Chapter 5

Yi Siling chose to sit in the middle with the best view. As she walked past the adjacent table, she glanced through the screen and caught sight of a broad back in a finely tailored suit.

Without dwelping on it, she quickly averted her gaze.

Back-to-back, separated by a screen, they settled down. Yi Xinling, to avoid Yi Siling’s indecision, didn’t even look at the menu before ordering, “One beef bun, a bowl of noodles, tofu pudding, a small bowl of lamb offal soup, red bean-filled twisted doughnuts, and a special assortment of cakes and pastries.”

Yi Siling remarked, “That’s too much, we can’t finish all that.”

Yi Xinling waved her hand. “No worries, I’ll pack the extra for my roommates.”

“Then you should order an extra serving for them,” Yi Siling complained about her impo-lite manners, questioning how she could give leftovers to others.

Yi Xinling chuckled. “Oh, we’re not that particular. I often eat their leftover snacks, too.”

Yi Siling didn’t understand the concept of dormitories and roommates; during her university days in London, she  Lived in a top-tier Kensington mansion worth five million pounds, with only Aunt  Li, housekeepers of different nationalities, and bodyguards ensuring her safety.

The dishes arrived promptly. The steaming hot bun was not as delicate as expected—fist-sized, bursting with meat, and glistening with oil that seeped through the bun’s skin.

The tofu pudding was sprinkled with chopped scallions and oil droplets. Yi Siling wrinkled her brow. She reluctantly took a bite after some coaxing from Yi Xinling.

“Salty tofu pudding?” Her face showed a mix of surprise and dismay.

Eating noodles was also quite challenge; the sauce easily smeared her lips. She ended up rolling each noodle individually, much like eating spaghetti.

Ignoring her meal, Yi Xinling sought conversation. “What made you come find me?” Hence, she came to “torture” her.

Yi Siling dabbed her lips with a napkin. “It’s not because of you.”

Yi Xinling paused, setting down her chopsticks, and looked at her seriously. “If not for me, then for whom?”

Yi Siling gazed quietly at the ginkgo trees along the street. “Yes.”

She trailed off, prompting Yi Xinling to grow impatient. “Yes, what?”

“The old man wants to marry me off to Beijing.” Yi Siling took a small bite of her pea cake, chewing slowly.

“!”

Yi Xinling’s mind screamed in shock; the revelation was too overwhelming. She had only been away for three months. “Who in Beijing would want to buy you? Is he crazy? Does he have too much money to spend?”

Yi Siling glances at her differently.

Yi Xinling shrugged. “I won’t interrupt. Please continue.”

“Xie Xunzhi.” Yi Siling mentioned the name with disdain, squinting her pretty eyes. Her tone was cold. “A sanctimonious old-fashioned guy, thirty years old, and ugly to boot. The old man must be desperate to marry me off to someone like him.”

Behind the screen, Xie Xunzhi and Old Qi fell silent, a subtle awkwardness lingering.

The name “Xie Xunzhi” was unmistakably clear.

Unable to maintain his facade, Old Qi could only look at Xie Xunzhi with a complex gaze.

Xie Xunzhi remained calm and serene, like an ocean accepting all rivers, merely smiling faintly and continuing to sip his tea in the corner.

“What on earth, what’s going on? Why suddenly arrange a marriage for you?” Yi Xinling’s complexion changed, unable to eat any of the food on the table.

However, she was somewhat skeptical. Sometimes Yi Siling exaggerated things. “A sanctimonious old-fashioned guy doesn’t exist, right? Could you have mistaken him? Dad’s taste couldn’t be that bad. Weren’t the ones he picked for you before all handsome?”

Yi Siling smirked, a hint of displeasure in her smile. “He didn’t even give me a photo. Besides being ugly, why keep him so secretive? And he acts so pretentious, so hypocritical.”

“Sanctimonious.” She continued.

Behind the screen, the hypocritical sanctimonious and ugly man raised his eyebrows slightly.

Rather than loosening his grip on the teacup, he tightened it further. In that moment of focus, beneath his cold pale skin, several veins protruded sharply, smooth yet sharp lines.

In the cup was a fine pre-rain Dragon Well tea, the first batch harvested this Lunar New Year, fresh and fragrant.

Xie Xunzhi calmly sipped his tea, recalling how the matchmaker from his family had said Miss Yi was quite interesting, and that life after marriage with her would surely be full of excitement, never boring.

Indeed, Miss Yi was this interesting.

He believed that life after marriage would indeed be exciting.

Old Qi was amused. This girl was truly entertaining; it seemed his student would be quite busy. He teased in a low voice, “What misdeeds have you done to upset this young lady? You deserve a scolding.”

In the midst of Old Qi’s teasing gaze, Xie Xunzhi smiled calmly. “I’ll apologize to her later.”

Incidentally, where did he offend her to make her spread such rumors?

Old Qin faltered, one piece of music followed by another, the wind brushed past, and outside the window, gingko leaves fluttered.

“Wait, I think I’ve heard that name before,” Yi Xinling’s brain short-circuited, and it took her half a day to catch up, “Is he from the Lan Yao Group?”

“Yes, that’s him.” Yi Siling leaned forward, her elbow on the edge of the table. “Do you know him?”

Yi Xinling shook her head. “I don’t mingle in those circles, so it’s hard to know these big shots. But I know his younger sister, I think. My roommate is her real sister.”

“His real sister?”

“Yes, Xie Wenning. Although she doesn’t talk much about her family, you know how it is. You can’t hide what your family does. During orientation, the counselor asked everyone to fill out family background surveys, and once that information gets around, everyone knows she’s the  Little Princess of the Xie family.”

Peking University harbored hidden dragons and crouching tigers, with classmates who were either wealthy or privileged, not as conspicuous. Though she was eye-catching enough.

Initially, Yi Xinling feared Xie Wenning might be one of those spoiled princesses. She had thought if their relationship didn’t go well, she would move out and live on her own. She didn’t have time to cater to another princess when she already had to look after her sister.

Luckily, Xie Wenning had a good temperament and spoke softly. Even though she wasn’t in the best of health, Yi Xinling was willing to take care of her more. Among all the dormitories, the two of them got along the best.

Yi Siling hadn’t expected the matter to come up so suddenly.

“She didn’t tell you anything about her brother.  Like any juicy gossip?”

Yi Xinling looked odd. “She did mention her brother to me. But her family is very strict. She hasn’t even kissed a guy yet. If she’s like that, her brother wouldn’t have any juicy gossip.”

“You should send her a message and ask.” Yi Siling raised an eyebrow.

“No, I can’t. If I suddenly ask Xie Wenning about her brother WeChat, it would be very strange,” Yi Xinling had to consider socialite etiquette that Yi Siling didn’t need to think about.

“If you want me to stay away forever and never see me again, then don’t send it. Hmm.” Yi Siling lowered her eyes lightly.

---

When Yi Xinling received the WeChat message, Xie Wenning was accompanying Yang Shushuato sort through the collection in Xie Garden’s vault.

Yang Shushua had been busy for the past few days organizing the dowry for the Yi family, summoning the butler to open the vault’s heavy stainless-steel door weighing a ton. Most of the Xie family’s hundreds of years of accumulation of rare treasures and antiques were stored inside, along with a large amount of cash and gold bars.

In addition to real estate, cars, and cash for the dowry, they also needed to choose some more impressive items.

Yang Shushua couldn’t afford to let the Yi family mock them for being stingy. This was about dignity and attitude, showing that the Xie family valued this marriage and sincerely wanted to marry Yi Siling as their daughter-in-law.

“Xie Wenning, is this set of jadeites beautiful? The quality of the water is good, but the style is a bit outdated. I don’t know if Si Ling will like it.” Yang Shushua was appointed to a set of imperial green jadeite jewelry.

The dark green jadeite was carved into a Buddha’s head, especially large, almost the size of a grown man’s fist. The necklace had exquisite filigree craftsmanship in gold with jadeite, symbolizing a union of gold and jade. The matching earrings and ring were made from the same piece of material, old-pit imperial green, now priceless in the market.

However, the style was somewhat of an old wealthy lady’s fashion.

Xie Wenning smiled reassuringly. “Mom, with this quality of jadeite, the style doesn’t matter anymore. The Buddha’s head isn’t outdated; it’s meant for peace and safety.  Little sister-in-law will definitely like it.”

“This phoenix crown was redeemed by your grandfather from the hands of the Eng Lishman. Our ancestors’ treasures, how would a group of foreigners understand appreciation?”

This was a Ming Dynasty pearl and kingfisher feather phoenix crown. A few years ago, Xie Renhua brought back a batch of cultural re-lics from England, most of which were donated to the country, and he kept one or two pieces, including this exceptionally luxurious Ming Dynasty empress’s phoenix crown, prepared for the future daughter-in-law.

“This crown is too magnificent!”

“Let’s also give them this pair of vases to put by their bedside for flower arrangements.”

Xie Wenning laughed, “You also have a bit of domineering in you.”

Taking a vase worth eight figures from the long period and inserting flowers into it.

Yang Shushua glared at her daughter.

“These twisted jade bracelets, those gemstone hairpins, and the set of gold jewelry boxes I had made this year, this set of Ru kiln teacups, and this large lacquerware cabinet with gold inlays.” Yang Shushua pointed out a lot more and instructed Uncle Mei to note them all down.

“Picking and choosing all these old items, I wonder if she likes them. I’m afraid that young girls prefer things like bags and luxury items.”

Xie Wenning thought for a moment and said, “Why don’t I ask my roommate?”

“Good girl, why would you ask your roommate?”

Xie Wenning showed her mother the screen of her mobile phone, on which Yi Xinling was hinting about her brother.

“I forgot to tell you, little sister-in-law’s younger sister and I are roommates, but Yi Xinling didn’t mention it to me, so I’m not sure how to bring it up with her. Now that she’s asking me about brother, I think it’s okay if I ask about her sister too.”

Yang Shushua was delighted. She didn’t expect things to be so coincidental, so she quickly asked her to find out what Yi Xinling likes.

Yi Xinling: [I remember you’re the fourth in your family, right?]

Xie Wenning: [Yes. I’m the youngest at home.]

Yi Xinling: [So, you have two older brothers?]

Xie Wenning: [Yes, an older brother, an older sister, and a younger brother.]

Yi Xinling: [I see. A friend of mine wanted to ask, is your older brother single?]

Xie Wenning looked puzzled, not understanding what this question meant. Meanwhile, across from her, Yi Xinling felt awkward, her toes curling with embarrassment.

Because the message was from Yi Siling.

Xie Wenning: [Of course, he’s single. He’s never had a girlfriend and is very pure.]

Under Yi Siling’s pressure, Yi Xinling continued to type with a stiff expression: [Please don’t misunderstand. I don’t mean anything else. My friend is currently studying business management and has read some case studies on business mergers and acquisitions. She greatly admires your older brother and just wants to ask if there’s a chance to see him in person.]

Yi Siling furrowed her brows deeply, “Who admires him so much and wants to see him in person? He should be the one admiring me.”

Yi Xinling wished she could kneel down to the Miss.

Yi Xinling: [You don’t need to bother your brother about this small matter. My friend doesn’t have any other intentions. You can rest assured. She simply admires big shots and won’t cause any trouble. Just seeing him from afar will be enough.]

Xie Wenning was very smart. Everyone in the Xie family was smart. She had to play along.

As for this “friend,” it was probably the younger sister-in-law, and from the looks of it, she was probably trying to learn more about the brother-in-law before marriage.

After thinking for a moment, she organized her words: [There’s a cocktail party the day after tomorrow, and my brother will be attending. How about I arrange an invitation for your friend?]

Yi Xinling looked up. “Can we attend the cocktail party?”

Yi Siling’s black eyes brightened.

Yi Xinling knew that this was an affirmative response, made an OK gesture, and chatted with Xie Wenning for a while before wrapping up. One was performing, and the other was pretending.

Xie Wenning: [I’ll get the invitation for you at the dorm tomorrow morning. See you tomorrow~]

Turning around, she opened the conversation with Xie Xunzhi and informed him: [Brother, the younger sister-in-law is trying to probe you. I’ve given her the invitation to the Chi family cocktail party the day after tomorrow. Dress nicely! You must make a good impression!]

[Yes, the younger sister-in-law even said she greatly admires you and wants to see your charm! Brother, do your best! Show off a bit! Mesmerize the younger sister-in-law!]

Without Xie Wenning’s notification, Xie Xunzhi was present, and he heard the entire process.

He replied with a simple “ok,” turned off the screen, and stopped looking at his phone. He crossed his long legs and slowly prepared tea for Old Qi, with a dignified and thorough demeanor, actually appearing relaxed and lazy.

He was like a towering mountain to be looked up to, powerful yet not arrogant, with any trace of emotion hidden amidst the vast valleys.

His face was handsome, too handsome. If it weren’t for his noble and dignified aura, his looks and physique would have been mistaken for those who relied on his appearance for a  Living.

The subsequent topics no longer centered on his marriage. Old Qi liked watching lively scenes but also wanted to leave some face for the younger generation and refrained from teasing them too much.

After a while, a female voice next door called the waiter to pack up. Shortly after, two girls walked out arm in arm.

The waist-hugging short skirt revealed a slender waist, very fair. It flashed by Xie Xunzhi in his peripheral vision.

He slightly narrowed his eyes, calmly preparing tea without turning his head, observing her in a way that she would never notice.

His gaze was gentlemanly, but the covert scrutiny didn’t quite qualify as gentlemanly.

The woman was coquettish with her younger sister, complaining that she felt annoyed and that she had to feed her so much.

“If you’re full, you should find trouble. Poor guy, he really shouldn’t have provoked you.”

The woman just laughed, the almond bracelet on her wrist making a magnificent ding-dong sound. “If he listens obediently and accepts my request to break off the engagement, I’ll let him go. Otherwise…”

“What if he’s really handsome? His younger sister is very pretty. You might change your mind when you see him in person the day after tomorrow. Besides, he’s never been in a relationship—what a catch.”

“That’s impossible. There’s no such guy.”

The woman pledged confidently, “But if he’s handsome and doesn’t mess around, I might marry him on the spot.”

“Marrying him on the spot would be too cheap for him.”

The woman nodded repeatedly, “Yes, then I’ll allow him to be a candidate for my fiancee. If he behaves well, I might reluctantly agree to marry him.”

Xie Xunzhi: “…”