We moved to Golden Courtyard

I cleaned the table and laid a clean white tablecloth on it.

Then they found a few candle lamps in the living room, turned off the ceiling light in the large living room, leaving only the slightly dim orange headlamp in the small living room.

Then candles were lit and the tableware was set out.

When Rita walked out of the kitchen carrying the dish that had just come out of the oven, she involuntarily paused and stared blankly at everything in front of her.

Is this... still my home?

Xu Qi stepped forward and, while Rita was still immersed in the romantic atmosphere, gentlemanly took the long plate from her hands and then... quickly and steadily placed it on the dining table.

"Ouch! It's so hot! It's so hot!"

By the time Rita realized what was happening, all she could see was Xu Qi frantically shaking his broken hand, his face filled with embarrassment and pain. Xu Qi had overlooked the gloves Rita was wearing, assuming they weren't very hot.

"puff!……"

Finally unable to hold back, Rita covered her lips and chuckled softly.

At the same time, he quickly took off his gloves, walked up to Xu Qi, grabbed his hands and scolded, "I told you not to be careless. Let me see if you got burned."

"Thank goodness, I was quick, nothing happened."

Indeed, only the palms are a little red.

Rita rolled her eyes, dragged Xu Qi to the living room and made him sit on the sofa. Then she took out a tube of ointment from the first-aid kit, squatted down in front of Xu Qi, and applied it to him.

"You, I never knew you were so clumsy. If you burned your hand, your tigresses would tear me apart."

Xu Qi gave an embarrassed smile.

"You arranged this candlelight dinner?"

"Well, I can't just freeload, can I? I can't cook, so I can only help create a festive atmosphere."

Rita's pretty face flushed slightly, setting the mood... setting what mood? And what was she going to do?

After applying the ointment, he blew on Xu Qi's hand and asked with concern, "Does it still hurt?"

……

Xu Qi felt as if the softest spot in his heart was being touched by the same breeze. When he saw Rita ask with concern, "Does it still hurt?", his heart seemed to skip a beat...

This meticulous care undoubtedly touched Xu Qi's most vulnerable heartstrings.

"It doesn't hurt."

Rita suddenly laughed and said, "I thought you would say some sweet words to seduce me at this time."

Xu Qi shook his head.

“You’re worried about me, but I’m being irresponsible at this time, even thinking of using your worry to provoke you, Rita… that’s disrespectful to you.”

……

Rita suddenly stood up, her lips pursed, her eyes darting around, not even daring to look at Xu Qi.

He walked straight to the dining table and said, "Since everything's alright, let's eat."

Xu Qi smiled and didn't say anything more, but anyone could feel that the affection between them was slowly growing stronger...

Rita took a bottle of red wine from the cabinet and poured it for Xu Qi.

"Shouldn't we say something like, '82 Lafite' at this point?"

“Where would you find something like that?” Rita joked. “So many red wines are 82 Lafite. Did we build a time machine and travel back in time to produce wine?”

Xu Qi laughed loudly.

To be honest, he could already smell the aroma of the dishes on the table, and couldn't help but ask, "Can we reveal it now? What are they?"

"Chestnut mushrooms with mashed potatoes and baked ground beef. Didn't you say that after a long day of work, you definitely need to replenish your energy with meat? So I made this dish."

That was what Xu Qi had said to Delta before; I didn't expect Rita to still remember it.

"Shall we clink glasses first? To celebrate your... safe return."

Xu Qi raised his glass, and clinked it with Rita's in the candlelight.

Despite wearing a traditional Chinese cheongsam, Ms. Rita still managed to exude natural elegance and poise in the Western dining setting.

She's an impeccable beauty...

The liquor flowed down the glass and into Rita's mouth. For Xu Qi, it was less about tasting the wine and more about tasting the person... Besides, the quality of the wine didn't really matter; by now, Xu Qi was genuinely hungry.

He didn't seem to feel any restraint and casually cut off a piece with his knife and fork.

This sense of casualness, in Rita's eyes, added a touch of smile to the corners of her mouth.

"Try it."

The rich aroma of meat made Xu Qi's mouth water! He couldn't wait to put the dish into his mouth.

……

Watching Xu Qi taste her cooking with anticipation, even Miss Rita couldn't help but feel nervous. She pursed her lips and asked, "How is it?"

……

"good to eat……"

A simple comment brought a smile to Rita's face instantly.

"And..." Xu Qi looked up at Miss Rita, who was as radiant as a flower at that moment, "I can feel Miss Rita's feelings—that intense affection."

300. I think I must have fallen in love with you, Miss Rita.

Under the glow of the candlelight, Rita's cheeks flushed like a rosy cloud.

"You, just eat, why are you talking nonsense..." Her tone was full of embarrassment, but at the very end, she couldn't help but ask.

"Is it really...delicious?"

"It tastes like love."

"Don't make cooking sound so mysterious!"

Xu Qi was overjoyed to finally see Miss Rita's exasperated expression.

Seeing this, Rita couldn't help but sigh helplessly, then chuckled softly—this Xu Qi, why is he still like a little kid?

But... no matter what, I just can't bring myself to hate it.

Looking at it this way, it seems like I'm the one being manipulated.

Rita cut off a piece and put it in her mouth, savoring it carefully. She wondered if it was because of Xu Qi's influence, but it did indeed have a special flavor.

It was simply using the most perfect recipe to create the most perfect dish, just like always.

But it seems that it is indeed as Xu Qi said.

While making it, my mind was filled with questions—Will Xu Qi like it? Will he think it tastes good? This is the first time I've ever cooked for Xu Qi.

It turns out that Xu Qi had tasted this sentiment...

"Thanks……"

"Huh?" Xu Qi looked puzzled. Why should he say thank you? After eating such delicious food, shouldn't he be the one saying thank you?

"Lately, I've been feeling so much pressure that I've lost all my confidence... It feels like no matter what I do, it's wrong."

……

Xu Qi's mouth opened slightly. He roughly knew what those words Rita had been hiding in her heart were...

"Only after becoming a manager did I realize how much pressure I would face. Subordinates would come to you to complain, and superiors would also put new demands on you."

But what about us? When the pressure is passed down, it becomes difficult to lead the team. If we can't meet the boss's requirements, we can forget about continuing to work.

Just handling these things is exhausting enough, let alone managing the entire Seed project's production. Even with a production manager to share the burden, it's just...too tiring.

Listening quietly to Rita's work reflections over the past week, Xu Qi had no idea that his maid had so much to say.

"Actually... there are also those supervisors who pass on the tasks and requirements sent down from above to their subordinates without any changes, and let them complete them on their own."

Upon hearing this, Rita gave Xu Qi a charmingly disdainful look.

"You said the other day that your responsibility is to ensure that everyone at Seed Studios can work without any worries. If I were to do what you said, wouldn't that be going against the grain?"

This is why Xu Qi handed Seed over to Rita when he left.

"I really admire Ms. Rita's sense of responsibility."

"Then why did you say you were going to punish me during the day? What did I do wrong?"

Perhaps it was because of a few sips of red wine, but Rita's cheeks flushed slightly, and she stared at Xu Qi, seemingly feeling genuinely wronged.

"It's my fault, it's all my fault. I'll punish myself with a drink."

He was about to drink it all in one gulp when Rita reached out and snatched it away.

"Don't drink too much at once, it's bad for your health."

……

Xu Qi's smile was as mellow and rich as the red wine in the glass.

Rita's eyes darted away uncomfortably; her subconscious concern was impossible to hide...

"Let's eat, I'm hungry..."

Rita abruptly changed the subject, which Xu Qi naturally didn't mind. They chatted about their time on Mount Taixu, and Rita couldn't help but tease him.

"Others may end up as siblings but lovers, but Mr. Xu Qi is something else – siblings ended up as lovers."

Xu Qi could only respond with a wry smile.

I couldn't help but think of the words of the treasure hunter—"This is a curse of love and romance..."

"But to be honest, Miss Rita doesn't need to belittle herself like this, or even start to lose confidence. You've actually done a great job."

Rita paused in her grip on the knife and fork, while Xu Qi continued talking to himself.

"Delivering a mission in a time of crisis, he managed to keep the Seed Studio employees from collapsing, and even gathered a great deal of evidence, ready to fight back at any moment."

"Without you here, even if I had returned, it would have been difficult to handle things as well as I did today—Miss Rita, you are far more capable than you realize."

……

Lowering her head, Miss Rita, who could always maintain her elegance and grace, found herself unable to keep up her composure for the first time.

Tears seemed to well up in his red eyes, as if everything he had done during this time had been acknowledged and given the best reward.

"Miss Rita?"

Rita sniffed, wiped away her tears, looked at Xu Qi, and smiled sincerely and touchingly.

"Thank you... Xu Qi, it's so good that you're back..."

Xu Qi suddenly put down his knife and fork, got up and walked to Rita's side, put his arm around her shoulder and let Rita lean against him.

"I'm just telling the truth. I think I've said this many times before, haven't I? Miss Rita, you are my right-hand woman. You are really important to me."

She leaned against Xu Qi with a sense of security, as if all the grievances she had suffered this week had been relieved.

Rita nodded. She had never imagined that she would rely on a man so much as she did today—just like… Durandal.

"Rita, do you remember some things I told you before?"

Rita's expression froze slightly.

“I told you I wanted to pursue you, but I wasn’t sure if I had fallen in love with you. But now… I think I can be sure.”

Rita's breath hitched.

At this moment, Xu Qi knelt down on one knee.

He took Rita's soft, boneless left hand and kissed her ring finger.

“I think I must have fallen in love with you, Miss Rita.”

An overwhelming sense of happiness surged through Rita's heart at that moment! She remembered asking Xu Qi what she had once asked him—what do you really want?

In truth, wasn't she also asking herself? Rita... what do you really want?

At that moment, when Xu Qi knelt down on one knee and read out a confession of love, Rita knew...