Sleepless Spring Tide - 6
Freud
Two days later, an autumn rain began to fall in the early hours before dawn. The weather forecast had warned of a drop in temperature, and sure enough, the chill arrived as promised.
The whole city lay beneath a wash of gray, the sky and rain bleeding into one another like ink on rice paper, as if at any moment the clouds might drip a fresh stroke of black.
Just two days ago, Yi Siling could still have gotten away with a bare-legged dress, but today called for a coat. The cold wind had turned her knees a rosy red.
"So cold…" She clasped her icy hands together, staring absently out the window.
The stylist had created showstopping looks for countless A-list celebrities, yet she approached Yi Siling with the same solemn concentration she would bring to a major campaign. This premier socialite from Hong Kong carried an innate, effortless radiance that commanded the room. The stylist had no intention of letting her reputation take a hit.
"It's not as warm here as Hong Kong Island," the stylist said gently, her nimble hands twisting Yi Siling's hair into a soft, elegant Chinese updo. "And this isn't even the coldest part of the year yet. Give it another two months and we'll have snow."
She was breathtakingly beautiful, so striking one almost couldn't look directly at her, like a full moon in the night sky. The stylist felt certain that a dignified, noble Chinese aesthetic would suit her best.
Yi Siling blinked. "Right. Beijing is a place where it snows."
Snow was the one thing Hong Kong Island never had.
"Perfect. I happened to bring a set of snowflake-themed jewelry. I'll wear that later."
The stylist nodded with a smile, turning to select a hairpin that would complement the snowflakes, while instructing her assistant to crank up the heater.
.
The Chi family's parties were never modest affairs. Even the celebrities brought in merely as decoration were first- and second-tier young starlets and heartthrobs.
The Chi family's core sector was digital media. Their subsidiary, Xinying Group, owned one of the country's top three online video platforms and invested in more films and television dramas every year than anyone could keep count of. As an invisible powerhouse behind the entertainment industry, inviting a constellation of stars was nothing unusual for them.
The party was held at a newly opened luxury hotel owned by the Xie family, serving as a promotional boost for the establishment.
Such resource exchanges were standard in their circle. Any benefits or profitable ventures were kept strictly among their own. Outsiders hoping to take a piece of the pie might as well have been trying to break through a locked gate.
By six-thirty, the guests had begun arriving in force.
The women's elaborate gowns swept past like clusters of brilliant blossoms, leaving behind a faint, mingled fragrance in the banquet hall.
Chi Huanli raised his wrist to check the time, taking the opportunity to grumble once more about Xie Xunzhi being unreliable.
Xie Xunzhi was usually the most punctual of men; if he promised to come, he would never be late.
Yet tonight, for the first time in anyone's memory, he was fifteen minutes late.
Another ten minutes passed. Chi Huanli was smoking in the corridor when he happened to catch Xie Xunzhi coming out of the elevator.
"What happened? It's my party, at least give your brother some face." He walked over familiarly, pulled a cigarette case from his pocket, and offered him one.
Xie Xunzhi accepted it out of courtesy but did not light it. His long fingers rested around the cigarette as he answered in his usual calm, measured voice. "I was delayed by something. My apologies."
Chi Huanli really had no idea what to do with Xie Xunzhi. This was a man who possessed more capital than anyone else in the capital city to be arrogant and domineering, yet he insisted on being modest and polite. What room did that leave for complaints?
"Don't say sorry. You could stand me up and I still couldn't do anything about it." Chi Huanli flicked his ash, taking a closer look at his friend. Something felt off, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
The two chatted as they walked toward the venue. Chi Huanli's peripheral vision caught the diamond-encrusted watch on Xie Xunzhi's wrist. Taking a puff of his cigarette, and suddenly enlightenment struck. "You're different today."
Xie Xunzhi glanced at him.
Chi Huanli said, "You never wear a watch this flashy."
It was a Patek Philippe Minute Repeater Perpetual Calendar listed at over twenty million at auction houses, set with two rows of diamonds. Priceless and near impossible to acquire, it was a masterpiece among masterpieces.
Now Chi Huanli took a proper look.
The diamond watch was only the beginning.
A tiny white-gold diamond brooch in the shape of a snowflake sat at his lapel, exquisite in the unmistakable style of antique jewelry. Even his suit was different; instead of his usual formal, dark black, he wore a dove gray, which rendered him even more refined and quietly elegant.
"And you never dress this ostentatiously!"
"Holy shit, a peacock fanning its tail?? You're stealing my spotlight!"
Chi Huanli looked down at himself and decided, with complete certainty, that he had lost.
Xie Xunzhi stood just shy of six-two, lean and long-limbed, with the type of physique clothes seemed to have been designed around. His hair was meticulously groomed. Standing there, he looked less like a man attending a party than a model lifted straight from a luxury campaign, some impossibly expensive object of Eastern design.
At the accusation, Xie Xunzhi laughed. "I wear whatever the stylist hands me. I don't bother asking."
As if anyone believed that.
Chi Huanli wondered who could possibly be important enough to warrant this kind of effort. Had some newly famous actress caught his eye? No. He dismissed the thought immediately. Anyone else might play around with actresses, but not Xie Xunzhi.
"Who's caught your eye?" he asked, genuinely curious.
Xie Xunzhi casually tossed the crushed cigarette into a trash can. "Mind your own business."
He did not smoke. At most, he occasionally enjoyed a few puffs of a cigar. Anything addictive was something he simply did not touch.
The waiter pulled open the heavy hall doors, and a rush of mixed fragrances swept over them, drawing the gaze of the entire banquet room along with it.
Chi Huanli waved a greeting to a few acquaintances, lowering his voice as he continued talking to Xie Xunzhi. "Still, aren't you about to get married? It's just a small cocktail party. Why are you dressed like you're trying to seduce someone? Something's definitely going on."
A waiter passed by carrying a tray, and Xie Xunzhi picked up a glass of champagne, his calm gaze sweeping over the room without showing any emotion before returning to the person beside him. "It's Young Master Chi's party. It's only right that I take it seriously."
Chi Huanli: "..."
The moment the two made their appearance, an endless stream of guests crowded over to offer toasts, while those who didn't know them tried every possible excuse to make themselves known.
There were plenty of opportunities to get close to Young Master Chi. He enjoyed a good time, and if a gathering was lively and sufficiently exclusive, an invitation would usually earn his attendance. But Xie Xunzhi was a different matter.
Events that could earn the presence of the Xie family's Crown Prince were few and far between, and nine times out of ten, those who tried to approach him would come up empty-handed.
He only occasionally attended gatherings within his core social circle.
The surrounding air grew subtly buzzed with excitement.
"Now that's unusual. Both the Crown Prince and the Second Miss came?"
"It's the Chi family's party. Makes sense."
Holding his wine glass, a man looked toward the front left, rubbing his hands together. "Wait for me, I'm going over to show my face in front of the Second Miss!"
Xie Mingsui had also come to the party.
Having just been promoted to CFO at the headquarters of Lanyao Group this year, she was Xie Xunzhi's right-hand partner. Normally, an invitation sent to Xie Xunzhi would never miss out on the Second Miss Xie. Even if one couldn't invite the Crown Prince of the Xie family, securing the Second Miss was still something to boast about; if both came together, it meant the event carried immense prestige.
Xie Mingsui was searching the room for her older brother, but was intercepted by several acquaintances along the way. A few minutes of polite conversation later, her gaze swept across the floor, finally landing on the man in the gray pinstripe suit.
She looked away, then snapped her gaze back to take a closer look.
Stunned, she walked over quickly and called out, "Big Brother?"
Only then did she notice Chi Huanli standing beside him. She pressed her lips together. "Mr. Chi."
"Suisui, long time no see." Chi Huanli smiled at her, rubbing his fingertips together where his hand hung at his side.
Xie Xunzhi asked, "Just arrived?"
Xie Mingsui replied, "Mm, came straight over after the meeting wrapped up." She hadn't even had time to change into evening dress, still wearing her work attire.
A crisp, light pink suit paired with wide-leg trousers of the same color and material, nude high heels, and light makeup rendered her gentle and clean. Even amid the dazzling vanity of the room, she did not lose an ounce of grace, resembling an orchid blooming in a quiet valley.
The children of the Xie family were universally acknowledged as one in a million in their circle. Male or female, each could stand on their own; there were no failures and no spoiled playboys. Many wives in the society often joked that they wished the Xie family would open a class to teach them how to raise the next generation.
"Don't push yourself too hard. Mom's already blaming me that I assign you too much work." Xie Xunzhi doted on his younger sister after all, unwilling to see her spend the prime of her youth buried in overtime. But the CFO position was a vital role in the group with complex responsibilities, and it was most reassuring in the hands of family.
"I like working," Xie Mingsui said. "She can't blame you for that."
Chi Huanli chimed in with a laugh, "Suisui is the universally recognized female CEO in our circle. I still have a lot to learn from her."
Xie Mingsui offered him a cool glance. Feeling that he had said the wrong thing, Chi Huanli pursed his lips, hastily shifting his gaze away and coughing awkwardly.
Ignoring Chi Huanli, Xie Mingsui simply looked at Xie Xunzhi and teased with a smile, "You're keeping quite a high profile today, Ge. If it weren't for that watch you bought for your birthday two years ago, I almost wouldn't have recognized you."
He had bought it back then, but never wore it once, leaving it to hibernate inside the safe.
Teased continuously by his friend and sister, Xie Xunzhi's expression remained as calm as still water. Every so often he took a languid sip of his drink, responding to those who approached him with impeccable politeness and unmistakable distance.
The Crown Prince of the Xie family possessed impeccable upbringing. Though somewhat cold, he never embarrassed anyone, which was precisely why so many people came to toast him, offer him cigarettes, and otherwise hover around him as if he were an ancestor to be worshipped. Among them were no small number of minor starlets who lacked fame but harbored great ambition.
Looking at the impeccably made-up female celebrity with a flattering smile before him, Xie Xunzhi knitted his brows slightly. He had already wasted too much unnecessary time; at parties like this, he usually just showed his face and left.
He handed his glass to Mingsui. "Cover for me for a bit."
Chi Huanli asked, "Where are you going?"
"To smoke," Xie Xunzhi said coldly.
Chi Huanli: "...Did I hear that right?"
Just as Xie Xunzhi felt a sudden surge of impatience and turned to leave, a sudden commotion broke out across the room. A figure of unusual interest had apparently arrived, drawing attention the way a black hole swallowed light. Conversations faltered as heads turned almost in unison.
Chi Huanli followed the crowd's gaze, his eyes freezing momentarily in surprise. "Who is that?"
He had personally reviewed tonight's guest list; there shouldn't be anyone he didn't recognize.
For a female star to arrive an hour late to a Chi family banquet and still dare to command such a high profile, she must simply be tired of surviving in the entertainment industry.
.
Never arriving on time for any cocktail party, dinner, or banquet was Yi Siling's most criticized reputation.
Anyone wishing to invite her had to tolerate her array of rules and bad habits. The ladies and socialites of Hong Kong held a fair share of grievances over it, yet they couldn't afford not to invite her. With connections interwoven in countless ways, offending Yi Siling meant offending the Yi family.
Furthermore, failing to secure Yi Siling's presence signified that the event was not prestigious enough.
In the high-society vanity fair of Hong Kong, Yi Siling herself was synonymous with extravagance and high fashion.
However, Yi Siling seemed to have forgotten one thing: this was Beijing, not her home turf. She hadn't even been invited to this banquet; she had acquired her invitation through less than respectable means.
Yi Siling gathered her skirt slightly, walking through the lingering gazes with aristocratic pride. Her two porcelain-white, slender legs were selectively visible beneath the sheer, gossamer-thin fabric. French-style beadwork covered the gown from top to hem. The boned corset design pinched her waist, revealing a modest portion of her full, rounded chest like a brush of smooth, creamy white jade.
The intricate high-jewelry necklace resting on her collarbones, composed of over a dozen layered snowflakes, was a snowflake-themed custom set created for her by the former chief designer of the jewelry brand Jandoul, one of a kind in the entire world.
Looking at the woman who stepped out radiating star quality so bright she could easily be mistaken for an A-list actress, Xie Mingsui's jaw dropped in shock. "Isn't that..."
Chi Huanli asked, "You know her?"
"It's my little sister-in-law..." Xie Mingsui whispered, tightening her grip on her glass.
Chi Huanli didn't catch it clearly and was about to ask further when Xie Xunzhi strode back in two steps, retrieving his glass from Xie Mingsui. Chi Huanli looked at him in surprise. "Weren't you going to smoke?"
Xie Xunzhi said, "Not anymore."
Chi Huanli found it utterly bizarre.
Yi Siling scanned the venue. Aside from a few hugely popular stars, she didn't recognize a single soul. There was indeed a barrier between Beijing's social circle and Hong Kong's.
With dozens of people present. How was she supposed to know which one was Xie Xunzhi? She couldn't just grab a random person to ask, could she?
Vexed, Yi Siling carried her birdcage clutch and strolled over to the dessert station. On that short stretch of tens of meters, she turned down three men who attempted to strike up a conversation.
"Where's that girl from? She's acting so high and mighty. Look at that waist, those hips..."
"She can't be from our circle. A face like that and no one's heard of her?"
The female companion beside him giggled teasingly. "President Qi has seen every beauty there is. If even he hasn't seen her before, then naturally she's not from our circle."
"Maybe she's a newcomer backed by Mr. Chi. The girls from the film academies these days are getting prettier every year."
"Still, I think that woman looks quite familiar... Where have I seen her..."
Hearing these vulgar remarks, Xie Mingsui felt deeply uncomfortable. It was awkward for her to step up and say anything for fear of ruining the Chi family's event, so she could only glance at the host with displeasure.
Chi Huanli rushed to defend himself, "I've never backed any female star. Suisui, you have to believe me."
Xie Mingsui took a step back to avoid him. "That is your private matters, Mr. Chi." There was no need to explain to her, and even less need for her to believe him.
Xie Xunzhi suddenly shoved his glass into Chi Huanli's hand. Imposing in height, he looked down slightly at Chi Huanli, his eyes cool and solemn, his tone stern. "Next time, don't invite all kinds of random people. It only fouls up your venue."
Holding the glass, Chi Huanli was somewhat dazed. "Then I... ask them to leave?"
Xie Xunzhi surprisingly didn't say it was unnecessary, simply offering a nod. "And don't invite them in the future."
Turning around, he headed toward the dessert station, swapping his glass for a cocktail with lower alcohol content.
.
Yi Siling was debating between a lychee rose and a grapefruit grape cocktail when a pair of beautifully articulated hands entered her line of sight. Slowly, those hands closed around a glass of purple liquor.
Grape grapefruit. The drink had a very lovely name: Misty Lover.
Yi Siling blinked. This hand was almost absurdly beautiful. Long fingers curved like polished lengths of jade, the knuckles pronounced, every tendon and vein cleanly defined.
On his lean wrist rested a valuable watch, and the cuffs of his pristine white shirt were free of a single wrinkle.
His hand was so handsome, and his watch was handsome too!
Yi Siling decided that she was going to buy herself one just like it.
Following her line of sight, her eyelashes fluttered upward, looking toward the owner of the hand.
A stranger, yet not entirely a stranger; they had actually crossed paths once before.
Two weeks ago, in Hong Kong, he was the stranger who had bent down to pick up her lipstick. She remembered it vividly, owing to those handsome features, his unforgettable demeanor, and his cold aloofness that had displeased her that day.
But Yi Siling's temper left just as quickly as it came; the annoyance of that day had long been tossed to the back of her mind.
"It's you?" Yi Siling was surprised, and equally delighted. Finally, someone in this entire room she could actually talk to!
Xie Xunzhi held the rim of his champagne glass. "Hello."
"Do you remember me? In Hong Kong, you picked up my lipstick for me." Yi Siling's smile was full of confidence; she didn't doubt for a second that he would remember her.
No man who had ever met her failed to remember her. Unless he was gay.
Xie Xunzhi didn't seem to recall immediately. After reflecting for a moment, he seemed to gain an impression. "I remember now."
Yi Siling knitted her brows slightly, dissatisfied. It took him that long? What was wrong with this man?
Still, she cheerfully picked up a glass of the same cocktail and clinked it against his. "What a coincidence, running into each other like this."
Amid the crisp sound of clinking glass, Xie Xunzhi said in a faint voice, "A coincidence indeed."
"Are you from Beijing?" Yi Siling caught the tone of his speech; his deep, cool timbre was captivating, and his Mandarin was considerably more standard than hers.
Xie Xunzhi gave a casual "Mm," taking a sip of his champagne.
Yi Siling's smile brightened further. Stepping a breath closer, she tilted her head to look up at him.
The height difference between them created an imbalance. Hidden beneath the man's refined elegance was the pressuring aura of a superior, but it ran too deep and too still for Yi Siling to notice.
"Then I'd like to ask you about someone." She blinked her thick, curled eyelashes, each strand distinct, her red lips were the color of a crabapple blossom steeped in wine.
"Go ahead."
When asking for a favor, Yi Siling's tone naturally turned gentle. "Do you know Xie Xunzhi?"
Xie Xunzhi's brow twitched slightly, feeling her voice was overly sweet and dainty. After a few seconds of silence, he spoke. "Mm."
If he said "mm," did that mean he knew him?
Yi Siling felt a surge of joy in her heart. What luck. She'd find him without any effort!
"Then could you point out to me who he is?" She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I have business with him."
She looked at the man before her with deep expectation, slowly perceiving an intriguing air about him, much like a lion that had locked onto its prey but was in no rush to pounce.
Xie Xunzhi tightened his fingers around his glass, the purple liquid trembling inside. "What business?"
Yi Siling paused. Why was he asking so many questions? She wasn't even looking for him. Still, she refused to let this opportunity slip away.
Her tone turned earnest. "Important business, of course."
Xie Xunzhi raised a brow slightly, his deep, heavy gaze sweeping over her, carrying a weight he did not bother to show. His voice remained almost casually indifferent.
"What important business do you have with me, Miss?"
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