Sleepless Spring Tide - 8
Freud
The top floor of Yunxi Hotel was Xie Xunzhi's private suite. Whenever work and social obligations kept him too busy to make it back to Xie Estate, he'd turn in here for the night.
The fingerprint lock clicked open, and Xie Xunzhi stepped inside.
Uncle Mei was in the walk-in closet ironing Xie Xunzhi's daily suits. Hearing the commotion, he walked out to find the man standing near the entry, undoing his tie with an exceptionally cold expression.
Uncle Mei asked, "Why are you up here at this hour?"
The Windsor knot finally loosened, and Xie Xunzhi pulled the tie free. "I've stayed long enough."
Uncle Mei's expression grew subtle as he probed carefully, "I thought the future young madam was coming? You didn't stay to talk with her a bit longer?"
Xie Xunzhi glanced sideways at him.
Uncle Mei quickly schooled his face, though his little evasive gestures gave him away. He was under Madam Yang's explicit mandate to report everything that transpired tonight. Now that he had the chance to ask, how could he possibly pass it up?
With a smile, he said, "If you ask me, what happened last time was probably a misunderstanding. As long as you have a proper talk with the future young madam and clear it up, everything will be fine."
He was referring to Yi Siling having a boyfriend. The matter was still kept hidden from the elders, and no one in the family dared say a word. Even the most reckless of them, Xie Zhiqi, had kept his mouth firmly shut.
Xie Xunzhi draped his tie over the entryway table, walked to the sofa, and sat down. He raised his hand to unbuckle the diamond watch worth tens of millions on his wrist. "Don't address her like that," his voice raspy and low as he dropped those four heavy words.
Only then did Uncle Mei notice the irregularity in his voice. He seemed to have had too much to drink.
Xie Xunzhi had a low tolerance for alcohol, a fact known to anyone close to him. Forget hard liquor. Two glasses of red wine were enough to finish him. During ordinary social engagements, no one ever pressed him to drink. He would merely lift his glass and touch it to his lips to make the gesture. At his status and level, whether he drank had long since ceased to have anything to do with whether a deal was secured.
"How did you end up drinking so much? Weren't there cocktails?" Uncle Mei walked over to the kitchen island, poured a glass of warm water, and stirred in two spoonfuls of their homemade lemon and passion-fruit honey. Then something occurred to him, and a knowing smile spread across his face.
"Did you drink to keep the future young madam company?"
Otherwise, who else had enough face to make the eldest young master of the Xie family overindulge at a regular networking banquet?
Xie Xunzhi's movement unbuckling his watch paused. Future young madam. Hearing it over and over grates on the ears. Whether this marriage would even happen remained a massive question mark. Given the present situation, the probability of it falling apart was exceedingly high.
At that thought, the diamond watch on his wrist suddenly seemed satirical. He must've lost his mind to follow the half-baked scheme cooked up by his mother and youngest sister, dressing himself up like some glittering strutting peacock.
Was he so desperate to catch Yi Siling's eye? By relying on these diamonds? Had Yi Siling even looked twice at anyone tonight?
The entire day had been absurd, so absurd that it left him restless and irritable. He tightened his grip around the diamond watch, his eyes darkening as he looked at Uncle Mei, who was only making matters worse. His tone turned frigid. "Who exactly is your future young madam?"
The crisp tailored suit and the sharp line of his jaw gave him a stark, cold silhouette, an austerity that bordered on mercilessness.
This outburst of nameless anger left one thoroughly bewildered.
Uncle Mei felt wronged. What was the big deal? They were bound to be married anyway. Whether he changed the way he addressed her now or later, he would have to change it eventually.
Xie Xunzhi rarely lost his temper. It almost never happened. The last time had been three years ago, when the little young master got into a fight at school, broke another boy's arm, and landed himself at the police station.
When a man who was usually gentle as jade and even-tempered experienced a surge of emotion, it only made people shudder with greater dread.
"I used the wrong term. My apologies, Young Master. Please don't take offense." Uncle Mei laughed it off, setting the honey water down on the coffee table. "Miss Yi. It's Miss Yi."
Xie Xunzhi swallowed hard, ultimately finding the entire thing pointless. He picked up the glass of honey water, his composure returning as he said softly, "I apologize, Uncle Mei. I didn't mean to blame you."
Uncle Mei sighed. "Why apologize to me?" Wouldn't that be overstepping my place?
The young master was good in every way, and treated the staff exceptionally well.
At the group, even ordinary employees who greeted him would receive a smile and a slight nod in return. He never put on airs. That said, not many employees dared greet him in the first place. He was just such a refined, gentlemanly figure, yet many still feared him. His status, position, power, capability, and the innate authority bred into him since childhood—any one of them was enough to command admiration. And admiration was exactly what it was.
"All I want is for you to be well, and for Sir and Madam to stay healthy. I hope the Xie family will grow ever more prosperous," Uncle Mei suddenly remarked with deep emotion.
He had worked at Xie Estate all his life, watching the family's young ladies and young masters grow from half-grown children into mature adults capable of holding up their own corner of the world. Looking back, there was something almost magical about it. He had no grand wishes of his own. He only wanted everyone to live well. At this thought, he added, "And naturally, what I hope for most is that you and Miss Yi live a good life together."
"..."
Why bring up Yi Siling again? Xie Xunzhi's brows knit slightly.
That pampered princess was currently out there dancing with someone, beaming with absolute delight.
Just as he was about to tell him not to mention her again, a knock sounded at the door.
Uncle Mei walked over and opened it. A bodyguard stepped inside and remained by the entrance. Xie Xunzhi drank his honey water, paying no mind to their conversation, yet the words 'Miss Yi' still caught his ears.
After the bodyguard left, Uncle Mei returned, reporting faithfully, "Young Master, Miss Yi is outside. She wants to see you."
Xie Xunzhi: "..." The honey water in his glass rippled slightly. "What does she want to see me for?" He set the glass down gently.
"I don't know." After a moment's thought, Uncle Mei offered, "But if Miss Yi wants to see you, she hardly needs a reason, does she?"
Xie Xunzhi glanced at him. Uncle Mei shrank his neck back slightly, thinking to himself that he hadn't said anything wrong.
His head began to ache. His mind was already heavy and clouded from the alcohol, and now the mere mention of Yi Siling had made him even more agitated.
He admitted to himself that he was a traditional man. Once married, he could guarantee his complete and utter devotion. Consequently, he couldn't tolerate his fiancée carrying on a passionate romance with someone else, or an endless array of suitors groveling at her feet to trade coy glances with. He could accept a wife whose personality, style, and daily habits were polar opposites of his own, but he couldn't accept an open marriage. Such a marriage had no reason to exist. If word got out, everyone would laugh, and both families would be left with a liability they never should have had.
The only course available to him was to show her respect and privately convey his intent to call off the engagement. Upon hearing it, she would naturally be willing, so he needed only to wait for her to propose canceling the marriage, at which point he could agree without resistance.
If he took the initiative to publicly call off the engagement, word would spread, and it would reflect poorly on her. A pampered princess like her would probably regard it as a humiliation beyond bearing.
Now was hardly a good time to discuss any of it. He was in no state of mind. It was the alcohol, he was certain of it.
Xie Xunzhi stood up. "I'm going to the inner bedroom to rest. Go tell her I've had too much to drink and have already turned in. Just make sure you handle it tactfully."
Once she knew, she would naturally leave.
Uncle Mei stood dumbfounded. He couldn't believe Xie Xunzhi had dumped this messy predicament onto his shoulders while heading upstairs to sleep as if nothing had happened.
The future young madam is still outside!
Uncle Mei's head began to throb with a splitting ache, yet with the future young madam waiting outside, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and go out. He hadn't even had time to draft a script in his head when he opened the door and found a dazzling woman standing in the corridor.
The corridor lights were cool white, dozens of ornate crystal chandeliers stretching one after another along the ceiling. The brilliant play of light and shadow cast downward, ruthlessly exposing every crease in the skin, every tiny imperfection that makeup might otherwise conceal.
Yet she bore none. She passed the test almost flawlessly.
Had Uncle Mei not known she was Yi Siling, he would've assumed she was some sparkling, world-famous star who had come knocking. After all, it wouldn't be the first time female celebrities showed up at the young master's door.
Uncle Mei felt a surge of excitement, genuinely happy for his young master from the bottom of his heart. How adorable, clever, bright, and obedient would the child born to these two be! He could practically picture their faces already!
He stepped forward, his manner growing increasingly deferential. "Miss Yi, hello."
Yi Siling turned around and looked at him.
Before she could ask, Uncle Mei introduced himself, "I'm the young master's housekeeper. My name is Mei Zhengqing."
"Hello, Housekeeper Mei," Yi Siling greeted him. "Where is Xie Xun... Mr. Xie?"
Uncle Mei considered how best to phrase it. He truly lacked any talent for lying. Following the line Xie Xunzhi had given him, he said, "Miss Yi, the young master doesn't hold his liquor well and went to rest as soon as he returned to the room. He didn't expect you to come, and I'm truly deeply sorry."
Yi Siling's brows furrowed. What kind of person leaves halfway through a banquet just to come upstairs and sleep? Was an old man's stamina really that poor?
"He's asleep?"
Uncle Mei caught the slight edge of displeasure in Yi Siling's voice, and his heart skipped a beat. He wanted so badly for his young master to leave a good impression on the future young madam, so he instantly changed his tune, "Would you like to step inside first and have a warm drink? I can go wake him up for you."
"Do you have milk tea? No sugar." Yi Siling wasn't about to stand on ceremony with him. Apart from wine and champagne, the reception offered only cocktails, and she was thoroughly tired of them.
Uncle Mei nodded enthusiastically. "Of course! We have all kinds. What flavor would you prefer?" As he spoke, he ushered Yi Siling inside, calculating in his mind how to explain this to the young master, even as she had already stepped over the threshold.
Stepping into the suite, Yi Siling raised an eyebrow. For a mere penthouse suite, it not only featured an open-air garden and a private infinity pool, but even its own internal elevator. It was practically a villa in the sky.
This Xie Xunzhi certainly knew how to enjoy himself. The banquet downstairs was indeed nowhere near as comfortable as this place.
She walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, admiring the night view of Beijing.
"Do you prefer Oolong, Lapsang Souchong, or Biluochun? Would skimmed pure milk work for you?" Uncle Mei was preparing to brew fresh milk tea for Yi Siling on the spot.
"Oolong, then."
"Right away!"
Yi Siling continued looking around.
The decor exuded an elegant, understated Song dynasty aesthetic. The furniture was made entirely of aged pearwood, crafted by master carvers whose exquisite artistry made the lifelike lotus patterns visible even from afar. Behind the sofa stood a large six-fold lacquer screen inlaid with precious treasures, while the large display cabinet held various delicate ornaments, porcelain vases, teacups, and censing burners, all so restrained that she found it rather dull.
The greenery was refined and minimalist, with hardly any fresh flowers, and not a single trace of her favorite Freud roses. There were only sparse, elegantly arranged sprays of orchid grass, indoor bamboo, podocarpus, and bellflowers, not one of which held the slightest interest for her.
The osmanthus in the corner, though, was blooming beautifully, and its fragrance rich and full. She walked over, snapped off a small sprig, and brought it to her nose to catch its scent.
The milk tea was quickly brewed, and Uncle Mei brought it over, stealing a secretive glance at Yi Siling, who was currently taking her leisure, toying idly with the golden osmanthus sprig in her hand.
Plucking osmanthus! What a wonderful omen!
Uncle Mei felt another surge of excitement. He rubbed his hands together, doing his best to keep his tone level. "Shall I go wake him up for you?"
Truthfully, he was not sure how that would go. There was a very real chance he would end up taking an earful.
Yi Siling nodded, but in the very next second, she called out to stop him. "No. There's no need."
Uncle Mei: "?"
"I'll go find him myself." Yi Siling took a sip of the milk tea, her eyes narrowing slightly in the rising steam. "Where is his bedroom?" Then, as an afterthought, she added a token bit of politeness, "Am I allowed to go see him?"
"Uh... yes, of course! Second floor, turn left, the room at the very end... You can take the elevator..."
Yi Siling didn't forget to take the sprig of osmanthus with her. The gown she wore was elaborate to the point of being encumbering, yet she moved with effortless elegance, her high heels tapping against the floor like the rhythmic patter of falling rain.
Wherever she passed, the fragrance on her person lingered, effortlessly taking complete possession of the space.
.
The bedroom was dim, lit by a single floor lamp.
Xie Xunzhi lay on the bed with his eyes closed, trying to rest. The moment his head touched the pillow, the fog in his mind gave way to drowsiness, heavy and dense as soaked cotton sinking underwater.
The sound of footsteps, gentle as spring rain, drew steadily closer. The half-open door gave a faint creak as it was pushed inward. Xie Xunzhi's brow twitched, and all trace of sleep instantly vanished.
What on earth was Uncle Mei doing! How could he let someone in, and let her walk right into his bedroom!
Yi Siling kept her steps exceptionally light, pushing the door open with equal care.
The bedroom was so spacious it felt like a waste of square footage. The lighting was dim, and the air was filled with the faint, delicate scent of agarwood, though it was no ordinary agarwood perfume.
Soon, she spotted a thread of smoke, tenuous as fine gauze, rising and dispersing into the air. It drifted from an incense burner set on the nightstand, which cast a clear, hazy glow beneath the dim light. Crafted from jade, perhaps, or glazed glass.
The man lay quietly on the bed, his breathing steady and even.
Yi Siling had assumed the housekeeper was lying. In fact, she had come upstairs intending to catch him in his little trick, never imagining he was truly asleep.
What a dull man. Tonight's banquet had actually been quite entertaining, complete with celebrity performances, handsome men, and beautiful women that were easy on the eyes. The atmosphere was lively and pleasantly tipsy without crossing into rowdy excess, precisely the sort of atmosphere she enjoyed.
Yet here was Xie Xunzhi, sneaking upstairs to sleep.
Yi Siling pursed her lips, gazing at the sleeping man from a distance while her nails absently scraped against the osmanthus stem in her hand.
Still, this was a rare, golden opportunity.
Right now, she wanted nothing more than to find someone to consult on what to do next, but her phone was downstairs, stripping her of the three string lines that kept her anchored like a kite. She had no idea her group chat had already erupted through hundreds of chaotic exchanges.
Her second, third, and fourth sisters were all bombarding her, begging her not to do anything stupid.
With no one left to hold her leash, Yi Siling gave free rein to her whims, doing whatever she pleased. Twirling the sprig of golden osmanthus between her fingers, she glided over.
At the bedside, she first bent down and toyed with the exquisite incense burner. Sure enough, it was glass. Wisps of rising smoke scattered at her approach. What she failed to realize was that the breathing of the man lying peacefully on the bed also lost its rhythm for a split second.
Xie Xunzhi had no idea what she intended to do. He knew only that as she drew near, that intoxicating, full-blooming fragrance swiftly overwhelmed the archaic scent of burning incense. It rushed over him like a rising tide, like a climbing moon, leaving him with no choice but to feign sleep.
Having played with the burner to her heart's content, Yi Siling finally cast a side glance at the man on the bed.
He had to be at least six-foot-two. Otherwise, why had she needed to strain her neck to meet his eyes even in heels? Now that he lay quiet upon the bed, she could finally look down at him from above.
At the banquet, everyone had been polished and immaculate, like mannequins wearing masks. Now, freed from the need of pretense, he seemed hardly any different. Even in sleep, that refined, gentle demeanor remained entirely intact.
His sleeping posture was far too proper.
Sleep was supposed to be the one time a person could let go completely. One ought to sprawl however one pleased. But even in sleep, he was disciplined. All four corners of the covers were pulled taut, squared off with almost military precision.
"Boring."
"Though he really is good-looking," she murmured under her breath. "Way better-looking than that Zheng guy."
Xie Xunzhi's eyelids twitched ever so slightly. Zheng guy?
To be fair, Zheng Qijun was good-looking. He had the face of a playboy, with a hint of rogue charm, the quintessential Hong Kong bad boy. Otherwise, a looks-obsessed woman like Yi Siling would never have been dazzled by him.
But Xie Xunzhi was entirely different. He was strikingly handsome, every inch of him radiating prestige and nobility, devoid of any rogue air or superficial levity. He was like refined jade, a face that stayed with you after a single glance, and a presence before whom it was exceedingly difficult to act brazenly.
She could blurt out that the dead scumbag Zheng Qijun should go to hell, but facing Xie Xunzhi... she simply couldn't bring herself to say such things.
Yi Siling leaned in closer, studying the high bridge of his nose in fine detail.
Good grief. This man was ridiculously handsome.
She berated herself in her heart for swooning over this older man, yet found the whole thing genuinely amusing that she let out a little laugh.
That delicate, coquettish chuckle, completely lacking in decorum, fell near his ear like a cat's breath, bringing a delicate, lingering itch. Xie Xunzhi felt the air in his chest growing thinner and thinner. Her heady fragrance, spoiled and reckless and entirely unrestrained, seemed to heat his blood.
He waited for her to look her fill, play to her fill, and finally leave. Yet things went entirely against his wishes. The woman was bold, reckless, uninhibited, and completely devoid of restraint. She leaned even closer, a strand of long hair falling free to brush against his jaw.
Xie Xunzhi's hand instantly tightened into a fist.
Immediately after, a rich scent of osmanthus brushed against the tip of his nose. Something soft, like fuzzy petals or leaves, seemed to stroke across his face.
Yi Siling tapped the tip of his nose with the osmanthus sprig. "You, though, you're quite something. You act like you couldn't care less about me. For all I know, you're just full of tricks, trying to pull some sneaky stunt to get my attention..."
"Calculative old man. If you've got the nerve, wake up. I don't believe you can keep pretending."
Her voice was soft and nasal. The leaves in her hand rustled softly, like a kitten's little paws, and one tiny osmanthus blossom fell onto his eyelid.
Every muscle in Xie Xunzhi's body was stretched to the brink. Enduring the unendurable was no longer necessary. Without the slightest warning, his eyes snapped open, his arm shooting out from beneath the covers to close around Yi Siling's slender wrist.
Like an arrow that had been drawn tight and held in suppression for far too long, the moment it left the string, its force was fierce and sudden, far beyond anything she could resist.
Yi Siling never expected him to wake up so suddenly. Her heart squeezed sharply, and a gasp escaped her lips: "Someone help!!"
Xie Xunzhi sat up, his dark eyes deep and vast as a black hole, threatening to swallow her whole. He lowered his voice, "Miss Yi. You broke into my bedroom without permission. If anyone's calling for help, shouldn't it be me?"
"..."
Yi Siling's brain went blank. Her slender wrist was effortlessly enclosed in the web of his hand, leaving her unable to move. Her fingers went limp, dropping the osmanthus sprig.
The palm of his hand was lined with a thin layer of calluses, its heat almost scorching, stirred to a feverish warmth by the whisky and her uninhibited teasing, forcefully gripping her as his thumb pinned down her racing pulse.
Xie Xunzhi stared deeply at her, demanding, "What are you trying to do?"
"I..." Yi Siling's language system had completely crashed. For reasons she couldn't fathom, his immune-to-seduction demeanor filled her with an indescribable embarrassment and apprehension.
Not to mention that he was, by his very nature, a man of overwhelming presence.
"I was just..."
"Just what?" he pressed her at every turn.
"..."
Beneath the dim, half-lit lamp, dark veins of red blood streaked his eyes like hidden currents. He held her in his dark, heavy gaze, giving no sign of whether he was angry. His voice, however, remained deceptively calm: "Miss Yi, have you ever heard of entrapment?"
Yi Siling's cheeks burned hotter and hotter. Her lips parted and trembled. "Never heard of it..."
She had come here precisely to entrap him.
Tempt him, wait for him to take the bait, then call him a hypocrite.
"I'm not that bored... Don't go pinning false accusations on me." Her conscience wavered terribly, not daring to lift her eyes as she gave her limp wrist a slight tug. "Let go of me first. Hurry!"
Xie Xunzhi did not move.
"You're still not letting go?" Her embarrassment turned to irritation. "Fine! Let go, let go, let go, let go, let go..."
He let go.
Xie Xunzhi had been pestered into submission. Goosebumps had risen along his arm, coaxed there by the syrupy way she spoke. He could only slowly exhale the residual breath of alcohol, forcing himself to dial his emotions back to where they belonged.
He closed his eyes. When he opened them once more, he had recovered seventy percent of his sobriety. As for her little attempt at entrapment, he could let it slide, but there was something else, however, that he had no intention of overlooking.
Looking at the woman before him, her brows tightly knit as she grumbled and rubbed her wrist, he said calmly, "Miss Yi, breaking into my bedroom late at night and climbing onto my bed... Aren't you afraid your passionately devoted boyfriend will be upset?"
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