"What else can you do?"

"Do you want to know?"

His face was stern. "This is my secret; I don’t tell it to just anyone. If you really want to know, there’s only one way..."

"???"

"Marry me!"

"..."

"Only if you marry me right now and become my wife will I reveal my secrets. Otherwise, why should I tell you?"

She went to wash the dishes without uttering a word. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Summer nights are long, and mild Pu’er tea is just right to aid digestion.

As Yan Xixi brought the tea over, the man at the desk crooked his pinky finger. "Sweetheart, come here."

She stood behind him.

"Xixi, look at this document..."

She knew this was top secret, so she hesitated. Previously, he never volunteered information, and she never probed.

His expression was slightly tired. "This has already been dealt with..."

She was shocked by the huge sum displayed, breaking out into a cold sweat after a long moment.

My goodness, if these figures were made public, the tycoons on the Forbes list would instantly look pathetic. No wonder it’s said that the real magnates aren’t even on the list.

"The Zhou Ting family is that wealthy?"

He sighed heavily. "Otherwise, where would Old Zhou get so much influence? Honestly, if I could avoid offending him, I would never choose him as an enemy. But he’s vindictive and currently has the upper hand. If I don’t take a gamble now, I’ll likely face even greater danger later. Fortunately, I managed to get my hands on something that can ensure our temporary safety for now..."

She felt very uneasy.

Given her background, she couldn’t comprehend such immense internal struggles before. Even now, her understanding was hazy at best.

He gazed at her intently. "Xixi, I didn’t tell you before because I hoped you’d never have to understand... But after this incident, I’ve decided I won’t hide anything from you anymore."

She was taken aback.

Truly, some things are far better left unknown.

But who can comprehend the agony of one forced to keep a secret?

It was as Liu Daqing had said; during his years of extreme despair, he’d often contemplated suicide. And what of the wife of such a man, a man who bore secrets? Could it be that her husband’s premature death was due to the long-term strain of being unable to confide in anyone?

She then recalled: Wan Donglin’s expectations were the exact opposite of Empress Dowager Liu’s.

Beaming, he said, "Look, this is the fruit of my labor from the past few days..."

These included business secrets: major mergers and acquisitions, multinational investments, and large-scale futures trading. Some documents were so complex that even Yan Xixi could only grasp the headlines...

"I... I probably shouldn’t look... What if I can’t keep the secret later..."

His expression immediately turned serious. "Don’t think that just because you got into Harvard, you don’t need to study anymore. This is just the beginning. Come here and learn from me."

Though reluctant, she obediently sat down.

As he discussed major events in the financial world, his eloquence and novel perspectives made it sound like an outlandish tale to her. Eventually, she found herself staring wide-eyed, as if watching a Hollywood conspiracy thriller.

"The last X War, for instance, was a collaboration between arms dealers and financiers who needed to pull out of an economic slump..."

She listened so intently that her mouth became dry.

He handed her a teacup, and she drank from it absentmindedly.

"Xixi, would you like some watermelon?"

She nodded vigorously.

He went to cut her a large plate of chilled watermelon, which was perfectly refreshing.