Ling Wei was no stranger to such lively, bustling scenes. In her previous life, she had been highly famous and had received countless invitations to similar parties. She had also hosted gatherings for friends from time to time. Facing such an occasion, she handled herself with ease. Moreover, she was attending as Xie Qingyan’s girlfriend this time, so she had no need to deliberately ingratiate herself with anyone.
Xie Qingyan held her hand as they walked in. Ling Wei could clearly feel the probing gazes coming from all directions. In the eyes of others, she was probably the fortunate darling who inspired envy, jealousy, and resentment. Who would guess that she was merely playing a role.
Although the private suite was crowded, only a few people truly had a close relationship with Xie Qingyan. In the innermost billiards room, several men over the age of thirty were chatting while playing pool. Among them was the bald Zhou Jian, whom Ling Wei recognized. When they saw the two enter, the men quickly lined up in a row, bowed in unison toward Ling Wei, and greeted loudly, “Hello, Sister-in-law!”
Ling Wei: …
She once again wondered whether Xie Qingyan was really a legitimate businessman. Why did his manner resemble that of a mafia boss, making people tremble?
Yet Xie Qingyan clearly looked pleased. Still, he scolded them lightly, “Enough, do not scare my baby.”
Laughter erupted. Zhou Jian, standing at the front, rubbed his bald head and said, “Boss, you do not date often, but when you do, you make everyone’s Moments miserable. It is unethical to torment single people like this every day. Please show some mercy.”
More chuckles sounded around them. With a smile at the corner of his mouth, Xie Qingyan replied shamelessly, “If you have the ability, you can torment us back.”
The others quickly waved their hands. “We would not dare…”
Everyone knew that when it came to skillfully and professionally running Moments, no one could rival Boss Xie. Rumor had it that he had even assembled a team to collect rare luxury items so he could flaunt his wealth daily online.
Seeing that he had no intention of stopping his public displays of affection, someone suggested, “Boss, you should go back to showing off your wealth. We would rather have our eyes offended than be emotionally tormented.”
Boss Xie waved his hand decisively and rejected all proposals. In his view, showing affection was far more enjoyable than flaunting wealth.
After Xie Qingyan arrived, they stopped playing pool and moved to another room to sit down, drink, and chat. As usual, Zhou Jian was pushed forward to lead the introductions. He did not refuse and stepped up to introduce the others to Ling Wei. “This is Liu Qingnian, Dong Dong, Zhao Haihua. The few of us grew up together as a bunch of dubious friends.”
It seemed that Zhou Jian still held a grudge about being called a dubious friend last time, so this time he dragged everyone else down with him. Still, it was easy to see that their friendship was genuine.
As close friends of Xie Qingyan, their backgrounds were naturally impressive. Ling Wei was nonetheless startled. She did not know about the others, but she recognized Dong Dong. He was the boss of GH Media, the largest entertainment company in the country, the very company her new agent Li Yi was about to join.
She had previously been puzzled as to why Li Yi suddenly took her on before switching companies, and even secured such excellent reality show resources for her from the start. Now it seemed clear that the arrangement was likely connected to Dong Dong and Xie Qingyan.
Thinking of this, Ling Wei leaned close to Xie Qingyan and whispered in his ear, “Was it your idea for Li Yi to become my agent?”
Holding a wine glass, Xie Qingyan turned his head to look at her. “How did you guess?”
“Mr. Dong is your good friend, which means you have connections in the entertainment industry. It would not be difficult for you to help me find a better agent.”
“Smart,” Xie Qingyan praised her with a smile.
“Why keep it from me?”
“Actually, Du Ming handled it. I am not very clear on the details.”
The two leaned close and spoke in low voices. Their intimate posture quickly aroused public outrage. People accused them of deliberately showing affection in front of everyone and demanded punishment.
Xie Qingyan readily asked what the punishment should be. Some suggested drinking, others suggested push-ups, and some even suggested kissing.
When she heard the suggestion of kissing, Ling Wei could not help sneaking a glance at Xie Qingyan. He was smiling faintly, letting everyone make suggestions, and even declared boldly, “There is nothing you can imagine that your daddy cannot accomplish.”
Ling Wei: …
In the end, Zhou Jian made the final decision. “Feed her a French fry.”
The others clapped and cheered, chanting, “Feed the fry! Feed the fry!”
Xie Qingyan raised one finger and shook it at them. “Too childish.”
That gesture successfully provoked them. “Then hurry up!”
Although Ling Wei had never played such a game before, she knew it could not be that simple. Sure enough, when Xie Qingyan held out a French fry for her to bite, she understood what was about to happen.
Xie Qingyan lowered his head, turning his face slightly toward hers, and slowly moved closer. Their gazes intertwined, and they could clearly see sparks of light reflected in each other’s eyes.
Ling Wei felt a buzzing in her head. The tips of her ears grew warm, and the heat gradually spread across her face.
Zhou Jian continued to offer instructions from the side. “Do not eat too fast. We want to see the details clearly.”
Ling Wei felt that Xie Qingyan had not been wrong to call him shameless. He truly was shameless.
Ling Wei bit one end of the not very long French fry. Xie Qingyan approached unhurriedly until his lips touched the other end. He gently bit down. At that moment, the distance between them was no more than a fist. So close that they could feel each other’s warm breath.
Ling Wei’s heart pounded like a drum. She had once said that kissing meant little to an actress, but when the other person was Xie Qingyan, the pressure felt immense. Something deep inside her stirred restlessly, clamoring for her to do something to ease the turbulent emotions.
The French fry was gradually eaten away. Their lips drew closer and closer. Ling Wei clenched her hands into fists to suppress the slight trembling of her body. She did not know whether she was nervous or anticipating it, but she was certain that if Xie Qingyan took the opportunity to kiss her, she would not have the strength to refuse.
Amid waves of cheering and whistling, the pitiful French fry was reduced to a tiny fragment. Ling Wei knew that if he bit forward just a little more, their lips would touch. At that instant, she involuntarily held her breath. Before she could react, Xie Qingyan suddenly raised both hands and covered their faces.
Ling Wei felt her vision go dark. The short piece of French fry in her mouth was smoothly pulled away. Their lips brushed lightly and then separated at once. Though the contact lasted only a second, she could still clearly feel the warmth from his lips.
Had they just kissed?
Xie Qingyan’s deep gaze lingered on her face for a few seconds before he lowered his hands. Turning to the others, he declared with great satisfaction, “Finished.”
The moment he covered their faces, the people around them had already started shouting that he was cheating, that they had not seen anything. Seeing his smug expression now made them grind their teeth in frustration. “No, that does not count. Do it again!”
This time Xie Qingyan refused. With a cold smile he said, “Such childish games are beneath me. As for adult games, those are for when I go home.”
Ling Wei had to admit that when it came to provoking envy and resentment, Daddy Xie was absolutely unmatched.
With that one remark, the entire room descended into chaos. In the end, Zhou Jian stepped in to calm everyone down. “Everyone, relax. We punished them just now for showing off their affection. Why are you now begging to see more? Enough talk, brothers, make him drink!”
Ling Wei felt quite innocent in all this, so she shifted slightly, intending to move farther away from Xie Qingyan to avoid being dragged into trouble. However, he saw through her immediately. He reached out, lifted her onto his lap, wrapped his arms tightly around her, and lowered his voice to warn in her ear, “No running.”
Ling Wei: …
Daddy Xie, that is a bit too much.
The party went on very late. By the time Ling Wei was sent back to the hotel, it was nearly one in the morning. Xie Qingyan walked her all the way to her room but did not go in. He stood at the door to say goodbye. “Go to sleep quickly. I will pick you up tomorrow afternoon.”
Leaning against the doorframe, Ling Wei looked up at him. After all the joking and roughhousing with his friends, his hair was slightly disheveled, a few strands falling onto his forehead. He looked less sharp and composed, softer somehow, almost several years younger, like a student just out of school.
Suppressing the faint flutter in her chest, she asked, “There are a lot of friend requests on WeChat. Should I accept them all?” Before leaving, she had added Zhou Jian as a contact. He had probably shared her QR code around, which led to a flood of requests.
With one hand braced against the doorframe, Xie Qingyan looked down at her. He had drunk quite a bit that night, and she could even smell the alcohol on his breath. “It is up to you. Add whichever ones you find agreeable. You can ignore them all if you want.”
“Oh,” Ling Wei replied softly. Not knowing what else to say, she finally waved at him. “Good night.”
Xie Qingyan remained in his position by the door, raising an eyebrow and smiling with a roguish expression. “No goodnight kiss?”
At his words, Ling Wei immediately thought of that fleeting kiss earlier. She felt both embarrassed and annoyed. “Goodbye!” she said, stepping back and quickly shutting the door.
She stood foolishly behind the door for a full minute, feeling that her reaction had been a bit excessive. Closing the door right in front of him also seemed impolite. She quietly opened it again and peeked outside, only to find that Xie Qingyan was already gone. He had left quickly.
The next morning, Ling Wei slept until nearly ten before being woken by a call from Li Yi. She had originally planned to return to the film set today, but since she had an appointment with Old Madam Xie tonight, she could only ask Li Yi to request another half day of leave from the production team and return the following morning.
Li Yi showed no particular reaction to her relationship with Xie Qingyan. He must have been informed in advance, which explained his calmness. Ling Wei secretly wondered whether she had, in effect, found a powerful backer.
With no need to return to the set and no other arrangements, Ling Wei stayed in bed lazily. She did not intend to fall back asleep, but lay on her stomach playing with her phone.
Opening WeChat, she saw a pile of pending messages. There were more than a dozen friend requests alone. After carefully reviewing them, she added those whose names she remembered from the previous night. Looking at the contact list now containing several major figures from the business world, she felt as if her phone had grown heavier.
After adding them, she checked Moments. Ever since meeting Xie Qingyan, she browsed Moments more frequently than Weibo. Whenever she had time to use her phone, she would open it. If he had not posted anything new, she would scroll through his old posts, always finding something amusing.
Today Daddy Xie had not posted anything, probably because he had drunk too much the night before.
In the afternoon, Xie Qingyan personally drove to pick her up. Feeling nervous, Ling Wei began asking numerous questions as soon as she got into the car, all about Old Madam Xie. Suppressing his laughter, Xie Qingyan patiently answered each one. In the end, he reassured her, “Do not be nervous. At worst, we can elope.”
Ling Wei: …
His reassurance not only failed to calm her, it made her even more anxious.
The Xie family villa was located halfway up a hill in the suburbs, far from the bustle of the city, with beautiful scenery. As the car drove up the winding road, various flowers lined both sides, lifting one’s spirits at the sight.
“It is truly beautiful here,” she said sincerely.
Xie Qingyan chuckled. “Unfortunately, there are too many mosquitoes and bugs.”
Ling Wei: …
Was it still possible to have a pleasant conversation?
Yet Daddy Xie suddenly seemed inclined to chat. “I moved out when I was in high school. It is inconvenient to get in and out here. At night, it feels like the middle of nowhere.”
Could he at least let her keep some romantic illusions? Was not a hillside villa supposed to symbolize wealth and status? Why did it sound so ominous coming from him?
“In the summers before, whenever night fell, I would drag Qinghua outside. The two of us would take flashlights and find a quiet spot…”
“To catch crickets?” Ling Wei interrupted.
Xie Qingyan laughed softly. “No. To find a quiet place and tell him ghost stories.”
Ling Wei: …
“He was timid. Several times he was scared into tears.”
“You brothers must have had such a ‘wonderful’ relationship,” Ling Wei said, suppressing a laugh.
“I think so too, but whenever I bring up those memories now, he turns hostile.”
Hostile might be putting it lightly. If it were her, she would probably fight him. Dragging someone into the wilderness to tell ghost stories, was he really a biological brother?
After his joking banter, Ling Wei found herself much more relaxed. She could not help sneaking a glance at him, thinking that even his way of comforting someone was so subtle.
Half an hour later, Ling Wei sat upright in the Xie family living room, not daring to let her eyes wander.
In the luxuriously decorated grand living room, two clearly divided groups sat facing each other. Ling Wei and Xie Qingyan sat on one side. Old Madam Xie, along with her grandson Xie Ziyu and her younger son Xie Qinghua, sat on the other. Behind them stood the housekeeper, Old Yan, his nasolabial folds pronounced, his expression solemn.
The tense atmosphere was not much different from a gang negotiation, as if weapons might be drawn at any moment.
Madam Xie wore an exquisite handmade qipao, her hair neatly coiled. Pearl and jade earrings hung from her ears, and a string of lustrous white pearls adorned her neck. Her makeup was flawless, her expression stern. When she lifted her gaze toward Ling Wei, Ling Wei felt as though invisible blades were piercing her.
This was too terrifying. She was only a temporary actress, not truly planning to become her daughter-in-law. Why did she have to endure such torment?
Though Ling Wei was complaining inwardly, her acting skills remained impeccable. She maintained a calm expression, chin slightly raised, back straight, her presence not inferior to Madam Xie’s.
Holding a cup of black tea, Madam Xie took a sip before speaking coldly, “So you are the one who keeps pestering my son?”
Pestering her son? Ling Wei had been filming at the studio city recently. She had not even had time to pester anyone.
Leaning back comfortably on the sofa, Xie Qingyan found the accusation amusing. “Where did you see her pestering me?”
Madam Xie shot him a cold glance. “On your Moments.”
Xie Qingyan clicked his tongue. “You opened another account to spy on me again?”
She cleared her throat heavily and ignored him, continuing to address Ling Wei expressionlessly. “With your background, do you think I would agree to let you enter the Xie family?”
Feeling that remaining silent would be impolite, Ling Wei spoke sincerely, “Auntie, Qingyan and I truly love each other. I do not mind his status at all.”
Xie Qingyan looked at her with deep emotion. “Thank you.”
Madam Xie set her cup down heavily. “I have already investigated your background thoroughly. I will not allow my son to date an actress.”
She had actually investigated her?
At this moment, the usually quiet Xie Ziyu raised his head and said to his grandmother, “Weren’t those materials obtained from Dad?”
Madam Xie lowered her head and sternly scolded the little boy, “Be quiet!”
“Auntie, although I am only a small actress, it is still a respectable profession. I have goals and ideals. I am not inferior to anyone.”
“I do not agree,” Madam Xie said coldly. “If you insist on being together, then I will take back control of the company.”
Xie Qinghua, unable to bear it any longer, rolled his eyes. “Mom, you have never managed the company. How are you going to take back control?”
Xie Qingyan joined in at the right moment. “I do not care. I am determined to be with Xiaowei. If you want to take back the company, go ahead. For true love, I can give up everything.”
Ling Wei instantly felt goosebumps erupt all over her body. What kind of absurd melodramatic plot was this? The lines were so embarrassingly over the top. How could they deliver them with straight faces?
“But after taking back the company, who are you planning to let manage it?” Xie Qingyan asked.
Madam Xie paused. “Naturally Qinghua.”
Xie Qinghua was startled. “I am teaching perfectly well. Why would I take over the company? I do not even know how to manage it.”
Everyone: …
Madam Xie struggled to salvage the situation. “Then let Old Yan manage it.”
Old Yan replied expressionlessly, “Madam, I manage the household, not the company.”
Grinding her teeth, Madam Xie slammed the table. “Enough. The plot has completely fallen apart. I cannot continue acting. Old Yan, your script this time was not good.”
Old Yan remained expressionless. “Madam, you did not control the pacing well.”
“How was I supposed to control it? One after another, they kept undermining me.”
Ling Wei: …
After saying this, Madam Xie stood up and turned to Ling Wei with a benevolent smile. “After acting for so long, you must be hungry. Let us go to the side dining room for dinner.”
Was this entire family out of their minds?