Lin Xi noticed the driver had changed; it was Duan Yiheng's usual driver, so she knew he had ill intentions. Sure enough, he started groping her as soon as she got in the car.
Lin Xi pressed down hard on his wrist, giving him a "the driver's watching" look. Duan Yiheng coughed, and the partition slowly rose. Lin Xi snorted and slapped his hand away: "Sit still." Duan Yiheng hissed, and Lin Xi panicked: "What's wrong?
Did I touch your hand?" Duan Yiheng hummed in response. Lin Xi got up from her seat and leaned over to look at his hand, but Duan Yiheng grabbed her waist and pulled her onto his lap. "You..." Lin Xi belatedly realized what he meant, "I hit your uninjured hand."
Duan Yiheng pulled her into a tight embrace, resting his chin on her shoulder, and whispered, "Even a little hit hurts." Lin Xi gave a forced smile: "Hitting is a sign of affection, scolding is a sign of love." Duan Yiheng turned her face and kissed her, then released her after a moment, smiling ambiguously:
"Whose sweet tongue is this?" Lin Xi couldn't hold back her anger any longer and punched his chest hard. This time, Duan Yiheng was genuinely hurt, silently enduring the blow of love. Seeing that he didn't speak, Lin Xi glanced at him: "Did it hurt again?" Duan Yiheng shook his head:
"It doesn't hurt." "If you're going to get angry, just get angry." Lin Xi tapped his bandaged hand, "How could you hurt yourself? Uncle Duan might not care about you, but I—" Lin Xi suddenly stopped, the rest of her words a little too embarrassing to say. "Feeling sorry for me?" Duan Yiheng wasn't about to let her off the hook, wrapping his arm around her waist and asking gently and affectionately. Lin Xi raised her arm slightly: "What's this now?
I didn't even dare let Grandpa notice anything amiss when I came to see him. When I go back to work the day after tomorrow, Qin Yang will think we went to fight." "Who cares?"
Duan Yiheng said, "I have a day to rest after my business trip. I'm going to see Meng Huaishan tomorrow; we've arranged to meet at Grandma's. Want to come along?" Lin Xi shook her head: "If you're talking to Meng Huaishan, I won't go. I've made plans with Yutong." Duan Yiheng:
"When did you make those plans?" Lin Xi glanced at him sideways: "Is that not allowed?" "Yes, it is." Duan Yiheng immediately replied. Downstairs, Duan Yiheng wanted to follow her up, but Lin Xi stopped him:
"You could at least give me an excuse for bringing me back, but if I stay overnight, Grandpa might find out." Duan Yiheng didn't plan to stay overnight, but that didn't stop him from teasing Lin Xi: "Alright, since we can't stay overnight, you should at least give me something to look forward to, right?"
Lin Xi looked herself up and down: "I don't have anything to give you." Duan Yiheng tightened his grip on her waist, his breath hot against her ear: "I suspect you're pretending to be stupid." So that's what he meant by "something to look forward to." Lin Xi felt like she'd acted like a fool.
She tilted her head back, wrapped her arms around Duan Yiheng's neck, and kissed him. Duan Yiheng, satisfied with the kiss, left. The next morning, Liang Yutong arrived at Lin Xi's house, while Duan Yiheng went to his grandmother's alley.
Pushing open the courtyard gate, Meng Huaishan was already there. Seeing Duan Yiheng, he waved the vegetables in his hand and teased, "Some people just like to have things handed to them." Duan Yiheng ignored him and said to the old lady, "Grandma, thank you for your hard work. I need to talk to him about something."
The old lady waved her hand with a smile. The two reached the alley entrance, and Meng Huaishan offered him a cigarette, saying,
"Ke Yu is really hard to investigate. He's too cautious. I had to start with her sister-in-law to find some clues. I learned where she frequented, and after staking out for days, I managed to take some photos. Those who know her can confirm it's Duan Zheng, but those who don't can't even see his face."
It's no wonder these two are cautious; in recent years, many powerful figures have had their companies and personal lives affected by their romantic relationships.
Last year, the heir to a food group was caught mistreating his wife and having an affair, causing his image to plummet. Taking advantage of this, competitors accused him of tax evasion and illegal related-party transactions, triggering an investigation by the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC). His stock price crashed, wiping out over 10 billion yuan in market value.
Ke Yu and Duan Zheng hadn't gotten what they wanted, so they had to keep it a secret. Duan Yiheng's task was to expose their scandal among the company's senior management without harming the company's interests.
Judging from the old man's attitude last night, it was clear that Uncle Deng hadn't told him about it. Duan Yiheng thought: It can't be hidden for much longer. "Keep watching; the evidence isn't enough," Duan Yiheng said.
Since he'd started, he had to strike hard. Damaging Duan Zheng wasn't the real goal; getting him out of the company was. He was just the old man's son, holding a high position despite lacking ability, relying on Duan Yiheng and the old man.
Feeling things weren't going as he expected, Duan Zheng had started an affair with the board secretary, Ke Yu. Nothing in this world can be hidden forever, but the evidence Meng Huaishan has provided is simply insufficient. Duan Zheng only needs to deny it to overturn everything and turn the tables on him, accusing him of slander.
The two ate lunch at the old lady's house. It was a simple home-cooked meal, but it looked quite appetizing. Duan Yiheng smiled, took a picture of the food with his phone, and sent it to Lin Xi. Meng Huaishan:
"...When did you start learning from those women, taking a picture before eating to check in?" Duan Yiheng put down his phone and said, "I don't argue with fools." Meng Huaishan looked at the old lady: "Grandma, look at him." The old lady chuckled twice:
"You two eat! You were always restless at mealtimes when you were little, and you're still like that now." After finishing his meal, Duan Yiheng didn't leave. He made tea for the old lady, and the two sat in the courtyard enjoying a rare moment of peace. "Grandma, please take some time to visit my grandpa."
The old lady wasn't surprised: "You want me to be your go-between?" Duan Yiheng:
"Besides you, I don't know who else can persuade him. Grandpa lost his wife and son early in life, hiding his grief under his busy work. Yinfan is his life's work, something he can't let go of. He can't tolerate Yinfan being tarnished in any way. To some extent, he doesn't trust me either; he doesn't trust that I can handle my relationship with Lin Xi."
The old lady smiled: "Your grandpa is just old. When you get old, you start to get afraid. You made the person who used to control everything suddenly let go. He's not used to it, and when he's not used to it, he won't trust." Duan Yiheng said: "I'm counting on you." The old lady nodded:
"Last time he was hospitalized, I only sent some things through someone. It's time to go see him." Duan Yiheng breathed a sigh of relief. Since he was already there, he spent dinner with the old lady and chatted for a long time before leaving.
Today he drove himself out. Even though he was supposed to go north after leaving the alley, the steering wheel unconsciously turned. Upon arriving at the Imperial Palace in Tiandu, he called Lin Xi from his car. After four or five rings, the call was answered with only a single "Hello."
Duan Yiheng chuckled and flirted, "Secretary Lin, may I come up?"