"Miss Jian, I know you and Xi Fan have known each other since childhood. But I am truly fond of him. You, born into the cherishable Jian family, have had everything you ever needed from birth. If you give him up to me, you won't lose anything."

Jian Xi hung her head low, her long and dense eyelashes covering up the majority of her emotions pooling in her eyes.

Her slender and snow-white fingers stirred the coffee slowly and steadily, revealing no hint of panic.

She even asked in a soft and soothing voice, "Suppose I don't, what do you stand to lose?"

Looking up, her eyes, clear as crystal, met the somewhat panicked gaze of the woman across from her.

The person here negotiating with her today was no one else but Sang Rou, who had been her assistant for three months.

True to her name ‘Rou’, which meant gentle and soft in Chinese, she appeared so delicate that it instinctively provoked the protective nature in men.

Jian Xi wondered, what did Xi Fan find so appealing in her?

Was it her as a person?

But it was her, Jian Xi, who was recognized as the distinguished lady of a well-known family in Suzhou city!

Sang Rou clutched at her hands and said, “I would be living a life miserable than death, I wouldn’t be able to go on, I would…”

Interrupting her with a soft chuckle, Jian Xi covered her lips and said, “It seems like your feelings for him are indeed profound.”

“Yes! So please withdraw.”

With a metallic ‘clang’, Jian Xi dropped the spoon she was holding onto the table. Raising an eyebrow, she looked at the woman across from her and broke into a meaningless smile, “What if I don’t withdraw? Are you really going to kill yourself? I’ve never seen someone commit suicide, so why don’t you go ahead?”

Sang Rou abruptly stood up from her seat, glaring at her and said, “In this game, it’s no longer up to you whether to withdraw or not! If you know what’s good for you, vanish from our sight at once. Otherwise, the one who will face the embarrassment is you.”

Jian Xi elegantly picked up the coffee on the table, took a sip, then set it down saying, "He and I never started anything, so there's no need for me to retreat."

She stood up, picked up her bag lying nearby, and faced the shocked woman across her, "I forgot to tell you, some rumors in Su City over the years are incorrect. My name is Jian Xi, he is called Xi Fan, my father's surname is Xi, but the one who was adopted isn't me, it's him."

The fact that Jian Xi was the adopted daughter of the Jian family has been spread by the people in Su City for many years.

Obviously, Sang Rou hadn't expected the truth to be like this, her eyes were filled with disbelief.

Jian Xi smirked satisfactorily, "Since he is the adopted son of the Jian family, he naturally can't inherit the family business."

Sang Rou's hands were tightly clenched, she shook her head in disbelief, "Impossible, you're lying to me!"

Jian Xi chuckled, leaned in, and whispered in her ear, "He makes a million a year at the Jian company, but you probably don't know that my annual dividend is ten times his. So why didn't you try to seduce me directly? I'm so much richer and more powerful than him after all…"

"You're lying to me, aren't you? You're the one who was adopted!" Sang Rou's face turned green and red in turns, causing quite a stir.

Jian Xi, as calm as ever, adjusted her hair bun and laughed, "What, didn’t you look into these matters before coming to challenge me?"

Her sharp gaze fixed on Sang Rou, "If you want a stepping-stone, you should at least choose one that's worth gritty sacrifice. Choosing an illegitimate adopted son, it seems you not only have a poor birth but also a poor taste! Your future, I'm afraid, is rather bleak!"

Ignoring the red-faced woman, Jian Xi elegantly turned around with her bag and walked away.

As she turned around, Sang Rou ran out of the café even faster than her.

However, Jian Xi paused in her step. She glanced up and noticed the man sitting at the next table over.

As she looked at the man, he was also looking at her.

Jian Xi recognized him—Gu Xicheng.

This man has frequently been appearing on the news pages of all major newspapers recently, either on financial headlines or entertainment headlines, making him unignorable.

He is both a myth and a joke.

Women of Su City regard him as a male god, yet they all keep him at arm's length. This is only because of the rumor that this man was unfortunately hit at a vital part on a mission, which renders him incapable of human deeds.

The man wore a dark shirt, a cigarette pinched between his fingertips. He leaned back leisurely in a chair, smoking.

In the hazy smoke, she saw the man's eyes clearly. They were as deep as the boundless sea, easily enveloping people within.

There are things she could deceive Sang Ruan with, but she couldn't deceive the man in front of her.

In recent years, her father had strong trust in Xi Fan. Everyone thought he was the predetermined son-in-law of the Jian family.

Even she had thought that she and Xi Fan would eventually be together, which was why many key positions had already been handed over to Xi Fan.

However, who would've known, before any results between her and Xi Fan, he had already impatiently taken the initiative.

Car accident, seizing power - each scene was more melodramatic than the last. Xi Fan colluded with an assistant to frame her. The sad thing was most of the Jian family now belonged to Xi Fan.

Currently, she had no chance of winning against Xi Fan.

Therefore, she needed a strong helper.

Looking at the entire Su City, there was no other candidate more suitable than the man in front of her!

Truthfully, she had not anticipated meeting him so early on.

Jian Xi smiled faintly, "Mr. Gu, are you satisfied with this show?"

On the man's usually unchanging face, a faint smile surfaced: "There's no one who can stir up trouble better than Miss Jian."

A mischievous gleam flickered past Jian Xi's eyes, but she chose not to speak further.

As she turned around, she cheerfully said: "Mr. Gu, until we meet again."

Gu Xicheng watched as her beautiful profile came into view. The sunlight outside the window illuminated her elaborately made-up face, giving her a stunningly attractive look that was breathtakingly beautiful.

The man was taken aback for a moment, but quickly collected his thoughts.

Much later, Gu Xicheng recalled this first meeting.

He thought that maybe what took his breath away was not the passage of time, but his long-lonely heart.

---

Gu Xicheng didn't expect that he would soon meet Jian Xi again, at an entertainment club.

He had an unavoidable social engagement that night, and had no choice but to turn up.

She stood out among the crowd in a mini skirt.

Beneath the mini skirt, the pair of long straight legs, fair and well-proportioned, were particularly captivating under the light, dazzling the crowd.

He recognized the person she was talking to. It seemed like the new order from the Jian family was in that person's hands, so it wasn't that surprising that she would be there.

Someone recognized Gu Xicheng and greeted him: "Mr. Gu."

Even though Jian Xi was engaged in a conversation, her excellent hearing caught this voice.

From behind, the steady sound of footsteps echoed.

"Harrumph, harrumph-"

Caught in surprise, a hand reached out towards Jian Xi attempting to take advantage of her.

She twisted her body to avoid it and then took a step back.

The next moment, her ankle twisted. She was on the verge of falling.

Countless hands reached out her way, but it was the man coming from behind who was perfectly positioned.

Instantly, Jian Xi fell into an embrace, strong and steady, supporting her nearly fallen figure.

At the moment she looked up, the sight of her delicate, scattered brilliance in her eyes was like a myriad of stars. A squint accompanied by a faint smile made her exceptionally captivating.

Gu Xi Cheng had seen beautiful women before, but rarely one as stunning as Jian Xi.

Her actions, her smile, easily mesmerized the observers.

"Thank you," Jian Xi whispered her thanks.

The moment she stood up, a faint fragrance from her body, barely noticeable, brushed past Gu Xi Cheng's nostrils.

The man cast a glance downward, only to see the girl standing there, looking charming from the side.

He was momentarily taken aback, looking over her face once more, he couldn't shake the feeling of familiarity.