Shen Yi didn’t need to explain more. Lu Xinyi looked like she was about to push, but he shook his head. He was the cause of this trouble. Feng Zexian had dared to hurt his wife and Shen Yi wasn’t planning to play safe this time.
With a sigh, Lu Xinyi relented.
“Just promise me you wouldn’t get hurt or die. You aren’t allowed to die at all!” she said with frustration. Just the thought of losing him made her heart ache with such longing and despair. She couldn’t understand these feelings that washed over her. It was as if she’d experienced the same thing over and over, but the pain remained the same.
When Shen Yi tilted her face towards his, Lu Xinyi accepted the gentle kiss.
—
Today was the commencement exercise for the seniors who’d officially completed their stay at Silver Lead Academy. Lu Xinyi and her family were seated in the audience, watching the event. They were not only there for Tian Lingyu but to also congratulate Huang Shenghao.
Obviously, the whole gang of juniors was also there to witness the event.
“Until the end, Brother Huang wasn’t able to retrieve his top spot at the ranking,” Tang Liang commented.
“What now? So the ranking is back to zero?” Ye Xieren asked. With the school year coming to its end, the relentless compet.i.tion between him, Lu Xinyi, and Yan Chen would start as soon as the new term starts.
“Who cares about the ranking?” Tang Lilou scoffed while Lan Xiaoli giggled beside Ye Xieren.
“I didn’t know Sister Tang doesn’t have a compet.i.tive streak on her,” she commented.
Tang Lilou raised a brow on her and shook her head. She wondered then since when did Ye Xieren and Lan Xiaoli become acquainted with each other. She was aware that Ye Xieren was stupidly smitten by her Xin Jie and had avoided Lan Xiaoli when they hung out together.
“Lan Xiaoli, didn’t you finish your short course? Why are you still here? Shouldn’t you be working hard at Xin Jie’s pastry shop?” she asked, pus.h.i.+ng away her curiosity out of her mind. It was not her business to pry on someone’s relations.h.i.+p.
The Tiers of Delight that Lu Xinyi managed to win from Han Yixin had opened its second branch downtown, and she hired Lan Xiaoli to work for them. Lan Xiaoli had been working at Tiers of Delight for three months now since she graduated.
“Eh? Sister Tang, today’s my day-off and Xin Jie allowed me to come with them,” she countered.
Tian Lingyu met his sister as soon as the event was over. Behind him, Huang Shenghao waved a hand to greet Lu Xinyi.
“You came,” Tian Lingyu regarded her nonchalantly.
“Of course. I’m the only family you have, no? Congrats, Yu Gege!” Lu Xinyi winked before dragging his arm to get a photo with him. Huang Shenghao photobombed behind them as the picture was snapped.
“Didn’t you say your family is also here?” Tian Lingyu glared at his friend. “Now go before I kick your a.s.s away from here.”
“You… you!” Huang Shenghao pointed a finger at him and pouted. “Hmph! You better make sure to give me a call once you arrive at Country F! You cannot run away from me!”
Lu Xinyi pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed.
“Might as well get married, you two,” she mumbled to herself, but it was enough for Shen Yi to hear her.
Shen Yi covered both of Shen Zichen’s ears, leaving the boy bewildered of what they were talking about.
“Xinxin! Watch your words!” he reminded her.
“Oh, sorry. Sorry. I didn’t mean it.” She laughed awkwardly.
“Xinxin, tomorrow’s your flight? Are you sure you’ll be fine going alone?” Tian Lingyu remembered that she was about to leave for the World Patisserie Challenge.
“Alone? I wouldn’t be alone. Han Yixin and Headmistress Han will be going with me,” Lu Xinyi corrected her brother. “Besides, I have my bodyguards with me. Don’t worry too much, Yu Gege.”
Ads by PubFuture Tian Lingyu said nothing but took a glance at his brother-in-law. Shen Yi explained the situation to him and asked him if he could follow Xinxin after he settled his admission at Country F.
The gas explosion during her training wasn’t an accident, and Tian Lingyu hated that he almost lost his sister from the same thing that killed their father. He clenched his fists on his side. Was it Sun Mingai again?
“By the way, I’ve already completed Dad’s recipe books. Do you want to have it?” Lu Xinyi’s sudden question broke his thoughts.
He shook his head. Their family recipes… he didn’t deserve it. He wasn’t a Lu after all.
“No, keep it. I’m sure Dad wants it to be yours. He spent painstaking efforts to write it down after several trials,” he replied.
Lu Xinyi shrugged. “If you say so. I just thought you might be interested in it.”
“You need it more than me,” her brother said, “You know this.”
She fell silent on those words. Indeed, when her parents’ pa.s.sed away, she was only able to recover from shock and grief after seeing those recipe books of their father. Aside from her mother’s brooch that was in Sun Feiyan’s possession, the recipe books were the best thing that her father left for her.
Lu Xinyi skipped attending the party for the seniors and went home with her family. As she sat next to her husband, she pondered if she should meet Chairman Sun before her flight the next day.
“What worries you?” Shen Yi asked when he noticed the deep frown on her face.
“Nothing. It’s been weeks, and Chairman Sun was asking for my presence,” she replied and looked outside.
The old man’s health continued to deteriorate since Sun Ruying’s pa.s.sing. Last week, he had a stroke and had been in the hospital since then. His condition was fairly stable.
“You still don’t want to meet him?”
Now with Chairman Sun suffering a stroke and confined at the hospital, the Sun Corporation was in a difficult situation. Sources said that the shareholders lost their trust with Sun Mingai and wanted to reinstate Sun Feiyan as the OIC, but a small group wanted Lu Xinyi to intervene and save the company.
“He intends to pa.s.s the company to me.” Lu Xinyi was exasperated. Ever since she heard the truth from Tang Lingfei, she couldn’t contain her anger towards Chairman Sun.
“Isn’t that what he’d always wanted from the start? I initially thought he wanted you to come back out of guilt, but a b.a.s.t.a.r.d is still a b.a.s.t.a.r.d. In the end, he only cares for himself.” Shen Yi pointed out. His voice sounded so gentle, but his whole body emitted an aura that was at odds with his voice.
Lu Xinyi laughed while Shen Yi’s expression changed. This was one of those rare moments he didn’t know what she was thinking. He looked at her eyes and inexplicably felt a chill in his heart. She really hated that old man.
The next morning, Lu Xinyi finally attended the shareholders meeting in a complex mood. In order to decide who should manage the company, the shareholders quarreled. Many opposed the decision to break the usual family business model and let an outsider manage the company.
“My father has not agreed to the change of management yet,” Sun Mingai said. Taking a side glance at Lu Xinyi who hadn’t spoken a word since her arrival, she asked, “Xin’er, what do you think?”