114: The Poisoning

“Brother,” the two entered, and saw Yichen gently supporting Anna with care.

Xiqi instinctively wanted to run out.

Yiyang immediately put his arm around her shoulder, smiling warmly at Xiqi. “Xiyang, didn’t you say you had something to tell my brother just now? Say it now.”

Xiqi’s big eyes looked bewildered. “I, I didn’t…”

“Forget it,” Yiyang interrupted her, “I knew you’d forget. I’ll say it for you.” He glanced at Anna, then withdrew his gaze to look at his brother. “Brother, Xiyang actually wanted to explain things clearly to you a long time ago. Although you two were together before, she now has her own feelings,” Yiyang looked at Xiqi affectionately. “So, brother, don’t trouble Xiyang anymore, especially not this morning with so many reporters and all those overwhelming rumors online. How could Xiyang handle that? She had no choice but to clear things up for you in front of the media today. Otherwise, being linked to you would have annoyed her so much. She just hopes you’ll be careful from now on. I’m blunt, so don’t take it personally.”

He then looked toward Xiqi.

Yiyang was helping her vent. Although that slap was returned, if they didn’t clarify things, who knew what trouble that woman might cause next.

Xiqi lifted her face. “Yes, what Yiyang said is exactly what I want to say.”

Yichen raised his eyelids to glance at her, a low smile playing on his lips with a hint of coldness and mockery. “So, Miss Ye broke up with me to be with my younger brother, right?”

Xiqi nodded, then shook her head. “No…”

“That’s not how it is,” Yiyang cut in, looking at Joanna with a smile. “Brother, didn’t you also get together with Miss Qiao?”

Yichen narrowed his eyes and said calmly, “Joanna and I only have a professional relationship. It’s not as you say.”

Yiyang smiled. “Sorry for the assumption. But my relationship with Xiqi is purely that of boyfriend and girlfriend. Xiqi, do you have anything else to say to your ex?”

Xiqi looked at Yichen, but his gaze didn’t even fall on her. She furrowed her brows and said stubbornly, “No, everything that needed to be said has been said clearly. Let’s go!”

“Alright, brother, we’re going to work now,” Yiyang said, pulling Xiqi away. He leaned close to whisper in her ear, “After work, I’ll take you to eat something delicious.”

Xiqi’s eyes flickered toward Yichen as she replied, “Okay!”

Yichen’s eyes landed on the hand resting on Xiqi’s shoulder, his face clearly darkening with anger.

“I really didn’t expect those two to be together,” Anna, who had remained silent, said casually. “They were always quite close before, but Yiyang’s nature is quite simple. If he’s being used as a pawn, I doubt he even realizes it!”

“How do you feel now? Much better?”

Xiqi sat down on the sofa in Yiyang’s office, tugging at her fingertips. “Yeah, Yiyang, thank you.”

“No big deal,” Yiyang sat down in his office chair, looking at the pen in his hand. “If my brother hurts you, I feel an inexplicable guilt. Maybe it’s because I’m his younger brother.”

Xiqi understood his meaning. “So that’s why you helped me, right?”

“Think of it as me making it up to you on his behalf.” Yiyang put down his pen and came to sit beside her, lowering his eyes. “Xiyang, don’t really hate him. After all, he’s liked you for so many years.”

Xiqi lowered her gaze, feeling downcast. “How could I hate him? He hasn’t really done anything to me. He just doesn’t like me now.”

The girl before him lowered her head, her expression hidden, only her long curled eyelashes visible. Yiyang couldn’t help but feel a pang of tenderness, wanting to embrace her.

Suddenly, Xiqi looked up, her smooth, flawless youthful face brightened by big eyes blinking at him. “Yiyang, I realized you care about him a lot. I always thought you hated him.”

Yiyang just looked at her.

“Yiyang?”

“Yiyang?”

Xiqi poked his arm lightly with her slender finger. “Hey? Yiyang, what are you daydreaming about?”

Yiyang snapped back to reality, awkwardly walking back to his office chair. “I was just thinking that my brother is the only one who supports my dreams. All my life, he’s been quietly behind me, supporting me. Though he doesn’t say much, I know he’s always protecting me.”

Yichen arranged for Fang Li to take Anna to the hospital to check her foot injury.

Anna stubbornly insisted she was fine and just wanted to be taken home.

But she hoped that the one taking her back was Yichen.

Her foot was injured, yet she still came to help him today no matter what.

When they arrived at Anna’s home, she held his hand, her eyes filled with deep emotion. “Yichen, you’ve been silent the whole way. Were you thinking about Miss Ye all along?”

Actually, Yichen was annoyed by her words and pulled his hand away. “No.”

“Yichen,” Anna’s eyes misted over, “I know you could forget me anytime. I also know that no matter what I do or how much I give, I’m only just a month’s memory to you. To you, I’m always a stranger. But I still brought this on myself. You didn’t want my help, yet I couldn’t resist helping you and appearing in front of the media. But you…”

“Sorry!”

Just two faint words, but Anna felt even more painful hearing them.

Looking at the woman before him, tears falling, Yichen felt nothing but didn’t want to owe her anything. “Tomorrow night, I’ll take you to dinner.”

Was that all he wanted? No more entanglements with her?

Anna smiled bitterly. “Okay, I’ll wait.”

#

After work, Yiyang took Xiqi to eat something delicious. As the car pulled up and Xiqi was about to get in, Yichen got out and walked toward her.

Yiyang immediately got out to stand in front of her.

“What do you want?”

Yichen’s hands were in his pockets, his expression indifferent. “I have something to say to her.”

Yiyang was quite afraid of his brother’s black belt skills and glanced sideways at Xiqi.

Xiqi just wanted to escape when she saw him, but the signal device reminded her, “Um, didn’t we already clarify everything today? What else do you want to say? Oh, and by the way,” she added, regaining some confidence, “it’s not you kicking me out; it’s me not wanting to deal with you.” Then she turned her head arrogantly.

“I have something to tell you,” Yichen said coldly, “If you don’t listen, then you don’t have to come to TC tomorrow.”

“…”

Damn, this annoying capitalist abusing his power.

But if it’s about the signal device…

“Fine, I’ll give you a chance. But I’m going to dinner with Yiyang now—no time…”

“Then tomorrow night.”

Leaving those words behind, Yichen turned and walked toward the car.

Rude capitalist—I haven’t even agreed yet!

“Yiyang, that guy’s so arrogant, I just want to punch him.”

“…”

Yiyang only spoke after Yichen’s car had left. “I’ve had that thought since I was little.”

Xiqi looked at him for a few seconds and then burst out laughing. “Then how about we team up and beat him up tomorrow?”

Yiyang immediately shook his head. “Unless you don’t want to stay at TC. Besides, you don’t want to stay in A City. And I guarantee, even if we team up, the result will be that we get beaten to a pulp.”

“…”

Xiqi scorned him. “Yiyang, how can you be so self-deprecating and kill your own spirit? I totally despise you.”

“…”

Yiyang looked sharply at her. “Xiyang, are you scared to face my brother alone, so you suggested we team up…”

“Not at all!” Xiqi said confidently. “What a joke! I’m not afraid of him.”

She could send him flying with a single superpower.

Uh, but her superpower didn’t work on him >___

This time, Xiqi didn’t eat much. Someone with worries had no appetite.

Yiyang didn’t say much either; he was feeling unsettled inside too.

So after a few bites of steak, Yiyang took her back.

Xiqi walked into her room, heavy-hearted, and sat on the sofa.

Suddenly, Little White let out a sharp yelp.

Xiqi jumped. “Xiqi, you’re sitting on my tail.”

“…”

“Aren’t you supposed to sleep on the bed? Why come here?”

Xiqi picked up Little White and petted its tail.

Little White snorted coldly. “You’re the one who’s distracted, yet you blame me.”

“I’m just thinking about that capitalist,” Xiqi said, puzzled. “Doesn’t he want me to stay far away from him? And I was so harsh with my words today. Why does he still want to meet me?”

“Could it be that I really pissed him off, making him think of me again?”

“Do you think human brains are like balloons that just get better when inflated? That earthling has already broken up with you. He must want to meet for one last time to settle things clearly!”

Little White jumped up onto the bed, wary that Xiqi might sit on its tail again.

Xiqi was puzzled. “Settle things? Settle what?”

“See, you don’t understand,” Little White wagged its tail proudly. “Humans always do a final reckoning before breaking up—arguing, cursing, some even crying together. They make sure all debts and grievances are settled before parting. That’s the breakup ritual.”

“But I don’t owe him anything!” Suddenly remembering the ten thousand he owed her—the IOU was still there. But since he now had amnesia, he probably forgot about it, so no need to repay.

Thinking of this, Xiqi smiled, but the smile hadn’t fully blossomed before fading, her face a little melancholy.

Sigh! She’d rather owe him that ten thousand. The old Lin Yichen had so much love for her!

Little White said, “Since you don’t owe him anything, if he asks to meet, you have to go. He still owes you the signal device! You’ve broken up, but if you don’t get the device back, you’ll really lose the chance to approach him—even if you’re at TC, you won’t find an excuse to get close to him.”