Chapter 17 Gu Jin Yi (2)

Gu Jin Yi accepted the envelope, his eyes as bright and sparkling as black obsidian, revealing a smile: “Thank you, elder sister… Oh, you haven’t had lunch yet, right? Let’s have a meal together before you go.”

“No need, I’ll eat at the company,” Fan Xia said.

“We haven’t eaten together in a long time, elder sister. Let’s have a meal before you go! There’s a couple-run restaurant near our school, the food is really good, and I have some good news to tell you!” Gu Jin Yi gently tugged at the button on her shirt, not waiting for Fan Xia’s answer before pulling her out of the car.

Outside the university gates, students came and went with laughter and chatter, various small shops along the street were filled with people. Under the shade of trees in the blazing sun, Gu Jin Yi’s sweat-dampened hair reflected fine fragments of light in the intense sunlight.

Gu Jin Yi led her to sit down in a small restaurant. After choosing the meal, Gu Jin Yi suddenly stood up: “Elder sister, wait for me for a moment.”

Ten minutes later, Gu Jin Yi ran back panting, holding two cups of milk tea.

“Elder sister, I remember you used to love this many-pulp watermelon flavor,” Gu Jin Yi said breathlessly, icy cold droplets of water seeping through the cup and dripping down his wrist.

“Don’t run so fast.” Fan Xia wiped the sweat that was about to drip onto his chin with a tissue.

“I was afraid you’d wait too long and think it was a waste of time, and go back to the company directly,” Gu Jin Yi said nervously. In the inconspicuous couple-run small restaurant, he was handsome and dazzling. The slightly lowered collar of his basketball uniform revealed the vague, firm contours of his chest as he breathed, attracting furtive glances from the girls dining nearby.

“How could I? I’m still waiting to hear your good news.” Fan Xia took the milk tea, feeling the icy cold touch. Looking at the ice in the milk tea, she couldn’t remember how long it had been since she last drank milk tea. Even when she occasionally bought milk tea, it was for Wen Lan Sheng to drink.

Gu Jin Yi smiled slightly, sitting down beside her, his sunny smile carrying a hint of youthful innocence.

“Jin Yi, is this your off-campus girlfriend?” A few male students passed by the restaurant, greeting him while sneaking glances at Fan Xia.

Among the youthful and vibrant college students, Fan Xia stood out with her formal professional attire and unique calm and gentle demeanor. Of course, what stood out even more was her stunningly beautiful face.

The age gap between Fan Xia and Gu Jin Yi wasn’t big to begin with, so it was common for people to mistake them.

“Your friends?” Fan Xia asked.

“They’re my roommates,” Gu Jin Yi said, blushing as he stood up and said to his roommates, “Don’t talk nonsense, this is my elder sister.”

The roommates looked at each other without saying anything, but their eyes clearly wrote ‘I don’t believe it’.

These days, when a guy calls a girl without blood relation ‘elder sister’, it’s usually treated as flirting. Moreover, as roommates, how could they not know that Gu Jin Yi was an only child? He even had a crazy father at home, how could he suddenly have an elder sister?

It’s probably not a real elder sister, but a ‘good elder sister’ in bed.

However, the quality of this ‘elder sister’ was simply too high. She wore a simple white shirt as if it were high-end custom-made, and her temperament was otherworldly. Even without direct interaction, one could feel the captivating charm emanating from her. The male college students had never seen a woman as beautiful and gentle as Fan Xia before. They couldn’t take their eyes off her for a moment, sighing inwardly at Gu Jin Yi’s good luck to encounter such an excellent woman. Why didn’t they have such good fortune?

“Didn’t you guys say you were going to eat spicy hot pot for lunch? If you don’t go now, the queue will stretch to the street,” Gu Jin Yi asked in an displeased tone, seeing his plastic roommates secretly staring at Fan Xia, their eyes seeming to flirt shyly, feeling a pang of jealousy.

Seeing this, realizing their little hidden thoughts had been mercilessly exposed by Gu Jin Yi, they could only slink away.

Fan Xia observed all this and asked, “Why didn’t you let them join us? After all, they’re your roommates.”

Gu Jin Yi pursed his lips: “I’m not that close with them.”

Fan Xia looked into his eyes and asked with concern: “Why? Are they bullying you?”

Gu Jin Yi shook his head: “They don’t bully me directly, it’s just that they know about my family situation and look down on me a bit. Although they don’t say it outright, they subtly exclude and isolate me.”

The scheming among men sometimes doesn’t come out into the open, but a look, a gesture, a meaningful word is enough to make one suffocate.

Moreover, Gu Jin Yi’s family situation was special. His father was known as a madman to outsiders, but Fan Xia knew that Gu Jin Yi’s father, Li Zhou, was lucid. He just became easily agitated due to the shock of his wife running away with a lover years ago. Plus, as a man raising the then-young Gu Jin Yi alone, living in seclusion, over time people assumed Li Zhou had mental issues.

“Talk to your counselor and change dormitories,” she said softly. “If you can’t bring yourself to do it, I’ll help you talk to them.”

Gu Jin Yi shook his head firmly: “No need, I don’t want to trouble elder sister. Besides, I don’t care about their exclusion. If they isolate me, I’ll isolate them, and I’m better than them anyway.”

“Oh right, elder sister, didn’t you want to hear my good news?” Gu Jin Yi happily held Fan Xia’s hand, his eyes like black obsidian, bright as stars, with intoxicating dimples appearing at the corners: “A few days ago, a women’s basketball team coach saw my game. She said she wants to sign me. Elder sister, I’ll be able to earn money on my own soon, and I won’t be a burden to you anymore.”

Fan Xia revealed a surprised smile: “Really? Your dad will be so happy when he hears about this.”

At the mention of Li Zhou, Gu Jin Yi’s gaze became even more fervent: “If it weren’t for you taking care of me and my dad all these years, elder sister, I wouldn’t have had the chance to go to university at all. Elder sister, I will definitely repay you in the future.”

Fan Xia laughed: “Child, I didn’t help you so that you would repay me.”

“I don’t care, anyway, I am where I am today because of you, elder sister. I’m willing to do anything for you.” Gu Jin Yi bit his lip, his arm pressed against Fan Xia’s back. Even just touching the soft fabric of her shirt was enough to make him secretly delighted for a long time.

Fan Xia’s clear eyes condensed with tender emotions. She gently stroked Gu Jin Yi’s hair, her gaze soft: “I don’t need you to do anything for me, Jin Yi. You have a bright future ahead, enjoy life to the fullest, don’t burden yourself too much.” Don’t be like her.

Because she had to rush back to work, Fan Xia ate this meal very quickly. Gu Jin Yi seized the time to chatter incessantly, like a little chatterbox, and finally reluctantly saw her off to the car.

When she returned to the company building, it was exactly 13:57, with five minutes left before work started. Five minutes should be enough time to wait for the elevator.

Fan Xia hurriedly parked the car in the underground garage. The elevator had just arrived at the second basement floor, and she was about to enter when she saw Rong Xiu’s cold and indifferent eyebrows and eyes.

“Rong Xiu?”

Seeing her, Rong Xiu’s lips curled up in an almost imperceptible arc: “You’re back just in time, come out with me for a bit.”

Fan Xia didn’t doubt him and took the luxury car keys from Rong Xiu’s hand, sitting in the driver’s seat. The CEO’s assistant occasionally doubles as a driver.

Only after getting in the car did she ask: “Where are we going?”

Usually, as the boss, one would sit in the back, but perhaps because the matter was urgent, Rong Xiu sat directly in the passenger seat: “To Jingyang District Hospital, there’s a medical disturbance.”

After saying this, Rong Xiu looked deeply at Fan Xia: “I sent you a message, you didn’t reply.”

Fan Xia quickly glanced at her phone. When he sent the message, she was driving back: “I’m sorry, at that time I…”

“You were driving, I know. I’m not blaming you,” Rong Xiu said in a deep, calm tone, showing no displeasure. Instead, there was a hint of teasing: “I’m just curious, besides Wen Lan Sheng, who else is worth you making a special trip for.”

Fan Xia gripped the steering wheel tightly and said nothing.

A moment of silence made Rong Xiu’s initially calm emotions suddenly strangely irritated.

If she had answered directly, he could have ignored it, showing that Fan Xia didn’t care about that person.

But she remained silent, and this silence contained protection and favoritism towards that person. Rong Xiu looked out the window, his aloof brows deeply furrowed, jealousy growing wild like weeds, jealous of a stranger.

A moment later, the tightly locked brows were covered by a casual smile: “Could it be as Zhuang Nian said, that you’re keeping a lover outside?”

Fan Xia’s eyes widened for a moment as she looked at Rong Xiu: “Secretary Zhuang is talking nonsense again, how could I keep a lover.”

This flustered, childish reaction made Rong Xiu smile lazily, putting aside his hidden worries. There were no other men around her, which was good.

“I’m sorry, don’t be angry.” Rong Xiu turned his head to look at her, one side of his glasses frame pressed down, the frameless glasses slightly askew. Under the cold silver metallic glint, the wine-red mole at the corner of his eye was enticingly shocking.

Fan Xia didn’t know if she was shocked by Rong Xiu’s apology or by that mole at the corner of his eye. The superior’s bowing and apologizing, a strange amazement rippled in her heart. She responded softly and concentrated on driving.

When they arrived at Jingyang District Hospital, Fan Xia finally understood the severity of the situation.

A patient was causing a disturbance, holding a knife and taking a doctor hostage. The hospital had called the police, who quickly evacuated the hospital. The police and the patient were at a stalemate, fortunately, the patient hadn’t actually harmed the doctor yet.

In such a special period, Rong Xiu, as the chairman of Shanhai Group, naturally had to appear in person to oversee the situation.

Fortunately, the police side sent out a very experienced negotiation expert who persuaded the patient. Two hours later, the patient voluntarily put down the knife in his hand. The doctor escaped death, and the incident didn’t escalate further.

Looking at the patient being taken away by the police, Rong Xiu nodded and lowered his eyes, calling the hospital director to the office.

The director was more frightened than the doctor who had just escaped from the patient’s knife. Such a big incident had occurred in the hospital under his management, even alarming the chairman. This made him feel like he was walking on thin ice. He immediately guaranteed that he would use his connections to retract the news articles from well-informed reporters, minimizing the impact of the incident, which satisfied Rong Xiu.