Gently bite the jasmine

Lin Xi's gaze was diverted by a slap, landing on the well-maintained golden moss.

It was illuminated by the ground lamps, giving it a faint glow, while its surrounding leaves blended into the darkness.

"I'm asking you, who did you tell what I told you last night?"

Lin Xi slowly turned her head, her eyes red, but tears stubbornly clung to her cheeks.

"I didn't say that," Lin Xi said hoarsely.

"You didn't?" Chen Baiwei said angrily. "How would the old man know if you didn't? He even called me and your Uncle Duan over and gave us a good scolding."

She didn't... wait, she met Duan Yiheng last night.

Lin Xi recalled that she seemed to have inadvertently revealed some key information.

She said she didn't want her grandfather's will.

Could it be that Duan Yiheng gleaned from her few words that Chen Baiwei was wary of her inheriting the estate?

Although they were raised by the Duan family, their household registration was not here.

She really wouldn't inherit her grandfather's estate.

Duan Yiheng must have told his grandfather about this.

But could she say that to Chen Baiwei? She couldn't.

If the two sides were to confront each other, it would likely result in a significant battle.

Lin Xi didn't want to implicate Duan Yiheng, so she could only swallow this bitter pill, since the information had originally been leaked from her.

Seeing her lower her head and acquiesce, Chen Baiwei snorted coldly: "Don't play the victim with me. I'm not Mingxuan. Do you know why I've always opposed you being with Mingxuan?"

Lin Xi raised her head. Wasn't it because of her status as an orphan?

"Because in my eyes, you don't deserve it!"

A dull pain shot through her heart; Chen Baiwei's indifference and dissatisfaction were like sharp arrows, piercing her heart every second.

"Haven't you had any feelings for me all these years?" Lin Xi's eyes reddened further, and tears streamed down her face.

"At first I did feel sorry for you, but when the old man saw that you and Mingxuan got along well, he actually tried to match you up."

Why doesn't she marry you off to her beloved grandson?

"Should my Mingxuan marry a woman who has lost her parents and offers her no help whatsoever?"

“Your parents easily exchanged a humble little company for your lifelong wealth and luxury. The old man even gave you 10% of the group's shares, while Mingxuan and I got nothing.”

"You think you're some rich heiress just because you own these shares? To the Duan family, what you're giving them is nothing more than a drop in the ocean."

"If you're a good boy, you'll listen to me obediently and do whatever I tell you to do."

"If you misbehave, I have ways to make you leave."

"That's enough," Lin Xi shouted.

Chen Baiwei gave her a disdainful smile.

“I grew up by your side since I was a child.” Lin Xi smiled self-deprecatingly. “I have respected you for many years, but you have never spoken to me gently. Even when you have, it is mostly for your own purposes.”

“From today onwards, I am telling you clearly that I will not marry Duan Mingxuan, not in this lifetime.”

"You're an orphan... Where are you going? Stop right there... You've really gone too far..."

Lin Xi ran away crying, trying to get as far away from the East Building as possible.

Chen Baiwei sneered, ignoring her life or death, and turned to go upstairs.

Duan Yiheng's Maybach entered through the west door, and a beam of light swept across the east building, while Lin Xi's room remained dark.

He raised an eyebrow slightly. Was she not here? Or was she already asleep?

Duan Yiheng got out of the car and called Lin Xi's driver, asking, "Has Lin Xi returned yet?"

Driver: "You're back. I brought you back right after get off work."

"Didn't go out again?" Duan Yiheng confirmed again.

The driver knew that Duan Yiheng couldn't see, but he still shook his head vigorously: "Absolutely not. Didn't you instruct that Miss needs a car? I have to accompany her for a while, as she's not familiar with the roads yet?"

Duan Yiheng hung up the phone and unconsciously glanced at the east building.

It's not even seven o'clock yet, can't we go to sleep already?

Why is it so dark upstairs?

Duan Yiheng was worried, so he called Lin Xi as he walked into the house.

It rang countless times before the other end finally answered.

"Hey."

Lin Xi didn't want to answer the phone, afraid that he would notice something was wrong with her voice, but she was Duan Yiheng's secretary now, and her phone had to be on for him 24 hours a day.

She was afraid that Duan Yiheng might need her help, so she had no choice but to answer.

"Aren't you home?" Duan Yiheng asked.

Instead of answering, Lin Xi asked, "Mr. Duan, is there something you need?"

Duan Yiheng paused, took off his suit jacket and tossed it to the nanny, gestured for her to give him a glass of water, and asked, "Your voice doesn't sound right, are you catching a cold?"

Lin Xi quickly replied, "Mm."

Fortunately, I had already shown signs of catching a cold during the day, which now serves as an excuse.

"So you're asleep?" Duan Yiheng's voice sounded incredibly gentle through the phone, coming through the radio waves. "No wonder the lights upstairs were off."

Lin Xi felt a slight stirring in his heart, taking it as a sign of concern for him.

Thinking about it this way, my heart felt much calmer, and the pain in my fingertips subsided a little.

There are still people in this family who care about her.

The old man was actually very good to her, but this was mostly reflected in material things.

For minor ailments, Lin Xi would seek comfort in the North Courtyard; but for serious incidents like today, she could only lick her wounds alone.

She didn't want to stir up any resentment among the residents of the villa because of her.

That would only make her feel even more ashamed.

Duan Yiheng returned after dinner. After drinking half a glass of water, he went upstairs to take a shower.

Just as I stepped onto the corner of the stairs, I heard Sister Mei hurriedly ask the maid, "Where is the young master?"

Hearing the urgency in the voice, Duan Yiheng turned and went downstairs.

"What brings you here?"

Sister Mei, holding a walkie-talkie, rushed over and said, "The monitoring room says that Madam slapped Miss, and Miss ran to the garden to hide."

Duan Yiheng didn't have time to put on his clothes or change his shoes.

He ran out of the west building wearing a thin white shirt and slippers.

Sister Mei followed behind.

Duan Yiheng said sternly, "Stop following her. Call the doctor over. She might have a cold. Also, prepare some food for her."

Sister Mei had no choice but to stop.

It's already November in City B, and there's still a temperature difference between day and night.

Duan Yiheng was oblivious to the cold; all he wanted to do right now was see Lin Xi.

Duan Yiheng walked past the flower-lined path in his suit trousers, and after winding his way through the winding road, he stopped in his tracks. Not far away, under the swing set, Lin Xi was curled up in a ball.

Duan Yiheng exhaled a deep breath and called out before he even reached her, "Lin Xi."

Lin Xi, her eyes brimming with tears, couldn't hold back any longer when she saw that the person who found her was Duan Yiheng: "Big Brother."

She tried to stand up, but her legs were numb.

Duan Yiheng knelt down in front of her and reached out his hand.

Lin Xi cried and stood there stunned for a long time before crashing into his arms and hugging his waist tightly.

Duan Yiheng patted her back repeatedly to comfort her, saying, "I'm here."

Like a whimpering, wounded little animal, Lin Xi stammered, "Could you hug me? I just need a little warmth, a little comfort."

Duan Yiheng hugged her back, tightly.