Sleepless Spring Tide - 11
Back in her room, the first thing Yi Siling did was shrug off the suit jacket, tossing it carelessly over the back of the sofa, before slipping out of her evening gown. She was left in nothing but a corset and a pair of seamless safety shorts.
Her exquisite, voluptuous curves were as flawless as she was beautiful, illuminated beneath the halo of the overhead light like a finely crafted figurine.
Stepping over the discarded dress, she made her way into the bedroom and plunged whole into the soft mattress like a fish diving back into water.
So exhausted.
She hadn't accomplished a single good thing all day. She was like a pawn on a chessboard, scurrying east and west, running aimlessly, only to end up in a sudden, unexpected checkmate by the enemy.
Marry me.
She could not fathom why his attitude had undergone a complete hundred-and-eighty-degree shift. One moment he was talking about letting her go as she wished, and the next he was asking her to consider this marriage. He hardly seemed interested in her, and having met only once, there was certainly no affection to speak of. They were polar opposites, so different that even standing side by side looked like a contrivance, and any future marriage would be nothing more than a practical arrangement.
She understood this, and surely he did too.
Besides, as a scion of Beijing’s elite, there were countless families eager to align themselves with him. He could have his choice of wives—gentle, serene, cultured, virtuous, and refined. Not a single one of those traditional virtues seemed to have anything to do with her.
No, wait, how could they have nothing to do with her? She was gentle, serene, cultured, virtuous, and refined, too! On top of that, she was gorgeous, lively, clever, adorable, and knew how to act cute! Thoroughly charming!
Clearly, the problem was that she was simply too lovable...
Tricky!
The anxiety was worse.
Yi Siling let out a frustrated whimper, pummeled her pillow in a sudden burst of irritation, and scrambled out of bed. She quickly removed her makeup, took a shower, and collapsed back into bed with a dripping sheet mask pasted onto her face. She had to hurry with her skincare; the bedroom air was terribly dry, and even the humidifier running at full blast was useless.
When she woke up, the mask had dried stiff against her skin and pulled her painfully awake.
Peeling it off, she slathered on a thick layer of face cream blended with facial oil. Back in Hong Kong, she never touched such heavy creams.
She glared aggrievedly at the ceiling. If every autumn and winter in Beijing was going to be this miserable, she was doomed. With that thought, and a whole new pile of irritation, she drifted back into sleep.
The bedroom fell into silence, the sheer curtains hung motionless, only the phone on the nightstand lit up from time to time.
In the group chat, the three suckers Yi Siling had forgotten about were still anxiously waiting.
Leling: [Still no word?]
Qiongling: [I have school tomorrow, you know. Can someone please give me an update? What happened over there?!]
Xinling: [Coming, coming!]
Xinling: [What else could happen? Mia fell asleep in his car, I nearly died on the spot! She should be at the hotel by now. It’s this late already!]
Qiongling: [Whose car?!]
[That blind old relic's.......?]
Xinling: [Hahahahaha, I'm in my dorm, don't make me laugh! The guy isn't an old relic at all, he's a total heartthrob. It’s cold here, so he put his suit jacket over Mia’s shoulders. And Mia didn’t throw it off. Think about that one carefully, you two.]
Qiongling stared at her phone, murmuring: [It's over, my princess..... actually wore an old man's clothes....]
Xie Xunzhi had just turned thirty. To fifteen-year-old Yi Qiongling, that put him squarely in the generation above hers.
Calling him an old man was entirely fair.
Leling: [@Yi Siling's mouthpiece, Little Piglet, keep a tight leash on your mouth. Don't go calling him an old man to his face when you meet, or everyone will be embarrassed.]
Qiongling protested: [......Lvy, what is wrong with you!]
.
The next morning, Xie Xunzhi, who had suffered through a restless night of insomnia, still woke up earlier than a crowing rooster.
It was not yet light. After a night of autumn rain, the sky before sunrise was like a clear mountain lake glimpsed deep in the woods, blue with a depth that seemed to go on forever. Taking a deep breath of the crisp, cold air sent a sharp chill straight to the lungs. Hardly anyone was out in the hutong, except a few older men doing their morning exercises and sanitation workers in vests, sweeping fallen leaves with brisk, rhythmic strokes.
Located in Xicheng District within the Second Ring Road, adjacent to Shichahai, the area was dotted with scenic historical landmarks. As the old saying went, "wealth in East City, nobility in West City"; this place was truly blessed, quietly tucked away amid the bustle of the metropolis.
Following the hutong outward, several routes were ideal for a morning jog. The rain these past two days had cleared the air nicely, though in another month or two, once the sand and haze thickened, morning runs would be out of the question.
Xie Xunzhi changed into sportswear and ran three laps along his usual route before looping around to the eastern alley to buy a steamer of mushroom shaomai, some candied hawthorns, and a bowl of fermented mung-bean juice.
"Buying for your younger brother again? Look at you, handsome as ever. I’ll throw in two crispy fried dough rings, fresh out of the oil and perfectly crispy. Come back next time!"
The shopkeeper was beaming with delight, finding him more handsome the more she looked. Having run her shop here for decades, she knew Xie Xunzhi was the young master of the largest household in Bainiao Hutong.
Yet a young man so handsome was far beyond the reach of local matchmakers like her; otherwise, the neighbors would have torn each other apart fighting for him.
At six-thirty, the chefs at the Xie Estate began preparing breakfast.
Returning from his run, Xie Xunzhi handed the food to Uncle Mei before taking a shower. When he arrived at the dining room, he was dressed in an impeccably ironed three-piece suit.
Dignified and flawless in every detail.
At work, he dressed almost exclusively in tailored suits, favoring dark colors to maintain the composed image expected of a future conglomerate heir. But look closely and no two suits were quite the same. The fabrics differed, the patterns differed, even black came in shades of black.
The world of tailoring was a world of cloth. British and Italian mills were universally regarded as the finest, with French houses a close second, and nearly all the most luxurious fabric suppliers came from those countries. Every season, Scabal and Loro Piana, two of his frequented places, sent Xie Xunzhi fabric swatch books reserved exclusively for VIP clients.
Some of those fabrics were so rare that a master tailor might go his entire career without seeing them even once. Cashmere wool known as "soft gold," extraordinarily rare vicuña wool once reserved for royalty, a series of blues dyed with lapis lazuli, and a 150-count superfine cashmere blended with diamond dust and mulberry silk.....
Once selected, the fabric codes were sent to the Cifonelli haute couture atelier in Paris. Of course, as a century-old bearer of London style, Savile Row remained a pilgrimage site for gentlemen. A few designated bespoke houses employed tailors, designers, and fitters serving the Xie family exclusively. They knew every member of the family by preference, style, build, down to the slightest curve of a wrist or ankle.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps of the stained-glass window, and outside, a broad plantain tree glowed a lush green.
Xie Xunzhi sat on the right side of the dining table with his back to the window, the morning glow gathered softly around him. His crisp, cool-grey suit fit him impeccably, lending him an elegant, handsome air that suited him effortlessly.
There was not the slightest trace of a businessman’s vulgarity about him. He looked more like a university professor, or a scholar newly returned from an overseas lecture tour.
Even the way he ate was impeccably mannered.
Almost excessively so.
Xie Zhiqi had been dragged out of bed at this ungodly hour, his permed hair unstyled and messy as he dragged his feet, looking thoroughly displeased with life.
Then he spotted the bowl.
"Fermented mung-bean juice!" His eyes lit up.
"Ge, did you buy this for me?"
Xie Xunzhi glanced at him. "Did you brush your teeth?"
“Of course! Do I look like some slob?” Xie Zhiqi admitted that when he wasn't racing, he could be rather careless about his appearance, but that was strictly at home where no one could see, just as no one needed to know he loved drinking this foul-smelling fermented bean juice.
In public, after all, he was still a rising star in the racing world.
Xie Mingsui and Xie Wenning arrived shortly afterward. Spotting the steaming shaomai among the array of dishes, Xie Mingsui gasped in surprise, "I only said yesterday that I was craving mushroom shaomai from this shop, and there's the candied hawthorns Ningning likes too."
"Ge bought them for us," Xie Zhiqi said, taking a loud sip of his mung-bean juice.
Xie Wenning gave him a look of utter disgust. "I know. Besides Ge, who else would get up at five-thirty in this freezing weather and buy breakfast?" Xie Mingsui smiled.
"Thank you, Ge," Xie Wenning murmured sweetly.
With the dry autumn weather, the chef had stewed snow pear and bird's nest soup to nourish the lungs, serving a small bowl to each of the three ladies. Xie Zhiqi looked on with envy and asked for one, but Yang Shuhua swatted his hand away, “Why does a grown man need bird's nest? What a waste. Drink your mung-bean juice.”
Yang Shuhua then served a portion of fresh blanched Chinese kale to both Xie Mingsui and Xie Zhiqi. "Eat more greens."
“For God's sake, don't give that to me! I hate vegetables!"
"Mom..... I take supplements."
Neither of them had liked greens since childhood.
"Silly girl. You won't eat natural vegetables, but you'll take something synthesized in a factory? Stop drinking that stuff. It's bad for you. All medicine carries a bit of poison."
"Mom, that's not medicine."
“I swear that stuff tastes worse than medicine. No! Jie, don't put any more vegetables on my plate. I'm sorry!”
"Could it possibly taste worse than your mung-bean juice?"
"……"
The dining table was always the noisiest place in the Xie Estate, but Xie Xunzhi abstained from the chatter, slowly sipping a bowl of vegetable porridge. He strictly observed the rule of silence during meals and rest.
Listening to her children's squabbling, Yang Shuhua's gaze was warm with affection, though that warmth quickly turned to worry when it landed on her eldest son.
Her eldest son was perfect in every way, except that he was a little too rigid. But a man who adhered so strictly to rules could hardly win a woman's heart. Women liked men who were interesting, men who knew how to be romantic.
Put a black Maybach and a red Ferrari side by side and see which one the young lady would choose; she doubted it would be the former.
Yang Shuhua cleared her throat and spoke up, "Did you see Miss Yi last night?"
The dining table instantly fell silent, every pair of eyes turning toward Xie Xunzhi.
Xie Xunzhi swallowed his food, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and said, "I did."
"How did it go? Did you have a nice time? Did Miss Yi have a good impression of you?"
"It was fine."
"You child, I ask you three questions and you dismiss me with two words."
"It really was fine." Xie Xunzhi maintained an inscrutable, calm smile.
Knowing she wouldn't get anything more out of him, Yang Shuhua simply laid out what needed to be said: "Then make the most of the next few days and spend some more time with Siling. Next week, we are heading to Hong Kong to have dinner with her parents and discuss the wedding banquet. And you two still need to take your wedding photos, so make time for that too. Don't young women love going abroad? France, England, Northern Europe..... Don't go using work as an excuse to push it off and end up upsetting her."
And that was only the beginning. There was still an endless list of things to prepare. Marriage was a once-in-a-lifetime affair. Naturally, the elaborate procedures should be out of the ordinary.
Xie Zhiqi muttered under his breath, his tone laced with sarcasm, "Shooting wedding photos, no less....."
He poked at the food in his bowl, thinking about the patch of green growing on top of his brother's head. Three inches high and still growing.
The world had truly gone downhill. Even his flawless big brother was getting cuckolded.
The man was doomed.
Xie Xunzhi cast a cool glance at him. "Eat your food." Turning back to Yang Shuhua, he added, "I will discuss it with her."
Yang Shuhua nodded, satisfied.
Xie Zhiqi pouted, stirring the fermented mung-bean juice in his bowl, which was also green. Xie Wenning pinched her nose and edged slightly away, while Xie Mingsui chuckled quietly.
.
After breakfast, Xie Wenning left for school, Xie Mingsui and Xie Xunzhi headed to the group headquarters for work, and Xie Zhiqi returned to his bedroom to catch up on sleep.
Yang Shuhua called Xie Xunzhi over and handed him a brown paper bag. Inside was a neatly packed serving of snow pear and bird's nest soup.
"This is good for nourishing the lungs in autumn. I packed an extra portion. Take it to Siling now."
Xie Xunzhi refused without hesitation, "I have work."
Yang Shuhua paid him no mind, "Then take it before work. It's best to drink it in the morning, otherwise it'll get cold."
Xie Xunzhi wanted to point out that if he delivered it first, there was no guarantee he'd still make it to work on time, but in the end he could only agree. Just as he turned to leave, Yang Shuhua stopped him again, asking him to wait.
So he stood there and waited.
It was already seven-forty. Whether he delivered the soup or not, he was going to be late.
Yang Shuhua disappeared into the little sitting room next door, apparently looking for something. When she returned, she had a card in her hand. She slipped it into the paper bag and tied the ribbon into a neat bow.
"What did you write?" Xie Xunzhi asked, noticing a line of text on the card.
Yang Shuhua said, "I listed the ingredients inside, in case she has any allergies." She gave him a gentle push, "Alright, hurry up. Don't let it get cold."
Then, as if seeing right through him, she cast a knowing look his way: "Don't just hand it off to Uncle Mei. I'll have him keep an eye on you.”
Xie Xunzhi: "……"
.
In the back seat of the Maybach, Xie Xunzhi listened to his secretary's report, his index finger tapping softly against the armrest, his side glance falling on the bag resting quietly beside him.
To be frank, he had no desire to deliver it to her.
He had already crossed lines last night—grabbing her wrist and pressing the matter of marriage directly onto her twice. Meeting her again today would make him seem overly eager, as if he were dying to marry her.
He had no such intention.
Marrying her was, to a greater extent, about fulfilling his parents' wishes. Since she had no boyfriend, he had no reason to turn down the arrangement. Especially with both sets of parents urging the union, failing to take the initiative would show a lack of responsibility.
"Uncle Mei, deliver this to Miss Yi."
"I won't. The Madam will scold me." Uncle Mei refused cleanly, saying earnestly, "Young Master, you must handle your own affairs yourself."
Xie Xunzhi's expression darkened slightly.
Uncle Mei immediately changed tack, adding with a flattering smile, "However, I can accompany you there."
Xie Xunzhi laughed despite himself. What kind of people had he surrounded himself with? Every single one of them had grown so bold.
Since he was already late anyway, Xie Xunzhi reasoned he might as well go. It was just delivering an item, a matter of a few minutes; hesitating would only make him look ungentlemanly.
Without him needing to say a word, the Maybach was already driving toward the Yunlan Hotel.
Upon reaching the lobby, Uncle Mei went to the front desk to check Yi Siling's room number. The receptionist refused at first, citing hotel policy and privacy regulations. In the end, Uncle Mei had no choice but to call the manager.
When the manager saw Xie Xunzhi, he nearly dropped to his knees in panic.
The ultimate big boss visiting this small hotel was akin to an emperor making an incognito inspection tour.
This hotel fell under Xie Mingsui's division, and even the second miss rarely visited, preferring to leave a trusted subordinate to serve as the person in charge here. The manager had only been fortunate enough to see Xie Xunzhi in person once during a corporate representative meeting.
"Chairman Xie, Miss Yi is in Room 3807, our only Queen Suite." The manager guided Xie Xunzhi toward the elevator bank, personally pressing the call button.
"She loves flowers, so we have fresh blooms delivered to her room daily. We keep every detail in mind and wouldn't dare neglect her."
Using common sense, the manager guessed this Miss Yi was of extraordinary status, perhaps Chairman Xie's hidden lover... No wonder she requested the best suite the moment she arrived. At twelve thousand dollars a night for seven nights, that was a serious amount of money.
He quietly digested this earth-shattering gossip.
"What kind of flowers?" Xie Xunzhi asked casually.
The manager replied, "They're Fre... Fre..." The foreign name slipped his mind for a moment, "Ah, Freud! Big, lush blooms, with such a gorgeous color. She specifically requested this variety. A flower with such philosophical qualities suits Miss Yi best!"
Xie Xunzhi knitted his brows slightly, failing to see any philosophical qualities in Yi Siling, nor realizing his subordinates were capable of flattery to such an extent.
The elevator arrived. The manager ushered Xie Xunzhi inside, swiped the floor card, and stepped back out. Uncle Mei didn't follow, waving with a wide smile through the closing doors, "Young Master, I'll wait for you in the lobby. Same thing.”
Xie Xunzhi didn't even raise his eyes, his handsome face had gone subtly dark, and standing alone in the elevator, his presence felt more imposing than usual, its usual warmth replaced by something heavy and forbidding.
.
Yi Siling was dead to the world, asleep beneath the covers, a porcelain-white leg exposed outside the blanket. The lace trim of her nightgown was hitched up, barely covering her soft, pink rear.
She never got out of bed before eight.
Never.
Not unless there was an earthquake, a tsunami, or the Yi family had gone bankrupt. Nothing in heaven or on earth was important enough to disturb her beauty sleep.
"Ding-dong."
"Ding-dong-dong."
The doorbell rang three times in succession. Yi Siling finally cracked an eye open, her brows tightly furrowed with absolute irritation, made worse by her throat feeling as dry as paper.
"Ding-dong-dong-dong."
Outside the door, Xie Xunzhi decided this would be his final attempt. If no one answered, he would take it to mean Yi Siling was not in.
"Who is it, who is it, who is it! So early in the morning!" Irritation spilling over, Yi Siling was forced to drag herself out of bed, walking barefoot across the heated floor toward the hallway.
It had to be Third Sister!
Half asleep, Yi Siling ambled into the foyer without checking the peephole. She yawned as she unlatched the lock, muttering under her breath about how annoying it was.
Her temper had reached a boiling point, so much so that the moment the door swung open, she exploded at the figure outside, "Yi Xinling, I'm warning you! If you disturb my sleep again, I'm going to pick a fight with you!"
Xie Xunzhi: "........."
Yi Siling tousled her hair, a moment too late realizing something was wrong. It wasn't Faye—it was a man.
He stood tall in an impeccably tailored navy suit. At first glance, all she could see was the champagne-gold tie against his chest.
Before she could fully register who he was, Xie Xunzhi swiftly averted his gaze, turning his back to face the hallway, his eyes darkening beyond measure.
He swallowed subtly, his stance stiff and tense as he tightened his grip on the bag in his hand to mask the awkwardness and the faint flutter of distraction.
He couldn't fathom why she would dress like this in private.
He simply didn't understand.
Taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out, he spoke in a low, quiet tone, "Miss Yi, perhaps you should put on some clothes first?"
Yi Siling: ".........?"
Xie Xunzhi?
She looked down in a daze, and all traces of sleepiness vanished instantly.
Oh, hell!
She was wearing her newly bought, dangerously alluring lace nightgown—sheer mesh, delicate spaghetti straps, a deep V-neck, her thighs almost entirely bare.
And now she was standing there, completely unguarded beneath a man's gaze.
Her beautiful face went scarlet in an instant. ---
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