Chapter 43

*Pfft*, Li Xu couldn't help but laugh.

"What's so funny?" Diana asked, a bit puzzled.

"Nothing," Li Xu quickly shook his head. "It seems today's traffic is indeed problematic. Earlier, someone else was also late because of the traffic jam."

Diana was stunned for a couple of seconds before she also laughed and tilted her head to ask, "Do you think I was lying to you?"

"I thought he was lying to me," Li Xu said seriously. "Actually, I should thank you. Because of you, I know that the traffic in San Francisco today is indeed terrible. This way, when someone says they were late because of traffic, I won't suspect they're making excuses for themselves."

"Really?" Diana blinked her eyes.

Li Xu smiled slightly, grabbed her hands, and gently kissed them.

Diana immediately felt a bit embarrassed, her beautiful face blushing slightly. She tried to pull her hands back, but after a couple of tugs, she let out a small cry as she was pulled into his embrace.

"I really missed you, Diana," Li Xu whispered, pressing his forehead against hers.

He wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her tightly, his tone very sincere.

Her teeth lightly grazed her lips, her gray-blue eyes becoming a bit hazy, and her body, which had been tense, relaxed.

"Me too," she said in the same soft voice.

Then Li Xu kissed Diana's red lips. The young woman slightly pulled back, but then closed her eyes, letting him kiss her, and responded intentionally or unintentionally.

She was like that, very shy, cautious, and rule-abiding. Even though she was willing deep down, she would still say no out of habit.

Li Xu was already very experienced. Since he met her at the age of 10, with the help of various reports from his previous life, he had basically figured out this cute, naive, and sweet girl over the past eight years. He understood her lack of security, her desire for care, her need to be needed, and her longing to be needed by others. It was easy to comfort her.

He couldn't help but sigh again. Charles was indeed a fool. If he had put a little more effort into their relationship, he wouldn't have ended up in such a situation. But to be fair, Charles was also a person lacking security. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so easily swayed by Camilla, who was a year older, and remained infatuated with her for many years.

Two sensitive and dull people getting married, without any friction, would be a miracle. Besides, life in the palace was never that pleasant.

But now it's all good. If everything goes as planned, Camilla will have Elizabeth Spencer to deal with. With Diana's sister's intelligence, she won't mess things up like in Li Xu's previous life. And this cute little Diana will naturally be Li Xu's.

Of course, if it really comes to that, there will still be a lot of work to do. Diana mostly behaves like a well-bred lady, but occasionally does bold and unconventional things to seek adventure and excitement, like a spring bouncing back after being pressed to the bottom.

So Li Xu still needs to slowly shape her, removing these traits from her character and leaving only the obedient, naive, and sweet girl. This is a lot of trouble and requires a lot of time and energy, but... isn't it interesting?

The two didn't stay entangled for long and soon separated, but their bodies didn't. Li Xu still held Diana, and her arms were already around his neck.

Her bright eyes looked at him affectionately, still shy, as if she was about to push him away, but her reluctance was obvious.

"Thank you for coming to my birthday party," Li Xu said softly.

"Happy birthday, Eddie," Diana responded.

Then, as if remembering something, she finally pushed him away and ran back into the room. When she returned, she had a small, square box in her hand.

"This is for you," Diana, with a slightly red face, handed the small box to Li Xu.

"Birthday gift?" Li Xu asked, but his tone was very certain.

Diana nodded, her eyes filled with hope. Li Xu didn't hesitate and immediately unwrapped the paper and opened the box. Inside was... a watch.

A silver-white strap, a black dial, though only two colors, they complemented each other. The hands and Roman numerals occasionally shimmered in the light. It was a beautifully crafted watch, but the brand wasn't very good, called: Rolex.

Yes, the Chinese translation is Rolex, the same one that has been overhyped in various novels, just like the 1982 Lafite.

If Rolex had a mind, it would surely lament, "What does this have to do with me? I'm a well-known watch brand, and my high-end products are no worse than Patek Philippe!"

Unfortunately, thanks to Hong Kong movies popularizing the concept on the mainland, and the widespread counterfeiting in the 1980s and 1990s—Li Xu even saw news before his rebirth about someone buying a Rolex for 42,000 yuan 15 years ago, which was later identified as a fake.

In short, the brand's reputation has been tarnished in the hearts of most people. With the subsequent entry of Patek Philippe and Omega, which positioned themselves as even more high-end, Rolex's status in people's minds has declined, even though it remains strong in Europe and America.

Caressing the watch in the box, Li Xu couldn't help but think, if he went to China in 30 years with a Rolex, wouldn't he be called a nouveau riche?

"Do... do you like it?" Diana's small voice asked, a bit nervously.

Looking up, he saw a mix of tension and hope in her expression.

"Of course, thank you, Diana," Li Xu smiled and nodded, then sighed inwardly.

The little fool had indeed put a lot of thought into it. As a reborn person, many of his habits were out of place in this era. Although he had changed a lot, some still remained, such as not liking to wear watches.

After all, in his previous life, he could just check his phone for the time, so why would he need a watch?

So from birth to now, Li Xu had worn a watch only a few times, often having to awkwardly ask others for the time. Diana's choice of a watch as a birthday gift was very appropriate.

But if she could be a bit more thoughtful, it would be better. This little fool didn't think that forgetting to wear a watch wasn't a secret. Hadn't others given him watches before? Moreover, although the watch was beautifully crafted, its value was only between 1,500 USD and 1,500 GBP, which he could tell.

But this was also good. If she were too smart, she wouldn't be suitable as his wife.

"Great!" Diana exclaimed happily, her face beaming with joy. "I saved up for half a year to buy this."

She puffed out her chest, lifted her chin slightly, with a bit of pride, as if inviting praise, her whole body saying, "Praise me! Praise me!"

"You saved up for half a year to buy this?" Li Xu feigned surprise.

"Yes, yes," Diana nodded vigorously, then became a bit embarrassed. "I could only save up to 200 pounds a month, so it took me 8 months to save enough."

But she quickly became excited again, "But all the money I earned myself, and many people can vouch for it!"

Li Xu couldn't help but laugh at her girlish demeanor and was touched for a moment. "This is the best gift I've received today, Miss Spencer."

Because of his interference, Diana was still working as a kindergarten teacher, with a modest salary and various expenses. Westerners don't have a habit of saving, so it wasn't easy to save 1,500 pounds without family help.

"Help me put it on," Li Xu handed the watch to Diana.

Diana happily took it and skillfully put it on his left wrist, examining it carefully.

"Done!" Li Xu reached out to pinch her nose, but she giggled and dodged, making a funny face.

Shrugging, he didn't pursue it further but bent his right arm toward her.

Diana hesitated, looking uncertain, but Li Xu didn't rush her, just maintaining the pose and looking at her intently.

After a few seconds of hesitation, Diana pouted but still wrapped her arm around his, following him out, a hint of dependence in her expression.

"By the way, how long were you hiding inside?" Li Xu asked casually, a question he had been wanting to ask.

"Not long, when I arrived, Mr. Hearst was already here," Diana replied.

"Wow, so you heard everything we said outside?" Li Xu asked, a bit exaggeratedly.

"Not everything, just that you told Uncle to be more restrained," Diana admitted honestly, then tilted her head curiously, "Is Uncle very tired lately?"

"Um... yes, he's been staying up late a lot lately, so I advised him to rest well," Li Xu rolled his eyes subtly and said, then changed the subject, "This outfit suits you very well, is it from Givenchy?"

He couldn't tell this cute girl that every time his mother came to America, she would exhaust his father. He didn't know if this was the price his mother paid for allowing his father to have a mistress.

It was strange. If their relationship was good, how could they be so distant? If it was bad, they were very united in public.

As for why his mother didn't find a lover like his father, the reason was the same as why she didn't have a younger brother or sister.

"I don't have the time in America," his mother had said lightly when Li Xu had hinted at it.

Well, being pregnant for ten months would make any task more difficult and increase the risk of pregnancy complications, which would be detrimental to managing the chamber of commerce, especially after the coup.

So, not finding a lover was also to avoid the risk of a honey trap? His father hadn't neglected his duties because of his mistress, of course, but men and women are different... cough, let's not think too much about it.

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