Li Xiu opened the back door for her, and as Chi Xingye bent to get in, she was surprised to find Helian Chengyan already seated inside, impeccably dressed in a smart casual suit. His long slender legs were elegantly crossed as he went over some files on a tablet. He was so engrossed that he hadn't even looked up.
Chi Xingye suddenly became still, taken aback by what she saw!
After a few seconds of mental dumbfoundedness, her brain finally kicked back into gear and she realized.
Could it be... that he was the one who had ordered the rescue earlier?
How could that be?
Chi Xingye could not believe it.
She found it difficult to digest that he could be so kind!
As she sat in the car, she glanced at him in secret.
From her perspective, his eyes looked deep, his eyelashes long, his nose prominent, and his lips pink. The light and shadows against his cold profile accentuated the depth of his facial features, giving him an air of royalty and striking handsomeness.
He looked incredibly mesmerising, yet also brutally cold.
Chi Xingye was profoundly astounded by this man's preoccupation and seeming cold-heartedness towards working.
She quickly composed herself and concealed her changing emotions.
She was always a polite girl. If someone helped her, she should naturally express gratitude.
"Earlier, thank you for letting..." she started.
Chi Xingye was about to speak but faltered as she did not know how to address him. At that moment, Li Xiu timely introduced himself, "Miss Chi, just call me Deputy Officer Li."
Chi Xingye smiled and nodded.
She then turned to Helian Chengyan, "Thank you for allowing Deputy Officer Li to help me out and for letting me hitch a ride on your car..."
Chi Xingye said sincerely.
To her surprise, the man beside her kept his eyes fixated on his files without acknowledging her in the slightest.
From the time she got in the car, he hadn't even once glanced at her.
As if she was nothing but air!
His disregard stirred a burst of resentment within Chi Xingye.
She had just considered him to be somewhat human, but beneath the surface, he was still the same cold and discourteous man.
Chi Xingye gritted her teeth secretly.
Seeing the awkward tension in the car, Li Xiu, ever so observant, broke the silence with a laugh, "Miss Chi, no need to be so formal. His Highness is on his way to the castle tonight, you are simply catching a ride on his way back."
"Going to the castle?"
Chi Xingye's eyes widened in surprise.
No way!
She didn't want him to return!
How comfortable and free she felt staying there alone!
At this moment, Chi Xingye felt like she had entirely mistaken her own identity, like a cuckoo that took over the nest of another bird.
Maybe it was her tone or her overly surprised and repulsive reaction, Helian Chengyan finally responded.
He put down the tablet in his hand. His eyebrows furrowed subtly. He turned his head—with his dazzling red gem-like eyes, he quietly locked his gaze onto Chi Xingye. With a cold, indifferent tone, he said, "That is my home. Are you suggesting I can't return to it?"
"Your Highness, you misunderstood, I didn't mean that at all!" Chi Xingye denied vehemently, trying to smooth things over. She managed to squeeze out a warm and radiant smile on her beautiful face despite the obviously false words she was saying, "It's your territory. Whenever you want to return, of course, you can. How could I possibly stop you! Hehe…"
"Really?"
Helian Chengyan glared coldly at her. His gaze was sharp, seeing through all pretense.
"Of course!" Chi Xingye raised her hand, making a promise, "I guarantee everything I said is absolutely true! I was just surprised because. I thought that you usually. You rarely return home due to your busy schedule., You The last time you came back was after two months, I assumed it would be the same this time... Your Highness, it's great that you are staying at the castle tonight, this even saves me the trouble of finding a taxi…"
Chi Xingye batted her beautiful eyes.
Her words were as sincere as they could be.
Meanwhile, Li Xiu, who was silently listening to their conversation from the front seat, wished to speak the truth: While it is true His Highness is usually swamped with official matters, he really isn't too busy to return home. The reason he didn't return for more than two months last time was because you refused to leave and took over the castle, right?
His Highness is a man of principles and self-discipline. How could he allow himself to have unclear relations and cohabitate with a woman!
"Heh." After hearing her out, Helian Chengyan laughed sarcastically, "What's your guarantee even worth?"
Hadn't she also solemnly promised him that night, that she would never again appear before him, and that she would avoid him if she ever saw him…
How many days has it been?
Yet tonight, she'd appeared before him twice!
Understanding the hidden meaning in his words, Chi Xingye immediately defended herself, "Your Highness, I told you earlier, tonight was an exception! If I knew you were on the racetrack, even if you gave me the courage of a hundred, I would not dare to show my existence in front of you, let alone embrace you.…"
What?
There was such an explosive scene tonight? Miss Chi embraced His Highness and would not let go… It's simply too, too, brave!
Gossipy Li Xiu immediately perked up his ears to listen attentively.
Her explanation, however, made Helian Chengyan's lips, which were thinly pressed into a cold line, turn even colder.
Did she mean that she wouldn't cling to him, but would do so to any other man?
However, Chi Xingye's next set of explanations were even more grating to his ears.
"Your Highness, as I have said, me being in your car now does not mean that I intentionally appeared before you."
Chi Xingye emphasized this point to prevent him from accusing her of breaking her promises and using this as an excuse to kick her out of the castle. Feeling that her words were inappropriate, she quickly added, against her will, "Of course, Your Highness is a person with a heart warmer than his demeanor. Being the honourable prince of DK, even if you were to come across another girl in danger on the street today, you would have stepped in to help. Who can blame us, your subjects, for this… I would never be so presumptuous..."
"Shut up! If you speak another word, I will throw you out!"
Suddenly, Helian Chengyan's voice—tinged with contained coldness and anger—interrupted her.
With a meaningful glance at her, he resumed his attention on the screen and refrained from acknowledging her any further.
"…" Chi Xingye's words were cut short by his icy reprimands. The simmering anger that had been stifled within surged up her throat.
She didn't understand which of her words had offended him.
This man was suddenly angry, making a pleasant conversation quite impossible!
Li Xiu said, "Miss Chi, His Highness has never…"
Never helped another woman. You are the first!
The second half of his sentence was abruptly cut off by Helian Chengyan's sudden thunderous voice, "Li Xiu".
There was immediate silence.
The car was filled with an oppressive and icy atmosphere.
…
All the way.
Out of boredom, Chi Xingye leaned her head slightly against the car window.
Her eyes were filled with daze as she watched the fleeting scenery.
By then, Helian Chengyan had finished looking through his files and was resting with his eyes half-closed against the back of the seat.
Through the glass, Chi Xingye dared to take a better look at him. From the reflection in the glass, she could vaguely make out the sharp contours of his frosty face.
Inwardly, she sighed with regret.
Over the span of two years, he had indeed changed a lot.