Chapter 18 Another Fish
At the same time, inside the private room, You Jingxuan's phone screen lit up with a message from You Xingye:
"Brother, Weiwei isn't feeling well, so I'm going to go home with her."
You Xingye didn't want to go up at the moment. He had arrived in good condition, but his sudden departure without saying goodbye was suspicious. He didn't want his brother to have any bad impression of Ling Wei.
You Jingxuan glanced down at the message, his handsome face expressionless, but his fingers tightened slightly as he picked up the teacup, his knuckles turning slightly white.
His thin lips were pressed tightly together, and he did not reply, but the atmosphere around him seemed even more oppressive.
He put down his teacup, the bottom of which made a slight but clear clinking sound against the saucer.
Xu Ziqi took in all of this, and her sneer inwardly grew even stronger.
She sighed at the opportune moment, her voice as gentle as water: "Health is the most important thing. But this is so unfortunate, we were already at the door and had to turn back..."
That night, You Xingye still couldn't see Ling Wei, and afterwards, contact with her became rare and cold.
Video invitations are basically ignored, and the only reply is always the same:
The project is progressing, I'm very busy.
Don't worry. Focus on your work.
Each word was like a cold brick, building an invisible barrier that kept You Xingye out.
This dull pain of being "so close yet so far away" is more suffocating than complete loss of contact.
Yu Xingye could not bear this ambiguous alienation.
He relentlessly sent video calls, and if one wasn't answered, he'd send another, as stubborn as a trapped beast.
Finally, the call connected.
On the screen, Ling Wei was wearing a lab coat against a backdrop of cold white walls, her eyes calm and expressionless.
Yu Xingye's heart, brimming with questions and longing, choked with emotion the moment he met those eyes: "Weiwei... have I been pushing you too hard? Meeting the parents... we can take our time, there's no rush..."
There was a long silence on the other end, so long that You Xingye's heart sank into an icy abyss.
Finally, Ling Wei raised her hand and clearly and slowly began to sign:
We are not a good match.
"Inappropriate?!" Yu Xingye was struck dumb, his voice trembling slightly. "What's inappropriate?! Is it... is it that you hate my family?"
His response was that the screen suddenly went black.
Immediately afterwards, a text message popped up:
【Feel sorry. 】
Sending any more messages only results in a glaring red exclamation mark!
He's been blocked!
A profound sense of absurdity and excruciating pain swept over me.
He didn't understand! He had to find out! Immediately! Right now!
He drove to Lingwei's school.
However, the key laboratory is heavily guarded, and the gatekeepers are very dedicated to their duties.
Yu Xingye's eagerness and identity only attracted onlookers and caused a commotion.
Upon hearing the news, agent Brother Liu rushed to the scene and, before the crowd could get out of control, practically dragged the distraught You Xingye away from the scene.
Yu Xingye also has his pride.
Having been so decisively pushed away and blocked, he could no longer lower himself to desperately cling to her.
He threw himself into a grueling, suffocating workload, numbing his senses with the intense schedule.
Under the spotlight, he remains the dazzling top singer, only the increasingly deep melancholy in his eyes and the undisguised weariness reveal the countless wounds in his heart.
Finally, after a night of heavy drinking, he hugged You Jingxuan, who had rushed to his side after hearing the news, and cried uncontrollably like a lost child: "Brother...why...she doesn't want me anymore...she blocked me..."
You Jingxuan silently supported his younger brother, listening to his broken ramblings, his eyes filled with frost.
He had already obtained the surveillance footage from the courtyard that day and witnessed Ling Wei fleeing in panic—that terrified face was definitely not just a simple case of "physical discomfort"!
He didn't connect it to Xu Ziqi. He only thought that he or the You family had offended the girl at some point, or that she had some awkward thoughts about "not being a good match", or that... she was just playing with his brother's feelings!
The You family was a truly wealthy and influential family.
Mr. You Hongxuan was a respected revolutionary entrepreneur who risked his life to smuggle precious grain seeds back from overseas in the early days of the People's Republic of China, relieving the country's urgent crisis.
Furthermore, during a time of national hardship, he donated all his family's wealth, bringing blessings to the people and establishing the You family's reputation for integrity and uprightness.
This glory also carries a heavy responsibility.
Yu Jingxuan's parents died in a car accident orchestrated by business rivals when he was young, leaving him and his younger brother behind.
It was the old man who shouldered the burden of the family's precarious situation, and You Jingxuan lived up to expectations, taking the helm of Huayou Group at a young age and propelling it to the undisputed leading position in the industry.
Not long ago, You Jingxuan personally oversaw the acquisition of a strategic mega-project overseas that is poised to reshape the industry landscape, further solidifying Huayou's unshakeable foundation.
Huayou Group has in-depth university-enterprise cooperation with top universities, and one of its key funding recipients is the "Seed Breeding Laboratory" where Ling Wei works.
For mid-term inspections of such projects, it would normally be sufficient to send just one senior manager.
But at this moment, looking at his younger brother in his arms, who was troubled by love and looked haggard, and thinking of Ling Wei's sudden escape and cold blocking afterward in the surveillance footage... You Jingxuan changed his mind.
He's going to take a look.
Go and see for yourself who this person is who has tormented his proud brother to this extent.
Accompanied by Academician Zhang, You Jingxuan entered the "Superior Seed Breeding Laboratory".
Academician Zhang introduced the project's progress and proudly introduced the project leader, who was also his prized student—Ling Wei.
"This is my youngest apprentice, Ling Wei. She provided the key data for the project."
Ling Wei looked up at the sound in front of the lab table.
She was wearing a well-fitting white lab coat. When she saw You Jingxuan, her eyes flickered for a moment, but then she regained her composure and gave him a polite nod.
You Jingxuan stood tall and straight like a pine tree, and the perfectly tailored suit accentuated his broad shoulders and long legs, giving him an outstanding presence.
He nodded slightly, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment, scrutinizing her.
When Academician Zhang was called away by other researchers to ask his students to help explain the details, You Jingxuan gracefully raised his hand to stop him: "No need for that. Just let Dr. Ling show me around briefly."
Academician Zhang looked troubled: "This child's research is top-notch, but his speech..." He stopped there.
You Jingxuan: "It's alright. After all," he said casually, "I'm not a professional either, I can just take a look."
Ling Wei stiffened slightly, remained silent for a moment, and then reluctantly walked ahead to lead the way.
Once they reached a secluded corner, You Jingxuan strolled over to Ling Wei's side. His voice was low, yet carried the aloofness characteristic of someone in a superior position: "Dr. Ling is so devoted to her academic pursuits, surely she has no time to be distracted by... matters of the heart?"
Ling Wei pretended not to hear.
He continued meaningfully, "Academic success is certainly gratifying, but in this world, knowledge and character are not always proportional."
Upon hearing this, Ling Wei didn't even bother to glance at her before turning to leave.
You Jingxuan frowned slightly and subconsciously raised his hand to stop him.
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