Huang Biu glared at the couple in silence as she stood in the corner of the room. He helped her with the medicines, and he fed her with his own hands. As if she were some delicate glassware. And yet, the same person had such an insensitive approach towards her. Where had she gone wrong, she wondered.

In every aspect, she was better than Rong Xinghe for him. His 'ideal' partner, the media had once declared them. Unlike this girl, he would never need to worry about her well-being or safety, or health; for she was not a soldier. Just like him, she was a businesswoman. He would never have to fear the thought of losing her. Or that of waiting for her to return from some deleterious mission. She was the person he would always find standing by his side. They were equals. From every angle. Professionally. Personality-wise. Even their family backgrounds were somewhat at the same level. While Rong Xinghe, on the other hand, didn't even have a family. Not a blood-related one, at least. Weren't the Six tigers and the Rong twins, in the end, just a bunch of strangers?

It was now that the phone in her hand rang up, and she peeped at it, alphabets 'YR' popping over the screen. Urgently, the woman rushed out of the Kitchen, towards the lawn. Only when she was at a considerable distance from the couple and their security staff did the woman pressed the device to her ear, "Hello."

"Are you thinking of settling in there with them, Miss Huang?", the man on the other end chuckled sarcastically, "Or is it that you've been swayed by President Xi's excellently impressive looks?"

"No... no, Mr. Rong.", the woman shook her head violently as a bead of sweat ran down her head, "I... have been waiting for them to lower their guards."

Rong Yufan laughed out, a coldness in his tone, "You need to come up with better excuses if you really want to fool Xi Yuan and Rong Xinghe. Especially, my dear little sister. She has always been the shrewd, vigilant one.

"Also, I have a task for you. Figure out Xi Yuan's system password and IP address. Not of the Xi empire's official website. His laptop's. As soon as possible.", the man commanded indifferently, "That's it for now."

"I-- ", Huang Biu opened her mouth to protest, but the line got disconnected before she could do so. Who was she kidding? Rong Yufan wasn't the kind of person she could defy anyway. The guy was much too scary to be fought against. Although she didn't want to hurt Xi Yuan in the process, Huang Biu had made a deal with the monster. She couldn't back out of it now. Else, she was just as good as dead. She didn't wish to step away from it, anyway. Certainly, not after witnessing Xi Yuan's concern for that woman.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

15:40;

"... And then she suddenly circled her hand around mine!", Xi Yuan sat facing his girl in the living room, readjusting her beanie for the fourth time now. As the firewood burned behind him, he told the girl everything about how Huang Biu had been behaving with him since the morning.

"She didn't!", Rong Xinghe gasped, pulling the blanket to her chest, "Then what did you do?"

"Of course, I yanked it away.", the man smiled proudly, "Only you have the right to stake a claim at me like that, Baby."

Rong Xinghe laughed at the man's words, pecking onto his lips tenderly, "Smart move. And interesting stories, if I might dare add.", she said, leaning back against the couch.

"..."

"What?", the girl smirked, "You really thought I wouldn't be able to tell it when you lie? She doesn't have enough guts to disregard my threats, Lover. I looked into her eyes when I warned her about you. She was terrified to her core then, akin to some lone lamb.

"But what's gotten into you is the question here. Why the sudden membership of the 'I hate Huang Biu' club, huh?"

Xi Yuan stared at the woman in front of her for a long time before he muttered something under his breath and stood up, sinking into the couch she was sitting on. As he placed his head upon her lap, he looked at her innocently, "It was all Mr. Tang's stupid idea.", he confessed to her in a low voice.

"Butler Tang?", the girl furrowed her brows, confused.

"Well... we both aren't that fond of her.", the man nodded, "And only you can decide whether she stays or not. So Mr. Tang suggested that seeing me in pain could melt your heart, and then you'd send her away."

Upon listening to the man's explanation, Rong Xinghe was no longer sure how to react. "Wow.", she pressed her lips, digesting her darling's words for a minute, "What a fine strategy, Mr. Xi.", she resumed then, "There was just one glitch in the execution but."

"What?", Xi Yuan asked the girl, intrigued.

"Mr. Tang's observations were quite alright.", the woman stated, "But your stories were more of about discomfort than pain, you see. If she would've attacked you physically, or hurt your feelings, or harmed even a hair on your head; I might've thought of those incidents as painful.

"And thank God that none of those happened, for I wouldn't have been merciful enough to just kick her out of here."

"What do you mean?", the man questioned, catching a hint of devil in her eyes.

"I would've killed her.", Rong Xinghe shrugged, the blaze of fire in front of them reflecting in her gaze.

Xi Yuan knew she wasn't jesting. But he didn't mind. He was not the one to sit around, while she fought her battles alone, too. Truth be told, he liked her protectiveness for him. Despite knowing that he was perfectly capable of turning his enemies' lives upside down, she still preferred to shield him herself. For some unknown reason, he found it sweet and thoughtful. All his life, people around him had either abandoned him or feared him. But this woman was different. She chose to stay by his side. And for that, he loved her with every atom in his body.