Duan Yiheng, still reeking of alcohol, went back into the bar. Almost instantly, his head throbbed with a throbbing pain from the heavy metal-like music. Walking along the booths, through the crowd, Duan Yiheng saw Mu Shuo waving at him.
People nearby, stunned by his appearance, tried to approach him, but Duan Yiheng didn't even give him a second glance.
He strode over to Lin Xi, bent down, and touched her cheek: "Lin Xi?"
Lin Xi glanced at him: "Who are you?"
"..." Duan Yiheng grabbed her arm, coaxing her softly: "I'll take you home."
"I don't want to." Lin Xi shook off his hand, "I still want to drink." Duan Yiheng's gaze sharpened slightly, then he suddenly grabbed her hand, asking: "What happened?"
Liang Yutong noticed the obvious redness on Lin Xi's fingers compared to the surrounding skin and was startled: "No way? Xiao Xi burned herself too?"
Duan Yiheng turned around, his eyes indifferent: "What happened?"
Liang Yutong briefly described the scene in the ward, adding a curse: "That green tea bitch must have done it on purpose. Xiao Xi isn't that kind of person, how could she—" Liang Yutong suddenly stopped, glancing at Duan Yiheng.
Mu Shuo, unsure of Duan Yiheng's current temper, tried to appease him, "Brother Heng, how about we go up to the third floor? There's burn ointment there."
Duan Yiheng grabbed Lin Xi's arm, about to lift her up, when the peacock beside her raised her hand to stop him, "Who are you? You—" Duan Yiheng fiercely gripped the man's wrist, forcefully pulling him back, causing the other to sweat profusely.
Duan Yiheng, reaching his limit, grabbed the other's collar, lifted him up, and threw him to the ground, crashing into a bar stool with a thud.
Ignoring the commotion he had caused, Duan Yiheng carried Lin Xi upstairs. Lin Xi, not behaving herself, swung her hand, accidentally hitting Duan Yiheng's chin.
Tears streaming down her face, Lin Xi said in a soft, coquettish voice, "It hurts so much." It was the burn.
Duan Yiheng's heart skipped a beat. He lowered his head and gently scolded, "You know it hurts, yet you still move around and drink?" Lin Xi couldn't see his face clearly and cried, "Who are you? Are you crazy? Why are you bothering me?"
"..." Duan Yiheng carried her into the VIP room, took the ointment Mu Shuo had asked the room's butler for, and dismissed the rest of the staff.
Only the two of them remained in the room. Liang Yutong wanted to follow, but Mu Shuo stopped her, "Brother Heng seems a bit angry. Let's not go in and risk bad luck. Shall we go for a drink?" Liang Yutong trusted Duan Yiheng completely and agreed to Mu Shuo's invitation.
Duan Yiheng took Lin Xi's hand and applied the ointment.
The lighting in the room wasn't bright. Duan Yiheng's head was lowered, and his rugged profile fell into Lin Xi's eyes.
Her fingertips were enveloped in white ointment, then gently pushed away. A stinging sensation mingled with a slight itch.
Lin Xi leaned back on the sofa, her gaze falling directly on Duan Yiheng's collarbone when she looked straight ahead.
Her throat was dry from the alcohol. Lin Xi licked her lips, refusing bottled water, and boldly blurted out, "Handsome, wanna add me on WeChat?"
Duan Yiheng chuckled, annoyed. "No." Lin Xi had never approached anyone before, and racked her brains for a solution: "Hey little brother, can we add each other?"
Duan Yiheng's tone was cold and unapproachable: "I'm your older brother."
"Older brother?" Lin Xi moved closer, her breath mingling with his. "You've been drinking too?"
Duan Yiheng lowered his head suspiciously, sniffing lightly. Was the smell too awful? "It smells...good."
Lin Xi was so drunk she couldn't tell which way was which. She lunged at him. "What did you drink? Share a glass with me."
"Moutai." Duan Yiheng reached out and caught her.
"Is it good?" He stared at her reddened lips and said, "You're not home in the middle of the night because Duan Mingxuan is drinking here with a strange man?"
"Tongtong said there's more than one man in this world besides Duan Mingxuan." Lin Xi suddenly lowered her head, her forehead resting against his chest.
"The second time." Duan Yiheng lowered his eyes. "You're drunk in front of me for the second time. I won't be so lucky as to let you throw yourself into my arms a third time. I can still tolerate it, understand?"
"Tolerate what?" Lin Xi mumbled against his chest. "I want to forget Duan Mingxuan. I want to be in a relationship. I want to find a man." Duan Yiheng's face darkened completely. He grabbed her arm and shoved her onto the sofa.
She was on the bottom, he was on top. Duan Yiheng looked down into her eyes: "Say that again."
Lin Xi, for some unknown reason, pushed hard against his chest. "What's wrong with me saying it again? I want to forget you, I want to date, I want to find a man, is it any of your business?"
Duan Yiheng: "..." She's treating me like Duan Mingxuan again.
"I was abroad for five years, and you were always there for me, visiting me every month. I thought you had some feelings for me too."
"Otherwise, why did you get angry and ruin everything when other people pursued me?"
"I came back intending to tell you that I liked you, but you kept it from me and got a girlfriend." Lin Xi choked back sobs, the smell of alcohol mixed with bitterness as she poured her tears onto Duan Yiheng.
"I thought you were serious, but then you broke up with me again, swearing you were completely clean, yet you're still entangled."
"Now…" Lin Xi's nose twitched, tears blurring her vision, "Now she's risked her life to save you, and your lifelong bond is tied to that scar on her lower back."
"I know, I should let go."
"But I'm so heartbroken, you don't believe me."
"You don't believe me… Duan Mingxuan…"
"I don't want to be alone, I want…" Lin Xi was so aggrieved she couldn't even finish a sentence.
Duan Yiheng wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes: "What do you want? Tell me, and I'll give it to you."
"You can't give it to me." Lin Xi's tears flowed even more fiercely, as if she wanted to vent all the grievances she had suffered since returning to the country.
Duan Yiheng asked again: "What do you want?"
"I want… a home," Lin Xi said slowly.
Duan Yiheng's fingertips were wet with her tears. He leaned closer, his nose almost touching hers.
"Anyone will do?" Lin Xi shook her head. "Only someone who loves me."
Duan Yiheng chuckled softly. "Only someone who loves you, not someone you love?" Lin Xi was completely at Duan Yiheng's rhythm, answering, "Only if he loves me can I feel it, only then can I possibly love him."
"Feel it?" Duan Yiheng murmured, his brows furrowed.
In Lin Xi's first year abroad, her grandfather entrusted her safety to Duan Zheng. Duan Zheng, busy with company affairs, delegated it to Chen Baiwei. Chen Baiwei wasn't particularly concerned. He chose a new apartment for Lin Xi with advanced security systems, a dedicated driver, and a bulletproof vehicle.
He also established an emergency contact mechanism with her school's security department under the name of Yin Fan Group. In the following years, he quietly resolved all the social, academic, and safety issues she encountered. She knew nothing of this.
A single word today awakened Duan Yiheng, stirring a deep emotion within him. So… only by letting her know could there be a possibility of liking her.
The lamplight was blinding, and Lin Xi squinted, her drunken state fully revealed. The man before her looked remarkably like Duan Mingxuan. She grabbed his suit collar and yanked it down abruptly.
Caught off guard, Duan Yiheng's nose brushed against her cheek, his lips meeting her warm, alcohol-stained lips. The shadows softened the blinding light, and she clung to his neck, preventing him from leaving.
Duan Yiheng's heart churned, and he remained stunned for a long time before managing to pull away. Lin Xi frowned again.
"Will you remember tomorrow?" Duan Yiheng asked softly, his voice almost touching her lips.
"Hmm?" Duan Yiheng gripped her waist tightly, and as she winced and parted her lips slightly, he lowered his head and kissed her.