48. The bright moon hides the egret.

"Sweetie, surprise!"

Shang Xinuan was stunned for a moment, then hugged Li Xiran even tighter, tears streaming down her face and soaking his shoulder.

The young lady used to be so arrogant and domineering in Shanghai that no one in the entire Lupu Beach area dared to provoke her.

Studying abroad has made me afraid of walking alone at night.

Her intense homesickness always intensifies in the dead of night, which is when she needs comfort from her family the most, while back home it is the dead of night.

So during her first week in England, she suffered from insomnia almost every night, and even dreamed of the dark little house from her childhood nightmares.

The continuous rain and the flock of pigeons flying by made it seem even more like the day Shang Chenshu decided to leave this world.

It was Li Xiran who comforted her and stayed with her every night, which drove away her initial abnormal emotions and discomfort caused by the change in environment.

But upon closer reflection, Li Xiran's life was actually much more difficult than hers.

For her, those miserable days ended when she was five years old.

Li Xiran, however, became the vessel of resentment from the age of ten.

The love he gave himself was nothing more than the goodness that had settled after countless trials and tribulations.

"Did you have a similar experience when you were studying abroad?" Shang Xinu snuggled into Li Xiran's arms, leaning against his heart. "Were you ever scared?"

“It’s perfectly normal to feel scared when you go to an unfamiliar environment. But when I was studying abroad, I was only thinking about finally getting away from Angela Chen, so I neglected this relationship. It wasn’t until yesterday, when I saw your fear, that I felt fear myself.”

As a man, he is indeed often unable to empathize with women.

For example, workplace gender discrimination, as well as issues such as childbirth, provocative clothing, menstrual shame, and the male gaze...

Even though he understands that most women in this world have a hard life and face many difficulties, and that they have far less sense of security than men.

However, he could only offer understanding within the scope of the Li family and provide as much material assistance as possible.

He couldn't put himself in their shoes.

Because as a man, he will never be asked how he balances family and work, will never be questioned about why he unbuttons a few buttons on his shirt when socializing late at night, and will never be whistled at by men on the street late at night.

But he watched the young lady in the video tossing and turning, unable to sleep peacefully, and vigilantly kept an eye on the security camera at the door all night.

Even just imagining it makes his heart clench.

Love gives rise to sorrow, and love gives rise to fear.

Empathy that cannot transcend gender is felt so vividly in the face of love.

"I'm really scared, even more scared than when I was ten years old and was left in Wan Gong No. 1." Li Xiran tightened his arms around her, his shoulder covered with Shang Xinuan's tears, but his heart was filled with his own. "I really wish I could keep you with me at all times."

Shang Xinuan raised her eyes, her glassy eyes misty with tears, beautiful and alluring.

She sniffed and tilted her head back slightly. "Li Xiran, if you kiss me now, I will feel very safe."

Li Xiran paused slightly, then chuckled in a low voice, "Little rascal, now's the time to get emotional..."

His kiss was not urgent, just like his refined and elegant demeanor, yet it was the most captivating.

Shang Xinuan thought he must be a warm and powerful person, which was why every time she kissed him, it was enough to make her forget too many troubles in the world.

She would be completely absorbed, feeling the tingling sensation of his teeth pecking at her tongue, her body aroused by his touch.

After coaxing her for a while, Li Xiran raised his wrist to check the time, "Sweetie, if you don't go to sleep soon, you'll be drowsy in class tomorrow."

The professor for Shang Xinuan's major course was an elderly man with an accent who spoke extremely fast. If you weren't well-rested, you would often feel sleepy halfway through the class.

She called all Wednesdays "Black Wednesdays".

-

By the time she had fully adapted to life in England and Cambridge, it was nearly December.

This also signifies that she will be spending her first birthday in a foreign country.

The young couple decided to invite Chinese students studying abroad to their home to celebrate, hoping to create a lively atmosphere and alleviate their homesickness.

Just after everything was arranged, Li Xiran was invited by the Eurasia Business Summit to participate in the year-end interview.

The Eurasia Business Summit has always been a prestigious event in the business world. Entrepreneurs invited to this summit are seen as embarking on their international journey.

Li Xiran personally handled the mess left behind by Cheng Guoan in London, but unexpectedly succeeded and also got to know several well-known seniors in the European business world.

Shang Xinuan knew how important this was. Li Xiran had already done so much for her, and she should support his career as well.

"The cake has been ordered in advance and will be delivered by a staff member on the day of delivery." Li Xiran instructed while standing in front of the refrigerator, "I have already prepared a few dishes in advance. You just need to microwave them, and the restaurant staff will arrange the rest."

If you can't find the bowls, chopsticks, and condiments, just look at the information I've prepared for you.

Shang Xinuan hugged his waist from behind, pressed her face against his back, and whined, "This is the first time you haven't celebrated my birthday with me."

Her birthday happens to fall in December, the end of the year being the peak season for various business parties.

Shang Zun also needs to attend the Hussein Annual Meeting this year. The old man, feeling guilty, transferred an eight-figure sum to the young lady, telling her to have a good time.

Li Xiran closed the refrigerator, turned around, bent down and supported the person's buttocks, placing them directly on his waist.

"What should I do? I need to earn the money to get married!" he said as he carried Shang Xinuan upstairs.

"Li Xiran, I also have a lot of money." The young lady buried her head in Li Xiran's neck and shoulder, and said in a soft, humming voice.

"That's Miss's money. You can just buy yourself beautiful jewelry and diamonds. I'll make you even more money." He knew Shang Xinuan was just trying to act coquettishly and rely on him.

"Ugh, they have to hold the annual party on someone's birthday."

"Exactly, how annoying! Once I find a successor I can trust enough, I'll immediately follow my uncle's example and become a hands-off manager, taking our young lady on a world tour."

Shang Xinuan lay back on the bed, and the legs wrapped around her waist exerted force, pressing Li Xiran down as well.

"Would you like to sleep with me tonight and comfort me?" The young lady blinked her big, watery eyes, her fingers already reaching out to tug at Li Xiran's clothes.

"I have a video conference tonight, and it'll be too late after it ends." Li Xiran lightly pecked his cheek. "It might wake you up."

The young lady frowned and pushed Li Xiran away, saying, "Go on, go on, go and get back to your work."

By the time she told Qiao Xi about it, Li Xiran had already gone to New York to attend the Eurasia Business Summit.

"What! You've been dating for three months and haven't even hit home run yet?"

"I'm starting to wonder if your uncle is impotent."

During this time, Shang Xinuan's overt and covert flirting and hints seemed to go unnoticed by him, and he always backed down at the last minute.

“Let’s analyze this,” Qiao Xi pondered. “He’s a man in his thirties who has never dated a girlfriend before. You are his long-awaited first love. He’s willing to kiss and hug, and he’s never short of gifts, but he just doesn’t want to go all the way to the end.”

"right!"

"He wasn't Chen Shaoyi's child, so it's unreasonable for him not to have this problem!"

The young lady was starting to wonder if she lacked charm and couldn't arouse his interest.

"Could it be because he's too busy or too tired?" Qiao Xi recalled Shang Dan's repeated behavior; when the Shang family was busiest at the end of the month, he wasn't very enthusiastic about sex. "How about this, I'll pick out a few sexy outfits for you tomorrow. If he still doesn't react, then..."

How can a niece bring up the topic of taking her uncle to see a urologist?

Two days before her birthday, the young lady received a Victoria's Secret outfit that Qiao Xi had chosen for her.

A few ribbons are cooler than a bikini.

“Dear Aunt, I also prepared black stockings for you.” Qiao Xi laughed for a while. “I don’t know if Uncle likes them or not, but your brother always puts in extra effort whenever he sees them.”

The young lady hung up the phone, her earlobes burning hot.

After calming down, she immediately removed the price tag, washed and dried the clothes, and waited for the male lead to come home.

-

On Shang Xinuan's birthday, Yu Jiayue came to her house early in the morning to help.

Since learning that she and Li Xiran had a good relationship, he seemed to have come to a realization and took the initiative to confide in the young lady, not wanting to lose both love and friendship.

After all, they had grown up together since childhood, and Shang Xinuan couldn't bear to part with a friend like him.

"Isn't your boyfriend going to celebrate your birthday with you?" a female business school student asked cautiously after everyone had arrived.

"He's been invited to the Eurasia Business Summit." Shang Xinuan shrugged helplessly.

“If he can attend the Eurasia Summit, he’ll definitely be on the Huss rankings next year.” The girl said calmly, “But in half an hour, it will be the interview time at the summit. We can see if he will confess his feelings to us from afar.”

Shang Xinuan turned on the TV and tuned it to the financial channel.

A group of people sat together to celebrate, and the youthful energy and enthusiasm quickly overshadowed her longing.

"It's your boyfriend!" someone suddenly shouted, pointing at the television.

Li Xiran was dressed in a dark suit, exuding a mature and reserved elite aura. What set him apart from the others was that he was younger and more handsome.

Sitting in the interview recording studio, he exuded confidence and ease, as if the entire Wall Street was his domain. His well-defined hands rested on his knees, revealing the iWatch on his wrist.

"This is the first time I've seen a domineering CEO wearing an iWatch."

“He has a history of heart injury. This device can monitor his heart rate and then report it to my phone.”

Shang Xinuan explained casually, which immediately drew envy from those around her.

"A watch worth tens of millions can't compare to a watch my wife gave me for a few thousand. It can even monitor my heartbeat, how romantic!"

"It's clearly a romantic relationship with Chairman Li. The love story between Chairman Li and Nuannuan has spread throughout the Sino-British student group."

Their dramatic love story was once made into a PDF romance novel and circulated among readers.

International students throughout the UK are all engaged in fierce competition.

I would call it a love between equals.

“...”

A few people laughed, and then the television interview began.

At first, the questions were mostly business-related. Apart from the two girls from the business school, everyone else was too busy admiring Li Xiran's handsome appearance to understand the various professional terms.

"Dating Chairman Li must be very enjoyable, right?"

"Who wouldn't like to kiss and hug handsome guys every day while sleeping?"

Shang Xinuan almost choked on her juice.

"Hey, hey, this reporter is really funny. She asked Chairman Li if he had a lover, and Chairman Li proudly said yes."

Everyone immediately turned around, and the reporter continued, "How would you describe your partner?"

Li Xiran looked directly into the camera, his eyes gentle, and said, "She is a very beautiful and outstanding girl. She has been through thick and thin with me; she is my vitamin."

In that instant, Li Xiran's gaze seemed to pierce through the screen, looking directly at the young lady's tender confession.

"When she saw this interview, it was her birthday party, and I regret that I couldn't be with her."

"So I'd like to take this opportunity to tell her that I love her very much."

He sat in the interview room of the International Finance Institute and openly and frankly declared his love.

Shang Xinuan's nose started to sting with tears. Her lover was truly loving her in the way she loved.

Just then, a sound came from the doorway, drawing everyone's attention.

Then Li Xiran entered carrying a gift box and greeted everyone warmly.

Then, Shang Xinuan jumped off the stool and ran towards him.

"Sweetie, surprise!"

A note from the author:

Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2023-06-02 23:49:28 and 2023-06-03 23:47:06!

Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Pat myself, MIOMI, and 1241 bottles;

Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!