Gently bite the jasmine

Chapter 1 He Got a Girlfriend

After a 22-hour flight from Philadelphia, the plane finally landed in City B.

Lin Xi was exhausted, and her face was pale; she was a severe case of motion sickness.

But when she received a text message from Duan Mingxuan saying he was coming to pick her up, she smiled, feeling a sweet warmth in her heart.

Seventeen years ago, on the day she came to the Duan family, it was Duan Mingxuan who picked her up.

It was him again when I returned to China after graduation.

Seeing this, her friend smiled and asked, "Chloe, is your boyfriend here to pick you up?"

Lin Xi explained dejectedly, "He's not my boyfriend yet."

A friend expressed regret: "You flew to Philadelphia to see me every month, rain or shine, for five years straight. It's hard not to misunderstand."

Lin Xi brushed the long hair that had fallen beside her ears back, revealing a fair face.

She remained silent for a moment, then forced a smile at her friend.

She naturally hoped that this trip back would allow her to confirm her relationship with Duan Mingxuan.

When my parents died in a plane crash, the company became an unwanted target, attracting the attention of all sorts of predators.

Fortunately, the electronic will left by her father on the plane was not severely damaged and was recovered, allowing him to entrust her to the Duan family.

In accordance with his will, the old man merged the company into Yinfan, protected her until adulthood, and left her shares.

She even said that she would ask Duan Mingxuan to marry her when she grew up.

She simply wanted a relationship based on mutual affection, so she refused the old man's pressure on Duan Mingxuan.

And back then, she said she would go to England to find him, but she ended up going to America instead.

This matter remains the source of their arguments to this day.

She thought Duan Mingxuan would let her fend for herself abroad, but she turned out to be stubborn but soft-hearted, and she went to see him without fail.

Thinking of this, Lin Xi's heart softened.

This separation has lasted quite a while, half a year already.

Duan Mingxuan was forced to work at the company and was quite busy.

Lin Xi suppressed her excitement at seeing him, thinking: Duan Mingxuan, I will tell you the truth about my trip to America five years ago.

In addition, she also wanted to work at Silver Sail.

Lost in thought, she almost didn't hear her friend say goodbye.

Lin Xi waved goodbye to her friend and went to find Duan Mingxuan.

He was in parking garage number 2, directly in front of the terminal building.

As they drew closer, Lin Xi quickened her pace instinctively upon seeing the person.

He wore a light-colored printed shirt and had the air of a spoiled playboy.

"Duan Mingxuan." Lin Xi jogged over.

Duan Mingxuan suddenly looked up, opened his arms, and caught the person.

"Don't be so disrespectful, call me Second Brother."

Lin Xi released him and snorted, "He's only a year older than me."

Duan Mingxuan pinched her cheek: "Get in the car quickly, Mom has prepared a table of dishes to welcome you."

Lin Xi got into the car, already very tired, but she missed him.

Just as I was about to talk to him for a while and catch up on what had happened in the past six months, Duan Mingxuan's phone rang.

He casually swiped to answer the call, a smile playing on his lips: "What's up, baby?"

Lin Xi was taken aback, and the smile on her lips froze.

This intimate tone... does Duan Mingxuan... have a girlfriend?

Inside the carriage, he coaxed her softly and gently. Lin Xi could even hear a sweet voice from the other side saying, "Then come over now, I haven't met your sister yet."

younger sister?

So that's how he told others about her.

What kind of older brother always uses her as an excuse not to date?

Therefore, when the two parted ways in the United States six months ago, Duan Mingxuan did not understand her hints.

The phone call finally ended.

Seeing her blank expression, Duan Mingxuan waved his hand and said, "I might have to go somewhere first."

Lin Xi looked at him, wishing she could see into his heart, and asked, "Are you in a relationship?"

Duan Mingxuan scoffed casually, "Just playing around."

The tone was just playful.

Lin Xi frowned: "You weren't like this before."

Duan Mingxuan chuckled: "I'm already a grown man, do you expect me to be like our abstinent and cold-hearted eldest brother, remaining a bachelor for twenty-nine years?"

When Duan Yiheng was mentioned, Duan Mingxuan's tone was irritable and resistant, but Lin Xi inexplicably backed down.

She's been afraid of this person since she was a child.

"Where are you going?" Lin Xi felt it was related to his phone call.

"MoMo rear-ended another car. I'm going to take care of it."

A sour, painful sensation pressed against her throat. Lin Xi opened and closed her mouth, her lips forming the words "Mo Mo" that Duan Mingxuan had uttered.

After hesitating for a moment, Lin Xi avoided his gaze and said, "Then put me down and I'll take a taxi home myself."

"What's the trouble? Come with me." Duan Mingxuan made the decision domineeringly.

"I don't—" Lin Xi felt a lump in her stomach, her face turned even paler, and she tightly pursed her lips and shut her mouth.

Duan Mingxuan's car was new, and Lin Xi couldn't stand the smell of leather inside.

"What's wrong?" Duan Mingxuan asked worriedly, grabbing her wrist.

Lin Xi struggled for a moment, then casually made up an excuse: "It's nothing, I'm just hungry."

Duan Mingxuan rummaged through the armrest box, took out a box of cookies and handed it to her: "Momo left some here last time, have some to tide you over."

Lin Xi's stomach hurt even more. She went to get it, but Duan Mingxuan had already opened it for her.

"Take what you need and I'll get you a bottle of water."

Lin Xi silently chewed two pieces, feeling a slight reduction in the pressure in her stomach, but she couldn't taste the saltiness.

Twenty minutes later, the two arrived in the city.

As soon as the car door opened, a bright and slender figure ran over and called out to Duan Mingxuan in a sweet voice, "Husband."

Lin Xi suddenly clenched her grip on the car door. She couldn't understand why people nowadays would call each other "husband" and "wife" even before they were married.

Duan Mingxuan snapped, "What are you yelling about? Can't you see someone's here?"

Momo finally saw Lin Xi and said shyly, "My sister isn't an outsider."

Lin Xi felt a churning in her stomach; she was indeed an outsider.

"Alright, you stay with Xiaoxi, I'll handle things here."

"Then I'll take a picture and post it on my WeChat Moments." Momo took out her phone and snapped a bunch of pictures of Duan Mingxuan and the car, "to show off my boyfriend."

His tone was quite smug.

Lin Xi blinked, looked away, and suppressed her emotions that were about to collapse.

Duan Mingxuan had mentioned that McLaren to her in a video call six months ago; it turned out he had given it to his girlfriend.

"Xiao Xi, why aren't you saying anything? Don't you like me?" Mo Mo pouted.

"No," Lin Xi said, forcing a smile. "I'm just a little tired, you..."

Momo: "What's wrong with me? Do you want to ask my name? My name is Zhang Mo, Zhang as in article and Mo as in foam."

"How could I know..." Lin Xi hesitated for a moment, "When did you and he get together?"

Zhang Mo: "Let me do the math, it's almost been a year. You shouldn't have brought it up, because our first anniversary is just around the corner."

"Ugh—" Lin Xi suddenly turned her head and vomited into the green belt.

Zhang Mo subconsciously took a step back: "Oh dear, what's wrong with you?"

The driver quickly got Lin Xi some water and tissues: "Miss Lin, are you feeling unwell? I'll take you to the hospital."

Lin Xi took some tissues and water, and it took her a while to tidy herself up. Using her long hair as a cover, she wiped away the tears that had welled up in her eyes from vomiting.

She took a deep look at Duan Mingxuan, who had his back to her and was sheltering others from the wind and rain, and said to the driver, "No need, take me home."

The driver hesitated, "Should we tell the second young master?"

Zhang Mo interjected at the right moment: "It's okay, he already promised to have dinner with me. You guys go first, I'll talk to him."

I hadn't originally planned to have dinner with her.

Lin Xi let out a soft laugh, abandoning all decorum and propriety, and got into the car without saying a word, shutting out all her embarrassment.