At around 7 PM, Ye Mingxuan was reading in the living room when the doorbell rang.
Auntie Fu thought Tan Sizhe had returned and rushed to open the door, only to find a woman of great charm standing there.
“Hello, I’m Ophelia. Is Mrs. Tan here?”
“She’s here, she’s here,” Auntie Fu called out, turning around. “Mr. Mingxuan! There’s a lady named Ophelia here to see you!”
Ye Mingxuan walked out in confusion and greeted Ophelia timidly.
The clothes were excellent in design, fabric, and cut, and the Sizhes seemed to fit Ye Mingxuan perfectly.
“Madam, is there anything you don’t like?” Ophelia asked. “I can have them take these away and bring another batch right away.”
Ye Mingxuan shook his head vigorously, feeling very embarrassed: “No, nothing!”
“Then that’s fine. Leave all of these here,” Ophelia instructed her staff.
After saying that, she followed her subordinates as they withdrew.
Ye Mingxuan looked at the clothes filling the living room, unsure of what to do.
Until his phone vibrated several times, Ye Mingxuan snapped back to reality and saw an unfamiliar number.
He answered, “Hello?”
“Do you like them?” A deep, familiar voice sounded.
“President Tan?!”
“Yes, it’s me,” Tan Sizhe chuckled. “Pick out something you like and put it on.”
“I’ll be waiting for you downstairs.”
Downstairs? Ye Mingxuan felt a surge of anxiety.
He hurriedly changed into a simple outfit and headed out the door, taking the elevator down.
Upon arriving at the underground parking lot, Ye Mingxuan saw Tan Sizhe leaning against the car.
The man was tall with long legs, his eyes cold and distant. He was holding his earphones, seemingly engrossed in a conversation, then looked up.
Seeing Ye Mingxuan wearing the outfit he had personally selected, Tan Sizhe was satisfied.
“Sir,” Ye Mingxuan greeted him with a bow.
Tan Sizhe turned on the turn signal, and the car slowly started moving. “To the concert.”
Everyone who comes here must wear formal attire or evening gowns as a sign of respect.
Ye Mingxuan sat in the car, occasionally running his hands over his clothes.
The fabric was smooth and comfortable. It was his first time wearing clothes made of this material, and they were particularly stylish, causing him to glance down every few seconds.
Tan Sizhe furrowed his brows, noticing his young wife staring at her clothes, seemingly forgetting there was someone beside her, which left him feeling somewhat gloomy.
The car came to a stop, and someone helped Ye Mingxuan out. She awkwardly got out of the car and hurried over to where Tan Sizhe had exited, seeing two rows of black-clad bodyguards lined up at the theater entrance.
The general manager nearly tripped as he ran down the stairs: “President Tan! We knew you were coming, so we’ve already prepared a private box and refreshments for you and your wife! If there’s anything else you need, please let me know, and I’ll do my utmost to arrange it for you!”
Tan Sizhe: “No need. We just want to listen to a concert and not be disturbed.”
“Understood, President Tan!” The general manager turned around, “I will station staff upstairs and downstairs. No one is allowed to go up. Anyone who wants to go up must report it first!”
The bodyguards: “Yes!”
The general manager forced a smile: “President Tan, Mrs. Tan, please.”
Tan Sizhe stepped onto the stairs, followed by Ye Mingxuan, then the general manager, and behind them were the orderly bodyguards.
The man in front was tall with long legs, walking quickly, and Ye Mingxuan struggled to keep up.
The others were either bodyguards or employees, all strangers looking at him with curiosity. Ye Mingxuan felt a bit afraid, but the woody scent of Tan Sizhe’s cologne brought him a sense of security.
“Sir,” Ye Mingxuan whispered, extending his slender white fingers to tug at Tan Sizhe’s sleeve.
He didn’t speak, continuing to stare ahead, but his pace slowed considerably.
The smooth and melodious music sank into his heart, the sounds of the cello and violin intertwining.
The first floor was a regular lobby, and from the second floor onward were private rooms, with prices increasing gradually, and fewer rooms available the higher up you went.
Ye Xiangkai and the others sat in the first private room on the left side of the fifth floor to listen to the symphony.
Zhao Dongxuan took a sip of tea, looked affectionately at her son playing with his tablet, and then thought of yesterday, putting the teacup back down: “I never expected that President Tan would like Ye Mingxuan so much.”
“I told him he’s from the countryside and hasn’t seen the world, but the old man doesn’t seem to care.”
Zhao Dongxuan pressed her forehead: “What’s so great about Ye Mingxuan? How does he compare to our Yu Fan?!”
“Rely on him? Didn’t you see yesterday?” Zhao Dongxuan perked up at the mention of this. “Last night, they didn’t even make eye contact. Tan Sizhe clearly doesn’t think much of Ye Mingxuan. You can’t expect Ye Mingxuan to speak up for us.”
Ye Xiangkai sighed, shook his head, and took a sip of tea.
Ye Yufan pouted, “Thank goodness it’s not me getting married. Otherwise, I’d be the one crying.”
“Tan Sizhe is indeed handsome and wealthy, but so what? He still can’t compare to my Yu Sen brother.”
Zhao Dongxuan pinched his little nose: “Yushen, Yushen, all you ever talk about is Yushen. When will he be coming back from abroad?”
“He won’t tell me,” Ye Yufan dodged his mother’s hand. “I don’t know what he’s busy with either. He doesn’t even answer his phone.”
Zhao Dongxuan: “Since he’s not answering the phone, don’t keep calling him. Don’t lower yourself, you know?”
“Why are you the only one here?” Zhao Dongxuan complained. “Do you know who we are? Such a large private room and you only send one waiter? What’s this?”
“I’m sorry, ma’am. There were originally five of them, but they were all reassigned earlier.”
“Where to?”
“The main private room on the sixth floor.”
Ye Xiangkai and Zhao Dongxuan suddenly fell silent.
The sixth floor was the top floor, which had a total of five private rooms. These rooms weren’t something you could just walk into with money…
It goes without saying that the people inside must be quite influential.
“Do you know who it is?” Ye Xiangkai asked the waiter.
The waiter bowed: “I’m sorry, I don’t know.”
Zhao Dongxuan’s eyes narrowed: “Never mind, just bring the menu over.”
“President Tan, here are the snacks you ordered. Please enjoy them.” The waiter bowed respectfully and carefully closed the door.
Tan Sizhe took a sip of tea and glanced at Ye Mingxuan’s reaction.
The sound and visual effects in this main private room were the best. Sure enough, within just a few minutes, Ye Mingxuan was completely engrossed in the stage.
The young man had light-colored eyes and hair, and at that moment, his gaze was focused, with the sacred overhead light shining on his face, making him look like an angel descended from heaven.
After the song ended, Ye Mingxuan finally snapped back to reality.
“Do you like it?” Tan Sizhe suddenly asked.
Ye Mingxuan nodded: “I like it.”
He hesitated before speaking: “Sir, thank you for buying me those clothes.”
“I’ll clear out half of the walk-in closet for your clothes.”
Ye Mingxuan panicked: “Sir, that’s too much trouble…”
“Since we’re getting married,” Tan Sizhe raised his eyelashes, his gaze deep and lingering, “we should be prepared to live together, shouldn’t we?”
Ye Mingxuan opened his mouth but remained silent, lowering his head.
Tan Sizhe gripped the rim of the cup, raised his hand to smell the tea aroma, and glanced over to see Ye Mingxuan taking a sip of tea with sparkling eyes.
“Tell me more.”
Ye Mingxuan’s lips curved into a smile, and he couldn’t help but pick up the cup to smell it. Suddenly, he met Tan Sizhe’s unwavering gaze, and his expression froze. He lowered his head in embarrassment.
“You described it well.”
Ye Mingxuan blinked his clear eyes: “Really?”
“Yes,” Tan Sizhe said, “it’s Tieguanyin.”
“So this is Tieguanyin,” Ye Mingxuan said with a faint smile.
Ye Xiangkai loved drinking tea, and many people who visited him would bring Tieguanyin. Ye Mingxuan had heard the name Tieguanyin many times, but had never tasted it.
Today, he had the opportunity to taste it, and it was indeed as delicious as he had imagined.
Tan Sizhe touched his lips to the rim of the cup and remained silent.
On the table was a three-tiered mortise-and-tenon handle box, each layer divided into a grid pattern, filled with a variety of pastries. Some were shaped like lotus flowers, others like seals, and the simplest were square-shaped mung bean pastries sprinkled with osmanthus flowers, their fragrance wafting through the air.
Ye Mingxuan had eaten a hearty dinner and wasn’t particularly hungry, but seeing the array of pastries on the table made him feel peckish.
Ye Mingxuan swallowed hard but didn’t touch the pastries either.
Ye Mingxuan cupped his cheeks, staring intently at the golden tea broth, oblivious to the intense gaze across from him.
A thunderous round of applause erupted from the audience below, drawing Ye Mingxuan’s attention.
The next piece began, and a new group of performers took the stage.
A tall, handsome man appeared in the public eye, instantly drawing many glances.
“I see him, I see him.” Zhao Dongxuan paused for a moment, then smiled affectionately after recognizing him, “This Yu Sen, he really is a handsome young man, getting more and more handsome.”
The spotlight shone on Yu Sen, who was wearing a white tailcoat, standing tall and straight, with a gentle expression. His slender arms held the bow, playing a beautiful and moving melody, like a prince from a fairy tale.
Is that Yu Sen? He’s back from abroad? He’s really back!
Ye Mingxuan’s face lit up with joy.
As his thoughts lingered on the stage, suddenly, a large, well-defined hand slid up his thigh like a finger on a piano.
“I remember your leg. There’s a small red mole at the root,” Tan Sizhe said.
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