At the start, I had to choose one of four options, and I immediately picked the Brahmin from the cou

As soon as Zheng Hao said this, all the girls in the courtyard covered their mouths and laughed. Even the blonde woman tilted her head curiously and looked at Zhou Yanhuai.

They've received professional training and can understand; otherwise, with Zheng Hao being such a poor student, the two of them would have a hard time even having a conversation.

Li Baibing wasn't embarrassed or annoyed by Zheng Hao's lewd remarks. Having worked in this line of work, how could she blush over a single sentence? She stood confidently beside Zhou Yanhuai, showing no intention of letting go of the hand he was holding.

On the contrary, Zhou Yanhuai's expression was much more excited when he heard this, but for the first time, he did not retort as usual. Instead, he replied in a tone that was trying to remain calm but could not hide his guilty conscience.

"Stop talking nonsense. Keep the lamb kidneys for yourself; I don't need them."

Although it seemed like he was refuting, everyone could clearly hear that his voice dropped noticeably when he got to the second half of his sentence.

Upon hearing this, Zheng Hao laughed even more unrestrainedly, almost tumbling off the blonde woman's lap.

"Come on, Lao Zhou, we're all brothers, why are you pretending?"

Seeing Zheng Hao's shameless and despicable behavior, Zhou Yanhuai simply ignored him.

He took Li Baibing's hand and led her to an empty rattan chair next to the barbecue grill. Although his movements were still a little awkward, his protective posture towards the girl was very natural.

As soon as Zhou Yanhuai sat down, he very considerately took a clean cashmere blanket from the side and carefully covered Li Baibing's bare, tender white legs.

Afterwards, he personally went to the grill and picked out a few skewers of tender, lean meat, carefully removed the slightly charred edges, blew on them to cool them down, and then handed them to her.

His considerate and thoughtful demeanor, like that of an unparalleled warm-hearted man, made Zheng Hao's eyes almost pop into the oven.

"Holy crap, Xiao-ge, pinch me! Is this really the same Lao Zhou Yao I know?"

Zheng Hao muttered to himself, his face full of disbelief.

Li Xiao took a sip of the whiskey in his glass, taking in Zhou Yanhuai's completely infatuated expression.

"Alright, rat, Yan Huai is shy, stop talking nonsense."

After warning Zheng Hao, Li Xiao turned his gaze back to Zhou Yanhuai, "Yanhuai, how are you feeling today? Are you adjusting well?"

Zhou Yanhuai had just picked up a skewer of grilled mushrooms when he heard this, and his fingers paused.

He paused for two seconds, then looked up, his tone much calmer than when he had replied to Zheng Hao earlier.

"Brother Xiao, to be honest, at first I really thought it was another trap you guys set for me."

He then turned his head to look at Li Baibing, who was eating lamb chops with her head down, and said, "But now, I'm glad I didn't go back to the county town early today."

Zheng Hao let out a strange cry from the other side, and was about to take advantage of the situation to tease him a bit more, but Li Xiao stopped him with a look.

Zhou Yanhuai ignored the commotion over there. He put down the skewers in his hand, turned around to face Li Xiao, and the firelight made the expression on his round face look particularly serious.

"Brother Xiao, there's something I want to tell you." He pushed up his glasses, took a deep breath as if he had used a lot of strength, and said, "I'm serious about Bai Bing. It's not a fling, not a casual relationship. I want to marry her."

Upon hearing this, the room fell into an instant silence.

Zheng Hao didn't even notice when the half-skewer of grilled kidneys in his hand fell to the ground. He stared at Zhou Yanhuai as if he were looking at an alien, and frantically glanced at Li Xiao.

"Holy crap, Brother Xiao! This is a high-level game with a clearly marked price, and Old Zhou, that bookworm, actually took it seriously?!"

All the other women present looked at Li Baibing with envy. Such a rise to wealth and status is not something that can happen all the time.

They see this line of work as a way to get noticed by a rich man and become a wealthy wife, even if it's not the legitimate one. They are still very traditional about this.

Upon hearing Zhou Yanhuai's words, even Li Baibing, whose hand was being held tightly by Zhou Yanhuai, stiffened briefly.

A fleeting look of ecstasy and astonishment flashed across her lowered eyes. Who would want to make this quick money when they could be a rich man's wife?

But her extremely high skill level made her react instantly. Her slender shoulders trembled slightly, and she adopted a weak posture that was both flattered and apprehensive.

She gently pulled away from Zhou Yanhuai's hand, her voice trembling slightly, "Yanhuai, don't be impulsive. I know my status is not good enough for you..."

"If I say you're worthy, then you're worthy!"

Zhou Yanhuai stubbornly interrupted her, gripping her slightly cool hand even tighter, his gaze still fixed on Li Xiao, awaiting his verdict.

Li Xiao leaned back in his folding chair. Unlike Zheng Hao, he didn't jump up and down. There wasn't even a ripple in his deep eyes.

"marry?"

Li Xiao finally spoke, his tone flat and without any inflection.

"Old Zhou, you're only eighteen this year, you haven't even entered university yet. You want to protect her, but what means do you have to? And do you think your family, your grandfather, will agree to this marriage?"

My grandfather…”

Zhou Yanhuai's lips twitched slightly, and his originally straight back unconsciously bent down.

As the eldest grandson on whom the family placed high hopes, he knew better than anyone the ruthless and strict old man would unleash his fury with devastating force.

Let alone marrying a girl from a brothel, even a scandalous rumor could ruin his life.

Li Baibing lowered her eyes, a glint of tears welling up in them.

"Yanhuai, Xiao-ge is right. We come from two different worlds. I'm already very grateful for your kindness today. Please don't let me cause a rift with your elders. I'll be uneasy for the rest of my life if I do that."

This textbook example of retreating to advance instantly ignited the rebellious spirit that had been suppressed in Zhou Yanhuai's heart for eighteen years.

Zhou Yanhuai suddenly raised his voice.

"No way! Brother Xiao, I know it sounds like I'm talking nonsense now, and people might think I'm overestimating myself. But don't I still have that 5% stake in the South City project? As long as that project succeeds, I'll have my own backing. Even if Grandpa flies into a rage, I can just leave with her and live alone!"

Li Xiao remained silent for a moment. Unlike Zheng Hao, he didn't jump up and down in a panic, nor did he continue to bring up the Zhou family patriarch to exert pressure.

"Yanhuai, I'm not trying to stop you. I'm happy you've met someone you feel is worthwhile. But marriage isn't something you can get through on passion alone. You said you have that 5% equity stake—that's what you deserve, and no one can take it away. But equity isn't cash, and the Chengnan project won't be finalized overnight. You haven't even finished university, you haven't even established your own footing, so what do you have to offer her for a stable home? Just with the excuse that you can just move out and live separately?"

Zhou Yanhuai opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but found himself speechless.

It's not that he doesn't understand these principles; he just doesn't want to understand them at this moment.

"I didn't say it's impossible. I meant there's no rush. You should get along well with her first. Once Lansheng's business is stable, once you've gone to university and have your own trump cards, then you can stand in front of me and say this to me again. I'll take care of it for you without hesitation."

Li Baibing didn't look up, but gently tightened her grip on Zhou Yanhuai's hand, as if silently conveying some kind of signal.

Zhou Yanhuai turned to look at her. The campfire made her profile appear soft and indistinct. Behind her glasses, her eyes seemed to hold a thousand unspoken words, yet she said nothing.

He took a deep breath, turned back to Li Xiao, and his tone was no longer as intense as before.

"Okay, I'll wait for the day you mentioned. But no matter how long it takes, my feelings will never change."