That night, Duan Yiheng and Lin Xi fell asleep in each other's arms. They turned off their phone alarms and slept until 8:30. Lin Xi, still with her eyes closed, rolled over a couple of times on the edge of the bed. It felt much more comfortable without Duan Yiheng's arm under her neck.
She lay there, her feet resting on Duan Yiheng's stomach, and mumbled, "Get up." Duan Yiheng was startled by the cold air and covered her feet, asking, "Why are your feet so cold?" Lin Xi replied, "I felt hot while I was sleeping, so I stuck my feet out."
They slept like that all night, the cold wind blowing, so naturally they got cold. Lin Xi suddenly laughed, "After spending half a month in the hospital, my abs are gone." Duan Yiheng laughed too, "I'll come back for the wedding." "But I heard men gain weight after marriage."
Lin Xi chatted with him casually. She liked this kind of pre-morning banter. "If you don't let me gain weight, I won't dare," Duan Yiheng said. "I'm already older than you, what if I don't take care of myself and leave me one day?" Lin Xi laughed:
"Then you have to maintain it. People are visual creatures." "Okay," Duan Yiheng replied. "Get up?" "Yes, I have to pick out gifts for my aunt and uncle today."
Duan Yiheng ran his hand along Lin Xi's leg to her waist, then snuggled up to hug her tightly. Lin Xi reluctantly pushed him away: "You're hugging me too tight." Duan Yiheng opened his eyes, kissed the corner of Lin Xi's eye, and lifted her up to sit up:
"Go wash up." Lin Xi leaned lazily against him, and Duan Yiheng easily lifted her up with one hand. After washing up, Lin Xi was fully awake. "Shall we go out for breakfast?" She glanced back at Duan Yiheng, who was still changing clothes. "Okay, what do you want to eat?"
"I don't know, let's go out and see." The hotel staff were very enthusiastic, telling them which streets had good breakfast stalls after they went downstairs. Lin Xi linked arms with Duan Yiheng, her face full of longing.
Duan Yiheng led her outside, casually flicking her nose and laughing, "You've become a glutton after coming out." "No way," Lin Xi retorted, "This is my first time here, I really like it." Duan Yiheng smiled but didn't answer.
Duan Mingxuan had known Lin Xi for eighteen years and knew her well, knowing what she liked. "The breakfast selection is quite extensive, what would you like to eat?" Duan Yiheng asked. "Noodles, let's have some."
Lin Xi replied, "The hotel manager just said that if you cross the street and turn left, there's a famous local noodle shop." The two went into the shop and ordered two bowls of crab roe and three-shrimp noodles.
Lin Xi had eaten this kind of noodle before because her family had a chef from the south, but everyone's version tasted completely different. A trace of smudge on her lips, Duan Yiheng casually took a tissue and wiped it off for Lin Xi: "Eat slowly."
Lin Xi nodded. She had actually finished that huge bowl of noodles. The price was that she was so full she couldn't ride in a car and had to walk. They had agreed last night to go to the cultural and creative park today. Duan Yiheng had checked the route and said,
"Let's just walk along the road first, and take a taxi when you feel better." Lin Xi completely agreed. She shook her hand, letting Duan Yiheng hold it. The sun was blazing. After walking for about ten minutes, Lin Xi suddenly said, "Should we call the hotel to send a car?
I heard some taxis smell awful." "It's okay," Duan Yiheng said, "We're not not going to shower when we get back." Hearing him say that, Lin Xi hailed a taxi on the roadside. The drive to their destination took almost half an hour.
Lin Xi and Duan Yiheng went to the Songjin Cultural Park; she wanted to pick out some fabrics for her grandmother and aunt. There were brand-name shops inside the cultural park. Duan Yiheng, with his extensive connections, had contacted the owners in advance, and they specially closed the shop for two hours for the two of them.
The shelves were laden with fabrics, and the owner smiled as he introduced each one to her. The fabrics were sold by the bolt; the two pieces Lin Xi had her eye on were both top-quality, starting at 50,000 yuan per bolt. Since her aunt and grandmother were of different ages, Lin Xi naturally chose different colors and patterns.
After each selecting two bolts, Duan Yiheng lowered his eyes and asked her, "Aren't you going to choose one for yourself?" Lin Xi hadn't really considered her own choice. She glanced at the fabrics on the shelves, a dazzling array of colors and patterns. Duan Yiheng nudged her lower back: "Choose two, take them home to make cheongsams."
Lin Xi turned to look into Duan Yiheng's eyes, raising an eyebrow as she asked, "You like them?" Duan Yiheng nodded honestly: "I like them." The shopkeeper smiled and introduced the cheongsams to her:
"There are many colors to choose from. This row is mostly fresh and elegant colors. Light pink and light blue would suit you well. You could also try a brighter peach pink. As for patterns, it depends on your preference; floral or geometric designs are both fine."
Lin Xi turned to ask Duan Yiheng for his opinion, and he immediately said, "If you like them, just buy them. It's not like you can't afford them." Lin Xi: "..." What she needed was specific advice from him at this moment.
But thinking about it, she decided against it. Men might not really understand, and she didn't want to end up liking what he liked but not what she liked. Lin Xi discussed with the shopkeeper for a long time and chose two that she liked. After leaving the shop, the two strolled around the park.
The gifts for Meng Huaishan and her uncle were not easy to choose; they browsed and selected until dark before finally finding something. When the hotel car arrived to pick her up, Lin Xi was squatting by the roadside, clinging to Duan Yiheng's leg, looking pitiful. She fell asleep shortly after getting in the car.
For the next few days, Duan Yiheng dutifully played the role of the most devoted boyfriend. A week later, the two flew back to City B. Before leaving, Lin Xi called Duan Mingxuan, but no one answered. Only after returning home did she learn from Sister Mei that Chen Baiwei and Duan Zheng had divorced.
That evening, Duan Zheng brought An Qi to the villa. He had been dealing with his marriage to Chen Baiwei. Before leaving, An Qi insisted on seeing Lin Xi. Duan Zheng had no choice but to come uninvited.
The villa remained unchanged for years, but everyone who lived there had left. Duan Zheng felt a mix of emotions. Lin Xi felt that Duan Zheng could at least support An Qi's future, which wasn't a bad option. She glanced at Duan Yiheng, then smiled at Anqi:
"Shall I take you to play in the yard for a while?" Anqi nodded silently. Lin Xi didn't really know how to face her, but adult matters were none of a child's concern; she still hoped Anqi could grow up safely. "Your father said you wanted to see me?"
Lin Xi asked gently, "What do you want to tell me?" "I'm sorry, I'm speaking for my mother." Anqi lowered her head, her usual liveliness gone. Lin Xi shook her head:
"Anqi, you haven't wronged me in any way, and you don't need to apologize for your mother's situation." Anqi's tears fell to the ground: "I don't have a mother anymore, so I can only apologize to my sister." Lin Xi wiped away her tears. Although Anqi was young, she understood many things.
Anqi probably knew about Ke Yu's murder. No amount of comforting from Lin Xi could help; she could only try to soothe Anqi and distract her. Duan Zhengcai left with Anqi only after sunset. Duan Yiheng knew Lin Xi was soft-hearted, so he put his arm around her shoulder and said, "Stop looking. We're going to the Meng family tomorrow. Is there anything else you need to bring?" Lin Xi's attention was indeed diverted, and she turned and went inside to go over the details with Sister Mei.
Tomorrow felt like meeting the parents for Lin Xi; she had to perform well and couldn't afford to make any mistakes.