C9

After the meal, Lin Yuv felt like she was chewing on wax. Yiyue, too hungry to notice her, was thoroughly enjoying her food. Little did Lin Yuv know, Yiyue didn't pay her any mind; her worries were entirely self-imposed.

Once they finished eating, Yiyue let out a satisfied burp, said a quick word to Mr. and Mrs. Xi, and headed upstairs. Xi Yihann noticed something was off with Lin Yuv and assumed she was nervous around his parents, so he quietly tried to comfort her.

Just as Yiyue reached the top of the stairs, her phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, she frowned and answered, "Lan, what's up?"

Lan was Mr. Xi's assistant. In recent years, Mr. Xi's health had declined, and when Yiyue joined the company, he assigned Lan to assist her. Originally, Mr. Xi intended for Lan to assist Xi Yihann, but since Yihann was accustomed to his current assistant and didn't want to switch, Lan ended up working with Yiyue.

"The folks at Jinghe Company are unexpectedly looking to terminate the contract. We can't hold them off any longer. Yiyue, do you think you could ask Mr. Xi to come by?"

"Terminate the contract?" Yiyue was puzzled. Jinghe Company had been collaborating with the Xi family for years. Why would they suddenly want to break the contract? After asking a few more questions, Yiyue ended the call.

Originally planning to go to bed early, it now seemed impossible.

With his health not being great, Xi's father naturally couldn't go. Xi Yihann was entirely focused on Lin Yuv, likely needing to drive her home later, so he wasn't an option either. In the end, it was up to her.

Returning to her room, Yiyue changed out of her loungewear, grabbed her briefcase, and headed downstairs. The housekeeper, who was cleaning up the dishes, noticed Yiyue coming down all dressed up and approached her with a puzzled look. "Miss, are you heading out now?"

"Yes, please have the driver wait for me outside."

The housekeeper nodded and quickly went to call the driver.

Hearing Yiyue's words, Xi's parents, who had been chatting with Lin Yuv, suddenly stopped. Xi's mother, watching Yiyue change her shoes, expressed some concern. "Yiyue, it's so late. Where are you going?"

As a young woman going out late at night, Xi's mother couldn't help but worry. However, Xi's father noticed the briefcase in Yiyue's hand and her neat, professional attire. It was clear what she intended to do.

Frowning slightly, Xi's father asked, "Is there an issue at the company?"

"Yes, Lan called to say there's a problem with the joint venture," Yiyue replied, not denying it.

While she spoke, she finished putting on her shoes, and the sound of a car horn came from outside the house. The driver was ready.

Yiyue hurried out, completely unaware of the strange look that flashed in Lin Yuv's eyes at the mention of the joint venture.

"Wait a minute!" called out Mr. Xi, stopping Yiyue as she was about to leave.

Yiyue turned her head, looking at Mr. Xi with a hint of confusion.

Mr. Xi shifted his gaze to Xi Yihann. "It's late, and it's not safe for your sister to go out alone. You handle the situation with the competition."

Xi Yihann paused for a moment, glanced at Yiyue, and finally stood up from the couch to grab his jacket.

Yiyue's first thought was that if Yihann was going, that was perfect—she could get to bed early.

Unexpectedly, Lin Yuv, who was still sitting on the couch, also stood up. "It's just as well; I should be heading back too. Yihann, could you give me a ride?"