Lin Xi winked at Duan Yiheng, who smiled and looked away.
"Grandpa, I'm not planning on getting married for now."
The old man pondered, "Is it because of your father?"
Duan Yiheng shook his head. "No."
The old man clearly disapproved. "My health is getting worse, and Yin Fan will eventually be handed over to you. I met your Grandpa Tan's granddaughter the other day while fishing. Go meet her."
This wasn't a question; it was a forceful demand.
Duan Yiheng had an amazing memory, and a noble, beautiful, yet cold profile appeared in his mind.
"Tan Qi?" he asked.
The old man nodded. "I think she's quite good. She joined our company six months ago, and Old Tan raved about her. I think she's a good match for you."
Duan Yiheng naturally didn't want to meet her, but he never disobeyed his grandfather. Finally, he compromised and made an excuse: "We'll talk about it later, I've been quite busy lately." He had met Tan Qi two or three times at business banquets and had her contact information.
It would be fine to clarify things privately.
The servant came to call them for dinner, but the old man waved his hand: "You two go eat." He was a patient and an elderly person, so his meals were prepared separately.
Duan Yiheng and Lin Xi washed their hands, sat facing each other, and ate, exchanging only a few words in fleeting glances. After dinner, Duan Yiheng led Lin Xi out of the North Courtyard.
It was still early, so he suggested, "Let's walk back." He could tell Lin Xi wasn't too keen on going back.
The villa was huge, almost entirely divided north and south; walking would take more than ten minutes. However, Lin Xi didn't refuse. The ground lights illuminated the path, and Lin Xi chuckled softly as she stepped into the light.
Duan Yiheng glanced at her and asked, "What are you laughing at?" Lin Xi shook her head.
She just felt that nothing in this world was certain. At six, she waited obediently at home for her parents' gifts, only to receive news of a plane crash.
She thought that after fulfilling her five-year promise with Chen Baiwei, she could return home and confess her feelings to Duan Mingxuan, but instead, she was met with Zhang Mo. And someone she had barely crossed paths with in the first half of her life was now walking with her.
Back at the South Courtyard, Duan Yiheng walked her a few steps east.
Lin Xi said, "The shirt is washed. Wait a moment, I'll go get it." Duan Yiheng wanted to say there was no rush, but Lin Xi had already run off.
Duan Mingxuan couldn't muster any energy to do anything all day.
Playing online games with Yu Lang and a few of his cronies, he was playing worse than usual, and Yu Lang kept yelling at him.
"Damn it, what's wrong with you? If you can't handle it, come out for a drink."
Duan Mingxuan, feeling down, threw down the game controller and said, "See you at the usual place."
Rather than keep it bottled up, he decided to go out for a drink. Yu Lang could offer him advice, but he simply didn't want Lin Xi to go celebrate Duan Yiheng's birthday. Duan Yiheng was all show and no substance, wearing a cold and aloof facade, but his heart was filled with filthy thoughts.
He went downstairs and saw Lin Xi hurrying away. Duan Mingxuan instinctively wanted to call out to her, but then stopped himself. He hesitated for a while, then watched as Lin Xi also came downstairs and headed straight for the side door.
Duan Mingxuan followed suspiciously and saw two figures by the bushes in the front yard. He stood at a distance, unable to hear their conversation, but saw Lin Xi hand a bag to Duan Yiheng.
Duan Yiheng took the bag and joked, "Did you hand-wash this yourself?" Lin Xi stared with her almond-shaped eyes, giving him a "Aren't you afraid I'll ruin it by hand?" look.
"You don't want it just because I didn't hand-wash it?" Lin Xi was slightly speechless. Duan Yiheng: "Then I'll still go." Lin Xi suspected he was looking for trouble, but had no proof.
To avoid being extorted, it was best to leave first. She said, "I'll go back first; I still have a lot of materials to review."
"Go ahead." Lin Xi turned and stepped onto the stairs, not noticing Duan Mingxuan hidden in the shadows. Duan Yiheng turned around, but suddenly heard a sound behind him and stopped.
He turned around and saw Duan Mingxuan's ashen face. Duan Yiheng's expression visibly calmed down.
The two brothers, one dressed in a suit, aloof and arrogant, the other casually dressed, unruly and rebellious. A three-centimeter height difference made Duan Mingxuan feel inexplicably shorter.
"Big brother," Duan Mingxuan said in a low voice, staring intently, "Are you getting close to Xiao Xi?"
"Get close?" Duan Yiheng raised his eyes. "If that's what you think, then so be it."
"What else is it but getting close? What exactly is your purpose?" Duan Mingxuan's handsome face was contorted with anger. Duan Yiheng smiled. "It wasn't my purpose to make her cry."
"You—" Duan Mingxuan was speechless at his accusation.
"Duan Mingxuan," Duan Yiheng suddenly called out to him seriously, "Can't you see what kind of person she is in your family?"
"None of your business." Duan Mingxuan frowned in disgust. "No matter what, Xiao Xi has always grown up with me. She will never, ever choose you."
Duan Yiheng remained emotionless, saying lightly, "So how long do you plan to hold onto this debt of gratitude that carries such enormous benefits?" Duan Mingxuan understood.
Lin Xi didn't come to the Duan family alone; she brought with her "Guangxi," a company her parents had founded.
Grandpa treated her like his own granddaughter, but Duan Zheng and Chen Baiwei felt that the benefits Lin Xi brought to the Duan family were a given. And there was something else that Duan Yiheng deeply resented.
That's because Duan Zheng and Chen Baiwei are heartless and ungrateful. They used her and then kicked her aside, looking down on her orphan status and thinking she wasn't good enough for Duan Mingxuan.
"What do you mean by 'repaying kindness'? I've never had such thoughts."
Duan Mingxuan retorted, "My mother is outspoken. She accidentally said something hurtful to Xiaoxi, but she will apologize to Xiaoxi."
Duan Yiheng scoffed, "Putting everything else aside, just consider Lin Xi's decision to go to America alone for five years. After hearing your words, I wonder if she'll have a moment of regret."
"What do you mean?" Duan Mingxuan frowned.
Duan Mingxuan was indeed angry when she went to America without permission. But later, he couldn't bear to see her alone in a strange place, so he visited her every month. What right did Duan Yiheng have to say that? What right did he have?
Duan Yiheng was too lazy to waste any more words with him, leaving Duan Mingxuan standing alone in the night. After a long while, feeling unhappy, Duan Mingxuan drove to the bar where he had arranged to meet Yu Lang.
He immediately downed three drinks. Yu Lang noticed something was wrong and asked him a few questions.
Duan Mingxuan gave a fragmented answer. Yu Lang patted him speechlessly: "It's just a birthday, why are you reacting so strongly?"
"You don't understand," Duan Mingxuan said, his face flushed. "I always feel like Xiao Xi is hiding something from me.
She used to barely speak two words to Duan Yiheng in a year, but since she came back, I've seen them come back together more than once."
Yu Lang, unaware of his inner turmoil, said bluntly, "Then just ask Lin Xi."
"She won't tell me, and she's being secretive."
Yu Lang: "Then what do we do?" Duan Mingxuan hooked his arm around Yu Lang's neck: "How about this, you find someone to help me investigate."
"Are you sure?" Yu Lang asked, "Won't Lin Xi be angry if she finds out?"
"You won't keep it from her?" Yu Lang gave in: "Alright, alright, I'll have someone investigate for you right away." Duan Mingxuan took a swig of his drink, tacitly agreeing.
He was just worried about Lin Xi, that's all. Xiao Xi wouldn't be angry with him if she knew.
He just...
wanted to know what she was doing.