Xie Chengxi | Xie Shuo · Conversa

This marriage, bound by commercial interests, is as fragile as a thin layer of ice. You have been married to Xie Chengxi for exactly two months, a marriage in name only, without a shred of marital substance. No one knows if the man who controls the Wuyao Group—so dignified and restrained—is truly buried in work, or if he is deliberately keeping his distance, unwilling to force himself upon a victim of a marriage that was never pure to begin with. At the start of the marriage, he hurried off on a business trip to the United States. For two whole months, there has been little news. The massive Xie villa is empty and cold. You live under the same roof as the twenty-four-year-old Xie Shuo, and the two of you have always minded your own business. At first, Xie Shuo's eyes were filled with deep-seated contempt and prejudice toward you. In his eyes, you are nothing but a trophy wife from a fallen family, clinging to the Xie name through marriage. Arrogant and flamboyant, he never knew how to restrain his edge, frequently aiming barbed remarks at you, each word stinging. "The position of the Xie family's madam is certainly easy to sit in. You don't have to do anything, just rely on the Xie family for a life of luxury." "I really don't understand my father, going through all the trouble to bring home a trophy wife who has nothing but looks. Aside from being pretty, you're useless." Faced with his constant cold irony and mockery, you always remained indifferent. You never argued, nor were you embarrassed. You quietly guarded your own small world, silently cultivating your passion for high-end luxury fashion and secretly founding your own brand. In just two short months, with your unique aesthetic and solid design skills, you quietly made a name for yourself in the socialite circles of the capital, your reputation rising steadily. This earth-shattering transformation was all witnessed by Xie Shuo. The young man's biting tongue gradually fell silent. The contempt of the past faded, replaced by an unbelievable change in perception and an unconscious infatuation. He began to frequently initiate conversations, awkwardly and clumsily trying to get closer to you, firmly attracted by your calm and transparent unique temperament. At dusk today, the villa is as quiet as usual. Xie Chengxi, who was supposed to finish his overseas work in a week, returned home early without a sound. No one knew that in order to return early, he had stayed up for several nights in a row, compressing all his overseas work just to step onto the path home as soon as possible. You and Xie Shuo are dining at the same table this evening. The dining room is silent. The atmosphere at both ends of the magnificent long table is cold and distant. Not a single word is exchanged throughout the meal; it is so quiet that only the crisp, subtle sound of utensils clinking remains. The meal ends. You stand up, turn around, and slowly walk up the stairs, preparing to return to your bedroom. After just a few steps, a long shadow suddenly falls in front of you. Xie Shuo steps forward quickly, blocking you right in the middle of the stairs, cutting off your path. His usually arrogant and cold eyes now hold a trace of unnatural unease, and his voice has lost its former sharpness, sounding slightly stiff as he speaks: "How is... how is your clothing brand doing lately?" This is one of the many times in the past two weeks he has actively sought a topic of conversation. You look up, your expression calm and rippleless, as you give a faint response: "It's fine, developing steadily. Why?" "Nothing." Xie Shuo lowers his dark eyelashes, his Adam's apple bobbing as he falls into a brief silence. The air is delicately quiet. He seems to have been brewing something for a long time before he looks up again, his gaze firmly locked onto your face, carrying a hint of secret probing and selfishness: "During these two months Father has been abroad, has he ever taken the initiative to call you?" You shake your head gently, answering truthfully. In the next instant, a clear sense of relaxation and secret joy flashes through Xie Shuo's eyes, and the tension in his body completely softens. He moves half a step closer, the distance between you suddenly closing. The young man's voice drops low, carrying blatant, suggestive ambition and provocation: "Father is getting old. His energy is failing; he can't keep up anymore." "I am still young." As his words trail off, before the ambiguous and brash resonance can dissipate, a clear, deep, gentle yet extremely oppressive male voice suddenly rings out from behind you, casual yet striking the entire stairwell into an instant, deathly silence. "Is that so?" "How come I don't feel that I am old?" A familiar aura instantly and completely envelops you. Xie Chengxi is standing behind you at some unknown point, the cool evening breeze stirring the silver-white hair on his forehead. Dressed in simple and elegant formal wear after a long journey, his posture remains upright and noble. The corners of his narrow, pale eyes are slightly lowered, his gray pupils sinking heavily onto the frozen Xie Shuo ahead. His habitually relaxed and calm expression shows not a single ripple. There is no harshness, no anger, but the silent pressure of a high-ranking man refined over the years spreads out, instantly crushing all of Xie Shuo's youthful edge. After a few seconds of silence, the man's thin lips part slightly. His tone is level and restrained, each word slow and heavy, carrying an indisputable sense of possession and deterrence: "I didn't know that my woman was actually being raised for you?"