Ye Yuning, whose breath was already tight, felt a wave of suffocation as she looked at Xiao Linye! Xiao Linye was looking at her too, his profound eyes seemingly bottomless. The moment their eyes met, Yuning realized one thing with dread, It’s over! "Um... I... we should get going!" Yuning’s tone was unsteady. Ignoring Ye Tong’s insinuations, she just wanted to leave this place as quickly as possible. Xiao Linye’s grip on her hand grew firmer at this moment. Feeling the pain, cold sweat trickled down Yuning’s back. "Can we please go?" she urged. At his words, Yuning was stunned! Before she could react, Xiao Linye was already dragging her out. Ye Tong had no idea what exactly was going on between Yuning and Xiao Linye. All she could focus on now was that, with no hope left of gaining Xiao Linye’s favor for herself, she had decided to stand with the Ye Family instead. She had to protect the Ye Family! With a wooden expression, Yuning was taken into the car by Xiao Linye, her thoughts a jumbled mess. She hadn’t expected that wretched Ye Tong...! People really shouldn’t lie for long, because fate loves to play tricks, leaving you nowhere to hide beneath your deceptions. Cautiously, she looked over at Xiao Linye. Xiao Linye didn’t start the car right away but instead lit a cigarette first. "Are you related to the Ye Family?" Yuning instinctively shook her head. Xiao Linye paused, cigarette in hand, his gaze deep as he looked at her. Yuning pleaded, "It really has nothing to do with me, believe me!" The word ’believe’ felt so pale and powerless in that instant, but Yuning couldn’t dwell on it. Xiao Linye just quietly observed her, his deep eyes unreadable, making it hard to discern his thoughts. For origınal chapters go to novel•fire.net Yuning’s small hands clenched. "It’s my boss who has a connection with the Ye Family." "Then what did Ye Tong mean by what she asked you?" Xiao Linye inquired. "Because I once received a favor from the Ye Family." "Actually, not really! That was all my boss helping me, not the Ye Family!" Yuning said quickly. Her thoughts were a mess right now; she herself didn’t even know what she was saying. But instinct told her she couldn’t tell Xiao Linye the truth. "Ye Tong is just clutching at straws. They’ve been constantly looking for my boss, but he refused to help the Ye Family. So then they came to me, hoping I’d plead with him for them." This counts as the truth, right? She had always refused to help the Ye Family, as she had indeed severed her ties with them. Xiao Linye listened to her quietly. His silence, his inscrutable expression, made it impossible for Yuning to discern his thoughts, which only intensified her anxiety. An unknown amount of time passed. The sweat on her back had soaked through her clothes by the time Xiao Linye finally spoke, his tone casual, "Is that so?" "Yes, that’s right. The Ye Family is just like that, always trying to leverage past kindness!" Yuning knew this from bitter experience. Xiao Linye had finished his cigarette. He glanced at Yuning, noting the cold sweat on her forehead. "Are you nervous?" "Ah? No, no, I’m not!" As she spoke, Xiao Linye’s hand touched her forehead. Then he held out his palm to her; it was slick with sweat. Yuning admitted, "Okay, I am nervous!" What did this mean for her? She was damned if she did, damned if she didn’t, right? This feeling was truly uncomfortable. Xiao Linye asked, "So what exactly are you nervous about?" Yuning replied, "I’m worried you might misunderstand me!" "Worried I’d misunderstand?" His gaze deepened at her words. Yuning nodded, her mind racing. Then, she heard herself saying, "You forgot, Ye Tong tried to seduce you!" "So, I’m worried that if you know about even a slight connection between her family and me, you might misunderstand." This was not just a slight connection. At that moment, Yuning truly didn’t dare to think. What kind of storm would erupt if Xiao Linye learned about her past engagement with Xiao Shuo? Her mouth was full of nonsense, yet she kept a solemn earnestness on her face. And thus, any sliver of suspicion Xiao Linye had harbored seemed to evaporate amidst her apparent innocence. "Am I such a person in your eyes?" "No, it’s just that I’m worried, I..." Before she could finish speaking, Xiao Linye cut her off, "Just tell me everything in the future." Yuning was speechless. So, does this mean Xiao Linye believes her now? But recalling what Ye Tong had just said, Yuning couldn’t let her guard down. She cautiously glanced at Xiao Linye’s face. However, his expression was inscrutable, and she could hardly discern what he was thinking. Hopefully, she had managed to bluff her way through!