Lu Xi was full of question marks upon receiving the news.
Really? That kid was really that fast? It was only mid-morning, and he had already uncovered half the truth?
She chuckled nonchalantly and typed a reply :
[No discussion until you catch the person. Keep it up, I’m waiting for your good news!
[(Cat waving paw).jpg]
Soon enough, good news did arrive.
Her assistant delivered the batch of school uniform sets that the factory had rushed to complete. After a thorough inspection, both she and the assistant found no issues. The stitching, details, and tailoring were all meticulously done. Pleased with the result, she decided to establish a long-term partnership with this factory.
“Oh, right, President Lu,” Wei Ning suddenly recalled something and smiled. “Manager Lin asked me to remind you that you still haven’t given her the studio’s name.”
Without a name, the business license couldn’t be processed, which meant other steps like opening a bank account were also stalled. For now, all transactions had been handled through a personal account.
Lu Xi blinked. Oh, right, she had nearly forgotten about that.
She had been busy with so many things lately that she hadn’t found the time to decide. But the studio name did need to be finalized soon, she ought to feel a bit more urgency about it.
Setting herself a deadline, she responded to Wei Ning decisively, “Give me three days. I’ll have it figured out by then.”
She was the boss, after all. The one paying the bills had the final say. Three days? No problem.
After Wei Ning left, Lu Xi laid out the four newly delivered sets alongside the two previous ones, admiring them one by one.
She narrowed her eyes in satisfaction.
Absolutely stunning!
Of course, the factory’s craftsmanship was excellent, but that was only because her designs were amazing. Lu Xi never held back when it came to self-appreciation. She admired her creations gleefully. It was no exaggeration to say that these clothes were practically her own babies. The more she looked, the more she loved them.
As for that other ‘child’… best not to mention him.
She wondered what exactly he had uncovered.
Lu Xi honestly didn’t have high expectations. It was just a decorative item. If it was lost, she could always buy another one. But since Xie Heng was so determined to find it, she’d let him be. Some parents might worry that investigating something like this would distract their child from studying, but Lu Xi had zero such concerns.
After all, her kid didn’t study. At all.
She was probably what the internet called a ‘free-range’ parent. As long as Xie Heng stayed on the right track, she didn’t feel the need to interfere too much. In fact, when he got up to something impulsive, she often just sat back and enjoyed the show.
Like now, she was genuinely curious to see what he had found.
But Lu Xi had her own things to handle and couldn’t focus on her kid all the time.
For one, she had to finalize the studio’s name.
And also… go on a date with Xie Yizhao.
She hadn’t expected that the punishment she had groggily agreed to in the morning would come into effect so soon. Shortly after lunch, Xie Yizhao called to inform her that he had booked a restaurant for the evening and would pick her up at 5:30.
Lu Xi was a little surprised.
“Tonight?”
It wasn’t that she was unwilling to keep her promise, but Xie Yizhao had just returned from a business trip. The company probably had tons of matters waiting for his decision. It should be a busy time for him. And yet, he was leaving early for this?
Not only that, but now that she thought about it, whenever he wasn’t away on business, he’d been coming home pretty early. Even when he had social engagements, he was usually back by nine.
Even the butler had noticed and mentioned that Master was eating at home more and more often.
Lu Xi immediately ruled out one possibility—Xie Yizhao was not the kind of man who would abandon work just for romance.
Then, a more ridiculous thought popped into her mind.
Could it be that something was wrong with the company? Had business slowed down, forcing this workaholic to turn into a family man?
On the other end of the call, the man chuckled softly and, ever the gentleman, asked, “That’s right. Do you have other plans tonight?”
Lu Xi responded straightforwardly, “Nope, tonight’s fine.”
To be honest, if it were any other man, they’d have to book a date with her at least a week in advance. But he was different, he was her man. Plus, she had already agreed to it in the morning.
Xie Yizhao : “Alright, I’ll pick you up in the evening.”
“Wait a sec.” Before he could hang up, Lu Xi stopped him. “How about I pick you up from the company instead? What do you think?”
She tapped her freshly manicured nails on the table, her eyes glinting with curiosity.
Through the phone, Xie Yizhao couldn’t see her movements or her expression, but he could hear the tone of her voice.
She seemed to be probing for something, her voice carrying a certain lively excitement.
Xie Yizhao’s gaze suddenly darkened.
He thought of their wedding day, at the hotel banquet. At that time, Lu Xi was in the dressing room. When he went to see her, the bridesmaids in the room tactfully stepped out, leaving them alone.
Lu Xi was sitting in front of the vanity mirror, her back to him. When she caught sight of him in the mirror, her eyes instantly sparkled, and she smiled at him before getting up and throwing herself into his arms.
He instinctively reached out to catch her, steadily.
Truthfully, he was a little stunned.
Theirs was a marriage of convenience, without any emotional foundation. Apart from a few necessary meetings after their engagement, they were practically strangers. And every time they met, Lu Xi was always reserved and composed, every action measured, just like the other well-bred heiresses he knew.
The only time she would hold onto him was when they made public appearances together. Other than that, there was no further intimacy.
So when she suddenly threw herself into his arms with such enthusiasm, he was quite surprised.
But they had received their marriage certificate the day before, so they were already legally husband and wife. So Xie Yizhao held her and asked, “Did something happen?”
Lu Xi, still in his embrace, chuckled twice, tilted her face up to look at him with dazzling eyes, and whispered, “I’ll tell you a secret. I had a drink. Make sure to hold me up later, okay?”
Xie Yizhao : “…What did you drink?”
Only then did he catch the faint scent of alcohol on her, so subtle that he wouldn’t have noticed if she hadn’t been this close.
Lu Xi pointed to a cocktail on the table, the kind with such low alcohol content it was practically negligible.
“…”
Xie Yizhao lowered his gaze to look at Lu Xi’s face. Her makeup was light, allowing a soft blush to show through her fair skin, and her eyes were veiled with a slight intoxication.
That was when he realized. His wife had a terrible tolerance for alcohol. Just one drink and she was done.
Throughout the banquet that evening, he stayed by her side almost the entire time. Lu Xi, having had a drink, wasn’t rowdy—just quietly holding onto his arm like an obedient kitten.
Xie Yizhao had grown up with an elite education and understood what marriage meant for someone like him. His father had told him plainly that it was an exchange of interests, a means to solidify social standing.
From what he had observed, marriages in their circle followed the same model.
Since he had agreed to this arrangement, it didn’t really matter which family his wife came from or whether he liked her.
But at that moment, when Lu Xi had smiled and thrown herself into his arms, something had changed.
He often thought of that scene, especially during the years Lu Xi had disappeared.
And there was one thing he could never quite let go of.
That day, when Lu Xi drank—why?
Was she in a bad mood?
Or had she never wanted to marry him in the first place?
After she vanished, Xie Yizhao once thought he would never get an answer. But now that she was back, he had let it go. He didn’t feel the need to ask anymore.
Coming back to the present, Xie Yizhao spoke calmly, “Of course. Let me know before you come, and I’ll have someone pick you up.”
From what he knew of Lu Xi, she wasn’t just coming to pick him up. She probably wanted to take a look around his company, too.
Naturally, he was happy to oblige.
Hearing this, Lu Xi was pleased. This man was truly considerate, he had even saved her the trouble of finding an excuse.
She wasn’t actually worried about her family’s business; with Xie Yizhao backing it, nothing would go wrong. She was just curious. She hadn’t been to the Xie Corporation in over a decade. She wanted to see how things had changed.
“Oh, by the way, since you’re coming over, could you bring a change of clothes for me to change into after getting off work?” Xie Yizhao suddenly asked.
Lu Xi was slightly taken aback. “You want to change?”
“Mm. My work attire feels too formal. I’d like to change into something else, to switch up the mood when going out to dinner with you.”
This was her area of expertise, so she had no objections. She agreed readily and asked what kind of outfit he wanted so she could prepare it accordingly.
Xie Yizhao was silent for a few seconds before speaking in a warm tone.
“I’m having dinner with Madam tonight. Whatever you’d like me to wear, bring that.”