When Yu Zi opened his eyes again, it was already deep into the night. All around was quiet. He rubbed his eyelids and struggled to open his eyes.

At this moment, he was lying on a soft bed, but the room looked very unfamiliar, not the one they stayed in yesterday.

After about half a minute, there was a slight movement at the door. Yu Zi instinctively reached out to turn on the light.

But the light turned on before him. It turned out to be Xie Dongcheng coming in.

“You’re awake.” Xie Dongcheng came over with a warm towel and wiped his face and arms.

“Yeah, what happened to me?” Yu Zi lowered his head and found that his elbows and knees were scraped. But it seemed they had already been treated, with traces of iodine applied.

“You got a heat stroke. I took you for an IV drip this morning, but you’ve been asleep the whole time. Did you not sleep well last night?”

“Yeah.” Yu Zi sniffed, looking a bit pitiful.

Seeing him like this, Xie Dongcheng, who rarely saw him in this state, cleared his throat and said, “I learned something new in the vineyard today.”

“What did you learn?”

“The more precious the variety, the more careful you have to be in nurturing it.”

Yu Zi realized he was talking about the Pinot Noir in the vineyard. Although he still felt a bit unwell, he couldn’t help but chuckle after hearing this.

“Learning from Wang Jing? Starting to sweet talk?”

Yu Zi got up from the bed and took a closer look. He found that this room was much more luxurious than before. There was a thick carpet on the floor, a large and soft bed, and even a couch by the window.

“Where is this?” he asked Xie Dongcheng.

“It’s a hotel in the center of Bai Cheng City.” Xie Dongcheng got up and opened the curtains.

Yu Zi looked outside and indeed saw the city center. The floor was high, overlooking half of Bai Cheng’s night view.

“I’ll meet the vineyard owner tomorrow. You rest in the hotel,” Xie Dongcheng said behind him.

“No need. I’m much better now,” Yu Zi shook his head.

“Can you manage like this?” Xie Dongcheng remembered how he fell on the ground during the day.

“I can. I’ll be fine after a good night’s sleep.”

Seeing his determination, Xie Dongcheng could only go along with him.

Wang Jing also moved to this new hotel with them. Along the way, he kept praising Xie Dongcheng for being considerate and sensible.

After getting up, Yu Zi prepared to wash up in the bathroom. Xie Dongcheng waved a roll of white bandage at him.

Yu Zi was puzzled, “What’s this for?”

“Your wound can’t touch water,” Xie Dongcheng said as he squatted down to bandage his knees.

Yu Zi couldn’t help but reach out and touch his head.

After he finished washing up, his phone lit up. Opening it, he saw a text message from Wang Jing.

“Let’s be cautious about tomorrow’s meeting. It’s said that the owner of this vineyard has a bit of a quirky temperament.”

Yu Zi read the message several times and replied with two words: “Got it.”

He had been in business for so long and had encountered many eccentric people; one more wouldn’t make much of a difference.

Yu Zi changed into new pajamas and lay down in bed, feeling the mattress sink slightly.

After a busy day, Xie Dongcheng finally had time to tidy up and quickly took a shower too. When he came out, Yu Zi had already turned off the bedside lamp.

The room was pitch black, and Xie Dongcheng groped his way to the bedside and slowly lay down next to him.

But as soon as he lay down for less than two minutes, he felt a pair of hands wrap tightly around his waist from behind.

Xie Dongcheng’s breath paused, feeling a bit nervous after a long time.

However, those hands were not satisfied with the status quo. The warm fingertips gradually moved along his waist and abdomen, until they slipped into the edge of his pajamas.

The next moment, Xie Dongcheng grabbed those hands firmly.

“No, your body hasn’t recovered yet,” he said.

Yu Zi’s movements stopped. After two seconds, he changed to another hand. But it was also grabbed in the same way.

Xie Dongcheng restrained his hands, just like Yu Zi had tied his wrists with a red satin ribbon before.

If it weren’t for Yu Zi’s current physical weakness, unable to struggle with him, he would definitely have turned over and educated him on who the real boss was.

In the end, he just forcefully shook off Xie Dongcheng’s hands and then turned his back abruptly. He hugged a pillow and closed his eyes alone.

Xie Dongcheng heard his annoyed voice.

Sigh, it’s going to be another long night.

The next day, when the sun was already high, the two of them got up. They slept a little better than the day before. Yu Zi’s complexion was much better when he got up.

Wang Jing had already arranged a car early and took them to Baiyun Wanli again.

It was said that that day, the owner of the vineyard was back. They arranged to meet directly in the indoor cellar.

However, the three of them waited outside the cellar door for more than half an hour before they saw someone coming from a distance.

To say it was someone alone wouldn’t be accurate; it should be someone plus a horse. A slender woman rode on a brown steed and slowly approached them.

Two minutes later, the woman dismounted and tied the horse to the nearby stable. Then she turned around and shouted to them, “If you’re here for sightseeing, feel free to walk around. There’s no need to bother me, right?”

Yu Zi thought to himself, driving people away as soon as they came, indeed a quirky personality.

But he still stepped forward, extending his right hand and greeting her proactively, “Hello, how should I address you?”

The female owner first washed her hands without saying a word. When she finished tidying up, she turned around and nodded to him.

“Wei Yunli.”

The woman in front of him had a very narrow and thin face, with long and slender eyes. Her skin was slightly dark, probably due to long-term exposure to wind and sun in the mountains. She took out the brass key to the cellar and unlocked the door.

After a loud creak, the group entered the door one after another.

If yesterday was just a brief glimpse, today, after entering the cellar, Yu Zi could truly feel the depth of Baiyun Wanli.

The building was about a hundred meters long and wide, with walls made of ancient bricks. Rows of oak barrels were neatly stacked in the middle. Passing through the wooden door on the other side led to a dedicated tasting area, with more than a dozen long tables and a row of wine cabinets against the wall. Inside were various wines produced here, densely packed.

Xie Dongcheng specially brought the wine they took from Wang Jing’s warehouse last time and also brought some from the vineyard today.

Yu Zi didn’t waste time exchanging pleasantries; he directly took out a business card and handed it to Wei Yunli.

She glanced at it briefly before putting it into her coat pocket. “What brings you here to see me?” she asked.

Yu Zi replied, “I’ve heard of you for a long time, Ms. Wei. Today, I have a question I’d like to ask you.”

“What question?” Wei Yunli pulled out a chair next to the long table, indicating to them to sit down.

Yu Zi sat opposite her and took out the bottle of wine brought by Xie Dongcheng, placing it on the table. There were a few empty glasses on the table, and he opened the bottle, pouring a little into two glasses in front of them.

Then, he pushed one of the glasses toward Wei Yunli across the table.

“Is this wine from your vineyard?”

Without wasting words, Wei Yunli picked up the glass in front of her, swirled it slightly, and took a sip.

Yu Zi stared at her thin lips, waiting for her answer.

Five seconds later, Wei Yunli’s gaze fixed on the label on the bottle facing her. She chuckled softly, then reached out and tore off the label, crumpling it into a ball before tossing it into the trash.

She looked up at Yu Zi, her gaze sharp as a torch. “I don’t know how this strange label got stuck on. It’s called Shandai. It’s my creation.”

Yu Zi’s heart finally relaxed; he had finally found the true origin of this bottle of wine.

Shandai. Yu Zi silently repeated the name in his mind.

The name was indeed fitting. Every time he drank it, he felt like he was sitting in the mountains, feeling the breeze and smelling the fragrance drifting from the distant vineyards.

Yu Zi had a guess in his heart. After contemplating for a moment, he asked, “Ms. Wei, did you have any experience studying in France in your early years?”

Wei Yunli was stunned by this question. “How did you know?”

“I guessed,” Yu Zi smiled.

Wei Yunli remained silent for a few seconds, seemingly reassessing the young man in front of her. After a while, she looked back into Yu Zi’s eyes. “Yes. I lived in France with my mother for a while in my early years. She was a winemaker in France. This vineyard used to be hers.”

No wonder it looks quite old. Yu Zi glanced around; this vineyard must be at least twenty or thirty years old.

“I won’t beat around the bush with you either. I want to join you. Help you revitalize the vineyard.” Yu Zi poured her some more wine and pushed the glass a little closer to her.

“How easy do you think that will be?” Wei Yunli chuckled lightly, the glass stopping beside her slender fingers. “I only understand winemaking. I don’t understand anything else.”

Yu Zi continued directly, “You just need to do what you’re doing now, responsible for production and winemaking. I’ll take care of brand operation and marketing. Shandai is a good wine, and your vineyard is a rare good vineyard. They deserve a larger market.”

Of course, Wei Yunli knew he wasn’t here to do charity. She asked directly, “What share are you asking for?”

Yu Zi looked at her. “You decide.”

Wei Yunli didn’t expect him to give her the initiative.

After a moment of silence, she spoke again, “We can cooperate. But I need 400,000.”

Yu Zi didn’t expect her to be so direct.

Wei Yunli continued, “I’m not taking your money for nothing. The minimum maintenance cost of the vineyard here is 400,000 per year. Consider it a loan from me. I’ll give you a written IOU, and you can decide whether the interest rate is four or five percent.”

Yu Zi didn’t say anything; he knew the woman in front of him was at the end of her rope. This huge vineyard, it was not hard to imagine that it was burning money every day. 400,000 was just the minimum maintenance cost of a vineyard; she didn’t even mention manpower, land, and building maintenance.

Wei Yunli crossed her arms, adopting a defensive posture, as if waiting for Yu Zi’s sincerity.

“Okay.” Yu Zi didn’t make her wait long, directly agreeing, “I’ll lend you 400,000 yuan interest-free for a year.”

Wei Yunli finally raised the glass in front of her, pursing her lips, finishing it in one gulp, and then pushing the empty glass to the center of the table.

“If you can help me sell Shandai, the net profit each year will be split according to a 60/40 ratio. You get 60, and I get 40.”

However, Yu Zi shook his head, “No need. Let’s split it 60/40, but I have only one request…”

Wei Yunli paused, holding the glass, “What request?”

Yu Zi’s gaze was sharp, “During our cooperation, Shandai cannot be resold to other wine merchants at wholesale prices. I want exclusivity.”

Wei Yunli thought for a moment, “Why should I agree to that?”

Yu Zi picked up the crumpled fake wine label from the trash can, smoothing it out with his fingers, “Within three years, I can help you make tens of millions in profit. But if Shandai circulates in the market in this way again, I won’t be able to do it.”

Time passed slowly between their fingers, but it was uncertain how many seconds had passed.

Wei Yunli stared at the crumpled wine label. Finally, she cleared her throat, raised her head three seconds later, and said, “Deal.”

Wang Jing stood behind them, silently shouting in his heart three times: Crazy. Crazy. Crazy.

They were all crazy.

Wei Yunli didn’t stay long. Yu Zi was unwell, and didn’t want to stay longer either. After the negotiation, they exchanged a few pleasantries and left Baiyun Wanli.

Today was the last night in Bai Cheng. When Yu Zi returned to the hotel, he was already sweating on his back.

When negotiating with Wei Yunli, he didn’t have much confidence; it was all relying on sheer willpower. But he knew that if he didn’t do this, Wei Yunli wouldn’t be able to trust him with authority.

Xie Dongcheng turned on the room’s light, and Yu Zi stepped back onto the soft carpet, feeling a bit relieved.

“Tired?” Xie Dongcheng noticed his drooping eyebrows.

Yu Zi rubbed his temples, “Exhausted.”

Xie Dongcheng walked up behind him and massaged his tight temples. Yu Zi’s complexion gradually improved.

After the two showered, it was almost ten o’clock at night. The curtains weren’t completely closed, and the night in Bai Cheng seeped in through the gap.

Xie Dongcheng reached up and turned off the bedside lamp.

Five seconds later, he suddenly felt the person next to him wrapping around him like a snake. The cold, delicate skin suddenly pressed against his arm.

In an instant, Xie Dongcheng’s heartbeat accelerated.

“What’s wrong?” he asked softly.

“You know what I what.” Yu Zi’s voice brushed against the side of his neck like a feather.

“Your body hasn’t…” Xie Dongcheng still had concerns; the scabs on Yu Zi’s elbows and knees hadn’t fallen off yet, looking quite pitiful.

But Yu Zi didn’t care, “If you don’t want me to be uncomfortable, come up now.”

Seeing that Xie Dongcheng still hadn’t moved, he buried his face in Xie Dongcheng’s neck and said in a muffled voice, “This is the boss’s order.”