The conversation began with embroidery but soon veered into discussions about hair care and skincare. Li Xiangfu occupied the central spot in the room, maintaining a careful distance from the girls surrounding him.
“I haven’t really paid much attention to it,” he chuckled helplessly. “I suppose I was just born with it.”
The girl on his left couldn’t help but comment, “There must be some trick, right? Why else would your siblings inherit it from you?”
Li Xichun, from a distance, remained silent. The regretful girl scanned the room, catching sight of Li Xichun, and quickly looked away in embarrassment.
She hadn’t intended to offend, especially considering she didn’t think Li Xichun had bad skin. On the contrary, her skin was quite delicate, living up to the standard of a wealthy, fair-skinned beauty.
Unfortunately, compared to Li Xiangfu, there was still a noticeable difference.
Li Xiangfu was a unique case, with skin so radiant and transparent that it almost seemed unreal. Achieving that level of transparency might be challenging even with special effects, representing a beauty that requires time to appreciate.
Not everyone was focused on the beauty, though. Luo An and Yuan Boyuan seemed to be exceptions.
Luo An, preoccupied with his earlier confrontation with Qin Jin and now dealing with a feverish stupor, didn’t pay much attention to Yuan Boyuan’s expression. Yuan Boyuan sneered, “Is this your foolproof plan?”
With the plan’s failure, it seemed unlikely that Yuan Boyuan would spare Luo An from criticism. Luo An didn’t let him become a punching bag, instead discussing the matter: “If we hadn’t targeted Li Xiangfu, things might have worked out.”
He understood that Li Xiangfu’s return to studying had become an obsession, a situation where each party was prepared to devour the other.
At Bian Shiqin’s birthday banquet, Yuan Boyuan refrained from causing a scene, thinking that this cunning villain might have another purpose. The two stood in an inconspicuous place, exchanging occasional low-voiced communication.
Li Xichun, keeping a watchful eye, couldn’t help but darken his gaze. His phone rang, and without looking, he answered it directly.
“How’s everything going?” The old man was more concerned about his daughter’s marriage than he had been about his own career in his youth.
Li Xichun truthfully reported, “Little brother unexpectedly seems to be popular with the girls.”
The old man on the other end wasn’t happy for a moment upon hearing the brutal truth: “But it seems they all have ulterior motives.”
Mr. Li disagreed, saying, “Those who attend the birthday banquet can’t be too bad…”
Facts, however, contradicted his optimism. Li Xichun hung up and sent a video call directly to her father, showing Li Xiangfu, who was surrounded by admirers. “See?”
The girls were openly discussing various topics without reservation.
“Take a look at this side.”
Li Xichun turned the camera to a group of men appearing to drink, but in reality, they frequently cast quick glances toward Li Xiangfu. Soon, they lowered their heads, their cautious eyes revealing complex emotions.
“…”
Simultaneously, Li Xichun summarized the recent events, saying, “They seem to have suddenly noticed some of my brother’s qualities.”
Beautiful and talented.
Upon hearing this, Mr. Li recalled a time long ago when Li Anqing, in a rush to an ancient village, sent a photo praising Li Xiangfu’s cooking skills. Back then, he had been more concerned about the other party’s well-being, so he didn’t pay much attention to it.
In hindsight, it appeared that his son abroad had acquired a multitude of skills.
After a prolonged silence from the other end, Li Xichun thought he might be stuck and tentatively called out, ‘Dad.’
Just as old man Li was about to respond, the lights dimmed slightly. Bian Shiqin stood up for touch-ups, and someone rolled out the birthday cart right on cue.
“I’m hanging up now,” Li Xichun hastily said. “The birthday banquet is about to begin officially.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Cr Dljc Vtldlc gfjqqfjgfv jr atf mfcafg bo jaafcalbc, fnfgsbcf cjaegjiis rtloafv atflg obmer ab tfg.
Ol Wljcuoe ifa bea j rwjii rlut bo gfilfo, gfjilhlcu tf tjv jvvfv cewfgber mtja jmmbecar lc remt j rtbga alwf.
Qtfc tf vlvc’a rqba Hlc Alc jgbecv, tf revvfcis gfwfwyfgfv atflg afj wffalcu veglcu atf nlvfb mjii klat Xgjcvqj Dljc. Xefrrlcu atfs ralii tjv wjaafgr ab vlrmerr, tf rfca j wfrrjuf ab fzqgfrr tlr ugjalaevf obg Hlc Alc’r gfmfca jrrlrajcmf.
Li Xiangfu and Li Xichun didn’t feel the need to linger, considering themselves among the group of those leaving the banquet early, and headed back in time for dinner.
Li Xichun inquired, “Anqing?”
Auntie Zhang, bringing food to the table, smiled and replied, “His habits haven’t changed over the years; he doesn’t like to eat dinner.”
Li Xiangfu requested a bowl of congee, attempting to suppress the lingering sweetness from the earlier cake.
Mr. Li suddenly spoke up during dinner, saying, “I heard you gifted a pair of double-sided embroidery.”
Li Xiangfu’s expression remained natural, though his chopstick hand briefly displayed a subtle stiffness.
He nodded, “Yes.”
Mr. Li furrowed his brow, his thoughts unclear.
Before an awkward silence settled in, Li Xichun smoothly changed the subject, saying, “Two days ago, I was contemplating whether to persuade Dad to donate a building to the university where you study.”
Embroidery isn’t a skill acquired overnight, but since Mr. Li hadn’t witnessed the impact of the gift firsthand, his momentary reservations dissipated upon hearing the short explanation. He slowly said, “A university can teach singing, dancing, piano, and embroidery. If I were a few years younger, I might study a bit more.”
Li Xiangfu honestly remarked, “The instructors are quite strict, and your stubbornness might not be well-received.”
Li Shasha, who had been quietly eating, bluntly stated, “I’d be beaten to death.”
“…”
Li Xichun glared at the two of them and smoothly redirected the conversation, saying, “Let’s not make jokes.”
—
The birthday party marks the onset of trouble, at least for Li Xiangfu. Having one or two admirers is manageable, but an increasing number raises suspicions.
Upon returning from school, Li Shasha observed the handsome man frowning by the window and remarked, “No matter how suspicious people are, they won’t link it to traveling.”
“Not because of this,” Li Xiangfu said, opening the chat interface with five or six unread messages. “Everyone is looking for me to chat.”
He mentioned having received one more friend request.
Li Shasha suggested, “You can ignore them.”
Li Xiangfu shook his head, explaining, “It’s a matter of etiquette.”
Given the numerous business dealings with the family, Li Shasha acknowledged, “Just like how classmates come to me when they have problems, I can’t refuse them outright.”
Li Xiangfu bantered with a smile, “They do it to copy your homework.” Li Shasha’s face remained expressionless, finding solace in facing someone his own age.
As the days passed, Li Xiangfu found himself predominantly the giver in most chats, assisting others with designs or color matching. Fortunately, he wasn’t frequently asked for help, and occasionally, he received thank-you gifts.
Consequently, the living room accumulated unopened mailboxes.
“The blue color is a scourge…” Mr. Li, witnessing Li Xichun casually eating potato chips and expressing herself without inhibition, furrowed his brows.
Before Li Xichun’s lecture resumed, he adjusted to sit more upright. Spotting Li Xiangfu in the foyer, he raised his eyebrows and asked, “What are you staring at?”
Li Xiangfu brushed off the question, went upstairs, and retrieved one of the packages.
The box contained several low-resolution photos secretly taken at the birthday party. One depicted him standing alone in a corner with a cocktail; another captured the conversation with Qin Jin, and the last one was taken when he picked up Li Shasha from school.
After reviewing them, Li Xiangfu picked up his phone and tapped on an avatar.
The two had only become friends a few days ago, with the other party’s note being “[small lion embroidery is very beautiful]”. Li Xiangfu hadn’t thought much about accepting the friend request.
The profile contained minimal information, and even the WeChat nickname was perfunctory ‘-‘. During a momentary distraction, ‘-‘ sent three consecutive messages.
[-: Do you like my gift?]
[-: You’re very photogenic.]
[-: I want to go to your house and sneak up on you.]
Li Shasha entered, picking up a fallen robot and a photo from the floor. Staring at the image for a moment, he exclaimed, “Dad, you’ve got an illegitimate child.”
Li Xiangfu contemplated the possibility of involving the police.
‘-‘ seemed to possess the ability to peer into someone’s heart through different spaces:
[-: You can’t find me.]
[-: Try it.]
Li Shasha leaned in and remarked, “He’s desperately trying to make his presence felt.”
Li Xiangfu acknowledges this with a dismissive attitude.
[-: I want to see you, I want to see you like crazy.]
[-: Can we meet? But I have to decide the time and place.]
Despite receiving no response, ‘-‘ sends a semi-nude photo revealing a deep scar on his back and a faint pattern, almost like a tattoo, but with no visible face, making his identity uncertain.
Li Shasha further analyzes the situation: “Extreme personality; overlooking it may trigger a violent response from the other side.”
Li Xiangfu waits until 20 minutes before responding: [Do you have straight or curly hair?]
[-: Slightly curly.]
Li Xiangfu shakes his head: “Do you smoke?
[-: Occasionally.]
Li Xiangfu swiftly types: [Sorry, personal reasons. I don’t befriend people who smoke, perm, and have tattoos.]
In Nuzun Kingdom, tattoos are associated with prisoners or individuals involved in the sex trade. The former may have an axe tattooed on their forehead, while the latter might have a tattoo on the back of their neck.
Individuals with permed hair are often foreigners and face discrimination. There’s also a specific type of cigarette associated with females; if a man smells strongly of it, he might be judged negatively.
Having witnessed numerous tragic stories in the past, each one leaving a lasting impression, Li Xiangfu is deeply affected by such encounters.
Li Xiangfu, persistently questioning the other person’s intentions, asks, “Will you change for me?
[-: ?????]
Li Xiangfu vents: [I have PTSD. You said you want to see me, so why won’t you make this sacrifice!]
[-: I don’t quite understand ……]
Li Xiangfu sneers: [Shut up, you fake fan!]
Despite Li Shasha’s seldom bandaged surprise, he calmly comments, “Only the extreme can cure the extreme.”
The issue of private messages comes to a temporary halt. For three consecutive days, ‘-‘ doesn’t send any more messages. Li Xiangfu decides it’s time to cut off communication, hoping the other party won’t react excessively.
His finger hovered over the delete button when a knock on the door interrupted him.
Li Xiangfu stood up to open the door and was somewhat surprised to find Li Anqing. “Second brother?”
Li Anqing got straight to the point: “There’s a new development in the kidnapping case. Following the clues provided by the kidnapper, the police have identified another intermediary.”
Li Xiangfu’s heart raced. “Who is it?”
“The receiver is just another middleman,” Li Anqing informed, glancing at him. “The abduction activities have disrupted the plans of the mastermind. Finding a middleman in a short time and coordinating everything inevitably leads to oversights.”
Li Xiangfu’s mind drifted to what Qin Jin had emphasized about seizing the first opportunity.
Li Anqing murmured, “The middleman and the employer usually connect through video on the darknet. According to his account, the other party wears a Lui Gung mask and seems to have tattoos on his shoulders. The police just called to ask if you recognize anyone with similar characteristics.”
Li Xiangfu wondered why the call didn’t come directly to him.
Li Anqing explained, “The cellphone number you provided was issued by the activity party, but luckily, there is also an emergency contact person.”
“…”
Li Xiangfu circled back to the topic of the tattoo.
Li Anqing clarified sternly, “He mentioned seeing a faint outline from the collar, not necessarily a tattoo.”
Li Xiangfu, not one to believe in excessive coincidences, hastily scrolled through the chat log’s top photo, pointing at the shoulder. “Look here.”
Li Anqing narrowed his eyes, scrolling down.
Li Xiangfu turned around and sat down, his arm resting on the chair’s back, smiling mockingly. “I don’t know what kind of deep-seated grudge the mastermind holds, choosing to keep stirring things up instead of opting for a straightforward confrontation…”
Li Anqing raised his eyes to look at him.
Li Xiangfu’s eyelashes fluttered. “Whenever my life is finally on the right track, he comes to disrupt the peace, then vanishes, only to reappear after some time…”
Li Anqing offered no words of comfort, focusing on the chat records and saying in a subdued voice, “You might have misunderstood this point.”
“Huh?”
“In the ancient village, the other party arranged for someone to carry out the kidnapping. While you were inebriated, you sent the kidnapper to the hospital. This time, he decided to meet in person, but you have quite a list of demands…”
“No cigarettes, no alcohol, no perm…” Li Anqing recited the elements mentioned in the chat message, calmly adding, “Look on the bright side; maybe the person is busy getting rid of tattoos in the hospital.”
The author has something to say:
Behind the scenes: Never seen someone demand this much!
Fake fan 😩🤣🤣🤣