Chapter 53053 Escape

A square gift box, tied with a striking red ribbon, lay quietly on the table.

Xue Yi didn't reach out to take it, nor did she look up. She just pursed her lips and whispered, "Thank you."

"Don't you want to open it and take a look?"

Yu Zeyuan's gaze fell on her drooping eyelashes. Her thick and long eyelashes were like two small fans, concealing the emotions in her eyes.

Xue Yi suddenly raised her eyes and met his gaze directly, "I have something to tell you."

Yu Zeyuan thought she was referring to the gift, and a smile appeared on his lips, dimples faintly visible: "Okay, you tell me."

Xue Yi took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind. "I think there are some things that need to be made clear. Yu Zeyuan, I like you very much..."

The smile on his face deepened, and he was about to speak when he was interrupted by her next words.

"But compared to that, I love myself more. You're probably familiar with my family situation. I'm the only daughter of the Xue Group. The company has just experienced a period of turmoil and has been severely damaged. We need to invest a lot of energy in recovery and market revitalization. My parents are getting older, and I want to spend more time with them and share their pressure."

"So, rather than simply falling in love, I hope to find someone who can truly understand me, support me, and accompany me on my journey."

Yu Zeyuan listened quietly and replied gently: "I know, I will always be with you and support you..."

"You still don't fully understand what I mean."

Xue Yi shook her head slightly and continued, "The person I want, even if we get married in the future, will be able to support my career and cooperate with my work, without me having to worry about complicated family relationships and all kinds of trivial household chores."

"To put it more bluntly, I want someone who is willing to accept me wholeheartedly, support me, and even accept the identity of a 'live-in son-in-law'."

Yu Zeyuan finally understood the meaning of her words, and an indescribable feeling of depression suddenly surged in his heart.

He has been pursued by girls since he was a child, and there is never a shortage of people of the opposite sex showing interest in him. He has an innate pride, and it is impossible for him to be treated like an accessory.

He likes Xue Yi and respects her independence and pursuits, but that doesn't mean he will cater to her without principles.

This matter had touched his bottom line. His male pride forced him to suppress his dissatisfaction and said, "I can support your career. If you don't want to do housework, you can hire a nanny. If you don't want to face the family, we can move out. But as for the live-in son-in-law, aren't you being a little too selfish?"

"If I were selfish, I wouldn't be sitting here discussing this with you right now."

"But I feel like it's not a discussion, it's more like a notification."

Xue Yi frowned, "Are you sure you want to talk to me in this tone?"

Yu Zeyuan realized that his words were a bit harsh, but his pride did not allow him to give in. He still said stubbornly: "Anyway, there is no way I will agree to be a live-in son-in-law. Even if..."

Xue Yi interrupted him directly: "Okay, I understand."

Yu Zeyuan was stunned for a moment, thinking that she had compromised, and softened his tone slightly: "However, we can discuss..."

"No need to discuss it."

Xue Yi said in a cold tone, "Let's end this matter here."

Seeing her attitude, Yu Zeyuan's temper flared up, and his voice unconsciously rose: "So, what are you going to do?"

Xue Yi suppressed his emotions and remained silent.

Seeing that she didn't say anything, Yu Zeyuan also shut up.

The air froze, leaving only suffocating silence.

At this time, the waiter came over with coffee and broke the deadlock: "Hello, your cappuccino."

"Thanks."

Xue Yi took the coffee and stirred it stiffly with a spoon. The dull pain in her abdomen and the irritability in her heart made her mood fluctuate more. Her tone was a little impatient: "I haven't thought about it yet. I will go back to Sucheng tomorrow to pick up Xiao Yudian."

Yu Zeyuan's lips tightened as he replied stiffly, "I'll go with you."

Xue Yi wanted to refuse, but when the words came to her lips, she didn't say them.

The atmosphere dropped to freezing point again.

Yu Zeyuan was in a state of confusion.

This was his first time in love, and he had no idea how to handle the situation. Although he was not valued in the family, he was a young master born with a silver spoon in his mouth, and had lived a life of luxury since childhood. It was impossible for him to be a gigolo.

The answer was obvious. With Xue Yi's intelligence, it was impossible for her not to guess it, but she still brought it up without considering his feelings and situation at all.

This is what makes him most angry.

Xue Yi finished his coffee, stood up from his seat, picked up the gift on the table, and said, "I'm going back first."

"I send you."

"No."

"……good."

Yu Zeyuan did not try to keep him.

The two of them left the cafe in different directions.

The sultry air mixed with the scorching sun mercilessly scorched the earth, and the pedestrians on the street were baked into a state of listlessness and fatigue.

Xue Yi walked aimlessly on the street, and the emotions that had been suppressed in his heart for a long time burst out like a flood.

She once thought about going crazy for love without caring about anything, but the responsibilities on her shoulders always reminded her not to do so.

The Xue Group is not only the lifelong hard work of her parents, but also supports the livelihoods of more than a thousand employees. She cannot just leave it alone.

If she chose to be with Yu Zeyuan, she would be doomed to be entangled in his complex family network, unable to break free or escape. Such a wealthy and prestigious family might not look down on the current Xue Group, let alone allow her to show her face and pursue her career.

She was afraid that she could only be like a dodder, relying on the Yu family and Yu Zeyuan. This was definitely not the life she wanted. It was precisely because of this clear understanding that she decided to tell the truth.

There was still a glimmer of hope in my heart, but when I heard him reject me without hesitation, that hope was completely extinguished.

In fact, if he showed even the slightest hesitation or struggle, she might have softened her heart and tried to find a way to reconcile. But it was precisely this point that proved that their feelings were not deep enough to make them willing to give up everything for each other.

A mixture of bitterness, sadness and a deep sense of powerlessness made each step she took seem particularly heavy.

After returning home, Xue Yi closed the curtains and fell on the bed.

In the dim room, she closed her eyes and fell into a chaotic dream.

When I woke up again, it was already six or seven in the evening.

She glanced at her phone and saw no new messages. She sneered and sat up from the bed.

"Miss, are you awake? I didn't disturb you just now because I saw you were resting. Are you hungry? I'll make you something to eat."

"Auntie Ding, don't bother, just make a bowl of noodles."

Xue Yi poured a cup of hot water and took a few sips.

I just had a nap, and my mind is much clearer, and the depression in my heart has eased a little.

She has never been one to dwell on trivial matters.

Xue Yi, considering the risks of long-distance shipping for Xiao Yudian and her own airsickness, decided to drive to Sucheng. The journey was nearly eleven hours, and thinking of Yu Zeyuan's severe motion sickness, she tried to dissuade him from accompanying her, but he remained adamant, and they finally agreed to depart at eight the next morning.

She drove the long-unused black G-Class out of the garage and just as she sat in the driver's seat, her phone vibrated.

Yu Zeyuan: [I brought breakfast.]

Xue Yi: [Oh.]

When the car arrived at the agreed location, Yu Zeyuan could be seen standing on the roadside in the distance. He was wearing a light yellow patterned shirt and jeans, and his whole appearance was refreshing and gentle, which was out of place with the noisy street scene behind him.

Yu Zeyuan looked at the SUV parked beside him, with a hint of surprise in his eyes. He didn't expect that Xue Yi, who had a gentle temperament, would choose such a domineering car model.

He opened the trunk, put the luggage in, sat in the passenger seat, and handed over a hamburger and coffee: "Eat something first?"

"Let's put it aside for now."

"Okay. If you get tired on the way, I can always take over driving."

The car fell into silence and the atmosphere was awkward, with only the faint sound of the air conditioner running.

In the end, it was Yu Zeyuan who took the initiative to break the deadlock, and he said tentatively: "After I went back home, I thought about what happened yesterday. I understand your concerns, but we have only been together for a short time. Isn't it too early to talk about this now?"

Xue Yi looked straight ahead, a hint of sarcasm appearing at the corner of his lips.

He is still the same as always. When he encounters a problem, he habitually avoids it, thinking that if he delays, the problem will disappear automatically.

Fortunately, she already had the answer in her heart, so she didn't stir up too much waves. She said lightly: "Wait until the next gas station, and then it's your turn to drive."

Seeing that she was deliberately avoiding his words, Yu Zeyuan's expression froze slightly, but he still responded in a low voice: "Okay."

Arriving at the gas station, Xue Yi got out of the car and went to the bathroom.

As soon as I walked in, I heard faint sobbing coming from the cubicle.

The bathroom was empty at this time, and the crying was intermittent, which seemed a bit creepy in the silence.

Xue Yi quickly finished tidying up, hesitated for a moment, and finally mustered up the courage to walk to the cubicle where the sound came from and asked softly, "Hello, do you need any help?"

The crying inside stopped abruptly, and then a choked response came: "Sister, sister, I want to go home, but I don’t know the way..."

Xue Yi remained alert and tried to ask, "Can you tell me what happened?"

The cubicle door opened gently, and a little girl with a ponytail, wearing a pink T-shirt and shorts, walked out with red eyes. She looked no more than twelve or thirteen years old.

"I, I didn't want to go to my grandparents' house with Mom and Dad. It was dirty, smelly, and shabby... So I sneaked out while they were using the restroom, wanting to go home on my own. But I left my phone in the car, and I had no money. I asked several people, but they ignored me. I had no choice but to hide here and wait for Mom and Dad to come back..."

Xue Yi calmly observed her expression and behavior, trying to determine the truth behind her words: "How long have they been gone? Do you remember your parents' phone calls?"

The little girl shook her head. "It's been over an hour, and I can't remember their number. Sister, can you lend me some money so I can go back on my own? I'll definitely pay you back when I get home!"

No wonder no one wants to help, this really sounds like a sympathy scam.

"Then you must remember your own cell phone number, right?"

"This...I remember it."

Xue Yi took out her cell phone: "Tell me the number, I'll call."

The little girl hesitated for a while, then pleaded desperately: "Sister, please lend me some money so I can go on my own. I'm afraid my parents will beat me if they find me."

This sentence doesn't sound false.

Xue Yi was firm: "No, it's too dangerous for a little girl like you to go home alone. What's the number?"

The little girl reluctantly reported a string of numbers: "185XXXX..."

"What's your name?"

"Li Zixin."

Xue Yi dialed the number and it was quickly picked up. An anxious female voice came from the other end: "Hello? Who is this?"

"Are you Li Zixin's parents?"

"It's me, it's me! Is that damn girl with you?"

"Well, we're at this gas station in Xinjiao."

"Can you please let her answer the phone?"

"Can."

Xue Yi handed over the phone.

Li Zixin took it timidly and just called out "Mom..."

Immediately, an angry scolding voice came from the receiver, and as the scolding went on, the little girl started crying again.

Xue Yi quickly took back the phone: "How long will it take for you to arrive?"

"About an hour!"

"Okay, we'll wait for you then."

After hanging up the phone, Li Zixin was still sobbing and mumbling aggrievedly: "I really don't want to go to my grandparents' house. They are only nice to my younger brothers, giving them all the delicious food and always making me do the work. Sister, I don't want to go..."

Xue Yi's heart softened, and she comforted him softly: "Don't cry, let's go out and wait."

Yu Zeyuan had been waiting outside for a long time. When he saw Xue Yi coming out with a strange little girl, he looked puzzled.

Xue Yi explained simply: "She got separated from her family."

Yu Zeyuan nodded: "Have you contacted them?"

Li Zixin raised her head when she heard the voice, and stopped crying the moment she saw Yu Zeyuan, staring at him without blinking.

Girls of this age are in the hazy period of falling in love for the first time and are particularly sensitive to beautiful things.

She hurriedly wiped away her tears, straightened her hair, and whispered hello: "Hello, brother."