Lin Xi had been sitting all afternoon, and her lower back was indeed feeling rather uncomfortable. At the office, she dared not cling to Duan Yiheng; but the moment they stepped into Tiandu Yuxi, she practically draped herself over him.
Duan Yiheng held her close as they entered the elevator, his fingers still kneading her lower back as he asked, "What did you order for dinner?" Leaning against his chest, Lin Xi murmured:
"Truffle scrambled eggs, Kung Pao shrimp balls, and a seafood and tofu soup. For appetizers, I got spring rolls, and for dessert—Mango Sago." Duan Yiheng noticed that she truly had a fondness for Mango Sago; out of every ten meals, she ordered that particular dessert seven times. "You should try something else,"
Duan Yiheng chuckled. "Don't always order the same thing." Lin Xi tilted her head back. "What do *you* know? I call it being faithful." To somehow link ordering a meal to the concept of faithfulness—Duan Yiheng cupped her chin in his hand and said, "Your continued affection for me has absolutely nothing to do with whether or not you try new cuisines."
"Who says I've *always* liked you?" Lin Xi blushed and gave a playful little squirm. "Hmm?" Duan Yiheng suddenly looked at her with earnest intensity. "Is it really impossible for you to like me forever?" The elevator doors slid open, but Duan Yiheng made no move to exit. Lin Xi understood the implication behind his question, so she turned the tables and asked him, "Then what about you?
How long can *you* like me?" Duan Yiheng let out a sigh—without a moment's hesitation. "I don't know how long I have left to live." In that instant, Lin Xi was rendered speechless. She held Duan Yiheng tightly, nuzzling gently against him. Only then did Duan Yiheng guide her out of the elevator.
Almost the very next second, the butler arrived with their dinner, and the couple strolled into the dining room to begin their meal. Throughout the dinner, Lin Xi couldn't help but steal glances at Duan Yiheng. With just the two of them dining together, there was naturally no need for the strict etiquette of "eating in silence." Duan Yiheng ladled a bowl of tofu soup for Lin Xi and slid it across the table to her.
"Why do you keep staring at me?" Lin Xi averted his gaze, then suddenly asked, "Will we get married someday?" "Of course." Duan Yiheng furrowed his brow slightly. "Surely you don't still think I'm just fooling around with you?" "No."
Lin Xi looked up to deny it. "It's just that marriage feels so distant; I haven't really thought about it." Duan Yiheng gave a soft huff, then chuckled. "You didn't think about it back when you were in love with Duan Mingxuan?" Lin Xi hesitated.
"…When we were little, we even played 'bride and groom' together." "I saw that." Feeling a sudden pang of jealousy, Duan Yiheng's tone grew stiff. "You even had a veil tied around your head—I still have no idea where you two managed to find that." Lin Xi glanced at him. "Are you mad?"
Duan Yiheng felt a bit foolish; he wasn't actually upset over something that happened in childhood. It was just that the realization—that Lin Xi hadn't even considered the possibility of marriage while being with him—left him feeling slightly frustrated. "Let's eat first; we can talk about this after dinner." Regardless of anything else, he couldn't bear to let her go hungry.
After the meal, Lin Xi and Duan Yiheng cleared the table together. Once they had someone take out the trash, she took Duan Yiheng by the hand and led him into the living room. There was a bowl of fresh fruit on the coffee table; Lin Xi picked up a blueberry and offered it to Duan Yiheng. Only after watching him eat it did she explain in a soft voice:
"It's not that I didn't think about marrying you; it's that I didn't *dare* to think about it." Duan Yiheng couldn't resist that look of vulnerable innocence on her face; he pulled her into his arms, gave her a comforting pat, and said:
"Lin Xi, do you really think a thirty-year-old man like me would be dating you if I wasn't aiming for marriage?" "But who can guarantee that dating will definitely lead to marriage?" Lin Xi mumbled softly. "We've already broken up once before, after all."
"This time, no one can ever tear us apart again," Duan Yiheng declared. "If you won't marry me, then who *do* you intend to marry?" "You," Lin Xi replied, holding him even tighter. Duan Yiheng planted a kiss on her forehead: "Finally, you've said something I actually like hearing." Lin Xi suddenly offered a rather abstract retort: "I noticed that even when I said things you *didn't* like hearing, you were still kissing me with plenty of enthusiasm." The air hung still for a brief moment, followed immediately by Duan Yiheng chuckling in exasperated amusement: "Go take a shower, you." Lin Xi gave a soft huff, rose, and headed for the bathroom.
There was indeed serious business to attend to the next day, so the couple spent the evening simply chatting beneath the covers. Lin Xi was the first to succumb to sleep. Early the next morning, Lin Xi was startled awake by her alarm; turning her head, she saw that Duan Yiheng had opened his eyes as well.
With a silent, shared understanding, they got out of bed to wash up, taking about ten minutes longer than usual to select their outfits. Finally, it came down to the tie; Lin Xi looked up and asked, "Shall I tie it for you?" "Please do." Duan Yiheng adjusted his cuffs and bent down slightly to accommodate her height.
Standing on her tiptoes, Lin Xi skillfully tied the knot for him. Duan Yiheng's hands rested on her waist; the thin, soft fabric of her clothes seemed to melt beneath the warmth of his palms, a heat that seeped deep into Lin Xi's very bones. His hands began to drift lower, prompting Lin Xi to look up and glare at him: "Stop fooling around."
They had gone to such trouble to get dressed properly—she didn't want to mess up their outfits again by struggling. Duan Yiheng withdrew his hands: "I won't fool around anymore. Let's go." After a simple breakfast, Lin Xi and Duan Yiheng headed to the company ahead of the others.
The meeting was scheduled for ten o'clock that morning; factoring in travel time, they needed to depart by nine—better to be early than late. Lin Xi rode in Duan Yiheng's car; ever mindful of proper etiquette in public, she took the front passenger seat of the Bentley.
Three cars rolled out of the Silver Sail Technology office complex in succession. Around 9:40 AM, the group arrived at the Likang headquarters. Tan Qi personally led a delegation to welcome them; after exchanging pleasantries, the two parties entered the elevator from the main lobby and ascended to the luxurious conference room on the top floor.
The dark, heavy conference table served as a dividing line between the two opposing camps; the atmosphere in the room was serious, yet not stifling. Duan Yiheng and Tan Qi exchanged a brief glance, and the meeting officially began. As the two sides engaged in negotiations—a battle of wits and words—Lin Xi witnessed the true caliber of Xu Yu's skills for the very first time. The representatives from Likang questioned the proposed service fee percentage, arguing that Silver Sail Technology's quote was excessive. Xu Yu countered by presenting detailed data, meticulously outlining the cost savings the firm had already secured for them.
Tan Qi nodded slightly but then, on the spot, requested the addition of a non-compete clause—a demand Duan Yiheng naturally found unacceptable. "Silver Sail Technology has strategic interests spanning multiple sectors, Mr. Tan. By doing this, aren't you essentially cutting off my future prospects?"
"However," he added, "you could limit the scope of the non-compete agreement to a specific geographical region." Since Duan Yiheng had already taken a step back, Tan Qi felt it would be ungracious to continue standing his ground so rigidly. The negotiations dragged on for a full four hours; fortunately, the outcome was positive.
Duan Yiheng and Tan Qi each signed a Letter of Intent for cooperation. As the formal contract contained numerous detailed clauses, the legal department still needed to review and finalize each point based on the discussions held during that day's meeting. The official signing ceremony was scheduled for one week later—coincidentally falling on the very same day as the board-level equity transfer.
Regarding the subsequent signing, Duan Yiheng and Tan Qi reached an understanding: due to a scheduling conflict, Duan Yiheng would be unable to attend in person and would instead authorize Xu Yu to sign on his behalf. Tan Qi expressed his understanding, and with that, Likang and Silver Sail officially established a long-term strategic partnership.
Lin Xi breathed a sigh of relief. Once they had left the Likang premises, Duan Yiheng called Xu Yu, who was following in the car behind them: "As soon as the formal signing ceremony is concluded, every member of the Sales Department involved in this project is to be given time off." Xu Yu was naturally delighted and accepted the directive on behalf of his team. From the passenger seat, Lin Xi sent Duan Yiheng a text message:
*Mr. Duan, can I get some time off too?* Duan Yiheng smiled as he typed his reply: *Don't even think about it.* Lin Xi: *...Capitalist.* Duan Yiheng: *All the money this "capitalist" earns will be yours someday.* Lin Xi: *Shouldn't I be acting a little more excited, then?* Duan Yiheng: *Save that excitement for tonight—in bed.*
Lin Xi: *...*