Gently bite the jasmine

Lin Xi spent the whole day agonizing over this at home. In the evening, Liang Yutong called.

The dazzling scenes from last night are fragmented in my mind.

She then remembered to ask, "Tongtong, did you bring me home last night?"

“No,” Liang Yutong said, “Duan Yiheng picked you up.”

"Huh?" Lin Xi was genuinely surprised. "How come I don't remember this?"

Liang Yutong recounted the story with spittle flying, exaggeration, and embellishment.

"Holy crap, this is a complete mess. Duan Mingxuan was drunk and was disrespectful to Duan Yiheng, even calling him 'Mom.' But Duan Yiheng didn't hold back. He held you with one arm and pressed down on Duan Mingxuan with the other. He was so damn handsome."

Lin Xi: "...They got into a fight?"

Liang Yutong gave an exaggerated "hmm".

Lin Xi was slightly taken aback. They actually made a move in front of so many people?

She hung up the phone and was about to call Duan Yiheng when Chen Baiwei caught her in the act.

Her scalp tingled, and she tried to dodge, but Chen Baiwei had already launched into a barrage of questions:

"Lin Xi, where's Mingxuan? I can't get through to him on the phone. It's been a whole day. Didn't you two go out together last night?"

Lin Xi: "I came back with my older brother. Mingxuan is probably with his friends. Why don't you wait a little longer?"

"How could you leave him all alone?" Chen Baiwei frowned. "Yi Heng too, how could he forget one of them? Mingxuan is his brother, after all."

“Aunt Wei, this has nothing to do with my brother,” Lin Xi argued.

"Whose side are you on? Don't forget, you grew up with Mingxuan."

With only the two of them there, Chen Baiwei had lost her usual amiable demeanor.

"I--"

"He's hungover from drinking, why are you blaming her?"

Chen Baiwei and Lin Xi looked at the newcomer and were both taken aback.

Duan Yiheng's gaze was so cold that Chen Baiwei didn't dare to refute him for a moment.

He glanced at Lin Xi briefly: "Come with me."

Lin Xi glanced at Chen Baiwei, hesitated, and then left with Duan Yiheng.

As soon as they reached the courtyard, Duan Yiheng suddenly turned around, and Lin Xi abruptly stopped.

She looked up, puzzled.

"You still know how to speak up for me."

Lin Xi smiled awkwardly: "Thank you for bringing me back last night."

"How should I thank you?" Duan Yiheng immediately replied.

Lin Xi blinked at him and asked, "How do you plan to thank me?"

Duan Yiheng said, "I haven't decided yet."

Lin Xi: "Then let's talk about it after you've thought it through, okay?"

"Sure." Duan Yiheng looked at her. "I'll do whatever you ask?"

Lin Xi: "...Murder and robbery are of course unacceptable."

"So that's how you perceived me—a vicious and wicked person."

Lin Xi: "...I didn't."

His tone was extremely guilty.

Duan Yiheng, however, did not let her off the hook. He lowered his gaze and brushed his eyes over the back of her hand: "Not quite vicious, but probably close."

Lin Xi instinctively hid her hands behind her back: "No."

Duan Yiheng seemed to chuckle softly as he asked her, "How's your decision about going to the company going?"

Lin Xi pursed her lips: "You said that Yin Fan has a strict personnel system and will not make exceptions for anyone. My major is not related to this, so why did you make me your secretary?"

Duan Yiheng: "Compared to other positions, the secretary position focuses more on my impression. Once I've made the decision, the HR department can skip the background check and evaluation."

He wouldn't feel comfortable placing him in any other department.

Tian Han immediately raised his voice, but Qin Yang had more important things to do. He would have to hire a secretary sooner or later, so he might as well keep the benefits within the family.

Duan Yiheng had some confidence in Lin Xi's abilities.

Lin Xi wrinkled her nose: "Isn't that just using connections?"

Duan Yiheng chuckled: "So, are you leaving or not?"

After thinking about it for a moment, Lin Xi felt that there was something to learn from Duan Yiheng's position as secretary.

Her primary client is Duan Yiheng. As a secretary, she serves the president, who in turn serves the group, meaning she indirectly serves the group.

Duan Yiheng is in charge of one of the core business segments of the group. As his secretary, she will inevitably have access to first-hand intelligence and information. If she combines her professional knowledge with her familiarity with business processes, she may have opportunities to put her knowledge into practice.

Lin Xi didn't agree immediately, saying, "I'll think about it some more."

"Afraid that Duan Mingxuan will find out?" Duan Yiheng saw through her thoughts at a glance.

Lin Xi, having had his thoughts read, nodded awkwardly.

Whether it was her imagination or not, she always felt that beneath the conflict between Duan Mingxuan and Duan Yiheng lay a unique and restrained tacit understanding.

Duan Mingxuan was very reluctant to work at Yinfan, and she was considering whether to tell him.

Duan Yiheng: "Sometimes, having too many concerns will only cloud your judgment."

“But I don’t have the surname Duan, so naturally I have more concerns.” Lin Xi understood this perfectly well. “You wouldn’t understand.”

When you're living under someone else's roof, regardless of how well they treat you, you need to have a sense of right and wrong in your heart.

"Whether I understand or not is unimportant." Duan Yiheng stepped forward, his shoe almost touching hers, forcing Lin Xi to step back. "What matters most is whether you want to go or not, do you understand that?"

His tone instantly lowered in the last sentence, his enunciation carrying a seductive undertone that struck Lin Xi's heart.

The sight of that face so close was too overwhelming, so Lin Xi silently turned her head away: "I've made up my mind, I'll come to the company to find you."

Duan Yiheng seemed oblivious to her evasive behavior, leaned slightly forward, and said, "Then don't keep me waiting too long."

Lin Xi nodded, her breathing unconsciously becoming softer.

She smelled the base notes of Duan Yiheng's cologne, a soft and soothing scent perfect for the season.

Lin Xi hummed in agreement.

If she doesn't move aside, she really won't be able to breathe.

Duan Yiheng smiled and stepped aside, then turned and left the courtyard.

Lin Xi breathed a long sigh of relief and turned to visit the old man in the north courtyard.

She wanted to talk to her grandfather about work; as long as he supported her, she wouldn't have any worries.

As for Duan Mingxuan, we can keep it from him for now and tell him gradually.

She stayed in the North Courtyard for a long time and had dinner before heading to the front.

As soon as he entered the living room, Duan Mingxuan came in reeking of alcohol.

His shirt was half-open, vaguely revealing his muscular chest.

Duan Mingxuan has a habit of exercising and has always maintained a good physique.

From the moment she boarded the plane at Philadelphia International Airport, she was ready to confess her feelings to Duan Mingxuan.

But the courage he had mustered at 30,000 feet vanished the moment he landed and saw Zhang Mo.

There seems to be no need to explain why I went to the United States five years ago.

"Xiao Xi, why did you leave with Duan Yiheng last night?"

Lin Xi snapped out of her reverie and did not answer him.

She also disliked his questioning tone, as if he were someone to her.

Strictly speaking, the two are not related by blood, nor are they on the same household registration; they are simply childhood friends.

She didn't want to argue with him, so she casually replied, "You just got back from outside? Haven't you eaten yet? Let's go eat, I'm going upstairs."

Duan Mingxuan's face darkened, and he suddenly blocked her path, forcing Lin Xi to retreat.

"Duan Mingxuan, what are you trying to do?"

Duan Mingxuan's eyes were stubborn as he squeezed out each word through gritted teeth: "Why did you go with him?"