Hearing Lin Xi's reaffirmation of their desire to separate, Duan Yiheng's senses went blank for a moment. He remained silent for a long time, then suddenly chuckled, "So, you've been pitying me these past two days?" Lin Xi's lips trembled as she shook her head.
How could it be pity? "Then what is it?" The sky outside darkened again, the sunlight obscured by clouds, casting a shadow over the once bright manor, mirroring Duan Yiheng's expression. "We..." Lin Xi choked softly, "Let's part amicably."
"Take that back." Duan Yiheng stepped forward and grasped her shoulders, restraining his strength so as not to hurt her. "I'll pretend I didn't hear you." "Big Brother."
Lin Xi looked up, revealing her disheveled face to him. "Don't force me. You said you could stop me anytime, you wouldn't say 'no'." Their private space, meant only for the two of them, had been discovered; they had no choice but to come out.
"Lin Xi." Duan Yiheng's usually calm and gentle voice carried a hint of panic. "Is this fair to me? Do you think I'm emotionally detached and can't feel pain?" Lin Xi's fingers, gripping the hem of her clothes, were clenched until they were bloodless.
"Stop talking, please stop talking." Lin Xi's voice trembled. "Let's end this." "I won't accept it!" Duan Yiheng grabbed her wrist abruptly, pinning her against the sink. "I'm not afraid to tell you, I never intended to let you go."
Lin Xi struggled to back away, but the sink blocked her path. Their bodies pressed tightly together. Lin Xi frantically leaned back, trying to avoid his pressing chest. "You can't go back on your word." Lin Xi's voice was a sob squeezed from deep within her chest.
To hold herself up, her fingers dug into the marble countertop, tears streaming down her face, soaking Duan Yiheng's heart. He raised his hand to wipe her tears, but Lin Xi dodged him. A long silence ensued. She numbly turned her gaze and said,
"Have someone take me home." Duan Yiheng didn't move or speak, only tightening his grip on her shoulders. Lin Xi shrank back, struggling, "Let go of me..." Duan Yiheng's breathing went from rapid to even, but the pain remained undiminished.
Seeing her evasive expression and the unstoppable tears, he unconsciously released her. Lin Xi, now free, squeezed past his chest and left the bathroom. Thinking he didn't want someone to take her home, she went back to her room, grabbed her bag, and left the villa alone.
The butler, puzzled, quickly followed, "Miss Lin, it's snowing again outside. Where are you going?" Lin Xi stopped, turned around, and forced a smile:
"Thank you for your hospitality these past two days. I'll need your help looking after my brother. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll be leaving now." The butler wouldn't let her go, quickly stopping her: "It'll take more than half an hour to walk there. Did you and the master have a disagreement?"
Lin Xi shook her head: "It's nothing, I'll walk slowly." Just as the butler was about to say something, a black Bentley slowly pulled up behind them.
The passenger window rolled down, and Lin Xi saw Duan Yiheng's cold, stern profile, his sharp, defined features like mountains in the night. "Get in." Lin Xi's heart skipped a beat, her breath catching in her throat.
The butler sensed something was wrong in the silent atmosphere between the two. He silently stepped back, making way for Lin Xi. There were other people around, and Lin Xi had no intention of arguing with Duan Yiheng any further. A snowflake landed at the corner of her eye, smoothing out the redness that lingered with moisture.
Lin Xi held her breath as she opened the passenger door and got in. Before she could even fasten her seatbelt, Duan Yiheng had already stepped on the gas. The cool fragrance in the car made Lin Xi feel as if she were enveloped by Duan Yiheng's scent. She stared at the snowflakes outside the window, her gaze unfocused.
Everything before her was blurry, only Duan Yiheng's face was clear. Duan Yiheng wasn't driving fast. As the car passed the artificial lake, he slowly spoke: "So these past two days were all planned from the beginning? When did you start thinking about breaking up with me?"
Lin Xi was stunned by the word "break up," and her eyes welled up with tears again. She knew, she had always known that Duan Yiheng was treating her like a romantic relationship. She had always kept a tight rein on it, refusing to admit it, even after the breakup.
He pressed on, clearly still unwilling to give up. Lin Xi wiped her cheek and said, "Ever since we got together, I've been terrified of being seen by others, especially the moment Qin Yang found out. I panicked for a long time."
"There are no secrets that stay hidden forever. The first was ourselves, the second was Qin Yang, and the third could be Duan Mingxuan, Grandpa, Grandma..." "I'm under a lot of pressure, especially after seeing Grandma."
Duan Yiheng frowned. Grandma wanted him to go alone, but he hadn't gone yet, delayed by Zheng Jizhong's matter. "My grandma shouldn't object to us," Duan Yiheng suddenly interjected. Lin Xi pursed her lips:
"You know it's not a matter of Grandma's approval or disapproval." The manor's security system detected Duan Yiheng's vehicle approaching, and two people rushed out of the guard booth, opening the manor gates on either side. Hearing Lin Xi's words, Duan Yiheng slammed on the brakes.
Lin Xi was caught off guard by the seatbelt buckling. She turned to look at Duan Yiheng, confused as to why he had stopped the car. "If it's not someone else, then what's the problem?"
Duan Yiheng practically gritted his teeth, his face taut like a sharp, cold blade. "It's not that I don't have feelings, and I don't believe you have no feelings for me at all. You've never been in a relationship before, so why should I be your mistress and we're together?
You know what you're thinking, Lin Xi. Can you tell me honestly, without a second thought, that you have absolutely no feelings for me, no love whatsoever?" "I don't." Lin Xi broke down, unbuckled her seatbelt, and pushed open the car door.
Duan Yiheng followed her out of the car, slamming the door shut. Lin Xi hadn't taken two steps when he pulled her back and pinned her against the car. "Look at me," Duan Yiheng said, his hand gripping her waist, his voice suppressed anger. "Are you really going to break up with me?"
His repeated attempts to win her back had crushed the pride of this once-proud man. Lin Xi's fingers went numb, a tingling pain like thorny vines crawling across her heart. Her breath trembled uncontrollably: "Yes."
Duan Yiheng sneered, his fingers suddenly tightening, gripping Lin Xi's waist tightly. She opened her mouth in pain. A snowflake, along with a hot breath, sealed her lips. Lin Xi was caught off guard, her resistance too slow to react.
Lin Xi managed to squeeze out Duan Yiheng's name, but he ignored her. She could only pound on his shoulder, when suddenly her lower lip was bitten. "Ugh..." Lin Xi winced in pain, but stopped struggling. "Duan Yiheng! You fucking let her go!" Suddenly, a furious shout came from afar. The two abruptly separated, and Lin Xi turned her head to see Duan Mingxuan bursting through the snow curtain.