The white rose I picked up cried and said she liked me.

Two hours later, the plane's landing gear gently touched the ground, the fuselage trembled slightly, and finally came to a steady stop on the runway of Yuncheng International Airport.

As first-class passengers, they have the right to disembark first.

Xu Xi held Xu Nian's hand, walking calmly. The moment the two walked into the terminal side by side, the surrounding noise seemed to be paused and came to an abrupt end.

Then, even louder discussions arose, and countless eyes fell on them.

"Isn't that President Xu from Sinian Group? He's even more handsome in person than on camera."

"Isn't that the man next to her her rumored boyfriend from a while back?"

Today, Xu Xi made no attempt to conceal herself, not wearing the sunglasses and mask she always wears when going out. Her clean face was free of makeup, yet her natural features exuded a cool and stunning aura, easily capturing everyone's attention.

The bodyguards, who were already positioned at the exit, quickly stepped forward and silently stood beside the two, keeping the surging crowd and cameras at bay.

"Mr. Xu, I've been a fan of yours for ten years. Could you please sign my autograph?" A young man's voice trembled with excitement as he handed over a notebook.

"Ms. Xu, is the fiancé you mentioned in an interview a few years ago the same Mr. Xu Nian who is standing here next to you?"

"How did you two meet? Would you mind telling us?"

Xu Xi wore a faint smile as she responded to fans and reporters one by one, her tone gentle and her demeanor composed, without the slightest hint of evasion.

But Xu Nian, whose little hand was being held tightly, felt extremely uncomfortable.

He hadn't been unaware that following Xu Xi, he would eventually find himself standing in the public eye.

But when he was actually surrounded and watched by so many people, with cameras pointed at him, the awkwardness and unease still surged up like a tide, making his heart clench.

He was all too aware of the difference between the two. Xu Xi was a favored daughter of heaven, the helmsman of a trillion-dollar multinational corporation, holding the livelihoods of countless people in her hands, with charitable work all over the country, and countless people she had helped. Her halo was so bright that people dared not look directly at her.

He was just a criminal who had been released from prison less than two years ago. He had no impressive resume, no outstanding appearance, and no achievements to speak of.

Standing next to her in front of the camera, he felt utterly ashamed, like an insignificant weed, unworthy of even a sliver of light beside her, and he even had to be careful when he breathed.

The tension only gradually dissipated when I got into the car that picked me up and the door closed, shutting out the stares and whispers from outside.

The two men sat down in the back seat, and the driver turned around and asked respectfully, "Mr. Xu, where are you headed?"

"Go to the TV station."

"OK."

The driver responded, started the car, and drove away from the airport.

"Aren't you going home?"

Xu Nian asked, puzzled.

"Yes, I'm going to participate in a program."

Xu Xi's voice remained gentle as she took out a small makeup mirror from her bag and lightly applied some lip gloss in front of the mirror, her movements natural and elegant.

"Okay."

Xu Nian nodded gently and didn't ask any more questions, but she sighed quietly in her heart.

He knew Xu Xi was busy, but he didn't expect that she would have to rush to the next event as soon as she got off the plane, without even having time to catch her breath.

The van departed the airport, sped smoothly along Airport Avenue, passed over the elevated road, entered the bustling downtown area, and finally came to a steady stop at the foot of the towering Cloud City TV Tower.

The area outside the car window was already packed with people. Reporters carrying cameras kept looking around, staff in TV uniforms were busy running back and forth, and there were also many onlookers who had come after hearing the news. Bodyguards lined up to maintain order.

Xu Nian looked at the crowd of people thronging outside the car window, and a sense of panic flashed through her mind.

He rubbed his hands together unconsciously and said in a low voice, "Go ahead, I'll wait for you in the car."

"Come with me, brother." Xu Xi suddenly turned to him, gently taking his hand, her fingertips tracing the calluses on his knuckles. Her beautiful eyes were full of pleading, and her voice softened: "Just this once, okay?"

Xu Nian instinctively wanted to resist, but when she met Xu Xi's sincere and dependent gaze, she hesitated for a moment before nodding and agreeing.

So what if I'm embarrassed? I've already embarrassed myself enough, one more time won't make a difference.

The driver quickly got out of the car, jogged around to the right-side door, and respectfully opened it. Countless cameras instantly focused on the door, and the sound of shutters clicking filled the air.

Amidst the intense attention, a small foot adorned with crystal high heels emerged first, slender and fair, landing steadily on the red carpet.

Immediately afterwards, another foot, wearing a worn-out sneaker, gently landed beside her.

"Mr. Xu, it's a pleasure to meet you!"

The white-haired Director Xiao walked quickly to Xu Xi, bent down slightly, deliberately made his eyes level with Xu Xi's, and shook hands with Xu Xi with a fawning expression.

"Director Xiao has worked so hard on his official duties that his hair has turned so white. He must be exhausted."

Xu Xi said with a smile.

Director Xiao touched his white hair, laughed heartily, and said with a hint of self-deprecation, "Oh, it's nothing. When you get old, your hair naturally turns white. I'm content as long as this old body can still do its part for the station."

As he finished speaking, his gaze fell upon Xu Nian, who was standing to the side looking somewhat timid.

He strode forward, his smile widening, his tone full of respect: "Comrade Xu Nian, welcome, welcome! It's truly an honor for this old man to see you again!"

Xu Nian was stunned for a moment before realizing that he was being spoken to. She quickly reached out and gently shook hands with Director Xiao, her voice a little hoarse: "Director Xiao, hello."

"It's truly an honor for our station to have Comrade Xu Nian here!" Director Xiao held his hand tightly, his eyes, which had seen half a lifetime of ups and downs in officialdom, held not only polite smiles but also genuine respect and admiration. "We hope Comrade Xu Nian will visit us more often in the future to guide our work."

Xu Nian's smile was somewhat stiff, and she was at a loss for how to respond.

He feared this kind of situation the most, and he was even more afraid that if he said or did something wrong, he would cause trouble for Xu Xi.

He subconsciously turned his head and looked at Xu Xi, his eyes full of pleading.

Xu Xi noticed the embarrassment in her brother's eyes, so she smiled and asked, "Director Xiao, have all the guests who came from Beijing arrived?"

"Everyone's here, everyone's here," Director Xiao said eagerly. "We've already helped the production team set up the equipment, and we're just waiting for you and Comrade Xu Nian to arrive so we can begin. Please follow me."

Xu Xi gave a soft "hmm," took the hand of the man beside her, and walked across the red carpet into the TV tower amidst the clicking of countless cameras.