The driver parked the car downstairs at Tiandu Yuxi and said, "Mr. Duan, we've arrived."
Lin Xi wiped away her tears and was about to get out of the car when Duan Yiheng pulled her back. "I know," Duan Yiheng replied, "You can get out and have a smoke later." The driver responded. Lin Xi turned her back, avoiding Duan Yiheng's gaze, and wiped away her tears.
Calming herself, she said in a hoarse voice, "I'll go upstairs first." His sudden words only made her heart race. Duan Yiheng took her hand, his fingertips brushing against her wrist. Lin Xi felt a tickle and whispered for him to let go. Duan Yiheng said,
"If I let go, you'll run away." "I have to go to work tomorrow, how can I go upstairs if you don't let go?" Lin Xi suppressed her racing heartbeat and steered the conversation away from the topic. "Stay with me a little longer."
Duan Yiheng's tone was extremely tired. "Dealing with people like Zhao Hongbo is much more tiring than going to work." "I think Miss Zhao is quite easy to talk to," Lin Xi muttered. Duan Yiheng chuckled: "What? Jealous?" "Who's jealous?"
Lin Xi turned around. "I mean, Miss Zhao is easy to talk to. Chairman Zhao is her father, so he shouldn't be difficult to talk to." Zhao Hongbo wasn't exactly difficult to deal with, but Duan Yiheng said, "How many people in the business world are easy to talk to?
He hinted to me several times today that I should consider dating his daughter." Lin Xi said "Oh." "If I just refuse directly, I'm afraid of offending people, so I can only subtly make fun of myself." Duan Yiheng whetted her appetite. Sure enough, Lin Xi couldn't help but look away.
"Okay, I'm still somewhat curious," Duan Yiheng chuckled. "I said I'm nine years older than her, three generation gaps, the young lady probably wouldn't be willing." "Not necessarily," Lin Xi muttered. Zhao Yuxin had initially been quite interested in him.
Duan Yiheng heard her and leaned close to her ear: "You might be willing, but others might not?" Lin Xi's ears turned red, and she turned her face to retort, but held her breath because of that face so close to hers.
Their eyes met, locked together, and Lin Xi's breath suddenly tightened. She subtly pulled back. An ambiguous silence fell; neither dared to breathe too heavily.
Duan Yiheng's gaze lingered on her beautiful profile, suppressing the urge to kiss her. He turned his head, clearing his throat awkwardly. This time, he didn't tease Lin Xi, speaking directly:
"I'm not interested in Zhao Yuxin, though she did offer some advice about our relationship. This afternoon, she told me a lot, making me realize that perhaps I don't really understand you." Lin Xi's eyelashes trembled slightly, her gaze darting away.
She clenched her fingers, trying to resist the tremor in her chest. "The way our relationship started was wrong, but the fault isn't yours, it's mine." "I'm six years older than you, and I should bear the responsibility for all these mistakes." "I won't run away!"
Lin Xi murmured, as if she were the only one running away. Duan Yiheng seemed to know what she was thinking, raising his hand to gently rub the back of her head: "But sometimes, I think running away is also a form of love." Lin Xi looked at him, not understanding his meaning.
"What do you think I talked to Grandpa about?" Duan Yiheng smiled gently. "I already know why you broke up with me back then."
"Grandpa used you, deliberately letting you overhear his conversation with Uncle Deng. I was laid off then, and you were desperate, grasping at straws, falling for his trick." Lin Xi subconsciously denied, "No way..." "That's the truth."
Duan Yiheng said, "Even without knowing the truth, I didn't want to let you go. What do you think I'm thinking now?" His dark pupils flashed with a small flame, just enough to devour her. Lin Xi gripped the handlebars, flustered, "I really have to go back." Duan Yiheng pressed her wrist: "I won't force you anymore. You work on the project with Xu Yu for a while. I'll handle your matter with Duan Mingxuan." Lin Xi nodded: "Okay."
Duan Yiheng released her hand. Lin Xi pushed open the car door, enduring the burning gaze behind her, and entered Tiandu Yuxi. Only after she disappeared from sight did Duan Yiheng finally stop looking and instruct the driver to drive off. The car had just started moving when his phone rang.
Duan Yiheng answered, and Meng Huaishan's voice came from the other end: "Your dad went to Lanyue Mansion again, the third time this month. It's not that frequent." Duan Yiheng: "Have you found out who's there?" Meng Huaishan:
"Neither of us can get involved, otherwise we'd be giving your dad leverage, and then he could say you're slandering him. I had someone investigate, but there are no results yet, though it's probably her mistress." "I know what I'm talking about."
Duan Yiheng said, "But I'm a little curious that she's kept it so well hidden." Meng Huaishan: "I think the same way. If she's just an ordinary mistress, she won't cause any trouble at the company. Which man with any standing outside doesn't keep mistresses?
The key is your stepmother. Can she tolerate it?" Duan Yiheng smiled: "I'm hanging up." "Don't hang up! I have a question for you. You and Lin Xi… Hello! Hello? Duan Yiheng, you really don't respect your elder brother." Meng Huaishan cursed as he hung up the phone. Lin Xi went back upstairs, didn't turn on the lights, and slumped onto the living room sofa. She couldn't calm down; all she could think about were Duan Yiheng's words in the car. It would be a lie to say she wasn't affected; after the board meeting, it was true she didn't dare respond.
Lin Xi sighed. Her phone rang in her bag. She reached for her bag on the floor, took out her phone, and saw it was a WeChat message from Zhao Yuxin. They had added each other on WeChat while having coffee. Zhao Yuxin said she couldn't sleep and wanted to chat.
Lin Xi curled her lips; she was more interested in gossiping. She sat up and asked Zhao Yuxin: "What exactly did you say to my older brother?" Zhao Yuxin sent her a "long story" emoji. Lin Xi: ...Then cut it short. Zhao Yuxin: "It can't be short, I'll tell you with a voice message." "..." Seven 50-second voice messages followed. Lin Xi listened to them from beginning to end, stunned. After a long pause, she sent Zhao Yuxin a voice message: "Thank you." She didn't know what else to say.
She hadn't expected that Zhao Yuxin, this pampered young lady, could resonate with her. Zhao Yuxin: "No need to thank me. If you two get together, you have to treat me to dinner." Lin Xi: "I'll treat you when I have time." There was no need to add a precondition.
Every step she and Duan Yiheng took was unplanned. But his words and actions tonight had indeed stirred up quite a ripple in her heart. Lin Xi glanced at the time and ruffled her long hair. Oh well, better to sleep now; there's important business tomorrow.
The next morning, there was a meeting concerning the sales department, chaired by Duan Yiheng. Entering the meeting room, Lin Xi paused. Xu Yu, Chen Liangyi, and Li Ke—the entire project team's eyes were all on her.