Xia Xi said calmly, "I'll remember that slap. If you offend me again, I'll return it double next time."

Ling Yan stiffened, the tip of her thumb pinching the tip of her index finger. She never mentioned the slap, thinking she could get away with it. She didn't dare to look at Xu Yanfeng's face, nor did she reply to Xia Xi's words. She just walked away.

Lu Mingji smacked his lips secretly and began to search his mind to see if he had offended Xia Xi in the past. It was so scary.

Xia Xi tilted her head and saw her phone on the bedside table. She suddenly screamed, "Oh no! I didn't go home last night. My mom must be worried sick!"

She hurriedly picked up her phone, but didn't see any missed calls, which was not normal.

Xu Yanfeng's voice sounded at the right time: "I used your phone to send a message to your mother last night." Knowing that she didn't want to worry her family, he didn't mention going to the hospital.

Xia Xi couldn't ignore him anymore. She glanced at him, then looked away and said "thank you" stiffly.

She saw the message, and Xu Yanfeng imitated her tone and told Su Jinru that he would stay at a friend's house that night.

Xia Xi lifted the quilt and asked to be discharged from the hospital. She was sure that she was fine and did not need to stay in the hospital for observation.

Xu Yanfeng respected her decision and called Guan He, instructing him to complete the discharge procedures.

Xia Xi only stayed for one night and had nothing to pack, so she went to the bathroom to change out of her hospital gown.

The two men looked at each other briefly without saying anything.

When Xia Xi changed her clothes and came out, Xu Yanfeng said, "I'll take you home."

"No need." Xia Xi refused without even a second's hesitation. "I'm sorry for bothering Mr. Xu last night. How much is the medical bill? Send it to my phone later and I'll transfer it to you."

Mr. Xu...huh.

Xu Yanfeng sneered in his heart and frowned. He extremely disliked the way she deliberately kept a distance from him. She looked like a cold sculpture, not a living person.

Lu Mingji coughed twice and advised Xia Xi: "You just got out of the hospital. Who can trust you to take a taxi by yourself? I'll take you."

Xia Xi thought about it and didn't refuse: "Okay."

She just didn't want to be involved in Xu Yanfeng's private affairs, not because she wanted to show off.

Seeing this, Xu Yanfeng's face became even uglier. He watched the two of them walk out of the ward side by side. Xia Xi was holding the flowers given by Lu Mingji in her arms, a bouquet of bright yellow roses.

Because the two sides had a cooperation, Lu Mingji turned around and said goodbye politely: "Mr. Xu, we are leaving first."

After saying that, Lu Mingji gently put his arm around Xia Xi's shoulders and walked slowly to accommodate her.

Xia Xi was completely confused by his sudden action. She was stunned for a moment, then turned her head and whispered to him, "You're exaggerating. I'm not to the point where I can't take care of myself."

Lu Mingji tilted his head and lowered his voice even more than hers: "Have you forgotten? In Mr. Xu's eyes, we are boyfriend and girlfriend. If we have to act, we have to act it out. How can a girlfriend get hurt and her boyfriend not show any care at all?"

If he hadn't reminded her, Xia Xi would have forgotten about it. It was all because of the truth or dare game she played at the class reunion last time. She asked Lu Mingji to pretend to be her boyfriend and come to her rescue.

At that time, she didn't think that she would have any intersection with Xu Yanfeng in the future.

"There's no need to keep pretending." Xia Xi said, "We can't hide it from Xu Yanfeng. He's already seen that we're a fake couple."

This childish trick may fool him temporarily, but it won't fool him for long. He is not that easy to fool.

Lu Mingji's fingers on her arm stiffened for a moment. He walked to the elevator, naturally let go of her, and reached out to press the button.

After Guan He completed the discharge procedures, he came to the ward. Only Xu Yanfeng was left there, standing by the window. His back looked very lonely, as if he had isolated himself from everyone else.

Not daring to rush over and disturb him, Guan Hejing waited for a few minutes. Seeing that he showed no sign of leaving, he had no choice but to remind him, "Mr. Xu, you can leave now. I have an appointment to play golf with the leaders of the Urban Construction Bureau this morning."

Xu Yanfeng turned around, his face expressionless. He walked up to him, stopped, and held out his hand to him: "Give me a cigarette."

Guan He was stunned for a second, then quickly reached into his trouser pocket and handed Xu Yanfeng the cigarette he usually smoked, along with a metal lighter.

*

Lu Mingji was driving. While waiting at a red light, he glanced at the absent-minded man in the passenger seat and warned, "If you feel unwell after you get home, remember to call me. You heard what the doctor said. Brain damage is no small matter."

Xia Xi looked dazed and responded with a random "hmm".

Lu Mingji: "Did you hear what I said?"

Xia Xi regained her composure and glanced at him, "You're so long-winded, even more so than my mom."

Lu Mingji almost couldn't catch his breath.

Xia Xi tilted her head to look out the window and said, "The examination report shows that everything is normal for me. The doctor meant that I should drink less in the future, not this time. Don't try to change the subject."

Lu Mingji chuckled, "I actually heard it."

Xia Xi was just recalling the scene when she woke up. She thought she was dreaming. She hugged Xu Yanfeng and said strange things to him. She didn't understand why Xu Yanfeng responded to her.

He said he would not leave and would stay here forever.

Isn't his mind clear?

Xia Xi couldn't think of an answer, and couldn't deceive herself into thinking that he still had feelings for her. Maybe it was just a way for Party A to comfort its partners. He was actually a very good person.

When Xia Xi saw Ziheng and Youyou at home, she stopped thinking about anything else. Today was Saturday and the two children didn't have school. One was reading a storybook and the other was changing the dress of her Barbie doll. Su Jinru was making soup in the kitchen and her grandmother was sorting out old things in her room. The sunlight came in, and the whole place was warm.

Xia Xi played with the children for a while, promised to take them out for a big dinner in the evening, and then went back to her room to work.

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