Chapter 56: When Fu Lili and Xiao Xi were alone together...

Hearing that Lin Xi was going back to Beicheng, Zhou Qi couldn't stand the boredom and insisted on going back with her.

"Your sister-in-law is going back to work, what are you going to do? Go out and have fun with your girlfriends?" Zou Song had a knowing look on her face.

When he called her out, Zhou Qi angrily threw a lychee from the table at him: "I'm not going to eat, drink, and have fun. I'm going to work with Xiao Xi, okay?"

"I don't believe it." Zou Song pointed to the information about Yaoshi on the table with a smug look. "From the moment you walked in, you haven't glanced at that place once. You've been sending messages to your girlfriends asking when they're free and what activities they have."

"...Why are you so sharp-eyed?!" Zhou Qi got angrier and angrier. "Then tell me about yourself! My brother and Brother Fu are so busy, but you act like nothing's wrong all day long, just staying in Haicheng on vacation and not caring about anything at the company."

Zou Song clicked his tongue lightly: "Don't get angry over a few words. Besides, how could I neglect the company? I'm staying in Haicheng to better expand the business, not for a vacation!"

"Come on, you!" Zhou Qi scoffed. "I know that Brother Fu is the one screening all the projects in Haicheng. You're just... well, someone who chats with people everywhere."

"Ha!" Zou Song was amused and annoyed that socializing was being called chatting. "Zhou Xiaoqi, it seems you really don't want to go to Beicheng."

Zhou Qi choked up.

Lin Xi has arranged a four-day trip to Beicheng, which means she'll need to take leave next Monday and Tuesday if she wants to go with us. Zou Song is directly in charge of the Haicheng project, and if he doesn't agree, all her plans will be ruined.

Thinking of this, she became particularly flexible and adaptable. She sidled up to Zou Song and massaged his shoulders, her attitude extremely flattering. She even used a high-pitched, coquettish voice to say, "Brother Zou Song, I know I was wrong. You are a magnanimous person, please forgive me this time!"

Zou Song adopted a haughty demeanor and pointed to his other shoulder.

After Zhou Qi switched to the other side and got comfortable with the beating, he calmly pondered for a moment and said, "Then let's see how you perform in the remaining two days!"

"It also depends on your performance," Zhou Qi said angrily, tightening her grip slightly. "No, if you don't agree, how am I supposed to buy the plane tickets in advance?!"

"Just buy it, I'm not stopping you," Zou Song suggested cheekily. "If I don't approve it, I'll cover the refund fee! I'll reimburse you."

Zhou Qi grabbed a cushion from the side and threw it at Zou Song, yelling, "Zou Song! You bastard! Can you stop playing games with me?!"

What are you doing?

As soon as Ji Jiali arrived, he saw his cousin half-lying on top of Zou Song, and the two of them...fighting.

Although he knew they were just joking, their behavior was still far too indecent. He frowned and reprimanded sternly, "Zhou Qi, what kind of behavior is this? Get down here! Stand properly to the side!"

When Ji Jiali is serious, Zhou Qi is still quite intimidated by him.

She hurriedly released Zou Song, obediently stood up and stood aside, head bowed, but raised her pitiful eyes and called out ingratiatingly, "Brother!"

From that perspective, others would think she had suffered a great injustice!

But Ji Jiali wasn't buying it. He casually sat down on the sofa and gestured with his chin towards Zou Song: "Tell me, what happened?"

Zhou Qi spoke up before Zou Song could: "Isn't my sister-in-law going back to Beicheng? I want to go with her, but Zou Song refuses to give me leave no matter what, and he even threatened me."

Ji Jiali glanced at Zou Song and, seeing his leisurely posture, knew that Zhou Qi was probably just thinking about having fun: "What are you going back for? To have tea and chat with your girlfriends?"

"..." Upon hearing this, Zhou Qi was somewhat hurt. "Brother, how could you think of me like that?!"

Just as she was about to launch into her usual work-related rhetoric, Ji Jiali waved his hand dismissively: "Alright, going back to Beicheng is fine, but you have to promise me two things first!"

"Go ahead." Thinking of all the activities arranged on her phone, Zhou Qi felt she could agree to more than two, let alone ten.

"Firstly, it's a work setting, so you'll have to accompany your sister-in-law. Su Yi'an is currently in Beicheng, just in case, to prevent a repeat of the accident that happened last time."

Speaking of what happened before, Zhou Qi realized that she had been negligent and quickly nodded: "Okay, I will accompany Xiaoxi wherever we go this time."

Ji Jiali nodded and continued with the second point: "Secondly, take some time to go home and visit your aunt. Can you manage that?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qi immediately deflated, but she knew that if she didn't agree, Ji Jiali wouldn't let her go back, unlike Zou Song.

She nodded listlessly: "Okay, I promise you."

"Your aunt just thinks you should consider settling down, not that she necessarily wants you to go on blind dates."

"knew."

Just then, the door to the gatehouse suddenly opened, and a round, black-and-white ball of fluff rushed out, accompanied by a soft, adorable little voice: "Little Creek~"

The ending note was long and drawn out.

Zhou Qi's attention was immediately drawn: "Gungun, you fixed it?"

After rolling around and not seeing Lin Xi, Gun Gun sat down on the ground in disappointment before answering Zhou Qi's question: "Gun Gun isn't broken. Fu Lili just optimized Gun Gun a bit. But isn't Xiao Xi here?"

"Xiaoxi went to buy local specialties with Aunt Tao, she should be back soon."

"Then Gun Gun, wait a little longer," Gun Gun suddenly turned around and looked at Fu Qingli, who came out of the study with it, as if it had just remembered something. "Fu Qingli, are you here? When Xiaoxi comes back later, should Gun Gun turn off its phone?"

“It’s not necessary since we’re not alone together.” Fu Qingli’s expression was normal, as if she were saying how nice the weather was today.

Upon closer examination, however, these words do not seem so innocent.

Fu Qingli sensed the ambiguous gazes of the three men, but her expression remained unchanged, her dark eyes calm and still.

This startled them so much that they turned away and pretended nothing had happened.

Roll, who was lying on the carpet, suddenly stood up, pricked up his ears and listened for a while, then rushed towards the door.

Zhou Qi was startled: "What's wrong?"

"Xiaoxi is back." As she spoke, Fu Qingli walked towards the door.

Just as Gun Gun rushed to the door, the door opened from the outside, startling Aunt Tao who was walking in front of it: "Ah? What's that?"

Lin Xi, standing behind her, was startled, a look of panic flashing across her face.

"Get out!" Fu Qingli snapped.

Aunt Tao recognized Gun Gun and then calmed down.

Seeing the three people sitting in the living room, she quickly changed her shoes and went to the kitchen to prepare tea and snacks for them.

Fu Qingli placed the slippers in front of Lin Xi, took her hand and helped her change her shoes, asking softly, "Were you scared?"

"A little bit."

As Lin Xi changed her shoes, she glanced at Gun Gun, who was waiting beside her, and asked, "Gun Gun, are you done fixing it?"

Hearing this question again, Gun Gun was a little annoyed: "Gun Gun isn't broken, Fu Lili just optimized Gun Gun."

Lin Xi simply squatted down, trying to be at eye level with Gun Gun: "Optimization, um, so has Gun Gun become even more powerful?"

The little panda was immediately appeased and raised its little paw to cheer itself up: "Yes, the little panda has become more advanced, it knows when to rest!"

"Huh?" Lin Xi looked at Fu Qingli in confusion. "What does this mean?"

Fu Qingli smiled without saying a word, gently smoothing her hair that had been ruffled by the wind outside, his fingertips lightly brushing against the skin hidden in the ends of her hair, a tender and ambiguous gesture.

At the same time, Lin Xi heard Gun Gun explain: "Fu Lili has set a new rest rule for Gun Gun. When Fu Lili and Xiao Xi are alone together, Gun Gun needs to rest."

"..." Lin Xi suddenly remembered that she had been rolling around in bed before, insisting that Fu Qingli had bullied her, and her face flushed red. "Why did you set this up?!"

Fu Qingli patiently explained, "Sometimes it's inconvenient."

The more he explained, the more embarrassed Lin Xi became, her face turning so red that she could easily pinch herself until it bled.

But some people, seemingly enjoying the spectacle, kept making strange, jeering noises: "Yo~"

Gun Gun didn't understand, but found Zou Songdi's voice amusing, so it immediately mimicked him: "Yo~"

The last syllable was drawn out, and it was accompanied by a fun trill.

Lin Xi then noticed the three people in the living room. Thinking of her conversation with Fu Qingli earlier, she felt embarrassed and hid behind Fu Qingli.

While protecting her, Fu Qingli confronted them, saying, "What are you doing? If you're so free, go to the study and review the seminar materials again."

"Ah!" Zou Song wailed, "Brother Fu, don't even mention the seminar. I'm about to throw up after reading three days' worth of materials in one day."

Remembering Zhou Qi saying she was on vacation, he got angry. "Zhou Xiaoqi, you said I was on vacation in Haicheng? Do I look like I'm on vacation? This workload is ten times that of Beicheng!"

Ji Jiali, unusually, didn't tease him, but nodded slightly in agreement.

He twirled a few Bodhi beads between his fingertips, comforting Zou Song and himself: "Think about the hotel vacation on the island in the future, and the money that will come in, and hang in there a little longer."

The atmosphere became lively again, the topic was changed, and Lin Xi finally dared to come out from behind Fu Qingli, though her face was still flushed.

Fu Qingli led her towards the living room, saying as they walked, "Take Gun Gun with you this time when you go back to Beicheng. Keep it with you the whole time while I'm away, so I can know immediately if there's any emergency. Got it?"

Because their relationship was not public, Fu Qingli could not openly accompany Lin Xi to work events; moreover, since Fu Qingli was going back, she would definitely have to go back to Qingyuan to visit.

The two cannot be together all the time.

Lin Xi nodded obediently, but then worried that she might distract him: "Wouldn't that be too much trouble for you? Actually, I can protect myself."

"No, I can only do other things with peace of mind knowing you are safe and sound." Fu Qingli said sincerely, "But you, you don't mind if I let Gun Gun keep an eye on you, do you?"

"I don't mind."

Aunt Tao had already prepared a sumptuous afternoon tea and placed it on the coffee table.

Before they had even taken two bites, Ji Jiali glanced at his watch and said, "Brother Fu, A-Zou, we should probably head out now."

"Zhou Qi, have dinner here and chat with Xiao Xi."

With Zhou Qi's permission, Fu Qingli bent down and kissed Lin Xi's forehead. "I'm leaving now. If I come back late, you can rest first."

"Okay," Lin Xi obediently agreed.

After Fu Qingli and the others left, Zhou Qi leaned closer to Lin Xi and asked her in a mysterious voice, "Xiao Xi, have you heard Brother Fu mention anything about the Su family?"

"Huh?" Lin Xi was startled, instinctively thinking it was about an arranged marriage. "They've approached Fu Qingli again?"

Zhou Qi quickly waved her hand: "No, no! I wanted to ask if Brother Fu had mentioned anything about the Su family's internal affairs? Any gossip or anything like that?"

"No, he basically never mentions them in front of me. What's wrong?"

“I don’t know what it is either. I just overheard my brother and Zou Song talking about it, saying that they had found out something big about the Su family.”

-----------------------

Author's Note: Feel free to leave a comment! A full subscription bonus will be randomly given away within 24 hours!