A beautiful summer night

"Do you need to change your shoes?" Xie Qiyan's gaze swept over her bright white feet.

The white slippers she wore made her skin appear even whiter.

It truly is a pampered white rose.

Xia Wanzhi glanced back at him, seemingly lost in thought, and after a moment said dryly, "No need, I don't have any men's slippers here."

Xie Qiyan walked inside with an air of composure.

Watching Xie Qiyan walk effortlessly to the living room sofa and sit down, his composure and nonchalant demeanor made it seem as if he were returning to his own home.

Xia Wanzhi's face was full of confusion.

Who gave him the confidence to act like a host when visiting other people's homes?

"Tea or water?" Xia Wanzhi asked politely, maintaining her hospitality.

The kitchen was open-plan, and Xie Qiyan was sitting directly opposite it. The water dispenser was next to the kitchen, and Xia Wanzhi washed two cups and went over to get water.

Before Xie Qiyan could answer, she had already filled the water container.

The two cups of water were still steaming.

But Xia Wanzhi picked it up and drank it, as if she didn't feel the heat.

"Have some tea." Xie Qiyan's voice was indifferent, and his emotions were even more so.

Xia Wanzhi bit her lip.

Okay, it was intentional.

She had already brought the water over, but he suggested drinking tea instead.

She was just being polite, but he took it seriously?

"Okay, Brother Xie, wait here, I'll brew you a pot." Xia Wanzhi forced a smile and reluctantly went to find tea leaves to brew tea.

If you brew a pot of something with an excessively high concentration, whoever drinks it tonight won't be able to sleep.

After searching for a long time, Xia Wanzhi couldn't find a single packet of tea leaves, only her own health tea.

She was very weak, and from childhood to adulthood, she drank herbal teas and health-preserving teas prescribed by traditional Chinese medicine practitioners almost every day.

The two packets in the drawer were found by Zhu Zi in her moving luggage; she guessed they were prepared for her by Ms. Ross.

Ginseng and wolfberry eight-treasure tea.

A thousand-year-old ginseng.

It looks incredibly nourishing.

Xia Wanzhi opened the medicine packet, poured it all into the kettle, filled it with water, boiled it, and finally poured a large cup and handed it to Xie Qiyan.

It took at least ten minutes to boil a pot of tea.

But he actually managed to sit still.

He is truly a composed and dignified person.

"This is the first time I've brewed tea for someone. If you don't finish this cup, you're disrespecting me." Xia Wanzhi looked him straight in the eye.

Xie Qiyan frowned slightly: "Use a kettle to make tea?"

Xia Wanzhi maintained her smile: "Tea that's been brewed is much more flavorful."

Xie Qiyan pondered for a few seconds.

It's not tea, but it has a faint fragrance. I wonder if it's something that could poison you.

As if to prove that the tea wasn't poisonous, Xia Wanzhi went back and poured herself another cup.

The tea is too hot to drink right now.

The two sat facing each other, looking at each other.

No one looked away first.

"I want to talk to you about the studio." Xia Wanzhi had been sick for a few days and had only just recovered a little. Her voice had been soft all day, but now that the studio was mentioned, her tone softened involuntarily.

Xie Qiyan heard a strange hint of coquetry in his voice.

He lowered his eyes and looked away.

“I know that the Xingyao Building has started construction these past few days, and I am grateful that you have given me a month's extension to move out, but I still say the same thing: I don’t want to leave.”

Xia Wanzhi clenched her fingers, her heart pounding with anxiety as she continued to talk to him: "If you agree, I can pay you double the rent."

"That's no small sum. Are you planning to pay it all at once?" Xie Qiyan scrutinized her.

Xia Wanzhi didn't say anything. After a moment of silence, she gritted her teeth and said, "Okay, then pay it all at once."

"Hand it over now?" Xie Qiyan was clearly pressuring her.

Her fingers, hanging to one side, tightened their grip. Xia Wanzhi pursed her lips, her voice lacking any confidence: "Right now... I have no money."

"Heh." Xie Qiyan laughed out loud.

The fact that he asked that meant he was probably considering whether or not to agree to her request. Xia Wanzhi didn't want to miss this opportunity, so she took a deep breath and said, "I can give you an IOU. You can owe me for now, and I will definitely pay you back three times the amount by next summer at the latest."

If time drags on until next year, Xia's debts will definitely be paid off. In a year, either she or her grandfather will compromise, and when the bank cards are unfrozen, her savings will naturally return.

Even if her secret stash of money doesn't come back, as long as her studio is saved, she can still make money within a year.

"I'm willing to pay ten times the compensation to get rid of you, so what's three times the rent to you?" Xie Qiyan said casually when mentioning the amount, as it meant nothing to him.

Xia Wanzhi gritted her teeth and stared at him with wide eyes. After a few seconds of stalemate, she suddenly released her grip on her palm.

He was clearly not giving her a way out.

Too much bullying.

Even if they dislike each other, that was all in the past. There's no deep-seated hatred between them. Even for the sake of Grandpa Xie or Xie Tan, he's unwilling to back down.

Xia Wanzhi finally understood why everyone said Xie Qiyan was someone you couldn't afford to mess with.

He simply won't be soft-hearted.

"Fine, you can leave now. We'll pretend we never invited you up here tonight." Xia Wanzhi's face turned pale instantly, her chest filled with resentment, showing signs of being overwhelmed with anger. She turned her head away and coughed a few times.

It's one thing for my fiancé to cheat on me.

Now he can't even protect his most treasured studio.

No wonder Grandpa said she would contact him soon.

It turns out that her grandfather had already guessed that she wouldn't be able to hold on.

Xia Wanzhi felt more and more wronged the more she thought about it.

For the first time in her life, she didn't get support from her family, rebelled against them, and couldn't get what she wanted.

A sense of frustration welled up inside her, her nose stung, and she felt extremely uncomfortable.

Her eyelashes were wet with tears welling up in her eyes. She felt wronged and clenched her teeth, but she still couldn't help but let the tears flow freely.

When a person is sick, their vulnerability is magnified infinitely.

Her eyes stung, and large tears rolled down onto the back of her hand.

This wasn't the first time she had shed tears in front of Xie Qiyan.

When they first met as children, Xie Qiyan made her cry by breaking the milk bottle she had given him.

Having already seen her soaking wet and disheveled state last time, Xia Wanzhi had given up on herself and felt that her image was no longer important in front of him.

Xie Qiyan's breathing suddenly became slightly heavier.

He didn't mean to make Xia Wanzhi cry.

Ever since they had a grudge when they were young, she has always held a grudge and targeted him in every way. In the past, she would argue until she won, and even if she didn't win, she would still make it a draw. But now, she admits defeat after only a few words.

The pear blossoms were wet with rain.

Why do people cry more when they grow up than when they were children?

"Did I say I wouldn't agree?" Xie Qiyan's expression remained unchanged, but his tone was more conciliatory than before. "Are you threatening me with your tears by crying like this?"

Xia Wanzhi didn't actually cry out loud; she just shed tears silently.

She didn't know why she was crying so much.

"I invited you up here and offered you tea. Can't you tell I'm begging you?" Her vision was blurred by tears, and she could barely see him clearly.

She previously said she had no relationship with him.

She forgot that she and he couldn't possibly have no connection.

It's clear that you won't let me go, and I won't let you go either, given our friendship.

The friendship between Xie's older brother and Xia's younger sister.

Xie Qiyan laughed in anger: "This is not something you, Xia Wanzhi, would do."

Xia Wanzhi choked up, and after calming herself down, she replied, "I can break my head and bleed, but I can't lose the studio."

"How pathetic." Xie Qiyan scoffed. "What, you don't dislike me anymore?"

"I hate it," Xia Wanzhi replied firmly.

Ke Ren was still wiping away tears, her voice soft and sweet as if she were scolding him.

Or rather, it's like being coquettish.

Xie Qiyan was startled by his own inexplicable overinterpretation, and frowned slightly without saying a word.