But what Zhao Zhen said that day was too harsh. Although he was drunk, he criticized him as worthless.
Watching Xie Wang standing by the window instructing his assistant on the procedures, clearly determined to teach the Zhao family a lesson, he felt that his older brother was incredibly cool.
Soon after, Xie Wang came over with a cold face: "Starting today, all your cards are confiscated. Focus on your studies and prepare to go to work at the company."
Xie Lin was on the verge of tears, and almost kowtowed to Xie Wang: "Brother, you're not leaving me even a single card?"
Xie Wang looked at him coldly: "Xie Lin, why do others look down on you? Why do they dare to disregard the Xie family's reputation and give you attitude? What do you think is the reason? Do you really intend to just drift along like this for the rest of your life?"
Xie Lin stammered, "But brother, you have to leave me a card, right? I'll be meeting your childhood sweetheart on your behalf, and there have to be proper etiquette. We'll have to spend money on dates, meetings, and gifts."
Xie Wang sneered: "Speaking of this, I want to tell you something. When you meet him, just politely refuse. Don't be with him."
"Why?" Xie Lin muttered, "Do you look down on me that much?"
Xie Wang's expression grew increasingly grim: "With your current carefree and irresponsible demeanor, aren't you just ruining her life by being with her?"
Xie Lin stood up straight, his voice firm: "Grandpa told me that he's incredibly handsome and gentle, and looks just like his mother. I met Auntie the other day, and I can imagine how good-looking he is. I can't wait to meet him! What if we really like each other and want to give it a try? You're right, brother. From today onwards, I will work even harder, work diligently, and support my family!"
"Wait a minute," Xie Wang frowned in confusion, "the other person is a boy, but don't you like girls?"
Xie Lin held up two fingers: "I'm fine with anything, I'm a sucker for good looks."
Xie Wang was somewhat speechless: "Then you'd better become successful so that you'll be worthy of her."
Xie Lin nodded: "Okay, I'll start working at the company tomorrow."
Xie Wang felt that using the topic of his childhood betrothal to motivate Xie Lin might not be a bad thing, so he decided to give him a chance to improve and instructed him to perform well and enhance his personal temperament, cultivation, and knowledge so that he would be liked by others.
The busy few days are finally over.
Lately, whenever Xie Wang has free time, he opens WeChat to check if Ling Shuangjiang has sent any friend requests.
However, the friend request section has remained empty for a week.
He thought that Ling Shuangjiang might be too busy at home to add him on WeChat. After all, Ling's mother's kesi (silk tapestry) craft required help, and Ling Shuangjiang was probably working too hard.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but regret not having Ling Shuangjiang's contact information; otherwise, he wouldn't be in such a passive position.
"Brother, why are you unhappy?" Xie Lin noticed that Xie Wang had been acting strangely these past two days and asked tentatively, "I heard that you have a CP in the dating reality show, and everyone is shipping the two of you."
"Hmm," Xie Wang replied briefly.
Xie Lin asked again, "Are you unhappy because of him?"
This time, Xie Wang didn't answer, but instead raised his eyes in displeasure: "Go read a book."
"Oh." Xie Lin slunk away. Before leaving, he glanced at Xie Wang, who was frowning in frustration at his phone, and thought he looked exactly like a girl in a relationship who wasn't getting a reply from her boyfriend on WeChat.
Two more days passed. One early morning, Xie Wang finished work and lay in bed, repeatedly opening WeChat, but still found no new friend requests.
He couldn't help but wonder if he had given the wrong WeChat ID, which was why Ling Shuangjiang couldn't add him.
He guessed that his little frost must be very anxious right now, and might even be secretly wiping away tears in bed.
Xie Wang was so anxious and suppressed that he could hardly breathe.
The thought of Ling Shuangjiang being sad made him even sadder.
He felt a little like crying with Ling Shuangjiang.
After several difficult nights, Xie Wang dragged his tired body to work every morning, his mental state was very poor and he was severely sleep-deprived.
In eight years of work, this was the first time he had been so absent-minded.
During high-level meetings, he always had a dark expression, as if everyone owed him money, making everyone afraid to even breathe.
He's been trying to get Ling Shuangjiang to join his WeChat friend requests a lot lately, but there's still no sign of her.
His friends, knowing he had just returned from filming a dating reality show, invited him out for a get-together. He didn't want to accept, but thinking that he had been feeling really down lately and was prone to depression, he figured it would be better to chat with his friends and ease his mind.
So that evening, he drove alone to the club oug.
This is a private club that only serves SVIPs.
In a quiet, secluded, and secure private room, Xie Wang sat in the center, listening listlessly to his friends chatting.
Seeing that Xie Wang seemed listless, Chen Siqi handed him a cigar: "What's wrong? Are you in a bad mood?"
Xie Wang lazily picked it up and lit the lighter with one hand: "Hmm."
Hearing this, the others looked over curiously.
His close friend Xiang Ming asked, "President Xie, you've come back from filming the dating reality show looking like you've lost your soul. Could it be that some little vixen has bewitched you?"
Xie Wang looked at Xiang Ming and suddenly remembered something: "You own an entertainment company, right?"
Xiang Ming nodded: "Yes."
Xie Wang then asked, "Which entertainment company does Ling Shuangjiang belong to? Could you help me find out and get his contact information from his agent?"
During the dating reality show, the name Ling Shuangjiang had already become a household name in the elite circles of Bintan City. Even those celebrities who didn't care about gossip media had heard of her.
Rumors are circulating that the chairman of Xie's Hengtai is getting along very well with a handsome young man while filming a dating reality show, and they even have plans to get married.
Therefore, when Xiang Ming heard the name, he just smiled meaningfully and then started sending WeChat messages to the boss of Jiahe Film Industry, where Ling Shuangjiang worked, asking for Ling Shuangjiang's WeChat ID.
Xie Wang stared at him, his tone serious: "Be more polite."
Seeing his fondness for the house and its inhabitants, Xiang Ming rolled his eyes: "You actually know how to write the word 'polite'? I heard you raided the entire Zhao family's building on Tianjie Street yesterday?"
Xie Wang looked displeased: "He bullied my brother, so I'm just returning the favor."
Xiang Ming chuckled and forwarded Ling Shuangjiang's WeChat message to Xie Wang: "After recording a dating reality show for half a day, I still can't get her WeChat ID. I don't know what to say to praise you."
In the friend request notes section, Xie Wang carefully wrote "I am Xie Wang, please accept my request" and then looked up to explain: "In this dating reality show, adding contact information privately is not allowed."
Xiang Ming was speechless: "Oh, you really are a law-abiding citizen."
“That’s natural,” Xie Wang said. “I always have been.”
Chen Siqi observed Xie Wang's every move and asked him in a low voice, "You don't actually like that minor celebrity, do you?"
"A minor celebrity?" Xie Wang looked displeased. "I don't like that title. He has his own name."
Chen Siqi paused for a moment: "You're quite protective of your own."
After adding Ling Shuangjiang on WeChat, Xie Wang was in a good mood. He had a couple of drinks with his friends and then went home to rest.
After taking a shower, he lay in bed, staring at his phone without moving.
It's 10 p.m. now, Ling Shuangjiang should be asleep. Even if he goes through his friend, it won't be until the next morning.
He comforted himself with this thought, and finally slept soundly that night.
But the next day, WeChat still didn't respond.
The third day, the fourth day...
The lack of response to the WeChat messages made Xie Wang feel that Ling Shuangjiang's company boss was ignoring him.
He even considered going to Ling Shuangjiang's hometown to find him and ask him why he hadn't added him as a friend, and whether he had forgotten about him.
But he still has a lot of work to do and he really can't spare the time.
And so, the matter dragged on until the end of October, when the weather gradually turned cooler.
That afternoon, Ling Shuangjiang appeared in the airport terminal of Bintan City, wearing a light blue trench coat.
It has been a month since the dating reality show ended. During this time, Li Man has selected many high-quality resources for him, waiting for him to return and make contact.
He had originally planned to meet Li Man next Sunday, but he wanted to come earlier to find a place to rent, so he arrived a week earlier than expected.
Life was peaceful for the past month. Apart from a few friend requests from fellow artists in the same company, there were no other messages on WeChat.
It would be a lie to say he didn't miss Xie Wang. Almost every night before he went to sleep, his mind was filled with memories of Lian Zong.
Standing on the fourth floor, he looked at the iconic World Trade Center in Bintan City in the distance and smiled.
I don't know if Xie Wangxiang wants him or not.
The suitcase was heavy, and Ling Shuangjiang pushed it slowly, intending to take the elevator. The airport was newly built last year, and its central suspended design gave it a modern feel.
Standing on the fourth floor, you can see the people on the floors below without having to bend down.
As Ling Shuangjiang was about to turn left according to the sign, he glanced down casually and bumped into a familiar figure across two flights of stairs.
At that moment, his heart skipped a beat.
In the second-floor lobby, Xie Wang walked briskly in the center, accompanied by many formally dressed people with solemn and serious expressions.
Xie Wang has lost a lot of weight, with a prominent nose and brow bone, and clear facial features... When he is silent, his temperament appears even colder and more aloof, just like when he first participated in the dating reality show.
He wasn't wearing a suit, just a black jacket and slim-fitting trousers that hugged his long legs. Every step he took was powerful and steady, exuding a confident maturity.
Ling Shuangjiang gripped her suitcase tightly, her gaze following him intently.
This Xie Wang was somewhat different from the one he remembered. But he wasn't unfamiliar with him.
After glancing at him twice, he noticed that Xie Wang was accompanied by a young man who looked to be around twenty years old.
The young man wore a fitted white trench coat, a sweet smile always playing on his lips, and he would occasionally smile at Xie Wang.
Ling Shuangjiang was unaware of the relationship between the two.
They could be business partners or friends.
But the handsome young man had a gentle demeanor and fair skin.
Xie Wang seemed to be dealing with something when he suddenly stopped and looked down at his phone. After a few seconds, he raised his irritated eyebrows and looked displeased.
What Xie Wang was troubled about, Ling Shuangjiang had no idea.
But he felt that now was not the time for the two of them to meet.
After a few seconds of thought, Ling Shuangjiang slowly withdrew her gaze and quickly walked away in the opposite direction.
He had imagined their meeting countless times, but he never expected it to be like this.
We'll probably have to wait a while longer.
After sitting on the bench for ten minutes, Ling Shuangjiang estimated the time and prepared to take the elevator down.
Just then, Lin Yinci sent him a WeChat message. As he walked and looked up, a pair of leather shoes suddenly appeared around the corner.
Xie Wang walked up to him, followed by the same people from before, including the young man.
Xie Wang looked at him, his expression no longer gentle as usual, but rather more complicated and solemn.