Chapter 45

Xie Cheng felt his emotions were a bit chaotic. Perhaps when people were idle they would overthink things, so he quickly found something to occupy himself.

Since the company was doing a team building activity and the administration department was in charge of logistics, he arranged for the administrative staff to bring Lan Xi a set of spare women's sportswear from the company for her to change into. He also changed into a men's set himself.

Xie Cheng's new sportswear was very simple without much design sense, but the fabric was comfortable. Compared to the athletic wear Lan Xi had on before, his set was obviously cheaper, but Xie Cheng still felt that such plain and affordable sportswear looked better and more eye-catching on her.

After changing, he walked over to Lan Xi as if it was natural and cleared his throat, "Since it was me who didn't keep an eye on your trash, I'll take responsibility and issue you meal vouchers for a year's worth of dinner buffets as a reward."

"No way!" Faced with Xie Cheng's offer, Lan Xi couldn't help but purse her lips. "I don't want something prearranged. The team building activity isn't over yet. I'll pick up more trash again! If I win I want it fair and square. Giving it to me wouldn't be fair to the other colleagues!"

After saying that, Lan Xi picked up another set of trash picking tools and went back to picking up trash under the blazing sun on her own initiative.

On this side, Lan Xi was still picking up trash while Xie Yunfei under the sunshade finally remembered that he also had a female companion here.

Seeing him reluctantly part from the hot bikini beauty, Xie Cheng walked over to Lan Xi a bit impatiently, "Why did you change your clothes? This outfit looks so ugly!"

Hearing his critical tone, Xie Cheng said, "And why are you still picking up trash? How about we go get some ice cream over there?"

Unfortunately Lan Xi was clearly unmoved. Xie Yunfei seemed to force himself to follow Lan Xi for a short distance, but soon found an excuse to sneak back to continue flirting with the hot bikini woman.

Clearly, he was attracted to Lan Xi's appearance but had no interest or willingness to understand her personality, habits and inner self, and did not bother trying to understand her.

Thinking of this, Xie Cheng's heart became inexplicably complicated again.

Xie Yunfei was not a good match for Lan Xi. But right now Lan Xi was in the stage of emotional breakdown and self-destruction after the pain of heartbreak. The fact that she could pretend to be calm and talk to him now probably took all her strength already. Most likely she was just seeking Xie Yunfei for emotional transference after being hurt and rejected.

Xie Yunfei was unwilling to accompany Lan Xi. After thinking about it, Xie Cheng still decided to walk over.

He told himself that he wasn't going over to accompany Lan Xi either, just that in terms of their work relations, Lan Xi was still his employee. Today's activity was also a company team building event. If something happened again like her falling into the sea and needing rescue, it would still be his and the company's responsibility.

Besides, being the principled and responsible man he was, he couldn't watch Lan Xi walk towards destruction.

If she kept seeking someone as bad a match as Xie Yunfei to take advantage of her, Xie Cheng felt that he should step in.

Although proposing marriage to him was a bit over the top, if Lan Xi would be that heartbroken at not being able to be with him, maybe he should reconsider, like starting from a place of friendship and slowly developing a romantic relationship. Without the inferior option of Xie Yunfei to fall back on, surely this way Lan Xi could be pulled back from the abyss. And once her emotions calmed down later, it would probably be easier to communicate.

After all, it was just dating. As long as marriage was not involved, trying it wasn't completely out of the question.

Just as Xie Cheng caught up with Lan Xi, he realized that aside from picking up empty bottles and trash this time, she was also collecting seashells from the beach. "Do you like seashells?"

Lan Xi picked them very carefully. She gave an "Mm-hmm," then turned to look at Xie Cheng, eyes bright. It seemed like she had just come up with a wonderful idea. "I'm collecting them for a good purpose!"

Xie Cheng knew some people collected seashells as a hobby and there were many handcraft tutorials online using seashells as material, so people collecting seashells wasn't uncommon. But Lan Xi was more diligent about it than anyone else. She squatted on the beach digging through the sand. Even very ordinary looking shells she would pick up, treasuring each one carefully and collecting them solemnly as if they were precious treasures.

Feeling somewhat awkward, Xie Cheng glanced at the shoreline not far away. "I happen to be free. Should I help pick some with you too?"

"That would be great!" Lan Xi's gaze shifted over, staring into Xie Cheng's eyes. She bit her lip and smiled. "Xie Cheng, you're so nice! I'll repay you in the future!"

With her looking at him like that, Xie Cheng suddenly didn't know what to say next.

"Oh, no need to repay me. This is nothing."

But Lan Xi insisted firmly, "Why wouldn't I need to repay you? We aren't boyfriend and girlfriend now so of course I should repay you for the favor!"

How could that be! No reward without labor! There must be reciprocity to maintain friendship between people!

Lan Xi already had it in mind to return the favor.

While picking up shells, she promised enthusiastically, "Rest assured, I'll surprise you with repayment! As long as you help pick more seashells for me!"

Since this beach had always been a paradise for parent-child trips, many shells had already been picked clean by children. Xie Cheng didn't care about whatever surprise or repayment Lan Xi was talking about. He just hoped to see her happy, so he searched diligently for shells with a workmanlike attitude.

Fortunately, effort pays off. Although having to squat on the beach rummaging in an undignified manner, Xie Cheng's dedication soon yielded results as he brought Lan Xi a small box full of seashells.

"Just watch what I can do next!"

Lan Xi was extremely delighted. She took the seashells then found an open area on the beach to start arranging them.

So was she making a shape with the shells on the beach first to take a photo to commemorate before bringing them home to use in crafts?

At first Xie Cheng couldn't tell what Lan Xi was making with the shells. She arranged them into a big shape. Not until a moment later did he finally realize it was a big heart shape.

Naturally, using seashells to make a heart shape on the beach was commonplace and didn't necessarily signify anything. But Xie Cheng's heart still couldn't help speeding up rapidly.

After finishing the shell heart shape, Lan Xi found a stick and started writing words in the sand.

On the left of the seashell heart, she wrote the character for "Lan." And on the right of the shell heart, right before Xie Cheng's eyes, calm and unruffled, she wrote the character for "Xie."

Of course.

She still couldn't help doing this.

Xie Cheng's heart pounded wildly, inexplicably stirred by this bold confession on the beach.

That was just like Lan Xi, always exceeding expectations. Last time she made an ignorant mistake creating a memorial service style confession scene. It seemed after doing her homework this time, using the shells she had picked together with him on the beach to form a heart, then writing both their surnames alongside it, although she didn't say anything else to Xie Cheng, this kind of direct yet subtle approach made Xie Cheng somewhat caught off guard. Looked like she still couldn't graduate from obsessing over him after all.

Xie Cheng should have felt somewhat troubled, but at this moment he was totally devoid of such emotions. His heart only held a kind of proud feeling of regaining territory.

Even while wanting to move past him in deeds, she still couldn't resist confessing to him again on the beach.

"How is it? Beautiful?"

After finishing everything, Lan Xi smiled at Xie Cheng brightly. "What do you think? I practiced hard recently to be able to write these characters well!"

Faced with such a direct question, Xie Cheng was unusually ill at ease too. He averted his gaze and muttered woodenly, "Not bad."

"Then great!"

Lan Xi was generous and unperturbed while Xie Cheng became awkward and nervous instead.

Lan Xi was about to confess again. What should he say?

Reject her again?

But she had even practiced writing for this beach confession.

Besides, if she was heartbroken again she might fall prey to scum like Xie Yunfei even more and become unable to free herself of him.

Moreover, he actually admired Lan Xi's unrelenting attitude and persistence towards him.

Marriage couldn't be rushed into rashly of course, but trying something else wasn't out of the question.

Just when Xie Cheng was almost mentally prepared for how to handle this situation, Lan Xi's expected confession still didn't come.

She took out her phone and snapped photos of the shell creation on the beach from all angles, but didn't say another word to Xie Cheng about a proposal.

Was this because he had been hit hard last time, to the point of becoming indecisive and timid?

Xie Cheng cleared his throat, feeling that he should give Lan Xi some encouragement and affirmation: "I think your surprise repayment this time is okay."

Sure enough, as soon as his words fell, Lan Xi stopped her movements, and undisguised surprise flowed in her eyes—

"But I haven't prepared a surprise repayment for you yet!"

There was genuine puzzlement on Lan Xi's face: "However, I will remember the great kindness and virtue you just did by helping me pick up seashells."

She thought about it, lowered her voice, moved closer to Xie Cheng, and whispered mysteriously: "Since you want to know so badly, I can reveal a little bit to you in advance: After I marry Xie Yunfei, I will be the boss's wife of Chen'an Group. In the future, if your company goes bankrupt, you can come to me and I can arrange a job for you at Chen'an! I'll arrange a high-paying and easy job for you! I'll have you at the front desk! You just have to look bright and dazzling every day without much to do!"

Probably because he heard that she was so gracious, Xie Cheng's face showed tremendous astonishment, and his voice rose several times—

"After you marry Xie Yunfei?! You and Xie Yunfei?" His complexion became somewhat ugly, and the words seemed to be squeezed out one by one. Staring at the seashells on the beach, “You put this here to propose to Xie Yunfei?!”

"Of course, isn't ‘Lan’ and ‘Xie’ written here? I practiced these two characters for a few nights!"