WIL CH 15

Chapter 15: Forgive Him

Because he hadn’t gone to work for the past two days, many sketches had piled up. Although Lu Mingyu said there was no rush, Lin Xi was naturally impatient—he couldn’t feel at ease until all his work was done.

He spent the whole morning reviewing the speech draft. When he finally lifted his head from the dense text, it was already close to lunchtime.

The receptionist called to tell him that someone was waiting for him in the lobby. Lin Xi froze for a moment, feeling a pang of anxiety as he recalled how Jiang Boqing had somehow found his company address last time and caused a scene at the entrance. Cautiously, he asked, “Who is it?”

The receptionist said, “It’s a middle-aged man wearing glasses.”

Lin Xi sighed in relief. Thankfully, it wasn’t Jiang Boqing. At a time like this, if he were to run into him again, Wen Feng would probably tear him apart.

But he couldn’t think of anyone else who would come looking for him at work.

When Lin Xi reached the lobby, he saw a well-groomed middle-aged man in a suit, standing upright with a briefcase in hand. Lin Xi walked over. “Hello, the receptionist said you were looking for me. Is there something you need?”

The man’s expression softened into a polite smile as soon as he saw Lin Xi. “Hello, Mr. Lin. I’m Assistant to Mr. Wen. Mr. Wen asked me to bring you lunch.”

Lin Xi’s pupils widened in shock—he stood there dumbfounded, wondering if he had misheard. “What did you say?”

“This is lunch from Mr. Wen,” the assistant repeated, handing him a paper bag.

Lin Xi, still in a daze, took the bag. “Oh, um… thank you.”

“Please enjoy your meal. I’ll be taking my leave now. Mr. Wen has a business engagement this afternoon.”

“Oh, alright.” Being addressed formally by someone clearly older than him made Lin Xi feel a little awkward.

He carried the bag back to his desk. Kong Zhao hadn’t returned since he went to Lu Mingyu’s office that morning, and Lin Xi had no idea how things were going on his end.

Inside the bag were three glass containers, a thermos, and a serving of rice—each dish neatly arranged with a balanced mix of meat and vegetables. One of the containers held tomato beef brisket.

A hint of melancholy flickered in Lin Xi’s eyes. Why would Wen Feng ask his assistant to deliver lunch for him? Was he pitying him again? The food didn’t look like it came from a restaurant either—it was all simple, homemade dishes. Fighting the soreness in his nose, Lin Xi quietly ate his meal, bite by bite.

He didn’t eat much to begin with, and since he’d already eaten plenty in the morning, the large lunch was too much for him. Each container was filled to the brim, and there was also a pot of bone soup. After finishing half, he was already full. Reluctant to waste the rest, he stored it in the break room fridge, planning to eat it later if he got hungry at night.

Kong Zhao didn’t return from Lu Mingyu’s office until after lunch. His face was unusually flushed, and he seemed both annoyed and embarrassed. Sitting down without saying a word, he started doodling aimlessly on a sticky note.

Lin Xi wanted to ask if he was alright, but seeing how lost in thought he was, he decided not to interrupt and turned back to his own work.

He had said he might need to work overtime—and sure enough, he did. But that was nothing new for Lin Xi; he was already used to it.

When he finally checked his phone, it was almost 9:30 p.m. After completing the final color adjustments, he shut down his computer.

Wen Feng had said he would come pick him up after work, but since his assistant mentioned earlier that he had a social dinner to attend, he probably wouldn’t come. Hopefully, he wouldn’t.

When Lin Xi stepped out of the company building, the sky was already pitch-black. A crescent moon hung high above, and the night air had turned chilly. He couldn’t help but shrink his shoulders and glance around, but there was no sign of that familiar car.

Pulling his hoodie closer, he picked up the lunch bag and started toward the subway station. He had only taken two steps when something heavy suddenly settled over his shoulders. Turning his head, he saw that a suit jacket had been draped over him. The jacket was a bit too large, almost like a cloak, and still carried a faint trace of warmth—it wrapped him in comforting heat.

Wen Feng walked from behind to stand beside him, taking the bag of lunch boxes from his hand.

Lin Xi stared blankly at him. He had thought Wen Feng wouldn’t come.

A faint whiff of alcohol reached his nose. Wen Feng had been drinking.

Only then did Lin Xi notice the slightly unfocused look in his eyes—there was a dazed intensity there that he couldn’t quite read.

“You’ve been drinking,” Lin Xi said quietly.

“Yeah. I had a bit during dinner,” Wen Feng replied. His words were clear, his voice steady—he wasn’t drunk.

They walked down the steps together, and that was when Lin Xi finally saw Wen Feng’s car. It had been hidden behind a row of bushes, right in a blind spot from the company’s front entrance.

Wen Feng opened the rear door and gestured for Lin Xi to get in first. Once inside, Lin Xi realized that the man sitting in the driver’s seat was the same person who had delivered his lunch earlier. Upon seeing Lin Xi, the man smiled politely.

“Hello, Mr. Lin. We meet again.”

Lin Xi was slightly surprised to see him so soon and returned a polite smile. “Hello. May I ask your name?”

“My name is Liang Sanglin. You can just call me Assistant Liang, like Mr. Wen does,” he said, meeting Lin Xi’s gaze through the rearview mirror.

“Alright, Assistant Liang.”

As they spoke, Wen Feng slid into the seat beside Lin Xi. “Let’s go,” he said calmly.

“Yes, Mr. Wen,” Liang responded and started the car.

Lin Xi and Wen Feng sat in silence in the backseat. The faint scent of alcohol clung to the air, making Lin Xi keep his eyes on the window and his hands tightly folded on his lap.

Wen Feng shifted slightly closer to him, making the smell of alcohol even stronger. He reached out and took Lin Xi’s hand—the one with the ring—and held it firmly in his own.

Lin Xi turned his head away, trying to pull back, but Wen Feng’s grip didn’t loosen. It was hard to tell whether Wen Feng was truly drunk or not; his face remained expressionless.

The company wasn’t far from home, and soon the car stopped in front of the villa.

Wen Feng led Lin Xi out of the car. Assistant Liang followed, his gaze naturally falling on the two of them. Lin Xi, embarrassed, quickly tried to pull his hand free, prying Wen Feng’s fingers off with his other hand.

He stood there awkwardly while Wen Feng’s expression darkened, his eyes growing cold. Lin Xi instinctively took a step back, widening the distance between them.

Of course, Assistant Liang understood his boss very well. He quickly said, “Mr. Wen, Mr. Lin, I’ll be heading off now.”

Wen Feng gave a short “Mm” of acknowledgment, and Liang left with his briefcase.

The headlights went out. The two stood silently at the door until even the motion-sensor light dimmed. In the darkness, Wen Feng’s eyes glimmered faintly. “Come on. Let’s go home.”

He turned and unlocked the fingerprint door. Lin Xi followed him inside.

After placing the bag of lunch boxes in the kitchen, the sound of running water came from within. Lin Xi walked over and saw Wen Feng washing the glass containers.

A ripple stirred in his chest. “The lunch earlier… did you make it?”

“It was made by the housekeeper at the old estate,” Wen Feng replied.

“Then please thank her for me. The food was delicious.” Lin Xi exhaled quietly—thankfully, it wasn’t cooked by Wen Feng himself.

“Mm. Go take a shower,” Wen Feng said softly.

When Lin Xi returned to the room, he realized he was still wearing Wen Feng’s suit jacket. It had been so warm that he forgot about it for a while. But then he remembered how he had insisted on acting distant in front of Assistant Liang earlier—trying to make it seem like there was nothing special between them. Now, with this jacket still draped over him, it felt like all that effort was pointless.

He took off Wen Feng’s jacket, hung it neatly in the wardrobe, then found a clean set of pajamas before heading into the bathroom.

When he came out from his shower, Wen Feng was already lying on the bed, eyes closed. Lin Xi couldn’t tell if he was asleep or just pretending.

Standing by the bedside, Lin Xi nudged his arm lightly. “Wen Feng, you haven’t taken a shower yet.”

The man slowly opened his eyes. His deep brown pupils reflected Lin Xi’s small, uncertain figure.

Without a word, Wen Feng suddenly reached out, wrapping his arms around Lin Xi’s slender waist and pulling him down.

Caught off guard, Lin Xi let out a startled gasp and fell against Wen Feng’s firm body. The strong scent of alcohol surrounded him. He tried to push himself up, but Wen Feng’s grip was too strong—he couldn’t break free. After struggling for a moment, he finally gave up.

Wen Feng pressed Lin Xi’s head gently against his chest. His voice rumbled low and uneven from his chest as he spoke:

“I forgive you. So, can you forgive me too?”

Then, his next words hit Lin Xi like a thunderbolt—

“Even if you like Jiang Boqing, it doesn’t matter. I forgive you.”

Lin Xi froze, his mind going blank.

Forgive?

So in Wen Feng’s heart, he really believed Lin Xi had embraced Jiang Boqing that day. He believed Lin Xi couldn’t let Jiang Boqing go.

But what exactly was Lin Xi supposed to forgive Wen Feng for? To forgive him for losing control that night? Or to forgive him for cheating as if that made them even? But Lin Xi didn’t like Jiang Boqing.

Bracing himself with both hands, he looked Wen Feng straight in the eyes. “I told you already—I don’t like Jiang Boqing. How many times do I have to say it before you’ll believe me?” His tone was anxious, his face flushed with frustration.

Wen Feng’s expression didn’t waver. “Then say you like me. If you say you like me, I’ll believe you. Lin Xi, tell me—you like me.”

Lin Xi froze completely. His heart ached as if pricked by needles, and he couldn’t bring himself to say a single word.

Wen Feng let out a quiet laugh, though his eyes were as cold as ice. “You won’t even say it, and yet you want me to believe you? Lin Xi, you’re too greedy.”

After a moment of silence, he added softly, almost as if consoling himself, “But it’s fine. I forgive you.”

“Lin Xi, I forgive you.”

Lin Xi couldn’t understand—how did things end up like this? Why did Wen Feng insist on keeping him by his side? Was he really that important to him? Did Wen Feng truly intend to make him repay this debt for the rest of his life?

He couldn’t refuse Wen Feng’s demand. Their connection wasn’t just a legal marriage—Wen Feng was also his benefactor, and his creditor. In either sense, Lin Xi felt he should forgive him. But deep down, it hurt. It went against what his heart wanted.

He had already prepared himself for the divorce—so why was he still struggling to forgive Wen Feng? He couldn’t make sense of the contradiction within himself.

In the end, Lin Xi gave in. He would forgive him—for losing control that night, for the misunderstanding, for the betrayal.

He would forgive it all.

All because of the one and a half million Wen Feng had given him three years ago.

So, he said softly, “Alright.”

If this was the outcome Wen Feng wanted, then so be it. He would stay by his side.

(To be continued…)