The Billionaire's Hidden Affection

Chapter 683 - 680: The Barefooted Brawny Man Appears 6_1

The police car drove away, his angry curses finally fading into silence.

Yan Xixi slumped into the chair, utterly unable to move.

Xu Xiaoya was on holiday today and not in the store. Yan Xixi did not want to confide in the salesgirls. She just propped her head in her hands, incredibly tired.

Li Zhen looked very worried. "Xixi, would you like to go to the hospital for a check-up?"

She shook her head, looking blankly at him. It was as if only then did it occur to her that he had saved her. If Li Zhen hadn’t arrived today, the consequences would have been unbearable to imagine.

Still in shock, she said, "Thank you."

Li Zhen was visibly distressed. "Xixi, I think you should take a few days off work."

She remained silent.

He cautiously suggested, "If there’s nothing particularly pressing, I advise you to head to the United States as soon as possible."

She lifted her head, clearly distracted. "I have things to deal with. I can’t leave just yet..."

"Nothing is more important than your life. Yang Wei is a madman. My mom mentioned it too. She said he’s harassed you more than once and probably still holds a grudge about what happened last time..."

Yan Xixi gave a bitter smile.

It was only then that she truly understood what Huang Xiaojue had said: "You’ve made so many enemies. If you show your face in public again, be careful, or you might end up with no place to be buried."

She was extremely tired. "It’s okay, you can go now."

"I’m free these next few days anyway, so feel free to ask for my help if you need anything."

She nodded.

Li Zhen had more to say. But seeing her with her eyes closed, remaining silent, he found it impossible to speak.

When Xu Xiaoya arrived, the shop was very quiet.

After the incident, the salesgirls were all too scared to attend to customers. Yan Xixi was in her office, with the door locked from the inside.

She had endured for so long, thinking she could finally find some relief. But it seemed the real crisis was yet to come.

After a while, she opened her messages.

The avatar was still black. There was no news.

Only a headline about Rina from the gossip section stood out. It was a substantial report on her endorsement of an international brand the previous day. Besides showcasing the brand’s latest products, she conspicuously wore a dazzlingly brilliant diamond ring—a so-called "pigeon’s egg"—on her ring finger.

Her smile was sweet, exuding happiness, so the media headline read: "The Most Beautiful Actress, Immersed in Love, is About to Marry Into a Wealthy Family..."

Previously, Yan Xixi had never cared about such reports because she knew there was more to the situation than met the eye.

But today, she was extremely tired.

It felt like a great battle where the main combatants were hidden, while only the vanguards faced the brunt of it—and she, one such vanguard, didn’t even have the right to be informed. You had to figure everything out, to understand and speculate, all on your own. If you figured things out correctly, you would pass the test. And if you didn’t? Would you end up being slashed by Yang Wei’s knife, like today?

Despite possessing an intellect capable of getting into Harvard, the thought sent a chill down her spine. In a daze, a voice deep within her seemed to ask: How much longer can I endure? If these trials are meant to prove my capability to fit into that family, then what if I don’t pass?

There was a knock on the door.

She opened the door.

Xu Xiaoya appeared, panic-stricken. "Xixi, are you alright?"

"I’m fine."

"How did that madman Yang Wei track you down? This time, he must go to jail! What he did was attempted murder; he just didn’t succeed..."

She gave a bitter laugh, then quickly gulped down the cup of already cold black tea on the table.

Xu Xiaoya suggested gingerly, "Xixi, perhaps you should skip tonight’s cocktail party..."