When the car stopped at the entrance of a slightly dilapidated alley, Lin Xi paused for a moment, stunned. She turned to Duan Yiheng and asked,
"Where is this? Is this a place to eat?" "It's where my maternal grandmother lives," Duan Yiheng replied. "After my mother passed away, my grandmother moved here alone." Lin Xi was on the verge of tears, grabbing Duan Yiheng who was about to get out of the car:
"You didn't even tell me beforehand! I came empty-handed." Duan Yiheng smiled: "It's alright, you'll see when you go in. The old lady doesn't care about these formalities." Lin Xi was somewhat bewildered as he pulled her inside. "Grandma, I'm here!" Duan Yiheng called out from afar.
A moment later, an elderly woman with gray hair, dressed simply, greeted them with a smile. Duan Yiheng introduced Lin Xi to the old woman and then had Lin Xi call her "Grandma" after him. "Grandma," Lin Xi said obediently, though a little shy.
The old lady pulled Lin Xi to sit down in the courtyard: "I haven't seen you since you were little, and you've grown so beautiful." Duan Yiheng looked at the old lady, both amused and exasperated:
"Grandma, Lin Xi and I are still hungry. We came here for dinner, and you didn't prepare anything for us." The old lady: "You're too late. I haven't had time yet. Go get the vegetables from the kitchen and help me prepare them."
Duan Yiheng took off his coat and went to the kitchen as if it were second nature. Lin Xi wanted to help, but the old lady stopped her: "It's nothing, just getting something, it's not tiring." Duan Yiheng turned around and brought out two bowls of vegetables, complaining:
"Grandma, there's not a single main dish." Lin Xi glanced back; everything was lush and green. The old lady chuckled, "Eating something too hard tonight won't digest. It's your own fault for not calling me beforehand." Duan Yiheng sat down next to Lin Xi, "Then I'll definitely tell you next time."
The old lady laughed, "Don't just stand there, pick the vegetables." Neither Lin Xi nor Duan Yiheng had ever been in a kitchen before. Duan Yiheng, being a frequent visitor to this alley, was skilled at picking vegetables, while Lin Xi tried to imitate him, pulling off the entire top of a celery stalk.
The old lady was overjoyed. Lin Xi awkwardly picked up the stalk and carefully combed it. With the vegetables ready, neither of them knew how to cook, and sitting idly wasn't polite, so they flanked the old lady in the kitchen. Lin Xi saw the white tofu on the plate and asked,
"Grandma, are you making braised tofu with bamboo shoots?" The old lady nodded, "Yes, and there's also stir-fried celery with dried tofu, but the tofu needs to be pan-fried first. Who can help me keep an eye on it?" "I'll do it," Lin Xi volunteered.
"The oil's splattering, get out of the way." Duan Yiheng grabbed her waist, lifted her up, and spun her around halfway. Lin Xi clung to his shoulders, her eyes wide, frantically trying to signal him: Are you crazy? What if we get caught?
Duan Yiheng chuckled, tapping her forehead and pushing her away slightly. Lin Xi snorted inwardly, hiding behind him to watch him fry tofu. The oil sizzled and popped, and Lin Xi instinctively gripped his clothes, her voice concerned: "Be careful." "It's alright."
Duan Yiheng said, "Just move back a bit." The old lady couldn't bear to watch any longer and turned down the flame. "..." Duan Yiheng and Lin Xi exchanged a glance, suppressing a laugh. Were they idiots? The old lady's cooking was quite good, Lin Xi kept praising her.
"Grandma, did you add sugar to these two vegetarian dishes?" Duan Yiheng asked with a smile. The old lady said, "No, how can you eat it with sugar?" "Some people's sweet talk makes me think you added sugar." Duan Yiheng glanced at Lin Xi.
Lin Xi stepped on his foot under the table, and only after hearing Duan Yiheng hiss did she immediately release it. The old lady saw everything, but with Lin Xi present, she couldn't ask anything. She only privately told Duan Yiheng to find an opportunity to come alone again.
Duan Yiheng agreed and then left with Lin Xi. Once in the car, Duan Yiheng didn't start it. Instead, he took Lin Xi's hand and kissed it, asking, "How's Grandma? Do you like her?" Lin Xi felt a tickle on the back of her hand and nodded:
"Grandma is very loving, I like her very much." "She likes you very much too." Duan Yiheng played with her hand, "Actually, I wanted to bring you here before, but I never found the right opportunity." Lin Xi leaned slightly to the left:
"I didn't see Grandma liking me. I only saw that you were very happy tonight." Duan Yiheng leaned closer, his nose almost touching hers, and asked softly, "Do you know why I'm happy?" Lin Xi paused, then said:
"Because you saw Grandma." Duan Yiheng: "That's only half the reason. The other half is naturally because of you." "Me?" Lin Xi was a little confused. "I didn't do anything." Duan Yiheng: "Didn't you reject Duan Mingxuan and come out with me?"
It was just having dinner together. Lin Xi looked distressed. "I just felt uncomfortable with some of the things Uncle Duan did to you, and Duan Mingxuan's words didn't mention you either. I didn't want to go, so I followed my heart.
Besides, they're the real family." Duan Yiheng raised his hand and pressed it against the back of her head, saying softly, "Don't I have you? You have me. What others do, you don't need to care." "But you weren't indifferent from the beginning."
Lin Xi looked at him. "Disappointment accumulates one thing at a time. Uncle Duan was a good father to you at first, wasn't he?" A glint of light flashed in Duan Yiheng's eyes, then he gently rubbed her face, cupped the back of her head, and kissed her.
Lin Xi was caught off guard, and Duan Yiheng held her firmly, unable to move. She didn't understand why he suddenly kissed her when they were having a good conversation. The only sound in the quiet car was the intimate kiss between the two.
The intersection was dimly lit, and the car was even darker. People passing by talked loudly, causing Lin Xi to flinch. "Don't be afraid," Duan Yiheng whispered gently, his voice low and tender, his lips brushing against hers. "You can't see inside."
Lin Xi's face flushed crimson, yet she was strangely soothed, quietly reciprocating his long, passionate kiss. While this scene of ambiguity unfolded, a storm was brewing in the north courtyard of the Duan family villa. "Who took all this messy stuff?"
The old man slammed his fist on the table in anger. Uncle Deng respectfully replied, "It was the second young master's ex-girlfriend. She hasn't left B City. As revenge, she sold the photos of the eldest young lady and the two young masters to Hongyu. Because of Yin Fan, Hongyu Media dared not release them privately, which is why you can see these photos."
The old man could hardly believe his eyes. The bold headline only fueled his rage—Breaking News! Duan Family's Adopted Daughter Two-Timing, Playing the Brothers Like a Mastermind.
The content was even more eye-catching, subtly implying, through Lin Xi's role as his secretary, that she used Duan Mingxuan to climb the social ladder and had an ambiguous relationship with Duan Yiheng. "Call Duan Yiheng back immediately," Uncle Deng hurriedly replied. The old man thought for a moment, then stopped him again: "Wait a moment, call Amei over first."