Tan Mo never expected she would meet Xie Qichen again in this way.
The man had been standing behind her for who knows how long, teasingly silent, listening to her speak as if on purpose.
Surprise, surprise?
And to make matters worse, she had been commenting on Xie Qichen’s other aspects—
She even joked that he was inadequate in certain areas.
Inadequate in certain areas.
No, good.
…So awkward she wanted to flee this planet.
Hearing Xie Qichen’s words, Tan Mo’s ears burned red. She calmly forced out a few words:
“Oh, so your hearing… is pretty good.”
You could hear from outer space.
Why don’t you just fly then?
Mentally grumbling, yet visibly nervous, Tan Mo grabbed her bag and tried to leave, only to realize she had to pass through the moon gate where Xie Qichen stood.
The man remained in place, almost as if blocking her.
…Well, there was no escaping now.
After mentally preparing herself for a few seconds, Tan Mo pretended to be calm and started walking, stopping in front of him.
Standing face to face, feeling his heavily present gaze, she suddenly faltered, “Long time no see, Xie, Xie…”
She suddenly didn’t know how to address him. The man curled the corner of his lips: “Already forgotten me that fast?”
“…”
Xie Qichen turned and stepped onto the lakeside pavilion behind him. Tan Mo happened to be heading the same way, so she followed.
For some unknown reason, Tan Mo soon matched his pace.
A breeze rippled the autumn waters.
The surroundings were quiet, with only faint chirps of cicadas.
Tan Mo couldn’t help but turn to look at him.
Under the shade of the trees, dappled sunlight danced on his body.
He looked different from before, as if a thousand mountains and rivers separated them, yet he was so close.
As they walked silently, the man’s deep voice broke the quiet:
“Meeting someone here?”
Even after so long, there was no polite small talk.
As if they were naturally intimate.
She hesitated for a moment and softly replied, “Yes, representing the school for a meeting.”
“Settled the bill?”
She realized he meant the expenses here, “I’m going to do it now.”
Xie Qichen glanced at his assistant trailing behind: “Go to the front desk.”
The assistant nodded.
“No, I can…”
As Tan Mo was refusing, she heard the man say flatly, “This place is mine.”
…Turns out she was here on his turf for a meeting.
Tan Mo knew Xie Qichen was rich, but she hadn’t realized just how rich he was to own such a private garden in the city center.
Feeling awkward to refuse further, Tan Mo softly thanked him. As she spoke, she didn’t notice her footing and stumbled down the stone steps. Suddenly, a hand caught her waist, pulling her into a strong embrace, the scent of sandalwood enveloping her.
Xie Qichen’s grip was firm.
As if imprisoning her.
Her hands pressed against his chest, instinctively letting out a soft moan, her gentle Suzhou-accented voice sweet and tender, melting to the bone.
It stirred up old memories.
The next moment, Tan Mo felt him loosen his grip, and she stepped back.
The man looked down at her. The girl was particularly wary, like a timid little kitten, ready to scratch anyone who approached with her soft paws.
Biting her lip lightly, Tan Mo steadied her emotions. Two seconds later, the man’s husky voice broke the subtle atmosphere:
“Go home or back to school? I’ll drive you.”
Before she could refuse, a middle-aged man approached and extended his hand to the person beside her: “President Xie, long time no see!”
Xie Qichen’s expression slightly tightened as he shook hands, “Mr. Chen.”
“Didn’t expect such a coincidence, meeting you here…”
As the man conversed with Xie Qichen, Tan Mo seized the chance to quickly slip away.
After a few exchanges, the man said he wouldn’t disturb further and left. Xie Qichen turned his gaze, only to find Tan Mo gone.
The “little kitten” indeed ran away.
An assistant who knew something stepped forward tentatively: “President Xie, should I chase after her?”
A flicker of emotion passed through Xie Qichen’s eyes. He rotated his wristwatch, his expression inscrutable, then turned toward the private room: “No need.”
…
On the other side, Tan Mo exited the club and hailed a taxi.
Since she had directly hung up on Ji Shu’s call earlier, she sent Ji Shu a message after getting into the car. Upon learning what had happened, Ji Shu replied with a laughing emoji, clearly delighted: [You really shouldn’t talk behind someone’s back—karma is real, hahaha.]
Tan Mo: “…”
Damn it, who brought it up first anyway?
Thinking back to the moment, Tan Mo still felt unbearably embarrassed. The encounter had been too sudden, and now she had no idea how to face Xie Qichen again. There was no way she could let him drive her back—so she ran.
Tan Mo rolled down the car window, and the wind rushing in stirred up drifting memories.
Sixteen years old, the first time she saw Xie Qichen.
That day, amid the glowing sunset, the teenage boy stood under the camphor tree at school, wearing a white shirt and black pants, his gaze gentle as he knelt down to meet her eye level:
“Little Tan Mo?”
Tan Mo recalled the way he had looked just now, conversing with others.
The boy had long grown into a man, exuding nobility and depth.
Like the moon in the sky, still unattainable as ever.
…
After returning to her apartment from the club, meeting Xie Qichen again didn’t affect Tan Mo too much, as she had a more important matter weighing on her mind.
She had failed to negotiate the collaboration between the school and TOC.
…She had vented her anger, but the drones had turned into paper planes.
Two days later, Tan Mo returned to school. After her morning classes, she found the teacher in charge of the school anniversary to apologize and explain what had happened.
Although she didn’t regret confronting TOC’s representative, she had indeed failed to complete the task properly.
Upon hearing this, the teacher was furious, “You, you—you just couldn’t control your temper at a critical moment…”
However, though angry, the teacher also knew Tan Mo’s gentle nature. If the other party hadn’t been too rude, she wouldn’t have ended up in a confrontation.
He sighed, “This company is arrogant and even raised their price on the spot. Our budget is already tight, so it’s better not to cooperate. But we must finalize the drone show before Friday’s meeting; otherwise, how can we explain it to the leadership?”
Finally, Tan Mo looked at him and spoke with determination:
“Teacher, this is my fault. I will fix it and ensure the school anniversary won’t be affected.”
…
After leaving the office building, the sky was filled with evening clouds—it was already dusk.
A sports car pulled up in front of her, the window rolled down to reveal Ji Shu’s face, “My dear Tan Mo, you’re finally down.”
Tan Mo opened the door and sat in the passenger seat, “Have you been waiting long?”
“No problem, I’m happy to,” Ji Shu grinned, “After all, tonight you’ll be helping me attend a cocktail party.”
Ji Shu was two years older than Tan Mo. After graduating from university, she joined her family’s company. Tonight, she needed to attend a cocktail party to network. Since she found it boring to go alone, she had persuaded Tan Mo to accompany her.
What a day—negotiating collaborations and attending social events. Tan Mo felt like she was turning into an octopus.
On the way, Tan Mo told Ji Shu about the drone issue, and Ji Shu sighed, “Why don’t you just ask your dad for help? Your family is so influential.”
In fact, Tan Mo’s father operated a large enterprise, which was a key supplier of drone wings and propulsion systems in Licheng City. That was precisely why she had been so upset when Director Cui looked down upon domestic drones.
Tan Mo could have easily secured the collaboration by asking her father to use his connections, but she had tried contacting him a few days ago, only to be brushed off due to his busy schedule. Plus, she really didn’t want to trouble him, so she decided to handle it herself.
“If we can’t work with TOC, what’s your next plan?”
Tan Mo was silent for a few seconds.
“I’m thinking of reaching out to Aochuang Tech.”
“Aochuang?” Ji Shu paused for a second, “Isn’t that the company owned by the Xie family?!”
Aochuang Tech, founded by the Xie family, was a rising star in the domestic drone industry, a major player that could rival TOC. Tan Mo didn’t know if they handled drone performance contracts, but she had called them in the afternoon, and they said they would get back to her later.
“But if you go to Aochuang, wouldn’t that possibly involve…”
Ji Shu hesitated.
Tan Mo caught the implication, and her heart fluttered.
“Don’t worry, something will turn up. Let’s see,” Ji Shu comforted her.
“Okay…”
As night fell, the car arrived at the hotel.
Ji Shu handed over the invitation and led Tan Mo into the ballroom. After each grabbed a glass of wine, Ji Shu went to greet people while Tan Mo moved to a quieter corner to observe the elegantly dressed crowd.
Tan Mo sipped her wine—it was smooth and rich.
She loved drinking but had a low tolerance.
A while later, Ji Shu returned, her face flushed with excitement: “Tan Mo! I just heard some news!”
“What?”
“This party is hosted by Xiao Zhang, the young heir of the Zhang family. Do you know who Xiao Zhang is close with?”
Tan Mo looked puzzled as Ji Shu continued, “Xie Qichen! Xie Qichen might show up tonight! A lot of people are here hoping to see him.”
Tan Mo’s heart tightened.
“He’s probably back in the country to take over Aochuang. You’re stuck with the drone issue—why not go directly to him for help? He’d definitely agree, considering how much he used to spoil you…”
Tan Mo was stunned, quickly pushing her away, “Yeah, right.”
She couldn’t possibly ask Xie Qichen for help—wasn’t the situation already awkward enough?
“Focus on your own stuff first. Aren’t you supposed to meet some executives?” Tan Mo changed the subject.
“Alright, I’ll go then. You just hang around here for a bit.”
Ji Shu left. Tan Mo traced the rim of her wine glass, glancing at the guests entering the ballroom. Her thoughts drifted for a while before settling again.
Now that Xie Qichen was back, they would inevitably run into each other, being part of the same circles.
She turned her gaze away, no longer thinking about it. But to everyone’s surprise—long after the party started, the man still hadn’t shown up.
Many guests’ hopes turned into disappointment.
Tan Mo kept drinking, and before long, she was tipsy.
Half-drunk, she received a message from an employee at Aochuang Tech. The reply was polite but stated that drone performances were rare for them, and if needed, they would need to go through a process, possibly giving her a response by Friday.
But she needed to report back by Friday.
When Ji Shu returned and saw Tan Mo’s worried expression, she said nothing at first. But soon she came back, mysteriously slipping Tan Mo a note:
“I went through a lot of trouble to get this for you.”
Tan Mo looked at the note, which read: 3312.
“What is this?”
“Xie Qichen probably won’t come tonight, but he’s staying at this hotel recently. This is his room number. Go ask him for help.”
“What?! Are you crazy!”
Tan Mo was about to refuse when Ji Shu cut her off: “Don’t be shy now! Be bold! This is important for the school! How will you explain it to them otherwise!”
“I…”
The note in her hand seemed to burn her fingers, making Tan Mo’s face grow hotter.
Five minutes later.
Whether it was the situation or the alcohol, when she came to her senses, Tan Mo had already taken the elevator to the top floor of the hotel.
This floor housed executive or presidential suites, the environment quiet, the carpet soft underfoot. She smelled a faint, expensive fragrance in the air.
She reached the room number written on the note and hesitated for a long time. Finally, she gathered her courage and pressed the doorbell—but no one answered.
Had Xie Qichen not returned yet?
She glanced around, feeling a bit nervous.
She was only here for business—why did it feel like she was throwing herself at him…
But would Xie Qichen even agree to help her? Thinking back to how he had overheard her teasing remarks about him a few days ago.
…Tan Mo suddenly regretted her words bitterly.
Great, after all this time, she had annoyed him again. What should she say to flatter him when she saw him—oh no…
She had drunk quite a bit at the party, and now the alcohol was hitting her. Dizzy, she leaned against the wall, trying to organize her thoughts. Just as she was getting nervous, she suddenly heard the elevator ding.
She turned her head, and the person in her thoughts abruptly appeared in her vision—
The man’s tall figure, wearing a dark long coat, arrived with a gust of wind, as if he had just finished work. His sharp features bore a hint of fatigue, and his commanding presence was unmistakable, with several assistants trailing behind.
Seeing Xie Qichen, Tan Mo, not yet mentally prepared, panicked and pretended to be a guest, turning to walk in the opposite direction.
She hadn’t gone far when a deep, cold voice came from behind—
“Tan Mo, try to hide again.”
“…?”
How could he recognize her just by her back?!!
Tan Mo had no choice but to turn around. She saw Xie Qichen say something to his assistants, who nodded and left.
Then she met the man’s gaze. The next moment, he started walking toward her.
When he reached her, his tall figure blocked her path, trapping the petite girl.
The night was deep, the corridor dimly lit.
A few seconds later, she heard his voice above her, carrying the chill of the night: “What’s this about.”
Tan Mo lifted her slightly drunk eyes to meet his. The light passed over his high nose bridge, casting shadows, exuding a restrained allure.
Before she could react, his voice came again:
“Tan Mo.”
“Speak.”
With no way to escape, she could only tell the truth: “I just… came to ask for your help with something…”
Tan Mo lowered her drunken head, biting her lip softly, her voice soft and helpless: “It’s just… I haven’t figured out how to flatter you yet…”
She swayed slightly, trying to lean against the wall for support, when suddenly her arm was caught and pulled forward. Instinctively, she grabbed his suit sleeve, and they drew closer.
The fabric of their clothes rubbed together, their breaths mingling, entwining them like vines, the atmosphere growing intimate.
Xie Qichen took out his room card from his pocket.
The door beside them beeped and opened.
With one hand steadying her, his deep, dark gaze looked down at the tipsy girl before him:
“Alright, then come in and think about it properly.”
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