The living room.
The man sitting next to Mrs. Xie was impeccably dressed in a suit, possessing a distinguished aura. Even while seated, he showed no hint of excess weight around his waist, appearing remarkably young. Wen Tingxue couldn't help but steal a few more glances. She couldn't understand; Mrs. Xie was so beautiful, and they seemed like a perfect match in terms of looks and status. Why would he seek affection elsewhere? Were those young girls somehow better than his own wife? She didn't get it, truly didn't.
Noticing Wen Tingxue's gaze, Father Xie turned his head. His sharp eyes lingered on the young girl for a moment, as if appraising her. After a few seconds, Father Xie smiled and spoke warmly, "This must be the daughter of President Wen and Lawyer Yu, right? You're truly beautiful, just like your mother, a true beauty in the making." Father Xie was wealthy and handsome, spoke without airs, and was quite sweet-tongued. Wen Tingxue had to admit he had every qualification to attract women, and many of them at that. However, she still couldn't bring herself to like him. She lowered her gaze and called out coolly, "Hello, Uncle."
"Hello," Father Xie replied with a smile. He then looked down, his face full of paternal affection as he gently stroked his daughter's thin back, coaxing her, "Your mother said you hurt your face. Come, let Dad see. Is it serious?"
Xie Jinyi clearly adored Father Xie. The moment she saw him, she rushed into his arms, her arms encircling him playfully. Her demeanor was one of pure indulgence. Even though Father Xie was engaged in conversation with Wen Tingxue, she remained contentedly in his embrace, offering no complaints. Only when Father Xie lowered his head did she obediently lift her face, allowing her father to better examine the injury on her cheek.
"Tsk." Father Xie lifted his daughter's chin and tenderly stroked the red mark on her right cheek. Although the imprint was no longer distinct, the flushed area on Xie Jinyi's fair skin was stark and jarring. She looked quite pitiable.
"Have you applied medicine?" Father Xie asked. Mrs. Xie quickly interjected, "Not yet. This child insisted you come back to apply it for her. No matter how I persuaded her, she wouldn't listen. You too, you've been away so much lately, and your daughter has missed you terribly." Her tone was still one of complaint, but her expression betrayed no genuine resentment, seeming instead to use this incident to chide Father Xie for his frequent absences. Father Xie cast a displeased glance at her, but with a guest present, he remained silent. He simply instructed a servant, "Go, fetch the ointment. My precious daughter is so beautiful, she mustn't be harmed."
The servant immediately went to get the medicine. Mrs. Xie stepped forward a couple of paces and said softly, "Our daughter has suffered such a great injustice today. You must spend time with her. After applying the medicine, why don't you skip work today?" Mrs. Xie gently clasped her husband's arm, her beautiful face full of expectation. Wen Tingxue suddenly felt she was rather pitiful, much like an unfavored empress in a palace drama, whose efforts to dress up daily failed to capture her husband's attention.
Father Xie subtly removed Mrs. Xie's hand, his smile gentle as he replied, "Let's see. The company is busy." Even with a guest present, he showed her no courtesy. Mrs. Xie's expression stiffened. The hand suspended in mid-air slowly clenched, and then she forced an unnatural smile. "Oh, it's alright. Work is important. Both your daughter and I understand. Will you be back tomorrow then? I bought the fish you like the most." As Mrs. Xie spoke, she subtly gave Xie Jinyi a look, which Wen Tingxue happened to catch. At the same time, she also noticed a fleeting look of annoyance in Xie Jinyi's eyes.
However, she still tilted her head and asked coquettishly, "Daddy, I have a dance competition in a few days. Won't you come back to accompany me? You promised you'd attend the competition with me and present flowers." She wrapped her arms around Father Xie's waist, her gaze fixed on him. She left him no room to refuse, especially with a guest present. Father Xie's expression momentarily soured.
The atmosphere suddenly became tense, and even Wen Tingxue could sense Father Xie's displeasure at being cornered. After a few seconds of silence, Father Xie eventually relented. With a faint smile, he said, "No matter how busy Dad is, it can't compare to his promise to Xiao Yi. Dad will stay with you recently, okay?"
"Okay!" Xie Jinyi joyfully hugged Father Xie, even bouncing a couple of times. Father Xie chuckled helplessly and gently patted her shoulder, saying, "Let's get the medicine applied first, and then Dad will take you to your favorite restaurant for dinner." With that, Father Xie looked at Wen Tingxue and Yu Wenli. The latter reacted quickly and said, "Since that's the case, we won't disturb you any further."
Yu Wenli's refined and elegant voice brought Wen Tingxue back to her senses. The young girl bowed ninety degrees and apologized again. Father Xie smiled and waved his hand, "Ultimately, it's not your fault. Hurry home, so your parents don't worry." He then took the ointment from the servant and said pointedly to Yu Wenli, "Wenli, come over to play more often. Around here, Xiao Yi is closest to you; having you around makes her happy."
While these words seemed innocuous, Wen Tingxue felt an inexplicable discomfort. However, she had no standing to say anything, so she merely lowered her head and fiddled with her hands. To her surprise, Yu Wenli directly declined, "Uncle, you jest. Miss Xie is closer to my sister. I'll bring her over when I have time." Father Xie slapped his forehead and chuckled, "Look at my memory. Tingxue, don't be angry. Uncle is just too busy with work and has a poor memory. I thought it was only half a month ago." Wen Tingxue smiled but said nothing. She wasn't foolish; she understood the implications behind Father Xie's words.
Xie Jinyi's injury was inflicted by Shang Ziqian. And Shang Ziqian was Yu Wenli's enemy. So, in essence, Yu Wenli owed Xie Jinyi. But Yu Wenli wasn't buying it, so Father Xie shifted the conversation to her.
...
Leaving the Xie residence, the young girl remained mostly silent, occasionally kicking at pebbles with her head down. On the quiet path, the only sounds were their rhythmic footsteps and the occasional rolling of a stone. It was all rather somber. Yu Wenli walked behind her with his hands in his pockets, occasionally looking up at the moon obscured by clouds, wondering when the young girl would finally speak.
As they passed a small flower bed, the young girl finally stopped. She turned back, looking at him as if she wanted to say something but couldn't. Her eyes, illuminated by the streetlights, seemed even more captivating. She was practically a rabbit. Yu Wenli chuckled softly, walked up to her, and dotingly pinched her cheek. "What do you want to say? Brother is listening."
"I..." The young girl held a chest full of words, but when she opened her mouth, she dejectedly lowered her head and sighed, "I can't say..." She had promised Yiyi she would keep it a secret. She couldn't break her word. But she truly didn't understand. Did all men act this way? Were the flowers at home never as fragrant as those outside? Or was it just Yiyi's father? She didn't even dare to think if her own father might be like this... Since her return, for over half a month, he had been almost constantly at the company, and he had eaten at home only a handful of times...