Chapter 53

"I'm a bit thirsty, I'll rest for a while." Yan Xi felt that her thoughts were too inappropriate and that she could no longer look at Yuan Yi, with his slim waist, long legs, and shapely backside, without feeling a little flustered.

Yuan Yi, who had wanted to invite Yan Xi to ride again: ...

This woman always knows how to ruin the mood.

Yan Xi ordered a cup of hot milk tea, laid back in a soft chair, and took out her phone to send a message in her friend group.

Dahe: "I have a male friend with broad shoulders, a slim waist, and long legs. I actually feel like I want to hug his waist. Is something wrong with my thoughts?"

Ruru: "There really are such perfect men? If you're attracted, I can understand. Go ahead, knock him down!"

Dahe: "But he treats me as a friend!!"

Minmin: "Then find a way to make him your boyfriend and take him down!"

Dahe: "You two are just all talk and no action, I'm not falling for your nonsense."

Seeing that her unreliable friends had already started discussing the company's most handsome and sexy men, Yan Xi knew that they weren't going to offer any useful advice. So, she gave up and posted on an online forum instead.

Xiao Qin was a regular forum user. On weekends, when she didn't have to work, she would lie in bed and browse the forum. That day, she came across a very strange post.

The original poster (OP) said they had suddenly realized that their male friend was very attractive and wanted to touch his waist and "eat his tofu" (an expression meaning to flirt or take advantage of someone inappropriately). They asked if this was normal.

Normal?

Of course, it wasn't normal! This was just a perverted man's way of thinking, wasn't it?

Xiao Qin typed out a long message, saying that even if the other person was a friend, they should respect them. If it wasn't true love, and they were just attracted to their body, they shouldn't harm such a good girl!

After finishing the long message, she still wasn't satisfied, so she added:

【If there are no feelings, taking advantage is just being a thug!】

Yan Xi read this reply and felt that the other person had made a good point. She sincerely thanked them and clarified that she was a woman, not a man.

Xiao Qin saw that the OP, whom she had scolded, was polite and thanked her, and her impression of the OP improved a little. Then, when she saw that the OP wasn't a perverted man but a woman, her tone changed completely.

【Girl, touching his waist won't make you pregnant. If you're really interested, touching is no big deal.】

Yan Xi: ...

What is going on in this world?

She looked up and saw Yuan Yi dismounting and walking toward her. She quickly closed the forum app and opened Weibo, pretending to be seriously browsing it.

Yuan Yi glanced at Zhang Wang and Yu'er, then turned and sat down at Yan Xi's table. "In the afternoon, we're going to row boats and fish in the middle of the lake. Do you want to come?"

"What kind of fish?" Yan Xi asked. "Koi?"

"I think you've been reposting Koi for good luck so often that you've made your brain dumb," Yuan Yi said as he took off his helmet. "Can Koi even be eaten?"

"No," Yan Xi cupped her face with both hands, smiling at him. "So, what about you? Are you still riding horses?"

"What, now you want to ride with me?" Yuan Yi raised an eyebrow and glanced at her. "Weren't you scared earlier?"

"I'm just sitting here, overcoming my fear," Yan Xi said with an innocent expression, her big eyes blinking. "Come on, help me out, big shot."

"Tch." Yuan Yi took a sip of the drink the server brought him and turned to see Yan Xi still staring at him. "If you want me to take you, I'll take you, but I'll lose face if I just do it because you ask me to."

Yan Xi pouted, "Fine, forget it then." It seemed like today's tofu wasn't going to be eaten.

Yuan Yi tilted his head to glance at Yan Xi, took a couple of sips of tea, pulled out his phone and scrolled for a bit. Then he looked at her again, his thumb sliding across the phone screen. After a while, he put the phone down and said, "Alright, let's go, I'll take you."

Yan Xi immediately brightened up, smiling as she got up and followed Yuan Yi.

"This horse is so tall," Yan Xi stretched out a finger and gently touched the horse, but it didn't react. She grew bolder and lightly touched its back. "Its coat is so smooth, and its eyes are so big. This must be the handsome horse among horses."

Yuan Yi mounted the horse and extended his hand to her. "Get on."

Yan Xi reached out her hand to Yuan Yi. With a pull and a climb, she ended up not getting on the horse.

How embarrassing.

"Yan Xi, have you lost your mind? As a beginner, you can't get on a horse without a mounting block," Yuan Yi said.

"Oh, I forgot you're not a TV drama hero who can just pull someone up onto a horse," Yan Xi rolled her eyes at the sky. With the coach's help, she stepped on the mounting block and got onto the horse.

Yuan Yi: ...

This woman can't just leave him in peace for a day without making him angry!

Fine, whatever. Women just love to be unreasonable. He couldn't argue with her.

"Are you steady?" Yuan Yi asked when he saw Yan Xi holding onto his clothes and squeezing her legs against the horse's belly. "I'll start jogging to let you get used to it."

As the horse started running, Yan Xi felt the whole world shake. She stretched her arms forward and hugged Yuan Yi's waist. Through his clothes, she could feel the warmth of his skin and the solid, well-toned muscles of his abdomen.

"You, you, you be careful, I'm going to speed up," Yuan Yi said.

Faster than the horse running was the beating of his heart.

Her arm around his waist and the soft contact with her back every now and then made him feel like he was on fire.

"Mr. Zhang, Mr. Yuan and Miss Yan have a really good relationship," Yu'er said, watching the pair on horseback, as she brought a cup of tea to Zhang Wang's lips. "Don't they look like a perfect match?"

"Is that so?" Zhang Wang lazily took a sip from her hand. "Too bad I'm not good at riding, or I could take you for a spin."

"It's okay, this horse looks too tall for me, I'm too scared to ride it. Miss Yan is braver." Yu'er's gaze unintentionally fell on Yan Xi again. Miss Yan looked delicate and fragile, but she didn't expect her to have such courage.

After they ran a few laps, Yan Xi got off the horse and noticed that Yuan Yi's face was very red. "Are you hot?"

"No, why?"

"Why is your face so red?"

"The wind," Yuan Yi turned his head, "If it wasn't for you, would my face be this red?"

"Drink some water," Yan Xi took the drink that Yuan Yi had sipped and offered it to him. "You worked hard."

"Hmph." Yuan Yi took the drink and had a sip, his face returning to normal. "What do you want to eat later? I'll have them arrange it."

"I don't know what's good here, just tell me what to have," Yan Xi took out her phone and secretly opened her friend circle. She glanced up at Yuan Yi to make sure he couldn't see the screen before confidently sending a message in the group.

Dahe: "Sisters, I just touched his waist!"

Ruru: "How does it feel?"

Minmin: "How does it feel? +1"

Dahe: "It feels... like I want to make a move on my friend, also my butt hurts a bit."

Ruru: "What? Your butt hurts? Tell me honestly, what outrageous thing did you do to that handsome guy?!"

What kind of friends were these? Her butt hurt, and they assumed she had done something outrageous? Yan Xi looked up at Yuan Yi, who was quietly talking to the waiter, arranging their lunch plans. His features were sharp, and the way he spoke with his face turned had a special kind of charm.

The allure of a man's looks, how had she not noticed how captivating Yuan Yi was before?

Maybe it was because he had such a sharp tongue, and she had always preferred more refined types before?

It turned out that judging by appearance was shallow. Even a man with a sexy body could be just as captivating. Yan Xi touched her face, realizing that she was a woman with depth and taste, not falling for ordinary aesthetics.

But even rabbits don't eat the grass near their home. Could she be worse than a rabbit? She and Yuan Yi were already so familiar with each other; it didn't feel right to make a move.

"Recently, the chef has been experimenting with a few new dishes. I don't know how they'll taste, but I've had him prepare a portion of each," Yuan Yi turned his head and saw that Yan Xi was staring at him absentmindedly. "What are you looking at?"

"Looking at you," Yan Xi rested her chin on one hand and took a sip of milk tea. "I remember you said you like girls with big chests and long legs?"

Yuan Yi's gaze drifted to the side, not daring to meet Yan Xi's eyes. "I just said that casually, does it matter?"

"No, I was just asking," Yan Xi smiled and replied.

It seemed that having big breasts and long legs wasn't the only standard. She looked down at her chest, though it wasn't very big, but her legs were long. The only problem was, could she eat this "grass" so close to home, and if she did, would she have to take responsibility?

Thinking about it like that, it seemed too complicated. She'd put this question aside for now. She couldn't just be swayed by good looks and do something foolish.

Yuan Yi kept feeling like something was off with Yan Xi's gaze. He furrowed his brow. "Are you hungry?"

She looked at him as if he were roast pork.

"A bit," Yan Xi nodded, secretly guilty.

"Mr. Xu, Mr. Yang, Mr. Zhu, Mr. Yuan wants you to take a break, lunch will be ready soon," the coach ran over to tell the three people walking the horses.

"It's not even 11 o'clock yet, what lunch?" Xu Qiaosheng glanced at his watch. After eating ten crystal dumplings for breakfast, he wasn't even hungry. The coach didn't know how to answer and could only smile at him.

Xu Qiaosheng: ...

This was his cousin, what could he say?

In the afternoon, they were going to go boating and fishing. Yan Xi didn't wear the same skirt she had worn earlier but changed into a shirt and long pants, topped off with a fashionable women's suit. After looking in the mirror, Yan Xi was satisfied and felt like she had the aura of a businesswoman.

As she was touching up her makeup, Yu Er, who had changed clothes, walked up to her and quietly said, "Miss Yan, your relationship with Young Master Yuan seems really good."

Yan Xi didn't catch her words clearly, and thinking she was referring to her friendly relationship with Yuan Yi, she smiled and replied, "It's okay."

That seemed to be the mindset of remaining unflustered by praise or criticism, Yu Er thought with a bit of envy. She quickly touched up her own makeup and said, "Miss Yan, Young Master Zhang is still waiting for me, I'll go ahead."

"Okay, take care." Yan Xi smiled and nodded at her.

When Yu Er stepped out of the dressing room, she saw Yuan Yi standing not far away with his hands behind his back, seemingly waiting for Yan Xi. She paused in her tracks and quietly greeted him, "Young Master Yuan."

Yuan Yi nodded at her and asked, "Has Yan Xi finished changing her clothes?"

"Miss Yan is still touching up her makeup, but she should be done soon." Yu Er lowered her head, not daring to do anything flirtatious. The women in their circle, who wanted to truly rise above, had to learn to be sharp-eyed and quick-witted, knowing when to behave properly and when to act coquettishly. Those who lacked this ability had long fallen behind.

"Thank you, I understand."

Yu Er hurried off, worried that if she stayed any longer, Miss Yan might misunderstand.

"What are you doing standing here?" Yan Xi came out and saw Yuan Yi standing there, walked up to him, and glanced in the direction he was looking. Across from them was a pavilion with a classical, ancient charm. "It's really beautiful here."

"This used to be a private retreat of a royal family. After I bought it, I expanded it, but I only repaired the original buildings, not rebuilt them," Yuan Yi said when he saw that Yan Xi liked it. "Later, I'll have the manager give you two high-level membership cards so that you and Uncle Song can bring friends here to enjoy."

Yan Xi knew that membership cards here were hard to come by, and now Yuan Yi was offering her two. She suddenly understood why so many people desperately sought to latch onto powerful people—the feeling of being supported by a powerful figure was truly enjoyable.

"Thank you, Gold Thigh," Yan Xi said happily as she accepted Yuan Yi's offer, skipping the polite refusal.

"Two membership cards are considered 'Gold Thigh'?" Yuan Yi chuckled as they walked toward the dining area. "Is your standard really that low?"

"Not low at all. Your retreat is so exclusive that even with money, it's hard to get a membership card. My dad uses his to invite business friends here; it makes business talks a lot easier," Yan Xi explained. "It's not just a card, it's a symbol of status. I'm not stupid."

"Stop overthinking things, let's eat," Yuan Yi said with a light laugh. In his smile, Yan Xi almost thought she could sense a bit of gentleness and tolerance.

She must have been enchanted by his looks, she thought. Maybe she was seeing him through a filter.

After lunch, Yan Xi followed Yuan Yi onto the boat. She had expected it to be a small kayak or a regular wooden boat, but instead, it turned out to be a classical Chinese-style pleasure boat. There were professional rowers onboard, and if the guests didn't want to row themselves, the rowers would do it; if they wanted to try it, they would act as instructors. The boat also had several staff members in charge of service and rescue.

"You guys really know how to have fun," Yan Xi said, noticing a large carp swimming by. "Boating on this man-made lake, though it's not very big, has a unique charm. If you added a few people dressed in traditional costumes playing classical instruments, I'd almost think I had time-traveled."

"We actually have that. If you like, I can have them perform," Xu Qiaosheng tossed some fish food into the water to attract the fish. "Flute, harp, guzheng, guqin, xun, pipa, suona, we have skilled people in all traditional instruments here."

"Even suona?" Yan Xi asked in surprise.

"Of course," Xu Qiaosheng leaned back against the railing. "Shall I get them to perform for you?"

"Maybe not," Yan Xi shook her head. "We're fishing right now."

"You two remember you're fishing," Yuan Yi said, looking helplessly at the two of them. "If you keep chatting, don't expect to catch any fish tonight."

Xu Qiaosheng quietly shut up and moved to the other side of the boat, sitting down. He decided to step away and avoid being the unwanted third wheel.

As it turned out, Yuan Yi's inability to catch fish had nothing to do with Yan Xi or Xu Qiaosheng, as the entire afternoon passed with him not catching a single fish. On the other hand, Yan Xi, who didn't fish much, casually caught several.

After handing the fish over to the staff for processing in the kitchen, Yan Xi patted Yuan Yi, who looked expressionless. "It's okay, I'll share some of mine with you."

Yuan Yi: He wasn't comforted at all, and actually felt even more frustrated.

Even simple ingredients turned into exquisite dishes in the chef's hands. Though many of the evening's dishes were fish-based, they didn't become tiresome. Yan Xi secretly rubbed her full stomach—she had definitely eaten more than usual tonight.

"The night view of the retreat is beautiful. Yuan Xiaoer, take Dahe for a walk," Zhang Wang turned to Xu Qiaosheng. "Qiaosheng is catching a flight to another city for a filming event tonight. The four of us are going to play cards, so we won't be accompanying you two."

Xu Qiaosheng: How did he not know he had a show to film out of town?

"Yeah, Dahe, my manager's pushing me, I'll be heading to the airport soon. You and Brother Yi can enjoy yourselves, and we'll catch up next time."

For his cousin, he didn't mind telling a little white lie. Maybe telling a few more good-hearted lies would even earn him some good karma.

In the end, the only one accompanying Yan Xi to enjoy the night view was indeed Yuan Yi.

"This beautiful estate, you must have spent a lot of money maintaining it, right?" Yan Xi stood on the three-story wooden pavilion, gazing at the lights in the estate. "But it really is beautiful."

She looked up at the crescent moon in the sky. The autumn night was clear, and since it had rained the night before, the moonlight was especially beautiful. She couldn't help but sigh, "The moonlight tonight is really beautiful."

Looking at Yan Xi, who seemed completely lost in admiration with no other hidden meaning, Yuan Yi silently stared at the moon.

He... had nothing to say.