Check?
Li Xiangfu has always prided himself on being reserved.
He lightly furrowed his brow and explained in a soft tone, “Sister, we’re just friends.”
Li Xichun nodded, “I understand.”
“…”
One of the side effects of his crossover was the importance placed on fame and honor.
Facing accusations or misunderstandings, he didn’t feel compelled to explain himself, letting others engage in moral debates that didn’t concern him. Although Li Xiangfu initially felt the urge to defend himself, a glimpse of Li Xichun smiling and shaking her head made him realize it was all in jest, and he quickly calmed down.
Observing his disappointment, Li Xichun arched an eyebrow, “Why do you seem disappointed?”
Li Shasha candidly remarked, “Whenever there’s a conflict, his favorite part is proving his innocence.”
Unfortunately, nobody seemed to heed the truth, and soon the car fell silent once more.
—
The suite had multiple rooms, so there was no need for separate accommodations. Upon arrival, Li Xichun surveyed the place and remarked, “The living standards are quite good.”
“Qin Jin is a shareholder, so I get complimentary lodging.”
Normally, Li Xichun would follow up any mention of Qin Jin with a few additional remarks, but not this time, which surprised Li Xiangfu.
As he put away the flute, he noticed Li Xichun staring at the trash can… a narrow petal lay scattered on its edge. Li Xichun picked it up, scrutinized it in his palm for a moment, then raised his gaze to meet Li Xiangfu’s.
Remembering his instructions not to clean the guest room earlier that day, Li Xiangfu shrugged and remarked, “Looks like the nuisance has returned.”
Unlike Mr. Li and the others, Li Xichun was more intuitive and asked, “Is Qin Jiayu still alive?”
Without hesitation, Li Xiangfu replied, “I’m not sure.”
After silently observing him for a while and detecting no hidden emotions, Li Xichun sighed, “There’s something I’ve never mentioned.”
After a brief pause, he continued, “I hope you’re mentally prepared.”
Li Xiangfu responded earnestly, “There’s nothing in this world that can surprise…”
“Qin Jiayu pursued me.”
“…”
Li Shasha, who had been quietly seated in the corner of the room, froze and looked up.
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.
Coafg j wbwfca bo rqffmtifrrcfrr, Ol Wljcuoe wjcjufv ab gfujlc tlr mbwqbregf, “Qtfc vlv atlr tjqqfc?”
“P mjc’a gfmjii fzjmais, yea la kjr qgbyjyis cba ibcu joafg sbe akb yfmjwf oglfcvr. Lf mijlwfv ab tjnf ojiifc lc ibnf klat wf ja olgra rluta,” Ol Wlmtec rjlv, rtbklcu ilaaif fwbalbc. “Qtlif Hlc Aljse rffwfv ufcelcfis lcojaejafv ja atf alwf, P mbeiv rfcrf atja la kjr jirb jc jma.”
“That’s quite…” Li Xiangfu squeezed the chilled water bottle on the table and took a sip, “Unexpected.”
Li Xichun added, “It was strange because we seemed to share common interests, but then I realized he didn’t actually have any of those preferences.”
Frowning, Li Xiangfu set down the bottle and asked, “What do you mean?”
“For instance, I like the color dark brown, which I never mentioned to anyone, yet almost every time we met, Qin Jiayu would wear clothes of that color. After he gave up his pursuit, I discovered that Qin Jiayu actually prefers lighter colors, including pink shirts.”
Li Xiangfu asked, “Does anyone else know about this?”
“I mentioned it to Dad.”
Li Xiangfu then noticed the exhaustion under her eyes and suddenly understood, “You and Gao Jin…”
“We broke up,” Li Xiechun smiled self-deprecatingly. “He tried to reconcile, but I declined.”
The old man likely sent her along to give her a break.
Not adept at offering comfort, Li Xiangfu pondered his response, but Li Xichun spoke first, “I’ve heard Wangqi Lakeside is quite renowned; I think I’ll go check it out.”
Li Xiangfu also started to rise, but Li Xichun gently pressed his shoulder and forced a smile, “I’ll go alone.”
“…Alright.”
Standing by the window, separated by eleven floors, the figures below appeared as mere specks, but Li Xichun’s vibrant red dress remained conspicuous. Personally witnessing her departure, Li Xiangfu sidestepped and voiced a suspicion he had harbored: “Could Qin Jiayu also possess a system?”
Li Shasha responded neutrally, “The world is vast, and such possibilities aren’t uncommon.”
Under a cool gaze, she added, “Whether he does or not doesn’t affect my commitments.”
Li Xiangfu’s expression became complex. “Is that so?”
Li Shasha nodded confidently, “I’m adaptable.”
With limitless potential for learning, and with learning never contradicting other tasks, Li Shasha had an underlying knack for unpredictability. While he typically exuded confidence, there was often a hint of deviation in his final outcomes, leaving Li Xiangfu with a foreboding feeling that binding arrangements might not proceed smoothly.
A knock on the door interrupted his contemplation.
Li Shasha took the initiative to bound off the chair, rushing over to peer through the peephole. Upon spotting the person outside, he promptly opened the door.
Qin Jin appeared unfazed by the sudden appearance of the small group, though he did express gratitude for the door being opened for him.
Spotting the shirt in his hand, Li Xiangfu retrieved the items he had purchased the previous day while shopping and began to thread the needle. The shirt had been washed beforehand, but due to lack of ironing, it appeared slightly wrinkled.
“Have a seat,” Li Shasha addressed Qin Jin like a host. “Dad’s performance won’t be over for a while.”
This proved to be prescient; as a perfectionist, Li Xiangfu spent nearly ten minutes embroidering, resulting in a remarkably unique final product. It was subtle in everyday wear, but when caught in the sunlight, hidden contours emerged, inviting further inspection.
Trimming off the excess threads, he handed it over and inquired, “Are you satisfied with it?”
Qin Jin examined the pattern and offered sincere praise.
—
In the afternoon, the wind seemed unwilling to tolerate solitude, frequently stirring up ripples on the lake’s surface. Wangqi Lake’s renown was well-deserved, and Li Xichun paused for a moment to take in the scenery. However, his attention was soon captured by a man sitting on the embankment.
Seated at a stone table beneath a tree, the man was engrossed in reading a collection of modern poetry.
Being a fan of the same poet, Li Xichun lingered a bit longer upon noticing a fellow enthusiast.
Coincidentally, the man looked up, and upon locking eyes, he offered a faint smile.
Li Xichun felt a bit embarrassed, as if caught in the act of spying.
Unexpectedly, beyond his pleasant appearance, the man proved to have a charming personality as well. Holding up his book, he inquired, “Do you also admire this author?”
Li Xichun nodded in agreement.
For the rest of the afternoon, the two engaged in lively conversation, parting ways only after exchanging contact information.
As he walked away, Li Xichun glanced back and caught the man still watching him, his cheeks flushing slightly. Hastening his pace, he left.
The man placed his book on the stone table and made a phone call, “I’ll catch up to you in seven days.”
“Make it four,” came the assertive reply on the other end. “You’ll be paid double if you succeed.”
The man was elated, “I specialize in courting wealthy women, and according to my intel, she’s currently vulnerable, making her the perfect target.”
After boasting about his skill in business, the man grew curious, “What do I do once I win her over?”
The response on the other end was cryptic, the voice tinged with a hint of raspiness, “Then, I’ll need you to lend a hand to a friend of mine by delivering a gift.”
—
As a result of this encounter, Li Xichun returned to the hotel in high spirits.
Seeing her in a much improved state, Li Xiangfu smiled and inquired, “What’s got you in such good spirits?”
Li Xichun didn’t elaborate, simply mentioning that she had engaged in a lengthy chat with a new acquaintance, feeling quite speculative. Before retiring for the night, she placed her phone by the bedside with the volume turned up to ensure she wouldn’t miss any new messages.
Meanwhile, Li Xiangfu had stayed awake until midnight, and personally witnessed an envelope being slipped through the door slit. Hastily getting up, he hurried to the door and turned the handle.
The cleaning lady stood frozen in place, looking flustered.
Narrowing his eyes, Li Xiangfu demanded, “Who allowed you to come in?”
Initially reluctant to speak, the cleaner relented after Li Xiangfu threatened to file a complaint. She explained that while she was out buying groceries, someone had given her a thousand dollars and instructed her to deliver the items punctually each day.
“What did this person look like?” Li Xiangfu pressed.
“Wearing sunglasses and a mask, I couldn’t see their face,” the cleaner pleaded, clasping her hands together. “I still have bills to pay, please don’t report me.”
After sending her away, Li Xiangfu opened the envelope, finding five flower petals inside, indicating another adjustment to their meeting time.
The following day was overcast.
Early in the morning, Li Xichun applied exquisite makeup and set out.
Li Xiangfu reminded her, “The weather forecast predicts rain.”
“It’s alright, I brought an umbrella.”
By noon, the rain was pouring down, casting a gloomy pall over the sky.
The restaurant was unusually crowded and smelled of dampness. Disliking dining in such an environment, Li Xiangfu ordered several dishes to go.
Back at the hotel, Li Shasha was seated, ready to eat.
Before he could start, Mr. Li called to inquire about Li Shasha’s well-being.
Meanwhile, across the house, a large group was having lunch, including Li Huichen who was home for the weekend.
Li Shasha politely exchanged greetings with everyone and, upon sharing the situation, Li Xichun returned in time to witness the family dynamics. Taking a seat, she interjected, “Someone is pursuing me.”
Recently, during their interactions, the man had made numerous almost explicit statements, leaving Li Xichun with only one impression: he was eager to see her again.
Mr. Li immediately expressed joy at the news, but Li Xichun remained silent. After a long pause, she remarked, “Judging simply by first impressions, Li Huaichen scored six points, Qin Jiayu seven points, Shi Chen eight points, and now this new acquaintance, nine points…”
The silence was palpable, with everyone setting down their chopsticks one by one. Mr. Li’s eyelids twitched, murmuring, “Conspiracy.”
Indeed, it seemed the skies were conspiring against her!
The author has something to say:
Li Xichun: There are always troublesome people trying to cause trouble for me!
Li Xiangfu: Not necessarily.
Qin Jin: That’s right, I’ve wholeheartedly joined this family.
So will she play along with this new pursuer or will she really fall in love?
Lil’ Shasha works better when the question is 0 or 1, really sus if the-one-Qin-who-should-not-be-named have a system or not. Gonna sleep think about that 😧
Thank you for all the chapters 💝