Chapter 65

“He was arranged by my mother.”

Li Xilai's voice sounded strained and a little hoarse. She grasped Lian Yi's hand, her eyes, hidden in her hair, were devoid of emotion, but she couldn't control her tears.

"Xiaoyi, he is my mother's fiancé."

Her hoarse voice, almost hoarse, choked with sobs, suppressing too many emotions and unspoken words.

Lian Yi remained calm and patted her gently. "Hmm, it's that old-fashioned arranged marriage again, isn't it? What are your thoughts? Tell me."

She had met Li Xilai's mother many times.

She was a very successful person. Someone who could build such a reputable law firm couldn't have done it just by relying on so-called background. Her strength was never on the surface, and even Li's mother seemed to be a very easy person to talk to.

Her abilities have always been demonstrated through her actual deeds.

Li's mother never seemed to restrict Li Xilai's hobbies and friendships, but Li Xilai's love for racing was implicitly limited to modifying a muscle car for occasional transportation.

When a group of friends get together, Li Xilai is often the one who remains the most composed.

For her, playing with others wasn't about having fun, but about finding a place where she could relax and be carefree.

"Don't overthink these and that factors. You are a person, not an object. Only you can feel the good and the bad. Life is both long and short, so don't put too many shackles on yourself."

Lian Yi said softly, "You know what I'm trying to say."

She looked at Fu Chengyue, who had collapsed to the ground not far away, as if he were in a dream, occasionally bouncing up and down, his grotesque writhing posture as ugly as a maggot.

Xie Ling left feeling helpless and disappointed after witnessing her cold attitude.

At this moment, Lian Yi had only one thought in her mind: she just wanted to know why.

She thought, this plot is really vicious and efficient. What could be more effective than putting a female character in the shackles of marriage?

No matter what kind of person Li Xilai is, once she is bound to someone like Fu Chengyue, she becomes a caged bird that can never escape its confinement.

They were disciplined, constrained, and implicated by Fu Chengyue's actions.

"Don't tell me you don't want to involve me. You know I don't like hearing you say things like that." Sensing the girl's hesitation, Lian Yi calmly said, "If you want, I'll ruin his reputation after tonight."

Li Xilai gripped Lian Yi's hand tightly, as if only in this way could she draw warmth.

The inner turmoil she had been suppressing these past few days crumbled with a gentle push from her assertive words, and the dam of self-persuasion she had painstakingly erected collapsed.

She was almost sobbing uncontrollably.

"My mother, why...why did she..."

Compared to Fu Chengyue's wicked character, what made Li Xilai even more desperate was her mother's attitude. She was as if she were just an object, a kitten or puppy that had just been chosen by its owner to be a so-called good family, and was being forced to pack up and be delivered to their door.

Li Xilai did have her resistance, but her mother was always a strong and rational person.

She doesn't spout grand principles or use the so-called "for your own good" as a reason to persuade others.

Instead, they laid out both the advantages and disadvantages of the marriage alliance in front of Li Xilai.

Li's mother told Li Xilai that her father had an illegitimate child who was currently being raised by her grandparents. She spoke of the Fu family's influence and support, and also mentioned that Li Xilai's recent assistance to Lian Yi had drawn criticism from many people.

She stopped and bore the grievances.

She said she wanted to go further, to protect what she owned from being divided by her husband and given to their illegitimate child, and that she had to learn to bear the consequences of her actions.

She said Fu Chengyue is an outstanding young man who acts boldly but not radically, is polite in his dealings with others, and is also very capable.

But only Lian Yi told her, asking her: What do you think?

Li Xilai was a proud person, but her pride was shattered by her mother's rationality, yet it slowly resurfaced in front of Lian Yi.

It made her truly feel that she was a person, not an object.

"I'll make him pay the price," Li Xilai said through gritted teeth, her voice trembling.

Lian Yi hummed in agreement, and the corners of her mouth slowly turned up.

"Then let him pay the price."

…

…

The Lian family's old house was filled with joy, but the two elders were getting on in years, and after meeting all the guests they were supposed to see, they both looked a little tired.

Next, the children and grandchildren were responsible for greeting the guests.

The two elders, accompanied by Steward Li, went back to rest first.

The guests had no objections to this, after all, just being able to attend the birthday banquet was enough, why would they really want to get in touch with the two elderly people?

Even the old man's second son, Lian Decheng, was not someone that just anyone could talk to.

At this moment, the different groups of people gathered inside and outside the flower hall were clearly distinct.

Most of those involved in manufacturing gathered around Lian Decheng, while those in transportation, logistics, import and export clustered around the eldest brother, Lian Xuhan. Most of the female guests chatted happily with Lian's mother and the youngest daughter of the Lian family.

A group of middle-aged people were all smiles. The part about introducing their children was long over, so the two young people sandwiched in the middle of them were particularly eye-catching.

"Decheng, I didn't bother you because you were busy. Please introduce this person to both of you."

Mr. Wang from Tianyin chuckled and gestured to the two men, saying, "This is Mr. Li, Li Jingxing, from Jingze. Mr. Li, this is Chairman Lian, a pillar of our Yunhai Chamber of Commerce!"

Lian Decheng had actually noticed this young man long ago, and naturally, an invitation should be sent to the Li family in the north for the old man's birthday banquet.

Logically speaking... the Li family shouldn't be sending anyone at this time.

He had heard that the current head of the Li family was unusually young. Now that he had met him, he was not surprised that the other party was really as young as rumored, nor did he have time to lament that the Li family was about to decline.

Instead, he frowned, vaguely feeling that the young man looked too familiar.

Lian Decheng quickly relaxed his brow and smiled, saying, "Jingze has been developing rapidly in recent years. It seems that heroes are emerging from among the young. Old Wang, don't talk nonsense about being the pillar of the nation. There are many talented people in Yunhai, and I am just one of them."

"Besides, if you say this in front of Zhiyun, aren't you making me a laughingstock?"

He patted the broad, strong shoulder of the young man beside him, his smile widening, looking as if he were joking.

The young man's peach blossom eyes swept over Jiang Yu with a smile, his demeanor and tone humble yet not low, and he smiled and said, "Uncle Lian is joking."

He then nodded slightly to Jiang Yu.

"President Li, I didn't expect to see you here."

The two young men were handsome, but their temperaments were very different. One had deep and affectionate eyes, but his whole demeanor was noble and composed. His tailored suit made him look elegant and tall.

The other man had exquisitely beautiful features, almost otherworldly, with stunning eyes that were captivating yet refined. Even a white suit, which could easily make someone look dowdy and greasy, exuded a composed and clean charm on him.

As the two smiled at each other, it was a friendly scene with no sign of anger, but an invisible aura made people feel that they were irreconcilable enemies.

"As a junior, it is only right that I wish the old man a happy birthday. It is normal for President Huo to see me here." Jiang Yu smiled slightly.

Huo Zhiyun suppressed his displeasure and chuckled, "That makes sense."

He had always had a less than favorable impression of Jiang Yu, but in the past he couldn't find fault with Jiang Yu. Now that they hadn't seen each other for a long time and were still business partners, it seemed even less likely he could find fault with Jiang Yu.

Lian Decheng was still calmly recalling when he had met this young master of the Li family when he saw this, and he laughed heartily.

"Both of you are young talents and handsome men."

He could easily see that there was something strange about the atmosphere between the two, but it was perfectly normal for two outstanding young people to clash and not get along.

Jiang Yu looked at Lian Decheng and smiled, "Chairman Lian, you flatter me."

With just one glance, Lian Decheng's expression changed slightly.

He suddenly remembered why the young master of the Li family looked familiar.

Isn't that the young man who always follows Lian Yi around? Jiang Yu was indeed the most outstanding-looking person he had ever seen, but at that time, the results of the inquiries made by his subordinates were that he was just a child raised in the neighborhood by a third-rate rich businessman.

The background was blurry, so Lian Decheng didn't pay much attention to it.

As for how others speculated about Jiang Yu's existence and how they viewed Lian Yi, he didn't care at all.

As long as she didn't go too far, Lian Decheng let Lian Yi do whatever she wanted.

But this young man, he seemed to be surnamed Jiang…

“President Li…” Lian Decheng became interested in him and curious, and wanted to ask him a few more questions.

At this moment, Butler Li walked over, his expression calm and revealing nothing. After politely nodding to the guests who were talking, he walked to Lian Decheng's side and whispered something in his ear.

Lian Decheng's tiger-like eyes narrowed, as if his emotions were about to surge, but he quickly suppressed them.

He smiled at the guests in front of him and said apologetically, "I'm really sorry, the old man asked me to say a few words. Please continue your conversation."

"It's alright, it's alright. Today is the birthday of the God of Wealth, so you should go ahead, Brother Lian."

"Let's go try some cakes too. Chef Guo Jiaxiang's skills are something you can't always get!"

Lian Decheng, with a faint smile on his usually serious face, walked towards the outside of the flower hall, nodding occasionally in response to the greetings of the guests.

As soon as he entered the corridor, his face darkened abruptly. "That Lian Yi is truly lawless! She even caused trouble at the old man's birthday banquet! It's utterly outrageous! The red coral bonsai sent by the Fu family is still in the hall. How am I supposed to explain this to everyone?!"

"And that daughter of the Li family, they're really... a den of snakes and rats."

Uncle Li frowned slightly. "It's not necessarily Lian Yi's fault."

He received a call from Lian Yi and, at her request, informed Lian Decheng and Li Xilai's mother, relaying everything Lian Yi had said.

It's clearly said that Fu Chengyue intentionally injured someone, but both of their reactions were completely identical—

They believed that Lian Yi was the one causing trouble.

“Uncle Li, sigh…” Lian Decheng waved his hand, his face dark. “You’ve spoiled this child too much. We’ve all spoiled her. She’s arrogant and domineering. No matter what, we can’t tolerate her anymore.”

"..." Upon hearing this, Uncle Li frowned even more deeply.

But seeing Lian Decheng's angry expression and hurried steps, he knew that Lian Decheng wouldn't listen to anything at this moment, so he could only sigh silently and follow behind at a leisurely pace.

...

After Lian Decheng left.

Jiang Yu quickly and quietly walked out of the flower hall. Most of these people were doing business centered around Yunhai, and they didn't have much contact with him or the Li family.

Moreover, since he came to power, there have been far more observers than those trying to build relationships.

After all, when a wall falls, everyone pushes it down. A young, unknown leader has taken control of the Li family, a behemoth that, though weakened, is still enormous.

It's like a child carrying a gold brick and wandering around in broad daylight; who wouldn't want to have some ulterior motives if they saw that?

After he left, the people's eyes changed slightly, and they began to talk about Jiang Yu with amusement.

Huo Zhiyun listened for a while, and Tao Hua's eyes showed a hint of disinterest. Although he was still smiling, he politely nodded and took his leave.

While interpersonal skills are important, his character dictates that he cannot engage in scornful or mocking behavior behind someone's back.

Stepping out of the flower hall filled with laughter and cheerful conversation, Huo Zhiyun's brows furrowed slightly as he looked at the familiar plants and trees, which seemed almost unchanged from when he left a few years ago.

At that time, Lian Yi was still a little girl, with a very unruly temper, a habit of talking, and a cutely spoiled nature.

She always laughed and joked without any restraint.

It would lazily lie down in the flower bushes and take a nap until it was bitten a few times by insects, at which point it would wake up angrily and order the servants to kill the insects.

The fruit tree was planted for ornamental purposes, and now that it was laden with fruit, a vibrant red and green, she disregarded her image and climbed up to pick bunches of fruit, tossing them to Jiang Yu below, looking like a thief catching a thief.

Upon seeing him, she didn't hesitate for a second. She gave a spoiled snort, grabbed a handful of food from Jiang Yu's hand, and tossed it to him, clearly intending to bribe him to achieve her goal of colluding with him.

Lian Yi was nothing like a daughter of a wealthy and influential family, but she was not the most arrogant and domineering person Huo Zhiyun had ever met.

Her arrogance was the purest and most innocent, without the slightest malice, like a child's playful spirit that never faded.

That incredibly vibrant smile was etched into Huo Zhiyun's heart.

He had wondered why he cared about Lian Yi and remembered those strange anniversaries she casually made up.

The day Huo Zhiyun was seriously watching him study marked the anniversary of his transformation into a pedantic old scholar.

When he caught her eating ice cream while she had a fever, it was the anniversary of the first chocolate-flavored shirt she gave him.

Thinking of this, Huo Zhiyun's lips curled up slightly without him even realizing it.

He thought that perhaps it was because his life was too boring, and he could see the end of it all at a glance. He had received the best education since childhood, and even his leisure time was spent in bilingual teaching, communicating with specially hired language teachers.

After his older brother's accident, his pressure increased dramatically. The expectations from his parents and other elders suddenly fell on his shoulders.

Inherit the Huo family business and manage it.

He then devoted his entire life to this goal, striving to meet his family's expectations and marry a wife he may never have met, but who was a perfect match for him.

He seemed to be filled with worldly desires, which added a sense of indifferent weariness to his being.

Huo Zhiyun initially thought there was nothing wrong with this, and he had gotten used to it. But from the moment he saw Lian Yi again, she was still vibrant and quirky; she was still herself.

Beneath the eaves, the young man's handsome eyes were slightly closed, and his broad and upright figure appeared deep and melancholy even under the bright light.

The next moment, Huo Zhiyun suddenly opened his eyes, his handsome face slightly furrowed.

He noticed Jiang Yu's figure and walked towards the more private area of ​​the Lian family's old house with a clear purpose, looking familiar and confident.

Huo Zhiyun thought for a moment, then walked towards the direction where Jiang Yu's figure had disappeared.

...

When Lian Decheng arrived at Qiushui Pavilion, the scene inside the exquisite and luxurious hall was truly unpleasant.

When Fu Chengyue came to celebrate the elders' birthday tonight, the handsome young man was poised and generous, with a reserved and humble smile that won him the favor of others.

And what about now?

His hands were tied behind his back with a thick hemp rope, curled up like a boiled shrimp. There were two purplish-blue marks on his face, and he was soaking wet. His expensive suit was also covered with seaweed.

Whether he was stunned by the beating or something else, his expression shifted between ferocious and maniacal laughter, turning his once handsome face into a distorted and ugly one.

When Lian Decheng saw Lian Yi sitting leisurely in a grand chair drinking tea, he was furious.

"Lian Yi!" He had almost never roared like that before.

Even when the group faced major problems, Chairman Dong was known for his composure. He never panicked or got angry in the face of adversity and always only showed a fraction of his emotions.

Seeing Lian Yi's behavior, Lian Decheng felt not only immense anger but also a vague sense that a certain decision he had made back then was absolutely correct. He even felt a surge of impulse to take advantage of this opportunity...

“Father, the one you should be angry with is not me.” Lian Yi’s expression was calm, even with a hint of a smile. “It is him.”

Lian Decheng took a deep breath and said in a deep voice to Uncle Li behind him, "Uncle Li, why aren't you calling someone to untie Fu Chengyue?!"

"Uncle Li, there's no need to trouble yourself."

Lian Yi put down the covered bowl and saw Lian Decheng's behavior. She smiled slightly and said, "You've worked hard tonight, so there's no need for you to run around like this. Just leave him tied up like this."

"Lianyi, has your mother and I always let you do whatever you want, making you really think you can do whatever you want?"

When Lian Decheng heard her arrogant attitude, he simply exploded.

Even though Li Xilai, who was sitting silently with a teacup in her hand, was sitting to Lian Yi's right, he paid no attention to her.

"What's the occasion tonight?! It's your grandfather's birthday! A birthday banquet!"

Seeing her nonchalant expression, Lian Decheng's face turned ashen. He was panting heavily when he pointed at the person on the ground and said, "This is Fu Chengyue from the Fu family. He's a guest who came to celebrate your grandfather's birthday tonight. If word gets out, what do you expect others to think of the Lian family?"

"You, Lian Yi, are my daughter, the young lady of the Lian family, and this is all the ability you have! I don't care how you usually act recklessly, but what you've done today, are you trying to ruin your grandfather's lifelong reputation!"

Lian Yi's eyes turned slightly cold as she stared directly at Lian Decheng without flinching.

"Father, there's no need to be so harsh."

"Yeah... Second brother, can't we talk things out? Hmm? What's going on?"

Outside the door, Lian Xuhan, the eldest uncle, walked over with Lian San and Lian Zhongyue following behind. At first, Lian Xuhan pretended to be puzzled and tried to persuade him, but after entering the door, he frowned and looked at the disheveled Fu Chengyue with a surprised expression.

Lian Zhongyue was equally surprised and puzzled. Although he did not speak, he looked at Fu Chengyue and then at Lian Yi. His honest and steady face showed a hint of understanding helplessness. He sighed and stood behind Lian Decheng.

"Second Uncle, don't be angry. Fortunately, it's just us family here now, so your little sister can always cover for us."

It would have been better if he hadn't said it, because once he did, it was as if Lian Decheng had found a reason to vent.

He sneered, "Stop it, stop it. You're eighteen and an adult. Don't you know any better? You don't even know how to think before you act. You only think about relying on your family to bail you out. When you've ruined this family, I'll see where you'll find someone to bail you out!"

“I asked Uncle Li to call you over so you could handle some matters, not so you could lose your temper and make accusations here.”

Lian Decheng angrily reprimanded him, while Lian Xuhan sighed beside him as if it were a difficult situation, and Lian Zhongyue whispered a few words of advice from time to time. Almost all the men of the two generations of the Lian family were present.

Lian Yi found their behavior amusing; her eyes, which were usually full of smiles, were now deep and unfathomable.

"Look at you! Chairman Lian, a big shot in charge of the Lian Group, all you do when something happens is yell and shout, scolding everyone without even knowing the facts. Do you know today is Grandpa's birthday banquet? Is this how you handle things?"

The girl's sweet voice and calm, slightly cold reprimand silenced the entire spacious and bright hall.

Li Xilai, who was standing next to Lian Yi, had initially looked up, but after calming down, she realized that Lian Yi's family members had a lot of prejudice against her.

Unexpectedly, as a father, Lian Decheng immediately launched into a scathing critique of Lian Yi.

I'm afraid even enemies wouldn't be treated this way.

Li Xilai was about to retort when she realized that Fu Chengyue was clearly in the wrong, so why was he speaking to Lian Yi like that, subjecting her to such insults and accusations?

But she never expected that Lian Yi, who always spoke as she pleased, would suddenly say such a thing.

For a moment, he was stunned with his mouth slightly open, unable to come to his senses for a long time, just staring blankly at Lian Yi's profile.

Lian Decheng nearly couldn't catch his breath, let alone his elder brother and nephew beside him, who both looked as if they had just hallucinated or seen a ghost, staring at Lian Yi.

Lian Yi smiled slightly, her clear eyes meeting their gaze with composure.

"You... what did you say? What do you mean by this!" In a daze, Lian Decheng had a strange feeling that he saw the old man standing in front of him.

The old man had almost never lost his temper or composure in his life. Even when he made a serious mistake, he would stand calmly in front of him, his eyes, full of the marks of life's experiences, quietly watching him.

Like a mirror, it reflects the unsavory aspects of his heart that he tries to conceal.

"You're not new to the workforce, are you? Can't you tell why Fu Chengyue is acting this way? Are you unaware, or are you trying to cover things up and pretending not to know?"

Lian Yi stood up and walked to Fu Chengyue's side, only a few steps away from them.

She chuckled lightly, "To be honest, Father, Uncle, and Lian San'er, how else could you have gotten ahead? You've mastered the art of feigning madness to this extent, and you still want to drag others into it..."

"What kind of skill is it to be able to face and handle things calmly? The real skill is to dare to play dumb, deceive everyone, and then make things right for everyone in the end, right?"

Lian Yi never cares about the listener's feelings when she speaks, especially in this situation.

"I'll tell you all about this now."

She lifted her foot and stepped on Fu Chengyue's shoulder, lowering her eyes and scoffing as she ground it down.

"Do you know why Young Master Fu looks like this? It's because he's on drugs, illegal drugs. Do I need to explain it more clearly?"

"Someone made such a fool of themselves at Grandpa's birthday banquet." Lian Yi kicked away his hand that was attacking her, and when it fell limply to the ground, several needle marks could be clearly seen on the inside of his arm through the cut sleeve.

Lian Decheng and the others unconsciously widened their eyes.

Before attending the birthday banquet, Fu Chengyue couldn't control himself and injected himself with a banned drug.

He had developed a certain tolerance for the drug, and even though it amplified his sensory perception, he could still barely control it.

At such a lively occasion as the old man's birthday banquet, his ability to relax was so great that people mistakenly took his excitement as the joy of a young person being able to attend such a banquet.

But along with it comes a surge of desire.

If this were a gathering of Fu Chengyue and his friends, he could easily grab anyone and start talking to them.

But it didn't work. So, this suppressed anxiety led him to try to relieve it through physical contact with Li Xilai after her mother urged him to "connect" with her.

Li Xilai's initial impression of this person was neither good nor bad. Her family demanded that she get engaged to Fu Chengyue, and they said it very nicely.

They would cultivate their relationship first, then get engaged when they were of the right age, and then get married. These were the words that the adults chuckled and said while raising their glasses in a place where Li Xilai couldn't hear them.

She resented his frequent overstepping of boundaries, but little did she know that beneath Fu Chengyue's spirited exterior lurked a venomous insect.

Lian Yi looked at the shocked expressions with a mocking gaze, knowing full well that they were not shocked that Fu Chengyue was this kind of person, but that he didn't even care about the occasion when he took drugs.

“I didn’t want to bother anyone, I just wanted you to handle this, but I didn’t expect you to handle it like this.”

Lian Yi's smile carried a hint of contempt. "Have you been called Chairman Lian for so long that you think you're some kind of emperor, able to sentence others to death at will?"

"Or did you know what was going on from the beginning, and all you thought about was how to use this incident to win over the Fu family and gain benefits in exchange? So you started by scolding me, making me think I really did something wrong—"

"So that you can conveniently reach a deal with the Fu family and then make me take the blame?"

She didn't even look at the expressions on their faces, and just said to herself, "Let me think. When the time comes, I can say that I had a fit of temper, and that Young Master Fu was unlucky enough to run into the line of fire. I tricked him into falling into the pond, and he got sick with a high fever and needs to rest for a while."

"..."

Lian Decheng's chest heaved, and his gaze toward Lian Yi shifted from anger to astonishment, and finally to a deep, dark abyss, like the mouth of a well.

"Little sister, how could you think like that..." Lian Zhongyue said, trying to reconcile them, but he was shocked. He never thought that Lian Yi could say such a thing.

Or rather, he was surprised that Lian Yi could see things so clearly.

The past contempt for Lian Yi has now transformed into a strong sense of crisis, forcing Lian Zhongyue to re-evaluate this younger sister who previously posed no threat whatsoever.

"Lian San'er, you have no right to speak here." Lian Yi didn't even look at him and mocked, "Give you some things to do and a couple of carrots, and you really think you've trained yourself to be the most loyal dog?"

"Since you enjoy being a dog so much, you should know your place and whether you have the right to speak. You should think carefully before you open your mouth."

"you!"

"Zhongyue, go and help entertain the guests," Lian Decheng suddenly interrupted in a deep voice.

Lian Zhongyue suppressed the anger that had been aroused for a moment. Hearing his second uncle's words, his heart felt as if it had been splashed with cold water.

Lian Yi's words were extremely offensive.

But as Lian Decheng's words implied, Lian Zhongyue's expression darkened slightly, and he nodded somewhat reluctantly, "Okay, Second Uncle."

"Lian Yi—"

Lian Dexiang suddenly calmed down, as if he had become a different person, his face solemn. "Since you understand, you should know how to solve this problem."

“I’m very pleased that you’ve thought of so much. But this way of handling things is still too radical.”

“Father.” Lian Yi smiled slightly and shook her head at him. “I hope you don’t misunderstand. I’m not trying to take credit for you.”

"The reason I'm not dealing with him now, and not making things public, is purely because I'm considering my grandfather's sake, so that his birthday banquet can proceed smoothly. But that doesn't mean I'll accept that you're using Fu Chengyue to make some mutually beneficial deals with the Fu family."

"What do you mean by this?" Lian Decheng frowned.

Lian Xuhan observed for a while, a slight smile appearing on his face, but it was like a smiling tiger. "Lian Yi, what you're saying isn't quite right. People always make mistakes. What is a transaction..."

"Could it be that when you made mistakes in the past, your father negotiated with others to resolve them on your behalf, and that was also a transaction?"

"I'm too lazy to argue with you." Lian Yi glanced at him and chuckled, "Uncle, before getting involved in this matter, you might as well clean up your own mess first. Fanning the flames is not a good habit."

"How has Auntie been lately? I heard she's been having a lot of liver fire lately? Is it because you, Uncle, just had a paternity test done for another illegitimate child?"

She could barely suppress her laughter as she glanced up at the two of them.

"Comparing people is truly infuriating. Some people pray to gods and Buddhas and go to great lengths, yet they still can't have a son. But you, Uncle, are so devoted and responsible, sowing seeds everywhere. It's truly amazing how vigorous you are, even at your age."

Lian Xuhan's face immediately turned as red as a pig's liver.

Li Xilai, standing behind her, stared wide-eyed at her back, her eyes, still slightly red, revealing a look of astonishment.

Having been friends with Lian Yi for so long, Li Xilai knows that she is actually quite easygoing about everything and is not the petty, calculating young lady that is rumored to be.

Li Xilai actually had complicated feelings towards Lian Yi. She always felt that Lian Yi was unhappy and lived a repressed and constrained life.

The indifference they project to the outside world is more like a desperate attempt to find a way to breathe in the cracks of society.

But she really couldn't have imagined that Lian Yi would be like this... her way of getting along with her family was so... unusual?

Having mustered all her courage and resolved to stand firmly with Lian Yi in the face of adversity, Li Xilai found herself inexplicably wanting to laugh, even though the thought was absurd and out of place.

"Lian Yi!" Lian Decheng interrupted in a deep voice, "Let's stick to the facts and not be so disrespectful to our elders."

Lian Yi looked at him, the man who was nominally her father, her gaze seeming to drift away for a moment.

Then, with a slight curve in his eyes, he turned around, looked at Li Xilai, whose expression was somewhat stiff, and calmly said, "Alright, let's get down to business."

The words had barely left her lips when the muffled sound of high heels clicking on the floor came from outside the door, approaching rhythmically.

"—Xi Lai, how did things get like this?"