Chapter 112: Chapter 11: The Unrecoverable Dress

Zhang Yan didn’t know, nor would he care, about the wild speculations running through the minds of everyone at the banquet.

After all, if they thought he had heaven-defying backing, they weren’t exactly wrong. Wasn’t Brother Tongzi the very definition of heaven? Brother Tongzi was Zhang Yan’s closest confidant and dearest family. Naturally, that fit the description of "a friend." So, honest Zhang Yan was speaking nothing but the absolute truth.

Si Mingcheng had a secondary networking event to attend, but Zhang Yan didn’t need to join him. According to Si Mingcheng, Zhang Yan had revealed just enough tonight; maintaining a proper sense of mystery would yield far better results.

On the drive back to Xia Xiqing’s place, she sat beside him, staring straight ahead with a cool demeanor. From start to finish, she didn’t so much as glance at him. It was hard to tell if this was due to the presence of their young driver—an outsider—or if it was a reaction to Zhang Yan’s rather forward behavior at the banquet.

Zhang Yan noticed her right thumb and index finger unconsciously rubbing together. Clearly, she wasn’t as calm on the inside as her expression suggested. Pensive, he decided not to break the silence.

The car cruised in silence until the young driver, seemingly unable to bear the heavy atmosphere, turned on some soothing music.

In truth, just as Zhang Yan had observed, Xia Xiqing was entirely at a loss right now. On the way to the banquet, they had sat in the back seat in a similarly intimate manner, yet she hadn’t felt anything unusual back then. Now that things had quieted down and they were sharing this confined space once more, the flurry of emotions from the banquet—feelings she hadn’t had the chance to process amid the chaos—began bubbling up, bit by bit.

This was Xia Xiqing’s first time maintaining such close, prolonged contact with a man. They had walked arm in arm beneath the gaze of the crowd, his elbow occasionally brushing against her side. At the time, she hadn’t thought much of it, but now, the memory made her flush with sudden shyness.

Under the watchful eyes of the public, they had fed each other bites of cake. He had even leaned in to eat the cream right off the corner of her lips. The cream at tonight’s banquet had seemed exceptionally sweet.

They had shared a single glass of red wine. He had drunk from exactly where she had sipped, effectively swallowing down the lipstick mark she had left behind. She pursed her lips, the phantom sensation of being kissed thrilling across her mouth.

They had danced under the spotlight, moving together in flawless harmony. Her waist still tingled with the burning heat of his touch, and her palm clearly remembered the firm pressure of his hand holding hers.

Unsure of how to process these overwhelming emotions, Xia Xiqing retreated to her most familiar defense mechanism—a cold, impassive shell. Yet, beneath the surface, those feelings continued to churn in her heart, quietly brewing into something more.

DING.

[Side Quest: Spark Xia Xiqing’s affection for you (Completed)]

[Your debit card account ending in 2447 has received a UnionPay deposit of 1,000,000.00 yuan. Current balance: 5,182,953.10 yuan.]

[Side Quest Updated: Deepen the connection with her and make her secretly fall in love with the host. Reward: 10,000,000 yuan.]

The sudden yet wholly expected system notification chimed. Instinctively, Zhang Yan glanced at the frosty-faced Xia Xiqing beside him. That single glance made her body go rigid, as if her deepest, most heavily guarded secrets had just been laid bare.

Zhang Yan smiled cryptically and withdrew his gaze. Given Xia Xiqing’s personality, pushing any harder right now would only backfire. He didn’t know exactly what was brewing in her mind, but there was no harm in letting it ferment a little longer.

Upon arriving at Cuiquan Spring, the gate opened via Xia Xiqing’s facial recognition. Zhang Yan and the security guard subtly exchanged a knowing look.

"Do you need me to walk you upstairs?"

"No need!"

Zhang Yan took another look at the noticeably tense Xia Xiqing. He wondered why she was so nervous. Was she worried about what he might do if he went up, or was she hiding some secret in her home? He gave a light nod and turned back toward the car.

"Wait, I’m returning this to you."

Surprised, Zhang Yan accepted the shopping bag she had been clutching the entire time. Inside was the evening gown, worth over a hundred thousand yuan. He immediately understood her underlying message. The dress had only been purchased for "work" purposes, and she wasn’t the type to use the occasion to demand expensive gifts. But the catch was... she had literally just taken it off!

Her heart far less tranquil than her facade, Xia Xiqing hurriedly shoved the bag into his hands and spun around to head upstairs.

A profound smile touched Zhang Yan’s lips as he slid back into the rear seat of the Guoya, the freshly worn gown in tow.

"I’ll send you the location. Take me here next."

As the luxury sedan rolled forward, Zhang Yan silently counted the minutes. Sure enough, scarcely ten minutes later, Xia Xiqing’s WeChat avatar popped up with a new message.

[Could you lend me the gown for one more night? I’ll return it to you tomorrow.]

Zhang Yan: [Why? Hasn’t the job already ended?]

[Then remember to wash it when you get back. I forgot to.]

Zhang Yan: [I’m not the one wearing it, so why would I go through the trouble of washing it?]

A long silence ensued.

[Because it’s dirty.]

Zhang Yan: [Where is it dirty? It looks perfectly clean to me, just like new.]

Sitting in her rather sparse, empty living room, Xia Xiqing felt, for the very first time, that Zhang Yan was thoroughly exasperating. The next time she saw him, she absolutely had to get that dress back. The mere thought of Zhang Yan admiring and running his hands over the gown she had just peeled off her body made her feel as though she were still trapped inside it.

An incredibly peculiar emotion welled up from the depths of her heart. She couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was, but she was entirely certain it wasn’t disgust, nor was it any other negative feeling.

Xia Xiqing’s home sharply contradicted the refined persona she maintained in public. There were scarcely any clothes left in her wardrobe—just barely enough for daily wear. None of them were new, indicating it had been a very long time since she had last gone shopping. A single set of cosmetics sat on her vanity, meticulously arranged. Many of the containers were empty, having been painstakingly scraped clean to the very last drop.

There were no designer handbags in sight either, save for the solitary purse Zhang Yan had seen her with earlier. Her jewelry collection was similarly reduced to a single remaining set. Her daily necessities were all generic, discounted supermarket brands, which looked entirely out of place inside such a lavishly decorated apartment.

Aside from the heavy, cumbersome furniture, the home had practically been hollowed out. Moreover, there wasn’t the slightest trace of a second person living there. The mother she had mentioned before was nowhere to be found, and it was a mystery when she had actually left.

Staring out at the desolate house, any lingering happiness and relaxation from the evening completely evaporated. She picked up a stack of documents from her nightstand. The top page, so wrinkled that the print was somewhat blurred, read:

ENFORCEMENT RULING OF THE NANGUAN DISTRICT PEOPLE’S COURT, MENGZHONG CITY

(2024 Execution No. XX)

...

Upon review, it is confirmed that the person subject to enforcement, Xia Yuhe, has failed to fulfill the repayment obligations as agreed. The mortgaged property is located at Room XX, Unit X, No. XX, XX Road, Nanguan District, Mengzhong City. The court hereby issues the following ruling in accordance with the law:

1. The execution of the mortgage right is granted. The aforementioned property shall be auctioned or sold off, with the proceeds used to repay the principal debt, accrued interest, and associated fees;

2. The person subject to enforcement and any other co-owners of the property must vacate and surrender the premises within 10 days of receiving this ruling. Failure to comply within the specified time frame will result in compulsory enforcement by this court according to the law.

...

Xia Xiqing bit her lip as a profound wave of exhaustion and crushing pressure washed over her.

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