The Counterattack of a Wealthy Family's Substitute

Yao Yingxi went to the kitchen to prepare lunch. When Xi Yuanchen came out of the study after staying there for a while, he didn't see her in the living room.

After standing there for a while, a sound suddenly came from the kitchen.

Xi Yuanchen glanced in the direction of the kitchen, then turned back to his study.

Yao Yingxi bought seafood today, and is probably processing it now.

The image inexplicably popped into his mind, and Xi Yuanchen frowned.

After finishing cooking four dishes and a soup in the kitchen, Yao Yingxi came out. There was no one in the living room. She walked to the study door and knocked: "Mr. Xi, Mr. Xi."

Xi Yuanchen did not respond, so Yao Yingxi knocked again: "Mr. Xi, I have prepared the food."

As she finished speaking, she was about to leave when the study door opened from the inside, and Xi Yuanchen stood in the doorway with a cold face.

Seeing that his expression was not good, Yao Yingxi thought it might be because of the warning he had just given her.

She said softly to Xi Yuanchen, "Mr. Xi, dinner is ready."

Xi Yuanchen hummed in agreement, came out of the study, closed the door, and walked straight to the dining room, with Yao Yingxi following behind him.

He sat in the chair like an old man, waiting for Yao Yingxi to serve him rice and chopsticks.

Yao Yingxi placed the food in front of him. Seeing that Xi Yuanchen's face was still cold, she picked up a shrimp, peeled it, and put it in Xi Yuanchen's bowl: "Mr. Xi, don't worry, I won't leave without your permission."

Hearing her confident assurances again, Xi Yuanchen's expression softened somewhat.

He didn't know why, but he was afraid that something he had raised would leave him.

Perhaps... perhaps it's because she resembles Ye An'an that this situation won't happen again.

Xi Yuanchen stared at the shrimp in his bowl, feeling much better. He picked one up and put it in his mouth.

When Yao Yingxi saw that he no longer had a cold face, he peeled a few strips of meat in a flattering manner.

After the meal, Xi Yuanchen seemed to thoroughly enjoy Yao Yingxi peeling shrimp for him.

After all, doing something so complicated is a waste of time; it's best to have someone else peel it.

As Yao Yingxi tidied up the things on the table, her mood brightened along with Xi Yuanchen's.

Xi Yuanchen said, "No need to cook tonight."

Yao Yingxi looked at him blankly, thinking that Xi Yuanchen was still angry and about to leave, so she reminded her not to cook too much food.

She felt a little disappointed, but didn't want to show it. She lowered her eyes and continued tidying up the table.

"I have a dinner party tonight."

Xi Yuanchen spoke without looking at Yao Yingxi's expression as he walked into the study.

It took Yao Yingxi a moment to process what Xi Yuanchen had said, and her depressed heart suddenly began to pound with joy.

As night fell, it suddenly started snowing in Yuncheng, though not heavily.

As the two of them went out, Yao Yingxi unconsciously reached out her hand.

Snowflakes fell into her palm, and Xi Yuanchen glanced at her unhappily.

Yao Yingxi didn't see that gaze. She looked at the snowflakes on her palm with a slight smile before getting into the car.

Xi Yuanchen got into the car and, without saying a word, took Yao Yingxi's hand that had just been holding the snowflake.

The snowflakes melted into water droplets, and because she was already prone to feeling cold, her hands were now as cold as a lifeless corpse.

"I'll buy a few pairs of women's gloves tomorrow."

His hand was touching Yao Yingxi, but he was speaking to Anan.

Yao Yingxi thought Xi Yuanchen was calling her and wanted to answer.

Anan, sitting in the driver's seat, replied, "Okay, boss."

Yao Yingxi wanted to ask, but looking at Xi Yuanchen's gloomy face, the words stuck in her throat and she ultimately didn't utter them.

Her eyes were fixed on the window, her mind wandering. Who was Xi Yuanchen going to buy these gloves for?

In the past, she would have thought it was for herself, but the phone call she answered for Xi Yuanchen that day was from a woman, and the tone of her voice suggested that her relationship with Xi Yuanchen was not innocent.

The car drove all the way to the hotel.

Yao Yingxi's thoughts were still wandering outside.

When Xi Yuanchen came out, he saw that she wasn't moving or looking at him, and his face was displeased: "Are you still sitting here and not planning to eat?"

Yao Yingxi snapped out of her daze and looked around before realizing they had arrived at their destination. She quickly tried to open the car door to get out.

Xi Yuanchen spoke again: "This way."

In her haste, Yao Yingxi almost bumped into the car door.

Thinking it was just a regular dinner party, she was wearing a slit skirt and a coat.

Xi Yuanchen took a few deep breaths before suppressing the urge to crack open Yao Yingxi's head to see what was inside.

As soon as Yao Yingxi got out of the car, she quickly took Xi Yuanchen's hand.

The two entered the hotel lobby, with Anan walking ahead first.

The box door opens.

Those inside, seeing Xi Yuanchen accompanied by the woman they had met at noon that day, harbored a ruthless glint in their eyes.

Li Yong stepped forward obsequiously: "President Xi, hello."

He reached out to shake hands with Xi Yuanchen, but Xi Yuanchen didn't move, turned away, and gentlemanly pulled out a chair for Yao Yingxi to sit down.

Li Yong, though feeling awkward for having made a fool of himself, withdrew his hand with a smile on his face: "It's really difficult to get an appointment with President Xi."

Xi Yuanchen glanced at him and said, "Is that so? According to President Li, if we can't get a date, should we go out on the street and stop people with weapons?"

Li Yong was surprised that Xi Yuanchen had found out about him, and looked embarrassed: "What are you saying, Mr. Xi?"

Xi Yuanchen didn't bother with pleasantries and bluntly pointed out: "The two brothers, Mr. Li and Mr. Li, really are the same kind of people, both exuding the vulgarity of nouveau riche."

Upon hearing this sarcastic remark, Li Yong's face turned grim.

The two brothers started as street thugs, but because they owned several plots of land in the development zone, they also made a fortune.

"Mr. Xi, isn't that a bit disrespectful of you to say that?"

Xi Yuanchen scoffed, "Respect? You think you deserve my respect?"

He glanced coldly at Li Yong: "How can I have any respect for someone who wants me dead?"

Seeing that Xi Yuanchen now knew his motives, Li Yong stopped flattering him and said with a gloomy expression, "Since President Xi knows, let's get straight to the point."

Yao Yingxi remained silent, but she wasn't stupid. From Xi Yuanchen's words, she realized that today's dinner was not an ordinary one. It was possible that Xi Yuanchen wanted her to know who had hit their car and was trying to harm them.

Xi Yuanchen lowered his eyes, putting on the appearance of a generous patron, and selected several dishes from the menu before handing them to Anan: "Have these served."

Anan glanced at the menu, nodded, and went out.

Seeing that Xi Yuanchen had ignored his words, Li Yong's expression grew even worse, but his brother was still in Xi Yuanchen's hands.

His purpose in coming here today is to find out how to get his brother released.

"What does Mr. Xi want me to do to release my brother Li Zhi?"

His brother was brave but reckless, relying solely on brute force, which is why he went to hunt down Xi Yuanchen without his consent.

He's getting desperate. He's been trying to find Xi Yuanchen, but he's been refused entry, which is why he's using a steel pipe to block people.

"Your brother?"

Xi Yuanchen smiled and admitted directly, "He is indeed in my hands. President Li should know better than anyone what I want."

"President Xi is really joking."

Li Yong smiled apologetically.

Sitting to the side, Yao Yingxi felt that she had been by Xi Yuanchen's side for almost a year and still couldn't figure out his thoughts. How could the man next to her possibly guess Xi Yuanchen's thoughts?