The Counterattack of a Wealthy Family's Substitute

Xi Yuanchen took it and asked, "Tom, what do you need me to do?"

"What else can we do?" She was too lazy to explain to Xi Yuanchen; he could think whatever he wanted.

However, she was genuinely grateful for Zhong Enming's call, as it prevented the atmosphere between them from becoming too tense.

Yao Yingxi turned and walked to the dressing table, sat down to do her skincare and makeup. She was determined to go out today, no matter what Xi Yuanchen said.

Because she has to go to class tomorrow, she doesn't have a cell phone and it's inconvenient for her to contact people.

Xi Yuanchen gave Yao Yingxi a deep look, then turned and walked out.

The aunt was still pacing anxiously at the bottom of the stairs. Hearing the noise, she looked up and saw Xi Yuanchen coming down with a cold face. She asked cautiously, "Sir, what about Miss?"

"Auntie, you haven't had a proper rest since last night. You can leave work early today and come back early tomorrow morning."

How could the aunt not understand that Xi Yuanchen was trying to get rid of her?

Worried that the two of them would start arguing, she hesitated and looked at Xi Yuanchen before finally speaking: "I don't have much to do at home, and I haven't cooked any dishes. Sir, you haven't eaten much all day. Can I go and cook first, and then go back tonight?"

If the two of them argue or do something, I can help mediate while I'm in the apartment.

"Auntie, you know my personality. I don't like to repeat myself." Xi Yuanchen's voice was noticeably colder than the first time, his tone brooking no refusal.

The aunt had no choice but to nod: "Alright then, I'll go back first. If you're hungry, sir, you can have someone bring it over."

Xi Yuanchen stood on the stairs, watching his aunt slowly pack her things, looking hesitant and reluctant to leave.

He stood there silently, chin pursed, until the aunt left and closed the door.

Xi Yuanchen went downstairs, locked the apartment door from the inside, and went back upstairs. He opened the bedroom door and found Yao Yingxi still sitting in front of the dressing table.

As he stepped out, his phone rang.

It was Anan calling. Xi Yuanchen answered, "What is it?"

"Boss, the investigation from last night has yielded results. The couple only received one sum of money in the past few days: six thousand yuan. I've confirmed that this is their salary, and there's nothing else."

"Okay, I understand." After hanging up the phone, Xi Yuanchen stared intently at the bedroom door. Could it be that, as he had said, Yao Yingxi really did go out with Xiuyan yesterday?

Otherwise, since there were no other vehicles around and no surveillance footage of Yao Yingxi going down the stairs, how did she leave that shopping mall and get into which car?

Just as Xi Yuanchen was thinking about these things, the bedroom door was opened from the inside.

Yao Yingxi was surprised to see Xi Yuanchen standing in the corridor, but quickly regained her composure.

She put on light makeup, glanced at Xi Yuanchen, and went downstairs on her own.

When Xi Yuanchen heard the noise and came to his senses, Yao Yingxi was walking down the stairs.

He watched Yao Yingxi's retreating figure, hesitant to speak. After a while, Xi Yuanchen finally came downstairs. He sat in the living room, took a cigarette from his pack, put it in his mouth, and lit a lighter.

The flame licked the cigarette butt, and smoke drifted out. Xi Yuanchen lowered his head and smoked, the smoke coming from his mouth and nose, obscuring his dark, unfathomable eyes.

She simply couldn't believe that Yao Yingxi had gone to such lengths to get out with Xiuyan just to evade the surveillance cameras, and that there was something inside that she didn't know about.

Yao Yingxi opened the locker room door, and Xi Yuanchen, hearing the sound, also looked up, their eyes meeting.

Xi Yuanchen saw that Yao Yingxi was wearing a white long dress, a large sun hat, and her hair was braided and placed under the hat.

With that delicate face, she looks like a model on vacation at the beach.

He silently watched as Yao Yingxi looked away, closed the locker room door, and walked out.

Yao Yingxi was unsure what Xi Yuanchen was thinking, sitting on the sofa without stopping her from going out.

She walked nervously to the door, trying to open it, but she couldn't. At first, she thought it was locked from the inside, so she turned the deadbolt, but it was still the same when she tried to open it again.

Yao Yingxi turned her head and met Xi Yuanchen's eyes again. Xi Yuanchen was still smoking, his face indifferent, the smoke swirling around him, making it impossible to see what he was thinking.

There were only two people left at home. The housekeeper had been called away by Xi Yuanchen at some point, and now the door couldn't be opened. It was obvious that Xi Yuanchen had done it.

Yao Yingxi walked back to the living room, her gaze fixed on Xi Yuanchen: "Do you want to imprison me?"

"I just don't want you to go out today to see that young master of the Xiu family. What do you mean by imprisonment?" Xi Yuanchen replied calmly.

Yao Yingxi's days off are getting shorter and shorter, and he also has work to do, so their schedules don't overlap. Today, he just finished his work, and selfishly, he didn't want Yao Yingxi to go out and meet other people, especially that Xiu Yan.

Yao Yingxi frowned. Every time they argued, Xi Yuanchen always refreshed her understanding of him. This person was not as calm as he appeared on the surface. On the contrary, he had a kind of badness, and he was very bad in front of her.

Moreover, she never mentioned that she would pursue further studies in literature, so I don't know what's going on in Xi Yuanchen's head.

She said coldly, "I'm going out today. Will you open the door or not?" Yao Yingxi's temper flared up, and she asked stubbornly.

Normally, she would always defer to Xi Yuanchen in front of him, and Xi Yuanchen would be tolerant of her.

Xi Yuanchen threw the food in his hand into the trash can, then looked up at Yao Yingxi coldly: "You can drive, I'll go out with you."

"Aren't you afraid I'll dump you in front of you if you take it seriously?" she retorted to Xi Yuanchen, since he had misunderstood her anyway.

Xi Yuanchen looked at her with displeasure, but ultimately did not lose his temper. He got up from the sofa and walked towards the door, saying, "Try it if you have the ability."

Hearing Xi Yuanchen say this, Yao Yingxi felt that Xi Yuanchen was determined to go out with her.

Anyway, it wasn't the first time the two of them had gone shopping together, so there was nothing awkward about it. Yao Yingxi followed behind him, and Xi Yuanchen held the key in his hand and poked it into the lock. Only then did Yao Yingxi belatedly realize that she could lock the house she had lived in for almost two years like this, so that the person inside couldn't get out.

As they walked downstairs, a group of bodyguards watched Yao Yingxi and Xi Yuanchen emerge side by side, exchanging glances.

After all, Yao Yingxi's temper tantrum in front of Xi Yuanchen and the others had surprised and frightened them. They were worried that they would be punished if they couldn't keep an eye on Yao Yingxi, and they had been feeling uneasy since yesterday.

The two went to the parking lot. Yao Yingxi got in and walked directly to the back seat of the car. Xi Yuanchen was stunned for a moment, then opened the driver's side door.

The two went inside together, and Yao Yingxi treated Xi Yuanchen as her driver, saying, "Let's go to the computer mall, I want to buy a cell phone."

Xi Yuanchen fastened his seatbelt: "Did you lose your phone? Or did you throw it away?" He wondered if she threw it away because she was afraid he would disturb her and Xiuyan's time together.

How could Yao Yingxi not know what Xi Yuanchen was thinking? She looked directly into the rearview mirror and met Xi Yuanchen's eyes: "What you think is what you are?"