Gently bite the jasmine

Chapter 187 Can I Go Up There?

Lin Xi noticed that the driver had changed; it was the one Duan Yiheng often used, so she knew he had no good intentions.

Sure enough, he started touching me inappropriately as soon as I got in the car.

Lin Xi held his wrist tightly, giving him a look that said, "The driver is watching."

Duan Yiheng coughed, and the barrier slowly rose up.

Lin Xi snorted and slapped his hand away: "Sit properly."

Duan Yiheng hissed, and Lin Xi panicked: "What happened? Did I touch your hand?"

Duan Yiheng hummed in agreement.

Lin Xi got up from her seat and leaned over to look at his hand, but Duan Yiheng grabbed her waist and pressed her down onto his lap.

"You..." Lin Xi belatedly realized, "I hit your uninjured hand."

Duan Yiheng hugged her tightly, rested his chin on her shoulder, and whispered, "Even a hit hurts."

Lin Xi gave a forced smile: "A beating is a sign of affection, a scolding is a sign of love."

Duan Yiheng turned her face and kissed her, then released her after a while, smiling ambiguously: "Whose sweet tongue is this?"

Lin Xi couldn't hold back her anger any longer and punched his chest hard.

Duan Yiheng was truly hurt this time, silently enduring the blow of love.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Lin Xi glanced at him and asked, "Did you hurt yourself again?"

Duan Yiheng shook his head: "It doesn't hurt."

"If you're going to get angry, then so be it," Lin Xi said, tapping his bandaged hand. "How could you hurt yourself? Uncle Duan might not care about you, but I—"

Lin Xi suddenly stopped talking, feeling a little embarrassed to say the rest.

"Feeling sorry for me?" Duan Yiheng wasn't about to let her off the hook, so he put his arm around her waist and asked gently and affectionately.

Lin Xi raised her arm: "What has this turned into? I don't even dare let Grandpa notice anything unusual when I come to see him. When I go back to work at the company the day after tomorrow, Qin Yang will think we went to fight."

"Who cares what he does?" Duan Yiheng said. "I have a day to rest after my business trip. I'm going to see Meng Huaishan tomorrow. We've arranged to meet at my grandma's. Shall we go together?"

Lin Xi shook her head: "I won't go since you're talking to Meng Huaishan. I have an appointment with Yu Tong."

Duan Yiheng: "When did you make the appointment?"

Lin Xi glanced at him sideways: "Is it not allowed?"

“Okay,” Duan Yiheng replied immediately.

When they got downstairs, Duan Yiheng wanted to follow her up, but Lin Xi stopped him: "You can at least give me a reason for bringing me back, but if I stay overnight, I'm afraid Grandpa will find out."

Duan Yiheng didn't plan to stay overnight, but that didn't stop him from teasing Lin Xi: "Alright, since we can't stay overnight, we should at least give you something to look forward to, right?"

Lin Xi looked herself up and down: "I don't have any token for you."

Duan Yiheng tightened his grip on her waist, his breath hot against her ear: "I suspect you're faking it."

So this is what you meant by "longing".

Lin Xi felt that her reaction just now was like that of a fool.

She tilted her head back, wrapped her arms around Duan Yiheng's neck, and kissed him.

Duan Yiheng received a kiss and left contentedly.

The next morning, Liang Yutong arrived at Lin Xi's house, while Duan Yiheng went to his grandmother's alley.

Pushing open the courtyard gate, Meng Huaishan was already there. Upon seeing Duan Yiheng, he waved the vegetables in his hand and teased, "Some people just like to eat what's readily available."

Duan Yiheng ignored him and said to the old lady, "Grandma, you've worked hard. I need to talk to him about something."

The old lady waved her hand with a smile.

The two arrived at the alley entrance, and Meng Huaishan handed him a cigarette, saying, "Ke Yu is really hard to investigate. He's too cautious. I had to start with his sister-in-law to find some clues. I found out where she frequents and spent many days taking photos. People who know her can confirm it's Duan Zheng, but people who don't know her can't see his face clearly."

It's no wonder these two are cautious; in recent years, many bigwigs have had their companies and themselves affected by their personal relationships.

Last year, the heir to a food group was accused of mistreating his wife and having an affair, which severely damaged his image. Taking advantage of this, competitors accused him of tax evasion and illegal related-party transactions, which triggered an investigation by the China Securities Regulatory Commission. As a result, the stock price plummeted and the market value evaporated by more than 10 billion.

Since Ke Yu and Duan Zheng haven't gotten what they want yet, they'll inevitably have to keep it hidden.

What Duan Yiheng had to do was to expose the scandals of the two men among the company's senior management without harming the company's interests.

Judging from the old man's attitude last night, it was clear that Uncle Deng had not told him about this.

Duan Yiheng thought to himself: Actually, it can't be hidden for much longer.

“Keep an eye on it; the evidence isn’t enough yet,” Duan Yiheng said.

Having already taken the plunge, he was determined to strike at Duan Zhengyuan's weak point. His goal wasn't just to severely damage Duan Zhengyuan's energy, but to force him to leave the company.

Because he was his grandfather's son, he held a high position despite having little ability, relying on Duan Yiheng and the old man behind him.

Realizing things weren't going as he expected, he found himself having an affair with the board secretary, Ke Yu.

There is nothing in this world that can be kept secret, but the evidence Meng Huaishan has provided so far is simply insufficient.

Duan Zheng could overturn everything simply by denying it, and then accuse him of slander.

The two had lunch at the old lady's place.

It's a simple home-cooked meal, but it looks very appetizing.

Duan Yiheng smiled, took a picture of the food with his phone, and sent it to Lin Xi.

Meng Huaishan: "...When did you start learning from those women, taking a photo and checking in before eating?"

Duan Yiheng put down his phone and said, "I won't argue with a fool."

Meng Huaishan looked at the old lady: "Grandma, look at him."

The old lady chuckled twice: "You two eat. You were always restless during mealtimes when you were little, and you're still like that now that you're grown up."

Duan Yiheng didn't leave after finishing his meal. He made tea for the old lady, and the two sat in the courtyard enjoying a rare moment of peace.

"Grandma, could you please take some time to visit my grandpa?"

The old lady wasn't surprised: "You want me to be your mediator?"

Duan Yiheng: "Besides you, I don't know who else can persuade him. Grandpa lost his wife and son early in life and hid his grief under his busy work. Yinfan is his life's work that he can't let go of. He can't tolerate Yinfan being tainted in the slightest. To some extent, he doesn't trust me either. He doesn't trust me to handle my relationship with Lin Xi well."

The old lady smiled and said, "Your grandfather is just old. When you get old, you start to feel afraid. You made the person who used to control everything suddenly let go. He's not used to it, and when he's not used to it, he loses trust."

Duan Yiheng said, "I'm counting on you."

The old lady nodded: "Last time he was hospitalized, I only sent some things through someone. It's time to go and see him."

Duan Yiheng breathed a sigh of relief. Since he had come, he had dinner with the old lady and chatted for a long time before leaving.

He drove himself out today. Even though he was heading north after leaving the alley, the steering wheel turned involuntarily.

Upon arriving at Tiandu Yuxi, he made a phone call to Lin Xi from his car.

After four or five rings, the other end answered with just one word: "Hello."

Duan Yiheng smiled and flirted, "Secretary Lin, may I go up?"