Chapter 61: What are you hiding from me?

The call went through, but no one answered.

Xia Xi thought maybe Xu Yanfeng saw an unfamiliar number and didn't want to answer; she usually didn't like picking up unknown calls either.

She called again, and after several tries he'd know someone was looking for him with business, not just random spam calls.

But she had already called four times, and there was still no response.

Xia Xi frowned, wondering if he hadn't brought his phone; after a few minutes she placed a fifth call, but it was cut off after a few rings.

Xia Xi: "?"

This showed Xu Yanfeng had seen the call but simply didn't want to answer.

Xia Xi sighed helplessly and edited a text message to send.

"I'm Xia Xi. My phone seems to have been left in your room; I'm sending someone to get it—does that work for you?"

Xu Yanfeng replied with four words: "Busy, do not disturb."

Xia Xi: "……"

Just as she was about to complain about him, Xia Xi suddenly recalled that at noon when she'd gone to see Xu Yanfeng, he'd said he had a 2 p. m. meeting, so he really was busy—not deliberately stalling her. She therefore stopped calling and texting him, and turned to her work.

As quitting time approached, the phone rang; Xia Xi glanced and saw it was Xu Yanfeng calling back. She hurriedly answered: "Hello?"

"It's me."

"I know."

"Your phone is with me; I've found it. I've sent someone to bring it to you."

Xia Xi pressed her lips together; this was fine as long as she didn't have to see him: "Thanks."

Xu Yanfeng: "Hmm."

Without another word, Xu Yanfeng hung up. Xia Xi stared, seeing the call duration displayed as under two minutes on her screen, and suddenly felt an indescribable letdown.

In their previous meetings he'd dragged things out by every means possible; now he was so abrupt she felt a bit unaccustomed.

When work ended, Xia Xi returned her phone to Huang Shiyu, didn't go to the underground parking lot, but went to the first‑floor lobby to wait for the courier to deliver her phone.

Employees from other companies in the office building came out in twos and threes, chatting and laughing as they left.

After waiting less than five minutes, a familiar car pulled up at the main entrance; Xia Xi instinctively rose, her brows slightly furrowed—hadn't Xu Yanfeng said he'd send someone to bring her phone?

This…

Xia Xi descended the steps with hopeful optimism, wishing it were Xu Yanfeng's assistant delivering the phone—but the next second the rear window rolled down, revealing a sharply defined face.

That face was all too familiar to her.

Fact proved, one shouldn't harbor wishful thinking.

Wishful thinking exists only to be shattered.

Xu Yanfeng watched her barely concealed astonishment, feeling a gratifying sense of his scheme succeeding.

Xia Xi steadied herself and reached out her hand: "My phone."

Xu Yanfeng tilted his head, gesturing for her to get in: "Get in and I'll give it to you."

Xia Xi furrowed her brows even tighter—how was this guy threatening her now? She stood her ground, matching his stubbornness: "Hurry up and return my phone; I'm on my way to the hospital." These two days she'd been rushing to finish renderings, with no time to visit Xuanxuan at the hospital, but today she got off work on schedule and planned to go.

Xu Yanfeng leaned back lazily against the seat, his gaze slightly lifted as he regarded her, firm and unwilling to yield an inch: "I said get in and I'll return it."

Xia Xi gritted her teeth inwardly, really wanting to drag him out of the car and give him a beating! Out of the corner of her eye she noticed two colleagues from Broad and Elegant stepping out, curiously glancing over and whispering to each other.

A woman and a man in a luxury car tangled at the company gate—no need to eavesdrop to know what they were gossiping about.

Xia Xi was practically beside herself; to avoid being seen by more people she stalked to the other side, flung open the car door and slid in, her face as foul as could be: "Can you give my phone back now?"

As the saying goes, fear summons what you dread—just as Xia Xi settled into the car, several Broad and Elegant coworkers emerged from the office building, including Gao Ge, who bore her a grudge, and happened to witness the scene. Gao Ge fixed his gaze on the man's face inside the vehicle; as the window rose, his visage disappeared behind the dark glass. Even a fleeting glance, Gao Ge still recognized him and sucked in a breath.

Someone nearby asked: "Is that person Xia Gong's boyfriend?"

"He's come to pick her up after work, so of course he is! Her boyfriend's handsome and drives a luxury car—he must be loaded," another chimed in.

Gao Ge leisurely gave these clueless rookies a primer: "You think the guy in that luxury car is just an ordinary person? That's Xu Yanfeng, CEO of the Xu Clan Group."

The colleague beside him blinked: "Xu Clan? Which Xu Clan?"

Gao Ge: "The Xu Clan that's number one in Nancheng— which one do you mean?"

Several coworkers fell silent instantly, glancing at each other, each thinking: What background does Xia Xi have to be able to climb to the CEO of the Xu Clan Group? Not simple at all!

Gao Ge knew what they were thinking, truly believing Xia Xi was some rich young lady? Besides, this isn't an idol drama—who'd have a pampered heiress slaving away as a miserable office drone at a tiny firm?

She covered her mouth and laughed: "Xia Gong's got talent—first it was Tang the Manager from Lofty Heaven Capital, now it's Xu the General Manager from the Xu Clan Group; who knows who's next, let's wait and see."

No one responded to that.

Gao Ge slung her tote bag, just about to step down, when she suddenly sensed something, turned her head and saw two people: Xia Xi's assistant Huang Shiyu, and Xia Xi's admirer Jiang Tian.

Looking at Jiang Tian's dazed expression, it was clear he'd also witnessed that scene just moments before.

Gao Ge curled the corner of her lip, her tone dripping with mockery: "Eh, I said someone was a toad craving swan meat—look, it's come true."

Someone nearby didn't get her joke: "Senior Engineer, what are you talking about?"

Gao Ge smiled: "Those who get it, naturally get it."

Huang Shiyu walked over with a sour face; seeing her, coworkers lowered their voices and probed: "Little Huang, you're always with Xia Gong—do you know who her boyfriend is? Manager Tang, or General Manager Xu? Or someone else? Anyway, her luck with the opposite sex is fine, mainly because she's pretty."

"I don't know, don't ask me. I and Xia Gong only talk work, not personal matters."

Huang Shiyu silently fumed, "You don't understand anything—the relationship between General Manager Xu and Xia Xi isn't what you're imagining; even if they broke up, they'd still have feelings. Besides, couples splitting up and getting back together is pretty normal."

*In the car, after Xia Xi asked that question, Xu Yanfeng stared at her and said, word by word: "I can give you your phone, but first answer me one question."

Xia Xi, worn down by his nagging, took a deep breath: "What question?"

Xu Yanfeng pulled her phone from his trousers pocket: "Why are all the photos in your encrypted album of me? Give me an explanation."

Xia Xi's eyes widened in shock; she froze for several seconds, the usually composed her losing her cool, lunging to snatch her phone back. Xu Yanfeng offered no resistance, letting her take it.

"Answer me," he said.

Xia Xi's face flushed as she snapped: "How dare you invade someone's privacy!"

Is her password that easy to guess? That brat Zi Heng only found out Xu Yanfeng is his father after opening the encrypted photo album. Now Xu Yanfeng himself knows about it, and he's demanding an explanation from her.

How can she explain?

Could she say she can't forget her old feelings, that she still loves him? Absolutely not.

Xu Yanfeng ignored her accusation, his gaze fixed on her: "Is my question hard to answer?"

Xia Xi was truly angered by him; to put on a show of confidence, she shouted at him: "Can't I be nostalgic?!"

Xu Yanfeng snorted. If he hadn't gone through the photos in the encrypted album from start to finish, then back again, he might actually have believed her words. But now, he can't be fooled by her.

"Do you yourself believe that? In your past memories, is it only me? Otherwise why are there only photos of you and me in the encrypted album?" Xu Yanfeng leaned in, staring deeply into her eyes, his voice low, only audible to the two of them: "Xia Xi, what exactly are you hiding from me? If you tell me, I can let bygones be bygones."

Xia Xi's heart trembled; his gaze was too gentle, yet too aggressive, as if it would suck her in and consume her completely.

He said, as long as she gives one explanation, he won't hold it against her.

How can he be so good, so foolish?

Xia Xi felt she was like a wounded soldier making a last stand; she wouldn't last long before dropping her arms and surrendering to him. Perhaps this is her last chance; he won't keep tolerating her over and over.

Moved by our Xu Er to tears and snot o(╥﹏╥)o(End of chapter)