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Gu Xiaoxi: "You...?"

She blinked her big eyes and turned back to glare coldly at the man.

That look seemed to say, can I curse at you?

But in the end, some words reached her lips only to be swallowed back down.

She turned and strode away, signifying that she didn’t want to talk to him.

Yet as she turned, the tips of her ears reddened imperceptibly.

Quan Shaoqing let her walk off in a huff.

He followed her, and the two of them strolled through the streets.

As they walked, they unexpectedly reached a bustling square.

"The fireworks will start in a few minutes."

"I can’t wait!"

Gu Xiaoxi, listening to the conversations around her, quickly looked around.

The road ahead was blocked by a thick crowd of people, each with a brilliant smile on their face.

In the direction not far from them was supposed to be a large Century Park.

From the tone of the people around her, she guessed that there must be a fireworks show tonight.

At that moment, Quan Shaoqing slowly approached her, saying in a serious tone.

"Xiao Xi, there are too many people here. It’s unsafe!" He instinctively grabbed her arm.

Gu Xiaoxi, however, had stars in her eyes, saying with anticipation, "They are going to set off fireworks, I want to watch!"

"Not here, though. I’ll take you to another place," Quan Shaoqing said with a helpless expression, pulling Gu Xiaoxi away.

When they appeared again, it was on top of a building with an unobstructed view.

As they stood together, gorgeous fireworks blossomed above the beautiful park in front of them, the sky was suddenly occupied by a splendor of colors, indescribably beautiful.

Gu Xiaoxi, looking at the scene, had a moment of being deeply moved.

"So beautiful!" She excitedly grabbed Quan Shaoqing’s sleeve, her cheeks flushed with laughter.

He smiled softly, his handsome face showing a rare tenderness for a moment.

He tilted his head to look at her rosy cheeks with a sidelong glance, and for some reason, the sight of her joy made him laugh.

This was more delightful to him than closing a billion-dollar deal.

A hot stream flowed in his heart.

He quietly reached out and held her slightly cold hand, but she was so absorbed in the joy of watching the fireworks that she didn’t notice the warmth in her palm...

The fireworks lasted for half an hour. Afterwards, the two of them bought hot milk tea at a roadside tea shop, and it was already very late.

Gu Xiaoxi said to Quan Shaoqing with a smiling face, "We should go back."

"Are you still mad at me?" Quan Shaoqing asked with a smile, also holding a cup of original-flavored milk tea in his hand.

Gu Xiaoxi, holding her cup of milk tea, glared at him, "Considering your compensation tonight, I won’t be mad at you anymore. From now on, we are friends, right."

"Friends?" Quan Shaoqing raised an eyebrow, "Is it really just as simple as friends?"

"Otherwise?" Gu Xiaoxi’s fingers tightened imperceptibly around her cup.

Now that she was already married, the agreement had been destroyed, and there was no communication between her and Bai Yaxuan.

She would never accept anyone else before resolving her marital issues with him.

She did not mix marriage with love; that was her principle.

Quan Shaoqing could see the calmness and insight in Gu Xiaoxi’s eyes; even though he wanted to possess her, he could not rush things.

"You and Bai Yaxuan were married by agreement, right?" Quan Shaoqing asked.

Upon hearing this, Gu Xiaoxi looked at Quan Shaoqing in utter astonishment, stiffening involuntarily, "You investigated me?"

Except for the parties involved and the lawyer Mi Xi, outsiders couldn’t possibly know about this.

"If a man is interested in a woman, isn’t that normal behavior?" Quan Shaoqing’s tone was casual, clearly aware of Gu Xiaoxi and Bai Yaxuan’s fake marriage, which emboldened him to be so presumptuous in front of her.

Gu Xiaoxi, however, set down the cup in her hand and sat on the bench by the road, shaking her head, "It used to be an agreement, but now it’s real."

"What?" Quan Shaoqing raised an eyebrow.

"He destroyed the agreement. You know, I married him, and the whole world knows. If he doesn’t want to, I can’t go anywhere in this world."

Upon hearing this, Quan Shaoqing’s demeanor instantly turned cold, "Did he bully you?"

Gu Xiaoxi immediately shook her head and remained silent.

Bai Yaxuan couldn’t really be said to have bullied her. It was just that he broke his promise and directly claimed her as his private possession, which she found repulsive.

"If you are willing, let me take you away! From now on, there will be no place in the world you can’t go to," Quan Shaoqing suddenly said with a grave tone, his strong hand gripping hers.

Gu Xiaoxi fell silent for a moment, shook her head, and withdrew her hand.

What was the difference between Bai Yaxuan and Quan Shaoqing?

Two men with great power—who, if she got involved with them, might never have a taste of freedom in her life.

"I won’t sell myself to anyone again," Gu Xiaoxi said firmly, biting her lip.

Moreover, since she had taken over Gu Xiaoxi’s life, she had to bear the responsibilities of that life.

If she returned home, turned the Gu Family upside down, and then irresponsibly walked away...

What about Mi Xi, and what about the large company of the Gu Family?

That was the hard work of the elders, and she didn’t want to see it all go to waste due to her self-interest.

"What do you mean by ’selling yourself to someone’?" Quan Shaoqing leaned back in his seat, casually tapping his knee with his fingers, as if weighing the meaning behind Gu Xiaoxi’s words.

Gu Xiaoxi let out a scoff, a shadow cast beneath her long eyelashes, and said no more.

After a good while, she looked at the night sky; it was already very late.

The streets were getting emptier, and many shops had closed.

"Let’s go! It’s time to head back."

"You haven’t answered my question," Quan Shaoqing’s complexion turned frosty, his deep eyes fixing on her.

Those eyes seemed to carry an intense threat...

Gu Xiaoxi felt breathless, but she just said indifferently, "You and Bai Yaxuan are essentially the same. Both of you hold high positions of power, and I am just a nobody from outside. In front of you, I will always be weak. So, I won’t follow either of you, nor will I have any feelings for you.

I don’t even want to be friends, if possible. "

With Gu Xiaoxi’s words, the air around them instantly dropped several degrees in temperature.

Even with her head bowed, she could feel Quan Shaoqing’s anger.

It was an indirect rejection of him!

...

After the silence, Quan Shaoqing escorted Gu Xiaoxi back to her room.

After that, he disappeared.

She returned to the cabin and lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

Perhaps because she had slept too much during the day, she only managed to doze off as dawn approached.

However, when she woke up, it was nearly noon.

As soon as she opened the door, she saw Qiao Wan standing outside looking very anxious.

Gu Xiaoxi’s mind went blank for a moment...

At this time, shouldn’t Qiao Wan be at the Presidential Mansion? Why was she here?

"Miss, you’re awake! I’ve been waiting for you for hours," Qiao Wan approached her cheerfully upon seeing her.

Gu Xiaoxi’s heart sank immediately. If Qiao Wan was here, did that mean Bai Yaxuan had come too?

"Why are you here?" Gu Xiaoxi asked knowingly.

"His Excellency found out there’s been trouble with your boat, and he was worried about your safety outside. He came in person to bring you home."

Gu Xiaoxi couldn’t help but pinch her nose, resigned. She just knew it...