Xie Jinchen had always been calm, composed, and reserved—neither arrogant nor impetuous.
His father had not spoken up, so he would not ask on his own initiative.
Xie Jingsheng clenched his fist, hesitated for a moment, and having been observing his son’s expression all along, he spoke:
“Son, you’re not young anymore. It’s about time you got married. You know your Uncle Lin has been holding his grandson for several years now. Your mother and I are both envious just watching. I figured you don’t have anyone you’re interested in, so I took the liberty of arranging a marriage for you.”
Xie Jingsheng did not catch any displeasure in his son’s expression.
Then again, Xie Jinchen’s emotions had always been hard to read.
Even as his biological father, he had to guess at his son’s true thoughts.
Xie Jinchen placed the brewed tea in front of Chairman Xie and Miss Zhuang, wearing an obedient and courteous demeanor.
Seeing him like this, Xie Jingsheng continued:
“She’s the granddaughter of your grandfather’s comrade-in-arms. She’s currently studying at Jingda University, has never been in a relationship, is beautiful, comes from a respectable family, and has a good temperament. Her name is Jiang Minghua. These next couple of days, you should meet her and have a chat, get to know each other. No rush on the marriage—just spend some time with her first. I reckon it could work out.”
Xie Jinchen leaned back on the sofa, still in his usual white shirt and black trousers,
his hand propping up his head, quietly waiting for Xie Jingsheng to finish speaking—the very picture of a noble young gentleman.
After Xie Jingsheng finished, he took a sip of tea. He had talked himself thirsty, and as he drank, he sized up Xie Jinchen’s expression.
He set down the teacup. Xie Jinchen had not said a word the entire time.
Although Zhuang Yining appeared to be watching TV, her peripheral vision and ears were entirely focused on the father and son.
Seeing that Xie Jinchen still would not respond, Xie Jingsheng, no matter how patient, was finding it hard to sit still.
“Jinchen, what exactly are you thinking? Not saying a single word. If you have any complaints about your father, you’re welcome to voice them. What does staying silent mean, child?”
Though Xie Jingsheng was his father, when it came to certain matters, he still had to read his son’s expression.
Moreover, the matter of making him get married was something he had taken the initiative on, so it was only natural that he lacked confidence.
Even when criticizing him, he felt somewhat guilty.
At this point, Zhuang Yining stopped watching TV and chimed in:
“I have a photo of that girl. She’s really beautiful—fair and clean. How about you first, son—”
Xie Jinchen’s fingers, resting on the armrest, tapped lightly, cutting her off as he spoke:
“Who said I don’t have someone I’m interested in?”
The words landed like a thunderclap beside the two elders, catching them completely off guard.
Zhuang Yining especially reacted quickly. She stopped watching TV altogether,
glanced at Xie Jingsheng, who had not yet recovered, and was the first to ask anxiously:
“R-really? You’re not lying to your mother, are you? You really have someone you like?
Who is it? Whose daughter is she? What does she look like? I’ll go meet my future daughter-in-law tomorrow.”
Xie Jingsheng was nearly sixty years old and had weathered countless storms,
yet he had never lost his composure like this moment—his panic was unmistakable:
“Really? Don’t tell me you’re just making excuses to put off marriage and placate your mother and me. Even if we’re anxious for you to marry,
we wouldn’t go so far as to force you. Tell me the truth—do you really have a girl you like?”
Like?
It probably couldn’t be called that yet.
Xie Jinchen unhurriedly took a sip of water, thinking of the girl from last night whom he couldn’t put down,
who had thrown him into complete disarray. He was silent for a moment.
He admitted that the girl was his first woman. Her body genuinely satisfied him—even fascinated him.
So much so that today, sitting in the conference room during a meeting, he unexpectedly zoned out for the first time.
His mind was completely filled with the girl’s small face, crying from unbearable pleasure, her soft, smooth skin flushed with a rosy hue from intense emotion,
Like a seductress sent specifically to subdue him, as if painted into his mind, impossible to wash away no matter how hard he tried.
Every neuron in his brain was stained with her image, yet he still didn’t know her name. She was impossibly beautiful.
Surely her name must be lovely too.
But Xie Jinchen didn’t think this was love.
Pulling back his thoughts, he unhurriedly set down his teacup, his dark eyes regarding his parents with an unruffled expression:
“Her name will remain a secret for now. As for which family’s daughter she is, I’ll tell you when the time is right.
You don’t need to worry either. The marriage with the Jiang family is off, and there’s no need to arrange for us to meet. Dad, you can make that clear to the Jiang family.”
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to say—it was that he didn’t even know the girl’s name yet, the girl he’d had a one-night stand with.
Xie Jingsheng and Zhuang Yining exchanged a glance. Zhuang Yining spoke again:
“Still so secretive. You won’t tell us her name, but you should at least let us know what she’s like.
What does she look like? Does her personality get along with yours? With your cold, serious temperament, I’m afraid it’s hard to win a girl’s heart. I really don’t believe that girl would agree to be with you.”
She was his own mother, after all—criticism came out of her mouth without hesitation.
If a limited-edition sports car and an old-model Bentley were placed side by side, she didn’t believe any girl would choose the cold, dull latter.
Xie Jinchen: “…”
Xie Jinchen cleared his throat and pretended to adjust his wristwatch with composure.
“We’re not together yet. She’s quite good-looking.”
As for her personality—he hadn’t spent time with her, so he couldn’t make things up.
Xie Jingsheng had just taken a sip of tea and nearly spat it out. Zhuang Yining hurriedly patted his back to help him catch his breath.
Xie Jingsheng swallowed and, combined with Xie Jinchen’s earlier expression that was hard to describe, imagined a whole dramatic scenario.
He looked at his son in disbelief:
“You have a crush on her?”
Bold. So bold. His son, Xie Jingsheng’s son, actually had a girl he liked but didn’t dare pursue, playing the secret admirer! So bold!
Zhuang Yining shared the same thought.
Xie Jinchen could tell at a glance what they were thinking, but he couldn’t tell them the truth. He could only let them imagine wildly and go along with it.
A secret crush, then. So be it.
Not wanting to continue discussing it with them, he quickly wrapped up the topic:
“Yes, I have a crush on her. So stop arranging blind dates and marriages for me. Once I win her over, you’ll have a daughter-in-law.”
As soon as the words landed, without looking at their reactions, he stood up—tall with long legs—and unhurriedly strolled upstairs.
Xie Jingsheng and Zhuang Yining watched Xie Jinchen’s retreating figure, looked at each other, and both said nothing.
At nine in the evening, at an apartment near Jing University.
Jiang Minghua was a senior this year, majoring in fashion design. When she first came to Jing University, she hadn’t applied for on-campus housing.
Jiang Yekun and his wife had purchased a property for her near the school. It was medium-sized, and the layout and decoration were personally arranged by them according to Jiang Minghua’s preferences.
After taking a shower, Jiang Minghua applied body lotion and serum, towel-dried her hair to half-damp, and put on a camisole nightgown.
Her nightgown style was always simple and cool—in other words, styles that exposed a fair amount of skin.
She lived alone anyway, so she did whatever felt comfortable.
She applied a face mask and walked to the study.
The study and the bedroom are connected, forming one continuous space, which is very convenient.
One wall of the study is fitted with a massive bookshelf, filled with all kinds of world classics and Jiang Minghua’s professional books.