Chapter 171: Chapter 171: 171: Almost Died at His Hands

“Who are you concerned about?” Lin Xu tilted her head, her lips curving into a light smile, “Of course, I am concerned about you.”

Xie Changyan looked at her bright, smiling face, his eyes swirling with emotions that Lin Xu could not understand.

After a while, he averted his gaze, his throat producing a light, emotionless voice, “I’m fine.”

“Oh…” Lin Xu responded, pointing to the stage in the center of the deck, “There seems to be a performance over there, shall we go watch it together?”

Seeing the excitement on her face, Xie Changyan choked on the words of refusal lingering in his throat and eventually squeezed out a “yes.”

He walked beside Lin Xu when suddenly a warm, soft touch came from his palm.

...

Xie Changyan looked down and saw that Lin Xu had naturally taken his hand.

“What, what’s wrong?” Lin Xu noticed his expression was somewhat off and was about to retract her hand when, in the next second, Xie Changyan gripped it even tighter.

Fingers threaded through hers, locking their hands together.

“It’s nothing, let’s go.” Xie Changyan led her towards a position closer to the stage.

In a place where Lin Xu couldn’t see, irritation flickered through his eyes, feeling a bout of annoyance and turmoil.

He didn’t know if he was angry at her for treating him as a substitute, or angry at himself for knowing she saw him as a substitute yet being unable to refuse her.

On the stage at the center of the deck, a symphony orchestra was playing, their instruments emitting melodious tunes.

The surrounding tourists, as if by instinct, took their companion’s hands and began to dance gracefully to the music.

Lin Xu looked up at Xie Changyan, her eyes shimmering with eagerness, “Shall we dance too?”

Xie Changyan nodded his chin, and before he could speak, someone else had pulled Lin Xu away.

Ji Ting Yang wrapped his arms around her shoulders, first casting a wary glance at Xie Changyan and, finding that he had not done anything to Lin Xu, he finally relaxed.@@novelbin@@

Then, turning to Lin Xu, his tone carried a barely noticeable tinge of grievance, “Didn’t we agree to meet at the entrance?”

“It was too lively over here, I couldn’t help coming to check it out.” Lin Xu offered a appeasing smile.

Seeing her smile, Ji Ting Yang’s irritation dissolved, “Alright then.”

Lin Xu glanced around, not seeing another familiar figure, “Where’s Lanyue?”

“She’s drunker than you, still sleeping in the room.” Ji Tingyang’s eyes darkened as he spoke.

Letting her stay in the school all these years, no one could properly supervise her. He hadn’t expected that she would dare to get drunk so casually among strangers.

Lin Xu surprised, “She got drunk too?”

Ji Ting Yang nodded. A moment later, he brought the conversation back, “Do you want to dance?”

“A little.”

“Then I’ll join you.”

He looked at Lin Xu, his eyes faintly filled with expectancy.

He had not yet danced with his mother.

“I…” Lin Xu hesitated, glancing discreetly at Xie Changyan.

She actually wanted to dance with Xie Changyan,

Xie Changyan’s thin lips parted slightly, his gaze shifting to Ji Tingyang’s confrontational expression and pausing momentarily.

Suddenly, that tormenting voice echoed again in his ears—

“In her heart, you are merely a substitute.”

His breathing once again pulled at the pain in his chest, Xie Changyan closed his eyes briefly, then reopened them, “I still have some matters to handle, I need to go.”

Lin Xu watched his retreating figure in a moment of stunned silence.

Just now, seeing Ji Tingyang and Xie Changyan appear at the same time, her head was still throbbing with pain, thinking that the father and son were about to start arguing again.

So, Xie Changyan left without even a hint of argument—just like that, easily? Unbelievable.

Yet Ji Tingyang stood tall, the victor, his posture radiating triumph.

“May I have this dance with you?” he asked, standing before Lin Xu, extending his inviting hand.

Lin Xu smiled and placed her hand in his.

The night on the cruise was like a city that never sleeps, with neon lights twinkling, spreading glamor and bustle over the dark, lonely sea.

Then, the next morning, the ship slowly turned back towards the port.

When Ji Yuqiao woke up, she was a mess, tearlessly crying as she looked at Ji Tingyang, “The ship is heading back and I haven’t had any fun yet. Why didn’t you wake me up, boo hoo…”

“Who told you to drink?” Ji Tingyang sternly squinted at her, “You’ve made your bed, now lie in it.”

Unable to find comfort with Ji Tingyang, Ji Yuqiao then turned to embrace Lin Xu, “Big brother is scolding me.”

“Little sister realizes her mistake, don’t scold her anymore,” Lin Xu gently patted Ji Yuqiao’s head, speaking softly, “If you still want to play on the cruise, we can come again next time, but you can’t drink then.”

Ji Yuqiao rubbed her cheek against hers, her tone cheerful, “You are the best.”

Watching the two cuddle, Ji Tingyang felt a surge of irritability in his heart.

He hadn’t even been this close with his mother yet.

He grabbed Ji Yuqiao by the nape of her neck, like picking up a kitten, pulled her away expressionlessly, “Sit properly, stop rubbing against everything.”

“What’s so bad about a little rub, it’s not like I’m rubbing against you,” Ji Yuqiao puffed her cheeks, glaring at him furiously.

“Want to lose your allowance?” Ji Tingyang glanced at her.

“You jerk, you’re actually threatening me!” Ji Yuqiao gnashed her teeth.

Lin Xu rubbed her temples in agony.

It was enough that the brothers were fighting, but now the siblings were at it too.

…

After the cruise trip, Ji Yuqiao’s mood improved a lot, at least she was not resistant to going back to school.

Ji Tingyang went to work at the company, while Lin Xu sneaked out of the villa.

“Isn’t today Tuesday? Are you sure Xie Changyan isn’t at work?”

In Xie’s lobby, Lin Xu confirmed over and over again with the receptionist.

Receptionist: “Yes, I just called the assistant to confirm, President Xie is not in the office. As for his exact whereabouts, we are not quite sure, you could call President Xie and ask.”

“Okay, thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Not working on a weekday, where had he gone?

She had quietly come here, hoping to surprise him.

Lin Xu pulled out her phone and was about to dial Xie Changyan’s number, when Su Linzhou’s call came through first.

As soon as it connected, his howls for help came through.

“Miss Lin, help! Have you had another fight with Xie Changyan? This lunatic insists on dragging me to a car race!”

“If it wasn’t for the seatbelt I’m wearing, I’d be thrown out of the car by now. If we hit the guardrail, it would be a tragedy for both of us!”

“Xie Changyan, calm down! I have elders above and dozens of beauties below, I don’t want to die so soon.”

Su Linzhou’s cries for help were mixed with several painful retches, “Lin Xu, come quickly and save me, ugh… if you don’t come soon, I’ll die at his hands, ugh…”

Even Su Linzhou, who raced cars himself, was about to vomit in the car, which shows how fiercely fast Xie Changyan was driving.

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