There was a constant flow of people at the television station entrance, with well dressed celebrities coming and going. Ling Wei was still an unknown newcomer far beyond the eighteenth tier, with almost no public recognition. Even if she stood in the middle of the road, no one would recognize her. Being able to secure Mom, Go For It! was entirely thanks to her manager Li Yi’s capable methods.
Xie Qingyan got caught in traffic. With nothing better to do, Ling Wei tapped into Moments again. For the first time, she left a comment on one of his posts, the one showing off the bedding.
“The color is ugly, looks kind of gay. Do not like it.”
Not long after she posted the comment, she refreshed and saw Xie Qingyan’s reply. “You dare say Daddy looks gay? Baby, just wait until Daddy makes you unable to get out of bed.”
Ling Wei: …
What platforms did Daddy Xie usually browse? No matter what topic, he always had a comeback. Truly well versed.
But how could he say something so flirtatious in front of his entire Moments circle without any shame? This old rogue.
Blushing furiously, Ling Wei gripped her phone and refreshed again in indignation. Then she saw Daddy Xie launching into a one man performance, firing back at everyone in his Moments.
“Whether Daddy is good in bed or not, only my baby needs to know.”
“A man who cannot make his girlfriend unable to get out of bed is not a real man!”
“Zhou Jiren, keep bragging. Even medicine cannot save your worn out back.”
…
Ling Wei felt that if she looked at a few more comments, she would go blind.
She decisively exited WeChat and paced back and forth on the steps a few times before Xie Qingyan’s car finally arrived.
As soon as she got into the car, Xie Qingyan apologized. “Traffic everywhere. Sorry to keep you waiting.”
Thinking of the vulgar comments on Moments, Ling Wei found it a little hard to look him in the eye. Yet Xie Qingyan appeared calm and composed, as if the outrageous things posted on Moments had nothing to do with him.
“Is there anything in particular you want to eat?” he asked.
When speaking face to face, Xie Qingyan always carried himself with a refined and unfathomable air. Ling Wei had the sudden urge to take out her phone and show him those teasing remarks, asking if he had truly written them. His shamelessness seemed beyond ordinary standards.
She thought for a moment and said, “Anything is fine. Just somewhere quiet.”
Xie Qingyan then took her to a private restaurant.
Ling Wei had something on her mind. Faced with a table full of delicious dishes, she had little appetite. After finishing a bowl of soup, she pressed him about Xie Ziyu.
Xie Qingyan had not touched his chopsticks at all. Leaning back in his chair, he lit a cigarette and spoke while smoking. “The kid is my older brother’s son. Not long after he was born, my brother passed away. My sister in law abandoned the child and left. The little guy has been with my mom ever since. After he started kindergarten, he suddenly began calling me Dad. I did not think it was a big deal, so I let him.”
Hearing this, Ling Wei felt that Xie Ziyu’s background was rather pitiful. Though born into wealth, he had grown up without parents. No wonder he called her Mom so naturally. Perhaps deep down he longed for maternal affection.
“Does he know you are his uncle?” she asked.
Xie Qingyan nodded. “He knows. My mom often tells him about his real father.”
“So that he will not forget him?”
The topic felt heavy. Their voices unconsciously lowered, and they leaned closer to each other.
After hearing her question, Xie Qingyan’s expression suddenly darkened. An indescribable emotion surged in his deep eyes, and his voice turned cold. “My mom hopes he will not forget hatred. You know how it is with wealthy families. Pick any grievance and it could fill a long novel. Back then I was still young. My brother carried enormous pressure. Countless people were eyeing the company. Even his own wife might not have been innocent.” As he spoke, his brows knit tightly, and he gripped a cup hard in his hand.
Fearing he might actually crush it and hurt himself, Ling Wei quickly covered his hand, took the cup away, and held his hand in comfort. “Everything has gotten better, has it not? You now hold the power of the Xie Corporation, and Xie Ziyu has grown up lively and adorable. Everyone likes him.”
“Pfft.” Xie Qingyan could not hold it in and choked on his cigarette, turning his head aside. “Cough, cough, cough…”
Ling Wei: …
“Were you trying not to laugh just now?” She flung his hand away in annoyance, almost wanting to throw the cup at him. Why did he love acting so much? “Is there even a single sentence of truth from you?”
Xie Qingyan waved his hand. After finally stopping his cough and drinking a cup of tea, he caught his breath. “Everything before was true. I just improvised a little at the wealthy family feud part.”
Ling Wei: …
Seeing her about to explode, Xie Qingyan quickly tried to soothe her. “My brother passed away while climbing a mountain. On Mount Everest.”
Ling Wei did not know how to respond. Everyone had the right to pursue their own goals and ideals.
There was not much left to say on that topic, so she changed the subject. “Why did you agree to let him join the show? Filming is not easy.”
Xie Qingyan spread his hands. “I did not know about it. It was my mom’s decision.”
At the mention of Madam Xie, Ling Wei felt uneasy. She asked, “Can you think of a way to cancel tomorrow night’s dinner? I am a little scared.”
“Why cancel it?” Xie Qingyan replied. “Have you forgotten why we signed the agreement in the first place?”
At the time, Madam Xie had been arranging blind dates for him. That was why he agreed to Ling Wei’s proposal to pretend to be a couple. Ling Wei certainly had not forgotten. She was just making a last ditch attempt.
“There is nothing to worry about,” Xie Qingyan said, stubbing out his half smoked cigarette. After a moment’s thought, he added, “How about this, I will take you somewhere tonight to build up your courage.”
There was such a method?
“How?” Ling Wei asked, curious. Was he taking her to a haunted house? Though comparing Madam Xie to a ghost felt a bit excessive.
Xie Qingyan only gave her a look and did not reveal the details.
Seeing his mysterious expression, Ling Wei suddenly had a bad feeling. “Forget the courage training. Tomorrow I will definitely give it my all and play your girlfriend properly.”
With a smile in his eyes, Xie Qingyan asked softly, “Including sleeping together?”
Ling Wei stared at him. “What do you mean sleeping together?”
“Do you know why my mom invited you for dinner instead of lunch?”
Ling Wei was not foolish. With that hint, she immediately grasped the implication. “She wants to test me? So after dinner, she will probably ask me to stay the night and have me share a room with you.”
Xie Qingyan snapped his fingers. “Smart. She had just been arranging blind dates for me, and suddenly I have a girlfriend. She is bound to be suspicious.”
Ling Wei shrank back slightly, crossing her arms. “What should I do? I am already nervous.”
A mischievous smile appeared on Xie Qingyan’s face. “That is why you should obediently go build up your courage tonight.”
Ling Wei had no choice but to nod in agreement.
It was just after lunch, with several hours left before evening. Ling Wei suddenly remembered that she did not have a single dress in her wardrobe suitable for “meeting the parents,” so she decided to go shopping that afternoon.
When Xie Qingyan learned of her plan, he showed great interest. “I will go with you.”
“You do not need to work?”
“If I skip one afternoon, the company will not collapse.”
Ling Wei thought shopping alone would be boring anyway. Bringing Xie Qingyan along might even give her some useful opinions, so she happily agreed.
In the end, for the entire afternoon, Boss Xie was busy taking photos of her with his phone, under the noble excuse of gathering material for his Moments posts.
Ling Wei truly admired his dedication. For the sake of his Moments, this man had put in considerable thought and effort.
She could not help taking out her own phone to scroll through Moments, and sure enough, she saw that “Daddy Xie” had posted an update.
“Daddy is shopping seriously for the first time!”
The accompanying photo was of her graceful back view, even edited with soft lighting.
Ling Wei raised an eyebrow, thinking this update seemed like a fairly standard display of affection. Compared to his previous dramatic posts, this one lacked flair.
Seeing her frowning as she browsed Moments, Xie Qingyan simply held his phone out to her, a smile tugging at his lips. “Look at the comments.”
Ling Wei casually took his phone. It was her first time witnessing the lively scene under Xie Qingyan’s Moments post.
The update had only been posted a short while ago, yet there was already a long string of replies, all absurdly maintaining the same formation. The first comment was from Zhou Jian.
“Three in the afternoon, and instead of being at the company, you are out shopping with your girlfriend? Foolish ruler!”
“Foolish ruler!”
“Foolish ruler!”
“Foolish ruler!”
“Foolish ruler!”
…
Ling Wei felt she was still too naive. She had actually thought this was an ordinary show of affection. It was clearly a subtle and clever one. The key point was not in the words, but in the timing.
At an hour when the busy president should have been handling countless matters at the office, he was instead accompanying her shopping. It was as sweet as could be, as indulgent as could be.
“Daddy Xie” truly deserved his reputation.
Seeing her in a daze, Xie Qingyan chuckled and took his phone back. Though he had been scolded as a foolish ruler, he looked in an excellent mood. He quickly typed a reply: “Eight tonight, the usual place. Everyone come and greet your sister-in-law.”
Ling Wei: …
So the so-called method of building her courage was to take her to meet his “gang of dubious friends.”
After shopping for the entire afternoon, Ling Wei bought two dresses, a pair of shoes, and a handbag. Though the number of items was small, the money spent was substantial. They were all top-tier brands, exorbitantly priced. Of course, it was Xie Qingyan who paid. In public, Ling Wei would naturally not embarrass him by fighting to pay, but once they stepped out of the store, she still whispered, “I will transfer the money to you later.”
Xie Qingyan shot her a sideways glance, his displeasure obvious. “These are for meeting my mother. It is only right that I pay.”
Ling Wei thought about it and did not argue further. Then she went to choose gifts. “Who else is in your family? Including the staff.”
“My mother, Ziyu, my younger brother Xie Qinghua, our housekeeper Old Yan, and five or six others, I suppose.”
That sounded like quite a large household.
“You have a younger brother? The name Xie Qinghua sounds very scholarly.”
“He went to Peking University,” Xie Qingyan said.
Ling Wei: …
With the name Qinghua, yet he attended Peking University. Did you ever consider how Tsinghua University might feel about that?
In the end, Ling Wei thoughtfully prepared a gift for everyone. Of course, Xie Qingyan paid again.
Shopping is truly a pleasant experience when someone is there to pay and carry the bags. When that person also happens to be an exceptionally handsome man, it becomes pure enjoyment.
It had been a long time since Ling Wei had felt so cared for and protected. Although Xie Qingyan was only a fake boyfriend, what he did for her far surpassed what Ye Zichu, her man in her previous life, had ever done.
Ling Wei glanced up at the man beside her and thought that dating someone like him would probably be quite blissful. He could be a refined gentleman, graceful and poised. He could be like a mischievous bad boy, making harmless jokes. He could even be domineering like a mountain bandit, making one’s heart tremble.
In short, he was a very special and charismatic man, one who could easily draw a woman’s gaze.
After finishing their shopping, Xie Qingyan drove her back to the hotel and arranged to pick her up later for the gathering. Before leaving to film “Palace Wall Willow,” Ling Wei had her house renovated. Having only returned for two days, she could only stay in a hotel temporarily.
At the thought of meeting Xie Qingyan’s “dubious friends,” Ling Wei felt some pressure. Although their relationship was fake, meeting both friends and parents made it feel little different from a real one.
The “usual place” Xie Qingyan referred to was a well-known private entertainment club in the capital, catering specifically to the wealthy. It was fully equipped and comprehensive. Any form of entertainment one could imagine could be found there.
Ling Wei had been there a few times in her previous life, though she had never been a regular member. She had once inquired about the membership fee, and it was outrageously high. Even someone as free-spending as she had been discouraged by the price.
For someone as wealthy as Xie Qingyan, having a membership there was hardly surprising.
Although they had arranged to meet at eight, by the time they arrived it was already half past eight. The private suite was filled with a large crowd of men and women, all dressed impeccably. They were clearly part of the wealthy social circle.