Chapter 55 Their breaths grew increasingly close, almost mingling...
All of Lin Suxing's attempts to escape were frozen in place by that gaze. He even forgot to breathe, feeling his cheeks burning hot and his heart pounding wildly in his chest, so loudly that he suspected the entire parking lot could hear it.
It's over.
He thought in despair.
Li Xinian simply watched him quietly, his eyes deep and unfathomable, a faint, almost imperceptible curve appearing at the corner of his lips.
“I’ll sit in the passenger seat, Brother Xinian.” Before Meng Huaiwen could finish speaking, Li Xinian had already gotten out of the passenger seat, opened the back door, and gestured for Lin Suxing to get in.
The car door clicked shut, shutting out the slightly cool air from the parking lot. Inside, a faint woody scent filled the air, along with a subtle atmosphere that made Lin Suxing uneasy.
Meng Huaiwen plopped down in the passenger seat, fastening his seatbelt with practiced ease.
He had barely settled in when he leaned over and snuggled close to Wang Shunduo, who was starting the car, and began to whine and whine, "Brother, recording the show is so tiring! I had to talk so much, my brain is almost too tired to keep up..."
His blond hair brushed against Wang Shunduo's cheek and neck: "I want to eat Wagyu beef! I want to eat sashimi! Lots and lots of it!"
Wang Shunduo held the steering wheel with one hand, and with the other hand, he gave his head a helpless yet indulgent push, his tone carrying a barely perceptible doting tone: "Sit tight, we're driving."
That's what she said, but she didn't immediately withdraw her hand. Instead, she gently pinched Meng Huaiwen's cheek, her manner tender, showing none of the coldness she usually displayed towards her subordinates.
"Hmm... I want it!" Meng Huaiwen grabbed his wrist, still muttering.
The interaction in the front row was natural and warm, but the scene in the back row was quite different.
Lin Suxing sat down almost against the other side of the car window, trying to keep as much distance as possible from the person next to her.
He felt the temperature on his cheeks hadn't dropped since he saw Li Xinian, and his heart was beating as fast as if he had just run a kilometer.
He stared stiffly at the scenery rushing past the window, not daring to turn his head, and even deliberately kept his breathing quiet, afraid that the slightest movement would attract the attention of the people next to him.
An invisible barrier seemed to form inside the carriage, clearly separating the noise in the front row from the silence in the back.
He could clearly feel the strong presence of the person next to him; the familiar, cool, woody scent of perfume lingered around him, relentlessly assaulting his senses.
Just as Lin Suxing was so nervous that her fingers were almost tearing the hem of her clothes, Li Xinian's deep, calm voice broke the suffocating silence beside her: "Is there anything you want to eat?"
His tone was as calm as ever, revealing no particular emotion, just as he had asked countless times before.
But this ordinary question sounded like a thunderclap to Lin Suxing's ears at this moment.
He turned his head abruptly and was caught off guard by Li Xinian's gray-blue eyes.
The man was looking at him with his head slightly turned, his eyes deep and his lips curved into a very faint, almost imperceptible smile, as if he was patiently waiting for his answer.
"Anything's fine with me!" Lin Suxing recoiled as if burned, quickly averting his gaze. His voice was dry and strained with nervousness as he hastily replied, "Whatever everyone wants to eat..."
He felt incredibly stupid, unable to even speak properly.
Some of the agitated young people turned back to look out the window, their ears turning bright red as if they were about to bleed, their minds in turmoil.
Seeing his obvious evasiveness and the fact that even the tips of his ears were bright red, Li Xinian's eyes flickered slightly, and the faint smile seemed to deepen for a moment, but he did not ask any further questions. He simply gave a light "hmm" and looked away.
***
The private room was extremely soundproof, with the heavy solid wood door tightly closed and the walls inlaid with professional sound-absorbing materials, making it so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
The room was dimly lit, with only a low-hanging crystal chandelier casting a dim yellow halo over the center of the huge ebony dining table, illuminating the few untouched cups of tea on the table and a few solemn, deeply lined faces.
The woman sitting in the main seat wore a well-tailored black suit skirt, her long hair was neatly pulled back, revealing a shrewd and cold face.
The woman was Li Xinian's cousin, Li Tingzhu.
“The news has been confirmed.” Li Tingzhu’s voice was not loud, but it pierced the silence like an ice pick. “At the old master’s birthday banquet next month, he will officially pass on the ‘Mysterious Ink Dragon Pattern Thumb Ring’ to Li Xinian.”
Upon hearing this, the three elders of the Li family sitting around the table looked even more unpleasant.
They are all elders who have been in the Li family for decades, but their power has been largely eroded by Li Xinian's swift and decisive reforms in recent years. Once the reins change hands, they will be completely marginalized and may even face the reckoning of old scores.
Despite his advanced age, he may not live to see the day of his peaceful passing.
"We can't wait any longer!" an old man with gray hair and a sinister look said in a deep voice. "Once the ring is in his hands, it will be legitimate, and we will never have a chance to turn things around."
“But… it’s too risky to target Li Xinian! He’s heavily guarded and extremely vigilant.” Another elder, who appeared somewhat portly, said worriedly, “If we’re discovered, we’re all finished.”
Li Tingzhu's lips curled into a cold, almost cruel smile: "We really have no chance of winning in a head-on confrontation. So, we must do it when he least expects it, in the most unexpected way."
Her fingertips focused intently on the image of Wang Shunduo and Li Xinian walking side by side in the photograph, the edges of her deep red nails gleaming coldly.
“Li Xinian is arrogant and suspicious, but he will lower his guard to some extent with people he truly trusts. He has a close relationship with Wang Shunduo, and with Wang Shunduo present, he believes that we are wary of the Wang family’s power and dare not make any rash moves at this time and place.” She paused, a calculating glint in her eyes, “And this is precisely our opportunity.”
"You mean... even Wang Shunduo..." Elder Li Hai, the portly elder, gasped.
“No,” Li Tingzhu interrupted him, her tone resolute, “Our target is still Li Xinian, of course. We must kill him with one blow and not let him live. If Wang Shunduo can also be eliminated by us, that would be the best outcome. They have always been on good terms. If Wang Shunduo is not dead, there is no guarantee that he will settle scores later.”
She leaned forward slightly, lowered her voice, and uttered the most vicious plan:
“Once Li Xinian and Wang Shunduo are dead, all the clues left at the scene will point to this murder as a result of internal strife within the Wang family. At that time, the Li family will be leaderless, and the old man, in his grief and rage, will inevitably turn against the Wang family. And we…” Li Tingzhu looked around at the elders, his eyes filled with undisguised ambition, “can take this opportunity to clean up the mess, stabilize the internal situation, take over the ring, and kill two birds with one stone, thereby demanding huge compensation from the Wang family and consolidating our power!”
"This is a risky move!" The old man, Li Yuanhong, his eyes flashing with a sinister light, a mixture of excitement and fear in them, said, "What if we fail, or what if it's discovered that it was us…"
"We have nowhere to retreat!" Li Tingzhu slammed her hand on the table, her eyes filled with ruthlessness. "If Li Xinian doesn't die, we die! As for the Wang family... so what if we've offended them? As long as we get the ring and control the Li family, we can handle the Wang family's revenge! Tonight, the victor will be king and the loser will be villain!"
The private room fell silent again, with only the heavy breathing of a few people and the light tapping of Li Tingzhu's knuckles on the table, like a death knell.
Li Tingzhu's words, "The victor is king, the loser is villain, tonight!" were like a poisoned dagger, piercing deep into everyone's hearts.
The deathly silence in the private room lasted for several minutes, the air so heavy it seemed almost dripping with moisture.
The dim light cast flickering shadows on these shrewd faces, as if reflecting their inner struggles.
An elderly man with gray hair and a sinister look in his eyes broke the silence first.
His thin fingers gripped the purple clay teacup tightly, his knuckles turning white, and his cloudy eyes stared intently at the photo of Li Xinian on the table, as if he wanted to burn it through.
His jaw muscles twitched violently a few times, and he squeezed out a hoarse voice through clenched teeth: "That little bastard Li Xinian is too ruthless... Over the years, he has driven us old bones to the brink of extinction. If he were to take control of the ring again, would we even have a chance to survive?"
He abruptly raised his head, the last trace of hesitation in his eyes replaced by ruthlessness. "Tingzhu is right, no man is without ruthlessness! Rather than waiting to die, we should fight to the death! I...agree!"
The old man's face was contorted in the dim light, and the veins on the back of his thin hands bulged. He slammed his fist on the hard ebony table with a dull thud, causing the tea in his cup to slosh violently.
“He should have died long ago,” his voice trembled with extreme anger and pain, his cloudy old eyes bloodshot. “Qianliu… my Qianliu is still being held in that godforsaken place in Canada, suffering torture every day, he’s become neither human nor ghost! He provided the evidence of the crime, otherwise how could Qianliu have been arrested!”
"We've put in so much effort and spent so much money, and we still can't even see him! He's determined to destroy my grandson, all because Qianliu tampered with his Gulfstream!"
He suddenly raised his head and stared intently at Li Tingzhu, as if seeking confirmation from her: "I have no way out! If I don't bring him down, Qianliu is finished! My branch is finished! Tingzhu, as long as you guarantee that you can succeed and get Qianliu out, I, Li Yuanhong, this old bone, will gamble with you!"
His statement was like toppling the first domino.
The slightly plump elder took a deep breath, and fine beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.
He subconsciously took out a handkerchief and wiped his face, his eyes flickering, clearly weighing his options rapidly.
The consequences of offending the Wang family are certainly terrible, but the fear of losing everything and even being purged ultimately outweighs everything else.
A hint of almost ferocious ruthlessness crept across his chubby face, and his voice trembled almost imperceptibly: "The Wang family is indeed powerful, but as long as the plan is meticulous, framing someone from the Wang family is also a good move. Once we control the Li family, we'll have the leverage to negotiate. Forget it... I'm not going to be a coward anymore at my age! Let's do it!"
The last elder, Li Wanshan, who had been silent and withered all along, slowly raised his head.
His face was deeply wrinkled, like parched earth, but his eyes were exceptionally sharp.
He didn't look at anyone else, but stared straight at Li Tingzhu, his voice low and slow, each word carrying immense weight.
"Tingzhu, the plan must be foolproof. Every step, every escape route, must be carefully considered. We're betting not just our lives, but the survival of our entire faction."
He paused for a moment, and seeing Li Tingzhu's firm and unwavering gaze, he finally nodded heavily and pressed his withered hand on the table. "Since there is no way out, we can only fight with all our might."
“Good!” A sharp light flashed in Li Tingzhu’s eyes. She stood up abruptly, placed her hands on the table, leaned forward, and scanned the three elders who had finally reached an agreement. “Since you uncles trust me, I, Li Tingzhu, hereby swear that after tonight, the Li family will be under our control! What you have lost, Tingzhu will compensate you double.”
There were no passionate vows, no high-fives to seal an oath, only a desperate, all-or-nothing resolve and a chilling killing intent permeating the air.
The four exchanged a knowing glance, all their hesitation and fear being swallowed up by their desire for power and their resentment towards Li Xinian.
They quickly rose, their figures disappearing into the shadows of the private room like venomous snakes emerging from their holes, silently beginning to lay the deadly trap set for Li Xinian tonight.
***
Inside the private room, the final dessert, Shizuoka melon and handmade matcha warabi mochi, brought this late-night Japanese meal to a perfect close.
The pale green fern cakes are crystal clear, drizzled with brown sugar syrup, and paired with a top-quality honeydew melon with orange-green gradient and picturesque stripes, wafting a sweet and fragrant aroma.
The master chef bowed respectfully and quietly left the private room, leaving the four of them in complete tranquility.
The lingering aroma of tea filled the air, and for a moment, only the soft clinking of porcelain could be heard in the private room.
Meng Huaiwen gently poked at the soft, sticky fern cake with a silver spoon, his eyes unconsciously glancing at Wang Shunduo beside him, before speaking casually:
"Su Xing, Milan Fashion Week is in a few days. There are some interesting shows and parties. Do you want to come with me? I used to go by myself, it's so boring."
He tried to make his tone sound like it was a spur-of-the-moment decision, but the slightly unnatural ending tone still gave it away.
Lin Suxing held the warm teacup, her long eyelashes drooping, casting a small shadow under her eyes.
His face remained expressionless, still with that aloof and obedient demeanor. Upon hearing this, he simply nodded slightly, his voice calm: "Great! I've never been to Milan before, so this is a good opportunity for everyone to travel together."
He agreed so readily that he didn't even ask for a single detail.
This smooth progress allowed Meng Huaiwen, who had been entrusted with an important task, to quietly breathe a sigh of relief. He carefully picked up the trembling fern cake with his chopsticks, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over the dry landscape garden outside the eaves.
Suddenly, he stopped moving, and his amber eyes widened instantly.
"Hey! Look outside!" He lowered his voice, his excitement like that of someone who had discovered a treasure, and pointed with the tip of his chopsticks into the depths of the courtyard.
Under the bright moonlight and the carefully designed garden lamps, a few faint but undeniable yellow-green specks of light rose slowly from behind a clump of dense iris leaves in the corner of the courtyard.
Like stardust stirred up by the night wind, they traced elusive, dreamlike trajectories against the inky background.
One by one, then two, then in small groups, they silently wander among the white sand, green moss, and stone lanterns.
“They are fireflies.” Wang Shunduo pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, his gaze behind the lenses following the points of light, and a hint of gentleness appeared in his usually calm voice.
He turned his head to look at Meng Huaiwen beside him, and sure enough, he saw the blond boy's bright dog eyes reflecting the shimmering light flowing from the window, like a child who had seen a new and exciting toy.
The man's smile couldn't help but soften with a touch of doting affection.
Lin Suxing also stopped tasting the melon and leaned slightly to look out the window.
His usually clear eyes were now illuminated by the fireflies, reflecting a swaying halo. He stared at them, somewhat lost in thought, and even the corners of his lips unconsciously turned up slightly.
Li Xinian's gaze first fell on Lin Suxing beside him.
The young man's profile, softened by the firefly's glow, stirred something within him.
It wasn't until Lin Suxing turned her head as if sensing something and their eyes met that Li Xinian turned his gaze to the courtyard.
At this moment, Meng Huaiwen seemed to have suddenly discovered a new continent, and grabbed Wang Shunduo's arm: "Brother Shunduo, I think I just saw fireflies flying over in the courtyard! Let's go take a look!"
Wang Shunduo readily agreed and got up with Meng Huaiwen's help, and the two left the private room one after the other.
The door closed gently.
Only Lin Suxing and Li Xinian remained in the private room, and the air seemed to freeze instantly.
Lin Suxing, who had just appeared gentle and peaceful, slowly raised his head.
The previous gentleness in those clear eyes vanished completely, replaced by a sharp, all-seeing light. He stared directly at Li Xinian, his voice not loud, but terrifyingly calm:
"Li Xinian, do you think it's appropriate to treat me as a burden that needs to be kept in the dark and sent away immediately when danger arises?"
Li Xinian paused almost imperceptibly in the hand holding the teacup.
He looked at Lin Suxing, meeting those eyes that seemed to see through all his schemes, and felt a rare sense of helplessness.
Seeing the fleeting surprise in Li Xinian's eyes, Lin Suxing's lips curled into a faint, helpless smile: "I'm not stupid. There's been some undercurrent in the Li family lately. Why are you suddenly sending me to Europe through Huaiwen? Do you really think I can't guess?"
Just a few minutes ago, when Meng Huaiwen spoke, Lin Suxing keenly sensed the abnormality in Li Xinian's emotions.
He subconsciously opened the companion module to check, only to find that the four pixelated figures in the pixelated Japanese-style private room interface, except for himself, all had a symbol of "nervousness" above their heads.
What are they so nervous about?
Considering Meng Huaiwen's obvious invitation to take him abroad, Lin Suxing quickly deduced the conclusion.
And Li Xinian's attitude when he probed him just now was enough to prove that his idea was correct.
Li Xinian encountered trouble, and even danger. Because of this, he made a prior agreement with Wang Shunduo and Meng Huaiwen to send him abroad first.
This matter was of great importance, causing Lin Suxing to momentarily forget her previous romantic feelings, her heart filled with anxiety and unease.
The handsome young man, whose fists were still trembling slightly, stood up, walked to Li Xinian, leaned down slightly, and looked him in the eye. His exquisitely handsome face was full of unprecedented seriousness and stubbornness: "I won't leave. No matter what you have to face, I will stay and be with you."
Lin Suxing's face was full of seriousness, an unquestionable determination to share everything with him.
Li Xinian gazed at him, watching those once pure and clear eyes now burning with a resolute flame. He suddenly recalled the moments in the past few years when he inexplicably escaped danger, those perfectly timed "luck" moments, and that invisible yet powerful force that had always surrounded him like a guardian spirit...
Yes, how could he forget? The seemingly frail young man in front of him, who appeared to need protection, was not a delicate dodder vine.
He possesses a mysterious system that, even in earlier years, appeared in his presence in a special "ghost" form, repeatedly warning him, eliminating potential dangers, and silently protecting him.
Thinking of these things, Li Xinian's chest was instantly filled with an indescribable sense of security.
All his meticulous plans and all his "for your own good" seemed somewhat... self-righteous under the clear and firm gaze of this young man.
They were already used to fighting side by side, so how could things change just because they had truly gotten to know each other now?
In an instant, the dam built by reason and indifference in Li Xinian's heart was completely breached by this surging emotion.
He suddenly reached out and pulled Lin Suxing, who was standing in front of him, into a tight and forceful embrace.
The arms around the other person were wrapped tightly, as if trying to meld them into one's very bones.
"Even if you hug me and act all cute, it won't work. I won't listen to you and go to Europe." Lin Suxing's muffled voice came from his chest.
Li Xinian inhaled the clean scent of tea emanating from him, his voice low and hoarse, filled with undisguised lingering fear and overwhelming emotion: "...This time was very dangerous. I was worried about your safety and didn't want to implicate you because of what happened to me."
"What do you mean 'yours' and 'mine'? You're all mine! We've faced so many things together before, and this time will be no different." Lin Suxing pressed her face close to his warm neck, intimately rubbing her nose against his smooth skin.
Li Xinian's body suddenly stiffened.
As the two grew closer and their relationship became more intimate in real life, he had long suspected that Lin Suxing already knew that he was Niannian, but he did not ask her directly.
At this moment, Lin Suxing's words implicitly revealed that his guess was correct.
The man loosened his embrace slightly, creating a small distance between them. His lips parted slightly, but he didn't utter a word. He simply looked down at Lin Suxing in disbelief, his gray-blue eyes filled with shock and inquiry, as if trying to find a definite answer in the other's clear eyes.
Seeing his rare, almost stunned expression, the coldness on Lin Suxing's face had vanished without a trace, replaced by a sly and stunningly beautiful smile.
He tilted his head slightly, wrapped his arms around Li Xinian's shoulders, and spoke in a sweet, teasing tone, clearly uttering the name he had only ever called out in the system:
What do you think, Nian Nian?
These two words, like a final seal of confirmation, were deeply imprinted on Li Xinian's heart.
All the speculation and doubts vanished at that moment.
It turns out he knew all along, he always knew.
Li Xinian stared at Lin Suxing, who was smiling slyly, like a kitten that had successfully stolen a fish. The shock in his deep eyes gradually turned into a soft and hot emotion.
The two are more than half a head taller, and the way they hug each other almost completely envelops Lin Suxing in their aura.
He lowered his eyes, looking into the bright, sparkling eyes of the person in his arms, and finally all the surging emotions turned into a soft sigh filled with relief and helplessness:
"Okay." His deep voice was filled with tenderness. "Then we... will face it together."
Lin Suxing's eyes lit up instantly, and she immediately pressed her advantage, making a request with a hint of coquetry: "Then starting tonight, I'll stay with you and protect your safety. I'll stay at your place tonight, okay?"
Looking at his adorable, protective expression, Li Xinian felt much of the gloom that had been building up in her heart because of Li Tingzhu and the others. She couldn't help but smile slightly, revealing a gentle and tender smile: "...Okay."
The guest room next to the master bedroom needs to be redecorated immediately. The bedding needs to be changed to a material and style that Lin Suxing likes, the bathroom needs to be equipped with his usual toiletries, and half of the dressing room needs to be vacated...
...No, perhaps the guest rooms don't need to be redecorated.
Lin Suxing caught the indulgence and hidden happiness in his eyes, feeling a sweet warmth in her heart. However, she deliberately pouted and gently poked Li Xinian's chest with her fingertip, complaining with a hint of coquettishness: "Hmph, if I hadn't seen the warning in the system, were you really planning to keep it from me and trick me into going to Europe? Li Xinian, would you really bear to leave me there alone, knowing nothing, only able to worry and live in fear?"
His words carried an undeniable sense of grievance and dependence, as if he had long regarded Li Xinian as his closest reliance.
Li Xinian's gaze darkened, and the tenderness within it almost overflowed.
He gazed at Lin Suxing's face, which was so close to his own, and his eyes, as if drawn by a magnet, fell on her full, rosy lips, which were slightly pouting from complaining.
That soft curve was like a silent invitation, causing his Adam's apple to bob slightly, and an irrepressible longing welled up in his heart.
"So... does Niannian like me?"
He seemed to hear a voice in his heart whispering, "He holds me like this, and his eyes are so tender when he looks at me, he must... like me, right?"
Li Xinian's gaze deepened, carrying an aggressive heat, as if a black hole was about to engulf his soul.
The surrounding air seemed to thicken, and they silently drew closer and closer until they could clearly feel their warm breaths mingling together.
"Bang!"
The door to the private room was suddenly pushed open!
-----------------------
Author's Note: [Rainbow praise][Starry eyes] This chapter is great! It's time for all the wives to greet Xiaosong again.
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