Upon returning to Tiandu Yuxi, Duan Yiheng did not accompany her upstairs; clearly, he had no intention of staying the night.
Before he left, Lin Xi took hold of his arm and asked, "What do you intend to do about Lin Xiaoying?" Duan Yiheng replied, "We only 'bumped into' each other once; it's a tricky situation." After all, he couldn't simply storm into her company and tell her to get lost. That was true; Lin Xi nodded:
"We can deal with her matter later; I'm going upstairs now." After bidding each other farewell, Duan Yiheng returned to the villa. Once Sister Mei returned from the North Courtyard, he summoned her to his study. "How is Grandfather's health?" Sister Mei asked:
"It remains fairly stable. A day ago, Mr. Duan paid a visit to the North Courtyard and stayed for nearly two hours." Duan Yiheng then asked, "And Uncle Deng?" Sister Mei replied, "He has gone out three times in the last fortnight." A sharp glint flashed in the depths of Duan Yiheng's eyes—three trips in half a month... and Duan Zheng had just visited as well.
It appeared that Uncle Deng had already informed Grandfather about Duan Zheng's extramarital affair. Uncle Deng's trips were likely for the purpose of corroborating the facts. If Angel truly was Duan Zheng's daughter, it seemed—at least for the moment—that he would not reveal this to the Old Master.
If he intended to reveal it, he would have brought her before the Old Master back when the will was first announced last year. Sister Mei stole a glance at Duan Yiheng; she wanted to say something but didn't know where to begin.
Ever since Duan Yiheng had instructed her to collect a sample from Duan Zheng, she had been mulling over the matter for days. However, she also understood that she must not ask about things Duan Yiheng chose not to discuss. Duan Yiheng tapped his fingers on the desk and suddenly asked Sister Mei, "What has Duan Mingxuan been up to lately?" Sister Mei replied:
"It's a stark departure from his usual behavior; he no longer visits nightclubs, has given up drinking, and spends his entire day following Mr. Duan to work." Duan Yiheng gave a silent scoff to himself. No wonder he hadn't been pestering Lin Xi lately. The position of General Manager's Assistant required genuine competence—and it was certainly demanding work.
If Duan Mingxuan were to apply himself in earnest, he wouldn't actually be any less capable than anyone else; it was just a pity that his realization had come too late. Duan Yiheng could roughly surmise what he was trying to achieve. He assumed that Lin Xi's lack of interest in him stemmed from his lack of ambition and his aimless lifestyle. Duan Yiheng shook his head—what a fool.
Duan Mingxuan's greatest flaw was his own self-righteous arrogance. His phone vibrated, and Duan Yiheng glanced up at Sister Mei. "You may go now." Lin Xi had sent Duan Yiheng a text message, asking him when he planned to come over the next day. In less than three seconds, Duan Yiheng replied with just a few words: *Miss me?* Lin Xi typed back:
...Stop playing dumb. Aren't you coming over tomorrow to wait for the appraisal report? Duan Yiheng replied: *You know that just as well as I do, don't you?* Lin Xi asked: *So, are you coming or not?* Duan Yiheng teased: *If you say you miss me, I'll come right over.* Lin Xi retorted: *Stop playing hard to get. I don't.* Duan Yiheng replied:
*Well, I miss you. I'll be there around ten tomorrow morning. We can have lunch together.* Having received confirmation from Duan Yiheng, Lin Xi went to bed quite early that night. She woke up early the next day as well, and specifically instructed the butler that if any packages arrived for her, they were to be brought up to her immediately.
It was not yet ten o'clock when Duan Yiheng arrived. Lin Xi opened the door and asked him, "Why are you here so early?" Duan Yiheng stepped inside and changed his shoes. "I woke up early, so I figured I might as well just come over. What should we have for lunch?" "Let's not go out," Lin Xi suggested. "We can just order in." Duan Yiheng replied:
"I'm not hungry just yet; I had a rather late breakfast this morning." Lin Xi was just about to speak when the doorbell rang. The two exchanged a glance and walked toward the door together.
The butler delivered the package. Lin Xi accepted it and offered her thanks; rather than tearing it open impatiently right there in the entryway, she ushered Duan Yiheng into the living room. Both of them had assumed the package wouldn't arrive until that afternoon.
Lin Xi and Duan Yiheng sat side by side, their eyes fixed on the documents lying on the coffee table. Lin Xi turned to Duan Yiheng and asked, "Shall I open it?" Duan Yiheng nodded calmly. "Go ahead."
Lin Xi reached out, picked up the package, and opened the documents. She stared intently at the contents, not blinking once from start to finish. She quickly scanned through the preliminary details and information, her gaze finally coming to rest on the results.
On the page containing the appraisal conclusion, based on the DNA analysis results, it was confirmed that Duan Zheng was the biological father of Ke Yueke; a separate page similarly indicated that Ke Yu was Ke Yueke's biological mother. Lin Xi glanced at Duan Yiheng, finding his expression completely unperturbed, and murmured:
"So, 'Angel' is actually named Ke Yueke." Duan Yiheng gathered the documents. "I'll take the paternity test results with me." Knowing he had a specific use for them, Lin Xi asked, "What are you planning to do? If the relationship between Ke Yu and Uncle Duan is exposed at the board meeting, what will happen to Angel?"
Duan Yiheng pulled Lin Xi close, pressing his forehead against hers. "Lin Xi, I can't control anyone—nor do I wish to. Every effect has its cause." Lin Xi wrapped her arms around him. "I was only asking because I know that I will always stand by your side."
Duan Yiheng's dark eyes grew deep and heavy. "Even if I do something terrible?" Lin Xi released him and looked into his eyes. "What exactly counts as 'terrible'?" "For instance, taking these paternity test results to see Grandfather."
Duan Yiheng gazed at her, as if trying to peer into her very soul. "You know exactly what I'm going to do, don't you?" Lin Xi froze for a moment. "But Grandfather's health..." "I've already arranged for a medical team to be on standby at the villa," Duan Yiheng said. "Once I seize the initiative, I won't let a single opportunity slip away." Lin Xi still felt a twinge of worry, yet she knew there was a fundamental difference between Duan Yiheng and Duan Zheng. Duan Yiheng would never deliberately do anything to provoke the old man.
"I actually thought you'd wait for the right moment to make this public at the board meeting," Lin Xi said, pursing her lips. "But if this is what you intend to do, then go ahead." Duan Yiheng had exercised patience for far too long; Lin Xi couldn't guarantee how he might snap if he were forced to suppress his feelings any longer.
Grandfather had offered to relinquish his power time and again, only to test the waters just as frequently; meanwhile, his biological father lurked on the sidelines like a predator, watching with covetous eyes. Lin Xi understood the immense pressure Duan Yiheng was under. Suddenly, Duan Yiheng pulled her into a tight embrace.
"Uncle Deng has likely already informed Grandfather about the affair between Duan Zheng and Ke Yu. He's been leaving early and returning late these past few days precisely to verify the details. That means I'm running out of time." If he allowed Uncle Deng to continue his investigation, the truth about Ke Yueke might very well be exposed.
If that happened, Grandfather would undoubtedly leverage every ounce of his authority to whitewash the relationship between Duan Zheng and Ke Yu. The ultimate outcome would likely be nothing more than Ke Yu resigning from the company and taking Ke Yueke abroad to settle down—a scenario in which neither of them would suffer any real loss. Lin Xi broke free from his embrace, raising her hands to cup his face:
"Duan Yiheng, I don't think I've ever actually told you just how much I like you." From mere fondness to liking, and from liking to love—this relationship with him was destined to leave a vivid, indelible mark on her life. "There are many things you don't need to go out of your way to explain to me; I understand."
Duan Yiheng allowed her to cup his face and asked, "Just how much do you like me?" "I can't put it into words," Lin Xi said, gently rubbing his cheeks. "I hope that every single day from now on, you'll be able to feel it—and then, one day, tell me: 'I think I finally know just how much you love me.'"
Duan Yiheng's cheek brushed against her palm as he leaned in and pressed his lips against Lin Xi's. He understood what Lin Xi meant: love is built upon the countless small details and trivialities of daily life. The time he and Lin Xi had spent together was brief—it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they were still in the throes of their honeymoon phase.
Yet, the initial flush of romance fades easily, while true love is hard to attain. Time slips away in an instant; would they be able to remain as steadfast in their devotion to one another as they were right now? That unwavering steadfastness was precisely what they both sought. "Alright, enough kissing," Lin Xi said, gently pushing him away. "Let's go get something to eat." Duan Yiheng planted a kiss on her cheek:
"There's no time to waste; I'm going to head back to the villa for a bit." Lin Xi paused for a moment, slightly taken aback, but ultimately nodded in agreement.