Chapter 47: The Child Is Not His

Xu Yanfeng's words spoken near Xia Xi's ear were: "Xia Xi, I really do hate you a bit."

Xia Xi hadn't yet figured out what that sentence meant when a sudden pain shot through her lip; she furrowed her brows—this man bit her again!

Just like last time in the private room, no matter how she resisted, Xu Yanfeng could easily subdue her; men and women are naturally unequal in strength.

Xia Xi wanted to smash the rangefinder in her hand onto his forehead, but as soon as she raised her hand, Xu Yanfeng anticipated her move, grabbed her wrist with one hand, lifted it above her head, and pressed it against the wall.

Her whole body was like a drawn bow.

Unable to move her upper body, Xia Xi lifted her leg to kick his leg, but he seemed to have a third eye; at the moment she lifted her foot, he bent his long leg and firmly pressed her down.

Xia Xi had become a fish on a chopping board, finding it hard to even turn over.

"You..."

Before she could utter a curse, just as she spat out a single word, Xu Yanfeng seized the opportunity to press his attack.

She was lifted up, forced to tilt her neck to receive his kiss; the lip that had barely healed split again, she tasted blood in her mouth, and her brows furrowed even deeper.

This bastard!

He wasn't like this before!

Cursing Xu Yanfeng a thousand times in her heart did no good; only after he had his fill did he release her, step back a few paces, his deep gaze fixed on her, the knuckle of his index finger rubbing her lip, leaving a smear of red on his fingertip.

The bow that was Xia Xi's body suddenly went slack; she could barely stand, her body sliding down the rough wall as she braced her hands behind her, barely keeping upright, refusing to collapse completely to the ground.

She glared at Xu Yanfeng with hatred, but her eyes were misty, rendering the stare hardly threatening.

Xia Xi raised a hand, intending to slap him hard, to teach him a lesson so he wouldn't pull this stunt every time they met.

Xu Yanfeng saw her move clearly; he could have dodged by turning his head, but he stood still, eyes locked on her, waiting for the slap to land on his face.

When Xia Xi's hand was just an inch from his face, it suddenly stopped; her fingers curled, closed, slowly formed a fist, then dropped—she ultimately couldn't bring herself to strike.

She couldn't bear to.

Xu Yanfeng saw through her thoughts, a faint smile appearing in his eyes.

"Xu Yanfeng, what exactly do you want?" Xia Xi drew a deep breath, her neck hollowing with two dimples, veins bulging, "How many times must I remind you that you have a girlfriend? If you truly want revenge on me, there's no need to hurt your girlfriend this way."

Xu Yanfeng adopted an inquisitive tone: "Who told you I have a girlfriend?"

Xia Xi: "?"

Guan He had said before signing the contract that they were renovating a wedding home; now that it's clear the villa's true owner is Xu Yanfeng, doesn't that mean he's getting married? Is it appropriate for someone about to marry to entangle himself with her like this?

"Ling Yan." Xia Xi said, "Isn't she your girlfriend?"

At the last class reunion, Ling Yan herself said she and Xu Yanfeng had only just met their parents, discussing engagement; according to procedure, renovating the wedding home now is appropriate.

As her lips moved, Xu Yanfeng's entire attention was on the wound at the corner of her lower lip; he didn't hear what she said.

After a few seconds, he lifted his gaze to her eyes: "What did you say?" Xia Xi didn't want to repeat herself, making it seem as if she were jealous. Although she indeed felt uneasy inside.

After a moment's thought, Xia Xi decided to speak plainly: "Xu Yanfeng, we're both adults; since we've split, let's each keep our dignity. I'll see this project through to your satisfaction; as for everything else, I hope you can stay rational and not overstep again."

Xu Yanfeng burst out laughing in anger: "Dignity? Do you think our original breakup was dignified? You want me to stay rational, but 'rationality' is something you've already worn away. Xia Xi, don't you feel guilty saying these things? Indeed, you're basically heartless, so nothing matters to you."

Xia Xi felt a lump in her throat and couldn't utter another word.

Having nothing to say, Xu Yanfeng had a lot to unload: "I just want to ask you, if you liked Zhou Du so much back then, why did you provoke me? Or is being with me just a game of yours from start to finish? If you want to end things, say so—stringing me along while you're tangled with Zhou Du, do you get a sense of accomplishment or what?"

Each word stabbed her heart like a knife; the hand she pressed against the wall slowly curled, the pain in her chest quickly spreading through her limbs, and even leaning on the wall she could barely stand.

"I didn't..."

She wanted to say she hadn't. She only liked him, having fallen for him at first sight.

But she couldn't say it.

Xia Xi lowered her eyelids; after a long while, her heart still throbbed, and she finally said to him: "Then hate me." If hating her would make him feel better, then let him hate her.

He ought to hate her, shouldn't he? Xu Yanfeng had expected her to say something, but instead she uttered this painless remark—better left unsaid. Why couldn't she offer compensation and stay with him? Had she never even thought of that? He felt like a clown, a pitiful clown, exhausting every trick yet failing to win her pity.

She had once liked Zhou Du; even though they're not together now, she left him two children. What did she leave him? The shame of betrayal? Or the helplessness of abandonment? Yes, he had examined that correct paternity report over and over, unable to deny reality—the child is not his.

At this moment, recalling the words on the report, Xu Yanfeng still felt his heart clench.

"Let's get down to business." Xu Yanfeng didn't want to linger in that despondent mood, forcing his focus back: "You measure the rooms while I share my renovation ideas. This apartment is the wedding home; you'd better not leave any loopholes, or don't blame me for forgetting old ties."

Still dazed, Xia Xi heard him speak at an even pace: "The overall style should be creamy wood; correspondingly, the color scheme should be warm. Make the kitchen as large as possible; if needed, demolish that wall and add an island counter; there should also be a children's room, with a couple of extra rooms..."

"Wait, say it slower." Xia Xi stopped thinking about anything else, gathered her focus, and threw herself into the work.

Xu Yanfeng paused, slightly raising his thin eyelids to look at her: "Is this your expertise?"

Xia Xi choked a little, her fingers clacking as she typed, noting his demand in her phone memo: "... please go on."

"The master bedroom is on the second floor; the walk-in closet should be spacious, ideally combining two rooms into one, expanding the adjacent guest room into a closet—we won't have many visitors, so the guest rooms are sufficient. There should be two vanities, one near the bed in the bedroom and one in the closet. Also the bathroom; the bathtub needs to be large..."

His suggestions were too detailed for her to remember, so she simply turned on the recording function and pushed the device forward to capture them more clearly.

Xu Yanfeng: "..."

He glanced at her phone screen, somewhat speechless, but didn't stop.

At first, listening to him left Xia Xi with a sour feeling; everything he listed pertained to a wife and children, even the house's style. She recalled that Xu Yanfeng used to favor minimalism with cool tones, but now he'd changed it all to suit his other half, while his own preferences seemed irrelevant. Yet as she kept listening, she gradually sensed something off.

Why did what he said sound so familiar?

Guess why Xi Xi would find it familiar?

Well, the answer will be revealed in half an hour O(∩_∩)O haha~ (End of chapter)