The late October rain already carried the chill of early winter, and Lin Xi shivered from the cold. Only after Duan Mingxuan had finally fallen asleep did she tell Chen Baiwei that she had come here.
She didn't want to trouble anyone, and since it was getting late, she simply called a taxi. Taxis couldn't enter Jinglin, and the security personnel were unusually indifferent, leaving her soaked at the entrance.
But this wasn't entirely the security's fault, because Jinglin was inhabited by the wealthy and powerful, and they didn't easily let any strangers in. Even familiar faces were subject to verification and checks.
Duan Yiheng handed Lin Xi a black-handled umbrella, confirming her identity with the security guard.
Turning around, he took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders. The coat, still warm from Duan Yiheng's body, protected her from the chill of the rainy night. Duan Yiheng took the umbrella and led her upstairs.
"Why are you here at this hour?" Once inside the inpatient ward, Duan Yiheng closed the umbrella and asked.
Lin Xi wrapped his coat tighter around herself: "I told you I was coming to see Grandpa."
Duan Yiheng led her into the elevator: "Grandpa's fine, he just needs some rest. But you, taking a taxi alone in the middle of the night, don't you know how dangerous that is?"
Lin Xi retorted softly: "I took a taxi, it was very safe."
Duan Yiheng scoffed: "Did the driver have 'I'm safe' written all over his face?"
Lin Xi: "..." The driver didn't have those words written on his face, but he certainly did, "I'm very unhappy."
She didn't know how she had offended him. Lin Xi remained silent, like a quail. The elevator stopped, and Lin Xi silently followed Duan Yiheng out, asking softly, "Is Grandpa asleep? I'll go check on him first."
Duan Yiheng stopped her: "Get yourself ready first."
Lin Xi: "Never mind, I'll just take a look and leave."
"No one will take you home," Duan Yiheng said. "I've booked another suite for caregivers here, a room for you to sleep in. Go take a shower first."
Lin Xi was shocked. She was going to share a room with him? No, that's not right. There's more than one bedroom in the suite.
"I..." Lin Xi hesitated, but Duan Yiheng placed his palm on her lower back, pushed her into the room, and made the decision for her.
"The bathroom has everything. I'll have someone bring you some clothes." Lin Xi really couldn't refuse a hot shower while she was soaking wet.
The clothes arrived in half an hour. It was an outfit and shoes that Sister Mei had chosen for Lin Xi to wear to work the next day, along with pajamas for tonight. Duan Yiheng took the clothes to her room and placed the pajamas by the bathroom door.
He knocked on the door and said, "The clothes are here. I'll go back to my room first."
Lin Xi responded, but her phone, which was lying in the living room, kept ringing. She couldn't hear it while showering, so Duan Yiheng stopped and turned away.
The caller was Duan Mingxuan. Duan Yiheng frowned and didn't answer.
After the call automatically ended, Duan Mingxuan called a second time. Duan Yiheng could guess that if Lin Xi didn't answer, he would keep calling.
On the third ring, Duan Yiheng answered.
"Xiao Xi, where are you? I woke up and didn't see you. Mom said you went home?"
Duan Yiheng was silent for a few seconds, then said, "She's in Jinglin."
"..." There was also a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.
"Why did you answer her call?" Duan Mingxuan questioned.
Duan Yiheng stated the truth: "She's taking a shower." Duan Mingxuan reacted as if startled: "What did you do to her?"
"It should be what you did to her," Duan Yiheng said, "Making her leave the hospital late at night, take a strange car, and come to Jinglin alone in the rain."
Duan Mingxuan was speechless for a moment, then asked, "Is Grandpa alright?" Duan Yiheng didn't speak for a long time, seemingly unaccustomed to Duan Mingxuan's calm demeanor.
He glanced towards the bathroom. "It's nothing." Duan Mingxuan said, "I'll go see Grandpa once Momo is transferred to a regular ward."
"Okay." Duan Mingxuan, thinking Lin Xi was taking a shower and wouldn't be out for a while, seized the opportunity to ask Duan Yiheng, "Why did you make her your secretary?"
"No comment." Duan Yiheng hung up, leaving the "calm" Duan Mingxuan fuming in the hospital.
Lin Xi came out of the bathroom, but stopped abruptly after a few steps, her eyes meeting Duan Yiheng's, who was holding her phone.
"You..." Lin Xi looked at his hand, "What are you doing with my phone?" Her face, flushed pink by the hot water, resembled a pearl, making one want to hold and play with it.
Duan Yiheng stepped forward, his shoe almost touching hers, and Lin Xi instinctively took a half-step back.
Duan Yiheng's lips curled into a smile as he handed her the phone. "Duan Mingxuan called, and I answered."
"You answered?" Lin Xi exclaimed in surprise. "He didn't say anything, did he?"
Duan Yiheng: "What could he possibly say?" Lin Xi looked up, cautiously observing Duan Yiheng's expression. "He didn't say anything that upset you, did he?"
"He did?" Duan Yiheng asked. "Then… I'll apologize to you on his behalf?"
"You apologize on his behalf?" Lin Xi froze. She truly had no right to apologize for him. After all, she didn't even dare to tell Duan Mingxuan she liked him.
Lin Xi smiled at Duan Yiheng. "I was just joking." Duan Yiheng's gaze fell on her still-damp hair. He said, "Sometimes, your thoughts are written all over your face." One look was enough to soften anyone's heart.
Lin Xi didn't understand his meaning and was about to ask when Duan Yiheng suddenly walked past her into the bathroom.
A moment later, he returned with a hairdryer. Lin Xi didn't know what he was going to do. Duan Yiheng pulled her to sit on the sofa. "I'll dry your hair for you."
"..." Lin Xi was startled, the warm air brushing past her ear. "I can do it myself."
She turned her head away, meeting Duan Yiheng's gaze, and repeated awkwardly, "I can do it myself."
Duan Yiheng handed her the hairdryer. "You'll feel uncomfortable sleeping if it's not dry."
Lin Xi: "I know, you go to sleep first." Duan Yiheng got up and went into the bedroom.
Lin Xi dried her hair for about ten minutes, then, feeling her hands were tired, turned it off. She casually touched her hair; only the ends were still wet.
Her phone vibrated. Duan Mingxuan had sent a message with a spinning dog emoji. He said, "Duan Yiheng answered your call just now, and I didn't get angry. Want me to reward you?" Lin Xi chuckled and told him to go to sleep.
"I can't sleep, Xiaoxi, can we chat for a bit?" Lin Xi was already so sleepy she was about to close her eyes, but hearing his voice message, she still managed to stay awake and ask him what he wanted to say.
Duan Mingxuan sent several voice messages in a row, all recounting the car accident. Duan Mingxuan's descriptions were thrilling, and Lin Xi fell asleep under his slightly agitated tone.
Duan Yiheng left the bedroom and went to the sofa. He took her slender, white wrist, which was dangling from the sofa, and placed it on her waist. Sleeping, Lin Xi looked even more adorable.
Her first impression was youthful and cute; under the light, her features were exquisitely delicate.
Her nose was small and slightly upturned, with a high bridge, and her naturally blurred lip lines carried a slightly sultry quality. Duan Yiheng raised his hand, his thumb pressing against the corner of her mouth.
Lin Xi frowned, trying to avoid the disturbing fingertip in her sleep, but turned her head towards Duan Yiheng.
Her lips were soft, brushing against his fingertips before being pushed away. Duan Yiheng was startled; his fingertips were damp. He slowly exhaled, gently lifting her head, his arm around the back of her neck, scooping her up by her legs, and easily carrying her in his arms.
Lin Xi slept until dawn. The next day, she followed Duan Yiheng to the company in his car. The car stopped at the second intersection as usual. Lin Xi had just gotten out when she received a call from Duan Mingxuan.
She was completely unaware that she had been captured on someone else's phone camera.