CH 18

It doesn’t mean you can ignore him. Xichen is not a person to be ignored, he’s too good at hiding his true intent. His nature is cold but scheming and he portrays an air of authority on the outside. He’s basically the ‘pride of heaven’ and the world is always willing to follow his will because they see him as so good and perfect.

Such a man doesn’t need anything at all from me. I’m not a fool, I can see his repeated approaches wouldn’t make sense if he was just trying to embarrass me.

But if my suspicions are correct and he is actually trying to change his relationship with me, if there was a certain factor happening – which I absolutely refuse to put a name to – how then can the situation be grasped and steered?

The simple, hard truth is that Jian Anjie and Xi Xichen will never be able to live in peace. There’s nothing to do but reject him, a rejection tinged with disgust and hatred.

The solution is pretty obvious, isn’t it? I don’t even need to divert from my original path, all I have to do is just stick to the rules.

“Sister.”

The familiar, curt voice interrupted my confused thoughts and I turned around to see the child dive under the covers in his full clothing.

I stepped back into the room from the balcony. “If I tell you sis wants some peace and quiet, would you go outside and play for a while?”

He shook his head as expected.

I waved my hand and walked out of the room. I passed a couple of maids cleaning, on my downstairs, and casually asked, “Where’s Xi Xichen?”

“Mr. Xi has gone back to his room.”

I glanced in the direction of the first floor before going into the kitchen to get a bottle of mineral water and three pills. I tossed the pills back and swallowed them all with one gulp.

“Old Mr. Jian will be back tomorrow and instructed Miss to stay at home if she can,” said a maid.

“Got it.”

Rubbing my forehead I took two steps back upstairs before turning back to the maid.

“Actually, you don’t have to call me Miss.”

When I got to the first floor I couldn’t help but stop and look at the closed door, wondering if it was possible to ask him to help carry Jian Yulin out of my room after the way we’d talked to each other at the dinner table.

Not to mention the other thing…

I thought for a moment before marching to Xi Xichen’s door, and after a second’s pause, I knocked three times. It took a while before the door opened.

I froze, because apparently, he had just come out of the bathroom.

He was only wearing a pair of black trousers.

His upper body was completely naked and his black hair was messy and damp. This look was so different compared to his usual strict image. It was more than unrestrained, it was sexy and frankly, very, very uncomfortable for me. I guess I really didn’t come at the right time.

He must have been surprised to see me as well, because he immediately turned around and walked to the edge of his bed where he grabbed and pulled on his white shirt.

“Something wrong?” He asked.

“Jian Yulin is in my room.”

The meaning couldn’t have been clearer, and I was sure he got it too.

“Can we talk for a minute?” He asked instead.

I paused slightly before turning away. “I don’t think there’s anything to talk about between us.”

“Mr. Ye Lin is an artist under Meishang, I think you’ve heard of it.”

I stopped.

“In the near future…” Xichen seemed to be trying to figure out how best to express himself. It was almost like he was suppressing a sudden bitterness, and he finished with, “he could be in a lot of trouble.”

“I didn’t know that Mr. Xi also loves to meddle in showbiz matters.”

After a pause, he said, “Meishang is my company.”

I was stunned. It seemed I really was ignorant. I turned around and met his eyes across the short distance, “Why are you telling me this?” I asked pointedly.

“You’ll want to know.”

“Then thanks a lot for your self-righteousness .”

“Jian Anjie, if we give each other a chance, we can get along.”

Get along with each other?

I turned around to head back to my room, not wanting to hear any more of his inexplicable words. But before I could take two steps Xi Xichen had already come round and blocked my way. His expression was unprecedentedly complicated, with a certain kind of melancholy that looked too thick to melt.

“The deadline of the crime that I have been convicted of, what is it? What is the deadline?”

I took a deep breath, my heart contracting at the sudden and unusual gaze. The sudden irregular heart rate made me feel a bit suffocated.

“Who is capable of convicting Mr. Xi?”

“There is one person, Jian Anjie! You know, you always have!” His half-lidded eyes were dark and uncertain, with a flickering of hidden danger.

Before I could blink, cold lips swept over me and my breath was completely taken away.

I gasped for air as a delicate tongue invaded my mouth aggressively, bringing with it a fresh, minty taste that flooded my sensory system. It was not a simple, shallow taste, but instead a sucking, plundering, frantic and paranoid kiss.

His right hand slipped into my hair to clamp down on my struggle as the kiss gradually deepened. My mind went blank as the force on my waist increased and my body was pressed harder against that hot body.

“Miss Jian, Mr. Xi, you–”

I don’t know how we ended the kiss, I was in a state of absolute confusion. And what I hated the most was the fact that I was able to push Ye Lin away after his forced kiss, but I hadn’t been able to with him!

“Lin Ma, please go to Miss Jian’s room and bring Yu Yan out.”

I heard his low voice through a haze and realized that while it had returned to its usual, cold slow tone, it now carried a hint of darkness in it.

I felt him take my hand and I looked up at him with a start. His eyes locked firmly onto mine, looking choppy and unfathomable.

My rapid breathing had subsided, but my heart was still beating wildly. I shook him off violently and ran downstairs, out into the garden. The temperature outside was below zero, and I only wore a thin sweater, but I didn’t feel cold at all.

When I was young, Ye Lin and I had seldom kissed, and on the occasional time we did, our lips had only touched gently.

However, Xi Xichen was…

I had always thought he was a restrained and rational person, but this turned out not to be the case. I felt a wry smile inevitably cross my lips. He had now completely blurred the clear, distinct line we had between us.

Xi Xichen liked me? This was really the funniest thing I had ever encountered.