C12 Trade

Suddenly, he chuckled softly.

"Sweetheart, how about we give it another try to see if it's really satisfying?"

With that, he silenced her with a tender kiss.

"Mmm—"

For a full five minutes, they remained locked in an embrace, unmoving, until the sound of footsteps faded away from the door. Only then did Tang Yan, her face flushed, dare to speak.

"Are they gone?"

She looked anxious.

Xi Pei glanced down at her rosy cheeks, feeling a sudden wave of delight, and nodded with a contented smile.

"Yeah."

Tang Yan sighed in relief, wanting to move, but realized he was still pressed closely against her, making it impossible.

"Um, could you give me some space?"

She was too embarrassed to meet Xi Pei's gaze.

He pushed himself up from the bed, casually tucking the blanket around her before standing beside it.

"Thanks."

Tang Yan's cooperation meant he didn't have to worry about dealing with the prying eyes at home.

With that, he grabbed a blanket from the cabinet and headed for the couch, clearly planning to spend the night there.

As night deepened, the large house was silent.

Tang Yan tossed and turned, unable to sleep, while not far away, his tall figure seemed to make the spacious couch look a bit smaller.

She tentatively asked, "Are you awake?"

There was no response from the couch, just the sound of someone shifting.

Recalling the day's events at the Xi family, Tang Yan was curious. "Why did you marry in Xi Yan's place? It seemed like he doesn't treat you well. And what about that woman outside, Mrs. Zhang? Was she sent by Xi Yan to keep an eye on you?"

She was genuinely intrigued by Xi Pei's situation. She thought her own situation—marrying in place of Tang Li—was bizarre enough, but this was even more so.

After waiting a while without any response from the couch, she figured he wasn't willing to share such personal matters with an outsider like her. Understandingly, Tang Yan spoke up, "It's okay. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. It's your business. But since you helped calm things down with my mom today, if you ever need anything, feel free to ask for my help."

Since they were married now, Tang Yan hoped there wouldn't be any secrets between them, to avoid any misunderstandings or vulnerabilities.

As the night deepened, Tang Yan turned over, ready to close her eyes, when suddenly a quiet, restrained male voice broke the silence.

"Xi Yan and I made a deal."

Tang Yan's eyes snapped open.

"Xi Yan didn't want to marry Tang Li, so he made a deal with me. He offered me 5% of the company's shares as a bargaining chip for marrying in his place. I couldn't refuse because those shares are very important to me."

In just a few short sentences, Tang Yan had already imagined an entire drama unfolding in her mind. As an illegitimate child, Xi Pei was not valued in the Xi family. Now, with all the power concentrated in Xi Yan's hands, the rumored ruthless and unforgiving Xi heir would likely target Xi Pei sooner or later. No wonder he compromised to marry for the sake of that 5% share.

Tang Yan felt a twinge of sympathy in her eyes.

"Why doesn't Xi Yan want to get married?" she asked.

Regardless of Tang Li's personal traits, her reputation was good enough that the Xi heir shouldn't have any reason to reject her.

Xi Pei shook his head slightly. "I don't know. Besides making me marry you, he's planted Mrs. Zhang in the house as a spy."

"Why?" Tang Yan inquired.

A flicker of emotion crossed his eyes. "First, to ensure we consummate the marriage. Second, if you notice anything off, he can immediately pin all the blame on me."

Otherwise, why would the Xi family be so unafraid to reveal the truth today? They simply aren't worried about the Tang family finding out!

​