Although Lin Xiaoxiao thought the price was insignificant, to others it was truly a heart-stopping experience.
"President Lin!" A piercing scream rang out in the office. Lin Xiaoxiao seemed to be startled, and her dodging movement paused for a moment. The glass that she could have avoided smashed straight into Lin Xiaoxiao's forehead.
Lin Xiaoxiao sighed inwardly. Why couldn't these people be quiet when they came out? Why did they have to be so loud and boisterous? Was it because it made them look more imposing?
Suddenly, everything went black and Lin Xiaoxiao felt a little dizzy. Fortunately, she was standing right in front of the office chair, and the swaying caused her to fall into the chair, preventing further injury.
"Mr. Lin, we'll take you to the hospital right away." The security guards were also quite frightened, and one of them took out his phone to dial 120.
Lin Xiaoxiao waved her hand, "No need, it's not that serious. I'll be fine after a rest. Don't make a fuss about this. Take the person away. Be more careful next time and don't let this person in again."
Several security guards nodded hurriedly, but the guard who had shouted earlier looked uneasy; he was the first to rush in.
After rushing in, what she saw was Lin Yu throwing a cup at Lin Xiaoxiao. Without thinking, she screamed.
But he regretted it as soon as he shouted, because he realized that Lin Xiaoxiao hadn't avoided the cup because of his shout. He was feeling upset and thought he was about to be fired.
"What's wrong? Is there any other problem?" Feeling less dizzy, Lin Xiaoxiao stood up, leaning on her desk. She hadn't forgotten that Tang Xue was still locked up by her.
"Mr. Lin,..." the security guard stammered.
"I told you I'm fine." Lin Xiaoxiao waved her hand again. "I'm not that fragile. Okay, go to work."
Lin Xiaoxiao naturally recognized the man as the one who had shouted earlier, but she wasn't petty enough to let him lose his job over this.
"Thank you, Ms. Lin." Seeing that Lin Xiaoxiao truly had no intention of holding a grudge against him, the man bowed to Lin Xiaoxiao before leaving.
Chapter 25
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After the security guards left with Lin Yu, the office quieted down for a moment, remembering how they had immediately gagged Lin Yu after subduing him.
Lin Xiaoxiao wanted to give them a thumbs up for their decisiveness; otherwise, with Lin Yu's loud voice, the whole company would have known if he hadn't shouted.
Holding the key in her hand and looking at the door in front of her, Lin Xiaoxiao swallowed hard. It was quiet on the other side of the door. If she hadn't heard Tang Xue banging on the door earlier, Lin Xiaoxiao would have suspected that no one was inside. She must be furious.
Lin Xiaoxiao reached out to rub her temples, but a sharp pain in her forehead made her feel much more awake.
Looking at the blood on her fingers, Lin Xiaoxiao took out a handkerchief and wiped it away. She then wiped her forehead with the handkerchief before taking a deep breath and opening the door.
Hearing the sound of the door lock turning, Tang Xue, who had been standing by the door, naturally heard it as well. She immediately reached out and pushed the door open. She had heard all the sounds outside, but what made her panic was that shrill voice calling out "President Lin."
For a moment, Tang Xue felt as if her heart was about to stop. If she hadn't heard Lin Xiaoxiao's voice afterward, Tang Xue might have uncontrollably banged on the door.
But the moment the door opened, the scene that greeted Tang Xue made her feel dizzy. If she hadn't grabbed the door frame, she probably would have fainted.
"I scared you." Lin Xiaoxiao covered her forehead with one hand and scratched her cheek with the other, seemingly feeling a little embarrassed. "Don't worry, it's just a little bump, it's nothing."
Tang Xue bit her lip, grabbed Lin Xiaoxiao's shoulders and pressed her into the office chair. She glanced around the office and quickly found what she was looking for.
Tang Xue opened the first-aid kit, took out medical alcohol and gauze and placed them on the table. She then reached out and grabbed Lin Xiaoxiao's wrist, removing her hand from her forehead.
As soon as Lin Xiaoxiao removed her hand, the red blood seemed to find an outlet, flowing down her forehead. Feeling some discomfort in the corner of her eye, Lin Xiaoxiao raised her hand to wipe away the blood, but someone else's hand was faster than hers.
Tang Xue ran her fingertip across Lin Xiaoxiao's eye, wiping away the blood that had flowed to the corner of her eye. Her finger trembled slightly; the scalding blood felt like a burning flame, and even a light touch sent a burning sensation through Tang Xue.
Turning around quickly, Tang Xue took the alcohol she had just found and began to clean the bloodstains on Lin Xiaoxiao's forehead with a cotton swab dipped in the alcohol.
Tang Xue's movements were very gentle, as if she was afraid of hurting Lin Xiaoxiao. Her lips were tightly pursed, her expression was very focused, and the lines on her face were taut, as if she had returned to that cold and unapproachable aloof appearance.
Although she couldn't see it, Lin Xiaoxiao could feel how gentle Tang Xue's movements were. She pursed her lips and looked at Tang Xue's stiff face, feeling at a loss for a moment.
"Xiaoxue, are you angry? I'm sorry, I shouldn't have locked you up. Please don't be angry anymore, okay?"
Lin Xiaoxiao's voice sounded pitiful, and her face looked listless, whether from her injury or from knowing that she had angered Tang Xue, it was unclear.
Although she locked Tang Xue up at the time, one reason was that she was afraid Tang Xue would feel sorry for Lin Yu after seeing his appearance, and the other reason was that she was afraid that Lin Yu, who was like a madman, would hurt Tang Xue.
But regardless of which one it is, the fact remains that she locked Tang Xue up. The more Lin Xiaoxiao thought about it, the more frustrated and afraid she became, afraid that her actions would make Tang Xue hate her.
Tang Xue paused, looking at the little girl's listless face, like a kitten rejected by its owner, pitiful and helpless. But the next second, Tang Xue's hand moved a little harder.
She was indeed angry. She wasn't angry that Lin Xiaoxiao had locked her up, but rather that Lin Xiaoxiao had isolated her from her when they were in danger.
God knows how desperate and helpless she felt in that place separated by a door. All she could hear was Lin Yu's angry roar and the ear-piercing sound of glass shattering on the ground. In that instant, that "President Lin" and that sound of glass breaking almost made her heart stop beating.
"I'm sorry, I really know I was wrong. Tell me, what do I have to do for you to forgive me?" Lin Xiaoxiao tugged at Tang Xue's sleeve, her eyes filled with pleading and pitifulness as Tang Xue looked down at her.
Tang Xue's eyes darkened. Lin Xiaoxiao's gaze was like a kitten's paws, scratching at her heart again and again. Her originally cold expression softened under this gaze.
Tang Xue remained silent and continued cleaning the wound. This time, however, her movements were much gentler. Tang Xue hadn't missed Lin Xiaoxiao's faint cry of pain when she had slightly increased the pressure. Thinking of the look in Lin Xiaoxiao's eyes, Tang Xue's heart softened again.
She remembers when she was a child, her family had a kitten that accidentally hurt its leg while playing. She was treating its wound.
It stared at her with its big, bright eyes. It was tiny, and when she looked at it, it would let out a small, soft chirp. When she wasn't looking at it, it would just stare at her with those big eyes. It was so captivating that it melted her heart.
Yes, just like Lin Xiaoxiao now. Tang Xue looked down and sure enough, she saw that the person was staring at her intently, instantly overlapping with the image of the little kitten in her memory.
Sure enough, that's why she cares so much. Tang Xue once again found a suitable reason for her concern.
After cleaning the bloodstains from Lin Xiaoxiao's forehead, the wound that had been covered in blood was revealed. The moment Tang Xue saw the wound, her heart, which had been pounding in her chest, finally settled down.
Fortunately, the injury only looked scary; the wound wasn't deep. Perhaps because it had been cleaned with alcohol, the bleeding had stopped. Tang Xue found some hemostatic medicine in the first-aid kit, sprinkled it on Lin Xiaoxiao's wound, and then bandaged it with gauze. "Does anything feel uncomfortable?"
"No." Lin Xiaoxiao sat up straight. Apart from feeling a little dizzy at first, she didn't feel uncomfortable at all.
"Let's go to the hospital." Tang Xue said coldly as she began packing her medical kit. Although the wound wasn't deep, Tang Xue hadn't given up the idea of taking Lin Xiaoxiao to the hospital.
"No, it's not necessary," Lin Xiaoxiao said weakly. She felt that she had only been hit by a cup, and there was really no need to make such a fuss. Besides, she wasn't so weak that being hit by a cup would cause her any problems.
Tang Xue paused for a moment, turned to look at Lin Xiaoxiao, her eyes cold and indifferent, showing no trace of the gentleness from before.
Lin Xiaoxiao shrank her neck and said, "I'll go, I'll go." She had already angered Tang Xue, so she should be obedient and not make the other party even angrier.
Tang Xue drove to the hospital. Lin Xiaoxiao glanced at Tang Xue's profile, then looked down and fiddled with her fingers. She really didn't know what to do to make the other person less angry.
Tang Xue wasn't unaware of Lin Xiaoxiao's gaze, but she was still angry and didn't want to talk to Lin Xiaoxiao. Most importantly, Lin Xiaoxiao still didn't know what she had done wrong, which made her even angrier.
Especially when she opened the door and saw Lin Xiaoxiao, who was covering her forehead and looking at her with a fawning expression, her face still stained with blood.
I felt a sudden darkness before my eyes, a dizzying sensation, but that person was completely oblivious to the shock of what had happened. They even smiled sweetly and ingratiatingly, as if thinking that this would stop me from being angry. Hmph, dream on.
Tang Xue, who felt that Lin Xiaoxiao's ideas were a bit too optimistic, was not only angry with Lin Xiaoxiao, but also angry with herself. Lin Yu came to find her, and Lin Xiaoxiao got hurt, but it was all because of her.
Tang Xue gripped the steering wheel tighter, her well-defined fingers appearing even paler with the force. Tang Xue was naturally fair-skinned, and with this exertion, the blue veins on the back of her hand were clearly visible.
"I really know I was wrong, please forgive me." Seeing Tang Xue park the car, Lin Xiaoxiao's gaze also focused on the bulging veins on the back of Tang Xue's hand.
"You can scold me or hit me, but please don't get angry and hurt yourself." Lin Xiaoxiao grabbed Tang Xue's hand and took it off the steering wheel.
Tang Xue turned to look at her, smiled brightly, and said, "You're wrong?"
"Mmm-hmm." Lin Xiaoxiao nodded frantically, afraid that her mind would be too slow. Her incredibly obedient appearance was just like a puppy caught doing something naughty by its owner.
If you add two drooping ears to her head, it will look even more like her.
Tang Xue couldn't resist—no, she should say her hands moved faster than her brain. By the time she realized what was happening, she had already patted Lin Xiaoxiao's head several times.
"Can you forgive me?" Lin Xiaoxiao obediently didn't move, her face showing that as long as you're not angry, you can touch me for as long as you want.
Tang Xue coughed lightly, withdrew her hand, and her usually cool voice carried a hint of unnaturalness, "What did you do wrong?"
"We shouldn't have locked the door." Lin Xiaoxiao said, her head drooping, looking rather listless.
"Yes, you shouldn't have locked the door." Tang Xue's tone became more serious. "He came to see me. Have you considered that if he didn't see me, he might do something even more dangerous?"
"But... I'm worried about you," Lin Xiaoxiao said weakly. "I'm afraid he'll hurt you."
Tang Xue loosened her clenched fist, all her anger shattered by those words, and her heart softened like water. "Don't be so foolish again in the future. And thank you."
After a full-body check-up at the hospital, it was confirmed that Lin Xiaoxiao had no other problems besides the wound on her forehead. Tang Xue was finally relieved. After changing the dressing on Lin Xiaoxiao's forehead, Tang Xue took her out of the hospital.
"Um...did we go to the wrong place?" Lin Xiaoxiao had been holding back this question for a long time. After leaving the hospital, she realized that Tang Xue was not taking the road to the company.
But she felt that Tang Xue was more familiar with this place than she was, so she didn't speak. However, when Tang Xue realized that this road was somewhat similar to the road she usually took home, Lin Xiaoxiao finally spoke up.
"I'll take you back," Tang Xue said matter-of-factly. "You're injured and need to rest."
"I'm fine." As soon as Lin Xiaoxiao spoke, she received Tang Xue's cold gaze and immediately changed her words, "Yes, I'm injured and need to rest." Seeing that the person had withdrawn their gaze with satisfaction, Lin Xiaoxiao patted her chest and let out a soft breath.
Touching the wound on her head, Lin Xiaoxiao's lips curled up slightly. Thinking of Tang Xue applying medicine to her in the office, Lin Xiaoxiao felt a warm feeling in her chest.
Having lived for over twenty years, this was the first time she had encountered someone who cared about her so much. Lin Xiaoxiao secretly resolved to repay this kindness.
She will definitely treat Tang Xue well, give her the best she can, and make her the happiest person in the world.
"Is your wound hurting?" Tang Xue noticed Lin Xiaoxiao's actions out of the corner of her eye, and her heart tightened. She unconsciously tightened her grip on the steering wheel.
"No, it doesn't hurt." Lin Xiaoxiao put her hand down, tilted her head and looked at Tang Xue. "I just feel that you are so good to me, and I will definitely be good to you in return."
Tang Xue's hand trembled slightly. She turned to look at Lin Xiaoxiao and saw her earnest and clear eyes. Her heart fluttered, and she lost her balance. The car slid a considerable distance away. Fortunately, there weren't many cars on their section of the road, so no collision occurred.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Why don't I drive?" Lin Xiaoxiao was also startled.
"It's nothing, a cat just jumped out and startled me." Tang Xue composed herself and made up a lie.
Lin Xiaoxiao looked out the window, but there was no sign of the kitten. However, she didn't think Tang Xue was lying to her; she just felt that the kitten must have disappeared by now.
It's normal that she couldn't see it, but she never expected that her words would cause such ripples in Tang Xue's heart.
The two remained silent for the rest of the journey. Lin Xiaoxiao closed her eyes to rest. Although Tang Xue said that the accident was caused by a kitten that suddenly jumped out, Lin Xiaoxiao dared not speak again, for fear of distracting Tang Xue.
Tang Xue, who appeared calm and focused on driving, was not at peace inside. She wondered if Lin Xiaoxiao had always been like this.
Such sincerity means always presenting one's true heart to oneself, laughing openly and unrestrainedly, earnestly and sincerely telling oneself.
"I will treat you well. You deserve the best, and I will give you the best of everything." Every word and every sentence was so earnest and passionate.
Tang Xue glanced at Lin Xiaoxiao. How many people had she said these words to? Or was it only to her? But she couldn't ask, nor should she. Tang Xue let out a soft breath, as if exhaling the confusion in her heart as well.
"You rest for a bit, I'll make you some porridge." After returning home, Tang Xue sent Lin Xiaoxiao back to her room, while she went to the kitchen to busy herself.
So much had happened at noon that neither of them had eaten. Since Lin Xiaoxiao had a stomach ailment, Tang Xue was genuinely worried that not eating on time would trigger it. So she first went to make Lin Xiaoxiao a cup of hot milk before returning to the kitchen.
Lin Xiaoxiao originally wanted to help Tang Xue, but considering that she was now practically a patient herself, she knew Tang Xue would refuse if she offered to help, so she gave up the idea.
Holding the hot milk, Lin Xiaoxiao felt a warm feeling in her heart. Even the milk seemed sweeter than usual. She thought to herself, "It's so good to have a good friend."
Tang Xue, busy in the kitchen, had no idea what the person in the room was thinking. After preparing lunch for Lin Xiaoxiao, Tang Xue knocked on Lin Xiaoxiao's door.
"I've prepared your meal. Go and eat now. I'll head back to the company first."
"Wait a minute." Lin Xiaoxiao stood up and grabbed Tang Xue, who was about to leave. "Aren't you going to do your thing?"