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

The low bamboo houses are built against the mountain, with thick thatched roofs. Moonlight leaks through the bamboo gaps, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

A few barks from afar made the place seem even more tranquil.

"This is……"

"A place I discovered by chance last year."

Han Xi gently tidied her wind-blown hair. "The owners are an elderly couple, and their braised pork with dried bamboo shoots is especially delicious."

He led her to the bamboo house furthest inside, and when he pushed open the door, the bamboo made a soft creaking sound.

The room was dark, with only a kerosene lamp hanging from the roof beam, casting a dim yellow glow on a bamboo bed covered with a coarse cloth sheet. In the corner were several bamboo baskets filled with dried osmanthus flowers.

"It's not as comfortable as a hotel."

Han Xi lit the lantern, the firelight reflecting in his eyes, "But its advantage is tranquility."

Fang Li walked to the window and pushed open the bamboo window frame.

Outside, there were vast forests, and moonlight filtered through the leaves, weaving a silvery net on the ground.

The air was filled with the fresh scent of grass and earth, much better than the aromatherapy in the hotel.

"I love so much."

She turned to look at Han Xi, her eyes filled with an irrepressible smile.

The lingering melancholy in Han Xi's heart instantly dissipated, and looking at the smiling face of the woman in front of him, he felt his heart full and warm.

He walked over and gently hugged her from behind, resting his chin on the top of her head: "That's good."

After taking a bath, the two lay side by side on the bamboo bed.

The lantern was dimmed a bit, and the light was just enough to make out each other's outlines.

Fang Li rested her head on his arm and could hear his steady heartbeat, like a lullaby she had listened to as a child, which made her feel inexplicably at ease.

"What happened at the dinner party."

She hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Have you wanted the Lu family to withdraw from the port project for a long time?"

Han Xi was silent for a moment, then gently ran his fingers through her long hair: "No."

"Ok?"

"I didn't expect Lu Jie to come to Kuncheng."

His voice was soft, mingled with the chirping of insects outside the window, "The betting was a spur-of-the-moment decision."

Fang Li turned around and lay facing him: "Then what about your additional bet..."

"The Lu family has been involved in the port project in Tianjin for three generations. Their channels and connections are unmatched by the Han family."

Han Xi's fingertips traced her cheek, their touch slightly cool. "What I want is not for him to back down, but for him to know his limits."

He paused, his eyes darkening: "What can he possibly care about? What kind of people should he not even think about?"

Fang Li looked at the possessiveness surging in his eyes, feeling both sweet and helpless.

This man is always like this; he keeps everything to himself, yet he will inadvertently reveal his most straightforward domineering nature.

"Aren't you afraid he'll really take his clothes off?" she teased him on purpose.

Han Xi's eyelashes fluttered slightly: "I was sure he wouldn't dare."

In fact, he had already told Lin Mo that if Lu Jie dared to take his clothes off, he should immediately have the bodyguards "accidentally" knock over the light board to create chaos.

But he wouldn't tell Fang Li this.

Fang Li couldn't help but laugh out loud at his feigned composure: "President Han is truly a brilliant strategist."

"It's only your problem."

Han Xi lowered his head and gently kissed her forehead. "I'm not interested in anything else."

Moonlight streamed through the bamboo window and fell on his face, softening his hard features.

"Han Xi".

"Ok?"

She said softly, "There's something I've never asked you. Every year on my birthday, I've received an anonymous gift..."

"…It's me."

Han Xi interrupted her, a hint of embarrassment flashing in his eyes, which was then replaced by gentleness, "Because I can't appear in front of you openly, I hope you have the best."

Fang Li was stunned.

She was just guessing, but she never expected it to actually be him.

Those gifts, which she could remember, were sent every year on the day before or the day of her birthday. She had always been curious about who it was, and she never expected it to really be him!

"You didn't... start thinking about me back then?"

She raised an eyebrow, her tone teasing, but her eyes were getting hot.

"Ah."

Han Xi's answer was very frank: "I've been thinking about it for twenty years."

He lowered his head and kissed her. This kiss was not as possessive as the one at the banquet; instead, it was gentle and filled with a careful and cherished affection.

The bamboo bed creaked softly with their movements, blending with the chirping of insects outside the window like a gentle nocturne.

Meanwhile, inside the clubhouse, the prize draw ceremony was reaching its climax.

Wen Yang held up the microphone, her voice clear and bright: "Next up is our grand prize! A luxury trip for two to the Maldives, personally sponsored by President Xu! Look at this plane ticket, it's fresh off the press!"

The crowd erupted in enthusiastic cheers.

Zhou Yufan stood beside Wen Yang, watching her skillfully manage the atmosphere, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes.

He took out his phone from his pocket and sent Fang Li a message: "Everything is going well."

I received a reply very quickly, just one word: "Okay".

Meanwhile, in a hotel suite in Kunming, Lu Jie had just hung up the phone with his father, his knuckles white from gripping it tightly.

"You brat! How many times have I told you not to mess with Han Xi? Have you lost your mind?!"

Lu Pei's roar still seemed to echo in my ears, "A project worth billions! You gambled with Han Xi for a woman? How could I have a son like you!"

Lu Jie walked to the window and looked at the lights in the direction of the bamboo building in the distance. Suddenly, he felt very tired.

He opened the refrigerator, took out a bottle of ice water and gulped it down. The icy liquid slid down his throat, but it couldn't suppress the irritation in his heart.

The phone screen lit up; it was a message from the assistant: "Mr. Lu, the withdrawal statement for the Tianjin Port project has been drafted. What do you think..."

Lu Jie stared at the line of text for a long time before finally replying with two words: "Send it."

He knew his father was right; he really was a good-for-nothing.

For so many years, he has lived in Han Xi's shadow, trying to prove himself in a childish way, but ended up ruining a great opportunity.

But... looking at the warm lights outside the window, he suddenly felt that perhaps this time, his defeat was not unjust.

At least, he finally understood that some things cannot be obtained by robbery.

A night breeze blew through the hotel's floor-to-ceiling windows, lifting a corner of the curtains.

Fang Li was already asleep in the bamboo house.

Han Xi gently tucked the blanket around her, his eyes filled with tenderness as he looked at her peaceful sleeping face.

He picked up his phone, saw the message from Zhou Yufan, and then glanced at the screenshot of the port project withdrawal statement in Lu Jie's assistant's WeChat Moments. His eyes darkened.

He wasn't a saint; his tolerance of Lu Jie was only because Fang Li didn't want to make a big fuss.

But that doesn't mean he'll allow anyone to hurt her again.

Han Xi picked up his phone, scrolled to a number he hadn't contacted in a long time, paused, and then pressed the dial button with his deep black eyes.

"Hey, Uncle Lu."