Xie Qichen walked in. The room suddenly fell into silence. Tan Yuanzhou coughed lightly, turned his head toward Tan Mo, and awkwardly explained, “Well, after I picked you up just now, I called Achen. When he heard you had been caught in the rain, he insisted on coming to get you.”
Tan Mo lifted her gaze, and her eyes met with the look from Xie Qichen’s.
In the silence, the air was like a lake surface calm on the outside, yet even the slightest breeze could stir up raging waves. The atmosphere grew increasingly heavy, making Tan Yuanzhou feel extremely awkward. He quickly spoke up, “Momo, I’ll go make you some cold medicine. You two chat first.”
He quickly walked out, gently closing the door behind him. The room was left with only the two of them.
Tan Mo looked at Xie Qichen. The man wore a brown sweater, a black long coat over it, black trousers hugging his long legs, and his black hair was damp from the rain, droplets sliding down his eyebrows. His pupils were like a deep pool, even darker and colder under the dim light than the rainy night outside.
Feeling his intense gaze burning on her, Tan Mo felt as if her throat had been gripped. She turned her face away and lowered her head. Several seconds later, a deep, hoarse male voice sounded from behind her:
“Are you cold? Why did you go out in the rain?”
Tan Mo felt as if her throat was stuffed with cotton. Several seconds later, she replied mechanically, “I’m fine. I just forgot my umbrella.”
He rasped, “Didn’t I send you a message telling you to wait for me at home? I would come to pick you up.”
Tan Mo had just arrived at Tan Yuanzhou’s house when she saw the message. “You don’t need to pick me up. You can attend to your own engagements.”
“You’re not upset because I was too busy today?”
“…You’re overthinking. Whether you’re busy or not has nothing to do with me. I just don’t like telling you about what I do.”
Underneath her emotions, Tan Mo’s words were filled with sharpness. The bitterness in her heart, though suppressed, still spread to her throat.
She couldn’t stay any longer. Standing up, she walked toward the door. As she passed Xie Qichen, her wrist was suddenly gripped.
His palm was scalding hot, slightly trembling.
He looked down at her, his eyes slightly red, and his throat rolled out a few low, hoarse words:
“Aren’t you cold? Why did you go out in the rain?”
Tan Mo felt as if her throat was stuffed with cotton. A few seconds later, she replied mechanically:
“It’s nothing. I just forgot my umbrella.”
He rasped, “Didn’t I send you a message telling you to wait for me at home? I would come to pick you up.”
Tan Mo had just arrived at Tan Yuanzhou’s house when she saw the message. “You don’t need to pick me up. You can attend to your own engagements.”
“You’re not upset because I was too busy today?”
“…You’re overthinking. Whether you’re busy or not has nothing to do with me. I just don’t like telling you about what I do.”
Underneath her emotions, Tan Mo’s words were filled with sharpness. The bitterness in her heart, though suppressed, still spread to her throat.
She couldn’t stay any longer. Standing up, she walked toward the door. As she passed Xie Qichen, her wrist was suddenly gripped.
His palm was scalding hot, slightly trembling.
He looked down at her, his eyes slightly red, and his throat rolled out a few low, hoarse words:
“Earlier, what you said to your uncle just now… were you serious?”
Tan Mo’s long lashes trembled. A few seconds later, she calmly replied, “Any problem with that?”
As soon as her words fell, Xie Qichen turned his body and pinned her against the wall.
She was startled, her back aching, trying to break free: “Xie Qichen, let go of me…”
He looked down at her, his eyes shattered with light and shadow:
“In your eyes, is an arranged marriage for two years only for gaining benefits?”
“Tan Mo, don’t you have a heart?”
You don’t have a heart…
Tan Mo gave a faint smile, holding back the bitterness in her eyes, and looked up at him:
“Yeah… this is just who I am. What about it? Did I say anything wrong? Isn’t that the meaning of our arranged marriage in your eyes?”
Xie Qichen curled his lips, “So you think I married you for the benefits?”
“Xie Qichen, you were the one who said it. After our arranged marriage, our two groups can carry out comprehensive cooperation. You returned to the country to take over Aochuang and develop it, so you married me. After two years, we separate. Isn’t that a relief for both sides?”
Xie Qichen laughed, “Relief? Is being married to me so oppressive for you? If it’s so hard, why did you agree back then?”
Tan Mo turned her eyes away, holding back her tears, turning all her words into lies:
“I was just doing it for the benefit of Yuntong Group. And you gave me so much money. Who wouldn’t agree to that?”
As her words fell, he gradually loosened his grip on her hand.
The room suddenly fell silent, except for the ticking of the wall clock.
The few seconds of silence felt like centuries had passed.
Xie Qichen looked down at Tan Mo’s cold expression, his dark eyes dimming, and spoke:
“Tan Mo, you’ve already gotten what you wanted. If being married to me is so painful for you, I won’t force you to continue.”
Hearing his words, Tan Mo’s vision instantly blurred with moisture.
After a while, she struggled to move her lips:
“Yeah, now we’ve both gotten what we wanted. There’s no need for this arranged marriage anymore.”
Xie Qichen stared at her silently, his eyes filled with red.
He gave a self-mocking smile: “I see.”
A few seconds later, he spoke: “As I said before, I won’t take back what I’ve given you, and the cooperation between our two groups won’t change. Is that satisfactory for you?”
Tears silently streamed down Tan Mo’s cheeks as she struggled to suppress her sobs:
“I don’t care. Just arrange it as soon as possible.”
Tan Mo pushed him away, grabbed her bag, quickly walked out of the bedroom, and headed toward the entrance. Outside in the living room, Tan Yuanzhou, who had been worried, saw this scene and was stunned: “Momo——”
He quickly rushed over: “It’s still raining outside. Where are you going?”
He wanted to stop her, but Tan Mo shook her head: “Uncle, I’m going back now…”
Tan Mo shook off his hand and went out. Tan Yuanzhou was left in shock. Turning around, he saw Xie Qichen quickly walking out. The man’s deep eyes were filled with indissoluble concern.
Tan Yuanzhou didn’t know what had been said between the two to cause such a situation. He quickly said: “Forget it, don’t chase her. I’ll go see. Don’t worry.”
Tan Yuanzhou grabbed an umbrella and walked out of the house.
Tan Mo went downstairs, walked out of the building, and the rain poured down on her face without any shelter, thoroughly mixing with her unrestrained tears.
She hadn’t walked a few steps forward when she heard Tan Yuanzhou’s voice from behind:
“Tan Mo!”
Tan Mo didn’t stop walking. A few seconds later, her body was pulled back by Tan Yuanzhou, who frowned at her: “The ginger soup I just gave you, do you want it to be in vain by getting caught in the rain again?”
From childhood, Tan Mo had always been gentle and obedient, never easily showing her emotions. This rebellious and stubborn side was the first time Tan Yuanzhou had seen it tonight.
Tan Mo was crying uncontrollably, and seeing this, Tan Yuanzhou raised his hand to hold her head, softening his tone:
“I’m not asking you to go back with me. Wherever you want to go, I’ll take you.”
Outside, the sky was covered with a rain curtain, and the entire city of Licheng seemed to sink into a dark chaos.
Eventually, Tan Mo was taken to the car by Tan Yuanzhou.
Tan Yuanzhou took her to a five-star hotel nearby and booked an executive suite.
After entering the suite, Tan Yuanzhou helped her push the small suitcase she had brought from the villa inside and said to her: “If you don’t want to go home, you can rest here tonight, or even stay for a few days. This hotel has my shares, so you can contact the hotel for anything you need.”
Tan Mo followed Tan Yuanzhou to the living room, where he went to get her a towel first, saying, “Go take a shower later. I’ve already arranged for someone to bring medicine for you. Take the cold medicine tonight, or you’ll definitely catch a cold.”
Tan Mo’s emotions slightly eased, and she softly said, “Uncle, I’m sorry for troubling you tonight.”
“Tonight, what exactly did you and Achen talk about? Did you have a fight?”
Tan Mo didn’t speak.
Seeing this, Tan Yuanzhou could only say, “It’s okay. It must be Achen who upset you. Don’t be upset, Momo. I’ll definitely discipline him when I go back.”
Tan Mo gently shook her head: “He didn’t do anything wrong. Don’t go looking for him… We just cleared up a lot of things.”
Seeing the girl’s low spirits, Tan Yuanzhou feared provoking her tears again and stopped asking: “Okay, I won’t look for him. You rest well tonight and calm down. We’ll solve the problem tomorrow. Remember, keep your phone on so I can reach you.”
Tan Mo nodded.
As she dried her hair, Tan Yuanzhou took out his phone and saw the missed calls and messages from Xie Qichen. He replied:
[I’ve brought her to the hotel. Don’t come over for now. Let her calm down.]
Half an hour later, Tan Yuanzhou’s assistant delivered the medicine. The man also ordered some hot food for her and supervised her to eat and take the medicine.
Before leaving, he walked to the entrance and turned to see Tan Mo hugging her knees, curled into a ball, quietly looking out the window. Tan Yuanzhou sighed and had to suppress all his words, quietly leaving.
…
Outside, the rain had gradually stopped.
The night became even darker.
Almost ten o’clock, Tan Yuanzhou returned to his apartment.
Pushing the door open, he saw Xie Qichen sitting alone on the long chair facing the floor-to-ceiling window in the living room.
Tan Yuanzhou walked over and saw that there were already five or six cigarette butts in the ashtray on the coffee table. The man’s eyes were lowered, a cigarette still between his fingers. His cold face was shrouded in white smoke, and a very low pressure surrounded him, his eyes filled with deep and unfathomable emotions.
Tan Yuanzhou rarely saw him smoke so heavily. Even during the most difficult times of doing business abroad, Xie Qichen seldom smoked so oppressively and depressively.
The deepest emotions in his heart, of course, were only related to that one girl.
Seeing him sitting silently without speaking, Tan Yuanzhou teased with a smile: “You two are indeed a couple. Even your expressions when you’re sad are so similar.”
Hearing this, Xie Qichen looked at him. Tan Yuanzhou sat down opposite him and also lit a cigarette. “I know what you want to ask. I just sent her to the ED Hotel. Let her rest there tonight.”
Xie Qichen moved his lips slightly, his voice low and hoarse: “Has she felt unwell? Did she get caught in the rain again just now?”
“Wow, so concerned, yet you made her cry like this earlier?”
Tan Yuanzhou teased: “What exactly did you talk about with Momo tonight? How did things get so bad?”
The man’s eyes lowered, and he rolled his throat:
“We’re preparing to end the arranged marriage.”
Tan Yuanzhou was shocked: “End the arranged marriage? You’re getting a divorce?! Are you willing to let go?!”
Tan Yuanzhou had seen Xie Qichen’s obsession and affection for Tan Mo over the past few years. Otherwise, this person wouldn’t have stayed abroad for so many years without any emotional entanglements, rejecting all the love from the opposite sex, because his heart had only ever been filled with Tan Mo, and he couldn’t see anyone else.
If Xie Qichen could let go of his feelings for Tan Mo, it would probably only be when he was on his deathbed.
Xie Qichen crushed the cigarette butt and gave a bitter smile:
“If she has never had feelings for me, why should I bind her to my side with an arranged marriage?”
“But what if she has feelings for you?”
If she had feelings…
Xie Qichen was stunned.
If she really had feelings for him, how could she say those things tonight?
Tan Yuanzhou thought of something and said, “By the way, I called my older brother earlier. Something happened at home tonight.”
Xie Qichen raised his eyes to look at him.
“It’s just that… my older brother and my sister-in-law heard some rumors from somewhere. They said recently you’ve been getting close to Song Jianning, the daughter of FG Technology. You know my older brother, he’s very concerned about interests and was afraid that your unstable relationship might affect the cooperation between the two families, so he went to talk to Tan Mo. He told her to be careful of you… cheating.”
“…”
The man’s entire face darkened, “Who the hell is making this up?”
“Who knows? My older brother said that people say the two of you are quite a match. Isn’t it possible that since she came back, there might be more rumors?”
Xie Qichen’s expression turned cold, “There’s absolutely nothing between me and Song Ransha. Nothing at all, from university until now.”
Back in university, whenever anyone teased him in front of him about Song Ransha, he would directly deny it with a cold face and keep his distance from Song Ransha to prevent people from imagining things. However, to protect the girl’s self-esteem, he couldn’t go around telling everyone that he wasn’t interested in her. But after so many years, now that he’s married, even the master of ceremonies this morning spoke without discretion. Who is spreading these rumors, and how did they reach Tan Mo’s parents’ ears?!
Xie Qichen looked at Tan Yuanzhou, “So Tan Mo believed it?”
“I don’t know…”
Tan Yuanzhou hesitated, “She just said she didn’t care, saying… that anyway, your marriage was only for two years.”
After Tan Yuanzhou finished speaking, Xie Qichen’s eyes darkened even further.
Tan Yuanzhou sighed, feeling that things seemed not as simple as they appeared on the surface, but for the moment, his mind couldn’t figure it out, especially since he had no experience in love matters.
“Chen, actually I think…”
Tan Yuanzhou wanted to say more, but Xie Qichen’s hoarse voice interrupted him, “Let me be alone for a while.”
Tan Yuanzhou wanted to say something but held back, “Then I’ll go back to my room first.”
After Tan Yuanzhou left, Xie Qichen turned his gaze to the window.
The night was thick and hazy, raindrops hitting the floor-to-ceiling window one by one.
Scenes of Tan Mo in front of him flashed through his mind.
It was her in the past, often looking at him with eyes as bright as stars, sweetly calling him “brother.”
It was her running happily towards him when she saw him waiting at the school gate after class.
It was her, unable to solve a problem, drooping her head with a pitiful expression, asking him for help.
It was her crying on his shoulder when she was wronged, saying she was scared her parents wouldn’t love her anymore.
It was also the day they reunited, she sitting under a tree with bright sunlight, wearing a fresh green dress like jasmine flowers, her face serene and radiant.
There were so many moments, like treasured items, etched deeply in his heart. They were his last hope during the years he struggled abroad, the light that kept him going whenever he was about to give up.
He told himself to become even better, to return and see her.
Initially, he saw her as a younger sister and wanted to take good care of her. But gradually, he came to realize that his feelings for her were no longer the same as those he had for Tan Yuanzhou. He would smile when she smiled, feel heartache when she cried, and yearn to protect her, stand by her side, and love her for a lifetime.
But in the end, he still couldn’t have her.
Even the confession he had prepared for tomorrow, which he had been thinking about for a long time, was now too late.
Xie Qichen lit another cigarette. The white smoke he exhaled stung his eyes, making them red. He lowered his gaze and closed his eyes.
The clock ticked by, and the dark night felt exceptionally long until the horizon finally turned pale with the coming of dawn.
The faint morning light spread over Licheng. After a rain, the temperature seemed to drop again as if winter had returned, the air cold and damp, clinging to the skin like moisture soaking into the body.
In the living room, Xie Qichen had sat the entire night.
The ashtray in front of him was filled with cigarette butts. The man had no idea how many he had smoked, but no matter how many, the heaviness in his heart refused to ease.
A little after six, Xie Qichen finally stood up and left Tan Yuanzhou’s apartment.
Half an hour later, he returned to Jiayu Tiancheng, entering the villa. The housekeepers were already there, cleaning.
Seeing him, one of the housekeepers quickly approached: “Mr. Xie, this morning when I came in, I saw the madam packing her luggage at home, and then she left with it after a while. I don’t know where she went.”
Xie Qichen’s eyes darkened. “When did she leave?”
“About half an hour ago.”
Seeing the icy expression on Xie Qichen’s face, the housekeeper dared not speak further. The man ascended the stairs and went to her room. He found it noticeably emptier—books and cosmetics were gone from the desk and vanity, and the stuffed animals she loved from the bed were also missing.
She was so resistant to him that she needed to come back early to pack and avoid seeing him…
His heart felt so suffocatingly heavy it was about to explode. He took out his phone and dialed.
A few seconds later, the call was answered:
“Hello.”
Hearing her calm voice on the other end, his throat felt hoarse:
“Even if you want to break off the engagement, you didn’t need to rush back and pack in the middle of the night, unable to stay even for fifteen more minutes?”
There was silence for a few seconds on the other end before a low voice replied:
“School starts in a few days, and I need to move back to campus. Next semester I’ll be busy with graduation matters, and it’s clear we’re no longer suitable to live together. I’ll move my things gradually.”
Finally, the man spoke with difficulty:
“…Fine. As you wish.”
The call ended.
On the other end, in the dimly lit hotel room, Tan Mo lowered her phone from her ear. Silent tears dripped one by one from the corners of her eyes.
Seeing her like this, Ji Shu, who was sitting beside the bed, sighed and handed her a tissue. “Momo, don’t cry anymore. It breaks my heart to see you like this.”
Ji Shu had received Tan Mo’s call just after midnight the previous night, learned what had happened, and immediately came over. The next morning, she had accompanied Tan Mo to the villa to collect her luggage.
Tan Mo shook her head, turned to face the wall, and suppressed her sobs. “I want to sleep for a while. Don’t worry about me.”
Ji Shu knew it wasn’t the right time to say much.
“Okay… I’ll stay here with you.”
Tan Mo closed her eyes, silently crying until exhaustion overcame her and she finally fell asleep. Ji Shu noticed her furrowed brows and restless movements, so she gently patted her back to soothe her.
But for some reason, Tan Mo had various dreams—she dreamed of people mocking her, and of Xie Qichen’s icy gaze after she confessed her feelings. She felt as if she kept falling into an abyss, struggling endlessly.
It felt as if her heart was tightly gripped by someone’s hand, and she slept uneasily.
A few hours later, she turned over and finally woke up.
She saw Ji Shu working on her laptop in the suite. Noticing her, Ji Shu immediately closed the laptop and came over: “You’re awake?”
“What time is it now?”
“It’s already past two in the afternoon. Are you hungry? I’ll order something for you. I don’t have to go to work today—I’m staying here with you.” Ji Shu gently touched her head.
Tan Mo nodded. Her throat felt sore, and her nose was congested. She must still have a cold.
“I’ll go wash my face first.”
“Okay.”
Tan Mo went to the bathroom and saw her reflection in the mirror—her eyes and nose were both red, her face pale and tired, with no trace of a smile.
She splashed water on her face, calmed herself, and finally stepped out of the bathroom. Soon after, lunch was delivered upstairs.
Tan Mo had no appetite, but she forced herself to eat bite by bite, not wanting Ji Shu to worry.
Ji Shu watched her for a while before finally asking, “Momo… what are you planning to do now?”
Tan Mo paused slightly. “What do you mean, ‘what to do’?”
“About you and Xie Qichen.”
Tan Mo lowered her gaze, fidgeting with the fork. “I’ll start moving out these two days, then look for an apartment. Soon, we’ll probably start discussing the divorce. If nothing unexpected happens, the process will likely move quickly.”
“Actually, I think Song Ranxia hasn’t really stirred up much trouble. Are you sure you want to do this because of her?”
“It’s actually not related to her. It’s my own imbalance. After realizing I truly liked Xie Qichen, I started wanting more and more. I hate this anxious, uncertain state I’m in.”
Ji Shu looked at her. “So, is there really no chance left between you and Xie Qichen?”
Tan Mo’s eyes stung, her long lashes lowering:
“There was never much chance to begin with.”
The time she had spent in this arranged marriage with Xie Qichen was like a dream—a dream she had hoped would last a lifetime…
But dreams are just dreams. They always end eventually.
She and Xie Qichen had no fate, so one day, they would inevitably part ways.
The sky in Licheng remained overcast.
Occasionally, drizzle fell, and the cold wind blew.
Ji Shu feared Tan Mo would feel even more miserable alone, so she stayed at the hotel, working while keeping her company.
Normally, when she was in a bad mood, Tan Mo could distract herself by editing food videos. But now, she couldn’t summon the energy for anything. Combined with her severe cold, she lay in bed all day, exhausted.
During this time, Tan Yuanzhou visited her twice, bringing food and medicine.
He had wanted to take her to the hospital, but she stubbornly refused. Eventually, he gave up and arranged for a private doctor to come and see her.
The next day, her condition improved slightly, so she continued packing her belongings at Jiayu Tiancheng.
Ji Shu was puzzled: “Do you need to hurry so much?”
Tan Mo lowered her eyes. “Yes…”
The sooner she moved out, the less attachment she would feel.
Because she had so many things, she spent two consecutive days gradually packing and tidying up.
She took nothing of what Xie Qichen had given her—only the things she had brought in when they first moved in.
Two days later in the afternoon, Tan Mo finished packing the last few boxes of clothes in the villa. The moving company arrived and helped carry them to the car.
The housekeeper, seeing this, looked puzzled and worried:
“Madam, are you moving out?”
Tan Mo lowered her gaze. “Yes.”
“It’s been days since Mr. Xie came home. Are you two…?”
Tan Mo hesitated slightly before simply saying, “I probably won’t be coming back anymore, Auntie Li. Thank you all for your hard work. I’m leaving now.”
“Madam…”
Seeing her expression, the housekeeper dared not say anything else.
Finally, Tan Mo turned to look at the empty room. A breeze from outside blew in, lifting the white sheer curtains like ocean waves.
She gazed for a long time before finally lowering her head and removing the wedding ring from her finger, placing it on the table.
She walked downstairs, glanced toward the backyard, and noticed a swing had been added.
Noticing her gaze, the housekeeper explained, “Mr. Xie had it installed last Saturday morning. He said you loved swings and that you hadn’t even sat on it once yet…”
Suddenly, Tan Mo recalled that day—Xie Qichen standing in the golden evening light, his eyes filled with smiles, promising to install a swing for her. She hadn’t been wearing socks, and he had carried her to the room.
Once upon a time, she had thought they were in love.
Tan Mo turned her head away, hiding the ache in her eyes. “Take it down. It’s not needed anymore.”
Tan Mo walked out of the villa, reached the gate, and looked back.
“Little girl, are you leaving?” the driver’s voice came a few seconds later.
Tan Mo turned her gaze away. “Let’s go.”
She got into the car. As it slowly drove forward, the villa grew more and more distant.
Suddenly, her phone vibrated in her pocket. She took it out and saw it was Ji Shu.
Answering, she heard Ji Shu’s cheerful voice:
“Momo, what are you doing? Can I come have dinner with you tonight?”
Tan Mo gripped the phone, and a sharp pang surged through her nose:
“Ji Shu… I’ve moved all my things out of the house I shared with Xie Qichen…”
As if the emotional dam had suddenly burst, all the calm and indifference she had forced herself to maintain in the villa crumbled completely. “Ji Shu, I’m so sad. I’m really so sad. Why do I feel even worse than the day he left for overseas back then…”
If he had left for good and never returned, perhaps one day she could have accepted the pain of not being with him. But now, he had reappeared in her life. They had married, created so many beautiful memories after the wedding, and now she was losing it all again. How could she ever heal from such pain?
“I lied to Xie Qichen, saying our marriage was just for mutual benefit. But it wasn’t. I regret not being brave enough to tell him how much I loved him…”
Tan Mo cried so hard she could barely catch her breath: “But it’s too late now. Even our arranged marriage is ending. There will never be any relationship between us again…”
She looked down at the red paper with Xie Qichen’s name written on it, and at the mark left on her ring finger, as tears poured down uncontrollably.
The wind blew through the car window, tangling her hair.
The red paper faded, memories blurred, and Tan Mo’s tears, rolling from her eyes, vanished into the wind, never to be caught again.
Winter in Licheng seemed unbearable this year.
On the day she moved everything out, it rained heavily again.
Tan Mo’s cold flared up once more. Ji Shu came to stay with her, and Tan Mo lay in the hotel room all night. The next day, her mind finally felt clearer.
Because she had too many things, Tan Mo couldn’t fit everything into her dorm, so she had to leave some at the Tan family villa.
This meant Tan Mo’s parents learned what had happened. Upon learning that the two children were preparing for divorce and seemed determined, Tan Mo’s parents recalled what she had said that night and dared not try to persuade her again.
Tan Zhiwan also learned of the news and secretly felt delighted.
That evening, fearing she would feel too emotionally overwhelmed at home, Tan Mo chose to return to the hotel.
Before leaving, her mother asked, “School starts tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
“Will you be renting an apartment this semester?”
“I’m still looking. I probably will.” Because she needed to film videos, she couldn’t stay in the dorm all the time.
Her mother hesitated, then finally refrained from asking her to move back home.
Tan Mo left home, took a taxi, and twenty minutes later returned to the hotel.
Stepping out of the car, the cold wind hit her face. She rubbed her nose, tightened her wool coat, and hurried into the hotel.
Not far away, in the dimly lit shadows of the roadside, a Rolls-Royce sat with a man’s gaze quietly fixed on her, his eyes filled with something unreadable, like dust-covered sorrow.
From the front seat, Wen Cheng also witnessed the scene. He glanced back at Xie Qichen and sighed inwardly.
For these past few nights, Xie Qichen had canceled all appointments and waited here every evening.
Afraid the girl wouldn’t want to see him, the man could only watch from afar, checking on her condition and whether her cold had improved.
Just like tonight, from a little after six until nearly ten, Wen Cheng had suggested that Tan Mo might not be coming back tonight, but the man insisted on waiting a little longer.
It wasn’t until three minutes after Tan Mo had entered the hotel that Wen Cheng finally spoke:
“Mr. Xie, tomorrow is the official start of the semester at F University. The madam will move to campus either tomorrow or the day after.”
Xie Qichen looked out the window, his eyes deep and unreadable. A few seconds later, he spoke in a low, hoarse voice:
“Did she catch a cold again today?”
“Wen Cheng, Tan Yuanzhou called last night saying she had another relapse. No one knows why. She still refuses to go to the hospital and just took some medicine.”
Hearing this, Xie Qichen’s eyes flickered, and he spoke with a slightly hoarse voice: “Find a private doctor to go to the hotel tomorrow. Inform Tan Yuanzhou and have it done under his name.”
“Understood.”
“Don’t forget—Tan Mo is allergic to penicillin. Make sure the doctor pays attention when prescribing medication. She also has allergic rhinitis.”
“Got it.”
“Tomorrow, still under Tan Yuanzhou’s name, have someone bring her some food and daily necessities. Ask if she needs anything else. On registration day, have someone drive her to school.”
Wen Cheng listened to the man’s detailed instructions and nodded in understanding.
Finally, Xie Qichen looked out the window at the light drizzle falling and recalled the girl’s image from just now. He closed his eyes.
The next day, the semester at F University officially began.
The following day, Tan Mo moved back into the dormitory, rejoining her four roommates, and began looking for an apartment.
During these two days, on the other side, Wen Cheng sensed that Xie Qichen’s surroundings had fallen into a terrifying low-pressure atmosphere.
Starting Monday, during daytime at the group company, the man exuded an aura of “do not approach,” making everyone too afraid to get close. Even a simple glance from Xie Qichen could make people feel as if they were about to be killed.
Employees in the president’s office were puzzled and whispered among themselves:
“What’s wrong with Mr. Xie? Who made him so angry? Could it be a business deal fell through?”
“No way. Didn’t we just sign a 200 million deal last week? Shouldn’t he be in a good mood?”
“Who knows? I feel like just one glance from him could kill me…”
“Oh my god, when will this end?”
They asked Wen Cheng, but Wen Cheng, who knew the truth, dared not reveal the reason. He himself was already afraid of making one mistake that could cost him his job.
One morning, the planning department came to report their work. Because one matter was repeatedly not handled properly, they finally stepped on Xie Qichen’s already strict temper, and he directly threw the proposal back at them, coldly ordering them to redo it.
The man’s expression was cold and aloof, his deep and solemn voice intimidating. The members of the planning department were so frightened that they fled in panic.
From then on, no one dared to appear casually in front of Xie Qichen; everyone tried their best to stay far away.
For two consecutive days, even the heated air conditioning on the top floor couldn’t dispel the oppressive atmosphere.
Xie Qichen worked like a tireless machine, his emotions showing no fluctuation. Only when Wen Cheng came every evening to update him on Tan Mo’s situation did he display any emotional response, reminding people that he was still human.
Wen Cheng knew that Xie Qichen deeply cared for Tan Mo; even though they were about to separate, all his thoughts remained with her.
About to break off the engagement with Tan Mo, no one could truly understand how painful it was for him.
Even Wen Cheng, knowing everything, dared not comment too much, and could only focus on fulfilling his duties.
Time passed quickly, and soon it was Thursday.
In the evening, as the sky turned orange and yellow with the sunset, the two-hour executive meeting at Aochuang Building ended. Xie Qichen coldly finalized several decisions before exiting the meeting room.
Dressed in a charcoal gray suit, his eyebrows and eyes sharply defined like carved lines, his jawline taut and smooth, his expression remained consistently cold.
Taking the elevator back to the top floor, Xie Qichen walked past the reception area where two female employees were chatting:
“So, are you going to leave with your boyfriend picking you up later?”
“I’m still mad at him. I don’t want to have dinner with him. He hasn’t even properly apologized yet. He must be dreaming if he thinks I’ll forgive him easily.”
“Oh come on, you obviously care so much. You’ve been waiting for his call for two or three days, and now you’re pretending to be aloof. Girls are indeed creatures of contradiction.”
“Ugh, you’re the one being contradictory…”
As the two were talking, they suddenly heard a soft cough from behind. They turned abruptly and saw Xie Qichen approaching.
Wen Cheng signaled to them with his eyes while scolding: “Is it already time to leave work? Still chatting here?”
Are they crazy? Not being cautious around Mr. Xie recently!
The two employees were terrified and quickly lowered their heads: “We’ll go right away…”
Xie Qichen cast a cold, emotionless glance at them before walking away. The two hurried off to work, frightened.
Back in the president’s office, Xie Qichen sat at his desk, opened some documents, didn’t look up, and said, “Fill up my schedule tonight until ten o’clock.”
These days, Xie Qichen had been working non-stop at the group headquarters and hadn’t returned home.
Wen Cheng, troubled, nodded: “Okay…”
Xie Qichen continued working. A while later, his phone suddenly rang.
He picked it up and saw it was a call from the housekeeper at home.
The man answered, and a voice came from the other end: “Sir, the property management came to the villa area this afternoon to collect some fees. I’ll send you the specific notice later.”
“Hmm.”
“That’s all for now, sir.”
Xie Qichen acknowledged and continued signing documents, saying, “By the way, Auntie Li, you and the others don’t need to come to the villa for a while.”
“What?”
“In the following period, the villa will be vacant and up for sale. You don’t need to come to work anymore. My assistant will contact you regarding your salary, paying you the full salary for this month plus some additional compensation.” The man’s tone was particularly formal and detached.
“Okay…”
Xie Qichen was about to hang up when the voice on the other end suddenly said:
“Oh, by the way, sir, since you haven’t come back recently, there’s something I’ve been forgetting to ask you. What should I do with the cake in the fridge? It’s been there for a week already.”
Xie Qichen, puzzled about the cake and not expecting even such a small matter to be brought up with him, replied, “Just do whatever you want with it. Throw it away.”
“But… this was the cake your wife made for you last Thursday for your birthday. Are we really going to throw it away directly?”
Xie Qichen, writing, suddenly paused.
He lifted his eyes slightly, puzzled: “For me?”
“Yes. Isn’t last Thursday your birthday? That morning, your wife had me buy a lot of ingredients. She gave us the day off and wanted to prepare dinner for you herself. She must have made a lot of dishes and even baked a cake.
The next day, I saw the cake was still there. I asked her what to do with it, and she told me to keep it and said not to tell you. But I thought I should let you know…”
The man, upon hearing this, felt an emotional storm surge in his mind.
Suddenly, he remembered: the previous Wednesday, she had been busy in the kitchen all night. Later, she asked him if he had time the next day. That evening, he picked her up from the supermarket, and she smiled so sweetly, as if hiding a happy secret. And that night when he returned home, he clearly felt her obvious disappointment. He had been surprised that she remembered his birthday…
It wasn’t about a new product tasting…
It was the birthday surprise she had carefully prepared for him…
After hanging up the phone, he received a photo of the cake from the housekeeper.
Although several days had passed and the cake no longer looked good, he immediately noticed the white bear and the small black-suited figure beside it.
It was the image of her and him at the Aochuang store that day.
She had placed herself on the birthday cake she made for him.
Suddenly, Xie Qichen’s mind flashed back to that night when he came back from the class reunion and Tan Mo asked him about Song Ranxia. He recalled her unhappiness after the wedding and the night at Tan Yuanzhou’s apartment when she had red eyes and said their marriage was just for mutual benefit.
And just now, outside, he heard that phrase—”contradictory.”
In an instant, all the memories flipped in his mind, like a puzzle being rearranged and placed into the correct positions, gradually surfacing.
Xie Qichen’s thoughts went blank for a moment. He quickly stood up, opened his phone contact list, scrolled to a number, and dialed.
After a while, the call was answered, and Ji Shu’s voice came through: “Xie Qichen?”
Two seconds later, the man spoke, his voice low and hoarse, as if filled with sand:
“Miss Ji, are you available now? I’d like to know something about Tan Mo.”
“I want to find out if I… misunderstood something.”
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