This chapter is brought to you by Peach, thanks for the ko-fi! ♡ ～(‘▽^人)
Chapter 19 – Wives need to be coaxed (Part 1)
Lu Xi’s talk therapy had an amazing effect. The next morning, when she woke up, she heard the butler say that the rebellious son had gone to school early.
Before leaving, Xie Heng had specifically told the butler to return everything in the garage to his room, as he would no longer sleep in the garage.
“This is the first time Young Master goes to school so early. Don’t worry, Madam. He will definitely come back home on time tonight.”
The butler was overjoyed.
Now, he was completely convinced by Lu Xi. The doubts he had before had completely vanished. He had originally thought she came to break up the family, but after she arrived, Young Master had turned his life around.
Lu Xi was a little surprised.
She had planned to make Xie Heng go to school eventually. She had thought of gently guiding him, and if the rebellious son didn’t listen, she would have to scold or even hit him. She didn’t expect him to be so cooperative.
It seemed that what Zhou Wenyuan said yesterday had still had an effect on him.
Well, it didn’t matter. Lu Xi had done all she could. Even a biological mother couldn’t be with her child all the time; he had to learn to handle his own emotions.
Fortunately, he hadn’t chosen to keep avoiding things.
Her young mother’s heart felt truly relieved.
She thought of the silly goose and told the butler, “Prepare some nutritious late-night snacks for him.”
After dining with him at the same table for some time, she had witnessed the appetite of a young boy at his age. It was truly frightening, especially with his height and all the basketball he played. He ate as if he needed five meals a day.
After breakfast, Lu Xi went to the walk-in closet.
There was something else to be happy about today.
In the evening, Xie Yizhao would take her to attend a party. When Lu Xi heard about it this morning, she was so happy that she almost forgot to sleep.
She was different from Xie Yizhao. She loved attending such gatherings because there were always many beautiful dresses that could only be worn on those occasions.
For the past few days, every time she went out, it was for the rebellious son. Otherwise, she had been stuck at home.
Now that her body had recovered, and she had dealt with Zhou Wenyuan, she was in a much better mood and needed to relax.
She picked through her clothes in the closet, trying on at least twenty pieces. They were all beautiful, and she was confident that she would look stunning in any of them.
But because they were all so nice, it actually made it harder to choose. In the end, she simply had the maid put everything back and chose a dress from a less frequently opened wardrobe.
The young maid was a little confused.
She was responsible for organizing Madam’s closet and had some knowledge of fashion. She knew many brands, but she hadn’t seen this dress before.
But it was incredibly beautiful!
The dress was a soft mother-of-pearl white, with a deep V-neck and high-quality tailoring and coloring. The delicate lacework from the neckline to the hem made it elegant without being overly revealing. The milk-white lining made it look noble and graceful, showing off Lu Xi’s long and slender figure.
Her skin was so fair that it gleamed, and the light-colored dress made her complexion look like snow. She couldn’t help but admire herself in the mirror.
The maid, curious, asked, “What brand is the dress? I’ve never seen it before.”
Lu Xi put on the choker that Xie Yizhao had given her the other day, admiring herself in the mirror as she said, “No brand. I designed it myself.”
The maid was stunned: “Huh? Madam is so talented, she can design her own clothes!”
Lu Xi winked at her. The maid’s astonished look was so cute. “So, what do you think? Not bad, right?”
“Not just ‘not bad.’ Madam looks absolutely stunning in this dress,” the maid said, momentarily at a loss for words. She couldn’t think of a suitable description, and finally, blushing, she added, “Even Master would be totally mesmerized.”
Lu Xi : “…”
What could possibly make someone like Xie Yizhao be mesmerized?
She thought for a moment, a faint smile playing at the corners of her lips. Every movement exuded an indescribable elegance and charm. She raised her hand and lightly tapped the servant’s forehead. “You really don’t understand your Master, do you…”
In the evening, Xie Yizhao’s car waited outside the house. Lu Xi sat in the car, and Xie Yizhao glanced at her briefly, then said calmly, “We’ll go straight to the Ye family.”
Lu Xi nodded, then, as if remembering something, looked at his profile with interest. “Look at me.”
Xie Yizhao paused slightly, his gaze shifting to her face. Seeing her smiling, he asked, somewhat confused, “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Running a fever?”
“…”
Seeing Lu Xi’s strange look, the man put down his work and leaned over, about to check her forehead.
Lu Xi dodged.
Though it was expected, she was still not happy. “Don’t you have anything else to say?”
Xie Yizhao frowned in confusion. “Say what?”
Seeing the bewildered look on his face, Lu Xi almost wanted to be angry but couldn’t help but smile. She turned to look out the window, too lazy to waste words with him.
Her expression was noted by Xie Yizhao, who felt somewhat puzzled. But seeing that she wasn’t unwell, he returned to his work.
Li Xiao, who was acting as both assistant and driver today, had witnessed the whole ‘mistake’ from the front seat and was so nervous that his hands were clenched.
He wanted to remind his boss but couldn’t, wanted to laugh but dared not.
When he saw the cold, expressionless side of Madam’s face, he could clearly tell she was angry! Even someone like him, who had never been in a relationship, could see that. How could Mr. Xie be so clueless?
Indeed, no one is perfect…
Even someone like Mr. Xie, a man who’s successful in the business world, had his weak points. Li Xiao felt he was much better in this area.
Madam is so young and beautiful; he always felt a little worried about Mr. Xie.
Soon, they arrived at the Ye family.
It was said that today was the birthday of the Ye family’s eldest son. Although the Ye family was not as powerful as the Xie family, they were still impressive in their own right. Judging by the lineup of luxury cars parked outside, it was clear that the guests tonight were of high status.
Lu Xi had been to countless events like this. After getting out of the car, she naturally looped her arm around Xie Yizhao’s, while subtly observing the others.
As expected, she recognized many familiar faces.
In the past, Lu Xi was quite the social queen of the wealthy circle. Though they were all superficial relationships, she knew many Young Masters and Ladies. Now, she could still recognize them with just one glance, though they no longer seemed to belong to the same age group. They were all still exquisitely dressed and elegant, but they were clearly no longer in her generation.
Others were also sizing up Lu Xi, with curious eyes from all directions.
Xie Yizhao had always been low-key, but he never made any big announcements about Lu Xi’s return.
But in this circle, there are no secrets, and everyone had heard that Xie Yizhao had brought a fainting woman back from the cruise to be his new wife.
Some didn’t believe it. After his ex-wife passed away, Xie Yizhao had been single for many years. With his calm personality, it didn’t seem like something he would do impulsively.
But once they saw his new wife in person, they understood.
“To think… she looks so much like Lu Xi? It’s as if they were carved from the same mold!”
Everyone who knew Lu Xi was shocked. They gathered together to discuss it, but no one was foolish enough to go up to Xie Yizhao to ask him for confirmation.
That would be crazy. Xie Yizhao had found a woman who looked exactly like his ex-wife. Isn’t this the classic story of the white moonlight and the substitute? Who would go up to confront him about this in front of his new wife? That would be insulting Xie Yizhao.
“Didn’t expect Mr. Xie to be so devoted…”
“Otherwise, he wouldn’t have stayed single for so many years.”
“She’s a bit pitiful, though, being treated as a substitute like that.”
Someone scoffed, “Pitiful? Maybe she knows and is even eager for it. After all, being Mrs. Xie, she’s hit the jackpot…”
Lu Xi could easily guess what they were thinking.
Anyone who knew her would have a lot to talk about at tonight’s banquet.
She had worried before—would her appearance cause trouble? Like in novels, where they’d abduct her for research or something?
One sentence from Xie Yizhao cleared all her doubts.
He said, “You’re my wife. Who would be crazy enough to cause you trouble?”
Lu Xi was suddenly enlightened. That’s right!
So what if they looked alike? There are so many people in the world, and with modern technology, her youthful appearance made it clear that anyone with a bit of common sense wouldn’t think she was the real Lu Xi. If they wanted to gossip, let them. You can’t stop people from talking.
No one stupid enough would come to Xie Yizhao and question her identity.
She was going to have to face people eventually, so she might as well make an appearance tonight.
If anyone doubted her, they could go ahead and doubt it. After all, neither she nor Xie Yizhao would explain anything. Whether she was the ex-wife or the new lover, let them believe what they wanted. She just needed to prove her identity when she renewed her ID card, and it was no one else’s business.
“By the way,” Xie Yizhao paused in his steps. “Your Uncle and Aunt are here tonight too.”
Lu Xi nodded. “They’ve been family friends with the Ye family for years, so of course they’re here.”
Sure enough, not long after, she saw them.
As expected, they both looked completely stunned, their expressions unable to hide their shock.
Lu Xi’s face remained unchanged. She linked arms with Xie Yizhao and walked directly toward the hosts of the evening, the Ye family. As they passed by Lu Yuehua, it was as if they didn’t know them.
Mrs. Lu’s eyes widened in surprise. “Did you see that? That… Could that be Lu Xi?”
Lu Yuehua furrowed his brow. “What nonsense are you talking? Lu Xi’s already… She just looks like her.”
Mrs. Lu thought about it and agreed. The young woman appeared to be in her twenties, so it couldn’t be her. But Mrs. Lu couldn’t help but keep staring—she really did look more and more like Lu Xi.
She quietly grabbed her husband’s arm and whispered, “Looking at it this way, Mr. Xie must still have feelings for our Xiao Xi. About that matter, maybe we should…”
Lu Yuehua sighed. “Let’s wait. No rush.”
Leaning against a big tree gives good shade. When they initially tried to arrange a marriage between Lu Xi and the Xie family, they had high hopes for Xie Yizhao. It was all about forming an alliance to consolidate the Lu family’s wealth.
But Xie Yizhao, as a person, is unpredictable in business, especially after Lu Xi’s death. He didn’t show any special treatment to the Lu family. Even though the two families were in-laws, they didn’t interact much privately.
Even Xie Heng wasn’t close to them.
Xie Yizhao was too deep and unreadable. Lu Yuehua couldn’t see through his thoughts and didn’t want to make any rash moves.
“Don’t you need to greet them?” Xie Yizhao asked in a low voice when he noticed Lu Yuehua and the others.
Lu Xi shook her head. “No need.”
Her Uncle and Aunt hadn’t mistreated her. After all, the money left by her parents was enough for her expenses, but it wasn’t exactly great either.
Growing up in that family, she always knew that she was an outsider.
This time, coming back, she considered it a second life. Life is precious, and she only wanted to spend her time with the people and things she liked.
Xie Yizhao nodded slightly, understanding her meaning, but he still glanced at her with a deep look.
This time back, Lu Xi seemed very different from before. She appeared more mature. Xie Yizhao didn’t know what she had gone through. Was this change good or bad for her?
“Xiao Xi.” Xie Yizhao suddenly called out to her.
Lu Xi raised an eyebrow and winked at him. “What?”
“…” Xie Yizhao froze for a moment. Actually, there was nothing wrong. He just unconsciously called her name.
Suddenly being looked at by her bright eyes made him feel a bit embarrassed.
“It’s nothing, your hair is messy.” Xie Yizhao leaned in and reached out to fix a stray lock of hair near her temple.
Lu Xi : “…”
What was he doing?!
The neatly arranged bangs she had styled were ruined by him!
She was really… speechless.
Lu Xi felt heartbroken, to the point where she didn’t even have the energy to roll her eyes at him, letting out a soft breath instead.
Xie Yizhao lowered his head and saw her beautiful apricot eyes glaring at him coldly, full of grievance and accusation. He paused, “What’s wrong?”
Lu Xi clenched her teeth slightly and muttered under her breath, “Nothing, thank… thank you.”
Assistant Li, who was trailing behind, sensed danger.
—Mr. Xie, you’re in trouble! You made Madam upset again!
No matter how Lu Xi felt, from an outsider’s perspective, this scene was incredibly romantic. The domineering CEO was attending the banquet with his young wife, holding hands intimately and even publicly fixing her hair. When had Xie Yizhao ever shown such a tender side?