After spending the afternoon enjoying Yiyuan Garden, Su Manzhu, the eldest daughter-in-law, suggested returning to Zizhu Courtyard for a family banquet.
It was rare for Elder Xie to return to Beijing, so he had invited the elders of the Wen and Tan families to join them.
Back in the day, the three patriarchs had shouldered rifles together and later governed their respective regions, forging a bond of camaraderie cemented in life-and-death struggles.
Xie Tingnan agreed and headed straight for the second floor, saying, "I'm going up to change my clothes."
Jiang Xin looked at his T-shirt and shorts and smiled. "You really should change. Tonight, it won't just be the elders at home—An'an and Tan Xiaosong from the Tan family are both coming over."
Xie Tingnan didn't hear a word Jiang Xin said; he just strode toward the second floor.
When he pushed open the door to the master bedroom, Aunt An bowed slightly. "Second Young Master is here."
The man glanced toward the bed and lowered his voice. "She's been sleeping the whole time?"
"Yes. Once Yu Wanwan knew you had gone off to deal with your matters, she took a bath, drank her medicine, and lay down. She hasn't gotten up since."
"Go on out first." Xie Tingnan lowered his gaze, his voice as deep as the sea.
He walked quickly to the bedside, bent down, and reached out a large hand to touch the delicate, jade-like forehead.
Seeming to want to double-check, he used a method his family had used on him when he was a child, pressing his cheek against Yu Wanwan's forehead.
Only after confirming that her fever had gone down did he straighten up and walk straight toward the wardrobe. As he walked, he pulled off his T-shirt and shorts.
Yu Wanwan silently took in the man's formidable physique.
His broad shoulders and lean, well-defined back muscles formed distinct blocks, with a smooth, deep groove running down the center of his spine.
The classic golden ratio of an inverted triangle tapered sharply at the waist, making the proportion of breadth to narrowness exceptionally striking.
It was the standard combination of broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and long legs, cast in a cool, pale tone that radiated mature sensuality.
From the neatly hung shirts, the man selected a silver-gray short-sleeved shirt, paired it with crisp black dress trousers, and then picked up a watch from the side to put on.
Dignified and stern, mature and steady—or rather, breathtakingly handsome...
Whenever Xie Tingnan put on his formal demeanor, he possessed the imposing yet luxurious air of an aristocratic scion from a prestigious family. Arrogant yet self-assured, carrying an effortless hint of a refined rake, he was simply matchless.
The moment he turned back around, Yu Wanwan quickly closed her eyes.
A faint scent of sandalwood drifted over, growing closer and closer.
It was his thin, soft lips pressing against her brow, then the tip of her nose, and finally coming to rest upon her rosy lips.
A wave of agitation stirred in Yu Wanwan's heart.
The small hand hidden beneath the quilt was already gripping the bedsheet tightly, bunching it up into folds.
Xie Tingnan did not linger. After kissing Yu Wanwan, he stood up quickly and gave a few brief instructions at the door:
"Take good care of her. I won't be back for dinner. Keep a close eye on her—if she runs a fever again, call Yin Ren."
The sound of leather shoes tapping against the wooden floor echoed as he strode downstairs, growing more and more distant.
That night, Zizhu Courtyard was a bustle of coming and going, brimming with extraordinary liveliness.
That night, in the sprawling Yiyuan Garden, Yu Wanwan sent Aunt An away and sat all alone in the pavilion by the lotus pond, pitying her own reflection.
He had said, "Silly girl, I won't leave you behind."
She understood all of his actions, yet she couldn't help feeling lonely.
The truth was, she had been left behind too many times, and she was terrified of it.
She had been abandoned the moment she was born.
Sometimes, in her darkest moments of despair, Yu Wanwan would think that she should have just left this world back then.
She fished out her phone, found the number of her adoptive father, Yu Guanzhong, and dialed.
"Well, if it isn't little Wanwan. Still remember your brother?" a flippant voice sounded from the other end of the line.
"Give the phone to Dad," Yu Wanwan said coldly.
"Oh? Baby, why so cold to your brother? Did Xie Tingnan fuck you until you were good and satisfied? Tell me, how many times a day does he fuck you? I've held back for over twenty years and never laid a single finger on you—if he doesn't fuck you a few times a day, he'll be doing a grave injustice to all these years I've—"
A crisp "slap" rang out.
Yu Guanzhong's furious roar came through the phone: "Get lost! You worthless piece of trash."
Originally, Yu Wanwan had thought that if she never had to see Yu Huai, she could let go of all the terror that had once haunted her.
That man had bullied and terrorized her since childhood.
She clearly remembered opening her schoolbag only for a live mouse to jump out.
Little Yu Wanwan had screamed in sheer terror while Yu Huai laughed so hard on the sidelines that he couldn't catch his breath.
After Yu Huai came of age and understood the affairs of men and women, even though Yu Guanzhong and his wife kept a strict and watchful eye on him, he still couldn't resist verbally harassing her.
Hearing his filthy words over the phone now, Yu Wanwan still trembled with anger, the knuckles of the hand gripping her phone turning white.
Throughout the entire Yu family, the head of the household, Yu Guanzhong, still held a genuine shred of parental affection for his adopted daughter, Wanwan.
Human hearts were made of flesh, after all, and she had been pampered like a young lady of a wealthy family for fifteen years.
"Wanwan, are you getting used to living in Beijing?" Yu Guanzhong asked in a very gentle tone.
"Dad, I'm used to it. Don't worry," the young girl replied flatly.
"Mr. Xie—is he treating you well?"
The light in Yu Wanwan's eyes grew fainter and fainter. Amidst her cold detachment, she asked quietly,
"That contract from back then—I never saw it. Dad, I just want to know: how long do I need to stay with Xie Tingnan?"
How long? The corners of Yu Guanzhong's mouth twitched.
He couldn't answer because he had already delivered her into Xie Tingnan's hands; there was simply no reasoning that would allow him to ask for her back.
Therefore, there was no time limit at all.
Still, Yu Guanzhong spoke up:
"Wanwan, don't rush. Since you're already there, just live your life happily, the same as you did at home, and take good care of Mr. Xie. Once two years are up, Dad will come pick you back up in Nancheng."
Two years was just a number he had guessed.
At most, a man's sense of novelty could last two years.
Therefore, Yu Guanzhong figured that perhaps before the two years were up, Xie Tingnan would grow tired of her.
Within this limited time, he still needed to hurry and develop the plot of land in the core district of Nancheng that Xie Tingnan had given him, just to prevent the man from going back on his word.
"I understand, Dad. Take care. Goodbye."
Yu Wanwan hung up the phone right on cue.
Two years wasn't considered long.
Because of the answer Yu Guanzhong had given, the heavy depression weighing on her heart suddenly lifted.
That night, Xie Tingnan did not return to Yiyuan Garden.
Nor did Yu Wanwan receive any news from him.
As long as he didn't come back, she never had any idea what he was doing.
That night, Yiyuan Garden was bustling with high-society figures coming and going.
The three elders had gathered for a rare occasion to reminisce and drink tea, and all the grandchildren had assembled.
The sprawling Zizhu Courtyard had clearly turned into a major gathering of the core seats of power.
The back kitchens of Zizhu Courtyard were rushed off their feet, with descendants of imperial chefs among their ranks.
Platter after platter of authentic official cuisine was served to the dining tables, showcasing classic masterpieces from both the Lu and Cantonese culinary traditions.
Elder Wen's ancestral home was in Guangdong, Elder Tan's ancestral home was in Shandong, and the Xie family's roots lay deep in the old imperial capital.
As for the younger generation, they were all offspring born and raised in Beijing, returning to their ancestral homelands only during festivals and New Year.
After Xie Tingnan, Tan Dingsong, Feng Jinyao, Xing Rufei, and the other young men finished toasting the elders one by one, they headed out to the courtyard pavilion to play cards.
The female guests remained in the garden, listening to opera, tasting tea, and chatting.
A woman with charming curly hair and a capable air wore a Chanel professional-style skirt suit, looking both dashing and refined.
She was Tan Dingsong's sister, Tan Xiaosong, an internationally renowned jewelry designer.
Owning several of her own branded jewelry stores overseas, she was hailed as the top socialite of Beijing and Shanghai.
With her delicate hand, the woman cradled a wine glass, lightly sipping her Romanée-Conti.
Her seductive eyes cast a seemingly casual glance toward a certain man over by the pavilion...