Unmatched Chapter 5
byBefore Zhao Shuyi and Xie Qi could come to blows, Secretary Ye appeared just in time to interrupt them.
The two men on the sofa had disheveled clothes, creating a rather ambiguous scene, but the expressions on their faces were far from pleasant.
Ye Zhao didn’t know what had happened and didn’t dare to ask. He only saw Zhao Shuyi, like an irritated large cat, bypass Xie Qi and head upstairs, coldly dropping the command: “See him out!”
“No need to see me out.”
Xie Qi adjusted his cuffs, turned, and walked away. The door slammed shut with a loud bang, and he didn’t look back.
Ye Zhao: “…”
The Marriage Alliance isn’t going to fall through, is it?
How was he supposed to explain this to the Chairman?
The worried Secretary Ye immediately called his superior to report. By the time he finished the call, Zhao Shuyi had already returned to his bedroom. The darkness visible through the door crack indicated that the room’s occupant was asleep.
Ye Zhao noticed that Zhao Shuyi really liked to sleep.
However, liking to sleep and being able to sleep were two different things.
Zhao Shuyi took sleeping pills every day, but not the common varieties. Once, when Ye Zhao was tidying his room, he saw the label on the medicine bottle. Searching the name online yielded no results; it seemed to be a new, unlisted drug, and he didn’t know where Zhao Shuyi had acquired it.
Zhao Shuyi didn’t avoid the topic and offered an explanation: “A friend gave it to me.”
As for what kind of “friend” it was, Ye Zhao found it inappropriate to ask further.
Ye Zhao waited patiently until he woke up to convey the Old Master’s latest instruction:
“The Chairman said he hopes you will give him an answer within three days.”
“Got it.”
Zhao Shuyi sat on the bay window, holding a cup of extra-strong Americano. The medication often left him feeling groggy after waking up; coffee helped refresh him, but its effect was limited.
He had woken up at three in the morning, feeling a sharp sting on the side of his tongue—where Xie Qi had bitten him earlier. The stimulation from the coffee made the sensation subtle.
Zhao Shuyi tried his best to ignore the discomfort and looked out the window.
Fengjing City was a sleepless city; the city center remained brightly lit late into the night. The Chaoyang Group headquarters building across the lake resembled a massive white tower. The silver-white glass curtain walls reflected the street neon into the water, making the lake shimmer like a dream.
The “Chaoyang White Tower” was personally designed by his father, Zhao Huaide, before his death.
Zhao Shuyi didn’t know much about the past. The information relayed to him by the adults might have been kindly embellished. They said: “Your father was a very talented architect.”
Back then, the Chaoyang Group was at its peak, and Zhao Fengli, in his prime, didn’t know how to keep a low profile. He used both his connections and money to purchase a plot of land by Hengfeng Lake, intending to build a skyscraper to serve as the group’s headquarters.
It was a modern tower structure requiring massive investment. Zhao Huaide personally served as the chief engineer for the project, pouring countless efforts into it. It took eight years to complete.
Unfortunately, Zhao Huaide passed away unexpectedly before the building’s completion, never getting to see his dream white tower.
The media described the White Tower as the imperial palace of the Chaoyang Empire, a deliberate display of Zhao Fengli’s astonishing wealth.
However, the old emperor, devastated by the loss of his beloved son, never acted so ostentatiously again.
That year was also a turning point in the group’s destiny.
Zhao Fengli had a strong, rather autocratic personality, but as the group expanded, it became too large to manage effectively. Various internal conflicts began to surface, and many matters were no longer so easy to control.
Most importantly, Zhao Fengli was aging and losing his grip.
His life’s triumphs and failures, along with that outwardly magnificent but internally decaying “White Tower,” crashed down onto Zhao Shuyi’s shoulders like a collapsing mountain.
Even if he considered it for three more days, Zhao Shuyi couldn’t possibly refuse.
—He simply had no choice.
Zhao Shuyi stayed by the window until dawn.
He hadn’t slept for half the night, and neither had Xie Qi. But while Zhao Shuyi was troubled, Xie Qi had spent another night reveling in the nightlife and even posted a moment on social media, as if afraid someone wouldn’t know how happy he was.
Zhao Shuyi suspected he was deliberately trying to provoke him.
After last night’s incident, they could no longer be polite to each other; they had essentially torn off the mask of civility.
Zhao Shuyi also realized that reconciling with Xie Qi was completely unnecessary. His Marriage Arrangement was with Xie Yuran; in the future, he would only be dealing with the sister. Why should he care about her brother’s fate?
Zhao Shuyi had made his decision, but to mourn the imminent end of his single, free life, he decided to enjoy his last three days fully.
On the final day, the afternoon of July 29th, he called Wang Deyang over.
Wang Deyang was a friend Zhao Shuyi had grown up with, a typical Second Generation Elite. In the long-running war between Zhao Shuyi and Xie Qi, he had firmly sided with Zhao Shuyi and never wavered, making him a true loyal friend.
Zhao Shuyi only called him to drink, but unexpectedly, Wang Deyang brought explosive news—
“Xie Qi is also being forced into a Marriage Alliance, have you heard?”
Zhao Shuyi was sitting at the bar, opening a bottle of wine. He paused at the news. “Really?”
“Absolutely true!” Wang Deyang sat beside him, relaying what was probably third-hand gossip. “The identity of the marriage partner is unclear. Everyone outside is guessing it was brokered by his stepmother, and apparently, the conditions aren’t great.”
Zhao Shuyi’s expression froze, and a strange feeling instinctively flashed through him, but he didn’t dwell on the negative because Wang Deyang immediately added: “My mom said it’s the Li Family from Lizhou, the ones who started in real estate. Xie Qi’s stepmother is surnamed Li, so there’s a conflict of interest there. What a pity for my Young Master Qi. Children raised by stepmothers are truly pitiful. His dad doesn’t care at all, sending his own son out to be exploited.”
Wang Deyang said “pitiful,” but his face was alight with the joy of someone watching a good show.
Zhao Shuyi opened the wine cabinet and switched to a bottle of champagne. “I thought he was having such a smooth life. Turns out it’s not so great either.”
“Exactly,” Wang Deyang said. “Some people say it’s not the Li Family, but it’s all the same. Those shabby relatives of his stepmother’s family are either poor or ugly; none of them are presentable.”
The cold champagne went down his throat. Zhao Shuyi gently swirled his glass, his expression relaxing for a rare moment.
This was why people shouldn’t be too gleeful. When Xie Qi came to mock him last night, did he ever think the “boomerang” would strike him? He deserved it.
Zhao Shuyi suddenly felt a strong desire to see Xie Qi’s annoyed expression when he was pressured by his family. Just thinking about it was incredibly stress-relieving.
It turned out that watching your nemesis suffer was truly this satisfying.
Actually, Zhao Shuyi wasn’t so much hostile toward Xie Qi as he was annoyed by him.
If Xie Qi had approached him during their school days and obediently called him “Brother” a couple of times, like Xie Yuran, their grievances would have been resolved long ago.
Zhao Shuyi disliked being suppressed in any relationship, even when facing Zhao Fengli.
But Xie Qi insisted on competing with him in everything, from academic performance to social interactions, and later, overseas studies and work…
Although they had wins and losses and neither achieved unilateral suppression, Xie Qi’s attitude was irritating. He seemed determined to forcefully step on Zhao Shuyi to prove his own success.
Admittedly, the circle was small. Everyone could see which family’s descendant was outstanding. The Zhao and Xie families were prominent targets, watched by countless envious or jealous eyes. Zhao Shuyi and Xie Qi were constantly compared, and the act of praising one while stepping on the other was common.
Hearing too many unpleasant remarks inevitably affected the individuals. Zhao Shuyi felt that Xie Qi’s targeting of him was inseparable from these comparisons.
Of course, the reasons were more complex; their feud was hard to summarize.
Zhao Shuyi thought, they used to compete in academics, socializing, and work ability. Now, could they even compete over their Marriage Arrangement partners? If so, the loser would definitely be Xie Qi.
However, what was Xie Jianhe thinking? Two Marriage Alliances suddenly? Was he aiming for double happiness?
Zhao Shuyi and Wang Deyang enjoyed their drinks and parted ways in the evening.
Before leaving, Wang Deyang heard that his fiancée was Xie Yuran and kindly offered comfort: “She has a good personality and is pretty. If you get along well after marriage, maybe you can be very loving. Wouldn’t that be the best of both worlds?”
Zhao Shuyi was speechless. “You’re thinking too far ahead. I’m not even sure it’s her.”
Wang Deyang was more certain than he was. “It must be her, right? Who else could it be?”
Yes, who else could it be?
Zhao Shuyi was too lazy to ponder it further. He had done enough mental preparation and could now calmly accept this marriage.
—Regardless of the partner.
He called Ye Zhao over. “Secretary Ye, I agree.”
Ye Zhao was delighted and let out a huge sigh of relief. He relayed the information truthfully: “The engagement banquet has been arranged and will take place in half a month.”
Zhao Shuyi was surprised. “That fast?”
It was as if they were afraid he would change his mind.
Unexpectedly, there was something even more urgent—
Ye Zhao: “The Chairman said you should hold the engagement ceremony first, then get the marriage certificate the next day. The formal wedding can be prepared slowly and held grandly in the future.”
Zhao Shuyi: “…”
“Getting the certificate”—that phrase was more jarring than the wedding.
Zhao Shuyi was silent for a long time. For the first time in his life, he surrendered to fate. “Fine.”