Chapter 41 His eyes were filled with ambition, he could no longer pretend…
Chapter 41
As dawn broke, the blizzard had stopped.
Wen Yining slept so soundly that she felt like she had fainted. Before she even opened her eyes, she felt as if she were enveloped in soft, fluffy clouds, and her waist felt as if it were bound by ropes.
She opened her eyes groggily, only to be met with dim light. She blinked her beautiful, watery eyes in a daze, and as her senses quickly returned, Wen Yining remembered what had happened before she went to sleep.
She! And Li Changjing!!!
Then she felt very insecure because she was naked, as if she were being held in Li Changjing's arms like a doll, with the blanket covering her!
She subconsciously looked up and saw Li Changjing, dressed neatly and smartly, holding her and smiling at her in the dim light.
"woke up?"
He lowered his head slightly, and Wen Yining felt a warm and soft touch on her ear.
He kissed her fair ear.
Wen Yining scurried into the covers like a mouse burrowing into a hole, curling up into a ball, leaving only her long, black, and shiny hair on the pillow.
The details and sensations of last night flashed wildly through her mind, and Wen Yining stayed away from his embrace under the covers.
With a flushed face, she grumbled and told him to hurry up and get dressed.
Li Changjing deliberately reached in to try and pull her out, but seeing that the girl was really too shy, he stopped teasing her and walked out of the bedroom with a smile.
Once she was sure Li Changjing was gone, Wen Yining poked her head out of the covers like a ripe tomato, turned on the light, and hurriedly got dressed.
Although she knew Li Changjing wouldn't suddenly come in, she still hurriedly put on her clothes. Just as she picked up her pants, Li Changjing's phone rang from the bedside table; his phone screen lit up.
She panicked, frantically putting on her pants and zipping them up while glancing at the bedroom door.
Like Wen Yining, he used the default ringtone on his phone and didn't set any music he liked.
Every time Wen Yining's phone rings, she gets a complaint from Gu Lingling.
The built-in ringtone had a sense of urgency, as if the caller was urgently urging the person to answer the phone. Wen Yining, disregarding her shyness, quickly walked out of the bedroom and handed the phone to Li Changjing.
Then she went into the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face. Halfway through brushing, there was a knock on the bathroom door. Wen Yining pulled out her toothbrush, turned around, and Li Changjing's voice sounded outside the door, unusually serious, "Ningning, I've already ordered breakfast for you. It'll be here soon, remember to open the door. If you want to go back to school, call Yue Feng. He's been waiting on the first floor. I have to go out for a bit."
He's now used to reporting his whereabouts: "I need to go to the hospital. My grandmother has been taken to the hospital."
Upon hearing this, Wen Yining quickly spat out the foam in her mouth, "Go quickly! Don't worry about me!"
After finishing her meal, Wen Yining returned to school to register and sent a WeChat message to Li Changjing to inquire about the situation.
He didn't get back until the afternoon, saying he was fine.
Wen Yining breathed a sigh of relief for him.
Over the weekend, Yue Feng took Wen Yining to Li Changjing's house.
It wasn't the home she'd visited many times before, but another home—not a villa, but a large single-level apartment. Wen Yining entered the password and went inside. The room was pitch black, with only the neon lights outside the floor-to-ceiling windows illuminating the space.
Turn on the lights, and the interior design is the same as the other house—clean, understated luxury.
It also lacks any sense of life; even with the heating on, the room always feels cold.
On the shoe cabinet were brand new women's slippers, which seemed to have been prepared for her. Wen Yining changed into them and looked around. She then quietly opened each door one by one, accidentally opening the wrong guest room door. It was clear that no one had lived here for a long time, as there were only bare sheets on the bed and the curtains were open, revealing the night outside.
She opened another door; the room was pitch black, so this must be it. Li Changjing was still sleeping.
Just as she was about to tiptoe out, Li Changjing called out to her in a slightly hoarse voice, "Ningning?"
"Did I wake you up?" Wen Yining stopped backing away and went inside.
"Come here, let me hug you." Li Changjing sat up. The room was dark, with only the light coming in from outside the door.
Wen Yining sat on the edge of the bed, hugging Li Changjing and holding his neck. Li Changjing grabbed her waist and dragged her onto the bed, tucking her into the blankets and pressing against her from behind. This position made Wen Yining feel like Li Changjing's doll for a moment.
Wen Yining had always thought that Li Changjing was a complete workaholic with high energy levels. After finishing work, he would be busy with social engagements. Sometimes, on his way home after working overtime, he would insist on stopping by their school for a while, calling her to come out, even if it was only for ten or twenty minutes. But even with all his energy, he couldn't keep going like that. These past few days, he had been frequently reporting that he would go to the hospital as soon as he finished work, and he would stay there until midnight.
Wen Yining nuzzled his neck, "Are you close to your grandma?"
He occasionally mentioned his parents in a casual tone, but his eyes were hard to describe, carrying a hint of businesslike coldness and hardness. If he had mentioned his colleagues, Wen Yining wouldn't have felt it was out of place, but he mentioned his parents.
But he was willing to go and stay with his grandmother.
Li Changjing remained silent for a while in the darkness, gently stroking her soft, long hair before finally speaking.
This was the first time Li Changjing had told her in detail about his family and his childhood.
He lived with his parents until he was 13 years old. Although they lived together, they were both busy with work and sometimes he would not see them for several days. The person who accompanied him the most was his mother and Aunt Liu. The things that accompanied him the most were various books and desk lamps.
Wen Yining was deeply moved when she heard this. "Our childhoods are so similar. Apart from my parents, my most vivid childhood memories are my pink desk lamp and the dark windows."
Li Changjing smiled. He had investigated her family background thoroughly when he met her, and later pieced together more details from her. Her parents were loving and would celebrate her birthday with her. They would take her to the amusement park on weekends. Even when she was little, her parents would accompany her to play at the neighbor's house and carry her back when she was almost asleep.
He had only passed by once when he was a child. In Zhou Yu's eyes, crowded places were chaotic and unsafe. Later, when he was in sixth grade, he was able to sneak away and go. He bought a ticket and went in, but found the things boring. He stood outside the bumper car playground and watched a father playing with a boy about his age. He watched for a while and then left. He has not been there since.
Li Changjing continued, explaining that in families like theirs, especially with an only child, the expectations for the child are naturally very high. Li Pingjiang, being a former soldier and serving in the military, trains his young children just like he trains his own soldiers undergoing military training. He demands absolute obedience, unconditional, absolute obedience.
The school they attend actually has a completely different curriculum than most schools. Some courses that others learn in junior high or high school are taught in fourth grade of elementary school.
Many of the courses they take are simply skipped over in their schedules, treated as optional and squeezed into a gap in the course.
At that time, Li Pingjiang was still in Beijing. Although he was not at home, he kept a close eye on his grades and performance. He not only had to do well, but he had to do everything to the best of his ability. Otherwise, he would come back from the outskirts of Beijing at any time.
Moreover, they do not show their emotions, and their thoughts cannot be known to others.
If the desired result is not achieved, various punishments will be imposed, mostly physical punishment. Running exercises are the most basic, and the most severe punishment is kneeling, not eating, and kneeling on the cold floor all night.
Does it love? Of course it does, but this kind of love is too bloody and devoid of warmth.
At that time, he lived in the same compound as Fang Qi and the others. Fang Qi and he didn't get along when they were young because he was an oddball among the naughty boys in the compound. Moreover, because of the Li family's position, he was often compared and praised by the parents of other children his age. Because praising him was "politically correct," almost no one his age didn't hate him.
Throughout his school years, among a group of children of high-ranking officials, the school teachers always gave him special treatment because of the Li family behind him.
Born with a halo, he will also be overshadowed by it. No matter how hard he tries or what achievements he makes, when others mention him, he will always be referred to as "that kid from the third son of the Li family".
He was always at the back of the line, just like all the effort he put in, all the nights he stayed up, never getting a full night's sleep, burning the midnight oil, and when he recalled his childhood, the desk in front of him and the time outside the window from dawn to dusk were all a joke.
It seems as if all his achievements are due to this identity, and are all fake.
As a result, most of his classmates distanced themselves from him because of the preferential treatment he received, and even gave him nicknames behind his back, saying that he had faked his grades by relying on his family's power.
Fang Qi's parents had a bad relationship, and as a result, Fang's father disliked Fang Qi, often beating and scolding him for being disobedient. In reality, this was just an excuse for a cheating man to hate his wife and children. In addition, because of their different positions, Fang's father often praised Li Changjing in various occasions, while simultaneously belittling Fang Qi.
So Fang Qi hated him intensely when he was young and often targeted him in various ways. Once, Fang Qi and his men surrounded him, shouting his nickname and cursing him for getting first place because of his family. It was the first time he had ever hit someone, but he couldn't beat so many people. So no matter how others attacked him, he ignored them and focused on hitting Fang Qi, the mastermind, mercilessly. He didn't use his own hands to hit him, but grabbed his head and slammed it against sharp bricks. Fang Qi was almost crippled that time, and it was only when the patrol guards heard the commotion that they came and separated them.
But from then on, no one in the courtyard dared to mess with him again.
Naturally, everyone in the group was punished. After spending a few days in the hospital, he returned home, only to be met with Li Pingjiang's punishment. Even though he was the victim, Li Pingjiang had dealt him the harshest blow that time. He was discharged from the hospital only to be admitted again, where he spent a month in the hospital.
It wasn't just because he hit Fang Qi, but also because he was too aloof and couldn't win people's hearts, which led him to this predicament.
Wen Yining could hardly believe it, and asked in a trembling voice, "Then where is your mother?"
Li Changjing noticed the unusual tone in her voice, but for some reason, he sometimes just wanted her to feel pain and tenderness for him. He casually remarked, "She watched for a while and then went to work."
Wen Yining remained silent for a long time, then turned over and hugged him tightly.
She couldn't speak ill of his parents; all she could do was hold him tightly.
Li Changjing looked at the head in his arms and immediately felt its damp warmth. He paused for a moment, then chuckled and gently patted her reassuringly, "It's been a long time, I've long forgotten."
But the dampness was getting worse. He wanted to see her cry for him, but when she actually cried, it stung slightly. Li Changjing held her and comforted her for a while before stopping her tears. He comforted her that she hadn't been punished many times and had been taken to her grandparents' house after starting junior high school. Although they were very busy with work, it was the warmest time of her childhood. And her relationship with Fang Qi and the others changed after that.
Even though he was the one who reopened his wounds, she cried terribly, and he, the victim, gently comforted her for a long time.
With a mix of amusement and helplessness, Li Changjing tossed the tear-soaked tissue into the trash can, then hugged her again.
From then on, he gradually became more "sociable." As he grew older, during those years, he both deeply resented and unknowingly grew into the same kind of person as Li Pingjiang and his grandfather, Li Quanguo.
They also learned to use a gentle and approachable facade to win people's hearts, and to use forceful means to suppress powerful enemies and eliminate dissidents, gradually turning into the hypocritical smiling tiger they are today.
Once, they got a new teacher. The teacher didn't like him at first and didn't give him any preferential treatment because of his father and grandfather. In fact, the teacher was very strict with him, but was very caring towards the students from families less fortunate than his.
This was the first person he had ever met like this in his life. Later, he won first place in a competition for the school, and from then on, the teacher's attitude towards him changed drastically. He became kind and caring towards him.
That was his favorite teacher since childhood, because in his heart, that teacher was different from others. He wasn't treated differently because of family background, but simply because of who he was as a person.
So he worked even harder, twice as hard, until one day he learned that the teacher had been offended, so no one had reminded him that his Li was that Li.
The teacher's attitude towards him changed drastically not because of his competition ranking, but because it was during that competition that the teacher learned his true identity.
Upon hearing this, Wen Yining couldn't help but exclaim, "This is really..."
Feeling a mix of emotions, even she, an observer, felt a pang of sadness upon hearing the reason.
Wen Yining sniffed. "Were you very sad back then?"
Li Changjing stopped stroking her hair and looked into the distance. "At that time, I thought that one day I would keep climbing up, to a position higher than Fang Qi, higher than them, higher than Li Pingjiang!"
"I will not be overshadowed by the Li family's name for the rest of my life. I want others to put my name before theirs. I want to leave my mark in the long river of history. I want to be written into history. I want my name to be heard for thousands of generations!"
The arm around her shoulder suddenly tightened, the force almost causing Wen Yining pain. She looked up blankly, and by the light from outside, she could clearly see Li Changjing's face and eyes at that moment—his ambition, his desire, his passion for power.
The intense ambition in his eyes almost frightened Wen Yining.
Thinking back on it, there's probably something called a premonition.
Li Changjing had always appeared indifferent and unconcerned. Yet, beneath his calm exterior lay the most turbulent and passionate desires.
Li Changjing talked to her a lot that day, talking about his Li family, about politics, and how politics is essentially about the struggle for interests and choosing sides. Today you climb up by stepping on other people's corpses, and tomorrow someone will climb up by stepping on your corpse.
Every word and phrase must be carefully considered; even a careless action could become a weapon, and every ally could turn into an enemy in the next second.
Participants either become the ones who trample or the ones who are trampled; there is no third possibility.
His family, including him, has been operating in this position for so many years, so deeply entrenched in the center of power that they can no longer stop, and it's impossible for them to extricate themselves completely. This is a game that cannot be quit once it starts, and he was born into this kind of family. From the moment he was born, he had already pressed the start button of the game. If he wants to leave the gambling table, he must be prepared to lose everything and suffer severe consequences.
He spoke only on the surface, but Wen Yining felt a chill run down her spine. She suddenly remembered the first time she saw him. Back then, she was a naive and innocent girl who knew nothing. Standing on the garden hill of the "palace," before she bent down, she saw him wearing a black overcoat, with a subtle smile on his face, surrounded by a group of middle-aged men decades older than him. Behind that seemingly gentle and refined demeanor lay a desolate and bleak scene of ice and snow.
That night, she felt closer to Li Changjing than ever before, because the darkest and most hidden aspects of his heart were exposed to her. Yet, she also felt far away from him than ever before, because at that moment, his eyes could no longer hold anything else.
During that day's lovemaking, Wen Yining couldn't help but drift off into a daze. Li Changjing held her without the sharp and forceful intensity of their first time, gently teasing her, yet it was even more unbearable. Wen Yining was quickly drawn into a sea of desire that overwhelmed everything.
I don't know when I finally fell asleep.
But in her dreams, she uneasily remembered the ambition in Li Changjing's eyes, his ambition for power, and his desire to repay the hardships he had endured and the efforts he had made since childhood in his family.
He was only 26 years old, and his eyes were full of ambition, with no room for anything else.
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