Chapter 11 — Staying the Night, Unable to Resist the Pull
The Xie family placed great importance on family traditions.
Though they came from generations of wealth, both Xie Xiangming and Su Jinyue disliked being waited on. On ordinary days, they might leave the cooking to the housekeeper, but for family gatherings like this, they always did everything themselves.
Even Xie Youci helped out in the kitchen.
Chi Yang, on the other hand, had never been the type to step into one. Wanting to keep up the appearance of a loving newlywed couple, she had considered offering a hand.
But Xie Youci was leisurely deboning chicken wings, his movements unhurried and elegant.
Bending slightly toward her ear, he murmured with a teasing curve to his lips,
“In the Xie family, the kitchen has always been a man’s battlefield.”
“Go have some fun. Or eat some fruit.”
He casually tossed another perfectly deboned wing into the bowl.
“Just wait for dinner.”
And so Chi Yang was promptly dragged into the living room by her second aunt-in-law.
The cheerful chatter of gossip buzzed endlessly around her ears.
“I heard the newlyweds’ home was designed by Er’er herself! She’s a real artist, after all.”
“Really? Well, that wild brat A’Ci has always needed a good wife like Er’er to keep him grounded.”
“I didn’t believe it before, but seeing them in person… who would’ve thought their relationship is actually this good?”
“You’re so behind! Haven’t been online lately, have you? The paparazzi caught them together not long ago!”
“Oh my! Drunken flirting and a passionate night together?”
“So it was all true?”
“Doesn’t that mean we’ll be hearing news about a little baby soon?”
“…”
Chi Yang forced a polite smile onto her face.
For the first time in her life, she had absolutely no way to refute those rumors.
All she could do was lower her eyes and pretend to be shy.
“Please stop teasing me about that…”
A muffled laugh escaped from the kitchen.
While peeling garlic, Xie Youci listened to the lively conversation drifting in from the living room.
It was rare to see Chi Yang—the proud little swan—left speechless.
She obviously wanted to deny the rumors, yet couldn’t bring herself to.
The sight was unexpectedly amusing.
Xie Xiangming shot his son a sidelong glance.
“How’s married life?”
“Pretty good.”
Xie Youci’s lips still carried traces of a smile, so entertained by Chi Yang’s predicament that he didn’t notice anything unusual in his father’s expression.
“Is that so?”
Xie Xiangming sounded skeptical.
“Then why can’t I see even the slightest sign that Er’er likes you?”
The smile on Xie Youci’s face froze.
He slowly turned his eyes toward his father and let out a careless chuckle.
“How is that possible?”
The way Chi Yang looked at him was practically irresistible.
Every time their eyes met, he felt himself sinking a little deeper.
Yet Xie Xiangming looked as though he had already seen through everything.
“If you think it’s going well, then it’s going well.”
He shrugged.
“She’s your wife, not mine.”
Besides—
If anyone was going to fall first, it would definitely be his son.
As long as his daughter-in-law wasn’t the one getting hurt, he had no objections.
Xie Youci: “…”
Narrowing his eyes, he stared suspiciously at his father.
But Xie Xiangming had no intention of saying more.
Carrying a plate of stir-fried pork liver, he turned and left the kitchen.
“A’Yue, call everyone to dinner.”
Su Jinyue had been coaxing Chi Yang and the others into eating fruit. Hearing her husband’s voice, she immediately gathered everyone around the dining table.
The atmosphere in the Xie family was exceptionally harmonious.
Xie Xiangming got along wonderfully with Su Jinyue’s side of the family as well.
The entire meal was filled with warmth and laughter.
Chi Yang never felt restricted while eating with the Xies. Everyone took good care of her. No one pressured her to drink.
Only Xie Xiangming kept raising glasses with his brothers-in-law.
It was the first time Chi Yang had experienced such a large family gathering.
Turning toward Xie Youci, she said softly,
“I didn’t expect even an ordinary weeknight dinner at your house to be this lively.”
“Lively?”
Xie Youci looked genuinely surprised.
He had been worried she might find it too noisy.
He hadn’t expected this reaction at all.
But then again, the Chi family and the Xie family were worlds apart.
Chi Yang had been raised by a single mother and carried her mother’s surname.
When she was three, her father—who had married into the family—cheated. Her mother, Chi Qing, threw him out and forced him to leave with nothing.
After that, Chi Yang was raised by her grandmother.
Chi Qing spent most of her time managing the family business and was rarely home.
Even on important holidays like Lunar New Year’s Eve, it had usually been only Chi Yang and her grandmother together.
And now—
Even her grandmother had passed away three years ago from a sudden cerebral hemorrhage.
Holding her teacup, Chi Yang lowered her eyes and took a small sip.
Listening to the cheerful conversations around the table, her eyes curved gently into crescents.
“Our family gatherings are even livelier during the holidays.”
Leaning back in his redwood chair, Xie Youci turned toward her.
“From now on, I’ll bring you home with me.”
Chi Yang paused.
Her fingers tightened slightly around the teacup.
She looked up at him, momentarily caught off guard.
But she quickly turned away with deliberate disdain.
“Who said I want to spend holidays with you?”
Xie Youci merely lifted an eyebrow and let the matter drop.
After a moment, Chi Yang leaned closer and lowered her voice.
“Are we leaving later?”
“Mm.”
He nodded.
“Leaving now would be awkward. I’ll find an opportunity to tell them later.”
Chi Yang nodded in agreement.
But at that moment, Su Jinyue suddenly looked toward her.
“Er’er, why don’t you stay the night?”
Chi Yang blinked.
She had just been discussing leaving, so being singled out so suddenly caught her completely off guard.
“Huh?”
Su Jinyue’s gaze was warm and gentle.
“What is it?”
“Don’t you want to stay at Mom’s house?”
“No—”
Chi Yang denied it instinctively.
The truth was, she had always been spoiled growing up.
With Chi Qing, who rarely paid attention to her, she had long ago learned that acting out or throwing little tantrums was often the only way to get noticed.
But faced with Su Jinyue’s tenderness and genuine concern…
She suddenly didn’t know what to do.
Su Jinyue smiled softly, her eyes curving with warmth.
“Then stay tonight.”
“I specially aired out the blankets for you and A’Ci. I even changed all the sheets and pillowcases.”
Xie Youci frowned.
Crossing one leg over the other, he spoke lazily,
“Mom, I’m taking Er’er back to our place. There aren’t even any spare clothes for her here.”
“How could there not be?”
Su Jinyue shot him a reproachful look.
“I cleaned out half the clothes you never wear from your dressing room to make space. Then I bought plenty of new clothes for Er’er.”
“Outerwear, loungewear, sleepwear, robes—everything.”
Then she turned toward Chi Yang.
“Er’er, doesn’t that sound nice?”
Xie Youci: “…”
He clicked his tongue softly, preparing to come up with another excuse.
But before he could speak, a quiet voice sounded beside him.
“Okay.”
Xie Youci: “…?”
Slowly, he turned his head.
His dark eyes narrowed as he stared at Chi Yang.
But she didn’t dare look back.
Chi Yang had always been good at pinching people where it hurt and winning arguments.
What she couldn’t handle…
was kindness.
Faced with Su Jinyue’s warmth and sincerity, she simply couldn’t refuse.
She didn’t have the heart to.
Pressing her lips together lightly, she looked up at Su Jinyue.
“Mom, I’ll stay tonight.”
Xie Youci lowered his head and rubbed the bridge of his nose twice.
Meanwhile, Su Jinyue beamed with delight.
The surrounding relatives immediately threw the newlyweds teasing, knowing looks.
The dinner gathering soon came to an end.
The leftovers and dishes would be cleaned up later by the housekeeper.
Su Jinyue instructed Xie Youci to take Chi Yang upstairs to rest. The relatives gradually departed, while members of the Su family who had come from Jiangnan for an extended visit were arranged to stay in the guest courtyard.
Just before leaving, the younger aunt slipped something into Chi Yang’s hand.
With a mysterious wink, she whispered,
“Keep this safe. Your mother-in-law definitely didn’t prepare this for you.”
Chi Yang blinked in confusion.
Then she lowered her head and looked at the small package in her hand.
Instantly, her face and neck flushed a brilliant shade of red.
