Chapter 14: Don't Be Afraid, Third Brother Is Here

Her gaze drifted slowly from the phone charm to its current owner. Even though she had prepared herself, Lin Xi's heart still skipped a beat when she saw Qin Yu sleeping beside her.

Why was he here?

A thousand questions swirled in her mind.

As the flight attendant passed by, she glanced intentionally in their direction. Noticing Lin Xi was awake, she turned to gently nudge Qin Yu’s shoulder. Without thinking, Lin Xi instinctively tried to stop her, “Wait—”

“Mr. Qin, Miss Lin is awake.”

Turning her head, she caught Qin Yu opening his eyes.

Their gazes locked—awkwardness spread silently between them.

Fortunately, she had gotten used to seeing him these past days. Lin Xi’s expression remained neutral, betraying nothing. She looked away first and ordered her meal from the flight attendant.

Once the attendant left, she finally spoke to Qin Yu. “You really are persistent, aren’t you, Third Brother? Why do you keep following me?”

“So sure I’m following you?” he replied.

“Then what are you doing in New York?”

He straightened, facing forward, and slowly uttered, “On a business trip.”

Lin Xi fell speechless.

She seriously doubted he’d borrowed that excuse from her own playbook.

He hadn’t answered when she asked in the lounge either. Business trip, my foot.

Her expression was impossible to describe. Qin Yu met her eyes and a hint of a smile touched his lips. “Is that not allowed?”

Lin Xi had no response left. “As long as you’re happy, Third Brother.”

For the rest of the flight, Lin Xi kept to herself—eating just enough, then pretending to sleep, or watching shows with her headphones, giving Qin Yu no opportunity to strike up a conversation.

As the plane prepared to land, she was still dozing when a frown creased her brow. A discomfort started in her ears.

Ringing and a sharp, clear pain clawed at her nerves, yanking her back to years ago—a time that was nothing short of a nightmare.

She’d only fallen asleep, but when she woke, everything had changed.

Her brother had rushed back to Beijing overnight, appearing at her hospital bedside.

When she awoke, he hurried over, anxious to check on her. Oddly, his lips kept moving, speaking to her non-stop.

But she couldn’t hear his words at all. There was only a rustling sound in her ears, a few humming noises, and pain so sharp it numbed her entire body.

In an instant, cold sweat broke out across her forehead.

Her heart raced, eyes reddening as she lifted her hand helplessly, trying to make a sound.

——

An overwhelming sense of suffocation crashed over her, leaving her unable to tell where she was.

“I…” The moment a syllable escaped her lips, Lin Xi gasped, instinctively reaching to cover her ears. Her right hand trembled in midair—suddenly, a warm hand seized hers firmly.

She looked up in confusion to find the hand’s owner.

Seeing Qin Yu’s worried, tense expression, her tightly wound nerves unraveled at once. “Th-Third Brother!”

It was as though a drowning soul, cut off from all sensation, had finally caught hold of a lifeline.

She gripped his hand tightly, unable to control herself as she threw herself into his arms.

Lin Xi barely realized it, but deep in her mind, Qin Yu was still the only one who could save her.

The man had already opened his arms, pulling her into his embrace before she could even reach him. His hot breath brushed against her neck.

“Don’t be afraid, Xi Xi, don’t be scared. I’m here.” He kept murmuring, and for the first time, he didn’t seem to mind her calling him that. His lips were at her ear; Lin Xi could feel him speaking, but the ringing in her ears made his words fragmentary.

She tried to calm herself and focus on his voice, but the pressure inside her was about to shatter her composure. She clung desperately to his shoulders, wrinkling his expensive suit beyond repair. “I think I can’t hear clearly again. My ears—”

“Do you remember what the doctor said? Think carefully—didn’t he tell you after long treatment, your ears had recovered? There were no aftereffects. Xi Xi, your ears were fine six years ago.”

His tone was resolute, as though he’d been there himself. In a flash, Lin Xi remembered the shadow she’d seen at the corner on the day she was discharged.

“You’re just too nervous. Don’t think about the past. Relax. Listen to me—breathe deeply.” Qin Yu, his left hand still in her grip, used his other hand to gently pat her back, helping her steady her breath.

Focused on that day she left the hospital, Lin Xi momentarily forgot the ringing still tormenting her.

After going abroad, she had cut off contact with home. Even her uncle and aunt only knew which country she was in, not the specific city.

Since her hearing had been damaged, the blow had left her temporarily unable to speak. Under Qin Yu’s guidance, she’d been recovering, but later events had wiped away all progress.

Knowing how much she resisted seeing people from her past or hearing about it, her uncle had kept her whereabouts secret, fearing any disturbance might keep her from moving on. He would never have revealed her location.

Even if Qin Yu knew she was in Boston, how could he have known the specifics of her treatment schedule and progress so precisely?

——

Lin Xi was the second-to-last first-class passenger to disembark, with Qin Yu right behind her.

In the airport terminal, she’d barely gone a few steps before spotting Qin Yu’s assistant and a group of people waiting for him. They’d gotten off earlier and were clearly here for business.

It seemed he really was in New York on official duties. She, meanwhile, had to catch a connecting flight and would be parting ways with him.

That was probably for the best—things had been awkward enough earlier.

When she’d finally regained her composure, she realized she was still in Qin Yu’s arms, their hands clasped together. The memory replayed in her mind again and again; she hadn’t dared look at his face, unwilling to imagine what expression he might have worn.

She took a deep breath, turned around, gripped her bag with both hands and gave him a genuine bow of gratitude.

Even then, she didn’t dare meet his eyes. As her gaze dropped, she caught sight of the conspicuous wrinkles on his suit jacket—

Realizing she was responsible, her lips twitched slightly. “Third Brother, I’ll treat you to a meal when we’re back in Beijing. Go on to your work, I need to make my transfer.”

“We’ll meet in Beijing, then.”

Qin Yu didn’t say goodbye; instead, he stopped her. “You’re taking another flight. Aren’t you worried about your ears?”

Lin Xi pressed her lips together, defending herself, “As long as I’m asleep during takeoff and landing, there’s no real problem. I’ll be careful, nothing will happen.”

She knew from experience—if she was asleep, nothing like what happened earlier would occur.

Her sleep had been poor lately, making her doze off too long at takeoff, so she hadn’t slept deeply enough for the rest of the journey, leaving her mind too alert.

“There’s no need to transfer flights. Come with me.”

Lin Xi gave a puzzled hum. “But we’re not going the same way. Aren’t you here on business?”

“I never said New York was my final destination.”

“So you—”

Qin Yu cut her off, lifting his chin:

“Wherever you go, that’s where I’m headed. Does that make it clear?”