Gently bite the jasmine

Duan Yiheng stood upright in front of her, dressed in a dark suit. His eyes were dark and deep, making it impossible to discern his emotions.

"Big..." Lin Xi stammered, "Big brother."

"Well, I'm back."

Lin Xi: "...Hmm."

You knocked on my door just to say this?

"Grandpa said you want to work at Silver Sail?"

Lin Xi was taken aback. Was this a request for Duan Yiheng to talk to her?

That's true. Grandpa has basically retired, and the company is now run by the Duan family father and son.

"May I?"

Lin Xi subconsciously pursed her lips, forgetting that there were still tear stains on her face.

Duan Yiheng observed her discreetly and noticed that she had lost weight and her face was pale. He then said, "Tomorrow is the weekend. Come see me after you've rested."

He didn't leave after saying that, but just glanced at her again, his voice softening: "Go to sleep early, and call the family doctor if you feel unwell."

Lin Xi silently closed the door, stood for a moment, and then laughed. It turned out that someone had noticed she wasn't feeling well.

Duan Yiheng went downstairs, but as soon as he entered the first floor, he suddenly stopped. In the living room not far away, Duan Mingxuan was being questioned by his parents.

"Mingxuan, tell me honestly, what are you really thinking about your grandfather wanting you to marry Xiaoxi?"

Duan Mingxuan was extremely annoyed and said in a bad tone, "What can I think? You just won't allow it."

"You think I'd just let you marry me?" Chen Baiwei glared at him.

"How would I know? I think it's pretty good to be with Xiaoxi, at least she doesn't care about me."

Chen Baiwei poked his forehead: "Are you trying to drive me crazy? Although Xiaoxi has shares in Yinfan, your dad and your brother are in the company. She won't amount to anything. If you're going to marry, you should marry a rich girl who can help you in your career. Do you understand?"

Duan Mingxuan scoffed: "Then why do you still want Xiaoxi to join Yinfan? Isn't it just so you can have her team up with my dad to suppress Duan Yiheng?"

"What do you mean by 'suppression'?" Duan Zheng scolded. "That's your brother, don't speak so harshly."

"Dad, can you stop pretending?" Duan Mingxuan laughed. "Don't think I don't know you're afraid of him too."

Duan Zheng immediately stepped forward, pressed him down on the sofa, and punched him twice: "You brat."

Duan Mingxuan laughed and dodged, causing chaos in the living room. Chen Baiwei was so angry that she laughed and simply sat aside, ignoring the father and son.

The living room was bright, and the light positioned Duan Yiheng in the shadows at the corner of the stairs.

He watched quietly, tilting his head slightly as if to look upstairs, lost in thought.

—

Lin Xi slept until noon the next day, and after taking a shower, went straight to the restaurant on the first floor.

Chen Baiwei smiled at her and said, "I saved some food for you. Are you hungry after sleeping until now?"

"Thank you, Aunt Wei."

Lin Xi was starving, so Chen Baiwei left her four or five dishes on a plate, all of which were her favorites.

Chen Baiwei treated her very well when she was a child, perhaps because she herself did not have a daughter.

Ever since her grandfather told Duan Mingxuan to marry her when he grew up, he has become indifferent to her.

After finishing his meal, Lin Xi went west to find Duan Yiheng.

She knocked on the bedroom door but received no response, so she turned around and knocked on the study door.

"Come in."

Lin Xi pushed open the door and saw Duan Yiheng holding a book, quietly flipping through it.

"Big brother."

Duan Yiheng didn't even look up: "Sit."

This was his private study, not his office. There were no chairs opposite his desk, so Lin Xi could only sit on the sofa in front of the floor-to-ceiling window.

Duan Yiheng put down his book. His phone rang, and he said to Lin Xi, "Wait a moment."

Lin Xi nodded.

She sat there, not daring to move, thinking that Duan Yiheng wouldn't notice, and secretly sized him up.

Two years had passed, and he hadn't changed much; he remained taciturn and sparing with his words.

Lin Xi recalled his instructions from last night and silently added one more thing: be gentle occasionally.

Duan Yiheng hung up the phone and suddenly asked, "Why do you want to join Silver Sail?"

Lin Xi's heart sank. Was this a sign that she wasn't welcome?

Seeing that she didn't speak, Duan Yiheng asked again.

Lin Xi then looked at him: "You don't want me to work at Silver Sail either?"

His tone was timid and questioning.

Duan Yiheng seemed surprised that she would question him, and his lips twitched slightly: "You can work wherever you want, I won't interfere."

Lin Xi: "Then why ask that?"

Duan Yiheng: "You want to join Yinfan because your parents' company was merged into Yinfan?"

Lin Xi gave a soft "hmm".

"Then I'm telling you, if you're going to hold onto that idea, you'd better give up now," Duan Yiheng said coldly.

Lin Xi asked him, "Why?"

Duan Yiheng: "Although Uncle Lin left a will, it was very difficult to implement. Integrating the resources of the two companies was difficult and arduous. More than ten years have passed, and the company your parents founded has long been integrated into Yinfan, with no trace of its former self."

"I know." Lin Xi lowered her head, her head facing Duan Yiheng, looking very pitiful.

Duan Yiheng walked over, sat down next to her, and after a few seconds of silence, said, "Missing your parents?"

Lin Xi's heart skipped a beat. She looked up at him and asked, seemingly out of the blue, "Are you one too?"

Duan Yiheng's mother died early, and his father remarried. In some ways, he is no different from Lin Xi.

To everyone's surprise, he said without hesitation, "I don't want to."

Lin Xi was puzzled. How could he not want to?

He added, “A wealthy place is like a golden cage; the debts of children are hard to repay. So I don’t want that; I want her to be peaceful and free.”

Lin Xi was so shocked that he was speechless for a long time, only murmuring "Big Brother".

Duan Yiheng raised his hand, but before it could touch Lin Xi's head, Duan Mingxuan's voice rang out from the hallway outside: "Lin Xi... Lin Xi, where are you?"

Lin Xi immediately got up and went over: "I'm here."

The study door was suddenly pushed open, and Lin Xi, caught off guard, leaned back, her back hitting a warm wall.

She turned around and could only see Duan Yiheng's chin.

"Have you lost your manners?" Duan Yiheng scolded Duan Mingxuan lightly.

Duan Mingxuan didn't bother to reply and grabbed Lin Xi, asking, "What are you doing?"

He heard from the servants that Lin Xi had come to the west, so he rushed over immediately.

Lin Xi's wrist hurt from his grip, and she struggled, saying, "Let go of me first."

Duan Mingxuan gripped his hand tighter; he disliked Lin Xi getting close to Duan Yiheng.

"It hurts so much," Lin Xi couldn't help but cry out, still struggling.

Duan Yiheng stepped forward and pressed down on Duan Mingxuan's hand, ordering in a deep voice, "Duan Mingxuan, let go."

Duan Mingxuan slapped Duan Yiheng's hand away and looked at him defiantly.

Lin Xi was slightly taken aback, not understanding why Duan Mingxuan was so emotional. The tense atmosphere between the two made her afraid to speak for a moment.

Duan Yiheng's expression remained unchanged, but he tightened his grip, causing Duan Mingxuan to release his hold in pain.

Duan Yiheng glanced at Lin Xi and said, "You go down first."

Lin Xi reached out and grabbed his sleeve: "Big brother, don't fight."

Duan Yiheng's gaze fell on her slender, pale fingertips, and he released Duan Mingxuan.

Duan Mingxuan pulled Lin Xi aside: "Xiao Xi, you go downstairs first. I have something I want to say to my older brother."

Lin Xi didn't want to leave, and Duan Yiheng gave her a reassuring look.

Duan Yiheng kept his word, and Lin Xi trusted him, so she dragged her feet and turned to go downstairs.

Duan Mingxuan, with an arrogant look in his eyes, said to Duan Yiheng, "Big brother, please remember your place."

Duan Yiheng's eyes were icy and intimidating: "I don't need you to remind me of my identity. Next time you enter my room, remember to knock."

Duan Mingxuan snorted, turned around and left, inwardly thinking, "What are you pretending for?"

Duan Yiheng stood at the door and heard him loudly beckoning Lin Xi to go out:

"Xiao Xi, hurry up and go. What's with you being late for the welcome banquet we prepared for you?"

"understood."

Duan Yiheng took out his phone and made a call: "Check where Duan Mingxuan is tonight."