As night fell, a crescendo of white moonlight hung at the edge of the sky, stained by the deep ink of darkness.
Inside the villa, voices buzzed with liveliness.
Moonlight spilled down as Tan Mo quietly stepped onto the final stair, arriving at the door of a second-floor room.
She peered inside using the corridor’s light.
Inside the room, a man leaned against a floor-to-ceiling window.
His tall, lean figure stood illuminated by the light, highlighting his sharp profile, high nose bridge, and well-defined brow line. A cigarette dangled between his fingers, surrounded by swirling white smoke.
Tan Mo stepped inside.
The man turned his gaze toward her, extinguishing the cigarette. Outside, neon lights flickered like a gentle sea of fire, casting reflections into his dark, turbulent eyes.
They stood very close. She lifted her gaze to meet his. Before she could speak, his hand suddenly wrapped around her waist.
She was pressed against the window.
Around them lingered a seductive blend of alcohol and tobacco.
Her long lashes fluttered. In the next moment, a searing touch descended, capturing her lips.
His tongue explored.
Breath mingled and intertwined.
He seemed drunk, venting something.
Tan Mo’s heart pounded. Her soft voice slipped from her lips: “Xie Qichen…”
His eyes flushed red, his breath ragged and uneven as he stared at her intently: “Mm.”
From outside came the occasional sounds of laughter and conversation, as if someone might walk in at any moment, tightening their nerves.
In solitude, Tan Mo felt her chin lifted, and once more, his lips descended.
–
She rolled over, transitioning from the dream into reality.
Opening her eyes, the man had long vanished from her side, leaving only the lingering warmth on her cheeks.
Looking around the empty room, Tan Mo frowned in embarrassment.
Why did I dream about him again…
She buried her face in the blanket, her mind involuntarily returning to that very night.
She crushed the memory, and after calming herself, sat up, glancing at the wall clock—it was already past 11 a.m.
Tan Mo got out of bed and walked to the bathroom.
Her sleep dress was slightly wrinkled, her black hair cascading over her pale shoulders and neck. Her face was delicate and radiant, her eyes as clear as spring water.
Though already a senior, her appearance still carried a youthful innocence.
Lively and bright.
She stepped barefoot into the bathroom, placing her phone on the counter before pulling her hair back and beginning to brush her teeth.
After a while, her phone vibrated. With a toothbrush in her mouth, she glanced down:
[“I’m free at 2 p.m. today. Meet me at Qianshui Club. I’ll give you twenty minutes.”]
The message came from an employee of TOC Drone Technologies.
The tone was unusually condescending.
Seeing the message, Tan Mo’s temper flared again.
Next semester, F University would celebrate its 60th anniversary, with the gala being a crucial part of the festivities. Despite being a senior in the Computer Science department with excellent grades and a favorite of the professors, Tan Mo was still roped into the gala planning committee.
At last week’s meeting, the university decided to include a drone performance in the gala. Tan Mo’s task was to negotiate cooperation with TOC.
TOC, an international drone brand leading in its field, was well-known. Tan Mo had tried to schedule a meeting, but the company had brushed off her small request, leaving her hanging twice without even an apology.
Yet the school insisted she secure the deal—no mistakes allowed.
Today, for the first time, they had reached out to her, as if saying, I’ve given you the privilege of meeting me—aren’t you rushing over?
Hmph, just because it’s a big company doesn’t mean they can act superior.
Who’s the client here, anyway?!
Tan Mo angrily grabbed her phone and instantly switched to a different persona: [“Great! Looking forward to seeing you this afternoon!”]
For the sake of the anniversary, she would endure one more time.
If they ghosted her again today, not even the gods could stop her from quitting.
Tan Mo set down her phone, suppressing her irritation at the ruined weekend, and hurriedly finished brushing her teeth.
–
Though reluctant, since it was an important meeting, Tan Mo didn’t dawdle. Soon, she was ready and made her way downstairs to her apartment.
She hadn’t been staying in the dorms lately because, as a food blogger who loved cooking, she needed regular kitchen access and had moved out.
At noon, sunlight gradually intensified.
It was late October in Licheng, autumn had arrived, and the weather was neither hot nor cold.
Tan Mo held an umbrella, wearing a long white dress with a hint of green. Her collar revealed her slender shoulders and neck, and a small brown mole adorned her pale collarbone, like a blooming jasmine flower.
Once in the taxi, she pulled out a slice of toast to snack on.
As she ate, she casually opened her phone and saw a message in a group chat: [“Anyone up for afternoon tea? I just heard something huge—really shocking!”]
The group consisted of daughters from Licheng’s elite circles, often chatting about shopping and fashion weeks. Her best friend Ji Shu had randomly added her to the group, though Tan Mo rarely spoke up.
At this message, the group buzzed with gossip:
[“Tell us now! What’s the big news? Don’t keep us waiting!”]
Prompted by everyone’s questions, the sender finally revealed the truth:
[“You know Xie Qichen, the eldest son of the Xie family?”]
[“I heard he’s back in China.”]
The suddenness of the message startled her. The long-unseen name appeared before her eyes, and Tan Mo’s hand trembled slightly as she held her phone. Her eyes flickered with emotion.
Many silent members of the group emerged in response. Who didn’t know Xie Qichen’s name?
[“Xie Qichen? He’s back?!”]
[“Wow, he’s back. I feel like Aochuang Group might be about to change hands. Maybe Xie Qichen’s return means he’s taking over.”]
[“With his abilities, the entire business world of Licheng might not even be enough for him. He’s so calculating.”]
[“Forget business—he’s got looks that could sweep any woman off her feet.”]
[“……”]
Tan Mo stopped reading, locked the screen, and tossed her phone aside. She lowered her eyes, her gaze unfocused.
She had just dreamed of him this morning, and now he was back in China…
What a coincidence.
The sensual dream resurfaced in her mind. Tan Mo quickly bit into her toast, lowering her head to chew, trying to calm her racing heart.
It had nothing to do with her. She shouldn’t think about it anymore.
She quickly pulled out the proposal and began reviewing the afternoon’s cooperation details, pushing all other thoughts aside.
Twenty minutes later, the car arrived at Qianshui Club.
Tan Mo got out and walked through the entrance.
A waiter respectfully approached, leading her through a vermilion arched corridor into another world.
Artificial hills, pavilions, and lakes created an open-style classical Chinese courtyard, resembling a private ancient mansion—elegant and serene. As one of Licheng’s most upscale clubs, it was often frequented by elites for private discussions—quiet and secluded.
Tan Mo chose a shaded spot under a tree with a tea table and wooden chairs, ordering tea and a cheese cake.
The sunlight was gentle, and a breeze blew softly. Sitting here felt like leisurely enjoying the scenery.
Tan Mo waited for a while, but no one arrived.
She checked the time—it was already ten minutes past the scheduled time.
Was TOC going to ghost her again?!
Tan Mo was so angry she wanted to yank out their hair.
She was about to call when a skeptical male voice interrupted:
[“You’re the student from F University?”]
Tan Mo looked up and saw a man holding a briefcase. She suppressed her emotions and stood up with a smile: “Yes, I’m Tan Mo. Are you Director Cui from TOC?”
“Correct.”
Tan Mo invited him to sit. The man glanced at her with amusement: “Your school sent such a young student to handle negotiations?”
Tan Mo hesitated briefly, then smiled sweetly: “I hope talking with me won’t feel too beneath you.”
The man’s expression flickered slightly. He took a sip of tea and casually complained: “I just got back from New York, and I’m swamped with work. On the way here, my car almost got into an accident, and some locals held me up for ages. I still think Chinese people’s quality is worse than foreigners.”
He glanced at his watch. “I’m only here because I had a meeting nearby. I can spare you five minutes.”
… Five minutes? Not even enough to play a quick round of Landlord.
Tan Mo still smiled: “Please take a look at our proposal first. I know TOC has provided drone performances for major events before. I’ve seen the videos—they were amazing.”
“Our drones’ quality and technology are guaranteed. Those second-rate Chinese drones can’t even compare.”
His tone was dismissive. Tan Mo maintained her smile, suppressing the urge to snap back. “Then could you take a look at our design plan and give us a rough budget?”
“Eight hundred S5 drones for a three-minute show…”
Director Cui flipped through their preliminary design before pausing, then said casually: “About 1.1 million yuan.”
Tan Mo was shocked: “But I previously inquired on your official website, and the price was around 800,000 to 900,000 yuan.”
“Young girl, do you think this is paper airplanes? Your design is complicated. This is already the lowest price.”
“But I’ve learned that another university paid less even with a 30-second longer performance. What’s your basis for quoting 1.1 million?”
His expression changed slightly, and he sneered: “What do you know? Transportation costs, potential damages—these all need to be considered. If you think it’s too expensive, go with domestic brands. You get what you pay for. Domestic drones are just junk.”
Director Cui had assumed the girl would be easy to manipulate and raise the price a bit, but she was sharper than he expected.
Tan Mo suddenly smiled: “It seems Director Cui has been overseas for too long and has some misunderstandings about China’s drone industry. I’m especially curious and would like to ask you a question.”
“What?”
“Are your parents Chinese?”
Director Cui frowned slightly: “…Yes. What of it?”
Tan Mo smiled sweetly: “Then what kind of ‘domestic product’ are you exactly?”
“Excuse me? How dare you speak like that!”
“How can you talk about your own country like that? When TOC profits from the Chinese market, why don’t you show the same disdain? Just because you’ve lived abroad, do you think you’re better than Chinese people?”
The man hadn’t expected the seemingly gentle Tan Mo to speak so boldly: “How dare you talk to me like that! What kind of university educates students like you!”
Tan Mo innocently blinked her clear eyes: “Actually, I did some research before coming. I heard your college entrance exam score couldn’t even get you into our university. Our school couldn’t possibly produce someone as ‘excellent’ as you.”
“…”
Director Cui’s face turned livid: “With your attitude, don’t even dream of working with us!”
“Is TOC the only drone company in the world? Do we have no other options? I believe there are many excellent domestic drone companies, and in the future, Chinese technology will definitely match yours.”
The man clenched his teeth and stood up: “Fine, just wait and see how you regret this!”
Tan Mo took a sip of tea, lazily adding: “Feel free to leave. No need to send you off.”
He stormed off in anger.
Finally, silence returned. Tan Mo leaned back in her chair, relaxing her furrowed brows, instantly feeling refreshed.
She had endured too long—this vent was long overdue.
More importantly, she couldn’t stand people who constantly looked down on their own country. Even if they weren’t optimistic about domestic products, there was no need to be so harsh—it was just bad manners.
As she sipped her tea, her phone rang. Picking it up, she saw it was her best friend Ji Shu.
She activated speaker mode and placed the phone on the table. Ji Shu’s voice was urgent: “What are you doing? Why didn’t you reply to my messages?!”
“Nothing much, just finished negotiating a deal for the school.”
“Huh?!”
Tan Mo recounted the events, and Ji Shu was speechless: “Unsurprising. You must’ve turned his face green.”
Tan Mo sighed, “Not just green—it must’ve turned red and black by now.”
Ji Shu laughed. Tan Mo changed the subject: “Alright, what message did you send me earlier?”
Ji Shu remembered the main point: “I have big news for you! Big news!”
“…Then say it already.”
“I just heard something. Do you know? Do you know? Xie Qichen—he—he—”
Tan Mo: “He’s back in China. I know.”
Ji Shu: ?
“This spread so fast?!”
Seeing Tan Mo’s calmness, Ji Shu asked, “But why do you seem so indifferent? Back then, you…”
Ji Shu hesitated. Tan Mo lowered her gaze, eating her cake:
“What reaction do I need?”
His return had nothing to do with her.
“…Sigh, anyway, all the socialites in Licheng are super excited. I bet they all want to get close to him. But I heard Xie Qichen is still single? No rumors for years, his private life is so clean.”
Ji Shu couldn’t figure it out: “What’s up with this guy? He’s handsome and rich. He could have any woman he wants. How can he be so distant from women?”
Tan Mo stirred her tea, softly murmuring: “What’s so hard to understand? There are only two possible reasons.”
“Mm?”
“If he’s not into women, maybe he’s into men.”
“Huh? You think he’s gay?!”
“Exactly, or maybe he has some issues…” Tan Mo bit into her cake, her face showing mock pity. “I can understand. Everyone has insecurities they don’t want others to know. He might be hiding something, which is why he avoids relationships.”
Ji Shu was drinking water and ended up spitting it out laughing: “You dare say this? Don’t you fear someone might beat you up?”
“Why? What did I say? Anyway, he can’t hear me…”
She was caught up in her joke when a deep, calm male voice came from behind:
“Tan Mo.”
The voice struck her eardrums like a hammer.
Her name, spoken in that familiar yet unfamiliar tone, startled her into turning around. She found someone standing behind her—unseen until now.
Sunlight filtered through golden maple trees, casting dappled shadows.
Autumn wind swirled fallen leaves. In front of an ancient, simple moon-shaped archway stood a man.
Tall and straight, he wore a black suit with a crisp white shirt, every button fastened neatly. His long, straight legs were encased in tailored trousers, one hand casually in his pocket. A silver watch peeked from his cuff. A pair of thin-rimmed glasses sat on his high nose bridge, giving him a scholarly, restrained aura.
Looking up further.
That mature, dignified face stirred long-buried memories.
Sunbeams illuminated floating dust in the air.
Xie Qichen leaned slightly against the door, his gaze fixed on her.
In an instant, the air froze.
Tan Mo, caught red-handed by the very person she had been mocking, was so startled her soul nearly left her body. She swallowed her cake stiffly:
“…Mm?”
Xie Qichen’s dark eyes narrowed as he spoke.
“I can hear you.”
He lazily lifted his eyelids. Through the glasses, his phoenix-like eyes carried a faint smirk. In a calm tone, he added the second half:
“Speak louder.”
“I can hear you even from outer space.”
Tan Mo: “……”
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