He Yining didn't answer that question. Instead, he shifted the topic and said, "Brother Feng, do me a favor."
"You want me to take care of your adopted sister?" Feng Manlun gave a self-deprecating laugh. "He Yining, weren't we just enemies a moment ago? Is it really appropriate for you to entrust your adopted sister to me?"
"What choice do I have?" He Yining chuckled. "Besides, didn't we just cooperate? And you're overthinking it. Lanlan only sees me as a brother, nothing more. I'm just afraid Xiao Qi might misunderstand."
"Sorry, I can't help with that." Feng Manlun said seriously. "Not to mention that I never have women around me, but even if I took her in, would she definitely come? Don't forget, her target is you. However, I could take care of Xiao Qi for you!"
"Hmph. Does my woman need another man to take care of?" He Yining snorted coldly.
"Really not necessary?" Feng Manlun seemed to have gained the upper hand, his mood unusually lifting.
He Yining just snorted and said nothing.
Feng Manlun didn't press him further, instead asking, "Why don't you fly over? Why insist on driving?"
"This is the road she took when she was taken away back then, so I'm taking her to relive the memories." He Yining certainly wouldn't tell Feng Manlun that he just wanted to spend more time with Shen Qi and deepen their bond.
Feng Manlun immediately said, "Perfect timing. I don't have anything urgent these days either. Would President He welcome me to join the journey?"
He Yining refused: "I only brought two RVs. There's not enough room."
"I'll bring my own." Feng Manlun added, "Xiao Qi is my junior sister. By rights, I should go pay my respects too, shouldn't I?"
Just then, Shen Qi's voice came from outside: "Aren't you two done talking? All the guests are gone!"
He Yining suddenly lowered his voice and said to Feng Manlun, "I'll allow you to come along, but you can't let Xiao Qi know about tonight's events!"
"Deal!" Feng Manlun smiled faintly.
He had finally won a round.
Even if it was just a small one.
"We're done talking, just tasting tea." Feng Manlun took the initiative to speak. "Want to try the tea here? It's quite good."
Shen Qi walked over, sat down beside He Yining, and said, "If we don't leave soon, I think the host of this banquet might start crying."
He Yining and Feng Manlun both laughed: "Indeed, let's find another place to continue drinking tea."
The three of them stood up and left together.
As they walked out the door, the host truly breathed a sigh of relief.
Back in the car, Shen Qi couldn't help but ask curiously, "What did you talk about with Feng Manlun?"
"Nothing much, just some business matters." He Yining said. "Oh, by the way, he heard you're going to pay respects to your father and happens to have business in that area, so I invited him to join us. You don't mind, do you?"
Shen Qi shook her head.
Of course, she didn't mind.
But she was very curious.
Weren't they always at each other's throats?
Why did a little tea and chat suddenly make them so close?
Had their previous hostility all been fake?
Since He Yining wouldn't say, Shen Qi didn't ask.
Back at their lodging, Shen Qi removed her makeup and changed clothes, preparing to shower and sleep.
Suddenly, He Yining's phone rang. He glanced at the number and stepped outside to take the call.
For some reason, Shen Qi's heart sank.
Before, He Yining never answered calls with his back to her.
Not even for the most important business matters.
Who was he talking to?
Shen Qi shook her head, constantly telling herself not to overthink it. It must be nothing.
She grabbed her things and headed to the bathroom. Just as she was about to enter, she noticed the door next to her wasn't fully closed. He Yining's voice drifted out intermittently: "Lanlan, of course I miss you. When you come over, no matter how busy I am, I'll make time to be with you."
Shen Qi's heart plummeted.
Lanlan? Who was that?
Someone He Yining spoke to with such a gentle tone couldn't be a man.
And if it was a woman, who was she?
Shen Qi's fingers clenched tightly.
Hearing that the call was about to end, Shen Qi cowardly ducked into the bathroom and locked the door behind her.
She stood there in a daze, her thoughts in turmoil.
I must have misheard, right?
There's no woman, right?
What's wrong with me?
Why does my chest feel so tight?
Why do I feel like something precious to me has been stolen?
Shen Qi pressed her hand to her chest. It felt so heavy.
She ran the water and submerged herself completely, using the suffocation to stop her spiraling thoughts.
I'm just being too sensitive!
It can't be what I'm imagining!
Shen Qi burst out of the water.
He Yining had been so good to her lately. His affection couldn't be fake!
There was no need for it!
She had to trust him!
Shen Qi silently resolved to pretend she hadn't heard anything and maintain their usual dynamic.
But even as she convinced herself, a tiny crack had formed in her heart.
Small as it was, it remained.
He Yining noticed Shen Qi had been in the bathroom for a long time. He tried the door and found it locked.
A bad feeling crept into his heart.
"Xiao Qi?" He Yining asked tentatively. "Are you okay?"
Shen Qi snapped back to reality, hastily wiped her face, and replied loudly, "Nothing, just feeling a bit tired. I'll be out soon."
She rinsed off and quickly left the bathroom.
Shen Qi tried her best to act normal, but He Yining still sensed something was off.
"You're unhappy today?" He pressed.
"How could I be? I'm just a little tired." Shen Qi forced a smile. "Alright, go shower and rest. We have to set off again tomorrow."
Hearing this, He Yining relaxed slightly. He reached out and ruffled her hair. "Okay, if you're tired, get some rest early."
Shen Qi's body stiffened.
How could he use such a gentle tone with two women?
With that girl named Lanlan, he was like this too...
No, no, Shen Qi, stop! Don't overthink!
Trust him!
He's not that kind of man!
I must have misheard! It wasn't Lanlan at all!
"Mm, I'll go sleep first." Shen Qi nodded and turned back to the bedroom.
He Yining watched her retreating figure, thinking her low mood was due to homesickness—it had been so long since she'd visited her father.
Shen Qi lay in bed, closed her eyes, and the tone of He Yining's phone call echoed in her ears.
So gentle, so... affectionate.
She had once believed his affection was hers alone.
But now, she suddenly realized she was just one of many.
She had already told herself to stop, so why did her heart still ache so much?
Shen Qi couldn't suppress her chaotic thoughts.
It wasn't until He Yining finished showering and came over that she forced herself to calm down.
Feeling the other side of the bed dip, Shen Qi's body inexplicably tensed.
His familiar scent enveloped her, but tonight it didn't bring the usual comfort.
Was it because his heart held someone else?
Right, how had she overlooked something so important?
He had always been searching for his angel.
Lin Xi wasn't her, but that didn't mean he'd stop looking.
He was kind to her only because that girl hadn't appeared yet.
Like the person he'd just called—wasn't he equally gentle with her?
If that girl showed up, Shen Qi probably wouldn't even have the right to stand by his side.
The thought that she would one day have to leave made Shen Qi's breath catch. The dull ache in her chest turned into a sharp, piercing pain.
Almost instantly, her eyes reddened.
She really couldn't let go, could she?
Love was the most wounding thing.
Whoever fell first, lost.
In this twisted game of fate, she had probably lost first.
He Yining's arm reached around her, as usual, wanting to hold her as they slept.
But the moment he touched her, he noticed something was wrong.
Shen Qi's body was unnaturally stiff.
What was wrong with her?
Wasn't she happy that he'd stood up for her tonight?
Or was she upset because he'd made things hard for Feng Manlun?
In her heart, was a distant senior brother more important than her own husband?
At that thought, He Yining's phoenix eyes darkened. With a hint of irritation, he withdrew his arm.
Feeling his arm pull away, Shen Qi's heart grew even heavier.
He wasn't like this before!
No matter how much they argued, he wouldn't pull back so easily.
Was it because of that call that his heart had shifted?
Yes, hearts were biased.
They always leaned one way.
Now that he had someone else he wanted to cherish and dote on, she was already becoming secondary, wasn't she?
Tears silently slipped from her eyes, wetting her lashes and trickling into her hair.
Shen Qi didn't dare cry too much. She gently wiped them away, pretending to be asleep, curling herself into a tight ball like a hedgehog.
Yes, she was a hedgehog.
Not a little rabbit.
Rabbits were so harmless and fragile.
If she were always so weak and defenseless, how could she protect her brother?
She was a hedgehog, even if she looked like a rabbit when her spines were relaxed.
But at her core, she was still a hedgehog.
When hurt, she would curl into a tight ball, wrapping herself in her spines.
Even if it hurt the other person, it hurt herself too.
Because there were too many scars.
The next day, Feng Manlun indeed joined the convoy.
While He Yining had only brought two RVs, Feng Manlun had five cars.
Even Shen Qi couldn't help asking him, "Senior Brother, are you planning to switch careers to digging holes?"
Feng Manlun laughed heartily and replied, "There are quite a few graves over there. Not digging them up, but I might pick up a few good pieces."
The place where Lin Yuxiang was buried was in a dense forest area.
Legend had it that a dynasty was buried there.