Sleepless Spring Tide - 4
Freud
[I think your intel is wrong. Are you sure he lives in a place like this?]
[See for yourself.]
[Don’t tell me he lives inside a historical monument.]
Yi Siling sent over a few more photos and a short video.
On a whim, she'd decided to come look at the Xie family's territory (absolutely no intention of scouting her future marital home), and had asked Yi Leling for the address.
She had expected Xie Xunzhi to live in some enormous mansion tucked away in the mountains, far from the city, surrounded by water and greenery. Instead, the moment her car turned into the lane, she nearly scraped against a breakfast cart selling jianbing at the mouth of the hutong.
Nothing like this could ever happen on Hong Kong Island. A wealthy man would have to be insane to put his private residence in a crowded urban district.
It was enormous, though. Yi Siling narrowed her eyes, silently estimating the length of the outer wall. Two hundred meters, at least. Even she, accustomed to extravagant estates and sprawling villas found it excessive, especially this close to the city center.
There was something interesting about the Xie Family.
They were flaunting their wealth in the most obvious way possible, with a residence occupying an enormous tract of land, yet somehow managing to remain understated, even secretive. The outer walls were nothing but weathered gray brick. The effect was strangely enigmatic, like a lion lounging at ease deep in the jungle, so powerful they have nothing to prove.
Families like this made Yi Siling instinctively wary.
She had kept her lips pressed together from the moment she arrived, yet curiosity eventually got the better of her. She walked over to the side gate and examined it more closely.
Buildings like this were rare on Hong Kong Island. She knew it was a hallmark of Beijing's ancient capital.
Bronze beast-head door rings, lotus-patterned lintel ornaments, white marble drum stones.
Every detail proclaimed the dignity of a great old family, carrying such an unmistakable air of authority that it made people instinctively lower their voices. A plaque was fixed to the wall on the right. She leaned closer.
A heritage preservation plaque.
Issued by the Beijing Municipal Administration of Cultural Heritage, it identified the residence as an Outstanding Historic Building and a Key Cultural Relic Protection Unit, designated in 1984.
Oh.
So it really was a historical relic.
A crack seemed to splinter across Yi Siling’s eyes.
This family lived inside a protected monument!
Suddenly she understood. Of course a household like this would produce a perfect, staid heir. It made perfect sense.
No wonder Yi Kunshan had vouched for him so enthusiastically. He always favored young men who followed the rules, calling it “steadiness.”
Yi Kunshan had once tried to mold her into the perfect heir too, piling rules on her.
Her sisters could stay out with friends until dark, make whatever friends they liked, plan their own holidays, even let their porcelain cups clink against saucers during afternoon tea.
She could do none of that.
She had endless private lessons: piano, English, French, art, etiquette, business management. Her childhood was a meticulously planned curriculum, every box marked with a neat red check.
No one knew exactly when she had gone off course.
Somewhere along the way, the girl who had been moving obediently toward the future laid out for her had grown rebellious. Stubborn.
Yi Kunshan had lamented it endlessly, claiming that the older she got, the fewer rules she followed.
But Yi Siling had simply had enough.
Enough of stirring milk tea without the spoon ever touching the cup. Enough of pressing her lips to the exact same spot on the teacup every time. Enough of having to think three times before doing anything, never allowed to follow her own whims.
And those were only the superficial rules.
Inheriting the family business would mean an endless lifetime of them. It would be like willingly stepping into a golden cage, sacrificing every part of herself to the company until there was nothing left that belonged to herself.
To Yi Siling, that was more frightening than marriage.
At least after marriage, her husband would neither be able nor foolish enough to impose rules on her. She was rich enough to tell him to get lost.
Of course she understood that powerful families came with strict rules. Ordinary people should never dream of entering such households. Marry into one and you become nothing more than a bejeweled punching bag, and the bitterness of marrying above your station was something only the person living it could understand.
Even if she herself wasn't the sort of woman who would tolerate being mistreated, she couldn't control the people around her. There would always be someone exhausting, someone unpleasant, someone determined to make life difficult.
And if her husband turned out to be some stiff, work-obsessed, hopelessly unromantic old man? Then the marriage might as well be over before it began.
Under the bright autumn sky, Yi Siling stood motionless outside someone else’s home, lost in her own increasingly elaborate thoughts.
She didn't notice the tightly closed door beginning to open behind her.
Xie Wenning hadn't stayed in her dorm the previous night. She had come back to Xie Estate for the weekend, then spent two whole days at home. By now she was unbearably bored, and the Chinese medicine she had been drinking every day had left a bitter taste in her mouth, so she had slipped out to buy some lemon hawthorn cakes from Zhenji.
She had sneaked out alone and dared not use the main entrance, so she came through the side gate.
The moment the door opened, she saw a glamorous young woman standing on the steps in a daze, an big pair of sunglasses covering half her face.
Xie Wenning froze, a faint flush spread across her cheeks.
What a beautiful young lady, she thought silently.
“Excuse me, are you looking for someone?”
The gentle voice pulled Yi Siling out of her tangled thoughts.
She lifted her eyes and found herself facing a sweet-looking young woman with an almost disarmingly gentle expression.
“...”
Someone from the Xie Family?
Or... Xie Xunzhi’s carefully hidden little girlfriend?
Yi Siling quietly drew in a breath, her eyes fixed on the girl behind the dark lenses.
Excellent.
She hadn't expected things to go so smoothly. First visit and she'd already dug up something explosive.
She had no intention of alerting the girl to her suspicions. With a slight pout, she simply thought, I knew Xie Xunzhi was no good.
“I took a wrong turn.” She said it calmly, then turned and walked away.
Xie Wenning watched in confusion as the woman climbed into the sports car. A second later, all that remained was a streak of red disappearing down the lane.
Something about it felt strange.
.
The area was full of traditional courtyard homes, and the hutongs twisted and turned in every direction. Anyone who was not local would have a hard time finding their way around.
With no idea where she was going, Yi Siling’s Ferrari wandered through the lanes like a headless fly, and the longer she drove, the more irritated she became.
She had no idea which hutong she'd entered. A few children on bicycles passed the Ferrari, crisp bells ringing through the dry, cool air.
“It’s a Ferrari! So cool!”
“The driver is a beautiful big sister!”
“She’s even prettier than my mom!”
Each voice louder than the last, as if determined to make sure she heard every word.
Yi Siling was stewing inside, but hearing the children's clear, earnest voices, she managed a reluctant smile. Little brats. Good taste, at least.
Breakfast stalls lined both sides of the lane, with scattered plastic chairs and stools serving as makeshift tables. The streets were crowded with people waiting in line.
An old man slid glossy sheets of batter onto a hot griddle. They hissed and crackled as they fried golden, then he cracked several eggs over them, scattered pickled long beans, shredded potatoes, and scallions across the top, and rolled everything into a neat bundle.
Nearby, an older woman lifted the lid from an enormous bamboo steamer. White clouds of steam billowed out, revealing piles of plump buns, flower rolls, and steamed bread, filling the street with the warm, earthy bustle of ordinary life.
Even in Hong Kong, Yi Siling rarely wandered into places this thoroughly rooted in everyday life.
Usually she sat in the fragrant, comfortable back seat of a Bentley, occasionally lifting her eyes to glimpse another side of the metropolis, one that seemed almost incidental from where she stood.
Ordinary. Simple. Hustling. Little pockets of warmth.
This was what people called life.
A world entirely different from hers.
She was the most beautiful flower in a world of glitter and excess. There was no chance she would ever be ordinary. Never simple.
If anything, she had to bloom more beautifully than anyone else, and look effortless doing it.
Her phone vibrated. A message came in.
Leling: [The address is definitely right. It’s that place, inside some Hutong or whatever.]
Leling: [Seriously... Sis... you just drove around the outside of his house and left? Why didn’t you go in? You made me find a wall for you to look at?]
Yi Siling took the egg-filled flatbread from the vendor. Back in the car, she opened the plastic bag, delicately tear off a small piece, and blow on it to cool the steam.
Typing was inconvenient, so she sent a voice message instead. “I suspect if I go in, I’ll never make it back out alive. Besides, I came here secretly. What happens if Xie Xunzhi finds out?”
She sent over a photo of the egg-filled flatbread. “This is really good. Want some? I can have one shipped back to you.”
Leling: [...No.]
Leling: [Focus. How exactly are you planning to meet him?]
Yi Siling ate half the flatbread and left the rest on the passenger seat. “I don’t know. But I’ve pretty much figured out he isn’t my type. I’ll wander around for a few days, then go find third sister the day after tomorrow and discuss it with her.”
There was no classes for the next two days. Her third sister had arranged a road trip around Beijing with some friends and would not be back until the evening after next.
“Oh, right. I just saw a woman at his house. Do you think she might be his secret girlfriend? I’m going to investigate. This is a good sign!” Yi Siling shared the good news eagerly.
Leling: [Princess, can you please use that magnificent brain of yours for half a second? If Xie Xunzhi were hiding a girlfriend, would he hide her where he lives with his family? Under his parents’ noses? The address I gave you is the Xie Family’s ancestral residence, not his private home.]
Yi Siling deflated immediately. “Oh.”
Yi Leling still had work to do and did not have time to indulge her: [Anyway, stay on topic. Don't wander off. Say hi to the third sister for me.]
Just as the conversation was about to end, Yi Siling suddenly thought of something: [Can you find his car?]
Half an hour later, the ever-capable, ever-suffering Yi Leling sent the license plate information.
[Black S580 Pullman, Jing A xxxx8.]
[That’s the only one I could find.]
Yi Siling froze. Wasn’t that the exact car she had just encountered in the hutong?
.
For the next two days, Yi Siling strayed spectacularly far from the point of her trip and wandered aimlessly around Beijing.
She bought piles of clothes and shoes, porcelain, little trinkets, local specialties. Zhenji imperial pastry gift boxes, tea, sour plum drink, roast duck, bracelets and bangles worth a few hundred, junk from antique markets whose prices old men had plucked out of thin air.
She bought so much random stuff that even she could no longer remember what she had bought. Half of it was forgotten the moment it went into the bag.
On Tuesday morning, Yi Xinling took the high-speed train back to Beijing. When she knocked on the hotel room door, Yi Siling was sound asleep.
Roused from a beautiful dream, Yi Siling cracked her eyelids and yawned her way to the door. Morning grumpiness painted her face with grievances.
She squinted at Yi Xinling. “Weren't you supposed to arrive at night?"
Yi Xinling laughed. She had come straight from the high-speed rail station, still carrying a huge hiking pack on her back, without even returning to her dorm to rest. She had only wanted her sister to see her sooner, and this was the welcome she got.
She walked inside, dropped the backpack on the floor, and caught her breath. “I wanted you to see me sooner. Isn't that nice? And you're actually annoyed that I came.”
Yi Siling rolled her eyes. A soft, furry little breath escaped her nose. “You woke me up...”
She was still barely conscious, her voice hazy and innocent, with just enough deliberate sweetness to make Yi Xinling break out in goosebumps.
Who could withstand this woman when she started acting spoiled?
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Next time I’ll wait until after eleven before knocking on your door, okay?”
Yi Xinling could do nothing with her, she was the eldest sister, they had to indulge her.
The three younger sisters shared one common goal: To become Yi Siling’s most devoted subjects.
“Not okay... I hate you.” Yi Siling pouted and turned toward the bathroom.
She was a mess right now, unkempt and disheveled, and did not want to say another word. She needed to put herself back together.
Yi Xinling rubbed her face and followed silently.
Yi Siling ignored her. She washed her face, applied her skincare, used a beauty device to reduce the puffiness around her eyes, and began doing her makeup.
“We’re just going out together. Is the full glam necessary?" Yi Xinling leaned against the doorframe, speechless.
Yi Siling finished curling her lashes and didn't turn around. "I suggest you change out of that Adidas before we go anywhere."
Yi Xinling looked down. “This is Trefoil! It’s a luxury collaboration!”
“It’s still Adidas.”
“I like sportswear! ...You don’t understand fashion. This piece is everywhere. I waited two weeks to get it!”
"A thousand celebrities and influencers have worn it. It's tacky.” She frowned as she delivered the verdict, her voice carrying the faintest trace of a spoiled princess.
“...”
Yi Siling would never wear sportswear outside. To her, it was practically self-inflicted torture. Sportswear belonged in one place: the gym.
In her walk-in closet, streetwear, fast fashion, influencer brands all stood aside. Even brands she liked could find themselves blacklisted without mercy if one season’s collection resorted to cheap spectacle just to grab attention. Losing her as a customer was their punishment.
She liked things elegant, expensive, and timeless, styles that would still look beautiful years later.
Hong Kong media had once called her the best-dressed heiress on Hong Kong Island, and they had not been wrong. She had an unmistakable personal style. She never chased trends simply because everyone else was wearing them. She hated matching outfits. She hated trends. She hated dressing down in the name of comfort and looking carelessly thrown together.
In her world, even pajamas at home required jewelry. Even slippers had to be beautiful. Every strand of hair had to have style.
Plenty of young wives and society ladies complained about her in private, calling her affected for dressing as though she had spent three hours getting ready just to take the cat for a walk.
Yi Siling thought they were ridiculous. As far as she was concerned, they were nouveau riche women wearing haute couture.
Yi Xinling had no choice but to take off the coveted sportswear and change into a slightly oversized beige tweed jacket with flared jeans. She swapped her sneakers for delicate lambskin heels.
That was as far as she was willing to go.
She had a lively, energetic face. Her skin was not as pale as Yi Siling’s, but it carried a healthy flush.
Going out with Yi Siling came with rules. If she didn't follow them, her sister would make a scene.
Yi Xinling sighed and quietly touched up her lipstick. At school, she never bothered with any of this. Given the choice, she would happily wear pajamas to the cafeteria for steamed buns, then crawl back to her dorm and go straight to sleep.
By then, Yi Siling had changed.
When the breathtaking beauty finally emerged, Yi Xinling couldn't take her eyes off her.
Yi Siling gave her a thumbs-up, outlined the morning’s itinerary, then walked into the sitting room and called the hotel through the internal line. “Send up two breakfasts.”
Yi Xinling stared at her. “You’re eating hotel breakfast?”
“The Hong Kong-style dim sum here is pretty decent.” Yi Siling had been eating it at the hotel for two days. She wanted to sleep in, and going outside for breakfast was too much trouble.
“You came all the way to Beijing and you’re eating Hong Kong-style dim sum? You can eat that any day at home!” Yi Xinling immediately called the hotel manager to cancel the order, then hustled Yi Siling out the door.
“Come on. Let’s take our Princess out for some local food.”
.
Shan'er Hutong was home to several century-old establishments, Batong Lou was the most famous of them all. Supposedly, its history stretched back to the Guangxu era, and its founder had once been summoned to the palace to make tea cakes for the Empress Dowager.
The restaurant was decorated in traditional Chinese style, grand yet elegant. In the main hall on the first floor, performers in gray long robes beat drums and sang, accompanied by the erhu and yangqin. The music was both vigorous and lilting.
Yi Siling was captivated in the moment she entered. Her eyes curved as she stopped to watch. “What are they singing?”
The waiter guiding them explained. It was a local drum-song art called qinshu, with a distinctly Beijing style of singing. The performers were currently singing The Return of the Dragon.
“That’s actually fascinating.”
“Told you there were interesting things here. The food’s good too.” Yi Xinling took the chance to mock her for knowing nothing about Beijing.
“Let’s go upstairs. It’s more spacious.”
It was already after ten. Too late for breakfast, too early for lunch. Since it was between meal times, the restaurant was nearly empty. The private tables upstairs, each with a minimum spend, were quieter still. Only one table was occupied.
Xie Xunzhi was there that morning accompanying a retired senior official for breakfast.
The old man had left his post two or three years earlier, but his prestige remained. He had mentored generations of students, and these days he appeared at various social events under a string of distinguished titles. People lined up to invite him to meals.
“It’s a wonder of you, busy as you are, and still insist on making time for an old man like me.” Elder Qi smiled and glanced at the young man across from him.
Outside the window, a corner of ivy glowed green in the sunlight. Ginkgo leaves had begun to fall, scattering gold across the ground.
Against that ink-wash landscape, the man seemed even more refined.
He slowly set down his teacup. “Teacher, you shouldn't say that."
“I hear your mother has arranged a marriage for you.”
Xie Xunzhi inclined his head. “Something like that.”
“Something like that?” Elder Qi laughed. Old age made him fond of watching the younger generation marry and build families. There was something endlessly entertaining about it.
“I don’t like hearing you put it that way.”
“Your mother has been running herself ragged over this marriage. You're indifferent now, but once you have a pretty wife, you’ll be grateful for everything she did.”
Xie Xunzhi's mother, Yang Shuhua, had studied at Hua University when Elder Qi was still a professor and deputy party secretary there, enjoying ministerial-level treatment. Yang Shuhua was his prized student. Later, when he entered politics and became even busier, he still found time to mentor Xie Xunzhi for a year or two, guiding him and passing on his knowledge. To Elder Qi, Xie Xunzhi was a younger relative, a student, and something like a grandnephew.
“Your mother said the girl is from Hong Kong?”
“She’s from the Yi Family on Hong Kong Island. Mr. Yi Kunshan’s daughter.”
Elder Qi considered this, then nodded. “That’s a good match. Your mother has always been clever. Choosing a family from Hong Kong keeps you out of factional struggles here. It keeps your family clean of entanglements, so no one has an excuse to come after you.”
He paused. “When I was in charge of affairs in Bin City, I worked with your future father-in-law. He’s straightforward and sincere, not a flashy man. I imagine his daughter is much the same, not spoiled or delicate. The two of you should suit each other. Your mother has a good eye.”
Not flashy. Not spoiled. Sincere.
Yi Siling?
Xie Xunzhi’s brow lifted slightly. He switched to the serving chopsticks and calmly placed a helping of crisp pickled bamboo shoots into Elder Qi’s bowl, accepting the absurd praise. “Yes. You’re right about everything.”
Yi Xinling took Yi Siling’s hand as they climbed the wooden staircase, the click of their heels echoing softly with every step. She came here often and knew the restaurant well, so she led her sister straight to a private table in the corner.
The seating was comfortable. Screens separated each table, giving them the intimacy of a small private room without making the space feel closed in.
“Let’s sit here.” Yi Xinling liked corners. They were quieter, and no one interrupted when they talked.
Yi Siling refused.
Why sit in a corner for a meal? If you're going to sit, sit in the center.
"I want the seat by the lattice window." Yi Siling pointed. "You can see the ginkgo trees and the ivy from there. This side only has a wall."
Yi Xinling gave in, following her sister’s wishes, though she could not resist complaining. “Yi Zhaozhao, you're really a handful.”
The sisters were only five years apart, there was little ceremony between them.
Yi Siling looked at her, displeased. “Call me Yi Siling. Or Mia.”
Yi Zhaozhao sounded like some blink-and-you-miss-her supporting character in a Jin Yong novel.
The sound of high heels approached from the staircase. So did a young woman’s voice. At the words “Yi Siling,” Xie Xunzhi’s fingers tightened slightly around his teacup.
Was Beijing really this small? How could he keep running into her everywhere?
“I’m not calling you jiejie.” A perfectly normal female voice rang out.
“Whether you call me that or not, I’m still your sister. You have to listen to me.” And this voice, following close behind was…
Sweet. Coy. Deliberately coquettish.
Could she not speak normally?
Xie Xunzhi found it difficult not to frown. For one fleeting moment, he even had the absurd urge to rub his ear.
The thought vanished as quickly as it came.
He merely lowered his gaze and blew lightly across the steam rising from his teacup.
---
Comments
Post a Comment