Chapter 46 A Top Student's Skills Are Useful; Love Comes from Lianyi

"...At that time, you won't need to say anything, just cooperate with me!"

Because of the car's design, the interior space was quite spacious, but Xie Ling felt somewhat at a loss, leaning against the backrest and forced to raise her chin to look at Lian Yi at a very close distance.

She hooked and gripped the seatbelt, so even if the driver drove very smoothly, there would still be bumps.

Xie Ling's ears turned bright red, and she subconsciously turned her face away, her Adam's apple bobbing uncomfortably. "How can we cooperate..."

"Can you look me in the eye when you talk? What are you doing hiding from me!" Lian Yi simply used her other hand to pinch Xie Ling's chin, forcing him to look at her, and stared at his clear black and white eyes with a bright smile.

"Don't forget, you owe me a favor, and it's not easy to repay. If you don't agree, fine, I won't eat anything, but I'll definitely repay you later. If you don't agree, then never show your face in front of me again."

"So don't try to force anything in front of me. If it's okay, it's okay." Lian Yi's tone was full of unreasonable arrogance.

Xie Ling looked at her, in this forced posture, and in his daze, he only felt a light, nameless floral fragrance, as if it were wrapped in her breath, gently enveloping him with a warm current.

“…I know.” Xie Ling’s lips pursed slightly, and Lian Yi’s warm fingertips and palms touched where her chin met her neck.

It's hard to say whether it was because she used too much force or for some other reason.

Xie Ling felt a slight dazzle and closed her eyes briefly, whispering, "I will cooperate with you."

"Oh."

Lian Yi smiled smugly, her eyes sparkling with excitement, completely ignoring how ambiguous her current posture with Xie Ling was, and said without any impure thoughts, "That's right."

"Remember, no matter what I say, you just need to not deny it. At most, I'll hold your hand or something. Don't mess things up at the last minute, otherwise..."

She thought about it and realized there was nothing that could threaten Xie Ling, so she frowned in dissatisfaction.

"Hmm." Xie Ling maintained the position where her chin was held, tilting her head back, her eyes seeming to be moist for some reason. "Is there anything else?"

So cooperative?

Lian Yi looked at him suspiciously, and saw that his face was flushed from the excitement of her controlling his actions to keep him from talking, so she felt a pang of conscience and let go.

Without resorting to coercion, Lian Yi sat back down.

She looked thoughtful and said, "As for the rest, I guess that's all. Just treat yourself like a decoration. Hmm... if they ask you questions, if you don't want to answer, just put on your usual expression."

Based on Xie Ling's usual behavior, although she wasn't as cold and aloof as a dead person, she did give off a somewhat unapproachable feeling.

But for Lian's father, Lian's mother, and perhaps some others, this was nothing short of a provocation.

Upon thinking of this, Lian Yi raised an eyebrow and finally found Xie Ling somewhat more agreeable.

"But... why do you insist that I pretend to be your boyfriend?" Xie Ling voiced his doubts, and as soon as he spoke, he saw a dangerous glint in Lian Yi's eyes.

"...I'm not trying to shirk responsibility. If you don't want to answer, just pretend I didn't ask."

Lian Yi gave a soft hum and remained silent.

She knew that even her father hadn't completely given up on the marriage alliance.

Businesspeople always like to calculate gains and losses, and what she did was far more complicated than what the students thought about 'being rich' and 'acting recklessly'.

The school certainly doesn't want a situation to arise where one student sues dozens of students, even if there are valid reasons and she has a valid point.

Wanghai Middle School was able to stand tall in Yunhai and become a top key middle school because of its extensive network of connections. It was not difficult for them to find people who could speak to Lian Decheng.

If Lian Decheng wanted to stop her from filing a lawsuit, he didn't need to specifically call her back to the old house; he could just put pressure on Li Xilai's mother directly.

If we don't do that, it means there's still room for negotiation.

This leeway, of course, requires Lian Yi to sacrifice certain aspects in exchange for her wanting to accomplish this.

The moment Lian Yi received the call, she understood all of this.

She didn't want to get engaged to that brainless guy Gu Yiyu, not because she had any issues with him personally, although she certainly didn't like him.

But most importantly, if this marriage is finalized, it will directly affect her retirement plans.

The marriage of the children of two giants from different fields, with countless intertwined interests, is destined to make their marriage 'unbreakable'. At that time, no matter how much Gu Yiyu fawns over the real heiress, no matter how much she is despised by everyone.

They must always present a unified image in public.

There is only a slight possibility that the cooperation between the two projects will end once it is running smoothly.

Lian Yi could not allow herself to drag it out until then.

"Don't worry about it, just cooperate." Lian Yi noticed his unease and suddenly raised an eyebrow, saying, "Xie Ling, you haven't actually lied at all since you were a child, have you?"

Only then did she notice the lingering blush on the boy's cool face, and she widened her eyes slightly in surprise.

"If you keep acting like this, they might trick you into telling the truth in just a few words... Never mind, I'll have the driver take you home later."

She's already quite adept at handling these situations on her own, and the effect would be even better if Xie Ling could cooperate.

But clearly, given his current state, it's difficult for him to be convincing.

Based on her understanding of her parents, Lian Yi knew they must have been prepared before sending her back to the old house. This was unlike the dinner party where they hadn't expected her to bring Xie Ling along at the last minute.

"No need, I... can do it."

Xie Ling paused. He had never lied before, and even now, after saying those words, he couldn't imagine how he would react in the situation later.

But seeing the slight disappointment followed by calm in Lian Yi's eyes, even though he could have easily backed down and found relief, he inexplicably said something like that.

"Like you said... if I can't get a response, I can remain silent."

"oh?"

Lian Yi looked at him with some skepticism, but she gained a completely new understanding of Xie Ling's sense of morality.

How could such guilt over something so trivial allow him to restrain his true nature to this extent?

Adhering to the principle that if you don't use something, you'll waste it, Lian Yi smiled with satisfaction, "Very good. If you do well, I will really forgive you!"

So there's no need to feel guilty anymore. She thought about her retirement plan, and the words "successfully retiring early" seemed to be flashing in her mind.

The roads weren't so congested in the afternoon, and it only took less than an hour to drive from Wanghai Middle School to the old house.

Stepping out of the car and looking at the imposing gate of the Lian family, Xie Ling once again gained a clear understanding of Lian Yi's family background. For some reason, the inexplicably chaotic emotions in her heart suddenly turned cold and silent at this moment.

He lowered his eyes slightly, and what he could see was the cuffs of Wang Hai's school uniform, which was designed in the style of a suit.

Even though he was a bit of a germaphobe, he never considered getting a new school uniform, as the cuffs still had slight fading from washing.

Suddenly, a fair-skinned, rosy hand came into view.

Xie Ling raised his eyes and saw Lian Yi tilting her head slightly to look at him. Her amber eyes carried a hint of warning, probably because she mistakenly thought he wanted to run away at the last minute.

"Hurry up, or you can take a car back," Lian Yi said impatiently.

When Xie Ling's hand, calloused from years of writing, touched hers, he hesitated, as if he might scratch her pampered, delicate skin.

But Lian Yi had already lost patience and directly grabbed his five fingers, leading him forward.

Xie Ling's eyelashes trembled slightly as his gaze fell on Lian Yi's back in front of him.

What stirred his emotions was not the physical contact between them, but the realization that he could no longer maintain a calm and composed mind, which he once possessed.

Between the two, it seemed that only he was so keenly aware of the temperature between their palms touching.

Her long, slightly wavy hair, draped behind her, swayed gently as she stepped onto the stairs.

Xie Ling followed her step by step, her face cold and indifferent, unsure of what expression to make.

"Uncle Li!"

Ignoring the 'tool' behind her, Lian Yi flashed a sweet smile at Butler Li, who was waiting by the door, and asked, "Could you give me a heads-up about the enemy's situation?"

“…Naughty.” Uncle Li’s old face already carried a faint smile, and after hearing her irresponsible remark, he shook his head slightly with a sense of helplessness.

“Xu Han, De Cheng, and your mother are sitting in the main courtyard.” He turned around and led the way, saying, “Master and Madam went out to visit friends yesterday and have not been home for the past few days.”

"Heh, and there's also his affair with Xu Han?" Lian Yi narrowed her eyes and sneered.

This was something she hadn't expected. It couldn't be that this uncle still held a grudge and, finding an opportunity to put on airs, had disregarded his status and specially come to join in the pressure and reprimand.

"Xiao Yi, you need to be more polite." As someone who had spent most of his life helping the two elders with their household affairs, Uncle Li naturally had the right to say a few words of advice on their behalf.

The younger generation paid more and more attention to their words and actions in front of him, for everyone knew that he was like the eyes and ears of the two elders.

Even Yi dared to be completely uninhibited in front of him, while this person's attitude could be discerned from his casual, perfunctory remark.

"Oh, let's not talk about that... Uncle Li, aren't you curious about who I brought back?"

She smiled and shook off Xie Ling's hand, her expression smug, like a child who had caught a grasshopper and was eager to show it off.

Uncle Li walked ahead with a slight turn of his body, but said without turning his head, "The old man is getting old, his eyesight is failing, he can't see clearly anymore."

"Okay!"

Lian Yi understood the other meaning behind his words and then turned her attention to another matter with satisfaction.

"Did you prepare any food for us? We rushed over here and haven't had lunch yet. We'll be starving by the time we finish talking."

"Of course. Knowing you were coming back, we had the kitchen prepare your favorite dishes, including braised pork ribs. Although it's not really appropriate to eat bitter melon at this time of year, we still had them make you a bitter melon and pork rib soup."

When Uncle Li started talking about this, he went on and on.

"You rarely come back. Although your studies are important, you should still come back to visit more often when you have free time. Your parents always remember to have the purchasing department prepare your favorite dishes, just in case you come back and don't have anything to eat..."

"Um."

"I know."

Lian Yi watched the old woman's back, from her upright posture in her childhood to her current stooped state. The smile on her lips was faint, almost disappearing, but quickly returned to normal.

"Alright, Uncle Li, you go ahead and get busy. I'll go back by myself later. We'll still have lunch at Guanhua Garden, right?"

She looked at the gate of the main courtyard and smiled, "I don't need you to lead the way, I can go in by myself."

“…Okay.” Uncle Li stopped and turned to look at her, then his gaze seemed to fall on the face of the quiet young man who had been silent the whole way.

As far as he knew, this young man was quite outstanding.

Unfortunately, they were ultimately not a good match.

Uncle Li smiled kindly and looked at Lian Yi, "Go in."

Lian Yi pulled Xie Ling across the courtyard gate, and the solemn and grand main courtyard was finally able to be seen in its entirety.

She turned her head and reminded Xie Ling again, "Remember, don't let me down, and don't even think about speaking up for me, or I'll get angry, understand?"

Xie Ling was still pondering the meaning behind the old man's gaze when she heard what she said, and she nodded slightly.

"Yes, I understand."

There's still a distance between the courtyard gate and the main house.

The roadside, paved with hard, subtly lustrous bluestone bricks, remains lush and green even in winter, with occasional blooming flowers that accentuate the fine Taihu stones.

The Lian family's wealth is not just due to the success of the second generation; this can be seen from their well-established foundation.

The main house is built of bricks, tiles, and wood. Only after stepping inside can you finally see some modern elements.

In the main hall, two middle-aged men, exuding an air of authority without anger, sat calmly at the tea table, drinking tea and chatting.

At the other end of the tea table, a dignified noblewoman smiled faintly, turning her head as if to check on the young man sitting upright beside her.

Although the young man had ordinary facial features, he gave people a calm and reserved feeling. He would nod slightly from time to time and reply with a word or two in a dignified and humble manner.

The whole scene was harmonious until Lian Yi and Xie Ling behind her walked over.

Lian Decheng's expression had already darkened slightly when he saw her, but when he caught sight of Xie Ling, he quickly regained his composure, making it impossible to discern his emotions.

"Lian Yi, why aren't you greeting anyone?" Lian's mother, Wu Jinxiu, chuckled as she looked at her.

Lian Yi had already taken a seat in the empty seat, and Xie Ling, who was being led by her, could only sit to the side.

Lian Yi gave an "oh" and glanced around perfunctorily. "Father, Mother, Uncle, Lian San'er, good afternoon."

She wasn't incapable of feigning politeness, but there was no need to use it on these people. Why bother? Everyone was bound to argue eventually. Even if they acted all friendly now, wouldn't they still be slamming their fists on the table and arguing later?

Lian Yi never bothered to even pretend; she thought they were already used to it.

"What kind of attitude is this!" Lian Decheng said in a deep voice.

Although it wasn't exactly a reprimand, the attitude was somewhat cold and hard, instantly making the tea room in the side hall quiet.

Lian Zhongming stood up, his demeanor approachable, and he didn't seem annoyed when Lian Yi called him "Lian San'er" with a hint of mockery.

He walked over to the tea master and said softly, "You've been brewing tea for most of the morning, you must be tired. Go and rest for a while, I'll take care of things here."

The tea master understood the subtle suggestion to clear the room, and tactfully nodded, stood up, and left.

“Mother told me to greet them, and I did so without missing a single one. Father, what kind of attitude do you think I have? Do you think our family will ever practice kneeling and bowing again?” Lian Yi chuckled and said, “That’s not a good idea.”

"..."

"Little sister, who is this?" Lian Zhongming took out two celadon cups, stood up slightly and placed them in front of them, then poured tea with a light smile and asked.

"My parents know about it; I just started dating him recently."

Watching him pour the tea, Lian Yi suddenly said, "Lian San'er, if you can't do it, don't pretend. The tea master has brewed the Longjing tea perfectly. You've delayed for a while. Can you even drink it anymore? Just pour it directly for me."

"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention." Lian Zhongming paused, his smile a little awkward, and then reached out to pick up their teacups and pour out the tea.

"Forget it, the Longjing tea you're selling is very expensive. You think you can just throw it away like that? If Grandpa finds out you're being so wasteful, won't that tarnish your reputation for being thrifty and honest?" Lian Yi said with a smile.

"..."

Lian Zhongming's hand was suddenly suspended in mid-air, and for a moment he was caught between a rock and a hard place.

"Lian Yi, don't make things difficult for your third brother here. When you can be half as sensible as him, your mother and I will be proud enough," Lian Decheng said, frowning.

Wu Jinxiu glanced helplessly at her nephew, then got up and poured out the two cups of tea that he was hesitant about how to handle.

Lian Zhongming seemed relieved and gave her an embarrassed smile.

"It's alright, Second Uncle. It's just that I don't know anything about tea ceremony and made a fool of myself in front of my little sister and her friends."

“Your third brother just rushed back from the project overnight yesterday, Lian Yi, don’t bother him anymore.” Lian Xuhan said in a calm voice, addressing Lian Yi, but his fierce eyes swept towards Xie Ling.

"I heard that you seem to have run into some trouble these past few days? How did it escalate to the point of having to sue someone?"

He picked up his teacup, took a casual sip, and said meaningfully, "Children arguing and making a fuss, to the point of filing a lawsuit, isn't that a bit too serious? Don't you even consider your parents' image when you do this?"

“Uncle, although my little sister is young, she is not ignorant. She must have her reasons for doing this.” Lian Zhongming poured him tea and kindly advised, “Why don’t you listen to what my little sister has to say first?”

"With several of you elders here, I believe she would be willing to listen to your opinions."

Lian Decheng said in a low voice, "If she can listen to what I say, then I don't need to worry about her."

“The child’s friends are still here.” Wu Jinxiu said with a hint of reproach in her eyes.

As soon as she finished speaking, Xie Ling could clearly feel the gazes of everyone at the tea table falling on her at the same time, seemingly imperceptibly.

He felt a slight heaviness in his heart, but not because he felt pressured.

Xie Ling glanced to the side and saw Lian Yi's lips slightly upturned, watching these people who were her closest relatives as if they were watching a play, yet they were all clearly condescending and lecturing her.

With undisguised accusations and a nonchalant attitude, she easily erased her experiences in all of this.

They showed absolutely no concern or care about her feelings.

In their brief exchange, it seemed that they cared less about the consequences than about Lian Yi, and her feelings had become less important.

Xie Ling sat upright in the solid wood chair, her expression indifferent, seemingly unperturbed by the scrutinizing gazes.

"Hello, uncles and aunts." He pursed his lips slightly, paused, and then looked up at everyone frankly. "I... am Lian Yi's boyfriend, Xie Ling."

"..."

The atmosphere in the tea room clearly fell into silence.

Lian Yi glanced at him with amusement, her eyelids twitching slightly as she raised her eyebrows, as if even her eyes were smiling, before she blinked.

'Well done!'

She was tired of these people's so-called cunning, always going around in circles before finally getting to the point.

Somewhat unexpectedly, Xie Ling said she would cooperate, and she really did.

She truly deserves to be called a top student; she learns everything quickly and is self-taught.

Lian Decheng's expression was neither happy nor angry; his gaze was already fixed on the table in front of him, as if he hadn't heard him at all.

"...You're still studying, how did you come up with the idea of ​​dating?" Wu Jinxiu glanced at Lian Yi, who had a smile on her face, her delicate expression remaining calm as she asked with concern.

"We know Lian Yi's personality well. She's always enthusiastic for only three minutes. If she likes something today, she'll throw it aside tomorrow."

She frowned slightly. "Her father and I aren't exactly unenlightened parents, but Xiao Xie, shouldn't you think about what's most important to you right now?"

"Auntie, I dare not say that I know Lianyi better than you two."

Xie Ling's eyes were cold and clear, his expression neither humble nor arrogant. He calmly accepted the disregard from everyone except Wu Jinxiu.

"But I think that, at least through my interactions with her, I will know what kind of person Lian Yi is."

"As for the most important thing at this stage..."

Xie Ling met her gaze, her usually calm and composed eyes remaining steadfast.

"I declined the guaranteed admission offer and wanted to choose my favorite major through the college entrance examination. Although the future is full of uncertainties, I am confident enough, based on my assessment of my own abilities, to ensure that I can do it."

"And my relationship with Lian Yi will not affect this outcome. The right person will only generate positive motivation, and she is such a person."

He spoke at a measured pace, facing them with composure.

Lian Yi had been tilting her head to look at him for a while, a hint of surprise showing in her eyes.

She really hadn't expected Xie Ling to say so much, or rather, to speak so eloquently in front of her parents, even subtly revealing his sharp edge.

These are things that Lian Yi remembers Xie Ling would never do.

The surprise in Lian Yi's eyes was gradually replaced by an amused smile. She noticed the increasingly tense atmosphere and almost burst out laughing.

If she had known Xie Ling was so useful, why would she have waited until now to bring her out?

"Yes, Mom and Dad."

Lian Yi turned her face with a smile, then suddenly seemed to remember something and looked at them curiously, "By the way, Dad, what did you want to say when you called me back?"