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During the meal, Quan Shaoqing was a perfect gentleman, serving his wife by picking out dishes for her, refilling her rice, and even being overly attentive.

Gu Xiaoxi felt her hair stand on end! After gobbling down a few mouthfuls and placing her chopsticks and bowl down, she stared at the faint smile on Quan Shaoqing’s lips and demanded, "Are you hiding something from me? Your smile is too crafty, it’s frightening me!"

"Have you had enough to eat?" Quan Shaoqing asked, his eyes filled with tenderness.

Gu Xiaoxi nodded rapidly, took a step back, and asked warily, "What are you planning to do!" Smiling so wickedly, like a big bad wolf!

"I want to hear you say, ’I love you’!" Quan Shaoqing suddenly stood up and opened his arms to Gu Xiaoxi. The smile on his lips was one she had never seen before, so brilliant.

He stood not far away, with his arms open, quietly waiting for her response.

Gu Xiaoxi felt her hair stand on end for no reason, thinking Quan Shaoqing must be running a fever!

She timidly walked up to him and reached out to feel his forehead, but it wasn’t hot.

At this moment, Quan Shaoqing suddenly bent down, scooped her up horizontally, and carried her, his smile always shallow, gentle, and mischievously indulgent.

Gu Xiaoxi’s mind was filled with worry, and she struggled to break free, but he held her even tighter and started walking upstairs, softly whispering in her ear, "I have something to show you."

Dazed and confused, Gu Xiaoxi was taken by him into the room, and then he conveniently locked the door behind them.

Her instincts told her he would... She quickly hopped onto the sofa and took a fighting stance.

Quan Shaoqing’s face continued to wear that light smile, gently saying, "Wifey, I am not going to eat you. No need to pose like you’re facing an enemy. I said, I just want to show you something."

Saying that, he took out his phone, opened a certain video, and placed the phone in Gu Xiaoxi’s palm.

Gu Xiaoxi curiously took the phone and played the video.

She looked up to see Quan Shaoqing pull out a cigarette and then, with a gentle smile, walked to the balcony. Clearly, his mood wasn’t just good today, but exceptionally so.

With a heart full of curiosity, Gu Xiaoxi stared at the video, and moments later, a crisp voice shattered the room’s tranquility.

She tried to suppress her trembling, her cheeks blushing so much they could bleed.

She actually watched him personally giving her a bath, and there she was, clinging to him like an octopus, not letting go.

Gu Xiaoxi was so startled that she fell back onto the sofa, feeling embarrassed and wanted to crawl into a hole.

Was the woman in the video really her?

Gu Xiaoxi immediately shook her head as if it was a rattle-drum, but the next scenes made her feel unprecedentedly shy.

She actually told him, "I love you! So much! I like you... I want to spend my life with you..." and the like!

Was this a confession? Especially to say such things when they were together.

Gu Xiaoxi felt a blush creeping over her skin. No wonder Quan Shaoqing acted so happy this morning, as if he’d had honey, never stopping his smiling, and was even more tender to the core with her.

She felt, "Ahhhh..."

She was going to go crazy! She actually confessed to Quan Shaoqing, saying so many shameless words!

And she really couldn’t dare to watch the rest of the video.

This guy, he’d gone too far. To have recorded her...

Flushed with embarrassment and anger, Gu Xiaoxi pushed open the balcony door, but froze the moment she did.

Quan Shaoqing stood by the exquisitely carved marble railing, facing the wind, his hair flying, his clothes fluttering; with Bai Yun and the blue sky behind him, they seemed to come to life because of his presence, vibrant and bursting with life.

For an instant, she felt as if he was standing above the clouds, his clean and warm aura, more captivating than the sunshine, almost dazzling to the eye.

Was this Quan Shaoqing?

It certainly was!

Only now, he seemed even more charming, more attractive to her. She had to admit, she truly had fallen in love with him.

But the thought of the video suddenly made her heartbeat speed up, her blood boiling!

She was terribly shy.

Before she could approach him to complain, he turned around and smiled at her flirtatiously, his cool lips cheerfully forming the words, "Finished watching so soon. It wasn’t until yesterday that I found out that my girl loves me just as much, so very deeply."

Gu Xiaoxi felt her cheeks burning up, she clenched her phone, and stomped forward with indignation to glare at him, "You jerk, who allowed you to record that." Knowing her embarrassment was bad enough, now he had to record it for her to see! How utterly shameful.

Quan Shaoqing, however, pinched out his cigarette with a hearty laugh, closing in on her, "I was afraid you’d deny it! This is evidence!"

He said it with a sense of indisputable righteousness.

Gu Xiaoxi resolutely grabbed the phone and deleted the video, erasing it without leaving a trace.

Quan Shaoqing, looking at her adorable demeanor, felt a pain in his chest but it was a happy kind of pain. He just loved her delicate, flower-like appearance.

Especially since, last night was the most satisfying time they had shared together because, at last, she was willing to express her feelings for him.

"Wife, say you love me!" Quan Shaoqing suddenly reached out, pinning her against the balcony railing with a seductive smile in his eyes, full of anticipation.

Gu Xiaoxi, looking at his handsome profile, was so startled that her hand shook, and she almost dropped the phone.

Her face flushed, she held her head high, glaring at him, apparently trying to be angry, but every time she saw his face, half of her anger dissipated.

Every time she thought of that video, she felt utterly despondent, and she quickly covered her mouth, firmly refusing to speak.

Quan Shaoqing’s attractive brows lifted slightly, not angry in the least, but instead whispered even more tenderly into her ear: "Sweetheart! I want to hear it again, you saying you love me!"

His voice seemed to carry magic, making her feel like her very bones were softening.

What to do, she was about to surrender.

To avoid further embarrassment, to silence his incessant, spell-like voice, to keep her heart from leaping out of her chest, she quickly placed her hands on his shoulders, tiptoed, and kissed him in an attempt to silence him.

But unexpectedly, she immediately silenced his bewildering voice and was instead swept up in his arms, as he assumed control...

Only after the event did Gu Xiaoxi let two tear-stained trails fall!

On the big bed, she lay spent in Quan Shaoqing’s arms, feebly chastising him, "Enough is enough!"

Quan Shaoqing held her tightly, gently pecking at her swollen lips, cooing, "I can’t stop."

"..." Gu Xiaoxi.

What more could she say! Tears streaming, she nestled in his arms and fell asleep once more. His embrace felt so warm, her sleep so comfortable, that she didn’t find him nearly as annoying any longer.

She had a dream.

She dreamt they had both grown old, their hair white, yet he still held her tyrannically close as they walked together, went out together, watched the sunset fade away.

Until two gravestones stood in the sunset.

The moment she awoke from the dream, she realized her love for him was so deep, she yearned to grow old together with him.

Since when had she slowly begun to comprehend emotions and learned to love!

Gu Xiaoxi reached out, only to find the space beside her empty, the only familiar feeling being the scent on the pillow.

She turned over, buried her face in the pillow he’d slept on, greedily inhaling his fragrance, a faint smile forming on her lips.

So love is this sweet!

Even if she had nothing at all, losing the whole world, just having him was enough.

To love him, to grow old together, hand in hand!

What a beautiful thing that is!

*

In the Quan family study.

The old master sat on the sofa, holding a cup of tea, while a woman of beautiful appearance, dressed in a traditional qipao, was making high-quality green tea with a unique technique at his side.

Quan Shaoqing was sitting opposite him, reviewing documents with furrowed brows.

After quite a while, he closed the documents and said with a profound gaze, "Who would have thought that the chief of Xuan State had such a scheme. It seems he has calculated everyone into his plans, including Superior Country!"

Quan Gui, however, let out a sly chuckle, "Three months ago, nobody cared about this war.

Most people had the same attitude, because they all wanted a piece of this land.

In such an opportune moment, he cleverly used the competition to issue an early statement under the guise of helping, to sign the mining agreement, indeed a deep calculation. "

Not everyone in this world possesses such cunning.