Chapter 12

 The door slammed shut.

Yi Siling, separated by the closed door, vented her frustration at Xie Xunzhi outside, “Who said I’m not wearing clothes! I am wearing them!”

Okay, maybe not much, but still!

“And it’s all because this place is so weird! It’s scorching hot inside the room! Freezing cold outside!”

Wearing a down jacket outside and a little camisole inside.

She was sure this place would drive her crazy sooner or later!

Yi Siling’s cheeks, heated from being under the dryer all night, were already soft and now blushed deeply. At twenty-four, it was the first time a man had seen her so exposed, and to make matters worse, it was Xie Xunzhi. Not only did he look, but he had the audacity to turn away with solemnity.

It was the ultimate insult to her beauty and figure. If her three sisters found out, she’d be laughed at to death.

Outside the door, Xie Xunzhi stood, hearing the angry shouts from within. He seemed oblivious, his throat rolling as emotions surged through him, a warmth spreading through his body.

In that fleeting moment, he distinctly felt his heart contract, then beat vigorously once more.

He loosened his tie with a tug.

With her dressed like that, any normal man would be tempted.

If he didn’t react, then he wouldn’t be normal.

Xie Xunzhi found a convenient excuse.

Inside the room, Yi Siling cursed under her breath, feeling parched. She went to the kitchen sink to pour herself a drink, still irritated from waking up. Tossing aside the sexy nightgown, she picked a pale green long-sleeved dress. The thought of Xie Xunzhi’s implicit criticism of her taste annoyed her, so she removed the dress and opted for something cooler.

She was absolutely livid.

Half an hour passed before she opened the door again.

Xie Xunzhi waited at the door, increasingly impatient, checking his watch several times. It had been half an hour since the heart-pounding moment, the first time in his life.

Now, with his heart as calm as still water, the door opened.

He lifted his gaze to find a woman before him, with luscious red lips and flowing, silky hair.

She wore a velvet dress with spaghetti straps that cinched at the waist, revealing a long, sensual leg through a high slit. The color was a rich plum, intense yet not overly bold, complementing her sophisticated allure. Around her neck, a four-strand intertwined Australian white pearl necklace shimmered like the aurora borealis.

Xie Xunzhi gazed at her, a faint smile playing on his lips that was part amusement, part exasperation, with a hint of distant coolness in his eyes.

She hadn’t left him waiting outside due to shyness or hesitation but rather to put on makeup and prepare a stunning outfit before making her grand entrance.

“Mr. Xie, what brings you here?” Yi Siling leaned against the doorframe, composed and calm, a faint blush on her face like ripples on water, with a lingering aftermath.

Xie Xunzhi lifted the item in his hand. “You haven’t had breakfast, have you?”

It was a sturdy paper bag containing a porcelain cup inside.

Yi Siling looked at him from head to toe and back again, puzzled. She spoke slowly, “You came… to bring me breakfast?”

Then something else occurred to her, and she resisted with a glance, “I haven’t sorted out that matter yet. Please don’t pressure me.”

“This has nothing to do with that.”

The man’s dark eyes remained calm, inscrutable. He simply said in a soft voice, “Mother said eating snow pear and bird’s nest in autumn and winter helps with moisturizing. She prepared some for you. Since I was passing by, I brought it over.”

“Your mother bought it for me,” Yi Siling softened her tone.

She was indeed irritated, whether by the unfamiliar environment, the weather, the temperature, the humidity, or Xie Xunzhi himself. This bird’s nest felt like a timely gesture of kindness.

“It wasn’t bought, it was made by our chef at home.” However, Xie Xunzhi didn’t feel the need to clarify further and simply nodded.

Taking the bird’s nest, Yi Siling looked at him and said, “In the future, please don’t disturb me in the morning. I need to sleep at least until ten-thirty, preferably eleven.”

Xie Xunzhi, who had woken up early at five in the morning for a jog, remained silent.

He didn’t quite understand why an adult would need to sleep until eleven, but he acquiesced nonetheless. “Okay. Understood,” he replied.

“Then, goodbye,” Yi Siling said.

Xie Xunzhi nodded and turned without pausing.

“Wait!” Yi Siling called out.

Xie Xunzhi turned back.

“The suit, from last night. Let me get it for you,” Yi Siling said as she walked towards the room. Last night, the suit had been draped over the back of the sofa and had likely slipped down by now.

She struggled a bit to pick it up, her manicure from two days ago proving somewhat impractical with the extended nail tips chosen too long, severely affecting her daily life.

Walking to the doorway, she handed it to him without looking, saying, “Here.”

“Thank you,” Xie Xunzhi replied, not looking at the suit but noticing her five sparkling long nails.

He had seen them yesterday.

At one point, he even suspected she was some sort of spirit creature, wondering how her nails could grow to such lengths.

Everything about her baffled him, leaving him unable to comprehend, understand, or make sense of it.

Her nightgown, her nails, her coquettishness, her demeanor, her temperament that arrived at will, her biological clock set for sleeping until eleven…

Everything was challenging his understanding.

He considered himself not ignorant.

“Goodbye.”

He hurried away, and Yi Siling waved her hand back to him without turning around. Unable to resist, she squinted and yawned,

As she was about to close the door, Xie Xunzhi suddenly said, “Wait.”

In a low voice, Yi Siling felt a sudden tremor in her chest.

“What now?” she muttered quietly.

Wasn’t this door going to close?

He looked somewhat serious, his demeanor increasingly intimidating. “In the future, before you open the door, remember to check the peephole first and ask who it is. When you’re dressed like that, if someone with ill intentions sees you, it could be dangerous. Being cautious as a young woman is not a bad thing.”

She knew he wouldn’t let go of the nightgown incident.

Yi Siling looked at him coolly, irritated by his stern lecture, even though he was her husband.

“Even if you’re my husband, forget it,” she retorted.

“How am I dressed then?” she asked sharply.

Xie Xunzhi paused, involuntarily picturing her in “that” attire.

After a moment, he calmly replied, “Too beautiful. That’s why it’s unsafe.”

“…”

Yi Siling’s rising anger was suddenly extinguished.

Uncle Mei sat in the lobby for over half an hour, nearly nodding off, until he finally saw Xie Xunzhi. With a start, he shook off his drowsiness and approached, asking, “How did it go?”

Xie Xunzhi kept walking without stopping, continuing toward the exit. “How did what go?”

He was rushing to attend the early meeting. Because of delivering this bird’s nest, the originally scheduled joint departmental morning meeting at 8:45 AM had been pushed back by half an hour.

Everyone was waiting for him.

And there he was, holding the bird’s nest, waiting for Yi Siling to finish her makeup and get dressed.

Absurd.

“To accompany the young madam for breakfast.”

Uncle Mei’s thoughts were understandable. After spending over half an hour upstairs, if not to accompany the young madam for breakfast, then what?

How wonderful, their relationship was progressing rapidly.

They resolved their misunderstanding at their first meeting, and now they were having breakfast together at their second. With this positive development, the wedding on the 28th of next month shouldn’t be a problem, and adding a baby to the Xie family by the end of next year shouldn’t be a problem either.

Xie Xunzhi didn’t know why but suddenly felt very upset. He gave Uncle Mei a neutral glance and then quickened his pace.

With his nearly two-meter height and long legs, Mei struggled to keep up behind, panting heavily.

As Xie rushed to the group’s meeting, Yi Siling was in her suite eating bird’s nest and responding to messages from last night’s group chat.

People in the group were surprised to see her online before nine-thirty, jokingly asking if her account had been hacked and requesting a video call to confirm it was Yi Siling.

“I told you it’s me,” she replied.

Yi Siling sipped her bird’s nest soup and glanced at the three screens showing her siblings.

The second eldest was in the office, stamping documents, with her phone propped up to show half of her face.

The third was attending a public lecture in a large classroom, with her phone resting on her lap, providing an unconventional angle of her surroundings.

The youngest sibling was participating in an outdoor activity organized by her school today. Surrounded by a group of girls, they all leaned in to see her on the screen before Yi Qiong Ling shooed them away with a laugh.

“What ‘little brothers’? I’m video chatting with my sister!” Yi Qiong Ling chuckled, dismissing those around her.

The group consisted of wealthy young ladies aged around fifteen or sixteen, often visiting the Yi mansion and familiar with Yi Qiong Ling’s three beautiful sisters.

“Hello, older sisters!”

“Hello, eldest sister, second sister, third sister!”

“Eldest sister your blush shade looks so good today, share it with us!”

Yi Siling swallowed her bird’s nest soup. “I’m not wearing any blush.”

She had just freshened up with lipstick, defined eyebrows, and curled eyelashes.

This hardly counted as makeup—only someone completely clueless would think red lipstick equated to full makeup.

Yi Qiong Ling found the crowd bothersome and moved to a quiet corner with her phone. “But your face is very red, like two apples.”

Yi Leling glanced over. “It’s red, even visible through the screen.”

Yi Xinling, wary of getting caught by the teacher, only nodded slightly.

Yi Siling touched her face with the back of her hand, half-believing. It was indeed quite hot.

It had been burning hot all along. From the moment Xie Xunzhi said she was beautiful; her face had started to heat up. However, she pretended to be calm, forcefully ignoring these details.

— Too beautiful of a look.

— Too beautiful.

— Too.

Did he have to add an intensifier? And so serious, with a cold expression, putting on airs.

Yi Siling zoned out, caught by Yi Qiong Ling. “What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing,” Yi Siling quickly snapped out of it.

“Look at you, all daydreaming.” Yi Qiong Ling frowned, puzzled. “Are you thinking about a man? An older man? Xie Xunzhi?”

Yi Siling choked on the bird’s nest, coughing so hard her lungs felt like they were about to fly out. “Who do you think I am? Don’t overstep!”

Yi Qiong Ling chuckled mischievously, playing detective: “If you’re not thinking about a man, why are you so defensive? You’re usually so careful when eating, even afraid to smudge your lipstick. How could you choke like that unless your mind was somewhere else?”

“Also, there’s a big issue with you having breakfast at 9:30 am today.”

No one at the Yi Mansion has seen Yi Siling at breakfast time, and the kitchen always prepares an extra meal for her after 9:30 am.

Yi Xinling raised her hand above the phone and gave a thumbs-up.

Yi Siling felt the conversation couldn’t continue, so she quickly hung up the video call and leisurely ate her bird’s nest, one bite after another.

This bird’s nest tastes good. It’s cooked with snow pear and pear syrup, lightly sweetened and not greasy. Most importantly, the quality of the bird’s nest is excellent—crystal clear, long, and intact strands without any broken pieces. Being able to buy such high-quality freshly stewed bird’s nest in a restaurant can only mean the owner is very conscientious.

Yi Siling wanted to know which restaurant this was so she could order takeout tomorrow morning. She went back to rummage through the paper bag again. When she opened it, she found a small card inside.

She read slowly; each word deliberates: “Zhi Zhi Restaurant?”

“Such a tasteless name for a restaurant. And they still use handwritten order cards? What era are we in, that people still handwrite order cards.”

【Zhi Zhi Private Restaurant】

【Custom orders accepted, no cuisine restrictions, delicious and healthy】

【Welcome to call our ordering hotline: 1380108****】

Yi Siling: “…”

So tacky. Forget it.

A bowl of bird’s nest for breakfast is enough. Yi Siling went back to bed and naturally woke up at half past one in the afternoon, having wasted the entire morning.

The feeling of wasting time feels so good.

She squinted with satisfaction from her well-rested eyes.

Old Three had already arranged to have lunch with their advisor and fellow senior students in the cafeteria at noon. Yi Siling needed to manage her lunch, so she applied full makeup and changed into a warm yet stylish outfit.

She wore a white cashmere coat paired with a matching slim-fit cashmere skirt. She had to give up her high heels and opted for warmer suede knee-high boots instead. The jewelry necklaces she brought from Hong Kong didn’t go well with the high-necked sweater, so she decided not to wear them, except for a ballet dancer brooch pinned as an ornament on her coat collar.

The silver figure of the dancer was dancing, with the skirt adorned with hundreds of pink and white diamonds, creating a dazzling effect. Yi Siling looked into the mirror and pondered for a moment before deciding to remove the brooch. She felt the colors didn’t quite match.

She thought of the snowflake brooch that Xie Xunzhi wore on his chest last night. It was delicate and suited her current white outfit perfectly.

His brooch was nice, and so was his watch.

She wanted both.

Too bad there were no photos taken, so she didn’t know the specific brand or year of the style.

Yi Siling just thought about it. She couldn’t actually go to Xie Xunzhi and mention it; he would laugh at her. She didn’t want to come across as asking him for things.

She had plenty of money.

Just from her grandfather’s family trust established years ago, she could receive a monthly “salary” of four million. In addition, there were hotel revenues, rental income from properties, investment dividends, corporate stock dividends, stocks, and the pocket money given by Yi Kunshan and Liang Yongwen on regular days.

She could afford anything she wanted. She wouldn’t ask her partner for things, but if they insisted on giving her gifts, she would accept them all, enriching her little treasury without rejecting anything.

The rain had stopped early, though the weather wasn’t particularly beautiful. Thankfully, the sun was abundant. Yi Siling went out for a walk, breathing in the fresh air. Afterward, she chose a beautifully decorated brunch restaurant named simply “Zero”.

It’s much more upscale than the “Zhi Zhi Restaurant,” and the boss knows how to name a place. She decided to have lunch here.

With few customers in the restaurant, the food was served quickly. Yi Siling realized she had been deceived with the first dish she tasted. She was so picky that it could irritate both the waitress and the chef at the same time.

This place is overly fancy in presentation, but unfortunately, looks aren’t everything when it comes to taste. The fish was dry, the beef tough, and they used canned tomatoes and strawberry juice mixed with jam. While it might satisfy ordinary customers, it was far from adequate for her.

Frustrated, Yi Siling didn’t eat much before paying and leaving. Before she left, the manager came for a satisfaction survey.

Yi Siling didn’t hold back: “Your restaurant looks high-end, but it’s deceiving. The food isn’t fresh and it’s expensive. It doesn’t even have half the sincerity of the Zhi Zhi Restaurant.”

The manager was visibly flustered, looking both embarrassed and confused.

“The Zhi Zhi Restaurant? Is it a new competitor in Beijing’s dining scene?”

He immediately instructed his subordinates to investigate.

Leaving the restaurant, Yi Siling was only partially satisfied with her meal. She drove her Ferrari around the streets of Beijing.

These days in Beijing had been too leisurely for her. Back on Hong Kong Island, she was quite a busy person, filling her afternoons and evenings with various activities, especially attending numerous business events for her family’s conglomerate alone.

Her father, Yi Kunshan, had made it clear: she could neglect core business operations, but she must play a role in publicity. He didn’t want her to be a figurehead.

As long as she could sleep in without anyone bothering her, everything was fine.

When she returned to the hotel around two o’clock, her skin felt tight and dry again, so she arranged for an in-room spa recommended by Yi Xinling. After the spa session, feeling hungry, Yi Siling retrieved the delivery card she had earlier and dialed the number.

While Yi Siling leisurely spent her holiday, Xie Xunzhi had a hectic day.

In the morning, he attended a joint meeting of Business Unit 6. At noon, he had lunch with the CEO of Thai Union Capital to discuss mergers and acquisitions involving JT Manufacturing. He returned to the company at two o’clock in the afternoon for more meetings.

The Lan Yao Group’s business empire was vast, spanning traditional sectors like real estate, energy, hotels, and heavy industries, as well as e-commerce, financial services, cloud computing, cultural entertainment, digital media, AI technology, and more. It employed a total of 170,000 people globally, including both permanent staff and outsourced personnel, with a combined market value exceeding a trillion yuan.

To steer a massive ship is pressure that ordinary people cannot imagine. Xie Xunzhi began experiencing this at the age of sixteen, progressing from initial awkwardness to handling it with ease now. It took him thirteen years, during which he polished all his rough edges.

The afternoon meeting is about next year’s strategic deployment for the group, with many departments participating, including both senior and some mid-level management.

In the largest office conference room, a large group of people sat crowded together, each wearing their employee ID badges.

At this moment in the meeting, the agenda has moved to the HR department’s president reporting on the recruitment and downsizing situations in the last quarter of this year.

Lan Yao undergoes recruitment every year, along with periodic layoffs, which are normal company management adjustments.

Xie Xunzhi was simultaneously listening and reviewing statistical data on his iPad.

Recruitment and layoffs are closely tied to each department, and no one was distracted.

In this focused moment, his phone vibrated.

Keeping phones on silent during meetings was the rule, except for one person, so everyone looked towards the man at the head of the table as soon as they heard the phone vibrate.

Xie Xunzhi didn’t raise his hand; the presenter continued with their report.

He flipped his phone over to glance at the caller ID.

It was a number from Hong Kong. It was Yi Siling.

Yang Shushua had given him Yi Siling’s number, which he hadn’t saved, but he was sensitive to numbers and remembered it.

He wondered what she wanted.

Maybe it was something important she had encountered.

Xie Xunzhi didn’t raise his hand; the presenter continued with their report.

He flipped his phone over to glance at the screen, checking the incoming call display.

A number from Hong Kong. It was Yi Siling’s.

Yang Shushua had given him Yi Siling’s number, which he hadn’t saved, but he was sensitive to numbers and remembered it.

He wondered what she wanted.

Perhaps she had encountered something important.

The vibration urged him on. He raised his hand to signal the presenter to pause, slid to accept the call, placed the phone to his ear, and waited for the other end to speak.

The conference room fell silent, everyone reluctant to disturb this clearly important call. The big boss paused the meeting to take the call, indicating it was significant.

At last, the call connected for Yi Siling. “Hello, is this Zhi Zhi Restaurant?”

There was a momentary pause from Xie Xunzhi.

What was she talking about?

“I’d like to order dinner. You advertise custom dishes with no specific cuisine limits, so I can choose anything, right?”

Xie Xunzhi: “…”

He was in a meeting.

Not running a restaurant.

“Hello? Is anyone there?” Yi Siling was puzzled. Why was no one responding? “Isn’t this Zhi Zhi Restaurant? If I can’t place an order, I’ll hang up. I’m starving here.”

The entire conference room stared at Xie Xunzhi, puzzled by their boss’s unusually serious expression, which made the atmosphere unexpectedly tense.

Could something have gone wrong?

Xie Xunzhi reluctantly replied, “Yes.”

What kind of weird Zhi Zhi Restaurant was this?

He added, “You can.”

Yes, she could order.

Yi Siling thought the boss’s voice was quite sexy, despite being brief and cold. Well, if they focused on making food with care, of course it wouldn’t be fancy.

She didn’t hesitate and started ordering, “I want lotus root pork rib soup, and I want…”

“Wait a moment,” Xie Xunzhi spoke up, flipping open his notebook, holding his phone in one hand and a pen in the other. “Go ahead.”

Employees in the meeting room glanced at each other, wondering what significant issue required the boss to take notes during a phone call.

“I’d like steamed Star Group.”

“And stir-fried Chinese broccoli, steamed taro ribs, poached shrimp—I can’t eat spicy, so go easy on the chili. Do you have desserts? Can I pick those too?”

Xie Xunzhi furrowed his brow. “Go on.”

Xie Xunzhi was about to say, “at least two hours,” but when the words were on the tip of his tongue, he glanced at his wristwatch and said, “Six o’clock.”

It was just an hour away.

“Alright, I’ll send you the address to this phone. How do I pay you at six o’clock sharp?”

“We’ll discuss that when you arrive.”

“Thanks, boss. Your bird’s nest is conscientious. I’ll order two more for tomorrow morning and deliver them to different addresses. Just don’t deliver too early; I won’t be up.”

Xie Xunzhi:

“Okay.”

He had never experienced anything so bizarre in his life.

Yi Siling hung up the phone, thinking the boss was quite cool, and economical with words.

Xie Xunzhi put down his phone, tore out the page, folded it, and handed it to his secretary behind him, “Take a picture and send it to Uncle Mei.”             

Facing dozens of pairs of eyes in front of him, Xie Xunzhi remained composed. He tapped the desktop with his fingers and said, “Let the meeting continue.”

Secretary Lin maintained a serious expression as she solemnly walked out of the conference room holding the paper. Before opening it, she mentally prepared herself; inside could be extremely urgent business secrets. Even if she saw it, she mustn’t feel nervous but calmly focus on doing her job.

Upon opening it, the neatly written message in thin, sharp pen strokes read:

[Lotus Root Rib Soup, Steamed Star Grouper, Stir-Fried chicken Steamed Pork Ribs with Taro, Poached Shrimp, Basque-Style Taro. Nonspicy. Deliver to her room at six o’clock.]

Secretary Lin: “…!”