Ye Yanxi's heart tightened immediately. Then, following the instruction, she walked over and sat on the chair opposite under the intimidating gaze of the Elder Master Xiao. She sat upright, with her hands folded neatly like a student in class.
The table was already filled with delicate and delicious dishes that made one's mouth water.
However, Ye Yanxi had no desire to touch the delicious food at all. Her palms were sweating nervously, and she didn't know where to look.
"Hello, Grandpa Xiao," Ye Yanxi murmured first.
"Did I tell you to call me Grandpa?" the Elder Master Xiao snorted, looking aloof and cold.
His temper was so much like Xiao Yu's.
"Hello, Elder Master Xiao!" Ye Yanxi quickly corrected herself.
The Elder Master Xiao motioned to her with his eyes. "These are all the signature dishes of the restaurant. Don't you like them?"
Ye Yanxi felt a great deal of pressure. She didn't come here to have dinner with the Elder Master Xiao. Moreover... this situation made her feel scared from the bottom of her heart.
"No, Elder Master Xiao. I'm not hungry at the moment, so..."
"Since you're not hungry, I'll start eating first!"
The Elder Master Xiao immediately picked up his chopsticks and started eating without waiting for Ye Yanxi's response. He ate with such determination as if there was no one else around.
Ye Yanxi felt rather embarrassed sitting opposite him. However, the Elder Master Xiao completely ignored her and kept tasting the dishes seriously, treating Ye Yanxi like air.
So, Ye Yanxi felt extremely uncomfortable sitting there. She kept wondering what the Elder Master Xiao's purpose was for calling her here. The old man didn't play by the rules, and his emotions were hard to fathom, just like Xiao Yu's unpredictable mood. So... she listed almost all the possibilities in her mind.
Half an hour later, the Elder Master Xiao finally finished his meal, while Ye Yanxi had sat silently as air for half an hour.
She didn't dare to speak first. She was afraid that if she annoyed the old master, she didn't know what would happen to her. So, she never interrupted his meal.
After the Elder Master Xiao put down his chopsticks, he wiped his hands with a napkin, then slowly picked up the tea on one side and took a sip. After putting down the teacup, his gaze finally fell on Ye Yanxi.
Seeing the old master looking at her, Ye Yanxi quickly sat up straight, looking as if she were ready to face death bravely.
The Elder Master Xiao's eyes were already deep. When he looked at people, it was like X - rays that seemed to be able to penetrate into one's soul.
"Do you know why I called you here?"
"Is it... about the President's matter?" Ye Yanxi bit her lip.
"You're very smart. Xiao Yu has good taste," the Elder Master Xiao's voice was deep, showing strength in his dignity. "However, Xiao Yu is my most beloved grandson. I won't ignore his affairs."
Hearing this, Ye Yanxi clenched her hands tightly. She rolled her eyes and then looked into the Elder Master Xiao's eyes.
"Did you call me here to ask me to... break up with him?" After saying this, all the strength in her body seemed to be drained away, and her heart sank little by little.
"I didn't say that," the Elder Master Xiao suddenly changed the topic. "I heard that you were with Bei Ze for eight years. Is that true?"
Ye Yanxi's heart tightened. Sure enough, nothing could be hidden from the old master. She nodded slightly and admitted, "Yes."
"Bei Ze is Xiao Yu's nephew. You already know that," the Elder Master Xiao's tone didn't show any fluctuation.
"Yes," Ye Yanxi nodded again. Then, she opened her mouth anxiously to explain, "But it's not what you think between Chu Beize and me. We..."
"Also, I heard that your adoptive parents divorced because of you," the Elder Master Xiao said unhurriedly, but his words made Ye Yanxi's heart churn again. He took a sip of tea and continued casually, "Tell me, if these things were known to the outside world, what do you think the consequences would be?"
These words were like the last straw that broke the camel's back. Ye Yanxi's heart slowly sank, and darkness completely surrounded her.
What would the consequences be?
The woman of the President of the Xiao Group was the former girlfriend of his nephew and had been with the nephew for eight years. If the outside media caught wind of this, not only would Xiao Yu be laughed at by the outside world, but the entire Xiao family would also be condemned because of this incident.
Moreover, she was just an orphan. Once it was exposed, the Ye family might also be involved, and the situation would only get worse.
Seeing that Ye Yanxi had nothing to say in rebuttal, the Elder Master Xiao paused. "Chu Beize's mother, who is also Xiao Yu's sister, almost became your mother - in - law. Do you think she can accept you?"
Ye Yanxi knew better than anyone else that Chu Beize's mother always looked down on her.
Ye Yanxi remained silent, her thoughts in a mess. The Elder Master Xiao mercilessly finished speaking, "After Xiao Yu recovers from his injury, he will definitely come to find you."
Ye Yanxi ignored the coldness in the Elder Master Xiao's tone. As soon as she heard that Xiao Yu's injury was getting better, she got excited. "Is he out of danger now?"
The Elder Master Xiao didn't answer her question. He just said indifferently, "If he comes to find you again, I think... with your intelligence, you should know what to do."
After saying that, the Elder Master Xiao got up and left in front of Ye Yanxi without caring whether she would answer or not.
Ye Yanxi felt as if a basin of cold water had been poured on her head. Her heart ached.
She didn't know how long she had been sitting in the private room. When she came to her senses, she was the only one left in the quiet private room.
Xiao Yu was okay!
Finally, she heard someone say with her own ears that Xiao Yu was okay.
This was probably the only happy thing in these days.
However, when she recalled what the Elder Master Xiao had said, the joy in her heart gradually faded away.
Just when they had just met, they were about to part. The big brother from sixteen years ago and the words she had said to Xiao Yu under the hotel table that night. She had thought that fate would finally bring them a happy ending, but was this the final result?
Sixteen years of waiting only ended up with a short encounter. Scenes of her time with Xiao Yu kept playing in her mind.
It wasn't until the waitress came in to clear the table and called her that she hurriedly stood up and left the restaurant dejectedly.
She took a taxi back to the apartment in Qingyuwan. As soon as she entered the door, she fed and added water to the two little guys as usual.
As soon as Xiaohui and Xiaobai saw the food, they pounced on it and started fighting for it. Counting the time, they had been in the apartment for a long time, and they had completely adapted to this house.
Ye Yanxi smiled. Watching the two little guys eating the food with relish, the sadness that could no longer be hidden welled up in her eyes. When she reached out to touch the cage, the two little guys seemed to sense her emotions and stopped fighting for food. They stared at her with their eyes motionless.
"Eat quickly. We'll leave here soon and move to a new home," Ye Yanxi forced a smile and looked at them.
Xiaohui and Xiaobai couldn't understand what she was saying, but they still looked up at her motionlessly.
The smile on Ye Yanxi's lips gradually disappeared, and her eyes dimmed. "Are you also reluctant to leave here?"
She smiled self - deprecatingly. "Actually, I'm also reluctant, but people can't stay in one place forever."
"I'll take you back to the place where I grew up. That's our home," Ye Yanxi repeated with a smiling and determined expression. "It's home. You'll like it there."
After feeding the two little guys, Ye Yanxi went straight to the second floor and lay on the bed. She felt that her past life seemed so far away and unreal.
After thinking for a while, she dialed Ye Junze's phone number. She didn't know who else she could call now. Soon, the other side answered the phone. Ye Junze sounded very happy. He even whispered to the people beside him, "It's my daughter calling. Hehe."
"Dad, are you still busy?" Ye Yanxi looked at the time. It was already ten o'clock at night.
"I'll be done soon."
"Dad, you just got out of the hospital. You should also pay attention to rest. It's so late, and you're still busy. Don't wear yourself out," Ye Yanxi exhorted worriedly.
Hearing this, Ye Junze laughed a few times. His tone was brisk. "With Xiao Xi's concern, Dad will definitely be okay. Okay, I promise I'll go back right away."
Since his divorce from Lu Manwen, Ye Junze seemed to be in a much better mood.
"Did you have dinner tonight?" Ye Yanxi asked. According to the usual time, Ye Junze almost never had dinner when he was busy.
Sure enough, Ye Junze mumbled vaguely on the other side, "Well, I forgot when I was busy. But I ate something casually."
Ye Yanxi immediately frowned. "Dad, didn't I tell you to eat on time? Your body hasn't fully recovered yet. How can you endure it without eating? How many times do I have to tell you before you can remember?"
Ye Junze immediately knew he was in the wrong and didn't say a word.
After a while, he whispered, "I'll go and eat."
"What about next time? Will you do the same thing again?"
"I guarantee I won't. I'll definitely eat on time next time," Ye Junze immediately promised. Then, he softened his tone. "Xiao Xi, don't be angry with Dad, okay?"
"Dad, I'm also thinking about your health," Ye Yanxi said helplessly.
"Of course Dad knows. Xiao Xi cares about Dad the most. I'll definitely eat on time from now on."
"I remember you said the same thing before," Ye Yanxi didn't believe him. "I'll order food for you later. Isn't there a 24 - hour restaurant next to your company building? From now on, I'll have someone deliver food to you on time. I'll keep an eye on you to see if you dare not eat."
Ye Junze immediately beamed with joy. "Okay, okay. Dad will definitely listen to Xiao Xi and eat well."
"Well, that's more like it."
"It's already ten o'clock. You're still not resting. Do you have something to talk to Dad about?" After all, he had raised his daughter for more than ten years, so he still knew her a little.
Ye Yanxi paused and didn't say a word for a while. "Dad, I want to move back home in a few days."
This time, it was Ye Junze's turn to be silent for a few seconds. After he reacted, his voice was a bit excited. "Really, Xiao Xi? Are you really going to move back?"
"Yes," Ye Yanxi heard Ye Junze's delighted voice and the corners of her mouth lifted. "I'm going home. Will you welcome me, Dad?"
"What are you saying? You're being too polite. I've always wanted you to move back earlier. Now it's great. Our family will finally be reunited."
Ye Yanxi heard Ye Junze telling others on the other end of the phone that his daughter was going home.
Home. These two words always easily tugged at people's heartstrings.
She chatted with Ye Junze for a while. After hanging up the phone, she had no drowsiness at all. It seemed that she would be sleepless again tonight, Ye Yanxi thought to herself.
Since that day, Ye Yanxi hadn't received any news about Xiao Yu for two days. However, she was no longer as anxious as before.
Because she knew that Xiao Yu was out of danger now and was okay. As long as he was safe, that was enough.
All she could do was wait, wait for Xiao Yu to come back.
One afternoon at work, Ye Yanxi felt extremely tired. She had been having trouble sleeping these nights, and she always felt sleepy in the afternoon. So, she put her work aside and went to the tea - making room to make a cup of coffee to refresh herself.
As soon as she entered, there was another person in the tea - making room.
It was He Qiuyang!
After getting the coffee, Ye Yanxi turned around and was about to leave, but He Qiuyang suddenly blocked her way.
Ye Yanxi frowned. Seeing that He Qiuyang seemed to be in a bad mood, she asked, "What are you doing?"
"I'm asking you. The President hasn't come to the company for a while. Do you know something?" He Qiuyang's face was gloomy.
Ye Yanxi didn't want to talk to her too much, so she tried to bypass her and leave.
Obviously, He Qiuyang wasn't going to let it go. She blocked Ye Yanxi again.
"Don't you like the President very much? You always followed and secretly took pictures of him. So, you must know where the President has been these days, right?"
Facing He Qiuyang's unreasonable behavior, Ye Yanxi only felt it was ridiculous. Because of He Qiuyang's previous misdeeds and her accusing look now, Ye Yanxi only felt disgusted.
Wasn't it He Qiuyang who had secretly taken pictures of Xiao Yu and followed him? Now she even framed her. And she said it so calmly.
Ye Yanxi was really shocked to see such a shameless person.
Finally, Ye Yanxi reached out and pushed her away. He Qiuyang staggered. After finally standing still, she only saw Ye Yanxi's back, so she stamped her foot angrily.
After entering the office, Ye Yanxi took a sip of coffee. The bitter taste spread in her mouth, but now she only felt numb. Fortunately, she felt a bit more energetic and planned to continue working.
Just as she moved the mouse, the avatar in the company's internal group flashed. She then clicked on it.
Suddenly, a message popped up in the chat box. As soon as she saw the name of the avatar clearly, Ye Yanxi felt that the blood in her whole body had frozen.
It was Xiao Yu!
He sent a message: Xiao Xi, guess where I am?