Chapter 1803: Sweet Candy, Good Friends, Urgently Need to Cool Down

Duan Yiyang spoke openly and confidently. Adding a WeChat friend nowadays is as common as ever. Many add friends and never say a word, it’s not easy to refuse. Besides, Duan Yiyang helped her out of the haunted escape room, so she had even less reason to decline.

She took out her phone and opened WeChat.

"Let me scan you," Duan Yiyang said.

Qi Zhiyi opened the QR code, handed her phone over, and quickly received Duan Yiyang’s friend request.

Duan Yinuo, oblivious to the subtle tension between her brother and Zhiyi, thought her brother was quite proactive today. Previously, people added him and he didn’t accept; being a bit more active now was normal, and she urged Qi Zhiyi to hit ’accept’ ASAP.

Once they all added each other, the four parted ways. Duan Yiyang went to the company, while Duan Yinuo took Qi Zhiyi home.

"...Zhiyi, I’m really sorry. I didn’t expect that room to be so scary, it was terrifying," Duan Yinuo, sitting next to Qi Zhiyi in the backseat, said, "Next time I promise I won’t leave you behind."

"It’s fine, but that room was indeed very scary."

"Thankfully my brother took care of you, otherwise..." Duan Yinuo pursed her lips, "By the way, what did you and my brother do in the room?"

She was still curious about what happened between them in the escape room.

"What do you think could happen? I was scared out of my mind, clinging to him the whole time. I bet your brother was close to being driven mad by me," Qi Zhiyi rubbed her fingers, recalling the lasting warmth.

"It’s alright. Don’t be fooled by my brother’s appearance; he’s actually very nice. Maybe next time we can invite him to dinner and get to know him a bit more?"

"..."

Qi Zhiyi wasn’t naive enough to miss her ulterior motives, "Forget it, your brother has already spent quite a bit this time."

"Then you can treat him next time."

"..."

Qi Zhiyi was dizzy; could these siblings just cut her some slack?

The car belonged to Duan Yinuo’s boyfriend, so there was no worry about being recognized as a Duan family vehicle, and it drove all the way to the entrance of the Qi family’s villa area, where Qi Zhiyi got out and left.

Upon returning home, Ruan Mengxi had just come down from the rooftop; with Qi Lie coming back soon for the winter holidays, she personally aired out her son’s quilt, seeing her daughter looking rather out of sorts, she asked what happened.

"I went to an escape room and got scared," Qi Zhiyi’s appearance really made her look frightened, so Ruan Mengxi told her to rest well and didn’t ask more.

Back in her room, while undressing, Qi Zhiyi found the box of candy Duan Yiyang had given her in her pocket.

The tin box with candies, originally cold, had been warmed by her body heat in the pocket, and holding it, she could still feel a trace of warmth, reminding her of the sensation of Duan Yiyang grasping her fingers.

Her mind was in chaos.

Qi Zhiyi had never felt such a continuous sense of heart palpitations, and every time she recalled it, it felt suffocating.

She lay in bed, sighed heavily, opened her phone, and looked at Duan Yiyang’s WeChat. She checked his Moments, and his latest post was from yesterday. It seemed like their social circle had a small gathering with many people, but Qi Zhiyi instantly spotted Duan Yiyang.

What should she do; was she going crazy?

Just then her phone vibrated; there was a message from the group chat indicating Jiang Ruan was going on winter break soon.

[These exams are driving me mad, 8 subjects in one week, I feel like I’m going to go bald.] Usually, university life was easy, but every exam week, Jiang Ruan would hit a breaking point.

Taotao: [Liberal arts finals require a lot of memorization. If you look at what Jiang Mutang has to study for his finals, you’d really lose your mind.]

[I definitely can’t compare with my brother.]

For medical students, finals were truly hell-level.

[@JiangMutang, brother, how do you prep for finals, any tips?] Jiang Ruan was curious.

Jiang Mutang, who was online at that moment, replied directly:

[You need a good brain.]

Jiang Ruan immediately sent a kicking emoji, but soon after, the Huo siblings joined the chat, diverting everyone’s attention. Jiang Ruan even said that she’d plan to meet up when she returned to Beijing.

[By the way, when I get back to Beijing this time, I might introduce a friend to you all.]

Qi Lie, spying from the sidelines, was inexplicably alarmed upon hearing this.

What the heck?

A friend?

Isn’t it that wild guy you snuck off with?

These two were really bold, bringing him back for a meeting? Aren’t they afraid of being discovered, of Jiang Fourth Uncle breaking that wild guy’s legs? These two were really pushing their luck at the edge of disaster.

Qi Lie increasingly felt that Beijing was a place of trouble. If it weren’t for the approaching New Year, making everyone come home, he really wouldn’t want to go back.

Everyone assumed she might be bringing her classmates to have fun, given Jiang Ruan’s roommates and classmates had also visited Beijing and eaten with everyone. Thus, her mentioning bringing a friend back didn’t draw much attention.

Qi Zhiyi, flustered by Duan Yiyang, paid no mind to the group chat.

She merely watched everyone chat, not replying to any messages or content.

The phone buzzed again; it was a message from Duan Yiyang:

[Have you gotten home?]

Qi Zhiyi hesitated. Ignoring the message would be impolite, so she replied simply: [Yeah.]

Not being close meant there wasn’t more conversation.

Feeling like she needed to cool down, Qi Zhiyi went downstairs to make herself a cup of chrysanthemum tea.

**

Meanwhile, Duan Yiyang had arrived at the company. An assistant knocked and entered...

"Mr. Xiaoduan," he said, holding a pile of documents. At the year’s end, all companies were busy. He was swamped, yet Mr. Xiaoduan had gone out to do God knows what. He had no idea of his boss’s schedule.

"Hmm."

Duan Yiyang’s focus was on his computer, so the assistant didn’t pay much attention, assuming he was reviewing some documents.

"The last Haotian Group project, Fu Family withdrew, and Jiang Fifth Uncle and Qi Group jointly obtained it, this project..."

The assistant dutifully reported the work but was startled by a scream coming from the computer, making him shake and drop two documents from the top.

During work hours, Mr. Xiaoduan was...

Watching a horror movie!

The unusual part was, he was laughing!

Could it be a comedy-horror?

Duan Yiyang paused the video. "You mentioned the project the Qi family got?"

"Yes, the one from Haotian Group..." the assistant cleared his throat, "Mr. Duan was quite upset. Third Master came to the office today, they argued, saying Fu Third Master shouldn’t have just handed the project over to the Qi family. You should be careful when you see him; he’s in a bad mood."

"So immature at his age," Duan Yiyang remarked.

Meanwhile, in the top-floor office, someone received a gift from his son.

"Mr. Duan, Mr. Xiaoduan knows you’re upset and specifically asked me to bring you some tea."

"Is that so? That kid has some conscience." He took the cup from the assistant and opened it, the rich scent of chrysanthemum wafted up his nose, "This is..."

"Mr. Xiaoduan said, given your age, it’s best to avoid anger. Chrysanthemum clears heat and calms you, suitable for you now," the assistant spoke with trepidation.

"That brat!" Duan Linbai was almost furious enough to die.

Having banned him from coffee was one thing, but constantly pushing health supplements, with his healthy body, why would he need that? He didn’t understand how he had such a dull, uninteresting son.

Serious and orderly, even at home, dressing impeccably without a single oversight.

His mannerism left Duan Linbai, as a father, exasperated. Though others said it was a blessing his son didn’t resemble him, thanks to the ancestors’ blessings.

He took a sip of the chrysanthemum tea.

No heat-clearing here; he felt thoroughly aggravated.

He wondered what on earth Fu Chen had been up to recently, handing the project over to Qi Zeyan of all people, who surely could laugh in his dreams.

Back with his boring son, still glued to his computer.

It was footage acquired from escape room staff, equipped with night vision to clearly capture every move inside the room.

Including Qi Zhiyi screaming repeatedly, clinging to his hand, holding his arm...

At one point, even hugging him tightly.

Fingers gently scratching his chin, watching the video with a silent laugh—was it really that scary?

Scary indeed, considering what she’d done to Duan Yiyang in the escape room, Qi Zhiyi never wanted to visit one again. It was too embarrassing; if she knew Duan Yiyang had obtained the footage from the staff, she might die of embarrassment right there and then.

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