At the same hotel, Duan Yiheng, determined to strike Zheng Jizhong decisively, held a meeting until 8 PM. Some people couldn't wait any longer and were getting hungry, so he led his subordinates to the restaurant for dinner.
The conversation at the dinner table was much lighter. Duan Yiheng glanced at his phone every now and then, wondering if Lin Xi was waiting for him like the night before. The meal lasted two hours, followed by another hour of meetings. He got home close to midnight.
The living room was dimly lit, the sofa empty; Lin Xi wasn't waiting for him. Duan Yiheng wasn't disappointed; after all, it was late, and he didn't want Lin Xi to stay up so late. Sister Mei had been waiting for him, and smelling the alcohol on him, she quickly asked how much he had drunk. Duan Yiheng answered as he walked upstairs,
"Not much. I'm going to check on Xiao Xi." Coming home late to check on her seemed to have become a habit. Mei hurriedly caught up, "Let's look at it tomorrow."
It was so late; she was afraid Duan Yiheng would find out he was going to see Lin Xi. She'd been busy all day, running back and forth, and was bound to be exhausted. Duan Yiheng ignored her; it was just a quick look, it wouldn't wake her. He pushed open the door, his gentle expression suddenly freezing. "Where is she?" Duan Yiheng turned and asked Mei. Mei sighed, "She moved to Tiandu Yuxi." Duan Yiheng frowned. So hastily? He took out his phone and turned to walk downstairs. Mei ran, but couldn't catch up.
On her first day in a strange place, Lin Xi honestly couldn't sleep. She scrolled through her phone for a while, telling Liang Yutong about her move. Just as she was about to go to sleep, her phone started ringing incessantly.
Seeing it was Duan Yiheng calling, she hesitated for a long time before answering. Duan Yiheng's voice came through the phone: "Notify the apartment front desk to let me in. I'll be there in twenty minutes." Lin Xi:
"..." She wanted to say that they could talk about it tomorrow, but Duan Yiheng didn't give her the chance. Lin Xi got out of bed, put on a coat, and went to the living room to wait. Twenty minutes later, Duan Yiheng was brought up by the housekeeper. He opened the door, and Lin Xi silently turned to the side:
"Come in." He hadn't taken off his suit, and the smell of alcohol was still there. Lin Xi assumed he had come directly, and asked dryly, "Did Sister Mei tell you?" Duan Yiheng looked around her apartment; a typical high-end apartment, beautiful as it was, but soulless.
"I went back, I didn't see you." Duan Yiheng sat down on the sofa. "What are you doing here so late?" Lin Xi picked up a cushion and stuffed it into her arms. As she spoke, her eyes fell on the back of his hand. "We can talk about it tomorrow."
Tomorrow was crucial; she hoped Duan Yiheng would have a successful start. Duan Yiheng chuckled, "I didn't expect you to move out so quickly." He thought it would be at least after the Lantern Festival. Looking at the silent Lin Xi, Duan Yiheng asked her, "Are you avoiding me?"
Lin Xi was silent for a moment. She did indeed intend to, and moving to Tiandu Yuxi was a decision she had made long ago. She didn't want to interfere with her work. "Before my birthday, I told you we should break up, but you didn't take it seriously." Lin Xi avoided his direct gaze.
To outsiders, he was cold and refined; to her, he was domineering yet gentle, perhaps with a touch of roguishness. She liked him, but when facing him, she could never bring herself to reject him with a firm resolve; she could only create a realistic distance.
"So..." Duan Yiheng looked at her, "Do you think moving out will solve this problem? Completely sever ties with me? Achieve your ultimate goal of breaking up?" Lin Xi gave a soft "Mmm." The room fell silent. Duan Yiheng scoffed softly and suddenly stood up.
Lin Xi thought he was leaving and said, "I'll see you to the door." Duan Yiheng's words caught in his throat, and he turned and walked out. Once inside the foyer, Lin Xi pressed the elevator button. Duan Yiheng didn't move for a moment, so she looked up and reminded him, "The elevator's open."
As soon as she finished speaking, Duan Yiheng suddenly turned back, his eyes as deep as the night, his expression completely composed. "This noon, I had lunch with some uncles and elders I'm close to in the company. I barely ate anything, just drank."
"The alcohol was too strong. I rested for two hours at noon, then had a meeting with Qin Yang and the others all afternoon. And then we drank again tonight."
"Even at midnight, I was still thinking about you. I opened the door, and the house was empty."
"I came here and barely said a few words before you told me to leave."
"Lin Xi, while you're so eager to escape me, I'm fighting for a future for you because I don't want to be at someone else's mercy." Lin Xi suddenly looked up: "What are you going to do?"
Duan Yiheng's face was cold, his tone icy: "Guess why I had lunch with those uncles and elders?" Lin Xi naturally knew that since they were invited over during Duan Yiheng's resignation period, they must all be supporters of him.
These people combined were not to be underestimated. The old man would have to think twice before letting him leave Yin Fan. Lin Xi immediately understood his meaning. Most of these people came with the old man, and no one would know their choice until the very last moment.
Perhaps it was just out of respect for Duan Yiheng, who valued him highly. "I'm telling you this not to force you, but to tell you that no matter how difficult things get, I won't sit idly by." "Since you want to separate, then let's separate for now."
Duan Yiheng's voice was soft, and he kept a close eye on Lin Xi's reaction as he spoke. The strategy of retreating while advancing was no longer effective; it was time to play hard to get.
Sure enough, Lin Xi was visibly taken aback upon hearing this, seemingly not expecting him to finally relent. "I'll probably be very busy these days, so I won't be coming here. If you encounter any difficulties at the company, contact Qin Yang." "Today… I'll be leaving now."
Lin Xi watched him go downstairs, standing alone in the entryway for a long time. The lights were bright, but Lin Xi's heart was dark. The next morning, she got up to the sound of her alarm clock. Squinting as she walked towards the bathroom, Lin Xi accidentally bumped into the wall.
The pain jolted her awake, and she realized she was in a new place; the bedroom layout was different. She paused, her mind replaying Duan Yiheng's words from the previous night. After standing there for a minute or so, Lin Xi gave a self-deprecating laugh and went into the bathroom.
Breakfast could be ordered to the room or taken to the dining room. Lin Xi had to go to work, so she went to the dining room instead. Before she finished eating, she received an unexpected phone call. Lin Xi hurried downstairs and out of the lobby of Tiandu Yuxi, where she saw Uncle Deng waiting by the car.
After Uncle Deng explained his purpose, Lin Xi exclaimed in surprise, "Grandpa wants me to go to headquarters? Isn't there a board meeting today?" Uncle Deng nodded, "The old man didn't say anything else, just told me to take you there. Don't worry about Yinfan Technology; they won't consider it absenteeism."
Lin Xi wasn't concerned about that; she glanced at Uncle Deng, her heart pounding with unease.