Gently bite the jasmine

Chapter 152 What can two light-hearted words really amount to?

Lin Xi keenly sensed that something was off in the office atmosphere.

She glanced around and noticed that the phone on the table was lit up, and Duan Yiheng was staring at her intently.

Lin Xi's heart tightened; she didn't understand why he was looking at her like that.

The phone screen went black. Lin Xi pursed her lips, wondering if he had received some terrible call.

However, she had no right to ask. Lin Xi placed the food she was carrying on his desk and said, "I bought you two light dishes. I'll go out now."

Duan Yiheng's gaze fell on the red marks on her hands from the weight of the food, and his brows furrowed slightly.

Lin Xi carried her meal back to the secretary's office, glancing out of the corner of her eye to see that Duan Yiheng hadn't touched the food.

After eating half of it, Lin Xi pressed the call button: "If you don't eat it now, it'll get cold."

After a brief silence, Duan Yiheng brought the packed food to the front.

The two ate dinner quietly, separated by a glass partition, which took half an hour.

After finishing her meal and cleaning up the trash, Lin Xi took her mouthwash and went to the tea room.

When they returned, Duan Yiheng had just finished eating.

She went inside, took the trash away, and then sent the report to Duan Yiheng.

When Duan Yiheng came out of the rest room and saw the pop-up email, he almost laughed out of anger.

He took a breath and pressed the call button: "Come in."

For some reason, Lin Xi felt a little nervous.

After knocking on the door and entering the room, she stood about half a meter away from Duan Yiheng, holding a notebook and a pen.

"Push a chair over here." Duan Yiheng pointed to the person diagonally opposite him. "Sit down and talk. It's hard for me to look up at you."

Lin Xi pushed a chair over and sat down next to him.

Duan Yiheng opened the report and, like a teacher grading an exam, held her pen against the screen:

“In this area, traditional risk indicators are far from adequate. Your risk assessment dimensions are too simplistic. You need to add more variables.”

"The payment system upgrade went smoothly. However, the robo-advisor strategy was rather conservative. Given the large size of GKD companies, their investment needs are naturally diverse, and relying solely on fixed-income products cannot meet their asset appreciation requirements..."

Duan Yiheng pointed out the shortcomings in her report one by one, and Lin Xi took notes while nodding, occasionally managing to squeeze out an "hmm".

"Overall, the report has a basic framework and is well-standardized." Duan Yiheng doesn't let personal feelings interfere with his work; he says what needs to be said. "However, the language needs to be concise and accurate, and the content needs to be targeted. For your first time writing one, it's already very good."

Lin Xi finally put down his pen and mentally reviewed the contents of the report.

When I get back tonight, I'll work through the night to optimize every detail he mentioned and streamline the overall design.

"Thank you." Lin Xi held out her hand to him. "My pen."

Duan Yiheng didn't give it to her. He leaned back in his chair, his gaze direct, his tone slightly sarcastic and unwilling: "What? You use it and then throw it away?"

Lin Xi: "...Didn't I say thank you?"

"What can two light words mean?" Duan Yiheng said. "What boss would want to spend the whole night working overtime with his secretary?"

Lin Xi: "...Then what do you want?"

"Take me back," Duan Yiheng said directly.

"Don't you have a driver?" Lin Xi was in a hurry to go back and revise the report, and was somewhat reluctant. "If he's not here, can you call someone from home?"

Duan Yiheng handed her the pen, making the final decision: "I'll ride in your car, let's go now."

"I need to go back and finish the report proposal." Lin Xi took the pen. "I need to give it to Director Xu for review tomorrow."

"It's only a little past nine o'clock, there's still time," Duan Yiheng said. "There are plenty of people in the company still working overtime."

As soon as he finished speaking, Duan Yiheng stood up, not giving her a chance to refuse.

"Wait for me a minute." Lin Xi chased after him. "I'm going back to my office to get my car keys and notebook."

Duan Yiheng slowed his pace: "Hurry up."

Lin Xi hurriedly stuffed all her things into her bag, then followed Duan Yiheng into the elevator.

Upon arriving at the parking lot, Duan Yiheng held out his hand to her: "The keys."

Lin Xi: "Didn't I give it to you?"

Duan Yiheng remained silent, keeping his hand outstretched.

Lin Xi had no choice but to give him the car keys and get into the passenger seat herself.

With his seatbelt fastened, Duan Yiheng slowly slid the car out of the parking space. Within the park, his speed was not fast, but once he exited the park gate, he picked up the speed.

The Imperial Seal of Tiandu and the Duan family's residence are in the same direction. After passing the Imperial Seal of Tiandu, Lin Xi habitually turns right at the first intersection, but Duan Yiheng goes straight north.

All roads lead to Rome, and Lin Xi thought he had changed his route, but after passing three intersections, Lin Xi realized something was wrong.

"Where are you going?" Lin Xi reminded him, knowing they would miss the right route if they didn't turn right soon.

Duan Yiheng didn't let go of the accelerator, glanced at the rearview mirror, and said, "I won't sell you off."

The further north you go, the fewer vehicles there are.

Having already boarded the pirate ship, there was no way she could get off halfway. Lin Xi glanced at the car windows, where the lights outside flashed by quickly, leaving only clusters of halos that she could catch in her peripheral vision.

It wasn't until they were almost at the end that Lin Xi realized where Duan Yiheng had taken her.

In the northern suburbs of City B, there is a mountain road called Jinglong Ridge.

Hidden in the mountains, it resembles a winding, coiled dragon, and many idle rich kids like to come here to race their cars.

Seeing that Duan Yiheng was going faster and faster, Lin Xi subconsciously tightened her grip on the handle.

The wind was biting cold at the foot of the mountain. As the tires rubbed against the ground, Duan Yiheng released the accelerator and stepped on the brake.

Due to inertia, the seatbelt restrained Lin Xi, and in the brief moment of stunned silence, Duan Yiheng turned off the engine and got out of the car.

Lin Xi sat in the car for a long time before slowly getting out.

The scent of tobacco wafted on the wind. Lin Xi turned around, and the crimson hue illuminated the profile of Duan Yiheng's face, which had been teasing him.

The night was dark and the wind was strong, blending seamlessly with Duan Yiheng's profound temperament.

Lin Xi walked around the back of the car, slowly walked over, and stood beside him, her back against the car body.

She kept her head down, her feet grinding a pebble back and forth.

The oppression of the past few days found a moment of relief in this dark space.

Duan Yiheng smokes cigarettes that cost three thousand yuan a pack. They have a rich and layered aroma and no pungent or harsh smell.

Lin Xi even thought it smelled very good.

Duan Yiheng turned his face and saw her lips tremble slightly as she said, "You want to smoke too?"

"..." Lin Xi shook her head. "I don't want to."

Duan Yiheng: "Then why were you staring at me the whole time?"

Lin Xi: "I was wondering when you plan to go back?"

There wasn't a soul in sight here, so who else could she look at if not him?

"Answer me one question." After the cigarette went down his throat, Duan Yiheng threw the remaining half-smoked cigarette on the ground, stomped it out, until the last trace of crimson smoke disappeared. "Then we'll leave."

Lin Xi subtly adjusted her coat: "What do you want to ask?"

Even at the foot of the mountain, the temperature was low, and she felt a bit cold.

Duan Yiheng took off his coat, but Lin Xi refused, saying, "I don't want it, you wear it yourself."

Duan Yiheng pulled her over his shoulder and wrapped her in his black coat.

"I'm asking you," Duan Yiheng looked into Lin Xi's eyes, "what did you do when you went back to the villa more than half a month ago?"