Chapter 131: Does It Have Anything to Do with Me?

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Lin Xi’s face had flushed red. Her eldest aunt helped smooth her hair. “Why did you drink so much? This liquor has a strong aftereffect. You don’t feel anything now, but you’ll be miserable later.”

“I’ll get you some hangover medicine. Take it in a little while, all right?”

“Mm.” Lin Xi nodded obediently.

Only then did her aunt smile, reassured.

“Eat something first.” Her aunt placed food into her bowl.

Lin Xi had been well behaved since childhood. No matter how delicious the dishes across the table were, she would never get up to take any if they were not placed within reach.

She could be somewhat picky about food, but she had never forgotten her manners.

“No need, Auntie. I’m almost finished.”

“How much have you eaten?” Her aunt frowned. The bowl of longevity noodles she had given Lin Xi earlier had barely contained any noodles at all.

She had taken only a few bites. How could she already be full?

“The slice of cake Fourth Brother cut for me was too big. I’m feeling a little stuffed.”

After drinking quite a lot as well, Lin Xi truly could not eat much more.

Her aunt had no choice but to let it go.

When Lin Xi said she was almost finished, she really was.

Within five minutes, she put down her chopsticks and sat quietly to one side.

Since it was her birthday banquet, she could not very well be the first to leave.

Her aunt noticed that she was beginning to show signs of drunkenness and nudged her hand beneath the table. “Would you like to go upstairs and rest?”

Lin Xi still shook her head. “I’ll sit a little longer.”

The older members of the family did not eat much in the evenings, and the meal looked as though it would soon be over.

She would leave after they did.

As for her second brother and the others, she no longer had the energy to entertain them.

Outside, the night was deep. Lin Xi leaned against her chair, taking small sips of water as she stared blankly through the window.

“XiXi, your phone.” An aunt suddenly came in from outside, holding her mobile phone.

Lin Xi was startled. She rose and excused herself to the elders before leaving.

Once outside the dining room, she took the phone and examined the caller ID. It was an unfamiliar number.

A local number from Jing City.

After hesitating for several seconds, she let the call end automatically. She had no intention of calling back, but the other party was persistent and called again.

Lin Xi walked to the balcony in the living room and answered. “Who is this?”

Soaked in alcohol, her voice sounded unusually smooth, and even her tone was less curt than usual.

The person on the other end drew a faint breath but said nothing. Lin Xi asked again, this time with a hint of impatience.

“Ah, it’s me, it’s me.” The other person finally reacted and hurriedly answered.

“…”

Lin Xi frowned. “Don’t you have a name?”

After being rebuked, the man quickly replied, “I’m Lu Bei.”

Lu Bei.

That name still stirred some vague recognition in Lin Xi.

“You remember me, don’t you?”

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“Is there something you need?” She did not answer his question.

“Are you free to come out for a moment? I’m outside your house, by the guard post.”

He meant the entrance to the residential compound.

Lin Xi refused without a second thought. “I’m not.”

“Then could I ask someone to bring something to you?”

Lin Xi did not bother with further pleasantries. “If that’s all, I’m hanging up.”

“…”

“Wait, I…”

Before Lu Bei could finish, the line went dead.

The person on the other end had hung up.

At the entrance to the compound, the guard gave Lu Bei another once-over. “Is someone coming to collect you?”

Although Lu Bei had been here before, the guard on duty today was not the same one as before. He had no idea who Lu Bei was.

“She isn’t here.” Lu Bei handed over the item. “Could you please pass this on to her?”

The guard glanced at the bag in his hand. It was clearly from a luxury brand, though there was no way to know what it contained.

“Sorry, we can’t do that.”

“It’s the Lin family. You should know them. Just give it to the Lin family’s youngest granddaughter. Her name is Lin Xi.” Lu Bei hoped the guard might make an exception.

The guard remained impassive and suddenly asked, “What is your name?”

“Lu Bei. I’m Lu—” Knowing that the guard would certainly not recognize his name, Lu Bei intended to mention his father.

But before he could finish, the guard interrupted him.

Again, he said, “Sorry, we can’t do that.”

“…”

Lu Bei could not understand. “Then why did you ask my name?”

Did it make any difference whether he answered or not?

The guard looked away, fixed his gaze straight ahead, and continued standing watch, paying him no further attention.

There was, of course, a difference.

The difference was that the young master of the Qin family had repeatedly warned them long ago that under no circumstances were they to allow anyone named Lu Bei inside.

Naturally, there was no way they could tell Lu Bei that.

—

Lin Xi ended the call and prepared to go back inside.

She turned around and collided with a solid wall of flesh with a loud thud.

“…”

Her phone fell to the ground.

It was Qin Yu.

Lin Xi bent to pick it up, but the man opposite her was quicker.

“Thank you, Third Bro…” She reached out to take it.

But he had no intention of returning it. Holding her phone, he idly turned it over in his hand while his gaze swept across the most recent call record.

“Who was that?”

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“Song Ning?” He was worried that Song Ning had harassed her again.

Although he had already warned Song Ning privately, there was always the possibility of something going wrong.

His brows were drawn together in irritation, as though he were already considering how to deal with her once and for all.

Lin Xi had heard something about what happened to Song Ning afterward.

Song Ning and her mother seemed to have fled overseas to avoid the storm. As for Song Ning’s father, he naturally could not escape a prison sentence.

It was not only Song Ning. Lin Xi had not even seen Aunt Rong in recent days.

Aunt Rong had not come to dinner tonight either.

Lin Xi had never asked, but her eldest aunt had vaguely let slip that Aunt Rong was no longer in Jing City.

Only Qin Yu probably knew where she had gone.

Thinking of this, Lin Xi could not help asking directly, “Where is Aunt Rong? Why didn’t she come today?”

Qin Yu replied, “She went on vacation.”

Lin Xi: “…”

She tugged at the corner of her lips but ultimately said nothing.

“Whose call was it?” The man was unusually persistent about the matter.

“Not Song Ning.”

After a pause, Lin Xi said, “Lu Bei.”

Qin Yu’s fingers stopped over the string of numbers. He lifted his eyes and glanced at her impassively.

Lin Xi thought he was going to ask something else, but he did not.

He merely said, “Don’t answer unfamiliar numbers next time.”

“Oh.” She nodded to show that she understood, assuming that meant he would return the phone.

Before she could reach for it, she saw Qin Yu press down on the number and tap the option to add it to the blocked list.

Only then did he hand the phone back to her.

“I’ll go back inside first.”

The wind was strong on the balcony. Perhaps it was the wind, but she felt a little dizzy.

Qin Yu looked at her. Then, under her watchful gaze, he locked the balcony door.

Lin Xi froze with one foot forward.

She looked up at him in confusion.

“We haven’t finished discussing the earlier subject.”

“What subject?” Lin Xi had no idea which one he meant.

“Your birthday wish.”

“…I already told you. It’s a secret.”

“I’m only asking one question.” Qin Yu pressed forward step by step, forcing Lin Xi to retreat. Her leg bumped against a rattan chair, and she bent at the knee, falling into the seat.

The man leaned over with her, his heated gaze setting every inch of her aflame.

“Does it have something to do with me?”

(End of Chapter)