this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!
Xu Qingli shrank her neck slightly, not understanding why he was laughing.
“Wen Xiangxiang’s family has arranged a marriage alliance for her. The prospective groom is an older man, reportedly from a family that sells fish. He always carries the smell of fish on him, is dark-skinned, short, and stocky…” Wen Qiaozhou, now in a good mood, stopped teasing her and answered his own question. “She’s in a bad mood since she doesn’t like that man.”
Xu Qingli was stunned.
The novel had mentioned that Wen Xiangxiang’s family had always wanted her to enter an arranged marriage, and after the male and female leads later confirmed their relationship, Wen Xiangxiang did indeed leave the entertainment industry. But as a supporting character, the author only briefly noted that she ultimately chose the arranged marriage, and without specifying who the groom was, Xu Qingli had no way of knowing either.
She had always assumed that since Wen Xiangxiang was part of the Wen family’s collateral branch, the marriage alliance would at least be with someone of equal status, with someone wealthy or good-looking, if not both.
But judging from what Wen Qiaozhou said—just what about that man made him a suitable match for Wen Xiangxiang?
In the novel, Wen Xiangxiang had targeted Shu Ruan and lost in the end. Though she didn’t leave in disgrace like the original owner had, her exit was far less glamorous than her debut, so if the groom’s conditions were poor, it might have made some sense for that to be her ending.
But the current Wen Xiangxiang was still the enviable little princess, so logically, this shouldn’t be the case.
Yet Xu Qingli didn’t doubt Wen Qiaozhou at all. Her first thought was of Wen Xiangxiang mentioning earlier that she had loved art as a child but had to give it up because of her brother. Though she claimed her mother had moved on, it might have been a cover-up. After all, wealthy families often had many unspoken secrets… Could it be that her family disliked her and deliberately found her a shabby match? Xu Qingli vaguely recalled that Wen Xiangxiang’s parents were divorced.
No wonder Wen Xiangxiang was in a bad mood today and acting out of character today.
With her family arranging such a humiliating marriage, and seeing the person she liked making progress with someone else, who could possibly stay calm under such circumstances?
As for Wen Qiaozhou’s question, it had simply been a conversation starter, nothing more.
Xu Qingli felt a little embarrassed. She always assumed Wen Qiaozhou was terrifying, but in reality, he hadn’t done anything particularly unreasonable.
“Well…” Xu Qingli braced her hands on the table, preparing to stand. “I should…”
Go?
Regardless of why Wen Xiangxiang was upset, or how much she sympathized with her, there was nothing she could do to help.
In that case, Wen Xiangxiang’s abrupt departure might indeed have been due to urgent matters.
“Would you like to help her?” Wen Qiaozhou asked at the same time.
Xu Qingli froze, her grip loosening again. “Me? What could I possibly do to help?”
As the head of the Wen family, if he was willing to intervene, it might make a difference. But what influence could she, a nobody, have over Wen Xiangxiang’s family?
“Weren’t you planning to draw her portrait?” Wen Qiaozhou said. “Finish the portrait first. But since she isn’t here, can you work from a photo instead?”
“I can, but…” Xu Qingli looked at him in confusion. “What good would that do?”
In an era where photos could be taken instantly, what use could a hand-drawn portrait possibly have?
“I have my reasons,” Wen Qiaozhou replied calmly, his expression unreadable. “But I can’t explain them yet.”
Xu Qingli was baffled. “Oh.”
Whether Wen Qiaozhou was a good person or a bad person, he was no doubt intelligent—that much was true. So Xu Qingli truly didn’t harbor any doubts about his reasons.
But still, did she really have to draw it here?
Unfortunately, before Xu Qingli could voice her thoughts, Wen Qiaozhou quickly interjected, “Shall we start now? Do you need any other materials? I can have someone bring them over.”
This was the plight of someone with social anxiety. Even if she didn’t want to, once someone else made the decision first, it became difficult for her to refuse after.
Xu Qingli still couldn’t bring herself to suggest leaving after hesitating for a while. Instead, she asked, “Do you know what kind of art style Xiangxiang likes?”
Wen Xiangxiang had already suffered so much, and since Xu Qingli had been the one to propose drawing for her, she might as well go through with it. If it could genuinely bring Xiangxiang a little joy amidst her sadness, then it would be worth it.
“…” Wen Qiaozhou paused, then countered, “Which style are you most skilled in?”
Although her style was indeed quite versatile, how would he know Wen Xiangxiang’s preferences?
“I…” Xu Qingli scratched her head sheepishly. “Actually, I’ve never actually formally studied art, so I don’t really have a defined style.”
So she really hadn’t studied it… So was it all just natural talent?
Wen Qiaozhou grew even more eager to see her work. Of course, he also wanted to understand her background and took the opportunity to ask, “So you taught yourself entirely through self-study?”
He had initially been leaning back in his chair, but now, he leaned forward slightly, as if genuinely interested in her story. He was resting his hands on the table, which just so happened to be right within Xu Qingli’s line of sight.
There was no denying how his hands were truly exquisite, flawless from any angle at any time. Distracted, Xu Qingli answered without thinking, “When I was little, I did have a teacher…”
Before she could finish speaking, she caught herself mid-sentence and quickly shut her mouth, realising she had been exposed.
“A teacher?” Wen Qiaozhou didn’t overthink it. “Not from an art academy I presume?”
“No.” Xu Qingli quickly composed herself, trying to patch up the discrepancy. “I grew up in an orphanage, and life there was pretty dull with little entertainment. I was never very sociable, even as a child. I preferred being alone and would doodle in the sand, drawing whatever I saw. There was a Taoist temple not far from the orphanage. Once, when the orphanage was supposedly haunted, the orphanage director asked the temple’s abbot for help, and afterward, the place actually became quite peaceful. After that, both institutions would help each other out, and sometimes we’d also visit the temple. Later, my teacher came to the temple and said he’d been heartbroken, disillusioned with the world, and wanted to devote the rest of his life to the study of metaphysics…”
Wen Qiaozhou listened intently, unable to resist interjecting, “This teacher of yours sounds… oddly unreliable. Did he abandon his vows and return to the secular world after just a few days as your teacher?”
“You actually guessed right.” Xu Qingli chuckled, her enthusiasm making her forget her usual restraint around him. “He saw me drawing in the sand and said I had some talent, so he wanted to mentor me. But I’d always just experimented on my own, while he was trained systematically. Our approaches were too different, and before I could even grasp his techniques, he left and never came back. So my art is all instinctive, and I’m not really that good.”
Her story was half-truth and half-fiction. The orphanage where the original owner of this body had lived really was near a Taoist temple, and the abbot had been on good terms with the orphanage director. However, the original owner had never studied art, nor had she ever had any such teacher. But surely Wen Qiaozhou wouldn’t be bored enough to investigate that, right?
“Don’t underestimate yourself. Those who can teach themselves are the ones who are truly talented,” Wen Qiaozhou said gently, his fondness for Xu Qingli growing. “Draw according to the style you love and excel at. After all, it’s sincerity that moves people the most. Wen Xiangxiang will feel it too.”
Hearing this, Xu Qingli couldn’t refute it any further and reluctantly spread out her drawing paper in front of him.
“By the way, what fruits or snacks would you like?” Wen Qiaozhou asked again.
Xu Qingli didn’t want to trouble him, “No need.”
“I’ll have someone bring some anyway,” Wen Qiaozhou picked up the ancient book again. “It’s no trouble.”
Xu Qingli swallowed, but merely said, “Anything is fine. I’m not picky.”
Wen Qiaozhou: “…”
A variety of snacks and fruits had already appeared in a circle above her head. The little girl circled a few rounds, like an emperor selecting concubines, before finally deigning to pick a few. Among them, he recognized two fruits—bayberries and lychees. But there was another snack… Wen Qiaozhou, who had never eaten street food before, had no idea what it was and couldn’t recognise it.
At that moment, Wen Qiaozhou realized that having the barrage in text form actually had its own advantages. Xu Qingli’s doodles were adorable but far too hard for him to guess.
“Alright,” Wen Qiaozhou set the book down and stood gracefully. “Keep working on the drawing then, I’ll step out for a moment.”
Xu Qingli was more than happy for him to leave and nodded vigorously.
pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:
As soon as Wen Qiaozhou entered the lobby, the butler hurried over. “President Wen, what would you like to order?”
“Prepare some bayberries and lychees for the study,” Wen Qiaozhou paused, then asked, “There’s also a snack that’s served in a box and looks like a black lump. What is it?”
The butler blinked. “Are you still talking about food?”
“…” Wen Qiaozhou gestured with his hands. “About this big, square-shaped…”
After a moment, the butler suddenly said, “You’re not talking about stinky tofu, are you?”
Stinky tofu?
Wen Qiaozhou had heard of it but never tried it. Now that the butler mentioned it, he vaguely recalled seeing it at street stalls when he was passing by. But since he never ate it, the memory was faint, hence why he hadn’t recognized it at first glance.
“Yes, stinky tofu,” Wen Qiaozhou nodded. “Prepare one—no, two portions.”
The butler stared at him in shock. “Are you sure?”
“Is stinky tofu hard to buy?” Wen Qiaozhou didn’t understand why he was so shocked. The estate was somewhat remote, so if it really was that difficult to buy…
“It’s not hard to buy…” The butler hesitated, before saying with difficulty, “But… Do you know that stinky tofu is called stinky tofu because it smells terrible?”
Wen Qiaozhou, on the other hand, had always had an exceptionally sensitive sense of smell. Any food with an unpleasant odor never made it past his nose. He avoided fish precisely because he couldn’t stand the fishy smell, and even when the scent was barely detectable to others, he could still manage to pick it up.
And now, this man actually wanted stinky tofu? Has his nose stopped working?
“Then go buy it,” Wen Qiaozhou said.
If even the adorable Xu Qingli could eat it, how bad could it really be? At worst, he just wouldn’t have any.
“Very well,” the butler agreed, turning to arrange it, though inwardly, his admiration for President Wen only grew even more.
In order to pursue a girl, he overcame problems he hadn’t been able to overcome for over twenty years.
A person with such determination, was there anything he couldn’t succeed at?
Both bayberries and lychees were readily available, and the butler quickly brought them over. Wen Qiaozhou personally carried the fruit platter into the study.
Xu Qingli worked swiftly, already having finished sketching out a general outline. Even without details, anyone familiar with Wen Xiangxiang would immediately recognize her. It was already incredibly lifelike.
Her art skills were clearly far more impressive than Wen Qiaozhou had expected.
“You’ve worked hard.” Wen Qiaozhou placed the fruit platter in the center of the desk. “Have some fruit.”
“Thank you.” Xu Qingli looked up, her eyes lighting up.
Everything prepared by the Wen family was undoubtedly top-tier. The deep red bayberries still had tiny droplets of water clinging to them, each one looking delightedly plump and juicy. The lychees came in several varieties, all seemingly larger and of better quality than ordinary ones.
The little girl above her head spun in circles with joy, her eyes so full of stars they practically seemed to be overflowing.
Wen Qiaozhou feigned nonchalance, saying, “I just so happened to crave these two kinds of fruit. I wasn’t sure if you’d like them too. Should I have them bring something else instead?”
“No need, I love them.” Xu Qingli answered honestly, her big eyes curving into crescents. Getting exactly what she wanted to eat delivered right to her, how blissful of a life was this!?
Who would’ve thought her tastes would align so perfectly with Wen Qiaozhou’s?
The corners of Wen Qiaozhou’s lips lifted slightly before he picked up the ancient book once more, pretending to calmly flip a page.
Xu Qingli ate two bayberries—their flavor even better than she’d imagined—and couldn’t resist stealing a glance at him.
Wen Qiaozhou saw the little figure of her dancing excitedly and cleared his throat, popping a bayberry into his own mouth.
He usually found bayberries a bit too tart, so he rarely ate them at all. This variety, however, seemed to be much sweeter, and he decided to ask the butler to stock more of them.
Just as his thoughts began to wander, two knocks sounded at the door.
He looked up to see the butler, ever efficient, already back with the stinky tofu.
Wen Qiaozhou motioned for it to be brought in, then said to Xu Qingli, “I also wanted to try some stinky tof—”
Mid-sentence, his nostrils twitched slightly, and the rest of the words died in his throat.
Is this really food?!
Not a biological weapon?!
But before he could stop him, the butler had already opened the takeout box.
Wen Qiaozhou: !!!
i’m just imagining wen qiaozhou inwardly regretting how efficient his butler is—little did he know that his efficiency would be the exact reason for his downfall (his poor sense of smell LMAO)
any typos or broken links, pls comment or dm me on discord!
support mio on kofi! ◡̈
