After the White Lotus Drops the Act

Xiao Weijing hadn’t seen Tang You in a long time.

The last time he saw her, she was still in high school—small and slender, dressed in Yizhong’s school uniform, her hair tied in a ponytail. The corners of her eyes were red, as if she were about to cry at any moment.

In his memory, she was just a little brat.

Someone beside him patted his shoulder, signaling him to look over there, and teased, “Hey, isn’t that your little fiancée over there?”

From Xiao Weijing’s current angle, he could only see the girl’s flawless, fair skin and half of her delicate face. Her silky hair cascaded over her shoulders—beautiful and pristine beyond belief.

“Say what you will about your future father-in-law’s character, but you can’t deny that both of his daughters are stunning,” Hao Yun rested a hand on Xiao Weijing’s shoulder, squinting as he took a closer look. He chuckled, “You sure are lucky.”

Xiao Weijing’s face remained devoid of any smile. He pushed Hao Yun’s hand away and said, “She’s just a vase—nothing but a pretty face with no substance.”

He knew exactly what Tang You had done to Wen Ling. Unlike her harmless appearance, this girl had been spoiled by her father since childhood. Xiao Weijing wouldn’t have minded if she were simply arrogant, but what he truly disliked was her two-faced nature—acting one way in public and another behind closed doors.

Fake.

He downed his drink in one go, placed the empty glass upside down on the table, and glanced over at Tang You chatting with Xiao Zexing. His lips curled into a sneer. “See? All she knows how to do is put on a well-behaved act to please the elders. Boring.”

Hao Yun stroked his chin, intrigued. “And you think Wen Ling isn’t boring?”

“Wen Ling is different,” Xiao Weijing frowned slightly. “She’s not my girlfriend. Don’t compare her to Tang You.”

Hao Yun shook his head. “Forget it, forget it.”

There was no convincing him.

As someone who had grown up with Xiao Weijing, Hao Yun understood why he treated Wen Ling differently.

Back in high school, Xiao Weijing had almost drowned when he got a leg cramp while swimming in the ocean. A girl had risked her life to drag him back to shore. At the time, his eyes were irritated by the seawater and sand, making it impossible to see her clearly. Half-blind, he had pressed his bracelet into her hands and rasped that he would repay her.

Amidst the chaos of the beach and the arriving ambulance, the girl had quietly disappeared. Xiao Weijing never found her.

Years later, after his engagement had already been arranged, he met Wen Ling—and saw the very same bracelet on her wrist.

Rumors claimed that Xiao Weijing opposed his engagement to Tang You because of Wen Ling. But in Hao Yun’s eyes, that wasn’t the case.

Xiao Weijing and Wen Ling had never even held hands.

From beginning to end, he had simply been repaying a debt.

That included getting Wen Ling into the swim team and, later, funding her gym after she retired.

Just as Xiao Weijing was about to leave, Hao Yun quickly stopped him. “Where are you going? Are you crazy? You’re ditching the old man’s birthday?”

“The gift has already been delivered. I need to lay low,” Xiao Weijing said calmly. “I’m not ready for an early marriage.”

Tang You was about to graduate from university, and he had just returned to the country. The old man had always kept a low profile on past birthdays, but this year, he had invited so many people—it was too much of a coincidence.

Xiao Weijing wasn’t about to risk getting forced into marriage.

Tang You was about to graduate from university, and now that he was back in the country, Xiao Weijing couldn’t let his guard down. The old man had always kept his birthday celebrations low-key, but this year, he had invited so many people.

Xiao Weijing had to be cautious—just in case the old man was planning to push for marriage.

His gaze landed on Tang You standing in front of Xiao Zexing, and he frowned.

Of all people, why did she have to provoke his second uncle?

Everyone knew that Xiao Zexing had a heart as cold and unyielding as iron—he was like a millennium-old block of black steel, impossible to warm up. And yet, she had walked right up to him without a clue.

Tang You, however, was completely unaware.

The moment she spotted Xiao Zexing in the crowd, her eyes lit up like a cat spotting a feather toy.

Perfect—this is the best chance to rack up some dislike points!

Suppressing her excitement, Tang You approached with a bright, sweet smile and looked up at him with admiration. “Mr. Xiao.”

Xiao Zexing turned slightly, his gaze landing on her.

When he saw her face, he chuckled. “You’re here too? Did Zeyan bring you? Where is he?”

Tang You was momentarily stunned but quickly explained, “No, Grandpa Xiao invited me.”

Xiao Zexing idly swirled his glass and responded with a nonchalant hum.

Seizing the moment, Tang You took a step closer.

The distance between them shrank again as she tilted up her delicate, beautiful face. “Mr. Xiao, I saw some… unpleasant rumors about you…”

She paused slightly, biting her lip just a little. Her gaze flickered up at him with a mix of hesitation and fear—her eyes reddened at the corners, but she still forced a bright, trusting smile. “But I know it’s all nonsense from those paparazzi! I believe in you.”

Xiao Zexing was indifferent. “You’re just a kid. Why are you even looking at that stuff?”

Huh?

That was it? After all that effort to play the perfect green tea act, all she got was this casual, dismissive line?

Tang You’s smile faltered slightly.

Shouldn’t someone like Xiao Weijing have sneered at her coldly and walked away by now? What was with this talking to a child tone?

Before she could fully process it, she felt something brush against her head.

Wait, wait, wait, wait—WHAT?!

Tang You had naturally petite features—small hands, slender waist, a delicate face. Xiao Zexing, on the other hand, was the complete opposite—tall, broad-shouldered, with a sturdy frame.

His large, warm hand ruffled her hair absentmindedly. It was supposed to be just a quick touch, but the texture was unexpectedly pleasant, so he gave it another gentle rub before pulling away.

Then he chuckled. “Instead of worrying about me, why don’t you focus on your studies? Work hard and get into a good university, little one.”

Tang You: “…”

Before she could react, he had already turned and walked away.

Tang You touched her now slightly tousled hair, dazed.

Wait a minute, what does he mean by ‘get into a good university’?!

She was currently attending A University. It wasn’t the top-ranked school in the country, but it was still a well-respected 211 university!

Did he mean she should… keep studying?

Wait… was this man hinting that she should take the postgraduate entrance exam?!

And when she recalled the tutoring books he had sent her before—

Tang You came to a conclusion.

This guy is still subtly insulting her intelligence, isn’t he?

Four years apart, and his sarcasm had only gotten more refined.

Before she had much time to dwell on it, Xiao Laoyezi (the old man) called her over.

Despite everyone calling him “Old Man Xiao,” today was actually just his 63rd birthday. Both he and Xiao Weijing’s father had followed the tradition of marrying and having children early, but unfortunately, that tradition seemed to be ending with Xiao Zexing and Xiao Weijing.

When Tang You first learned that Xiao Zexing was only three years older than Xiao Weijing, she had taken a moment to imagine the two—who clearly looked like brothers—calling each other “uncle” and “nephew.” The Xiao family really was full of deep waters.

Xiao Laoyezi had just received word that Xiao Weijing had fled the party. Worried that Tang You might be upset, he didn’t bring it up and instead smiled at her warmly.

“Youyou, you’re about to graduate, aren’t you? What are your plans after that? Interested in taking over one of Weijing’s companies?”

Tang You quickly waved her hands. “No, no, Grandpa. My grades in my major aren’t very good. If I go, I’d only drag him down.”

Old Master Xiao deliberately put on a stern face. “Nonsense! If our Youyou isn’t good at studying, then who is? Huh? If you don’t know something, you can learn slowly. And even if you really can’t learn it, it doesn’t matter—Weijing can support you!”

Seeing that Old Master Xiao was in a good mood, Tang You cautiously probed, “I’d rather not trouble Brother Weijing… Um, Grandpa, you see, Weijing doesn’t even like me, so why not just—”

“He dares not like you!” Old Master Xiao cut her off, his expression fierce and his voice resolute. “I’ll break his legs again!”

He slammed his hand down on the table with such force that the brushes on the stand trembled, and even a few drops of ink splattered from the inkstone.

Tang You swallowed back the words that were about to leave her mouth.

Just then, there was a knock at the door—three slow and deliberate taps.

Tang You turned and saw Xiao Zexing push the door open and walk in.

Why is he here?