If I may ask, how much can you give me?

When the flight from Heathrow landed in Bincheng, it was already late at night.

As soon as the door closed, Yan Heng's breath enveloped her.

During her time in England, Xu An'an was on her period. Coupled with being with Fang Jingyi, both of them were very restrained. But once they returned to their familiar home, they could no longer hold back.

In the darkness, Yan Heng carried Xu An'an to the island platform by the door, and a hot, burning kiss landed on her.

Xu An'an pressed down on his hand that had slipped inside her clothes.

"Wait, wait a minute... I'll go take a shower first."

They had been on a plane for over an hour. Foreigners like to wear strong perfume, and even though they were in first class, Xu An'an still felt like she was being overwhelmed by the perfume.

"Okay." Yan Heng nibbled on Xu An'an's neck while his hands were busy too. He said in a hoarse voice, "...Let's wash together."

Hot water poured from the showerhead, quickly filling the bathroom with steam. The sound of the water was loud, but it couldn't drown out the other noises.

After nearly an hour of "showering," Xu An'an was so tired that her legs were weak, and Yan Heng carried her out of the bathroom.

He placed her on the edge of the bed and helped her blow-dry her hair.

As he blew the whistle, his hands started to wander off again.

Xu An'an was already half asleep when Yan Heng pressed against her again, and she was genuinely puzzled: "Where do you get so much energy?"

Yan Heng pulled Xu An'an's hand, which was pressed against his chest, up and gently bit her fingertip: "I want to know too."

The truth is—the bath was wasted.

That night, Xu An'an understood a profound truth: no matter what, she absolutely could not let Yan Heng hold back, otherwise he would only retaliate tenfold.

When Xu An'an woke up again, it was already the afternoon of the next day.

There was a sticky note on the table:

I went to Ningcheng for a meeting today and will be back at 9 PM. The food is in an insulated container.

It was left behind by Yan Heng. He'd been in England for almost half a month, and there was a lot of work piling up at the company. He figured he'd be busy for a while after he got back.

Xu An'an got up and ate breakfast.

The weather was lovely. Since Yan Heng wouldn't be back until evening, Xu An'an decided to go out for a stroll by herself. She quickly tidied herself up, put on a mask, and went downstairs.

As soon as I stepped outside, I noticed a car parked in front of the door.

Rolls-Royce.

A man in a suit got out of the driver's seat and walked up to her.

"Miss Xu, hello. I'm a driver from the Yan Group. Chairman Yan would like to invite you to the old mansion."

The car drove along the winding mountain road for about half an hour before stopping in front of a magnificent villa.

The villa was large, with a spacious yard and a fountain. The car stopped at the iron gate, where the butler was already waiting, leading her inside. Her shoes made a soft sound on the stone path. The living room had a high ceiling, and outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the shadows of pine trees swayed. The mahogany furniture looked as if it had been steeped in decades of history.

Xu An'an watched the whole way, feeling very calm.

She remembered that Yan Heng had grown up here.

This place is too big.

It's so big it feels a bit empty.

The housekeeper led her into an empty drawing room and had her sit on a mahogany sofa. Soon, a servant brought water. Xu An'an thanked him.

"Miss Xu, please wait here for a moment."

Xu An'an nodded.

She sat there for more than ten minutes, but no one came over. She wasn't in a hurry, so she got up and wandered around for a bit.

The walls were adorned with famous paintings, and the shelves displayed porcelain and antiques—all valuable items—yet there was not a trace of life in the room. Thinking of how Yan Heng had grown up in such a house, Xu An'an felt a pang of unease.

She walked around some more and noticed that one of the rooms was different.

The interior decoration is very feminine and looks a bit old, but it is kept very clean.

"Visiting someone's home for the first time, and wandering around like this, Miss Xu really doesn't consider herself an outsider?"

A voice came from behind her, startling Xu An'an.

Looking back, I saw a man standing behind me.

It is Yan Zhenze.

He was even more handsome in person than on TV and in photos. His hair was a natural mix of black and white, yet strangely attractive and dignified. He was very tall and had a strong presence that inspired a sense of awe.

Xu An'an knew she was in the wrong: "I'm sorry, Chairman Yan. It's just that I really can't sit in a solid wood chair and would like to walk around."

Yan Zhenze snorted and turned to walk out the door. Xu An'an followed.

When they arrived outside again, Yan Zhenze led her to a living room with soft sofas.

Xu An'an was taken aback for a moment, then heard Yan Zhenze say, "This won't work either? Are you the princess and the pea?"

Xu An'an looked shocked.

Surprisingly, the rumoredly frightening Yan Zhenze can actually make jokes.

She suddenly felt it wasn't so scary anymore, and couldn't help but laugh out loud as she sat down.

Yan Zhenze looked at her smile, his expression somewhat unnatural. In all his years of holding high office and wielding great power, no one had ever dared to be so presumptuous in front of him.

Xu An'an noticed that his complexion was not good, so she quickly straightened her back, lowered her head, and made a respectful gesture.

The butler brought out tea, and the delicate aroma of Longjing tea wafted from the celadon cup.

Xu An'an held the cup without drinking, placed it on her lap, her back straight, and quietly waited for him to speak.

"Xu An'an," Yan Zhenze took a sip of tea, seemingly regaining some of his familiar aura, "I first heard your name about seven years ago."

"Yan Heng suddenly came back, asking me to give you a resource."

"That was the first time Yan Heng bowed his head and begged me. I told him, 'Kneel down and I'll agree.' I didn't expect him to actually kneel down. At that time, I was a little curious about you, thinking that you had some tricks up your sleeve, but I didn't take you seriously."

"Men all go through this phase. When they're young, they like a few attractive women, but it's all just a fleeting illusion, it's normal. It's fine to just have some fun with them."

"Later, you married the Lu family's son. I thought more highly of you. I know that boy; he's quite good. I think you're really resourceful; it's not easy for someone from such a background to marry him."

"But I still underestimated you. You're still not satisfied, and now you want to climb up to our family again. But you've miscalculated."

Yan Zhenze put down his teacup, the bottom of which tapped against the mahogany tea table with a soft sound. "I don't want to beat around the bush with you. Name your price. How much do you want to leave Yan Heng?"

Xu An'an listened patiently to this long string of questions, thought for a moment, and then asked, "Chairman Yan, if I may be so bold as to ask, how much can you give me?"

Yan Zhenze's hand trembled as he reached for the teacup, spilling half of the tea.

He glared at Xu An'an, clearly never expecting her to ask such a question.

Xu An'an calmly met his gaze: "Don't be angry. I just feel that the price you offered might not be enough."

Yan Zhenze slammed his teacup down and snorted coldly, "Quite the boast!"

Xu An'an shrugged, took out her phone, checked her account balance, and showed it to Yan Zhenze.

"Yan Heng has already transferred all his savings, annual stock dividends, and investment income from his personal companies to my account," she said casually and politely. "So, Mr. Yan, I'm really not sure you can offer me a higher price."

She was polite, but her words were unambiguous.

Yan Zhenze was stunned.

He had never lost money in his life. But what frustrated him was that while the valuation of the Yan Group was very high, he simply couldn't come up with more cash flow than that at the moment.

I never imagined that my foolish son could go to such lengths—for a divorced woman who is so old, he would actually go to such lengths!

He was exasperated and cursed, "What a love-struck fool! Just like his mother."

Hearing him say that, Xu An'an felt a little unhappy. Perhaps it was the money that gave her confidence, because she went along with it and said, "Yes, Yan Heng took after Auntie in that respect. But don't worry, I'm different from you. I won't let him down."

This remark undoubtedly angered Yan Zhenze.

He had never been so offended before. With a swift motion, he smashed the cup on the ground.

In the instant of the explosion, Xu An'an was startled. She suddenly realized what nonsense she had said—her purpose in coming here today was to ease the conflict, so how did she actually end up arguing with Yan Zhenze? But she couldn't be blamed; Yan Zhenze's words were truly infuriating, no wonder Yan Heng and he didn't get along.

Xu An'an took a deep breath, suppressing her anger, and softened her tone: "Chairman Yan, I'm not here to argue with you. I'm here today because I genuinely want to have a serious talk with you about my relationship with Yan Heng."

"Talk?" Yan Zhenze sneered, his gaze sharp.

"What do you want to talk about? How you schemed against my son step by step? Xu An'an, let me tell you, dreaming of entering the Yan family is utterly delusional!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than the living room door was pushed open with a bang.

Yan Heng strode in. His suit jacket was draped over his arm, the top two buttons of his shirt were undone, and there was a thin layer of sweat on his forehead, as if he had sped all the way here.

He still carried the chill of the outside air with him. In a few steps, he reached Xu An'an's side, stepped aside, and firmly protected her behind him.

The moment his gaze met Yan Zhenze's, his voice was icy cold: "Let's see who dares to touch her."

His back was taut, and his entire body exuded vigilance. Xu An'an reached out from behind and gently pulled his arm, pressing her fingertips against his tense muscles, signaling him not to act rashly.

"Yan Heng," she called softly.

Yan Heng didn't turn around, but he relaxed his shoulders and back slightly and didn't press forward any further.

Xu An'an peeked out from behind him and looked at Yan Zhenze.

"Chairman Yan, stop pretending. If you really wanted to stop me, you wouldn't have needed to call me here."

If Yan Zhenze really wanted to mess with her, he had plenty of ways to force her to comply.

But he didn't.

Therefore, when she was politely invited here today, Xu An'an felt very calm.

When Xu An'an saw that Fang Jingyi's room furnishings had been preserved in the old Yan family mansion, she became even more convinced that Yan Zhenze was not as cold-hearted as the rumors suggested.

"Chairman Yan, I've been in Bincheng for so long, and you haven't looked for me once. But we just got back from our trip to England, and you couldn't wait to call me here."

Xu An'an smiled slightly, "After all this talk, what you really want to ask about is Aunt Fang's matter, right?"

Yan Zhenze suddenly looked up, his sharp gaze flashing for the first time with the embarrassment of having his secret exposed.

He stared at Xu An'an for a long time, his lips moved, but he didn't say anything. The shadows of the pine trees fell on his face, sometimes bright, sometimes dim, making it impossible to see his expression.

After a long pause, he finally asked, "How is she now?"

"She's doing fine," Xu An'an said truthfully. She took out her phone, flipped through the photo album, and placed it in front of Yan Zhenze.

These are photos of Fang Jingyi that she took in England.

Yan Zhenze's eyes trembled, revealing an expression completely different from before.

Xu An'an sighed inwardly.

If only I had known then what I know now.

Yan Heng must have thought of the same thing, because he gave a cold snort.

Xu An'an took the mahogany box out of her bag and handed it to Yan Zhenze.

"Aunt Fang asked me to bring this to you."

Yan Zhenze's gaze fell on the box, his pupils contracting slightly. He seemed to hesitate for a few seconds before reaching out to lift the lid. His fingers hovered above the ring, lingering for a long time before gently touching it.

The moment his fingertips touched the cool jade, he felt as if he had been burned, and quickly withdrew them.

"...What did she say she wanted?"

Xu An'an was silent for a while, then said, "Aunt Fang said she wants her son to be with the person he loves."

The living room suddenly fell silent. The sound of the pine trees outside the window and the ticking of the grandfather clock in the corner echoed in the heavy, oppressive air.

After a long silence, Yan Zhenze waved wearily, his voice hoarse: "Go."

Yan Heng didn't say much, turned around, took Xu An'an's hand, and led her outside.

As she reached the door, Yan Zhenze's voice suddenly came from behind her, low and with a barely perceptible hesitation: "Did she...did she mention me?"

Xu An'an paused, about to reply, but Yan Heng spoke first.

"no."

Leaving behind those two cold, hard words, Yan Heng led Xu An'an away from the old house.

Stepping out of the old house, the setting sun was sinking into the mountain valley, its orange-red light spreading across the stone path, casting long, long shadows of the two of them. The wind carried the bitter scent of pine needles, which felt pleasant on their faces.

Xu An'an looked up at him: "Why didn't you tell him the truth just now?"

During their stay in the small town, Fang Jingyi told Xu An'an many stories about her and Yan Zhenze when they were young. It was because of this that Xu An'an came to understand a different side of Yan Zhenze and was not so afraid of him when she was in his presence.

Yan Heng squeezed her hand and said somewhat petulantly, "He's not worthy."

Xu An'an nodded.

Indeed, from Yan Heng's perspective, everything stemmed from Yan Zhenze. Even if he repents now, it won't change anything.

There is a sea near the old house. Xu An'an has seen many bloggers check in here because it has a kind of apocalyptic feel when it freezes in winter.

Since it was still early, Xu An'an suggested going there to take a look.

The two drove to the seaside.

It was getting dark.

Half of the sea surface was frozen over, and there was still unmelted snow on the reefs.

The world was a vast expanse of white.

Xu An'an took a deep breath, the cool air entering her nostrils, a scent unique to winter.

Nature always possesses a power that makes people, when placed within it, suddenly realize their own insignificance.

It was windy at the beach, and Yan Heng was worried that she would get cold, so he opened his coat and wrapped her up completely from behind.

He was wearing a long black coat today, which they bought while shopping in England; it had a very British feel to it.

Xu An'an immediately fell in love with it and insisted on dragging Yan Heng to try it on. Sure enough, once he put it on, he looked like a prince, so handsome that it made everyone weak in the knees.

Xu An'an looked at the apocalyptic scene before her, but a warm embrace held her tightly from behind, filling her with a sense of security.

She leaned against Yan Heng, and the two of them enjoyed this rare moment of tranquility.

After a long while, she suddenly tilted her head and said, "Yan Heng, I think Aunt Fang still loves Chairman Yan."

Yan Heng remained silent for a long time before asking, "Why do you say that?"

"I can't explain it..." Xu An'an recalled Fang Jingyi's expression when she talked about the past. "When your mother talked about Chairman Yan, her eyes were still gentle and nostalgic. If she didn't love him anymore, she wouldn't look like that."

In fact, Yan Heng knew this too.

He doesn't deserve it.

That same phrase again.

Xu An'an sighed.

She would have thought the same way in the past.

But after those few days on the mountain, she suddenly realized that everything was just a self-imposed shackle.

A thousand people, a thousand faces.

Faced with betrayal, some choose not to forgive, while others choose to forgive.

These are just different choices, and neither is wrong.

Life is something you live yourself; like a fish drinking water, only you know whether it's hot or cold.

No one should impose a set of standards on anyone else.