Epilogue: Xin Li & Xie Yuran
Xin Li first met Xie Yuran at a private party.
As the young lady of the Xin family, she grew up pampered and spoiled since childhood, with an older brother doting on her, too. It could be said that she had experienced little hardship.
Yet, she could not escape the fate of being pushed into a political marriage for the benefit of the Xin family when she came of age.
Her father meticulously selected and ultimately chose the eldest son of the Xie family, Xie Shuo.
Given the Xie family’s status, many sought a connection through marriage. Initially, Xin Li had no particular advantage, but her grandfather happened to know the Xie family patriarch. Leveraging this connection, she successfully secured a blind date with Xie Shuo.
Xin Li deeply resented these transactional marriages, and who knew whether this Xie Shuo had any bad habits or tendencies.
She knew many young masters from prestigious families, and few entered her eyes. They changed girlfriends as quickly as they changed clothes, showing little inclination for marital fidelity even after marriage.
So, despite her father’s hype and praise of how amazing Xie Shuo was, she remained indifferent.
Naturally, indifference aside, the blind date, set for Saturday, was inevitable.
The night before the blind date, her parents took turns advising her, urging her to set aside any airs of arrogance and behave properly.
Unable to endure the pressure from both sides, Xin Li decided to accept a girlfriend’s invitation to attend a private party, hoping to improve her mood and vent her frustration.
……
The party was super boisterous, with familiar faces and complete strangers.
Feeling irritated, Xin Li had a few more drinks than she should have. She walked through the venue with a glass in hand unsteadily, narrowingly colliding with someone.
It was a slender young man dressed in a white shirt with good-looking features. Compared to the others, he appeared clean and refreshing, resembling a somewhat inexperienced youth.
Just as she was about to collide with him, he steadied her with a touch before quickly withdrawing his hand.
Their eyes met briefly. The man paused for a moment before turning away, leaving before she could apologize.
Xin Li watched his retreating figure for a moment before returning to her girlfriend, pouring another half glass of wine.
Afterward, her gaze remained fixed on the young man as he moved through the party, chatting with others at the party.
Seeing how focused she was, her friend curiously leaned in and asked, “Who are you looking at so seriously?”
Xin Li gestured with her eyes in the direction of the man. “Who is that? Do you know him?”
“Who?”
“The one in the white shirt that’s decent looking.”
Following her gaze, her friend scanned the crowd and finally found the target after a long while. After a glance, she said, “Oh, him. Seems to be the young master of the Xie family, but I don’t know him.”
Xie Shuo?
So he looked like this… Didn’t they say he was steady in conduct and successful in his career? Why did he look like a recent graduate who just entered the workforce?
Xin Li held her crystal glass by the stem and felt a slight flutter in her heart. Suddenly, she thought that tomorrow’s blind date might not be as unbearable as she had imagined.
Her friend nudged her with her shoulder and teased, “What, you’re interested in him? He is pretty good-looking. Go up and flirt a little?”
Xin Li hadn’t shared that she was going on a blind date tomorrow, so her friend thought she had developed an interest in him and kept urging her.
Xin Li remained silent, taking a sip of her red wine.
He did match her taste…
The party was bustling with people, and the man’s figure quickly disappeared into the crowd. Xin Li didn’t bother to search for him deliberately; after all, she would see him tomorrow, wouldn’t she?
Before long, her friend went elsewhere to seek fun, leaving Xin Li alone in a corner, pouring herself another drink.
However, she couldn’t stay seated for long as a pest appeared by her side—the second son of the Chen family, a renowned playboy in their social circle.
He had always been interested in her. Seeing that she seemed to have had a bit too much to drink, he quickly approached with a glass of wine, uttering some cringey words while encouraging her to keep drinking. It was clear that he intended to make her drunk.
Her friend still hadn’t come back. Unable to endure his pestering anymore, Xin Li placed down her glass and walked away on her high heels.
The knee-length skirt accentuated her slender legs, catching his sight as he followed her.
Xin Li passed through the crowd and exited the party as her heels tapped on the floor, her footsteps slightly unsteady.
Reaching the corner, she stumbled and nearly fell.
“Xiao Li, you’ve had too much to drink. Let me take you back.”
Coming over, he tried to pull her arm into his embrace.
Although Xin Li had too many drinks and her mind was hazy, she still had some basic sense of defense. She pushed his hand away and leaned to the side.
When she looked up, she suddenly caught sight of a slender figure dressed in a white shirt; he appeared pure as snow in the night.
A bright idea struck her; she walked over unsteadily and reached out to grab his arm, almost stumbling into him.
“Why are you here? I’ve been waiting for you for so long,” she said, her tone playful, as if a lover was coquettishly complaining.
The girl, with a flush, caught Xie Yuran off guard. He was momentarily taken aback.
Glancing at Xin Li, then at the man not far away, still uncertain about what was happening, he found himself being pulled to the side.
The second son of the Chen family originally intended to take advantage of her inebriation but abandoned his plan when he saw someone picking her up. After all, the Xin family wasn’t one to mess with.
Xin Li, pulling Xie Yuran along, was unsteady.
After walking a distance away, Xie Yuran glanced back and told her, “He’s gone.”
Xin Li stopped in her tracks, looked in the direction he pointed, released her grip, and turned her gaze back to him. She smiled drunkenly, “Thanks.”
Xie Yuran also smiled and said nothing before turning around to leave.
Xin Li, spoiled since childhood, had an impulsive nature, doing whatever she wanted. Now, having had alcohol, she acted even more unrestrained.
Stumbling forward, she took another step and once again grabbed his arm. “Wait a moment!”
Xie Yuran stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her.
Xin Li held onto his arm and struggled to steady himself before looking up at him with a glimmer in her eyes.
Xie Yuran sensed something in her gaze had subtly changed compared to before. He didn’t rush to pull away and asked with a slight smile. “What?”
He had just come down from the party and had also drunk quite a bit. His eyes looked quite intoxicated, and the youthful aura from earlier had diminished somewhat.
This attitude… Isn’t it a bit too indifferent?
Could it be that she’s not pretty enough?
This dealt a severe blow to Xin Li’s self-esteem. Just as she was about to say something, she suddenly realized he didn’t even know her name. He probably thought she was just a girl trying to hit on him and had a bad first impression, so he was indifferent.
So, she adjusted her smile and introduced herself, “I’m Xin Li.”
Xin Li…
Hearing that name, Xie Yuran’s expression slightly changed, and he looked at her with a renewed impression.
Thinking that he had remembered who she was, Xin Li let go of his arm and stood up straight with some effort, looking at him.
The night breeze brushed her skirt, and she placed her hands behind her back. Her slender legs stood straight, and the corner of her rosy lips slightly curved, resembling a cunning fox.
“I forgot to bring my chauffeur tonight. Can you take me home?”
