Chapter 59 I Want to Marry Her

Chapter 59

Work was busy, so there weren't many people at the table today. As soon as everyone arrived, they knew this was a trap set for Li Zeqing. Sure enough, the main event was about to begin.

Everyone held their breath, not daring to utter a sound.

Everyone in the Li family knew that Li Zeqing had been widowed for many years. They thought he wanted to go straight to marriage when he reached the appropriate age, but in the past two years, he had been seen with an unknown girl by his side. No one paid any attention to it because they all knew that it was Li Changjing, a mature man who never made a mistake, who knew what he wanted from a young age, and who valued his career more than his life.

Putting aside the fact that Li Quanguo had high hopes for him and was carefully paving the way for him, even if everyone else did not support his career in politics, given Li Zeqing's love of power, he would still desperately seize any opportunity to climb the ladder. Between a powerful in-law family and an ordinary family, even a fool would know which to choose.

Even the most unreliable Li Zeyuan settled down and got married less than two months after Li Zeqing started causing trouble.

Li Zeqing's girlfriend couldn't possibly be an obstacle; she was just a light, fleeting speck of dust. No special effort was needed; a gentle breath while speaking would dissipate her. Everyone had known about this for years, but it had never been mentioned once because it was too insignificant and unnecessary.

Sure enough, after Li Zeqing finished handling everything during the New Year, he went to follow the path that Li Quanguo had paved for him. However, after meeting several people, he rejected all the marriage proposals and took the previous one back with him. This time, he didn't even want to see her.

Among them, the Peng family was the one that Li Quanguo valued the most. He intended to arrange a marriage between them. Zhou Yu forced Li Zeqing several times, but he remained resolute. His family was shocked and said many times to him, but he remained unmoved.

Li Quanguo, who holds absolute power in the Li family, has remained silent. Everyone in the family knows that when he does act, it's swift and decisive.

But now, Li Zeqing has finally provoked Li Quanguo to take action personally.

The room remained silent for a long time; no one dared to utter a sound.

Zhou Yu couldn't help but anxiously try to signal to Li Changjing with his eyes that he should agree quickly.

Li Changjing ignored her glance, calmly raised his head from the water glass in front of him, looked at Li Quanguo, and said firmly and clearly, "I want to marry Wen Yining. There will be no one else but her."

Everyone at the table was stunned, looking at Li Changjing in disbelief. Li Zeyuan was completely dumbfounded, his eyes wide, turning his head 180 degrees to look at Li Changjing as if he were looking at a ghost.

He actually dared to say those things to his grandfather for the sake of a woman! He must be crazy!

Zhou Yu was both anxious and furious, his anger flaring up. "Li Zeqing! What are you saying! Agree now!"

Li Quanguo slowly put down his cup with a soft sound, and the room instantly fell silent.

"You know the rules of the family. It seems you don't like the path the family has chosen for you. Then don't do this job. Give the opportunity to someone else in the family."

Li Quanguo raised his hand, and Zhou Yu stopped talking abruptly. He suppressed his anxiety, shut his mouth, and sat down, desperately trying to signal to Li Changjing with his eyes. Li Changjing's face turned slightly pale, but he remained unmoved.

The atmosphere at the table was tense and anxious.

Li Quanguo looked at him for a long time, with a gentle and loving attitude, "Qing-ge'er, you're not thinking straight right now. Go to the ancestral hall, clear your head, and then answer me."

Li Changjing stood up silently, his face pale. He bowed slightly to Li Quanguo and then turned to go into the ancestral hall. The others at the table watched his back and dared not utter a sound.

As dusk fell and most people had left, the first floor became empty and deserted. The moon rose in the west, and only the armed guards stood ramrod straight outside the house. On the sofa, only Zhou Yu, his mother-in-law Ye Suzhi, and the family's nanny waited anxiously in the living room, glancing at the tightly closed door of the ancestral hall from time to time.

During this time, Zhou Yu went back to her room and had a big argument with her husband.

As the night grew deeper, Zhou Yu persuaded his mother-in-law and the nanny, who refused to go to sleep, to go back to their room. He sat on the sofa, frustrated and angry, until midnight before finally going back to his room as well.

Li Changjing knelt in the ancestral hall all night.

He had considered this issue for a long time before he went to see her. He could put it off before, but now there was no time left. This time, he had truly reached the point where he had to make a final decision.

He knelt upright, looking at the cushion in front of him, truly thinking and considering things seriously.

So what if he's the grandfather's most favored grandson? They have plenty of outstanding children in their family. If he's gone, there will be others. At worst, they'll just focus on supporting someone else. Once he sets this precedent, everything will be over.

He was trained by Li Quanguo. To strike a snake, strike at its vital spot. Li Quanguo treated him the same way he treated Li Zeyuan. Having been immersed in politics for so many years, Li Quanguo would only be more ruthless and decisive than him.

Everyone knows that what he cares about most is his power and his ambition to climb the ranks step by step, so they use this to control him.

He wouldn't back down, and Li Quanguo wouldn't let him off the hook. Besides, his grandfather never threatened anyone.

He could either hold onto power, marry into a powerful family, rise rapidly in rank, and achieve the goals he had worked so hard for in the first half of his life, or fall from grace and fall from grace.

He ruined his promising future for a woman who didn't love him and even hated him.

Is it worth it?

It's really not worth it.

Love is too ephemeral and fleeting; it's just dopamine, hormones, and a momentary emotional surge! What love? What true love? These two words are laughable; only middle schoolers talk about love and romance all the time.

That's ridiculous, is it worth it?

not worth.

It's not worth it at all.

The sky was just beginning to lighten.

Zhou Yu came down early in the morning and sat on the sofa, his face so gloomy it could drip water. Ye Suzhi looked worried and was wearing a coat.

The nanny opened the door a crack, then quietly closed it again, and went back to the living room. "Qing-ge'er is still kneeling. He didn't eat anything last night, and he's been kneeling all night..."

But no one dared to go in against Li Quanguo's wishes.

Zhou Yu snorted coldly, "He deserves it! He ruined himself like this for a woman."

Ye Suzhi frowned with heartache and sighed.

As dawn broke, several cars parked at the entrance. Seven or eight armed guards got out of the cars, and several secretaries came in, greeted the mother and daughter-in-law on the sofa, and went upstairs. Soon, the secretaries and two bodyguards, a total of seven or eight people, followed Li Quanguo out without looking at him, and the cars drove away.

Ye Suzhi couldn't help but say with heartache, "Go and tell him not to go against his grandfather."

Those who remained and Li Changjing's bodyguards rushed in, hurriedly helping Li Changjing up. The nanny and the family doctor quickly ran over.

Li Changjing was placed on the sofa, fed glucose, and slowly opened his eyes.

"She's awake! It's good that she's awake!"

The man who stayed behind, Li Quanguo, walked over with his phone in hand and put the receiver to Li Changjing's ear.

"Qing'er, have you made up your mind?"

With tears streaming down her face, Ye Suzhi grasped his hand and said, "Don't be foolish, child. Quickly apologize to your grandfather."

Zhou Yu was exasperated, "How long are you going to stay so stupid!"

A group of people surrounded him tightly.

Li Changjing lay on the sofa, supported by someone, his face ashen. He managed to say in a weak voice, "I...I want to marry her."

Zhou Yu was stunned, then stepped forward and started hitting him while crying, "Li Zeqing, do you know what you're doing!"

Li Quanguo's voice came through the receiver, "Focus on getting better first, and take a break from work for now."

Everyone knows what that sentence means.

With tears streaming down her face, Ye Suzhi held his hand and repeatedly said, "Don't be foolish, child. Apologize to your grandfather, quick!"

"Stop being stubborn, just agree! Speak up, Li Zeqing!"

The people around him were noisily trying to persuade him.

Li Changjing turned his head to look at the swaying greenery outside the window, his face extremely pale, and remained silent.

*

Li Changjing stayed home for a few days, gradually handing over his work under the pretense of sick leave, which was actually a way of relinquishing his authority.

Wen Yining went to school and knew nothing about it.

It's just a little strange. I don't know if she offended him that night, but when she came back on the weekend, he used to want to torture her to death, but now he doesn't touch her at all, and he doesn't sleep in the same room with her.

Recalling his strange look that night, Wen Yining guessed that he had probably gone on a blind date.

When she returned the following week, Li Changjing came back very late. She was half asleep in bed when she heard a noise at the door. She woke up with a start and opened her eyes. Li Changjing pushed the door open from the outside, still covered in dampness.

He took no measures. In the end, he held her down and whispered on her body, "Wen Yining, let's have a child."

What is he saying? He's gone mad!

Wen Yining's pupils constricted, and she struggled frantically, sensing Li Changjing's intentions. "Get out! Get out! Let me go!"

Li Changjing used all his strength to hold her down, but Wen Yining couldn't break free no matter how hard she kicked, punched, or bit him.

Until he felt Wen Yining stiffen and heard her voice change with fear, as if she was truly terrified, "Let me go! Let me go, Li Changjing!"

Hearing her voice change with fear, Li Changjing instantly lost his strength and let go of her. Wen Yining felt him let go and pushed him away. Li Changjing did not struggle at all. After being pushed away, Wen Yining hurriedly took out her bathrobe, put it on, and rushed to the bathroom without even turning on the light.

With beads of sweat on his forehead, Li Changjing lay on the bed in the position she had pushed away, quietly watching the light in the bathroom and Wen Yining's movements.

The little girl was really scared. After coming out, she turned on the light and rummaged through drawers and cabinets looking for the medicine. She squatted on the ground and carefully read the instructions line by line. Then she quickly took out the medicine, got some water, and drank it.

Li Changjing couldn't help but silently curve the corners of his lips into a smile. But as he smiled, the smile disappeared from his face, and he just quietly looked at her.

But what could he do? Even in her current hateful state, he found her adorable.

*

"Has Li Changjing gone mad?" Jiang Xuming looked at Fang Qi beside him. "I just can't believe it."

This was Jiang Xuming's own place. There were only two people in the huge private room, so they didn't need to hold back when talking.

Fang Qi had barely spoken a word since he came in, seemingly lost in thought, his gaze fixed on the wine bottle that had fallen to the ground on the table.

Everyone knew that Li Zeqing had stayed at home for half a month, and it was a hot topic of discussion. Although it was said to be sick leave, everyone knew perfectly well that it meant he was being stripped of his power.

It just so happens that Jiang Xuming's father is Li Zeqing's superior. He is one of the few people who know that it was Li Quanguo who personally made a phone call to their superior's office, which is also Jiang Xuming's father, to "ask for leave" for Li Changjing.

The underlying meaning is self-evident: allowing Li Changjing to work is tantamount to slapping Li Quanguo in the face.

Now no one dared to move.

Those unaware of the inside story also knew that Li Changjing had brought his girlfriend back after the New Year. Considering that he had rejected several blind dates during this period, and that Li Changjing, who rarely posts on social media, had actually posted a photo of a girl's back, it was impactful enough even without saying a word.

Even people who are not familiar with Wen Yining can recognize who this photo is of after seeing her for two years.

But anyone could turn against their family for a woman, but for Li Changjing to do it is utterly unbelievable.

The incident a while ago caused quite a stir, and everyone knows that Li Changjing and Fang Qi suddenly fell out. For some reason, Li Changjing was first taken in for questioning, and then Fang Qi was disciplined and suspended from his post for half a month. He also completely broke off relations with his family, and the Fang family even announced that they would sever ties with Fang Qi.

But less than two months later, Li Changjing was put on "sick leave" again.

Among this group, Fang Qi is probably the one who understands Li Changjing the most.

Jiang Xuming has older brothers and sisters, and he is the youngest. He is incompetent and least valued, a typical spoiled brat. Regardless of how others treat Fang Qi, he doesn't mind hanging out with Fang Qi.

"Old Fang, what are you thinking? Are you possessed by a drunkard? Say something, will you?"

Fang Qi put down his cup. "What did you say?"

"What do you mean, what are you saying? You know Li Changjing best among us. What do you think he's really thinking? Did he really fall out with his family because of that Ningning?"

Jiang Xuming sat down next to Fang Qi with his cup in hand. "I'd believe you if you did it, but I absolutely don't believe he did it! How could that be? Don't you think he's up to some kind of scheme?"

Fang Qi scoffed, "What kind of scheme could they possibly use to do something so stupid?"

“That makes sense, but why do you think he did that?” Jiang Xuming was completely baffled.

Aside from work, Li Changjing doesn't often fool around with them. He might only bring his girlfriend four or five times out of ten. They all grew up together and know that although Li Changjing seems easy to talk to, he actually has a bad temper and is quite arrogant at heart. However, he is very good to his girlfriend and doesn't have a temper. He will even personally take care of her every time.

They heard Li Changjing call out "Ningning" every day, but they didn't actually know her name. Jiang Xuming just blurted it out as he was talking, and when he noticed the gazes around him, he turned around and saw Fang Qi's eyes.

What the hell are you saying?

Jiang Xuming was baffled. "What did I say?"

Fang Qi turned his head with a cold face, gulped down a glass of wine, and said nothing.

Jiang Xuming, being easygoing, didn't hold it against him, but was still completely puzzled. "How come I could have seen that Li Er was a love-struck fool before? But I still don't believe it. How could that be?"

Fang Qi, who was standing next to him, stood up without warning. Jiang Xuming turned his head and saw that Fang Qi was drunk, swaying and laughing dejectedly, "I lost."

"I am indeed not as good as Li Zeqing."

Whether it's political maneuvering or the decisiveness to let go, he can't compare to him.