She lowered her eyes and said nothing more.
Seeing her like this, a trace of surprise flashed through Xie Zongxu’s eyes before disappearing just as quickly.
When he spoke again, his tone was gentler than before.
“Are you angry?”
Li Yang shook her head.
“No.”
Xie Zongxu looked at her but did not expose the obvious lie.
He merely said calmly,
“Miss Li, didn’t you also leave yourself an escape route? If the trial doesn’t work out, then you’ll leave and pretend none of this ever happened.”
Li Yang froze for a moment and looked up at him.
Meeting her gaze, Xie Zongxu spoke unhurriedly.
“The two of us are the same. Neither of us should blame the other.”
Li Yang opened her mouth, wanting to argue, only to realize she could not find any words.
He was right.
She had left herself a way out, so of course he could do the same.
Neither of them was any more noble than the other.
Suddenly, she laughed.
This time, it was a genuine laugh, not the self-deprecating smile from earlier.
Xie Zongxu looked at her.
“What are you laughing at?”
Li Yang shook her head.
“Nothing. I just think Mr. Xie is right. The two of us are the same.”
Xie Zongxu looked at her, the corners of his lips lifting slightly.
Outside the window, the clouds gradually thinned, and sunlight streamed through the aircraft window, falling between the two of them.
For the first time, Li Yang felt that this man might not be as intimidating as she had thought.
At the very least, he was honest.
By the time the plane landed in Singapore, it was already seven in the evening.
The car left the airport and drove east along the expressway.
Outside the window, the scenery gradually changed from brightly lit skyscrapers to more open surroundings before finally turning into a quiet residential district.
Tall palm trees lined the roads. Every few dozen meters stood a European-style vintage streetlamp, casting soft light onto the wide road.
Looking outside, Li Yang suddenly asked,
“Where is this?”
Xie Zongxu leaned back in his seat with his eyes closed.
“Bukit Timah. This is where we’ll be staying for the next few days.”
Li Yang said nothing further.
A few more minutes later, the car finally stopped in front of a black iron gate.
The gate automatically slid open to both sides. The car drove down a short driveway and stopped before a three-story villa.
The villa featured a black-and-white colonial design. Vines climbed across the exterior walls, and two warm yellow lights glowed at the entrance, making the entire courtyard feel cozy and tranquil.
Li Yang got out of the car and stood on the driveway, looking at the house.
She remembered all the thoughts she had entertained the previous night—worrying about how she would find him in Singapore and propose a trial marriage if she missed his flight.
Now, it all seemed a little ridiculous.
Given where he lived, even if she exhausted every possible method, she might not have been able to get in.
“What are you standing there for?”
At some point, Xie Zongxu had appeared beside her.
Li Yang snapped back to her senses and shook her head.
“Nothing. I just think the house is beautiful.”
Xie Zongxu glanced at her but said nothing, walking straight toward the entrance.
Waiting there was a woman in her fifties.
She wore a dark gray qipao-style dress, her hair meticulously pinned up behind her head. Her face was kind, carrying a gentle smile.
She bowed slightly, then looked at Li Yang.
“Mr. Xie is back. This must be Madam, right?”
Xie Zongxu responded with a simple “Mm” as he walked inside.
“Aunt Zhou, this is Madam’s luggage. Please take it upstairs to the master bedroom.”
Aunt Zhou answered with a smile. Taking the suitcase from Uncle Chen, she said to Li Yang,
“Madam must be tired after the journey. Dinner is already prepared. Sir said he wanted to wait and eat together with you. Would you like to go upstairs and freshen up first, or have dinner first?”
Li Yang looked toward Xie Zongxu.
He had already reached the sofa in the living room. Casually removing his jacket and draping it over the back of a chair, he said,
“You should go freshen up first. I’ll answer a few emails in the study. Call me when you’re done.”
With that, he headed directly toward a door beside the staircase.
Li Yang watched him disappear behind it before withdrawing her gaze and smiling at Aunt Zhou.
“Please take me to my room.”
The master bedroom was on the second floor.
The room was spacious. Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows was a large balcony overlooking the swimming pool in the backyard and the silhouettes of distant trees.
The bed was dark gray. A bouquet of white orchids sat on the bedside table, their faint fragrance drifting through the air.
What surprised Li Yang most was the walk-in closet.
Several rows of clothes had already been hung neatly inside.
All in her size.
Standing at the entrance of the closet, she paused.
Aunt Zhou smiled beside her.
“Sir called this afternoon and said Madam would be coming, so he asked us to prepare some daily clothing. I wasn’t sure what styles Madam preferred, so I picked some simple pieces. Please see if they’re suitable. If not, we can exchange them tomorrow.”
Li Yang parted her lips slightly.
Walking into the closet, she reached out and touched the fabric of the clothes.
They were all luxury brands, with simple, elegant designs and colors she normally wore.
He was surprisingly thoughtful.
Lowering her gaze, Li Yang smiled softly.
Forget it.
She was already here. Why think so much?
She picked out a light gray set of loungewear and changed into it, then briefly unpacked the essentials from her suitcase.
She was exhausted.
Truly exhausted.
She had not slept at all the previous night, and today had been one long ordeal. Her entire body felt as though it were falling apart.
Glancing out the window and remembering that she still needed to go downstairs for dinner later, she sat down at the edge of the bed, intending to rest for a moment.
But the moment she sat down, her whole body collapsed backward onto the mattress.
The bed was too soft.
So soft that the instant she touched it, her eyelids began to droop.
No.
She couldn’t sleep.
Struggling, she tried to sit up, but her body refused to cooperate.
Before her consciousness blurred away completely, she managed only one thought.
Just five minutes.
By the time Xie Zongxu came out of the study, it was already nearly nine o’clock.
After dealing with the last few emails, he checked the time and frowned slightly.
There had been no movement upstairs.
He went upstairs, pushed open the master bedroom door, and looked inside.
The bedside lamp was on, casting a warm golden glow across the bed.
Li Yang lay curled on her side, sleeping deeply.
Her hair was spread across the pillow. One hand was tucked beneath her face, while the other hung over the edge of the bed.
Standing in the doorway, Xie Zongxu quietly watched the scene before him.
His mind drifted back to what she had said earlier that day.
“If it doesn’t work out, then we’ll divorce.”
He chuckled softly.
She had spoken with such confidence.
Yet on the very first day, she had fallen asleep like this.
Walking over, he stopped beside the bed and looked down at her.
When she was asleep, she was nothing like she was during the day, when she bristled with defenses.
Nor was she like she had been at the Civil Affairs Bureau, forcing herself to remain composed.
Her brows were relaxed. Her breathing was even. Her lips were gently pressed together.
She looked like a small animal that had finally put away all its defenses.
Xie Zongxu watched her for a while before bending down.
Carefully, he lifted her hand and placed it back onto the bed.
Li Yang stirred.
Mumbling something incoherent, she turned over and sank back into deep sleep.
Xie Zongxu straightened up.
Just as he was about to leave, his phone suddenly rang.
He glanced at the caller ID.
His brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, but he answered anyway.
“Mom.”
On the other end of the line, Yang Lingyun’s voice carried an unmistakable smile.