The Arrogant President’s Cute Assistant

When Ye Ranxi walked in, Ling Xiaonai was changing his clothes, revealing his well-built muscles. She hadn’t expected to see such a scene and felt her face flush with embarrassment as she held her pillow tightly.

Seeing her shy expression brightened Ling Xiaonai’s mood considerably. He slipped on a somewhat loose pajama top and sat on the bed.

“I might have to stay here for a while to help Grandma fix the house before heading back… Maybe you should go home alone for now,” Ye Ranxi said as she tossed the pillow aside and reached for a mat in the closet. Before she could grab it, Ling Xiaonai had already appeared in front of her, blocking her path like a solid wall.

“I’ll stay here with you. The floor is cold; you should sleep on the bed. I can sleep on the floor,” Ling Xiaonai said, knowing she hadn’t forgiven him yet. He took the pillow from her, pulled out the mat from the closet, and lay down on the floor.

He definitely wouldn’t be used to sleeping on the floor in this cold winter… Ye Ranxi told herself not to worry about him, but she couldn’t help it.

“Forget it, you should sleep on the bed,” she sighed. Then she noticed a smile tugging at the corners of Ling Xiaonai’s mouth.

It wasn’t the first time they had shared a bed, nor had they never been intimate before. But for some reason, Ye Ranxi felt awkward, lying there afraid to move even an inch.

The bed was different from the one they usually slept on; it was a hard wooden bed. The slightest movement would produce strange noises. So, Ye Ranxi held her breath, hardly daring to shift.

Yet it was so cold this winter… There was only one blanket, and they were lying so far apart that the chilly wind seeped in from behind the blanket. Ye Ranxi could feel her back turning icy, curling up into a ball while placing her small hands near her mouth, trying to warm them with her breath.

Noticing her discomfort, Ling Xiaonai gathered her into his arms. At first, Ye Ranxi wanted to struggle, but the warmth of being in his embrace was too comforting, and she couldn’t bring herself to resist it.

“Are you warmer now?” Ling Xiaonai’s voice came softly to her ear.

“Yeah, it’s not bad,” she nodded, leaning her face further into his chest.

“I’m staying here to help Grandma fix the house.”

Ye Ranxi had intended to urge him to leave, but knowing his stubborn nature, she decided to say nothing more.

Perhaps it was due to her exhaustion, but Ye Ranxi soon fell asleep. When she woke, Ling Xiaonai was already gone.

Ye Ranxi casually threw on a piece of clothing and ran to the yard, where she saw Ling Xiaonai busy working.

He was truly different from the Ling Xiaonai she once knew… Ye Ranxi couldn’t quite describe her feelings-was it moving? Perhaps it was.

“What are you doing?” She asked curiously as she noticed Ling Xiaonai had brought sturdy wooden beams from somewhere.

“Aren’t I supposed to help Grandma fix the house?”

So, he had been helping Grandma repair the house early in the morning?

Seeing him work so hard, Ye Ranxi felt a surge of sympathy and decided to join him.

That night, Ye Ranxi was completely exhausted after a long day and ate a hefty dinner. As she prepared to take a shower, she realized some daily necessities were running low. Ling Xiaonai had gone to town to buy more while she stayed home chatting with Grandma.

“Xiaoxi, do you and Xiaonai have some kind of conflict?” Zhang Ying asked, noticing that Ye Ranxi seemed a bit distant with Ling Xiaonai, even though she didn’t know what had happened between them.

Ye Ranxi didn’t know how to explain her relationship with Ling Xiaonai to her grandmother, so she changed the subject. “Grandma, let’s not talk about that. Are you feeling cold? I’ll go get you a sweater.”

“Xiaoxi, it’s rare in a woman’s life to meet someone who treats her well. I can see that Xiaonai really likes you. You should cherish him,” Zhang Ying said, holding her hand to keep her from leaving while sighing deeply.

Ye Ranxi didn’t respond much, simply nodding absently. “Grandma, I understand.”

That night, they ended up sleeping on the same large bed again. Ye Ranxi kept thinking about what her grandmother had said throughout the day, feeling a bitter taste in her heart.

She didn’t know if she was with Ling Xiaonai to get back at him or because she couldn’t let go of him, which led her to accept his proposal.

If it was the latter, what was she supposed to do?

Suddenly, she heard a muffled groan behind her. Ye Ranxi turned to ask, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, just sleep.”

Ye Ranxi didn’t believe him. She fully turned around and saw his brow furrowed tightly, thinking he might have a fever. She reached out to touch his forehead, but he didn’t feel hot… Was he just feeling unwell?

When he refused to say anything, Ye Ranxi pulled his shirt back to see deep purple bruises on his skin.

Just as she suspected… Did he get these injuries while working on the house today? She wanted to scold him, but seeing him like this, she couldn’t bring herself to say anything.

“I’m fine,” Ling Xiaonai said, adjusting his shirt. “Let’s just sleep.”

Seeing his condition, Ye Ranxi realized he must have accidentally bumped his injury earlier, which was why he was in pain. Why did he treat her so well? Ye Ranxi couldn’t understand why he would go to such lengths to deceive her.

Could it be that Ling Xiaonai really loved her? The thought sent a shiver down her spine.

Ye Ranxi, what are you wavering about? Just because he did one or two things that touched you, do you really believe him now?

“Forget it; you should go back. This place isn’t suitable for you,” he said. He could easily be the high-flying President of Ling Corporation; why did he have to come to this place and endure hardship?

“Xiaoxi, do you still refuse to forgive me?”

“You’ve been busy all day, so you must be tired. Just get some sleep.” With that, Ye Ranxi closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep.

Ling Xiaonai found that he could no longer understand Ye Ranxi at all. The old her was as clear as a blank sheet of paper in front of him; now, she was elusive, and he had no idea what was going on in her heart.

Days passed by in a calm routine. Ling Xiaonai insisted on staying to help, and no matter how hard Ye Ranxi tried to push him away, he wouldn’t leave. With no other choice, she allowed him to stay, but her attitude remained lukewarm.

One morning, Ye Ranxi prepared breakfast and was about to go into the room to call her grandmother for breakfast when she found Grandma lying still on the bed, her hands clutching her chest tightly.

“Grandma, what’s wrong?” Ye Ranxi exclaimed, dropping what was in her hands with a loud crash. Ling Xiaonai heard the commotion and rushed into the room. Upon seeing Zhang Ying lying on the bed, looking distressed, he was alarmed. No matter how much Ye Ranxi called her name, she didn’t reply, seemingly unable to speak through the agony.

Ling Xiaonai quickly assessed the situation and rushed over to carry Zhang Ying. “It looks like Grandma is having a heart attack. We need to get her to the hospital right away.”

Ye Ranxi turned pale at the mention of a heart attack, panic seizing her. After finally reuniting with her grandmother, now she was facing such a serious illness-how could she not be worried?

Fortunately, the hospital wasn’t too far from the city, and they arrived in about half an hour. As soon as they got to the hospital, doctors rushed Zhang Ying into the emergency room. Ye Ranxi tried to follow them inside but was blocked at the door by a doctor.

“What should I do?” Ye Ranxi felt like a panicking child, pacing back and forth at the door, unsure of what else she could do.

How could Grandma suddenly have a heart attack out of the blue?

Despairing, she squatted down, and at that moment, a strong pair of hands gently supported her. Looking up, she met Ling Xiaonai’s gentle gaze. “It’s okay; don’t worry. Grandma will be out soon.”

Right now, she felt like she was lost in a vast ocean, but Ling Xiaonai lifted her up from the depths.

Seeing the warmth in his eyes brought her a sense of relief.

Ling Xiaonai stood at the door with her head resting on his shoulder, her gaze vacant as she stared at the closed doors of the operating room. After what felt like an eternity, the doors finally opened after three hours.

“Doctor, how is my grandmother?” Ye Ranxi rushed forward as soon as she saw a doctor exit, gripping his arm tightly, her voice trembling.

“Fortunately, you got her to the hospital in time. The patient is stable now and can be moved to a regular ward. You can visit her once she wakes up,” the doctor said, removing his mask to address Ye Ranxi.

Hearing that Grandma was okay, a heavy weight finally lifted off Ye Ranxi’s chest.

In the regular ward, she saw her grandmother lying there, looking somewhat frail, and tears sprang to her eyes.

“Alright, no more crying. If Grandma sees you like this, she’ll be heartbroken,” Ling Xiaonai gently wrapped his arms around her, soothing her in a soft voice.

“Okay.” Ye Ranxi nodded, though her eyes were still red. She seated herself by the bed. “I’ll stay here with her. When she wakes up, she’ll want to see me first.”

Ling Xiaonai didn’t say much, simply keeping her company.

The doctor mentioned that Grandma would need to stay in the hospital for over ten days to recover properly. Ye Ranxi moved her belongings to the hospital since she didn’t trust anyone else with her grandmother’s care. Ling Xiaonai stayed as well, even setting up a small desk in the hospital room. During the day, he kept her company and stayed with her grandmother, and at night, he dedicated himself to work at the desk.

Seeing Ling Xiaonai’s effort made Ye Ranxi feel a bit guilty. He had been so kind to her; was she really being too cold?

One day, while out buying breakfast, Ye Ranxi remembered that Ling Xiaonai had stayed at the hospital all day without eating anything. So she picked up some light porridge to bring back.

“Here, have some porridge,” she offered, handing it to him.

This was the first time in days that she had actively shown concern for him. Ling Xiaonai, seated on the sofa, accepted the bowl from her. Just as she intended to pull her hand back, he held onto it tightly, refusing to let go.