Si Hua’s cheeks warmed slightly: “I’m going to take a shower.”

Without waiting for He Ju to respond, she dashed into the bathroom, prompting a small smile from He Ju.

It was indeed late, and after a moment’s thought, He Ju got up, grabbed two bathrobes, undressed, and followed Si Hua into the bathroom.

Si Hua was thoroughly enjoying her shower when suddenly she felt arms wrap around her waist from behind. Startled at first, she then looked up and saw He Ju’s teasing smile reflected in the mirror.

Si Hua’s face flushed instantly: “What are you doing? Didn’t we agree tonight…”

He Ju smoothly turned her around: “I never promised…”

Si Hua pushed against He Ju’s shoulders: “No, no…”

He Ju’s smile grew wider, her coyness piquing his interest greatly.

He Ju swallowed hard: “Be good, just this once.”

It was too late for Si Hua to refuse again.

…

The next morning, He Ju was the first to wake up. The servants had already delivered their luggage. He took everything out of the suitcases, organized it all, and had been in and out of the bedroom several times, yet Si Hua was still asleep.

Just as He Ju was about to check the kitchen for something to eat, Aunt Liu arrived with her staff.

The area was filled with detached villas, and the one Si Hua and he were staying in consisted of two large flats, each estimated to be around a hundred square meters.

The first floor included the living room, kitchen, and balcony, where various plants were well-tended, indicating regular maintenance by the servants despite Si Hua’s infrequent visits.

The second floor housed their master bedroom, a study, and Si Hua’s walk-in closet.

The style was clearly Si Hua’s own design, created for her comfort, without even bothering to plan an extra bedroom.

So when Aunt Liu arrived, He Ju noticed right away.

Aunt Liu also saw He Ju and approached with a smile: “Young Master, here’s your breakfast, as ordered by the lady.”

He Ju nodded: “Thank you, Aunt Liu.”

While the servants set down the breakfast, Aunt Liu cheerfully replied: “It’s my duty, Young Master. Don’t be polite. Lunch will be served promptly at noon in the front hall, and neither Miss Si nor yourself should be late.”

He Ju responded: “Understood.”

After Aunt Liu and her staff left, He Ju finally had a chance to examine the breakfast spread on the table. It was all very exquisite, including sandwiches, fried eggs, milk, pan-fried buns with soy milk and fried dough sticks, and even steaming clear soup noodles and wontons, all brought in food boxes and catered to Si Hua’s tastes.

Fortunately, he wasn’t picky about these things.

He Ju once again marveled at the wealth of Si Hua’s family, even their breakfast was so rich and varied.

Unable to resist, He Ju slurped a mouthful of noodles and then hurried upstairs to pull Si Hua out from under the covers: “Wake up, lazy bug, time for breakfast!”

Si Hua squinted, mumbling: “Don’t wanna eat, so sleepy, you go…”

After saying that, she turned over and went back to sleep.

He Ju was torn between laughter and tears, but seeing how tired Si Hua truly was, he felt annoyed at himself for being so beastly the night before.

He Ju thought that next time, he should include Si Hua in his workouts to build up her stamina.

In the end, He Ju still carried Si Hua to the bathroom to freshen up. After she was half-awake, he carried her downstairs for breakfast.

Si Hua only ate half of the wontons with her eyes half-closed, then drank some milk, and looked pitifully at He Ju with a soft, sweet voice: “Husband, you finish the rest. I’m going back to sleep, wake me up later, okay?”

He Ju couldn’t help but smile at her pitiful little bunny appearance, leaned in to kiss her cheek, and let her go: “Alright, go back to sleep.”

Si Hua was delighted, gave He Ju a big smooch, and then scampered off.

He Ju was left with a mix of laughter and helplessness, his gaze returning to the breakfast table. Si Hua had a small appetite and left so much behind…

He Ju had no choice but to dutifully finish what he could eat and store the rest in the refrigerator.

After cleaning up, He Ju received a call from Brother Seven.

“I’ve found out what you asked me to investigate.”

He Ju glanced around before responding: “Go ahead.”

Brother Seven was silent for nearly half a minute as he stared at the computer screen, then finally spoke: “Su Ran did indeed follow Si Hua, but the private detective she hired has a boss.”

Brother Seven’s silence made He Ju’s heart tense.

He Ju frowned and asked: “Who?”

Brother Seven finally said: “Fang Yuxue.”

He Ju was surprised. The Fang family had kept their distance since the auction, and he had almost forgotten about Fang Yuxue, only for her to recklessly reappear?

He Ju: “I understand.”

About to hang up, Brother Seven suddenly said: “Wait a minute.”

He Ju didn’t hang up, waiting for Brother Seven to explain.

Brother Seven sighed: “Brother, I won’t charge you this time for investigating the Su and Bai families, but… could you not be too harsh on Fang Yuxue?”

He Ju immediately understood: “What is she to you?”

Brother Seven: “Ex-girlfriend.”

Now it was He Ju’s turn to be silent. He considered Fang Yuxue’s actions and didn’t immediately agree, instead saying: “If she doesn’t cause trouble, I won’t be ruthless. At most, she’ll get a few lessons. But if she crosses my line, I won’t be soft.”

Brother Seven was silent again for a few seconds, knowing that the “lessons” He Ju mentioned were something neither Fang Yuxue nor the entire Fang family could easily bear.

But Brother Seven also knew this was the biggest concession He Ju could make.

Brother Seven: “Thank you.”

He Ju didn’t say more and hung up the phone.

Fang Yuxue?

It seemed the last lesson hadn’t taught her anything.

He Ju thought of something and quickly opened WeChat to find a name, typing swiftly.

He Ju soon received a reply, and seeing the response, his heart relaxed slightly.

After dealing with the Bai family today, he needed to hurry back. He had to figure out how to get his real estate company up and running. Although his current design drafts were enough for him and Si Hua to live on, it wasn’t enough, far from enough.

Having dealt with these various matters, He Ju took out his drawing board, sat on the balcony with the perfect sunlight and gentle breeze, and began his next design draft.

Just as He Ju was immersed in his work, an unfamiliar woman arrived.