Chen Ningning and a few others were all daughters of prominent wealthy families in Licheng. They had long known that among their circle, Xie Qichen, the eldest son of the Xie family, was the most refined and noble.
They knew that although Xie Qichen seemed gentle and courteous on the surface, he was actually cold and distant to the core, and no woman had ever managed to get close to him.
That was until high school, when one day they went to Tan Zhiwan’s house to hang out and unexpectedly saw that so-called “pristine and radiant” young man lazily lounging on the sofa. He was watching Tan Mo, who was still confused even after he had explained the problem for a long time. He gave a helpless smile, his expression gentle:
“Momao, if you keep being this slow, Brother really will get a headache.”
The group of girls froze on the spot.
Later, they discovered that Tan Mo seemed to be Xie Qichen’s exception; he treated her completely differently from everyone else.
However, after a few years and experiences in the business world, Xie Qichen had become indifferent and cold, showing no interest or courtesy toward ordinary women.
Could it be that Tan Mo was still the exception? As if! Probably, he had already forgotten all about her.
Upon hearing Tan Mo’s response just now, the girls had already guessed it would be this answer. They secretly laughed to themselves. Chen Ningning sighed and comforted her:
“Momao, you don’t have to feel bad. Xie Qichen is such an important figure now; it’s not easy for ordinary people to even see him.”
Tan Mo smiled faintly: “Right, I should learn from Sister Ningning and try to get my dad to help set up a meeting. Maybe I can see Xie Qichen then, right?”
Chen Ningning’s smile froze on her face.
Wait, did Tan Mo just hear what she said?!
Tan Mo hadn’t expected that a random lie would cause such a dramatic reaction among this group of women competing for male attention. She was tired of pretending and stood up, saying, “I’m going back to my room; you guys keep chatting.”
Seeing her leave, Chen Ningning looked like a plucked peacock:
“What’s she being so high and mighty about?! As if Xie Qichen would even give her a second glance! Let’s wait and see her make a fool of herself in the future…”
As Tan Mo closed the door behind her, Chen Ningning’s voice faded from her ears.
She walked into her bedroom, sighed, and felt puzzled.
She couldn’t understand why Xie Qichen was such a big deal that so many women were after him.
But now… it seemed a bit difficult for her to avoid him.
Tan Mo looked again at the message from Xie Qichen, her heart in a mess.
A few days ago, when she returned from the hotel, she did notice a missing lipstick. However, she didn’t use that lipstick often and had thought she had just lost it, never imagining it had been left on the hotel bed.
She frowned in frustration, hesitated for a while, and finally replied to Xie Qichen: [Sorry, the lipstick must have fallen out when I was packing my bag. But I don’t use it much anyway.]
After she sent that, he replied with a teasing tone:
[So you were planning to give it to me?]
“…”
Mainly because she had classes for the next few days, and secondly, she hadn’t yet gotten over the embarrassment of drunkenly going to find him that night. The thought of facing him again still made her feel awkward.
Her face flushed red, and finally, she typed out a few soft words on her phone: [I’m busy these days. Let me come find you when I have time. Can you keep it for me until then?]
She sent the message. This time, she waited for several minutes before the man finally replied briefly and coldly.
It should mean he agreed.
He must be very busy; it was probably a “privilege” for her that he even took the time to reply.
Tan Mo breathed a sigh of relief and didn’t dare to bother him again.
After finishing packing her autumn clothes, she walked out of the bedroom. In the living room, the other women looked at her with hidden disdain, as if she had no right to be in the Tan household.
Tan Mo lowered her eyes indifferently and left the house.
On her way back, she sat in the back of a taxi, gazing out the window as her memories drifted back to the past.
When Tan Zhiwan was three, she was abducted, and her parents were devastated, desperately searching for her. Three years later, they met Tan Mo, who had been abandoned by her birth parents at birth. Out of sympathy and for emotional comfort, they adopted Tan Mo.
Later, when she was ten, Tan Zhiwan was found and brought home. She cried and screamed, demanding her parents send Tan Mo away.
It was then that Tan Mo first learned she wasn’t their biological child.
At that time, the young Tan Mo stood in a corner, afraid of being abandoned again, her eyes red from crying.
Later, she came to realize that the happiness and joy she had felt was like a woven dream, one that could vanish in an instant.
The wind blew her hair into disarray.
Finally, Tan Mo turned her gaze away, closed the window, and shut those memories out along with it.
—
Back at her apartment, she quickly put the events at the Tan household behind her.
After spending a full day and an all-nighter, she completed the cooperation proposal with Aochuang and submitted it to the school the next day.
At first, the teacher was a bit worried about Aochuang’s capabilities when Tan Mo suggested changing the partner from TOC to Aochuang. However, after Tan Mo provided many examples and objective analysis, the teacher was eventually convinced. After all, it would be great if they could support domestic companies.
The members of the planning team seized the opportunity to visit Aochuang Group for an in-depth understanding. Tan Mo no longer needed to worry about this matter and finally got a few good days of rest.
Before long, the weekend arrived.
On Saturday, she received a school assignment to go to F University’s Yuning branch campus to film an interview short film for the school anniversary.
The branch campus was located on Yuningshan Mountain, a suburban area of Licheng, and was also a tourist attraction.
So on Saturday morning, Tan Mo took a bus to Yuningshan.
Under the clear sky with no clouds in sight, the mountain air was fresh, and the scenery was lush and green.
Studying here was like being on a vacation, except for the slightly inconvenient transportation.
Winding up the mountain path, Tan Mo arrived at the Yuning campus at half past nine.
She had already contacted the students there in advance. As she walked through the school gate, she saw two boys and a girl waiting under an old tree and walked over:
“Hello, I’m Tan Mo.”
The three noticed Tan Mo. She was wearing a light purple short skirt, slim and tall, with a slightly childish baby face.
They all froze: “Tan… Senior Tan?”
“Yeah.”
The three greeted her, and after some small talk, Tan Mo said: “Then let’s start filming now?”
“Okay.”
Tan Mo walked ahead, and behind her, one of the boys exclaimed: “Senior Tan looks like a freshman! She’s so cute!”
The girl beside him excitedly said: “No wonder she’s recognized as the campus beauty of F University; she’s even prettier in person than in photos!”
“You’re a guy, why are you acting like a fanboy?”
“What do you know? We girls also want to get close to a beauty, okay…”
After the four arrived at the filming location, Tan Mo discussed the filming requirements with them: “The style of this anniversary short film will be a time-travel theme. The first scene will be under this plane tree…”
Tan Mo demonstrated first, and while the three filmed, she guided them.
At this moment, they felt her senior presence, but it wasn’t oppressive. The key was that she was especially cute and gentle, making it hard not to like her.
They spent most of the day and successfully completed the filming task in the afternoon.
Tan Mo asked them to organize the footage and send it to her. The three accompanied her to the school gate and, reluctant to part, asked for her WeChat: “Senior Tan, come visit our campus again when you have time!”
“Okay.”
Tan Mo smiled and said goodbye to them, then left the school, looking up at the still bright sky.
It was still early; she could take a walk in the mountains.
Filming the scenery along the way, in the evening, Tan Mo reached the ancient town at the top of the mountain, the most commercialized and bustling part of Yuningshan.
Tan Mo searched online and found a very stylish Western restaurant here. Thinking quickly, she decided she could also film a food vlog.
Following the navigation, she found the restaurant. The black and gold sign outside was low-key yet luxurious. She walked in, passing through a long corridor, speaking into the camera:
“Now I’ve arrived. The lighting inside the restaurant is quite dim. I heard that some celebrities have visited this place before…”
She was focused on filming the interior decorations, slowly stepping backward, when suddenly a hand grabbed her arm and pulled her to the side.
She nearly stumbled into someone’s arms.
A familiar sandalwood scent filled her nose.
At that moment, a waiter pushed a small cart past her quickly. She looked up, only to meet the deep, cold eyes of Xie Qichen.
The man was dressed in a custom-made suit, one hand in his pocket, his tall figure standing against the light, his almond-shaped eyes half-lidded, the light and shadow creating a dreamy effect.
His deep voice pulled her back to reality in an instant:
“Don’t just film; watch where you’re going.”
Tan Mo was stunned, her ears slightly warming: “What are you doing here in Yuningshan…”
“To attend a meeting.”
A brief, concise reply.
Before Tan Mo could say anything, several men and women in suits walked in through the door, each with assistants by their side, clearly people of high status.
“We can’t miss tonight’s dinner hosted by President Xie.”
They laughed and approached, noticing Tan Mo in front of Xie Qichen and showing slight surprise. One of the executives recognized Tan Mo: “Oh, isn’t this Old Tan’s daughter? Tan… Tan Mo, right?”
Tan Mo recognized him as one of her father’s business partners who had visited their home before. She nodded: “Uncle Li, hello.”
“What a coincidence! I just saw you talking with President Xie. So you two know each other?” Manager Li asked curiously.
The group looked at Tan Mo with curiosity. The girl looked at the man at the center of the elite circle and tightened her heart, softly saying: “I’m not really close with President Xie…”
After Tan Mo spoke, her and Xie Qichen’s gazes met in the air.
The man looked at her, his dark eyes unfathomable, making her feel suddenly guilty.
Manager Li understood and didn’t probe further, laughing as he asked Xie Qichen: “President Xie, shall we go in now? The private room is reserved.”
Xie Qichen agreed, his icy gaze withdrawing, and he turned directly and walked into the restaurant.
Tan Mo smiled slightly and said goodbye to Manager Li.
The group quickly disappeared from view, and Tan Mo was momentarily dazed.
Mainly because she didn’t know how to describe her relationship with Xie Qichen. She was also afraid others would ask questions, which might trouble him…
Without thinking more, Tan Mo continued into the restaurant.
—
The sun set, and night fell.
Tan Mo enjoyed a delicate dinner alone and came out of the restaurant, not seeing Xie Qichen and the others anymore.
The last bus back to the city center was at nine o’clock, so she decided to visit the market in the ancient town.
The moon was pale and the sky was thick with frost, the weather gradually changing. Soon, a few muffled thunder rumbled, and raindrops began to fall.
Tan Mo opened her umbrella, realizing she couldn’t continue shopping now, so she started to head back.
As she walked toward the bus station, her phone suddenly rang.
It was from Tan Yuanzhou.
Tan Yuanzhou was her nominal “young uncle,” only a few years older than her. He had always been very affectionate toward her, and Tan Mo had a good relationship with him. Moreover, Tan Yuanzhou was Xie Qichen’s brother. She had first met Xie Qichen because Tan Yuanzhou had asked him to take care of her.
She answered, and a playful male voice came from the other end, sounding like he was about to settle accounts: “Tan Mo, how long has it been since you last contacted me?”
“Uncle,” Tan Mo smiled as she heard his voice, “you haven’t contacted me either, have you?”
Tan Yuanzhou scoffed, “Shouldn’t the younger generation be the one to reach out first?”
She chuckled, “I’ve been busy with the school anniversary planning lately.”
“Then how about we have a late-night snack together tonight?”
“Tonight might not work. I’m at Yuningshan now.”
“What are you doing there?”
Tan Mo explained the reason and mentioned the rain, guessing she wouldn’t get back to the city until very late. After listening, Tan Yuanzhou finally suggested, “Actually, you don’t have to rush back. You could stay on the mountain for the night?”
“No, booking a guesthouse would be too much trouble…”
The man chuckled lightly, “There’s a villa on the mountain. You can stay there tonight.”
“Eh?”
…
Ten minutes later, Tan Mo followed the navigation sent by Tan Yuanzhou and found his mountain-top villa.
Tan Yuanzhou was wealthy and owned properties in many places. He said the house was regularly maintained. Tan Mo thought it would be too troublesome to travel back in the rain, so she decided to stay for the night.
She entered the house, input the password, put on slippers, and walked into the spacious living room, taking a look around.
It was a bit eerie staying alone in such a large place at night…
She was a bit timid and quickly turned on all the lights, then went to the garden balcony outside.
This villa had the best spot for watching the sunrise and an excellent location. From here, she could also overlook the night view of Licheng.
But now it was raining, and everything in front of her was dark.
Tan Mo went back inside and went upstairs to wash up.
Half an hour later, after taking a shower, she wanted to go downstairs to get a glass of water. As she slowly walked down the stairs, she noticed many antiques on the open shelf next to the staircase.
She didn’t expect her “uncle” to have such refined hobbies…
Tan Mo saw an exquisite celadon vase and took it down. Suddenly, she heard a click downstairs—the sound of someone turning the doorknob.
The door slowly opened.
The air suddenly stilled, and an eerie silence filled her ears.
The next moment, she saw the person who walked in—
It was Xie Qichen.
The man’s tall figure was wrapped in a dark gray double-breasted overcoat, looking as if he had just finished business, exuding an air of noble coldness.
Tan Mo was so scared that her heart stopped beating for a moment. But when her brain slowly realized that it wasn’t some bad person, she had already stumbled backward, lost her footing, and the vase in her hand fell to the ground.
The porcelain shattered and flew, grazing her foot.
Oh no, this was terrifying…
She sat down on the stairs in pain, gasping. The man at the door raised his eyes to look at her, his gaze as cold as autumn nights.
The next moment, she saw the man walking up the stairs.
Her mind was still spinning.
What the hell? How did he get here…
When she came to her senses, Xie Qichen had already reached her. He crouched down, his voice slightly cold, “Are you okay?”
She awkwardly stood up, “I’m fine, just a little blood…”
She tried to step over the sharp shards on the floor with her foot, but suddenly felt her waist being grabbed, and her body was lifted into the air.
Xie Qichen had scooped her into his arms.
He walked down the stairs.
Tan Mo’s wide eyes stared, her fingers tightly gripping his clothes, her heart pounding: “Xie Qichen, you…”
Xie Qichen carried her downstairs and placed her on the dining table, looked at the wound on her foot, and coldly ordered:
“Sit.”
Then he went to get a first-aid kit. Tan Mo looked at the man in front of her, completely confused: “How did you get here…”
“This is my house.”
He looked at her, “What do you think?”
Tan Mo: ? Wasn’t this Tan Yuanzhou’s house?!
Before she could speak, her ankle was suddenly gripped by his palm. A warm sensation spread across her delicate skin like an electric current. Her face flushed red, but then a sharp pain hit her: “It hurts! It hurts! It hurts!”
He was disinfecting her wound, lifting his eyes to glance at her.
“Does it hurt a lot?”
He didn’t ease up at all, continuing to wipe the wound.
She kept crying out in pain, her face turning red with anger. Knowing how sly this person was, she felt like crying and, just like before, naively accused him:
“Xie Qichen, you’re doing this on purpose! Let go! If you don’t let go, I won’t talk to you anymore…”
Xie Qichen held her ankle tightly without loosening his grip.
They were very close, his other hand supporting himself beside her, as if trapping her in front of him.
The posture was too intimate.
Outside the window, the bright moonlight poured in, filling half the dimly lit room. The heat from his palm and the closeness of his breath sent rising sensations through her.
The man lowered his gaze to look at her, his eyes burning:
“Not talk to me?”
“You said tonight that we weren’t even close?”
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