Mu Yuchen, Su Chen, and Zhou Zimo were not the kind of people who liked crowds. During birthdays, they would just gather around and drink together.

They were having fun when Mu Yuchen brought Xi Xiaye into the room.

Not many people were inside; there were only seven of them including Su Chen.

"We've been waiting for ages. Didn't I ask you to come earlier?" Su Chen went up to them as they came in.

Mu Yuchen halted his steps and glanced at Xi Xiaye behind him. She quickly presented the gift in her hand as she responded apologetically, "We were late because we rushed to buy some stuff. Happy birthday!"

"Since when do you do things like this? I'd be happier if you transferred a good amount into my account. But seriously, when was the last time you gave me a gift? I'm sure it's not your idea!" Su Chen accepted the gift from Xi Xiaye with a grin. "Thanks, Xiaye!"

Xi Xiaye nodded with a smile.

"Come and sit. Everyone's been waiting. Take a look at the menu and order anything you like. It's gonna be a fabulous night!"

Su Chen seemed delighted as he waved his hand to the waiter to serve them wine. Everyone then raised their glasses in unison.

They sat down after a round of toast.

"Is your wife alright? I heard about some news and looked around for a bit. Things seem complicated, but I never believed that Xiaye would do something like that," Su Chen said quietly after he sat down close to Mu Yuchen. Glancing at Xi Xiaye who was sipping her wine, he noticed that she was still her cool usual self. Two other girls went up to talk to her and she gave them a warm smile.

"It's alright. Someone's just messing with her," Mu Yuchen replied straightforwardly.

"Who exactly wants to mess with her? Matters like this aren't a joke! What the heck!?" Su Chen's eyes turned icy.

"It's going to be over soon. Just wait and see."

"Same old thing. Let me know if there's anything I can help with." Su Chen did not press on the matter. He glanced at Mu Yuchen and they had another drink again.

The men started smoking and playing cards together while the girls sang karaoke. From time to time, Xi Xiaye glanced at Mu Yuchen who was focused on the cards. After a while, her phone started ringing. It was a call from the Shen Residence.

She frowned a little before she stood up and went outside.

It was Shen Yue calling. He was mainly concerned about the same matter.

"Don't worry, Grandpa. I'm alright. Mu Yuchen said he'll take care of it, so things will be okay."

"Mmm, since things have come down to this, take better care of yourself."

"I got it, Grandpa. Rest earlier. I'll visit you soon."

...

Xi Xiaye took a deep breath after hanging up on the call. She grabbed the cold railing with one hand and held her phone tightly with the other.

Suddenly, there was the sound of footsteps behind her, and the whiff of cologne surrounded her. Before Xi Xiaye could turn around, that person's nefarious voice reached her ears. "Long time no see. Nice to see you, Ms. Xiaye!"

With a deep frown, she turned around to the voice calling out to her. It was Qi Lei!

Armed with a wicked smile on his handsome face, a light flashed through his eyes as he stared straight at Xi Xiaye.

"Vice President Qi! Nice to see you." After a while, Xi Xiaye raised her eyebrows and looked at him on alert. "I heard you've been working hard for Yueying recently. The person who asked you for help must be a big shot."

"Tsk tsk, look at your tone of voice... I did help you out after all. If you come to me, I might help you out again. I've always admired you, Ms. Xiaye."

Qi Lei put on his creepy smile and teased her, "However, I think you're even more of a big shot here., Mu Yuchen actually sent you to Yueying. I can see that he thinks highly of you."

Xi Xiaye glanced at him coldly before she went on her way.

Before Xi Xiaye could walk past him, Qi Lei's voice echoed in her ears. "But it seems that the news lately hasn't been very favorable for you, Ms. Xiaye..."

Xi Xiaye suddenly stopped and squinted suspiciously at him. "What now? Are you trying to tell me that you helped Xi Xinyi do that?"

"Of course not, Ms. Xiaye! Do I look like I'd do that?"

Qi Lei shrugged and looked at Xi Xiaye innocently, relishing in Xi Xiaye's cold and strained expression. "Xi Xinyi isn't really my type, so I don't care about her, but she did look for me several times. Do you want to know what she told me?" Qi Lei spoke seductively.

"If I want to know, would you just tell me obediently?"

Xi Xiaye just smiled wryly although she did not feel like talking to him anymore. "I know that Qikai is aiming for the South River project as well, but Glory World will fight hard for it. I'm looking forward to our next meeting. Goodbye, Vice President Qi."

"If you tell me, I might consider telling you about it. As for the South River project, Qikai is definitely getting it. I'm afraid Glory World stands no chance."

A tint of cruelty flashed in his eyes when he spoke in a determined tone and he gave Xi Xiaye a meaningful smile.

"Really?" Xi Xiaye narrowed her eyes and gazed back at him with a confident smile. "Well, we'll wait and see then."

"Is there no one else in Glory World? How could Mu Yuchen have handed such a huge project to a woman?" Qi Lei's tone was cold, his eyes darkening slightly.

Xi Xiaye was boiling mad about Qi Lei's remark, so she launched an attack back at him. "What's wrong with letting a woman handle it? Vice President Qi, you seem to be belittling women. Were you not born from your mother? Isn't your mother a woman too?"

Qi Lei's expression suddenly changed and his features hardened.

She looked away and continued on her way, her slender figure going further and further away.

Qi Lei turned around and looked at Xi Xiaye's back. An odd smile soon appeared on his face.

What a cheeky and interesting little woman!

The dinner turned into an unhappy event because Han Yifeng did not sign the contract on time. It was already 7 p.m. when Han Yifeng arrived and everyone had been waiting for a while at the dining table.

Xi Jiyang and Deng Wenwen went over, but Xi Mushan was busy, so he was absent.

The dinner did not go well. As a result, the Yue family left angrily soon after dinner. Upon seeing their reaction, Elder Han was enraged as well and he swiftly left after that too.

"Yifeng, didn't we talk about it already? Why aren't you signing it now?"

On the staircase outside of the villa, Huang Ziyao who was on her way back could not hold back her curiosity and asked Han Yifeng, concern in her eyes, "Be honest with me. Are you doubting the legitimacy of the child? I saw Secretary Wang going to visit a doctor the other day. I could feel that something wasn't right in addition to the chaos recently... but Xinyi insists that it's yours..."

Han Yifeng took a deep breath and looked at Huang Ziyao, his cold face softening slightly. "It's alright. That's my child, but things are a bit complicated between Xinyi and I. There're a lot of things I need to consider. Mother, please give me some time. I hope I can have a marriage like yours and father's... a one-and-only kind of marriage."

Huang Ziyao was stunned for a moment. After giving it some thought, she nodded. "Okay, I'm sure you're exhausted by all the things happening lately. Sigh, was I wrong to support you and Xinyi back then? Now that I think about it, Xiaye might have suited you better. Plus, your grandfather likes Xiaye more. He cares a lot about reputation. If it weren't for the incident in the military school, he wouldn't have agreed so quickly. Well, since you're sure the child inside Xinyi is yours, then you have to bear the responsibility."

Huang Ziyao sounded a little depressed. She stopped when she saw Han Yifeng not being very pleased. "No matter what, the Han family needs to be responsible. Moreover, the Han family doesn't have many descendants. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Mother, I understand."

"Mmm, think hard about it then, I'll head back now. I've left several servants here to help, so don't worry." Huang Ziyao then turned around and went back.

Han Yifeng watched her figure disappear in the dark. He was staring out blankly with a complex expression on his face until Xi Xinyi called out to him from behind, "Yifeng!"

Han Yifeng swiveled to see Xi Xinyi in a loose white dress. She was about five steps away from him, and the cold wind blew her dress as her tiny frame stood there, making her seem so frail.

Under the dim light, he saw her familiar face once again, realizing that she looked haggard.

She stood there quietly as she caressed her still flat stomach. She bit her lip and seemed hesitant to speak as Han Yifeng's quiet eyes looked complicated. He gave it some thought but he was not sure what to say.

As if trying to prove something, Xi Xinyi stepped forward and grabbed Han Yifeng's hand. She clutched him tightly as she explained, "I know my ways have hurt Xiaye, and it made you fed up as well, but I just want to beg you for a chance. I'm willing to stand beside you anew. I'm sorry, Yifeng... I love you too much. I've been in love with you for over a decade and we've shared numerous pleasant memories together. Are they not enough to touch your heart? Let the past stay in the past. I'll change in the future. I will!"

"I've thought about it a lot in the past few days. Sister is just amazing. Although she always seemed cold, distant, and stubborn, once you're attracted to her, it'll be very difficult to pull yourself away. Yifeng, I'm a woman. I understand a woman's charm well, just like how Father has been missing Aunt Shen all these years. Everyone thinks that Father and Mother are a couple with mutual respect, but I know very well that he never once forgot about Aunt Shen... and Sister is so similar to her..."

Xi Xinyi's tone sounded frail and hurt. "I'm afraid that one day, you'll be like Father and only set your eyes on Sister. If you leave me, I'll surely break down, so I..."

Her beautiful face darkened as she apologized to Han Yifeng genuinely.

Han Yifeng was startled after listening to Xi Xinyi's words. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. After a moment, he opened them and said, "Go back in now. Your body isn't very well."

He then started walking back into the villa slowly.

Xi Xinyi's strained body softened when she noticed his calm expression. She released her clenched fists and grabbed onto Han Yifeng's arm.

...

It was already late night when they left Imperial Sky Entertainment Club.

"Zimo, let Su Chen stay over at your place tonight. He's drunk a lot. Send me a text when you get home." Mu Yuchen tugged Xi Xiaye with one hand, while he handed Su Chen's jacket to Zhou Zimo.

Zhou Zimo grabbed the jacket as he replied, "Don't worry. You guys should head back now too. It's late!"

Mu Yuchen nodded and went to the car with Xi Xiaye, waving to them.

"Give me the car keys," Xi Xiaye said as they arrived at the car. Her hand went straight into his shirt pocket, and she soon found the car keys and unlocked the car.

"Are you really going to the racecourse with them tomorrow?" She asked as she was putting on the seatbelt.

"Mmm, Zimo wanted to talk about something. I'm just taking this chance to go take a look there."

"I won't go with you then. I need to go back to the Shen Residence. Grandpa and Mother are quite worried about me. Can you help me ask your mother how's the situation with my father?"

"What are you worried about? We can apply for a private trial. They'll consider it and I'm sure it'll be fine," Mu Yuchen replied.

Xi Xiaye took a deep breath before nodding. "We'll see then."

She was thinking whether she should tell him about meeting Qi Lei, but a flashback suddenly went through her mind. In the end, she did not mention it.

Han Yifeng wanted to have a few peaceful days to reevaluate his feelings for Xi Xinyi. He wanted to think things through on his own. However, it seemed that he did not have the chance to.

When he arrived at his office early in the morning, Secretary Wang came up to him with some newspapers in his hand.

"CEO Han, things are bad. Look at this!" Secretary Wang quickly handed the newspapers to Han Yifeng who frowned as he took the papers and had a closer look.

It was filled with the news of Xi Xinyi's pregnancy. The articles also assumed Han Yifeng was the father. They even wrote that Han Yifeng might abandon her. All kinds of conspiracies were examined by the articles!

Han Yifeng's expression darkened as his grip on the papers tightened. He suddenly raised his head and told Secretary Wang in a cold tone, "What's happening?"

"CEO Han, I just found out about it myself. I'm trying to suppress these negative news, but if... The Han Corporation and Yueying might be in trouble again."

Han Yifeng understood what Secretary Wang meant very well. The stock of the Han Corporation had finally stabilized, and Yueying was on the path to recovery. With this round of news coming out now, there would be another spate of chaos waiting to happen.

"What should we do, CEO Han?" Secretary Wang asked anxiously.

Han Yifeng tensed up as he pinched the space between his eyebrows before asking, "Can we find out who's behind this?"

"The Han Corporation has been growing rapidly in recent years. Plus, we've made quite some enemies, so it's not easy to find out who did this," Secretary Wang said in a worried tone, "CEO Han, we should come up with a solution now before things get worse. Otherwise, it might develop into something like the orphanage matter last time!"

Han Yifeng leaned against the backrest of the chair as he switched on the computer and surfed online.

His face was strained. After that, he suddenly took a deep breath. His eyes seemed broody and hesitant. Then, he opened the drawer beside him and took the marriage contract out to flip through.

He scanned each and every word slowly, his eyes in torment and his hands trembled. After mustering enough courage, he picked a pen up and swiftly signed his name before giving it to Secretary Wang.

"Send it to the Civil Affairs Bureau, and announce to the public that I'm married to Xinyi already. I suppose this can clamp things down."

Secretary Wang accepted the contract from Han Yifeng and stared at him in shock. "CEO Han, I hope you know that once this matter goes public, Ms. Xinyi and you..."

Han Yifeng closed his eyes with a depressed expression. "Just go. We've decided to get married anyway. With this declaration, I won't be abandoning her..."

True love...

Xi Xiaye's slightly aloof, smiling face appeared in his mind instead whilst her laugh echoed in his ears.

Secretary Wang paused before he glanced through the document and nodded. "Okay then. I'll head over to the Civil Affairs Bureau right now. Should I inform Madam and the others to get together for dinner? Everyone wasn't really happy about what happened the other day. Well, they should be pleased about this," Secretary Wang suggested.

Han Yifeng inhaled deeply. "Mmm, inform them. I'm heading out this afternoon and will be back pretty late. Tell them to not wait for me."

"CEO Han..."

"You can go now."

...

Xi Xiaye went to the office early in the morning while Mu Yuchen went straight to Zhou Zimo's place.

In the evening, she received a call from the court and was told that her case was going to be on trial soon. Yang Jianfeng should have been notified as well.

Xi Xiaye knew that Zhuang Shurong must have helped to expedite the process.

She did not know what Mu Yuchen had done to suppress the news. She only saw trending news or news from the entertainment industry in the papers. Xi Xiaye was not really a famous person. With the exception of her relationship with Glory World and Xi Mushan, she was pretty ordinary, so it was not really difficult to let things pass on its own. However, Xi Mushan might be facing a bit more trouble.

Xi Xiaye was thinking about giving Xi Mushan a call after she hung up on the call from the court, but her phone starting ringing before she could punch the number in. It was Su Nan!

"Damn, Xiaye, have you seen the news? Big news! Han Yifeng and Xi Xinyi are married! They got registered at the Civil Affairs Bureau today. It's all over the news now! Han Yifeng actually still decided to marry Xi Xinyi after her reputation fell to rock bottom. Now, everyone is praising Han Yifeng's generosity. Some even said that this is true love..." Su Nan let her mouth run wild as soon as the call was connected.

Han Yifeng and Xi Xinyi were married?

She was startled for a moment when she heard the news. Seconds later, she raised her eyebrows. So, they were really married! Did he not say he wanted to cancel their marriage contract?

Was it because of the child? Or...

"Xiaye, do you know that Han Yifeng has now become a role model as a good man?! Damn, he's sure not worthy of it! He's the worst among the worst. Ugh, this is so frustrating! True love? And society accepts this? I can't stand this!"

Su Nan's enraged voice was so loud that Xi Xiaye had to put a distance between her ear and the receiver.

"They were already preparing to get married anyway. Do you really need to be this angry? Be careful with your own baby." Xi Xiaye laughed.

"Oh, I almost forgot that I have a little thing inside my womb! My bad, I was just talking about prenatal education yesterday!" Su Nan realized that her emotions were going awry.

"It's fine. So what if she's married? Aren't we married as well? You don't have to follow their news and trouble yourself anymore., I still have some documents to work on. Talk to you soon."

Xi Xiaye shook her head with a smile as she hung up on the call.

...

At night, in a villa on the outskirts.

Xi Xinyi felt revitalized when she found out that Han Yifeng had signed his name on the marriage contract. A blissful smile appeared on her pale face.

Caressing the red marriage certificate she had received from Secretary Wang gave her a peace of mind.