She goes crazy, he'll cover for her; the darling of the group is someone no one dares to mess w

An awkward expression flashed across Xu Fangye's face. "Nobody, just a friend."

He hooked his arm around Fang Li's neck and led her toward the sofa, subtly changing the subject: "It was my fault about Han Xi. I didn't tell you because I was afraid you would feel uncomfortable if you knew beforehand."

"You knew I would feel uncomfortable, so why did you keep it from me!"

Seeing that Fang Li was no longer paying attention to the phone call, Xu Fangye secretly breathed a sigh of relief and pressed her into the sofa.

“Little sister, I had no choice. I know you didn’t want the marriage alliance. You shouldn’t have been involved in the Xu family’s affairs. It’s your brother who’s useless.”

He sat down next to Fang Li, supporting himself on his knees with some guilt, and said, "Grandpa still doesn't know about this. If he knew that I sacrificed your entire life's happiness to protect the Xu family..."

"I didn't mean to blame you."

Fang Li: "Besides, I also have the surname Xu. How can I sit idly by and do nothing about the Xu family's affairs?"

This was the first time Fang Li had ever seen Xu Fangye look so guilty in front of her.

She wasn't really angry with Han Xi about what happened.

She patted his shoulder and said, "It's a good thing that Grandpa doesn't know. The Xu family is Grandpa's life's work. If he knew, it would just be one more person worrying."

“Brother, I have already agreed to the marriage alliance with the Han family. Han Xi has also agreed to prepare for the cooperation and investment as soon as I get back. Before the Xu family crisis is resolved, Grandpa must not know about this.”

Fang Li looked worried: "There's also the matter of the arranged marriage. It's best to keep it a secret if possible."

Xu Fangye hesitated, "The Xu family's affairs are manageable, but the marriage alliance... it's not easy to hide."

How could you keep your own granddaughter's wedding a secret from the old man?

Besides, given the old man's temper, what if he found out that his granddaughter had gotten married without his knowledge...?

Xu Fangye felt a chill run down his spine.

"How about... you talk to Han Xi and tell him to keep it a secret for now?"

-

Ten p.m.

After taking a shower, Fang Li changed into her pajamas and went to bed.

Thinking of Xu Fangye's concerns, she pondered for a moment, then picked up her phone and opened it.

I added Han Xi on WeChat in the afternoon. His profile picture was just black, and his nickname was even simpler, just a capital H.

After thinking about her words, Fang Li opened the chat box and typed.

[President Han, what are your specific plans regarding the marriage alliance?]

Han Xi replied very quickly:

【? 】

Fang Li took a deep breath: "I know this request is a bit excessive, but my grandfather is old and can't handle any shocks."

She sent it and continued typing: "Could you...?"

【it is good. 】

Fang Li paused in her typing, looked at the brief "good" on the screen, deleted the unfinished text, and edited it again:

I haven't even said what it is, and you've already agreed. Aren't you afraid I'll make some unreasonable demands?

Han Xi: [With me, no request you make is unreasonable.]

Fang Li stared blankly at the words on the screen.

I will keep the marriage arrangement a secret from Grandpa. As for the Han family, I will explain. You don't need to worry.

Is this solved?

It's easy to keep it from Grandpa, but how is he going to explain it to the Han family?

How do you plan to explain this to Han's shareholders? And... are you going to keep it from your family too?

There has been no reply from the other end.

The screen continuously displays "The other person is typing."

Just as Fang Li was about to ask, Han Xi replied.

【Will you be free tomorrow?】

Fang Li: [What are you doing?]

Han Xi: [I'll be waiting for you at the old house gate at nine o'clock tomorrow morning.]

What are you going to do?

There was no further reply from the other end, and Fang Li tossed and turned in bed, filled with questions.

She was thinking all sorts of random thoughts, and after what seemed like an eternity, she finally drifted off to sleep when her phone suddenly lit up with a ding.

She fought off her sleepiness and pulled it out to open.

A new message appeared in the chat box, containing only two words:

[Getting the marriage certificate.]

Fang Li, who was feeling sleepy, was startled away.

It took me a long time to process those two words.

It seems that getting a marriage certificate is indeed the only way to achieve a de facto marriage without her grandfather's knowledge.

Ugh.

-

Fang Li went downstairs at 8:40 a.m.

It was just past nine o'clock when I arrived at the main gate, and Han Xi was already waiting.

He was still dressed the same as when we first met: black trousers with a simple white shirt, two buttons undone on the shirt, and the sleeves rolled up and tucked into his arms.

The only difference was that his hair seemed a bit shorter, probably because it had been recently trimmed. His sideburns were neat, and the slightly longer hair on top had been simply styled, giving him a clean and stylish look.

When Fang Li arrived, he was leaning against the front of the car making a phone call. Upon seeing Fang Li, he ended the call and put his phone in his pocket.

"coming."

Fang Li wore a black A-line skirt that reached her ankles today, and a pair of strappy diamond high heels. The diamonds sparkled brilliantly with every step she took in the sunlight.

She was also wearing a white shirt, but unlike Han Xi's, it wasn't as simple; it had a pair of embroidered red cherries on the chest.

Han Xi put his hands in his pockets and quietly looked at the girl opposite him.

She walked towards him step by step in her high heels, her steps light and slow, each step feeling as if it were landing on his heart.

He unconsciously swallowed, and a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips.

"Did you wear this on purpose?"

Fang Li looked down at her clothes, then at his, and her ears inexplicably felt hot.

Meeting the man's smiling eyes, she feigned composure and said, "Isn't this what you mean by getting a marriage certificate? Shouldn't you be dressed like this when you get a marriage certificate?"

Han Xi smiled.

Fang Li felt uncomfortable under his gaze: "Are we still going to get the marriage certificate or not?"

Seeing her ears turn red and her eyes filled with anger, the man finally stopped smiling and turned to open the car door.

The two got into the car one after the other, and the black car started and slowly drove down the mountain.

"Even though it's an arranged marriage, don't you have any questions for me?"

In the silence, Fang Li suddenly spoke.

Han Xi was focused on driving, but when he heard this, he glanced at her and asked, "What are you referring to?"

Fang Li hesitated: "You know, I've been in the entertainment industry before, although I didn't achieve much fame, but I have a lot of scandals..."

"Are you referring to the things about your family background, or the things about Song Yuchen?"

He turned the steering wheel with one hand, and the car merged into the traffic. "I know all of this, but it's just baseless rumors. Do you think I care?"

He turned his head, glanced at the stunned Fang Li, and smiled, "Or do you think the Han family didn't investigate the candidate's background before choosing a future matriarch?"

“Ms. Xu, as I have said, I am a businesswoman. It is a basic quality of a businessman to have all the information before finalizing each cooperation project.”

"I may know you better than you think."

"So, you don't mind?"

Han Xi's gaze was calm. After a moment of silence, he said, "The future is what matters, isn't it? Those things are just a part of your past. As long as you can let go of them, I don't mind."

The car stopped at the entrance of the Civil Affairs Bureau at exactly ten o'clock.

It seems Han Xi had made arrangements in advance.

The two got out of the car, and he made a phone call. Soon after, a person in uniform came out and led them inside.