Chapter 147

"Right, where is my pink dress?"

Yichen really didn't want her to wear that dress, feeling that it made her look far too alluring.

The mere sight of it stirred dangerous impulses within him...

So he had simply hidden the garment away.

However, President Lin would naturally never admit to such a thing!

"Thrown away."

"What? You threw it out?" Xiaoqi nearly sprang to her feet, her heart aching as if she were bleeding money. "Do you have any idea that dress cost me three thousand yuan?!"

"Mm, the one you're wearing cost me thirty-six hundred, so the outfit you have on now is much better value."

"..."

Xiaoqi was too speechless to reply.

Her phone suddenly rang.

"Answer the phone."

It took Xiaoqi a long time to realize the ringing was coming from the phone on her own person.

Why did this ringtone sound somewhat familiar?

Before she could place it, she answered, finding it was Yiyang on the other end, asking if she had finished reviewing the documents over the past three days and whether she would be coming into the office today.

Xiaoqi thought to herself that her relationship with him seemed to have eased considerably, and going to the office would provide better opportunities to get close to him.

She immediately replied that she would head to the company right away.

After hanging up, the thought struck her, and she opened her contacts list to find only a single number saved under his full name.

She had thought it was her Lin Oppa!

Xiaoqi pouted.

The car came to a halt, and Xiaoqi looked out in confusion. Were they at TC already?

Glancing sideways, she saw they had not arrived at TC at all.

"Why are we stopping here?"

Yichen unbuckled his seatbelt and stated concisely, "Breakfast."

Ah, right. She hadn't eaten breakfast yet.

Suddenly, she thought of that other Lin Yichen. The breakfasts that Lin Yichen made were exceptionally delicious!

Could this Lin Yichen not know how to make breakfast?

Whether he could or not, he wasn't going to spend his life with her anyway; it was none of her business.

After getting out of the car, Xiaoqi suddenly noticed something—the way she and Lin Yichen were dressed looked rather like... couple's outfits.

Because President Lin wasn't wearing a jacket, just a white shirt paired with black trousers, it matched her outfit perfectly.

A vibrant, spirited girl alongside a fresh, handsome man, drawing repeated curious glances from passersby.

Feeling exposed to such attention, Xiaoqi grew somewhat uncomfortable.

She tugged at the person beside her. "Hey, let's just buy something from a roadside breakfast stall and eat in the car..."

Yichen shot her a look, the meaning of which clearly conveyed: *Do I look like the kind of person who eats at a roadside breakfast stall?*

Fine. As a big president, naturally the breakfast he consumed had to be high-end.

The two of them walked into a cozy and elegant breakfast establishment.

A chubby male owner in his forties, seeing an exceptionally handsome man and a pretty girl step inside, immediately beamed and hurried over. "What can I get for the two of you?"

Yichen took a seat by the window and glanced at Xiaoqi, leaving the ordering to her.

Xiaoqi was more than happy to oblige.

Grinning, she picked up the breakfast menu and ordered a stack of items—virtually enough to feed four people.

Watching her smile, the owner felt a momentary dizziness, seeing virtual hearts flashing in the air, and could not help but burst into continuous exclamations.

"The two of you possess such ethereal grace, cloud-like beauty and moon-like charm, a dance of vitality and fluttering elegance, profound elegance and immortal bones, scholarly poise and..."

Instantly, a flock of metaphorical crows flew across Xiaoqi's head.

She was so dizzy she didn't know which way was up. Was this owner drowning in ink, or what?

He simply talked too much.

One didn't praise people like this!

It was a total waste of vocabulary.

She immediately called a halt. "Boss, if you keep misusing your vocabulary, we aren't eating here."

"..."

Had he misused his vocabulary?

The proprietress walked over and dragged him away with the resigned air of an old cow handling a stubborn bull. "I knew you were a chatterbox. Keep running your mouth like that and customers won't ever come back."

"But I was praising them!"

"They're naturally handsome and beautiful, a match made in heaven—do they need your praise..."

The voices of the two drifted into their ears at a moderate volume.

The corners of Yichen's lips twitched upward into a faint smile.

Xiaoqi remained indifferent.

A match made in heaven?

She certainly didn't want to be a match made in heaven with this icy person!

Resting her chin in both hands, Xiaoqi stared at the aloof man sitting opposite her.

He rarely seemed to take the initiative to speak.

That other Lin Yichen would always actively talk to her when they were together.

Xiaoqi realized just how immensely she missed that Lin Yichen!

*Sigh*, capitalist Lin Yichen, when on earth are you going to suddenly pop up?

I have money now, so hurry up and appear so I can pay you back.

Oh right, she had accepted his father's card—should she mention that to him?

"Here is your breakfast, you two."

The chubby owner set down the lavish spread one by one, subconsciously itching to dust off his vocabulary again, but Xiaoqi quickly shooed him away. "Boss, go tend to your other customers!"

The owner had no choice but to swallow his reservoir of ink, wearing a look of deep regret as he went to busy himself with another arriving guest.

Yichen ate his breakfast with elegance, whereas Xiaoqi was far less refined, taking large, hasty bites.

Watching her, Yichen tapped her forehead lightly with his chopsticks. "Why are you eating so fast? It's bad for your stomach. Chew slowly and carefully, and learn how I eat."

"..."

Good grief, did one even need lessons on how to eat breakfast?

That immediately brought to mind how the former Lin Yichen had said the exact same thing.

*Sigh*, why was she thinking about that Lin Yichen again? They were clearly the same person, weren't they?

Xiaoqi felt as though she were suffering from a split personality.

Under the guidance of President Lin, Xiaoqi consumed this breakfast with unprecedented elegance and agonizing slowness.

The meal lasted nearly an hour.

Fortunately, it was still early before work hours, though mingling with the company president meant being late probably wouldn't matter anyway.

Besides, it was only eight o'clock, so lateness was out of the question.

Yichen ate his normal portion from the tableful of food, while the rest was utterly demolished by Xiaoqi.

Yichen glanced at her impossibly slender waist, genuinely surprised by her appetite.

Breakfast finished, it was time to pay. Xiaoqi felt that having accepted his clothes, letting him pay for breakfast as well would make her seem far too petty.

Besides, she had plenty of money now!

So Xiaoqi stood up and stepped in front of him. "President Lin, I have money now, so this meal is on me."

Yichen frowned slightly. How could he possibly let a girl pay? He reached out and pulled her aside. "What kind of gentleman lets a girl foot the bill?"

Xiaoqi refused to back down. "Can't a girl treat someone? You're way too chauvinistic."

*Slap*—she slammed a card onto the cashier counter. "Boss, take the payment."

Yichen frowned, shooting her a look.

Xiaoqi's heart fluttered with sudden apprehension.

What kind of man was this? He glared daggers just because she wanted to treat him.

If he wouldn't let her pay, fine. She'd save her own cash!

She retrieved her card.

Yichen's expression cleared slightly.

Reading the room, the proprietress immediately chimed in, "Little lady, your boyfriend is just trying to spare your money, and men have a lot of pride, you know—especially when he's as handsome as your boyfriend here."

*Pfft*, what pride was there in paying a bill?

Xiaoqi didn't even notice the proprietress repeatedly referring to him as her boyfriend.

Yichen, however, wore a faint smile.

The male owner walked over holding a pen and a promotional poster for their shop's event. "You two are truly fortunate! You are the 99th customers to enter our shop today. If the two of you write your names here, you'll get a twenty percent discount on all future breakfasts, and signing also signifies that your bond will last forever."

*Last forever.*

This time, Xiaoqi reacted, instinctively explaining, "He's not my boyfriend, he's my hu—"

"Ah, your husband, got it!" Before she could finish, the owner interrupted excitedly. "Apologies, apologies! You two look so youthful I didn't realize you were a married couple. In that case, signing is even more important—it ensures your marriage lasts for eternity."

Black lines marked Xiaoqi's forehead.

She opened her mouth to clarify again, but saw Yichen take the poster from the owner's hand and write his name down.

Upon seeing his handwriting, the owner couldn't help unleashing his vocabulary once more. "Sir's calligraphy truly resembles a soaring phoenix and a startled dragon, flowing like clouds and dancing like ribboned silk—such brilliant and untethered talent, majestic and classic..."

Unable to take it anymore, Xiaoqi grabbed Yichen's arm and pulled him straight out the door.

Only when they reached the car did she realize how intimately she had been gripping his arm. She hastily released her hold, opened the car door, and climbed inside.

Yichen wore a calm expression, though the depths of his eyes were somewhat dark.

Xiaoqi naturally sensed it.

Hadn't he seemed rather gentle while eating breakfast?

Ugh, perhaps it was just a mild dizziness and slight hallucination caused by pulling him along in a rush.

After all, he hadn't subjected her to any sarcastic remarks.

Silence filled the interior of the car.

Suddenly, a phone on the dashboard rang, and Xiaoqi instantly remembered.

Their ringtones were identical.

Why did he have my phone...

Oh right, the phone was a gift from him, so he had probably habitually set it to his preferred ringtone.

Yichen didn't answer the call, and after ringing a few times, it stopped.

"President Lin!"

"Hmm," he responded softly.

"Why didn't you answer your phone?"

"Then why didn't you write your name?"

???

It took her three whole seconds to process his words.

So her earlier feeling that he had suddenly turned cold wasn't a hallucination at all—it was because she hadn't signed her name on that poster.

But they weren't lovers, let alone a married couple.

Ugh~~~

Yet, ever since last night, the way he had been treating her...

Could it be that he...

Xiaoqi abruptly reined in her thoughts, staring blankly at him.

Pressing both hands against her fiercely pounding heart, she chanted internally: *Don't beat, don't beat, stop fluttering with romantic fancies.*

Spotting a bottle of mineral water close at hand, Xiaoqi picked it up without a second thought, unscrewed the cap, and took several large gulps. The icy liquid rushed through her chest and heart, which were filled entirely with the unflappably calm, handsome face of the man beside her.

*Calm down, calm down. The person next to you is that Lin Yichen who lost his memory. No one knows better than you how much he detests you.*

*So there's no way he could possibly like—*

*Take a deep breath, exhale. Deep breath, exhale...*

"Get out here, I'll go park the car."

Xiaoqi lifted her gaze and realized they had arrived at TC.

Thank goodness they were here.

"Thank you, President Lin!" She immediately flung open the car door and scurried into TC.

Yichen watched the retreating figure with dark eyes that held a hint of lingering softness.

Not long after Yichen entered the president's office, Fang Li knocked on the door.

"Come in!"

The deep, masculine voice carried a professional solemnity, stripped of its usual chill.

As Fang Li watched the president meticulously reviewing documents, the handsome face seemed devoid of its habitual sternness.

President Lin seemed to be in a rather good mood today.

Fang Li placed a folder on the desk. "President Lin, these are the materials for the previous project. They require your review."

"Mm."

Just as Fang Li turned to leave, Yichen looked up and called out, "Fang Li, do you believe in causeless love in this world?"

"Huh?" Fang Li was momentarily struck blank, unable to process the question.