Xie Yuli did not notice her emotions.
He simply assumed she was curious and answered honestly.
“That was Miss Li Shuangxue, a long-time business partner. Recently, we’ve signed several important cooperation agreements together—”
“Mr. Xie, that’s enough.”
A faint blush spread across Shen Bingci’s cheeks as her eyelashes trembled slightly.
The way he was explaining everything…
It almost felt like he was reporting his whereabouts to her.
Even though he didn’t need to.
Hearing the explanation, Zhuang Zhenying finally relaxed and smiled with satisfaction.
“It sounds like your relationship is quite close. After all, Mr. Xie personally delivered the gift.”
Xie Yuli immediately sensed the hidden meaning behind her words.
Calmly, he replied,
“Miss Li is my business partner. That is only proper etiquette.”
Years of business cooperation naturally involved social obligations.
Nothing more.
Jiang Jinxiu laughed.
“Look at that. The moment your future wife appears, both your body and soul fly away with her.”
Apparently, no one was more important than Mr. Xie’s fiancée.
Since more guests were arriving, Xie Yuli looked toward Shen Bingci and said politely,
“Miss Shen, please wait a moment.”
He returned briefly to settle matters with his colleagues.
Originally, they had planned to leave together afterward, but now it seemed the gathering would end here.
He had never expected to encounter Shen Bingci at this hotel.
Compared to everything else, Shen Bingci’s presence felt more important.
She had arrived without informing him.
From his perspective, he had already failed as a host.
After hearing Xie Yuli’s explanation, Jiang Jinxiu pointed at him teasingly.
“Honestly, Mr. Xie, you’ve become shameless.”
“You’ve got a fiancée now and completely forgotten your friends.”
“It’s not wife.”
Xie Yuli corrected him immediately.
“She’s my fiancée.”
As serious and rigid as ever.
“Fine, fine.”
“Fiancée.”
After finishing matters with his colleagues, Xie Yuli returned directly to Shen Bingci and accompanied her downstairs.
“When did you arrive in Hong Kong, Miss Shen?”
“Yesterday.”
Walking beside him, she noticed that he never walked too fast.
His pace naturally matched hers.
She never had to hurry.
Whenever he spoke, he looked directly at her face.
And in those moments, those deep and elegant eyes seemed to contain only her.
She knew it was merely his upbringing and good manners.
Yet she still felt strangely cherished.
Being watched by someone with such refined features made her face feel warm.
Not wanting to appear inferior, Shen Bingci gathered her courage and looked back at him.
For only an instant.
Yet it felt as though she was being drawn into his eyes.
The beauty mark beneath his eye was incredibly attractive.
Almost impossible to look away from.
Everything about him was elegant.
Polite.
Refined.
Like winter bamboo standing proudly against snow.
Noble to the very core.
And yet a man this noble was focusing all of his attention on her.
“I came early because your sister’s birthday is approaching.”
“I wanted to choose a gift for her.”
For some reason, Shen Bingci found it impossible to lie in front of him.
Xie Yuli nodded in understanding.
At the same time, he took out his phone and glanced at a message.
Activating his headset, he said,
“Bring the car to the entrance. We’re returning to the old residence.”
Afterward, he put the phone away and looked at her.
“If you came to Hong Kong, why didn’t you tell me beforehand?”
“I didn’t think it was necessary.”
She answered honestly.
“I was only planning to walk around.”
“I didn’t want to trouble you—”
“You’re my fiancée.”
His voice interrupted her gently.
“That’s not trouble.”
He openly acknowledged their relationship without hesitation.
His expression remained calm and dignified.
“Besides, if you’re coming to Hong Kong, you should contact me.”
When they reached the lobby, Zhuang Zhenying excused herself and left due to a family matter.
Xie Yuli opened the car door personally.
“Miss Shen, please.”
Shen Bingci hesitated.
“I’m returning to my hotel.”
It was already late.
Where exactly was he planning to take her?
During their conversation, he had already learned she was staying at a hotel.
Yet he continued holding the door open.
“Miss Shen.”
“Allowing you to stay at a hotel is already a failure on my part.”
“I’m taking you to the Xie family residence.”
A hotel was still a hotel.
No matter how luxurious, it could never compare to home.
A family residence was safer.
More comfortable.
And if she stayed somewhere under his supervision, he could relax.
Most importantly, she had come to Hong Kong without contacting him.
If either his father or her father learned she had been staying alone in a hotel, he would have no reasonable explanation.
In his eyes, that was negligence.
“The Xie residence?”
“My… your home?”
Shen Bingci became even more flustered.
“That isn’t appropriate.”
“I really shouldn’t go.”
Xie Yuli stood beneath the neon lights.
The night softened his outline.
Tall.
Straight-backed.
His shadow stretched across the ground and covered hers, as though shielding her beneath it.
“Miss Shen.”
“You’re my fiancée.”
“Of course you can stay at the Xie residence.”
After a pause, he added,
“Before long, it will be your home as well.”
Because he would become her husband.
Why shouldn’t she return to her own home?
Even after sitting inside the Rolls-Royce, Shen Bingci still felt dazed.
Everything seemed unreal.
She accepted the blanket Xie Yuli personally handed to her.
He sat beside her.
As a man, his presence felt especially noticeable in the enclosed space.
The distance between them had never been so small.
“Raise the temperature a little, Uncle Chen.”
His voice was deep and pleasant.
It made her ears itch slightly.
Uncle Chen glanced at the pair through the rearview mirror and smiled warmly.
“Of course, Young Master.”
Xie Yuli turned to her politely.
“Miss Shen, is the temperature comfortable?”
Whenever he looked at her seriously, she found it difficult to meet his eyes.
Instead, her gaze naturally drifted toward his throat.
His Adam’s apple was sharp and prominent.
His skin pale and smooth.
A dangerous thought suddenly crossed her mind.
What would it feel like to kiss him there…?
A low voice pulled her back to reality.
“Miss Shen?”
For a moment, she felt as though she had awakened from a dream.
Avoiding his eyes, she replied,
“It’s fine.”
“The temperature is perfect.”
She almost forgot what they had been talking about.
That would have been terribly rude.
The problem was that Xie Yuli was simply too polite.
All the shameless tricks she used at home seemed impossible to use on him.
In truth, she actually felt a little warm.
The air conditioning in her own car was usually set lower than this.
Yet because Xie Yuli was so attentive, she instinctively wanted him to worry less.
Sometimes she wondered:
Did being this considerate exhaust him?
She had always known that people who took care of everyone around them often became very tired.
They had to watch expressions carefully.
Think before speaking.
Avoid offending anyone.
Usually because they depended on others to survive.
None of those concerns applied to Xie Yuli.
Perhaps this was simply the result of his upbringing.
Something engraved into his bones.
A man this good…
Would one day become her husband.
She really had struck gold.
“Miss Shen.”
“Have some tea. The evenings have been chilly lately.”
Xie Yuli handed her a cup.
Then added thoughtfully,
“It’s a new cup.”
Smiling, she accepted it.
Their fingers brushed briefly.
His fingers were long, pale, and elegant.
The light contact lasted only a moment.
Yet her heart trembled.
His hands.
They were truly beautiful.