Ye Yanxi just moved her hand under the quilt, then blinked her big, watery eyes and looked at Xiao Yu sincerely. "There's really nothing under my quilt."
As she spoke, she slowly moved the book in her hand and quickly pressed it under her body. While doing all this, she looked at Xiao Yu frankly. Finally, after putting the book in place, she secretly let out a sigh of relief.
This book was given to her by the patient in the next - door ward.
The patient next door happened to be an Italian, and the book he gave her was in the original Italian. Speaking of the origin of this book, it was because all her books had been taken away by Xiao Yu. She felt extremely bored, so she strolled around outside the ward for a few laps. Just then, she saw the patient next door reading a book, so she borrowed one.
Seeing that she was quite familiar with Italian, the patient was very generous and lent the book to her after getting to know her.
At this moment, Ye Yanxi was deeply attracted by the content of the book and was reading it with great interest. Who would have thought that Xiao Yu would come back so soon.
This was a borrowed book, not hers, so she couldn't let Xiao Yu snatch it away again.
So, no matter how cold Xiao Yu's eyes were or how unpleasant his expression was, Ye Yanxi would never let go.
Anyway, the book was already under her. So, looking at Xiao Yu's pressing eyes, Ye Yanxi frankly threw off the quilt. What was under the quilt was completely exposed. Fortunately, the hospital gown was loose enough to perfectly cover the book.
"See, I told you there's nothing," she said. Afraid that Xiao Yu would notice something, Ye Yanxi quickly covered herself with the quilt again after he took a look. Then she gave a charming smile. Under the bright light, the smile was so dazzling that Xiao Yu stared at her with a dark look in his eyes, as if lost in thought.
Anyway, he had seen it. He shouldn't suspect anything now, right?
However, Ye Yanxi was still a bit nervous because Xiao Yu stood beside the bed like a statue, motionless. His beautiful, ink - black pupils just stared at her face.
His sharp gaze was like thousands of ice thorns. An ordinary person would have surrendered under such pressure, but Ye Yanxi stared back at him without flinching. Her palms were covered in cold sweat, and her fingernails were digging into her flesh. This kind of mentally - exhausting confrontation was really tough. If she hadn't been holding on, Ye Yanxi would have given up long ago. Xiao Yu's gaze was really terrifying.
The temperature in the ward seemed to drop a few degrees instantly. No one spoke. It was as if the atmosphere before a storm, stuffy and suffocating. Ye Yanxi couldn't help but shiver.
Was he expecting her to hand over the book herself? But... no, she couldn't keep giving in. Absolutely not.
Ye Yanxi was struggling in her mind. She bit her lower lip tightly and felt that the book under her was a bit hard and uncomfortable.
Finally, Ye Yanxi felt that she might not be able to hold on any longer, so she looked up into his eyes. "Why do you keep looking at me like this? Isn't it too late? Aren't you going back?"
Xiao Yu continued to stare at her face. His eyes were dark, like a wild beast. Ye Yanxi couldn't help but show a bit of timidity.
"What are you doing?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, Xiao Yu suddenly leaned over. His handsome and dangerous face was just a few centimeters away from Ye Yanxi's. Their noses almost touched. His obsidian - like eyes were like an unfathomable abyss.
She was caught off - guard by his sudden approach. Her breathing became rapid, and her heart started pounding.
Because of her nervousness, she could clearly feel Xiao Yu's hand slowly sliding down along her waist.
Instantly, Ye Yanxi panicked. Her whole body tensed up, and she didn't dare to move. She reached out her hand and tugged at his clothes with difficulty. Her face was burning. "What are you doing? This is a hospital. Don't do anything inappropriate. And I'm still a patient..."
For a moment, the ambiguous atmosphere made Ye Yanxi think that Xiao Yu was about to do something to her.
But before she could finish her words, she felt the book under her being quickly pulled out.
Ye Yanxi stared at Xiao Yu with wide eyes. How could this guy be so sneaky and cunning?
Almost instantly, the cold air pressure slowly dissipated, and the oppressive aura of Xiao Yu's powerful presence also disappeared.
Xiao Yu had already stood up. A book was pinched between his slender fingers. He looked down at her from above. This was exactly the book she had just hidden and didn't want him to take away.
It was over. The book was about to be lost. Ye Yanxi was a bit anxious. "Give it back to me!"
Then she reached out her hand to grab it back, but Xiao Yu was standing and holding the book high up. She couldn't reach it at all. In a fit of anger, Ye Yanxi propped herself up on the bed, ready to fight to the end. But then she heard a crisp sound of paper tearing. Looking at Xiao Yu's hand, the book was actually torn in half.
Ye Yanxi was still a bit slow to react when she saw the book being torn. She forgot to grab it and just stared blankly as Xiao Yu slowly tore the book into pieces. Finally, he threw countless pieces of paper into the trash can. His movements were elegant and casual. Looking at the once - intact book now lying in a sorry state in the trash can.
Looking at Xiao Yu's indifferent expression, Ye Yanxi was filled with anger. There seemed to be flames burning in her eyes. "You actually tore my book!" As she spoke, she clenched her fists. It seemed that if anyone provoked her now, she would surely get up and beat that person up.
"The doctor said you need to rest well. Don't let me catch you reading again. Otherwise, I'll tear every book I see. Let's see if you have more books or if I can tear them faster!" Xiao Yu's face was cold, and his tone was tough.
He was simply a complete tyrant, cold - blooded, cruel, violent, and unreasonable!
Ye Yanxi gritted her teeth tightly and didn't say a word. She just stared at the pile of waste paper.
"Did you hear what I said?" Xiao Yu narrowed his long eyes, his voice threatening.
However, Ye Yanxi's response to him was as if she hadn't heard a single word. Then she turned her head away on her own and didn't intend to pay any attention to him.
The room suddenly fell silent again. Somehow, Ye Yanxi fell asleep while still angry.
When she woke up the next day, she found that Xiao Yu was no longer in the ward.
When taking her temperature in the morning, the fever finally went away, and her pneumonia was also cured.
When Ye Yanxi was going through the discharge procedures, she first went to the next - door ward to apologize to the Italian patient and wanted to compensate him with a new book. But the patient said that no compensation was needed. Moreover, he was also about to be discharged soon and would return to his country.
Although the patient's attitude was still very gentle, Ye Yanxi still felt very guilty because of this incident. Naturally, she blamed all of it on Xiao Yu.
It was already nine or ten o'clock in the morning when she was out of the hospital. She took the bus to the company in a hurry.
As soon as she arrived at the business department's office, Sister Yang saw her and came up to greet her. "Didn't you say you were hospitalized because of pneumonia? Why did you come to the company so soon? I think your complexion is still not very good. Go back and rest quickly. Don't push yourself."
Ye Yanxi looked at Sister Yang's concerned expression and felt a warmth in her heart. She smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, Sister Yang. I'm fine. I had a check - up this morning, and everything is okay. I can handle the work. Please rest assured, Sister Yang."
She had only been working in the Xiao Group for three months, but she had missed a lot of work because of various things during these three months. The most important thing was that she had already taken a lot of leave. If this continued, she would feel embarrassed to take her salary.
Moreover, for every day she missed, she would earn less money. She still had so many debts to pay.
Seeing that Ye Yanxi was determined to come back to work, Sister Yang didn't try to persuade her anymore. She just said, "Well, then you can start working. But if you feel unwell, rest immediately. Don't be so stubborn."
"Okay," Ye Yanxi replied. Then she returned to her work station.
As soon as she sat down and before she could turn on the computer, He Qiuyang put a stack of materials on her desk. "These are the materials you need to work on today."
After saying that, she returned to her own seat. Her face looked as if someone owed her tens of millions the whole time.
Ye Yanxi didn't say much. She turned on the computer, flipped through the materials, and then started working.
Just recovered from a serious illness, she still felt a bit weak. At noon, Ye Yanxi felt that the office was a bit stuffy. So, during the lunch break, she went downstairs, planning to go to a nearby place for lunch and also get some fresh air.
However, just as she walked a short distance away from the Xiao Group, she felt that someone seemed to be following her. She was always quite alert, so she quickly noticed.
After standing still for a while, she quickened her pace. She still felt that the person behind was following closely.
There happened to be a corner ahead. She dodged into it.
She hid at the corner, planning to see who was following her.
But after waiting for a long time, it was obvious that the other person was also quite alert. He didn't follow up quickly. Instead, he hid at the corner and slowly approached.
However, most of the buildings around were made of glass and reflective. She could easily see the person's figure.
When the person got closer, Ye Yanxi quickly grabbed his wrist and then used some strength. The next moment, she lifted her foot and kicked him in the abdomen.
The person almost immediately bent down in pain. At the same time, he deftly pulled his wrist out of Ye Yanxi's hand and turned around to run.
Ye Yanxi didn't give him a chance to escape. She immediately chased after him.
The person ran very fast and obviously had a way out. Ye Yanxi saw him dash across the road. Just then, a motorcycle sped over. The person stepped on it without stopping. By the time Ye Yanxi caught up, it was already too late. The motorcycle deliberately made a stylish turn on the road and then disappeared in a flash.
Ye Yanxi stamped her feet in anger as she watched the two disappear.
She should have held the person tightly just now. She shouldn't have given him a chance to escape.
If she remembered correctly, the person on the motorcycle was the murderer who stabbed Aunt Chen at the hospital entrance. Although the person was wearing a helmet, she would never mistake that look in his eyes when he turned his head.
The murderer had just escaped like this.
Just as she was sulking alone, a luxury car stopped by the roadside. The window was rolled down. "Is that you, Xiao Ye?"
Ye Yanxi heard someone speaking in front of her and subconsciously looked up.
The person in the car was He Man's mother, Mrs. He.
Ye Yanxi quickly tidied up her clothes and politely greeted her. "Hello, Mrs. He!"
"Xiao Ye, it sounds so formal when you call me like this. Didn't I say before that you can call me Auntie?" Mrs. He was a bit dissatisfied with Ye Yanxi's address.
Ye Yanxi was startled when she heard this. Facing Mrs. He's enthusiasm, she quickly changed her address. "Hello, Auntie He."
"Good, good," Mrs. He said with a beaming smile. "Come on, get in the car."
"Um, Auntie He, I have to go back to work later. I need to return to the company soon."
"Well, then we can have lunch together now. Just sit in a nearby place. Auntie will treat you." Mrs. He's tone was gentle and pleasant.
Ye Yanxi was a bit embarrassed but still refused. "Auntie He, it's really not convenient. If you're thanking me for that day, you don't need to be so polite."
For some reason, the more Mrs. He looked at Ye Yanxi's face, the more she liked her. It seemed as if they had known each other for a long time, with a sense of familiarity.
Hearing Ye Yanxi's words, Mrs. He put on a straight face and pretended to be strict. "Do you think Auntie is forcing you? Do you think Auntie can't even afford to treat you to a meal?"
"Of course not," Ye Yanxi said with a smile. She thought that if she continued to decline, Mrs. He might misunderstand even more.
So she was pulled into the car by Mrs. He. "Let's go for lunch first. I'll definitely send you back before you go to work."
The car didn't drive for long when Ye Yanxi felt it stop. She recognized this as a nearby luxury hotel.
Mrs. He exuded an air of nobility. As soon as the two of them walked in, the waiter quickly greeted them and didn't dare to be the least bit negligent.
After they sat down, the waiter stood respectfully behind Mrs. He. Mrs. He flipped through the menu for a few glances and then handed it to Ye Yanxi. "Xiao Ye, take a look and see what you'd like to eat. Don't be polite to me. Auntie is treating."
Seeing that she couldn't decline, Ye Yanxi had to pick up the menu and look through it.
When she saw the prices at a glance, Ye Yanxi gasped secretly. It was so expensive, outrageously expensive.
When she first came in, she felt that the hotel was luxuriously decorated and high - class. She knew the consumption would be high, but looking at the dishes that cost almost three digits, she hesitated. Finally, she ordered two seemingly ordinary vegetarian dishes and then handed the menu back to Mrs. He.
As soon as Mrs. He saw the dishes Ye Yanxi had ordered, she frowned.
"Why do you only eat these for lunch? There's no nutrition at all. You're already so thin. Are you still on a diet?" Mrs. He shook her head and immediately reordered the dishes.
This time, there were all kinds of chicken, duck, and fish.
Hearing Mrs. He quickly reciting the names of the dishes, Ye Yanxi quickly stopped her. "Auntie, there are only two of us. This is enough. We won't be able to finish it."
"It's okay. We can just taste a bit of each," Mrs. He ignored her objection and still lowered her head to flip through the menu.
Looking at Mrs. He's actions, Ye Yanxi remembered the scene in the apartment last time when Xiao Yu had someone deliver more than a dozen dishes and there wasn't enough space on the table.
After ordering the dishes, Mrs. He told the waiter to serve them quickly.
The waiter quickly agreed and left.
The hotel's service speed was really fast. Ye Yanxi only felt that it didn't take long for the dishes to be served. They were placed on the table one after another. Mrs. He happily picked up the dishes and put them into Ye Yanxi's bowl.
"Xiao Ye, try this. And this fish. It's good for girls to eat fish. Try this one too."
In a short while, Ye Yanxi's bowl was filled with the dishes Mrs. He had picked for her.
Ye Yanxi looked at the dishes in her bowl with a bit of annoyance. Seeing that Mrs. He was still happily putting more dishes into her bowl, she finally said that she couldn't eat so much. Only then did Mrs. He stop and start eating herself.
During the meal, Mrs. He casually asked Ye Yanxi some questions about her work. Ye Yanxi told her that she was currently working part - time in the Xiao Group and would leave after the summer vacation.
Mrs. He praised Ye Yanxi for being smart. She thought that Ye Yanxi must be very capable to be able to work in the Xiao Group. The more she looked at Ye Yanxi, the more she liked her.
"By the way, Xiao Ye, how old are you this year?" Mrs. He suddenly asked.
"I'll be twenty - one in less than a month," Ye Yanxi replied.
"You're the same age as my Manman. My Manman also has her birthday next month. When's yours?" Mrs. He looked at her in surprise.
"The twentieth of the solar calendar," Ye Yanxi answered.
"That's really a coincidence. My Manman's birthday is also on the twentieth. It turns out that you were born on the same year, month, and day," Mrs. He said.
Ye Yanxi was also a bit surprised. "What a coincidence!"
"Yes, I said we're fated," Mrs. He said with a smile. Just then, her phone suddenly rang.
Mrs. He picked up the phone and looked at the screen. She said to Ye Yanxi, "Speak of the devil. My Manman is calling. I'll answer it first."
Ye Yanxi nodded with a smile.
"Manman," Mrs. He answered the phone.
"Oh, I'm out for lunch. I won't go back for lunch. You eat first. Don't wait for me."
"Okay, okay. I'll definitely have lunch with you tomorrow," Mrs. He glanced at Ye Yanxi and said into the phone, "By the way, Manman, you'll never guess who I'm having lunch with right now."
Ye Yanxi heard someone asking something on the other end of the phone.
Then Mrs. He replied with a smile, "Xiao Ye. Do you still remember her? The girl who saved me at the hotel entrance."
Ye Yanxi didn't know what He Man said on the other end of the phone, but Mrs. He's face immediately looked a bit bad. "Manman, what are you talking about? I just happened to meet her, so I invited her to lunch."
After a while, Mrs. He's face looked better. "I