Chapter 11: Could It Be That They've Broken Up?

Because no one had work the next day, and it was everyone’s first time at such a place—perhaps the only chance they’d ever have to go—they lingered until the early hours before reluctantly parting ways. Lin Xi declined her colleagues’ offer of a ride, saying, “I live just near the office. It’s only a few minutes’ walk.”

After watching their car pull away, a black Bentley glided into the outer lane and stopped squarely before her. The driver climbed out without delay, grinning at her. “Miss Lin, do you remember me?”

Lin Xi regarded the middle-aged man, hesitant. “You’re the Qin family’s driver, aren’t you?”

“Yes, that’s me! I can’t believe you still recognize me!”

“Is something the matter?”

“Young Master Qin asked me to wait here for you.”

Lin Xi instinctively glanced at the back seat of the Bentley. Sensing her wariness, the driver recited the explanation Qin Yu had prepared for him: “There’s no one else in the car. Young Master Qin left a few hours ago.”

“He insisted I see you safely home, or I’ll have a hard time explaining myself when I get back.”

—

Sitting in the car, Lin Xi didn’t find it strange. After all, their parting earlier had been anything but pleasant, and seeing each other again so soon would only be awkward. It made sense that he wasn’t there—if he had come, there would have been only one explanation: he was ready to break with her entirely.

Every time she met Qin Yu these days, she felt insincere, but there was nothing else she could do. She couldn’t pretend nothing had ever happened, as if they could go back to how things were seven years ago. Nor could she completely cut him off.

Beijing wasn’t a large city, and they moved in the same circles. Their families’ elders were close; it was impossible to avoid him. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have gone abroad with her uncle seven years ago.

Since her return, their encounters had been anything but harmonious. As Qin Yu put it, she was simply ill at ease. If things continued this way, she sensed they were not far from a final falling out—and by then, she couldn’t be blamed.

She’d done her best to keep her distance; it was him who kept seeking her out. What else could she do?

The thought that she was still working in his company left Lin Xi sleepless. She had a feeling this matter wasn’t over.

Sure enough, by Saturday noon she received a call from Qin Yu’s mother. On the surface, it was a casual check-in, but in truth, she was probing how Lin Xi had come to work at Feiyun.

Having been up all night, Lin Xi’s head was spinning as she answered. She didn’t say much and quickly ended the call on the pretext of being busy.

—

When she next woke, it was already early Sunday morning.

During breakfast, Lin Xi stared at the call log on her phone, brows knit in worry. Qin Yu’s mother had never liked her, nor did she approve of any entanglement between her and Qin Yu. Back then, Qin Yu would drive to the neighboring city every day to pick her up after school; they spent all their time together. When his mother found out, she quarreled with Qin Yu. It didn’t seem to help, for in the end, she came to confront Lin Xi herself...

Cheng Si returned that afternoon and asked in the group chat if anyone was free the following week.

Cheng Si: “Xi Xi’s back, after all. I was busy all last week, but now I’m free. I was thinking of hosting a welcome-back dinner for her.”

The fifth replied promptly: “I won’t make it back next week.”

Second Brother: “I’ll likely be repatriated next month.”

Cheng Si: “Alright then, asking was pointless. Just me and Third Brother left—two idle souls.”

Counting Lin Xi, their group had only five people; their lineup had never changed since childhood. Lin Xi was ten years younger than her brother, Lin Chen, who was the eldest and had always been their leader. Next came Second Brother from the Zhou family and Qin Yu, who were the same age, though Second Brother had been born a few months earlier. Then came Cheng Si and Fifth from the Lu family, also the same age.

What set them apart was that, though raised together in the same compound, only Lin Chen followed in their fathers’ footsteps. Second Brother had gone into politics and now worked at an embassy abroad. Qin Yu and Cheng Si went into business, nothing remarkable about that, while Fifth from the Lu family had made a name for himself as a lawyer in Beijing.

After Lin Xi went abroad, only the boys remained in the group. Outwardly, they kept in touch, but in truth, they had drifted apart—each harboring a thorn in their hearts that the years had not soothed.

Cheng Si counted himself lucky. The old man Cheng was actually his grandfather; after his parents divorced, his mother took him back to the Cheng family, where his grandfather insisted he call him “Grandpa.” So, when everything happened, he was away handling urgent matters on his father’s side and knew nothing. By the time he returned, Beijing had changed, and Lin Xi was gone.

They learned Lin Xi had gone abroad from her aunt, but since she’d been living in the neighboring city, even her aunt didn’t know exactly when she left or when she’d return.

Afterward, news of Lin Xi’s life overseas came through Qin Yu’s efforts. He discovered she was undergoing treatment, her hearing was improving, and she was seeing a psychologist. He found out she’d been admitted to MIT, earned a direct doctorate offer and a scholarship, that she’d finally given up her hearing aid and regained her old vivacity, and that, after graduation, she had no plans of returning home...

—

In the end, they agreed to wait until Second Brother came back and then host a welcome banquet for Lin Xi so everyone could be there, avoiding the awkwardness of just Qin Yu and Cheng Si.

Because of the recent fallout, Cheng Si didn’t dare message Lin Xi these days. Though Qin Yu was the main culprit, he had been a willing accomplice.

She probably didn’t want to see him right now. Best to give it a few days.

On Monday morning, Cheng Si made a point of coming to the company. Once he’d finished up the project files with Huasheng and lunchtime approached, he pressed the intercom and dialed Lin Xi’s office.

The phone rang for a long time before someone answered, but it wasn’t Lin Xi’s voice.

“This is the R&D Center office. Whom are you looking for?”

“Is Lin Xi there?”

“She came in briefly this morning, but then left. I believe... she took leave.”

“Is she ill?”

“She didn’t seem that way.”

“She didn’t give a reason?”

“No, she didn’t.”

Cheng Si was full of questions. He tried her mobile number, but there was no answer. Had she blocked him?

Restless, he got up to go look for her at her apartment. He’d barely stepped out of his office when he ran straight into the HR manager.

“Director Cheng, Director Cheng!” The manager hurried over in heels, clearly agitated.

“I just received a resignation letter—from Engineer Lin!”

“Resignation is resignation. Why make a fuss? Do you need to report every little thing to me?” Cheng Si waved her aside.

The HR manager was momentarily stunned, not expecting such a reaction. Everyone privately assumed Engineer Lin was Director Cheng’s lover; did this mean they’d broken up?

Wait! Something clicked in Cheng Si’s mind, and he spun around.

“Who did you say resigned?”

“Lin Xi—Engineer Lin.”

Cheng Si was speechless. This was bad!