Chapter 54. Li Li softly said, "Oh..."

Li Li softly said "Oh".

In the darkness, she took Li Zhizi's arm, drawing warmth from her body; her suspended heart could not reach the ground.

The pain of being cut off from Li Zhoudu was unlike any other time I had ever felt before.

It was not as painful as witnessing Tan Yi's betrayal. This fear of being abandoned left Li Li feeling extremely powerless. She wanted to make amends, but she didn't know what else she could do besides focusing on her studies.

As Li Li packed up her drawing board after a day of classes, she thought for a moment, took a picture, sent it out, and then called Li Zhoudu.

He must have been jogging, he stopped halfway through, and sounded a little out of breath. He asked her, "Is something wrong?"

Li Li was speechless, then said ingratiatingly, "Brother, I just finished drawing a picture, can I show it to you? Is there anything I need to adjust?"

Li Zhoudu said, "It's your own business, you don't need to ask me."

He hung up after saying that.

Li Li put down her phone after a long while.

During his absence, Wenxi stepped in to take care of her life.

Wenxi realized that Li Zhoudu's dislike for Tan Su was irreconcilable, and her attempts to mediate between the siblings were also unsuccessful.

On the other hand, Tan Su was a man who truly dared to think and act.

He would have his housekeeper deliver things to the Li family every few days, from everyday pastries and snacks to supplements for the elderly, and even cosmetics and jewelry for women—acting like a prospective son-in-law.

During this period, Qi Xi frequently invited Wen Xi to go shopping and have meals.

It was fortunate that it was her; otherwise, given Qi Xi's aloof personality, it would probably have been incredibly awkward.

While having afternoon tea together, Wenxi joked, "It seems that your relationship with your son has improved a lot recently."

Qi Xi sighed helplessly and said meaningfully, "Didn't you come to ask me for a favor?"

Wenxi smiled brightly: "A family with a daughter will have a hundred suitors. I'm just basking in the glory of the kitten for Lingwei's sake."

During the May holiday, Wenxi flew to Lili's school to visit her.

The unprecedented twenty-hour long-haul flight had really worn her out. Li Li diligently massaged her aunt's back, while Li Zhizi went inside to help pack the things she had brought from China.

Wenxi remembered something and took a transparent food box out of her handbag, handing it to Li Li and saying, "Tan Su asked me to bring this to you; it's red bean cakes made by his aunt. Try it."

The red bean cakes had gone cold, and Li Li didn't want to eat Tan Su's food, but Wen Xi had brought them all the way from afar, and she couldn't refuse her kindness.

So I took one symbolically and took a small bite in my hand.

Wenxi smiled with satisfaction, looked around the house, and said, "It's really not easy to make this trip. It's all thanks to Tan Su, who is so busy but still comes often. He really cares about you."

Li Li asked hesitantly, "Do you think he's a good person?"

To be fair, Wenxi had a very good impression of Tan Su. At such a young age, he had already been able to take charge of Yanqi for many years, acted decisively, and was low-key and humble.

My mother was an artist who didn't meddle in other people's business, so by all accounts, it seemed like a very good family.

“But Tan Su is Tan Yi’s brother,” Li Li said. “If I’m with him, it will also be bad for the family’s reputation.”

Wenxi smiled and ruffled her hair: "Reputation? Who taught you that?"

Wenxi had naturally considered Li Li's past relationship with Tan Yi.

Tan Yi and his son are now living a secluded life in Hong Kong, operating independently. In fact, Tan Congxu's branch of the family consists of illegitimate children who don't even have a proper identity.

Who can definitively say that Tan Congxu and Tan Su are related simply because Tan Congxu worked in Yanqi for more than ten years?

“So, that’s not something you need to worry about,” she said gently, stroking Li Li’s short hair. “As long as our little kitten is happy.”

Yes. Ever since Li Pusheng, his only wish for the kitten was to be happy.

The last time they argued over Tan Yi, Li Zhou Du Kou said something reckless, calling her stupid at home, and was also severely criticized by Wen Xi in private.

Li Li received a different education from Li Zhoudu from a young age. He studied mathematics, finance, international law, geopolitics, and game theory and negotiation skills.

When Li Li casually mentioned that she liked drawing when she was a teenager, Li Pusheng had her carry a drawing board. The most important things in her life are happiness, health, and experiencing the beauty of this world.

Before his death, Li Pusheng made everything very clear in order to arrange things for Li Li.

Li Fujing's share will go to Xiao Mao'er from now on; she's easily swayed and not cut out for business.

If the two brothers both think that their son-in-law is capable after they have chosen him, then they can train him and continue the current model of managing a separate area for Li Zhoudu, both domestically and internationally.

If the other person is just someone who can make a kitten happy, then there's no need to force it. After she gets married, they can set up a family office together, bring in professional managers, and she can live a life of comfort, peace, and happiness.

Judging from Tan Su's abilities, he would not disappoint as a son-in-law.

Wenxi added, "If my brother were as easy to take care of as you, I would be overjoyed. The few people I've had him meet lately haven't made any moves."

Before she knew it, she had finished the red bean cake in her hand. Li Li wiped the crumbs off her lips with a tissue and suddenly remembered what Tan Su had said.

"Can you really stay single and stay with him for the rest of your life, protecting the Li family?"

She suddenly realized.

In my memory, Li Zhoudu seemed to be the one who always took care of me, but he also had his own life trajectory, and he had a wife and daughter.

He doesn't revolve around Li Li as the central axis.

I shouldn't be greedy and demand that Li Zhoudu satisfy my need for attention anytime, anywhere.

She thought she should learn to go out into the world.

——

Of course, that person wouldn't be Tan Su.

Li Li felt a surge of fighting spirit against the Great Demon King. She thought to herself, "Can I really rely on Tan Su's empty words to convince my family that my relationship with him is stable?"

That's funny.

However, Li Li is actually quite slow to warm up in relationships. She was pursued by Tan Yi for a long time before she finally agreed to date him. As for Tan Su, needless to say, they slept together countless times without ever getting a title.

She wasn't really accepting of foreign dating culture, and she was also afraid that the people around her might have some kind of unclean behavior in private.

Li Li spent a long time looking around and met Piet, a Dutchman who was studying illustration in the same major next door. He was a very gay guy with great fashion sense and a sunny smile.

Li Li thought with satisfaction that this was the perfect choice—safe and prestigious. She borrowed Piet as a model during her free time to take photos, which she then posted on her personal page regularly.

Thinking that when the time is right, he will apologize to Wenxi and say that he has fallen in love with someone else.

Anyway, her family won't be angry with her.

She was pleased with herself for a few days, and one day she caught up with Piet at school. He put down his backpack very skillfully and gave Li Li a toothy smile.

He was a very considerate guy. Because he was so tall, he squatted down a little and winked at the camera with Li Li.

After taking a satisfactory look at the photos, Li Li raised her hand to say goodbye to Piet. Suddenly, she looked up and saw Tan Su standing not far away with his hands in his pockets, looking relaxed. She quickly grabbed Piet's sleeve and pretended to be very affectionate.

The other person, not understanding what was going on, exclaimed "Wow!"

Tan Su walked over.

Li Li forced herself to remain calm and asked, "Why are you here?"

Tan Su replied to her, "I'll water the flowers."

"What?"

"I haven't been here for a long time, and I don't know if the apartment manager has been slacking off. I'm afraid the flowers will wither and die. So I came to check on the flowers."

Li Li sensed something was off about his words, as if he was implying something, so she pulled Piet aside and introduced him in Chinese: "This is my new boyfriend."

Tan Su asked, "Oh, does he know it himself?"

Instead of directly exposing Li Li's lie, he said in English, "I'm Ashely's friend. If you don't mind, would you like to have lunch together?"

Before Li Li could refuse, Piet readily agreed.

Of course, Li Li couldn't let them eat alone, so she sent a message to Li Zhizi saying that she had an urgent matter at noon and didn't need to come to pick her up.

They ate steak nearby and opened a bottle of wine. Li Li and Piet deliberately talked about professional topics to ostracize Tan Su.

He noticed Li Li's little scheme and opportunely interjected with a few words, using very professional language. Only then did Li Li realize that he was actually quite knowledgeable.

I went to an exhibition with Tan Su twice before. He didn't say a word, only saying that swiping his card was actually a pretense of weakness.

She felt a sense of unease, as if she had been tricked.

Piet, however, felt very happy chatting with him and even offered to give Tan Su his contact information.

Seeing the undisguised, doe-like, watery look in his eyes, Li Li felt that going to Piet was a huge miscalculation and incredibly embarrassing. He couldn't even pretend to be a straight man when it mattered most.

Tan Su held his wine glass, looked at Li Li's pale face, and laughed merrily.

After the meal, Tan Su followed Li Li along the winding road, watching her sullen figure as he asked, "What are you angry about?"

"I'm not angry, why would I be angry with you?"

Tan Su nodded: "That's good. I thought you weren't welcoming me."

Li Li suddenly turned around: "Haven't I told you several times not to continue? Why didn't you listen?"

Seeing her lively and adorable expression, Tan Su slowly said, "I've known for a long time that language is an art of embellishment; you can say the opposite of what you mean. I don't have much experience with relationships, so I'm not sure if you're just being coquettish or if you're serious. After all, you unexpectedly found someone like this just to annoy me."

Li Li was so angry she fainted: "Yes! Piet isn't my boyfriend, but I'll find someone!"

Tan Su laughed: "Oh. So, in the past year or so, have you kissed anyone else besides me?"

Li Li, enraged and embarrassed, retorted, "Yes! Of course there is!"

Tan Su nodded knowingly and said, "You see, this is an example of how language cannot be trusted."

Li Li really couldn't argue with him. Tan Su had his own set of sophistry and logic, and he had extremely strong mental fortitude and a thick skin.

She said, "I'll go kiss someone else!"

Tan Su knew her impulsive and decisive nature; she was quick to act and couldn't wait to grab someone and prove her charm on the spot.

He raised his hands in surrender, promptly stopping the conversation and halting her wandering thoughts, and asked, "You and Li Zhoudu haven't made up yet, have you?"

"Isn't it all your fault?!"

Tan Su smiled and said, "Actually, it's very simple to make up with him. How could you be so stupid as to not find a way for more than a month?"

Li Li was truly annoyed by his confident and smug expression: "And you think you know him so well?"

"I don't know him well, but I understand human nature well enough."

Tan Su seemed to transform into a strategist, patiently guiding her and offering advice.

"The first method is to send him a message saying that you have decided to cut ties with me, but I am still harassing you, and you need to ask him for help."

“He’ll definitely reply to you. Maybe he’ll just have someone take care of me.” He joked, making a throat-slitting gesture.

"You deserve it!"

"The second method..."

Tan Su tilted his head slightly, looking at the wary girl leaning against the wall not far behind Li Li. He then looked back at Li Li's face and smiled, "It was just a way to test Li Zhoudu's bottom line."

If you don't succeed in proving your loyalty to him by breaking up with him, and instead continue to entangle yourself with me, let's see what he does. I'm curious too.

Li Li exclaimed anxiously, "What nonsense about swearing loyalty! How dare you speak so badly of my brother!"

Tan Su raised an eyebrow at Li Zhizi, pinched Li Li's chin, and provocatively kissed her.

His eyes were dark, and his gaze towards Li Zhizi behind him was meaningful.

After Li Zhizi returned home, her heart was pounding. She knew that no matter how much she tried to cover it up this time, it wouldn't be convincing.

She had prepared her speech beforehand and called Li Zhoudu late at night, trying to downplay the scene from earlier that day in a calm tone, saying that the senior who had stayed at her house shortly after the start of the semester last year had come to visit Li Li again.

"What's that person's name?" The voice on the other end was indifferent.

Li Zhizi said, "I don't know."

“But,” she added immediately.

"But I think I saw his car in front of my house in S City before." She also brought up the hidden information she had previously concealed, and gave a license plate number.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, then a voice said, "Okay, I understand."

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Author's Note: I'm so sorry it's so late. Leave a comment and I'll send you all red envelopes~ [Please!]