Liang Yan had been in poor health since childhood and had studied in Europe for most of his life, rarely appearing in public.
Youyou had met Zhao Manzhi before, but she had never once seen Liang Yan.
The man in front of her—Xiao Zexing—had a physique and facial features extremely similar to Xiao Weijing’s.
Only the aura was different.
Seeing him remain completely unruffled—neither confirming nor denying—Youyou couldn’t help but question: “They say Liang Yan has poor health. You don’t look the least bit unwell.”
Xiao Zexing answered lightly: “With how advanced medicine is now, unless it’s a terminal illness, what can’t be nursed back to health?”
“Then you’ve known all along that I’m Tang Youyou, and you still didn’t say anything… What exactly do you want?”
“I wanted to see why you don’t want to marry Xiao Weijing.”
Youyou’s face flushed instantly: “Nonsense. Who said I don’t want to marry him?”
At this moment, the words carried zero conviction.
—If she truly liked Xiao Weijing, how could she have mistaken someone else for him?
She felt as though every inch of herself had been seen through by this man. The sensation was particularly, suffocatingly awful.
Youyou muttered sullenly: “Even so, you shouldn’t have deceived me.”
Xiao Zexing paused slightly. He studied her expression carefully, pondered for a moment, then asked: “You hate being deceived?”
“Don’t you?” Youyou shot back. “Do you enjoy being toyed with and spun in circles?”
Xiao Zexing lounged back lazily, fingers resting against his chin. After two seconds of silence, he suddenly smiled: “What if I told you I’m not Liang Yan?”
Youyou’s mind buzzed.
Not Liang Yan?
Then who was he?
“Youyou, let’s play a game,” Xiao Zexing stood up. “Since you want to break off the engagement with Xiao Weijing, I’ll help you.”
At those words, Youyou’s eyes lit up instantly.
Impossible to hide.
“How will you help me?”
“You don’t need to worry about that. I have my ways.”
Youyou looked straight at him: “What game?”
The man was too tall—she had to tilt her head back to meet his gaze.
“Very simple. Before we leave this island, guess my real identity,” Xiao Zexing rubbed his watch, dimples faint. “If you guess correctly, I’ll help you break the engagement.”
Youyou instinctively followed his words: “And if I guess wrong?”
Xiao Zexing’s smile grew deeper: “You’re so smart—you’ll definitely get it right.”
Youyou stood under the lamplight, soft glow catching the tips of her hair in a gentle, delicate halo.
When she saw Xiao Zexing out, just before he left, his gaze dropped to her waist. He said: “One more lesson for you: have a little more self-preservation. Next time, don’t open the door to a man dressed like this. If you think it’s dangerous, don’t let him in.”
Youyou froze.
Dressed like this—what did that mean?
Was she dressed inappropriately?
She looked down at her skirt—just an ordinary, modest nightdress. Nothing out of line at all.
She had no idea what filthy thoughts were running through this man’s mind.
Truly, the wise see wisdom, the lewd see lewdness.
Zhao Manlan, who had been frantic with worry after the call suddenly cut off, finally received a call from Xiao Zexing that evening.
After hearing him explain, she let out a huge sigh of relief.
“Ah, so her phone broke,” Zhao Manlan pressed a hand to her chest, still smoothing her breathing. “Then it’s fine. I was worried Youyou was angry.”
Xiao Zexing laughed: “How could she be? Youyou has a very good temper.”
On this point, Zhao Manlan wholeheartedly agreed.
Even after all of Xiao Weijing’s nonsense, Youyou had remained gentle and obedient the whole time.
She sighed worriedly: “Weijing didn’t come home at all tonight… Sigh, he went to Wen Ling’s side again…”
Mentioning this made Zhao Manlan feel like she was having a heart attack.
Though Xiao Weijing insisted with a straight face that he and Wen Ling were just friends, what kind of friend went this far? It was only a minor appendicitis, yet he made it into a huge spectacle that everyone knew about.
People who didn’t know better might think Xiao Weijing had gotten her pregnant and was taking her for an abortion!
After being beaten by Grandfather, getting ointment applied, and barely resting, one phone call from that side and Xiao Weijing ran straight back to the hospital.
No one could talk him out of it.
How could it not give her a headache?
Back when Old Mr. Tang was critically ill, Xiao Weijing hadn’t even gone to visit.
There was no way Youyou hadn’t heard such awful news.
Thinking of this made her chest tighten with depression.
Zhao Manlan spoke softly to Xiao Zexing: “I’ll have to trouble you—her Second Uncle—to take care of Youyou for now.”
“Don’t worry,” Xiao Zexing lit a cigarette, gazed at the freshly replaced roses in the vase, and spoke unhurriedly: “Since Weijing doesn’t like her, why not go along with his wishes and cancel the engagement? As for Youyou—if Grandfather truly dotes on her, he shouldn’t force her to stay with Weijing anymore.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” Zhao Manlan said with a furrowed brow, her voice thick with exhaustion. “But back when Old Mr. Tang was on his deathbed, Grandfather swore an oath that Youyou would definitely marry into the Xiao family. You know how stubborn he is.”
She sighed heavily, voice dropping: “It’s just pitiful for poor Youyou.”
No decision Grandfather ever made had ever been successfully overturned.
Even if Youyou didn’t like Xiao Weijing, Grandfather would force their heads down and make them marry.
Even if Xiao Weijing continued his entanglement with Wen Ling after the wedding, Grandfather wouldn’t cancel the engagement over it. In the old man’s eyes, as long as no illegitimate children appeared and no scandals gave outsiders leverage, it was fine.
Although Xiao Weijing and Youyou had yet to even sit down for a proper meal together, Grandfather had already started inviting wedding planners.
It was less a wedding for Xiao Weijing and Youyou, and more the wedding Grandfather wanted.
In this matter, both Xiao Weijing and Youyou were sacrificial pieces fulfilling the old man’s wishes.
Youyou thought it over carefully. She really didn’t seem to be Xiao Zexing’s opponent.
After just a few exchanges, she had lost spectacularly every time.
Regarding Xiao Zexing’s true identity, Youyou had immediately wanted to get the hotel guest list.
It should have been the simplest thing—just check against the room number. Yet even when she reluctantly pulled out the “Xiao Weijing’s fiancée” card, the staff only bowed repeatedly and apologized.
Most likely Xiao Zexing had instructed them in advance.
Everyone was tired from fishing, cards, and swimming that afternoon. Though evening entertainment was arranged, not many people went.
Deng Jue, however, came knocking with a cheerful smile, inviting Youyou to dinner.
“The two yellowfin tuna Ge caught—one made into sashimi, the other pan-seared,” Deng Jue grinned. “They specially flew in a sashimi master from Japan. Come try it, sis-in-law.”
Youyou was distracted, half-listening to his chatter, until she finally couldn’t hold back: “The person you keep calling ‘Ge’—who exactly is he?”
Only then did Youyou realize she had fallen into a trap.
The “A-Jue” in front of her knew everything.
During cards, he had deliberately said “Yan-ge,” glanced at her, and immediately corrected himself.
All of it was intentional—to draw her attention.
They were all acting.
They were in on it together.
Facing Youyou’s direct question, Deng Jue smiled innocently: “Sis-in-law, that’s between you and Ge. I’m an outsider—I can’t say. If I interfere, Ge would skin me alive.”
Youyou huffed: “I’m not your sis-in-law.”
Was he addicted to the role-playing now?!
Did he really think he was Xiao Weijing?
Youyou had assumed it would be a group dinner. Only after following Deng Jue did she realize it was a private room adjacent to Xiao Zexing’s suite.
Unlike Youyou’s suite, this one was decorated extremely simply—no excess ornamentation, just elegant minimalism.
A square table stood in the center. Xiao Zexing sat at the head, no one else beside him.
A small low stove nearby had an unusual shape; it was gently warming sake with a soft gurgle.
Xiao Zexing gestured for her to sit opposite. Youyou sat down cautiously and murmured a thank you.
From the corner of her eye she saw Deng Jue turning to leave. Youyou was stunned and immediately called out: “Where are you going?”
Deng Jue looked perfectly innocent: “You two having a candlelit dinner—don’t need me as the third wheel, right?”
Without waiting for a reply, he considerately stepped out and closed the door.
Youyou started to stand. Xiao Zexing lifted his eyes to her and smiled: “Don’t want to play the game anymore?”
After a pause, Youyou sat back down.
Harboring resentment, she complained: “This isn’t fair. You give me zero hints. Everyone outside is your people—they’re all in on it with you. How am I supposed to ask anything now?”
“Asking them is less useful than asking me directly.”
“But you won’t tell me either.”
“So here’s your chance,” Xiao Zexing poured the freshly brewed tea into the fairness cup, then—under her watchful gaze—poured her a cup. “We’ll play five rounds. The winner can ask the loser questions—up to three. How about it?”
Youyou’s eyes lit up: “Then can I just ask your name directly?”
“Of course not.”
“What about your job, position, family relations?”
“That’s no different from asking your name outright.”
Youyou felt a little defeated and grumbled: “Then what can I even ask?”
The sake on the small stove had warmed; a rich, intoxicating aroma drifted over.
“For example, preferences, habits, past experiences, and so on,” Xiao Zexing didn’t touch the tea. He poured himself a cup of sake instead and smiled. “That kind of information is also very important, isn’t it?”
It was.
One question might not reveal much, but three together could rule out a lot of people.
Youyou felt tempted: “What game?”
Xiao Zexing took a slow sip, then said casually: “The simplest—higher card, dice, or playing cards. You choose.”
He was handing the choice directly to her.
Youyou instinctively ruled out playing cards.
She had seen how terrifying Xiao Zexing was at poker that afternoon—she didn’t dare touch cards with him again.
She said: “Then dice.”
Small entertainment items like this were provided in the room. Xiao Zexing set down his sake cup, stood up, and took a set from the shelf.
Six dice, two dice cups.
The dice material wasn’t obvious; the cups were wooden, the exact wood hard to identify, with a faint fragrance.
Youyou remained wary: “Let me check first.”
Worried he might cheat, she inspected both cups and dice thoroughly. Only after confirming everything was clean did she place the dice inside, cover them herself, push one cup to Xiao Zexing, and pull the other toward her.
Before starting, Youyou—imitating lines from Hong Kong movies—asked: “You’re not going to cheat, right?”
Xiao Zexing laughed softly: “You checked everything yourself—how could I possibly cheat?”
That was true.
She had placed the dice herself and chosen her cup first.
Youyou wasn’t good at games like this. She shook the cup clumsily a few times, then sneaked a glance at Xiao Zexing—only to find his shaking technique wasn’t much better.
He didn’t look like an expert at all.
Apparently Xiao Zexing wasn’t skilled at this either.
Youyou immediately relaxed.
Full of confidence, she opened her cup first. Her eyes lit up.
14 points!
Youyou looked at Xiao Zexing smugly. He smiled and casually lifted his own cup.
Two threes and one one.
Pitifully low.
“I win!”
Youyou’s eyes sparkled. She slapped the table excitedly, making the tea in her cup ripple and sway.
Xiao Zexing smiled and covered his cup again: “A bet’s a bet.”
Youyou kept her hand pressed to the table. With only three questions total, she thought carefully before asking: “Have you been in Xijing these past few years?”
“No.”
“Then when did you come back?”
“You only won one round—I can only answer one question,” Xiao Zexing reminded her gently with a smile. “Next round.”
Winning the opening round boosted Youyou’s confidence in her luck.
Her luck had always been explosively good since childhood—she wasn’t afraid of him at all!
Second round.
Cups opened.
Youyou got six points. Xiao Zexing got seven.
Just one point short.
Youyou bit her lip, a little unwilling.
“Now it’s my turn,” Xiao Zexing looked at her, smile unchanged. “Be honest: do you want to marry Xiao Weijing?”
Youyou was silent for two seconds.
At this point, it didn’t really matter whether she answered or not. Looking back on her recent behavior, she didn’t look the least bit like someone madly in love with Xiao Weijing to the point of life and death.
He already knew. He just wanted to hear her say it out loud.
Youyou answered softly: “No.”
Xiao Zexing smiled.
Youyou stared blankly.
His smile was actually very attractive. Though his features resembled Xiao Weijing’s, she had never seen Xiao Weijing smile like that.
More precisely: Xiao Weijing had never smiled at her.
Just one point short. Youyou steadied herself, gripped the cup tightly, and shook the dice with all her might—making them rattle loudly.
When she stopped, she was full of caution: “You open first this time.”
Xiao Zexing didn’t hesitate. He lifted his cup.
Four points.
Youyou breathed a sigh of relief.
She couldn’t possibly roll lower than seven…
Smug again, she opened her cup.
Three lonely red dots stared back—nearly blinding her.
What kind of terrible luck did it take to roll this?!
Before Youyou could recover from the massive shock, Xiao Zexing slowly asked his second question: “Why don’t you want to marry him?”
At this stage, there was no point hiding anymore.
Youyou drank a full cup of tea, steadied her emotions, and answered: “Because Xiao Weijing has Wen Ling in his heart. I can’t accept a future husband who loves another woman.”
Xiao Zexing didn’t seem surprised by the answer: “Again.”
If she lost one more time, the game would end.
For once, Youyou felt a little nervous. Noticing the sake beside him, she asked: “Can I have a sip?”
This time Xiao Zexing didn’t stop her. He poured just a tiny amount into her cup and handed it over, warning: “This is baijiu—high proof. You can taste it, but don’t drink much.”
Youyou didn’t take it seriously. One small sip—and she immediately understood.
The alcohol burned fiercely, setting her tongue and throat on fire.
Her tongue went numb; she couldn’t even taste the faint sweetness afterward.
She frowned, drank another cup of tea to suppress the blazing heat.
Youyou couldn’t fathom why the man in front of her liked drinking something like this.
Third round. Youyou didn’t dare shake too aggressively this time. She moved the cup carefully.
Before opening, she sneaked a tiny peek through a crack.
Sixteen points.
So far, Xiao Zexing hadn’t rolled anything this high.
A sure win.
Youyou exhaled in relief, pursed her lips: “I’ll count to three—let’s open at the same time.”
She was still worried he might cheat.
Xiao Zexing indulged her with a smile: “Alright.”
“One.”
“Two.”
“Three!!”
They lifted simultaneously.
Youyou saw his points and went completely blank.
Xiao Zexing had rolled eighteen.
Three sixes!
What were the odds?!
“Last question,” Xiao Zexing said calmly, gazing at her. “If Xiao Weijing didn’t have Wen Ling in his heart, would you marry him?”
Youyou froze.
She had never considered it.
When she got engaged to Xiao Weijing, she was still young and clueless—barely understanding what marriage even meant. Old Master Xiao held immense power, and her own grandfather, on his deathbed, had entrusted her to marry into the Xiao family, live well, and help support the Tang family.
Youyou had never held high expectations for marriage. To Tang Xiao, she was a commodity to be sold at the best price.
They never considered what the commodity wanted.
Youyou was trying to resist.
From her silence, Xiao Zexing already had his answer.
He smiled, knuckles tapping the table idly: “Since that question puts you in a difficult spot, let’s change it. After successfully breaking the engagement, is there anyone you want to marry?”
Youyou shook her head: “No.”
Though she had lost three rounds in a row, Xiao Zexing’s questions hadn’t been particularly sharp.
Compared to that, what frustrated Youyou more was that she hadn’t managed to extract any useful information.
She stood up unsteadily, about to leave, when she suddenly remembered something.
Turning around, Youyou said to Xiao Zexing with utmost seriousness: “I don’t care what your identity is. In any case, don’t tell anyone about any of this… about the misunderstanding these past few days. Not a single word.”
Xiao Zexing had been sitting with his eyes half-closed. Hearing her words, he lifted his gaze to her and smiled: “If you want me to keep your secret, shouldn’t you offer some hush money?”
Youyou was stunned. “What hush money?”
She stared blankly at Xiao Zexing, then suddenly understood.
For a man of his status, what couldn’t he obtain? Right now Youyou had nothing—Qixing was still firmly in her father’s control for the time being.
The only thing he might possibly be interested in… was probably her body.
Youyou asked: “Do you have a fiancée or wife? Girlfriend or boyfriend? Anyone you have feelings for?”
“No.”
She analyzed calmly.
Breaking off the engagement with Xiao Weijing would be a long battle. The campaign had only just begun, yet Old Master Xiao was already arranging for them to live together—who knew what would come next? She had heard that first experiences were rarely pleasant. If Xiao Weijing truly despised her and—if avoidance became impossible—he deliberately tormented her, what then? Compared to handing her first time carelessly to Xiao Weijing, the man in front of her seemed like a far better choice.
At least he had good looks and a nice physique.
Youyou pressed her lips together, said nothing, and silently began unbuttoning her shirt.
Xiao Zexing’s smile gradually faded. He frowned slightly.
He stood up and, before she could undo the third button, pressed down on her hand: “Not this.”
Youyou froze.
Xiao Zexing pushed her hand aside and carefully fastened each loosened button one by one. Lowering his gaze to her, he said: “Since you consider it so precious, you shouldn’t give it away so carelessly.”
Youyou lifted her face.
The alcohol had numbed her nerves a little—she felt dazed.
Though it was indeed precious, she still had the right to choose.
If she really gave it to the man in front of her… perhaps it wouldn’t be so unbearable.
In her daze, Xiao Zexing reached out and gently pressed a finger to her lips: “This is enough.”
His fingertips had faint calluses. He traced the outline of her lips slowly and carefully.
He asked: “May I?”
Xiao Zexing was very handsome—naturally deep-set features, high nose bridge, thin lips.
At such close range, she stared blankly for half a second.
Seduced by his beauty, Youyou nodded almost unconsciously, as if under a spell.
Xiao Zexing leaned down, his fingers softly cupping her cheek. Their height difference was too great; he could only kiss her this way.
Unlike the last time.
This was more lingering, more tender.
Not plunder—closer to the careful, precious, gentle kiss Youyou had once fantasized about as a girl.
Youyou had no experience at all. She panicked, forgot to breathe, face turning bright red from holding her breath. Xiao Zexing noticed and smiled, pulling back slightly. He leaned close to her ear: “Good girl, breathe.”
Youyou didn’t know how to breathe while kissing.
She was so nervous and flustered she nearly forgot her own name.
“Jiang Chenting calls you Tangtang? Is that your nickname?” Xiao Zexing pinched her cheek lightly, brushing the tiny, barely noticeable tear mole at the corner of her eye. His other hand still stroked her lips. He chuckled softly: “Indeed very sweet.”
Author’s Note: Everyone, please don’t judge Youyou from a god’s-eye view. In her mind, Second Uncle is an elder—exactly the same kind of figure as Xiao Weijing’s father. =V=
The crematorium hell belongs only to Xiao Weijing. Over here with Second Uncle, it’s only deliberate seduction and pampering.