Time rewinds to a little past six in the evening, as a Rolls-Royce pulls into the parking lot of the department store.
The back door opens and Xie Qichen steps out.
His phone rings from inside his pocket. The man answers the call and walks forward, saying, “…Yeah, I’m here. Where are you?”
Two minutes later, inside the upscale restaurant on the top floor of the department store, a waiter pushes open the private room door. Those inside turn their heads and, seeing Xie Qichen arrive, the atmosphere instantly ignites:
“Finally, our most important guest has arrived!”
“Qichen, we’ve been waiting for you forever!”
“Can’t you guys see? You should be calling him President Xie now, hahahahaha!”
“President Xie, after being overseas for years, have you forgotten all of us? Don’t tell me you’ve completely cut us off!”
Xie Qichen looks at them, a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. “Didn’t forget. Still full of nonsense, I see.”
Laughter continues as the group invites Xie Qichen inside. Someone turns their attention to Song Ranxia:
“Qichen, Song Goddess is back today. Haven’t you two seen each other in a while?”
The woman sitting in the middle, wearing a red dress, stands up, her eyes meeting Xie Qichen’s with a charming smile:
“Qichen, it’s been a long time.”
Xie Qichen looks at her and replies casually, “Yeah. Back for good now?”
“Yes. My father forced me back to take over the company, so I had to give up developing overseas,” Song Ranxia smiles. “You’re just like me, right? Now you’re the CEO of Aochuang Tech. If possible, we should collaborate more, President Xie.”
“Mm.”
“Enough of you two! Why does this class reunion feel like a business meeting? Can our two big shots not talk business today!”
Song Ranxia laughs. “Alright, alright. Everyone, please sit down.”
Everyone takes their seats around the round table, with the chair next to Song Ranxia left empty, naturally for Xie Qichen.
A guy comments, “It’s hard for us all to get together. Suddenly reminded of our university days. Speaking of which, the most eye-catching among us was definitely Qichen.”
Lu Zian laughs, “Exactly! When we played on the school team with him, our team had way more fans. So many girls chasing after him, but not one managed to get his contact info. Total ice prince.”
Song Ranxia recalls, also smiling, “I remember many girls even came to the computer lab to ask Qichen for his number. Every day I had to help him chase away admirers.”
“Song Goddess, weren’t you also pursued by many?”
“Don’t tease me, Lao Zhang. A year of research overseas made me feel instantly older,” Song Ranxia looks at the man beside her. “But President Xie is still as handsome as ever. Definitely still on many girls’ minds.”
“Of course! Qichen has always been on girls’ minds.”
Xun Huo chuckles meaningfully, “But now, no one dares to think about him anymore—he’s already taken!”
“Wow…”
At this, everyone gets excited: “Never thought Qichen, who kept his distance from women, would come back and get married in a flash!”
“Yeah, Qichen! You didn’t even tell us friends about your big wedding! I didn’t even know who the bride was! Not fair!”
Upon hearing this, Xie Qichen gently strokes his wedding ring and smiles faintly, “Do I need your opinion to marry my wife?”
“Whoa…”
Lu Zian jumps in to explain, “You’ve met her before—Tan Mo, the girl always by Qichen’s side.”
Those unaware are shocked: “What?! Seriously her? I vaguely remember. She was really pretty, but wasn’t she a few years younger than us?”
“Qichen, when are you bringing her out for us to meet? Don’t hide her away!”
The man speaks lightly:
“Another day. When there’s a chance.”
Everyone teases Xie Qichen, until Song Ranxia finally intervenes with a smile:
“Alright, stop teasing the birthday boy today.”
“Birthday boy?!”
“Yes,” Song Ranxia asks Xie Qichen, “Today’s your lunar birthday, right?”
Xie Qichen, who had indeed forgotten, replies, “I usually don’t celebrate.”
“Wow, you even remembered that, Goddess.”
Song Ranxia smiles, “I have many of your birthdays saved in my notes. Haven’t I sent you wishes every time?”
Xun Huo stands up laughing, “Goddess assigned me, and I even bought a birthday cake. So today is a class reunion, a welcome-back party for Goddess, and Qichen’s birthday—three happy occasions!”
“Let’s go,” someone stands up, raising their glass, “First, a toast—to welcome Goddess back! And wish Qichen a happy birthday!”
“Cheers!”
…
The private room is lively, laughter never ceasing. It’s been a while since they’ve gathered, and there’s much to catch up on.
Throughout the dinner, Xie Qichen speaks little, mostly listening quietly. Only when teased does a faint smile appear in his eyes, occasionally responding with a sharp, sarcastic remark.
This is why he always gives off a distant, cold vibe. But everyone’s used to it, knowing he’s never overly proactive or warm toward anyone.
Finally, the cake is brought out, and everyone celebrates his birthday. Though Xie Qichen doesn’t care much for such occasions, he accepts their goodwill and secretly arranges for Wen Cheng to settle the bill.
After several rounds of drinks and a slight buzz, the group isn’t done yet. As they exit the restaurant to the first floor, they discuss continuing the night with karaoke.
Song Ranxia agrees, turning to Xie Qichen:
“Qichen, are you heading home, or coming with us to sing?”
Back to the present moment, this scene happens to be witnessed by Tan Mo, who’s waiting for her ride nearby.
Tan Mo hears Song Ranxia’s question, then sees Xie Qichen say something before walking forward with them.
The group chats and laughs, gradually moving further away.
Their voices slowly fade from Tan Mo’s ears.
Under the streetlight, tiny insects recklessly fly toward the light.
The orange glow falls, illuminating a small, lonely figure.
Tan Mo stands still, slowly loosening her grip on the canvas bag, silently withdrawing her gaze, never finding the courage to call out to Xie Qichen.
It’s been a while since she last saw Song Ranxia. Now, she’s indeed even more beautiful.
Judging by appearances, the classmates haven’t seen each other in ages and must’ve had a great time tonight. Xie Qichen probably went with them to sing…
Tan Mo lowers her dimmed gaze as Ji Shu’s Lamborghini finally arrives.
Getting in the car, Tan Mo casually tells Ji Shu what she just saw. Ji Shu didn’t expect it to be so coincidental but comforts her:
“They’re probably just having a regular class reunion. Maybe when you get home, you’ll see Xie Qichen already there?”
“Mm…”
Eventually, Tan Mo is dropped off at the villa.
After saying goodbye to Ji Shu, she walks into the villa alone, finding it quiet inside, with no sign of anyone returning.
Sure enough, Xie Qichen went with them.
Tan Mo changes into slippers and heads inside, opening her phone. She happens to see a short video Xun Huo posted half an hour ago on WeChat Moments.
Opening it, she sees the scene inside the private room, everyone laughing and chatting, a birthday cake on the table.
They’re happily wishing Xie Qichen a happy birthday, with Song Ranxia sitting beside him, smiling as she sticks in the candles: “Xun Huo, I told you to order a cake, but you got one this small? So little sincerity for Qichen’s birthday?”
Tan Mo is momentarily stunned.
She didn’t expect Song Ranxia also remembered Xie Qichen’s birthday and prepared a cake.
Tan Mo exits Moments, locks her phone screen, and slowly walks to the kitchen.
Opening the fridge, she sees the cake she made that morning.
She designed this cake herself: in the center of light blue cream sprinkled with colorful candy bits is a little white bear made of cream, with a cartoon figure in a black suit standing beside it.
Tan Mo thought of the day she worked part-time at the Aochuang store, dressed as the white bear, meeting Xie Qichen. One represents her, the other him. She even clumsily wrote “Happy Birthday” beneath.
But now, the cream has slightly melted, and the suit figure has fallen over.
The white bear she spent so much time on has its head collapsed, looking particularly dejected.
“It was already ugly. Why is it even uglier now? Way worse than others’ cakes… Wuwuwu…”
Suddenly overwhelmed, she rests her head against the fridge door, her eyes welling up with grievance.
After a while, she wipes away the tears, puts the cake back in the fridge, goes upstairs, curls up on the living room sofa, wraps herself into a ball, and gradually falls asleep.
The villa is silent, devoid of life.
Approaching ten o’clock, the sound of the front door opening finally echoes downstairs.
Xie Qichen returns home.
He notices the dim light upstairs, walks up, and sees the girl curled up on the sofa, asleep, her frame frail.
A slight frown crosses his brow. He walks over, picks up the blanket from the nearby chaise lounge, and covers her with it.
Disturbed by the movement, Tan Mo wakes up, opening her eyes to see Xie Qichen, a flicker of surprise in her gaze.
“You’re back…”
“Mm. Why are you sleeping here? Aren’t you cold?”
Tan Mo sits up, lowering her gaze without looking at him:
“It’s okay. I was just too tired and lay down here for a bit.”
“Sorry for making you wait so long. Something came up tonight, so I came back late. How was the new product tasting you mentioned?”
After leaving the class reunion, he originally wanted to rush back to be with Mo Mo, but received an urgent call from the group requiring his immediate attention. So he went to the office to handle some work before returning.
Upon hearing this, Tan Mo gently shakes her head:
“No worries. I called Ji Shu tonight. We finished everything.”
“Sorry for standing you up tonight. Let me make it up to you another day, okay?” He gently coaxes her.
“Mm…”
Xie Qichen half-squats in front of the sofa, sensing her subdued mood.
“What’s wrong? Not feeling well?”
His gentle words reach her ears, stirring ripples in Tan Mo’s heart. She resists this uncontrollable concern for him.
“It’s nothing. Maybe I’m just a bit tired.”
She looks up at him, lips parting, her voice soft:
“You and Senior Sister Ranxia haven’t seen each other in a while, right?”
“You remember her?”
“Mm…” She pouts slightly, trying to suppress the sourness in her voice, “Did you guys have a good time tonight?”
The man returns with a cup of warm water for her, unconcerned. “Just an ordinary dinner. We hadn’t seen each other in a while.”
“She’s…”
At that moment, Xie Qichen’s phone rings. He takes it out, and Tan Mo catches sight of the name “Song Ranxia” on the screen, her words halting.
Then the man answers the call, walks away to refill the water, his voice calm:
“Yes, anything up?”
A few minutes later, he says, “Got it. Talk later.”
After hanging up, Xie Qichen turns to Tan Mo: “You were saying?”
All the words die on her tongue. The girl shakes her head: “It’s nothing. I think I’ll go rest first.”
Xie Qichen feels puzzled, wanting to ask more, but Tan Mo gets up directly. He pats her head:
“Alright, go to sleep early then.”
Tan Mo gets up, and just before reaching her bedroom door, suddenly turns to look at him:
“Xie Qichen…”
The man lifts his gaze to meet hers: “What is it?”
She suppresses the sense of loss in her heart, slightly lifting her lips into a faint smile:
“Happy birthday.”
Perhaps he doesn’t need the birthday surprise she prepared, since many people celebrated with him. At least he had a happy day, and that’s good enough.
He’s surprised: “You remembered?”
“…Mm.”
He doesn’t know that, in fact, she remembers every year—even more firmly than her own birthday.
Finally, without waiting for him to say anything, Tan Mo returns to her room.
Closing the door, she leans against the wall, staring blankly at the bright moonlight outside the window, letting out a sigh.
–
A cold wind sweeps through. The next morning, fallen leaves cover the ground. Licheng hasn’t entered spring yet, and it’s as cold as an ice cellar.
Last night, Tan Mo tossed and turned, finally falling asleep after two o’clock. She wakes up at ten-something the next morning.
After waking, she processes the events of last night in her mind.
She’s always been like this—her mood settles after a good night’s sleep.
She comforts herself: maybe she’s overthinking a lot of things, and it’s not that big of a deal.
After washing up, she walks out of her room and sees the man sitting on the sofa by the floor-to-ceiling window, reading a magazine, wearing casual home clothes, relaxed and calm.
Hearing her footsteps, he turns his gaze, his eyes meeting hers through his gold-rimmed glasses: “You’re up?”
“Mm,” Tan Mo is momentarily taken aback. “Why aren’t you at the company today…”
“It’s the weekend.”
He calmly counters, “What? Don’t want me home?”
Tan Mo is flustered. “No, I forgot it’s Saturday today.”
“Come downstairs for breakfast first.”
Tan Mo nods and heads downstairs, opening her phone. She receives a message.
Recently, the official D-site for her video updates has a semi-charity, semi-entertainment variety show. Each episode invites several well-known bloggers to travel to unfamiliar places for a week-long journey, mainly involving adventure, sightseeing, food documentation, and local charity work.
This episode, in the food category, invites Tan Mo, hoping she can participate.
After receiving the invitation, Tan Mo calls back and discusses the general itinerary with the production team. This is a rare opportunity, and the show has consistently good reviews. Tan Mo thinks it over and believes it’s a good idea—broadening her horizons, doing charity work, and increasing her visibility. So she agrees.
The other party said they would confirm the details with her in a couple of days, and Tan Mo agreed. After hanging up the phone, she walked into the dining room, where the housemaid approached her and asked, “Madam, what should I do with the cake in the fridge?” Tan Mo hesitated for a moment before recalling the matter, “Well, maybe just leave it for now.” She wasn’t sure how to bring it up at the moment. “Oh, and don’t mention yesterday’s incident to the master,” she added. “Just pretend nothing happened.” The housemaid paused briefly, “Okay…” Tan Mo sat down at the dining table as the housemaid served her breakfast. A while later, Xie Qichen walked in, holding his phone. “On Monday, FG will send someone to the group. You’ll be in charge of the follow-up communication and coordination,” he said. At the mention of “FG,” Tan Mo paused mid-way through lifting her fork. She remembered that it was the name of the company belonging to Song Ranxia’s family. After finishing his call, Xie Qichen noticed her looking at him and asked, “Aochuang is considering collaborating with FG, right?” “We’re still doing due diligence. Nothing’s decided yet,” Xie Qichen replied, sitting down opposite her and accepting the coffee handed to him by the housemaid. “FG belongs to Song Ranxia’s family. They focus on electronic communications and have markets abroad too. There might be potential for collaboration.” She softly replied, “So… did you agree because of Ranxia?” Upon hearing this, the man lifted his gaze, his dark eyes locking with hers as he chuckled lightly. “What are you thinking? When it comes to business, I only consider interests.” Tan Mo pursed her lips. Well, no wonder he was such a cold-hearted capitalist. Xie Qichen asked her, “Do you have any plans for tomorrow?” “Hmm?” “Come with me to a classmate’s wedding. He’s a classmate from university. He sent me the invitation last night.” Upon hearing it was a university classmate, Tan Mo was slightly taken aback. “But I’m not close to them, and they didn’t invite me. It might not be appropriate for me to go…” “Who says you weren’t invited? They were all excited last night about meeting you.” “They want to see me?” “Yes, many of them are quite curious about you.” A smile curled at the corner of Xie Qichen’s lips. “Madam Xie, would you do me the honor?” Tan Mo’s ears turned warm, and her fingers gently fidgeted with the hem of her clothes. After thinking it over, she finally agreed. “Alright.” “The wedding is tomorrow afternoon.” “Okay.” – In the morning, Xie Qichen stayed at the villa reading while Tan Mo went about her own business. The weekend passed leisurely, slightly improving Tan Mo’s mood. In the evening, Tan Mo told Ji Shu about her plan to accompany Xie Qichen to the wedding. Ji Shu thought it was great. “This shows that Xie Qichen doesn’t intend to hide your relationship in front of his classmates, right? You definitely should go! It’s a good opportunity to assert your position and maybe even deter some people with ulterior motives.” Tan Mo knew she was referring to Song Ranxia and felt awkward. “Maybe she doesn’t have other intentions. I might be overthinking again.” After all, Tan Mo had never heard Song Ranxia’s direct response. Perhaps everything was just her own overreaction, creating an imaginary rival for herself. Moreover, what she cared about most wasn’t Song Ranxia herself, but rather Xie Qichen’s feelings toward Song Ranxia. “I understand. When you like someone, how could you not overthink? If she doesn’t like him, it’s better. It’ll save someone from constantly being like a little vinegar jar.” Tan Mo blushed. “Who are you calling a little vinegar jar!” Ji Shu laughed. “You know who you are. I can even smell the vinegar through the screen.” Tan Mo, feeling her childish thoughts exposed, buried her face in the quilt. “Do I really seem that obvious…” Actually, she had been trying her best to control her emotions and never showed them in front of Xie Qichen, but she still couldn’t help but care deep inside. “It’s okay. Don’t think too much. Let’s just see what happens tomorrow.” After a night’s sleep, the next morning, Tan Mo finished breakfast and returned to her bedroom, secretly selecting what to wear for the day. Around eleven in the morning, she finally got herself ready. She wore an irregular vintage long dress. Her face, under the sunlight, looked like delicate white porcelain, exuding a pleasing tenderness. Her slender neck and the ruffled collar revealed her snow-white, smooth collarbone. Her silky black hair cascaded over her shoulders. With her youthful appearance and the vibrant dress, she perfectly combined two different styles. As she was adjusting herself in front of the mirror, a deep, amused male voice suddenly came from behind. “Finally picked something?” She quickly turned around and saw Xie Qichen standing at the doorway, looking at her. The girl’s fingers tightened around the hem of her dress, her fair face blushing a soft pink as she mumbled guiltily, “I just realized the previous outfit wasn’t comfortable, so I changed…” Xie Qichen walked up to her, looked down at her, and raised his eyebrows. “Don’t dress too nicely.” “Huh?” He leaned closer to her eye level, his dark eyes smiling as they reflected her image. “Don’t you know how beautiful you are? If you dress up any more, you’ll upstage everyone else.” Upon hearing this, Tan Mo’s heart raced. She looked away, avoiding his gaze. “Please, there are so many prettier girls out there…” Xie Qichen chuckled. “Is that so? I haven’t seen many.” Feeling embarrassed, Tan Mo didn’t want to respond, but her wrist was suddenly grabbed. “Let’s go.” Her heart filled with sweetness as she followed him out. As they headed downstairs, Xie Qichen’s phone vibrated. He took it out and saw a message from Wen Cheng: [Boss Xie, I’ve already reserved the revolving restaurant for tomorrow night, along with the flowers and gifts. Everything is ready.] During this period, Xie Qichen’s desire to confess his feelings had grown stronger, so he had meticulously arranged everything. He planned to express his feelings to the girl that very night. After replying, Xie Qichen put his phone away. They left the house, and half an hour later, the car arrived at a five-star hotel in the city center of Li. Getting out of the car, they entered the elevator. As Tan Mo watched the floor numbers rise, an inexplicable tension built in her heart. She had previously met Lu Zian and Xun Huo and found them quite approachable. When they reached the floor and stepped out of the elevator, they saw a grand banquet hall decorated romantically with pink and white balloons, clearly the venue for the wedding. Xie Qichen led her over, and the newlyweds greeted them with smiles. “Ah, Cheng, welcome, welcome!” Approaching them, Xie Qichen’s lips curved into a slight smile. “Congratulations on your successful love journey. Wishing you a happy marriage and eternal love.” “Thank you, it’s been quite a journey, hahaha…” The groom, Wu Yuan, turned to Tan Mo beside him. “I remember, this is Tan Mo, right? You two are newlyweds too!” Tan Mo’s face slightly reddened as she greeted them and handed over the wedding gift money. Wu Yuan said many classmates had already arrived and invited them to go inside and take a seat. As they entered, Xie Qichen asked Tan Mo, “Do you remember the groom? He used to play basketball with me.” Tan Mo smiled and nodded. “I remember. Wu Yuan even bought me snacks before. He’s really nice.” Xie Qichen chuckled softly, his voice low as he leaned toward her ear. “Your brother used to be that nice to you too, but you don’t remember him at all?” Tan Mo blushed and defended herself. “I just forgot everything…” Soon, the two were led to the table arranged for their university classmates. Almost everyone present was from the gathering the other night. When they saw Tan Mo by Xie Qichen’s side: “Wow, who’s this that Ah Cheng brought with him! Let’s give a warm welcome to this new couple!” “So today we finally get to meet the madam…” A swarm of curious gazes from both men and women fell on Tan Mo, some looking with interest, others with gossiping curiosity. “Madam, don’t you have to introduce yourself?” Amid the thunderous applause, Tan Mo’s face turned red as she spoke. “Hello, I’m Tan Mo.” Sensing her nervousness, Xie Qichen placed his hand on her back and spoke with a hint of helplessness. “Don’t scare her.” “Oh, so protective!” Everyone laughed and called out. “Come on, come on, you two quickly take a seat.” They sat down, and a guy brought them drinks. Looking at Tan Mo, he said, “I’ve seen Tan Mo before. She used to be the girl always by Ah Cheng’s side. She’s grown up and become even prettier!” “Yeah, we were all wondering what kind of girl could match up with a handsome guy like Xie Qichen. Now it’s clear that Ah Cheng got lucky.” The man met Tan Mo’s gaze and smiled. “Yes, it’s my luck.” A slight flutter stirred in Tan Mo’s heart. Suddenly, a voice came from the side. “Hey, Song Goddess has arrived!” Tan Mo turned her head and saw the figure that had been lingering in her mind appear in her sight, walking toward them. The woman had long black hair, swaying in a long dress, her fair skin and gentle features making her a classic Chinese beauty. “Sorry, I was late because of traffic.” Song Ranxia smiled and greeted everyone, her gaze shifting until it settled on Xie Qichen and Tan Mo beside him. “Goddess, this is Ah Cheng’s wife. Haven’t you two met before?” Tan Mo looked up at Song Ranxia, her eyes revealing a flicker of emotion. This was their first formal meeting since returning home. Song Ranxia’s gaze fell on Tan Mo, and she smiled. “Tan Mo, long time no see. Do you remember me?” Tan Mo responded with a gentle nod. “I remember, Ranxia.” “I still remember the first time I met you, you were still in high school. Now you’ve married Xie Qichen. It’s quite unexpected.” Song Ranxia took the empty seat next to Tan Mo. Opposite them, Lu Zian looked at the two women and casually remarked. “Hey, I noticed that Tan Mo and Song Goddess look a bit alike. Both have small, delicate faces and beautiful smiles. Don’t you think so?” Others nodded. “Yes, Ah Cheng, look, don’t their eyes look a bit similar?” Xie Qichen didn’t even lift his head, replying indifferently. “I don’t think so.” When had his wife ever looked like someone else? “But I really think they do…” A ripple stirred in Tan Mo’s heart as she clenched her fingers. Then she heard Song Ranxia laugh and say, “Not that they look alike, but they’re both beauties, right?” Someone nearby teased, “I remember Tan Mo is a few years younger than us. Ah Cheng, you’re really bold to go after such a young girl.” “That’s what I said, he’s an old man eating tender grass, hahaha.” Lu Zian laughed. “Tan Mo, why don’t you tell us about your love story with Ah Cheng? Who pursued who? How long have you been together? We want to hear!” Tan Mo was suddenly taken aback. “We…” Someone nearby quickly gave the questioner a meaningful look, and then Xie Qichen’s protective voice cut in. “So curious? I was the one who pursued her.” The questioner seemed to have guessed something and chuckled awkwardly. “We can tell, we can tell.” Many of those present had heard something privately and understood without needing to speak. The atmosphere became subtly delicate. Fortunately, someone changed the topic. Tan Mo lowered her head and took a sip of her drink. After a while, her glass was refilled again. She turned her head and saw Song Ranxia holding the drink. “Thank you…” The woman smiled. “It’s nothing. These classmates are just gossipy. Don’t take it to heart.” “It’s okay.” So Song Ranxia also knew that they were in a marriage of convenience… “Where are you attending university now?” “F University.” “Then we’re from the same university. I graduated a few years ago and went abroad to work. Without any support overseas, I only kept in touch with a few people there.” “Including… Xie Qichen?” “Yes, because our workplaces were close. But don’t get the wrong idea. We didn’t meet often. A couple of years ago, I failed in my own business and was almost homeless. It was him who reached out to help.” Tan Mo nodded. “That’s good.” “Actually, when I was abroad before, I didn’t hear him mention you? I thought you two had lost contact.” Song Ranxia asked casually. Tan Mo hesitated for a moment and softly replied. “During those years when he was abroad, we didn’t have much contact.” For Xie Qichen back then, he probably didn’t even remember her. In fact, she had actively restrained herself from contacting him, trying to forget everything related to him. Song Ranxia chatted with her for a while. Soon, the wedding ceremony officially began. Accompanied by the wedding march, the newlyweds slowly walked to the stage. The master of ceremonies for the event was their university classmate, nicknamed “Humpback,” a good friend of Wu Yuan and the most entertaining class clown back then. However, his reputation was mixed; some found him too talkative and didn’t really like him. The wedding proceeded smoothly, with Humpback keeping the atmosphere lively. After a while, it was time for the guests to offer their blessings, and he smiled. “Since our bride and groom are classmates from university, we classmates have witnessed their long journey of love. Now, let’s invite a few classmates to come up and offer their blessings!” Humpback looked toward their table. “Classmates, who should be our male representative?” “Definitely Ah Cheng!” “Yes, yes, let Xie Qichen come up!” The guys all recommended Xie Qichen, as he was once the star student and the most popular guy in their class. Even the groom himself called for Xie Qichen. The well-dressed man smiled slightly, helplessly pressing his temples before getting up to go on stage. Humpback jokingly asked, “We have our male representative. Now we need a female representative too!” A girl said, “Then it has to be our goddess Ranxia!” “Ranxia, you go up!” Everyone unanimously supported Song Ranxia, and in the end, she smiled and walked onto the stage, standing beside Xie Qichen. Humpback grinned and introduced, “Ladies and gentlemen, I have to say these two were the top beauties on campus back in our university days! The campus beauty and the campus prince!” Some relatives and friends in the audience who didn’t know them shouted, “They look so well-matched!”
The hunchback laughed, “Yeah, back then rumors about you two were going crazy among our classmates. We all thought you two would end up together for sure!”
“Wowww!!!”
Among the audience were relatives who didn’t know them well, and upon hearing this, they began teasingly cheering with knowing undertones.
Xie Qichen’s eyes immediately turned cold. Considering the ongoing wedding ceremony, he forced himself to remain composed beneath his calm exterior:
“We were just regular classmates. Could we avoid jokes like this? My wife is sitting right there.”
Tan Mo, seated below, understood his friend better than anyone. Seeing Xie Qichen’s expression darken, he knew he’d touched a nerve and immediately stood up to smooth things over: “Hunchback, you want to die? The real wife is sitting right here. Be careful or you’ll end up regretting it!”
The other friends, all reasonable people, quickly stepped in to mediate. Upon learning that Tan Mo was present, the hunchback looked toward her and hurriedly apologized, “I’m sorry, sister-in-law! I was just kidding. You’re not mad, right? Hahaha!”
Many people turned to look at Tan Mo with smiling eyes. The latter slightly lifted the corner of her lips and shook her head.
“I told you, our sister-in-law isn’t that kind of petty person. Let’s bring the focus back to the bride and groom…”
Back onstage, the ceremony continued. Tan Mo looked at Xie Qichen and Song Ranxia standing together, the surrounding voices gradually fading from her ears. Her hand clenched slightly, feeling as if time had reversed back to those days.
The emotionally sensitive woman lowered her eyes and suddenly felt an urge to escape from this place.
After a while, Xie Qichen and Song Ranxia returned from delivering their blessings. Xie Qichen sat back down beside Tan Mo. Seeing her silently staring at her plate, he asked, “What’s wrong? What are you thinking about?”
Tan Mo quickly masked her emotions and shook her head, “Nothing. Just thinking about which dish was especially delicious earlier.”
“Don’t take what he said onstage seriously. He just likes to talk nonsense.”
“Okay, it’s fine…”
Someone came over to toast Xie Qichen, who responded politely. As his wife, Tan Mo made an effort to maintain a gentle, graceful smile.
But that smile had already become a mere facade, carefully maintained in light of what had just happened.
Unfamiliar with most of the guests, and naturally introverted and poor at socializing, Tan Mo couldn’t join in their conversations. Watching the lively interactions and constant toasting among the group of friends, she remained silent, quietly eating her food.
She simply didn’t fit into this lively scene, nor with these cheerful people.
Gradually, the wedding banquet finally reached its end.
After it concluded, classmates began saying their goodbyes and leaving. Xie Qichen also prepared to head out.
Tan Mo said to him, “I’m going to the restroom first.”
Xie Qichen patted her head, “Okay, I’ll wait for you at the entrance.”
Tan Mo nodded and walked toward the restroom.
As she walked forward, she finally felt like she could catch her breath. Looking down at her phone, she saw a message from Ji Shu:
“How’s it going, babe? Did you steal the spotlight today and assert your territory, hehe?”
Tan Mo lowered her head to reply, her gaze bent low, when suddenly she heard voices from ahead:
“Today was the first time I saw Xie Qichen’s wife. She’s really beautiful.”
“Yeah, that girl is genuinely pretty.”
Tan Mo immediately lifted her eyes. The two girls ahead were classmates sitting at the neighboring table. Now, absorbed in their conversation, they hadn’t noticed the person concerned was right behind them.
“Hey, didn’t I just hear Zhang Qiang say that girl and Xie Shen have a marriage of convenience?”
“Obviously. Otherwise why would Xie Qichen get married immediately after returning home?”
Upon hearing this, Tan Mo slightly paused her steps and did not follow them into the restroom.
The two girls entered, and seeing no one else around, stood in front of the mirror to touch up their makeup while chatting casually:
“Still, Xie Qichen does seem to protect her?”
“What do you mean? They’re married, of course he has to show some face publicly.”
“Sigh, marriages of convenience usually lack a foundation of love. These days, people marry without love all the time. Actually, back in college, I really hoped Xie Qichen and Song Ranxia would end up together. I never expected they wouldn’t make it.”
Discussing this, the other girl also sighed, “Yeah, you’d think these two are both so outstanding, how come they never got together back then? Or maybe they were actually together during college but broke up after going abroad?”
“Who knows? Love is unpredictable. Either they lacked destiny, or perhaps they’ll find their way back to each other eventually.”
“Come on, Xie Qichen is already married. How can they reunite?”
“Well, they can always get divorced. These days divorce is extremely common.”
“Hahaha, that’s true. But you better not say that kind of thing out loud. They’re still doing just fine together now.”
“Oh, I was just kidding, hahaha…”
Inside the restroom, their laughter and conversation clearly reached Tan Mo’s ears from where she stood at the doorway.
Like countless fine, sharp needles, the words pierced straight into her heart.
She lowered her eyes, the shadows beneath them darkening completely. Bitterness spread from her heart, stinging her nose with sourness.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage