A wisp of steam rose from the small kitchen. Li Xian scooped the dumplings out of the pot, sprinkled them with chopped green onions, and drizzled them with sesame oil.

A simple yet delicious dumpling soup, served in two portions, one large and one small, was placed on the dining table.

Xu Nuo snapped out of her daze, stood up, grabbed chopsticks and a spoon, and washed some fruit. She was about to cut it into small pieces herself when Li Xian took over.

As he cut the fruit, Xu Nuo tilted her head and looked at him.

He flew back directly after the meeting, so he was wearing a suit. Compared to William, who prefers white suits, Li Xian's suits are mostly somber black.

But he is indeed suitable.

The well-tailored black suit accentuated his noble and aloof demeanor. Having been in Shanghai for more than half a year, his transformation was not only in his clothing but also in his inner soul.

Black iron, after being tempered, becomes a sharp sword; stubborn stone, after being polished and carved, has its dross removed, revealing its inner beauty.

Xu Nuo felt that Li Xian had really changed a lot and now looked like the business tycoon in the book.

The "boss" skillfully peeled and cored the fruit, cut a bowl of pulp, and put a piece into her mouth.

The juice has a refreshing sweetness; it comes from the land that was irrigated with herbal water.

In three months, the farm expanded three times in size. Only one drop of herbal water was added to each acre. The crops grown in this way did not have the effects of the herbal water, but they grew well and tasted better.

Only a small patch is actually watered with plant water; most of it is for personal consumption, and a small portion is sold at a high price.

Since Chen Feng's incident, the two have focused on herbal tea and moisturizing oil as their main products, taking a high-end approach. Perhaps because the effects are so good, they remain popular despite the high price.

Li Xian held a fruit plate in one hand and took her hand with the other, saying, "Let's eat."

Xu Nuo sat down in her chair and asked him, "When are you going to Guangzhou again?"

Li Xian held her small bowl, tested it with his lips, and found it was still a bit hot, so he continued to cool it down with a spoon: "The opening ceremony is in ten days, let's go together."

Xu Nuo held her head, unsure whether to be happy or worried: "Hey, I have to ask for leave again. If it weren't for my good exam results, I probably would have to postpone graduation."

Li Xian fed her a dumpling, his gaze soft: "No."

"Oh right, Mom told us to go out for dinner tomorrow."

Li Xian nodded: "Okay."

Li Xian can finish a meal in a few minutes by himself, but when the two of them eat together, they chat for a while and it takes them half an hour to finish. After the meal, they cleared away the dishes and changed their shoes to go for a walk outside.

"I think I've gained a little weight."

Xu Nuo touched her belly and sighed.

Li Xian laughed at her: "Nonsense, you haven't gained an inch of weight."

We feed her good food and drinks every day, and she looks healthy, but she just doesn't seem to gain weight.

"Looks like we haven't eaten enough."

Xu Nuo gave him a playful glare: "That's enough. If you eat any more, you'll grow into a little pig."

She was delicate and soft, and even her glare was incredibly cute. Li Xian couldn't resist reaching out and gently pinching her fair little face: "Grow up into a little pig quickly."

As the two were chatting and laughing, a young woman in a pink dress walked up ahead and exclaimed with delight upon seeing them, "Miss Xu, Mr. Li, are you taking a walk too?"

Su Peiyi was really glad that she hadn't been lazy when she went out today; she had put on makeup and perfume.

Her gaze lingered on Xu Nuo's fair and flawless face for a moment, and she felt both surprised and envious.

Living in the same neighborhood, Xu Nuo and Su Peiyi often bumped into each other. Every time, Su Peiyi would greet her warmly, and over time, they became friends.

Xu Nuo nodded, then glanced at Li Xian with a hint of reproach: "Yeah, I ate too much by accident. If we don't leave soon, I'll get fat."

Su Peiyi laughed and said, "You're still worried about getting fat? You have a figure that would make countless people envious."

After chatting for a few minutes, Su Peiyi casually mentioned to Li Xian, "By the way, Mr. Li, my uncle's birthday is the day after tomorrow. I was originally planning to personally invite him tomorrow, but since we've met today, I thought I'd mention it first. I wonder if you're free the day after tomorrow?"

Su Peiyi's uncle, Political Commissar Liu, was a decent person, and he and Li Xian had a mutually beneficial relationship. Since he invited Li Xian, Li Xian naturally agreed to go.

Li Xian nodded. Su Peiyi was happy with her wife and didn't mind his cold attitude.

Her physical appearance alone is alluring enough, not to mention her high level of achievement.

After Su Peiyi returned home, she told Ji Meiling, "Mr. Li said he is free the day after tomorrow and will come."

Ji Meiling sat on the sofa drinking coffee. Recently, drinking these foreign things has become popular in Shanghai, so she naturally wanted to follow suit.

Ji Meiling asked impatiently, "What's Mr. Li's impression of you? Did you two have a good chat?"

Su Peiyi shook her head in disappointment. They hadn't even exchanged a word, let alone chatted. After she extended the invitation, Li Xian simply nodded without saying anything to her.

"She and Xu Nuo were together, but they didn't get to talk."

Ji Meiling glanced at her and said, "Why are you so down? Just go and flatter Xu Nuo, and show off in front of Li Xian. No man in the world is immune to infidelity. Once you're in his bed, everything will be much easier."

Seeing that Su Peiyi didn't speak, Ji Meiling softened her voice: "There are countless people in Shanghai who want to marry their daughters to Li Xian, which shows how powerful he is now. You must seize the opportunity. Even if you can get involved with him secretly, it's better than nothing."

Su Peiyi understood what Ji Meiling meant. Her aunt had been secretly following her uncle for many years, and after her uncle's first wife died, she became the woman who could openly stand by her uncle's side.

Thinking of Li Xian's wealth and handsome face, Su Peiyi nodded: "I understand, I will do my best."

The next morning, while Xu Nuo was still asleep, the doorbell rang.

Li Xian patted the person in his arms reassuringly, then got up to open the door.

Aunt Zhong has been looking after her son these past few days, so who came back this early in the morning?

Li Xian opened the door and frowned upon seeing Su Peiyi.

Su Peiyi was afraid that Xu Nuo would open the door and be overjoyed to see Li Xian, but she pretended to be surprised: "Mr. Li? It's you. Where is Miss Xu?"

"sleep."

Su Peiyi was taken aback by his cold tone. She put on the smile she had practiced at home for a long time and said softly, "I came to bring some fruit and also to ask Miss Xu about a little problem with my studies. I didn't expect her to be awake yet. It's okay, I can wait for her to wake up."

Su Peiyi knew, of course, that Xu Nuo was still asleep. She deliberately chose a time when Xu Nuo was asleep so that she and Li Xian would have a chance to be alone together.

Li Xianding would let her go in and wait first. If he wanted to wake Xu Nuo up, she could kindly stop him, saying that it wouldn't matter if she waited a little longer.

Su Peiyi waited excitedly for Li Xian to call her in, but he said, "You can go now, come back later."

Su Peiyi was taken aback, but dared not show any displeasure: "Ah... okay."

Just as Li Xian was about to close the door, he suddenly said, "Don't come in the morning anymore, it will disturb her."

Su Peiyi couldn't hold back her smile any longer: "Okay, okay..."