Epilogue 5: Xin Li & Xie Yuran
The shadows of the trees cast upon them, and an ambiguous atmosphere quietly emerged in the night breeze.
Xie Yuran felt the softness of her waist in his palm, and the faint fragrance on the girl subtly stirred something.
Xin Li looked up and smiled at him. Before Xie Yuran could respond, a familiar voice suddenly sounded from behind…
“Xiao Li!”
Xin Li turned around at the sound of the voice. Her brother, who knew when, had also come out and was standing nearby, looking displeased with a slight frown.
Xin Li had no choice but to let go, freeing herself from Xie Yuran’s embrace. Before letting go, she winked at him and whispered, “Whether we’re suitable or not, you’ll only know after trying.”
After saying that, she quickly turned around and walked toward Xin Yu, leaving behind a slender figure.
“Ge.”
Approaching Xin Yu’s side, she smiled cajolingly.
Xin Yu glanced at Xie Yuran before shifting his gaze back to her. “Didn’t I tell you? Mom and Dad won’t approve.”
Xin Li raised her chin, looking nonchalant. “Won’t it be fine if you just don’t tell them?”
Xin Yu neither agreed nor disagreed.
Xin Li blinked her eyes. “Ge, you won’t sell me out, right?”
She clung to his arm and said, using a soft and sweet tone, “Ge… is the best brother in the world…”
Unable to resist her, Xin Yu sighed before saying, “Fine, fine. Just have a boundary.”
Xin Li immediately beamed, “Got it!”
Xin Yu ruffled her hair with a smile.
After watching the two of them walk away, Xie Yuran emerged from the shadows after a long while.
……
That night, when she returned to her place, Xin Li held her phone, contemplating whether to send a message to Xie Yuran.
After typing and deleting for a while, she decided not to be too enthusiastic at this stage to maintain the upper hand.
She closed her phone and lay back on her bed, smiling while clutching onto her blanket as she recalled Xie Yuran’s expression at the end.
It wasn’t until the next evening that Xin Li finally sent a message to Xie Yuran. The content was pretty casual, just a snapshot of the sunset outside her window.
Xin Li: “……..”
Xin Li: “Did you have dinner yet?”
Xie Yuran didn’t ignore her, and after a moment, he replied succinctly, “Just ate.”
Short and to the point.
Xin Li, originally intending to trick him into suggesting to have dinner together, felt a bit disappointed upon seeing his response, so she just asked, “Alone?”
Xie Yuran: “No.”
Xin Li continued to ask, “With whom?”
Xie Yuran: “My brother.”
Xin Li: “…….”
Can’t he type a few more words?
Xin Li rolled her eyes and sent over a pitiful emoji.
Xin Li: “I still haven’t eaten.”
Xie Yuran: “Why haven’t you eaten?”
Xin Li: “My foot hurts, so I don’t have an appetite.”
Without waiting for his response, she quickly added another message.
Xin Li: “If you bring food over, maybe I’ll have an appetite then.”
Meanwhile, Xie Yuran was in the midst of discussing matters with Xie Baiyan and Xie Shuo. Xie Baiyan said something and noticed that Xie Yuran seemed absent-minded. He couldn’t help but ask, “Xiao Ran?”
Xie Yuran placed his phone aside and looked up.
Xie Baiyan said a few more things before ending the conversation. As he was about to leave, he thought of something and suddenly asked Xie Shuo, “A’Shuo, are you still in contact with the lady from the Xin family?”
Xie Yuran’s expression froze slightly.
Xie Shuo replied indifferently, “No.”
Seeing his expression, Xie Baiyan knew that he couldn’t say anything to him, so he just turned and walked away.
Xie Yuran glanced at Xie Shuo before picking up his phone again.
……
Lying on the sofa, Xin Li eagerly held her phone, waiting for a response. After waiting for a while without a reply from him, she felt a bit frustrated. What’s wrong with him?
He just vanished as we were chatting!
Even if he doesn’t wanna bring food over, did he have to ignore my message?
She sat up and tossed her phone aside, irked. Then, she got up and went to the fridge to grab a bowl of pre-cut fruit. She stuffed the fruit into her mouth unhappily as she played a drama.
Tonight, she indeed wasn’t hungry, and she had no intention of eating dinner.
As dusk descended and the light dimmed outside the window, the doorbell suddenly rang half an hour later.
Hearing the sound, Xin Li was puzzled before her heart skipped a beat. Could it be that he really came over?
She put down what she was holding and hurriedly put on her slippers.
As soon as she opened the door, her smile faded slightly—it wasn’t Xie Yuran, but a delivery person.
“Hello, your dinner order.”
“…….”
Alright, he didn’t come, but ordering dinner for her could still be considered passable.
Xin Li consoled herself silently before cheering up again. She took the takeout back inside.
Before picking up her chopsticks, she arranged the food on the table and took a picture to send to Xie Yuran, expressing her thanks.
After a long while, Xie Yuran replied with, “Enjoy your meal.”
Xin Li responded with a smiling emoji.
It seemed that he did have some feelings toward her.
In the following days, Xin Li occasionally sent messages to Xie Yuran, flirting with him. Her days passed by leisurely and carefree.
……
However, these leisurely days didn’t last long. A few days later, her brother visited again, conveying Mrs. Xu Wanqin’s order for her to return home and prepare for a soiree.
“Mom and Dad said if you don’t come back, they’ll freeze your card.”
Upon hearing this, Xin Li’s rebellious side emerged, and she retorted, “Let them freeze it! Even if I don’t have their money, I won’t starve to death!”
She had opened a clothing brand with a classmate at the end of last year. Though she didn’t pay much attention to it, she could still support herself.
Xin Yu glanced at her and said calmly, “The soiree is hosted by the Xie family. Are you sure you won’t go?”
The Xie family?
Wouldn’t that mean Xie Yuran would also be there?
Xin Li immediately changed her mind and cleared her throat, saying, “Well, since you came all the way to invite me, I’ll give you face and reluctantly attend.”
“……..”
Xin Yu naturally knew what she was thinking and reminded her, “Mom will be there too. Be careful.”
Xin Li winked at him and smiled mischievously. “Got it.”
Xin Li quickly packed her things to go home. Most of her clothes and purses were at home. If she didn’t go back, attending the soiree would only lead to embarrassment.
No matter what, the prestige of Miss Xin must not be compromised.
As soon as she arrived home, Xu Wanqin started lecturing her.
This time, Xin Li didn’t argue with her. She listened to the nagging as if it were a passing breeze, smiling throughout.
The reason Xu Wanqin was so anxious to force her to attend the Xie family’s soiree was undoubtedly because of Xie Shuo.
Unfortunately, on the night of the soiree, Xie Shuo didn’t even show up. No one knew where he went.
On the other hand, Xin Li was delighted. She comforted the disappointed Xu Wanqin with a few words and discreetly slipped away.
Inside the venue, amidst the myriad of perfumes and conversations, Xin Li searched for a while before finally spotting Xie Yuran in the crowd. He was beside Xie Baiyan, engaging in conversation with others.
Xin Li made her way through the crowd, slowly moving toward them. While walking, she glanced back at Xu Wanqin. Seeing that she hadn’t noticed her, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Approaching Xie Baiyan, she politely greeted him before turning her gaze to Xie Yuran. She gave him a meaningful look while smiling.
Xie Yuran glanced at her but remained indifferent.
Xin Li didn’t linger. As she walked past him, she gently tugged at his sleeve.
Xie Yuran turned his head and caught a glimpse of her subtle eye smile, dazzling under the lights.
Xin Li walked away on her high heels and found a seat in the closest spot to him. She sat down, observing him through the crowd. Her foot injury had just healed, so it wasn’t good for her to walk too much.
While glancing at him occasionally, she listened to her girlfriends gossiping, occasionally adding a comment or two.
After some time passed, Xie Yuran suddenly turned around and walked toward the outside of the venue.
Seeing this, Xin Li hesitated for a moment before setting down the plate of fruit she was holding and quietly followed him.
……
The corridor outside the soiree was carpeted thickly, muffling the footsteps, and the lighting was dimmer than inside the venue.
On both sides of the corridor were lounges designated for rest. Xie Yuran opened the door to one of these lounges, entered, and turned on the lights.
As he was about to close the door behind him, Xin Li hurriedly approached and squeezed in.
Due to her hurry, she bumped into his back, and her foot twisted, almost causing another sprain.
Instinctively, she hugged onto his waist, her face pressed against his back through the fabric of his suit.
Xie Yuran paused before turning around and meeting a pretty face with a hint of drunken blush.
After steadying herself using him, Xin Li let go of his waist. She smiled brightly, her eyes glittering like stars.
Xie Yuran closed the door with his hand and asked, “Why did you follow me?”
Taking a few steps back, Xin Li leaned against a nearby cabinet. Lifting the foot she had injured before, she tilted her head to look at him. “I came to get your answer from last time.”
The light illuminated the girl’s beauty, making her bright eyes sparkle with a captivating charm.
Xie Yuran looked at her silently.
Perhaps only a pampered and loved heiress like her could have such an unrestrained and willful character.
He chuckled, turning around and loosening his tie.
Catching a glimpse of his enigmatic smile, Xin Li felt inexplicably annoyed. She raised her chin and asked, “What are you laughing about?”
Loosening his tie, Xie Yuran turned to her and counter-questioned, “What do you like about me?”
