Gently bite the jasmine

At dawn, North District No. 1 was awakened by sunlight and birdsong, and the white buildings were bathed in a warm glow.

They were probably all drunk last night, except for Lin Xi who got out of bed.

She finished getting ready and went downstairs, where she greeted the housekeeper.

The housekeeper took her to breakfast. After Lin Xi sat down, she asked, "Aren't they awake yet?"

Butler: Not yet, you're the only one who got up.

Lin Xi turned her head to look at the lush greenery outside the window and asked the butler for his opinion: "After dinner, may I take a walk around the manor?"

“Of course it will work,” the butler said with a smile.

During Lin Xi's short meal, the golf cart had already stopped at the side entrance of the restaurant.

With its dark green exterior and brown seat cushion, it's exquisite and adorable, and it's a two-seater.

Lin Xi really liked its rounded front end and asked happily, "Can I drive it for a bit?"

The butler chuckled and gestured to the driver to take good care of the person: "Of course."

The driver said respectfully, "I'll teach you how to drive."

Lin Xi quickly replied "okay," listening attentively without noticing the figure behind her.

The butler saw Duan Yiheng and was about to greet him when Duan raised his hand to stop him.

Lin Xi thought that anyone with hands and feet could drive this kind of car, but she was surprised to find that she couldn't control the speed well even after just starting out.

Duan Yiheng just watched with a smile.

Lin Xi looked up and finally spotted Duan Yiheng. She was a little embarrassed, but greeted him, "Good morning."

"Good morning," Duan Yiheng said. "Is it easy to drive?"

Lin Xi nodded: "Very interesting."

Duan Yiheng: "Let him teach you, and then you can drive. I'm going to have breakfast, and I'll accompany you around later and let you experience your driving skills."

Lin Xi raised her hand to stop her, saying she could shop by herself.

However, Duan Yiheng ignored her and turned to go to the restaurant.

In order not to leave his boss behind, Lin Xi practiced her driving skills while Duan Yiheng was eating.

Lin Xi easily navigated the restaurant's side door twice.

After Duan Yiheng came out of the restaurant, Lin Xi waved to him: "Come up."

Duan Yiheng walked over: "You've learned it?"

Lin Xi nodded confidently, and Duan Yiheng stepped into the car and sat down next to her.

Lin Xi started the vehicle, pressed the forward switch, and slowly pressed the accelerator pedal.

The ball car started slowly, moving at a low speed, and after a few minutes, it passed the main building complex.

Duan Yiheng gently reminded, "Slow down a little when turning or going through slopes, or you might overturn if you can't control your speed."

"Okay." Lin Xi straightened his back and looked straight ahead.

As the two passed the enormous fountain in the center of the manor, Lin Xi couldn't help but recall her childhood and said:

“I remember on my ninth birthday, my grandfather was wearing a suit and playing in the fountain with me in a hotel. I dodged it, but he got wet.”

Duan Yiheng naturally knew this, and he smiled and said, "Grandpa liked girls, but after you came, he smiled more."

"But I promised to have dinner with you and him last night."

“Don’t feel guilty, he’s happy,” Duan Yiheng said. “I had already informed him before we came. As soon as we left, he had Meng Huaishan bring Tan Qi over.”

"Huh?" Lin Xi glanced at him briefly. "So you didn't know Tan Qi was here? I thought you were on a blind date with her."

Duan Yiheng: "Didn't I tell you I have no plans to get married for the time being? Why would I go on a blind date with her?"

Lin Xi now realized that he had misunderstood the situation last night.

The golf cart slowed down and turned a corner. Lin Xi really liked the artificial lake in the manor and sped up along the lakeside.

"Miss Tan is quite pretty. Grandpa also said she works in his own company, so she must be very capable."

Duan Yiheng glanced at her profile out of the corner of his eye and casually made up an excuse: "She's too tall."

Lin Xi was taken aback: "Tall? But you're tall yourself."

Duan Yiheng could not possibly say the same things to Lin Xi as he did to Meng Huaishan. He stated frankly, "I've met her a few times at business events, and there's no spark between us."

Lin Xi: "Judging from Miss Tan's behavior last night, she seems to have feelings for you. So you really used me as a pretext to reject her last night?"

Duan Yiheng hummed in response, his tone indifferent, clearly indicating he didn't want to discuss the topic.

The lakeside was lined with dense trees, their green foliage creating varying shades. Lin Xi slowed down, admiring the scenery as he drove.

"Aside from its size, this place is practically perfect," she added, trying to make amends.

Duan Yiheng nodded in agreement.

The car turned another corner, and Lin Xi suddenly sighed, "Are all the trees planted along this road ginkgo trees?"

"Yes," Duan Yiheng said. "You like it?"

Lin Xi happily hummed in agreement: "It's a pity that it's not yet in the viewing season."

Duan Yiheng looked at the ginkgo trees that were still green and said, "The viewing period is different every year. Last year it was around November 10th. The housekeeper calls me every year."

Lin Xi strolled leisurely along the Ginkgo Avenue, seemingly already envisioning the beautiful scene of ginkgo trees reflected in the lake.

"Do you also like ginkgo trees?" Lin Xi asked Duan Yiheng. "Of all the trees here, the ginkgo trees are the best-growing."

Duan Yiheng's gaze lingered for a moment before he said, "My mom likes it."

Lin Xi was speechless, and subconsciously apologized, "I'm sorry."

Duan Yiheng chuckled self-deprecatingly: "Ginkgo trees are dioecious, requiring two trees to work together to reproduce, like a couple's interdependent relationship. What's even more ironic is that ginkgo trees have an extremely long lifespan; I wonder what she likes about this tree."

Lin Xi pursed her lips in silence, feeling a pang of pity for this woman she had never met before.

When husband and wife are not in harmony, even a beautiful woman's life is as fleeting as frost.

Lin Xi quickened her pace, unable to bear the agonizing silence, and, digging into her own wounds, comforted herself, saying, "At least you still remember."

Duan Yiheng turned his head away.

"I don't remember at all." Lin Xi smiled, seemingly relaxed.

When she first came to the Duan family, she kept asking for her mother.

Chen Baiwei and the maid tried to coax her for a long time without success, and she impatiently said that her mother was dead, not even ashes were left.

She knew it, which is why she cried even harder.

Later, a young maid secretly frightened her, and she never dared to mention her mother again.

It wasn't until he had a fever that the problem was discovered.

Grandpa severely reprimanded the servant, and although he was dissatisfied with Chen Baiwei, he only offered a few words of advice.

Because she is a girl, she is the most suitable person to be raised by Chen Baiwei's side.

Grandpa promised Chen Baiwei a great deal, which is why she and Duan Mingxuan grew up together.

After falling ill, she knew she no longer had a home, and the only way to avoid being abandoned was to please Chen Baiwei.

She forced herself not to think about her mother, and over time, that gentle face gradually became blurred in her mind.

Whenever Lin Xi thought of this, he felt extremely heartbroken and filled with self-reproach.

When she was a child, she could not go back to pay respects to her parents for several years at a time, and it was not until she was fifteen years old that she returned to her hometown for the first time.

When she went back to pay respects to her parents for the first time, she was actually reluctant; strictly speaking, she felt a deep sense of guilt.

She ran away to hide in a corner of the villa and met Duan Yiheng.

Upon hearing the reason why she had hidden herself, he unusually stayed, unlike usual when he pretended not to see her.

Lin Xi couldn't help but shed tears whenever she thought of her parents.

Before you know it, the golf cart has gone up a hill.

She naturally sped up, unaware that the other side was downhill.

"Be careful," Duan Yiheng warned in a cold voice, but it was too late.

The golf cart accelerates downhill due to gravity.

"Don't panic! Gently apply the brakes to control the situation." Duan Yiheng placed one hand on the steering wheel.

Lin Xi stepped on the brakes, but still couldn't stop the increasingly fast speed.

"Duan Yiheng!" In a panic, she called his name, "No, this won't do."

Duan Yiheng tried to control the vehicle, but the wheels jolted violently, and the car shook violently.

After veering off course, Duan Yiheng decisively abandoned the car, grabbed Lin Xi to protect her, and coldly ordered:

"Let go."