"Miss!" Uncle Deng's eyes trembled with emotion. "Please let me go up; I just want to take a look." "Uncle Deng," Lin Xi called out to him as well. "If something were to happen to Grandfather, Big Brother would bear the full brunt of the blame. Do you really think he's that foolish?" Uncle Deng fell silent for a moment, his brow furrowed. "Half an hour. If he doesn't come down within half an hour, I'll go up there myself—even if it costs me my life." This was the absolute limit Lin Xi was willing to concede; she agreed immediately: "Very well." Upstairs, in the chess room. Duan Yiheng put away the paternity test report and said, "I know that family scandals should be kept within the family, and I also know that this matter has significant implications for the company." One was the General Manager, the other the Board Secretary; if this were to be exposed, the resulting fallout would be—as anyone could imagine—catastrophic. "The reason I haven't publicly disclosed this information to the Board yet is that I believe there is still room for negotiation." "Grandfather, you won't find a single person better suited than I am to take over Yin Fan. Deep down, you must surely realize that." "Is this about Xiao Xi?" The old man's eyes gleamed with a sharp, shrewd light. Duan Yiheng did not shy away from the question; he stated frankly, "For her sake, and for my own." The old man asked, "And what if... I refuse?" Duan Yiheng replied, "Then this paternity report will find its way into the email inbox of every single shareholder and board member." After a long pause, the old man gave a low chuckle: "It seems you've come fully prepared." Duan Yiheng continued: "Neither Lin Xi nor I have done anything wrong. I refuse to let her suffer any longer; the Duan Mingxuan you favor is simply incapable of providing her with the happiness she deserves. You already tore us apart once during a Board meeting; I will not give you the chance to do so a second time." That single separation had cast a perpetual gloom over his and Lin Xi's world; he had no intention of ever enduring such agony again. Duan Yiheng subconsciously clenched his fist, his fingertips brushing against the scar left by a cigarette burn. "Do you want Duan Zheng out of the company, or do you want him to stay?" Duan Yiheng looked at the old man and said, "He lacks the moral character to hold such a position. He'd be better off staying at home, playing the part of the 'dignified' Mr. Duan." The old man remained silent for a while, then asked Duan Yiheng, "All these years... have you hated your father?" "I don't hate him." A strange, twisted smile played upon the corners of Duan Yiheng's lips. "I simply look down on him. He is utterly incapable of maintaining a normal marital relationship with any woman." Chen Baiwei was someone he had actively pursued himself; later, she bore him Duan Mingxuan, and he even entered into marriage a second time specifically for the sake of the mother and son. He had thought it was true love—yet, as it turned out, he secretly had a five-year-old illegitimate daughter on the side. Duan Yi laughed mockingly:
"Grandpa, in this entire lifetime of his, whom has he ever truly treated with fairness?" His words seemed to serve as a slap in his own face as well; the old man let out a heavy sigh: "You may leave now. At the next family banquet, I will make an announcement regarding this matter—and, while I'm at it, I will publicly disclose my will."
Duan Yiheng rose to his feet, gave the old man a slight bow, turned, and headed downstairs. Just as he reached the corner on the first floor, Lin Xi and Uncle Deng both turned to look at him in unison. Lin Xi stepped forward, visibly relieved: "Is it settled?" Before Duan Yiheng could answer, Uncle Deng rushed past him and sprinted up the stairs.
"Let's go," Duan Yiheng said to Lin Xi. Having run upstairs to find the old man safe and sound, Uncle Deng breathed a deep sigh of relief: "Sir." The old man gave a soft "Mm": "Did Lin Xi keep you waiting downstairs?" Uncle Deng nodded: "What did the Young Master discuss with you?"
The old man chuckled: "You really are getting old; your legs aren't as spry as the youngsters'. Yiheng beat you to it and snatched up the crucial information." Uncle Deng was taken aback: "What?" The old man glanced at the documents lying on the table: "See for yourself."
After reading through them, Uncle Deng finally understood the reasoning behind Duan Yiheng's actions; he said, "How could the Young Master treat you like this?" "I don't blame him; he was pushed to the brink," the old man replied. "Summon the lawyer." "Right now?" "Right now." At this point, he could no longer stop anyone. Having spent a lifetime navigating the cutthroat world of business, the old man knew that Duan Zheng had already lost. In truth, he had never truly expected Duan Zheng to win; yet, because Duan Yiheng's brilliance shone so intensely—perhaps too intensely—he felt compelled to keep a tight rein on things. Consequently, he had never relinquished the shred of power he still held in his grasp.
If the scandal involving Ke Yue were to be exposed, it would deal a fatal blow to Duan Zheng. From his personal reputation to his family life, from the company to the court of public opinion—the collective voices of the masses, each adding their own comment, would utterly devour him.
Regardless of his actual competence, as the General Manager of Silver Sail, such scandals simply could not be allowed to surface. The old man understood perfectly well that Duan Yiheng's approach was the most prudent one. All he had to do was find a pretext to suspend Duan Zheng, and Duan Yiheng's subsequent rise to power would be seen as a natural, inevitable progression.
As long as Duan Zheng was removed from the company, the fallout for Silver Sail could be minimized. Yet, Duan Yiheng remained stubbornly determined to be with Lin Xi; even though they shared no blood ties, their relationship was bound to invite gossip and speculation. In this day and age, neither netizens nor shareholders cared who you were—if they wanted to curse you, they would curse you.
A few misleading remarks could be posted online, spreading like wildfire from one person to ten, and then to a hundred, until those baseless rumors hardened into undeniable facts. —Lin Xi walked alongside Duan Yiheng along the garden path, tugging gently at his sleeve. "So, how did your talk with Grandpa actually go?" Duan Yiheng countered with a question of his own:
"Why are you here? Who gave you permission to come?" His tone was somewhat stern—devoid of his usual warmth—and Lin Xi froze for a moment. She gave a stiff, awkward tug at the corners of her mouth. "I just... I was worried about you." "Well, as you can see, I'm perfectly fine."
Duan Yiheng frowned. "You've got quite a nerve, daring to intercept Uncle Deng like that. Was it Sister Mei who told you about the bodyguards?" Lin Xi felt as though she were being scolded, and a knot of discomfort tightened in her chest; she simply murmured a low, quiet response. "I instructed the bodyguards to intercept Uncle Deng because she shares a deep personal history with him,"
Duan Yiheng continued, barely suppressing his anger. "So why did she let you go over there all by yourself?" Lin Xi hurriedly interjected, "It's not Sister Mei's fault. I insisted on going myself. I knew that the moment Uncle Deng saw the doctor, he would realize something was amiss—and guess that you had a plan in place—so I took matters into my own hands."
"So you *do* realize that you took matters into your own hands." "There had better not be a next time for something like this," Duan Yiheng fumed. Lin Xi bit her lip but offered no promise. Seeing her head bowed, Duan Yiheng reached out to lift her chin. "Did you hear me?" Lin Xi slapped his hand away. "No, I didn't."
"Are you trying to defy the heavens?" Duan Yiheng's frown deepened. "You're not seventeen anymore; why do you insist on talking back?" *Have you already grown tired of me?* "Am I just supposed to stand here and let you lecture me?"
Lin Xi grumbled. "You weren't happy when I came here; you pushed me away when I tried to face this alongside you. So what exactly do you want me to do?" Hearing the slight tremor in her voice, Duan Yiheng suddenly felt a pang of panic.
"That's not what I meant at all! What I meant was—" "It doesn't matter anymore. I don't have anything to say." Lin Xi turned and walked away. Duan Yiheng immediately gave chase, but to his surprise, she proved remarkably agile; with a quick dash and a dodge, she left his outstretched hand grasping at thin air.
"Lin Xi!" Lin Xi marched straight to her car, which was parked by the North Gate. She ignored Duan Yiheng's frantic tapping on the window—her heart refusing to soften—and drove away in a huff. Duan Yiheng knew this was merely a momentary fit of temper, so he hurriedly called his driver to bring him his car keys. Regardless of the circumstances, he knew he still had to go and smooth things over.
Lin Xi had expected to be met with gentle words and apologies from Duan Yiheng, but instead, she was greeted by a tightly furrowed brow. That fleeting sense of joy she had felt at the prospect of fighting side-by-side with him vanished completely. Knowing that Duan Yiheng was driving after her, Lin Xi made no effort to speed up.
She could easily imagine the consequences: if she dared to try and outrun him—forcing him to race after her—she would face far worse than a mere scolding the moment she stepped out of her car.