Chapter 38 Seeing no hope of finding another way, Li Li…
Seeing no hope of finding another way, Li Li finished the painting shortly after meeting Qi Xi.
Tan Su received a call from Qi Xi, who said that Li Li had voluntarily withdrawn from the art studio yesterday afternoon and left some things for him to sign for.
Tan Su agreed.
Qi Xi wanted to ask something, but ultimately couldn't overcome the long-standing estrangement between mother and son, and chose to remain silent.
——
During the week Li Li was resting at home, she received a call from Ms. Wan.
First, we thanked her for donating the paintings, and then asked if she had time to participate in the exhibition and give an interview so she could talk about the background and inspiration behind her creations.
Li Li herself was very interested in this kind of public welfare activity. Li Pusheng was a kind-hearted man who did help many people when he was alive.
She also wanted to pass on this love, so she accepted Ms. Wan's invitation.
Li Li had no idea that the interview Ms. Wan casually mentioned came from a TV station in City S.
The female host was dressed in a very bright formal suit, and the lighting, sound recording, and cameras were all pointed at her, making her look very professional and professional.
Li Li was not intimidated; she answered the question using a prepared response.
She said the original intention of painting this was to dedicate it to a friend far away, hoping to encourage him to brave the winds and waves and forge ahead.
I also hope that everyone who is in adversity like him can persevere until the day when the dawn arrives.
After she finished the interview, Ms. Wan and Tan Su, who were waiting nearby, were called over by the reporter and took a group photo together.
Li Li didn't give Tan Su a single glance throughout the entire event, but afterwards she specifically added the reporter on WeChat and asked her for the program's broadcast time.
On her way back, she skipped and hopped as she told Tan Yi that she had been interviewed today and had said a lot of things, and that he absolutely had to watch it.
She asked Tan Yi with concern, "Can't you receive S TV on your end?"
Tan Yi said, "It's okay, I can watch the live stream on my phone."
Although the weather was still cold, the trees were gradually turning green, and spring was just around the corner. Li Li said excitedly, "Okay, you absolutely must see it!"
——
On the day the program aired, Li Li turned on the TV in the living room early in the morning. Her grandmother and Wen Xi were with her, as was Li Zhizi, who had come to visit.
After discussing two major political events in the province, the interview switched to economic news, and Li Li appeared on the television screen. However, this interview cut out a large portion of her remarks and all the footage that showed the painting, and instead used a dubbing style to introduce the cooperation between Yan Qi and the charity foundation.
Going forward, Yanqi will work with the foundation's main exchange to conduct in-depth exchanges and cooperation with foreign countries on topics such as financial services and international capital markets.
The interview ended with a group photo, in which she and Tan Su stood on either side of Ms. Wan.
Tan Su was impeccably dressed and smiling, but his foolishness in not realizing he was being schemed against made him look particularly silly.
Grandma smiled so broadly her eyes disappeared, and said, "Oh my, our little kitten is so photogenic, isn't it?"
Wenxi clapped and said, "It looks good. I'll post it on my WeChat Moments later."
Li Zhizi looked at her and noticed that Li Li looked unwell, as if she had been hit on the head. She stood up without saying a word and called Tan Yi.
Sitting quietly on the bed, she heard a lot of noise on the other end of the phone and cautiously asked him what he was doing.
Tan Yi said he was out drinking with friends.
Li Li wanted to ask him if he had watched the news broadcast, but felt she was being incredibly stupid.
She said, "Tan Yi, that news was edited incorrectly; it's not good. Don't watch it."
Tan Yi agreed.
The moment the call was disconnected, Li Li thought to himself, "He saw it."
But Tan Yi's calm demeanor was frightening to her.
Perhaps it's because they argued far too many times last year because of Tan Su.
Especially after that trip to Singapore, it was as if she and Tan Yi had been placed into two different transparent containers.
They looked at each other, and she could see each other's faces clearly, but she could no longer sense each other's emotions.
For example, during the Lunar New Year, Tan Yi rushed over from Hong Kong and waited alone in the villa for several days. However, Zhou Du dragged her around to visit relatives and friends, and the two never had a chance to be alone together again. In the end, they only met briefly at the airport when they saw each other off.
Tan Yi then put his arm around her, raised his hand to pinch her cheek, and said, "Happy New Year, cat."
Li Li watched him walk towards the airport with his shoulder bag and felt that Tan Yi looked particularly lonely.
This wasn't how they started dating.
Tan Yi was a clingy, happy puppy, but Li Li didn't particularly like him at the time, and she felt awkward when they first started dating.
I was also wondering if he could be a little more discreet. Why is he always waiting for me outside the classroom?
When they were deeply in love, they always thought about seeing each other off for a while and then looking forward to the next time they would meet. But at some point, they stopped making those plans and promises.
We suddenly found an opportunity to meet, but it was a quick trip, and the next day was uncertain.
She felt very sad.
That evening, Li Junchuan brought back several newly released mobile phones, saying it was a reward for Li Li for appearing on a TV interview, which was very impressive.
Her family was extremely proud of her small appearance, but Li Li was very unhappy.
When she was transferring data to the new machine, she looked up the photos in the cloud again.
On her last Halloween in high school, she and Tan Yi skipped class to attend a costume party on the street. Li Li was a rabbit police officer wearing a T-shirt and a short gray vest, while Tan Yi was Nick Wilde wearing a green shirt and a striped tie.
They were laughing so happily in front of the camera.
Li Li couldn't figure out what exactly had changed.
What is preventing them from sharing their daily lives, their emotions, and even their future plans?
Li Li sat there blankly for a long time before sending him a message: [My mom is coming back next month, Tan Yi.]
Come back and see me.
She said, "[Just for my sake, so I can meet my mother one last time before I go abroad.]"
It's unclear when exactly, but Tan Yi's insomnia turned into daily nightmares.
He felt as if his head was being squeezed and pushed underwater, being repeatedly tortured.
I wake up every day in a panic, staring at the ceiling, breathing heavily.
I feel like I'm on the verge of collapse, yet I also feel like I can keep sinking into this state without any bottom.
Even in his dreams, he was repeatedly questioned with self-contempt: "Why should she still love you?"
——
Ling Wei was secretly called back by Li Li. Wen Xi was surprised by her sudden return because she hadn't prepared anything. She said to Ling Wei privately, "Is something wrong with the second brother outside?"
Ling Wei laughed and said, "Don't bother your sister-in-law, I'm just back in China to see a friend."
She exchanged a knowing glance with Li Li.
Dinner was arranged by Li Li, and Tan Yi was already there when they arrived.
He was dressed very formally and greeted Ling Wei politely.
Seeing Tan Yi's appearance—thin and silent, far less sunny and outgoing than before—Ling Wei couldn't help but feel sorry for him.
Li Li didn't really have any ulterior motive for this meal; she just wanted both parties to sit down and chat so that it wouldn't feel abrupt when laying the groundwork for the future.
The conversation at the dinner party mainly revolved around daily life and academic matters.
Ling Wei called out, "Please come in," after a knock on the door of the private room.
The waiter pushed open the door, and Li Zhoudu was standing outside, along with his friend Su Cong, who was peeking around.
Li Li was puzzled, but then she heard Li Zhoudu say, "Auntie, are you eating here too? Would it be convenient for us to share a table?"
Li Li hurriedly stood up. She wanted to say no, what are you trying to do? But Ling Wei pulled her back and nodded to indicate that she couldn't be rude.
Li Zhoudu came in and sat down, along with that clueless Su Cong.
Li Zhoudu seemed not to see Tan Yi and did not speak to him.
When Su Cong realized that the person opposite him was Li Li's mother, his eyes immediately lit up. He took over the role of the host and praised her for being young, beautiful, and having an exceptional temperament.
His flattery made Ling Wei feel somewhat overwhelmed before she turned to Tan Yi and asked, "And you are?"
Ling Wei said, "This is Tan Yi, from the Tan family of Yanqi."
Su Cong immediately realized and said, "I know, I know your brother. He even took a picture with the kitten in the news."
"Little kitten?" Tan Yi repeated the affectionate term.
"Yes, that's Li Li's nickname. Didn't you know?"
Once upon a time, Tan Yi and Li Li were inseparable twins, but in just five years, his name has been completely forgotten in S City.
Even a nouveau riche who was previously unknown could ask, "Don't you know Li Li's nickname?"
Tan Yi smiled but didn't say anything. Ling Wei came to the rescue, saying, "Tan Yi and my little cat grew up together."
That night, Ling Wei was awakened by the noise outside. She got up and opened the door, only to find Li Li arguing and crying with Li Zhoudu at home.
She said that no matter how much he looked down on Tan Yi, he was still a guest she had invited. What right did you have to bring Su Cong along to disrupt things and embarrass him like this?
Li Zhoudu sneered: "Did I insult him or insult him? So Tan Yi's self-esteem is so fragile that Su Cong sitting there could crush it?"
Li Li shrieked, "You haven't experienced what he went through, Li Zhoudu! You lie at home with nothing to worry about, with your uncle and aunt backing you up. Everything you have comes effortlessly to you. What gives you the right to stand there and criticize others for not being able to withstand setbacks in life?"
Li Zhoudu said, "Li Li, that's not how you side with outsiders. Just look at the last two years, how much have you done for him?"
"You've forgotten all of that: you cut your hair to plead for him, you spent half a year in the godforsaken city of N for him, you got sick and couldn't get out of bed because of the rain in Tianjin."
"I thought that'd been enough of this nonsense for over a year. And what happened? I clearly rejected Tan Su, and you still went and drew pictures for him! You shamelessly trotted around on TV, being used as a fool to gain publicity, and you're proud of it? Who am I standing up for today? Are you stupid, Li Li?"
"Yes! I was stupid!"
She said, "You said it before! Everyone in the family is smart, and I'm the only idiot!"
“Little kitten,” Ling Wei sternly stopped her from behind, “Your brother didn’t do anything wrong today, so don’t talk back to him.”
When Li Li saw Ling Wei, she threw herself into her arms, crying so hard her shoulders were shaking: "Brother is slandering Tan Yi, Mom, don't listen to him."
Li Zhoudu was also enraged by her and blurted everything out in front of Ling Wei: "Slander? You really think I have no evidence, huh?"
"Do you really think they're such a pitiful father and son?! Smuggling, pimping, and bribing in Hong Kong; gambling and recruiting people for kickbacks in Macau—I have a ton of evidence of that on my computer! People like that don't even deserve for you to call your aunt back for dinner? I'd be disgusted to sit at the same table with them today!"
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