The Billionaire's Hidden Affection-Chapter 688 - 685: The Barefooted Brawny Man Appears 11_1

By the time she reached her doorstep, it was already dusk. The nearby small restaurants wafted out a rich aroma of food. It was dinnertime, and the street food stalls were bustling with people. Only then did Yan Xixi realize how famished she was. She quickly ordered a bowl of fried rice and ate it hastily. With food in her stomach, she no longer felt so light-headed as she walked.

At the end of the tree-lined boulevard, she stopped. Across from her stood a tall figure. She looked at him. He was also looking at her.

He looked haggard. His hair and beard were long, making him resemble a wild man. His former graceful demeanor had vanished completely.

He had been waiting for a long, long time, pacing back and forth from the doorway to the boulevard. He had been on the verge of going out to find her.

Suddenly, she rushed over. Her legs seemed to move without any conscious control, driven by instinct, as she sprinted towards him and embraced him tightly.

His large hands reached out and held her tightly in return.

For a long, long time, there was silence. Only their two hearts beat in unison.

He wanted to tell her so many things... perhaps too much to recount even in three days and three nights... but at this moment, all he wanted was to hold her, hold her tight. That was enough.

She, too, craved this embrace—when she felt like the only person left in the world, even a belated hug was better than none at all.

"Xixi, I’m sorry..."

She buried her face in his chest, inhaling the familiar scent she hadn’t encountered in so long. After being on edge for two or three months, a sudden, profound emptiness washed over her, yet with it, all her fears vanished.

"Xixi...Xixi..." He just held her tightly, his voice choked with emotion.

"It’s okay... Xixi, it’s over... From now on, I will never leave you again... Don’t worry..."

The danger had passed.

Even if this deal came at a heavy price, he was willing to pay it.

"Xixi, don’t be scared..."

She actually felt very reassured, more so than ever before in her life. It was just as warm and powerful as when his big hand caressed her hair—that clinging, overwhelming feeling of attachment, as if he had never left at all.

Right now, she needed him by her side more than ever—if he hadn’t appeared, she would have broken down on the spot.

Though she had a thousand things to say, she couldn’t utter a single word. She pressed herself against his chest, just smiling silently.

After a while, he loosened his embrace, fearing she might suffocate.

"Xixi..."

She let go too, but then suddenly took a step back.

"Xixi..."

She took another step back, her gaze strange, as if looking at a stranger.

Wan Donglin suddenly felt a hint of unease.

She had turned around, her back to him now.

"Xixi..."

Suddenly, she bolted.

"Xixi..."

"Don’t come closer. I want to be alone for a while..."

He chased after her, but she had already reached the entrance and quickly boarded an empty taxi.

The taxi whizzed away.

Wan Donglin stood at the entrance, deep in thought.

In a five-star hotel, a luxurious king-size bed, secure facilities, and a comfortable shower awaited her. As hot water cascaded over her body, her exhausted muscles seemed to revive. When Yan Xixi, dressed in a well-fitting robe, lay down on the bed, she felt more relaxed than she had even in the moment after passing her final Harvard exam.

Her cell phone screen lit up with several new messages; the words "Big toe-picker" were flooding her screen again.

She turned off her cell phone and started giggling. Lying in bed, without much tossing or turning, she immediately fell into a deep, sweet sleep.

She hadn’t slept this soundly in the past two or three months.