Chapter 171: Chapter 168: Ye Xiao, Don’t Be So Arrogant!
"Be good!" Ye Xixi shouted loudly.
Ye Xiao couldn’t help but laugh, kissed her little nose again, and then looked toward his son, who was pretending to be reserved as he slowly walked over.
He freed up one hand to extend it to him, "Little darling."
Ye Yihan’s face was red, yet he remained serious, placing his small hand into Ye Xiao’s hand, and said solemnly, "Didn’t you say you wouldn’t come?"
Ye Xiao held his hand and led him towards the car, smiling as he looked at him, "Mommy only said she might not be able to come."
Ye Yihan pouted and said nothing.
Fu Yangming, sitting on his dad’s shoulder, watched as Ye Xiao got into the car holding Ye Xixi in one arm and leading Ye Yihan with the other. He pressed his little lips tight and looked down at his dad, who was staring intently in Ye Xiao’s direction, "Daddy, that’s Ye Xixi’s mommy, isn’t she beautiful?"
Fu awkwardly withdrew his gaze, glanced at Fu Ma, and coughed, "She’s, she’s alright."
Fu Ma pretended to look at him angrily.
Fu hurried to help his son into the car.
"Xiao Xiao, brother didn’t help me today. I cleaned the water bottle myself. Is it clean?" As soon as she got in the car, Xixi chirped like a happy little sparrow, talking non-stop.
Ye Xiao glanced at it and nodded, "Very clean, Xixi did a great job!"
"The kindergarten made chicken legs for lunch. They weren’t good, so I only ate two," Xixi said.
"..." Ye Xiao’s mouth twitched slightly, "Darling, if they weren’t good, why did you eat two?"
Ye Xixi turned her eyes a bit embarrassedly, shrugged her little shoulders, and laughed.
Ye Xiao shook his head.
"Xiao Xiao, aren’t we going home?" Ye Yihan noticed they weren’t heading home and frowned, puzzled as he looked at Ye Xiao.
"Mommy can’t be with you and Xixi tonight. Uncle Ying asked me to take you to his place. You and your sister need to listen to Uncle Ying tonight. I’ll pick you up from his house after I’m done," Ye Xiao said.
"Okay." Hanhan responded and didn’t speak further.
Ye Xiao looked at his son through the rearview mirror, "Is Hanhan angry?"
Ye Yihan’s obsidian-bright eyes gazed at Ye Xiao and he shook his head, "I understand."
Ye Xiao raised a brow and smiled with relief.
Ye Xiao dropped off Ye Xixi and Ye Yihan in front of the single apartment building where Ying Jingyao lived and saw Ying Jingyao’s assistant Zhuo Wenji, smartly dressed in a business suit, standing in front of the building.
Seeing Ye Xiao leading the two little ones off the car, Zhuo Wenji came over with a smile, reaching out to touch Ye Xixi’s face.
Ye Xixi frowned and dodged.
Zhuo Wenji’s outstretched hand froze, and she indifferently curled a corner of her mouth, looking down on Ye Xiao, "Miss Ye, President Ying is caught up in a meeting, so he sent me to pick up the kids."
Ye Xiao’s brow furrowed slightly, "Jingyao sent you?"
"If Miss Ye doesn’t believe me, you can call President Ying to confirm." Zhuo Wenji twisted the corner of her mouth, her tone a bit cold.
Ye Xiao glanced at Xixi and Hanhan.
Xixi immediately clung to her leg, staring at Zhuo Wenji with large, wary eyes.
And Hanhan also looked at Zhuo Wenji with obvious rejection in his eyes.
Ye Xiao pursed her lips and looked up at Zhuo Wenji, "No need to call, I’ll just go to his office to find him."
"Ha, Miss Ye really treats the company like her home, coming and going as she pleases." Zhuo Wenji sneered, looking at Ye Xiao.
Ye Xiao’s brow darkened, she looked at Zhuo Wenji with slightly cold eyes, "Looks like Miss Zhuo mistakes me for your parents?"
Zhuo Wenji was taken aback, "What do you mean?"
"Otherwise, why else would Miss Zhuo think I would tolerate your snide remarks?" Ye Xiao said calmly.
"..." Zhuo Wenji’s face turned quite unpleasant, her fists clenching tight, "Some people really think they’re something special, just because President Ying backs them up, they act wantonly and pretentious..."
"If Miss Zhuo wants to act like a nobody, that’s Miss Zhuo’s choice. If someone could be a person but insists on being a nobody, what can I do?"
"Ye Xiao, don’t be so arrogant..."
"Zhuo Wenji, shut up!" Before Zhuo Wenji could say something nastier, an angry shout suddenly came over.
Ye Xiao saw Zhuo Wenji’s face turn pale instantly, gently knitting her brows, just about to look over when the soft little hand in her grip suddenly slipped away, "Brother Ying..."
Ye Xiao furrowed her brows, watching Ye Xixi run towards Ying Jingyao, who had just gotten out of the car.
Ying Jingyao looked aloof, his eyes cold and angry, but when they met Ye Xixi, they softened, and he picked her up.
Ye Xixi nestled in his arms, turned to glance at Zhuo Wenji, then used her little butt to face her, resting her head against Ying Jingyao’s neck.
Ying Jingyao softly stroked Ye Xixi’s back, holding her as he walked towards Ye Xiao, looking at Ye Xiao with eyes as gentle as the breeze.
Ye Xiao tugged at the corners of her mouth, "I was just about to go to your company to find you."
Ying Jingyao said nothing, only a hint of heartache appeared in his eyes as he looked at Ye Xiao.
"Assistant Zhuo, hurry up and apologize to Miss Ye!" Ying Jingyao’s assistant Ruan Chen looked at Zhuo Wenji with concealed anger.
Zhuo Wenji grudgingly pressed her lips together, reluctant to speak.
Ruan Chen’s face showed obvious anger, "Assistant Zhuo..."
"No need." Ye Xiao smiled as she looked at Ruan Chen.
Ruan Chen furrowed his brows, "Miss Ye, President Ying originally asked me to personally pick up the child, but something came up at the company, so I let Assistant Zhuo take over. I didn’t expect... Anyway, it’s my oversight. I apologize to you on behalf of Assistant Zhuo."
Ruan Chen is Ying Jingyao’s capable assistant and close friend. He is reticent and steady, exceptionally skilled, yet strictly separates business and personal matters.
Ye Xiao has known him for four years, and they are good friends privately. However, when it comes to business, it’s as if Ye Xiao and he are complete strangers, following protocols rigidly.
Ye Xiao couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
"Ruan Chen, take Miss Zhuo to the finance department to receive three months’ salary. From tomorrow, Miss Zhuo will no longer be an employee of the Ying Family."
Ying Jingyao, who had been staring at Ye Xiao, suddenly spoke, his voice crisp and devoid of warmth.
"..." Ye Xiao was taken aback, looking at Ying Jingyao.
Ying Jingyao took her hand and, with long strides, walked into the apartment.
Ruan Chen kept a cold face, looking indifferently at the stunned Zhuo Wenji, "Miss Zhuo, please."
"...How could President Ying do this?" Zhuo Wenji’s eyes widened, tears welling up instantly.
Ruan Chen seemed not to hear, remaining unmoved.
"I was placed in the company by Mrs. Ying, President Ying cannot dismiss me!" Zhuo Wenji clenched her fists, agitated.
Ruan Chen squinted, "In these years, you aren’t the only one placed by Mrs. Ying, nor the first to be dismissed by President Ying."
"..."
Ying Jingyao’s apartment is about three to four hundred square meters, spacious and tidy, with a monochromatic color scheme, typical of a bachelor’s pad.
As soon as she stepped into the apartment, Xixi familiarly picked up the remote control and turned on the LCD TV. Little Fatty leaned crookedly on the sofa watching cartoons.
Ying Jingyao raised an Akita dog named Weimeng.
As soon as Hanhan entered, Weimeng pounced on him, engaging in intimate interaction between the person and the dog.
Ye Xiao stood at the doorway without entering, looking at Ying Jingyao with hesitation.
Ying Jingyao’s face was calm and cool, seemingly still displeased about Zhuo Wenji’s matter, but his eyes gazed at Ye Xiao with a gentle warmth.
"You can’t continue like this." Ye Xiao said softly.
"Hmm?" Ying Jingyao’s eyes lightly hooked onto her.
Ye Xiao pursed her lips, "You know what I’m talking about."
"Hmm." Ying Jingyao nodded.
"..." Ye Xiao frowned, looked up at him, "Agreed?"
Ying Jingyao slightly raised his brows, smiled at Ye Xiao, but said nothing.
"...What do you mean?" Ye Xiao asked him quietly.
Facing Ye Xiao, Ying Jingyao’s gaze was deep and intense, "I can’t let you suffer because of irrelevant people. For me, your mood is the most important."
Ye Xiao met his determined gaze, her pupils contracted slightly. After a moment, she murmured, lowering her head, "You’ve already done well."
"Not enough." Ying Jingyao lowered his head slightly, his clear eyes like a galaxy, intently staring at her, "Xiao Xiao, I always feel I haven’t done enough for you. How should I treat you well, Xiao Xiao? Tell me."
Ye Xiao’s heart trembled, but she nervously pulled her hand back, her eyes flickering, not daring to meet his bright eyes, "I’ll come back later to pick up Xixi and Hanhan."
After speaking, Ye Xiao hurriedly turned around, even forgetting to say goodbye to Xixi and Hanhan.
Ying Jingyao watched Ye Xiao’s thin and slender figure disappear into the elevator. As the elevator slowly closed in front of him, she never looked up at him.
Pursing his thin lips, Ying Jingyao suddenly leaped in before the elevator fully closed.
"..."
Ye Xiao’s heart sank heavily, wanting to avoid his gaze, speaking in a flustered tone, "Jingyao, don’t do this."
Ying Jingyao grabbed her waist with one hand, not allowing her to escape, turned her fleeing face with the other hand, and pressed his thin lips onto hers.
It’s often said that the more cold and aloof a man appears on the outside, the more a wolf hides within his heart.
Like Ying Jingyao.
In Ye Xiao’s heart, Ying Jingyao was always the gentle and noble gentleman, the calm doctor who wielded a scalpel, and the warm-hearted man who would laugh heartily with her.
Until this moment, Ye Xiao realized how outrageous her perception was.
Ye Xiao’s waist was almost crushed by him, completely out of breath, almost suffocating. He finally pulled away from her lips, scooping her up into his arms, holding her tightly.
Ye Xiao felt limp all over, completely powerless.
Ying Jingyao exhaled a chuckle near her ear, his arms tightly wrapped around her like iron clamps, forcefully trying to embed her into his bones, merging the two into one.
Ye Xiao lightly closed her eyes, exhaling continuously, hearing his teasing laughter without the strength to retort or push him away, her ears burning red, only burying her face slightly into his chest.
Seeing this, Ying Jingyao couldn’t help but kiss her hair, holding her as he turned around, pressing the elevator floor button with his other hand.
Ye Xiao glimpsed from the corner of her eye, slowly lifting her eyelids slightly to glance at him, her voice hoarse, "Xixi and Hanhan are upstairs..."
"Hmm."
Ying Jingyao wouldn’t let go as he held her, "I’ll take you down first, then come back up."
Ye Xiao lowered her eyes, feeling his grip tightening around her, her chest’s breathing gradually stifled, she lightly parted her lips, taking two breaths, and said, "I’m almost out of breath."
Ying Jingyao paused slightly, only then loosening a bit, but still refused to let her go.