[Marrying a wife is good for celebrating the New Year] [Author: Ou Jing]

Author: Ou Jing
Word Count: 66687

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Chapter 1

It was time for him to find a wife.

Xiang Liyan considered himself a normal man with clear physiological needs and hoped to have several children through a normal
family life. However, five years ago he experienced a painful marriage, and his ex-wife
cruelly stripped him of half of his assets, making him a foolish sucker. Therefore, this time,
the wife he was looking for had to be reliable, ordinary, not too smart, and preferably a little naive so she wouldn't use scheming and
trickery .

He originally thought he wouldn't remarry, but given that several of his friends had recently had several adorable
children , their usual gatherings had become more frequent. The number of visits gradually decreased, and recently, as soon as the appointed time arrived, these
fathers would rush home to play with their children, leaving him alone.

Later, seeing those soft, chubby babies, he suddenly had the idea of remarrying, simply because he wanted
children. He wanted his children to inherit his business, bringing new vitality to his previously stagnant family.

To have children, he first needed a wife. He had considered surrogacy, but given its illegality in China
, he didn't want to complicate things. The problem was, he didn't have time to find a wife now, nor did he have the interest
to spend a lot of money and time pursuing a woman like he did when he was younger. Therefore, the quickest and easiest way was
to a wife through blind dates.

"Blind dates?" Xiang Liyan pondered for a moment. He knew that many elders had wanted to
introduce , and now that these matchmakers were useful, he didn't need to be too polite.

While thinking, he dialed the phone.

"Hey, Auntie, are you there? You said you'd introduce me to a girl...we can meet sometime
..."

An hour later, the quick and efficient Xiang Liyan had contacted everyone who wanted to introduce him to
potential partners. He was confident the news of his desire to find a wife had spread. It was foreseeable
that he'd be busy with blind dates for the next few weeks. Although this annoyed him a little, he could endure the
temporary .

"Heh...heh...heh..."

At one in the morning, a strange, eerie sound echoed in the large room. A faint, hushed sound came from the darkness,
along with a choked growl, which sounded terrifying. Su's mother woke with a start, frightened by the
eerie sound and atmosphere. She quickly grabbed the baseball bat from the bedside table, ready to send the burglar to
hell.

Su's mother cautiously stepped out of the room, carefully trying to see clearly in the darkness, but after focusing intently
for a long time, she saw nothing.

"Heh heh heh..." The sound came again.

This time, Su's mother finally understood what the sound was. She angrily threw down her baseball bat, strode to the room across
the hall , rudely kicked open the door, and roared, "Su Xiaomin, what are you doing in the middle of the night
? I told you not to stay in front of the computer all day, but you never listen. And making those weird noises, are you
trying to scare your old mother to death?"

The earth-shattering roar startled Su Xiaomin so much she almost fell off her chair. "Mom, why are you shouting so
loudly ? You can scare people to death!"

Su Xiaomin pushed up her thick glasses, scratched her messy, heavy hair, and stared wide
-eyed at her mother's bulging eyes.

"Explain yourself! What were you doing at one in the morning?" Su's mother grabbed
her daughter's ear and yelled furiously into it.

"Ouch! Be gentle, it hurts!" Su Xiaomin felt like her ears were about to detach from her body, and quickly
covered her aching ears, hoping her mother would be magnanimous and let her off the hook. "I was writing code! Because
the company is rushing to finish this project, so..."

Su's mother became increasingly angry as she listened, "If you're writing code, just write code, why are you making these weird noises?
Please be normal, okay?"

"I'm sorry! It's just that things went very smoothly today, and when I was testing the program just now, I found
the function design to be very powerful, and I couldn't help but admire my own profound skills, and then..." Su Xiaomin stammered, sticking out her tongue,
"I couldn't help but laugh."

At this point, Su's mother became even angrier, "Su Xiaomin, I've told you hundreds of times! Work should be done at
the company , who brings company work home all day long and stays up until 1 a.m. to do
it?"

"It's necessary for work!" Su Xiaomin said innocently.

"You spend twenty hours a day holed up in front of the computer, either at the office or at home,
you're typical shut-in..." Su's mother couldn't think of a proper term for it.

"A shut-in girl," Su Xiaomin quickly interjected. She was a dutiful daughter and happy to help her mother.

"Yes, a shut-in girl." Seeing her daughter's carefree expression, Su's mother couldn't help but slap her head.
"You have no time to meet men, how will you ever get married!"

"It hurts... but there's nothing I can do! It's work." Su Xiaomin touched her head and rubbed her dry
eyes. She had been working for over twenty hours, and her eyes were protesting severely.

"Quit your job right now," Su's mother declared decisively. If this continued, her daughter would definitely be
glued to the computer for life, maybe never even leaving her room.

"How can I do that!" Su Xiaomin's swollen eyes widened.

"Why not?"

"If I quit my job, I won't have a substantial income. How will you get the working capital to open your shop?"
Ultimately , most of the money she earns from her hard work goes to her mother's flower shop!

Her mother runs a flower shop near their home, but the business is still in its early stages and not very stable, so...
Business was unpredictable. They had hoped to make a fortune during the Qixi Festival (Chinese Valentine's Day), but a powerful typhoon hit Taiwan that day, bringing
wind and rain so bad no one dared to go out to buy flowers, resulting in almost zero business for the flower shop.

To keep the flower shop running, they needed a large amount of working capital and a
sufficient living allowance for themselves and their daughter, which was why she had stayed at the computer company. Besides, she loved her
job and didn't want to give it up easily.

"Uh…" Su's mother suddenly felt guilty. She was also annoyed. Although her husband had left them a
considerable sum , after buying a three-bedroom apartment, only a small
amount remained, far from enough. Fortunately, Su Xiaomin's job paid well, so they were financially secure.

Bored and worried about running out of money, she and a friend opened a flower shop a few months ago. Unfortunately
, the economy was bad recently, and flowers weren't an essential commodity, so business wasn't as good as expected. They
had been losing money for the past few months, but they believed their luck would change eventually, so they were trying their best to persevere. Although she didn't want
to touch her daughter's wedding fund, the flower shop was on the verge of collapse, spending money like water. Her daughter's financial assistance was like a timely rain,
injecting new vitality into the flower shop's future.

"Besides, I love my job. How can I just give it up?" Su Xiaomin looked innocently at her mother. "Mom,
can you let go of my hand now? My ear hurts!"

Su's mother quickly let go of her ear. "But your working hours are too long! How can you have
time for your own life?" She was still worried that her daughter was so engrossed in her work that she
didn't even have time to meet a good partner.

"What does it matter? This is my life now." Su Xiaomin didn't think it was bad at all. "

Then you should change jobs." Su's mother sighed, changing her approach. "Ideally, it should be a job
with fixed , so you'll have extra time to live the life you want."

"This is the only job I know how to do!" Su Xiaomin scratched her messy hair, which her mother had been rubbing, and
scratched it a few more times because it was a little itchy. "Besides, this job pays well, and the company is a listed company with even higher annual
dividends Why should I change?"

Su's mother was speechless. Her only daughter was naturally clumsy and careless, always rough around the edges and incapable of doing anything, even
breaking dishes while washing them. Yet, like her father, she was incredibly skilled with computers, excelling at video games more than housework
. While she always saw the jumbled numbers on the computer as gibberish, her daughter
seemed to know exactly what they were. Even in middle school, she designed her own games, easily passed the university entrance exam, entered the computer
science department, and was recruited by a publicly listed company renowned for its game software design before graduation—the envy
of many .

But… looking at her daughter's oversized green shirt and dark gray sweatpants, the
horrifying color combination sent a chill down her spine. How could she, such a beautiful and charming woman, have raised
such a daughter? A daughter who lived such a miserable life?! How could she have no sense of aesthetics at all?
And then her messy hair and her dry, haggard face, worn from prolonged computer use, so dull and pale…
Mother Su was overcome with grief, her nose stinging with tears.

"Xiaomin, do you have any suitable potential partners at your company? You're twenty-six now, you should consider
finding a partner or something." Su's mother was direct. This was also one of her daughter's flaws; she
didn't understand roundabout ways of speaking, only direct statements.

"I already have a partner!" Su Xiaomin's words were a bombshell.

"Really? Who is it? Bring him home for me to see sometime." Su's mother's heart
leaped . She hadn't expected her daughter to be so shrewd and calculating.

Su Xiaomin patted the silver laptop on her desk, grinning foolishly, "This is it! My
Little Silver, we've been dating for four years." She had named the silver laptop Little Silver.

Uh… Su’s mother shuddered, looking at her daughter’s silly expression, thinking she must have misunderstood,
and hurriedly added, “I mean, actually have a boyfriend, not that… uh, virtual friend.”

“That’s useless.” Su Xiaomin waved her hand disgustedly. “A boyfriend can’t help me make money. My
little silver is fully functional, can work for a month straight without getting tired, and doesn’t nag or throw tantrums. I
can boss it around, it’s my lifelong partner.” She laughed proudly, very
proud of her little silver.

Su’s mother was dumbfounded, almost fainting. Her daughter had become so
confused about reality and fantasy, what should she do?!

She dabbed at the unknown tears in the corners of her eyes with a small handkerchief, trying to cheer herself up. No, she had to find
a way, to prevent her daughter from becoming a social problem! No, for her daughter’s future, she had to find
a way to get her married!

Friday night at nine o’clock, Su Xiaomin returned home from work and saw her mother showing off her
spoils .

"Mom, what are you doing?" Su Xiaomin saw a pile of shopping bags in the living room, and the table was covered with
accessories. Suddenly, she had a bad feeling. "Why did you buy so much stuff?"

"Xiaomin, you're back just in time." Su's mother smiled brightly. "I bought you a lot of new clothes, all
in your size. Come and try them on."

Is it the change of seasons again? Su Xiaomin frowned. Every time the department store changed its seasons, her mother
would buy a lot of things. Her wardrobe was full of new clothes that her mother bought for her, but she had never worn them.
The only clothes she changed regularly were the shirts and jeans she bought herself.

"I don't need new clothes." Su Xiaomin shivered—the thought of her mother always buying pink
dresses and mini skirts disgusted her. "I'm busy with work every day, so as long as my clothes are comfortable and I don't mind
them getting dirty , I don't need many clothes."

"Are you even a woman?!" Su's mother sighed in frustration, exclaiming dramatically, "I dress up beautifully every day
, like a lady of high society, while my daughter dresses in rags every day, like a homeless person. How can I stand it?!"

"How am I dressed like a homeless person?" Su Xiaomin raised her arm and sniffed her wrinkled shirt, which looked like dried pickled cabbage.
"Although I've worn it for a week, it doesn't smell!"

Su's mother rolled her eyes. If she continued, she would definitely commit suicide by banging her head against the wall. The reason was—failed education and
not strict enough in raising her daughter.

"I don't care!" Su's mother roared, "You come here and put on these clothes.
You can't look like a homeless person when I'm having a get-together with my friends tomorrow!"

"A get-together? Tomorrow?" Su Xiaomin shook her head and said, "Why should I join you when you're having dinner and chatting with your freeloader friends
?" Among her mother's friends were a bunch of idle middle-aged women.

"They're not freeloaders." Su's mother laughed at her daughter's words. "They're wealthy women. Their husbands have some money,
so I don't have to bow down for them. I just need to take care of the household."

So they're not freeloaders but wealthy women? Social values are really confused. "Oh!" Su Xiaomin shrugged,
not wanting to continue the topic.

"Oh what? Come here and change your clothes. We're going to dinner together tomorrow." Su's mother ordered
her daughter, who was standing blankly at the door.

She didn't tell her daughter that she had decided to arrange a blind date for her daughter tomorrow at noon. This was
a good match introduced by her group of wealthy friends. She heard that the man had been married before, was about thirty-two years old, but had a good background, owning several
chain supermarkets and several leisure farms.

The man's parents had passed away, and as an only child, he had no family ties. He was remarrying to find a partner and have
children. She thought these conditions were normal and the best choice for her naive daughter.

"I don't like eating with your friends." Although Su Xiaomin listened to her mother, she really
disliked being with that bunch of chattering, nagging women. Every time they ate together, she felt like she was sitting on pins and needles, and
she couldn't relate to their conversations. She'd rather eat instant noodles with pickled radish at home than endure such a stifling and oppressive meal
.

"I know, but your social circle is too narrow. You need to have opportunities to meet other people occasionally!"
Su's mother was worried that her daughter had social anxiety, so she forced her to attend their gatherings.

Su Xiaomin changed into the dress her mother had picked out, wrinkling her nose in disgust. She always had trouble walking in dresses,
either pointed outwards or kicking chairs or table legs. Her mother loved to dress her up like this, and paired with her
hair that hadn't been cut in two years, it looked really mismatched.

"My daughter is absolutely gorgeous, she looks good in everything!" Su's mother boasted, tilting her head back proudly.
Even with a limp nose, her daughter was still the best; her slender figure gave her a unique charm and
graceful .

Su Xiaomin passively let her mother fuss over her, letting her mother happily dress her up, but her mind was already
wandering far away. She'd used up too much brainpower at work today, leaving her feeling a bit tired. She decided to go online
and play games with some players later to release some accumulated stress. After all, she had a day off tomorrow, plenty of time
to have fun.

As for the gathering her mother mentioned, she had already automatically deleted the unimportant information from her mind.

"Liyan, would you like to come to my house for dinner? My wife told me to make sure you come over for a casual meal,"
Wu Haosheng, Xiang Liyan's business partner, sincerely invited.

Wu Haosheng was originally a fruit farmer who relied on the weather for his livelihood, but later met the shrewd businessman Xiang Liyan. Accepting
his advice and financial donation, the orchard was transformed into a rural leisure farm. Besides growing various fruits
for consumers to enjoy, it also offered barbecues, roasted sweet potatoes, and traditional pastry making. Combined with nearby tourist attractions, the rural
leisure farm became an instant hit.

Later, Xiang Liyan quickly replicated this successful model, establishing leisure farms in five locations across the country, adapting them
to local customs and traditions. Within just three years, the entire investment was recouped, and they are now
beginning to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

"Has your cousin come up with any new dishes lately?" Xiang Liyan asked with a smile. Wu Haosheng's wife,
Chen , is his distant cousin.

"It's just simple fresh vegetables, varied a bit," Wu Haosheng laughed. "But recently she
finally learned how to make a 'bucket chicken,' coated with rice wine and pomelo sauce, roasted over charcoal. It tastes amazing! She wants
you to try it first."

Xiang Liyan's lips twitched, and he smiled unconsciously.

"Actually, eating the chicken bucket was just an excuse," Wu Haosheng admitted shyly. "The main reason is that my son, Heipi,
keeps asking . I'm so busy every day, and as soon as I get home and sit down, this little rascal starts
pestering me to call you. If our phone didn't have a combination lock, he would have dialed it himself long ago. Don't let his small size fool you;
his patience is extraordinary. He keeps bothering my wife and me until we finally give in. For some peace and quiet,
could come over on a weekend?" Heipi is his five-year-old son, a precocious little devil who loves to cling to Xiang Liyan and
idolizes him.

Thinking of that energetic five-year-old boy, Xiang Liyan couldn't help but smile. He felt a little proud of how
popular . Although he had never teased Heipi, Heipi especially loved following him around,
going wherever he went. Based on his irresistible charm, he could probably be a good father someday.

Thinking about being a good father, he thought about the blind date tomorrow at noon.

"How was it? Hei Pi just asked me again in my ear." Wu Haosheng was utterly helpless against his son's persistent pestering.

"Of course, but I have a lunch appointment tomorrow, so I might not be able to go until after it's over." Xiang Liyan also wanted to
relax.

In the past two weeks, he had met five women. For some reason, every woman these days was
incredibly shrewd . They would be a little shy at first, but after five minutes of conversation, they would start subtly inquiring about his
wealth and become more interested in his annual income. He hoped the woman he was meeting tomorrow wouldn't have this annoying
trait .

"No problem, as long as you can come. Do you want to stay here tonight? I still have a
cabin for you." The rural leisure farm had several cabins available for booking, and they were always fully booked during holidays. But no matter
how many people were scrambling to book, Wu Haosheng would still thoughtfully reserve a cabin for Xiang Liyan so he
could come and relax when he was tired.

"That's fine too." Xiang Liyan also felt tired and should find some time to go on vacation.

After hanging up the phone, Xiang Liyan's thoughts returned to his blind date tomorrow. He'd
heard she worked at a computer company. He couldn't recall ever meeting a girl like that before. In the past, he only cared about whether his girlfriend or wife was pretty ; now, he only cared about her loyalty, her ability to take care of the family, and her
willingness to protect the family together . 　　Nothing else mattered. Absolutely nothing.

When Xiang Liyan first saw his blind date, he almost burst out laughing.

He saw a swaying cattail in a dress... Good heavens! How can anyone still have a haircut like that these days?
Also , she seemed to have trouble walking; her eyes were squinted as if she couldn't see clearly and needed someone to help her. Her
pigeon-toed feet were almost kicking the table leg. But upon closer inspection, he found her legs incredibly alluring, and the pinkish-
green dress looked exceptionally elegant against her fair skin.

He struggled to look away from her legs, his gaze gradually moving upwards, only to be captivated by her bewildered expression.

"Mom, give me back my glasses quickly!" Su Xiaomin, who was practically blind without her glasses, kept tugging at
her mother 's hand, hoping she would return the glasses she had hidden.

"Oh dear! You're dressed so beautifully; those ugly glasses really don't suit you. I'll give them back to you after dinner."
Ignoring her daughter's glare, Su's mother quickly hid the glasses in her purse.

"But I can't see clearly like this." She was nearsighted, with a prescription of 800 or 900 degrees, and could only see about ten centimeters ahead;
everything else was a blur.

"Just follow me and you won't go wrong."

"This makes me uneasy; I don't like this feeling." She had been fine when they left the house;
her mother was in high spirits, excitedly bouncing around like a bean, constantly adjusting her clothes and hair,
which she found extremely strange. Now, her mother had hidden her glasses, making it impossible for her to see where she was going.

"It's just a short walk; nothing will happen." Su's mother wanted the other woman to see
a different , not the slovenly and unkempt one.

"That's for the best." She should have made an excuse about working overtime; then she wouldn't have had to attend her mother's group of
wealthy women 's gathering.

While Su Xiaomin was feeling annoyed, they had already arrived at the table.

"You've arrived! Have you been waiting long?" Su's mother immediately greeted them warmly.

"Just arrived, just arrived," the introducer, Wu Xiuhua, said with a cheerful smile.

Mother Su beamed as she hugged Wu Xiuhua, the woman who had introduced them and also a member of her socialite group. But her eyes had already darted to
Xiang Liyan, who sat relaxed, and she immediately began to carefully assess him. Within seconds, the experienced Mother Su
noticed the man's deep, emotionless gaze. Oh no! She'd run into a tough one; Xiaomin, that simpleton, definitely couldn't handle it.

Mother Su took a deep breath and decided to play it safe. She gently nudged her daughter's shoulder, urging her to go inside and sit down
.

"Xiaomin, sit inside."

"Why?" Su Xiaomin frowned, squinting, and muttered softly, "It'll be
inconvenient !" She thought she was there to eat and drink, and
her mother knew that she always needed to use the restroom if she drank too much water.

Mother Su rolled her eyes, utterly exasperated with her absent-minded daughter. "Just sit down,
" she said, pushing her daughter.

Su Xiaomin couldn't disobey her mother and didn't even notice who was sitting opposite her. She could only vaguely make out a man and a woman,
assuming they were her mother's friends. So, she squinted and sat down in a spot against the wall. As soon as she sat down, Wu Xiuhua,
with her matchmaker's smooth talk ,

began, "Xiaomin, it's been a while! Your skin is getting better and better, so supple and beautiful!"
Wu Xiuhua said with a beaming smile. She thought the girl in front of her was graceful and charming, and quite suitable for
her nephew .

"Thank you," Su Xiaomin replied. She felt awkward about the elder's praise, but couldn't say anything directly,
lest she offend the elder without realizing it. Xiang Liyan

watched this scene indifferently. He absentmindedly sipped his water, saying nothing and
revealing emotion. But he kept observing her. Strictly speaking, her features were delicate, not exactly
beautiful, but her face possessed a vibrant energy that made her expression much more captivating.
Because of severe nearsightedness, she could only squint and look straight ahead, giving her a calm and languid appearance.

"Yes! That's the only good thing she inherited from me," Su's mother chuckled.

"Liyan, let me introduce you," Wu Xiuhua warmly introduced her nephew, "This is my
good friend Zhang Huijuan, and this is her daughter, Su Xiaomin." She briefly recounted their respective backgrounds, family members, and
career achievements.

"Hello, I'm Xiang Liyan," Xiang Liyan introduced himself calmly.

Su Xiaomin, who had been drinking water with her head down, was startled by the young man's voice. She
first looked suspiciously at the man opposite her through her slightly unfocused, blurry eyes, then turned and glared angrily at
her mother, expressing her dissatisfaction with her mother's arrangement. Although she was a bit naive, she at least
knew her mother's intentions.

That's right! Her mother must have arranged a blind date for her!

Su's mother, realizing that her daughter knew her plan, wasn't nervous at all. Instead, she calmly pinched her daughter's
thigh , secretly telling her to behave and not cause trouble.

"Ugh...be gentle, it hurts!" Su Xiaomin murmured, then suddenly grabbed her mother
's hand tightly. "Mom, where are my glasses?"

"Wear them later," Su's mother warned. She wanted the other woman to see her daughter's delicate features first, and then reveal her true appearance when
the time was right.

"Mom...do you want me to embarrass myself?" Su Xiaomin threatened softly in her mother's ear. "Maybe I'll
accidentally spill water on their head, or maybe I'll throw knives and forks at them, and then, in a moment of carelessness, I'll
cut them to pieces..."

"You...take them." Su's mother angrily took the glasses out of her purse and handed them to her daughter. Xiang

Liyan sat upright in his chair, squinting as he watched the interaction between the mother and daughter. He suddenly found it very interesting. Marrying
a loyal and interesting wife meant that life would be a little more fun.

As soon as Su Xiaomin put on the glasses, she immediately looked at the man sitting opposite her.

Although he was sitting, it was clear that he was tall, and the muscles in his arms, visible beneath his shirt, were firm and dark,
revealing that he enjoyed outdoor activities. He was a real catch.

However, at this moment, his eyes were fixed on her steadily, his face expressionless, which reminded her of a cold
robot, and she couldn't help but shiver.

Chapter Two

"Um... hello." Su Xiaomin noticed his gaze and immediately returned a silly smile. She
Under his icy gaze, she suddenly went blank, unable to think of anything to say.

Wow—? This guy is so cold, colder than the Siberian ice sheet! She doesn't owe him any money.

Xiang Liyan merely raised an eyebrow and nodded in response to her greeting.

Seeing her daughter's pathetic and embarrassing self-introduction, Su's mother couldn't help but sigh in frustration and
quickly changed the subject.

"Mr. Xiang, my Xiaomin is introverted, quiet, dignified, and adorable. Besides work, she
prefers to stay home and do housework, so she doesn't interact with many people..."

Su Xiaomin secretly stuck out her tongue. Her mother was such a braggart! She couldn't even cook, let alone
do housework ! She'd be lucky if she didn't burn the pot. But bragging didn't cost anything, and it wouldn't hurt her, so she let her
mother spout nonsense!

Ignoring Su's mother's endless chatter, Xiang Liyan simply watched Su Xiaomin's ever-changing expressions. Her mother was
graceful and elegant. With her exquisite makeup and fashionable attire, she looked like a trendy middle-aged
woman, but Su Xiaomin was quite different.

Up close, her face was completely free of makeup, clean and delicate, giving her fair skin a
subtle glow that made him want to reach out and touch it. As for her stylist hair… well, he wasn't looking for
a model, but a loyal wife; beauty didn't really matter to him.

Perhaps because he seemed a little cold and distant, his aunt, the matchmaker Wu Xiuhua, began
to worry. To help her nephew find a wife, she had gone to great lengths, introducing him to five
girls , but he had shown little interest in any of them, leaving her, the super matchmaker
who had arranged over three hundred marriages, feeling utterly unfulfilled.

Desperate, Wu Xiuhua also began to echo Su's mother's words, enthusiastically promoting Su Xiaomin,
her attitude of trying very hard to win over the two of them very clear.

"Yes! I've known Xiaomin for many years. Xiaomin is such a filial and good girl. After her father passed away,
she completely took on the responsibility of caring for her mother. Such a girl is very rare in modern times..." Wu Xiuhua continued
.

Su Xiaomin was stunned, feeling a little embarrassed and amused, but she didn't know how to respond or interject, so she could only
keep smiling awkwardly and occasionally chime in. Let alone maintaining harmony in public,
she couldn't afford to make the situation too awkward, given the relationship between the matchmaker and her mother. Otherwise, her mother would definitely skin her alive when she got home.

But smiling awkwardly all the time was tiring! And the man opposite her looked so cold, so she didn't dare to chat with him and
could only sit there blankly.

While the two elders were enthusiastically stirring up the conversation, the two people on the blind date ignored the elders' efforts to matchmake
them. One would occasionally space out, and the other would often fall silent. He remained calm and composed, without any unnecessary movements or words, only
exuding his own charm. And her answers were also very simple: "um," "okay," "sure," "right."

After the food was served, Su Xiaomin, who had been
lost in thought, immediately became engrossed in her food.

"Liyan, say something! Chat with Xiaomin," Wu Xiuhua
urged her nephew, her voice trembling with worry.

"Daughter! Can you tone down your eating? It looks so ill-mannered!" Su's mother also
pleaded , but Su Xiaomin just gave a perfunctory reply and continued eating.

She had only eaten a little last night before going to work in her study, only getting five or six hours of sleep before bed
, missing breakfast. She was starving, hence her intense eating. Xiang Liyan's intrigued
gaze lingered on Su Xiaomin, who remained engrossed in her food. It was the first time he'd seen a woman
eat so much in front of him, especially on a blind date, without any embarrassment or awkwardness. He admired
her unpretentious nature.

"How's work going?" Xiang Liyan suddenly asked.

"Huh?" Su Xiaomin looked up at the sound of his voice, her cheeks puffed out, not quite understanding
what .

Xiang Liyan noticed her suspicious look and repeated the question.

"Oh? You mean my job!" Su Xiaomin quickly swallowed what she was chewing on and then
made a face . "So-so! Just trying to make a living." She then buried herself back in her work.

Hearing her daughter's perfunctory answer, Su's mother rolled her eyes, rubbed her forehead, and shook her head.

"You're really hungry," he asserted.

Su Xiaomin chuckled, "When you're hungry, you eat, just like when you're full you need to poop. It's an age-old
truth."

Hearing her daughter's nonsensical and foolish answer, even Su's mother, who had raised her daughter, felt
ashamed , her body stiffening like a plaster statue. Even the matchmaker, Wu Xiuhua, was startled.

Xiang Liyan found it amusing but merely raised an eyebrow and said nothing.

After the two elders tried every trick in the book, they found that the two people involved were still cold and indifferent
, unable to connect. They had no choice but to excuse themselves to the dressing room to discuss strategies, lest today's blind date be another waste of time.

"I also want to go to the dressing room, you enjoy your meal." Perhaps because she was full, Su Xiaomin suddenly
needed to use the restroom .

She stood up, but forgot she was wearing high heels, so as she took her usual steps forward,
she accidentally kicked the table leg with her left foot. She quickly grabbed the edge of the table to balance her staggering steps, but as if things were
n't going well, her right foot, lacking support, also collided with her left foot,

causing her to lose her balance and fall forward. "Are you alright?" His warm hand immediately grasped her arm, saving her from a fall.

"That was terrifying." She patted her startled heart.

"Are you alright?" he asked again.

His approach brought with it his body heat. It took her a moment to recover her senses before she realized his hand was still
tightly gripping her arm, and her hand, in turn, was instinctively clinging to the lifeline that had saved her life.

"I'm fine. I'm just not used to wearing high heels, so..." she managed a forced
smile.

"I understand," he said with a mocking smile.

Su Xiaomin hesitantly released his arm, and at close range, she clearly saw a faint, almost imperceptible smile flickering in his eyes
. Was this schadenfreude? And his sly, mischievous grin seemed to hint at something sinister.
He laughed at her.

"Everyone falls down, the most important thing is to get up quickly." Su Xiaomin wanted to salvage her almost
completely lost face, so she quickly declared.

"You're right." This time, he wanted to laugh even more.

"Uh...can you let go of my hand?" Su Xiaomin looked at her hand, then at his strong
arm.

"Sorry." Xiang Liyan didn't expect that he would hold onto her slender arm so tightly, and quickly let go. "

It's okay." She turned to walk towards the dressing room.

"But..." Xiang Liyan grabbed her arm again, hesitating to speak. His throat tightened, staring at her
thighs, heat exploding within him, making him feel a certain part of his body burning. "I think you should
pull your skirt up first."

She turned around and suspiciously followed his gaze downwards, then exclaimed, "Ah...my skirt!"
The light, thin chiffon skirt had somehow ridden up and was clinging to her buttocks, almost revealing her
underwear.

His throat went dry. "If it weren't for your nervous look, I would have thought you were trying to seduce me,"
he muttered under his breath.

She hurriedly adjusted the back of her skirt, facing him, her cheeks flushed. For
some reason, explaining the situation to him felt incredibly important.

"I'm sorry, I... I don't usually wear skirts... so I didn't realize this was happening
. Thank you for reminding me," she stammered.

"I know, it's alright," he said, releasing her arm. Alright my foot! His entire body was
tense , especially when his hand left her smooth arm; he felt a void.

The two elders who had been secretly watching exchanged a knowing smile—it seemed they had a clue!

"Miss Su, these are oranges. It's the peak season now; you can pick one and try it," the farm owner
, Wu Haosheng, said solicitously.

"Oh, thank you," Su Xiaomin said, standing on the rural leisure farm, a bucket in her left hand and
scissors , staring blankly at the sturdy orange tree.

Two hours ago, she was enjoying a fancy meal at a hotel, dressed in a dress, and now she was visiting this leisure farm
.

She glanced at Xiang Liyan standing to the side, still confused as to whether she had been
kidnapped against her will. After dinner, the two elders, holding hands, said they were going shopping, leaving her with Xiang
Liyan , telling them to go see a movie, have a date, or something before going back.

At that time, the two of them were standing at the entrance of the bustling restaurant when Xiang Liyan turned his head and casually asked her, "Do you
like oranges?"

"Yes!" she answered instinctively without thinking too much; she wasn't a picky eater!

Unexpectedly, that was all she said, and then he drove her up the mountain, arriving at a rural leisure farm an
hour later. Then she was asked to change into long pants and yellow plastic rain boots,
and then taken to visit the orchard. What was going on?

"Wow! Uncle Xiang is so amazing!" A small boy, his skin tanned dark by the sun, shouted
and clapped his hands frantically.

"Oh, not at all." Even the usually aloof Xiang Liyan couldn't help but chuckle at Hei Pi's fawning praise.

"Hei Pi, you're such a sycophant!" Hei Pi's father, Wu Haosheng, smiled and smacked his son's
round head.

"I pick oranges every day and you never clap for me, but your Uncle Xiang only picked one orange and you
're already praising him?"

Hei Pi stuck out his tongue, his face full of flattery. "Because Uncle always brings me Swiss candy, but Dad, you haven't even bought me a
lollipop ."

"You're such a stingy kid." Wu Haosheng shook his head helplessly after his son's sharp retort.

Su Xiaomin looked at the five-year-old boy with amusement. He had dark skin all over, wore cute
overalls and a shirt with a monkey pattern, and his eyes were quite bright, with a hint of cleverness.

"The oranges are still very sweet this year, perfect for the whole family to pick together." Xiang Liyan ate a freshly picked
orange and began discussing the farm's operations with Wu Haosheng.

Su Xiaomin looked suspiciously at Xiang Liyan's innocent smile. She had initially thought he was the epitome of the Siberian
ice sheet , but she hadn't expected him to have this carefree, unguarded side. Seeing him enjoying his orange
, she couldn't resist cutting off a piece to try.

"Want some?" Su Xiaomin noticed Hei Pi staring at her curiously and asked him casually.

"Yes!" Hei Pi jumped around like a monkey.

Su Xiaomin cut off another orange and handed it to Hei Pi, peeling it for him so he could suck the juice.

"Thank you, Auntie." Hei Pi took the orange, chuckling happily.

Auntie? Three straight lines slid down Su Xiaomin's face.

"Call me sister, we're only a few years apart." Heh heh, she was clearly very young.

"How old are you?" Hei Pi glanced at her.

"Twenty-six."

"Twenty-six minus five equals twenty-one." The clever Hei Pi counted on his fingers, incredibly sharp.

"Only twenty-one is alright!" Su Xiaomin broke out in a cold sweat; she was really
struggling .

"So much less! You look so old!" The black-skinned boy's childish words were infuriating.

"..." Waaah, she was being bullied by a five-year-old.

Xiang Liyan, who was originally discussing business issues with Wu Haosheng, was surprised to see Su Xiaomin adapt to
the environment so quickly and get along quite well with the black-skinned boy.

After the matchmaking event at lunch, he was going to drive her home, but since her house was
in the opposite direction from the leisure farm, he was worried about wasting time going back and forth. So he asked her if she liked oranges, and to his surprise, she
nodded said she did. So he gave her a ride up the mountain.

He had a good first impression of her; at least she didn't act like a fairy or a princess in front of him, and
after arriving at the farm, she seemed to enjoy herself and wasn't afraid of mud or wearing rain boots. He had brought a
woman , but she refused to take off her high heels or leave the house, simply because she was afraid of getting
muddy or swarming fruit bugs.

This was outrageous; he didn't want his child's mother to be the kind who only knew how to feign elegance and enjoy the fruit platter.
She was a foolish woman who didn't understand the hard work involved in cultivating fruit.

"Do you want to see my pet?" Blackie noticed the older woman in front of him was a bit dim-witted, seemingly easily fooled
, and his mischievous side began to stir.

"A pet?" A kitten or a puppy? Or perhaps a lizard or a turtle?

"Hold out your hand first."

"Okay." Su Xiaomin obediently held out both hands.

Blackie carefully took something out of his pocket and placed it on Su
Xiaomin warning her, "I'm telling you, this is my favorite pet, be careful not to drop it."

"This is…" Su Xiaomin stared intently, her hands trembling.

Scared, aren't you! Scared, aren't you! Blackie's sly eyes were fixed on Su Xiaomin, wanting to see her burst into tears
of fright.

"It's so beautiful!" Su Xiaomin exclaimed. A completely green caterpillar slowly wriggled, its body even
larger than her index finger, its plump appearance quite adorable.

Ah? So beautiful? Blackie froze, incredulous. Had his tried-and-true prank backfired?

"What's its name?" Su Xiaomin looked at Blackie with admiration, never expecting him to have such an adorable pet.

"Uh..." Blackie scratched his head suspiciously, finding this aunt a bit strange, so he just guessed,
"It's called Greenie. I'm Blackie, so it's called Greenie." Anyway, it's green, so it doesn't matter!

"What a fitting name." Su Xiaomin reluctantly returned Greenie to Blackie. "What does Greenie eat?"

"Ah! It loves cucumbers the most. It ate all the cucumbers I planted!" Greenie was a big eater, and
he was very proud of Greenie.

"Blackie, did you catch bugs and scare people again?" A cold voice sounded behind Blackie.

"I didn't!" Blackie was startled. After putting the caterpillar back into his pocket, he mischievously pounced on
his father whispered in his ear, "Dad, let me tell you, that auntie really likes bugs! It's weird, isn't it?"

In his short life, he thought that all girls were afraid of bugs and would
scream every time they saw one.

"It's not weird. Some girls aren't afraid of bugs."

"Then why is Mom afraid of long-legged spiders?" Blackie tugged at his mother's leg. Long-legged spiders were also one of his
pets . Every time he caught one and brought it home, his mother would scold him in a panic, followed by her swiftly
stomping the spider to death.

Uh... worried about embarrassing his wife, Wu Haosheng could only laugh awkwardly and let it go.

"Auntie, would you like to be a tour guide at the farm?" Blackie had never seen a girl who wasn't afraid of bugs before, and
he couldn't help but try to persuade her to join the farm. Moreover, he had recently overheard his parents discussing that because
more and more people were coming to the farm, they wanted to find someone to give tours and explanations.

"Huh?" Su Xiaomin was stunned.

"You brat, your auntie has to go to work, she doesn't have time to work here." Wu Haosheng gently tapped his son's head.

Auntie? How come there's another person calling her auntie? She's really going to be driven crazy by this father and son.

"How about coming on a weekend?" Hei Pi had already made arrangements for her, "Have your boyfriend drive you."

"I don't have a boyfriend." How embarrassing, talking about this with a five-year-old.

"Stop pretending." Hei Pi gave her a condescending look, "Isn't Uncle Xiang his? Didn't you
come ?"

"No..." She wanted to explain that coming together didn't mean they were boyfriend and girlfriend.

Hei Pi interrupted Su Xiaomin's clarification, "I don't care! Dad, hurry up and pay Auntie to come work!"

"No."

"She's not allowed."

Su Xiaomin and Xiang Liyan were also rejected at the same time.

"Why not?" Hei Pi pouted, really not understanding what the adults were thinking, "My dad will pay."

Wu Haosheng rolled his eyes, this kid only knew how to steal his girlfriend.

"Auntie has work to do. She's very busy every day. She can come to play, but she can't work here,"
Xiang Liyan explained.

He hadn't expected Hei Pi to take a liking to Su Xiaomin so quickly and even want her to work at the farm.

Su Xiaomin was stunned. How come there was another person calling her "Auntie"? Was she that old?

"Then Auntie, you don't need to come to work, but you have to come and play with me often." Hei Pi was young,
but .

"Okay, I agree." She nodded in agreement, but she still had a feeling of being tricked by a five-year-old.

"Hei Pi, since Auntie has agreed to come and play often, shouldn't you take her to see the swans we raise?"
There was a small lake on the farm where several black and white swans were raised.

"Okay." Li Yipi nodded, his childish voice full of flattery, "But Daddy, can I have an extra bowl of red bean soup
during ?" Drinking hot red bean soup on a cool day was his favorite.

"You brat! You expect a kickback for every little favor I ask you to do? Is that how I raised you?" The dark-skinned father
punched his son on the head.

"Yeah!"

"What do you mean?" "

When you didn't have any allowance, didn't you always tell Mom you wanted to earn money through chores? So at night you'd
send me back to my room saying I had to help Mom with chores!" The dark-skinned boy looked at his father, puzzled.
"Is chores tiring? Why do you and Mom keep asking me to?" He was such a curious and eager child.

The couple's intimate moment was inadvertently revealed by their son, leaving Wu Haosheng embarrassed, a suspicious
blush spreading across his rugged face. With such a cunning son, he really wanted to put him back in his wife's belly.

Su Xiaomin and Xiang Liyan exchanged a glance, struggling to suppress their laughter, their faces contorted in pain.

Wu Haosheng cleared his throat, intending to change the subject, and said to Su Xiaomin with a serious expression, "Miss Su,
I think it would be better if Mr. Xiang led you on a tour. The swans on our farm are very intelligent. If you would like to
feed them, there are breadcrumbs and other food available in the lobby."

"Okay, I understand." Su Xiaomin held her breath, trying hard not to laugh.

"After your tour, you can also join our 'Ma Zao' activity. We have a guest who made a reservation today, so
you can come and play too."

Before Su Xiaomin and Xiang Liyan could speak, Wu Haosheng finished speaking, grabbed the still smiling and innocent-looking Hei Pi,
turned around with a stiff face, and quickly left.

As soon as he left, Xiang Liyan and Su Xiaomin couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Hei Pi is so cute!" Su Xiaomin laughed until she almost cried.

She didn't know that children these days were so clever and mischievous; it was truly amusing.

"His father doesn't think so," Xiang Liyan said with a smile.

"If only I could have a child as cute and clever as Hei Pi someday,"
Su Xiaomin said enviously.

"You will,"

Su Xiaomin replied with a smile, not saying anything more.

"Let's go! Let's look around." Xiang Liyan took the bucket from her hand and held her
arm with his other hand.

The oblivious Su Xiaomin didn't mind and let him lead the way.

"Do you come here often?"

"Yes! I'm very familiar with Hei Pi's family." Xiang Liyan looked at the picturesque scenery, feeling refreshed.
"I come here at least once a month." In fact, he was a shareholder, so it
was only natural for him to care about the properties under his name.

"The air here is so fresh." She took a deep breath, letting the clean air fill her chest.

"The phytoncides and sunrises here are famous." Because it's surrounded by tall trees, with the farm being a
vast flat area, the scenery is unique.

She looked around at the expansive land and the beautifully sculpted landscape, her face full of surprise. "Really? A sunrise?
That must be beautiful."

"I see it all the time, I'm used to it." In fact, he hadn't noticed a sunrise in a very long time
.

She suddenly chuckled. "It's all the same sunrise, but where you see it, or who you see it with,
gives you a different feeling."

"You're right."

"Actually, I often see sunrises too, but it's usually when I finish work and go to bed, and
it's also when I'm most tired and exhausted. I don't notice anything different about today's sunrise
compared to usual; I just feel dizzy from the light." Su Xiaomin said innocently.

"I'm often like that too. Back then, sleeping was the only important thing, and I didn't care when the sky was falling." That was
true. Since his divorce five years ago, he had been busy working every day until he was exhausted and collapsed in bed.

"That's right, that's right! Actually, staying up all night is commonplace for everyone in our IT team. Some people
even bring their sleeping bags to the company when they're rushing to finish a task! They eat, drink, poop, and pee all at the company. If you see
someone like a homeless person hanging around a company, it's definitely someone from our IT line..."

Xiang Liyan listened to Su Xiaomin's endless chatter, completely unaware that the corners of his mouth were quietly turning up.
He felt very warm and comfortable during the short few hours he spent with her, like being close to nature's embrace, and his
eyes were involuntarily fixed on Su Xiaomin.

Whether it was her generous expression as she wolfed down her food, her playful banter with Hei Pi, her
relaxed demeanor in long pants and rain boots, or even the embarrassing moment when her skirt accidentally lifted up and she almost exposed her underwear,
he noticed everything in detail.

But he didn't realize that he was always focusing his attention on her, nor did he notice her beautiful image beginning to take root
in his heart…

Chapter 3

“The car can stay here, I can walk in myself,” Su Xiaomin said politely.

Xiang Liyan glanced at her, his eyes filled with an anger he himself didn't understand—anger at his own confused
thoughts .

In the afternoon at the leisure farm, they spent a pleasant afternoon with Hei Pi's family. The mischievous Hei Pi, having
found a playmate he enjoyed, Su Xiaomin, clung to her constantly and happily invited her
to stay for dinner.

“No.” Hearing his own words of refusal, Xiang Liyan ignored the puzzled and surprised
looks . He simply told Su Xiaomin to change her clothes quickly so he could take her home before the traffic jams.

To be honest, he didn't know why he said that. Although he hadn't explained
his relationship with Su Xiaomin from the beginning, Wu Haosheng seemed to have seen through something, winking at him and congratulating him on finally
finding a woman he could enjoy spending time with.

He should have been happy that the Blackie family and Su Xiaomin got along well, but suddenly, he
felt doubtful about his relationship with Su Xiaomin. Although they had only known each other for a few hours, and she was just
one of , calling it a relationship was too idealistic; at best, they were only slightly more familiar than strangers.

He didn't really know her. Although his first impression of her was excellent, he had also
fallen in love , only to end up separating due to vastly different values. Ultimately, he was just
a coward, a coward who was afraid of women getting too involved in his life, and he didn't want to repeat that mistake.
He had to make a careful choice regarding his future partner.

"Are you sure you want to get off here?"

"Yes." She nodded.

This time, he didn't speak, but simply parked the SUV on the side of the road and went around to the other side to open the door for her.

Avoiding his outstretched hand, she didn't wait for his gentlemanly assistance, grabbing her easily fluttering skirt and quickly jumping
out.

After jumping out of the car, she turned to face him, a forced smile on her face. "Goodbye, thank you for your hospitality today
."

"I'm sorry, I had an urgent matter, so I couldn't have dinner at Hei Pi's house..." He was eager to find an
explanation to ease the awkward atmosphere.

But as soon as he said it, they both knew it was just an awkward lie. Xiang Liyan was extremely annoyed .
He wasn't a hot-blooded young man, so why did he always feel
powerless ?

"It's okay," Su Xiaomin said understandingly.

To be honest, she wasn't quite sure what had happened either, but she felt that his mood had suddenly changed, and he seemed
angry.

The sudden silence made the atmosphere a little strange. He looked at her beautiful profile and suddenly asked,
"Can I call you?"

Su Xiaomin stared at his tall figure under the streetlights, looking at him thoughtfully.

"Mr. Xiang, are we on a blind date today?" Although she only found out she had been tricked by her mother after she arrived,
She figured she had to eat anyway, and it would be good to meet more people, so she didn't make an excuse to leave.

He nodded. "That's right."

She smiled at him, poised and confident. "If neither of us wants to become friends further, let's not
be so polite. I'll take it seriously."

"I..." He didn't know how to explain his sudden change in mood.

She turned to look at the twinkling lights in the night. "I don't know why you suddenly got upset,
but even though I'm a bit slow and seem lacking in social skills, I still have emotions and self-respect. Your
strong rejection of Blackie's dinner invitation just now made me feel very embarrassed, so let's forget about calling!"

Just as she was excitedly about accepting Blackie's dinner invitation,

his forceful rejection left her stunned. While she stood there dumbfounded, her father leaned over and whispered in her ear,
"He just didn't expect to get along so well with a woman, and he couldn't accept it right away, so he was
a bit rude. Don't take it to heart."

She had actually thought he was someone she could share her thoughts and experiences with, but since he
was so eccentric and occasionally gave her the cold shoulder, she decided against it.

Xiang Liyan looked at her and spoke his mind, "I'm attracted to you." His voice was rough and husky, tinged with
uncertainty. "I believe you don't have a bad impression of me either."

She nodded, admitting that she felt good about him. "And then?"

"I just feel like things are moving too fast..." He struggled to sort out his chaotic thoughts.

He was twenty-five when he rushed into marriage with his ex-wife, Zhao Meiyi, after knowing her for only two months. During their year-long marriage,
he worked tirelessly, expanding his business to its current scale. Unexpectedly, she accused him of
neglecting his marital duties and demanded a divorce, taking away his most profitable supermarkets and leaving him with a mess.
He was forced to sell the ten acres of land inherited from his grandfather and work himself to the bone for two more years to
revive . He had been taken advantage of once and was determined not to repeat the same mistake.

Disappointment pierced her heart; it seemed like just an excuse. But she said nothing more, her eyes
downcast with disappointment.

Unable to control his impulse, he suddenly grasped her hand, feeling her delicate palm against
his . Seeing her soft lips part slightly, as if wanting to say something but biting back with her teeth,
a wave of desire washed over him.

"May I kiss you?" his voice was low and urgent. "Just once."

She was stunned.

He couldn't wait to reach out and encircle her, holding her tightly, pressing her breasts against his chest.
Then, he lowered his head and captured her slightly parted, red lips, revealing her surprise.

The kiss was fierce and deep; his lips were hot and wild. She instinctively reached out and clung to his
neck, her legs weak, pressing tightly against his chest.

The intense, passionate kiss made him shudder, his grip on her body tightening. She let out a soft moan,
letting him tease and satisfy her, kissing her passionately.

They stared intently at each other; his expression was one of surprise and excitement, his eyes shining brightly. Her lips were
moist and red from the kiss, her face filled with confusion and uncertainty, until his iron-like arms loosened their embrace, and she
quickly regained her senses.

"I'll definitely call you," he smiled, like a cat that had successfully stolen some fish. All her uncertainty
vanished in the kiss, solidifying his resolve.

"..." She couldn't speak, she couldn't utter a word, she could only nod, her legs trembling.

"Hurry back!" His eyes, previously filled with confusion and countless thoughts, were now clear and bright.

She pressed her hand to her chest, her heart pounding, completely flustered and disoriented. Urged on by him, she
slowly turned around, her legs trembling, and walked home lightly, unaware of what had just happened.

"You've fallen in love with him?"

Su's mother gently shook her daughter, who was sitting on the sofa in a daze.

She was surprised that her daughter had gone on a trip with her blind date for so long. If it were someone she didn't get along with, Xiaomin
would definitely have found an excuse to leave, not gone on such a joyful trip, much less come home with a silly grin.

"People don't fall in love with someone in a few hours," Su Xiaomin refuted the theory.

Although she said that, as soon as she closed her eyes,
the blissful feeling of leaning against him and receiving his passionate kiss immediately appeared in her mind.

At this moment, she was caught in a vortex of contemplation again, and apart from a slight bewilderment at his actions, she was
surprised that she had accepted him so easily. No matter how much she wanted to cut ties or pretend it never happened, she knew deep down
that life had changed and would never be the same again.

"Some people will, some won't; sometimes they will, sometimes they won't," Su's mother said, reciting a Zen-like
rhyme.

"I just had a very good impression of him," Su Xiaomin said, blushing shyly, "and no
man has ever kissed me so passionately." She could still feel the burning sensation on her lips, it was incredibly stimulating.

"Kiss you?" Su's mother's eyes widened, her jaw almost dropping.

"Why didn't you mention that earlier?"

As soon as Su Xiaomin got home, her mother couldn't wait to find out about their relationship. Su Xiaomin only
briefly mentioned the key points, omitting the kiss.

Realizing she'd let something slip, Su Xiaomin quickly pretended to be clueless, "Mom, it's not worth asking about! He just politely
kissed my cheek, don't make a fuss."

She couldn't understand why she hadn't resisted at all, just leaning softly against him,
completely unwilling to break free.

She had kissed a few times before, but none had been as intoxicating. When he lowered his head to kiss her, his passionate
kiss and firm embrace made her feel as if she wanted to give herself to him; she was completely overwhelmed by his warm chest. It was
all so beautiful it was intoxicating, making her straighten up and meet his passionate lips.

"Liar." Su's mother's sharp eyes scrutinized her daughter, bluntly exposing the lie.

"I didn't." Her eyes darted around, avoiding her mother's gaze.

"You kept biting your lip; it's obvious your lips just looked like they were kissed." Hahaha, so
obvious and still pretending, so cute.

"My lips were just itchy." Su Xiaomin dodged left and right, still trying to play dumb.

Su's mother chuckled mischievously. "Do you think I don't know my daughter's capabilities? Anyway, you haven't been kissed
many times , so trying something a little more intense wouldn't be bad."

It was truly embarrassing; sometimes being able to talk about anything with her mother could be a problem. Because she and her mother were like best friends who could
share , she told her mother everything. Therefore
, her mother knew all about her past relationships and what had happened.

"How was it? Was it great?" Su's mother put her arm around her shoulder and asked with a grin.

"Mom!" Su Xiaomin was almost scared to death by these words. "Can't you be a little more tactful?"

"I'm just telling the truth." Su's mother nudged her daughter's shoulder. "Tell me quickly, how did it feel?"

Su Xiaomin thought for a long time before finally managing to say a few words, "Soft and spicy."

Su's mother rolled her eyes. Her daughter was truly embarrassing! She couldn't even find the right words to describe a kiss; she was unworthy of being
a woman . "So how do you feel?"

"Lightheaded." Su Xiaomin covered her blushing cheeks. "He even said he'd call me."

"And what's your impression of him?" Both parties need to be compatible for a relationship to progress.

"Not bad." Su Xiaomin thought for a moment, a little hesitant. "But sometimes he can suddenly
become very cold ."

"Just light a fire, that'll do." Su's mother said sassily.

"Easier said than done." Who knows if he's just eccentric or has a gloomy personality?

"I think he's just superficially cold; deep down he's definitely the repressed type." Su's mother made a definitive judgment;
that was her first impression of Xiang Liyan.

"You know everything, yet you haven't even exchanged many words with him." Su Xiaomin scoffed at her.

"I've met more people than you have," Su's mother began to chatter on and on. "Back when your father was alive,
I often went out with him to social events and met all sorts of people. So now, I
can ."

"Mom, are you thirsty?" Su Xiaomin suddenly asked solicitously.

"Xiaomin, you really understand my needs." Su's mother was touched by her daughter's thoughtfulness; it was worth
raising .

"Because I know you can talk for two hours straight once you start, I'm worried you'll get thirsty!" Su Xiaomin brought over
some water and loudly challenged him. "Drink some before you go, good luck! Good luck!"

A week later.

Xiang Liyan sat blankly in the restaurant, staring expressionlessly at the woman in front of him. This was his seventh blind
date.

"Liyan, say something!" His aunt, Wu Xiuhua, nudged him and whispered in his ear.

"I have nothing to say," Xiang Liyan shrugged listlessly.

Recently, the prepared foods sold in his chain supermarkets were found to be substandard by local health authorities during a surprise inspection.
This, amplified by the media, led to a barrage of consumer complaints. He was
extremely just when he finally managed to bring the matter to a close, his aunt launched into a barrage of calls as
soon as he got home last night.

"I've called you so many times, where have you been?" his aunt asked unhappily.

"I was on a business trip."

"Oh, by the way, I found you another nice girl. We've arranged to meet at
a restaurant tomorrow, Sunday, for lunch." Since he decided to go on blind dates, he'd been meeting the same woman at the same restaurant to avoid any trouble.

"A blind date? The thought reminded him of his promise to call Su Xiaomin, which he
had broken because he was busy.

'I thought you liked Xiaomin. I even heard from her mother that you took her to a leisure farm in the mountains.
I thought you two got along so well that something was going on, but after my subtle questioning, it turns out you haven't even
called her… I think you and Su Xiaomin aren't meant to be!' Wu Xiuhua sighed and continued,
'I've arranged another blind date for you urgently. You have to be there on time tomorrow.'

Before Xiang Liyan could refuse, Wu Xiuhua hung up.

Xiang Liyan wanted to call his aunt back to ask her to cancel the appointment, but then he thought that he hadn't given her a clear
answer , which was why she continued to arrange blind dates for him. If he canceled at the last minute, it wouldn't be good for her. Since
he had already made the appointment, he decided to go tomorrow; it was just a meal anyway.

He thought he'd tell his aunt about his feelings for Su Xiaomin tomorrow, and that he had decided to try
dating her."

The next day, after meeting his seventh blind date at the restaurant, Xiang Liyan felt a pang of regret, wishing he had rejected her earlier . He had never known this woman was so talkative. From the moment she sat down, her mouth never stopped
moving . 　　"Mr. Xiang, I heard you have a very successful business, owning more than ten chain supermarkets?" the woman said with a smile, taking a sip of water, her smile carrying a deep scrutiny. 　　"It's alright, just making a living," Xiang Liyan replied conservatively. 　　The woman's eyes lit up when she heard the man was wealthy, and she began to chatter excitedly, "When I lived in America, I loved going to shopping malls. But after coming back to Taiwan, I found Taiwanese shopping malls so difficult to navigate; the clothes are always a size too small... 　　" " 　　So noisy!" Xiang Liyan suppressed his irritation, letting her ramble interrupting. He told himself he could endure it for another ten minutes, then he could excuse himself and leave, so his aunt, the matchmaker, wouldn't lose face. 　　"What are your plans for the future?" the woman asked politely, but also with a hint of snobbery. Her sister had recently married into a wealthy family, living a glamorous and respectable life; she couldn't be too shabby, and it would be best to marry a rich man to maintain appearances. 　　"No plans, because plans never keep up with changes," Xiang Liyan replied casually. 　　A commotion at the restaurant entrance caught Xiang Liyan's attention. He turned around and saw a large group of people entering—seven or eight men and women, one of whom was... Su Xiaomin. 　　"Miss Su, you said the food at this restaurant is delicious, right?" Wang Yuntang asked Su Xiaomin . He was a computer specialist who had recently been poached from another company. He was only twenty-eight years old and was immediately appointed as a manager, which made the employees very unhappy with him, an outsider. They secretly acted arrogantly and deliberately failed to complete the projects entrusted by the cooperating manufacturers within the time limit .

Upon discovering the situation, the chivalrous Su Xiaomin immediately volunteered to help, which is why she came to
work on Sunday. Hearing Su Xiaomin's offer, the other employees, feeling embarrassed, reluctantly came to help.
Overtime was commonplace for them anyway, but they disliked Director Wang and wanted to give him a hard time.

Indeed, unity is strength. They finished all the cases in just one morning, and
Wang Yuntang 's impression of Su Xiaomin soared to its peak
. He enthusiastically suggested treating her to lunch. However, to his surprise, a group of people immediately chimed in, insisting on joining them and forbidding him from refusing.

"Yes! I ate here last week, it was delicious!" The place wasn't far from her company,
but she had never eaten there before. She was surprised to fall in love with the food on her first try last week.

"Thanks to Xiaomin! We got a free meal!" another female colleague, Cai Minzhen, chuckled jokingly.
Her attire was completely different from Su Xiaomin's casual style; instead, she wore a miniskirt, a short top, and tall boots, making her look like
a woman at the forefront of fashion.

Wang Yuntang's face darkened, cold sweat pouring down his back, lamenting his misfortune. He had only intended to treat Su Xiaomin to a
meal, but instead, a bunch of starving ghosts had appeared, and now his wallet was definitely going to suffer a major blow.

"You can't do this! How can you let the director treat us?" Su Xiaomin chuckled,
completely unaware of the "internal strife" she had caused.

"What does it matter? The director may lack many things, but he certainly doesn't lack money, right!" It was Team Leader Zeng, with his hair disheveled like
straw . He had originally thought he would be promoted to director, but the company had poached this idiot with a hefty sum, which he
hated.

Wang Yuntang was embarrassed and didn't know what to do. He was the kind of person with top-notch computer skills but
zero .

Su Xiaomin smiled; she loved being with these colleagues. "Oh dear, don't say that—"
Her words trailed off as she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure out of the corner of her eye. It was Xiang Liyan,
sitting in the same spot she'd been on her blind date, next to his aunt, and opposite him a young woman
and her family. Her gaze deliberately swept past Xiang Liyan, who was staring at her with a look of utter astonishment, and after a quick glance
around she turned away.

Ah, so that's it! She understood.

The enticing aroma of food masked her misery. She averted her gaze, forcing a smile, and said
to colleague, "Don't say too much, I'm starving! I'm going to eat until my stomach bursts before I go home."

"That's right!" came Cai Minzhen, Su Xiaomin's best colleague at the company. This
group usually had a lot of work pressure, and enjoying good food was their only way to release that pressure.

Su Xiaomin grabbed her colleague's hand, feigning happiness, and headed towards an empty seat, determined to eat her fill to
vent her pent-up frustration.

After driving his aunt home, Xiang Liyan returned to his car. He had already
discussed all his thoughts with her in the car, including asking her to politely decline his blind date and to put more effort
into pursuing Su Xiaomin.

Thinking of Su Xiaomin, he cursed under his breath in frustration and pounded the steering wheel. Su Xiaomin had seen
him and was definitely mistaken. She had once so actively clung to him and accepted his kiss, but her indifferent expression and lack of remorse
afterward suggested she might never want to have anything to do with him again.

His seventh blind date ended quickly, lasting only ten minutes.

The woman angrily scolded him for being arrogant, and he could only humbly accept it; after all, it was his own problem, and he
couldn't make up a few empty words like he had on previous blind dates. Now, he wanted
a real relationship he could grasp.

His anger and frustration surged within him, and he took out his phone, dialing a number he had
memorized .

When he left the restaurant, she was still dining with a group of people; they should have finished by now!

The phone rang three times before being answered. "Hello?"

"Xiaomin? This is Xiang Liyan."

A brief silence followed.

Then came her low voice, "What's up?"

He finally mustered the courage to speak, and what he said was baffling, "Can we try
dating with marriage in mind?"

This time the silence was even longer.

"Why?" Su Xiaomin asked, puzzled. "Didn't you like your blind date today?" In fact, she
should have hung up on him to avoid getting caught up in this inexplicable situation, but her usually
logical mind was in complete disarray, constantly analyzing, combining, and interpreting.

"Yeah." He gripped the phone tightly.

"How many blind dates have you been on?" Her voice was full of curiosity.

"Seven, including today."

"So, which blind date am I?"

"The sixth," he said.

"You didn't like any of them?" The one she saw today was a stunning beauty! And she had a curvaceous figure
; aren't men all attracted to this type?

"Yes." His voice was tense. "Of all these people, I only like you."

It didn't matter who made the first move; he could sense their mutual attraction, and they could both
detect the unspoken affection in each other's eyes. He never pursued women who had no feelings for him, nor did he
cater to women he wasn't interested in. After all, forced relationships are never sweet, and he wouldn't waste time and effort trying to please someone.

Silence descended again, so long that Xiang Liyan felt like he was turning into a fossil. Finally, her voice
rang out again.

"Will you continue going on blind dates?" she asked, still puzzled.

"No, I promise I won't." He hurriedly recounted his busy week and how his aunt had arranged more blind dates for him because she thought he didn't
like Then, nervously, he asked, "What's your answer? Are you
willing to try dating me, with marriage as the goal?"

"Okay."

He sighed, his tension slowly dissipating. Only then did he realize he was drenched in sweat, even his
palms were soaked.

"Are you at the company or at home?" With the important question resolved, he could finally start chatting with her.

"At the company." Her voice was very soft.

"Shall we go to the mountains to visit Hei Pi during our vacation?"

"Sure..."

Su Xiaomin hung up the phone, her heart still pounding rapidly. She couldn't believe she had so
easily agreed to date him, and even asked so many questions.

His demands were so unromantic, making her feel like she was just a backup option, yet she still said yes. She
must be crazy.

Even when she got home and saw her mother, her thoughts were still racing. "Oh, that's rare. Are you in love?" Su's fashionable mother looked at her dazed daughter

suspiciously as soon as she entered the house . 　　Su Xiaomin wasn't usually one to daydream. Unless she had nothing to do or was sick, she always knew how to manage her time. Why was she acting so strangely today? 　　"Mom, Xiang Liyan called me today..." Su Xiaomin told her mother the whole story. 　　"Is this a good idea? Don't you want to think about it?" Su's mother wasn't very excited about the news, worried that her daughter would get hurt. 　　"I think he's a good person, at least he's honest." 　　"But his indecisiveness—kissing you and then going on a blind date—left a very bad impression on me." Su's mother disapproved of her daughter 's decision. 　　"He explained the reason to me; it was all a misunderstanding." Su Xiaomin gave a lazy smile. "Didn't you think he was quite good before ?" 　　Su's mother sighed, complaining, "I was initially very supportive! But his attitude makes me very unhappy." 　　"I think his attitude is very sincere, and he's willing to tell me the truth. He's someone I can communicate with." 　　"Useless daughter, you've only kissed him a little, and your heart is already on his side." Su's mother teased. 　　Su Xiaomin also thought of that passionate kiss, and her cheeks flushed. 　　Su's mother glanced at her daughter sideways. "You really want to date him, don't you?" 　　"I want to give him a chance." 　　"He might be very surprised." Su's mother pondered, "He probably doesn't know you have a brave and determined heart." She hadn't expected her daughter, though simple, to know how to seize opportunities. 　　Su Xiaomin shrugged. "He'll know when the time comes." 　　"That's true," Su's mother nodded. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Chapter Four 　　Mid-Autumn Night, the moonlight was bright. 　　On MSN, Su Xiaomin was chatting with her supervisor, Wang Yuntang, who was also a night owl. 　　"Damn it, this year's stock dividends are going to be expensed, our stock value is going to plummet, our wallets are going to shrink drastically , what's the point? I'm quitting!" 　　Wang Yuntang was only two years older than her, a Chinese-American citizen, and a talented IT specialist. He was pragmatic and sincere. Although he was a recruit from elsewhere, brought in by the company's senior management and immediately became a supervisor, he was never arrogant. He quickly adapted to his colleagues and integrated into the group. 　　Most importantly, he was very approachable, often chatting and joking with them on MSN, and sometimes even revealing some company secrets. He was the opinion leader of the IT department. "Anyway, you've already made enough money, you can retire early," Su Xiaomin scoffed without any sympathy, a faint smile 　　playing on her lips . 　　This group of people had only been in society for a few years, and their success was fleeting. They would never again enjoy the glorious prospect of reaping huge profits from stocks. 　　"Xiaomin, your phone!" came an angry shout from outside the door. 　　But Su Xiaomin didn't notice; her fingers moved rapidly across the keyboard, her mind focused on MSN. 　　"Su Xiaomin, your phone!" came a sharp shout. 　　Startled by her mother's shout, Su Xiaomin rushed out of the room. "Who would be calling me this late?" It was already midnight; was this person trying to get themselves killed? 　　"Xiang Liyan," Su's mother said, pressing the receiver. "He said your phone has been switched off." Su's mother was initially angry about disturbing her sleep in the middle of the night, but upon hearing it was Xiang Liyan, her attitude quickly changed, and she chatted with him . 　　"Oh," Su Xiaomin quickly snatched the phone. 　　Their relationship was progressing well; they occasionally went on dates for meals and movies. Xiang Liyan called her every night at nine o'clock, and tonight they had talked on the phone for a long time before hanging up. Why was she receiving ? 　　"Xiaomin, how about we have breakfast together at seven o'clock tomorrow morning?" Xiang Liyan suggested enthusiastically . 　　"Huh?" Su Xiaomin was stunned. 　　"I haven't had much free time lately, and the mornings are the only time I'm truly free . How about we have breakfast together tomorrow and have a date at the same time?" As Xiang Liyan was about to go to sleep, he realized that his relationship with Su Xiaomin was progressing slowly. Daily phone calls and occasional dates weren't enough for him; only by setting aside breakfast time to see her could he feel at ease. 　　"This…" Does anyone have a date so early in the morning? 　　"You'll come, right?" His voice was smiling, but he didn't give her a chance to refuse. "Remember, at seven o'clock in the morning, I'll have my driver pick you up." 　　"Okay." Su Xiaomin seemed to have no reason to refuse. 　　She knew he was busy, and he would call her whenever he had a spare moment or a few spare moments. But she also had her own work to do, so their schedules didn't overlap much, and therefore they both cherished the time they spent together. Besides, since he was willing to overcome all obstacles to arrange breakfast time to spend with her, she should try her best to cooperate. 　　As soon as Su Xiaomin hung up the phone, her mother eagerly asked, "What did he say?" 　　"He asked me to have breakfast with him at seven tomorrow morning." 　　"He wants to spend more time with you." Su's mother immediately guessed his intention. 　　"I know, but I've never gotten up that early before!" Su Xiaomin scratched her head in frustration. 　　"That's because you stay up until midnight every night." Su's mother grabbed her daughter's ear. "Now climb bed and get some sleep. I'll wake you up at 6:30 tomorrow morning." 　　"Ouch! Be gentle!" Su Xiaomin cried out. "Speaking of which, Mom, why than I am?" 　　"Can I not be enthusiastic? At this snail's pace of dating, when will you ever get married?" 　　"We're both very busy!" Busy making money.

"You've been dating for almost three months, how come there's been no breakthrough?" Summer has passed,
and autumn is almost over, but their relationship is progressing at a snail's pace, with hardly any progress at all.

"What do you mean by breakthrough?"

"Well... uh..." Although Su's mother is open-minded, her daughter is different. "I mean,
has he made any promises or anything? Didn't he say that the relationship was with marriage in mind? Why hasn't he shown
any signs?"

"What's there to show?" Su Xiaomin was puzzled. After talking so much, she was very thirsty and poured
herself a glass of water, gulping it down.

"He hasn't asked you to marry him yet?" Su's mother asked bluntly.

"Marry him!" A mouthful of water spurted from Su Xiaomin's mouth, nearly turning into a projectile that
hit her mother sitting opposite her.

"Yes! I heard from Xiang Liyan's aunt that he has a very good impression of you, and your relationship is
based on marriage." Su's mother said slowly, "That's why I asked if he's made any moves lately."

"Mom, you seem to be in a hurry to marry me off?" Although her prospects weren't good, and her previous boyfriends
had been terrible, she was in the prime of her youth. Even though she was in a stable relationship with Xiang Liyan, she couldn't just
decide to marry him so easily!

"Really?" Su's mother chuckled dryly. "Am

I really that unsellable?" Su Xiaomin pouted.

"Of course not." Su's mother looked at her daughter, thinking about how to persuade this carefree
girl . Although she was a bit rough around the edges, in her eyes, she was the most considerate and filial daughter.

"Then why are you so eager to get rid of me? Especially with Xiang Liyan, whom you've only been dating for a few months."

Although she liked him very much, she hadn't thought about marriage yet.

"He's really great, a one-in-a-hundred man."

"Your attitude towards him has changed so much. Tell me, did you take something from him?" Su Xiaomin
asked suspiciously.

Su's mother immediately felt guilty, not daring to tell her daughter that when she was chatting with Xiang Liyan earlier, he said he would give her
a supermarket VIP card, which would allow her to buy anything at his supermarkets without paying. It

would be foolish not to take such a good deal.

"You can tell he's a good match just by looking at him—young and promising. And from what I know, although he's been
married before, he's well-off and very considerate and polite to you," Su's mother said righteously. Although she
was happy that Xiang Liyan was so generous, she had at least assessed his character before letting her daughter
date ; otherwise, she would have kicked him out long ago.

"That's right!" Su Xiaomin didn't want to hear her mother's one-sided opinion, so she quickly made an excuse to slip back to her room .
"Mom, I have to get up early tomorrow. I can set my own alarm, so you don't need to wake me! I'm going to sleep now, goodnight."

Before her mother could speak, Su Xiaomin ran off quickly, leaving her mother sighing helplessly.

The morning light was just beginning to break.

Su Xiaomin sat on the second floor of a magnificent hotel, smelling the enticing aroma of the food.

Sitting opposite her, Xiang Liyan sipped his juice and chatted casually with her.

Bathed in the morning light, Xiang Liyan had a straight nose, a slightly domineering face, and bright, piercing eyes beneath his thick eyebrows,
but his face showed signs of fatigue, as if he had stayed up all night.

"Why aren't you eating?" he asked Su Xiaomin, who was staring at him blankly, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Wow! Every time she looked at him, she thought he was incredibly handsome.

"Are you drooling?" Xiang Liyan couldn't help but chuckle. Was she drooling for him, or for the food?

"Hey..." She chuckled awkwardly, quickly making excuses, "It's because the food here smells so good, it
's purely a physiological reaction."

Who knows she wasn't a supporter of the "looks-matter" club at all; she only loved things like talent and inner refinement. But
it was all because of his face, making her stare blankly at his handsome face, completely lost in thought, even
drooling without realizing it. This only happened when she saw delicious food, so in her
mind, was Xiang Liyan equivalent to gourmet food?

"You stayed up late?" Su Xiaomin noticed the redness in his eyes.

"You too?" Xiang Liyan stared at her slightly swollen eyes, then moved to her disheveled hair, suddenly
wanting to laugh. Her hair seemed like it would stick up if it wasn't combed.

Su Xiaomin cleared her throat before awkwardly admitting, "Staying up late is a regular occurrence for me, and last night I
was only focused on chatting online, and only later realized I hadn't done what I was supposed to do, so I stayed up late." She lowered her head to sip
water, but when she looked up, she saw a smile on his lips. "What are you laughing at?"

"Your hair..." He gestured with her hair, "Has it always been like this?"

"Hair?" When did they start talking about hair? Or had she missed something while daydreaming
?

"Does your hair often stick up like this?" he chuckled.

Asked this, Su Xiaomin, who had never known embarrassment, suddenly felt her face flush and her heart
skipped a beat.

"I can't help it, I have a lot of hair and it's naturally loose, so it's not easy to manage." "

It's okay, it looks natural this way." A faint smile played on his lips. The masculine charm he exuded
dazzled her.

"You like it?" Her eyes lit up. "I

like it." He nodded.

"Thank you." Hearing his direct admission, Su Xiaomin felt both shy and excited, and began to eat
her breakfast with renewed energy.

"Xiaomin..."

"Hmm?" she asked, looking up.

"We both work long hours, so we don't have much time to see each other. Calling you every day isn't enough for me,
which is why I asked you to have breakfast with me." He looked at her. "Xiaomin, I want to spend more time with you,
so how about we have breakfast together sometime?"

Her eyes widened at his words. The shock she'd received today was too much for her to
process.

"What do you say?" He smiled, gazing at her fair and beautiful face.

He enjoyed every moment with Su Xiaomin; there was no pressure, only ease. Their interactions were harmonious
and natural. In his opinion, once enough feelings were established, they could continue their relationship.

"Of course," she nodded.

"Xiaomin..." he whispered again.

"Hmm?" She gazed into his deep black eyes, noticing his face drawing ever closer.

"I want to kiss you." As soon as he finished speaking, he leaned in and planted a kiss on her fair cheek. Finding
she didn't resist, he pressed his lips directly against hers, gently licking her sweet lips.

When he ended the passionate kiss, Su Xiaojing, almost dizzy from the kiss, sat there stunned, a blush
slowly , then burning hot as if she had a fever.

Oh my god! How embarrassing! Being kissed in public made her incredibly shy, and she couldn't help but cover her face to hide
her embarrassment. But she also loved his kisses. Every time he kissed her, she felt lightheaded,
completely forgetting everything around her.

"Are you free this Saturday?" he suddenly asked.

She couldn't speak, so she simply nodded.

"We went on vacation to the mountains together, and Hei Pi said he missed you." He smiled, pleased to see Su Xiaomin
so uncomfortable after his kiss.

She could only nod.

"Eat quickly!" He smiled and poured her another glass of freshly squeezed juice.

Under his gentle care, Su Xiaomin quickly finished her breakfast, leaving a plate of ham and scrambled eggs.

"Aren't you going to finish it?"

"I can't eat anymore." Although she loved to eat, she didn't have much of an appetite so early in the morning, and besides, she was used to
eating brunch together, so eating breakfast this early was a rare occurrence.

Xiang Liyan casually picked up her knife and fork and ate the ham and scrambled eggs on the plate clean, looking completely
unconcerned .

"Uh... I already ate that!" Su Xiaomin felt her face was definitely burning.

"What does it matter?" He leaned closer to her, "We've already kissed, are you afraid I'll eat your saliva?"

Her eyes widened, not expecting him to say something so playful.

He was always so serious and aloof, I never expected him to have this humorous side!

He stood up, helped her with her briefcase, and took her hand, walking casually towards the gate.

"Let's go! I'll give you a ride to work."

"No need, it's close, only a ten-minute walk."

"I want to spend more time with you." He looked at her, "So starting today, we'll have
breakfast together, and then I'll take you to work."

"Okay." Her bright eyes looked into his dark eyes, and she nodded with a smile.

It was the weekend, a stolen half-day of leisure.

At nine in the morning, Xiang Liyan drove Su Xiaomin all the way to the leisure farm in the mountains.

The happiest boy to see them was five-year-old Heipi, who jumped up and down excitedly
.

"Auntie, are you here with your boyfriend?" Heipi asked with a smile, surrounding Su Xiaomin.

Blackie's round head was immediately tapped. "Please call me 'sister.'"

"I want to call the 113 domestic violence hotline..."

"Genius, genius! So amazing, you know about the domestic violence hotline, I'll give you some encouragement." Su Xiaomin laughed and
clapped her hands vigorously.

"You're welcome." Blackie waved his little hand in greeting, then shyly scratched his head.

Xiang Liyan stood aside, amused by their childish behavior. He hadn't expected Su Xiaomin and Blackie
to be so compatible. Upon meeting, they acted like old friends who hadn't seen each other for years, their conversation flowing non-stop and even starting
to playfully bicker , making him both laugh and cry.

In the past, when he came here, Blackie was always the first to show welcome. He never expected that Blackie, who used to be the most clingy to him,
would now love to follow Su Xiaomin the most, telling her first about any new pets he got. He, his "old flame," had long been
relegated to the back of the barrel.

Xiang Liyan smiled wryly, but was also very happy that Su Xiaomin had integrated into his life so easily.
In the empty years since his divorce, this place has been his only refuge. Although he owns
a house , only here can he feel relaxed and at ease.

Mr. and Mrs. Wu Haosheng stood curiously to the side, surprised that Xiang Liyan would bring the same woman here twice;
clearly, she held a special place in his heart. While the two, one big and one small, were having a good time, Wu Haosheng pulled Xiang Liyan
aside for a whispered conversation.

"You…"

Before Wu Haosheng could finish speaking, Xiang Liyan confessed, "We're dating."

They had been dating for over three months, but with the upcoming
opening , the pre-opening preparations had kept him incredibly busy, leaving him only spare moments to have coffee with her. Although
their late-night phone calls had fueled their romance, he always felt something was missing. So, taking advantage of
a lull in his work, he invited her to a mountain resort for a vacation to rejuvenate his weary soul.

"That's wonderful! I thought you were going to be out of touch forever!" exclaimed Wu Haosheng's wife, Chen Yuli.
She was a woman around thirty years old, her protruding belly indicating she was six months pregnant. She appeared gentle and
refined, but her voice was loud and unusually clear, completely contrasting with her elegant appearance.

"Wife, you need to be careful about what you say, it's like prenatal education!" Wu Haosheng was nearly exasperated.

"I'm serious!" Chen Yuli pouted. "My cousin hasn't had a girlfriend since his divorce. I'm worried he's been 'offline'
for too long, and his function might be impaired!"

Chen Yuli was Xiang Liyan's distant cousin, and she met Wu Haosheng through him.
Having grown up power of love.

"Not having a girlfriend and being 'offline' are two different things." Intrigued, Wu Haosheng grinned, hugging his wife
sweetly. "Maybe he has a way to release his pent-up emotions, we just don't know it."

"Cousin, how long have you been dating?" Chen Yuli asked curiously.

"A little over three months."

"Have you slept together?" Chen Yuli's eyes widened.

"It's none of your business," Xiang Liyan replied calmly. How could he possibly know such a
shameless woman, let alone ask something like that?

"Are you impotent?" Chen Yuli asked, biting her handkerchief as she wiped her sweat, looking at him with pity.

"Are you really impotent?" Wu Haosheng was also curious. If she really was impotent, that would be truly pitiful!

Xiang Liyan stared at the unruly couple in front of him, feeling utterly exasperated. "It's fine. Whether I can or
can't none of your business!"

"What do you mean, 'can I or can't I'm capable of'?" Su Xiaomin rushed over excitedly, just in time to hear the last sentence.

She looked at Xiang Liyan curiously, "You can't?"

Wu Haosheng and his wife exchanged glances, then burst into laughter. Xiang Liyan, feeling awkward, looked up at the azure sky,
not wanting to take it personally.

Su Xiaomin didn't press the matter, her mind filled with her newly come up with entertainment.

"I want to go chicken catching with Heipi, okay?" She was incredibly excited, wishing she could run to the chicken coop right now
.

"Chicken catching?" Xiang Liyan was stunned.

"Heipi said his little black dog can catch chickens! So I bet Heipi I could catch
more than his little black dog." She had lived in the countryside when she was little and had watched her grandmother catch chickens, so it should be easy.

"Can you?" Xiang Liyan was taken aback.

To attract more tourists to the leisure farm, the farm arranged various activities, one of which
was catching and herding chickens. While these activities received positive feedback and good reviews,
he couldn't help but worry a little when he saw Su Xiaomin's slender, fair arms visible through her clothes.

"Of course, no problem," Su Xiaomin boasted. "I used to play those chicken-and-dog games with my classmates all the time."
Actually, it was just a video game version of chicken-and-dog games—all you had to do was click the mouse and keyboard!

Chen Yuli found it amusing and quickly chimed in, "Okay, you go catch them. Catch as many as you want, then kill them. I'll
cook fried chicken, stewed chicken, braised chicken with rice wine, chicken soup with pork bones… I'll fight you for it!"

Su Xiaomin waved her hand, "No need to fight so hard, I just want chicken pieces."

"Ugh! Are you saying my cooking isn't good enough? Even though I can only cook a few dishes, I have someone to direct me,
don't let me down like this…" Chen Yuli rattled off a bunch of things, while Wu Haosheng, ever the doting husband,
smiled and chimed in.

Amidst the chaos, Su Xiaomin tugged at Xiang Liyan's sleeve, "Want to bet?"

"What kind of bet?" Xiang Liyan hadn't expected this side of Su Xiaomin and found it intriguing.

"I should be able to catch three chickens within a minute." She held up three fingers.

"That's amazing." His eyes sparkled, filled with amusement.

"You don't believe me?" Su Xiaomin saw the smile on his lips and assumed he disagreed. "
Don't underestimate me."

"Okay, what should we bet on?"

"Hmm..." She thought for a while, unsure of what to bet on.

"I haven't thought of anything yet."

"How about three passionate kisses?" he suggested.

"Passionate kisses?"

He moved closer to her mischievously, "If you win, I'll let you kiss me three times. Similarly, if I win, you have to let
me kiss you three times."

"Ah... that's exactly the same." Was he kidding her?

He laughed, "So neither of us loses out! Such a fair deal, do you want to do it?"

She blushed, "You swindler, you pervert."

"It's decided then." He decided to make the decision himself and intimately leaned in to kiss her cheek.

"Okay." Su Xiaomin, delighted by the kiss, was filled with ambition, "I'll show you
how powerful Su Xiaomin is!"

She turned and ran away like the wind, her speed startling Xiang Liyan. He hadn't expected Su Xiaomin
to be so interested in catching chickens.

"Go, go, Little Black, go! Go, go, Auntie's leaking oil..." Blackie stood outside the chicken coop,
banging on a water bucket with a bamboo stick, acting as a cheerleader for his dog, Little Black, while simultaneously badmouthing Su Xiaomin.

"You damn Blackie, watch how powerful I am!" Su Xiaomin widened her eyes and decided to go all out. Although it was her first time
catching a chicken by hand, she still needed to take precautions, so she wrapped thick cotton bandages around her knees and elbows
to avoid injury if she knocked it over.

Xiang Liyan stood outside the chicken coop, watching Su Xiaomin, feeling excited and nervous for her one moment, and worried and
anxious the next, but seeing her so enthusiastic, he couldn't bear to stop her.

Inside the chicken coop, Su Xiaomin chose a fat and large chicken. She thought that such a plump chicken shouldn't run
fast and would be easier to catch. She scattered rice grains, corn, and other feed to attract the chickens closer,
while slowly walking forward, preparing to pounce on the fat chicken, but the fat chicken just wouldn't stop, only walking back and forth.

"Stop right there!" she suddenly yelled.

The fat chicken was startled by her voice, clucking and scattering in all directions. Su Xiaomin chased after it,
kicking up clouds of dust that covered her in dirt.

Outside the chicken coop, Blackie loudly reported the current score: "Blackie has scored one point, temporarily in the lead."

Suddenly, Su Xiaomin lunged forward, trying to overpower the fat chicken, but the chicken
leaped , causing Su Xiaomin to miss her target and fall embarrassingly to the ground, hitting pebbles and getting her front covered
in mud and straw.

"Xiaomin, don't grab it!" Xiang Liyan was terrified and heartbroken, quickly trying to stop her. He didn't want
Su Xiaomin to get hurt because of a few chickens.

"I'm fine, it's okay." Su Xiaomin nimbly got up, brushed the dust off herself, and glared at
the fat chicken watching her fall from a distance. Damn it! Was that chicken mocking her? Those sparkling
little eyes really looked like they were laughing… That was too much! She wanted to catch it, peel off its skin,
bite into the plump meat, and then slowly savor the juicy chicken soup!

This time, Su Xiaomin tried again. She scattered rice grains to lure the
fat chicken closer, then grabbed it by the wing. But the chicken suddenly pounced and pecked at her hand. Su Xiaomin screamed,
but she didn't let go of the chicken's wing. Instead, she gripped its legs tightly with her other hand and turned it upside down
to prevent it from pecking her again.

"Hahaha, I caught it!" Su Xiaomin laughed proudly.

"Great! Great! Auntie gets a point!" Blackie banged the bucket loudly. "But Little Black caught
two more." Then he announced arrogantly, "Time's up, three to one, Little Black wins, first place!"

Su Xiaomin didn't care about losing to Little Black. She tightly gripped the chicken she had caught for the first time in her life. Despite
being panting and covered in dirt, she found it very interesting and happy.

"Xiaomin, put the chicken down quickly, let me see your wound." Xiang Liyan looked at Su Xiaomin with concern.
With her disheveled hair and face covered in dust and straw, he was especially worried about the wounds she'd been pecked by the fat chicken.

"Okay." Su Xiaomin tossed the fat chicken to Wu Haosheng; she hadn't forgotten her chicken feast.
Getting all messy was only right—it was time to devour the chicken!

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