Chapter 2
With Song Longsha’s incessant chatter no longer in her ears, Fang Xianxing parked the car on the side of the street, shedding her usual stern demeanor. She leaned back lazily in the driver’s seat, casually scrolling through the contacts on her phone.
In early spring, the bright yet barely warm sunlight filtered through the trees along the road, dappling through the car window and landing on her porcelain-white profile. Within just a few minutes, a diamond-shaped patch of light quietly shifted to the corner of her eye.
Fang Xianxing squinted slightly, tilting her head to avoid it, her fingertips still sliding absentmindedly.
Then, she let out a deep, deep sigh.
It was now 2:10 in the afternoon. Due to some inexplicable emotions, she had abandoned unfinished documents and her babbling younger sister, skipping lunch to set out early.
Clearly, it was a bit too early.
But she merely parked the car two streets away from the Haishi Cultural Relics and Archaeology Research Institute, planning to call Xie Zhi when the agreed-upon time drew closer.
From selecting candidates and mutual discussions to laying everything out and signing agreements, she had always treated Xie Zhi as a partner. So, at the final stage of confirming their marriage, she stuck to her usual way of doing things.
That is, the closer she got to achieving her goal, the less eager she allowed herself to appear.
She had always possessed the patience to wait.
Unfortunately, Song Longsha had ruined her good mood.
It wasn’t that she feared someone would snatch him away. Her long-held belief was that competitors were nothing to fear—defeating them was enough.
As for her indecisive sister, not to mention having only exchanged three sentences with Xie Zhi over years as classmates, how much genuine affection could she have for him? Simply lacking the resolve to oppose the match and waiting in the wings to take over her brother-in-law showed such lack of ambition that Fang Xianxing just… well, never mind. She’d spare her sister some dignity since they were blood-related after all.
What concerned her now was that the Xie Zhi described by her sister didn’t match the one she’d come to know.
A deal was about to be sealed, only for her to suddenly discover that his reputation outside differed from what she’d observed… It couldn’t help but heighten her vigilance.
Even knowing that the aloof and distant Xie Zhi her sister spoke of was from years ago—people change—she couldn’t shake her unease.
Her greatest worry was this: in recent days, had Xie Zhi already grown attached to her, so much so that he’d lost his senses, disregarding all pre- and post-marital property matters, letting her take charge and agreeing to a prenuptial contract that most ordinary men would struggle to accept?
If that were the case, her cold, businesslike presentation of the prenuptial agreement to his face yesterday might have come off as somewhat detestable.
As someone with a strong sense of morality, this possibility left her deeply unsettled.
Fang Xianxing sank deeper into the car seat, her heart heavy with frustration. She lifted her wrist to check her watch—the minute hand was still leisurely pointing at fifteen.
Her frustration mounting, Fang Xianxing finally lost her patience, tossed her phone aside, started the car, and headed toward the institute.
When the institute’s gates came into view, the time was still only 2:17.

She wanted to hit her sister.jpg.
As she silently gritted her teeth, her phone rang—Xie Zhi had called first.
Fang Xianxing hurriedly fumbled to answer, calming her emotions before responding to the gentle inquiry on the other end, soft as a breeze brushing past.
“Yes, I’ve set out. No need—you can come out in twenty minutes.”
Fang Xianxing felt her hand stiffen slightly as she held the phone. After hanging up, she let out another long sigh.
She wanted to hit her sister again.jpg
Fang Xianxing shook her head, suspecting that Song Longsha had thrown her off her rhythm, leaving her mind a little foggy.
It was a woman’s flaw, always imagining that a young man liked her. But how many tales of love at first sight or falling head over heels at a second meeting truly existed?
Three days. Even if Xie Zhi found her agreeable and felt a flicker of interest, it couldn’t be that deep. Her cold, businesslike jab would hurt him for a moment, but he’d gradually come to terms with it.
Fang Xianxing nodded, fully endorsing her own reasoning. Her tightly furrowed brows slowly relaxed as she gripped the steering wheel and looked ahead.
In a fleeting moment, she seemed to see the photo Song Longsha had shown her again—a tall, slender boy standing straight, his jaw slightly raised, his profile like cold white jade. Handsome, yet somewhat distant and unapproachable.
The oversized, bulky blue-and-white school uniform from years ago had been replaced by a white shirt and black trousers that better outlined his frame.
He stood beneath a magnolia tree beside the institute, its sprawling branches holding up translucent white blossoms like lanterns reaching toward him.
Fang Xianxing’s breath caught slightly, and she frowned.
She hadn’t expected him to come out to wait right after the call, making no effort to hide his eagerness—
Being admired by a beautiful young man was always flattering, and she wasn’t immune to it. But that hinged on her not having done anything foolish beforehand.
Fang Xianxing furrowed her brow, her fingers brushing the steering wheel as she hesitated about getting out now.
*
“Xie Zhi, why are you standing here? How can you wear so little in this cold?”
Fang Xianxing was still deliberating when a woman in a trench coat, clutching a stack of files, approached Xie Zhi. As she spoke, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, smiling gently with dimples.
Xie Zhi glanced at her, stepping back half a pace, his tone flat: “Waiting for someone. Li Jie and the others are in Room 403, Building B, waiting for the photos you took.”
“Got it, I’ll head over soon. But who are you waiting for? Describe their features—I’ll help you look.” The woman pretended not to catch his nudge to leave. Seeing Xie Zhi in a simple white shirt, exuding a pure and innocent air, her heart itched. She couldn’t resist a little scheming, craning her neck toward the end of the road.
Acting as if she were helping him look, she edged closer to Xie Zhi, her body deliberately tilting toward him.
As if too focused on searching and losing her balance, she seemed about to fall into him.
Xie Zhi didn’t dodge, even instinctively raising his free right hand.
Catching his subconscious move to steady her from the corner of her eye, the woman’s heart leapt with glee. Half-closing her eyes, she leaned into the fall with a look of enjoyment.
A young researcher fresh out of university, dressed in a white shirt, radiating student-like innocence—pure, easy to tease, intriguing yet somehow dull.
She savored her triumph inwardly.
A cold glint flashed in Xie Zhi’s eyes. Abruptly, he stepped forward, waving at an approaching car. When it didn’t stop and drove past, he took two puzzled steps after it.
“Ouch—”
The woman cried out in pain.
With Xie Zhi stepping away, she lost her support. By the time she reacted, she barely steadied herself, but her high-heeled foot twisted, and she grimaced in agony.
Xie Zhi turned back, startled by her cry, then quickly headed to the guardroom at the institute’s entrance. He spoke to Fan Jie, the security officer emerging from within.
“Fan Jie, Xu Xiaojie twisted her ankle at the gate. The person I’m waiting for is almost here, so could you trouble yourself to notify Section Chief Li in the Ancient Architecture Department?”
“How does someone twist their ankle out of nowhere?”
Fan Jie had already stepped out—claiming she hadn’t seen it would be a lie. A faint disdain crossed her face. If Xiao Xie hadn’t mistaken the car just now, that woman might’ve taken advantage of him.
Trying to take advantage of their institute’s people right at the gate—what an ugly move.
Still, duty called. Fan Jie put on a warm smile and walked over, grabbing the woman—who, despite her injured foot, was still hopping toward Xie Zhi, hoping he’d help her. “Xiao Xie, go handle your business. Leave this to me—don’t worry.”
“Good, thank you, Fan Jie.” Xie Zhi agreed, paying no mind to whatever Xu Xiaojie might say or do next. He walked straight to the other side of the institute, stopping under another magnolia tree. Pulling out his phone, he lit the screen and checked the time.
Seeing it wasn’t time yet, a flicker of impatience passed through his still-chilly eyes. But as his gaze fell on his phone’s wallpaper, the coldness and irritation melted away, softening his expression.
Fang Xianxing felt a little panicked.
By some twist of fate, Xie Zhi was now standing right beside her car—a red luxury vehicle he’d never seen her drive.
Curious to see what Xie Zhi was like outside her view, she watched his every move from start to finish. Up close, through the car window, she witnessed his sharp, icy demeanor soften in an instant. Despite Song Longsha’s prior warning, she was still utterly shocked.
The gentle warmth and considerate care he showed around her were nowhere to be seen. With others, he wasn’t just aloof—he was prickly and calculating.
The car he’d waved at was black, but she usually picked him up in a white one. How could he mistake it?
He was putting on quite an act, unwilling to let himself be taken advantage of.
Someone with a personality like that—how could he so obediently let her mold and shape him without a single complaint?
Did he like her?
Fang Xianxing felt that, in this moment, she was no different from those arrogant women who assumed a man glancing their way meant he wanted to bear their children.
Or perhaps, what she thought was their first meeting wasn’t actually the first time Xie Zhi had known her?

Fang Xianxing’s mind was a mess. Instinctively, she didn’t want Xie Zhi to know she’d seen all this. She pulled back from peering out at him, sat up straight, and after a brief moment of thought, began blinking rapidly. She rubbed her eyes, making herself look as if she’d just woken up.
Once everything was set, Fang Xianxing slowly rolled down the passenger-side window, tilting her head with a warm, faint smile. Her voice carried a slight rasp: “Xie Zhi? Why are you out already?”
The sudden sound of a woman’s voice startled Xie Zhi, making him step back. His brows lowered as he stared blankly at the figure leaning out, rolling down the window.
Their eyes met. Xie Zhi noticed the faint redness at the corners of her eyes, a thin sheen of moisture, and a trace of weariness in her expression, as if she’d just napped.
Fang Xianxing thought to herself that she wasn’t entirely clueless about romance. Xie Zhi’s background and temperament posed no issues, and she didn’t dislike him. If he truly had feelings for her, she could treat him well after marriage. She had no reason to reject a “marry first, love later” arrangement.
As for the cold prenuptial agreement they’d signed, once their bond stabilized and she fully trusted him, she could void it.
With that in mind, Fang Xianxing spoke with a hint of apology: “Sorry, I didn’t expect you to come out so soon. I dozed off on the steering wheel—have you been waiting long?”
Xie Zhi studied her expression carefully for a moment, then tilted his head slightly. His gaze drifted toward the front of the car, glancing at where Xu Xiaojie had twisted her ankle earlier.
“You changed cars?” Moments later, he withdrew his gaze, figuring it didn’t matter if she’d seen. Calmly, he opened the passenger door.
Fang Xianxing straightened up, fastened her seatbelt, and switched the windshield to two-way visibility before turning to him.
Watching him awkwardly scoop up a large bouquet of red roses from the passenger seat, she let out a soft chuckle: “Yes. No matter what, getting married and registering it is a rare big event. It deserves some ceremony.”
With that, she pulled a red velvet square ring box from the car’s storage compartment and handed it to Xie Zhi, who was now seated, holding the flowers, staring down at them with a dazed, silly look.