Chapter 518: Extra: Xie Youchen's Dream Come True (1)

Spring arrived once more.

Taking advantage of the spring holiday, Song Zhizhou returned to the First District from the Central District. After a quick meal at home, he made a beeline for the Xie Family’s estate.

He was fuming, storming inside with a vengeance. The Xie Mansion had been partially renovated early in the year, changing the layout. He wandered around like a headless fly for ages and nearly collided head-on with a servant on their way out.

The servant’s arms were piled high with things. Song Zhizhou stepped aside and asked, “Where’s Xie Youchen?”

“Marshal Xie is in the study,” the servant said.

Song Zhizhou eyed the flowers filling the servant’s arms. “Since when did Xie Youchen get into all this flowery, flamboyant stuff?” he asked, perplexed.

Just as the servant was about to answer, Chen Mi, having heard of his arrival, hurried over.

The moment Song Zhizhou saw Chen Mi, he started complaining loudly, “It’s no use even if Xie Youchen sent you to welcome me! The year before last, he waited until the day before he and Qingli got married to tell me—fine, whatever! But now they’re holding a wedding ceremony! And I, his childhood friend, had to find out by overhearing gossip in a hospital breakroom! Is he even human?! Does he still see me as a brother?!”

Chen Mi waited for him to finish his tirade before saying, “Please don’t be angry, sir. News of the wedding was leaked by the paparazzi. It’s already been contained…”

“What?!” Song Zhizhou grew even angrier. “So if the paparazzi hadn’t leaked it, he just wasn’t planning on telling me at all?!”

Chen Mi smiled placatingly. “Of course not. Your invitation was handwritten by the Marshal and Miss Jiang themselves.”

Hearing this, Song Zhizhou’s anger dissipated by more than half. “Now that’s more like it. I’m going to see how he’s planning this wedding.”

Chen Mi smiled and led Song Zhizhou inside, tactfully omitting the part where he had accidentally stumbled upon Xie Youchen holding Jiang Qingli from behind, guiding her hand as she wrote…

…

When Song Zhizhou arrived at the study, the first thing he saw was a room full of flowers.

All sorts of roses, lilies, and hyacinths were arranged into bouquets and displayed on glass shelves. A planner in a suit stood beside them, chattering on endlessly.

Xie Youchen’s gaze swept over the bouquets one by one. He pointed at one, and a nearby servant came over to remove it.

Only three bouquets remained on the three-tiered shelf.

The young man’s brow furrowed slightly, a rare look of indecision on his face.

The planner suggested, “Marshal Xie, perhaps… you’d like to ask your female master for her opinion?”

Xie Youchen said, “She told me to decide.”

Song Zhizhou felt there was a definite hint of showing off in his words and couldn’t stand it anymore. “Such a poser. You’re an absolute poser. I can’t watch this. I’m leaving.”

“I won’t see you out,” Xie Youchen said without even lifting his eyes.

The sight of Xie Youchen’s triumphant expression was enough to give Song Zhizhou an aneurysm. Gritting his teeth, he squeezed out a few words: “I’m not leaving. I didn’t come looking for you anyway. Where’s Qingli?”

Xie Youchen shot him a look. “What do you want with her?”

Song Zhizhou was speechless at his reaction. “I just said her name and you looked like you wanted to slice me into pieces. You’re such a jealous husband. I have no idea how Qingli puts up with you.”

Xie Youchen couldn’t be bothered with him and picked up a bouquet to compare it with the others.

The study fell silent for a moment.

Song Zhizhou lowered his voice and asked Chen Mi, “I’ve only been gone for three months. Did he develop a case of analysis paralysis?”

Chen Mi chuckled. “The Marshal is personally handling every detail of the wedding with meticulous care.”

Song Zhizhou pursed his lips.

‘How could he not be meticulous?’ he thought. ‘He’s probably been rehearsing this in his head for over a decade.’

If it weren’t for Xie Youchen being paranoid about every little thing and spending nearly two years dealing with the remnants of the families involved in the Twelve Cities incident, they could have gotten married long ago.

It was boring watching this. Utterly bored, Song Zhizhou took a lap around the Xie Mansion. By the time he returned, Xie Youchen had finally chosen the bouquet.

The planner and Chen Mi had both left, leaving Xie Youchen alone in the study.

In the silence, the young man picked up the bouquet from the desk. His long fingers gently stroked a petal, and his thin lips curved into a smile, his eyes shimmering with tenderness and bliss.

Song Zhizhou felt goosebumps break out all over him. ‘Yeah, I should just go home.’

As he walked, his mind drifted back to the day before the two of them went to register their marriage.

He’d gotten the call, checked the calendar five or six times to make sure it wasn’t April 1st, then rushed frantically to the Xie Mansion. He threw open the door to Xie Youchen’s study and demanded loudly, “If you’re getting together with Qingli, what about that girl you were dating online?!”

The door swung open, and the two people standing by the desk turned their heads in unison.

Xie Youchen’s hand was still holding Jiang Qingli’s, guiding her to loosen his tie. Hearing the commotion, he looked up, his gaze as sharp as a blade.

Jiang Qingli raised an eyebrow at Xie Youchen. “Online dating?”

Seeing this scene and knowing his friend’s wretched possessiveness all too well, Song Zhizhou realized in 0.1 seconds that he had made a monumental misunderstanding.

So, the person Xie Youchen had been pining for, the one he claimed he loved but couldn’t have, wasn’t some married woman—it was Jiang Qingli all along!

‘What a secretive bastard.’

He was too mortified to lose face in front of the young lady from a prominent family, so he offered a few awkward explanations before changing the subject. “I always thought there was something between you two, but I never expected you to actually get together! Are you having a wedding? I want a seat at the main table!”

“We’re planning a small lawn wedding, just with family and close friends,” Jiang Qingli said with a smile. “I was worried you wouldn’t have time.”

‘Wait, they’re actually having a wedding?!’

‘I was just running my mouth!’

‘Why does a guy who plays around with his friends’ feelings get to be so damn lucky?!’

As Song Zhizhou neared the garden, he overheard two gardeners discussing how the strawberries Miss Jiang had bought for their Marshal were finally bearing fruit. He once again cursed Xie Youchen’s good fortune in his heart.

The corner of his mouth twitched, and he decided to head home.

He hadn’t taken more than a few steps before he ran into Jiang Qingli, who had just gotten off work.

“Brother Zhizhou, are you here to see Youchen?” Jiang Qingli greeted him with a smile.

Song Zhizhou pursed his lips. “Don’t even start. I just got a face full of PDA from that guy of yours. Time for me to get lost.”

“It’s because you two are so close.” Jiang Qingli took off her suit jacket and rolled up her shirt sleeves, crouching down to pick strawberries from the two rows. “Want to try some? They’re a new variety from the Sixth District, not on the market yet.”

“You’re always the one who knows what to say,” Song Zhizhou said, squatting down to pick them with her. He sighed wistfully. “Time flies. The last time we picked strawberries together was back in elementary school.”

“It does,” Jiang Qingli said with a smile.

Jiang Qingli was currently a senior in college with hardly any classes left. She was serving as the head of Zone A in the First District. The person who previously held her position was now the City Lord of the Second District. Not only did Jiang Qingli have numerous achievements, but her performance in office had also surpassed her predecessor’s.

The City Lord of the First District was getting on in years. Barring any surprises, Jiang Qingli was set to be her successor.

Countless eyes were fixed on that position.

No wonder Xie Youchen had been so low-key after their marriage, always acting like he and Jiang Qingli barely knew each other in public. It led to frequent rumors that their relationship was on the rocks.

The two exchanged a few more pleasantries. Jiang Qingli divided the strawberries into two portions, giving the larger one to Song Zhizhou, and walked him to the door.

Just as Song Zhizhou was about to ask for details about the wedding, Jiang Qingli’s terminal rang. The two words “My Love” flickered on the screen.

Jiang Qingli answered. “I’m with Brother Zhizhou… Okay, I’ll come find you when I’m done. I’ll bring you some strawberries.”

‘You’ve got to be kidding me,’ Song Zhizhou thought. ‘He even has to rush her when she’s just exchanging a few words.’

Song Zhizhou couldn’t take it anymore.

Once Jiang Qingli hung up, Song Zhizhou put on the air of a seasoned veteran and said, “Qingli, listen to your big bro here. Don’t spoil Xie Youchen too much. Give that guy an inch and he’ll take a mile. You’ve got to keep him in line, and I mean really keep him in line!”

Jiang Qingli nodded, looking as though she had taken his advice to heart.

After seeing her guest off, Jiang Qingli carried the strawberries to the bedroom on the top floor.

Xie Youchen had been waiting in the bedroom since she got home. He took the strawberries, set them on the coffee table, then pulled her into his lap. “What did you two talk about?”

Jiang Qingli stroked her chin and said meaningfully, “Brother Zhizhou said I need to keep a tighter rein on you.”

The young man wrapped one arm around her waist. Tilting his head, his thin lips brushed down her cheek to her earlobe as he chuckled softly.

“So, how does Ah Li want to manage me?”