Two days before the Xie Family’s annual meeting, snow blanketed the city, and even without wind, the cold was biting.
Ruan Mengxi had arranged to go out with Tang Wan to try on formal dresses. This time, she’d attend the event with Qi Zeyan, representing the company, so naturally, she needed to dress beautifully and appropriately, without violating decorum.
"Miss, you look exceptionally stunning in this dress." Ruan Mengxi had just changed into a new outfit and stepped out when two sales associates immediately approached her.
"Wanwan, what do you think?" Ruan Mengxi looked at the person seated on a sofa nearby, busy texting, "Sister, you two see each other every day. Is there anything you can’t discuss together? Remember, you’re here to accompany me in trying on dresses today."
Tang Wan put away her phone with a smile and sized up Ruan Mengxi, "I think the one from before looked better."
Ruan Mengxi leaned in closer and whispered, "I also think that dress looked better, but the price is also..."
"Didn’t you say the company would reimburse you?"
"Any dress here easily costs six-figures. Evening gowns are just one-off wears. Besides, afterwards, I have to return it to the company. Even with reimbursement, I can’t just pick the most expensive one, can I?"
"Are you trying to save money for your future husband?"
Ruan Mengxi just laughed, and at that moment, her phone vibrated twice, a few WeChat messages popped up.
Tang Wan glanced at the sender, "That younger guy who was pursuing you hasn’t given up yet?"
Ruan Mengxi was very pretty and had a lovely personality. She had no shortage of admirers at the company. Most modern people are refined egoists. Once they realize they can’t achieve their goal, few are willing to waste time on someone else. So, although many expressed interest in her, very few persisted in chasing her.
This guy joined the company in the same period as she did, also originally from Pingjiang, which made them somewhat fated. He was a year younger than her and had been pursuing her for over a year.
Because they were both from the same hometown, Tang Wan had met him too. He was not particularly handsome, but he had a great body and was clever.
Ruan Mengxi smiled helplessly, "Actually, I’ve already made it very clear to him. He’s asking me when I’m going home?"
"Pursuing Qi Zeyan won’t be easy. That younger guy isn’t bad, you know."
Tang Wan had discussed this with Jiang Jinsang, who bluntly said that Ruan Mengxi wasn’t Qi Zeyan’s type and feared this wouldn’t be an easy path for her.
Ruan Mengxi clicked her tongue, "He’s too young. I can’t bring myself to go after him."
"You’re even considering making a move?" Tang Wan burst out laughing.
"To be honest, he’s quite a catch. Although there’s no heart-fluttering sensation, I’ve definitely coveted his body."
Tang Wan was used to Ruan Mengxi’s bold directness.
Ruan Mengxi suddenly seemed to remember something and leaned close to Tang Wan, asking in a low voice, "Oh right, last time you said you suddenly got your period, and he was both massaging your stomach and lulling you to sleep. You two really haven’t done anything yet?"
Tang Wan just glared at her, "Hurry up and try on the dresses."
In the end, Ruan Mengxi chose a relatively conservative black dress. After all, at this point, her role was just that of a secretary, and it wouldn’t look good to be too eye-catching.
After they were done, Ruan Mengxi treated her to a meal. When they parted ways, she sneakily slid something into Tang Wan’s bag.
"What are you doing? You didn’t buy something for me, did you?"
As Tang Wan spoke, she opened her bag to take a look. The moment she saw the box, her face instantly turned red, "Ruan Mengxi!"
She... she actually gave her a box of condoms?
She had the audacity to slip it into her bag in broad daylight?
"I just wanted to remind you, when passions run high, don’t believe any nonsense men say in bed; taking precautions is a mark of a grown woman’s self-cultivation."
Tang Wan took a deep breath—what bold and brazen words!
True to form, she remained as blunt as ever.
"Tang Xiaowan, tell me the truth—how is Qi Zeyan’s physique really?" Ruan Mengxi was genuinely curious.
Tang Wan was about to tell her to get lost and go home when her phone vibrated. She coughed, cleared her throat, "Hello, Brother Xiaozhu, is there something you needed?... What? Oh, I understand, I’ll head back right away."
"Who else but the Xie Family? Someone unexpectedly leaked their old scandal. Our company has a partnership with the Xie Family, and there might be changes because of this. I need to go back to the company."
Without delving into details, Ruan Mengxi hurriedly hopped into a taxi and rushed back to the company.
Meanwhile, as Tang Wan got into a car to return to the Jiang Family, she searched online. At that moment, "Xie Family Illegitimate Daughter" was the top trending topic on Weibo’s real-time search.
The affair of the Xie Family recognizing a relative was known only within certain circles. As it was ultimately a wrongdoing of the Xie Family towards Shen Zhixian, they did not want to be criticized publicly. Adding to that, since Shen Zhixian had a daughter out of wedlock, after much consideration, they decided not to publicize the matter widely.
However, a marketing account on Weibo suddenly posted an article titled "Xie Family Secrets: How an Illegitimate Daughter Became the Official Lady," which instantly went viral.