Xie Lan obediently bid Xie Huai goodnight before turning to leave.
Yet the sound of the door closing behind her didn’t come until much later.
The next morning, Xie Lan saw her father at the dining table—a rare sight. He played the role of a doting parent perfectly, asking her numerous questions about her time abroad.
During her studies overseas, their communication had been sparse. In truth, Xie Ya had been the one who kept in touch with her the most out of the entire family.
That said, Mr. Xie had never shortchanged her materially. Whatever she needed, he provided without hesitation.
While some of her middle-class classmates had to work part-time to cover living expenses, she lived comfortably in a luxury apartment, free from such worries.
Gradually, Xie Lan came to terms with it. Money couldn’t replace love, but it was still far better than having nothing at all.
After their brief moment of warmth, Mr. Xie said to her,
"Rest well today. Tomorrow, the secretary will come to pick you up."
He had called her back this time to participate in a charity project under the Shihui Group’s foundation. Every year, the foundation selected several schools to support, and this year, Xie Lan’s former middle school happened to be one of them.
So, she was brought back to serve as the public face of the event—a mere formality.
During these two years, one major development had taken place—her identity had been "legitimized."
Unlike Xie Ya’s situation, Xie Lan was now officially recognized as an adopted daughter of the Xie family. Her participation in such events was, in a way, an acknowledgment of her status.
This wasn’t just another social gathering. It was a signal, hinting that she might eventually take on a role in the family business.
No one needed to spell it out for her—Xie Lan understood perfectly. That was why she had returned without hesitation.
Hearing her father’s arrangements, she agreed readily, "Alright. I’m meeting a friend for dinner tonight, but I’ll be back afterward."
Mr. Xie only cared about her compliance. Where she went or what she did in the evening didn’t matter, as long as it didn’t interfere with tomorrow’s schedule.
Xie Huai, however, glanced up at her words. Xie Lan hadn’t been back in K City for long—where did she find a friend to dine with?
It felt like an open-book test, with the answer right in front of him.
The incident two years ago hadn’t been a crushing blow, but it had certainly caused him trouble.
Aside from the embarrassment of having his secrets exposed, the settlement negotiations with Zhou Zhuofei had also hit snags.
Rumors spread by competitors had reached his father, who summoned him for a reprimand before stepping in to handle the fallout.
Then, Xie Lan went abroad, Xie Ya transferred schools, and his father’s attitude left Xie Huai sensing a hint of danger. He had no choice but to throw himself into work, leaving no room for distractions.
Months later, he realized how oddly coincidental the whole chain of events had been—but by then, it was too late to dwell on it.
If the matter was settled, there was no point digging up the past.
Still, the thought of Xie Lan staying in contact with Zhou Zhuofei unsettled him. She was like a variable in his life—unpredictable and beyond his control, which instinctively made him wary.
After breakfast, he made a point to remind Xie Lan, "Be careful and come back early."
She replied with the same obedient tone as always, yet something about it felt off to him.
But time was pressing, and he had no chance to dwell on it before leaving for work.
Once the men were gone, Xie Lan happily returned to her room to pick out an outfit for the evening. She spent the entire afternoon preparing before finally heading out with a gift in hand, taking a car to the restaurant where they had agreed to meet.
Upon entering, she gave the hostess Zhou Zhuofei’s phone number. Immediately, a middle-aged man who seemed to be the owner stood up enthusiastically.
"You’re Zhou’s friend, right? Let me take you to your table."
Xie Lan followed him to a private room. The man was exceedingly hospitable, calling for water and making sure everything was perfect before excusing himself.
Clearly, the owner and Zhou Zhuofei were close.
Xie Lan mused to herself—people with good personalities really could make friends anywhere.
Before long, voices drifted in from outside, growing louder until the door swung open. Zhou Zhuofei walked in, chatting and laughing with the owner.
The moment she saw Xie Lan, she gasped in delight.
"Wow! Your hair color looks even better in person than in photos!"
Her familiar tone bridged the two-year gap seamlessly, as if no time had passed at all.
Xie Lan felt no awkwardness or strangeness, greeting her naturally.
"Zhou Zhuofei."
"Long time no see!"
Zhou Zhuofei beamed as she sat beside Xie Lan, showering her with compliments.
"You’ve really grown into yourself—I almost didn’t recognize you!"
The owner excused himself, pausing at the door.
"I’ll have the kitchen start preparing your dishes."
"Thanks, Brother Cao."
"Don’t mention it. Just remind Wang about that thing we discussed last time!"
"Of course, I’ll make sure he remembers."
Xie Lan listened curiously. The name "Wang" sounded familiar.
"Zhou Zhuofei, is that your boyfriend you’re talking about?"
"Yep, that’s Xiao Wang—his full name is Xiao Wang."
"Oh, I see. I never knew his full name before."
"It’s not common to use full names in professional settings. I used to just call him ‘Xiao’ too." Zhou Zhuofei’s eyes crinkled with amusement. "But later, I started calling him something else."
Xie Lan nodded. "I see."
"Anyway, enough about me. Tell me about yourself—how long are you staying this time?"
"My school break is just over a week, but I have to go back to my hometown tomorrow. Once that’s settled, I’ll probably return."
"Really? You’re not staying longer?"
"Being at home…" Xie Lan paused, her tone neutral. "There’s not much to do."
With Xie Ya gone, the Xie household had grown even quieter. After just one night, she already felt out of place. It was better to return and focus on her projects.
"That makes sense. You weren’t at the Xie family home for long anyway—it must feel a bit dull."
Zhou Zhuofei reached out, encircling Xie Lan’s wrist with her thumb and forefinger.
"Your arms are so thin! You should eat more."
Xie Lan laughed. "I actually eat a lot—I just don’t gain weight no matter what."
Zhou Zhuofei sighed enviously.
"I’m so jealous! Back in college, I could eat five meals a day and stay slim. Now, even with three balanced meals, I still put on weight."
Xie Lan quickly reassured her.
"Not at all! You’re not the slightest bit heavy. You look perfect just like this."
"Thanks for the comfort, I think I'm doing okay?" Zhou Zhuofei pinched her own cheek, feeling that it was a bit fleshier than before, but it didn’t matter much.
As long as she liked it.
"Hehe, then eat more later."
However, as their conversation deepened, Zhou Zhuofei quickly noticed the changes in Xie Lan.
From the snippets of daily life Xie Lan shared, she knew Xie Lan was living vibrantly, but she hadn’t expected two years abroad to have accelerated Xie Lan’s growth so rapidly.
While she felt pleased, Zhou Zhuofei also harbored some regret. The transition from immaturity to maturity had happened so swiftly, skipping the in-between stages entirely.
People couldn’t grow backward—once a phase passed, it was gone forever.
For Xie Lan, this was a good thing. But for Zhang Qiaoqiao, perhaps not.
"Do you have any plans after dinner?"
"No."
"Then do you want to come to my place? You can pet the cat in person!"
Xie Lan silently calculated the time and found it manageable, so she readily agreed: "Sure, but I can’t stay long. I’ll need to leave by 10 p.m. I have plans tomorrow."
"No problem, let’s make the most of our time!"
After finishing their meal, Zhou Zhuofei packed the leftovers, settled the bill, exchanged a few pleasantries with the owner, and then pulled Xie Lan out of the restaurant.
"Want to ride in my car?"
"No need." Zhou Zhuofei pulled a set of keys from her bag and jingled them. "You’ve never been in my car, right?"
"Wow, you bought a car too?"
"It’s my boyfriend’s, but sometimes I drive it."
Zhou Zhuofei had always had a driver’s license, but renting made owning a car inconvenient, and she found it bothersome, so she never considered buying one.
But shortly after she started dating Xiao Wang, he upgraded his car and left the old one for Zhou Zhuofei to practice with.
Zhou Zhuofei figured driving wasn’t Xiao Wang’s sole duty—what if an emergency arose and she couldn’t take the wheel?
So she started practicing. It was just a matter of practice makes perfect. The more she drove, the more comfortable she became, and eventually, she and Xiao Wang began taking turns.
Before driving, Zhou Zhuofei sent Xiao Wang a message and also let Xie Lan know he’d be home, so she wouldn’t feel awkward.
"Why would I? Even though I don’t know Secretary Xiao well, anyone dating Sister Zhou must be a good person."
Zhou Zhuofei burst into laughter. "Of course he is!"
She then wrapped an arm around Xie Lan’s shoulders and said warmly, "Come on, let’s go meet this very good man."
The moment they stepped inside, a black-and-white blur darted past them and vanished into a room.
Zhou Zhuofei explained to Xie Lan, "He’s a bit shy around strangers, but he’ll warm up soon."
As if on cue, footsteps approached, and Xiao Wang emerged from the room holding the cat, greeting Xie Lan.
"Miss Xie, long time no see."
Xie Lan’s memory of Xiao Wang was from the night she reunited with Sister Zhou—she only recalled him as kind, always by Zhou Zhuofei’s side.
Even then, she’d sensed something between them. The next time she heard Xiao Wang’s name was from her eldest brother, and later, from Zhou Zhuofei herself, confirming they were dating.
"Hello, Brother Xiao!"
Hearing Xie Lan address Xiao Wang this way made Zhou Zhuofei stifle a laugh, but it made sense—if Xie Lan called her "sister," then "Brother Xiao" was only natural.
Xiao Wang ushered them inside, helped them set up a game, and connected the equipment.
He then brought out a tray of pre-prepared snacks and fruit, saying, "Take your time. I’ll be in my room if you need anything."
"Go ahead."
"Thanks, Brother Xiao."
Before leaving, Xiao Wang instinctively kissed Zhou Zhuofei’s cheek.
At first, Zhou Zhuofei accepted the affectionate gesture without thinking, only remembering Xie Lan’s presence afterward. But then she figured Xie Lan had lived abroad—such things probably weren’t a big deal to her—so she brushed it off and enthusiastically began teaching Xie Lan the game controls.
She’d deliberately picked a casual, visually rich game with low difficulty, focusing more on player cooperation than competition. Even failing would still be fun.
Xie Lan rarely played games—she hadn’t had the chance before, and now she lacked the time. This was her first co-op experience with Zhou Zhuofei, and she found it delightful.
Time slipped by unnoticed until Zhou Zhuofei finally checked the clock.
"It’s almost 10. Don’t you need to head back?"
"Yeah." Though reluctant, Xie Lan thought of her plans for the next day and resisted the temptation to stay longer, pulling out her phone to call her driver.
Zhou Zhuofei reassured her, "Don’t worry, you can come again next time."
As Xie Lan gradually returned to reality, she sighed, voicing her true feelings for the first time since coming back: "Who knows when ‘next time’ will be."
"If we want it, we’ll make it happen. If you can’t come, I’ll visit you. I’ve never been to your area anyway."
"Great! I’ll take you to see the ocean. The coastline there is stunning."
"Deal. We’ll plan it soon."
While waiting for the driver, Zhou Zhuofei started tidying the living room, and Xie Lan pitched in.
Her hands were quicker than Zhou Zhuofei’s—she finished tasks effortlessly.
At that moment, Zhou Zhuofei suddenly thought of Xie Ya. It had been over a year since she last saw him.
The last she’d heard was from Cen Huan during a casual chat.
The two had crossed paths at some event despite their circumstances, and Cen Huan had learned the truth about Xie Ya’s past deception.
Surprisingly, Cen Huan hadn’t been angry.
She had a calm perspective—at least back then, Xie Ya had needed help. Since it was all in the past, she saw no reason to dwell on it.
What happened afterward, Zhou Zhuofei didn’t know. Her contact with Cen Huan was sparse, especially after Cen Huan became a boss’s wife and got swept into endless social obligations—far from Zhou Zhuofei’s simple, everyday life.
"By the way, how’s your second brother? I haven’t heard about him in a while. He must’ve graduated by now, right?"
"Yeah, he has."
Curious, Zhou Zhuofei asked, "Is he joining Shirui too?"
"No." Xie Lan calmly wound up the controller cables and replied, "He ran away from home."
"What?" Zhou Zhuofei’s reaction was louder than expected. "Again?"
Wait, was this in the original story?
Zhou Zhuofei gave up after three seconds of thought. Whatever—she didn’t remember anyway.
"Where’d he go?"
"Country W."
"That far? Why this time? Didn’t want to work at Shirui?"
"No, it's because my dad wanted to arrange a business marriage for him, and he didn’t want to accept it, so he ran away."
"This…" Zhou Zhuofei really didn’t know how to respond to this situation.
After all, it’s the new century now—arranged marriages are definitely outdated, but running away from home doesn’t seem like a permanent solution either.
"So what happened after he ran away?" Zhou Zhuofei could hardly imagine what Xie Ya could do on his own. Back when he stayed at Cen Huan’s place, he even relied on her to take care of him.
Xie Lan shook her head. "I don’t know. He’s probably feeding horses on a farm now."
"Wait…" Zhou Zhuofei sensed something odd. "Do you know something about this?"
Xie Lan looked up at Zhou Zhuofei, her youthful face breaking into a slightly mature smile. "A month ago, he contacted me and said he didn’t want to marry into the Jiang Family. I told him I could help him leave, but he had to think about the consequences."
"If he left, Dad and my eldest brother would definitely trace it back to me, so I couldn’t contact him for a while. Everything would be up to him."
"So you sent him off to a farm?"
"That was his choice. I don’t have enough money to fund a world tour for him, so I just gave him the farm owner’s contact."
"And how did you know this farm owner?"
"He’s a relative of one of my college classmates. We stayed there for a few days during a trip, and they happened to be short on workers."
"Wow, little sister, you’re really something."
Zhou Zhuofei could only marvel. She never expected Xie Lan, who seemed so quiet and reserved, to pull off something this bold.
Though her gut told her this hiding wouldn’t last long, taking this step was already impressive.
"Both you and your brother are incredible, in every sense."
"I’m not sure if he’s really serious about this, but I’ve done all I can. Sister Zhou, you once told me something—when I reach a new height, the problems of the past won’t trouble me anymore. Now I realize how true that is. There’s always a solution to everything. The reason my second brother ended up in this situation is because he was too passive."
Xie Lan glanced at her phone and smiled at Zhou Zhuofei. "The driver’s here. I’ll get going—let’s talk again soon."
"Let me walk you out." Ignoring Xie Lan’s polite refusal, Zhou Zhuofei followed her downstairs. Before Xie Lan got into the car, she gave her a deep hug.
Patting Xie Lan’s back, she said with hopeful warmth, "Go on. Your future holds endless possibilities."
