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

The atmosphere finally eased after Li Xiao made his statement.

The ensuing bonfire dinner turned into a one-man show of affection by Zhou Yanhuai.

Zhou Yanhuai, who had never taken care of anyone before, showed his warm-hearted side. He not only neatly arranged the peeled shrimp on Li Baibing's plate, but he also personally peeled an apple for her.

Li Baibing also played the role of a gentle and sensible little woman very cooperatively, wiping the sweat from Zhou Yanhuai's forehead with tissues from time to time.

The subtle, affectionate interaction between the two made Zheng Hao, who was enjoying a massage from a beautiful woman, roll his eyes and complain that he was already too full to eat any meat tonight just from eating so much dog food.

However, he didn't mean to spoil the fun. Although he didn't understand Zhou Yanhuai's actions, he respected them as a childhood friend.

After a satisfying meal, the night breeze at the end of June swept away all the day's heat.

Zheng Hao, with his arm around the blonde woman, was clamoring to go play billiards on the basement floor of the villa, while Zhou Yanhuai, having been intoxicated by a few glasses of whiskey, was leaning back in a wicker chair, resting with his eyes closed. Seeing this, Li Baibing got up to go to the kitchen to get him a glass of warm water.

Just as they reached the shaded area where the backyard met the living room, they heard Li Xiao's voice coming from the side.

"Miss Li, may I have a few words with you?"

Li Baibing paused, turned around, and saw Li Xiao playing with an unlit cigar in his hand.

The dim light concealed his facial expression, but it couldn't hide the chilling aura emanating from him.

"Brother Xiao, what can I do for you?"

When Li Baibing saw Li Xiao looking for him, his heart skipped a beat, but he maintained his obedient appearance and walked over obediently.

Although she is currently favored by Zhou Yanhuai, she knows who is truly in charge here. If she dares to take advantage of this favor, then what awaits her will certainly not be a good thing.

Li Xiao didn't speak immediately, but instead looked her up and down with his deep, unfathomable eyes. Only when Li Baibing felt uneasy under his gaze did Li Xiao speak.

"Alright, stop pretending. There are no outsiders here. You did a great job today, and you successfully bewitched that kid Yan Huai. But I called you here alone to give you a heads-up."

He took a step closer, looking down at her with an undisguised warning in his voice.

"Yan Huai is inexperienced and hasn't seen the intricacies of your line of work. If he's willing to spend money and give you a title, that's his business. As long as he's happy, I, as his brother, am naturally happy to support him. But listen carefully—don't have any inappropriate thoughts."

Li Baibing's face paled. She clearly knew what Li Xiao was referring to, but she was unwilling to give up the chance to become his wife. Forcing herself to remain calm, she replied, "Brother Xiao, I don't understand what you mean. I truly love Yan Huai..."

"Whether it's genuine or not, you know in your heart. I don't care whether you want to use him to get out of trouble or to make a big profit, it doesn't matter."

"But you must also remember your place and never have any inappropriate thoughts, or you should know what the consequences will be."

Faced with Li Xiao's blatant threat, Li Baibing felt helpless, no matter how reluctant she was.

"Brother Xiao, don't worry. In this line of work, I know the rules best. Yan Huai is good to me, so I will naturally serve him wholeheartedly and never cause him any trouble, much less dare to mess with your or the Zhou family's business. I only want to get off the ground safely and will never covet anything I shouldn't touch."

Hearing Li Baibing's sensible statement, the coldness in Li Xiao's eyes subsided slightly.

He then took an envelope out of his pocket and placed it next to Li Baibing.

"There's a card inside; the PIN is on the back. Consider it a personal gift to you. As long as you play your role well and keep him happy during this time, you'll reap the rewards later."

Li Baibing's gaze shifted downwards, his eyes fixed on the thin envelope.

She didn't pretend to refuse, nor did she feign arrogance; instead, she decisively reached out and firmly grasped the envelope in her palm.

After all, the reason she came here today was to earn this money, and now that she has a long-term meal ticket, she is naturally very happy to accept it.

"Thank you, Brother Xiao."

Li Baibing carefully folded the envelope and slipped it into a hidden pocket on the side of her skirt.

"If you take someone's money, you have to solve their problems. As long as he's by my side, I'll be the most sensible and cleanest woman in his eyes. I've engraved every word you said in my heart."

Li Xiao gave a noncommittal snort, then turned and left without looking back, refusing to glance at her again.

He didn't need to know whether Li Baibing truly understood or not; he had already said everything. If she remained obstinate, he wouldn't mind making her disappear completely.

In Jiangyang County, this was not a difficult task for him.

After Li Xiao left, Li Baibing, who had been holding on, finally couldn't take it anymore. She had thought she had finally snagged a rich husband and could rise to a high position, but Li Xiao's harsh words just now brought her back to reality.

She was ultimately just a pawn on the chessboard of these top-tier young nobles; she could be rewarded and played with, but she could never dream of overturning the chessboard and becoming the player herself.

"call--"

Li Baibing let out a long sigh, suppressing the indescribable bitterness in his heart.

When she came out again with the perfectly warm cup of honey water, the coldness and calculation on her face had completely vanished.

Her cool, intellectual, and tender-looking appearance was perfectly reflected in the glass of the floor-to-ceiling window.

"Yan Huai,"

She walked to the wicker chair, knelt down, and pressed her face against Zhou Yanhuai's slightly flushed cheek, saying softly, "Don't sleep here, the night air is cool, you'll easily catch a cold. Drink some water, and I'll help you back to your room to rest, okay?"

Zhou Yanhuai groggily opened his eyes, staring intently at the incredibly gentle face before him. He chuckled foolishly, grabbing her slightly cool hand and pressing it tightly to his chest, his voice filled with dependence, "Bai Bing... it's so good to have you."

Feeling the strong, powerful heartbeat beneath her palm, Li Baibing lowered her thick eyelashes, concealing all the clarity and deliberation in her eyes, leaving only a perfectly measured, tender expression: "Yes, I will always be with you."

Although Zhou Yanhuai had drunk quite a bit, his inherent good manners prevented him from acting like a drunkard. He swayed to his feet with Li Baibing's help, most of his weight resting on her slender shoulders. Li Baibing gritted her teeth, not uttering a single complaint, but patiently supporting him as they walked step by step through the spacious, luxurious living room and up the spiral staircase to the guest rooms on the second floor.

"Bai Bing..." Halfway up the stairs, Zhou Yanhuai suddenly stopped, turned around with a hint of drunkenness and stubbornness, and stared intently into her eyes. "Trust me, I, Zhou Yanhuai, keep my word."

"Trust me, Zhou Yanhuai always keeps his word. I will definitely take you out of here and marry you into the Zhou family with dignity..."

His eyes were slightly red from the alcohol, but his unwavering stubbornness was like a rusty, blunt knife, piercing straight into Li Baibing's heart.

"I believe you, of course I believe you. How could I not believe what you say?"

Upon hearing her affirmative reply, Zhou Yanhuai's tense body finally relaxed. He grinned contentedly, like a triumphant young boy, and then leaned his head heavily against her shoulder, letting her half-carry, half-support him as she led him into the guest room on the second floor.

After settling Zhou Yanhuai on the soft European-style bed and removing his shoes and socks, Li Baibing stood quietly by the bed, watching his sleeping face.

She slowly took the envelope with the dark pattern out of her pocket and examined it for a long time under the light of the wall lamp.

"Silly boy, the least valuable thing in this world is sincerity."