Duan Yihang, dressed in a dark suit, stood stiffly in front of her, his eyes dark and deep, making it impossible to discern his emotions.
"Big..." Lin Xi stammered, "Brother."
"Mm, you're back."
Lin Xi: "...Mm." Did you knock on my door just to say that?
"Grandpa said you want to work at Yin Fan?" Lin Xi was startled. Was Duan Yihang supposed to talk to her about this?
Well, Grandpa had basically retired, and the company was run by the Duan father and son.
"Is that okay?" Lin Xi unconsciously pursed her lips, forgetting that there were still tear stains on her face.
Duan Yihang subtly observed her, noticing that she had lost weight and her face was pale. He said, "Tomorrow is the weekend, get some rest and come see me."
He didn't leave immediately, but glanced at her again, his voice a little gentler: "Go to bed early, and call the family doctor if you don't feel well." Lin Xi silently closed the door, stood there for a moment, and then chuckled. So someone had noticed that she wasn't feeling well after all.
Duan Yihang went downstairs. As soon as he entered the first floor, his steps suddenly stopped. In the living room not far away, Duan Mingxuan was being questioned by his parents.
"Mingxuan, tell me honestly, what do you think about your grandfather wanting you to marry Lin Xi?" Duan Mingxuan was extremely annoyed, and his tone was unpleasant: "What can I think? You wouldn't let me, would you?"
"So you would have married her if I let you?" Chen Baiwei glared at him. "How would I know? I think being with Xiao Xi is pretty good, at least she doesn't boss me around."
Chen Baiwei poked his forehead: "Are you trying to drive me crazy? Although Xiao Xi has shares in Yin Fan, your father and brother are in the company, she won't be able to accomplish anything. If you're going to get married, you definitely need to marry a wealthy young lady who can help you in your career, understand?"
Duan Mingxuan scoffed: "Then why do you still want Xiao Xi to join Yin Fan? Isn't it because you want her to team up with my dad to suppress Duan Yihang?"
"What do you mean by suppress?" Duan Zheng reprimanded, "That's your brother, don't speak so harshly."
"Dad, can you stop pretending?" Duan Mingxuan chuckled, "Don't think I don't know you're afraid of him too."
Duan Zheng immediately stepped forward, pushed him onto the sofa, and hit him a couple of times: "You little brat!"
Duan Mingxuan dodged and laughed, the living room was in chaos for a moment. Chen Baiwei was amused and annoyed at the same time, so she simply sat aside and ignored the father and son. The living room was bright, the light casting Duan Yihang in the shadows of the staircase corner.
He watched quietly, slightly tilting his head, as if looking upstairs, wondering what he was thinking. —Lin Xi slept until noon the next day, and after taking a shower, she went straight to the first-floor restaurant.
Chen Baiwei smiled at her: "I saved some food for you, you must be hungry after sleeping so late?"
"Thank you, Aunt Wei." Lin Xi was starving. Chen Baiwei had saved four or five dishes for her on a plate, all her favorites.
Chen Baiwei had been very kind to her when she was little, probably because she didn't have a daughter of her own. However, ever since her grandfather said that Duan Mingxuan would marry her when he grew up, she had become distant.
After eating, Lin Xi went to the west wing to find Duan Yihang. She knocked on his bedroom door but there was no response, so she turned to knock on his study door.
"Come in." Lin Xi pushed open the door and saw Duan Yihang holding a book, quietly flipping through it.
"Brother." Duan Yihang didn't even lift his head: "Sit." This was his private study, not the company. There was no chair opposite the desk, so Lin Xi could only sit on the sofa by the floor-to-ceiling window.
Duan Yihang put down the book, his phone rang, and he said to Lin Xi: "Wait a moment." Lin Xi nodded. She sat there, afraid to move, thinking Duan Yiheng wouldn't notice her, and secretly observed him. Two years had passed, but he hadn't changed much; he was still taciturn and spoke sparingly. Lin Xi remembered his instructions from last night and silently added another point: occasionally gentle.
Duan Yiheng hung up the phone and suddenly asked, "Why do you want to join Yin Fan?" Lin Xi's heart sank; did this mean he didn't welcome her? Seeing her silence, Duan Yiheng asked again.
Lin Xi finally looked at him: "Do you also not want me to work at Yin Fan?" Her tone carried a timid question.
Duan Yiheng seemed surprised by her question, and his lips twitched: "You can work wherever you want, I won't interfere."
Lin Xi: "Then why did you ask that?"
Duan Yiheng: "Are you joining Yin Fan because the company your parents founded was merged into Yin Fan?"
Lin Xi softly said, "Yes."
"Then I have to tell you, if you're thinking that way, you should give up as soon as possible."
Duan Yiheng said coldly. Lin Xi asked him, "Why?"
Duan Yiheng: "Although Uncle Lin left a will, implementing it was very difficult. The integration of resources between the two companies was difficult and arduous. More than ten years have passed, and the company your parents created has long been integrated into Yin Fan, without a trace of its former self."
"I know." Lin Xi lowered her head, her head facing Duan Yiheng, looking very pitiful. Duan Yiheng walked over and sat down beside her, remaining silent for a few seconds, then said, "Do you miss your parents?" Lin Xi's heart stirred, and she looked up at him, inexplicably asking, "Do you too?" Duan Yiheng's mother died early, and his father remarried; in some ways, he was no different from Lin Xi.
Unexpectedly, he said without hesitation, "No."
Lin Xi was puzzled; how could he not miss them?
He added, "A place of wealth and luxury, a gilded cage; the debts of children are difficult to repay. That's why I don't want to; I hope she is peaceful and free."
Lin Xi was deeply moved, and for a long time, she was speechless, only murmuring, "Big Brother." Duan Yiheng raised his hand, but before it could reach Lin Xi's head, Duan Mingxuan's voice rang out from the corridor outside the door: "Lin Xi... Lin Xi, where are you?"
Lin Xi immediately stood up and went over: "I'm here." The study door was pushed open abruptly. Lin Xi, caught off guard, stumbled backward, her back hitting a warm wall. She turned around, only able to see Duan Yiheng's chin.
"Did a dog eat your manners?" Duan Yiheng lightly reprimanded Duan Mingxuan. Duan Mingxuan didn't bother to reply, and instead pulled Lin Xi towards him: "What are you two doing?" He had heard from the servants that Lin Xi had come to the west wing, and rushed over immediately.
Lin Xi's wrist hurt from his grip, and she struggled: "Let go of me first." Duan Mingxuan held on tighter; he disliked Lin Xi being close to Duan Yiheng.
"It hurts." Lin Xi couldn't help but cry out, still struggling. Duan Yiheng stepped forward and pressed down on Duan Mingxuan's hand, commanding in a deep voice: "Duan Mingxuan, let go."
Duan Mingxuan slapped Duan Yiheng's hand away, looking at him defiantly. Lin Xi was slightly startled, not understanding why Duan Mingxuan was so agitated. The tense atmosphere between the two made her hesitant to speak.
Duan Yiheng's expression remained unchanged, but he exerted more force, causing Duan Mingxuan to release his grip in pain. Duan Yiheng glanced at Lin Xi and said, "You go downstairs first."
Lin Xi raised her hand and grabbed his sleeve: "Big... Big Brother, don't fight." Duan Yiheng's gaze fell on her slender, fair fingertips, and he released Duan Mingxuan.
Duan Mingxuan pulled Lin Xi towards him: "Xiao Xi, go downstairs first, I have something I want to say to Big Brother." Lin Xi didn't want to leave, but Duan Yiheng gave her a reassuring look.
Duan Yiheng kept his word, and Lin Xi trusted him, so she reluctantly turned and went downstairs.
Duan Mingxuan's expression was arrogant as he said to Duan Yiheng, "Big Brother, please remember your place."
Duan Yiheng's gaze was cold and piercing: "I don't need you to remind me of my place. Next time you enter my room, remember to knock."
Duan Mingxuan snorted, turned around, and left, muttering to himself about how pretentious Duan Yiheng was. Standing at the door, Duan Yiheng heard him loudly calling out to Lin Xi: "Xiao Xi, hurry up and come out! What kind of welcome party is it if you're late?"
"Understood." Duan Yiheng took out his phone and made a call: "Find out where Duan Mingxuan is tonight."