Chapter 556: Thinking About It for Twenty Years
The low bamboo house is built against the mountain, and the roof is covered with thick thatch. The moonlight leaks through the gaps in the bamboo, casting mottled light and shadows on the ground.
The sound of dogs barking in the distance made the place seem even quieter.
"This is……"
“I stumbled upon this place last year.”
Han Xi smoothed her wind-blown hair and said, "The owners are an elderly couple. Their braised pork with dried bamboo shoots is especially delicious."
He took her to the innermost bamboo building, and when he pushed open the door, the bamboo made a slight creaking sound.
There was no light in the room, only a lantern hanging on the beam. The dim light enveloped a bamboo bed covered with a coarse cloth sheet. In the corner were several bamboo baskets filled with dried osmanthus flowers.
“Not as comfortable as a hotel.”
Han Xi lit the lantern, the flame reflecting his eyes, "But the best thing is the quietness."
Fang Li walked to the window and pushed open the bamboo window frame.
Outside are vast forests. The moonlight shines through the gaps between the leaves, weaving a silver net on the ground.
The air was filled with the fresh scent of grass and soil, much better than the aromatherapy in the hotel.
"I love so much."
She turned and looked at Han Xi, with an unfading smile in her eyes.
The remaining depression in Han Xi's heart dissipated in an instant. Looking at the smiling face of the woman in front of him, he felt his heart full and warm.
He walked over, hugged her gently from behind, and rested his chin on the top of her head: "That's good."
After taking a bath, the two lay side by side on the bamboo bed.
The lantern was dimmed, and the light was just enough to see each other's outlines clearly.
Fang Li rested her head on his arm and could hear his steady heartbeat, which was like the lullaby she listened to as a child, making her feel inexplicably at ease.
"What happened at the dinner party."
She hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Have you long wanted the Lu family to withdraw from the port project?"
Han Xi was silent for a moment, and gently combed her long hair with his fingers: "No."
"Um?"
"I didn't expect Lu Jie to come to Kuncheng."
His voice was very soft, mixed with the chirping of insects outside the window, "The bet was a spur-of-the-moment decision."
Fang Li turned around and lay facing him: "Then your additional bet..."
"The Lu family has been involved in the Tianjin port project for three generations. Their channels and connections are far superior to those of the Han family."
Han Xi's fingertips brushed across her cheek, bringing a slightly cool touch. "I don't want him to quit, I want him to know the limits."
He paused, his eyes darkening: "What kind of things can he care about? Who should he not even think about?"
Fang Li looked at the possessiveness surging in his eyes, and felt sweet and helpless.
This man is always like this, hiding everything in his heart, but he will inadvertently reveal the most straightforward domineering side.
"Then aren't you afraid that he will really take it off?" She teased him deliberately.
Han Xi's eyelashes twitched slightly: "I calculated that he wouldn't dare."
In fact, he had already told Lin Mo in his ear that if Lu Jie really dared to take off his clothes, he should immediately let the bodyguards "accidentally" knock over the light board and create chaos.
But he would not tell Fang Li this.
Fang Li looked at his feigned composure and couldn't help laughing: "Boss Han is truly a master of strategy."
"It's just your business."
Han Xi lowered his head and gently kissed her forehead. "I'm not interested in anything else."
The moonlight shone through the bamboo window onto his face, softening his hard, cold features.
"Han Xi."
"Um?"
She whispered, "There's something I've never asked you. Over the years, I've always received an anonymous gift on my birthday..."
“…It’s me.”
Han Xi interrupted her, a hint of embarrassment flashed in his eyes, and then was replaced by tenderness, "Because I can't appear in front of you openly, so, I hope you have the best."
Fang Li was stunned.
She was just guessing, but she didn't expect it to be him.
Those gifts have been sent to her every year on or before her birthday ever since she could remember. She has always been curious about who it could be, but she never expected it to be him!
"You wouldn't... start thinking about me since then?"
She raised an eyebrow, her tone teasing, but her eyes were a little warm.
"Um."
Han Xi answered frankly, "I've been thinking about it for twenty years."
He bent down and kissed her. This kiss was not as possessive as the one at the dinner party, but gentle and carefully cherished.
The bamboo bed made a slight creaking sound as the two of them moved, which, along with the chirping of insects outside the window, sounded like a gentle nocturne.
At this moment, the lottery ceremony was reaching its climax in the hall.
Wen Yang held up the microphone, her voice clear and bright. "Next up is our ultimate prize! A luxurious trip for two to the Maldives, sponsored by Mr. Xu! Look at this ticket, fresh off the press!"
The crowd erupted in cheers.
Zhou Yufan stood beside Wen Yang, watching her effortlessly create the atmosphere, a smile flashing in his eyes.
He took out his phone from his pocket and sent a message to Fang Li: "Everything is going well."
I received a reply quickly, with only one word: "OK."
At the same time, in a hotel suite in Kuncheng, Lu Jie had just hung up the phone with his father, the phone still in his hand, his knuckles turning white from the force.
"You little brat! How many times have I told you not to mess with Han Xi? Did you get kicked in the head by a donkey?"
Lu Pei's roar seemed to still echo in his ears, "A multi-billion dollar project! You gambled with Han Xi just for a woman? How could I have a son like you!"
Lu Jie walked to the window and looked at the lights in the direction of the bamboo building in the distance. He suddenly felt very tired.
He opened the refrigerator, took out a bottle of ice water and drank it. The cold liquid slid down his throat, but it couldn't suppress the irritation in his heart.
The phone screen lit up. It was a message from the assistant: "Mr. Lu, the withdrawal statement for the Jincheng Port project has been drafted. Please take a look..."
Lu Jie stared at the line of words for a long time, and finally replied with two words: "Send it."
He knew that his father was right to scold him, he was indeed a waste.
For so many years, he has been living in Han Xi's shadow, trying to prove himself in a childish way, but ended up ruining a good hand of cards.
But... looking at the warm lights outside the window, he suddenly felt that maybe this time, his loss was not unfair.
At least, he finally understood that some things cannot be obtained by stealing.
The night wind blew through the hotel's floor-to-ceiling windows, lifting a corner of the curtains.
In the bamboo building, Fang Li had already fallen asleep.
Han Xi gently tucked the quilt for her and looked at her peaceful sleeping face with tenderness in his eyes.
He picked up his phone and saw the message from Zhou Yufan. He then glanced at the screenshot of the port project withdrawal statement in Lu Jie's assistant's circle of friends, and his eyes darkened.
He is not a saint. His tolerance for Lu Jie is only because Fang Li does not want to make things worse.
But this doesn't mean that he will allow anyone to hurt her again.
Han Xi picked up his phone and turned to a number he hadn't contacted for a long time. He paused, then pressed the dial button with deep black eyes.
"Hello, Uncle Lu."
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