The silver Bentley smoothly merged into the morning rush-hour traffic of Capital City. Outside the window was a slow-moving river of vehicles crawling along the Third Ring Road, yet inside the car, it was as quiet as another world.
Xie Zongxu sat with his eyes closed, leaning against the seatback, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest.
The Xie Family of Capital City had been in business for three generations. By the time it reached Xie Zongxu’s generation, their business was no longer confined to the domestic market. He spent most of the year flying between Singapore, London, New York, and Hong Kong. Capital City had instead become the place where he stayed for the shortest amount of time.
The Ground Service Team at Capital City Airport knew him so well that from the moment the car stopped to the time he passed through the VIP channel, there was no need for him to open his eyes a second time.
“Mr. Xie.” the Ground Service Manager responsible for coordinating his arrangements hurried over and lowered his voice hesitantly. “There’s a lady waiting in your lounge.”
Xie Zongxu did not stop walking, but his brows moved ever so slightly.
A lady?
He had kept this trip to Singapore low-profile. No more than five people knew about it.
As for the return schedule, it had only been decided this morning. He had not even had time to inform his family.
“Who is she?”
“She said… she’s your friend.” The Ground Service Manager carefully chose his words. “We couldn’t verify it, so we let her wait in the lounge first.”
The main reason was that the lady’s presence was simply too unusual.
A large pair of sunglasses covered half her face, while a mask concealed the rest. Yet just sitting there, she gave off an aura that made it impossible for anyone to dismiss her as an ordinary visitor.
Xie Zongxu did not ask any further questions. He changed direction and headed toward his private lounge.
He could have gone straight to the tarmac.
But when he passed that door, he still stopped.
The ground staff perceptively stepped forward and opened the door for him.
Inside the lounge, a figure stood before the floor-to-ceiling window.
Outside, silver-winged aircraft rose and descended from the tarmac. Yet the person inside seemed completely unaware of the bustling activity.
She wore a bright spaghetti-strap dress. Her long hair fell casually over her shoulders. It lacked the carefully styled curves of a salon treatment, yet somehow added a lazy, alluring charm.
Hearing the sound behind her, she turned around.
The sunglasses and mask did indeed conceal her face.
But they could not hide her bone structure.
A flash of surprise crossed Xie Zongxu’s eyes before disappearing instantly. Tilting his head slightly, he said to the people behind him in an indifferent tone,
“Wait on the plane.”
The door closed behind him.
The lounge suddenly became silent, so silent that even the soft hum of the central air-conditioning could be heard.
Li Yang raised her hand and removed her sunglasses, then her mask.
A clear, elegant face was revealed.
She wore no makeup, yet her features remained strikingly beautiful.
She simply looked at him, neither avoiding his gaze nor offering any explanation.
Xie Zongxu spoke first, his tone no different from how he would address a stranger.
“Miss Li, what brings you here?”
Li Yang: “…”
After all, she had grown up navigating all kinds of social occasions. After a brief pause, she calmly curved her lips into a smile.
“For Mr. Xie’s trip to Singapore this time.”
she looked at him and said lightly,
“would you mind bringing one more person along?”
Xie Zongxu frowned slightly.
“What do you mean?”
“I want to go to Singapore with you.”
Xie Zongxu said nothing and merely looked at her.
Meeting his gaze, Li Yang enunciated each word clearly.
“I want to have a trial marriage with you and experience married life.”
Outside the window, an airplane roared into the sky. The rumbling sound passed through layers of soundproof glass, dull and muffled, like a heartbeat.
“Is that okay, President Xie?”
Xie Zongxu’s brows moved slightly as he examined her.
“A trial marriage?”
Li Yang nodded.
“Yes. A trial marriage.”
She had thought about it the entire night.
Rather than continuing to struggle with herself, she might as well take the initiative.
Since this marriage arrangement could not be avoided, she would give it a try.
She would see what kind of person Xie Zongxu really was and whether she could accept this so-called “marriage before love” arrangement.
If it truly did not work out, then she would at least have something to say. It would not be because she was unwilling; it would be because they genuinely were not compatible.
Yet somehow, coming from her mouth, it sounded as though she was eagerly trying to marry him.
Xie Zongxu took a step forward before stopping unhurriedly. His eyes settled on her face.
“Weren’t you unwilling just last night?”
His question was direct and without detours.
The tips of Li Yang’s ears immediately began to heat up again.
She lowered her gaze, took a deep breath, and when she looked up again, she had already regained her composure.
“I figured it out.”
“Figured out what?”
“I figured out that this marriage can’t be avoided.” Looking at him, Li Yang said each word carefully: “Since it can’t be avoided, then I’ll try it. Only after trying will I know whether we’re suitable for each other.”
Xie Zongxu did not speak.
He merely looked at her, his gaze deep and unreadable.
Several seconds of silence passed through the lounge.
Outside, another airplane took off, its distant roar drifting inward.
At last, Xie Zongxu spoke. There was an inexplicable tone in his voice.
“So Miss Li means that she wants to go to Singapore with me and experience married life?”
Li Yang nodded.
“Yes.”
“Seven days?”
“Yes.”
Xie Zongxu looked at her and suddenly laughed softly.
“Miss Li, do you know what I’m going to Singapore for?”
Li Yang pressed her lips together.
“To discuss a business partnership.”
“That’s right. To discuss a partnership.”
Xie Zongxu nodded.
“It’s not a vacation. It’s not tourism. It’s work. The seven-day schedule is completely packed—from morning to night with meetings, social engagements, and inspections. If you come with me, what exactly can you do?”
Li Yang was stumped.
That was true.
What could she do?
Follow him to meetings? She would not understand them.
Follow him to business dinners? She did not want to.
Then why would she even go to Singapore?
Stay in the hotel and wait for him to come back?
Could that even be called a trial marriage?
Seeing her frozen expression, the trace of interest in Xie Zongxu’s eyes faded.
He turned around and walked toward the door.
“Miss Li, I appreciate the thought, but that’s not how a trial marriage works.”
His hand was already on the doorknob.
“Wait.”
Li Yang’s voice came from behind him.
Xie Zongxu paused but did not turn around.
Li Yang walked up behind him. Her voice was steadier than before.
“Mr. Xie, you’re right. I’m not going there to work. But precisely because I’m not going there to work, I should go.”
Xie Zongxu turned around and looked at her.
Meeting his gaze, Li Yang spoke each word clearly.
“What is marriage? It’s two people living together. Living together isn’t only about work. There’s eating, sleeping, chatting, arguing, and making up. What’s the difference between trying that in Capital City and trying it in Singapore?”
Xie Zongxu remained silent.
“You can stay busy with your work, and I won’t disturb you. While you’re in meetings, I’ll go shopping. While you’re entertaining clients, I’ll have dinner. When you come back at night, we’ll chat. After seven days, if you think it works, we continue. If you think it doesn’t, then I’ll just treat it as a trip to Singapore.”
After speaking, Li Yang looked at him.
“Wouldn’t that work?”
Xie Zongxu looked at her.
The lounge lighting was gentle, illuminating the stubbornness in her eyes with perfect clarity.
He suddenly remembered how she had stood in the fire escape at the old residence the previous night, her ears red to the tips.
When he spoke again, his tone had softened somewhat.
“Miss Li, last night you said we should pretend that night never happened.”
Li Yang’s eyelashes trembled.
“And today, you’ve come to find me and say you want a trial marriage.”
He stepped closer to her.
Close enough to catch the faint fragrance lingering around her, the same scent as that night.
“May I ask what made you change your mind overnight?”
Faced with the question, Li Yang lowered her eyes and thought for a moment. When she looked up again, there was a little more honesty in her gaze.
“Because of my father.”
Xie Zongxu raised an eyebrow.
“My father told me the marriage arrangement is already settled. The engagement will be in one month. I’ve protested, I’ve argued, and I’ve fought about it. None of it worked.”
Li Yang said,
“So I thought that if it doesn’t work, then I’ll try a different approach.”
“What approach?”
“Being proactive.”
Li Yang looked at him with clear eyes.
“Rather than passively accepting it, I’d rather actively give it a try. I’ll see what kind of person you are and whether we can get along. If it doesn’t work out, then at least I’ll have something to say. It won’t be because I was unwilling—it’ll be because we’re genuinely not suitable for each other.”
Xie Zongxu listened without interrupting her.
“But what if it does work out?” he asked.