Chapter 13: Staying Calm

When she woke up the next day, Xia Rusheng felt as if she had been beaten up. Having slept on the sofa all night, her entire body ached terribly. As she rubbed the back of her neck, it suddenly dawned on her that she hadn’t gone home all night.

Rushing back to her residence, Madam Xia immediately slapped her across the face. Xia Rusheng wouldn’t let her get away with it; she reached out and stopped the slap. Finally, she saw the true face of this old woman. She had hoped to gain her favor and secure her place in the Xia family, but this elder only saw her as a pawn for personal gain. Since that was the case, there was no need to pretend to be obedient any longer.

“Grandmother, I don’t understand what Xiaxia did wrong to make you so angry,” Xia Rusheng said.

“Tell me, where were you last night?” the old woman demanded.

“After the power went out last night, Manager Yang took me to the lounge to wait. I ended up falling asleep there. Is that reason enough for you to hit me?” Xia Rusheng spoke truthfully, her expression stubborn, all her defiance clearly written on her face.

Madam Xia’s eyes showed disbelief. “What about the proposal yesterday? You knew the young master of the Lin family was proposing to you, but then you disappeared without a word. Do you know how frantic he was searching for you all night? If you wanted to reject him, you should have done so openly. How could you just vanish without a trace?”

Xia Rusheng snorted coldly. Such lofty talk—did she really have the right to refuse openly? If she had, she would now be the enemy of the Lin family within the Xia household.

“Enough, enough. It’s good that the child is back. Xiaxia, go upstairs and change your clothes. We’ll go together later to apologize to the young master of the Lin family,” Xia Rui comforted the old lady, then dismissed Xia Rusheng.

Hearing that, Xia Rusheng’s anger flared even more. Why should she apologize to that bastard Lin Yichen?

“I’m not going!” Without caring about their expressions, Xia Rusheng stormed upstairs and slammed her bedroom door shut.

“That child—I thought losing her memory would make her more polite and mature. But some things never change,” Madam Xia muttered, trembling with anger. Mother and daughter Tan Li seized the opportunity to flatter her.

“Mom, please don’t be angry. You mean well, but the child is ungrateful. You shouldn’t let yourself get ill over an ungrateful child. It’s just not worth it.”

Xia Rui glared sharply at Tan Li, sensing she was fanning the flames.

“Yeah, Mom. Actually, I think Xiaxia’s reaction is fine. Don’t forget, there’s a mysterious suitor courting her. Young master Lin may not necessarily be better than him.” Everyone understood what he meant: better background, wealth, and influence.

“No matter how good the conditions are, if someone’s been hidden away this long without showing their face, it means nothing. All Fengcheng Investment’s operations are centered in A City. Power and money are inseparable there. Apart from the Lin family, who else holds the most power? Can that other person’s influence in A City surpass the Lin family?” Madam Xia’s voice lowered deliberately, wary that Xia Rusheng might overhear.

But no matter how quietly she spoke, Xia Rusheng heard every word clearly. Her hand clenched tightly around the voice recorder. How she longed to leave this home immediately! But she was still months away from adulthood, and all the inheritance her mother left was under Madam Xia’s guardianship. She had to keep calm.

“Xia Rusheng, just endure three more months.”

After convincing herself, she quickly showered and changed clothes. Having slept outside last night, she felt dizzy and somewhat feverish. Just as she was about to rest again, a knock sounded on the door. This time, Chen Ma didn’t come with her. Whoever it was knocking, it had to be someone from the Xia or Tan family. When would these people ever stop?

“Xiaxia, come down. Young master Lin is worried about you and has come to see you,” Xia Rui called from outside.

Lin Yichen! That bastard came to see her? Probably to mock her!

Xia Rusheng buried her head under the covers, pretending not to hear.

After a while, the knocking ceased, and in the quiet, she soon fell asleep.

“Where’s Xiaxia?” Madam Xia asked with a stern face when she saw Xia Rui coming down alone.

Before Xia Rui could explain, Lin Yichen, dressed casually, said: “She’s probably too tired to move. I’ll go see her. Is that alright?”

Madam Xia hesitated. Though this wasn’t a conservative ancient era, it was still improper to let a man into a young lady’s room without permission. Xia Yu gave a meaningful glance to Tan Li, who immediately spoke up:

“Mom, what’s the problem? There are people at home, and young master Lin must leave after the noon promotional event. At least let him see Xiaxia once.”

Madam Xia was persuaded and smiled at Lin Yichen. “Then let Xia Yu take you upstairs.”

Xia Yu winked at Lin Yichen and led him upstairs.

“This is her room.”

Just as Lin Yichen was about to knock, Xia Yu struck a pose as if ready to watch a show. Before his hand could fall on the door, he turned around laughing, “I know she won’t open. Do you have another way?”

“Now you’re begging me?” Xia Yu, still holding a grudge from yesterday, immediately put on airs in front of him.

Lin Yichen hated that. She wasn’t very smart but always thought herself clever and constantly threatened others.

“If you won’t say, I’ll go find your grandmother.”

“Hey! How can you be like this!” Xia Yu quickly grabbed him. “I know the password to her door. You can have it, but you have to promise me one condition.”

Lin Yichen was not fooled. He turned and started walking down. He hated bargaining.

“You really beat me. Fine, I’m unlucky. I’ll tell you!” Xia Yu wasn’t about to miss this chance. She hoped Xiaxia would soon marry into the Lin family and start her miserable life. Gritting her teeth, she told Lin Yichen the password. He tried it, and the door opened.

“How do you know her room’s password?” Lin Yichen suddenly asked curiously. Given their sisterly relationship, Xiaxia shouldn’t have told Xia Yu.

“I saw it myself.”

Lin Yichen frowned slightly and decisively closed the door.

Inside, Xiaxia had the air conditioner set high and was fully wrapped in her blanket. Lin Yichen immediately noticed a handbag by the bed. Picking it up, he found the voice recorder still inside. He clearly had the chance to quietly delete the recordings but had chosen not to.

“Are you pretending to sleep, or are you really asleep?” He pressed play on the recorder, trying to test her.

After waiting for a long time with no response, he couldn’t help but pull the blanket back. Xiaxia’s entire face was flushed and suffused with heat, sweat covering her neck and face. No matter how he called, she didn’t respond.

“Stubborn fool, you don’t even know when you have a fever!”