Gently bite the jasmine

Lin Xi arrived at the door of Duan Yiheng's bedroom, stopped, and knocked.

After a long silence, Lin Xi raised his hand again, about to knock on the door, when the door was pulled open from the inside.

"tonight--"

Lin Xi choked on her words, staring at the full, taut chest muscles in front of her, frozen in the doorway.

Looking at Duan Yiheng again, he had already taken off his overcoat and suit, unbuttoned his shirt, revealing a large expanse of skin.

From chest to abdomen, the lines are firm and smooth, with clearly defined abdominal muscles.

With each breath, his beautiful, sexy muscles rose and fell, captivating all who looked at him.

Duan Yiheng slowly buttoned the bottom three buttons. Lin Xi suddenly came to her senses, hurriedly looked away, and blushed from her neck to the tips of her ears.

"Why aren't you dressed?" Lin Xi asked, trying to make conversation.

Duan Yiheng raised his eyes slightly: "I was just about to take a shower."

Lin Xi didn't dare look at his still-open collar, and said with her head down, "Thank you for tonight."

Duan Yiheng didn't speak. Lin Xi, receiving no response, looked up at him with her almond-shaped eyes filled with confusion, as if asking him, "What's wrong?"

"Did you apply medicine to Duan Mingxuan?"

Lin Xi hummed in agreement. Duan Mingxuan had fought for her sake, so she couldn't just ignore it.

Duan Yiheng chuckled, seemingly mocking himself: "I didn't take any punches or kicks for you, so my thanks have to come later."

“That’s not how it’s calculated,” Lin Xi explained subconsciously. “I don’t approve of his method, but since it’s done, I can’t say anything more.”

"So..." Duan Yiheng stepped forward, getting closer, "You like me like this?"

"Who would like someone like you?" Lin Xi's cheeks burned even hotter, and she stammered, "How...how can you talk like that?"

"What?" Duan Yiheng raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not talking to you anymore," Lin Xi said evasively. "I'm going back to my room first."

Duan Yiheng grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer to the room. Lin Xi's heartbeat was masked by the soft sound of the door closing.

"What are you doing?" Lin Xi leaned against the door.

Duan Yiheng crossed his arms and scrutinized her: "Do you think you did anything wrong tonight?"

Lin Xi was taken aback: "Me?"

“If you were just an ordinary girl, without me or the Duan family behind you, this would never have happened tonight.”

Duan Yiheng's expression darkened. He raised his hand, placing his palm on the door panel beside Lin Xi's ear, and said:

"You'll be eaten alive, and the worst outcome is that you'll end up in jail and have to pay compensation."

Lin Xi frowned: "Are you exaggerating?"

Duan Yiheng scoffed: "Every single person you met tonight who was all bowing and scraping to you was a shrewd individual. It's just that you encountered the Duan family. If it were any ordinary family, the result would definitely have been full of malice."

"If they join forces, they might be able to give the Silver Sail Group a run for its money."

Lin Xi bit her lip and looked up to meet his gaze: "But I know you're behind me."

Duan Yiheng's slightly furrowed brows strangely relaxed, all because of her casual remark.

"So when something happens, the first person you think of is me?"

Looking back, Lin Xi was surprised herself; in the past, she would definitely have called Duan Mingxuan.

Duan Yiheng, displeased with her distraction, asked again, "What if I don't go?"

"Just leave it." Lin Xi couldn't stand the close proximity of the breath, so she turned her head away, revealing the skin on the side of her neck.

Duan Yiheng's eyes darkened, his palms clenched into fists, his gaze fixed on Lin Xi's long, fair neck like a hungry wolf, yet his body rationally distanced itself from her.

"Stretch out your right hand."

Lin Xi clenched her little fists and asked, "What are you doing?"

"Stretch out."

Are you going to give her something?

Lin Xi hesitated before reaching out her hand, and Duan Yiheng held her fingertips, examining them repeatedly.

Qin Yang just posted a picture of the injured person's face. The wound wasn't deep, but it ran across the brow bone, bridge of the nose, and cheek, and even a timid person would find it shocking.

For Lin Xi, it was an all-out effort.

The rim of the wine glass was sharp, and he was afraid she would hurt herself.

I was going to watch it in the car anyway, but then Duan Mingxuan came along.

Lin Xi had already applied medicine to him, so he harbored a lot of resentment.

But when Lin Xi came to see him specifically, his dissatisfaction vanished.

"It's alright." Duan Yiheng released her hand. "Go back to sleep."

In the dead of night, Lin Xi was exhausted. She went back, took a shower, and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

With only three days left before heading to the neighboring city, Lin Xi devoted all his spare time to Liang Yutong.

She couldn't sever the emotional ties she had developed over the years, but she couldn't bring herself to marry Zheng Jianian.

Liang Yutong deliberately attacked Zheng Jianian's vitals, each sentence more offensive than the last, causing Zheng Jianian to become resentful.

Zheng Jizhong, on the other hand, personally went to apologize and even urged Liang Yutong to get married.

On the day of the business trip, Lin Xi, following Duan Yiheng's instructions, booked the business class carriage.

She had just gotten into the car when she received a call from Liang Yutong.

Lin Xi stood up and glanced behind her. In the spacious seat, Duan Yiheng had his eyes closed, as if he were asleep.

He worked overtime last night and only slept for two hours.

Liang Yutong asked Lin Xi on the other end of the line, "Have you really decided to give up on Duan Mingxuan?"

Lin Xi tried to keep her voice down and said, "It was decided when I went to Rong County last time."

"Is it because he left you alone in Rong County?"

"No, not really," Lin Xi said. "I've had this thought before. Neither he nor Aunt Wei like me, so why should I bother chasing after them?"

"How can you just let go of such a long-standing relationship?"

Lin Xi: "Transform it. There are still childhood feelings involved. Transform them all into pure family affection. It's difficult at first, but it will get better after that period."

"I thought you transferred your feelings to Duan Yiheng. That night he held you the whole time, just like a boyfriend who would help you solve your problems."

"What boyfriend?" Lin Xi choked. "How could Duan Yiheng and I be together?"

Duan Yiheng silently opened his eyes.

"Don't let my relationship with Duan Mingxuan make you lose interest in love. After all, you've never been in a relationship, you've never even kissed anyone, it's such a shame."

Lin Xi's face flushed red: "Stop talking."

"That tone of utter shame and indignation...you didn't kiss her, did you?"

"N-no, we've never kissed." Lin Xi stammered in fright, "I've never even been in a relationship, how could I have kissed someone?"

Liang Yutong replied listlessly, "That's more like it. I think Duan Yiheng is quite reliable. You can give him a try."

Lin Xi was both amused and exasperated: "You still have the mind to worry about my love life?"

Liang Yutong was so heartbroken she was almost numb. After talking with Lin Xi for a long time, she felt a little better.

Knowing that Lin Xi was away on a business trip, the call was cut off twenty minutes later.

Lin Xi sighed, afraid of waking Duan Yiheng, and got up to look behind her.

That one glance almost made her lose her mind; she saw Duan Yiheng, who was asleep, looking at her with a smile.

"When did you wake up?"

Duan Yiheng didn't beat around the bush and said, "I woke up when you told Liang Yutong that you had never been in a relationship or kissed anyone."

"..."

In Duan Yiheng's view, Lin Xi slowly slid off the seat until she disappeared from sight.