That…”
Tan Mo, fearing exposure, made up an excuse, “No, this is my studio where I edit videos, so I keep some of my stuff here.”
“Oh, I see.”
Yang Xialan didn’t suspect anything and finally stayed in a guest room on the same floor. After she went to rest, Tan Mo quietly nagged at Xie Qichen, “What should we do? I suddenly forgot that we’re supposed to sleep separately at night. What if we get caught?”
He looked down at her with a smile and asked in return, “What do you think we should do?”
Tan Mo thought hard for a while, “Maybe I can go to my room to sleep a bit later tonight and get up early tomorrow. That way, mom probably won’t know.”
“Okay, that should work.”
“Then I’m going to take a shower.”
Tan Mo returned to her bedroom, while Xie Qichen went to handle some work. After she finished showering, it was only eight o’clock, so she went downstairs to film a cooking video.
When one is busy, time passes quickly.
At around midnight, Tan Mo finally finished filming and tiredly turned off the camera.
So sleepy…
She yawned, feeling like she was about to collapse.
Leaning against the wall, she sleepily walked upstairs to her bedroom. Just as she opened the door, the door across the hallway happened to open.
Yang Xialan, who had come out for a glass of water, saw Tan Mo:
“Mo Mo, you’re not asleep yet?”
“Mom, I’m about to go to sleep.”
Tan Mo’s eyes were half-closed as she was about to enter her room when Yang Xialan’s surprised voice came from behind:
“You’re not going back to the master bedroom to sleep with Achen tonight?”
Tan Mo’s eyes widened in shock, instantly waking up.
Oh no, how could she forget this!
She stood frozen, wondering how to cover up the lie, when the next moment, the neighboring door opened—
Xie Qichen came out.
The man was wearing a black robe, just out of the shower. Droplets rolled down his neatly cropped black hair, disappearing into his pale collarbone, exuding a sensual allure that seemed to invite breaking his self-restraint.
He walked to Tan Mo’s side and looked at Yang Xialan, “Mom, it’s okay. I just made Mo Mo upset, so she’s refusing to sleep with me tonight.”
Tan Mo: ???
She was shocked when she saw the man grasp her wrist and look down at her:
“Stop being angry. Come back to the room with me, okay?”
Yang Xialan smiled knowingly, “You two quickly go to sleep. Achen, remember to properly comfort Mo Mo and don’t make her angry.”
What…
Tan Mo was completely stunned and finally blushed as she was pulled into Xie Qichen’s bedroom.
The man closed the door, and Tan Mo looked at him, her heart racing, “How did you just happen to come out…”
“If I didn’t come out, you were about to be caught.”
The girl hadn’t expected the situation to change so quickly. Her cheeks were as hot as steamed buns fresh out of the steamer, “Then what do we do now? Should I go back later?”
“Go back again?”
Her mind was spinning, “Then what should I do…”
“What else can we do.”
His gaze lowered, and his gravelly, deep voice brushed past her ear, “Sleep in my room tonight.”
Only a bedside lamp was on in the room, casting a softly glowing light.
The man stood in front of her, his fresh mint scent mingling with a strong masculine aura, pressing against every inch of her skin, radiating heat, nearly stealing every breath from her.
Hearing his words, Tan Mo’s face flushed red, “Sleep in your room…”
“Why are you nervous? It’s not like you’ve never done it before.”
Back then, when she was drunk, she had even boasted about wanting to take over his bed.
But now, when she was sober, why did it feel the same as before?
Xie Qichen turned and walked inside, picking up a towel from the table to dry his black hair. He noticed she was still standing there.
“Are you planning to stand by the door all night?”
“…”
Forget it, why be so fussy. Just pretend she’s staying over at his place for the night.
Tan Mo calmly walked in, went to the sofa, grabbed a blanket from the chair at the foot of the bed, and obediently said, “Then I’ll sleep on the sofa tonight.”
Xie Qichen looked at her, “Sleep on the bed. You’ll catch a chill over there.”
She quickly shook her head, lay down on the sofa, and covered herself tightly with a blanket, leaving only her round, almond-shaped eyes peeking out. Blinking twice, she said,
“I’m not cold. I’m fine like this.”
Xie Qichen looked at the girl’s adorable appearance, tilted his head and smiled. Then he placed the towel down and walked toward her.
In a daze, she saw him kneel in front of her and, in the next moment, wrap the blanket around her and lift her up into his arms, firmly carrying her toward the bed.
Tan Mo’s mind went blank: “Xie Qichen…”
Her soft voice slid out between her teeth, sounding as if she were coquettishly pouting.
Then she felt her back press against the soft mattress. As she struggled to get up, her wrists were firmly pinned to the bed.
The man looked down at her up-close features, swallowed hard, and spoke in a low, husky voice that hinted at something:
“Move again, and I’ll get into bed.”
Tan Mo’s long eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings, strongly feeling the scorching heat approaching her.
This was a magnetic field of desire between mature men and women, needing no explicit explanation.
Tan Mo blushed from her face down to her pale neck, as if kissed and sucked on. A few seconds later, the man released her hands and spoke again: “You sleep in the bed. I’ll go to the sofa.”
She mumbled softly:
“Okay…”
Xie Qichen went to the wardrobe and fetched another quilt, lay on the sofa, then turned his head to look at her:
“For the days my mom is here, we’ll sleep like this. That way, you don’t have to wake up early in the morning.”
Better safe than sorry; it seemed this was the most secure method.
Tan Mo nodded, “Then I’ll turn off the light?”
“Okay.”
The room dimmed, leaving only the bright moonlight pouring in.
It was the first time Tan Mo had lain awake on Xie Qichen’s bed. Her nose was filled with the familiar sandalwood scent, as if she were being embraced by him.
Once again alone in the same room with him, how could she possibly feel sleepy?
After tossing and turning for a long time, she couldn’t fall asleep and softly called out, “Xie Qichen, are you asleep?”
The man, with his eyes closed and one arm resting behind his head, replied in a calm voice:
“Mm-hmm.”
She pouted, “Hmm, does that mean you’re asleep or not…”
“If I were asleep, could I still respond to you?”
Tan Mo sensed the tiredness in his voice and didn’t speak again. But after a while, Xie Qichen spoke again: “Want to talk? I’ll keep you company.”
“Will you wake up on time tomorrow? You still need to go to the group company.”
“For me now, putting you to sleep is more important.”
Upon hearing his words, Tan Mo’s cheeks felt as if they had been poked with a hot stick. Thinking about how relaxed and comfortable Xie Qichen usually was with his mother, she said:
“Xie Qichen, it seems like you and your mom have such a great relationship. I really envy you.”
She had always found it hard to act freely and childishly in front of her parents.
Xie Qichen guessed her thoughts and gently said:
“Don’t envy. From now on, she will be your mom too.”
His words struck a chord in Tan Mo’s heart, but she quickly recovered.
He probably meant within the next two years, after all, their engagement was only supposed to last two years.
Turning toward his direction, she thought of something and said: “I plan to cook a full meal for my mom tomorrow. What do you think?”
“She’s not in good health. Take it easy.”
“Eh, are my cooking skills really that terrible?!” Tan Mo was unhappy. “Actually, I talked a lot with my mom today about making cooking videos. I thought I should still cook a meal for her. Don’t worry, I do have a few dishes I can confidently serve. I’ll have the chef nearby to supervise.”
Xie Qichen agreed: “Mom privately praised you today, saying you’re very filial.”
“Really?”
“Mm-hmm, she really likes you.”
Hearing the praise, Tan Mo couldn’t help but feel happy: “I feel that as our parents grow older, we should try our best to be good to them.”
“When you have time, you can also invite your parents to the villa for a meal. Since they haven’t met my mom yet, having them come to the villa will also prevent you from seeing Tan Zhiwan.”
He had indeed thought things through thoroughly for her.
“Okay, I’ll ask them when I have the chance.”
Tan Mo yawned: “I’m getting sleepy…”
“Then go to sleep.”
She turned over, drowsily murmuring: “Xie Qichen, good night.”
The man looked at the sleeping girl on the bed, his eyes softening: “Mm-hmm, good night.”
—
Because she had gone to bed late and didn’t set an alarm, the next day Tan Mo woke up naturally, and it was already past nine o’clock when she awoke.
Waking up in Xie Qichen’s bed, she saw that the sofa was empty—he must have already gone to the group company.
Since there were elders at home, Tan Mo hurriedly got up and returned to her own bathroom to wash up.
Finally, she walked to the second-floor living room and saw Yang Xialan drinking tea and reading by the floor-to-ceiling window. She quickly greeted her: “Mom, good morning.”
“You’re up. Come, have breakfast.”
Tan Mo sat beside her: “Sorry, Mom. I slept pretty late last night. Have you eaten?”
“I have,” Yang Xialan smiled even more warmly upon hearing Tan Mo’s words. “It’s okay. It’s normal for young people to stay up late. You and Achen made up last night, right?”
Meeting Yang Xialan’s meaningful smile, Tan Mo suddenly realized her mother-in-law might have misunderstood something. Her hand almost shook as she held the soy milk cup, her cheeks reddening:
“W-We made up…”
“Couples always quarrel and make up. If Achen did something wrong, you can tell me, and I’ll help you discipline him.”
Tan Mo shyly lowered her head and bit into her sandwich:
“Okay…”
After breakfast, Tan Mo listed the dishes she planned to cook that day. Besides her signature home-style dishes, she also wanted to cook a nourishing soup for Yang Xialan.
In the afternoon, the housemaid went to the supermarket to buy all the ingredients Tan Mo needed, and she began preparing.
Since she wanted to express her sincerity by doing it herself, the chef only stood by to guide her.
In fact, she really enjoyed cooking; it was a pleasure for her.
Unknowingly, the sunlight pouring into the room turned into the orange-yellow hue of the setting sun.
At six o’clock, the Rolls-Royce returned and parked in the villa’s garage.
Xie Qichen got out of the car and walked into the entrance hall, where the maid greeted him: “Sir, you’re back.”
“Where is Mo Mo?”
Every day when Xie Qichen came home, his first question was about Tan Mo.
The maid smiled: “Madam is in the kitchen preparing dinner. She says she wants to show off her cooking skills tonight.”
Xie Qichen’s eyes curved into a slight smile, “Didn’t she blow up the kitchen today?”
“No, madam’s cooking skills have improved a lot recently.”
Xie Qichen walked in and saw Tan Mo bringing the dishes to the dining table. Yang Xialan was also there helping: “Slow down, let me help you, dear.”
The scene exuded a warm, homely atmosphere.
The two turned their heads and saw the man standing there, smiling at them without speaking.
“You’re back? Go wash your hands and eat. Today, Mo Mo has prepared a full table of delicious dishes for us. Come and taste them.”
“Is that so?”
Meeting the man’s slightly raised eyebrows and teasing gaze, Tan Mo lifted her chin: “I cooked these for Mom, not for you.”
Yang Xialan smiled at Xie Qichen: “But I allow you to sneak a bite.”
A smile curved on Xie Qichen’s lips: “Then I’m lucky to share.”
Yang Xialan and Xie Qichen sat at the dining table while Tan Mo brought out the soup she had stewed in a clay pot for two hours: “Ta-da! This is the highlight—”
Yang Xialan was surprised: “What is this?”
“This is what the chef taught me today. It’s a stewed dove soup with Eucommia bark and Codonopsis root, especially nourishing. Mom, since you have high blood pressure, I looked it up and found it can help relieve hypertension and regulate blood sugar.”
“That’s great. It looks delicious too.”
Smiling, Tan Mo served a bowl for Yang Xialan, then turned to Xie Qichen: “Should I serve you a bowl too?”
“No need. Just serve yourself.”
“Why? The flavor is quite good.”
The man had always disliked drinking such soups that looked oily and greasy. yet he didn’t want to disappoint the girl’s efforts, so he gently said: “These nourishing soups are better left for mom to drink more of. I don’t need any.”
“The chef said this soup is very nutritious, not just for the elderly. You can drink it too!”
Fearing he wouldn’t believe her, she even took out her phone: “I just searched online and found that this soup can strengthen the stomach, build physical strength, relieve fatigue and stress, and even has benefits for kidney health and vitality…”
Tan Mo slowly realized what she had just read aloud, her voice abruptly stopping in her throat.
Oh no, what had she just mentioned!!
Her face turned red, and she was so embarrassed she froze.
Hearing this, Yang Xialan turned her head toward the slightly thin Xie Qichen. Instantly understanding what her daughter-in-law was implying, she directly pushed the entire pot of dove soup toward Xie Qichen:
“Son, don’t argue. This whole pot is yours today.”
Xie Qichen: “…?”
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