Chapter 51: Laying It All on the Table

As the date for the driver's license exam drew closer, Lin Yiwei's departure abroad was also approaching. She could clearly feel Xie Bo's insatiable desire for her lately; almost every day, he demanded her, time and time again.

Lin Yiwei was an extremely sensitive girl, capable of perceiving the subtlest changes in her surroundings.

She sensed that Xie Bo was no longer simply pursuing pleasure and gratification. In every lingering embrace and intimate moment pressed cheek to cheek, Lin Yiwei could feel that he was bidding her farewell.

A reluctant farewell.

To be honest, Lin Yiwei would rather Xie Bo sought only physical pleasure from her than for him to invest such genuine feelings.

Because in this world, everything came with a marked price, except for true feelings, which had no tag.

Sincere affection could be worthless, or it could be priceless...

And that was something Lin Yiwei could neither afford to give nor manage to repay.

Late at night, curled up in his arms, she looked up at the man's graceful jawline, breathing in the rhythm of his gentle breath.

In truth, once a physical connection was forged, after countless intimacies, this person's breath seemed to become her own.

No matter how severe her mysophobia, she would never mind food he had already tasted, because one does not feel aversion toward oneself.

Lin Yiwei asked herself deep down what kind of feelings she actually held for Xie Bo.

She couldn't put it into words.

Habit was truly a terrifying thing. During these days of cohabitation, she had completely grown accustomed to everything about Xie Bo.

His skin, his scent, his hair, his heartbeat...

Did she love him? The answer was a definite no; she was merely pursuing her objectives.

Her conquest of Chi Xiyu had nearly failed, and now she had simply shifted her target to another. The latter seemed even easier, given the degree of his obsession with her, which left even Lin Yiwei astonished.

Yet, was it not love?

A man this intimate, to the point of sharing breath...

She would eat the food he had bitten into without a second thought even if she disliked it, she would thrill in the satisfaction he gained from her, and she would even secretly kiss him after he fell soundly asleep...

Lin Yiwei refused to dwell on it further.

………

A few days later, the tests for Subjects Two and Three arrived.

On the morning of the exam, Lin Yiwei wasn't woken by her early alarm. Xie Bo kissed her awake, asking if she knew what auspicious day today was.

Even with her eyes closed, the young woman could feel the physical anomaly, and she gradually drifted out of her dreamland into full wakefulness beneath his passionate kisses.

She stretched lazily. "Of course I know, it's the driving school exam today."

"Then why aren't you getting up? Let me take you back to the training ground for a few more rounds."

Lin Yiwei's gaze drifted downward, seeing that Xie Bo had already embedded himself within her. Biting her lower lip slightly, she said helplessly, "With you like this, how am I supposed to get up?"

The man hooked her cheek with his fingertips, a smile playing at the corner of his lips. "Why don't you figure out a way to make me finish quickly?"

Playing this trick again, was he?

Lin Yiwei rolled over and pinned him beneath her. The smile on Xie Bo's lips deepened; heaven knows how much he loved it when she took the initiative, how much he loved the sight of her demanding him.

Lin Yiwei grasped his hands, their fingers interlocking tightly. Without exerting too much effort, she murmured the word "brother" intermittently in his ear, pleading with him... and quickly forced him to surrender.

Through such prolonged adjustment, she knew the exact threshold of Xie Bo's excitement, just as Xie Bo understood every single one of her sensitive spots.

That morning, Xie Bo made her breakfast for the very first time.

Under-cooked fried eggs, half-raw ears of corn, and a cup of scalding milk...

Though it barely passed the minimum standard, considering it was his maiden voyage in the kitchen, Lin Yiwei ate it all clean, morphing into a cheerleader to encourage him to keep up the good work.

Xie Bo told her in her dreams.

Only this once, strictly this once; he loathed cooking and would never do it again.

Lin Yiwei figured he would inevitably eat his own words soon enough—when hadn't he?

She ate leisurely and happily, after which Xie Bo drove her to the driving school's open training ground for two hours of practice before dropping her off at the designated vehicle administration testing site.

Lin Yiwei hung her backpack on Xie Bo and said nervously, "It'll be disastrous if I fail."

"Don't worry too much. Your husband is an award-winning, renowned race car driver; someone personally trained by him won't even fail a driver's license test." Xie Bo ruffled her hair, full of confidence in her.

"You are not my husband."

"Am I not? Then what were you shouting last night?"

"How can what is shouted at a time like that be taken seriously? You even called me a little puppy when you climaxed; do I magically turn into your dog now?"

Xie Bo smiled. "What's wrong with that? I like dogs a lot."

Lin Yiwei reached out and pinched his cheek. "I won't chat with you anymore, I'm heading inside."

Xie Bo cupped her face, kissed her forehead, and finally let her enter the testing grounds.

For the Subject Three test in the afternoon, Lin Yiwei assumed Xie Bo had gone off to tend to his own affairs.

It wasn't until four o'clock in the afternoon, when she walked out with a miserable expression, that she saw Xie Bo's car was still parked in the exact same spot.

He had waited for her all day long.

Seeing her crestfallen face, he asked, "How did it go?"

"It's over, I failed!"

………

"Failed? How could that happen?"

"I forgot to fasten my seatbelt when I got in the car." She was on the verge of tears.

She had expected disappointment, but Xie Bo actually let out an inexplicable sigh of relief. "It doesn't matter. I'll write an application for delayed enrollment for you; it should pass, and you'll definitely pass the next driving test."

That way, the parting would be delayed a little longer.

Unexpectedly, as Lin Yiwei cried, she suddenly burst out laughing, stood on tiptoe, and reached out to tug at Xie Bo's short hair. "I lied to you! You silly Xie Bo, I passed! How could I possibly fail? I studied so earnestly for over a month, I could pass with my eyes closed! I'm not a super big idiot!"

Xie Bo looked at her helplessly, wanting to laugh as well. He felt a wave of relief, yet simultaneously a sense of loss.

Secretly, a part of him had hoped she wouldn't pass.

Yet thinking of the danger that night, sending her away early might not be a bad thing after all.

That evening, Xie Bo treated Lin Yiwei to a grand seafood feast to celebrate. They enjoyed a hearty, delicious meal, and upon returning home, he enjoyed another hearty, "delicious" feast.

Every single day was lived as though it were the end of the world.

………

During that period, Xie Bo sensed a chilling shift in Xie Xizhuo's attitude toward him.

He made a trip to the top floor of the Xie Group headquarters. Outside the office doors, he handed a meticulously prepared, exquisitely packaged gift to the front desk assistant.

"Sister Judy, long time no see. You've grown even prettier."

"You rascal, your mouth is coated in honey today." Judy smiled; seeing him always instantly brightened her mood.

"Have a look, Sister, and see if you like it."

Judy unwrapped the gift box to find a bottle of Diptyque mint green perfume. Though not exorbitantly expensive, paired with Xie Bo's breathtakingly refined yet decadent face and his constant murmuring of "Sister," it was enough to melt any woman's heart.

"I'm sorry, Third Young Master, President Xie is currently in a meeting," Judy said with a troubled expression. "I really want to help you, but you know what President Xie's temper is like..."

"It's fine." Xie Bo pushed the gift box back toward her. "I'm not asking Sister Judy for a favor, it's just a small gift. I'll be fully satisfied if Sister is willing to accept it with a smile. If you don't care for this scent, it's fine to give it to your girlfriends."

Listening to his gentle voice, Judy truly felt as though a cool mountain stream was trickling across the tips of her heartstrings, washing away the exhaustion of a whole day's work.

Young as he was, Xie Bo was remarkably adept at handling people. Everyone in the company, from top executives to junior assistants like her, held a fondness for this Third Young Master, and it wasn't solely because of his looks.

Judy laughed brightly. "With that mouth of yours, Third Young Master, no wonder you have so many flowers and butterflies buzzing around you."

"You wrong me, Sister Judy, I only have one girlfriend, absolutely no others."

Hearing him proactively bring it up, Judy immediately grew intensely curious, leaning in to gossip. "It's not Miss Chi, is it? The whole company has been buzzing about it these past few days, saying you've taken up with a new girlfriend."

Xie Bo twirled a small Christmas tree desktop ornament between his fingertips, remaining outwardly calm. "How does the whole company know?"

"Because President Xie flew into a massive rage last week and even smashed a priceless Yue kiln celadon piece over this very matter. Everyone has been walking on eggshells these past two days, terrified of provoking the President's wrath."

Recalling it now, Judy clutched her chest in lingering fear. "Tell me, Third Young Master, President Xie has valued you so much these past two years, mentioning you more than once in front of business partners, saying that when he was your age, he wasn't half as capable as you, and his eyes were full of pride. Look at this hand you've meticulously built up over so many years of hard work—make sure you don't ruin it yourself."

Xie Bo lowered his gaze, the sharp edges of the small Christmas tree ornament pressing against his skin. "Thank you for your kind intentions, Sister Judy. I understand."

"As long as you understand, head back now. As long as you promptly correct course and stop provoking President Xie's anger, everything will blow over after this period. What father and son ever hold overnight grudges?"

"Sister Judy, I truly hope to see him today." Xie Bo lifted his gaze, looking pleadingly at the young woman in the miniskirt suit before him. "Sister, what I said earlier about not needing your help was a lie. Can you help me? Please."

"Oh my..."

Judy furrowed her brows in distress, truly finding it impossible to refuse him; anyone would have cracked under that look. "Alright then. Wait in the pantry. President Xie will come out to stretch and have some fruit during his break. Just seize the opportunity then. Don't you dare say I kept you here; I'll just pretend I had no idea you were here."

"Thank you, Sister Judy. I won't put you in a difficult position."

Xie Bo sat in the pantry from morning until evening. During that time, Lin Yiwei texted him to ask if he was coming back tonight, mentioning that she had baked small cupcakes and wanted him to taste them.

Thin: "Don't wait for me today, eat by yourself."

Breeze: "I'm flying away tomorrow, are you not coming back even tonight?"

She sent a few unhappy emoji stickers, then sensibly refrained from disturbing him further.

Lately, she had grown somewhat attached to him too. Because the two of them had spent so much time living cheek-by-jowl, being apart for even a few hours felt slightly unnatural.

Thin: "Be a good girl~"

Breeze: "I won't be good, I won't!"

Xie Bo's heart felt heavy and aching.

Finally, as dusk settled, Xie Xizhuo walked out of his office, chatting and laughing with several men in business suits. After seeing the guests off, Xie Xizhuo paced into the pantry as he passed it.

The moment he stepped through the door, he saw Xie Bo stand up and respectfully call out, "Dad."

A wave of irritation instantly flared in Xie Xizhuo, and he turned back to snap angrily, "Judy, who is paying your salary? You're getting far too bold with your arrangements!"

Judy gave a start, nearly spilling the coffee in her hands.

"Dad, I just slipped in on my own, Sister Judy didn't see me."

Xie Xizhuo looked at him unhappily. After all, he was a child brought home at the age of ten; he was utterly different from Xie Jialin and Xie Jiahuai, the two sons who had grown up by his side—he felt thoroughly estranged from him.

Xie Bo's two elder brothers would act spoiled before Xie Xizhuo, throw tantrums, act fearlessly even when they angered him, and stubbornly butt heads with their old man.

Xie Bo never did that. He was cautious, obediently listening to whatever Xie Xizhuo said, utterly submissive, docile, and compliant.

Xie Xizhuo liked obedient children, unquestionably. But sometimes... the interaction between the two of them didn't feel like a biological father and son; there was always a thin membrane separating them, devoid of intimacy and deeply estranged.

Xie Xizhuo didn't think this was his own problem; he had never doubted that he was a good father, but after all, this wasn't a child raised under his own roof. Before the age of ten, Xie Bo had struggled at the bottom of society, bearing a heavy mind and a deep shrewdness—that was only natural.

It wasn't a major issue; Xie Xizhuo appreciated young men who dared to fight and strive. As long as he had that value, opportunities would be given.

"You can even boss my people around. Judy has worked by my side for so many years, an experienced and seasoned old hand, yet even a sharp-witted person like her was willing to take a risk for you. Xie Bo, you really have quite the capability."

"Dad, you've misunderstood. Sister Judy truly had no idea when I arrived."

Xie Xizhuo glanced at his watch, sat down on the pantry sofa, and said expressionlessly, "I'll give you one minute."

Xie Bo immediately said, "That black sedan involved in the hit-and-run that night—was it dispatched by you?"

"Xie Bo, I'm warning you, this one minute isn't for you to interrogate me."

Xie Bo removed his moonlight-silver glasses and wordlessly wiped them with a tissue.

He already had his clear answer within.

"Father, I have received your warning. She is on a flight tomorrow; once she arrives in the UK, I implore you to let her go."

Abandoning "Dad" for "Father"—clearly, resentment was festering in his heart as well.

How rare. After listening obediently for ten years without a single act of defiance, this boy's wings were finally hardening, were they?

A profound, meaningful glint appeared in the depths of Xie Xizhuo's eyes. "Xie Bo, starting tomorrow, you don't need to come to the company anymore. In fact, you needn't ever come back."

Judy, standing at the doorway holding the coffee tray, paused in her tracks, then stepped inside to place two Americanos on the coffee table. With a forced smile, she said, "President Xie, after all, the Third Young Master is young and hasn't even turned twenty yet. Young people dating are like that—they lose interest and sober up in a couple of days. Why get angry with him over such a trifle? It's not worth harming your health."

Xie Xizhuo picked up his coffee cup, the crow's feet at the corners of his eyes trembling slightly.

Xie Bo stood up, and a moment later, knelt down without a word. His knees felt as heavy as a thousand jun, and his scalp went entirely numb.

"I need you to think carefully about exactly what your identity is."

Seeing him kneel, Xie Xizhuo slowly began, "Xie Bo, if you want to be my son, you must understand that the interests of the Xie family supersede everything else. If you don't want to be my son, then taste what it's like to have nothing at all."

With that, Xie Xizhuo walked out.

Xie Bo stared at the man's retreating back, then suddenly said in a deep voice, "Just because I found something I desired, something I hungered for, you would reduce me to having nothing. Yet when my two older brothers repeatedly defied you, you never uttered such words. Your tolerance for them far surpasses mine. Why? Is it because I never called you Dad the same way they did, or is it that the ten-year gap in our father-son bond is a chasm between my older brothers and me that no amount of effort on my part can ever bridge?"

Xie Xizhuo's footsteps paused.

Remarkable indeed. For ten years, this was the first time Xie Bo had ever uttered such emotional words.

Judy's brow furrowed tightly as she shook her head repeatedly at Xie Bo, silently urging him not to be impulsive.

He had endured for ten years; why blow up at a time like this...

Xie Xizhuo turned back to look at him. "Because there is no character 'Jia' in your name. If you want that character, you have to fight tooth and nail to earn it. You're right, you aren't a child I watched grow up. We missed ten years of father-son bonding, I am very much a stranger to you, and you harbor designs on me. Therefore, you need to spend more time winning my trust. Your two brothers don't need to; they are as simple as two children, but you are different. You stopped being a child a long time ago."

Xie Bo braced himself against his knees, slowly standing up, and lifted his chin to lock gazes with Xie Xizhuo from afar.

He had endured for ten years.

At this moment, looking at his aging father, Xie Bo suddenly understood his caution.

The estrangement Xie Bo had shown him for years stemmed from the fact that deep down, he, too, was wary of him, guarding against him...

Xie Xizhuo walked up to Xie Bo and lightly tapped him across the face with the documents in his hand.

"If your emotions compromise your rationality, thereby harming family interests, then you will have permanently lost the only thing about me that appreciates you. At the same time, unlike your brothers, you do not possess my unconditional pampering. Tell me, what else could you possibly retain?"

With that, the documents struck Xie Bo's face and scattered all over the floor.

He turned and left.

Xie Bo picked up the papers from the ground. They were the planning proposal for 'Yue Mei Fresh,' a chain convenience brand jointly developed and launched by the Xie Group and the Chi Group.

Judy looked at him with worry, and after a moment, spoke in a soft whisper, "Third Young Master, haven't you always been striving for your own future? Keep going. I hope that one day, you'll be the one sitting in that topmost office, and I hope I'll live to see the day I serve you."

The corners of Xie Bo's eyes tinged with red, and he nodded firmly.

………

Rain frequently drifted through the night in Qinggang, and winter here carried an extra layer of damp chill.

At DS Racing Club, Li Du switched on a small electric heater, tucked his feet into heated slippers, and sat down to comfortably play a couple of rounds of games.

The entrance bell chimed outside. He glanced up to see Xie Bo walking in cloaked in the biting chill of winter, his clothes nearly soaked through and his short hair slicked with moisture.

"Third Master, caught in the rain? Why didn't you use an umbrella?"

"To wake up." Xie Bo walked straight into the shower room.

After Li Du played a few rounds of his game, Xie Bo emerged from his shower. Bare-chested, his skin was cold and pale, his muscles solid and well-defined, and his plate-like abdominal muscles were enough to make anyone's blood surge.

Li Du's gaze trailed him all the way out of the shower room. Xie Bo picked up a hair dryer and stood before the mirror, drying his short hair by himself, glancing at Li Du through the reflection.

Li Du hastily yelled out, "I'm straight! Don't try to turn me! I won't take the bait. So what if your body is nice? I can work out abs too..."

Xie Bo rolled his eyes at him, too lazy to engage.

Li Du went back to his game, occasionally glancing sideways at him.

That body really was something else; it made him want to cry with envy.

Once Xie Bo had dried his hair and dressed, he said offhandedly, "Set up a gathering at the Old Captain Bar, and call Chi Xiyu over."

"Me call her? Why don't you call her yourself, Third Master? She'd probably go crazy with joy."

Xie Bo paused for a few seconds. "Tell her I'm drunk."

The tonic water Li Du had just swallowed nearly sprayed out of his mouth.

Looking at Xie Bo like this, remembering that he had returned to the company today and the decadent state he had been in when he first walked back in, the situation definitely wasn't optimistic.

Li Du didn't delay any further. After sending a message to Chi Xiyu, he scrolled down his chat dialog box to land on Lin Yiwei's little penguin avatar, preparing to drop a line to her as well.

The two of them had parted on bad terms last time anyway, and since he loved watching the chaos unfold, he figured he'd stir her up a bit.

Xie Bo seemed to catch his sneaky little intentions and warned him, "If you dare let my girlfriend know, just try it and see what happens."