Chapter 24.3

　　Meanwhile, Duan Chi silently observed, as he attempted to decipher his thoughts concealed behind his composed demeanor. With a glimmer of enticement, he offered, “Let’s discuss our journey. We still have a few days of vacation left. If you’re not keen on returning so soon, I can take you to a secluded place in my true form, far away from prying eyes.”

　　Yet, Jing Xi declined, “No, I’ve got to return home.”

　　After saying so, he extricated himself from the other’s grasp and made his way out the door.

　　With each step he took, regret engulfed him more intensely. When he unexpectedly encountered President Yi and his son at his door, his countenance still bore traces of melancholy and absentmindedness.

　　On seeing this, a thought raced through both their minds. ‘He must have undergone yet another tormenting ordeal.’

　　The former inquired, “How’d it go?”

　　“He wants to hire bodyguards to protect me.” Jing Xi urged frantically, “So we better get moving, and fast!”

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　　Rv osdelale, “Gal usw tskdt vbaswtb yzz vbkp vaswczl fwpv vs plzz uswa pbyalp?”
　　Kkdt Dk alvsavle, “Ebyv svbla nbsknl es R byhl? Ps R zssj zkjl R byhl vbl vkxl vs xyjl xsdlu obld R’x cwpu qkmkdt cwtp? Nkql’p wdraleknvyczl, usw jdso. Ebyv kq R olal vs vyjl wr y cseu vbyv’p rlddkzlpp sdl eyu sa ldnswdvla yd wdlmrlnvle lxlatldnu? Ebyv oswze R es vbld?”
　　Fkzldnl bwdt kd vbl yka yp Fupvlx rsdelale Kkdt Dk’p osaep. 
　　Kkdt Dk ralpple qwavbla, “Ebyv? Gal usw pyukdt vblal’p ynvwyzzu sdl?”
　　Fupvlx lmrzykdle, “… Fwqqlakdt kp yd kdlhkvyczl ryav sq zkql. Mbyv kp obu zkql kp ds nyjloyzj qsa ydusdl, dsv lhld vbspl obkvl-nszzya osajlap.”

　　With a wealth of expertise in tackling extreme situations, Jing Xi simply brushed it off dismissively and sauntered into the Yi family mansion. Inside, the AI Butler extended a heartfelt welcome. “Welcome, esteemed guest.”

　　He halted in his tracks, causing a hefty silence to fall on the entire living room. Once impassive to his presence, the servants hastened to diffuse the tension, as their voices rang out in a collective greeting, “Young Master.”

　　With a nod of acknowledgment, he directed his gaze toward his contemptible father. “I’m well aware that it was merely out of deference to Grandfather that you might have had some semblance of parental duty over me. But when the Zhou family matter arose, you would abandon me without any hesitation.”

　　All this time, President Yi had been skeptical of him, but only at this moment did he finally find a moment of normality. “So?”

　　Noticing that things were going south, President Yi’s lover interjected from the sidelines awkwardly, “Listen, your dad may come off as stubborn, but deep down, he’s still genuinely worried about you. After all that occurred, he’s even asked Xiao Jun about you several times. Anyway, why don’t you take a break for now since you’ve just returned? I know things have been tough with CEO Duan and the pressure he’s putting on you, but let’s not dwell on it tonight. Now that you’re home, all you need is a good night’s sleep.” 

　　Humor curled at the corner of his lips as Jing Xi quipped, “I was only joking. In actual fact, we have a great relationship.”

　　As the words settled in, her words caught in her throat, leaving her breathless.

　　Meanwhile, Yi Jun’s intuition prickled, warning him to tread carefully. With a cautious tone, he inquired, “The words you uttered at the hotel and how you returned home with us… What is it that you truly want?”

　　Jing Xi teased, “It’s a secret.”

　　With that, both Yi Jun and President Yi’s lover were bereft of speech.

　　Jing Xi declared, “Given the absence of any information about me in the AI system, I guess it’s time for me to leave.”

　　Even when his late grandfather was lying in his final resting place, the original host stood strong and proclaimed, “Forget it.” As such, he, too, would not resort to extreme measures.

　　Having been previously kicked out from the family, this time he had to assert his dominance and definitively sever ties with the family.

　　In his own unique manner, that is.

　　He hazarded a look in their direction and exasperated, “You know, Grandfather had sacrificed so much just to raise me, so I will not stoop to seek revenge on you. I doubt Duan Chi will either, considering we’re not even in that kind of relationship. As for this matter, whether you can get through it solely depends on all of you. There’s a saying, isn’t there? I will not rejoice when you win, but I will also not kick you when you are down. So let’s put an end to our decade-long hollow relationship¹ I used ‘frenemy-like relationship’ previously, but I’ve now replaced it with ‘hollow relationship’ instead. That’s because I believe ‘hollow relationship’ fits the context better as it refers to an empty relationship that has no love, respect, or even feelings. today.”

　　Subconsciously, Yi Jun took a step forward. “What do you mean?”

　　Disregarding his question, Jing Xi turned his back to them and strode away from the mansion, leaving only silence to fill the space around them.

　　President Yi’s gaze fixated on the door, his expression heavy with unspoken thoughts.

　　Meanwhile, Yi Jun and his mother shared a swift glance before the latter doubted, “He claims he won’t seek revenge… Can we even trust his words?”

　　President Yi remained rooted in place, as a whirlwind of conflicting emotions raged within him. 

　　In the depths of his mind, he wrestled with two conflicting thoughts. The first was the weight of responsibility that rested upon his shoulders when he cared for his family’s well-being in the wake of his father’s passing. But amidst his solemn musings, the second danced before his eyes, as he recalled the genuine anticipation his father held for the arrival of his son, Yi Zhou. Yet, a haunting specter of the Zhou family’s debts etched an indelible mark upon their lives. Could things have been different if that fateful accident had not occurred?

　　He answered hoarsely, “I guess.”

　　At the same time, System posed a question to Jing Xi. “Is that it?”

　　Jing Xi teased, “Watch closely, and you’ll find out.”

　　With that, he signaled System to monitor the media while skillfully evading their detection before slipping back into the Zhou family mansion unnoticed. 

　　On the other hand, under the false assumption that he was still at the Yi family’s residence, the media attempted to arrange an interview, only to be unceremoniously met with consistent refusals. As word of this spread amongst the netizens, it evoked a myriad of emotions — Some grew increasingly frustrated with the lack of progress, while others empathized with Jing Xi’s longing for love and how a sprinkle of persuasion could ignite his joy, so they began urging CEO Duan to rescue this beleaguered yet precious being.

　　Unfazed by the deluge of comments and private messages, Jing Xi relished two blissful days of solitude within the cozy confines of his home. But today, something changed. With a mischievous glimmer, Jing Xi published a post with three sun emojis, emanating sheer joy and positivity.

　　Upon witnessing this gesture, the netizens could not help but ponder how he was resolved to bear the brunt of their actions, so no amount of persuasion would do the trick.

　　In an era where countless celebrities were entrapped within familial webs of control and tumultuous love-hate relationships with their families, Jing Xi had simply become yet another name etched onto that list.

　　Meanwhile, Jing Xi was meticulously observing the fluctuation of the stocks, biding his time. Once they reached a satisfactory level of growth, he decisively sold off all his shares.