When Zhou Du arrived, he realized Xia Xi had only called him, not Liang Yuan. He pulled up a chair and sat down. He'd heard something was wrong with her voice over the phone, and when they met, he realized it was true.

She didn't look well, and she looked listless and listless.

Zhou Du put away his nonchalant demeanor, sat up straight, and stared at Xia Xi for a long time. Without hearing her say a word, he spoke up: "Tell me, what's the trouble you've encountered? If I can solve it, I will definitely solve it for you without hesitation."

Xia Xi stared at him for a long moment with deep eyes, then exhaled, "Let's order first."

She chose a small stir-fry restaurant where she had eaten before with Zhou Du and Liang Yuan. The dishes were almost all delicious and went well with rice.

Zhou Du crossed his legs, flipping through the menu, and jokingly said, "You're being rude. The last time Xu Yanfeng had a dinner, we went to a high-end restaurant, and now it's my turn to treat you to a small stir-fry restaurant?"

Xia Xi was in no mood to joke. As she sipped her free sour plum soup, she pointed across the street and said, "There's a high-end Western restaurant over there. Do you want to go? Just give me a nod and we'll go somewhere else."

"No." Zhou Du waved his hand to refuse, "I just like this."

He ordered shredded chicken, boiled pork slices, stir-fried kidney, shredded beef with ginger, and finally added some boiled cabbage, and handed the menu to Xia Xi.

Xia Xi took a quick look and added two vegetarian dishes.

After all the dishes were served, Zhou Du took two bites and asked her again, "What's the matter? If you don't tell me, I won't be able to enjoy my meal. I always feel a lump in my heart."

Xia Xi didn't move her chopsticks, but just drank the sour plum soup mouthful by mouthful: "You eat first."

Zhou Du ate his rice until he was about 70% full. Xia Xi began to speak: "This matter can only be handled by you. Apart from you, I can't think of anyone else to turn to."

Zhou Du choked on the pickled peppers. Seeing this, Xia Xi picked up the glass bottle of sour plum soup and poured him a full cup. He took a few sips to dilute the spicy taste. "I want to hear what's absolutely necessary for me."

Xia Xi pursed her lips, thinking about how to talk to him.

If she wanted to ask Zhou Du for help, first of all, she definitely couldn't hide it from him, but the whole thing was too troublesome to explain, like a pile of tangled threads, and she couldn't find the end of the thread.

"Miss, when did you become so hesitant? It's driving me crazy." Zhou Du took a tissue and wiped the sweat off his forehead. "Since you said you can't find anyone else besides me, I'll definitely help you."

Xia Xi clenched her fingers and quickly recounted the events of her family's misfortune and the conversation Xu Yanfeng's father had with her. She kept her words concise because she didn't want to recall too many details.

There was silence in the small private room for a few seconds. Zhou Du stood up in shock, and his thigh hit the bottom of the table. He didn't feel anything at all. He just stared at Xia Xi. His eyes looked a little fierce because he was too surprised.

Xia Xi guessed his reaction and said calmly, "This is what happened. Zhou Du, I need you to cooperate with me and finish this scene. I don't trust anyone else."

Zhou Du's expression changed again and again. His first concern was not about the acting, but why she hadn't told him about such a big thing earlier: "Do you still treat me as your brother? Why didn't you tell me about the trouble at home?"

Xia Xi pulled his sleeve and asked him to sit down. She raised her lips slightly and smiled without any emotion: "Telling you will only make one more person anxious."

"I... I can..." Zhou Du's bold words were stuck in his throat. What could he do? It seemed that he couldn't help her at all.

His parents ran a small business and their family was well off, but compared to ordinary families, it was not even as good as Xia Xi's family. Of course, they could not afford to help her solve the problem.

Zhou Du wiped his face dejectedly.

Xia Xi didn't say anything, but looked at him quietly with her eyes, as if to say, you see, I was right. In the face of such a big change, not many people are capable of settling it.

She had no other choice.

Zhou Du was silent for a long time, unable to understand her choice. He rested his hands on his thighs and twisted his neck to look at her. "What are you thinking? Why didn't you tell Xu Yanfeng? He's your boyfriend, and he should be the one to confront his father. Why...why should you listen to that old man just because he comes to you?"

Xia Xi shook her head: "You don't understand..."

"I just don't understand." Zhou Du interrupted her, his tone a little anxious, "That's why I'm asking you."

"Have you ever thought about what the consequences would be if he confronted his father?" From yesterday to today, Xia Xi had thought a lot, breaking down every detail. "If he wins the fight, yes, we can continue to be together, but his father will be furious and cut off all contact with him. His mother will be sick and bedridden. What will become of him? What will become of me? By then, can we still be together? It seems like a victory, but in fact it is a complete defeat. Most importantly, my family's affairs will not be properly handled. Xiaoxuan is still lying in the hospital. You have no idea how stupid she is. In order to prevent me from knowing that she was in the hospital, she lied to me on the phone and said she was at home, pretending to be fine. She was having difficulty breathing but she was trying hard to hold it in, just because she didn't want me to hear it. There is also the workers' compensation. If it is not resolved in time, there will be no peace at home. I forgot, there is also the family of the person my father hit and killed. Zhou Du, I really have no other choice."

Xia Xi lowered his head, clasped his hands against his forehead, and his shoulders trembled slightly.

"When the incident first started, Xu Yanfeng was on a business trip abroad and was very busy. On the one hand, I didn't want him to be distracted and worry about me, and on the other hand, because I have a strong personality, I always felt that the problem could be solved and there was no need to cause him more trouble." Xia Xi's throat slipped, and his voice paused, trembling. "But bad things kept coming one after another. When I realized I couldn't handle it anymore and wanted to ask him for help, the chairman came to me first."

My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!