After the White Lotus Drops the Act

This was a carefully arranged meeting, planned by both families.

Tang You had been waiting here properly for almost two hours, yet her fiancé, Xiao Weijing, never showed up.

Situations like this were nothing new—she had long grown used to the humiliation.

Her delicate fingers pinched the edge of her skirt, which was embroidered with understated camellia flowers, blooming gently.

During these two hours of waiting, Tang You had counted that there were exactly 453 petals on the roses at the table, 15 of which were incomplete. The tea had been refilled eighteen times, and the fruit had been changed five times.

“Youyou, I’m really sorry. Weijing said something came up, so he won’t be able to make it tonight.”

Xiao Weijing’s mother, Zhao Manlan, spoke to Tang You with an apologetic expression.

The quiet and obedient girl lifted her face, looking at her with a hint of confusion, as if struggling to process the words. Her fingers slowly dropped, clasping together uneasily, and a slight mist appeared in her innocent, deer-like eyes.

But in just an instant, the emotion faded away.

Zhao Manlan’s heart almost shattered at that single glance.

Tang You tried her best to smile, her voice soft and light. “It’s okay, Auntie. Brother Weijing is busy with work. I don’t mind.”

Zhao Manlan felt even more guilty.

Tang You had been personally chosen as Xiao Weijing’s fiancée by the Xiao family’s patriarch. At the time of their engagement, she was still a student.

Although the Tang family had been declining in recent years, and Zhao Manlan initially didn’t understand the elder’s decision, it only took two days of spending time with Tang You for her to fall in love with the sweet and well-mannered girl. She couldn’t wait for Xiao Weijing to marry her and give her a grandchild.

But Xiao Weijing strongly opposed the engagement. He openly embarrassed Tang You in various settings and, to avoid the arranged marriage, fled abroad to Europe with his uncle, Xiao Zexing, for four years—never even returning home for the Spring Festival.

Now that his project had ended, he was finally back in the country. Zhao Manlan had gone to great lengths to arrange this meeting for the two of them tonight, only for Xiao Weijing to completely stand Tang You up, making her wait here for more than an hour.

Without so much as an explanation.

Zhao Manlan had vaguely heard a woman’s voice in the background of their phone call. But before she could ask, Xiao Weijing had impatiently hung up.

She silently berated her thoughtless son. Looking at Tang You’s gentle, obedient demeanor, she felt even more distressed. Her voice softened with affection as she asked, “Youyou, since Weijing can’t come, why don’t we have dinner first? What would you like to eat?”

Tang You’s eyes were already slightly red, filled with grievance. Yet, her voice remained particularly gentle. “Anything is fine. I’m not picky.”

After speaking, she even mustered up a smile for Zhao Manlan.

Zhao Manlan was deeply moved by the girl’s kindness and understanding. In her mind, she scolded her useless son at least 1,800 times.

Look at her! Youyou is so obedient and well-mannered! And yet, that stupid son of hers couldn’t recognize her worth. He coldly ignored a pearl, while holding onto a worthless seashell…

What was so special about that other woman anyway, that Xiao Weijing wouldn’t even spare a glance at his own fiancée?

Zhao Manlan tightened her grip on her knife and fork.

She smiled flawlessly as she cut a piece of steak and placed it in her mouth—
Careful not to say anything that might make this sweet, lovely girl even more upset.

Zhao Manlan, overwhelmed with guilt, accompanied the young girl through dinner.

Outside the window, the night had grown hazy, with a fine drizzle in the air. The courtyard was filled with roses, now in full bloom.

At 200,000 yuan per square meter, the estate was said to have been designed with elements inspired by royal gardens—pavilions, terraces, small bridges, and flowing water—truly a place where every inch of land was worth gold. Yet, among the Xiao family’s many properties, this was nothing more than an ordinary one.

Tang You’s ride was already waiting outside. Zhao Manlan placed a hand on her shoulder and personally escorted her to the door.

The humid air carried the sweet fragrance of roses. Tang You took a deep breath and asked, “Auntie, do you like roses? They bloom so beautifully here.”

Zhao Manlan smiled. “These were planted on Zexing’s orders. He used to live here. I kept them because they bloom so well.”

She was referring to Xiao Zexing, Xiao Weijing’s uncle.

Tang You had never met Xiao Zexing, only heard that this influential figure had been away from the country for years. The Tengxiao Group had been embroiled in power struggles for a long time, with the elder Xiao still refusing to step down. Rumor had it that he was considering either Xiao Zexing or Xiao Weijing as his successor.

But none of that had anything to do with her.

Tang You got into the car, waved politely, and said with a smile, “Goodbye, Auntie.”

Under Zhao Manlan’s bittersweet gaze, the obedient and gentle Tang You got into the car, rubbed her face with both hands, and let out a sigh—
The sweet smile vanished.

Kicking off her high heels, she pulled out her phone and started replying to her exploding inbox of messages.

Miao Jiaxi: 【Xiao Weijing really didn’t show up?】

Miao Jiaxi: 【AHHHH HOLY SHT, Xiao Weijing really was with Wen Ling all day today! Fck!】

Miao Jiaxi: 【As the tragically cheated-on party, do you have any words to share?】

Tang You responded with genuine sincerity:
【Wishing them a lifetime of mutual destruction. May they love each other dearly and set me free as soon as possible.】

Miao Jiaxi: 【You are truly the most magnanimous original wife I’ve ever seen.】

Miao Jiaxi: 【If every betrayed partner were as composed as you, half of all family drama series would lose their main plotlines.】

Even with Miao Jiaxi’s over-the-top praise, Tang You did not see herself as “magnanimous.”

Her late grandfather and the Xiao family patriarch had been wartime comrades, close enough to have “shared a pair of pants” back in the day. Before her grandfather passed, the elder Xiao had visited him. On his deathbed, the old man tearfully begged his old friend to take care of her.

The elder Xiao had thought it over and figured— why not? It wasn’t a big deal.
So, with a casual wave of his hand, he arranged an engagement between Tang You and Xiao Weijing, who had accompanied him on the visit.

——Had Tang You been a few years younger, brought into the Xiao family to be raised, this might have turned into the sweet romance of a childhood sweetheart story.

But Xiao Weijing hated arranged marriages, and by extension, he hated Tang You as well.

——If this were a typical romance novel, Tang You would stay kind and warm, eventually leading to a regret-filled, groveling “chasing wife at the crematorium” scenario.

Tang You didn’t think she was that much of a doormat.

There were plenty of men in the world.
Why should she waste her energy warming up this particular one?
Was freedom not beautiful enough?
Were there not enough attractive men out there?

Her biggest regret was not making it clearer to her grandfather.

She did not want to marry Xiao Weijing.

She should have cried louder, been firmer—
Then she wouldn’t have ended up in this ridiculous situation, where she had to act sweet in front of the elders and play the villain in front of Xiao Weijing.

At the time of their engagement, Xiao Weijing hadn’t shown obvious resistance—
But within a month, he had fallen madly in love with Tang You’s longtime rival, Wen Ling.

Tang You had a slight obsession with emotional purity.

She didn’t care for the idea of her future husband having some deep, unforgettable love, nor did she want him to carry a lifelong torch for a “white moonlight” or a “red string of fate” he could never obtain.

Especially when that so-called red string of fate was, in her eyes, nothing more than a bloodstain from a mosquito bite—

Disgusting.

Now, the real question was—

How the hell was she going to get out of this engagement?

The Tang family was weak and powerless. Her spineless father and opportunistic stepmother were practically ready to wash her clean, wrap her up, and deliver her straight to the Xiao family, never giving her the slightest chance to speak up. As for Old Master Xiao, his word was law—when Xiao Weijing suggested breaking off the engagement, he ended up being carried away in an ambulance the very next day, spending an entire week in the orthopedics ward.

Tang You hated pain and couldn’t afford to face the consequences of Old Master Xiao’s wrath. So, she had no choice but to play the obedient daughter-in-law on the surface while secretly gathering intel on Xiao Weijing’s pet peeves—just waiting for the day he’d be so disgusted by her that he’d willingly take the damage and call off the engagement himself.

Mission accomplished.

And once the engagement was broken, whatever dramatic romance Xiao Weijing and his beloved Wen Ling had was no longer any of her concern.

There were plenty of high-quality men in the world—only a fool would hang themselves on a single tree.

Especially when that tree was already crooked.

—

With one year left before graduation, most students from the School of Information and Electrical Engineering were already interning at major companies, becoming fresh recruits for the corporate world.

Tang You had no intention of working in her field after graduation. After applying for dorm withdrawal, she moved into an apartment she had purchased and took in her fellow struggling freelance writer, Miao Jiaxi, as a roommate.

She had barely enjoyed two days of freedom as a carefree little princess when a call from Zhao Manlan caught her off guard.

Zhao Manlan’s voice was warm and gentle: “Youyou, your uncle and I have already given Weijing a good talking-to. Tonight, just the two of you should have dinner together. I’ve booked a table for you at Bìshuǐ Xiǎotīng—Table 13, at 8 PM.”

Tang You responded with genuine gratitude: “Auntie, thank you! You’re the best.”

——I’m so sorry, Auntie. I appreciate the effort, but forced relationships never end well. Xiao Weijing and I really aren’t a match.

Before heading to the dinner, Tang You rummaged through her closet and found a pure white dress. She carefully curled her hair into soft, elegant waves and applied the most delicate, natural-looking makeup possible—

Most straight men loved innocent, delicate “white lotus” girls.

But Tang You knew better.

Xiao Weijing had a unique taste—he hated fake sweet girls and had a preference for bold, straightforward women.

So the more he disliked something, the more Tang You would lean into it.

The goal was simple: make him so fed up that he’d cancel the engagement himself.

Then, she could walk away with the compensation money, live her best life, and enjoy endless luxury.

Money was far more interesting than some useless man.

As the appointed time approached, Tang You picked up her bag and spun twice in front of the mirror. Once she was sure she looked like an innocent, harmless little white flower, she gracefully stepped out the door.

The sky was darkening, and the lingering sunset cast a soft halo of light along the horizon. Streetlights flickered on one by one, illuminating the towering commercial buildings in the CBD core, most of which had been constructed by Tengxiao Group’s companies.

Not far away, a dazzling display of lights illuminated the meticulously arranged skyline, the very air thick with the scent of money and ambition. This was the so-called “Little Wall Street of the East”, a paradise for speculators, where cunning and greed thrived hand in hand.

Most of the properties here belonged to Xiao Zexing.

In fact, the most powerful member of the Xiao family at the moment wasn’t Xiao Weijing, but his reclusive second uncle, Xiao Zexing.

Tang You’s stepmother had always kept a tight leash on her, ensuring she never had access to such matters. Not that Tang You cared—she had little interest in the business world, and what little she knew was merely hearsay.

All she knew was that the Xiao family was not to be trifled with.

And Xiao Zexing? Even more so.

—

She arrived at Bishui Xiaoting shortly after. Before heading up, Tang You took a final glance in the mirror, ensuring her makeup was flawless, then stepped into the elevator.

She hadn’t been to Bishui Xiaoting many times.

The weather wasn’t great today. Even though she was careful, the hem of her dress still got slightly wet. She glanced down at the damp fabric, noticing that the water stain oddly resembled a little heart.

When the waiter approached to ask if she had a reservation, Tang You suddenly blanked—was it Table 13 or Table 30 that Zhao Manlan had booked?

Wait—wasn’t Zhao Manlan a devout Christian? She was probably superstitious about the number 13.

She wouldn’t have booked Table 13.

Just to be safe, Tang You asked, “Excuse me, is the reservation for Table 30 under the name ‘Xiao’?”

After checking with his colleague through the earpiece, the waiter confirmed, “Yes, the guest’s name is Xiao Zexing.”

He then looked at her and asked, “Are you Miss Tang You?”

“That’s me.”

That settled it—the reservation was indeed for Tang You.

The waiter gave a slight bow. “Miss Tang, Mr. Xiao has been waiting for you for quite some time.”

Tang You was stunned.

What’s up with Xiao Weijing? Did Old Master Xiao beat him up again?

Or did Zhao Manlan drag him here by force?

Following the waiter’s lead, she mentally debated how to address Xiao Weijing when she saw him.

“Weijing gege”? Too cringy. Pass.

“Weijing ge”? Still awkward.

Just “Weijing”?

Or maybe just “Jing”?

…

Lost in thought, she had already arrived at the private room.

The waiter did not step inside. He knew that the man inside hated being disturbed, so he simply gave a small bow. “Miss Tang, please enter.”

Tang You pushed open the intricately carved wooden door, the floral patterns on it delicate yet extravagant.

She stepped onto the thick, dark-hued carpet adorned with sea-buckthorn blossoms, walked past an ornate screen, and her gaze landed directly on the man seated at the head of the table.

The moment their eyes met, her heart violently skipped a beat.

The man’s features were strikingly handsome—sharp but not harsh, his aura deep and restrained.

His dress shirt and tailored trousers were impeccably crisp, with the top button fastened neatly.

Exuding an innate sense of nobility.

For a brief moment, Tang You was completely dazed by his beauty.

Then, her body reacted before her mind could catch up—“Mr. Xiao?”

Why did Xiao Weijing become so freaking elegant and refined after just four years?!

Xiao Zexing silently observed the girl before him, his expression unreadable.

He placed his tea cup down with a steady hand, then clasped his long, pale fingers together.

His voice was deep and rich, carrying a weight that sent a chill down her spine.

“I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.”

—

Translator’s note:

1. In Chinese webnovel and pop culture, “white moonlight” (白月光, bái yuè guāng) refers to someone who is deeply cherished but unattainable. This person is often an idealized first love or a past lover who remains a perfect memory in someone’s heart, untarnished by reality.

2. The Red String of Fate (红线, hóngxiàn) is a myth from Chinese and Japanese folklore, symbolizing an invisible red thread that connects two destined lovers, regardless of time, place, or circumstances. The string may stretch or tangle, but it will never break, ensuring that the two people tied together will eventually find each other.