Chapter 521: Chapter 519: His Girl, Always So Understanding

Xue Yang pursed his lips. "Uncle, I’m very sorry."

"Is that all you have to say?" Lin Zhenhai asked.

However, in his heart, he wasn’t that upset anymore. At the very least, Xue Yang had promptly admitted his mistake instead of blaming others, right? This was already quite commendable.

"..."

Xue Yang, who was usually eloquent in meetings and when making decisions, was at a loss for words on this matter.

Because indeed, it was his fault.

"Given that this is the first time and Xiao Xi wasn’t substantially harmed, I’ll forgive you. But there won’t be a next time."

"Thank you, Uncle."

After hanging up with Xue Yang, Lin Zhenhai’s phone rang again. This time, it was Uncle Liu.

He didn’t need to guess why the man was calling, but Lin Zhenhai was curious about what he would say.

"Chairman, today’s incident was my negligence. It has nothing to do with Young Master Xue."

As soon as the call connected, Uncle Liu immediately admitted his mistake. He was the Young Miss’s bodyguard and held primary responsibility for her safety. So, if blame were to be assigned, it should be to him.

He just wasn’t sure if the Chairman would use this to make things difficult for Young Master Xue. The reason he’d told Xue Yang to contact the Chairman tomorrow was to put his mind at ease first.

But Uncle Liu hadn’t expected Xue Yang to beat him to it by calling Lin Zhenhai.

"You put Xiao Xi in danger and dismiss it with a single word, ’negligence,’ Lao Liu. I’ve always had great faith in you."

Lin Zhenhai had absolute trust in Uncle Liu’s character. However, the fact that he was willing to take all the responsibility upon himself suggested he had a favorable impression of Xue Yang. Both men were trying to shoulder the blame. Lin Zhenhai found it somewhat amusing.

"Chairman, I will definitely protect the Young Miss more diligently in the future."

Uncle Liu’s family owed their standing in the village entirely to Lin Zhenhai, who had enabled them to become respected figures. He himself was fond of Lin Xi, always treating her like his own daughter. Protecting her was both a responsibility and, more importantly, something he wanted to do personally to ensure her safety. He just never imagined an incident like tonight’s could still happen.

Uncle Liu felt genuinely remorseful.

"Protect Xiao Xi well. She’s my only daughter."

"I understand. Please rest assured, Chairman. This kind of incident will not happen again."

"Mm."

Just as Uncle Liu’s call ended, Lin Zhenhai’s phone rang yet again.

"Daddy~"

Listening to his daughter’s sweet, soft voice, the tension in Lin Zhenhai’s brow eased. Even after hearing the solemn promises from Xue Yang and Lao Liu, he hadn’t been truly reassured. Only now, hearing Lin Xi’s voice, did his anxious heart finally settle.

"Still up so late?" he asked, deliberately raising his voice.

"I can’t sleep because I miss you~ Daddy, did you miss me too?"

"Alright, spit it out. What is it?"

Did he not know his own daughter? She definitely wouldn’t call him for no reason, especially not this late. He didn’t even have to guess what it was about.

Lin Xi’s face immediately lit up with a grin. "Hehe~ Daddy knows me best~"

"You think I don’t know your little schemes?"

"Daddy, about today, please don’t blame Xue Yang and Uncle Liu, okay? I wasn’t even hurt. I beat up all the bad guys. I was amazing!"

Lin Zhenhai was no longer angry. However, he still needed to maintain his stance on the matter, at least to some degree.

"You just got engaged to Xue Yang, and something like this happened when he wasn’t even by your side. Can’t I scold him a little? Everything I do is for your sake."

"Oh, Daddy, you’ll make Xue Yang and Uncle Liu paranoid if you’re like this. Besides, if you really have to blame someone, then blame yourself for having such a beautiful daughter that she attracts attention the moment she steps outside."

Lin Zhenhai huffed. "Humph, so now you’re blaming me."

Lin Xi grabbed a pillow and squeezed it hard. "Well, am I wrong? If you keep blaming them, I’ll just never go outside again. I’ll lock myself away and die of boredom."

"Alright, alright. Since my precious daughter has spoken, I’d be the bad guy if I kept harping on it. Daddy was just worried about you."

Lin Xi smiled sweetly. "I know, Daddy. I won’t let anything happen to me, don’t worry."

"Humph. You’d better remember you said that."

After hanging up with her father, Lin Xi didn’t go back to sleep. Instead, she sat on the bed, lost in thought. She always slept a bit restlessly when Xue Yang wasn’t by her side, but she had gotten used to it. Sometimes, when she couldn’t wait for him any longer, she would eventually fall asleep on her own.

"Why are you still awake?"

When Xue Yang returned, he saw Lin Xi sitting on the bed, spacing out.

"Why do you sound just like my dad?" Lin Xi pouted.

Xue Yang paused for a moment, then sat down beside her. "You called Uncle?"

Lin Xi wrapped her arms around Xue Yang’s shoulders and said coaxingly, "I did. I know you’re blaming yourself for not protecting me properly, but honestly, I’ve run into things like this since I was a kid. If you have to blame someone, blame my dad for making me so pretty. If it weren’t for that..."

"Are you just trying to praise yourself for being pretty?"

Lin Xi blinked. "Well, am I not pretty?"

"Of course. Very pretty..."

The rest of his words were lost in a series of soft murmurs.

...

The next day, the two of them woke up early.

After waking up, Lin Xi was lazily pillowed on Xue Yang’s arm, showing no intention of getting out of bed.

"Time flies. Summer vacation is already over. It’s back to the days of waking up early."

"College courses aren’t as packed as high school. You might not have class some mornings, so you can sleep in a bit."

"Aren’t you going to class?"

"I don’t have a morning class..."

"Going to the company, is that it? Go on, then. Make sure to work hard and earn lots of money so you can support me, you know? My entire fortune is riding on you now. You promised you’d help my assets surpass Si Wen’s. Right now, her company is doing better and better, while I just have one novel adapted into a comic. That’s great and all, but it’s nothing compared to what Si Wen has. So, you have to work hard." Lin Xi’s expression was a funny, goofy attempt at being earnestly persuasive, a stark contrast to her stunning features.

Xue Yang couldn’t help but laugh, knowing that this was her way of encouraging him.

His girl was always so understanding. She always seemed to have a keen sense of what was on his mind.

Seeing Xue Yang remain silent, Lin Xi pinched his cheek. "Oh, come on, don’t look so down. I can take care of myself. Stop treating me like some fragile doll, okay? I’m very capable."

"You’re right. My girl is very capable. I doubt many people will dare to mess with you now." 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Of course," Lin Xi said with a proud look.

...