Not long after getting into the ride-hailing car, Cheng Xin received a WeChat message from Teacher Dong asking whether her blind date had ended.
Leaning lazily against the car window, Cheng Xin had just typed, It’s over. I’m on my way home now, when her phone suddenly started ringing.
A mischievous glint flashed through her eyes.
Finally, she’d gotten the perfect opportunity to complain to her parents!
Under Teacher Dong’s persistent questioning, Cheng Xin gave her parents a complete account of every single demand her blind date had made.
At this hour, neither Teacher Dong nor Teacher Cheng had gone to bed.
With the phone on speaker, the couple listened as their expressions grew increasingly dark.
In the end, Teacher Cheng couldn’t bear to listen anymore.
He and his wife had lovingly raised and cared for their precious daughter. They certainly hadn’t done so just to send her off to be mistreated by someone else.
“Cheng Xin, don’t ever see that man again. Your mother and I will speak to his parents and make things clear. If he dares to harass you in the future, call the police.”
Teacher Cheng’s voice came through the phone, his anger barely restrained.
“Mm, I’ll listen to you,” Cheng Xin replied obediently.
“It’s getting late. Remember to send us a message when you get home,” Teacher Dong said, sounding somewhat exhausted.
“Mm-hmm.” Cheng Xin nodded.
After hanging up, Cheng Xin couldn’t suppress the smile spreading across her face.
Turning to look at the neon lights outside the car window, she knew perfectly well that the main reason she’d been able to complain so easily was that her parents loved her.
That was why, even though she’d encountered an absolutely outrageous weirdo on tonight’s blind date, her mood remained wonderfully bright.
And so, that evening, Cheng Xin began her Little Bedtime Drama with a smile—
【In the second-floor corridor of the Xie Family’s Ancestral Residence, the wall lamps cast a dim yellow glow across the floor.
Xie Jing stood face-to-face with his mother.
The air between them seemed almost frozen.
“Xie Jing, why did you just come out of Cheng Xin’s room?” Mother Xie’s voice sounded relatively calm.
“Today is Ah Yan’s birthday. She was drunk, so I took her back to her room.”
The fingers hanging at Xie Jing’s sides curled tightly.
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
An unsettling silence settled over them once again.
After a moment, Xie Jing stepped forward.
Just as he was about to pass his mother, her voice sounded again.
“Xie Jing, Cheng Xin is your younger brother’s wife.”
Those words alone were enough for Xie Jing to understand.
His mother must have seen what happened. That was why she was warning him.
The fist he’d been clenching slowly relaxed.
His dark eyes remained perfectly calm.
“I know.”
Those two simple words caused all the shock and anger Mother Xie had been suppressing to burst forth.
“I don’t think you know at all! Your brother has only been dead for a few months! What exactly were you doing to Cheng Xin in the living room just now?”
“Xie Jing, you’ve always been your father’s and my pride. Do you even understand what you’re doing?”
“I know.”
Xie Jing turned slightly and met his mother’s gaze with complete composure.
“Cheng Xin is your younger brother’s wife,” Mother Xie repeated, struggling to keep her voice down.
“So what? Is Cheng Xin supposed to remain a widow for the rest of her life? Sooner or later, she’ll find someone to accompany her through the years ahead.”
Xie Jing spoke as though he were simply stating an established fact.
“Whatever happens, that person shouldn’t be you.”
Mother Xie stared fixedly at her eldest son and tried to reason with him.
“Ah Jing, have you forgotten what you did back then?”
“When the Cheng family used the debt of gratitude your grandfather owed them to pressure you into marrying Cheng Xin, you refused.”
“Now your brother has passed away, and countless people are watching our family. Yet you’ve suddenly developed feelings for her.”
“If you and Cheng Xin really ended up together, do you have any idea how much gossip that would cause?”
Xie Jing looked into his mother’s eyes before lowering his gaze again.
“I’ll make sure no one dares to gossip.”
Mother Xie could hardly believe how stubborn he was being.
“What about Cheng Xin? Are you going to disregard her feelings too?”
“She and Ah Yan loved each other so deeply. I refuse to believe she’d suddenly develop feelings for you.”
Xie Jing’s fingers tightened abruptly.
“That depends on what I do.”
Mother Xie’s face turned pale.
He’d always been like this.
Ever since childhood, once Xie Jing decided he wanted to accomplish something, nobody could stop him.
He’d clearly made up his mind.
“Ah Jing, don’t do something you’ll regret for the rest of your life.”
In the end, that was the only warning Mother Xie could offer.
*
Two days later, Mother Xie learned that Xie Jing was preparing to travel abroad again to handle some business matters.
She went to find Cheng Xin.
Looking at her younger daughter-in-law, who was as delicate and pure as a lily, a complicated emotion flashed through Mother Xie’s eyes before she quickly concealed it.
Deep down, she knew that neither Xie Yan’s situation nor Xie Jing’s behavior could be blamed on this young woman.
Yet she still couldn’t help feeling conflicted.
After carefully considering what she wanted to say, Mother Xie was just about to speak when Cheng Xin unexpectedly made a request first.
“Mom, I’d like to move out.”
Mother Xie’s heart skipped a beat.
“What’s wrong? You’ve been living here perfectly well. Why do you suddenly want to move out again?” she asked tentatively.
Cheng Xin slowly raised her head and looked directly into her eyes.
“After spending Ah Yan’s birthday alone at the ancestral residence recently, I realized I’m nowhere near as strong as I thought I was.”
“I can’t let go of Xie Yan. If I continue living here, everything I see will remind me of him.”
“So I’d like a change of environment.”
Hearing this explanation, Mother Xie let out a tremendous sigh of relief.
She reached out and took Cheng Xin’s hand.
“I can understand why you’d feel that way. Have you found a place yet?”
“I have several properties under my name. You can take a look at them. If there’s one you like, I’ll transfer it directly into your name,” Mother Xie said sincerely.
“There’s no need. I already have somewhere,” Cheng Xin replied, shaking her head.
“All right.”
Mother Xie didn’t insist.
Both women fell silent.
After an unknown amount of time, Mother Xie finally spoke again, her voice hesitant.
“Actually… it’s already been several months since Ah Yan passed away.”
“You’re still young, and you have a long life ahead of you. Have you ever considered getting to know someone new?”
“I don’t mean anything else by it. I’ll always regard you as my daughter-in-law.”
“It’s just that life is long, and the thought of you spending it all alone makes us worry.”
“Ah Yan would worry too.”
After speaking, Mother Xie looked at Cheng Xin earnestly.
Seeing that the young woman remained silent, Mother Xie’s heart sank.
“All right.”
Just when Mother Xie thought her suggestion had been rejected, she heard Cheng Xin quietly agree.
The following evening, Cheng Xin appeared punctually at an exclusive revolving restaurant high above the city.
She wore a white mermaid-style evening gown.
The man Mother Xie had introduced to her was quite decent.
He had a refined, gentlemanly appearance and spoke in a calm, measured manner.
He’d even brought her flowers and thoughtfully pulled out her chair.
Their conversation went fairly well.
Cheng Xin learned that the man had been married once before, but the marriage had eventually ended in divorce because of irreconcilable differences.
His former wife had since remarried abroad.
Overall, their meeting was reasonably successful.
The two exchanged contact information.
After dinner, Cheng Xin and the man went downstairs together.
The temperature had dropped noticeably that evening.
When the cool night breeze swept past, tiny goosebumps immediately appeared on Cheng Xin’s arms.
Just then, a warm coat was draped over her shoulders.
Cheng Xin looked up in surprise.
Meeting the man’s gentle gaze, she gave him a polite smile.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Miss Cheng, where do you live? I’ll take you home.”
The man seemed determined to maintain his gentlemanly demeanor until the very end.
“I…”
Cheng Xin was just about to answer when a pair of glaring headlights suddenly shone directly toward them.
She instinctively closed her eyes.
When she opened them again, she saw a black leather shoe with a thin sole step out of the car.
Immediately afterward, Xie Jing emerged, dressed in a black bespoke suit.
Expressionless, he walked toward them one step at a time.
As he approached, Cheng Xin couldn’t help remembering everything that had happened on that absurd night.
Without realizing it, she pulled the coat more tightly around herself.
It wasn’t until Xie Jing stopped in front of them, silhouetted against the headlights, that the other man recognized him.
“President Xie, I’ve heard a great deal about you.”
He politely extended his hand.
But Xie Jing showed no intention of shaking it.
Afraid that Xie Jing would make the situation too embarrassing, Cheng Xin hurriedly called out, “Big Brother.”
Meeting the worry in Cheng Xin’s eyes, Xie Jing lowered his eyelashes.
Only then did he raise his hand and shake the man’s.
“Likewise.”
Xie Jing’s voice was extremely hoarse.
And it wasn’t just his voice.
Cheng Xin also noticed the bloodshot veins in his eyes.
One glance was enough to tell that he hadn’t been resting properly.
Xie Jing’s arrival made the atmosphere between the three of them indescribably awkward.
At an appropriate moment, Cheng Xin spoke up, saying that she’d enjoyed their date that evening but would be heading home with her family member.
“All right.” The man nodded. “You have my contact information. Feel free to get in touch anytime.”
With that single sentence, Cheng Xin felt Xie Jing’s gaze settle on her so intensely that it was almost tangible.
She forced herself not to look at his expression.
After politely saying goodbye to the man, she turned toward Xie Jing’s car.
But she’d only taken one step when Xie Jing gently caught her wrist.
Cheng Xin abruptly looked up.
A flash of panic flickered deep in her eyes before disappearing.
The next moment, she watched as Xie Jing removed the coat from her shoulders without giving her any chance to object.
He tossed it into the other man’s arms.
Then he draped a wool shawl over Cheng Xin’s shoulders—a shawl he’d deliberately brought from the car.
Yes.
Even though he knew she’d gone out on a blind date, and even though he’d already been burning with anger, Xie Jing had still worried that she might feel cold.
Before leaving home, he’d brought along this gift, which he’d specially selected for her while abroad.
Feeling the warmth settle over her shoulders, Cheng Xin gently bit her lower lip.
She quietly said goodbye to the man behind her once more before getting into the car with Xie Jing.
The car soon started moving.
Yet the atmosphere inside was as still and oppressive as the calm before a storm.
“Where are you going? I’ll take you.”
The moment Xie Jing spoke, Cheng Xin understood.
He already knew she’d moved out of the Xie residence.
She couldn’t help wondering how this man could remain so thoroughly informed about everything happening back home, even when he was abroad.
What exactly was he trying to do?
“There’s no need. You must have just returned to the country, so you should get some rest.”
“Just drop me off somewhere nearby. I can take a taxi home myself,” Cheng Xin said softly.
“You don’t want me to know your current address?”
With a single sentence, Xie Jing shattered the fragile illusion of calm between them.
Cheng Xin’s fingers tightened forcefully on her knees.
“Stop the car,” she said.
Dark emotions seemed to churn in Xie Jing’s eyes.
But Cheng Xin could no longer bear the atmosphere inside the car.
“I said, stop the car.”
Xie Jing abruptly slammed on the brakes.
Both of their bodies lurched forward from the sudden stop.
Without the slightest hesitation, Cheng Xin unfastened her seat belt, opened the door, and got out.
Standing by the roadside, she prepared to hail a taxi home.
A taxi pulled over in response.
Just as Cheng Xin reached for the rear door handle, a large hand came down over hers.
“Cheng Xin, let’s talk.”
Xie Jing kept his hand firmly in place, refusing to let go.
It was late at night, and Cheng Xin didn’t want to hold up the taxi driver’s work.
She could only apologize to the driver and withdraw her hand.
“We have nothing to talk about.”
“That night, you weren’t actually so drunk that you were completely unconscious, were you?”】
*
Author’s Note: Cheng Xin and I both made the dumplings just for that little bit of vinegar, hahaha~