A beautiful summer night

"What are you doing sneaking around in front of my door so late at night? Trying to do something to me?" Xie Qiyan stood at the door, one hand in his pocket and the other on the door frame.

This person was sharp-tongued, but Xia Wanzhi was used to it. She curled her lip and said, "Stop thinking like that. Who wants to plot against you?"

She insisted on her innocence and tried to explain: "And where was I acting suspiciously? Did you see anything? Which eye of yours saw it? You're slandering my innocence..."

"Chang Sheng saw it." Xie Qiyan said without changing his expression.

"You disturbed its sleep." Xie Qiyan's tone suggested he was about to take responsibility.

Xia Wanzhi asked, puzzled, "Who?"

Xie Qiyan didn't speak, but opened the door completely. A fat orange cat with its tail standing upright like a telephone pole looked up at Xia Wanzhi and let out a long "meow".

Cats have amazing hearing. The sound of footsteps pacing back and forth at the door attracted its attention, so it stayed there.

After Xie Qiyan noticed this, he came over and observed for a while. When he realized there was a sound, he opened the door.

It turned out there really was a petty thief.

A cowardly thief.

They didn't even dare to knock on the door.

Xia Wanzhi raised an eyebrow: "You actually have a cat."

The King of Hell has this side to him in private.

"What do you want?" Xie Qiyan's tone rose slightly, indicating he was in a good mood.

Xia Wanzhi couldn't resist the sight of the fluffy creature. She squatted down and stroked Changsheng's head. Interacting with pets seemed to bridge the gap between them. Xia Wanzhi replied naturally, her tone light and cheerful: "Have you eaten? My mom wants you to come over for dinner."

It's a very common, everyday sentence.

But Xie Qiyan had never experienced being called to dinner since he was sent to the Xie family when he was five years old.

Only when you have a home will someone call you for dinner.

Seeing that he hadn't said anything, Xia Wanzhi looked up at him with her small face and muttered, "Don't you have any manners? I'm asking you a question."

Xie Qiyan lowered his eyes: "Let's go."

Xia Wanzhi rubbed Changsheng's head and stood up reluctantly.

She has had low blood sugar since childhood, and she would feel dizzy every time she squatted for a long time and stood up. So every time she squatted down and stood up, she would subconsciously lean to the side for support when she was not prepared.

For example, without even thinking, she grabbed Xie Qiyan's arm and stood up.

Xie Qiyan's breathing became slightly rapid.

He was wearing a short-sleeved shirt, and Xia Wanzhi was touching his skin.

The moment her cool fingertips touched his skin, Xie Qiyan felt a slight itch. He could feel the temperature of her fingertips and how soft and delicate her skin was.

After Xia Wanzhi regained her footing, she belatedly realized what she had just done.

The man's arms were strong, with faint blue veins showing.

It feels very good.

Xia Wanzhi unconsciously rubbed her fingertips together.

"What are you looking at? You're a grown man, why are you shy about being touched?" Xia Wanzhi said matter-of-factly.

Xie Qiyan pondered for a moment: "It's not a matter of shyness."

Xia Wanzhi: "???"

Xie Qiyan casually lifted his lazy eyes: "It's my problem that I was taken advantage of."

Xia Wanzhi: "..."

Rolling her eyes helplessly, Xia Wanzhi sighed, "What do you want?"

"Touch it back for me." Xie Qiyan said slowly and seriously.

Xia Wanzhi laughed in exasperation. This person really was something else, never willing to suffer any loss.

"Touch, touch!" Xia Wanzhi stretched out her arm in front of him as if she had been bristling, with an air of "you're dead if you don't touch me."

Xie Qiyan: "..."

With my parents back, I feel so much more confident; all that arrogance and willfulness has returned.

Xie Qiyan looked at her with a calm and composed expression.

The Xia Wanzhi in front of me may be the real Xia Wanzhi after she grows up.

Since it was offered to him, Xie Qiyan decided to take advantage of it. He lazily placed two fingers together under Xia Wanzhi's wrist and weighed it: "Really thin."

Xia Wanzhi pouted, turned around and went to open her own door. As she walked in, she replied to Xie Qiyan's earlier words: "It's about being skinny, you know? Many people pursue being slim."

"You like bones? Then you'd be perfect for tomb raiding." Xie Qiyan walked slowly alongside her. "I don't know if you know the White Bone Demon, but I think you're quite similar to her."

Xia Wanzhi glared at him angrily: "Shut up."

They're getting more and more demanding.

Xie Qiyan's brows relaxed, and he felt inexplicably happy.

When the Xia family went bankrupt, only Old Master Xie was willing to help. Especially after hearing Xia Wanzhi say that the Xie family had taken good care of her during this period, Ms. Ross was very enthusiastic towards Xie Qiyan.

"I remember you were sent abroad when you were a teenager, right? You've grown into such a handsome young man, I almost didn't recognize you." Ms. Ross kept chatting with him.

She is of mixed Chinese and British descent. Although she grew up in England, she is very passionate about Chinese culture. Except for her occasional misunderstandings with idioms, she speaks Chinese fluently better than anyone else.

Xie Qiyan had contact with them a few times when he was a child because of Xia Wanzhi.

They were the only elders who didn't care about his status as an illegitimate child.

"Yes, twelve years old, just came back three months ago." Xie Qiyan answered politely, his usual irritating demeanor gone.

What followed were mostly polite words; the elderly couple kept thanking him for his excellent care of them.

Xia Wanzhi drank two bowls of soup, listening happily, occasionally pursing her lips, but not participating in the conversation, afraid that if she spoke, she would be attacked by Ms. Ross.

The peace had barely begun when, just as she feared, Ms. Ross brought up the next topic: "It's such bad luck that we ended up with that bastard Zhou Yu. He was so attentive to our little Maruko back then. They were childhood sweethearts for over twenty years but never got married. He wasted my Maruko's youth. If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have gotten engaged in the first place. My poor Maruko is all adorable."

Old Xia corrected him from the side: "It means pitiful."

Xia Wanzhi's lips twitched: "..."

"Early detection and early treatment." Xie Qiyan put down his chopsticks and glanced at Xia Wanzhi as he said this.

Xia Wanzhi snorted: "You're saying I'm sick?"

"Why would someone who isn't sick fall for him?" Xie Qiyan raised an eyebrow slightly.

Xia Wanzhi choked and couldn't say a word, so she picked up a chicken leg and took a big bite.

Ms. Ross laughed: "I never expected you two to get along so well now that you're grown up. You were quite a handful when you were little. This girl would definitely fly into a rage if she ran into you."

Xia Wanzhi coughed softly: "Where is it better?"

There were many things Xia Wanzhi didn't tell them, such as Xie Qiyan now being her client, and the harm she suffered at the Zhou family's hands.

Old Xia hadn't said much during the meal, but when he heard this, he frowned and gave Xie Qiyan a look that seemed to carry some hostility.

Xie Qiyan keenly sensed it, but remained calm throughout.

Perhaps Xia Yongqing had no prejudice against him before, but now, the things that happened to the Xie family and what Xie Qiyan did were things that made people tremble with fear.

From a father's perspective, he wouldn't want his daughter to be so close to someone like him.