Tan Mo’s words left Tan Zhiwan stunned for three full seconds:
“You mean to say I should enter into a marriage alliance with Xie Qichen?”
The idea of a marriage alliance had first been proposed by Tan Mo himself.
He had thought that if Yun Tong and Ao Chuang could join forces, they would become unmatched in the domestic drone industry. Additionally, he had been increasingly concerned about Tan Zhiwan’s marriage, actively seeking a suitable groom.
When he learned that the CEO of Ao Chuang was also single, he thought: if their companies could cooperate and strengthen the bond through a marital alliance, wouldn’t that be a joyous occasion?
After discussing this idea with Xie Wenzong, both sides decided to first consult their children’s opinions.
Tan Mo said, “Our families are equally matched in strength. A marriage alliance with Xie Qichen is an excellent option…”
Tan Zhiwan interrupted him, her expression darkening:
“Dad, is my marriage merely a bargaining chip in your hands?”
Trying to soften his tone, Tan Mo persuaded her, “Wanwan, I’m doing this for your own good. You don’t realize how many young ladies would love to marry someone with Xie Qichen’s wealth and status. It would be such an honor!”
“You’re only thinking about your own interests. If you’re so eager to ally with the Xie family, why not have Tan Mo marry him instead?”
Tan Mo was momentarily stunned before hastily replying, “Your sister is still in college. What are you dragging her into this for? A marriage alliance is a serious matter; the Xie family would never agree to just anyone…”
To put it bluntly, if the Xie family agreed to the alliance, how could they possibly accept a second daughter who had been adopted? That would seem as if they were deliberately trying to get rid of the Xie family, which was completely unacceptable.
Tan Mo coughed lightly and said no more. Tan Mo sensed the implication behind his words, gripped her spoon tightly, and replied flatly, “Don’t drag me into this.”
Tan Zhiwan rarely saw Tan Mo with such a cold expression. She stopped herself, then turned to her father: “So, does Xie Qichen even agree to this alliance?”
“Chairman Xie will consult his son’s opinion, but what reason would he have to refuse my daughter? With her prestigious education background and excellent qualities, Wanwan is no less than anyone.”
Tan Mo tried to reason with her: “My dear daughter, once you marry into a good family, your parents can rest easy for the rest of our lives. I just don’t understand why the Xie family isn’t good enough for you?”
It wasn’t that they weren’t good enough for her.
Even though she was proud, she couldn’t help but wonder if she would be good enough for him…
Tan Zhiwan was well aware of Xie Qichen’s status within the industry; naturally, it would be prestigious to become his wife.
In the past, Tan Yuanzhou had brought her to meet Xie Qichen several times. She had never told anyone that she had once felt a flutter of affection and had tried to get closer to him. But the man had been too cold and indifferent, so she had quickly chosen to keep her distance. Now, she genuinely no longer liked him.
Xie Qichen was famously indifferent to romantic pursuits, and many women had been rejected by him. She couldn’t imagine what kind of person could capture his heart. If she married him and was not cherished, what would be the point of a loveless marriage?
Then how would people in their circle mock her?
Besides, since he hadn’t even shown any interest, how could she possibly throw herself at him?
Tan Zhiwan’s thoughts raced, and frustration welled up inside her. “Dad, don’t even think about it—I will never agree to it.”
“How can you be so unreasonable!”
With a bang, the chopsticks landed on the table. Tan Zhiwan stood up. “That’s just how I am. Are you going to force me to marry him?!”
Tan Zhiwan turned and stormed out of the dining room. Tan Mo wanted to scold her but was stopped by Tan Mu.
“Let it go. If Wanwan really doesn’t want to…”
“What do you mean she doesn’t want to? This marriage alliance with the Xie family must happen. There’s no room for discussion!”
Tan Mo was furious. His gaze then shifted to Tan Mo, who had remained silent throughout:
“Mo Mo, do you know Xie Qichen? I remember Yuanzhou often took you to see him.”
Tan Mo was slightly taken aback and softly replied:
“Yes.”
“What do you think of Xie Qichen?”
“He… he’s fine.”
“Your sister has a strong personality. Why don’t you arrange a private meeting between her and Xie Qichen sometime? Let them get to know each other first. Maybe they’ll hit it off. What do you think?”
Tan Mo gripped her spoon tightly. A few seconds later, she softly said, “Okay.”
Tan Mu placed some dishes into Tan Mo’s bowl. “Alright, let’s eat first. Don’t talk about this anymore. Mo Mo, have some eggplant…”
Tan Mo nodded and lowered her head.
—
Tan Mo said nothing else. After dinner, Tan Mo walked alone to the backyard.
She saw the bicycle she had ridden for a while during high school, covered in dust and rust.
Suddenly, memories drifted back.
Back in her second year of high school, after school had let out, she slammed on the brakes of her wobbly bicycle on the street lined with golden fallen leaves. She hurriedly jumped off the bike.
She looked at the boy in white standing beside her, smiling calmly, and tried to explain in a composed manner: “It’s just that… the brakes seem a bit faulty. They worked fine yesterday.”
Xie Qichen leaned down to look at her, a smile curling his lips:
“Tan Mo—”
“You’re already grown up, yet you still can’t ride a bicycle. Isn’t that embarrassing?”
Her face flushed as she glared at him: “So you’re just going to laugh at me for being clumsy, right?”
“You are pretty clumsy. Not unexpected.”
She turned to leave, but the boy took the bicycle from her, reached out, and ruffled her hair. His smile spread from the corners of his eyes:
“It’s okay if you can’t ride. Sit behind me. I’ll take you home.”
That day, her heart was completely thrown into disarray.
Tan Mo looked at the bicycle and then turned to Auntie Zhang, who had approached: “Auntie Zhang, can this bike still be ridden?”
“Do you want to ride it? You haven’t touched it since you went to college. The chain came off, and it hasn’t been repaired yet. If you want to ride it, I’ll have someone fix it tomorrow.”
“No need.”
Tan Mo said expressionlessly: “Throw it away.”
Some men are like this rusty bicycle—unusable and just taking up space like scrap metal. It’s better to get rid of them early.
Tan Mo turned and went upstairs.
Auntie Zhang was puzzled. What was wrong with the child?
Tan Mo returned to her room alone, sat back on her bed, and once again thought of Xie Qichen.
From the first time she saw him standing under the camphor tree at sixteen, to the afternoon she found out he had flown abroad and cried uncontrollably on the street, memories of him flooded her mind like an uncontrollable dam, playing frame by frame in her mind.
Back then, he had been like a brother, spoiling and protecting her, giving her warmth and security she had never received from anyone else.
He had patted her head and told her: “If you ever don’t know what to do, come find me. I’ll be here.”
He had wiped away her tears after learning she had been ostracized by Tan Zhiwan and after discovering her background and treatment within the Tan family, gently comforting her:
“It’s okay if others don’t care about Mo Mo.”
“I’ll take care of you from now on.”
There was nothing particularly special about the name Xie Qichen, yet it had become etched into her youthful memories, impossible to erase.
She cherished every gift he gave her, stole glances at him whenever he was around, longed to see him every day, wrote his name countless times in her books and diaries, paid attention to every detail about him, imagined stories of being together, felt joy at the thought of him, and shed many tears secretly for him.
But he had never belonged to her world.
Now, she had moved on and no longer cared.
Now he was going to enter into a marriage alliance with her sister.
Tan Mo hugged her brown bear pillow, squeezing its face, her heart inexplicably restless and confused.
What did she have to be upset about…
Xie Qichen becoming her future brother-in-law was a great joy for their family. She should be happy, right…
As she was thinking, her phone suddenly vibrated in her pocket. She took it out and saw it was Tan Yuanzhou.
She answered. His voice on the other end was teasing:
“Mo Mo, where are you now?”
“At home. What’s up, Uncle?”
“How about coming over later for hotpot?”
He added, “Xie Qichen is here too.”
Tan Yuanzhou chuckled: “Someone forgot that I need to eat light food these days and bought a lot of hotpot ingredients. Aren’t you coming over to help me finish them?”
Tan Mo loved hotpot in winter, but as soon as she heard those three words, her heart bristled: “No, you guys eat it yourselves.”
“Huh? What should we do with all this stuff if you don’t come?”
“Let whoever bought it deal with it. He’s just started a new job and is all fired up. He finally had time to come see you tonight. Let him enjoy the hotpot at your apartment. He’ll be even busier after this.”
Tan Mo angrily pinched the bear in her arms, made up an excuse that she was busy, and ended the call.
She put down her phone and lay on the bed.
In this situation, why would she go see him?
She rolled around a couple of times and pulled the blanket over her face.
On the other side.
Tan Yuanzhou put down the phone and looked at Xie Qichen leaning by the floor-to-ceiling window, his smile annoying:
“No luck with the hotpot. What should we do if she doesn’t fall for it?”
“Or maybe Tan Mo doesn’t dislike hotpot, but she just doesn’t want to see you?”
Xie Qichen looked at him expressionlessly. Tan Yuanzhou immediately suppressed his smile. Finally, the man walked over, picked up his suit jacket from the sofa, and said coolly to the cleaning lady: “Auntie Chen, take all the hotpot ingredients at the door with you.”
“Eh, you’re not leaving me any?”
Xie Qichen glanced at him: “What? You’re recovering from an injury. You should eat congee and light dishes.”
“…”
Xie Qichen left the apartment and headed to the parking lot. Wen Cheng, who had been waiting in the car, didn’t expect him to come down so quickly. His heart sank, and he hurriedly got out to open the door.
Xie Qichen got into the back seat and saw a message from Xie Wenzong on his phone:
[“Come to the old house when you have time these days. I have something to discuss with you.”]
He casually replied with a message, locked the screen, and Wen Cheng turned to look at him, cautiously asking: “Boss Xie… where are we going now?”
The man’s fingers rubbed his thumb, his gaze shifting to the window, his expression cold and indifferent:
“Back to the group. We have a meeting to continue.”
Wen Cheng was almost in tears, “…Okay.”
—
Since Tan Mo and Tan Zhiwan had brought up the marriage alliance, they had started various attempts to persuade her, with an unusually firm attitude, as if determined to form an alliance with the Xie family.
As the two most prominent aristocratic families in Licheng, the Tan and Xie clans were evenly matched in terms of wealth and social standing. Should they unite as one family, their future would become unshakable.
This marriage alliance seemed to be heading toward an inevitable conclusion.
Tan Mo didn’t ask about it, nor did she want to know.
After all, this matter had nothing to do with her.
On Monday morning, Tan Mo received a message from her teacher, saying that the drone program at Ao Chuang had been preliminarily designed and they wanted them to come take a look. The teacher asked her to go along with several other members of the planning team.
After lunch, Tan Mo went to school.
Arriving at the school gate, she was waiting when a gentle, clear male voice came from behind her: “Tan Mo—”
Tan Mo turned around and saw Ye Yao.
The boy had broad shoulders and a narrow waist, his long legs accentuated by the afternoon sunlight. His features were softly illuminated, wearing a white hoodie and black pants, exuding a youthful charm.
Ye Yao was in the same class as her and also part of the planning team. He excelled in both academics and sports, a godlike figure on campus.
Approaching her, Ye Yao raised an eyebrow: “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you.”
Tan Mo replied: “I haven’t come to school much recently.”
“You seem pretty relaxed. I’ve been supervising the rehearsal for the school celebration every day. I’m almost exhausted.” His laughter was low and warm.
“Those who can do more should take on more responsibility.”
Students and teachers gradually arrived, and once everyone was there, they boarded the bus. Tan Mo found a seat, and Ye Yao sat beside her.
The boy turned sideways and pulled the curtain on her side shut: “The sunlight outside is too glaring.”
“Thanks.”
Ye Yao noticed a small bead of sweat on Tan Mo’s delicate nose. He opened a bottle of water and handed it to her: “Have some water. It’s a bit hot today.”
Tan Mo thanked him and accepted it. The boy beside her teased: “Ye Yao, we’re hot too. Why don’t you care about us?”
Ye Yao smiled, took another bottle from the box beside him, and tossed it over: “Drink more.”
“Rude…”
The planning team members were all friends. On the way, they chatted happily, and the atmosphere was warm and friendly.
Twenty minutes later, the bus arrived at the financial district, where tall buildings lined the streets.
Finally, they reached Ao Chuang Group’s building.
After getting off the bus and looking up, Ao Chuang’s headquarters towered above them, its glass curtain walls shimmering like ripples on a lake.
Tan Mo and the others entered the building. She and Ye Yao were walking at the back. Ye Yao glanced around: “Ao Chuang is huge. It’s really impressive…”
Tan Mo nodded, when suddenly she heard the security guard’s voice from behind:
“Hello, Mr. Xie—”
She turned abruptly.
A familiar figure came into view.
The man stepped out of the black car, walking slowly into the building. Several assistants and staff followed him, one reporting his schedule:
“Mr. Xie, at 3 PM, you have a video conference with Mr. Hui from Liangan…”
This was the first time Tan Mo had seen him in a professional setting. The man wore a high-end gray-black suit, his tie perfectly knotted, a pin on his collar gleaming with metallic luster. His tall, slender figure exuded a noble aura, as if bathed in moonlight.
Xie Qichen’s appearance drew the attention of the planning team students, their eyes lighting up as they whispered among themselves.
As if sensing something, the next moment, Xie Qichen lifted his eyelids, his deep gaze falling directly on her.
Tan Mo quickly turned her head away as if ignoring him.
Why did she keep running into someone she didn’t want to see…
Tan Mo treated him like air, continuing to chat and laugh with Ye Yao. Yet, she couldn’t shake the feeling that a heated gaze was fixed on her.
At the elevator entrance, one of the six elevators opened, and the Ao Chuang employees and students and teachers rushed in.
Tan Mo was at the back. Ye Yao entered first and said to her:
“There’s still room. Let’s squeeze in.”
The elevator was packed. Tan Mo hesitated, when suddenly a deep male voice came from behind her:
“Tan Mo.”
The private elevator diagonally opposite opened. Xie Qichen, followed by his assistant, stepped inside. He then lifted his eyes to look at her, his pupils dark:
“Come in.”
“I’ll take you up.”
His commanding tone carried a hint of unusual intimacy.
In an instant, all eyes turned to Tan Mo standing between the two elevator doors.
Meeting Xie Qichen’s steady gaze, Tan Mo arched her eyebrows slightly:
“No need, Mr. Xie.”
She turned and stepped into the other elevator, “I can squeeze in.”
Ye Yao helped protect Tan Mo from the crowd. She smiled faintly at him.
The two elevator doors slowly closed.
Ye Yao raised his eyes. In the opposite elevator, the man in a suit looked over, his gaze fixed on him with icy coldness.
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