Han Yifeng did not answer. He just widened his eyes that felt hot with anger and disappointment and looked at Xi Xinyi in front of him.

Almost every time he saw her like this, he would not be able to help but feel his heart ache, yet now he seemed to feel numb.

He breathed in deeply, and suddenly closed his eyes to calm down for a while before slowly opening them again. The emotions in his eyes seemed to have been tamped back as they returned to be still and clear.

He looked at Xi Xinyi and was about to say something, yet when the words reached his lips, he did not know what else he could say. He fell silent for a moment, then finally lowered his gaze and decided to just silently walked over with his head lowered.

He desperately needed a quiet space to arrange his messy emotions. He needed to let his heart that felt so tense that it could break down to finally have a chance for a momentary rest.

However, Xi Xinyi seemed like she could not wait. As Han Yifeng walked past her indifferently, her heart that had already been emptied suddenly felt sliced. She seemed to be able to envision a sharp knife stabbing into her heart, fresh blood starting to drip down. She felt her body go weak, and she could not bear it anymore. Her vision turned black as she fell to the ground.

"Xinyi!"

Han Yu who had followed Han Yifeng out saw this scene, so he cried out in alarm immediately. The sharp-sighted Han Yifeng also ran to hold Xi Xinyi as she fell.

Han Yi frowned, his expression tensed as he walked up and quickly said, "Quick! Quickly go to the hospital! Why did she come?"

Han Yifeng's expression darkened while he looked gloomily at the weak Xi Xinyi in his arms. He breathed in deeply and had to carry her before rushing to the elevator.

...

The festive holidays went on for three days, and Xi Xiaye was lazy for once. Last night, she watched movies with Mr. Mu till midnight. They had watched quite a few newly released Western blockbusters in a row all the way until they could not open their eyes any longer. Then, they were happy to go to sleep.

They slept all the way until 10 a.m. When she woke up, the man was no longer beside her. His warm spot in the bed had also cooled, but his smell was still faintly in the air.

Xi Xiaye got up unhurriedly. She pulled at her messy head of hair, changed into a simple home outfit from the wardrobe, and then walked to the bathroom.

A short while after, she was done washing up and walked out with her tidily combed, waist-length hair, she looked around the corridors upstairs and did not see him. She was to go downstairs when she heard the lapping of water.

She raised her brows and hesitated. Then, she turned to walk to the balcony.

She had just pushed open the glass door when the cold wind poured in, causing the muslin curtains to rustle and sway gently in the air. A light, cold moistness met her face. Before her was still the gloomy sky engulfed in clouds and mist amid the drizzle as the light rain fell...

She walked to the railing and looked down. Indeed, in the wide swimming pool, she saw the man swimming. On the soft couch underneath the beach umbrella by the side were his clothes and a book.

Was he crazy?

It was a cold, rainy day and he was swimming?

In fact, he had not even fully recovered. Last night, she vaguely heard him suppressing his cough, and now...

Xi Xiaye frowned in silence for a while. Then, she looked up at the gloomy, hazy sky and the drizzle that kept falling. A long while after that, she finally could not help but sigh softly, and abruptly turned to leave the balcony.

After another solid lap, he heard the splashing of water. He emerged from the water, breaking the momentary silence on the surface.

Mu Yuchen lifted a hand to wipe the water droplets on his face away. He breathed in, turned around, and leaned against the cold wall of the pool to catch his breath. His long and delicate lashes fluttered for a while, and silently watched the ripples that continued before him.

"Going swimming so early in the morning on a cold rainy spring day. You sure have pretty good hobbies."

Suddenly, Xi Xiaye's calm and peaceful voice came from behind. It sounded a little raspy because she had not recovered from her cold yet.

He blinked and looked toward the source of the sound. He then noticed that she had already stopped behind him and was handing him a clean towel, watching him from above.

"You're awake."

His low and husky voice blurted out these two words and before Xi Xiaye could answer, he dove into the pool once again, creating a splash.

After a lap, he then unhurriedly climbed up to the side and took the towel she handed him. He put it over him and looked at her pale little face to say softly, "I thought you'd sleep into the afternoon."

"I was woken up by hunger. Let's go back. You're swimming when you haven't recovered. You really treat your body like nothing."

She looked calmly at him. Without waiting for his answer, she already bent over to pick up the things on the table.

"It's just a way of training. Today, I'll go out with you," he answered softly, then put an arm around her shoulder and walked into the villa with her.

Xi Xiaye carried his clothes and followed his lead as she answered, "I'm not going to be tormented anymore. We'll stay home to rest well the next two days..."

Yet, before she could finish, the sound of the phone suddenly rang. It was coming from the clothes in her arms.

"Answer it," he said as he dried his wet hair with a towel.

Xi Xiaye swiftly took out the phone, and without even looking, she answered it casually while carrying the clothes in her arms. Before she could say anything, a clear voice had come from the other end.

It was a girl's voice, and it sounded very sweet. "Bro, I'm arriving at City Z's XX airport tomorrow afternoon at 4 p.m. Come pick me up."

When the voice finished, Xi Xiaye was stunned. She subconsciously raised a brow and turned to the man who was drying his hair...

Had the person on the phone called him her brother?

Then, she must be...

She must be the legendary sister-in-law. No, no wait. It should be his cousin... Mu Lingshi?

"Bro?"

When the person on the other end did not get an answer, she started to call out in confusion. Then, Xi Xiaye handed the phone to him and softly, "I think it's..."

He glanced at her and noticed her odd expression, so he took the phone.

"Hello?" His low, raspy voice was heard very quickly.

"Is there someone beside you? Why didn't you answer for such a long time? I'm arriving in City Z tomorrow at 4 p.m. Pick me up," Mu Lingshi said very quickly.

"Have you told Grandfather and Grandmother?"

Mu Yuchen's handsome face darkened slightly although his raspy voice sounded like it contained gentleness.

"No, I'll give them a surprise, I guess. Right, you should come back to the Mu residence tomorrow night too. Bring Sis-in-law along! I'm quite interested to know the kind of woman that made you willing to get married..."

"Mmm, you'll meet her." When Mu Yuchen said this, he glanced at the woman beside him.

The call ended very quickly. He handed the phone to her in exchange for the clothes. He said softly, "Tomorrow, follow me to go pick her up from the airport then."

"Okay..." She looked at him and tried to probe.

"It's Lingshi. She's a pretty great girl. You'll probably like her," he simply said, yet his gaze darkened. He sighed and suddenly stopped in his steps. "Call Ah Mo. Tell him to come home tomorrow night."

Then, he let go of Xi Xiaye and walked into the villa.

This sudden stifling feeling made Xi Xiaye sad for some reason. As she watched his figure vanish through the door, she sighed. She could only do as he said.

Half an hour later, it was close to noon. Xi Xiaye was planning to cook, but just as she was about to start, Zhou Zimo urgently called Mu Yuchen over.

Xi Xiaye could only just put up with making breakfast.

In the afternoon, the hazy rain outside showed signs of coming to a stop. Since she was free, Xi Xiaye decided to make a trip back to her apartment. There were some things that she still needed to pack up, including certain books that were quite important to her. In fact, she was not living there anymore, she should really tidy it up properly.

...

On this same gloomy afternoon, a luxury black car was driving steadily on the pathway leading to the Linjiang Bridge.

The driver in front was focused on driving. The person in the passenger's seat beside him was a middle-aged man that looked thin and sly with a pair of sunglasses on. Behind him was the tall and dashing young master of Qi Kai with demonic charm, Qi Lei.

"Master Qi, these are the general details that you had me find out about Xi Xiaye. She's 27 this year and is the daughter of Mayor Xi Mushan and ex-wife Shen Wenna. Her parents had a divorce since she was young. She used to live with her father, Xi Mushan and used to study in the city center. After the college entrance exam following Xi Mushan's arrangements, she entered XX military college. Not long after that, because of... she was expelled by the school. After that, she went to Italy. Since she returned, she's been working in Glory World. She's a competent subordinate of Vice President Liu.

"Her mother, Shen Wenna, is a professor at University A. Through the current investigations, she and Mu Yuchen should be lovers, but there are rumors that they're married. I'll go check it out at the Civil Affairs Bureau tomorrow." The assistant, Yang Sheng, reported to Qi Lei as he handed the information over.

However, before Yang Sheng could finish, Qi Lei had already lifted a hand to stop him. A smile flashed on his handsome face as he reached out to take the information and a light shifted in his eyes. He said softly, "No need. Whether or not they're married isn't important to me. I would like to see what a woman he's interested in is like."

As he said this, he flipped through the information in his hand. Xi Xiaye's beautiful face greeted his sight and Qi Lei's mind immediately flashed to when he bumped into her at the entrance of Imperial Sky. He recalled the way she looked tensed up and alert like a warrior.

He could not help but chuckle. A very interesting woman, was she not?

Linjiang XX Apartment?

Qi Lei examined the information all the way. When he saw these words, he paused and subconsciously looked out of the window. He thought about it, then said, "Take that road ahead. I want to go take a look."

"Master Qi, the CEO and Madam have asked you to return earlier today. Tonight, Miss Xien Er will be coming over..." Yang Sheng softly and carefully reminded.

The moment Yang Sheng finished, Qi Lei's handsome face instantly sank. His voice clearly contained unhappiness. "Coming with such zeal! Does she really want to be my stepmother? You tell them that I don't mind having another one..."

Yang Sheng was rendered speechless by Qi Lei!

Master Qi, that' s someone the CEO and Madam have found for you, not some stepmother!

...

Inside the Linjiang Apartment, Xi Xiaye tidied up the packed books and put them into a paper bag. Then, she took a cloth out to cover everything up before lugging the heavy bag out of the door.

When she walked out of the apartment, it was already evening. The weather remained gloomy and the rain that had stopped earlier continued again. In fact, it was even heavier than this morning. The chilly wind had become particularly strong. All the plants in the flowerbed started to sway violently.

Xi Xiaye did not bring an umbrella, but she had parked the car by the roadside outside the apartment, so it would only take her three to five minutes to get to it.

Standing downstairs, she looked up and frowned at the hazy weather. In fact, the rain seemed to be getting heavier. Seeing that it was getting darker, she could not care less, so she just carried the bag of items and rushed out into the rain.

When she rushed to the car, her clothes were already damp and her beautiful hair was blown messy by the strong winds, interweaving on her chest like dark clouds.

She quietly unlocked the car and tossed the things into the back seat. Then, she walked around the car to the driver's seat. Just as she was about to get in, there was suddenly the heavy sound of creaking. She looked up subconsciously and noticed something.

In front of her was an old lady struggling to tread on with her shabby tricycle which was filled with collected junk. Several stray dogs were following the tricycle. Its wheels were stuck in a pothole, and she could not get it out. The dirty water from the pothole kept splattering everywhere. Many people that walked past her kept cursing and moved away to avoid her.

The elderly lady seemed pretty worried as the few stray dogs beside her were anxiously howling. They surrounded the tricycle with their paws on the wheels and wanted to help, but to no avail.

The rain started getting heavier and she was almost completely wet. Still, Xi Xiaye frowned slightly at this scene. Without hesitating, she walked over and reached behind the tricycle. Both her hands held onto the dirty tricycle, and then she helped to push it ahead with all her might...

The tricycle was clearly very heavy. Even when Xi Xiaye had used up all her strength, it was still stuck, and the dirty water that splashed up from the pothole instantly dirtied her clothes.

The wind and rain were getting stronger, and she was drenched.

She tried quite a few times, yet it did not seem to be working. The elderly lady looked grateful yet apologetically at her. She could only smile and nod at her, then she turned to the passersby, planning on asking for someone to help.

At this moment, a large hand suddenly appeared before her. Before she could react, the man already gave the tricycle a hard shove!

The large hand that suddenly appeared startled Xi Xiaye. In fact, she noticed that the rain that fell on her head was suddenly cut off. Her brows then raised and she looked up at the person beside her...

It was him! It was Qi Kai's young master, Qi Lei!

How could it be him?

Xi Xiaye's twinkling eyes very quickly flashed with shock. Currently, Qi Lei was using one hand to push, while the other hand held up the huge, black umbrella, providing her half of the narrow shelter.

Stunned, she very quickly she returned to her senses and abruptly averted her gaze. She pushed the front hard, and then they heard a squelch of relief as the tricycle finally made it up. The dirty water that splashed up reached her fair and delicate face once again.

The elderly lady expressed surprise as she spoke to them, her eyes filled with gratitude. Xi Xiaye only nodded slightly, pointing ahead with her slender fingers and indicating for her to go home earlier. The elderly lady smiled before she left.

Xi Xiaye watched her cycle gradually away, then she was about to reflexively lift a hand to wipe away the moisture on her face when she noticed that both her hands were filthy, so she could only just let it be.

She quietly put her hands down and was about to turn around when unexpectedly, a white handkerchief was handed to her from the side. Xi Xiaye raised her brows and narrowed her starry eyes at the handkerchief. She saw that Qi Lei was smiling as he stood there.

His dashing and demonically charming handsome face brimmed with ease. The corner of his lips curled upwards and in those bottomless eyes were a flickering light as he smiled faintly and watched her.

Xi Xiaye did not take it. She just looked at him weirdly and while her tone was not filled with the guardedness and gunpowder from before, her sarcasm was not weak either. "How rare that you would lend a hand too."

When he heard this, Qi Lei grinned wider. His hand held tightly onto the umbrella and he stuffed the handkerchief to her, amused. "Why? Are you the only one allowed to learn how to be a selfless model citizen? Won't you let me do some good? It's not just you who's a good person. So am I!"

Xi Xiaye's lightly colored lips curled up. She smiled faintly at him, her cold voice holding a trace of raspiness. "Those who say they're good are usually sinister bad people with ill intentions, and very unfortunately, Vice President Qi, you're such a person to me."

When Xi Xiaye said this, Qi Lei was not angry. The amusement in his eyes just deepened as he locked his gaze onto her beautiful face and said delightedly, "How can that be? As bad as I am, I couldn't be as bad as you. I've always been sincere towards you, but I'm a little regretful that you have too deep prejudice against me, so you always can't see my sincerity, Miss Xiaye! I'm much more sincere than a certain person. You wouldn't lose out by trusting me!"

Then, he raised his handsome brows slightly again, looking meaningfully at her. As she backed away, the umbrella in his hand followed her.

Xi Xiaye's twinkling eyes that squinted flashed with a light. She stared at him for a quite a while, then said, "Do you and Mu Yuchen have grudges with each other? Otherwise, why would you always be making insinuations about him every time?"

As she said this, she clutched the handkerchief tightly and stared at him without moving.

When he heard this, Qi Lei shrugged innocently. He smiled, looking relaxed. "Don't worry. Who says I have grudges with him? I just don't like that he's not as handsome or charming as me, yet he could win your fancy, Miss Xiaye... You aren't even willing to job-hop. It's the first time I try to poach someone and yet failed. This makes me very hurt..."

Xi Xiaye was lazy to argue with him. She scoffed and looked away, then tossed the handkerchief to him. "It's best if you leave these tricks to use on those other girls."

Then, her slim body gracefully walked past him.

"Miss Xiaye, you are a young girl to me..." Qi Lei said from behind with a chuckle that seemed rather delighted. "In fact, Xiaye, I'm really a good person. You'll believe me!"

"Vice President Qi, there's a piece of vegetable in your teeth!" Her cold voice came through the falling rain, sounding quite serious. When she said that, Qi Lei subconsciously snapped his mouth shut. Moments after that, he realized he had fallen for a trick and he immediately chortled!

Holding the umbrella and watching her slender figure gradually walk in the rain ahead, he laughed and said quite a while after to her back, "I didn't eat vegetables today!"

By the time he said that, Xi Xiaye had already gotten into her car and ignored him.

She quickly took a tissue to wipe away the water on her face, and her dirty hands, before she started the car.

The black Cayenne very quickly vanished in the hazy rain, it did not stay for another moment...

Qi Lei's gaze darkened. He silently stared ahead as the car vanished in the bleak rain, yet the smile on his handsome face never left. He then quietly averted his gaze and looked at the handkerchief she had tossed back to him. Unable to help himself, he chuckled out loud again.