CHAPTER 372: CHAPTER 365: FLIRTING

Sisi returned to Beijing only a few days ago, and as October hurriedly approached, she felt a bit excited because the ever-busy He Xuewen had come to Beijing. He Xuewen said he was here to deliver medicinal wine, which made Sisi laugh since he had just brought some last month.

After getting a glimpse into Daddy’s budding feelings, Sisi felt a sense of pride, thinking that her old dad was finally growing up. She couldn’t help but wonder whether it was unrequited love or mutual affection. Maybe she should ask Ah Liu to gauge his paternal aunt’s thoughts?

Not long after He Xuewen’s arrival, the troupe Mo Ye belonged to also came to Beijing. Television, radio, and newspapers all gave extensive coverage to the Guangzhou Yue Opera Troupe’s performance, which appeared to be highly anticipated.

Sisi got her hands on several front-row tickets and distributed them to Mr. Yun, the Old Man, Granny Zhao, and others, while also teasingly hinting that one of the actresses might very well become her future stepmother!

Her words stirred up quite a storm. Even the Old Man and Granny Zhao, who were indifferent to Yue opera, along with the couples Yang Haoyuan and Yang Wenbin, Luo Datou, Zhang Mingliu, Tang Tieshan, and others attended to ensure He Xuewen didn’t end up with an incompatible woman that might make Ah Nan uncomfortable.

The imposing group of visitors scared the theater’s management. What was happening? Why did all these television personalities suddenly show up at their theater?

He Xuewen himself was stunned by the grand procession, but what puzzled him most was the ambiguous smiles on everyone’s faces.

"Xuewen, you’re at the age where you should consider settling down, but you must choose carefully," Mr. Yun remarked meaningfully.

"We’re here to help you screen potential brides. You young people only care about looks, which isn’t reliable!" the Old Man said, playing the seniority card.

"Xuewen, you really let me down. You’ve got someone special and didn’t even breathe a word to me. If Ah Nan hadn’t spoken up, you probably wouldn’t have told me until your wedding day, would you?" Wenbin wasn’t pleased.

He Xuewen wore an awkward smile, but deep down, he wished he could give Sisi a good spanking. What sort of mess had that wretched girl created? He’ll deal with her later!

Backstage, while engaging in a heart-to-heart with Mo Ye, Sisi felt her ears itch. Who’s talking about me? She casually scratched her ear and continued chatting with Mo Ye.

"Aunt Ye, your skin is looking better and better!" Sisi leaned in and admired Mo Ye’s smooth and delicate skin as she spoke.

While applying makeup, Mo Ye glanced at her and giggled, "I have to thank you for the beauty wine you gave me, Ah Nan! It really works wonders!"

"As long as it works, I’ll ask Daddy to brew more."

Sisi said this while carefully watching Mo Ye’s reaction. Indeed, when she mentioned Daddy, a spark flickered in Mo Ye’s eyes.

A reaction, that’s good!

But it made sense - after all, her Daddy was quite the catch! Handsome, at an age brimming with masculine charm, wealthy, well-educated. The only drawback was having her as a liability. However, given her lovely and endearing demeanor, that was only a minor issue!

Mo Ye’s performance was still "Wang Baochuan," and it was a great success. After the show, the Old Man invited Mo Ye over for dinner at his house, and Sisi backed him up.

Mo Ye gave He Xuewen a nonchalant look and accepted the invitation with a smile. He Xuewen’s face reddened – after all those inexplicable comments from Mr. Yun and the others, how could he not understand their underlying meaning?

For Mo Ye, Xue Wen admitted he had a fondness for her, but this fondness was far from the level of "couldn’t live without her." Currently, Xue Wen’s top priority was his daughter, followed by the He Family Wine. Everything else was of lesser importance to him, merely nice to have but not essential.

Moreover, he was also worried that bringing another woman home could wrong Ah Nan. Therefore, after learning of Mu Xiulan’s remarriage, he had once planned to spend the rest of his life alone, without marrying again.

Yet, the matters of the heart are unpredictable, and fate had arranged for him to meet Mo Ye. Mo Ye was a good woman who also treated Ah Nan well. Xue Wen could see that Mo Ye’s affection for Ah Nan was genuine and not just for show.

And Mo Ye probably felt fondness towards him too, right? So they began to see each other. To say they were lovers was to overstate things, as they were always polite and courteous. To say they were just friends didn’t quite capture it either, as they understood each other’s preferences very well.

In fact, Xue Wen thought that having a distant yet close female confidante wasn’t too bad, and he felt Mo Ye probably shared this sentiment. In their free time, they enjoyed each other’s company over tea, music, and conversation, feeling very comfortable with one another.

Both had experienced so much that they had become overly cautious in matters of love, neither willing to be the first to break through the thin veil of ambiguity between them.

But today, that girl Ah Nan had to make such a scene; maybe this comfortable arrangement is about to be disrupted.

At this thought, Xue Wen couldn’t help but glower at Sisi across from him—she’s really becoming more unruly with age!

The Tian Family dinner was a lavish affair, filled with warmth and joy. No one brought up anything about Mo Ye and Xue Wen, and the conversation stayed on common topics, encouraging Mo Ye to visit more often when in Beijing. Mo Ye naturally agreed with a smile.

After the dinner, it fell upon Xue Wen to see Mo Ye back to her hotel. Under the meaningful gazes of several elders, the two, feeling like they were on pins and needles, left the Tian Family’s home as if fleeing the scene.

"I’m really sorry, I didn’t expect Ah Nan to cause such a stir, putting you on the spot like that," Xue Wen said apologetically with a smile.

"No, the elders were all very welcoming. How could I be troubled?" Mo Ye quickly shook her head. She genuinely didn’t feel embarrassed. After all, she wasn’t some seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl anymore; it was just a few extra questions. What’s there to feel embarrassed about?

A word was said, but then they seemed to run out of things to say, walking under the moonlight in silence, casting two long shadows - one following the other, one bigger and one smaller.

Sisi had thought that after such a commotion, Xue Wen and Mo Ye would make some progress. But seeing them still so calm and collected, what was going on?

Could it be that Daddy and Aunt Ye’s relationship was indeed just a pure friendship?

It shouldn’t be, though. She might not understand love, but it was obvious that Aunt Ye and Daddy had an ambiguous relationship. It couldn’t just be a normal friendship!

Why were they still so composed? Sisi didn’t understand and when she asked Tian Xinhua, he simply teased her, saying, "The Emperor isn’t in a hurry, but the eunuch is." Asking Mr. Yun, she got the response to "let things take their natural course."

Asking Granny Zhao, she was even more clueless. From her perspective, since Xue Wen liked Mo Ye, she felt he should act swiftly to seal the deal, rather than drag his feet—what a lack of decisiveness!

Completely puzzled, Sisi had no choice but to approach the people involved. In the end, Xue Wen gave her a lecture to mind her own business and take care of herself.

Alright then. Sisi felt Xue Wen was probably blushing with embarrassment and annoyance. In consideration of Daddy’s shyness, she decided not to take his words about minding her own business to heart!