Chapter 41

"How are you?" Yuan Yi turned to the driver, "What's going on?"

"Mr. Yuan, there's a car ahead that lost control and almost hit us." The driver was also sweating coldly, thinking about how, if he hadn't swerved the steering wheel just in time, the car would have crashed straight into them.

Yuan Yi glanced out the window. A car had crashed into a nearby tree, and several other cars were involved, causing a traffic jam that blocked the entire road.

"Yuan Xiao Er, I've noticed that whenever I encounter you, something always goes wrong with the traffic," Yan Xi gritted her teeth in pain, sweat pouring from her forehead like mist on her face, looking particularly disheveled. "Could it be that we're fated to have bad luck together?"

"Do you still believe in these things in this day and age?" Yuan Yi replied. Seeing her in pain, he opened the car door and stepped out, coming around to open her door. "Come on, let's walk a bit. I'll have the driver come pick us up."

After walking a short distance, Yan Xi felt a sharp pain in her back wound. She felt like she had the worst luck today—first, almost getting cornered by reporters at the police station, and now nearly being involved in a car crash. Was she in the midst of a bad streak? Should she post some lucky fish memes online to ward off bad luck?

Yuan Yi stopped in his tracks, noticing how slowly Yan Xi was walking. He put his hands on his hips, exasperated. "At this pace, how long would it take for us to walk this short distance?"

Yan Xi didn't respond, merely staring at him with a gaze as gentle as spring water.

Without warning, Yuan Yi squatted down in front of her.

"What are you doing?" Yan Xi stared at Yuan Yi's backside. "Do you want me to kick your butt?"

"Stop thinking nonsense," Yuan Yi shot her a glare and then, without further explanation, turned his back to her. "Get on, I'll carry you."

"Wh—What? How could I let you do that?" Yan Xi hesitated, eyeing Yuan Yi's back. His posture seemed strong and reliable, his buttocks... firm and round, almost a bit sexy.

"Hurry up," Yuan Yi's voice had a slight edge, "Stop wasting my time."

Yan Xi was unsure. Given her friendship with Yuan Yi, having him carry her felt a bit too intimate. In her life, the only man who had carried her was her father.

"What are you hesitating for?" Yuan Yi bent down and suddenly stepped back a few paces. Before Yan Xi could react, he had already lifted her onto his back.

"Don't move," Yuan Yi warned, both hands locked at the back of his waist. He was careful not to jostle her sensitive spots. "Do you think I want to carry you? If your wound tears open, you'll have scars for life. Then you might resent me for not helping you when I had the chance."

Hearing Yuan Yi rambling on, Yan Xi felt like all the pedestrians around them were staring. She silently rested her face against Yuan Yi's back, trying to shield her face with her sleeve.

Yuan Yi halted his steps and turned around, accidentally bumping the back of his head into Yan Xi's forehead. The touch was so sudden that he quickly jerked his head away.

"Yuan Xiao Er, carrying a girl like this could make people think you're a rogue."

Her voice was muffled, with a hint of embarrassment and frustration.

"I've never carried a woman in my life," Yuan Yi replied, avoiding a couple walking hand-in-hand. "You're the first. If you really think about it, who's the rogue here?"

Yan Xi rolled her eyes. "With your attitude, if I start thinking too much, it would only be me overthinking it."

Yuan Yi opened his mouth to retort but swallowed his words, mumbling under his breath, "What else can I do? Should I put you on a pedestal?"

"Look at other people's boyfriends!" Yan Xi covered her face, peeking from between her fingers. The "other people's boyfriend" was apparently referring to Yuan Yi, which meant that she was the "other person"?

This misunderstanding seemed a bit too much.

"Nowadays, young people..." An elderly man muttered as he passed by them, shaking his head in disapproval. "Broad daylight, morals in decline, such shamelessness."

Yan Xi: ...

But surprisingly, Yuan Yi remained calm, as though he hadn't heard the man's comment, continuing to walk forward without any extra reaction.

"Hey," Yan Xi reached forward and poked Yuan Yi's shoulder. "You can put me down now."

"Don't move," Yuan Yi stopped at a traffic light. "Wait until we cross this intersection."

There were many people waiting at the intersection. Yan Xi buried her face even further, trying to hide her embarrassment as much as possible.

The light stayed red for nearly a hundred seconds. Yan Xi could smell the subtle fragrance of Yuan Yi's shampoo, which was quite pleasant, though faint. She wondered what brand it was—perhaps she could get some for her dad to try.

After crossing the intersection, Yuan Yi led her into a café and ordered himself a cup of hand-ground coffee. Yan Xi, however, only had a cup of hot water in front of her.

"Don't look at it," Yuan Yi pushed the coffee cup closer to himself. "People who are injured don't deserve coffee." He didn't look at the gleam in Yan Xi's eyes, fearing his willpower would falter.

Yan Xi sighed, giving him a pointed look before ordering a piece of cake.

"How did you know I was at the police station?" Yan Xi asked, curious. "Did you happen to pass by?"

"I have friends at the police station, so I get some updates," Yuan Yi set his coffee cup down. "You shouldn't have gone today."

"The police-civilian relationship is harmonious," Yan Xi shrugged, not finding it a big deal. "Anyway, I'm not a big star. The reporters are just looking for a hot topic. Once it blows over, life goes back to normal. Let them do whatever they want."

"You're pretty laid-back about this," Yuan Yi couldn't help but feel helpless at her nonchalant attitude. "Recently, 'Things Around Us' has been rerunning past episodes. Our housekeeper has called the TV station several times. If you don't recover soon, I suspect the elderly people will start protesting in front of your TV station's door."

Was Yuan Yi praising her? Yan Xi was a bit skeptical—Yuan Yi actually complimented her? That felt surreal.

"I'm usually at home, so I talk to the director often and have already planned several episodes," Yan Xi smiled as she savored the sweet cake. "Anyway, our station's ratings are always low, and there are no rating targets. Rerunning a few episodes doesn't matter."

Yuan Yi couldn't help wondering how a TV station with such a casual approach managed to stay afloat.

Even though he thought Yan Xi cared about the show, she seemed indifferent to its viewership. Yet, she took her job seriously. This contradictory behavior left Yuan Yi puzzled.

"You're not worried about losing viewers?"

"I make shows with sincerity, and viewers watch according to their preferences. It's as simple as that," Yan Xi wiped her mouth clean of the cream. "I love myself, so my health and well-being come first. Things have to be prioritized."

"This way of thinking is good," Yuan Yi nodded. "Don't ever push yourself too hard and end up working while injured. What's the point of impressing others at the expense of your own health?"

"I thought you were going to say I lack professional spirit," Yan Xi grinned. "People like you from the elite families are supposed to always aim for perfection and never back down, right?"

"Well, you can think of me as the non-mainstream member of the elite family," Yuan Yi raised his eyebrows, casually leaning back. "The oddball among the wealthy sons."

"Non-mainstream," Yan Xi chuckled. "If you dyed your hair red or yellow and wore some random chains, you'd look even more like the non-mainstream type."

Yuan Yi froze for a moment, gripping his coffee cup so hard that it felt like it weighed a ton. He was glad he never told Yan Xi about the time he dyed his hair in high school.

Looking back at his appearance from that time, Yuan Yi's face turned red. The mistakes of youth were finally catching up to him.

That secret? It was best kept hidden forever.

Just as they finished the cake, Yuan Yi's driver called.

"Let's go," Yuan Yi hung up the phone. After paying the bill, he bent down to Yan Xi and pointed to his shoulder. "Miss, please."

Embarrassing things? Over time, one just got used to them.

Yan Xi climbed onto Yuan Yi's back, patting his shoulder. "Run, Yuan Xiao Ma!"

"You better believe I'll throw you off," Yuan Yi warned.

"Oh," Yan Xi obediently covered her mouth, looking innocent and well-behaved, like she hadn't said a word.

Yuan Yi... Yuan Yi carefully carried her, careful not to jostle her wound.

Arriving at the Song family's gate, Yuan Yi turned to look at Yan Xi. "Do you want me to take you home?"

"No need," Yan Xi thanked the driver who had opened the door for her, then turned to call out to Yuan Er, "Yuan Er."

Under the sunlight, her smile was as gentle as a flower, and her eyes were brighter than the clouds at dusk. Yuan Er felt as though his heart had a new engine, beating so hard it was hard to catch his breath. "Is there... something else?"

Yan Xi shook her head, tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, and seriously thanked Yuan Er, "Thank you."

"I thought it was something serious. It's just a trivial matter, no need to thank me," Yuan Er awkwardly adjusted his tie to ease the suffocating feeling in his chest. "Don't stand outside with your injury, you might get an infection. Go back soon."

To cover his embarrassment, he impatiently waved his hand.

"Yuan Er, you can't be all tough on the outside and soft-hearted on the inside," Yan Xi noticed his ears were turning slightly red, and she laughed, "I accept your kindness. Take care, and be careful on the road."

"Mm." Yuan Er sat upright, remaining aloof and didn't even turn his head.

After a while, when he looked out the car window again, Yan Xi was no longer by the car. He felt a bit disappointed, withdrew his gaze, and after a long pause, composed himself, signaling the driver to take him home.

An hour later, several well-known entertainment gossip platforms suddenly broke a big story. Although the headlines varied, the content was almost the same.

"Shocking! Best Actress Zhao Feifei's rumored boyfriend suspected of cheating, seen being affectionate with a mysterious woman on the street."

"Young heir of a wealthy family dumps Best Actress, seen carrying an unknown woman across the street."

"Best Actress's dream of marrying into a wealthy family shattered, wealthy heir has another love interest."

These announcements made netizens recall the rumors from a few months ago about Best Actress Zhao Feifei and a certain super-rich heir.