The man’s deep voice fell like grains of sand brushing against her ear. Tan Mo felt the heat on her face intensify, and with a guilty pout, she snapped at him:
“It’s because you’re annoying me, okay?”
She gritted her teeth and said, “Don’t act all high and mighty just because you’re older. Give me back my lipstick now.”
The man replied calmly, “It’s not on me. It’s at my house in Haixu City. I’ll return it to you another day.”
“…”
If it’s not on you, why bother talking so much?
“Forget it, don’t want it anymore. It’s yours.”
Tan Mo turned and walked to the sofa. Xie Qichen looked at her pouting back, lowered his eyelashes, and suppressed the rising curve of his lips.
An hour later, the takeout arrived. Tan Mo took the food to Tan Yuanzhou first, then returned to the living room. She saw Xie Qichen still dealing with work matters. Considering how hard he had worked today to pick her up, she decided to be kind and called him to come eat.
Tan Mo sat cross-legged in front of the coffee table and started eating first. After a while, Xie Qichen finished his work and sat down on the sofa beside her. He picked up another takeout box.
Tan Mo looked at him and asked, “Can you even eat this?”
“What, you think I don’t know how to eat?”
“…No, I just thought you wouldn’t like these fast foods.”
Xie Qichen tore open the disposable utensils and said quietly, “I’ve eaten much worse overseas when I first arrived.”
Tan Mo’s expression shifted slightly.
She realized she knew almost nothing about his life abroad.
Meeting her complicated gaze, Xie Qichen spoke with a trace of helplessness:
“I’m still alive. Don’t look at me like that.”
“…”
Tan Mo pursed her lips and glanced at his meal box. “Are you full? I can give you a chicken leg.”
“No need.”
“Just take it. I don’t eat much.”
Tan Mo looked at him with shining eyes.
They were sitting quite close. A few seconds later, Xie Qichen reached out and wiped a grain of rice from the corner of her mouth. His gaze lingered on her delicate, pale face, his eyes slightly heated:
“Tan Mo, do you know how much thinner you’ve become compared to before?”
Since their reunion, this was the first time the man had mentioned the past.
She had indeed lost fifteen pounds back then because of him, and never regained the weight, remaining slender ever since.
Tan Mo felt like a child caught not eating properly by an adult. She quickly turned her head and continued eating quietly, “I’m fine now, right?”
Xie Qichen placed the chicken leg on her plate:
“Eat enough yourself first.”
“Okay…”
After dinner, the caregiver responsible for Tan Yuanzhou’s daily life arrived at the residence, so Tan Mo and Xie Qichen could leave with peace of mind.
Before leaving, Tan Mo said to Tan Yuanzhou, “Uncle, take good care of yourself during this time. Don’t get hurt again.”
Tan Yuanzhou ruffled her hair, “Alright, don’t worry about me.”
He looked at Xie Qichen beside her, “Will you take Mo Mo back to her apartment?”
“Yes.”
The two walked out of the apartment. In the elevator, Tan Mo looked at Xie Qichen hesitantly, “Xie Qichen, aren’t you going to the group company? Actually, I can go back by myself…”
He cut her off:
“I have the time.”
Tan Mo had no choice but to follow him out.
At around seven o’clock, Xie Qichen dropped her off at her apartment building.
After Tan Mo went upstairs, the car started again. The man in the back seat coldly said:
“Go back to the old house first.”
The driver acknowledged.
The Rolls-Royce drove through the night.
Eventually, it stopped in front of an extremely luxurious villa.
In the front yard of the villa, the maids sweeping saw the license plate and were startled. One of them hurried inside to report.
Xie Qichen stepped out of the car, and the maids greeted respectfully, “Hello, Mr. Xie.”
The man walked into the entrance. In the living room, Zhen Mei and Xie Wenkang, who were discussing something, turned to look at him. Xie Wenkang’s eyes lit up: “Qichen, you’re back.”
Xie Qichen responded indifferently, “Second Uncle.”
Zhen Mei glared at him coldly: “This is the Xie family home. Do you even have the right to come in?”
Xie Qichen looked at his stepmother, who was already getting angry at the sight of him. He wasn’t annoyed but instead smirked:
“I’m here to see my father. Any problem with that?”
Hearing this, Zhen Mei laughed bitterly: “Xie Qichen, you’re no longer part of the Xie family. The rightful heir to the Xie family is my Siyuan. He’s the only successor to Aochuang!”
“Oh? Then where is your Suyuan now?”
Hearing his light, mocking question, Zhen Mei’s anger flared, and she trembled with rage:
“Xie Qichen, how dare you act so smugly! Don’t think I don’t know how you seized power. When your father’s health deteriorated, he intended to hand over the group to Suyuan. But you, desperate to take over, went to any lengths, causing my son to be in a car accident and fall into a coma, forcing your father to call you back from overseas.”
Xie Qichen was the son of Xie Wen and his ex-wife. When he was four, his parents divorced, and later Xie Wen married Zhen Mei, who gave birth to Xie Siyuan.
In recent years, Xie Wen’s health had worsened. This year, he planned to step back from the group and originally intended to hand it over to Xie Siyuan. But then, unexpectedly, Xie Siyuan had an accident.
Zhen Mei grabbed Xie Qichen’s sleeve and shouted, “Xie Qichen, you murderer, don’t think you can get away with this! I will definitely send you to jail!”
Xie Qichen forcefully pulled Zhen Mei’s hand away, looked down at her, and with a smile, said slowly:
“Then I’ll be waiting respectfully for that day.”
“I hope you find evidence soon, Mrs. Zhen.”
Zhen Mei glared at him with red eyes, only to hear him say calmly:
“But before I go to jail, next Monday I will attend the shareholders’ meeting as the new CEO of Aochuang. You’re welcome to come.”
At this moment, a maid came downstairs and said to Xie Qichen, “Mr. Xie, Chairman Xie has asked to see you upstairs.”
The man calmly walked upstairs. Zhen Mei was furious and tried to chase after him but was firmly stopped by Xie Wenkang: “Sister-in-law, calm down.”
Zhen Mei shouted furiously, “Xie Qichen, you just wait! One day I’ll make sure you’re kicked out of Aochuang, you should just die…”
The man stepped onto the second floor.
The curses finally faded from his ears.
He lowered his lashes, and his dark eyes returned to their usual coldness.
He pushed open the bedroom door. Outside on the balcony, Xie Wen, sitting in a wheelchair, looked into the distance. His slightly aged face showed the sharpness and cunning honed by years of experience.
Xie Qichen walked forward, and the family doctor left. Xie Wen turned to look at him, his expression heavy:
“…I know those words must have been hard to hear, but don’t take them to heart.”
“With Suyuan still unconscious, your stepmother is just anxious and easily loses her composure.”
Xie Qichen leaned against the railing and lit a cigarette. The white smoke drifted with the wind.
Xie Wen sighed, “I know you don’t care about this position, but the group is facing serious development challenges, and my health isn’t good anymore. Only with you in charge can I feel at ease.”
Xie Qichen cast a long glance out the window, “You should just rest well. Don’t worry too much about other things.”
Xie Wen talked to him about the group’s current situation.
At the end, he mentioned something, “I met with the chairman of Yuntong Tech today. I remember you’re friends with the younger brother of Yuntong’s chairman, Tan?”
Yuntong Tech was the Tan family’s company.
Xie Qichen responded with a simple, “Yes.”
“Although Aochuang leads in control systems and camera technology, Yuntong is especially strong in wing design and manufacturing, making them the most important domestic supplier. With the current competitive pressure, if we could deepen our cooperation, support each other, and enter the international market, it might be a good choice.”
Xie Wen imagined it in his mind and finally said, “We can discuss this further later. No rush.”
The man beside him didn’t say anything.
After finishing their conversation, Xie Wen planned to rest, so Xie Qichen left the room.
After giving a few instructions to the doctor, the man walked to the foot of the stairs when he unexpectedly saw Xie Wenkang waiting there.
Xie Wenkang and Xie Wen were twins, almost identical in appearance. However, after aging and gaining weight, Xie Wenkang had become slightly shorter and fatter, giving him a simple, honest look.
“Qichen—”
Xie Qichen walked over. Xie Wenkang looked at him with a kind smile: “You just came back and didn’t even come to have a meal with your second uncle. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you.”
“I’ve been busy since coming back. Did you need something from me?”
“Nothing important. Just now, don’t take what was said downstairs to heart. Now that you’re back, come home more often to see your father. His health isn’t good.”
“Yes.”
“It’s amazing how much you’ve grown up and are about to take over Aochuang. Your uncle is really happy for your father.” Xie Wenkang smiled, “Don’t worry, I have experience. I’ll also give you more guidance in the group.”
Xie Qichen nodded.
After a brief chat, Xie Qichen left the old house.
Back in the car, the vehicle drove out of the villa area. In the front seat, Wen Cheng looked at the man with his legs crossed in the back: “President Xie, the media has been informed about your official appointment the day after tomorrow.”
“Understood.”
The man looked out the window. Neon lights flickered past, and his expression seemed to be covered in frost.
As November arrived, Licheng first experienced two weeks of intermittent rain, the temperature dropped sharply, and the autumn air turned bleak.
In the afternoon, at the Tan family villa.
Tan Mo sat cross-legged on the bay window in her bedroom, holding a cup of hot tea, her gaze fixed on the gray sky outside. Through the speakerphone, Ji Shu’s leisurely voice came:
“Sure enough, I knew Xie Qichen’s purpose in returning to China was Aochuang. Now he’s so young and already the CEO, his net worth has skyrocketed. The women eyeing him must form a long line…”
Ji Shu rambled on but didn’t hear Tan Mo’s voice, “Jiaojiao? Are you listening!”
Tan Mo came back to her senses, “Ah, I’m listening.”
“You spaced out when I mentioned Xie Qichen. You really care about him, huh?”
“…Don’t talk nonsense.”
It was just that after hearing Ji Shu’s words, she recalled how the news of Xie Qichen’s appointment had indeed flooded the media recently.
Now the man stood at the center of fame and fortune, naturally radiant.
After visiting Tan Yuanzhou that time, Xie Qichen had someone return her lipstick the next day. Since then, she hadn’t seen him again, probably because he was extremely busy these days.
Moreover, thinking carefully, there seemed to be no particular reason for them to keep in touch deliberately.
On the other end of the phone, Ji Shu recalled Tan Mo’s previous accounts of her encounters with Xie Qichen and couldn’t help but exclaim, “Xie Qichen seems just like before, still taking care of you?”
“Yeah… he does take care of me.”
Back then, he treated her like a younger sister, and now isn’t it the same?
The two girls chatted until evening. Tan Mo glanced at the time: “No more talking. I need to have dinner soon.”
“Alright. By the way, are you staying at home from now on?”
“Yeah.”
Recently, her apartment had noisy neighbors moving in and starting renovations, so this morning her mother had asked her to move back home.
Ji Shu couldn’t help but complain, “In my opinion, you should have stayed at the Tan family all along. Why move out because of Tan Zhiwan? You didn’t do anything wrong to her. She’s been excluding you for years. According to the law, you’re the rightful second daughter of the Tan family.”
Tan Mo smiled slightly with her eyes lowered, “Just consider it that I don’t want to see her.”
She also didn’t want her parents to be in a difficult position. Every time she returned home, her parents had to carefully appease Tan Zhiwan, afraid she would show her displeasure again.
Ji Shu sighed helplessly.
After hanging up, Tan Mo walked out of her bedroom and met Auntie Zhang, who had just finished cleaning the balcony: “Has my father not returned from the company yet?”
“Master hasn’t returned. There’s been a lot going on at the company recently.”
Her father had been so busy lately that it seemed he might as well live at the company. Tan Mo had heard that the company was discussing a cooperation project with Aochuang.
Tan Mo didn’t understand much about business matters and didn’t pay much attention.
At this moment, someone came to notify Tan Mo: “Second Miss, dinner is ready. Master and Madam have returned.”
Tan Mo nodded and walked into the living room. She saw Tan Zhiwan sitting on the chaise lounge reading. After a moment’s hesitation, she called her: “Mom and Dad are back. Let’s go downstairs for dinner.”
Tan Zhiwan glanced at her, got up, and said, “Alright.”
Back then, Tan Zhiwan had wanted Tan Mo to leave the Tan family, but her mother had refused to agree. After causing a fuss, she could only accept reality and choose to avoid seeing her.
Tan Zhiwan barely looked at her and walked downstairs.
Tan Mo followed her down. In the living room, both Tan’s mother and father were present. Seeing her, Tan’s mother smiled: “Today I specially told the house to prepare your favorite cheese cake. Have it after dinner. You know, how long has it been since you last came home?”
Tan Mo smiled, “Lately, school has been keeping me busy.”
Tan Zhiwan gave a slight laugh, “Mom, you never ask what I like to eat. You’re so biased.”
Tan’s father stood up from the sofa and chuckled, patting her head, “You, child, when have we not made what you like to eat? Tell Auntie Zhang tomorrow what you want to eat.”
“Sure enough, only Dad loves me…”
Tan Zhiwan pulled her father toward the dining room. Tan’s mother looked at Tan Mo, her smile hiding her emotions: “Come, Mo Mo, let’s eat.”
Tan Mo nodded.
The four of them sat down at the table. During the meal, Tan’s father asked about Tan Mo’s recent situation, “You mentioned something about a drone performance before. What was that about? Do you need my help?”
At the time, she had brought it up, but her father hadn’t taken it seriously and only remembered it now.
Tan Mo smiled lightly, “It’s okay, Dad. It’s already been resolved.”
“That’s good.”
Tan’s father didn’t ask further. Tan’s mother served Tan Mo some dishes, “Mo Mo, just move back home. Don’t live in the apartment anymore. It’s not safe for a girl to live alone outside.”
Across the table, Tan Zhiwan peeled shrimp, her expression slightly colder. Seeing this, Tan’s father quickly said, “Forget it, the child wants her independence. Let her be.”
Tan Mo paused in her soup drinking and smiled at her mother, “Mom, it’s okay. My neighborhood is very safe.”
Sighing, Tan’s mother said no more. Tan’s father changed the subject, talking about a friend’s daughter having an engagement party, then looked at Tan Zhiwan: “Wanwan, you’re also at the age for marriage. It’s time to find a boyfriend.”
Tan Zhiwan ate her meal indifferently, “I haven’t found anyone I like.”
“No one you like?”
“You’re talking about the eldest son from the Zhang family or the youngest son from the Guantuo company, right? What’s so great about those rich playboys?”
Suddenly, Tan’s father asked, “What about Xie Qichen from the Xie family? What do you think of him?”
While eating, Tan Mo’s gaze froze.
She saw Tan Zhiwan’s astonished expression across the table: “What?”
“Currently, Yuntong is in fierce competition with foreign drone products. We’re negotiating a cooperation with Aochuang Group, and I’ve met with Chairman Xie several times recently. His son, Xie Qichen, you’ve probably heard of him. He’s just become the CEO of Aochuang and is very outstanding.”
Tan’s father looked at Tan Zhiwan:
“Chairman Xie and I have discussed it. You two are around the same age, and our families are well-matched in status. Everything else aligns well. Why don’t you two get to know each other and see how it goes?”
Tan’s father’s words were like a stone dropped into still water, creating ripples.
Upon hearing this, Tan Mo dropped her spoon, which clattered into the bowl with a crisp sound.
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