Ke Yu's smile faded slightly. "What's the matter? Afraid Chen Baiwei will find out?" A flicker of awkwardness crossed Duan Zheng's face. "Why bring her up?" "She is your wife, after all," Ke Yu chuckled. "We can hardly leave her out of the equation."
Duan Zheng replied, "She has no place between us. I intend to divorce her—though I certainly won't shortchange her on the financial settlement she's due." Ke Yu gave a satisfied nod. "Angel called me the other day; she mentioned you went to see her. Couldn't you try visiting a little less often?" Duan Zheng retorted:
"She's my daughter. Is there something wrong with me going to see her?" Ke Yu said, "You'll have plenty of opportunities to see her in the future." Duan Zheng gave a faint, wry smile. "I just can't help myself." Ke Yu slowly let a smile play upon her lips. She understood exactly why Duan Zheng was always so eager to see Angel.
He had two sons: one was distant and aloof, the other self-absorbed and self-centered. Neither could hold a candle to her Angel—so thoughtful, so sensible. A few casual words of flattery from her, and Duan Zheng would be beaming for days. So what if she was a girl? She could inherit the family business just as well.
As long as Duan Zheng remained firmly entrenched as the General Manager of Silver Sail Group, Angel's chances of success were excellent. With the Zheng family backing her, Duan Yiheng wouldn't dare make a move against her lightly. Ke Yu handed the files and video footage sent by Lin Xiaoying to Duan Zheng, saying:
"Duan Yiheng has always assumed I was using a 'honey trap' on him. But in reality, I merely had Lin Xiaoying film him and Lin Xi." Duan Zheng was taken aback. "What are you planning?" Ke Yu replied, "Surely you haven't forgotten that Chen Liangyi is my pawn? Her adoptive mother has arrived." "You did this?" Duan Zheng asked. "Why did you bring her here?" Ke Yu smiled. "Chen Liangyi is a ready-made shield. Duan Yiheng and Lin Xi won't keep her at the company; if they push her into a corner, who knows what she might do?
Besides, she has 'Brother Shan'—a man who's done time and would go to the ends of the earth for her—right by her side." Duan Zheng frowned. "You're thinking of... No. Yiheng is my son, after all, and Lin Xi grew up in our home, too. Don't you dare touch them." "Why be so afraid?"
Ke Yu leaned forward and tugged at Duan Zheng's tie. "I only intend to give them a scare at a critical moment—just enough to stop them from fighting you for control. Can you really bear the thought of Angel spending her entire life branded as an illegitimate daughter?"
Duan Zheng looked conflicted. Angel was different from those two brothers; Angel was the apple of his eye. Ke Yu smiled triumphantly. Duan Mingxuan was desperate to rekindle his past with Lin Xi, and now he had Chen Liangyi right there to offer counsel and devise strategies. The entire affair would have nothing to do with her—Ke Yu.
Chen Liangyi was a remarkably effective arrow in her quiver, serving to drive a wedge between Duan Mingxuan and Duan Yiheng as they vied for Lin Xi. When love turns to hate, there is no limit to what a person might do. Ke Yu's eyes darkened. Watching those two brothers tear each other apart—leaving both sides battered and broken—was precisely the outcome she most desired.
As the night deepened, Duan Yiheng carried Lin Xi out of the bathroom. Gently laying her down on the bed, he turned to fetch her pajamas. He then helped her out of her bathrobe, took her hand, and guided her arm into a sleeve of the pajama top. Lin Xi kept her eyes closed the entire time, too lethargic to move. "Roll over."
Duan Yiheng tapped her on the shoulder. "Let me get your other arm into the sleeve." Lin Xi flopped back and forth like a pancake on a griddle; after a bit of a struggle, she finally managed to get her clothes on. Duan Yiheng caught a glimpse of the magazine on the bedside table out of the corner of his eye and chuckled softly: "Reading my magazine every night before you go to sleep?"
Lin Xi let out an ambiguous little scoff through her nose: "Who's *reading* it to sleep? I'm using it to ward off evil spirits." Duan Yiheng lay down beside her, turning his head to ask, "Ward off evil?" "Mm..." Lin Xi reached out to tug at him, but her hand closed around something warm and bare. She snapped her eyes wide open:
"Why aren't you wearing any clothes?" Duan Yiheng pulled her into his embrace: "It's not like you haven't seen me before. I'm only half-naked. Go to sleep." Lin Xi feigned disdain with her words, yet her actions were incredibly clingy; she held tightly onto Duan Yiheng's waist and pressed herself right up against him.
Perhaps the angle was off, but her neck felt a bit uncomfortable. Sensing this, Duan Yiheng shifted his body and lowered his arm. "Go to sleep," he murmured, affectionately brushing his lips against her forehead. "You still have work in the morning."
Lin Xi fell silent. Duan Yiheng lowered his gaze and let out a quiet, amused chuckle: "Asleep already?" Lin Xi really was thoroughly exhausted; Duan Yiheng's demeanor in bed was a stark contrast to his usual self. While he was typically gentle and attentive with her in private, he tended to be a bit—shall we say—fierce when it came to matters of intimacy.
After two rounds, Lin Xi felt sore and achy all over. Consequently, the next morning—after Duan Yiheng had silenced her alarm—she stubbornly slept in for another hour. "Why didn't you wake me up?" Lin Xi grumbled while brushing her teeth, her gaze holding a distinct air of unassailable confidence. Duan Yiheng smiled and gave her cheek a playful pinch:
"Breakfast is already ready; you won't be late for work." Lin Xi rinsed her mouth and washed her face; Duan Yiheng handed her a face towel. After giving her face a quick, casual wipe, Lin Xi returned to the bedroom to apply her skincare products before changing into her work clothes.
The weather was growing increasingly pleasant. Today, Secretary Lin had chosen to pair her outfit with a light apricot chiffon blouse. Just as she was in the midst of selecting a skirt, Duan Yiheng suddenly came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace. In the mirror, Lin Xi smiled and playfully dodged away: "Stop fooling around; I'm going to be late for work."
Duan Yiheng planted a light kiss on the side of her neck: "What are you worried about? You're on a flexible work schedule, and your attendance records are reviewed directly by me—it's not the same as for regular employees." Lin Xi pressed her palm against his chin and gently pushed him away: "You tyrant!" Duan Yiheng tilted his head to look at her:
"Is that really how you compliment yourself?" Lin Xi gave a playful huff: "Am I not beautiful?" "Beautiful," Duan Yiheng affirmed, retrieving a knee-length dress from the wardrobe for her—in the same color family, but a slightly deeper shade. "This one." Lin Xi held it up against herself in front of the mirror:
"Alright, this one it is. You head out; I need to get changed." Knowing she was a bit shy, Duan Yiheng said, "In that case, I'll wait for you in the dining room." "Okay." Lin Xi had expended a lot of energy the night before; her stomach felt completely empty, and she was famished.
Upon seeing the Chinese-style breakfast Duan Yiheng had prepared, her spirits visibly lifted several notches. The *shaomai* and shrimp dumplings were all exquisitely petite; usually, she would take two or three bites to finish one, but today, she popped them into her mouth whole. Duan Yiheng handed her a bowl of oatmeal: "Hungry? Slow down."
Lin Xi nodded; actually, she still had plenty of time to make it to work. "I need to make a trip to Likang today," Duan Yiheng said. "I'll have lunch at Grandma's place, and I have other engagements scheduled for the afternoon." Lin Xi looked up at him:
"Don't you have a meeting with the Marketing Department this afternoon?" Duan Yiheng replied:
"It's cancelled. I've arranged to meet with Zhao Hongbo this afternoon instead." Lin Xi nodded: "I see. I heard that Ms. Zhao has switched careers to become a livestreamer, sharing glimpses of her daily life." Duan Yiheng raised an eyebrow:
"...To show off her wealth?" Lin Xi laughed:
"Not really... she's just sharing her life. She's wealthy to begin with, so I wouldn't exactly call it 'showing off,' would you? On her very first broadcast, she gave away millions in prizes through a lucky draw." Duan Yiheng was baffled:
"So, is she trying to make money or lose it?" Lin Xi shrugged:
"Presumably to make money. I just really admire how she can speak so articulately and effortlessly in front of so many cameras." She could talk for hours on end without ever pausing. After exchanging a few more bits of idle chatter with Duan Yiheng, Lin Xi said her goodbyes, stood up, and headed off to work. Duan Yiheng chased after her, pulled her close, and planted a kiss on her lips. "I'll go down with you." Lin Xi replied, "No need—you go ahead and eat." Duan Yiheng cupped her waist and effortlessly lifted her onto the entryway cabinet, then bent down to retrieve her shoes.
They were a pair of elegant, pointed-toe pumps—perfect for the office—adorned with slender, delicate bows at the tips. With practiced ease, Duan Yiheng gently lifted her lower leg and, bending slightly at the waist, slipped the shoes onto her feet. Once they were on, Lin Xi smiled and teased, "Now I really do feel like Cinderella." Duan Yiheng reached out his hand to her.
"You are my princess. Come down."