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

Xiao Zhan seemed to understand but not quite, and looked at Bai Zexiang, asking, "Brother Xiang, you know I don't understand the ways of officialdom, otherwise, the higher-ups wouldn't have sent Xia Keke to assist me. Just tell me how you want me to handle the 'Sky Judge System'."

Bai Zexiang took the pack of cigarettes from Xiao Zhan's hand, lit one for himself, took a puff, and looked at the rising smoke in the air. He said, "Xiao Zhan, you should understand the principle of 'things reaching their extreme will reverse,' right? As the saying goes, even a rabbit will bite when cornered. The global environment is not good right now, and all industries are struggling. Why not destroy the 'Sky Judge System' proactively? The implications and significance of this are significant and far-reaching."

Xiao Zhan thought to himself, "How come Brother Xiang thinks the same way as me? I had the same idea."

So he asked, "Brother Xiang, is this what the higher-ups want?"

Bai Zexiang shook his head and said, "No, it's just my personal opinion. If you think it's difficult, just pretend I didn't say anything."

Xiao Zhan: "Brother Xiang, can you let me think about it?"

Bai Zexiang nodded and said, "Okay, there's no rush."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "Brother, let me give you a friendly reminder: Su Zixing's return this time, besides being for a funeral, is very likely for you."

Xiao Zhan asked in surprise, "You came for me? What do you mean?"

Bai Zexiang chuckled and said, "Brother, you're handsome, rich, and incredibly talented. You're bound to have a lot of female admirers. No wonder your wife is worried about you. Let me give you a piece of advice: watch your back. Many successful people end up being ruined by idiots."

Xiao Zhan said awkwardly, "Thank you for your advice, Brother Xiang. Don't worry, I'm not that kind of person."

Bai Zexiang laughed and said, "Of course I know you're not a lecher, that's why I said those things, but you should know that sometimes people can't help themselves."

Xiao Zhan thought to himself, "Is it possible that I have no choice? As long as I have enough self-control, if I don't want to, can anyone force me to do that kind of thing?"

Bai Zexiang stubbed out his cigarette and said, "Xiao Zhan, as your older brother, let me give you one last piece of advice: true awesomeness isn't about how high you can rise to, but about being able to return to the most ordinary dining table after you've achieved fame and success."

"Okay, I'm leaving."

Bai Zexiang tossed the packet of cigarettes in his hand to Xiao Zhan and turned to leave.

"Clatter."

Xiao Zhan lit a cigarette, recalling Bai Zexiang's last words...

Just then, Qin Huanhuan walked in and said, "Honey, what are you daydreaming about?"

Xiao Zhan snapped out of his reverie and asked, "Where are Shen Jun and the others?"

Qin Huanhuan: "I asked Shen Jun to accompany Hua Ying to buy some New Year's goods. The New Year is coming soon, and this is their first year of dating, so they should buy each other some New Year's gifts or something."

Xiao Zhan put his arm around Qin Huanhuan's slender waist and whispered in her ear, "This is our first time too, and our first year. From that summer night to autumn and then to winter, let's go buy some gifts for Ai'ai and your mother."

To be honest, Qin Huanhuan liked Xiao Zhan's thoughtfulness.

He always considers every detail and handles things clearly, always bringing her emotional value.

Qin Huanhuan pointed outside the door and said, "Sister Keke and that Su Zixing haven't left yet. Su Zixing even said she wants you to go with her to the Deng family to pay respects to Deng Zhi. I just don't understand, can't she go by herself? Why does she need you to go with her?"

Xiao Zhan: "Wife, you don't understand what's going on here."

Qin Huanhuan twisted her body and broke free from Xiao Zhan's embrace, then stared into Xiao Zhan's eyes and said, "I don't understand what's going on between you two, but I know our relationship is very important."

Xiao Zhan quickly explained, "Wife, it's not about whether feelings are important or not, but there are indeed many things involved that I can't tell you."

Qin Huanhuan said, puzzled, "What can't you tell me? Haha, it turns out the shelf life of feelings is much shorter than I imagined. I remember a concept from my psychology class in college called 'diminishing marginal utility,' which means the first bite of cake is the sweetest, but the hundredth bite is tasteless. It turns out feelings are the same. When we first got together, your smile could make my heart race, but now, less than a year later, my existence is like air—important, but unnoticed. I know it's not that you've changed your mind, it's just human nature."

"Because people naturally lose sensitivity to what they already have. Therefore, those who try to bind relationships with 'deep feelings' are often disappointed. Feelings fade, become numb, and are diluted by time. Those who can truly maintain long-term relationships never rely on feelings, but on something else."

Xiao Zhan was immediately in a bind.

He hadn't expected Qin Huanhuan to become so sensitive.

After thinking for a moment, he said, "Feelings may fade as the novelty wears off, so we need to understand each other's emotions and circumstances, as well as the sense of responsibility to continue investing in the relationship. These are the cornerstones of maintaining a long-term relationship. Trust and respect between men and women are very important. Trust can make our relationship more stable, while respect protects each other's individual independence."

"The two complement each other and are indispensable."

"Therefore, in a long-term relationship, both parties need to continuously provide value on both spiritual and material levels to form a 'win-win' model, rather than one-sided consumption. In particular, maintaining basic goodwill towards each other during conflicts and avoiding 'personal attacks' can effectively prevent the relationship from becoming chronically toxic. At the same time, both parties need to maintain a certain sense of boundaries and relaxation. This can maintain intimacy while giving each other independent space, avoiding control and suffocation, which are key factors in a healthy relationship."

After listening, Qin Huanhuan sneered, "Are you trying to make excuses for your actions?"

Xiao Zhan: "What do you mean by making excuses? That's ridiculous."

Qin Huanhuan pointed to the door and asked, "What exactly is your relationship with that Su Zixing?"

"What's even funnier is that Xia Keke actually claimed to be her cousin. Do you think I'd believe such a low-level scam?"

Xiao Zhan was speechless. He knew that if he didn't make things clear today, Qin Huanhuan would definitely misunderstand that there was some shady relationship between him and Su Zixing.

So he said, "I'm telling you, but don't tell anyone else. Actually, Su Zixing is Deng Zhi's illegitimate daughter, and also Xia Keke's cousin."

Qin Huanhuan was stunned when she heard this...

Xiao Zhan continued, "Before Deng Zhi died, he couldn't let go of his daughter and entrusted me to take care of Su Zixing. This time, Su Zixing came back for the funeral, and it was also the first time she stepped into the Deng family's gate."

"Do you think I should go with her and help her with some things?"

Qin Huanhuan: "Honey, you're not lying to me, are you?"

Xiao Zhan called out from outside the door, "Director Xia, Su Zixing, come in. I know you two are right outside."

Xia Keke and Su Zixing were indeed at the door the whole time, and they heard everything Xiao Zhan and Qin Huanhuan said.

Xia Keke was so embarrassed she wanted to disappear into the ground, while Su Zixing had an indifferent expression.

Hearing Xiao Zhan call them both, Xia Keke looked at Su Zixing with a complicated expression and said in a low voice, "As the old saying goes, it's better to tear down ten temples than to break up one marriage."

"Xiao Zhan and Qin Huanhuan have already registered their marriage. If you really like him, then give him your blessing."

"If you insist on going your own way, I won't help you."

Su Zixing's eyes flickered a few times, and she bit her lip before saying, "Cousin, I know what to do."