Unmatched Chapter 26
byChapter 26 Because of Money
The conversation between Zhao Shuyi and Wang Deyang just now was quiet, and the terrace was far from the dining room. Theoretically, Xie Qi shouldn’t have heard it.
But slightly tipsy from the wine, and too relaxed, Zhao Shuyi was immersed in his boundless good mood and forgot that Xie Qi might walk over.
In short, he was overheard.
Xie Qi’s icy gaze felt substantial, sharply stinging his skin. Zhao Shuyi felt a little awkward and managed to say, “It’s not what you think.”
“Then what is it?”
“…”
Unable to explain, he fell silent.
It was hard to tell if Xie Qi’s expression was one of heartbreak or anger after learning the truth, but he seemed to still hold some expectation for Zhao Shuyi, waiting a full two minutes for the explanation he couldn’t voice.
But Zhao Shuyi couldn’t conjure up a more insincere lie. What could he say? “Actually, I really like you, I was just joking with Wang Deyang”? Xie Qi wasn’t an idiot.
“I’m very sorry you heard that,” Zhao Shuyi said sincerely.
He wanted to say a few comforting words to Xie Qi. Relationships were always like this; as long as the attitude was good and communication was patient, any conflict could be resolved.
But before he could utter the rest of his lines, the bedroom door slammed shut with a bang right in front of him, the door panel nearly hitting his nose. Xie Qi coldly locked him out.
“…”
Zhao Shuyi frowned, standing rooted to the spot, not moving for a long time.
A low pressure emanated from him, but the one at fault had no right to be upset, regardless of how big or small the mistake was.
Zhao Shuyi knew he should proactively knock on the door—that was the correct response—but he still didn’t move.
After about five minutes, faint sounds of tearing objects continuously came from inside the room. Suddenly, the door opened, and Xie Qi reappeared, holding a black trash bag.
Zhao Shuyi instinctively looked at the decorations on the wall. The photos, ribbons, posters, and strings of balloons had all been ripped down, destroyed, punctured, and packed into the trash bag, leaving nothing behind.
Xie Qi’s face was grim. He walked past Zhao Shuyi, crossed the living room, and went downstairs to throw out the trash.
The front door slammed shut with a loud bang.
There was no opportunity for further communication; Xie Qi left and didn’t return.
There were too many fresh flowers in the house. If it weren’t too much trouble to clean up alone, Xie Qi probably would have swept up all the roses scattered on the floor as well.
Zhao Shuyi thought, Xie Qi must have developed some feelings for him, otherwise, he wouldn’t react so strongly.
He probably felt deeply humiliated. He had painstakingly prepared a proposal, only to turn around and hear the other person say he didn’t love him, that it was all fake.
But given Xie Qi’s temperament, even a little affection wasn’t as important as his pride. Zhao Shuyi understood him perfectly; they were both people accustomed to being favored sons of heaven, unwilling to humble themselves.
So, he probably wouldn’t like him for much longer.
Thinking this, Zhao Shuyi went to the bathroom to take a shower.
When he finished showering and returned to the room to rest, Xie Qi still hadn’t come back.
On the bedside table were a pile of gaudily wrapped birthday gifts, likely sent to the house and collected by Xie Qi.
Zhao Shuyi casually unwrapped a few. Coincidentally, they were all expensive watches. As in previous years, everyone lacked originality, only sending costly items.
He didn’t know which one was Qin Zhi’s gift. She had specifically messaged him today to wish him a happy birthday, but Zhao Shuyi hadn’t replied.
Unexpectedly, the fourth gift box he inadvertently opened had “Second Uncle” as the card’s signature. It was difficult to imagine Zhao Huaicheng, after all their conflict, still willing to send a gift to maintain superficial relations.
Zhao Shuyi tossed it into the trash can, then threw the rest of the unopened gifts into the closet. He couldn’t be bothered to open them one by one; his assistant would help him inventory and record them tomorrow.
Overall, today had been quite good.
Although it had “ended badly.”
A perfect ending would have been him and Xie Qi happily going to bed, spending a passionate night, and waking up in each other’s arms to greet the brilliant sunrise of a new day.
Zhao Shuyi couldn’t think of a solution immediately. Whatever he said, the furious Xie Qi probably wouldn’t listen.
And he truly didn’t know what to say anymore.
Apologize, turn over a new leaf, and “start liking him again”? That was too fake; no one would believe it.
Could he negotiate with Xie Qi, suggesting that Xie Qi also adopt an attitude of “mutual respect”? If the young master would calm down, this would naturally be the outcome without negotiation.
Zhao Shuyi pondered aimlessly, took his medicine, and lay down on the bed.
He wanted to wait for Xie Qi to return so they could talk properly, but the medicine took effect faster than Xie Qi came home. His consciousness blurred, and he unknowingly drifted off to sleep.
The next day was Sunday. Zhao Shuyi woke up to find that Xie Qi had not returned all night.
The clock showed a little past eight. Zhao Shuyi got up to eat breakfast.
The housekeeper had already arrived and was cleaning up the birthday celebration trash in the living room. Seeing him awake, she asked with some regret, “What should I do with these flowers?”
“…”
The roses, which were vibrant yesterday, were wilted today, their petals dry and lifeless, about to wither.
Zhao Shuyi bent down and picked up one that was still in passable condition, placing it in the empty vase on the table. He told the housekeeper, “Throw the rest away.”
—They had to be thrown away sooner or later.
Zhao Shuyi didn’t go to the company today, opting to work remotely in the study. He was waiting for Xie Qi, but Xie Qi remained silent all morning.
Little Zhou, his assistant, came by once to help him tally the gifts and showed him a list. Zhao Shuyi wasn’t in the mood to read it carefully, but a quick glance revealed that Xie Qi’s gift was missing.
Aside from that “secret,” Xie Qi wouldn’t fail to give a birthday gift. Since it wasn’t on the list, it meant it had been disposed of with the trash.
Big temper, and decisive.
Zhao Shuyi remained silent. Little Zhou didn’t know what happened last night, but having served Zhao Shuyi for many years, he was adept at reading expressions. Noticing his boss was unhappy, he skillfully offered comfort: “You’ve been under too much pressure lately. How about I find someone to help you relax?”
This was Little Zhou’s usual tactic. He used to handle this kind of work, managing all of Zhao Shuyi’s previous lovers.
But today was different. Zhao Shuyi said, “No need. I forgot to tell you before, but send them away. I don’t plan on contacting them anymore.”
Little Zhou nodded repeatedly, catching on. It was inappropriate to ask too much about his superior’s private life. He efficiently finished his tasks and left.
Zhao Shuyi worked until the afternoon. Around three o’clock, he discovered Xie Qi’s whereabouts.
It wasn’t that Zhao Shuyi found him; a trending news alert popped up on his phone.
The headline was sensational: Ringzhou Princeling Appears in Nightclub After Marriage, Accompanied by Smiling Top Idol.
Zhao Shuyi clicked to view it. The photos were secretly taken by paparazzi last night. The images were somewhat blurry, but Xie Qi was recognizable, so the news wasn’t fabricated.
Xie Qi’s fame online was comparable to a top-tier celebrity. Any news about him quickly trended. Their engagement had also been widely discussed by netizens.
Today was no exception. Related search terms quickly climbed to the top of the hot searches. Netizens, enjoying the drama, gradually shifted the topic from Xie Qi himself to his marriage with Zhao Shuyi.
Some said he was unfaithful to his partner, frequenting nightclubs and getting entangled with actors after getting married.
Others argued it was just a Marriage Alliance, a mutually beneficial arrangement with no real affection, and Zhao Shuyi probably played around too.
Someone even posted a photo of Zhao Shuyi in the hot comments—taken at the Chaoyang Group financial report conference last year. Zhao Shuyi was sitting in the inconspicuous audience section, but due to his special status, attending reporters took a close-up photo for the news article, which later circulated widely.
In the photo, Zhao Shuyi wore a dark suit, exuding an imposing aura, with picturesque features, looking exactly like a movie actor.
The direction of the comments immediately shifted, saying it was a pity they were so well-matched yet lacked affection. Then, someone came out with a rumor, claiming that Zhao Shuyi was also privately promiscuous, playing even wilder games than Prince Xie…
Zhao Shuyi scrolled for a few minutes, frowning deeply.
He truly couldn’t understand why Xie Qi enjoyed putting his private life on the front page for passersby to gawk at. Where was the pleasure in that?
He messaged Little Zhou, asking him to take down the news.
Little Zhou was quick to act, handling the public relations in less than half an hour, deleting the content cleanly across the entire network.
Shortly after the news was removed, the sound of a door opening suddenly came from outside the study—Xie Qi was home.
Zhao Shuyi walked out of the study and greeted him first: “You’re back?”
“…”
Xie Qi was changing his shoes. He glanced up at Zhao Shuyi, then indifferently looked away, putting his leather shoes into the cabinet by the door.
“Where were you last night?” Zhao Shuyi tried to mend the relationship, making small talk.
Xie Qi shuffled into the living room in his slippers, took off his jacket, and tossed it onto the sofa, radiating an aura of cold indifference and impatience. He didn’t answer a single word.
Zhao Shuyi thought that after a night had passed, he should have cooled down. It seemed he had been overly optimistic.
Zhao Shuyi quietly watched Xie Qi for a moment, then walked closer and suddenly hugged his waist from behind.
Xie Qi stiffened. Zhao Shuyi took the opportunity to press down on his arms, turning him around to face him, and affectionately kissed his chin. It was cold; his skin carried the scent of autumn wind.
“Don’t be angry,” Zhao Shuyi whispered. “I am very willing to like you, it’s just that for now… it’s not that deep yet. You have to give me some time.”
He tried hard to give Xie Qi a way to back down, hoping to avoid a meaningless cold war and reconcile quickly.
But Xie Qi didn’t give him face. “Like me or not, who cares?”
“…”
Zhao Shuyi pursed his lips and let go.
Xie Qi said, “I’m not angry. I figured it out today. You were right. Mutual respect is much more reliable than vague love. I was indeed fooled by your enthusiasm recently and got dizzy. But you were absolutely right—it’s hormones at work. I would have been just as dizzy even if the person I was dating wasn’t you.”
Zhao Shuyi remained silent.
Xie Qi continued, “I’m inexperienced and don’t know boundaries. I must have annoyed you by clinging so much, right? It must have been hard for you to play along for so long. I’ll be careful in the future and try to vent these meaningless emotions on others, so as not to trouble you.”
Zhao Shuyi understood: “What do you mean? You want to find someone else?”
Xie Qi stared intently at him, his gaze like judgment: “Do you care?”
“…”
He couldn’t say he didn’t care, but saying he did felt equally false. Xie Qi was aggressive, so Zhao Shuyi had to back down, saying after a long silence, “If that’s what you want, I respect your decision.”
More than just backing down, he turned his head, his chin lowered at a noticeable angle.
The old Zhao Shuyi would never have acted this way. Regardless of whose fault it was, he would have sharply ridiculed Xie Qi, and when his temper flared during an argument, he might even have gotten physical with Xie Qi.
But today, he was so gentle, even submissive.
The reason was obvious, clear for anyone to see: he was indebted to Xie Qi, and with a financial obligation, he couldn’t argue with righteous indignation anymore.
It was because of money.
Just because of money.
Xie Qi abruptly turned around, hiding his expression by turning his back to Zhao Shuyi.
“I really regret it,” Xie Qi suddenly said.
Zhao Shuyi was stunned: “What?”
“Helping you,” Xie Qi dropped the phrase, returned to the bedroom, and slammed the door shut.