When Xie Tingnan finished his social engagements at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, it was already past ten in the evening.
He had shielded Xie Yunan from quite a few drinks.
His elder brother had once experienced a brief cardiac arrest due to heavy official duties, insufficient rest, and unavoidable social obligations.
As the top figure in finance, his position carried immense responsibility, and he was an extremely dedicated and serious person.
If not for dyeing his hair to maintain a public image, this man in his forties would already have one-third of his hair turned white.
“Tingnan, still holding up?” He patted Xie Tingnan’s shoulder, half in sympathy.
“Unfazed by a thousand cups.” Xie Tingnan handed a glass of warm water to his elder brother: “Sober up a bit. Drink the stomach-warming soup I prepared for you in the car later.”
“Aren’t you returning to Purple Bamboo Garden?” Xie Yunan looked at him: “I’ll be going back tonight. Want to come along?”
“If you don’t go back soon, sister-in-law might not recognize you anymore.” Xie Tingnan teased.
It was a helpless reality—dedicated to the state, Xie Yunan hadn’t stepped foot inside his home for over two months.
As they spoke, someone approached from a distance, greeting them politely.
Tan Dingsong respectfully greeted Xie Yunan, accompanied by a fashionable and elegant woman who introduced herself graciously:
“Hello, elder brother. I’m Xiaosong, Elder Tan’s daughter.”
“So Xiaosong has returned to the country too?” Xie Yunan looked warmly at the stylishly dressed woman.
The woman glanced at Xie Tingnan beside her: “Like Tingnan, I focus mainly on domestic affairs while also managing overseas matters—handling both sides.”
Xie Yunan glanced at his expressionless younger brother, smiled faintly, and said nothing.
…
Xie Tingnan didn’t decline his elder brother’s invitation and rode together toward Purple Bamboo Garden.
On the streets of the capital after ten o’clock, the congestion had eased considerably.
The car window was opened, letting in a cool breeze that gradually cleared the slight fogginess in his mind after drinking.
“Elder Tan’s Xiaosong has grown into quite a poised young lady.” Xie Yunan casually chatted about everyday matters.
Beside him, Xie Tingnan kept his face slightly turned, watching the passing street scenes outside the window.
It was as if a soundproof panel had been placed between them—he seemed to have completely missed Xie Yunan’s words.
“Tingnan, Tingnan…”
The man’s phoenix eyes shifted back from the window: “Elder brother, something urgent?”
The man narrowed his eyes: “Something on your mind?”
Xie Tingnan laughed it off: “That Australian envoy tonight was quite arrogant on certain principle issues. I was thinking about how to use joint capital there to take him down a notch.”
“That’s your expertise.” Xie Yunan said gently.
When discussing matters, he always wore a habitually approachable smile, exuding the composure to remain unruffled in the face of any storm.
“There’s one thing you’re not good at.” Xie Yunan’s lips curved slightly.
Xie Tingnan glanced at his elder brother, roughly guessing what he would say, and chose not to respond.
“A thirty-year-old man needs a woman at home to care for you when you return after drinking.”
The handsome man gazing out the window took out a cigarette and lit it. Amid the faintly rising smoke rings, his words carried a casual indifference:
“Elder brother, if you and our parents are in such a hurry, just appoint one for me.”
Xie Yunan knew that if he pressed further, his inherently unruly younger brother would start acting up. So he lit a cigarette as well, letting the smoke briefly ease all worries.
When it came to marriage, he himself was no shining example of success.
Back when he learned about the engagement, he was away on a business trip and didn’t even know the name of his fiancée, let alone what she looked like.
The Xi family, to which Xi Manzhu belonged, was a top-tier aristocratic clan in central China. Xi’s uncle held a position in the capital city, equal in rank to the senior members of the Xie family.
The engagement between Xie Yunan and Xi Manzhu was finalized on the spot by their elders during a social gathering after an important meeting.
Both of them were completely in the dark.
It wasn’t until the engagement ceremony that they finally saw each other for the first time.
Fortunately, Xi Manzhu was a well-educated and refined lady from a prominent family, deeply favored by the Xie family elders.
Her career was respectable—she was an associate professor at a university in central China.
After marrying Xie Yunan, she transferred to a key university in the capital city, where she is now a professor and doctoral advisor.
The only flaw was her ordinary appearance.
Even dressed in low-key yet luxurious and elegant fashion, she remained the type who blended into the crowd, plain and unremarkable enough to go unnoticed.
The Xie family was known for producing exceptionally handsome men.
For Xi Manzhu, meeting Xie Yunan was a delightful case of love at first sight.
As for Xie Yunan, the moment he laid eyes on Xi Manzhu, love became a distant concept for him.
So, he devoted himself entirely to his career, using its fulfillment to compensate for the dullness of his life.
Xie Tingnan was different from him.
He had a mature and steady exterior, but deep down, his heart burned as brilliantly as summer flowers.
He struggled to balance family expectations with his pursuit of self.
And so-called arranged marriages could never hinder his quest for true love.
When the car arrived at Purple Bamboo Garden, Xie Tingnan went straight to his room and didn’t come out again.
An inexplicable restlessness churned in his chest.
He tore off the old-fashioned suit he was wearing and strode naked into the bathroom.
The shower water cascaded down, quickly enveloping his broad shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs in its turbulent flow.
He slowed the water, and the gentle trickling sensation felt like smooth silk gliding over his skin—reminiscent of her delicate, soft hands.
Yu Wanwan’s lovely image gradually sharpened in his mind.
He lowered his gaze, looking at the deep and shallow red marks on his chest, like crimson threads. The rationality he had maintained while slightly intoxicated crumbled without warning.
“A heart-stealing enchantress.”
With restrained frustration, Xie Tingnan dried himself off, wrapped a towel around his waist, and quickly retrieved his phone from the table.
The string of numbers was easy to remember—it was the number he had instructed Yin Ren to specially arrange for Yu Wanwan on the day she arrived in the capital.
The last digits of Yu Wanwan’s phone number were Xie Tingnan’s birthday, including the year, month, and day.
The young woman had no idea; she simply accepted whatever was given to her without question, obedient as ever.
The phone rang three times before it was answered.
Yu Wanwan’s voice carried a lazy, delicate tone: “Hello, who is this?”
The first ring had woken the sleeping Yu Wanwan. She glanced at the number—it looked nice, filled with sevens at first glance.
But it was an unfamiliar number, so she didn’t answer.
The second ring came, and with a hint of mischief, she decided not to answer, thinking she’d pick up on the third ring.
And then, there really was a third ring…
A faint breathing sound came through the receiver, like a soft, whispering wind.
The young woman frowned, already guessing who it was.
An inexplicable sense of grievance welled up inside her. Suppressing her emotions, she said, “If you’re going to lie, at least check the time. Are scammers this dedicated these days? I’m hanging up…”
“You dare?” The voice on the other end finally spoke, fierce and breathless.
The young woman couldn’t help but curl her lips into a smile, deliberately playing coy: “Who are you? What’s with the craziness in the middle of the night?”
The voice was so coquettish that the man, who was only wrapped in a towel and completely naked, felt as if struck by an electric current, unable to suppress a slight shiver.
“You don’t know who I am? Yu Wanwan, I’ll tell you now, listen carefully.” Xie Tingnan wore a wicked smile.
“I am the man who wants to f**k you hard…”