Duan Yiheng wished he could sprout wings and fly to Lin Xi's side. He gave her a guilty look in response to her longing. Lin Xi understood and said, "I'm not in a hurry, and you shouldn't be either. I'll wait for you."
Duan Yiheng was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Did Duan Mingxuan take you to the cemetery?" "Yes, we went." "The reason I didn't directly stop Duan Mingxuan was because I was afraid you'd be upset because of Grandpa's passing." "So you took the opportunity to let me clear my head?" "Yes."
"And how are you feeling?" Duan Yiheng was taken aback again. As the person in charge, he naturally had to shoulder everything; apart from Lin Xi, no one cared about his feelings. After a long pause, he said, "I have you." Lin Xi half-jokingly said, "Am I a remote control?"
"Yes," Duan Yiheng said affectionately. She was the remote control that controlled his emotions. Lin Xi lay on the bed and whispered, "Let me keep you company while you work, okay?" Duan Yiheng glanced at the time and said, "You've been traveling all day, go and rest first."
Lin Xi reluctantly agreed, dragging out the video call for three to five minutes before finally ending it. Duan Mingxuan was nowhere to be found, and Lin Xi was too lazy to look for him. She drifted off to sleep, only to be startled awake by the "bang bang" sounds outside the window.
The image of a bullet that had struck her squarely in the back haunted her mind, and Lin Xi jolted awake. The surroundings were dimly lit; it took her a moment to realize she was in a hotel. "Bang! Bang!" The fireworks burst forth before the French windows, and Lin Xi belatedly breathed a sigh of relief:
"Oh, it was just fireworks." The brilliant light shone on her face. Lin Xi had just gotten out of bed when Duan Mingxuan knocked on the door: "Xiao Xi, open the door quickly." Opening the door, Lin Xi asked, "Why are you all sweaty?" "Was the fireworks beautiful?"
Duan Mingxuan pulled her to the French windows. "It took me a lot of effort." Lin Xi turned her head and asked, "Did you have the hotel set them off?" Duan Mingxuan hummed in agreement: "Was it beautiful?" Lin Xi nodded: "It was beautiful, but I was startled." "Startled?" Duan Mingxuan smiled, noticing her expression. Did I wake you up while you were sleeping? Lin Xi said: "It's like gunshots." Duan Mingxuan was stunned: "Sorry, I -" "It's okay."
After all, Lin Xi couldn't bear it, "I fell asleep, but the fireworks are still very beautiful, thank you." Duan Mingxuan breathed a sigh of relief, but the next second, Lin Xi said again: "It's a pity that Duan Yiheng is not here." "Duan Mingxuan:
"...I showed it to you, not to him." Lin Xi didn't know why: "How about we all watch it together?" Duan Mingxuan:
"..." Lin Xi didn't notice Duan Mingxuan's brief loss and speechlessness, so he picked up his phone and took a video of Duan Yiheng. Duan Mingxuan looked at Lin Xi and smiled: "Xiao Xi, if I had understood my feelings from the beginning, would you be with me now?
? Lin Xi dropped his smile and said, "Don't assume this kind of question." "Just asking." Duan Mingxuan shrugged, "The fireworks are over. Are you hungry? Let's go eat?" "Okay." "After that night, Duan Mingxuan never asked Lin Xi this kind of question again. During the day, he dragged Lin Xi around the hotel, from coffee shops to bars, from golf courses to gyms… just the two of them. He was actually a little regretful because Lin Xi's injury forced her to stay in the hotel.
He wanted to take Lin Xi to experience this southern city, but it was just a thought. Lin Xi didn't want to create memories with him.
Lin Xi counted down the days until Duan Yiheng arrived. Knowing he was at the company during the day, she monitored his time there, worried he might neglect his health. Duan Yiheng outwardly agreed, but still didn't get home until around 10 pm. This angered Lin Xi so much that she didn't answer his calls for three days.
Later, after seeing him and Tan Qi at a business matchmaking event on the news, she silently forgave him. This caused Duan Yiheng to be momentarily surprised when he received her call. "Missed me?"
Perhaps because they hadn't seen each other for so long, Lin Xi felt a long-lost shyness as soon as Duan Yiheng spoke. It's been over ten days, and Lin Xi has pretty much seen all the hotels. She asked Duan Yiheng, "When will your work be finished?" Duan Yiheng asked, "Tired of playing around?"
Lin Xi sighed, "Almost." Duan Yiheng asked, "How's your wound? Have you been avoiding any foods while I wasn't by your side?" "Don't even mention it," Lin Xi said wistfully, "Duan Mingxuan is even stricter than you." Duan Yiheng asked, "Where is he?"
Lin Xi replied, "He went swimming." "I've been busy with personnel restructuring lately..." Duan Yiheng explained the details to her, rambling on for forty minutes. Lin Xi answered his questions.
"Once this is over, I'll come see you. I'm not sure about the exact time, but I'll let you know before I go." Lin Xi didn't dare to have too high expectations, and replied calmly, "I understand." Duan Yiheng said, "I really will come see you, don't worry."
Lin Xi nodded, hung up the phone, her eyes looking a little red. She blew on a stray strand of hair, lying on the bed looking bored. For the next few days, no matter how much Duan Mingxuan called her, Lin Xi didn't really want to go out.
Seeing Duan Mingxuan taking pictures of her with his phone again, she irritably pushed him away: "Stop taking pictures." Duan Mingxuan put away his phone and asked cautiously, "What's wrong?" "I want to go home," Lin Xi muttered, "I miss my older brother." Duan Mingxuan smiled weakly:
"He'll be here in a couple of days." "But it's so boring here," Lin Xi said, "and my injuries are almost healed." Duan Mingxuan ruffled her hair: "Shall I take you out tomorrow? To a nearby ancient town?" Lin Xi looked at him suspiciously:
"Really?" "Why would I lie to you?" Duan Mingxuan's eyes seemed to glisten with spring water, very gentle, "Get a good night's sleep tonight." Lin Xi immediately went upstairs. Duan Mingxuan sat for a long time, then chuckled, and then called Duan Yiheng.
The next morning, Lin Xi and Duan Mingxuan took the hotel's car to the ancient town. Although it was said to be nearby, the journey was actually quite long. There weren't many people in the morning. Lin Xi fell in love with the ancient town at first sight; the houses were arranged in a charming, ingenious way. She tugged at Duan Mingxuan's sleeve:
"Let's walk a little further in, there's something to eat over there." "Okay." They strolled around for over an hour, eating and shopping, but the crowds grew larger. Lin Xi was a little tired and sat down by the river railing.
The wide brim of her hat covered Lin Xi's small face. Duan Mingxuan noticed the sweat on her forehead and said, "I'll go buy you a dessert from the roadside." Lin Xi nodded: "Thank you." Duan Mingxuan instructed her, "Don't go anywhere, understand?" "Okay."
"Xiao Xi," Duan Mingxuan called her again. Lin Xi gave a puzzled "Mmm." Duan Mingxuan squatted down beside her, took a picture of her, and ran off. Lin Xi shook her head helplessly. Duan Mingxuan was gone for half an hour; what dessert was so popular that the queue was so long?
Lin Xi grew impatient and went back to the homepage to call Duan Mingxuan. Before she could even dial, a shadow loomed over her. "How could you go to such a place—" Lin Xi's question caught in her throat. Standing before her was not Duan Mingxuan.