After a 22-hour flight from Philadelphia, the plane finally landed in City B. Lin Xi was exhausted, her face pale; she suffered from severe airsickness.
But receiving the text message that Duan Mingxuan was coming to pick her up brought a smile to her face, a sweet feeling welling up inside.
Seventeen years ago, on the day she visited the Duan family, it was Duan Mingxuan who picked her up.
This time, returning home after graduation, it was him again. Seeing this, her friend smiled and asked, "Chloe, is your boyfriend coming to pick you up?"
Lin Xi explained dejectedly, "He's not my boyfriend yet." Her friend expressed regret, "He flies to Philadelphia to see you every month, rain or shine, for five years straight. It's hard not to misunderstand."
Lin Xi brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear, revealing her fair face. She was silent for a moment, then forced a smile at her friend.
She naturally hoped that this trip back would confirm her relationship with Duan Mingxuan. Her parents had died in a plane crash, leaving the company unclaimed, attracting the attention of many powerful figures.
Fortunately, her father's electronic will, left on the plane, wasn't severely damaged and could be recovered, entrusting her to the Duan family. The old man, following his will, merged the company into Yin Fan, ensured her upbringing, and left her shares. He even said that Duan Mingxuan should marry her when she grew up.
However, she wanted mutual love and refused the old man's pressure on Duan Mingxuan. Also, she had promised to go to England to see him, but ended up going to America. This matter remained a source of their arguments.
She thought Duan Mingxuan would let her fend for herself abroad, but he was stubborn on the outside but soft on the inside, relentlessly visiting her. Thinking of this, Lin Xi's heart softened. This separation had been quite long, already half a year. Duan Mingxuan had been forced to work at the company and was quite busy.
Suppressing her excitement at seeing him, Lin Xi thought: Duan Mingxuan, I will tell you the truth about my trip to America five years ago. Besides, she also wanted to work at Yin Fan.
Lost in thought, she almost didn't hear her friend saying goodbye.
Lin Xi waved goodbye to her friend and went to find Duan Mingxuan. He was in Parking Garage 2, directly in front of the terminal. Finally getting closer, Lin Xi saw him and instinctively quickened her pace.
He wore a light-colored printed shirt, looking every bit the spoiled playboy.
"Duan Mingxuan," Lin Xi called out, running over. Duan Mingxuan looked up sharply, opened his arms, and caught her.
"Don't be so disrespectful, call me Second Brother," Lin Xi said, releasing him and huffing, "He's only a year older than me."
Duan Mingxuan pinched her cheek. "Get in the car quickly, Mom has prepared a feast to welcome you." Lin Xi got into the car, already exhausted, but she missed him. Just as she was about to talk to him for a while, catching up on the past six months, Duan Mingxuan's phone rang.
He lazily swiped to answer, a smile playing on his lips. "What's up, baby?" Lin Xi froze, her smile fading. That intimate tone... Duan Mingxuan... has a girlfriend?
In the car, he was gently coaxing her, and Lin Xi could even hear the sweet voice on the other end saying, "Then come over now, I haven't met your sister yet."
Sister? So that's how he talks about her to others.
What kind of brother uses her as an excuse not to date? So, when they parted ways in America six months ago, Duan Mingxuan hadn't understood her hints. The call finally ended.
Seeing her blank expression, Duan Mingxuan waved his hand: "I might have to go somewhere first." Lin Xi looked at him, wishing she could see into his heart, and asked, "You're dating?"
Duan Mingxuan casually chuckled: "Just playing around." His tone was that of someone who was just playing around. Lin Xi frowned: "You weren't like this before."
Duan Mingxuan chuckled: "I'm a grown woman now, not some abstinent, cold older brother, destined to be a bachelor for twenty-nine years." Mentioning Duan Yiheng, Duan Mingxuan's tone was irritated and resistant, and Lin Xi inexplicably felt a chill.
From childhood, she had always been afraid of this man.
"Where are you going?" Lin Xi felt it was related to his phone call.
"Momo was rear-ended, I'm going to handle it." A sore throat pressed against her throat, Lin Xi's mouth opened and closed, mouthing the same "Momo" that Duan Mingxuan had said.
After hesitating for a moment, Lin Xi avoided his gaze: "Then put me down, I'll take a taxi home myself."
"Why bother? Come with me." Duan Mingxuan made a domineering decision.
"I won't—" Lin Xi's stomach churned, her face paled even more, and she tightly pursed her lips, closing her mouth.
Duan Mingxuan's car was new, and Lin Xi found the leather smell inside unbearable.
"What's wrong?" Duan Mingxuan asked worriedly, taking her wrist. Lin Xi pulled away slightly, making up an excuse: "Nothing, just hungry."
Duan Mingxuan rummaged through the armrest box, taking out a box of cookies and handing it to her: "Momo left some here last time, have some to tide you over."
Lin Xi's stomachache worsened. She reached for the cookies, but Duan Mingxuan had already opened them for her.
"Take them yourself, I'll get you a bottle of water." Lin Xi silently chewed two cookies, feeling a slight relief in her stomach, though she couldn't taste the saltiness.
Twenty minutes later, they arrived in the city. As soon as the car door opened, a bright, slender figure ran over, calling out sweetly to Duan Mingxuan, "Husband."
Lin Xi's hand gripping the car door tightened suddenly. She couldn't understand why people these days could call each other "husband" and "wife" before they were even married.
Duan Mingxuan snapped, "What are you yelling about? Can't you see someone's here?"
Momo finally noticed Lin Xi and said shyly, "My sister's not an outsider." Lin Xi felt nauseous; she really was an outsider.
"Alright, you stay with Xiao Xi. I'll handle things here."
"Then I want to take a picture for my WeChat Moments." Momo took out her phone and snapped a bunch of pictures of Duan Mingxuan and the car, "To show off my boyfriend." Her tone was quite smug. Lin Xi blinked, averting her gaze, suppressing her impending emotional breakdown.
That McLaren—Duan Mingxuan had mentioned it to her in a video call six months ago; it turned out he'd given it to his girlfriend.
"Xiao Xi, why aren't you saying anything? Don't you like me?" Momo pouted.
"No," Lin Xi forced a smile. "I'm just a little tired, you…"
Mo Mo: "What's wrong with me? Are you trying to ask my name? My name is Zhang Mo, Zhang as in article, Mo as in foam."
"How could I know…" Lin Xi hesitated. "When did you and him get together?"
Zhang Mo: "Let me think… it's almost a year! You shouldn't have mentioned it, our one-year anniversary is coming up soon."
"Ugh—" Lin Xi suddenly turned her head and vomited into the bushes. Zhang Mo instinctively took a step back: "Oh dear, what happened to you?" The driver quickly got Lin Xi water and tissues: "Miss Lin, are you feeling unwell? I'll take you to the hospital."
Lin Xi took the tissues and water, and after a while, she composed herself, using her long hair to wipe away the tears reflecting from the vomit. She glanced deeply at Duan Mingxuan, who had his back to her, shielding someone else from the storm, and said to the driver, "No need, take me home."
The driver hesitated, "Should we tell the second young master?" Zhang Mo interjected at the opportune moment, "It's alright, he promised to have dinner with me anyway. You guys go first, I'll tell him."
So he hadn't planned to have dinner with her after all.
Lin Xi let out a soft laugh, abandoning all decorum and propriety, and got into the car without a word, shutting out all her embarrassment.