Duan Yiheng said, "From now on, drinking is fine, but you're not allowed to drink like this, harming your health."
Lin Xi was dumbfounded. That's all he said? Duan Yiheng clicked his tongue. "Did you hear me?"
"I heard you," Lin Xi nodded. "But, is that all you're going to say? I thought you were going to ask me to do something for you."
Duan Yiheng: "What can you do for me?" Lin Xi tilted her head, pretending to think. "I'm your secretary, it's only right that I help you with work-related matters. You have Sister Mei in your personal life, so I don't think I can really help you with anything."
Lin Xi chuckled awkwardly. "I do,"
Duan Yiheng said. "What?"
Lin Xi asked. "The ginkgo trees are in their peak blooming season. Come with me to see them." Duan Yiheng's gaze was distant and deep. "Every year I'm alone."
"Okay." Lin Xi felt like she'd gotten a great deal. What kind of help was this?
Duan Yiheng glanced at his watch. "I'm going to the R&D center in the old campus with Qin Yang. You go to work first." Lin Xi agreed and quickly took a shower. Before leaving for work, Chen Baiwei stopped her.
"You've worked hard these past few days. I prepared a lot of your favorite dishes today. Come back early." Lin Xi was taken aback. "Uh, okay." What did she mean? Chen Baiwei: "Then I'll wait for you at home. Don't forget."
Lin Xi was thinking about going to work, so she agreed and hurriedly left. At the company, she turned on her computer, checked her email, and saw a progress report from the R&D department on the new financial algorithm upgrade.
Lin Xi noted down the key points and risks in the report, waiting for Duan Yiheng to arrive. Just before work started, Duan Mingxuan called, saying he was downstairs. If she didn't come up, he would. If someone saw her, she wouldn't be able to work properly anymore.
Lin Xi ran across the street from the company and got into Duan Mingxuan's dark purple sports car. Duan Mingxuan took her hand, examined it, and picked up some ointment to apply.
"I already applied it myself," Lin Xi said, pulling her hand away.
"I'm sorry, Xiao Xi, I was in a rush and didn't notice you." Duan Mingxuan rushed over as soon as he had a moment to spare.
Lin Xi asked, "How did you know my hand was injured?"
"Liang Yutong was drinking with Mu Shuo last night and ran into Yu Lang." Lin Xi didn't need to guess; Yutong must have stood up for her and taken her anger out on Yu Lang. Yu Lang and Duan Mingxuan had grown up together, so naturally she wouldn't hide it from him. After last night's drunkenness, she had thought a lot.
Avoiding Duan Mingxuan all the time wasn't realistic, so she had to accept it. Accept that he would eventually get married and have children, and that she would be his sister. So, things would remain the same as before.
Because compared to liking him, his distrust was more likely to break her. Lin Xi said to Duan Mingxuan, "Don't worry, I didn't take it to heart. I won't make things difficult for you."
Duan Mingxuan felt a warmth in his heart at her understanding and said, "Xiao Xi is still the best to me." Lin Xi mechanically smiled, "Then I'll go upstairs first."
"It was all my fault the other day," Duan Mingxuan said, taking her hand again. "Xiao Xi, I know you won't leave Yin Fan. I've compromised. Let's consider all the unhappiness we had before in the past, okay?"
Looking into Duan Mingxuan's sincere eyes, Lin Xi felt like she had chewed a whole lemon—it was so sour. Last night at the hospital, his immediate questioning had made her feel like even breathing was connected to the pain in her heart.
Lin Xi nodded, "Okay." After Duan Mingxuan left, Lin Xi returned to the company. Duan Yiheng was already there, looking at a progress report on his desk.
Lin Xi knocked on the door. Duan Yiheng didn't even look up, simply saying, "Come in."
"Mr. Duan," Lin Xi called out. Duan Yiheng looked up and said to her, "Come here."
Lin Xi walked over, and Duan Yiheng stood up, gesturing for her to sit in his boss's chair. Lin Xi, confused, didn't dare sit down.
Duan Yiheng said, "I've read the report. I said you should revise it, sit down and revise it."
Lin Xi had no choice but to sit down. Duan Yiheng pulled out the report, and Lin Xi, holding the mouse, their fingers accidentally touched.
Lin Xi curled her fingertips, slightly pulling away. Duan Yiheng hunched over, one hand resting on the back of the chair, the other pointing at the report.
His voice was clear and fluent. Lin Xi's typing continued, but the tips of her ears turned red. After finally finishing the revisions, Lin Xi turned halfway to ask him if it was okay, but Duan Yiheng leaned forward to get the report, intending for her to finish it later.
A thin knit top clashed with a suit vest, and hand-crocheted decorative flowers caught on the decorative lapel chain. The lapel chain was normally worn in the lace-up pocket at the collar, the lower end tucked into the breast pocket.
But Duan Yiheng tied it to his vest, serving as a unique decorative element. Neither of them noticed this.
After checking it over and finding no problems, Duan Yiheng said, "All done."
Lin Xi got up to gather her report documents, when suddenly she felt a chill on her shoulder. She turned around and saw that her cardigan had been ripped open with a huge tear, revealing her rounded, white shoulder… and her bra strap.
Given Duan Yiheng's height, he would undoubtedly have seen everything underneath. Lin Xi was filled with shame and indignation. She grabbed the tangled fabric, thinking she could tear it off, but only a single thread broke.
She could walk now, but the thread was still tangled in Duan Yiheng's lapel chain. It was already coming undone; if it wasn't fixed, the entire garment would be ruined. Lin Xi was completely dumbfounded.
Duan Yiheng closed the distance between them, pinning her against the desk. "Don't move," he said, "let me untie it." Lin Xi blushed from her neck to her ears, her voice trembling as she asked, "Did you see everything just now?"
"See what?" Duan Yiheng's breathing was steady. "I..." How could she explain? He must have seen it.
Lin Xi was filled with shame and indignation: "Is it done yet?" The chain was delicate and difficult to untie. Duan Yiheng simply told her not to move. Lin Xi covered her collar, glancing at the door out of the corner of her eye, hoping no one would come in. The next second, there was a loud knock on the office door.
Lin Xi flinched, tilting her head back to ask, "What should I do? Can I let him come in later?" The knocking was urgent. Duan Yiheng pulled over a chair and said, "Hide under the desk."
Lin Xi's eyes widened: "What if I get caught?"
"No," Duan Yiheng said, "Squat down, and if you can't untie it, take the chain away." That was one way.
Duan Yiheng straightened his suit, moved his chair forward, and called out towards the door, "Come in." Because of the chain, Lin Xi couldn't squat down completely; she knelt on the carpet, her fingers busy working on Duan Yiheng's abdomen.
Duan Yiheng glanced down at her. Lin Xi was busy untying the chain, only her furry head facing him. This position was fucking awful.
Duan Yiheng's muscles, hidden beneath his suit, tensed. He raised his palm to Qin Yang as he entered: "Don't come forward, just stand there and talk."
Qin Yang was taken aback, quickly condensing the urgent matter requiring Duan Yiheng's attention into three sentences. Duan Yiheng gestured for him to place the documents on the coffee table in the reception area.
Lin Xi finally untied Duan Yiheng's lapel chain. She happily looked up, a loud "thump" plunging the office into an eerie silence.
Qin Yang was even more startled: "What was that sound?"