Half an hour later, Xie Yuqi met up with Xu Ziwen and Lu Niansheng at a suburban villa.
This villa was purchased by Xie Yuqi when she was in her third year of middle school, registered under the name of Auntie Wang. Since then, it had become a secret fortress for her and her best friends. Whenever they wanted to share private secrets or discuss important matters, they would arrange to meet here.
Once the three of them were seated, the nanny withdrew, the security personnel took their positions, and the doors and windows were tightly shut.
Xie Yuqi asked, “Wenwen, what else did your aunt say?”
Xu Ziwen replied, “My aunt said that regarding the dissolution of the engagement between Xia Li and her fiancée, Shen Xingyao, the Xia and Shen families have already reached an agreement. However, they do not plan to announce it publicly, instead, they will dissolve it privately.”
Xie Yuqi asked, “Which family proposed it first?”
Xu Ziwen said, “I asked my aunt. It was the Shen family who proposed it first.”
Lu Niansheng let out a soft exclamation of surprise. “I heard that Shen Xingyao is also a top-tier Omega. With her Shen family being the first to propose breaking off the engagement, could it be that Xia Li did something out of line?”
Xie Yuqi pondered silently without speaking.
Xu Ziwen picked up the conversation. “Not necessarily. The Shen family is a family of officials; their ancestors have served in the government for generations. Although no extraordinarily prominent figure has emerged from their clan, the accumulation over so many generations has given them a very deep foundation. They possess a massive network of relationships across the military, political, and business sectors. Therefore, it is also possible that the Shen family found a better option.”
Xie Yuqi nodded, “Furthermore, don’t you think it’s a bit strange for the Shen family and the Xia family to form a marriage alliance?”
Xu Ziwen and Lu Niansheng exchanged glances and said in unison, “It is indeed strange.”
Lu Niansheng said, “I’ve heard my mom and mommy mention before that in the vast majority of cases, children from military and political circles marry within their own circles and almost never step outside of them.”
Xu Ziwen agreed, “Yes, my great-aunt and aunt have both said that the Xu family being able to form a marriage alliance with a military officer’s family was also due to specific reasons. Such situations are very rare.”
Lu Niansheng joked, “Could it be because Shen Xingyao and Xia Li fell in love at first sight, and it’s true love?”
Neither Xu Ziwen nor Xie Yuqi spoke, but in their hearts, neither believed a single word.
What true love could there be in wealthy, elite families?
It was only because Xie Yuqi’s maternal aunt Lu Ruilin and her aunt’s spouse Xu Yisheng had loved each other since their youth and possessed deeply profound feelings that Lu Niansheng was led to believe in the existence of true love.
Xie Yuqi remarked, “Power and profit, power always comes before profit. There is an insurmountable chasm between the military-political circles and the wealthy elite.”
As she said this, she inexplicably thought of Ning Che.
The chasm between wealthy elite families and the bottom rungs of society would only be wider. This was because military-political circles and wealthy elite families would occasionally choose to form marriage alliances for mutual benefits, but between wealthy elites and the lowest social class, there were no benefits to speak of, making the chasm naturally even harder to cross.
Lu Niansheng pouted, “You guys are too realistic. At such a young age, you sound so old and analytical when you speak. How boring!”
Xu Ziwen immediately coaxed her, “Alright, alright, Shengsheng, we all believe that you and Xu Zixi are true love.”
Xie Yuqi found it secretly amusing. This maternal cousin of hers had been pampered since childhood, doted on like a little princess. Although she was a year older than Xie Yuqi, her personality was innocent and romantic.
Her maternal aunt and aunt’s spouse, worried that their daughter would be bullied, had specifically arranged a marriage alliance with a child of the Xu family.
Xu Zixi was the eldest daughter of Xu Ziwen’s eldest grand-uncle, which made her Xu Ziwen’s older cousin.
Sometimes Xie Yuqi felt a bit envious of her cousin, because this kind of innocence was not something everyone could possess. She also joined in on the coaxing, “Only because we sound old and analytical can it highlight that you are high-spirited and in the prime of your youth.”
As delicate and spoiled as Lu Niansheng was, being teased like this by her younger cousin made her feel a bit self-conscious. She reached out to pinch Xie Yuqi’s cheek, “Xie Yuqi, please call me ‘Sister’!”
Xu Ziwen asked, “Qiqi, what do you plan to do?”
Xie Yuqi replied, “Do what about what?”
Xu Ziwen said, “With Xia Li!”
Xie Yuqi replied speechlessly, “What a mess. I have nothing to do with her.”
Xu Ziwen and Lu Niansheng exchanged playful glances.
Xie Yuqi didn’t bother to heed her friends’ teasing and said seriously, “Wenwen, when you go back today, please ask your aunt to find out exactly why the Shen family and the Xia family are dissolving their engagement.”
Xu Ziwen had a carefree personality and patted her chest reassuringly, “No problem, leave it to me.”
Xie Yuqi then looked at Lu Niansheng, “Cousin, when you go back, talk to your mom and mommy as well, and ask them to help look into it.”
Lu Niansheng replied, “Don’t worry, your business is my business.”
Xu Ziwen blinked, “Qiqi, what else?”
Xie Yuqi: “?”
Xu Ziwen raised an eyebrow, “Did you forget? Xia Li invited us out. Are you going?”
Lu Niansheng also became interested, looking at Xie Yuqi with a face full of gossip. “Qiqi, let’s go, let’s go! I have admired Senior Xia Li for a very long time!”
Xie Yuqi replied, “Is that so? Should I call your true love, Xu Zixi, and invite her to join the gathering as well?”
Lu Niansheng immediately lunged forward to mess with her, “You’re so bad!”
After a bout of playful banter, Xie Yuqi said, “Since she extended the invitation, we might as well go check it out and use the opportunity to test the waters and see what she says.”
Xu Ziwen and Lu Niansheng realized simultaneously, “Wow, testing Senior Xia’s words! What exactly is she going to say? I’m so curious!”
In the afternoon, Ning Che went to the Xiang family’s place again.
Xiang Wan came out to take a look, which was quite unprecedented. Seeing Ning Che looking radiant with happiness, with smiles gracing the corners of her lips and brows, she casually remarked, “Did you roll around in the sheets with your girlfriend?”
Beside her, Xiang Chen covered her mouth, giggling uncontrollably.
Ning Che’s face flushed bright red, “Sister Xiang, don’t talk nonsense!”
Xiang Wan asked, “Then why do you have that look of ‘a joyful event is approaching’ written all over your face?”
Thinking of the tenderness from last night, Ning Che smiled bashfully, “I went to see a movie with my girlfriend this morning. She is usually very busy and rarely has time to watch a movie with me.”
Most importantly, they had kissed in the theater, and it was Xie Yuqi who had actively initiated the kiss.
Even now, whenever Ning Che thought about it, her heart couldn’t help but race.
The feeling of that kiss made her whole body thrill, as if fireworks were exploding… bang! indescribable.
Xiang Wan closed her mouth.
Before entering the room with Xiang Chen, Ning Che looked back at her, hesitating to speak.
Xiang Wan said coldly, “Don’t worry, it will be finished right on time.”
At six o’clock in the evening, Xie Yuqi and the other two arrived at the agreed-upon location.
Tan She, a high-end private restaurant that only accepted reservations. Moreover, reservations were limited; they only accepted bookings on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, hosting only one table of guests each time.
This was a three story mansion filled with exotic, foreign architectural styles from the previous century. It originally belonged to a cultural relic protection unit, so it was unexpected that someone had acquired it to run a private restaurant.
The night was deep and somber. There was no signage whatsoever, only a single red lantern hanging at the entrance. Upon the lantern was the character “Tan” written in seal script, which one would easily overlook if not paying close attention.
As their vehicle approached, the bronze gates opened automatically. Before them was an elegantly styled courtyard. At the four corners of the courtyard were ground lights with just the right amount of brightness, not glaring, yet sufficient to allow people to see the path clearly.
A white private car was already parked in the courtyard.
Xu Ziwen whispered, “That must be Senior Xia’s car.”
She parked her own car side by side with the white car. The car doors opened, and the three women stepped out together.
Two red lanterns hung beneath the porch of the main entrance. Standing beneath the lanterns was a person with a tall and slender build and an elegant temperament. She wore a well-tailored white suit, her straight black hair cascading down her shoulders. She wore light makeup, and the diamond necklace around her neck contrasted brilliantly with her snow-white skin, making it hard to conceal her low-key luxury.
A pair of deep, serene, ink-black eyes looked toward the three of them. Xu Ziwen blurted out in surprise, “Senior Xia?”
The person who arrived was indeed Xia Li. She stood gracefully under the porch, holding a single red lantern in one hand. She smiled faintly and nodded at the three of them, then made an elegant gesture of invitation.
“Three junior schoolmates, please…”
This scene slightly moved the three women, and their expressions all shifted somewhat.
Especially Xu Ziwen and Lu Niansheng, who both revealed a hint of a bashful smile.
Who wouldn’t feel their heart sway when the legendary Alpha goddess who once took the campus by storm personally welcomed them, looking over with that incredibly handsome face full of smiles?
Even in the depths of Xie Yuqi’s eyes, a slight ripple appeared.
After entering the private room, Xia Li introduced, “Tan She is different from other places. There are no waiters here, the host brings their own staff to handle all hospitality work. Therefore, everyone in the private room today is my person. You can all feel completely at ease.”
Xu Ziwen exclaimed, “How thoughtful.”
The four of them took their seats and began to chat.
After a few moments of exchanging pleasantries, the atmosphere grew increasingly harmonious. Xu Ziwen and Lu Niansheng exchanged a look, and Xu Ziwen asked Xia Li with a smile, “Senior Xia, you’ve been abroad for so many years. Returning to the country so suddenly, could it be that a joyful wedding event with your fiancée is approaching?”
Lu Niansheng immediately followed up, “Yes, yes, Senior Xia, has the wedding date been set? You must send us a wedding invitation. Your junior schoolmates are waiting to drink your wedding wine!”
Xie Yuqi remained silent, but she nodded along in agreement.
Xia Li’s gaze swept across the faces of the two, finally landing intentionally or unintentionally on Xie Yuqi’s face.
She smiled apologetically, “I’m afraid I will have to disappoint my three junior schoolmates. My return to the country this time is specifically to dissolve the engagement.”
“Ah?” Xu Ziwen cooperatively covered her cherry-like small mouth.
Lu Niansheng opened her eyes wide, “How could that happen?”
Xie Yuqi looked at Xia Li curiously.
A look of reminiscence welled up between Xia Li’s brows, and she sighed softly, “Perhaps our fate has run its course.”
As she spoke, she frowned slightly. That handsome and charming face was tinged with sorrow, making anyone who looked at her involuntarily feel heartbroken for her.
Xu Ziwen quickly comforted her, “Senior Xia is so outstanding, you will definitely meet someone better!”
Lu Niansheng said, “Senior Xia and Senior Shen were the fairy tale couple I envied the most. Senior Xia, won’t you fight for it a bit more? It’s such a pity for so many years of relationship~”
Xia Li curled her lips, looking rather self-deprecating. Her tone was flat as she said, “Forcing it brings no benefit. Yaoyao will have better happiness.”
The words were spoken as lightly as clouds and wind, as if she had completely let go, yet her expression was dejected and sorrowful, clearly showing that her heart was still filled with deep reluctance.
And this display of forcing a calm facade while inadvertently showing heartbreak made people feel even more sorry for her.
Lu Niansheng couldn’t help but say, “Could someone actually reject Senior Xia? That’s too much!”
Xu Ziwen added, “Senior Xia has always been the goddess in our hearts. You deserve better!”
Lu Niansheng said, “Yes, Goddess Xia, don’t be discouraged. Maybe very soon, a peerless Omega with an extraordinary family background and incomparable talent and beauty will fall in love with you at first sight!”
Both of them assumed that Shen Xingyao had found a better marriage alliance partner and had therefore abandoned Xia Li.
Xia Li’s gaze lowered, appearing to be immersed in sadness. She gently swirled the goblet in her hand, the pre-dinner wine swaying elegantly under the light. Upon her smooth as jade wrist, a thin red string was faintly visible beneath her cuff.
Suddenly raising her eyes, her gaze inadvertently drifted toward Xie Yuqi.
“So, am I a goddess in Xiao Qi’s eyes as well?”
Xie Yuqi’s heart skipped a beat, feeling as though the question was directed specifically at her. She replied calmly, “Naturally. Senior Xia was famous throughout Yanjing back then. Who didn’t know Senior Xia’s great name?”
Xia Li naturally caught the politeness in these words. She gave Xie Yuqi a deep look but made no comment, turning to instruct her assistant, “You may serve the dishes.”
This meal was thoroughly enjoyed by both host and guests. During the dinner, Xia Li swept away her sadness, pouring out witty remarks that kept the three of them laughing continuously.
By 9:30 PM, Xia Li proactively suggested, “It’s getting late. Shall I send my three junior schoolmates home?”
Xu Ziwen had drunk quite a bit of wine and said somewhat coaxingly, “Senior Xia, aren’t you going to take us to a bar to sit for a while? The nightlife is just beginning!”
Lu Niansheng also clamored to go play at a bar.
Xia Li smiled and said, “Taking beautiful junior schoolmates to a bar late at night is not the behavior of a gentleman. Alright, let me send you home.”
This statement caused the three women’s favorable impression of her to multiply.
Xu Ziwen proposed adding her as a friend, and Lu Niansheng followed suit. Xie Yuqi naturally couldn’t find a reason to refuse, so she also added Xia Li.
Together with Xia Li, she first sent Xu Ziwen and Lu Niansheng home.
Xia Li wanted to continue driving her home, but she politely declined, and Xia Li did not insist.
The car drove swiftly through the night. Xie Yuqi turned on her phone screen and discovered that Ning Che had sent thirteen messages.
The little Alpha seemed to have become clingy. She knitted her brows slightly.
She originally wanted to go home, but thinking that Xie Xuan would definitely bring up the marriage alliance with her, she felt irritated. Go to another villa? She didn’t want to.
After considering for a few seconds, she decided to return to the apartment.
Just like yesterday, Ning Che was waiting at the elevator entrance, giving her a joyfully filled embrace.
At this moment, Xie Yuqi’s mind was entirely consumed with pondering why Xia Li and Shen Xingyao had dissolved their engagement. She was in no mood for intimacy, letting her hold her for just a moment before pushing her away.
“I’m a little tired.”
Ning Che considerately stopped being clingy.
After entering the apartment, the assistant placed an exquisitely packaged box of pastries on the coffee table.
Ning Che’s eyes lit up. She turned her head to look at Xie Yuqi, her expression quite excited. “Yuqi, did you bring me pastries?”
The assistant cast a secret glance at Xie Yuqi.
Xie Yuqi froze, then waved her hand, dismissing all the assistants.
Unable to hide her excitement, Ning Che walked over to sit beside Xie Yuqi. She cupped Xie Yuqi’s hands, her eyes shining brightly as she looked at her: “Yuqi, you are so good.”
The words “It wasn’t me” that reached Xie Yuqi’s lips failed to come out.
She smiled casually, “Open it and take a look. Do you like to eat them?”
In reality, this was specially packed and given to her by Xia Li, who mentioned that the pastries from Tan She were hard to buy even with a thousand pieces of gold, and asked her to try them.