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"Okay, stand up and let me have a look." Quan Shaoqing held Gu Xiaoxi’s hand, watching her tenderly.

Gu Xiaoxi stood up and did a twirl, her aqua-colored dress rippling like waves, making the person wearing it seem even more ethereal and charming.

"Beautiful girl, will you follow me?" Quan Shaoqing said with a satisfied smile, feeling that he loved her, deeply to his core. He extended his arms in a graceful princess carry and lifted her up, heading to his room.

Gu Xiaoxi finally understood why this guy was so patient and eager to please her.

"Come here and help me with the buttons, tie my tie."

Gu Xiaoxi looked at Quan Shaoqing, who had his hands in his pockets, his white shirt loose, revealing a firm chest, waiting motionlessly for her assistance.

With a full head of exasperation, she stepped forward. What else could she say?

He had been so nice to her that she couldn’t really refuse him.

So, under Quan Shaoqing’s impeccable guidance, she buttoned his shirt and then learned how to tie a tie. Finally, she helped him into his exquisite leather shoes.

The man who once wore a military uniform, stern and imposing, instantly transformed into a noble, aloof, and domineering CEO.

"Done!" Gu Xiaoxi looked at the man in front of her, her cheeks involuntarily flushing red, her heart skipping a beat.

His black suit, with its delicate and luxurious fabric, was tailored perfectly, complementing his slightly trimmed hair, making his facial features even more handsome.

The mature aura between his eyebrows made him look like a domineering CEO from a TV drama.

Oh, no! More heroic than a domineering CEO.

With the flicker of his eyelashes, his eyes occasionally revealed a hint of assertiveness and cunning.

Gu Xiaoxi felt his temperament was so complex, righteous yet with a hint of slyness, mature yet as gentle as water, even his occasional dominance and assertiveness couldn’t produce the slightest aversion in anyone.

Quan Shaoqing looked at Gu Xiaoxi’s infatuated gaze, smiled contentedly, then wrapped his arms around her waist and laughed.

Gu Xiaoxi blushed, pushing him away and said indignantly, "Stop it, you’ve smudged my makeup."

"It doesn’t matter, I have prepared a clutch for you. I can touch up your makeup anytime," Quan Shaoqing said, picking up a white ladies’ clutch from a small table behind him.

Gu Xiaoxi looked up at the sky, thankful for the blessings bestowed upon her to have such a wonderful man. Indeed, he thought of everything.

Leaving the house at four o’clock in the afternoon, Gu Xiaoxi sat in the car and saw it make a round through the forest of tall buildings, eventually stopping in front of the Finance Building.

Gu Xiaoxi blinked curiously, "Didn’t you say we were going shopping? Can we buy things here?"

"Of course! When I said shopping, I meant buying jewelry, not plain shopping!" Quan Shaoqing said with a tender smile, "At four-thirty this afternoon, there’s a charity auction being held on the eleventh floor here. The organizer is the Children’s Foundation, they’ve sent an invitation to my father, and well, I’m standing in for my father to do some charity.

The things I buy are mine, but the money comes from my dad. "

Gu Xiaoxi was speechless, realizing that what he was doing today, running errands, was all on behalf of his father. She grew curious, "May I ask what your father does?"

"Business! He’s number nine on the list of the world’s richest people," Quan Shaoqing said nonchalantly, then took Gu Xiaoxi’s hand and led her out of the car.

At that moment, many elegantly dressed men and women were also getting out of their cars and heading leisurely towards the building.

Along the way, everyone curiously stared at Quan Shaoqing and Gu Xiaoxi, turning heads one hundred percent of the time. Because the two of them seemed so well-matched.

The pair was exceedingly beautiful, and even a mere glance seemed like a grand purification for one’s eyes.

Gu Xiaoxi hadn’t noticed all this; she was busy recalling the name ranked ninth on the list of the world’s richest, which was Quan Gui.

She had only glanced at it casually online before, not thinking much of it, and now it turned out that man was his father!

Damn!

Gu Xiaoxi suddenly grabbed Quan Shaoqing’s hand and whispered in his ear, "Then, what does your mother do?"

Seeing her interest, Quan Shaoqing whispered back with a smile in her ear, "She’s just an old lady. You’ll understand once you meet her."

Gu Xiaoxi suddenly felt like her tiny, lonely koi fish had, without realizing it, leaped over the Dragon Gate. No wonder her future mother-in-law had already dismissed her without even meeting her.

She felt somewhat heavy-hearted.

But Quan Shaoqing squeezed her hand tighter, comforting her, "Ordinary people don’t know about this, so just pretend you don’t know either. To everyone else, my father is just a businessman, and we are his family. Don’t overthink it."

He hadn’t intended to tell her all this, after all, a prominent background could become another’s burden and also make it hard to make true friends.

But now, it was time for him to take her to meet his parents. She would have to find out about it sooner or later.

The auction attracted over a hundred people, each dressed in luxurious attire, exuding an extraordinary demeanor.

It was said that this auction had been in preparation for two months, and many wealthy businessmen and rich people were invited. Moreover, over a hundred police officers were asked to assist in ensuring the safety of the guests. There were dozens of bodyguards just at the entrance alone.

Quan Shaoqing arrived with Gu Xiaoxi, handed over their invitation to the organizers, and were ushered by the hostess to seats in the first row.

Clearly, many people had arrived at the venue, but the first three rows with a total of ten seats remained empty throughout.

"Excuse me, sir, may I ask your relation to Mr. Quan!" After seating them, the hostess inquired with a polite smile.

Quan Shaoqing’s face remained expressionless, and he replied indifferently, "I’m just his private assistant, please keep this confidential."

"Yes, sir." The hostess took the invitation, then filled in Quan Shaoqing’s seat number. He was representing his father and had not revealed his own identity.

As more people entered, Gu Xiaoxi actually spotted someone familiar.

There was Xia Xingze, with whom she had once raced.

There was Yeh Bai, who should have been in the military but was here instead.

And there were Liu Yishou’s son, Liu Fei, and his wife, Liu Li.

Xia Xingze was surprised to see Gu Xiaoxi since he had a deep impression of her. Even though her waist-length hair had been cut off, he recognized her at a glance.

Almost immediately after putting down the invitation, he walked over without hesitation, asking to sit beside Gu Xiaoxi. He completely ignored Quan Shaoqing, who sat beside her like an iceberg, radiating an aura of coldness.

Yeh Bai came forward with a cheerful smile, greeted Gu Xiaoxi and Quan Shaoqing, then found a seat in the second row to settle down.

"Miss Gu, we meet again." The expression on Xia Xingze’s face was overly excited, to the point of agitation as he said, "I’ve been looking for you for a long time; I didn’t expect to see you here."

Gu Xiaoxi nodded, giving him a light smile, "Long time no see!"

Simply because of the ten million check he donated to the orphanage, she felt obliged to treat him politely.

"Are you free tonight? I’d like to invite you to dinner. Could you give me your number?" Xia Xingze hurriedly took out his phone, pretending to save Gu Xiaoxi’s number.

Quan Shaoqing glared at Xia Xingze several times, but the latter showed no reaction. It was then that Quan Shaoqing dominantly took hold of Gu Xiaoxi’s hand, pulled her up from beside him, and sat down in her place, effectively separating the two of them.

"Why do you want my wife’s number!" Quan Shaoqing tilted his head, his gaze suddenly landing on Xia Xingze with a murderous look in his eyes.

Xia Xingze froze, shivered the next second, and looked past Quan Shaoqing at Gu Xiaoxi, "You’re married? You’re not even twenty yet, right? Impossible. You can’t just say things like that. It affects a girl’s reputation."

Gu Xiaoxi opened her mouth but didn’t know how to explain.

Quan Shaoqing, however, glared at Xia Xingze, his eyes flashing with a cold, bloodthirsty light, intimidating Xia Xingze into barely being able to speak clearly afterward.

"I... who are you? I just wanted to discuss car racing with Gu Xiaoxi. It’s perfect to participate in the D state Gold Cup race that’s in ten years..."

Upon hearing this, Quan Shaoqing became furious.

This guy not only wanted his wife’s number but also tried to lure her to participate in the Gold Cup race; he was simply brain-dead.

Hadn’t his wife already brought home the championship?

Why participate again? Especially with the ten-year meet-up. .. he’s asking for a beating!

"Someone, clear these two seats for me. Refuse anyone from sitting here," Quan Shaoqing demanded coldly to the hostess.

The hostess was troubled for a while before seeking approval from the organizers of the auction, and then came back to escort Xia Xingze away.

Xia Xingze, with his eyes wide in anger, looked at Gu Xiaoxi wanting to say something, but Quan Shaoqing, obstructing him like a giant Buddha, let him see only Gu Xiaoxi’s lovely dress.

"Mr. Xia, please find a seat elsewhere," the hostess said, embarrassed yet polite. After all, the Xia family was also influential, and they couldn’t afford to offend them.

Everyone watched Xia Xingze and then looked back at Quan Shaoqing who remained expressionless and unmercifully cold.

They all speculated Quan Shaoqing’s identity, as he didn’t hesitate to offend the Xia family for two seats.

Xia Xingze’s face turned red with anger, and then he moved from the first row to sit beside Yeh Bai, which was conveniently right behind Gu Xiaoxi.

Quan Shaoqing crossed his legs arrogantly, still holding onto Gu Xiaoxi’s hand, his brows tightly furrowed, seemingly still dissatisfied with Xia Xingze’s new position.

But Xia Xingze was shameless; if he couldn’t sit next to Gu Xiaoxi, then he settled for the next best thing, to sit behind her.

Yeh Bai touched his nose, feeling that he was the most sensible one. Otherwise, he would have been the one driven out.

Soon, the first three rows filled up except for the seats beside Quan Shaoqing and Gu Xiaoxi. The auction was about to officially start in three minutes.

Certainly, Liu Fei and Liu Li also noticed Gu Xiaoxi, but they didn’t dare to greet her. After all, their impression of Gu Xiaoxi was one of jealousy, with no other feelings involved.