Chapter Sixty-Seven: Lawrence Presents a Gift

Liu Yunfei gently released her lips and said tenderly, "Now, may I touch you?"

"Mm... no!" Betia finally snapped awake. What was happening to her? How had she ended up in his arms, giving him her first kiss? Betia pushed Liu Yunfei's hand away, rubbed her lips with the back of her hand, and stood at a distance as if fleeing. All her talent and shrewdness in the business world were useless here; in matters of the heart, she was utterly inexperienced. She had no way to deal with this rogue. Being held by him felt relaxing, yet there was a trace of fear in her heart, and she blushed, at a loss.

Liu Yunfei smiled wickedly. He hadn't expected that this tall, beautiful woman could be so innocent, like a young girl, which made her all the more enticing to conquer.

"How was my playing? Do you want me to play again?" Liu Yunfei thought it best to cater to her interests.

But Betia was afraid—afraid she might end up in his arms again, afraid of kissing him once more, and most of all, afraid she would truly fall for this rogue. She bit her lip, pretended to glare at Liu Yunfei fiercely, then turned and hurried to the living room, grabbed her small bag, and slipped away in a panic.

After teasing Betia, Liu Yunfei felt the gloom in his heart dissipate. He wondered if he was becoming a playboy, but then justified himself—he was the protagonist, and his job was to pursue women for the readers. Not knowing what kind the readers preferred, he figured he should woo a few more and shamelessly found excuses for his actions.

Liu Yunfei went upstairs. Yu Qing, freshly bathed, was sitting on the balcony in the spot he usually favored. Between them, it felt as if an invisible wall had suddenly arisen. Sitting beside her, he wanted to say something, but couldn't think of anything, so he went downstairs to fetch a glass of juice and placed it on the small table next to her.

Yu Qing felt it too. She had forced herself to return, thinking that if Liu Yunfei really knew and confronted her, she would have to endure his scolding or even violence. She thought that only then might her heart feel a bit relieved. Yet, he said nothing, though it was obvious he already knew much.

The two of them, like cold war adversaries, didn't speak all day, not even before bed. Liu Yunfei found such days unbearable and wondered how loveless couples managed such lives for years—it was the cruelest punishment imaginable.

Since sharing a bed, Liu Yunfei and Yu Qing had both pretended to sleep, yet neither exposed the other's pretense. They lasted until after three in the morning—by then, weariness weighed heavy, and it was the hour favored by wrongdoers. Yu Qing, finally unable to hold out, began snoring loudly, something she had never done before. Liu Yunfei gazed at her lovingly, stroked her rounded face, knowing he still loved this woman. He recalled the day he rescued the old prince, and how Yu Qing had wept so bitterly—her sorrow then had been genuine.

Liu Yunfei kissed Yu Qing, then quietly got out of bed; tonight he had an important mission—to rescue the useless Brad Pitt. At the door, he thought, if David truly returned, he wouldn't be able to kiss Yu Qing again. Unable to resist, he stood by the bedside and kissed her face once more. As a tear fell onto Yu Qing's cheek, he turned and left at once.

To his surprise, the Arabian restaurant was completely deserted. Not a single soul remained—not even the staff. There was no one to question.

Had those people discovered him? Impossible. Maybe they'd decided to end the operation? If so, why had they allowed Yu Qing to return? Even their meeting place was gone.

Unable to figure it out, Liu Yunfei returned to the Knight’s Castle and slept soundly until the sun was high.

Descending the stairs, he immediately saw Laurence seated in the hall. The old fox always liked to dress in bright colors—perhaps he thought it could camouflage him?

Laurence eagerly stood up, bowing and nodding. "Prince Awahid, you’re finally awake. I’ve been here since eight."

"So why didn’t anyone call me?" Liu Yunfei had woken early but lingered in bed.

"I told them not to disturb Your Highness. Your rest is more important than my business. For your sake, I’d stand guard all day if needed, even watch over your home." Laurence’s words were shamelessly servile.

"Enough, enough. You didn’t come just to flatter me, did you?" Liu Yunfei knew this old man never visited without a purpose.

"I know you’re furious about what I did, but I had no choice. Recently, our factory was nearly out of crude oil, production almost halted. You have no idea what that means for Tongda Petroleum. I sought help from friends in the Temple of the Sun—they got me oil from Iran, but their condition was to send a woman to your side. At the time, I didn’t even know the prince, so you played your part. I’m here to apologize." Laurence tried to appear contrite, but his sly face only irritated Liu Yunfei.

"Right, you play both sides, never losing out—doing dirty deeds while warning me to be careful. Truly clever," Liu Yunfei said, annoyed.

Laurence wasn’t embarrassed, still smiling shamelessly. He pulled out a phone, dialed a number, and Liu Yunfei’s phone rang—the same mysterious number from the old prince’s kidnapping.

"It was you?" Liu Yunfei looked at Laurence in surprise, realizing the informant was him. It made sense—Laurence had hoped for oil from Hadina, but now that he was connected to Liu Yunfei, he’d abandoned his old friend to curry favor.

Laurence put the phone away, grinning. "It’s nothing, just a small matter. Your Highness, even if you wanted to make boots from my old skin, I’d gladly oblige."

Liu Yunfei suddenly realized Laurence must have some ulterior motive for showing up today. Why had he stayed hidden, kept his phone off, only now revealing everything? "No matter what, I thank you for your timely information. May Allah bless you, my friend." Liu Yunfei stood and gave a slight Arab bow—this was sincere, for the responsibility lay with him. Without Laurence’s tip, the consequences would have been dire.

"Oh, please, don’t mention it. Here’s the situation: I heard you were very dissatisfied with me the other day, so your elder brother, Prince Salih, has temporarily halted negotiations with us. We are truly sincere, and the talks had been going smoothly. Prince Awahid, the fate of the Buyano family now rests entirely with you." Laurence was almost begging.

Liu Yunfei hadn’t expected the old prince to stop talks with Laurence just because of that heated night. It was understandable—this cooperation was hugely beneficial to all three parties, especially Laurence, who had indispensable local connections and refineries. Liu Yunfei didn’t want minor issues to derail major deals. Laurence, although cunning, made a suitable partner, since crafty people understood that mutual interest was eternal.

"Well, I’m just a go-between. I’ll talk to Salih. If it’s truly because of me, I’ll let him know I’ve fully forgiven you. But if it’s for other reasons, I can’t help, since I can’t force him to cooperate." Liu Yunfei hadn’t met the old prince yet, so he dared not promise too much.

"My esteemed Prince Awahid, our Buyano family’s eternal friend—your words are more than enough. We have a great gift for you, hoping you’ll continue to help us broker this deal." As Laurence spoke his last sentence, Liu Yunfei noticed a hint of slyness and cruelty in his smile.