Hearing Guan Changyun's words, Cao Ende's heart leaped with joy.

"Senior Guan, I will immediately send someone to investigate Luo Xiu's whereabouts, and I'll let you know the moment I have news," he said. Feeling somewhat intimidated by Guan Changyun's icy demeanor, Cao Ende kept his head down as he spoke, "But Senior Guan, even if we find him, we have to go at night. If we do it during the day… it will be quite troublesome."

Guan Changyun nodded slightly. "Try to be as quick as possible."

Afterward, Cao Ende found his wife, Liu Xuelian.

"Xuelian, Senior Guan just said he wants to find Luo Xiu," he told her.

Liu Xuelian's mouth curled into a cold smile. "Then this time next year will be the anniversary of Luo Xiu's death," she scoffed. "By the way, Senior Guan mentioned before that he needed time to consolidate his strength. Has he finished now?"

Cao Ende shook his head. "I'm not too sure about that, but I suppose so. In any case, we ordinary people can't understand the affairs of these Martial Artists."

"Regardless, we just need to find Luo Xiu now."

However, what the couple didn't know was that Guan Changyun had actually met Luo Xiu two days prior.

Liu Xuelian said, "Then you should arrange for more people. It would be best to call up those two from the Western and South Districts as well. That way, if things get out of hand, the Western and South Districts can take the fall. It's not convenient for me to show my face in such a situation."

"Alright, I understand. I'll make the arrangements."

***

For two days, Luo Xiu had been running errands with Lin Xiyue everywhere and was about to collapse from exhaustion.

To start a pharmaceutical company, they first needed to find a factory, and then an office building. But Lin Xiyue, with her obsessive-compulsive tendencies, kept saying this place wasn't right and that place wasn't good. She even specially hired a feng shui master to consult.

After they finally chose a location, a whole new series of troubles followed, such as hiring a professional team, obtaining a fire safety certificate, applying for a business license, and placing orders for high-end equipment and instruments from abroad…

Luo Xiu couldn't stand it anymore. He simply handed all the money he had made from selling elixirs to Lin Xiyue, letting her manage it however she saw fit. As for himself, he thoroughly embraced the role of a hands-off manager and made plans to go fishing with Li Jiuzhen.

Fishing: a man's last luxury.

「That night.」

Luo Xiu, carrying his fishing gear and riding Xu Qianqing's small electric scooter, was about to head out to relax when Lin Xiyue stopped him.

"Where are you going so late?"

"Is it any of your business where I'm going?"

Hearing his retort, Lin Xiyue frowned, clearly displeased.

Luo Xiu sighed and explained, "Yesterday, Teacher Li told me about a wild river in the outskirts where there are breams weighing seven or eight pounds that escaped from the Haina Reservoir when the floodgates opened. I want to give it a try."

Lin Xiyue rolled her eyes. "How bored can you be? Going fishing in some desolate mountain forest in the middle of the night."

"How can you call fishing boring? Back on the mountain, fishing was the thing that made me happiest."

"I'm hungry," Lin Xiyue declared. "You're taking me out to eat."

"No," Luo Xiu refused flatly.

Lin Xiyue glared at him. "You have to."

"I've already made plans with Teacher Li."

"I'll call him and say something came up."

Luo Xiu argued, "It's not safe for a boy like me to go out to dinner with you this late at night."

At that, a vein throbbed on Lin Xiyue's forehead. She clenched her small fists, resisting the sudden urge to punch him.

I share a bed with you and try to make babies every damn day, and he's pulling this crap on me?

She had lived for over twenty years, and of all the people she knew, Luo Xiu was the only one who made her want to punch him on sight. She didn't know why, but the guy was just infuriating, and yet, for some reason, she loved to argue with him.

"I don't care! You have to eat with me. No fishing allowed!"

Luo Xiu wore a pained expression. "Oh, come on, Lin Xiyue. We aren't a real husband and wife, are we? At most, we have a cooperative relationship. Or maybe we're friends… the kind of friends you have in bed.

"Did you really start thinking of yourself as my wife? You trick me into bed day after day, and I haven't said a thing—I just treat it as saving myself the cost of a prostitute—and now you're trying to control me?

"What gives you the right to control me?"

Lin Xiyue took a deep breath. "You talk way too much. Stop dithering and let's go!"

Not wanting to argue with him further, she hopped onto the back of the electric scooter and grabbed his shoulders.

Resigned, Luo Xiu asked, "Where are we eating?"

"Lucy Restaurant."

Luo Xiu asked, "We're taking the scooter?"

"I'm not embarrassed, so why should you be?"

Luo Xiu laughed. "Of all the snobs I've ever met, you, Lin Xiyue, are the most refreshingly unique."

"Who are you calling a snob? When have I ever been a snob?"

***

Lucy Restaurant wasn't far from the Sea City Riviera Villa District. It was only a ten-minute ride on the electric scooter, but it was a rather upscale establishment.

「At the restaurant entrance.」

Luo Xiu glanced at the little electric scooter, then at the dazzlingly lit grand entrance ahead, and suddenly felt out of place.

Beside him, Lin Xiyue reached up with a delicate hand to smooth her slightly messy hair. Only then did Luo Xiu notice how beautiful she looked tonight. She wore a white dress and high heels, and it seemed she even had on flesh-colored stockings, making her look like a princess from a fairy tale.

Luo Xiu, on the other hand, was dressed casually for a fishing trip in knee-length shorts, a T-shirt, and a pair of slippers. Even with a watch worth over thirteen million on his wrist, anyone who saw it would assume it was a knockoff from some bargain website for nine ninety-nine, shipping included.

Standing together, they looked like a princess and a peasant.

"So, what possessed you tonight to invite me here for a late-night meal?"

Lin Xiyue simply smiled without answering and walked forward.

Luo Xiu followed her. "You know the food here is expensive and the portions are small, right? You know how big my appetite is. Who knows how much it'll cost to fill me up tonight."

Lin Xiyue glanced back at him over her shoulder. "It's your money, anyway."

Luo Xiu put on a stern face. "You spendthrift."

After entering, Luo Xiu was surprised to find that the vast restaurant was completely empty. The lighting was brilliant and the atmosphere was romantic, but it felt somewhat deserted.

He had no idea that Lin Xiyue had booked the entire place for the evening.

***

Looking at the heart-shaped steak on the plate before him, Luo Xiu remarked, "A place like this is for couples."

Hearing this, Lin Xiyue, who was eating quietly across from him, felt her cheeks flush. She lifted her head and snuck a peek at him.

In truth, she had planned to confess her feelings to him tonight and become a real couple. It was something she had been mulling over for a long time. She was afraid that if she didn't make a move soon, Luo Xiu would be snatched away by one of the attractive female tenants back at the house.

Ever since that night at the Haina Reservoir, she had been thinking constantly, repeatedly examining her own heart. And she had realized… she had fallen for this somewhat unconventional man. He might be a bit roguish and not very serious, but he was also the man who would risk his life to save her, even humbling himself to kneel before someone like Cao Hong for her sake…

So, she had made up her mind.

Perhaps she didn't have much time left, but she wanted to use whatever remained of her life to truly fall in love, to love someone without reservation. Only then would her life not have been in vain.

"Luo Xiu."

"Hm?"

"After six months… what if we… don't get a divorce? What if I become your real wife?"

Luo Xiu was devouring his steak in a most ungentlemanly manner. "Why?" he asked, his mouth full.

Lin Xiyue took a deep breath and summoned her courage. "If I told you I've fallen for you and want to be in a serious relationship, would you believe me?"

Hearing this, Luo Xiu froze for a second, then burst out laughing. "Come on, President Lin, that joke isn't funny at all."

A wave of disappointment and a sharp pang of hurt washed over Lin Xiyue. She forced a smile. "The atmosphere just felt a bit heavy, so I wanted to tease you and see how you'd react."

Luo Xiu looked straight at her. "We're just partners in a deal. Don't get any other ideas."

Lin Xiyue rolled her eyes and avoided his gaze. "I wasn't. Like I said, I was just teasing you. I told you when we first met that I could fall for anyone but you."

Luo Xiu smiled. "Good."

Lin Xiyue was quiet for a moment, then asked, "Have you thought about your future? What do you plan to do after we divorce?"

A wave of disappointment and a sharp pang of hurt washed over Luo Xiu as well. He forced a smile and said, "I'll be an ordinary man, greedy for money and pleasure. Then I'll just quietly eat and wait to die. That's enough for me."

Lin Xiyue managed a small laugh. "I see… that sounds pretty good. It's nice to live without a care in the world."

After that, a comfortable silence fell between them, and neither spoke again.

Truthfully, Luo Xiu wasn't a fool. From the moment he'd stepped into the restaurant, he had guessed that Lin Xiyue had something important to tell him. He could also see the sincerity in her eyes and knew she wasn't joking.

But he didn't want to get in any deeper.

BOOM!

Just then, a tremendous crash shattered the quiet atmosphere.

The restaurant doors were kicked open from the outside.

A large group of men in suits rushed in. At the front of the group, Cao Ende glared at Luo Xiu, his eyes filled with vicious intent.

"Luo Xiu, so you were here!"

"Tonight is the night you die!"

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