Top Grade Pure Beauty CEO

Li Xiaoyao spoke to them as equals, which was a sign of respect.

When Li Xiaoyao broached the subject, it meant there was no room for negotiation, and the Elders naturally understood this.

By taking the time to say these words, whether or not they would become reality, at the very least, Li Xiaoyao treated them as human beings instead of servants to be summoned and dismissed at will.

That alone was enough.

The smooth progress of the events left Cheng Yiyi feeling astonished; she knew all too well the temperaments of the Elders, yet in Li Xiaoyao's presence, they dared not show any displeasure.

Such was the vast disparity that status brought.

During the days in Medicine God Valley, the relationship between Li Xiaoyao and Cheng Yiyi had advanced by leaps and bounds. Even though they were not yet lovers, at least they were no longer cold-faced towards each other.

In the quiet of the deep night, in the pitch-black herbal garden, the sky was adorned with stars like a curtain of rain, surrounded by twinkling fireflies.

Li Xiaoyao and Cheng Yiyi sat under a vine-covered green rock, with Cheng Yiyi speaking in a soft voice, seemingly too shy to look at him, "Can you share your story with me?"

"What story?"

"I want to get to know you." Cheng Yiyi suddenly turned her head, looking at him earnestly.

Li Xiaoyao looked into her sincere eyes, smiled slightly, and said, "My story is quite long, to tell it all might take days and nights."

Cheng Yiyi didn't know where she got it from, but she produced a jar of aged wine, "I have wine, and you have stories, days and nights will not be boring."

"Come on, fill it up." Li Xiaoyao laughed heartily, Cheng Yiyi poured the wine to the brim, and like heroes of the green woods, they drained their cups as soon as they were filled.

"I am an orphan, abandoned in Yun Country since infancy. I was lucky, picked up by Uncle Allen, who raised me."

"Uncle Allen was a mercenary, doing jobs with his life on the line."

Li Xiaoyao spoke leisurely while Cheng Yiyi listened quietly, filling their bowls with wine and drinking it down whenever she was moved by his story.

It wasn't clear how long they talked or how much they drank, but both of them got quite drunk.

Cheng Yiyi leaned into his arms, tilting her little head up, gazing at Li Xiaoyao's furrowed brow.

"Li Xiaoyao, why the frown?" Cheng Yiyi pouted slightly, stretched out her hand to touch his knit eyebrows, trying to smooth them.

Li Xiaoyao forced a smile, "You're drunk, I'll take you back."

Cheng Yiyi wriggled in his arms, "I'm not drunk, I'm very sober. Let me sing for you, okay?"

Li Xiaoyao was somewhat helpless, as the girl was clearly drunk, and he had never seen her like this before. But it was nice, better than her being cold and distant.

"Hmm, you sing." Li Xiaoyao leaned back slightly against the vine, Cheng Yiyi shifted her head, finding a comfortable position.

The dark sky hangs low~

Bright stars keep close company~

The insects fly~

The insects fly~

Who are you missing?

The stars in the sky weep~

The roses on the ground wither~

The cold wind blows~

The cold wind blows~

As long as you accompany me~

The insects fly~

A faint sorrow and complex emotions flowed through her voice, and Li Xiaoyao, without realizing it, held her closer.

...

The next day.

A vibrantly feathered little bird landed on Cheng Yiyi's shoulder, and she shook her head and slowly opened her eyes.

"My head hurts so much..."

Cheng Yiyi wanted to reach up and rub her temples, but realized she was holding something in her arms.

Slowly lifting her head, she saw Li Xiaoyao's face, handsome as a painting, come into view.

"This..."

Cheng Yiyi immediately closed her mouth, as the events of the night before rewound in her mind like a movie.

"I really am... Eh!" she self-chastised bitterly. Cheng Yiyi moved carefully, trying her best not to wake Li Xiaoyao.

But Li Xiaoyao woke up anyway. His eyes opened, and seeing Cheng Yiyi sneaking around, he asked, "What are you doing?"

"I... I..." Cheng Yiyi didn't know how to explain and couldn't finish her sentence.

"Oh, it's daylight," Li Xiaoyao feigned a casual glance at the bright sky, and with a gentle lift of his palm on her waist, he picked her up.

He stood up from the tangled vines leisurely and set her down on the ground.

"I'm going back today. Call me if you need anything," Li Xiaoyao suddenly said this, seemingly out of the blue.

"Are you leaving?" After saying that, Cheng Yiyi realized something was off with her tone and quickly added, looking around nervously, "Be careful on the road."

"Mhm." Watching her appear somewhat guilty, a surge of emotion filled Li Xiaoyao. He reached out, took hold of her waist, which she couldn't resist squeezing, and with a soft exclamation from Cheng Yiyi, who lost her balance, her body flew into Li Xiaoyao's embrace.

Li Xiaoyao's kiss cascaded like flowing water onto her lips, and Cheng Yiyi forgot to resist, instead wrapping her arms around his strong, broad back.

After a long while, their lips parted.

Cheng Yiyi felt reluctant inside but deliberately acted as if it was nothing.

"I'm leaving." Li Xiaoyao smiled faintly and turned into a streak of light, flying away.

This time, he had successfully captured Cheng Yiyi's heart.

A night of drinking and heart-to-heart talk dissolved the strangeness between them, allowing Cheng Yiyi to understand him on a deeper level.

And Cheng Yiyi had no regrets about this outcome.

...

Just as he was about to fly into Ling City, Li Xiaoyao suddenly received a phone call from Lin Yuanyuan.

"You dog servant, where are you?" Lin Yuanyuan's voice was tinged with a hint of urgency and helplessness.

"What's wrong?"

Lin Yuanyuan got straight to the point, "It's about the Spirit Fruit."

"Where are you now?"

"Muze City's Longshan Golf Club."

"Are you alone?"

"No, there's also…" Lin Yuanyuan stopped mid-sentence, suddenly sounding impatient, "Where are you now? Hurry up and come to me! If you are any later, you won't see me again!"

Hearing her tone, Li Xiaoyao actually felt reassured and said with a laugh, "Not see you? That's a good thing. Later, I should throw a banquet for my guests, celebrating for three days and three nights."

"You dog servant, bastard, big bad guy." Lin Yuanyuan's cursing almost shattered the phone.

After a good amount of scolding, Li Xiaoyao felt it was enough and was about to speak seriously when someone else seemed to take away Lin Yuanyuan's phone, and a man's voice came through.

"My time is precious. I'll give you an hour. If you're not here in an hour, I'll kill her."

Li Xiaoyao's face turned cold; he recognized the murderous intent in the man's voice. This was no joke.

"Coincidentally, I'm in Muze City. I'll be there in ten minutes. I hope you still have the guts to talk to me this way then," he replied with a cold laugh, adding, "Also, a piece of advice: if my woman suffers even the slightest harm, if she loses a single hair, believe me, I will grind you to pieces."

He ended the call, his eyes were cold and dark as he flew towards Muze City with extreme speed.