Xie Yunlan froze mid-movement, dumbfounded. “Huh?”
At that moment, the call had already connected, and the excited voice of the old lady came from the other end: “Ah Yuan has someone he likes?! Really?! Who is it?!”
Xie Yunlan snapped out of it and turned to look at Xie Dingyuan with a shocked yet curious gaze—she wanted to know too.
Xie Dingyuan avoided answering and simply said, “Anyway, stop trying to set me up with blind dates.”
With that, he turned to leave.
Xie Yunlan quickly spoke into the phone, “Mom, I’m hanging up for now. I’ll fill you in later.”
Then she caught up to him, grabbed his arm, and pulled him back. “Trying to run off before finishing the conversation? Who taught you that?”
Xie Dingyuan’s scalp tingled.
“Tell me, who’s the girl you like? Do I know her?” Xie Yunlan blocked his way, hands on her hips. Then she tilted her head dramatically. “It is a girl, right? Don’t go surprising me with a guy.”
Xie Dingyuan felt a headache coming on and said helplessly, “Third Sis, I have an experiment this afternoon…”
“That can wait. This’ll only take a minute. After you spill the beans, I won’t stop you from going back—even if you want to experiment until dawn.”
Xie Dingyuan: “…”
“Hard to say? Inconvenient? Or… were you just making it up to fool me and Grandma, and there’s no one at all?”
“…”
Xie Yunlan suddenly widened her eyes, as if struck by a terrible thought. “Little Nine, don’t scare me—is it really a guy? You—you—you… You’re the only male heir in the Xie family! We’re counting on you to carry on the bloodline!”
A vein popped on Xie Dingyuan’s forehead. He gritted his teeth. “Third Sis, stop spouting nonsense!”
“So it’s not? Then why are you being so secretive? Good lord! If Dad hears about this, he’ll break your legs!”
“No. It’s not.”
“Hm?”
“I said—there’s no guy.”
“Then…” Xie Yunlan’s eyes spun. “Who’s the lucky lady?”
Again, Xie Dingyuan didn’t answer.
Third Sis punched him lightly. “Still hiding? What, you think I’ll eat her alive? You little brat, why’s your mouth so d*mn tight?”
Xie Dingyuan didn’t dodge—her punches didn’t hurt anyway.
“Third Sis, it’s not that I don’t want to tell you, it’s just…”
“What is it?”
“…”
“Ugh! You keep starting and stopping—you trying to kill me with suspense?!”
Xie Dingyuan clenched his jaw. “It’s just… I’m not sure how she feels about me. So talking about it now is too soon.”
“What do you mean? The girl doesn’t like you?”
“It’s not that… I don’t know how she feels at all…”
“So basically, Little Nine, you’ve got an unrequited crush?”
A flush rushed up Xie Dingyuan’s cheeks and spread to his ears, turning his whole face red.
He looked awkward—more than that, he looked embarrassed at being exposed so directly.
Between him and Jiang Fuyue, it did seem like he was the only one emotionally invested. She hadn’t shown any interest, hadn’t even noticed.
From start to finish, it had all been a solo act.
That realization made it even harder for Xie Dingyuan to say anything.
Xie Yunlan saw the whole progression of his expressions and couldn’t help but click her tongue in amazement. When had Little Nine ever looked so unsure, so conflicted and wronged, so angry yet helpless?
He was Professor Xie! A man with sky-high standards who looked down on just about everyone.
So who was this mystery woman that could make him look like this? Xie Yunlan had to admit—she was really curious.
“Can’t you give me a hint? Just a tiny one?” She held up her fingers, showing the size of a fingernail.
Xie Dingyuan shook his head firmly. Nope.
“Fine, I won’t ask anything else. Just promise me she’s a girl.”
“I promise.” This time, he didn’t dodge.
Xie Yunlan let out a breath. “Good. The Xie family still has hope.”
Xie Dingyuan: “…”
“So what do I tell Grandma when I get back?”
“Just tell her the truth.”
“She’s definitely going to want to come to Linhuai and meet her future granddaughter-in-law.”
Xie Dingyuan shot her a cold glance. “That’s exactly why I didn’t want to tell you.”
Xie Yunlan’s mouth twitched.
But thinking about it… her loose lips really weren’t cut out for keeping secrets. One question from Grandma and she’d probably spill everything!
“What about this chicken soup then…”
Xie Dingyuan shook his head. “Not drinking it.”
“Alright then.” Xie Yunlan didn’t push. “I brought it over—it’s up to you whether you drink it or not.”
Whether she meant the soup or Zhuang Yawen, it wasn’t clear.
“I’m going back in.”
“Mm, go ahead.” Xie Yunlan waved. “Work hard, and let’s see if you can show Grandma the real deal by New Year’s Eve.”
Truthfully, Xie Dingyuan didn’t dare make that promise—because he didn’t have a shred of confidence!
How did Jiang Fuyue feel about him?
Was it the same as how he felt about her?
What did she think of him?
Would she still hold a grudge over past misunderstandings?
He thought back to their first meeting, when he’d coldly thrown her to the ground… and now he just wanted to slap himself: Serves you right! Couldn’t sit still for five seconds, could you?
…
“Aunt Xie, here.” Zhuang Yawen handed over a bottle of mineral water she’d just bought.
“…Ah? Oh, thank you for the trip.” Xie Yunlan accepted it.
Everyone knew it was just an excuse to get her out of the way, but neither of them said it aloud.
“Where’s Professor Xie? Did he try the soup? How did it taste?”
Meeting her hopeful gaze, Xie Yunlan sighed internally. “Sorry, Yawen. He said he was full and couldn’t drink anymore…”
Zhuang Yawen felt a sinking in her heart but kept a perfect smile. “That’s okay. It’s not good to force soup on a full stomach.”
Xie Yunlan nodded. “You’re thoughtful as always. Bad timing today—we came just after he’d eaten.”
Zhuang Yawen smiled. “Maybe next time. There’ll be plenty more chances.”
Xie Yunlan almost told her there wouldn’t be a next time.
“Let’s go—no point lingering. Want to go shopping? I want to try more of those traditional massages we saw yesterday.”
“Sure,” Zhuang Yawen replied sweetly. But if you looked closely, there was a heaviness in her eyes that didn’t match her tone. “Shall we go now?”
“Mm.”
“What about Professor Xie?” she asked in surprise. “It’s rare to see him. Aren’t you going to stay with him a bit longer?”
Now that was a flawlessly phrased question—not a word about herself, just concern for Aunt Xie.
“He’s busy. We barely exchanged a few sentences before he rushed back to the lab. That’s actually not bad—when he’s really busy, we don’t even get that. Sometimes, we’re just one door apart and can’t even speak.”
“That serious?” Zhuang Yawen was genuinely surprised.
She’d heard from Xie Yunlan before that Xie Dingyuan was busy, but thought it was just an excuse. She hadn’t realized it was the truth.
“What else did you think?” Xie Yunlan sighed. “Being a scientist isn’t easy. The more capable you are, the more responsibility you bear. He’s in that lab all year round—barely comes home. But what can we do? The country needs him, and he’s willing. We can’t stop him… wouldn’t dare try.”
Stop him from doing science?
From participating in dangerous experiments?
One word of discouragement could delay the entire nation’s biochemical defense progress. That Nova virus situation affected billions globally.
Everyone saw only the power, wealth, and prestige behind the name “Xie Dingyuan.” But as his family, they saw the exhaustion, sacrifice, and endless hours.
“That’s why Grandma and I worry. Will he ever find a wife like this? Always buried in the lab—girls don’t just fall from the sky into your lap, you know?”
Xie Yunlan chuckled as she said it.
Zhuang Yawen smiled along, but her mind was racing.
For the first time, she questioned whether such a man—so deeply tied to his country, so far removed from the average family life—was really suited to her?
Could she handle a marriage where her husband was barely ever home?
Could she bear the loneliness, waiting just for him?
Could she raise children practically on her own?
Just thinking about it made her uneasy.
“Aunt Xie, didn’t you want to shop? I’ve got some things to buy too—let’s go.”
Seeing the clarity in her eyes, Xie Yunlan thought: Now this is a smart girl. A shame—she won’t be joining the Xie family after all.
You think I don’t know what’s going on?
Ha—these little tricks, I played them better than anyone in my day.
As they walked away, Zhuang Yawen glanced back at the closed door.
So that was Professor Xie?
Couldn’t even spare her a real look?
She wondered who the poor soul would be that finally tamed this emotionally unavailable man.
