Chapter 297

After the weekend, Xia Xi returned to the company to work as usual.

Huang Shiyu saw her and scanned her up and down several times: "Sis, do you really not need to rest a few more days? How did you come back so quickly?"

"I came back to see if you've been slacking off." Xia Xi joked, then opened her computer.

Huang Shiyu laughed foolishly for a moment, then answered seriously: "I've completed the tasks you assigned me." She leaned against the desk; although no one else was around, she still spoke softly, "It's better not to take on Mrs. Li's order."

Xia Xi glanced at her and asked softly, "What's wrong?"

Huang Shiyu pursed her lips, having a strong opinion about Mrs. Li: "She comes every day to urge and nitpick; even Engineer Gao is close to breaking down. Given your current health, you definitely can't handle it, so I said not taking this order isn't a bad thing."

Xia Xi raised her eyebrows: "It's that difficult?"

"Not just that—I also heard that when Engineer Gao designed the studio and exhibition hall in the manor, he deliberately communicated with Mrs. Li's husband, after all he's the painter and uses those spaces more. Upon learning this, Mrs. Li rushed over to warn Engineer Gao to contact her about any issues, not her husband. What do you think Mrs. Li means? She's afraid Engineer Gao will seduce her husband." Huang Shiyu said, feeling a bit sympathetic toward Gao Ge: "Back then, many colleagues were present, and Engineer Gao's face flushed red then white—it was so unfair."

Xia Xi rested her chin on her hand, recalling the scene of her first meeting with Mrs. Li, who stared at her face for a long time, even asked if she was married, and treated her coldly. Later, hearing that she was a mother of two, Mrs. Li's attitude changed.

Xia Xi shook her head: "Never mind those things, focus on your own work. This afternoon, come with me to Jingyu Yuan to check the construction progress."

"Okay."

Huang Shiyu nodded, holding the folder, and went out.

At lunchtime, Huang Shiyu received a phone call, went out for a bit, and returned holding two thermal boxes, which she delivered to Xia Xi's office.

"Sis, a delivery guy brought this, saying it's for you. Did you order takeout?" Huang Shiyu muttered, "It doesn't look like takeout."

There was no order, and no packaging.

Xia Xi's expression was a bit bewildered: "I didn't order it."

She planned to finish her current work and then go to a restaurant to eat.

Xia Xi opened the thermal box; it had several layers, a total of four dishes and one soup, the portions weren't large, but the combination was rich.

While wondering where this lunch came from, her phone popped up a video call invitation; she glanced at it briefly—it was from Xu Yanfeng.

Huang Shiyu also saw the note on the screen and suddenly realized: "Oh, I know—it's General Manager Xu… uh, brother-in-law, who sent someone to deliver this loving lunch!"

She had her hands behind her back, backing out of the office so as not to disturb their call.

Xia Xi hesitated before pressing answer; the screen showed Xu Yanfeng's face, the background being his office, wearing the pure black suit he had left home in that morning, a white shirt, a dark blue subtly striped tie, paired with a low-key dark gold tie clip. His facial contours were clear and smooth, each line as if carefully drawn.

Xu Yanfeng tilted the camera to show her his desk, where a similar thermal box sat, containing the same dishes. He said, "Keeping you company while you eat."

Xia Xi instantly understood—he was worried she'd fall back into irregular eating habits, so he arranged for meals to be sent, and on top of that, he specially made a video call to watch her eat.

"You…" Xia Xi paused, her tone somewhat helpless, "You won't keep doing this from now on, will you?"

"You're right." Xu Yanfeng switched the camera back to front-facing, picked up a piece of meat and waved it at her like a professional mukbang host, "Today there's the sweet and sour pork ribs you like."

Xia Xi gnawed on the ribs, speaking indistinctly: "I'm already out of your sight, yet I'm still being monitored like a prisoner." She seemed to forget that if she didn't want to see him, she could just end the video call.

Xu Yanfeng: "No way—who let this prisoner of yours never obey discipline?"

Xia Xi wanted to laugh but held it in.

Each ate their own meal; although they were physically apart, it felt as if they were sharing the same table.

Xu Yanfeng followed through; in the days that followed, every noon he arranged for someone to deliver meals to Xia Xi on time, then video-called to keep her company while she ate.

Occasionally, Xu Yanfeng had midday engagements and couldn't video-call Xia Xi; he would send a message reminding her to eat, and have Huang Shiyu monitor her in his place, taking a photo of her eating to send back to him.

After learning this, Xia Xi complained to Huang Shiyu, "Are you his assistant or mine?"

Just after Qingming Festival, Xia Xi received an international email.

Afterward, she informed Lu Mingji and booked a ticket to fly to Londun the next day, fortunately her visa was still valid.

Xia Xi picked up the child and went home, then began packing.

This business trip would last several days, so she needed to bring enough clothes and daily necessities; Xia Xi went back and forth a few times, stuffing the suitcase full, leaving her breathing heavily from exhaustion.

Xu Yanfeng came home from work, passed the master bedroom, the door wide open; he immediately noticed the suitcase spread on the sofa, paused for a moment, raised his hand and knocked, heard no reply, and went straight in.

Xia Xi came out of the bathroom, holding a toiletry pouch, and placed it in the suitcase.

"Where are you going?" Xu Yanfeng asked.

Xia Xi straightened up, hand on her waist: "I'm flying to Londun on a business trip, about a week." This time she told him in person, so he couldn't wrongly accuse her of leaving without notice.

"Why would you go to Londun? Weren't you just in charge of Jingyu Yuan?"

"No. The last project I took before returning home was helping a garden hotel with its design; I had already submitted the plan, they were satisfied and promptly paid, but then it seemed approval issues arose, so construction didn't start for a while. Only recently did it begin, and they discovered the plan didn't match the actual situation, requiring me to go in person to coordinate with the contractors." Xia Xi explained in detail: "As the saying goes, 'take money to do things'—I took the money, so I must see their affairs through splendidly."

Xu Yanfeng remained silent for a good while.

Having grown accustomed to seeing her every day, hearing suddenly that she would go abroad for a week left him feeling somewhat wistful, and he couldn't quite set his mind at ease.

"Ah, right." Xia Xi pointed to Zi Heng outside the door: "During these few days I'm away, you take good care of the child; if you really can't manage, send him to my mother's. Lately Youyou has been staying there, and Zi Heng going over would be fine too."

"Zi Heng, come here." Xu Yanfeng gestured outward with his hand.

Hearing Xu Yanfeng call him, Zi Heng hesitated a moment, put down the sliding block puzzle he was playing with, and ran over.

Xu Yanfeng told him about Xia Xi's business trip, and to reassure her, he asked Zi Heng in her presence: "We father and son can stay at home, right?"

Zi Heng ignored him, instead hugging Xia Xi and looking up, saying, "Mom, don't worry, I can take care of myself."

Xu Yanfeng: "……"

The next day, Xu Yanfeng personally sent Xia Xi to the airport. She refused several times, but it was no use; he insisted on seeing her off, so she had to acquiesce.

Some words, he only said at the airport, afraid that if he said them earlier she'd forget: "Don't think that just because you're out of my sight I can't do anything about you—eat your three meals a day as usual, no being willful; if you forget, I'll call to remind you…"

"There's a time difference between us."

Xia Xi couldn't help but interject; the next second, she saw his two eyebrows lower, as if he were squinting his eyes to glare at her, clearly expressing his displeasure.

"Alright, I've got it all." Xia Xi nodded, knowing the situation.

"Don't get impatient, and don't just go through the motions."

"I haven't…"

Xia Xi wanted to argue, but Xu Yanfeng raised his hand, pressing his fingertip to her lips to stop her from saying aggravating words. He looked at her as if she were a clueless child, his low voice carrying a faint sigh: "I will…"

The airport hall was crowded with heads, noisy, the boarding announcement blared over the PA, drowning out Xu Yanfeng's voice.

Xia Xi fixed her gaze on his moving lips, waiting for the broadcast to end, then she moved his finger away from her lips and asked, "What did you just say? I didn't catch the latter part."

As if to spite her, just as she finished speaking, the broadcast sounded again with the announcement for passengers to board, mixed with the heart‑rending wails of a child nearby.