Chapter 63

Yuan Yi felt his mind buzzing, his heart racing like a rabbit hopping around. He stood there, dumbfounded, unable to do anything. Yan Xi reached out and gently poked his flushed face, which was a little warm.

"Don't, don't be so touchy," Yuan Yi grabbed her mischievous hand. "Be a little more reserved."

"Hmph," Yan Xi pulled her hand away and turned to walk back. Yuan Yi, seeing that she was upset, quickly reached out to grab her. "Are you really angry now?"

"You already think I'm not reserved enough, so I'm not allowed to get angry?" Yan Xi gave him a sideways glance. "You said you wanted to pursue me, but now you're rejecting me. I won't stay here and be in your way."

"I didn't say I rejected you," Yuan Yi held her shoulder. "I don't reject you, I don't."

"Really?" Yan Xi raised an eyebrow, looking skeptical.

"I'm not saying something fake to you, there's no benefit in doing that," Yuan Yi sighed with relief when he saw her mood improving. Women were really complicated—if they said they were angry, they were angry, with no warning. He still felt uneasy about her living alone. "You're living here alone, and I'm a bit worried. How about you come stay at my place for now?"

"I just agreed to let you pursue me, and now you have these evil thoughts?" Yan Xi looked at him with a playful smile. "I didn't expect you to be like this."

"What?" Yuan Yi paused, then realized what she meant. He gritted his teeth. "Yan Xiao Xi! What's going on in that head of yours? Can't you think of something more serious? I'm worried about your safety, can't you think something good for once?"

Yan Xi raised an eyebrow and didn't speak.

Yuan Yi's intuition told him that if he kept talking, he'd be in trouble.

"What I mean is, I like all of you, not just for temporary pleasure," Yuan Yi scratched his nose. "I understand if you have concerns, but my phone will always be on, so if anything happens, you can call me."

"I understand, don't worry, everything's fine," Yan Xi stood on tiptoe and lightly kissed his brow. "Well then, good night."

"Good, good night." Yuan Yi turned around, still dazed. After taking a couple of steps, he realized something felt off—he was walking in sync with the same leg. He turned to look at Yan Xi, who was laughing carelessly, with no hint of the usual feminine bashfulness.

This is the one I like, the one I like... Don't get angry.

Yuan Yi turned back, walked confidently to Yan Xi, pulled her into his arms, and ruffled her soft hair a couple of times before heading back to the car.

Thinking about how foolish he looked just now, Yuan Yi couldn't help but laugh to himself.

That night, fans following the "Xiao Xi Liu" Weibo account noticed that the artist, who hadn't updated in a while, finally posted a new comic strip.

They discovered that the comic posted that day was especially sweet—featuring a cute little bunny and a seemingly awkward yet adorable white radish. The art style was so sweet that it made everyone feel like they were surrounded by pink bubbles.

Fan 1: Xiao Xi Liu, your art style suddenly became so sweet, have you fallen in love?

Fan 2: Xiao Xi Liu, we promised to be single dogs for life, and you've betrayed us?

In the comment section, some joked, some praised how cute the comic was, but of course, there were also some haters who claimed that the artist was running out of ideas and was trying to stir up romance rumors for publicity.

Yan Xi didn't care about those haters. She posted a picture of a rabbit eating grass on her social media with a smiling emoji.

After seeing the post, Tao Ru opened the chat box with trembling hands.

Xiao Ru: Da He, did you eat our little boss for dinner?

She suddenly posted on WeChat at night, either she didn't have a nightlife, or she had just finished one.

Da He: Am I that vulgar of a person?

Xiao Ru: Yes.

Da He: You're offending me so much, aren't you afraid I'll whisper in your ear and make things difficult for you?

Xiao Ru: I was just joking, there's no way you'd do something like that. It must have been the little boss who forced you, damn capitalist!

In life, the most important thing is to know when to bend and when to stand tall.

Yan Xi laughed at her friend's teasing. She chatted with Tao Ru for a bit and then drifted off to sleep in a good mood. Meanwhile, Yuan Yi, back home, felt wide awake. Not only was he sleepless, but he even called a few of his buddies.

Poor Xu Qiaosheng, who had been filming all night, had just returned to his hotel to catch up on sleep, only to be showered in dog food by his cousin. Normally, his cousin would barely say ten sentences on the phone, but now he was chatting as if infected by a "chatterbox virus." Even with Xu Qiaosheng half-heartedly responding with "uh-huh" and "okay," Yuan Yi continued happily.

"Yi-ge," Xu Qiaosheng yawned, "Shouldn't your top priority now be moving from temp to permanent?"

"What do you know? She's already agreed to date me—there's no more temp or permanent talk." Yuan Yi rejected any negativity. "Our Big River isn't like those women you date."

Xu Qiaosheng: "Bro, it's fine to show off, but can you not stab me while you do it? I'm your cousin."

"Any good movies out now? Recommend something." Yuan Yi hadn't been on a movie date with a girl before and felt a bit excited.

"A movie..." Xu Qiaosheng thought about it. "The newly released Confession is great, with high industry reviews. You could take Second Cousin-in-law to see it."

Yuan Yi casually asked, "Who's starring?"

"Zhao Feifei and Liu Hua."

Liu Hua was a name he didn't recognize, but Zhao Feifei was someone he remembered. "No way, not watching anything with Zhao Feifei." He recalled how Yan Xi had previously thought he might have some connection with Zhao Feifei, and he realized that watching this movie would be inappropriate.

What if Yan Dahe saw Zhao Feifei, with her "big chest and long legs," and got upset? How would he coax her then?

"What's wrong with Zhao Feifei? Her acting is quite good. She's considered a competent idol-actor in the industry. Of the recent movies in theaters, this is the only decent one; the rest are mostly cash-grab flops," Xu Qiaosheng explained. "You just got together with Second Cousin-Sister-in-Law. Watching a sweet movie like this would help strengthen your relationship."

"Forget it," Yuan Yi resolutely rejected Xu Qiaosheng's recommendation. "I'll take her to do something else."

Only then did Xu Qiaosheng remember the absurd rumors from a while ago. It turned out Yi Ge was worried about his girlfriend misunderstanding. He'd just started dating, and already he was afraid of upsetting her—a textbook example of being a wife-fearing husband.

After hanging up, Yuan Yi scrolled through his friend circle and saw Yan Xi had posted a picture of an adorable rabbit munching on grass. He quickly liked the post.

Liking his girlfriend's posts was a boyfriend's duty.

After putting his phone down, Yuan Yi's mind filled with ideas for tomorrow's outing—where to go, what to do, and whether Yan Xi would enjoy his plans. He tossed and turned in bed for two or three hours before finally falling asleep.

The next morning, he woke up to find it was already ten o'clock. When he called Yan Xi, she was out shopping for handbags with her girlfriends.

Hearing the sounds of other women in the background, Yuan Yi picked out his outfit and said, "Where are you? I'll come pick you up later and treat your friends to lunch."

After Yan Xi gave him the location, he ended the call.

The weather was a bit chilly today; a coat would be more appropriate. Black was too serious, brown was too ordinary, blue wasn't refined enough, and gray didn't stand out enough.

Maybe he should get more tailored clothes.

"Every time I buy a bag, I can't control myself, but afterward, I regret it," Yang Min said, looking at the bag she had waited nearly a month for. "If I don't buy a bag, I feel sad. But if I buy one, I feel the pain in my wallet."

"Money can be earned back, but bags are forever," Tao Ru had pre-ordered a bag that wasn't in stock yet. She turned to see Yan Xi taking a call and asked, "Dahe, have you seen anything you like?"

"No particular style interests me today. How about we go sit at the café nearby?" Yan Xi slipped her phone back into her handbag. "Yuan Yi will come pick us up soon, and we can have lunch together."

"Second Boss is coming?" Tao Ru tensed up. "When?"

"He'll be here soon," Yan Xi smiled at her nervousness. "He doesn't handle much of Changfeng's business. No need to be nervous; it's not like you haven't met him before."

"I'm just thinking about how to subtly flatter him." Tao Ru stood up, and the three of them walked to the nearby café, chatting and laughing.

After ordering drinks and pastries, Yang Min asked, "Did you...go to Wei Xiaoman's wedding yesterday?"

"No, I just sent a bouquet of flowers. Why?" Yan Xi didn't understand why Yang Min had brought it up.

"Last night, someone was asking about you, trying to get close. They said you were generous, sending Wei Xiaoman a large gift and arranging a discount on her wedding banquet."

"When did I give her a gift?" Yan Xi was stunned for a moment before realizing it was probably Yuan Xiao'er who had arranged it under her name.

So he was just throwing money at people?

"Basically, they kept hinting that they wanted to reconnect with you," Yang Min chuckled, but there was a hint of sadness. Old classmates' friendships had become complicated with interest and favors. "It's funny; they didn't seem to miss you before, but now that you're dating a prominent guy, everyone wants to reconnect."

"It's the same on my side," Tao Ru sighed. "It's really tiring."

"It's human nature, not surprising. Sorry for dragging you both into this mess," Yan Xi laughed, quickly changing the topic.

When Yuan Yi arrived, they were only halfway through their coffee. He greeted Yang Min and Tao Ru politely, having met them previously at the hospital.

"Shall we go eat?" Yan Xi stood up from the couch and picked up a few bags—her spoils from the morning's shopping trip.

He stared at her shopping bags for a few seconds before extending a hand.

"What?" Yan Xi looked at him.

"Give me the bags. I'll carry them." He looked around to make sure there were no familiar faces nearby.

"Thank you." Yan Xi handed over the bags. "Much appreciated."

Yuan Yi coughed awkwardly. "It's my duty." Then he noticed she was still holding her handbag. He figured since he was carrying the shopping bags, adding a handbag wouldn't be a big deal. "Give me the handbag too."

"No need," Yan Xi shook her head. "This bag matches my outfit. It looks better when I carry it."

Yuan Yi: ...

He honestly couldn't see how carrying or not carrying a handbag made a difference. He'd never understand a woman's world.

When they stepped outside, Yuan Yi looked back at Yan Xi, grabbed her hand that wasn't holding her bag, and whispered, "Holding a boyfriend matches your outfit even better."

"Mommy, that uncle looks mean. Is he going to hit that lady?" Outside the café, a little girl looked at Yuan Yi and Yan Xi, concerned.

"Sorry, my daughter didn't mean that." The mother scooped the girl up, apologizing profusely. Seeing that Yuan Yi didn't respond, she quickly left as if afraid he'd storm over and scold her child.

Yuan Yi's face darkened, and he let go of Yan Xi's hand, feeling annoyed.

Brat didn't know what she was talking about.

A soft hand gently hooked his finger, and he saw Yan Xi smiling brightly at him.

"Actually, you said it backward. Holding a pretty girlfriend matches your coat even better."

Yuan Yi tightened his grip on her hand. "Let's go."

His little proud look—so cute.

Yan Xi happily let him hold her hand. Noticing him slowing his long strides to match hers, she walked faster and slipped her arm through his.

"Xiao Ru, I think we're just two light bulbs," Yang Min whispered to Tao Ru as they moved aside.

Tao Ru stayed calm. "You're overthinking. For couples in love, everyone else might as well be invisible. We're just two light bulbs that don't even light up."

Yang Min: Not feeling comforted.

Knowing how much Yan Xi valued these two friends, Yuan Yi arranged a very nice lunch. By the end of it, Yang Min and Tao Ru were won over, sharing many stories of Yan Xi's university days.

They'd even stopped calling him "Second Boss" or "President Yuan" and switched to calling him Yuan Ge.

With his air of authority, anyone who didn't know better might think they were paying homage to a mafia boss.

After lunch, Yuan Yi was planning to accompany them for more shopping, but a call from Yuan Yasen interrupted.

"My parents have something going on. I'm going to check on them." Although he looked calm, Yan Xi sensed a shift in his mood.

"It's fine; go ahead," she squeezed his broad hand. "Now we can talk about girls-only secrets."

"Couldn't you say something a bit more reluctant?"

Yan Xi smiled at him without saying anything.

Unmarried men usually say they're going to "visit family," but Yuan Yi had said he was going to "check on them."

If she expressed reluctance, he'd probably stay.

Her own man—she didn't want to make things harder for him.