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Gu Xiaoxi closed her eyes, pinched the bridge of her nose, and sighed, knowing it would turn out like this.

She first went to Bai Yu’s room, only to find no one inside.

It was finally from Qiao Wan that she learned everyone was in the main living room of the yacht.

When Gu Xiaoxi came out, the living room was filled with people.

Bai Yaxuan and Quan Shaoqing were both there.

And Bai Yu, who had clearly been injured the night before, sat with everyone today, chatting and laughing as if nothing had happened.

Thanks to the makeup, she looked in high spirits.

"Awake?"

Bai Yaxuan, sitting in the center of the crowd, looked up at her indifferently with a face full of tenderness.

Gu Xiaoxi nodded and casually responded.

"Hmm! Why have you come?"

She didn’t pay much attention to the expressions of the people around her and walked straight to the side to pour herself a glass of water.

"I was worried about you all out here, so I came to check. Now that you’re awake, come back with me," Bai Yaxuan said softly, his voice a warm spring breeze that felt comfortable in her heart.

Without saying much, Gu Xiaoxi nodded in agreement, "Okay!"

Quan Shaoqing watched their brief interaction from beginning to end, feeling an indescribable taste in his heart.

He clearly remembered Gu Xiaoxi saying that if possible, they wouldn’t even be friends anymore.

Now, he even regretted handing her over to Bai Yaxuan!

So much so that now, he didn’t even have the right to speak.

"Jin Xiao, see the guests off!"

...

With almost no further interaction, Bai Yaxuan and the others who had come out to play with Gu Xiaoxi all returned to Bai Yaxuan’s private yacht.

And Quan Shaoqing’s originally lively cabin suddenly became quiet.

On the way back, Gu Xiaoxi found Bai Yu’s room, ready to help her change her dressing.

She lifted her clothes and saw the just-scabbing wound on her arm, asking worriedly, "Does it hurt?"

"It hurts! I really thank you for last night. Without you, I might not even be alive. What’s this little pain in comparison!" Bai Yu looked at Gu Xiaoxi’s delicate profile and felt a sense of peace in her heart.

She had always thought friends were just for sharing meals and fun, never imagining someone would risk their own safety to save her.

And this woman was someone she had known for just a few days.

"Don’t be reckless in the future. Quan Shaoqing is far more terrifying than you can imagine. If possible, try to avoid provoking him," Gu Xiaoxi said as she applied the medicine and redressed the wound.

Bai Yu gave a bitter smile. If she hadn’t known what kind of person Quan Shaoqing was before, she certainly did now.

He was a man to whom one should not get too close, possessing a formidable power and authority that could not be challenged.

In his presence, even the most esteemed international agents were like puppets, at the mercy of others.

"If I can’t complete this mission, I might be dismissed from the international agents. After this, I won’t have the chance to undertake any more tasks. Xiao Xi, I might as well go back to school with you and study finance!" Bai Yu said with a hint of regret.

"If you’re willing, of course you can," Gu Xiaoxi replied, more curious about Bai Yu’s mission, "You... what were you looking for in Quan Shaoqing’s office?"

"A research report on a new advanced communication device. If he manages to successfully promote it to the whole world, that thing will replace phones and computers, becoming the new ultimate Communicator," Bai Yu said calmly, having nothing to hide from Gu Xiaoxi at this point.

"Why did you steal it? Whose research report is it? Did he steal it from someone else?"

"No, the research report was developed by Quan Shaoqing himself. To crush him, we need to steal his report," Bai Yu revealed.

Upon hearing this, Gu Xiaoxi was filled with amazement, "You guys are really bold, stealing other people’s stuff, that’s just unreasonable."

No wonder Quan Shaoqing was so impersonal.

Bai Yu smiled helplessly, "You may not know, but in recent years, Quan Shaoqing’s influence has expanded too quickly, severely threatening several countries.

So, while people rely on him, they also dread him.

And he is cunning and his business is booming.

If he is allowed to continue, he will control the world someday. "

"You think... the more he owns, the greater his influence, the more enemies he will have. That’s how the world works, people must keep each other in check. If one person becomes too powerful to be contained, they become the public enemy," Bai Yu explained.

Gu Xiaoxi blinked, confused, "That’s profound! The higher the standing, the lonelier, right?"

"Hm... and even more dangerous!" Bai Yu sighed, "The fact that I can come back alive after falling into his hands is already a stroke of luck in surviving."

"Alright, you escaped death; don’t offend him again," Gu Xiaoxi instructed.

But Bai Yu looked at Gu Xiaoxi with teasing eyes and said, "I think he gives you special attention. Do you two have some unspoken secrets?"

Women’s intuition is quite direct, and Bai Yu always felt that Quan Shaoqing’s gaze towards Gu Xiaoxi was different. Even if his expression was indifferent, it was much gentler than the way he looked at other people.

"What kind of unspoken secrets could I have with him? He’s just saved my life three times, that’s all," Gu Xiaoxi said casually, feeling quite open-hearted. However, the imperceptible warmth in her chest made her cheeks gradually heat up.

"Is it really just life-saving gratitude? The way he looks at you doesn’t seem like that. And that night, his request was quite special too..." Bai Yu hadn’t forgotten that Quan Shaoqing had asked Gu Xiaoxi to kiss her...

Although the result was that he drove everyone away, one could tell that Gu Xiaoxi was hesitant at that moment, and Quan Shaoqing was very angry!

Gu Xiaoxi slapped Bai Yu’s shoulder and scolded, "Don’t talk nonsense! There’s nothing between him and me!"

"Really nothing?" Bai Yu didn’t believe it and locked her gaze on Gu Xiaoxi’s eyes.

Gu Xiaoxi, however, rolled her eyes while sitting next to her and said frankly, "You’re overthinking it. Do you think someone like him fits to be married to?"

Bai Yu recalled Quan Shaoqing’s cold and intimidating eyes and couldn’t help shivering, "Definitely not boyfriend material, too cold. If he doesn’t freeze you to death, he’ll smother you to death."

Gu Xiaoxi smiled without saying a word. Actually, Quan Shaoqing was quite approachable in front of her, as long as he wasn’t angry.

Still, they were not from the same world. She couldn’t afford to provoke him, and she didn’t dare to do so either.

Even if she once had the idea of being friends with him, she had completely abandoned it now.

"Alright, with a great brother like me, you definitely won’t fancy anyone else. Hurry up, Brother has been waiting for you, hoping to chat with you," Bai Yu urged.

Gu Xiaoxi batted her big, watery eyes and said, "Can you let me stay a little longer?"

She had run to Bai Yu’s room just to avoid Bai Yaxuan.

"If you stay any longer, Brother will discover me. Go quickly! No matter what, he’s really worried about you. He put down such important work to come and be with you, just afraid that you would be bullied," Bai Yu urged, practically kicking Gu Xiaoxi out of the room.

Standing at the corridor of the large ship, Gu Xiaoxi took a deep breath, feeling so annoyed!

She didn’t want to face Bai Yaxuan!

She didn’t want him to focus his energy on her, to constrain her!

"Miss, His Excellence is waiting for you in the room. He said to come over as soon as you’ve finished talking with Miss Bai," Qiao Wan emerged from behind her at some point.

Gu Xiaoxi jumped in fright.

"Alright, I got it." Gu Xiaoxi said, and turned to stride down the stairs.

The place where Bai Yaxuan stayed was very spacious, with an independent living room, dining room, bedroom, and a fully-equipped gym.

The interior was arranged more like a cozy home.

As she approached the door, she smelled the aroma of food.

"Gurgle~"

Gu Xiaoxi’s stomach embarrassingly growled, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten anything since she woke up in the morning.

Bai Yaxuan was sitting on khaki-colored leather sofa, currently reviewing a stack of documents in his hands.

Seemingly too focused, he didn’t even notice her arrival at the doorway.

Only then did she notice that the man sitting on the sofa had dyed his short hair chestnut brown; his silky strands shimmered under the lights, with his fair skin making his face almost translucent, so even from afar, one could see the long and curled eyelashes rhythmically blinking.

He was dressed in a white suit, which, along with his amber-colored eyes, made the complex colors seem harmonious on him, and so unique that one didn’t dare make a sound that would disturb him.

It seemed as though any noise would shatter that ephemeral beauty.

Gu Xiaoxi clutched her hands together, feeling an anxious tightness in her chest.

Bai Yaxuan looked gentler than Quan Shaoqing, yet she was more afraid of him.

Fearful of his anger, or fearful that she would feel as though she was stuck in a mire in front of him, unable to free herself.

That feeling of being controlled was truly awful.

"How long do you plan to stare at me?"

The man in the distance suddenly lifted his head, his voice as gentle and clear as a mountain spring, causing her whole body to stiffen.

Gu Xiaoxi clenched her fists, lifted her head to meet his pure eyes, coughed, and took a bold step forward, her tone cold, "What do you want from me!"