She went there to work, not to pick up money off the ground.

“Listen carefully,” Pantheon said, picking up his beer can and taking a sip. “Yichen has a certain illness.”

Clink—a meatball fell from the chopsticks onto the table, then rolled onto the floor.

Xiao Qi looked regretfully at the fish ball on the ground.

Pantheon frowned. “Xiyang, did you hear what I just said?”

“I heard you,” Xiao Qi finally withdrew her gaze from the fallen fish ball and continued eating. “What kind of illness does he have?”

Was she doubting him?

Indeed, that was the case.

At first, Xiao Qi’s heart clenched suddenly.

Of course, she didn’t linger on that brief suffocation; her mind quickly spun back.

He’s as sturdy as an ox—how could he possibly be sick?

It must be an excuse to get her to see him.

She wasn’t about to fall for that!

Pantheon snatched the chopsticks from her hand, genuinely wanting to call her heartless. “Yichen really does have an illness—he’s had it since childhood. His stepmother has always used it against him, trying to force him from the CEO position. Do you understand now?”

Xiao Qi blinked for three seconds. “He… he really is sick?”

“Even if I lied, I wouldn’t lie about this. Do you think I’d curse Yichen?”

Xiao Qi suddenly lost her appetite; she couldn’t even swallow the enoki mushrooms in her mouth.

“What illness does he have? He seems fine to me.”

Seeing her worry, Pantheon felt a sense of relief.

It seemed that, even amnesiac, Xiyang still cared for Yichen.

“Don’t worry—it’s nothing physical. Yichen is very healthy. It’s just… a psychological issue. As long as you’re with him, it won’t come back.”

Xiao Qi stared at him with her big eyes for a while. “You really aren’t lying to me?”

Pantheon solemnly raised three fingers. “If I’m lying, I’ll marry a man as my wife.”

“…”

It was nearly eight o’clock when Yichen’s car finally arrived at the villa.

Under the streetlamp at the villa gate stood a familiar figure.

Yichen stopped abruptly, got out, and walked toward her.

But her words echoed in his mind, and his steps faltered.

Hearing the car, Xiao Qi looked up and ran toward him. “Lin Yichen, why are you so late getting off work?”

His gaze swept past her, lingering on the distance, as if wanting to speak but hesitating. After a moment, he simply said, “Mm.” Then, he added, “About that day—sorry.”

At the mention of “that day,” Xiao Qi knew what he meant.

He’d acted shamelessly toward her more than once—why hadn’t he ever apologized for his past behavior?

Thinking it over, Xiao Qi still felt a bit uneasy. “Let’s just forget about that day—chalk it up to you acting foolish. But if you ever do that again, I won’t come looking for you.”

“Is that so?” Yichen paused, his voice tinged with irony. Suddenly, his deep and inscrutable gaze locked onto her. “Xiyang, I wasn’t acting foolish. I knew exactly what I was doing.”

Once, she was deeply lost in him.

Now, he was just as lost in her.

Meeting his profound eyes, Xiao Qi’s heart thudded fiercely.

There was a feeling…

In that instant, something unknown in her heart seemed about to become clear—but the next moment, the intuition fled.

She laughed awkwardly, tugged his hand, and headed for the car. “Pantheon came to see me and told me about you… Let’s go, take me to meet your family.”

Her hand was suddenly pulled back by him.

“You’ve thought it through?”

Xiao Qi’s gaze was clear as she looked up at him calmly. “Yes—but it’s just pretend.”

Upon hearing this, Yichen’s eyes flashed with disappointment.

Pretend or not, as long as she was here.

The long road ahead—as long as she stayed by his side.

“Alright.”

When they arrived at the Lin residence and met Lin Bosen, Xiao Qi spoke all at once, “Hello, Uncle. I’m Lin Yichen’s girlfriend… Ye Xiyang. Yichen went to the hospital to get medicine for me—everything he’s done has been for me.”

Lin Bosen looked at the girl in front of him, who seemed like nothing more than a child.

He hadn’t expected his steady, reserved son to be drawn to such a young girl.

“Have her wait outside.”

Xiao Qi hadn’t expected such a reception.

She’d been perfectly polite just now.

Yichen lowered his eyes, took her hand, and led her to the door. “Wait for me in the living room. Don’t wander around, okay?”

“Oh!”

As soon as Xiao Qi left, Lin Bosen slapped the table. “You like this type? Where’s your sense?”

“This type is perfect. She’s the only one I love,” Yichen replied.

“You…” Lin Bosen’s face darkened with anger. “I don’t care how much you love this… little girl. I won’t allow you to be with someone who’s nothing.”

---

“Dad,” Yichen said quietly, “she’s the one I love—the only one.”

Lin Bosen gazed at him, seeing the deep emotions in his eyes—unmistakable.

Yichen continued, “Dad, I’ve never asked you for anything, not once since I was a child. Today is the first and only time I’ll ask—let me be with Xiyang.”

Lin Bosen rose, and after a moment, nodded. “Fine, you can be with her. But I don’t want outsiders knowing my outstanding son has an ‘delivery girl’ girlfriend.”

In other words, their relationship couldn’t be public.

Yichen understood that his father valued appearances and family background.

For now, this was the only option; Xiyang herself hadn’t accepted him yet.

As for the future, he’d plan it step by step.

Xiao Qi wandered around the living room, looking everywhere.

The house was decorated in dazzling gold; it was almost blinding—far more luxurious than Lin Yichen’s villa.

Clearly, the Lin family wasn’t just wealthy—they were obscenely rich.

Xiao Qi stared up at the brilliant, massive crystal chandelier.

Wow, this thing could almost blind me.

The décor was so… so…

She couldn’t find the words—just plain excess.

“You’re Ye Xiyang?”

Hearing the voice, Xiao Qi turned her head. A woman in a red cheongsam, exuding an air of wealth and authority, approached.

She looked to be in her forties, likely Yiyang’s biological mother, Yichen’s stepmother.

“Hello, Aunt. I’m Ye Xiyang.”

Xu Lu glanced at her, then sat with aristocratic poise on the sofa. “How did you meet Yichen?”

How did they meet?

Xiao Qi thought for a moment, then hopped onto the sofa herself. “We met on the street.”

Xu Lu picked up the teacup from the coffee table and took a sip. “I hear you haven’t known Yichen long?”

It hadn’t been long, so Xiao Qi nodded honestly.

“So soon after meeting, you’re already brought home—doesn’t that seem fast?”

Xiao Qi agreed, nodding. “I think it’s pretty fast, too.” She watched Xu Lu’s graceful gestures and couldn’t help but praise her, “Aunt, not only are you elegant, but even your every movement is so refined!”

Yichen happened to come out just then, catching her comment.

He couldn’t help but smile.

This silly girl knew how to flatter.

But Xu Lu wasn’t pleased by the compliment.

With a sarcastic tone, she said, “There are so many people trying to marry into wealthy families. Isn’t being Yichen’s girlfriend about his status?”

Xiao Qi answered honestly, “It’s not just his status—it’s his outrageously handsome face, and those impressive eight-pack abs. Oh, I adore his abs.”

“…”

Xu Lu was speechless.

It seemed Xu Hui was right—the girl was truly simple-minded.

And behind the pillar, Yichen smiled again.

It seemed his abs had attracted her from the very start.

Though the old Xiyang liked his abs too, it was his face that truly captivated her.

He touched his handsome face, then his strong abdomen. Clearly, maintaining those abs was crucial.

Xu Lu sipped her tea elegantly, deciding that, since this girl was not only simple-minded but also a bit silly, she wouldn’t take the usual approach.

“I see you look fresh and pure, but you’re just a delivery girl. If you want to enter a wealthy family, you’ll need to learn a lot. Let me explain—do you want to listen?”

Xiao Qi immediately sat up straight, her expression attentive. “I’d love to hear more.”

“In life, one must always know what can and can’t be done,” Xu Lu gestured around. “Don’t be fooled by the golden façade of this house. The threshold for entering a wealthy family is high—even if you get one foot in, the other will never make it. Don’t end up old and discarded. Let me be honest: marrying into the Lin family leads to what I just described.”

Xiao Qi listened, stunned.

Yichen frowned, about to step forward, when he heard:

“Then why haven’t you been discarded after marrying into the Lin family?”

“…”

“You…”

Xiao Qi continued in her honest manner, “You seem prosperous and happy. Why make the Lin family sound so terrifying? Also, if Uncle heard you say this, wouldn’t he be upset?”

“You…”

Xu Lu’s expression soured; she set her teacup down, startling Xiao Qi.

“Aunt, are you alright? You look unwell—did the tea choke you?”

She moved as if to pat Xu Lu’s back.

“Get away from me,” Xu Lu’s chest heaved with anger, her blood pressure soaring. “You really are… shameless.”

Throwing out the words, she stormed off.

Hmm? Everything was fine—why did she get angry?

“Xiyang,” Yichen came over, naturally taking her hand and leading her away.

---

Xiao Qi looked at her hand in his.

His hand was large, easily enveloping hers.

It felt like being swept up by a warm breeze.

She shook her head abruptly.

Wake up.

After Pantheon told her about Yichen, she thought things over.

Her intuition said: If she wanted to find the signal device, she had to get close to this man. Eventually, she’d find it.

So she devised this plan.

It could help him, and help herself, too.

She glanced up at him—he seemed happy.

That must mean his father agreed to let them be together.

“Did your dad agree?”

His hand paused on the ignition, expression unchanged. “Mm.”

Xiao Qi busied herself thinking how to get close to him and find the signal device.

Her eyes wandered out the window, oblivious to the man's gaze lingering on her.

Yichen’s eyes flashed with a strange emotion. Suddenly, he called her, “Xiyang!”

“Mm?”

Xiao Qi turned, puzzled.

“Come work at TC.”

Huh?

He spoke nonchalantly: “My dad doesn’t want you delivering food. If you work at the company, it’ll be different.”

Xiao Qi was stunned, her thoughts about the signal device evaporating.

“So… you mean your dad looks down on me for being a delivery girl?!”

“If I said,” Yichen looked at her, a faint smile on his lips, “that I want you at TC for myself—would you believe it?”

Of course I would. He loves Ye Xiyang so much.

“Um, keep your eyes on the road.”

He kept his eyes on her—it was dangerous!

“I’m a skilled driver. Don’t worry—I won’t crash.”

“…”

No accidents?

She remembered their first meeting—it was a car crash.

But working at TC—

Why hadn’t she thought of that sooner?

Work there, sneak into the research department—it would happen soon enough.

Heaven itself was helping her.

“Sure! I’ll go to TC tomorrow!”

Xiao Qi went home and told her aunt the news.

Her aunt hugged her, crying with joy. “Xiyang, you’ve finally found yourself a buyer!”

“…”

“Aunt, if I work there, who’ll deliver takeout for the shop?”

“We won’t take any more delivery orders,” Fang Yun beamed. “With you as our cash cow, why bother?”

“…”

She was going to work—not to make money.

No, wait—she was going to get her signal device.

After her bath, Xiao Qi lay in bed. Xiao Bai nestled nearby. “Xiao Qi, remember—don’t get distracted by handsome faces at TC. Always focus on your signal device.”

“I know, I know,” Xiao Qi rolled over, turning her back to Xiao Bai.

Xiao Bai hopped in front of her. “And remember, you agreed to pretend to be that earthling’s girlfriend—not for real.”

“Xiao Bai, you should be called Little Nag.”

“Little Nag?” Xiao Bai’s feline eyes puzzled.

“Always nagging, never ending.”

“…”

The next morning, Xiao Qi dressed carefully and arrived early at TC.

The CEO had handpicked her, so all onboarding formalities were waived.

Instead of finance, the CEO himself would deposit her salary directly into her account.