Chapter 351: Chapter 349: Father and Daughter Dining Together

Hearing Xue Yang’s words, Lin Xi finally managed a smile. But with tears still on her face, that smile was all the more heart-wrenching. Xue Yang leaned in again, tenderly kissing the tears from her cheeks.

She gently nodded, uttered a soft "Mhm," and then, as light as a dragonfly skimming the water’s surface, she planted a kiss on the corner of his lips. Only then did she let go of Xue Yang, open the car door, and step out. After getting out, she turned back to wave at him once more before jogging toward the villa. Like an elf, she skipped away, disappearing from Xue Yang’s sight.

Only after Lin Xi’s figure had vanished into the villa did Xue Yang get out. He moved to the front of the car and leaned against it, his thoughts drifting to places unknown.

In the past six months, his career had soared. He had already become a truly influential figure in northern Yancheng. The first tournament for King’s Game was set to take place during the summer vacation. The game had already amassed over one hundred million players, with its daily active users also approaching that number. This game had truly become a national pastime.

Xue Yang now had significant savings, enough to buy a house in Yancheng. But he hadn’t. Instead, he had reinvested the money into a new energy vehicle dealership in Hui City. The grand opening was scheduled for the summer vacation at the latest. He had also fulfilled the promises he had made to his studio colleagues one by one.

The two million yuan Cui Hao owed his father had long been paid off, and the game had won his father’s approval. His father had told him to pursue his own path and continue building his business. If anything happened in the future, it didn’t matter; he could always come home and inherit the family business. When the others heard Cui Hao share this, they couldn’t help but playfully pummel him. They were all in this together; why was he the only one who could just go home and inherit a fortune? If they failed, they would have to rely on their own abilities to start over from scratch.

It wasn’t until dusk, when the sprawling villa lit up as brightly as a palace, that Xue Yang finally returned to his car and drove away.

***

Lin Xi returned home with her backpack on. Lin Zhenhai was sitting on the sofa reading a newspaper and didn’t bother to look up when she entered.

Lin Xi handed her backpack to a housekeeper, then sat down beside Lin Zhenhai. She wrapped her arm around his, leaned her head on his shoulder, and shook it gently, saying coaxingly, "Dad, I’m back."

"Welcome back. I had Auntie Shen make you some bird’s nest soup. You should just stay home and recuperate for a while."

Lin Xi shook his arm again. "Dad..."

"What? You just got back and you already want to leave again?"

"No. I’ll listen to you. I’ll stay home for a while."

Lin Zhenhai glanced at Lin Xi, a flicker of surprise in his eyes, but he didn’t say anything more, just gave a simple "Mhm."

"Then you have to keep your word. Once my results are out, you have to let me be with Xue Yang."

"We’ll talk about that when your results are out."

Auntie Shen brought out the prepared bird’s nest soup, and Lin Xi, after saying a word to her father, went to the dining room.

"It’s been so long since I’ve had Auntie Shen’s bird’s nest soup. I’ve missed it so much."

Auntie Shen affectionately patted Lin Xi’s head. "You’ve suffered recently, Miss. I’ll bring out the rest of the food right away."

Lin Xi’s eyes curved into happy crescents as she patted her stomach. "I’ve been hungry for a while."

Smiling, Auntie Shen went into the kitchen. Lin Xi began scooping up spoonful after spoonful of the bird’s nest soup, nodding in satisfaction as she ate. Although the food at school was delicious, it always felt like something was missing. Now, tasting Auntie Shen’s bird’s nest soup, Lin Xi knew what it was: the warmth and comfort of home. This feeling brought a sense of contentment, and only with that contentment could one’s stomach feel truly full.

Soon, Auntie Shen had filled the table with an array of delicious dishes. Looking at the laden table, Lin Xi’s mouth watered. She waved at Auntie Shen. "There’s so much, Auntie Shen! Come eat with me."

"Miss, the Chairman will be joining you."

Lin Xi was slightly surprised. In her memory, the opportunities she had to share a meal at the same table with her father were few and far between. It was laughable, really. She was already eighteen years old, but the occasions she had dined with her father could be counted on one hand. Ever since she was young, her father was either attending a banquet or on his way to one. Even when he was home, he often wouldn’t eat with her because he had yet another banquet to attend. Thus, she always had to eat alone. Only occasionally, at her strong insistence, would Auntie Shen dare to sit and eat with her.

Just as this thought crossed her mind, Lin Zhenhai walked in. Auntie Shen quickly pulled out a chair for him. After ensuring everything was ready, she left, giving the father and daughter their space. It had been a long time since they had sat down for a proper meal together.

Once Lin Zhenhai sat down, however, Lin Xi grew somewhat restrained.

"Am I interrupting your meal?"

"Not at all, Dad. I was just thinking about the last time we ate together."

Lin Zhenhai pondered for a moment before asking, "Are you blaming me?"

"No, of course not. I’m just really happy that you finally have time to eat with me today."

Lin Zhenhai was taken aback. From the moment he sat down, his tone had been aggressive, whereas Lin Xi was timid and cautious, as if she feared he might get up and leave in the middle of their meal. He glanced at his persistently buzzing phone, saw Jiawen Li’s name, and with a slight smile, he declined the call. "Let’s eat."

"Okay."

After dinner, Lin Zhenhai left in a hurry, and Lin Xi returned to her bedroom. Auntie Shen had already prepared everything she needed for her bath.

Lin Xi stripped off her clothes and sank into the tub, letting out a comfortable moan.Bathing in the family’s hot spring pool is just the best. It would be even better if Xue Yang were here. Wait a second... bathing together with Xue Yang?

Lin Xi’s face turned as red as a cooked crab, and she hastily dismissed the thought. She tried to shift her focus elsewhere, but having just finished her exams, she felt adrift, unsure of what to do. Suddenly, she remembered she hadn’t updated her novel.

She picked up her phone, opened the author dashboard, and began to type. However, since it had been so long, her memory of the details was hazy. She had to keep checking her previous Chapters for reference after typing just a few words. As a result, she only managed to write two Chapters, a total of 4,000 words, by the end of the night.

Once finished, she immediately posted them.

*My Precious Boy* had been updated.

Instantly, the comment section exploded.

"The missing person has returned."

"Just two Chapters after all this time. The author is as willful as ever."

"At least it’s an update."

"Too short! It’s not enough to read!"

"BOO HOO HOO! We finally got an update! I thought you’d dropped the series for good!"

Not even two minutes later, Lin Xi received a WeChat call from Si Wen. The moment she answered, Si Wen’s complaints poured out of the phone. "Why only two Chapters? The college entrance exams are over, can’t you write more? The wait was pure torture!"

"I haven’t written in so long, I’m out of practice. I need to get my speed back up before I can consider posting extra Chapters."

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com