Chapter 29: Song Qiao Presses Xie Yanli About His Family!

Xie Changfeng and Lin Xue were both stunned by his sudden change. Xie Changfeng asked in disbelief, “Is this for real, Xie Yanli? You’re not messing with me, are you?”

Xie Yanli frowned slightly. “When have I ever lied to you? I went to see Grandpa.”

After walking a few steps, he suddenly stopped, turned around, and looked solemnly at Xie Changfeng. “You can choose anyone you want, but not Jiang Xinhui.”

The Jiang family was one of the top powerful families in Jing City. Their heiress, Jiang Xinhui, was known as the number one socialite—educated, refined, and beautiful.

Back then, she and Xie Yanli had gone to the UK around the same time. Xie Changfeng had always considered her the ideal daughter-in-law. But Xie Yanli went against him and never took a liking to her at all.

Just as Xie Changfeng was about to speak, Lin Xue cut in to stop him. “Changfeng, it’s already hard enough for Yanli to agree to blind dates—you can’t push him too hard. There are plenty of good girls out there. Let’s help him find someone else.”

Though Xie Changfeng was a bit unwilling, the fact that Xie Yanli was even willing to go on blind dates was a win in itself. He sighed and said no more.

Lin Xue’s gaze flickered. Unlike Xie Changfeng, she was still considering Jiang Xinhui.

The Jiang family was wealthy and powerful, and Jiang Beishan adored his daughter. Lin Xue was hoping that once Lin Chenyu officially recognized his ancestry, they could arrange a marriage with the Jiang family. But for now, she couldn’t say this out loud.

At the same time, Xie Yanli hurried toward the ICU. As soon as he arrived, the doctor waiting outside came up to him.

The doctor took a few steps forward and said seriously, “Old Master Xie has woken up. But his condition is still very weak, and he’s extremely vulnerable to infection. So for now, no visitors are allowed. However, he did dictate a message to me earlier, and I wrote it down—he asked me to give it to you.”

The doctor pulled a small slip of paper from his pocket and handed it to him. On it were just a few large words: “Hurry up and find a partner. Get married and have children.”

After reading it, Xie Yanli’s eyes darkened. He asked the doctor, “How is my grandfather doing now? Is it serious?”

The doctor hesitated, then answered solemnly, “Although he’s regained consciousness, his body is still very weak. He needs to stay in the ICU for observation for a few more days. He also said, if you really care about him, then take what’s written seriously.”

After a few seconds of silence, Xie Yanli said, “Please tell my grandfather for me—I’ll find the right person and get married as soon as possible.”

As soon as he said this, the Xie Wenqian family—who were also outside—were stunned.

Everyone knew what Old Master Xie had been hoping for all these years. But since Xie Yanli never showed interest in dating, they’d let their guard down. Now that he openly said he’d find someone and get married, they suddenly felt like they were facing a huge threat.

Xie Wenqian and his son, Xie Lingyuan, exchanged glances, both filled with wariness and concern.

Meanwhile, as soon as Song Qiao got home, she received a call from Shen Yao, who was furious and repeatedly urged her to think it through and not rush into marriage.

But whether it was out of defiance or resolution, Song Qiao was firm in her decision to get married. In the end, Shen Yao could only wish her happiness.

The next morning, Song Qiao had just arrived at the studio when she got a call from the 4S dealership reminding her to pick up her car. Her wedding was in just a few days. Although her dress was already settled, there was still so much to do. She didn’t have time to go to the dealership, so she said a few words and hung up.

Her top priority now was assigning upcoming tasks to her staff, speeding up progress on a mystery client’s order, and planning the rest of the wedding.

Song Qiao didn’t stop working until noon. Just as she was about to eat, Bai Shuyu called.

As soon as the call connected, Bai Shuyu complained, “Qiaoqiao, I thought this was off-season for weddings, so I figured the hotel would be easy to book. But I just called the Marriott, and all their weekend bookings are full. Makes you wonder if those reports about low marriage rates are bogus—how could a big hotel like the Marriott be completely booked?”

Song Qiao remembered that the Marriott was owned by the Xie family. She rolled her eyes and said, “Mom, if we can’t book the Marriott, we can pick another place. It’s not like it has to be there.”

Bai Shuyu scoffed and retorted, “You’re my only daughter—of course your wedding has to be grand. I’ll call Yanli in a bit. Even though we haven’t been in touch with the Xie family for years, with the relationship I had with Aunt Li, he’ll definitely do me this favor.”

“Mom, Xie Yanli…”

“Alright, Qiaoqiao, leave it to me. I’ll call him right after we hang up. Once I confirm things with him, you and Chen Yang can go pick the venue.”

She hung up before Song Qiao could say anything more. But less than two hours later, Bai Shuyu called back.

This time, she sounded thrilled. “Qiaoqiao, Yanli’s such a good kid. As soon as I explained the situation, he agreed. Your dad and I went to the Marriott right away. Since he was there, we finalized the menu and drinks and even paid the deposit.”

Song Qiao frowned. Since when was Xie Yanli so generous?

But Bai Shuyu continued, “Really, Yanli’s a wonderful boy. After all these years, he’s still so warm and polite to us. He even gave us the best discount the moment we met. That kid’s better looking than a celebrity, mature beyond his years, speaks gently and is incredibly respectful. I don’t know which lucky girl is going to win him over in the end.”

Song Qiao’s frown deepened. Warm and polite? That cold face of his? She seriously wondered if her mom had mistaken someone else for him.

Noticing her silence, Bai Shuyu reminded her, “Qiaoqiao, you used to trail behind Yanli calling him ‘gege’ when you were little. You two even went to the same high school. Why don’t you talk anymore?”

She sighed. “Yanli lost his mother young, and his father is… well, that poor boy really had it tough. I’ll invite him to dinner one day—maybe you two can reconnect and be friends.”

Friends with Xie Yanli? Song Qiao immediately retorted, “Mom, the Xie family isn’t what it used to be. I’m sure there’s a waitlist stretching all the way to Paris of people trying to dine with him. He wouldn’t waste time eating with us. If he’s being polite, just take it at face value. I can’t afford a friend like that.”

She braced herself to be scolded, but to her surprise, Bai Shuyu agreed. “Sigh, true. We and the Xie family don’t move in the same circles anymore—especially that Xie Changfeng. We shouldn’t even give the impression that we’re trying to curry favor.”

Song Qiao didn’t understand why her parents always gritted their teeth when they mentioned Xie Changfeng. Sometimes, out of curiosity, she’d ask them about it, but they’d never go into detail—just dismissively say, “Xie Changfeng is scum. Li Lan died early. Yanli is just a pitiful child.”

Pitiful? Song Qiao never bought that.

In her eyes, Xie Yanli was the Xie family’s only heir, destined to inherit billions. His stepmother was kind and non-interfering. Everywhere he went, people treated him like royalty. What was so pitiful about that?

But then she remembered that the Xie family was the wealthiest in Jing City, and families like that were always complicated. Her mother had been close to Li Lan, so she probably knew some of the hidden truths.

With a curious look, she asked, “Mom, why do you always say Xie Changfeng’s a bastard and Yanli’s pitiful? Is there something you’re not telling me?”