Chapter 553 Dare to Compete

After just kissing in front of so many people, Fang Li's heart was beating so fast that it felt like it was about to explode.

Faced with Lu Jie's deliberate provocation, she subconsciously grabbed the shirt of the man beside her.

Han Xi didn't react. He glanced at Lu Jie calmly, then stepped back slightly and looked down at Fang Li. His voice was hoarse, "Can you still stand?"

“…”

Fang Li's mind, which had just calmed down a little, suddenly buzzed. She subconsciously glanced at the people who were smiling ambiguously, nodded dizzily, and her cheeks were so hot that you could fry an egg on them.

In Han Xi's eyes, her expression was tender and sweet, but in Lu Jie's eyes...

It is like a sword attacking the heart.

The little smile that was left on Lu Jie's face suddenly disappeared.

He smiled and placed the wine glass heavily on the table. "How about a competition? Whoever loses will stay away from Fang Li tonight?"

The moonlight fell all over Fang Li. Looking at the two people in front of her who were on the verge of a fight, she suddenly felt that the cool breeze in Kuncheng was more disturbing than the cold winter in Haicheng.

Han Xi's hand was still on Fang Li's waist, his fingertips rolling over the folds of her silk skirt, as if suppressing some emotion that was about to burst out.

When he looked up at Lu Jie, his eyes, which were always covered with a thin layer of ice, were filled with some tiny light, like stars in a cold night, so cold that it made people shiver.

"Why should I agree?"

Han Xi's voice was not loud, but it clearly cut through the whispers at the scene, "Fang Li is the young lady of the Han family, and my legitimate wife."

He paused, his eyes scanning Lu Jie's suddenly tense jawline, "Using her as a bet? Lu Jie, you're not qualified yet."

The last few words were like an icicle hitting the ground, so crisp that they could fly sparks.

Lu Jie's fingers gripping the wine glass suddenly tightened, and his knuckles turned white.

He should have expected Han Xi to react like this. This man was always like a piece of ice that could never be warmed up, but he always showed sharp edges when it came to matters involving Xu Fangli.

"Not qualified?"

Lu Jie chuckled, the self-mockery in his voice almost overflowing, "Han Xi, are you scared?"

He took a half step forward, his light grey coat shimmering vaguely in the warm yellow light. "Are you afraid of losing to me? Are you afraid Fang Li will see that you're not as good as others?"

Han Xi's eyebrows moved slightly.

He was too familiar with Lu Jie's appearance. He was like a young animal that had been angered. Even though its claws had not yet grown hard, it still insisted on sticking out its neck and showing its fangs.

Ever since they first met at the equestrian club as teenagers, Lu Jie had looked at him with a mixture of jealousy and resentment.

At that time, Mr. Lu always liked to pat him on the shoulder and say to Lu Jie, "Learn from Han Xi", and Lu Jie would always grit his teeth and crack the whip.

"Your provocation was outdated twenty years ago."

Han Xi brushed off the non-existent dust on the cuffs of his suit, his tone as calm as if he was talking about the weather.

"Outdated?"

Lu Jie suddenly raised his voice, as if he had heard something funny. "Then why don't you answer it? If you don't dare to answer, just say so. Is it so hard to admit your fear?"

He swept his eyes over the crowd and deliberately raised his voice, "Everyone is watching. The head of the Han Group doesn't even dare to play a game with me. If this gets out, I'm afraid everyone will laugh their heads off."

The air in the banquet hall was completely frozen.

Several main creators stopped holding their wine glasses in mid-air and looked at each other.

Wen Yang wanted to smooth things over, but just as he opened his mouth, Fang Li grabbed his wrist.

She turned to look at Fang Li and found that her friend's face was as cold as ice, and her fingertips were white from the force.

Fang Li was indeed very angry.

Considering that he had helped her several times before, she could tolerate Lu Jie's occasional harassment, but she could not tolerate him using her as a weapon to attack Han Xi.

But at the same time, she understood Han Xi's silence.

He could have crushed the other party with his absolute strength as usual, but at this moment he stood there, allowing Lu Jie's words to pierce him like needles, just because this was the dinner party of Xingli Film and Television.

He didn't want to make things difficult for her.

But Lu Jie didn't care about these.

Thinking of this, Fang Li angrily broke free from Han Xi's hand on her waist and was about to step forward, but he grabbed her wrist again.

Han Xi's palms were burning hot, and the force was enough to penetrate her flesh, but where his fingertips touched her skin, he was cautiously restrained.

"I'll do it."

He whispered in her ear, his breath brushing against her earlobe, carrying the fresh scent of cedar.

Fang Li frowned slightly, and his hand was held tighter by her.

She looked up at him, and happened to meet the undercurrent surging in his eyes.

There were complex emotions in it that she couldn't understand, like a whirlpool in the deep sea, hiding many unspoken forbearances.

At this moment, Han Xi let go of her hand and turned to face Lu Jie.

His back was straight, like a pine tree standing tall in the cold wind. The aura around him suddenly tightened, bringing with it an oppressive feeling as if a storm was about to come.

"I can compete with you."

Han Xi's voice was not loud, but it instantly silenced all the noise. "But let's change the bet."

Lu Jie raised his eyebrows, a playful smile playing on his lips: "Oh? Mr. Han, please go ahead."

He wanted to see what conditions this man, who was always cautious, could offer.

"The loser..."

Han Xi's gaze swept across the carved dome of the banquet hall, and finally fell back on Lu Jie's face. He spoke word by word, "Take off all your clothes and walk out of here."

“Wow—”

The scene exploded instantly.

"Oh my god! Is Mr. Han serious?"

"Take off all your clothes? Even though this is a small place, there are still many tourists and residents outside!"

"Does Young Master Lu dare to accept this? If he loses, the Lu family will lose face!"

The discussion came like a tide, mixed with exclamations and suppressed laughter.

The smile on Lu Jie's face froze. He obviously didn't expect Han Xi to put forward such a humiliating condition.

He subconsciously looked at Fang Li, but saw that she was staring at him coldly, with no concealment of the indifference in her eyes.

"Han Xi, are you playing such a big game?"

Lu Jie's voice sank, his knuckles turning white from the force he exerted. "I'm not interested in naked men."

"Then don't lose."

Han Xi's tone was calm, as if he was just stating an established fact.

He calmly moved half a step to the side, blocking Fang Li behind him like an impenetrable wall.

Lu Jie's gaze lingered on the two people's overlapping shadows for a few seconds, and he suddenly chuckled, "Alright, I'll take this bet."

He paused, the provocation in his eyes becoming even stronger. "But isn't this too boring?"

Han Xi didn't respond, but just signaled him to continue with his eyes.

"One more."

Lu Jie took a step forward and lowered his voice, but still loud enough for those around him to hear. "The port project that Beijing is targeting, 15% of the shares."

As soon as these words were spoken, even the noisiest discussions stopped.

Everyone gasped.