Arranged marriage, love blossoms; a fiercely devoted soldier dotes on her alone.

The south exit of Nanchizi Street is Chang'an Avenue, and Tiananmen Square is 200 meters west of Chang'an Avenue.

It's easy to imagine that owning such a large courtyard house in such a location must have been a sign of status and prestige.

You could say that even if you have money, you might not be allowed to live here; you also need to have a distinguished status and a certain level of rank.

As soon as Xiao Zhan got out of the car, a young man in a suit walked out of the guard post and respectfully asked, "Are you Mr. Xiao Zhan?"

Xiao Zhan nodded and said, "I am Xiao Zhan."

The young man touched the built-in headset in his ear and said softly, "Report, Mr. Xiao Zhan has arrived."

Then he gestured for him to come in and said, "Mr. Xiao, please come in. Mr. Deng is already waiting for you."

At this moment, the electric gate of the courtyard house opened automatically.

Xiao Zhan glanced back at Xia Keke and Shen Jun sitting in the car, and he could see deep worry in their eyes.

Xiao Zhan and the other man smiled calmly, then resolutely turned around and strode into the courtyard.

Immediately, another energetic young man stepped forward and respectfully said, "Mr. Xiao, please follow me."

Xiao Zhan grinned and said, "Deng Zhi's event is quite grand!"

Note that Xiao Zhan used Deng Zhi's full name when addressing him, and did not call him Mr. Deng, Brother Deng, or Young Master Deng.

The significance of this is probably only known to Xiao Zhan himself.

The energetic young man walked ahead without saying a word, leading the way.

First, they passed through a wooden corridor several tens of meters long, with flowers, trees and shrubs on both sides. At this time, all kinds of flowers were in full bloom and the air was filled with fragrance. Xiao Zhan noticed that the wooden corridor, which was carved with dragons and phoenixes, was built with mahogany structure, which made him imagine how luxurious it was.

Xiao Zhan then walked through a small garden surrounded by a rockery and waterside pavilion, and then stood in front of a hexagonal pavilion made of mahogany.

A set of rosewood tea utensils was placed on a stone table in the center of the pavilion. At this moment, a beautiful young woman with long flowing hair and dressed in white Hanfu was demonstrating her exquisite tea ceremony.

The tea master was gentle and graceful, her every move as elegant as the breeze in the pine trees brewing tea, allowing people to appreciate the tranquility and Zen spirit of Eastern aesthetics.

A man dressed in white casual clothes sat opposite the tea master, leisurely savoring the steaming cup of fragrant tea in his hand.

The man appeared to be in his forties or fifties, with a moderate build and a white casual outfit that gave him a gentle and refined air.

The energetic young man stepped forward, bowed slightly, and said respectfully, "Sir, Mr. Xiao has arrived."

The man slowly raised his head, his deep, sharp, knife-like eyes fixed on Xiao Zhan. His gaze flickered, and his killing intent intensified…

Xiao Zhan stood as still as a mountain, his deep eyes like two sharp swords piercing the man.

The two men stared at each other from a distance.

Two murderous auras simultaneously erupted from the two men…

The surrounding air seemed to freeze for a moment.

The young man involuntarily shivered, his expression changing slightly. As a top-notch guard within the imperial palace, he naturally knew this was caused by the overwhelming killing intent emanating from him…

Judging from his strength, both of them were stronger than him. The young man had already experienced Mr. Deng's super strength, but what surprised him was that Xiao Zhan's strength was comparable to Deng Zhi's. Their strength should be roughly equal.

This level of combat power is terrifying...

After about several tens of seconds, Deng Zhi's expression softened, and his murderous aura vanished instantly. He stood up and smiled, "Hahaha, Xiao Zhan, you're here. Come and have some tea."

"Xiaoying, hurry up and pour some tea for your little Zhan brother!"

Then the incredibly beautiful tea master parted her lips and said, "Understood, brother."

At this moment, Xiao Zhan's expression returned to calm, and he grinned, "Hahaha, Brother Zhi, it's been so long, I've missed you terribly. You're still as dashing and elegant as ever, gentle and refined. Anyone who didn't know you would think you were a professor from Tsinghua or Peking University."

As Xiao Zhan spoke, he stepped forward and extended his right hand to shake hands with Deng Zhi. He added, "Brother Zhi's combat strength has improved a lot since a few years ago. I almost couldn't hold on just now. That overwhelming killing intent was like the Yangtze River bursting its banks."

Deng Zhi smiled calmly: "Hahaha, to put it bluntly, in the capital, the only person who can fight me to a draw is probably you, Xiao Zhan. No wonder my little sister has always been thinking about you and is still unmarried. Xiao Zhan, you truly deserve to be called the king of the special forces of the Dragon Kingdom. We haven't seen each other for seven years and you are completely different now. You can withstand my overwhelming killing intent. The capital will be yours from now on."

Xiao Zhan grinned and said, "Hahaha, Brother Zhi, you're flattering me to death. In front of Brother Zhi, I will always be your little brother. How dare the light of the bright moon compete with the sun and moon?"

At this moment, a woman named Deng Ying handed Xiao Zhan a steaming cup of Da Hong Pao tea. Her pretty face was flushed, and her clear, bright eyes looked at Xiao Zhan as she said, "This is Da Hong Pao tea that I brewed myself. Please try it."

Xiao Zhan took the teacup and said, "I saw you pour the tea. Your technique was skillful and your tea ceremony was exquisite. Thank you, Xiaoying. You are as beautiful and lovely as you were a few years ago. They say that time is like a killer, and every cut ages people, but I see that time seems to be immune to you. You are always so beautiful and charming."

Deng Ying asked shyly, "What makes me beautiful and charming?"

"I'm old and nobody wants me anymore. You've been back for days and haven't come to see me. Brother Zhan, are you disgusted with me?"

"You're much better at praising people now than you were before you joined the army. Does the military train people to be good with their words?"

Xiao Zhan said somewhat awkwardly, "Xiao Ying, how could I dislike you? I have indeed been back for a few days, but I've been too busy with work. I just took over the family business and I'm swamped with all sorts of things every day. That's why I came to see you today, wasn't it?"

Deng Ying rolled her eyes at Xiao Zhan and pouted, saying, "Did you come looking for me? If my older brother hadn't specifically asked you to come, you probably wouldn't even have forgotten which way my door opens."

Xiao Zhan gave another awkward laugh and said, "Oh, how could that be!"

Deng Ying reached out and took the empty teacup from Xiao Zhan's hand, saying, "Xiao Zhan, brother, you two chat, I'm going to change my clothes."

After speaking, Deng Ying looked at Xiao Zhan one last time, her eyes filled with tenderness and affection, then smiled sweetly at him, turned around, and gracefully left…

Deng Zhi pointed to the mahogany chair and said, "Xiao Zhan, sit down. We should get down to business."

Xiao Zhan strode over and sat down with an air of authority, grinning as he said, "Brother Zhi, go ahead and say it. I'm all ears."

Deng Zhi cut to the chase and said, "I called you here today for two things. First, I want half of Xunda Technology Co., Ltd.'s assets. Second, you need to give me an explanation about your relationship with Xiaoying; she's been waiting for you to come back."

Xiao Zhan raised an eyebrow and said, "Let me start with the first thing. There's no way Xunda will give you half. Why should you ask for half of their assets just by opening your mouth? My uncle was killed by these people, and you still have the nerve to take advantage of the situation?"

Deng Zhi's originally refined and calm expression suddenly darkened. He did not expect Xiao Zhan to dare to speak to him like that, and to refuse so decisively and without leaving any room for negotiation.

Xiao Zhan continued, "Xiao Ying and I have nothing going on. What explanation do you expect me to give you? It's utterly ridiculous."