When Chen Anrui heard this, his jaw dropped in shock.
Wife—?!!
Tan Mo approached Xie Qichen. The man took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders, then asked softly, “Are you cold?”
“Not really…”
After wrapping the coat around her, Xie Qichen calmly said to Tan Mo, “Let me introduce you. This is Mr. Chen from QM Jewelry.”
The man glanced at Chen Anrui with mild amusement, “Or perhaps he already introduced himself to you just now?”
Chen Anrui hadn’t expected them to have this kind of relationship. His legs almost gave way from embarrassment, “Bro, it’s a misunderstanding! I really didn’t know she was your wife earlier. Hello, Mrs. Xie, hello!”
He quickly apologized to Xie Qichen, “Bro, how come I didn’t even know you got married? If I had known earlier, I would’ve invited your wife to sit inside first…”
If he had known that Tan Mo was Madam Xie, he wouldn’t have dared to provoke her even with ten times the courage!
Chen Anrui laughed, “Bro, you two standing together look so perfect. Definitely a match made in heaven.”
Xie Qichen gave him a helpless glance but wasn’t genuinely angry, “Alright, stop talking nonsense.”
As they were chatting, other company executives spotted Xie Qichen and hurriedly came over to greet him. Some who had never met Tan Mo before looked at her in surprise, “Who is this?”
Xie Qichen gently embraced Tan Mo and smiled, “My wife.”
Those who knew about the marriage alliance between the Tan and Xie families exclaimed, “So this is Miss Tan from the Tan family! We’ve finally seen the real beauty tonight—absolutely stunning…”
Tan Mo’s cheeks flushed red, but she maintained her smile and greeted them politely.
After a brief conversation, more people kept approaching to speak with Xie Qichen. Knowing the girl felt uncomfortable in such situations, Xie Qichen directly said, “We’ll go inside first.”
Chen Anrui beside them quickly nodded, “Bro, you take your wife inside first. I’ve already arranged seats.”
Eventually, guided by the waiter, Tan Mo followed Xie Qichen to a small round table in the middle of the front row.
The seating arrangement alone clearly reflected the guests’ statuses.
Shortly after, the waiter brought drinks, and Xie Qichen said, “Get a non-alcoholic one.”
“Of course, sir.”
After the waiter left, Xie Qichen pushed the non-alcoholic drink toward Tan Mo, “You drink this.”
With no one else around, Tan Mo muttered unhappily, “Why do you care if I drink alcohol?”
He took a sip of red wine and glanced at her calmly, “I don’t want you knocking on my bedroom door again tonight saying you want to flatter me.”
Tan Mo: “…”
She was furious—he actually remembered her embarrassing moment!
Wen Cheng approached and murmured to Xie Qichen, “Mr. Xie, Mr. Xu from Mu Jian Group is asking if he could have five minutes of your time to chat.”
Although it was an auction banquet tonight, many people wanted to take this opportunity to network. Combined with Xie Qichen’s usually packed schedule, where it was hard to get an appointment with him, everyone wanted to seize this chance to connect.
Xie Qichen casually stroked his wedding ring and said indifferently, “Tell him I’m busy. Another time.”
“Alright.”
After Wen Cheng left, Tan Mo overheard the conversation and turned to Xie Qichen, “If you have something to do, you can go. I can sit here alone.”
He curled his lips slightly and looked at her:
“Then who was it earlier eagerly waiting for me to arrive?”
Tan Mo felt guilty and touched her nose, “Well… I just didn’t know anyone here, so it was a bit awkward…”
His gaze shifted behind her, “There are people you know.”
Tan Mo turned in confusion and noticed Ji Shu who had just arrived. She was smiling and waving at Tan Mo, gesturing her to come over.
Tan Mo’s eyes lit up, and she smiled at the man beside her, “Ji Shu is here. I’ll go find her. I’ll come back later, okay?”
“Mm.”
She stood up and quickly left. The man watched her retreating back without looking back, and helplessly pressed his forehead.
He really had no status in her heart.
Meanwhile, Tan Mo met up with Ji Shu. Ji Shu looked astonished and pulled Tan Mo around, “Jiaojiao, you look so amazing in this dress! Absolutely stunning! You’ve outshined the few female celebrities I saw tonight! When did you buy it? It must be a high-end custom design.”
“It wasn’t bought by me—it was prepared for me by Xie Qichen…”
Including the wedding dress from that day, they were all specially designed for her by him.
“Oh, this man has good taste! He even buys you pretty dresses. He’s quite doting.”
“Alright already…”
Ji Shu laughed and linked arms with Tan Mo, “Come on, accompany me to touch up my makeup.”
The two friends chatted as they walked toward the restroom. Ji Shu went inside while Tan Mo waited at the entrance.
She was looking down at her phone when suddenly a familiar, cold female voice sounded beside her, “Tan Mo?”
Tan Mo turned around and saw someone extremely familiar—
Tan Zhiwan.
She had just come out of the restroom, accompanied by Chen Ningning and another close female friend.
Tan Mo wasn’t particularly surprised to see them, but Tan Zhiwan looked shocked to encounter her, “You’re not here for the charity banquet too, are you?”
In her eyes, Tan Mo had no qualifications to appear at such a grand event.
Tan Mo simply responded.
Chen Ningning and the other girl stared at Tan Mo, who was dressed exceptionally beautifully tonight, and sneered, “Doesn’t someone not know? This banquet isn’t a place anyone can enter. The organizer only gave one invitation to the Tan family, which was for Wanwan. How did you get in?”
Tan Mo replied calmly, “I don’t know. Xie Qichen brought me here.”
Upon hearing this, Tan Zhiwan’s face stiffened slightly. Ji Shu, who had overheard their conversation, came out from the restroom, took Tan Mo’s hand, and smiled sweetly at the three of them:
“Now that Jiaojiao is the president’s wife of Ao Chuang Group, isn’t it normal for her to be here? What are you jealous about? Did you think you were the organizers? You’re meddling too much.”
Chen Ningning’s face fell, “You…”
Tan Mo didn’t want to deal with them and pulled Ji Shu to leave, but Chen Ningning, feeling disgruntled, said, “Tan Mo, what are you showing off about? Do you really think you’ve climbed up…”
Before she could finish, Tan Mo gave her a cold glare:
“Does that slap from last time still hurt?”
Chen Ningning was at a loss for words. Knowing Tan Mo could do anything when provoked, she tightly held Tan Zhiwan’s arm and swallowed her remaining words with an embarrassed expression.
Tan Mo and Ji Shu left. Tan Zhiwan let out a bitter smile, “Xie Qichen actually brought her tonight.”
Bringing Tan Mo to such a public event was essentially acknowledging their marital relationship to the outside world.
Chen Ningning comforted her, “Well, after all, they are married. They have to put on appearances. But no need to guess—they must be a plastic couple. What real feelings can there be in a marriage of convenience?”
Tan Zhiwan took a deep breath and proudly lifted her chin.
Yes, she would see how awkwardly they would perform in front of others tonight.
“Let’s go back.”
Ahead, Tan Mo and Ji Shu returned to the banquet hall first, then parted ways. Tan Mo went back to the round table, sat down, picked up her drink, and finished it in one go. Then she put the glass down expressionlessly.
The man beside her turned his head and saw her half-lowered face, “Aren’t you happy after meeting your best friend?”
She shook her head slightly, “Not really…”
Xie Qichen shifted his gaze and saw Tan Zhiwan and others approaching from behind. Suddenly understanding something, he asked quietly but coldly, “You met Tan Zhiwan?”
Tan Mo didn’t deny it. The man’s eyes darkened, and he asked in a low tone, “What did they say?”
Tan Mo lifted the corner of her mouth, “Nothing much, just a greeting.”
Actually, her mood wasn’t too affected. She had just felt a bit uncomfortable earlier, but now, being beside Xie Qichen, her heart felt at ease.
After hearing this, Xie Qichen remained silent. At that moment, a staff member came over with something, “Mr. Xie, this is the list of auction items and the guest list for tonight.”
The man acknowledged and took it with his long fingers. Tan Mo noticed that the staff only delivered it to their table.
In an auction, people of special status usually get to see the auction list first so they can plan their bidding strategy for the evening.
Xie Qichen casually handed the list to Tan Mo, “Take a look. See if there’s anything you like.”
Tan Mo was slightly surprised but took it and flipped through it. She saw that the auction items tonight were all expensive jewelry with great collectible value. Some were provided by QM Jewelry, and others were contributed by the guests. All proceeds from tonight’s auction would go to helping children in impoverished mountainous areas.
Jewelry naturally attracted women. Tan Mo couldn’t help but feel excited looking at them, but when she noticed the estimated prices, she immediately felt discouraged, “Forget it. I can’t afford these prices.”
The man chuckled, “You can’t afford it?”
Tan Mo, worth hundreds of millions, blushed, “Hmm…”
Mainly, she thought since it was for charity, it would be more meaningful to spend her own money.
Although she wasn’t short of money as a food blogger, casually bidding a few million for an item wasn’t that easy.
Hearing this, Xie Qichen smiled at her and said, “Tonight we have a number plate. Bid on anything you like. I’ll pay. You can consider it helping me with charity work. Okay?”
…That did sound reasonable.
Tan Mo reviewed the list once more and spotted two items she was genuinely fond of. After Xie Qichen found out, he pointed to one of them and said, “The final closing price for this piece should be approximately six million.”
“How do you know?”
Xie Qichen had participated in many auctions. He had just glanced at the guest list and knew most of the attendees. He roughly understood the preferences of those with purchasing power and could estimate their psychological price ranges.
After listening to his analysis, Tan Mo couldn’t help but admire him. She hadn’t realized that even a simple auction required so much research. She asked him, “So what’s your budget tonight? I should be careful not to overspend.”
Xie Qichen lightly smiled, handed the auction list back to her, “You don’t need to worry about that. Your husband won’t go bankrupt after tonight.”
Tan Mo’s heart slightly trembled, and she softly responded.
At 7:30 PM, the charity banquet officially began.
Tonight’s event was attended by elites, tycoons, and celebrities, even stars from the entertainment industry. The complex web of interests made it a true social battlefield.
Among them, the most eye-catching were still Xie Qichen and Tan Mo—
The man was dressed in a crisp suit, sitting upright and exuding a cool demeanor. His interlaced fingers rested casually on his crossed long legs. The cold, pale contours of his face were sharply defined under the overhead lights, giving him an aloof aura.
Beside him, Tan Mo was equally radiant, fair-skinned and beautiful, with every smile and glance exuding a fresh, youthful charm.
Truly a couple with exceptional looks.
Everyone secretly marveled at how Xie Qichen, who had always kept women at arm’s length, had suddenly married Tan Mo and was now clearly showing her off. They were also curious about the dynamics between the two.
On stage, after Chen Anrui finished his speech, the auction officially began.
The auction was divided into two parts, proceeding in the order listed on the auction catalog. Tan Mo watched others bid and roughly understood the process.
Half an hour later, it was time for Lot No. 7.
This was a ruby rosebud brooch she had her eye on—a small yet intricately crafted piece that would go well with any outfit. Originally from the Napoleonic era, it had appreciated significantly over time and was now contributed by an elderly collector.
This brooch had caught Tan Mo’s attention, but many female guests tonight also had their eyes on it.
The starting bid was one million. The price kept rising. After a few rounds, Tan Mo raised her paddle for the first time, pushing the price to three million.
Not far behind, Tan Zhiwan noticed and slightly frowned.
Did Tan Mo want this brooch? Did she have the money? Could it be that Xie Qichen was buying it for her?!
The price continued to climb. Tan Mo raised her paddle again, adding another 500,000. However, her opponent showed great persistence, determined to fight to the end, raising the price to 5.5 million.
The auctioneer scanned the room:
“5.5 million, now at 5.5 million. Any more bids…”
Tan Mo hadn’t expected a brooch to cost millions. For her personally, this was already far beyond her psychological expectation.
As the auctioneer asked, Tan Mo wanted to give up and hesitated, looking at Xie Qichen. The man adjusted his suit jacket, turned his head to look at her, and calmly said:
“Raise it.”
Since the patron had spoken, Tan Mo had no choice but to raise her paddle again.
Finally, the opponent gave up, and Tan Mo won the brooch at six million, exactly matching Xie Qichen’s initial estimate.
The auction continued. It was now time for Lot No. 14, the last item of the first half—an intense fancy blue diamond necklace.
This had the highest starting bid of the evening—eight million.
Tan Mo had her eyes on both the necklace and the brooch tonight, but having just won one, she felt a bit hesitant. She rested her cheek on her hand, sipping her drink, watching the competition unfold with a detached interest.
After the starting bid, Tan Mo noticed Tan Zhiwan raising her paddle with a look of arrogant disdain, seemingly determined to win.
Her competitors weren’t backing down either. After several rounds, Tan Zhiwan gritted her teeth and, suppressing the pain, raised the price to thirteen million.
These people were crazy… crazy…
Tan Zhiwan seemed to have reached her limit and had no more opponents.
The auctioneer asked, “Thirteen million once, any more bids?”
Still trying to stir things up, the auctioneer added, “This fancy blue diamond necklace is of noble origin and genuine quality…”
Tan Mo was watching casually when Xie Qichen’s calm voice fell into her ear, “Do you like it?”
She turned her gaze to meet his, “Huh?”
As the auctioneer said, “Thirteen million twice,” Tan Mo saw Xie Qichen raise his paddle. His thin lips uttered a few words, “Fourteen million.”
A ripple of whispers spread through the room. Believing she had already secured victory, Tan Zhiwan’s triumphant smile abruptly stiffened on her face.
She stared in shock at Xie Qichen ahead, and his distant, cold gaze met hers briefly.
It was as if he were saying, if she raised the bid, he would definitely follow.
Tan Zhiwan was furious.
What was he trying to do? Was he deliberately opposing her or had Tan Mo instructed him to do so?
Tan Zhiwan gritted her teeth and raised the bid again. True enough, Xie Qichen effortlessly matched it. She neither dared nor was able to raise the price further, watching helplessly as Xie Qichen secured the item she had long desired. She was almost on the verge of breaking down.
After the first half of the auction ended, Wen Cheng acted on behalf of Xie Qichen to complete the transaction procedures. Upon returning with the necklace, Xie Qichen handed the jewelry box to Tan Mo.
Tan Mo was equally puzzled: “Why did you suddenly bid for this?”
Flashes of Tan Mo’s unhappy expression that evening crossed Xie Qichen’s mind. He looked at her and said lightly, “Nothing. Just trying to cheer you up. Are you feeling better now?”
Tan Mo froze.
Cheering her up…?
She replied blankly, “It’s… it’s nice.”
“Yeah, nice is good enough.”
He didn’t say anything else. Tan Mo couldn’t quite wrap her head around it and didn’t press further.
…
When the second half of the auction began, Tan Mo had no intention of raising her paddle again. Xie Qichen explained details about the auction items to her, and she listened with great interest. The way they whispered intimately together drew many curious glances from outsiders.
Among the auction items, Xie Qichen contributed two, both of which were bought at high prices. The entire auction eventually achieved excellent results.
After the banquet, Chen Anrui personally saw Tan Mo and Xie Qichen off.
He also presented them with an auction item he had personally purchased that night, saying it was a wedding gift.
Chen Anrui smiled, “Brother, let’s have a meal sometime to catch up. We’re too busy today. Some other day, bring the sister-in-law along.”
Xie Qichen nodded, “Sure, we’ll talk about it later.”
“Great.”
Not far away, Tan Zhiwan stared directly at Xie Qichen, who was half-holding Tan Mo, deeply annoyed. Beside her, Chen Ningning softly tried to soothe her: “Wanwan, don’t be angry. Actually, that necklace isn’t such a big deal.”
Tan Zhiwan was unhappy.
Was she upset about the necklace? No! She was upset because the necklace was now owned by Tan Mo, the one person she least wanted to be outdone by!
Tan Zhiwan angrily turned and left.
Chen Ningning hurriedly chased after her: “Hey, Wanwan, wait for me…”
Meanwhile, Tan Mo and Xie Qichen descended the stairs and exited the hotel, where their Rolls-Royce was already waiting.
Back in the car, Tan Mo finally relaxed her tightly wound nerves, lazily leaning against the seat, pulling a blanket over herself with a long sigh, and tucking her neck into the blanket.
Seeing her lazy, kitten-like state, Xie Qichen smiled and asked, “Was tonight fun?”
“Mm, okay, especially since it’s not my own money, hahaha.”
Tan Mo turned to look at him, blinking her bright eyes with a smile: “Tonight I learned a lot. You know what, the bidding process was actually quite stress-relieving. Indeed, spending is joyful, especially when it helps others.”
The man smiled: “Then I need to work harder to earn more money. Otherwise, what if I can’t keep up with your playfulness?”
Tan Mo pouted with mock indignation: “I’m not such a spendthrift…”
“It’s okay, I can handle your extravagance.”
Upon hearing this, Tan Mo’s cheeks flushed slightly. She lowered her gaze to the jewelry box in her hands and heard Xie Qichen say, “Bring it over, I’ll help you put it on.”
Tan Mo hesitated, “I think this necklace is too valuable. Maybe I shouldn’t accept it. Why don’t you keep it for now and auction it again next time?”
He looked at her:
“Tan Mo, I don’t have the habit of taking back gifts once given.”
The man directly took the box, opened it, took out the necklace, leaned toward her, and helped her put it on.
A faint masculine fragrance drifted over. Tan Mo froze, dared not move, and secretly looked into Xie Qichen’s deep gaze, so close to her. Her cheeks suddenly warmed, her fingertips tightly gripping the blanket, instinctively slowing her breathing.
After waiting for a while, Tan Mo felt she was about to suffocate from the intimate proximity and softly called out, “Are you done yet…”
The man glanced sideways at her and murmured, “The light’s a bit dim. Don’t move.”
Tan Mo mumbled in agreement.
A few seconds later, he spoke softly, “Done.”
He pulled away and created some distance. Tan Mo released her grip on the blanket, looked down at the beautiful necklace, and heard the man’s voice again: “New Year’s gift.”
Tan Mo was taken aback, “Thank you, but I didn’t prepare anything for you…”
“That’s okay.”
“Then maybe I’ll cook for you tomorrow at noon?!”
Xie Qichen lazily raised his eyebrows, “Paying me back like that?”
“…”
“Who are you underestimating?” What did he mean by paying back like that!
She puffed up with anger: “Although my cooking sometimes turns out bad, I do have a few dishes I can handle well. Wait until tomorrow and you’ll see my cooking skills.”
He smiled, “Alright, I’ll wait.”
Tan Mo and he bickered all the way. Twenty minutes later, the car arrived at the villa in Jiayu Tiancheng.
After entering the house and changing shoes, Tan Mo walked into the living room.
They had been living under the same roof for less than a week. Now alone with Xie Qichen, she still felt somewhat awkward. She poured herself a glass of water and sat on the sofa somewhat obediently, busily sipping it when she heard the man ask, “Are you hungry?”
At his question, her stomach suddenly made its presence known, “I guess a little…”
She looked at him: “Didn’t you eat dinner?”
“Is there anything in the fridge?”
“There are vegetables and eggs. We can make some noodles.”
She quickly stood up: “I’ll cook. What do you want to eat?”
“Don’t bother. Go upstairs and change clothes. I’ll make it in the kitchen.”
This was the first time Tan Mo had seen this privileged CEO ready to cook a meal. She was slightly doubtful: “You… can you cook?”
The man simply hummed, “But definitely not as good as our chef here.”
He turned and walked into the kitchen.
“…”
She suspected he was being sarcastic.
Since he didn’t need help, Tan Mo went upstairs first to change her dress into comfortable loungewear and removed some makeup before coming back downstairs to the living room.
She originally wanted to help in the kitchen, but the man wouldn’t allow it, so she had no choice but to sit in the living room and wait.
Outside the window, the night was pitch black, and it was already late. After a tiring evening, Tan Mo couldn’t help but half-lie down on the sofa, closing her eyes.
The girl soon dozed off.
Ten minutes later, when Xie Qichen finished cooking the noodles and came out, he saw Tan Mo sleeping on the beige sofa.
The petite girl curled slightly, her smooth face half-covered by her soft black hair, peacefully asleep and motionless, just like the night she had fallen asleep drunk in his hotel suite.
Xie Qichen approached and softly called her:
“Mo Mo.”
Tan Mo’s sleep was light, and she quickly opened her hazy eyes at his voice. Xie Qichen asked, “The noodles are ready. Do you still want to eat?”
She shook her head, too tired, turned over and continued to lie there, unusually unguarded in front of him, “No, I’m too sleepy.”
“Then if you’re sleepy, go upstairs to sleep. You might catch a chill here.”
She mumbled drowsily, her voice soft like a kitten’s purr, “No, I don’t want to move…”
Xie Qichen half-squatted down to her level, half-smiling: “Then how about I carry you upstairs?”
She immediately backed down: “No, I can go myself!”
She forced herself up, sat up grumpily, pushed her long hair away from her face, looked up, and noticed the wall clock had passed midnight. She pointed at it: “It’s the new year already.”
She sat on the sofa with both hands supporting her, smiling sleepily at Xie Qichen:
“Xie Qichen, happy new year…”
The man squatted in front of her, watching her sleepy expression, and couldn’t help but smile.
His gaze fell on her closed eyes, not hiding the deep affection in his eyes, gazing at her intensely:
“Yeah, you too.”
He didn’t have any special wishes, just hoping—
That every day she was his wife, she would be happier than before.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage