Duan Yiheng stood on the second-floor terrace of the Meng family villa, admiring the deep night sky alone. His phone rang on the round table. He turned, picked it up, and dialed. "Mr. Duan, we've investigated the van you mentioned.
The owner is Ma Qiuxin, a flower wholesaler, divorced, and living alone. She was rushing to restock for a long-time customer on Friday night." Duan Yiheng: "Did she go to restock herself on Friday night?" "No, it was an employee she hired."
Duan Yiheng relaxed his brow: "Thank you for your hard work." "There's one more thing..." Duan Yiheng: "Go ahead." "The eldest young lady went out tonight, to the Nightscape Bar to pick up the second young master. The bodyguards reported nothing unusual." "Understood."
Duan Yiheng hung up. He stood there for a long time, hesitated for a moment, then called Lin Xi, but no one answered. Lin Xi dropped Duan Mingxuan off at the east end, where they encountered Chen Baiwei at the entrance. Chen Baiwei frowned and complained, "Why did you drink so much again?"
Duan Mingxuan grabbed Lin Xi, preventing her from leaving. Lin Xi awkwardly pulled her arm away. Chen Baiwei, truly exasperated, turned to Lin Xi and said, "You and the driver take him upstairs first." Lin Xi agreed. Chen Baiwei turned and went to the kitchen, asking the housekeeper to prepare some hangover soup.
The driver, incapable of taking care of anyone, dropped her off and left. Poor Lin Xi, with Duan Mingxuan holding one of her arms, and not wanting to be too close, could only sit awkwardly with her head tilted to the side, her bottom barely touching the edge of the bed.
When Chen Baiwei came upstairs and saw her like this, she assumed Lin Xi disliked Duan Mingxuan and sneered sarcastically, "Are you disliking Mingxuan?" Lin Xi: "...No." Chen Baiwei went to the bedside, patted Duan Mingxuan's face, and said gently,
"Mingxuan, it's Mom. Get up and have some soup." Duan Mingxuan responded irritably. Chen Baiwei called him repeatedly until she finally woke him up. "Mom, I want to sleep." Seeing him turn over, Lin Xi took the opportunity to pull her arm away from Duan Mingxuan's grasp.
Chen Baiwei called the housekeeper to feed Duan Mingxuan soup, then turned and gave Lin Xi a meaningful look, signaling her to come out with her. Lin Xi followed Chen Baiwei, slowly descending the stairs. Once on the first floor, Chen Baiwei coughed awkwardly:
"Last time I hit you, it was because I was in a bad mood. Your grandfather called me and your Uncle Duan in and gave us a scolding. I couldn't hold back and hit you." This was already an apology from Chen Baiwei's perspective. Lin Xi had no right not to forgive. She lowered her head and hummed in agreement.
"Your grandfather is being discharged from the hospital the day after tomorrow. He dotes on you. When he does, say good things about him." Lin Xi: "I know." Grandpa hadn't planned to pursue the matter further; he was just waiting for Duan Yiheng to return. After a family dinner, regardless of any past grievances, they had to maintain a facade of harmony.
Lin Xi left the east building, walking westward in the light of the floor lamps. Her phone suddenly rang. She took it out and saw it was Duan Yiheng calling, answering immediately, "Hello." Duan Yiheng hummed in response, "I called you earlier, but you didn't answer." Lin Xi:
"Duan Mingxuan was drunk, so I went to pick him up. I just got back. Is there anything I can help you with?" "Nothing. Did you take him upstairs?" Duan Yiheng asked. Lin Xi: "Yes." Duan Yiheng: "Did Chen Baiwei give you any trouble?"
"No, she mentioned Grandpa's discharge and asked me to put in a good word for him." Lin Xi said as she entered the room and went upstairs. Duan Yiheng: "So you agreed?" Lin Xi: "Grandpa already told you in the hospital that his punishment for this period was about over."
Duan Yiheng snorted coldly. Lin Xi paused in closing the door, remembering that the anniversary of Duan Yiheng's mother's death was approaching, and explained, "I'm not speaking up for her, it's just that there's no need to be angry with her."
Duan Yiheng was already in a bad mood, but hearing her gentle words, he couldn't help but smile helplessly. "Go to sleep." His voice sounded incredibly gentle in the evening breeze. "Goodnight." "Goodnight." Lin Xi's ears tingled, and she replied.
The next day was the weekend. Lin Xi thought that if she couldn't pick up her grandfather from the hospital on Monday, she might as well go a day early to chat with him. The conversation revolved entirely around Duan Yiheng. Only after leaving the hospital did she realize what had happened.
She shook her head, feeling that Duan Yiheng had become a significant part of her life lately. On Monday, after get off work at noon, Lin Xi arranged to meet Sun Wenxin at a restaurant via text message. After sitting down and eating only a few bites, Sun Wenxin started gossiping about Tan Qi and Duan Yiheng.
Lin Xi kept quiet, only smiling. "Her identity has been exposed." Sun Wenxin nudged Lin Xi. "The daughter of the owner of Likang Pharmaceutical Company, the marketing director of Likang. Everyone says she and President Duan are a match made in heaven, a perfect couple." A perfect couple.
Lin Xi silently thought those four words. She and Duan Mingxuan were simply not a good match. "It's good to be well-matched," Lin Xi smiled at Sun Wenxin. Sun Wenxin, with her keen observation skills, joked, "Why do I detect a hint of melancholy in your smile?"
"No way," Lin Xi wouldn't admit it. "Eat your food." Sun Wenxin didn't press further and cheerfully chatted with her about other things. Duan Yiheng wasn't home, and Lin Xi left work on time. Back home, she sensed something was off about Sister Mei's voice and asked,
"Are you sick?" Sister Mei nodded, her expression somewhat anxious. Lin Xi: "Then what are you waiting for? Go and rest." Sister Mei: "I want to wait for the young master." Lin Xi was taken aback: "Is he coming back tonight?" "Yes."
Sister Mei said, "He might not be in a good mood, so I sent the other maids away." Lin Xi thought for a moment and said, "You should go and rest too, I'll wait." Sister Mei: "That won't do. What if he comes back in the middle of the night? Will you still need to rest?" Lin Xi:
"I'm fine. I'm young, I can stay up late." Sister Mei was still a little hesitant: "I'll wait." "Okay, wait until nine o'clock at the latest." Lin Xi didn't press the issue. "I'll go eat first."
Sister Mei agreed, not daring to call and urge him, only glancing outside occasionally. After dinner, Lin Xi and Sister Mei sat in the living room waiting for Duan Yiheng.
Seeing that it was already past 9:30, Lin Xi woke up Sister Mei, who was dozing off after taking her medicine, and told her to go and rest, repeatedly promising that she would call her if anything happened. Only then did Sister Mei finally give in and return to the servants' quarters.
Lin Xi, having endured until past eleven, finally succumbed to sleep on the sofa. A loud bang at the door startled her, causing her to sit up abruptly. Meng Huaishan exclaimed, "Damn it! Come help me!"
Lin Xi, without even putting on her shoes, rushed to him, pulling Duan Yiheng's limp arm over her shoulder. "Get to the sofa," Meng Huaishan said, "He's so heavy."
Lin Xi, hearing his labored breathing, reluctantly moved him little by little to the sofa. Meng Huaishan, unable to hold on any longer, suddenly let go as soon as they reached the edge. Lin Xi, caught off guard, tumbled onto the sofa along with Duan Yiheng.
"Heh..." Meng Huaishan chuckled heartlessly. "Let him sleep here. I'll help you up." Lin Xi was speechless, and managed to get up herself, supporting herself on Duan Yiheng's waist. "Try to wake him up and feed him some hangover soup, otherwise he'll feel terrible when he wakes up tomorrow." Meng Huaishan gasped for breath. "I'll head back now, you're in charge here." Lin Xi got up to see him off, but he waved her away. Lin Xi took a light blanket and covered Duan Yiheng with it before going into the kitchen alone to cook the hangover soup.