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

Having just finished kissing in front of so many people, Fang Li's heart was pounding like it was going to explode.

Faced with Lu Jie's deliberate provocation, she subconsciously gripped the shirt of the man beside her.

Han Xi didn't react much. He glanced at Lu Jie indifferently, then stepped back slightly, looked down at Fang Li, and asked in a hoarse voice, "Can you still stand?"

"..."

Fang Li's mind, which had just calmed down a bit, suddenly went blank. She subconsciously glanced at the group of people smiling ambiguously, nodded somewhat dizzily, and felt her cheeks burning hot enough to fry an egg.

Her appearance, though tender and affectionate in Han Xi's eyes, was... in Lu Jie's eyes.

It is nothing short of a psychological weapon.

The little smile that remained on Lu Jie's face vanished instantly.

He chuckled and slammed his glass down on the table. "How about a contest? The loser has to stay away from Fang Li tonight, okay?"

Bathed in moonlight, Fang Li looked at the two men locked in a tense standoff and suddenly felt that the cool breeze of Kuncheng was even more unsettling than the harsh winter of Haicheng.

Han Xi's hand was still on Fang Li's waist, his fingertips tracing the folds of her silk skirt, as if suppressing some emotion that was about to burst forth.

When he looked up at Lu Jie, his eyes, which were always covered with a thin layer of ice, were filled with a few tiny lights, like stars in a cold night, so cold that they made people shiver.

"Why should I agree?"

Han Xi's voice was not loud, but it clearly pierced through the whispers in the room, "Fang Li is the young mistress of the Han family, and she is my rightful wife."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Lu Jie's suddenly tense jawline. "Using her as a bet? Lu Jie, you're not qualified."

The last few words were like icicles hitting the ground, so crisp they could send sparks flying.

Lu Jie's fingers tightened suddenly around the wine glass, his knuckles turning white.

He should have expected Han Xi to react this way. This man was always like a block of ice that could never be warmed, yet he always revealed his sharp edges when it came to matters involving Xu Fangli.

"not qualified?"

Lu Jie chuckled softly, his voice almost overflowing with self-mockery, "Han Xi, are you scared?"

He took a half-step closer, his light gray coat gleaming faintly in the warm yellow light. "Afraid of losing to me? Afraid that Fang Li will see that you also have shortcomings?"

Han Xi's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly.

He was all too familiar with Lu Jie's demeanor; like a young beast that had been provoked, its claws not yet fully developed, yet it stubbornly stuck out its neck and bared its fangs.

From the first time they met at the equestrian club when they were teenagers, Lu Jie's eyes had always held a flame mixed with jealousy and resentment.

Back then, Chairman Lu would pat Lu Jie on the shoulder and say, "Learn from Han Xi," and Lu Jie would always grit his teeth and crack his whip loudly.

"Your tactic of provoking me is outdated from twenty years ago."

Han Xi dusted off non-existent dust from his suit sleeve, speaking in a calm tone as if he were discussing the weather.

"Outdated?"

Lu Jie, as if he had heard a joke, suddenly raised his voice, "Then why don't you answer? If you're too scared to answer, just say so. Is it so hard to admit defeat?"

His gaze swept over everyone present, and he deliberately raised his voice, "Everyone can see this. The head of the Han Group doesn't even dare to play a game with me. If word gets out, people will laugh their heads off."

The air in the banquet hall was completely frozen.

The main creators, who were holding wine glasses, froze in mid-air, exchanging bewildered glances.

Wen Yang tried to smooth things over, but Fang Li grabbed her wrist before she could even open her mouth.

She turned to look at Fang Li and found that her friend's face was as cold as ice, and her fingertips were white from the force she was applying.

Fang Li was indeed furious.

Considering that he had helped her a few times before, she could tolerate Lu Jie's occasional harassment, but she could not tolerate him using her as a weapon to attack Han Xi.

But at the same time, she understood Han Xi's silence.

He could have easily crushed his opponent with his absolute strength as usual, but he stood still, letting Lu Jie's words pierce him like needles, simply because this was a banquet hosted by Xingli Film and Television.

He didn't want to put her in a difficult position.

But Lu Jie didn't care about any of that.

Thinking of this, Fang Li angrily broke free from Han Xi's hand on her waist and was about to take a step forward when he grabbed her wrist again.

Han Xi's palms were burning hot, with enough force to penetrate her skin, but when his fingertips touched her skin, he did so with careful restraint.

"I come."

He whispered in her ear, his breath brushing against her earlobe, carrying the crisp scent of cedar.

Fang Li frowned slightly, her hand gripped even tighter by him.

She looked up at him, only to be met with the turbulent undercurrent in his eyes.

There were complex emotions in it that she couldn't understand, like a whirlpool in the deep sea, hiding many unspoken forbearances.

Just then, Han Xi released her hand and turned to face Lu Jie.

His back was ramrod straight, like a pine tree standing tall in the cold wind, and his aura suddenly tightened, carrying a sense of oppressive tension as if a storm was brewing.

"I can compete with you."

Han Xi's voice wasn't loud, but it silenced all the noise instantly, "But we need to change the stakes."

Lu Jie raised an eyebrow, a playful smile playing on his lips: "Oh? Mr. Han, please speak."

He wanted to see what kind of conditions this man, who was always so cautious, could offer.

"The loser..."

Han Xi's gaze swept across the carved dome of the banquet hall before finally settling on Lu Jie's face. He said, word by word, "Take off your clothes and walk out of here."

"Wow—"

The scene exploded instantly.

"My God! Is President Han serious?"

"Take off all your clothes? Even though this is a small local clubhouse, there are still quite a few tourists and residents outside!"

"Does Young Master Lu dare to accept the challenge? If he loses, the Lu family will lose all face!"

The murmurs surged forth like a tide, mixed with exclamations and suppressed laughter.

Lu Jie's smile froze; he clearly hadn't expected Han Xi to make such a humiliating demand.

He subconsciously looked at Fang Li, only to find her staring coldly at him, her indifference undisguised.

"Han Xi, are you going to go this far?"

Lu Jie's voice deepened, his knuckles turning white from the force, "I have no interest in men's naked bodies."

"Then don't lose."

Han Xi's tone was completely calm, as if he were simply stating a given fact.

He subtly moved half a step to the side, perfectly shielding Fang Li behind him like an impenetrable wall.

Lu Jie's gaze lingered on the overlapping shadows of the two for a few seconds, then he suddenly chuckled: "Alright, I'll take this bet."

He paused, his eyes flashing with even more provocation, "But isn't that a bit boring?"

Han Xi didn't reply, but gestured for him to continue with his eyes.

"One more."

Lu Jie stepped forward, lowering his voice slightly, but enough for those around him to hear clearly, "Fifteen percent of the shares in that new port project in Beijing."

These words silenced even the loudest discussions.

Everyone gasped.