Chapter 201

When there were still three months until Xia Xi's birthday, Xu Yanfeng had already been thinking about what birthday gift to give her.

Last year, when she celebrated her birthday, they were not yet together, and he found out only by looking at her social media. Later she deliberately messaged him to tell him, but it was very late then, and aside from a 'Happy Birthday,' he didn't have time to prepare a gift.

During work breaks, Xu Yanfeng kept thinking about this matter.

He even called Tang Yizhou for advice, since Tang had experience in this area—he had dated so many girlfriends you couldn't count them on two hands, with a record of changing four in one month, averaging less than ten days together.

When Tang Yizhou heard that Xu Yanfeng wanted to buy a birthday gift for Xia Xi, he said casually: 'That's not hard. Handbags, perfume, clothes, jewelry—the more expensive, the more they like it. Especially flashy jewelry; give them a set and they'll put you on a pedestal.'

Xu Yanfeng immediately frowned, feeling Tang was too vulgar and not respectful enough toward his girlfriend, so he stopped seeking his advice and decided to think it over himself.

Tang Yizhou then asked: 'What did she give you for your birthday?'

Xu Yanfeng lowered his gaze to his cuff; he was wearing a dark‑blue shirt today, and the square star‑pattern cufflinks flashed with a subdued light, their color matching the shirt perfectly—these were hand‑designed by Xia Xi and custom‑made.

He wears them occasionally, but most of the time they are kept in a separate display case.

Tang Yizhou didn't hear a reply and shouted into the phone: 'Hello? Hello? Did you get disconnected? Or did she not even give you a single chicken feather?'

'No need to tell you.' Xu Yanfeng hung up, rubbing the edge of the cufflink with his fingertip.

Four edges, the top and bottom are platinum, the left and right set with tiny diamonds, and in the center is a slightly larger blue diamond with many facets, scattering fine light like a deep night sky—less flashy than a white diamond, understated and restrained. She said it matched his temperament.

Her feelings were more precious than the gift itself, so he didn't know what would be good enough for her.

Nothing seemed sufficient.

After work, Xu Yanfeng sat alone in his office, as if he had made up his mind, his gaze firm and resolute, he pulled a number from his phone contacts and dialed.

The call was quickly answered, and the caller addressed him: 'Second Young Master Xu.'

Xu Yanfeng tapped his fingers lightly on the desk: 'Attorney Cui, if you have time, come to my apartment; I have a favor to ask.'

Attorney Cui is a top lawyer at Jingming Law Firm and also his personal lawyer, helping him manage some trust funds and providing personal services, not affiliated with the Xu Clan Group.

When the employer had a request, Cui Xingyuan naturally agreed without hesitation.

After hanging up, Xu Yanfeng gave the address to Cui Xingyuan, got up and left the office. Today he didn't drive himself; the driver took him to the apartment near Nan Da.

Cui Xingyuan was startled by the employer and repeatedly asked whether he was sober, not drunk or on medication.

Xu Yanfeng, helpless and speechless, only told Attorney Cui to do as he said.

Cui Xingyuan still dared not, and finally asked once more whether he had thought it through—once the other party signed the contract, there would be no room for regret. Or should he add some supplementary clauses? For example, if the two people's relationship broke down, the contract would be void.

Xu Yanfeng turned around and urged him to clear his head, asking who exactly was the employer.

To keep his job, Cui Xingyuan chose to compromise, breaking into a cold sweat as he drafted the contract. His eyes fell on the Party B information, and he hesitantly asked: 'Is this Ms. Xia Xi the one who saved your life?'

'She is my girlfriend.'

Xu Yanfeng sat in the armchair by the window in the study; the sunset had set, a faint afterglow filtered through the window, not as bright as the indoor lights, but when he mentioned her, his eyes shone brightly.

Cui Xingyuan truly couldn't understand him: 'Do you have something she holds over you?'

Xu Yanfeng's brows furrowed slightly, not knowing whether Attorney Cui had handled too many lawsuits, grown accustomed to wicked people, and always assumed the worst: 'She is wonderful. This is the birthday gift I am giving her.'

Cui Xingyuan: '……'

Buddha above, taking in a boyfriend who gives Xu Clan Group shares—ah, no, a girlfriend.

The contract was printed out and placed on the desk. As they were parting, Cui Xingyuan lifted his briefcase, wore a sincere expression, and told Xu Yanfeng: 'If anything changes in the future, I can mobilize the whole law firm to help you get it back—please believe me.'

Xu Yanfeng's complexion was poor, but his upbringing made him keep basic courtesy; he said softly: 'Thank you, you may go.'

Cui Xingyuan left with a sigh.

Tang Yizhou stepped into Xu Yanfeng's apartment for the first time, carrying two bottles of aged red wine he had brought from home, followed by two young men in uniforms, each holding a square insulated box.

'You hung up on me for no reason this afternoon, and when I called back you didn't answer—what's the problem?'

Tang Yizhou swaggered in, shoes still on, put the two bottles of red wine on the dining table, and gestured to the men behind him.

The two young men swiftly laid out the dishes from the insulated boxes onto the table, bowed, and extended their hands: 'Please enjoy.'

After opening the door for Tang Yizhou, Xu Yanfeng went to the window to make a call; it was to Xia Xi, and he learned she had eaten dinner, was on her way to the library, had a few drawings to finish, and would be busy until late.

He reminded her not to overwork herself, waited for her to hang up first, then took his phone from the window to the dining area and asked Tang Yizhou: 'Why did you suddenly decide to come here?'

'You figure it out—how long has it been since you last showed up at the brothers' gatherings?' Tang Yizhou pulled the cork, 'pop,' accompanied by his smirk, rather amusing: 'Every time I call you, you always have something to refuse; being busy doesn't excuse you to this extent. I think you've got a woman and forgotten your brothers. What magic does Xia Xi have?'

Xu Yanfeng fetched a decanter and two wine glasses: 'Don't you think it's weird for the two of us to sit opposite each other and eat?'

'Do I need you to say that?' Tang Yizhou snorted, 'I called Luo Ma and Lao Fu on the way; they'll be here soon, let's drink first. Hey, don't dodge the topic—are you busy dating?'

Xu Yanfeng pulled out a chair and sat down: 'Stop prying into my private affairs.'

'Fine, I don't care.' Tang Yizhou said, 'When you're sweet‑talked by a woman into going pantless, don't come crying to the brothers.'

Xu Yanfeng had never dated before, and right away he met someone as skilled as Xia Xi—it was impossible not to suffer a loss, and Tang Yizhou had already anticipated his fate.

While the wine was breathing, Tang Yizhou walked around with his hands behind his back, like a leader on an inspection, touring the rooms and wandering into the study, where he caught sight of the black‑on‑white contract on the desk at a glance.

Since it was left out in the open, it obviously wasn't a trade secret.

Tang Yizhou casually picked it up and saw it was a share transfer contract; his eyes popped out, he trembled as he turned to the back, where Xia Xi's full name and ID number were written: 'Xu Yanfeng! Are you crazy?!'

He took the contract and went to find Xu Yanfeng, shaking the papers noisily in front of him: 'You, you want to transfer your shares to that woman?' He must have been kicked in the head by a donkey or brain‑washed to do something so outrageous.

Does his father know?

If Xu Guanshan knew, wouldn't he faint on the spot?

Xu Yanfeng's first reaction wasn't to blame Tang Yizhou for touching his things without permission, but to correct his wording: 'What "that woman"? That's my girlfriend.'

Tang Yizhou was almost suffocating: 'Is that really the point?'

He pointed to the share proportion on the contract—five percent—and even an outsider knows how terrifying the annual dividends from five percent of the Xu Clan Group's shares are; Xu Yanfeng would know it even better.

'I ask you, how many shares of the Xu Clan do you hold in total?' Tang Yizhou's voice changed, trembling.

Xu Yanfeng answered casually: 'Five percent.' He hasn't formally taken over the Xu Clan yet; this is all he has, and his older brother has the same amount.

……

He only has five percent of the shares, and he's giving it all to Xia Xi?

He's really gone mad; there's no saving him.

Tang Yizhou fiercely pinched his philtrum. He thought Xu Yanfeng was experiencing his first love, might get carried away—first love, after all, is always especially precious—but he didn't expect him to get so carried away his brain would break.

Tang Yizhou desperately tried to stay calm: "Listen to me, have you thought about what you'll do if you break up…"

"I haven't considered breaking up." Xu Yanfeng frowned deeply, directly cutting him off: "Don't mention the two words 'break up'; it's inauspicious."

Tang Yizhou almost couldn't catch his breath: "I… I…"

I fucking care whether it's auspicious or not.