Gently bite the jasmine

Chapter 131 I Don't Accept

When Duan Yiheng heard Lin Xi reiterate her firm insistence on separating, his five senses went blank for a moment.

He remained silent for a long time, then suddenly chuckled: "So, you've been pitying me these past two days?"

Lin Xi shook her head, her lips trembling.

How could it be pitiful?

"what is that?"

The sky outside darkened again, the sunlight was obscured by the clouds, and the once bright manor was shrouded in shadow, just like Duan Yiheng's expression at this moment.

"Let's part amicably..." Lin Xi choked up softly.

“Take those words back.” Duan Yiheng stepped forward and grasped her shoulders, restraining his strength so as not to hurt her. “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear you.”

"Big brother." Lin Xi raised her head, revealing her disheveled face to him. "Don't force me anymore. You said back then that I could stop at any time, and you wouldn't say 'no'."

The square space that belonged only to the two of them had been discovered, so they had no choice but to come out.

"Lin Xi." Duan Yiheng's usually calm and gentle voice carried a hint of panic. "Is this fair to me? Do you think I'm emotionally detached and can't feel hurt?"

Lin Xi's fingers, gripping the hem of her clothes, were so tightly pressed that they were completely bloodless.

"Stop talking, I beg you, stop talking." Lin Xi's voice trembled. "Let's end this here."

"I won't accept it!" Duan Yiheng grabbed her wrist and pinned her against the sink. "Let me tell you, I have no intention of letting you go."

Lin Xi struggled to back away, but the washbasin blocked her way.

Their bodies were pressed tightly together, and Lin Xi leaned back in a panic, trying to avoid his constantly pressing chest.

"You can't just stay silent." Lin Xi's voice was a sob squeezed out from deep within her chest.

To keep herself going, she gripped the marble countertop with her fingers, tears streaming down her face, soaking Duan Yiheng's heart.

He raised his hand to wipe away her tears, but Lin Xi dodged it.

After a long silence, she numbly turned her gaze and said, "Have someone take me home."

Duan Yiheng didn't move or speak, but the hand holding her shoulders tightened even more.

Lin Xi hunched her shoulders and struggled: "Let me go..."

Duan Yiheng's breathing changed from rapid to even, but his pain did not lessen in the slightest.

Seeing her evasive expression and the tears that wouldn't stop, he unconsciously let go of her hand.

Lin Xi, now free, squeezed through his chest and left the bathroom.

She thought he didn't want anyone to take her, so she went back to her room, grabbed her bag, and left the villa alone.

The butler, puzzled, quickly followed after her: "Miss Lin, it's snowing again outside. Where are you going?"

Lin Xi stopped and turned around, forcing a very weak smile: "Thank you for your hospitality these past two days. I'll have to trouble you to look after my brother. I have other things to attend to, so I'll be leaving now."

The housekeeper wouldn't let her leave and quickly stopped her: "It'll take more than half an hour to walk out. Did you and your husband have a fight?"

Lin Xi shook her head: "It's okay, I'll walk slowly."

Just as the butler was about to say something, a black Bentley slowly pulled up behind them.

The passenger window rolled down, and Lin Xi saw Duan Yiheng's cold and stern profile clearly; his undulating and sharp lines resembled mountains under the night sky.

"boarding."

Lin Xi's heart skipped a beat, and her breath came out like razor blades.

Sensing something was amiss in the silent atmosphere between the two, the butler silently took a step back, making way for Lin Xi.

There were other people around, and Lin Xi had no intention of arguing with Duan Yiheng any further.

A snowflake landed at the corner of her eye, smoothing out the red tinge of moisture.

Lin Xi held her breath as she opened the passenger door and got in.

Before he could even fasten his seatbelt, Duan Yiheng had already stepped on the gas.

The cool fragrance in the carriage made Lin Xi feel as if she were surrounded by Duan Yiheng's aura.

She stared at the snowflakes outside the window, her gaze unfocused, unable to find a single point of interest.

Everything in front of him was blurry, except for Duan Yiheng's face, which was clear.

Duan Yiheng wasn't driving fast. As the car passed the artificial lake, he slowly spoke: "So these past two days were something you planned from the beginning? When did you start thinking about breaking up with me?"

Lin Xi was stunned by the word "breakup," and her eyes welled up with tears again.

She knew, she had always known that Duan Yiheng was treating her like a romantic relationship.

She kept a tight rein on it, refusing to admit it, and didn't dare to admit it even after the breakup.

He pressed on and asked questions, clearly still unwilling to give up.

Lin Xi wiped her cheek and said, "Ever since I got together with you, I've been afraid of being seen by others, especially when Qin Yang found out. I panicked for a long time."

"There are no secrets that stay hidden forever. The first one is ourselves, the second is Qin Yang, and the third could be Duan Mingxuan, Grandpa, or Grandma..."

"I was under a lot of pressure, especially after seeing my maternal grandmother."

Duan Yiheng frowned. His grandmother had asked him to go alone, but he hadn't gone yet because he was delayed by Zheng Jizhong's matter.

“My maternal grandmother shouldn’t object to us,” Duan Yiheng suddenly interjected out of the blue.

Lin Xi pursed her lips: "You know that it's not a matter of whether Grandma agrees or not between us."

The manor's security system detected Duan Yiheng's vehicle approaching, and two people rushed out of the guard booth, opening the manor gates from the left and right.

Upon hearing Lin Xi's words, Duan Yiheng slammed on the brakes.

Lin Xi was caught off guard by the seatbelt's sudden tightening. She turned to look at Duan Yiheng, wondering why he had stopped the car.

"If it's not someone else, then what exactly is the problem?" Duan Yiheng almost gritted his teeth, his face taut like a sharp, cold blade. "It's not that I have no feelings for you, and I don't believe you have no feelings for me at all. You've never been in a relationship before, so why should I be with you just because you say we're lovers? You know what you're thinking, Lin Xi. Can you tell me with your hand on your heart that you have absolutely no feelings for me, no love at all?"

"I didn't." Lin Xi broke down, unbuckled her seatbelt, and pushed open the car door.

Duan Yiheng got out of the car with her and slammed the door shut with a "bang".

Lin Xi hadn't taken two steps when he was pulled back and pinned against the car.

"Look at me." Duan Yiheng's hand gripped her waist, his tone suppressing anger. "Are you really going to break up with me?"

Repeated attempts to persuade him to stay only eroded the pride of the young emperor.

Lin Xi's fingers went numb, and a tingling pain, like thorny vines, crawled all over her heart.

Her breath trembled uncontrollably: "Yes."

Duan Yiheng sneered, his fingers suddenly tightening, and Lin Xi was pinched hard around the waist, opening her mouth in pain.

A snowflake, along with a scorching breath, sealed her lips.

Lin Xi was caught off guard by the kiss and was half a beat too slow to resist.

Lin Xi uttered Duan Yiheng's name through her lips, but Duan Yiheng pretended not to hear it.

She could only pound on his shoulder, but suddenly her lower lip was bitten.

"Ugh..." Lin Xi frowned in pain, but stopped struggling.

"Duan Yiheng! You fucking let her go."

Suddenly, an angry shout came from afar.

The two suddenly separated, and Lin Xi turned her head to look and saw Duan Mingxuan breaking through the snow curtain.