Chapter 35: What Am I to You?

"I..." The assistant barely got a word out before he glanced up and met Qin Yu’s gaze, which instantly silenced him.

Lin Xi sensed something amiss and turned to look at the man beside her.

The harshness in Qin Yu’s eyes had faded, and when he looked at her, his gaze betrayed no emotion.

That was normal, wasn’t it? Lin Xi paused, and only after a moment did she realize why the assistant was so afraid—Qin Yu had troubled him before.

She coughed softly, lowering her head to hide her mouth as she muttered in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Just ignore him for now. We’re working."

As the prince of the capital, Qin Yu had never cared much for others’ feelings. Lin Xi truly worried that he would make trouble for her assistant here.

Normally she wouldn’t care, but on this occasion, it was especially inappropriate.

They were still working, still socializing. If personal matters intruded, it would leave Huasheng with a poor impression. The other party might not mind Qin Yu’s rudeness, but what about Feiyun?

For a company, image was of utmost importance.

Sensing the atmosphere darken and the situation turn awkward, Lin Xi withdrew her gaze from him and, smiling, raised her glass, "President Wan—"

With a crisp sound, her hand barely lifted before Qin Yu pressed it back down.

Her hand trembled, nearly dropping the wine glass.

"What are you doing?" she whispered.

Qin Yu mimicked her tone, retorting, "What are you doing?"

"Toasting, of course." What else could it be? Wasn’t this perfectly normal?

These days, even at family dinners, the toasting ritual was indispensable.

As long as no one forced her to drink or acted inappropriately, Lin Xi saw no issue. She was here for work, not to play the pampered young lady—she knew where to draw the line.

So she didn’t mind toasting.

Across from her sat industry elites, two of whom headed Huasheng’s R&D department—her seniors.

Qin Yu assumed the three were pressuring her, and when he looked across the table, his expression was anything but friendly.

"President Qin," one of them tried to explain.

"She can’t drink," he said, taking the glass from Lin Xi’s hand. "I’ll toast the three of you on her behalf."

The three men shot up as if their seats were spring-loaded. "No, no, President Qin, what are you doing?"

"It should be us toasting you!"

They nearly lunged to snatch the glass from his hand.

But Qin Yu ignored them, tilting his head back and draining half the wine in one go, his voice calm, "It’s nothing, I’m not just representing myself."

"She represents Feiyun, and I represent her."

Hearing this, Lin Xi’s hand froze halfway, unable to stop him in time.

—

After the dinner, the three from Huasheng were thoroughly drunk. Lin Xi signaled her assistant to see them off, staying behind to settle accounts with Qin Yu.

"Why did you come, Third Brother?"

"Tell him to leave."

They spoke almost in unison, one after the other.

Qin Yu had drunk quite a bit himself, a fierce look lingering between his brows. This time, Lin Xi conceded first, explaining, "He’s my assistant. He came on this business trip with me."

"You dare hire that kind of scum?"

Qin Yu knew she still remembered what had happened back then.

"I didn’t know it was him when I hired him." Folding her arms, she leaned back, her tone cool. "Later on, I thought simply firing him would be letting him off too easily. If I let him go now, Feiyun would have to pay him a hefty severance."

"More importantly, now that he knows I’m his boss, he’s on edge every day, constantly watching my mood, forced to make a living at my mercy. Isn’t that satisfying?"

"I have other plans. Once he can’t stand it and resigns himself, there’s a non-compete clause—he won’t survive in this industry. All this was something you taught me, Third Brother."

A swift end was too merciful for such trash; only a slow, drawn-out retribution would suffice.

Her phone vibrated on the table. Lin Xi glanced at the screen.

Assistant: "Engineer Lin, I’m not feeling well, so I’ll head back to the hotel first."

She smiled as she showed the message to Qin Yu. "See?"

"Third Brother, was his dropping out of school because of you?"

Qin Yu wasn’t surprised she knew. He tossed his unlit cigarette onto the table. "Yes, it was because of me."

"He’s truly terrified of you—he even says you’re his worst nightmare." Lin Xi couldn’t help but laugh. "But I can understand. You don’t even have to do anything—just standing there is intimidating enough."

Qin Yu caught the teasing in her words, but he wasn’t offended. He joked back, "Is that a compliment?"

Lin Xi shrugged. "Of course. After all, not everyone has that kind of presence. That frightening aura of yours seems innate. When I was little, I was just like them earlier—too scared to even talk to you."

As she spoke, an indescribable emotion flickered in Qin Yu’s eyes—surprise, perhaps.

Seeing him still staring as if unconvinced, Lin Xi straightened, suddenly wanting to settle old scores.

"Of all my brothers, you were the coldest. You always ignored me. Even when I was scolded by my brothers, even the ‘bad’ Fifth Brother would defend me, but you alone acted like it was nothing, keeping your distance."

Always that attitude of indifference.

"I don’t recall that," Qin Yu frowned, looking at her with confusion and, oddly, a little grievance, as though Lin Xi had wronged him. "Are you sure you’re not remembering it backwards?"

He scoffed, then countered, "If anything, I recall you were the one who ignored me."

For a moment, Lin Xi’s heart ached at the look in his eyes, but as soon as she heard his words, she found him utterly unreasonable.

"I wanted to talk to you, but you never gave me a friendly face!" she retorted, rolling her eyes.

"Just today, I was saying how you and President Shen from Huasheng are worlds apart. You’re the same age, but even as an outsider, he’s always gentle with me, whereas you’re still as cold as ever."

Qin Yu replied, "He’s like that with everyone. Besides, he has a girlfriend."

"…Did I ask about that?"

"From your tone, it sounded like you were interested in him."

Lin Xi gave him a forced smile. "Well, if you say so, Third Brother. But I do prefer gentle people."

Qin Yu knew full well who she meant with that veiled remark.

Gentleness.

He mulled over the word in silence. "So, if someone smiles at you and treats you well, you’d like them?"

Lin Xi found the question childish. The alcohol was starting to hit her, making her feel light-headed. She picked up her bag and stood. "It’s getting late, Third Brother. Let’s go."

When she reached the door and noticed no footsteps behind her, she looked back to find him still seated. She called his name.

He seemed to come to himself only then, slowly raising his head. His gaze drifted for a moment before settling on her. Perhaps it was the alcohol, but Lin Xi thought she saw a faint flush at the corners of his eyes.

Suddenly, he asked her,

"All these years, I’ve followed behind you, almost giving you my very life. What does that make me?"