The Counterattack of a Wealthy Family's Substitute

Yao Yingxi was startled by his gaze. Thinking about what had happened to her today, and that Xi Yuanchen was looking at her like that, Yao Yingxi felt wronged, very wronged.

Xiu Yan frowned, reached out and pulled Yao Yingxi over, protecting her behind him.

Xi Yuanchen frowned when he saw that Yao Yingxi was being dragged along and that Yao Yingxi was not offering any resistance.

Xiu Yan, not to be outdone, stared in Xi Yuanchen's direction. Their gazes collided, and if eyes could be considered a battleground, then the two were currently locked in combat in mid-air, with no discernible whose cannon had fallen to the ground first.

Yao Yingxi was pulled back to her senses by Xiu Yan's sudden movement. She frowned when she saw Xi Yuanchen looking at Xiu Yan with a very unpleasant expression.

Xi Yuanchen didn't find her, but she wasn't angry. After all, she didn't even know where she had been placed. If it weren't for luck, and she had wandered around and ended up in the right place, encountering Xiu Yan, then unimaginable things would have happened during those few days until dawn.

But Xi Yuanchen shouldn't see me that way, as if I cheated on him with someone else today and did something unforgivable with Xiu Yan.

She has her own principles and doesn't favor one side over the other.

Yao Yingxi emerged from behind Xiu Yan, deliberately avoiding looking at Xi Yuanchen: "Thank you for today, Xiu Yan. It's so late, you should go home and rest early. I'll invite you out for dinner another day when you're free."

Regardless of what Xiu Yan had ever thought of her, or what he thought of her now, Yao Yingxi was very grateful to him for what happened tonight.

The hazy moonlight and dim lamplight shone on Yao Yingxi, making her already straight features appear even more delicate, while also adding an air of ambiguity, as if she were exchanging affectionate glances with Xiuyan.

Xi Yuanchen's face was grim. He strode over and pulled Yao Yingxi back. "Everyone is worried about you and looking for you. Yao Yingxi, what are you doing? Going out on a date with someone. You're really giving people face." He glanced at Xiu Yan aggressively and then said, "Next time you want to go out with someone, just tell me in advance. Don't worry, I won't have anyone follow you or bother you. You don't need to go to such lengths like you did today."

His tone was sarcastic and his words were laced with sarcasm.

As Yao Yingxi listened to his hurtful words, her eyes involuntarily reddened.

He received no comfort after being kidnapped and escaping. Xi Yuanchen had no idea how hurtful and difficult to heal the words he uttered when he was angry without first understanding the situation.

It was like that before, and it is like that now. They are like knives, stabbing people in without regard for their feelings, as if they want to kill them.

Xiu Yan's face turned cold, and he frowned as he looked at Xi Yuanchen: "Xi Yuanchen, how dare you speak like that? Do you know what Xiao Xi is like...?"

"How could I say that?" Xi Yuanchen interrupted Xiu Yan, looking at him with a cold smile, his eyes sharp. He gripped Yao Yingxi's arm tightly, even though it hurt, and tightened his grip: "Am I wrong? If you weren't afraid that I would investigate all the surveillance footage in the city, would you have been willing to come back?"

The implication was that Yao Yingxi and Xiu Yanzhen had gone on a date and something had happened, making it seem like she was reluctant to come back.

"What are you saying..." Xiu Yan was furious and about to speak when Yao Yingxi shouted loudly, "Xiu Yan!"

He glanced at Yao Yingxi. Yao Yingxi looked at him with red eyes: "It's very late. Thank you for today. You should go home and get some rest."

The implication was that he didn't want Xiuyan to get involved anymore.

Xiu Yan looked at her with a worried expression, and Yao Yingxi shook her head at him.

Xi Yuanchen's face was gloomy as he pulled Yao Yingxi around and headed towards the building.

Yao Yingxi did not resist, even when she gripped her wrist tightly as if she wanted to break her hand.

Because physical pain can never compare to the pain in one's heart; that suffocating yet unbearable agony is just how unbearable it is.

Xiu Yan frowned as he watched Yao Yingxi being pulled further and further away by Xi Yuanchen until she disappeared into the building.

He stood still, not moving. In that instant, his desire to possess Yao Yingxi and protect her behind him grew stronger and stronger, almost to the point that the desire was about to devour him.

Xi Yuanchen dragged Yao Yingxi all the way to the elevator, and when the elevator doors opened, he threw Yao Yingxi inside.

He was filled with rage. When he saw the scene of Yao Yingxi and Xiu Yan together, he wished he could tie Yao Yingxi up.

Yao Yingxi was suddenly thrown in with great force, staggered forward a few steps, and almost bumped into the elevator. Fortunately, she quickly reached out her hand to block and support her body, thus avoiding a collision.

Xi Yuanchen saw her almost bump into something and was about to reach out to stop her when he saw Yao Yingxi raise her hand to block it. He then withdrew his hand, stepped into the elevator, and pressed the floor button with a gloomy expression. The elevator doors slowly closed, and Yao Yingxi leaned against the elevator wall, her eyes closed, saying nothing and not even glancing back at Xi Yuanchen.

Everything that happened tonight was draining her of all her strength. She was already exhausted, but her mind and head were in complete turmoil. Xi Yuanchen's words and the question of who had kidnapped her kept echoing in her mind, all mixed together like fine needles pricking her brain, refusing to leave her thoughts.

Xi Yuanchen turned around and glanced at her, then hesitated, as if he wanted to say something. Because Yao Yingxi had her back to him, he couldn't see her expression.

The atmosphere in the elevator was quiet and solemn.

When the arrival notification sounded, Yao Yingxi turned around. She looked calm, her chin pursed, like a sulking child, refusing to look at Xi Yuanchen.

She walked past Xi Yuanchen and headed straight for the apartment. Xi Yuanchen had originally planned to wait for Yao Yingxi, but he was taken aback when she walked past him without even glancing at him. His face darkened.

Just as the elevator doors were about to close, Xi Yuanchen snapped out of his daze, reached out to stop them, and the elevator doors opened again. Xi Yuanchen stepped out and saw Yao Yingxi opening the apartment door and going inside. Without caring whether Xi Yuanchen followed behind, she slammed the door shut.

The aunt, who was sitting in the living room dozing off, was startled awake by the noise. She instinctively looked towards the door and stood up immediately when she saw Yao Yingxi: "Miss, you're back."

When Yao Yingxi saw her aunt, she was surprised. She remembered that Xi Yuanchen might not be able to see her, and her aunt knew she was worried, so she didn't go back.

She gave a soft "hmm" and then said, "Auntie, it's so late, go upstairs and rest."

The aunt stood up from the sofa, about to speak, when she saw Xi Yuanchen standing behind Yao Yingxi with a gloomy face. Yao Yingxi didn't even turn around to look at her. She hesitated for a moment, nodded, and went upstairs.

She cleans the guest rooms upstairs every day, even though no one lives there. But she worries that people might occasionally come to the apartment, and it would be troublesome to clean them then.

Yao Yingxi didn't remind her; it was something she wanted to do herself. After all, she had tidied up the apartment, and sometimes she didn't even have to cook lunch, so it was a very relaxed job. Plus, she often got off work early or had days off. She would feel guilty if she didn't tidy up.

She looked back at Yao Yingxi and Xi Yuanchen every three steps.

Yao Yingxi walked towards the kitchen in her slippers. The housekeeper remembered something and said, "Miss, there's still porridge cooking in the pot, it's still warm."

The aunt's voice came from upstairs, and Yao Yingxi replied, "Okay, I understand."

She ate something on the way, and although she wasn't very hungry, she didn't have the appetite to eat.