Chapter 3

At midnight, the Yi Mansion was in chaos.

Fortunately, Miss Second and Miss Fourth lived on the west side and couldn’t hear the commotion; otherwise, they would have joined in and made things even more lively.

Miss Third was studying at a university in Beijing, so she was even less likely to hear.

“…What outsider.”

Yi Kunshan furrowed his brows and rebuked, exasperated.

“Did I say something wrong? I entrusted the marriage arrangements to you completely, but how could you sell me off to Beijing? How much did the Xie family bribe you with?”

Yi Siling threw a pillow at Yi Kunshan, hitting its mark before bouncing off onto the floor.

“Don’t tell me, the Yi family is expanding into the island market, so you found the Xie family to guide the way, and then decided to gift me to them! You! Selling your own daughter! Disgraceful!”

Yi Kunshan hadn’t felt wronged initially, but hearing this accusation made him uncomfortably touch his nose.

It was indeed far; even by plane, it would take over two hours.

But whether it was a gift or not, selling a daughter or not, these were all baseless accusations.

This stubborn girl always knew how to stab his heart with her words.

He still couldn’t meet her gaze and coughed lightly. “You shouldn’t put it like that, Zhao Zhao. Beijing isn’t some backwater; it’s the capital, the Imperial City.”

“Don’t call me Zhao Zhao!”

Zhao Zhao was Yi Siling’s nickname.

She was born at dawn, with the sun rising inch by inch from the east. Yi Kunshan stood outside the delivery room, watching the sunrise from dark hues to golden scales, the most beautiful sunrise he had ever seen.

“‘Zhao Zhao’s brightness rivals that of the sun and moon.'”

Yi Kunshan had chosen the nickname “Zhao Zhao” for his cherished eldest daughter.

“Zhao Zhao, don’t argue with your dad. Both of you should calm down,” Liang Yongwen came out to meddle.

Yi Siling wanted to continue arguing but felt exhausted. Sitting down, her head was buzzing.

“Why don’t you go enjoy yourselves in a nice place? Why hide away in this tiny place?”

There was nowhere as good as Hong Kong, nowhere like home.

Her emotions surged, her eyes turned red, and she picked at the beads on her skirt. “I might as well marry someone from the Zheng family. At least I wouldn’t have to go far.”

 Liang Yongwen sighed. She certainly didn’t want her daughter to marry far away, but she sat beside Yi Siling and held her hand. “Darling, let me be honest with you. None of the young masters in our circle can compare to Xie Xunzhi. Beijing isn’t far; it’s just a two-hour flight. Your dad can give you access to the Falcon; you can come home whenever you want.”

Yi Siling remained silent.

“The boy from the Zheng family, despite his background and appearance, is arrogant, unstable in character, and loves to flirt. How would you live with him? But Xie Xunzhi is different, this boy is really excellent!”

Xie Xunzhi, Xie Xunzhi, Xie Xunzhi.

Yi Siling’s mind was filled with this unfamiliar name.

“Do you have a photo? At least let me see what he looks like. I won’t marry an ugly man.” She reluctantly compromised for her mother’s sake.

 Liang Yongwen looked strange but covered it with a smile. “Yes, yes, he’s handsome!” She took out her phone and showed a photo.

“Look, isn’t he well-built and good-looking?”

Yi Siling glanced at the photo and laughed in exasperation. “Well-built and good-looking? Are you showing me a tree?”

 Liang Yongwen glared at Yi Kunshan in embarrassment, who shrugged and pretended to sip his tea.

It was a photo Liang Yongwenhad taken surreptitiously at the Xie residence when no one was paying attention.

Taken from a distance, it was more about capturing the scenery than the person. Near a beautiful pond, a man held a small sandalwood fish food box in his hand. His profile was handsome, his demeanor refined and elegant like bamboo.

Yi Siling stared at the photo, feeling something stir within her, making her jittery. She couldn’t imagine a stranger becoming her husband or a distant place becoming her home in the future.

She couldn’t accept this bolt from the blue.

“I can’t see his face clearly, so I’ll consider it a scam.” She refused to acknowledge the man’s attractiveness and looked away, pushing the phone aside.

 Liang Yongwen hit her leg. “Watch your words! I saw him with my own eyes; there’s no deception.”

“Because I’m neither naive nor old. You deceive me without guilt.”

“Your mouth, despite being so pretty.”  Liang Yongwen was both angry and amused, hitting her again. “He’s the heir of the distinguished Xie family. Many women would fight to have him, and yet you look down on him.”

Yi Siling didn’t quite understand the inland areas, but she knew about the Xie family.

Mr. Xie Renhua, the grandfather of Xie Xunzhi, was a well-known capitalist during the Republic of China era, a prominent figure who twice donated his family fortune to the nation. The glory of his ancestors was destined to be recorded in history books, accumulating wealth, power, connections, and resources over hundreds of years—a status that words alone could not fully describe.

“There are plenty of women who like him, so let him go find those women. Why would he choose a province Siling girl like me,” Yi Siling sneered.

Yi Kunshan was at a loss, setting his teacup down abruptly. “Is that what you think? Fine, then inherit the family business. We’ll arrange for you to start working at the group tomorrow, and your wedding will proceed with the second daughter instead. We’ve already promised the Xie family, and the wedding is scheduled for next month.”

“The second daughter isn’t inheriting the group and isn’t getting married. Wasn’t that the deal?”

She wanted to be a carefree salted fish while her three sisters earned money for her.  Life was perfect.

“Then you’ll marry.”

“…”

“Then we’ll arrange for you to join the group.”

“…”

“Old man, don’t push it too far!”

Yi Siling felt backed into a corner.

Moving forward, marrying off to Beijing to a man she didn’t know; moving backward, inheriting the family business, and possibly being imprisoned daily, perhaps even dying with unfulfilled wishes.

It was all equally grim, equally tragic.

“Unless he is as good as you say, I won’t marry far away. I’ll investigate him myself.” Yi Siling seized upon a lifeline.

Yi Kunshan was very confident in his judgment. Having navigated the business world for over thirty years, he could discern a person’s true character with just a glance.

Leaning back on the sofa, he sipped his tea. “Fine, if he’s a playboy hiding beneath a veneer of respectability, I won’t say a word.”

Hong Kong men were notorious for their infidelity, especially those with money. Yi Siling had grown up seeing this and didn’t believe in good men at all.

Even her father, Yi Kunshan, known in the Hong Kong media as a womanizer before marriage, had many lovers. That  Liang Yongwen could tame him only proved her superior skills, not that Yi Kunshan was an honest man.

“You’re interested in his family’s power and influence. I know what you’re up to. You’re jealous that Chen Weiqi’s old man was elected to this term’s Hong Kong Island Legislative Council, and you were eliminated!” Yi Siling added, walking away.

Hong Kong had many wealthy families, but they were just businessmen, not truly powerful. That was why the Xie family was different, and Yi Siling understood that.

With historical roots, ancestral blessings, and succeeding generations’ efforts, coupled with intricate marriages with various sectors, the Xie family had risen to its current position. At the beginning of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, when the inland was still underdeveloped, Mr. Xie Renhua founded Zhongyao Company with support from above, the predecessor of Lan Yao Group today, it is one of the longest-standing top-tier conglomerates in the inland.

The Chen family could win this term’s Hong Kong Island Legislative Council by allying with the Zhuang family, indicating the Zhuang family’s considerable influence in Hong Kong politics. For the Yi family to have a place in Hong Kong politics, they needed a strong backer. Otherwise, they couldn’t play the game.

Yi Kunshan was so angry his nose twitched. “I was stepping aside. What do you mean ‘eliminated’… I’m giving you a deadline of two weeks. If you haven’t agreed by then, I’ll consider it your consent to this marriage.”

He had originally planned to give her a month, but this stubborn girl had to anger him.

Yi Siling covered her ears and ran away quickly.

“The Xie family’s status doesn’t need me to say more. Just talking about Xie Xunzhi himself—he led the acquisition of M&A of Mplunk at twenty-three, established Xunyuan Capital at twenty-four, invested in Maple Wealth and  Lingdu Electric Cars, and increased his personal wealth fortyfold in just a few years. The outside world is optimistic about him.”

“Moreover, he is upright in character, has no bad habits, and doesn’t engage in scandals. He has remained clean all these years.”

“Both in ability and character, he’s top-notch, not to mention his family background. Otherwise, would your dad dare to let you run wild?” The voice continued to play automatically, one after another.

In the deep night, with the quiet mountains and the sound of waves crashing in the distance, a faint sea breeze blew into the bedroom.

Yi Siling buried her head in her pillow, feeling as if her nasal cavity was stuffed with cotton, blocked and dull.

The fabric touching her eyes had already become slightly damp.

Xie Xunzhi.

His name was everywhere.

A name she despised, attached to a person she dislike, linked to Beijing, and associated with an unwanted marriage.

They praised his virtues, his perfection, but she couldn’t believe it. A multitude of rebellious emotions surged within her, making her rebellious  like a teenager.

She wished she could find this man now and rip off his deceptive mask.

Over the next few days, Yi Siling’s life was increasingly dominated by thoughts of Xie Xunzhi. Unaware of this, she was energetic, transforming into a detective, leaving no stone unturned.

Unfortunately, the results left her feeli ng miserable.

Yi Leling calmly prepared Yi Siling’s steak amidst her frustrated outbursts.

Yi Siling put down her phone and wiped her face with a hot towel, exasperated. “Aren’t these paparazzi supposed to be experts at digging up gossip? How come they can’t find anything on Xie Xunzhi? Three days wasted and not even a single photo!”

Yi Leling pondered for a moment before replying, “It’s said that the Xie family protects this successor very well. No media dares to take his photo in public. If you really want one, you’ll have to ask his friends. But his circle is different from ours, and those who know him aren’t close enough to snap a picture.”

“Not just photos, there’s nothing on social media either—no WeChat, Twitter, Facebook. He’s not into socializing!” Yi Siling complained.

Yi Leling replaced Yi Siling’s plate with the cut steak and said, “He’s the helm of a major conglomerate. He’s busy enough just with meetings every day. He’s not in the fashion industry to be spending time on socialite.” She sympathized; even as a senior executive at headquarters, she had countless social engagements and meetings.

“He’s six years older than me,” Yi Siling muttered.

“It’s not that bad, really. I remember Zheng Qijun is also twenty-eight,” Yi Leling offered.

“Mengmeng’s husband said he’s mature, conservative, and dull.”

“Mengmeng specifically said that Xie Xunzhi is very rigorous at work and not interested in indulgence, so her husband has no idea how to please him. They haven’t even met.”

Silence filled the air.

The upscale Michelin-starred restaurant was quiet, with few customers. The footsteps of the waitstaff disappeared into the thick, soft carpet, returning with mulberry ice cream and Nanyang-style coconut toast, fragrant and rich.

Yi Siling absentmindedly chewed her steak, a large and eye-catching cheetah ring on her finger.

Suddenly, she realized something was amiss. She raised an eyebrow and asked, “Wait… , whose side are you on?”

Yi Leling put two fingers to her temple. “I swear on Mazu, I’ll always stand by your side.”

Swallowing a juicy piece of beef, Yi Siling remarked, “I suspect you’ve sold me out.”

Yi Leling gave her a cold look. “…What do I gain from selling you out?”

There was no gain; she had to appease her. “I’m already exhausted from working for you. Do you think I have any interest in running for Hong Kong Island Legislator?”

Yi Siling felt aggrieved. “You’re bullying me.”

How could Yi Leling bully her? Losing to her was more like it. That cold, expressionless face that was forever aloof and hard to approach in the eyes of the company’s employees was now filled with deep resignation under Yi Siling’s pressure.

She sighed. “You could look at this from a different angle.”

“Such as?” Yi Siling was getting drowsy, resting her cheek on her hand. She hadn’t slept well in days from investigating Xie Xunzhi day and night.

Yi Leling cleared her throat. “It’s not over until it’s over. From what I’ve seen so far, this Xie guy seems better than Zheng Zha.”

In the past three days, she had researched Xie Xunzhi’s business and financial reports. It was clear he had his own way in the business world, decisive and bold. His character and private life needed verification, though. If those checked out, this marriage might not be so bad—

At least theoretically.

Yi Siling stared at her, silent, biting her lip.

Yi Leling cleared her throat again, unable to stand Yi Siling’s cutesy behavior. She tapped the table with her fingers. “How about this—you go to Beijing yourself to inspect the goods instead of looking for his photos here? Isn’t that better?”

At the end of October, Beijing was already in late autumn. The sunlight had a touch of desolation, and the leaves of the willow trees around Houhai were beginning to yellow. A black Maybach emerged from the southeast garage of Xie Garden, turning into a narrow alley.

Bainiao Hutong was one of the longest alleys in the area and also had the fewest residents. Passersby on their walks stopped, admiring the Maybach with envy.

The yellow rosewood garage door closed slowly, sealing the only crack.

It was then that passersby noticed that the entire right side of the alley belonged to one house—a hundred-meter-long stretch of blue brick wall. Inside the tall wall, vegetation and reeds formed a second, higher barrier.

There was no way to peek inside; all that could be seen were glimpses through the high wall and a few corners of the eaves, offering a s Lice of the grandeur behind the high gate.

This was a hidden super courtyard in the bustling city, where such boundaries and grandeur couldn’t be summed up in simple terms like ‘wealth’ and ‘nobility.’

The alley was narrow, and the Maybach wasn’t speeding. Its nearly six-meter-long body exuded a commanding presence compared to ordinary cars. If it weren’t for the need to navigate the alley, it would have warranted a yellow license plate.

Xie Xunzhi sat in the back seat, listening to the scolding on the phone, his face calm, showing neither impatience nor particular seriousness.

He pressed the button to lower the car window.

“You need to take some initiative too. You were in Hong Kong last week for business and could have met Yi Siling. Why didn’t you? We’re getting married in a few months, and you haven’t even met your fiancée. Is that responsible of you?”

“When I showed you the photo and asked if you were okay with it, you said yes. It was only then I arranged this marriage proposal. After all this discussion, it was your own willingness, do you regret it now?”

Yang Shuhua is not a verbose person, but when it comes to this topic, she is not happy without being verbose.

Xie Xunzhi rolled down the car window to the lowest point, “No regrets, don’t overthink it.”

Yang Shuhua: “Then you should straighten your attitude, this time be a good host, make feel that you are a reliable man, don’t make her first impression of Beijing bad.”

Xie Xunzhi frowned slightly, paused, and then said, “She’s in Beijing?”

Yang Shuhua was even more dissatisfied with Xie Xunzhi.

His fiancee, who came to Beijing, didn’t know anything about it.

“Yesterday’s flight should have arrived long ago, just don’t know which hotel to stay in, the mother-in-law didn’t say. You send someone to check. Food, lodging, play, and driver should all be arranged.” Yang Shuhua instructed one by one.

Xie Xunzhi thought for a moment and said, “There’s no rush for this matter. I don’t know why she came to Beijing. If I rashly arrange these things, it will only be presumptuous.”

This series of words was very thoughtful, but Yang Shuhua didn’t want to hear any of it. She raised her voice: “She didn’t come to Beijing for you, then for whom? You’re so good, let the girl take the initiative first!”

Maybe she was on vacation with her boyfriend who was madly in love with her in Beijing.

Xie Xunzhi suddenly had this thought, and his eyes flickered, but he quickly forgot about it.

Thinking about these things made him look foolish. He didn’t have too much time to manage how many boyfriends she had.

“Well, I’ll handle it properly.” He closed his eyes and rested for a while.

Speaking of which, a red Ferrari came from the front. The alley was narrow, and the two cars almost brushed past each other.

At the other end of the phone, Yang Shuhua only heard a crumbling sound, “I didn’t hear clearly, son, what did you just say?”

This alley is rarely used by foreign cars.

Xie Xunzhi held the phone and glanced out the window.

The Ferrari is open-topped, it’s a new car, and it only has temporary license plates. There was a young woman in the driver’s seat, and the warm autumn sun was shining on her long curly hair.

She wore oversized tortoise shell sunglasses to cover her eyes, revealing a smooth forehead, delicate jawline, and a pair of bright, plump red  Lips.

Perhaps not familiar with the road conditions, she drove while looking at the navigation, tilting her head to reveal a delicate neck.

If she continued forward, it would be a dead end.

This road was built for the convenience of the east side gate of Xie’s Park, and Xie’s money was spent.

“Uncle Mei, slow down.”

Xie Xunzhi narrowed his eyes and put his phone down, instructing the driver calmly.

The speed of the Mercedes-Benz slowed down. Xie Xunzhi turned his upper body back.

The Ferrari found that there was no road and had to stop. After turning off the engine, the door opened, and a slender leg stepped out first. The calf was long, and the instep was very white.

The sandals were golden, and the style was extremely complicated. The strap encrusted with rhinestones wound from the instep to the ankle, like beautiful torture devices, and looked like a golden snake. It gave a broken uncomfortable and unhealthy sexy fee Ling.

Xie Xunzhi furrowed his brows.

Such shoes… can’t be worn?

The woman leaned casually against the sports car, raised her head, and stared at the tall brick wall for a long time, then raised her phone and moved it up and down, left and right.

She’s likely taking pictures around the walls of his house.

A few ginkgo leaves fell on her shoulders and slid down.

The phone didn’t hang up, and Yang Shuhua continued to call him: “Son, son Xie Xunzhi!”

Xie Xunzhi withdrew his gaze, and sat up straight, and his neatly pressed suit was impeccable. He picked up his phone and held it to his ear, “I’m listening.”

Yang Shuhua blamed him for his perfunctory attitude, “You put aside your work for a few days and accompany her well. She’s new to Beijing and unfamiliar with the place. Don’t let her suffer, her mother-in-law should blame us for being rude.”

Xie Xunzhi smiled faintly, rare not to follow his mother’s words, “You are worrying too much. With her capability, who dares to make her suffer?”