WIL CH 23

Chapter 23: Bringing Him Home

The next morning, Lin Xi went to work with dark circles under his eyes. He didn’t even have breakfast before leaving home. The small snacks in his cabinet had gone untouched for a long time, so he grabbed a few kinds he used to eat often, stuffed them into his small bag, and headed toward the subway station.

The weather was gloomy, and the maple trees had shed most of their leaves—soon, they would be nothing but bare branches.

He had only walked a short distance when a familiar car stopped by the roadside.

Assistant Liang stepped out of the car. “I’m really sorry, Mr. Lin. There was traffic just now, so I wasn’t able to pick you up on time.”

Lin Xi was a little surprised. How did he know Lin Xi walked this route?

“It’s fine, Assistant Liang. But… how did you know I take this path?”

“Oh, President Wen told me.”

But how did Wen Feng know? There were two ways to get to the subway station, and Lin Xi always chose this one lined with phoenix trees. He had never mentioned this to Wen Feng.

Lin Xi was still puzzled when Assistant Liang had already opened the car door for him. “Mr. Lin, please get in first.”

He looked inside—the backseat was empty. His heart tightened and twisted painfully, making his breathing feel weak.

“Alright… thank you.”

He hadn’t slept well last night, and he felt mentally foggy the entire ride. Assistant Liang was quiet too, so neither of them spoke much.

When he arrived at the company, Lin Xi opened a social media app and checked the trending searches. He scrolled all the way to the bottom, but Wen Feng’s name didn’t appear anywhere.

Instead, unexpectedly, he saw Xie Yunxue’s name. When he clicked on it, he found out she had officially taken over the Xie Corporation. In the video, her entire style had changed—once sweet and petite, she now appeared cool and composed. Dressed in a long black gown, she exuded elegance and nobility, her presence sharp and commanding.

She had changed so much she was almost unrecognizable.

Lin Xi always felt a little sorry toward Xie Yunxue. He hadn’t done anything wrong, yet he still felt guilty—maybe because he had known the truth but couldn’t say anything.

But everyone had their own fate. If those things hadn’t happened, Xie Yunxue wouldn’t have seen through Jiang Boqing’s hypocrisy, wouldn’t have grown so quickly, and wouldn’t have become the powerful woman she was today.

Everyone must overcome their obstacles in order to become a better version of themselves.

He didn’t know what ending awaited Jiang Boqing, nor did he want to know. He only hoped Jiang Boqing could live well from now on—stop going down the wrong path, stop ruining other people’s lives, and stop destroying his own. That was the last blessing Lin Xi could offer him.

As the weather grew colder, Kong Zhao invited him to eat hotpot again. Lin Xi was honestly scared—he did not want another lecture.

He hesitated and told him, “Can we eat something else? Last time that hotpot was way too spicy. My stomach hurt the whole night after.”

Kong Zhao replied, “Actually… my stomach hurt too that night.”

“Don’t worry. This time I picked a place that isn’t spicy.”

For once, they both got off work early. After getting into a taxi, they headed straight to the hotpot restaurant. This place was much more considerate—they even had a yin-yang pot for mild and spicy options.

Lin Xi ordered a cold lemon tea. Inside the glass was a tiny ice cube carved into the shape of a bear—it was very cute. 

Kong Zhao ordered a glass of watermelon juice. It had only a slice of watermelon and a mint leaf as decoration—much plainer compared to Lin Xi’s drink.

He insisted on tasting Lin Xi’s drink, so Lin Xi had no choice but to take a new straw, hold up his cup, and let him try a sip.

After taking one sip, Kong Zhao smacked his lips. “I thought it’d taste amazing. Turns out it’s just for show—it tastes the same as regular iced lemon tea.”

Lin Xi agreed with him, but the little bear-shaped ice cube was so cute that it was still visually pleasing.

The clear broth hotpot also had its own charm. The restaurant heater was turned up high, and the bubbling pot sent up waves of steam. After eating for a short while, both of them felt overheated. Lin Xi took off his sweater, leaving only a light blue shirt. He rolled up his sleeves a little, revealing the golden bracelet on his wrist—the same side where he wore his ring.

Kong Zhao glanced at the two extremely expensive pieces of jewelry on his hand and asked,

“Xi Xi, do you… have a boyfriend?”

Lin Xi thought for a moment. He and Wen Feng were already married, so calling him his partner wasn’t wrong.

He nodded. “Yes.”

Kong Zhao perked up instantly. He had been desperately needing someone to teach him about dating strategies—every time he tried to flirt with Lu Mingyu, he ended up being teased instead. So of course he had to get advice from someone with a partner.

He leaned in eagerly. “So who pursued who?”

“Neither.” He and Wen Feng got married directly—there was no such process.

Kong Zhao didn’t believe it. “Impossible. Then let me change the question—who was the first to bring up being together?”

Well… that would technically be Wen Feng. They had just met when Wen Feng asked him to sign a marriage agreement. Back then, pressured by the situation, Lin Xi didn’t even read it before writing down his name.

“He kind of brought it up first.”

Just as Kong Zhao expected—Lin Xi was so introverted, it was really hard to imagine him taking the initiative with anyone. “I knew it! Of course he was the one who went after you. You’re so handsome—obviously people would chase you.”

Lin Xi was in the middle of chewing a piece of bok choy. Hearing that, he choked, his face turning red down to his ears.

“Come on, tell me—how did he pursue you?”

Lin Xi took a sip of iced lemon tea. The little bear ice cube was almost melted. “He really didn’t chase me.”

“Then the jewelry you’re wearing… he gave them to you, right?” Lin Xi nodded again.

Kong Zhao tilted his head and asked, “So what did he say when he gave them to you?”

“He just told me not to take them off.” If he took them off, Wen Feng would get angry and upset.

Kong Zhao stared at him speechlessly. “That’s it? Nothing else?”

Lin Xi shook his head. “Nothing else.”

Kong Zhao gave up. He should just go online and look up ‘18 Tips to Woo a Man.’ He was absolutely not going to learn any romance tricks from Lin Xi.

While the two of them were eating, two people seated around the corner kept glancing their way. They even raised their phones several times. But since the seats were far apart, Lin Xi only glanced over and didn’t think too much about it.

Recently, Wen Feng had been very busy. These days, only Assistant Liang came to pick him up. Today was the same—Lin Xi sent him the restaurant address, and a little over ten minutes later, he arrived.

Kong Zhao and Lin Xi said goodbye at the roadside before getting into their respective cars.

Inside the car, Assistant Liang asked, “Mr. Lin, President Wen is still at a drinking engagement with clients. Should I send you home first, or would you like to come along to pick him up?”

“Is it very close from here?”

“Yes, very close. Just turn at the next intersection.”

Lin Xi thought for a moment. If Assistant Liang dropped him off first and then went to pick up Wen Feng, it would be an extra trip and quite troublesome. So he said, “Let’s go pick him up together.”

After passing the traffic light and making a turn, they arrived not long after.

“What did you come here for?”

Wen Feng walked a few steps ahead of him. Lin Xi looked at his side profile hidden in the dim light and asked, “Are you done? I want to go home.”

Wen Feng stopped and turned to look at him. Lin Xi felt a chill in his gaze—cold, like his hands.

“Mm. I just need to grab my coat, then we’ll go home.”

After saying that, he asked again, “Did you come here because you wanted to, or did Assistant Liang tell you to come?”

Was Wen Feng… questioning him? Maybe he shouldn’t have come here at all.

“Assistant Liang said it was on the way, so he brought me to pick you up.”

Wen Feng’s already icy face instantly darkened with anger. His voice sharpened too. “You listen to him so easily—yet I’ve never seen you listen to a single thing I say.”

His mood switched faster than flipping a page.

Lin Xi had no idea what he had done wrong this time.

Wen Feng grabbed his hand and pulled him into the room where he had originally been resting. Lin Xi stood fearfully in a corner, not daring to move. Wen Feng picked up his coat, put it on swiftly, then pulled him downstairs again.

The car was parked at the entrance of the estate, but they still had to walk a short distance outside. Cold air drifted through the night. Wen Feng walked fast, and Lin Xi couldn’t keep up. His steps became unsteady, and he accidentally tripped over his own feet.

The garden path was paved with cobblestones—hard and uneven—so when his thin, bony knee hit the ground, it hurt sharply.

Wen Feng was still holding his hand, but Lin Xi had fallen to his knees entirely on the stones.

He let out a muffled sound from pain, unable to voice more. Wen Feng stopped walking. When he turned around and saw Lin Xi’s clumsy, pained posture, his already tense expression grew even darker.

(To be continued…)