The Billionaire's Hidden Affection-Chapter 335: The Man Who Picks His Feet 2_1

He recalled that dinner and was suddenly lost in thought. For some reason, an inexplicable ache filled his heart.

Yan Xixi waited for a while. When he didn’t reply, she assumed he was angry. After all, she owed him a huge favor for that specially-priced apartment. Any request he made wouldn’t be unreasonable. After a slight hesitation, she asked, "Would you like to come to my place for steak with a dry chili dip?"

"Can you make it?"

"Of course. I can make both beef and lamb steaks."

He sent a drooling emoji. "Miss, you’d really cook for me?"

"I’ll even let you eat it with chopsticks."

He was suddenly elated.

"Miss, I have a hunch you’re going to fall in love with me."

"Haha, dream on! Absolutely no chance of that. Bye-bye, good night."

Wan Donglin held his phone. After a moment, the smile on his face deepened. This time, she hadn’t refused his request to meet and had even agreed to cook steak for him. Yan Xixi, oh Yan Xixi, I refuse to believe I can’t catch you with enough bait.

「Ten minutes to midnight.」

Yan Xixi had arrived home at half-past eight. More than three hours had passed, yet there was still no call from Huang Xiaojue. She stared at her phone screen, despair gradually setting in.

A faint fear spread from the depths of her heart, just as it had all those years ago. Mother Huang was still an impenetrable fortress, and it seemed she and Huang Xiaojue were truly fated to meet but never be together.

She lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. Several times she had steeled herself to turn off her phone. Forget it, no need to wait any longer. But she couldn’t bring herself to give up completely, still clinging to a sliver of hope.

Suddenly, her phone rang.

She startled. When she saw the name "Xiaojue" flashing on the screen, her heart nearly leaped out of her chest. It rang several times before she answered, her breathing rapid. "Xiaojue..."

"Xixi... Xixi... Were you asleep?" 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

"I... I was already asleep..."

Silence on the other end of the line.

She suddenly got up, walked to the window, pushed it open, and looked down. Sure enough, a man was standing under the old banyan tree downstairs, looking up.

Her voice choked with emotion. "Xiaojue... Xiaojue, why are you so foolish?"

He chuckled. "I’m hungry. I didn’t get to eat much tonight."

Only then did she realize how famished she was. Tonight, under Mother Huang’s needle-like gaze, she had only picked at the papaya bird’s nest in front of her. Returning home, full of frustration, she had forgotten her hunger. Now that Xiaojue had reminded her, it was suddenly unbearable.

"Xiaojue, wait for me. I’ll be down in a moment."

Laughing, she hung up and changed her clothes in a flash. As she opened her door, she saw Xiaoya standing in the living room, grinning at her. "Did Huang Xiaojue call?"

Her face lit up. "He’s downstairs waiting for me for a late-night snack! Xiaoya, come on, let’s go together."

Xu Xiaoya shook her head, smiling. "I’m not going."

"Why not?"

"Haha, I’m not about to be your third wheel."

It was a mutual understanding they’d had for years: never let one’s husband or boyfriend get too close to any young woman who wasn’t family.

Love is a duet; three’s a crowd.

Moreover, neither of them ever brought any male guest back to their little apartment. It was an unspoken rule, a meeting of minds: this was their only sanctuary, not to be encroached upon by any man.

Yan Xixi had never allowed even Huang Xiaojue upstairs.

Yan Xixi readily agreed, "Alright then, I’ll bring something back for you."

"Haha, perfect! Breakfast for tomorrow is sorted then."

Yan Xixi rushed out the door, full of excitement. Xu Xiaoya closed the door behind her and sighed softly to herself. For Huang Xiaojue... was all this really worth it? Perhaps, if Xixi believed it was worthwhile, then it truly was.