Chapter 66
Li Huian had actually received a call from Lian Yi long ago. She could tell from her daughter's voice, which was trying to remain calm but was filled with fear and apprehension.
However, she was standing in front of several high-ranking company executives, introduced by two clients from the firm.
After rationally analyzing the risks, Li Huian calmly continued chatting and laughing with these potential clients.
After all, this is the Lian family home, and her daughter is with the Lian family's young lady. No matter how big the matter is, as long as it doesn't become common knowledge, she doesn't need to worry.
After exchanging business cards with several people and reaching some basic cooperation agreements, Li Huian walked unhurriedly toward Qiushui Pavilion.
As Li Huian approached Qiushui Pavilion, he heard about the famous Lian family heiress's eloquent debate with the scholars.
She had to admit that she was somewhat surprised that the Lian family could raise such a naive and innocent daughter, but then she also admired Lian Yi's way of speaking.
It wasn't until Lian Yi revealed what Fu Chengyue had done that things became clear.
When Li Huian walked to the door, the first thing he noticed was Fu Chengyue, who was almost completely hidden by Lian Decheng and Lian Xuhan.
The young man, who had been so full of vigor just moments before, now lay on the ground in a sorry state, a strange smile on his pale face covered in cold sweat.
Li Huian's pupils contracted slightly; she knew, of course, what this meant.
But most importantly, this matter involves the Lian family. Countless thoughts flashed through her mind in that instant, but her first reaction was to walk in and look at Li Xilai with a calm yet slightly reproachful expression.
"...Why didn't you tell your mother about this? You're visiting Grandpa Lian's house right now, and today is his birthday. What if this disturbs the old man?"
Li Huian's gaze swept over Lian Yi's ambiguous smile, paused for a moment, and then looked at Lian Decheng.
"Chairman Lian, I'm so sorry. You see, I really didn't expect things to turn out this way." She stood very straight, speaking words of apology, but her posture was by no means humble.
"But no matter what, since it has already happened, we can't just turn a blind eye. Fortunately, only a few of us know about it now, so the impact won't get worse. Otherwise, just leave it to me to handle."
"No matter what, the Fu family is related to me by marriage, so it is more appropriate for me to step forward."
Li Huian smiled faintly and said, "I believe the Fu family will give you a satisfactory explanation."
Her firm should continue to expand. After today, the drawbacks and concerns of the past will surely make the path of expansion smooth.
Lian Decheng's expression darkened slightly, but he hadn't spoken yet.
Seeing her mother, Li Xilai finally relaxed a little, saying, "Mom, I want to break off the engagement with him."
Although the two were not actually engaged, they had at least gone through the proper channels with their elders, and Li Xilai desperately wanted a definite answer.
Fu Chengyue brought her too many feelings of disgust and fear.
"You silly child—"
Li Huian frowned, looking at Li Xilai with disapproval, as if she were looking at an ignorant child.
“It’s okay for a young person to make a mistake, as long as they can correct it. The situation is still unclear, and you’re saying things like that. How will the Fu family view us?”
Of course, most importantly, even if the engagement is to be called off, the Fu family must be pressured into giving up enough benefits first.
Li Huian didn't care whether Fu Chengyue was a drug addict or not. He was the only male in the Fu family this generation, and he would never give up easily. It was just drug use, not something he couldn't quit.
Are we really going to give up the readily available benefits for such a trivial matter?
Li Huian looked at Li Xilai, saw her red and aggrieved eyes, and her trembling fingertips. After a moment, he sighed.
She walked over to her daughter, softened her voice, and said gently, "Mom knows how you feel, but you also need to understand Mom. We're at Grandpa Lian's house now, so let's not make things difficult for him, okay?"
Lian Yi looked at the mother and daughter without saying a word.
She does care about her friends and is prepared to overturn the table.
In the past, I didn't care about what I gained or lost. I calmly awaited my fate, never dwelling on why, and never trying to grasp anything.
But the current changes in the plot have angered Lian Yi.
She could view these twenty years of her life as a transaction with the plot, but she absolutely could not accept it arbitrarily manipulating her friend's life just so that some damn protagonist could shine in the future.
In the end, however, Lian Yi still had to see Li Xilai's attitude.
If Li Xilai softens her heart and gives in.
Lian Yi will no longer meddle in other people's business. She can make decisions without restraint because she has always had a clear understanding and guards her inner self, unaffected by the good or bad of the outside world.
But Li Xilai is different.
That was her mother, whom she had always trusted, and to her, the most important person in the world.
At this moment, Lian Yi gave Li Xilai one last chance to make a decision.
"Mom, how much clearer and more transparent do you want things to be?"
Yi Lixi looked at her mother in disbelief, her eyes filled with hurt.
She took a step back, as if that would allow her to see her mother more clearly.
"Do you want to see the bruises on my neck? Do you want to see the marks he made on my wrists?" Li Xilai's emotions, which she had suppressed for so long, were easily ignited and she collapsed.
Her eyes were filled with tears. "Why?"
Li Xilai seemed to have suddenly lost all ability to speak. She couldn't speak well or be sharp in her words, and could only look at Li Huian as if she were crying.
"Why is that?"
Li Huian's delicate face was slightly cold, but she did not answer Li Xilai immediately. Instead, she nodded apologetically to Lian Decheng, "I'm sorry, Chairman Lian, my daughter is still young. It's inevitable that she would lose her composure in such a situation, and I'm sorry you had to see her make a fool of yourself."
"Could you please arrange some people to help me send Fu Chengyue back? I will definitely give you a satisfactory explanation regarding this matter."
Then he looked at Li Xilai and said, "Come with me first, we'll talk when we get back."
At this moment, in her mind, Li Xilai had become just like Lian Yi, an ignorant child who lacked common sense, had no guile, and was only manipulated by emotions.
Li Huian frowned and reached out to take her hand, but Li Xilai suddenly took a few steps back.
"I don't want to leave."
Li Xilai lowered her face and took a deep breath.
"In the end, whether it's me or Fu Chengyue, we're just tools you use to achieve your exchange of interests, right?"
She raised her head, her sadness evident in her eyes, but without the slightest hesitation or struggle.
"So for the sake of profit, even if I suffer these harms, I can pretend they never happened. I should be the obedient and sensible puppet in your eyes, obediently waiting for the Fu family to come up with a bargaining chip that satisfies you all. Even if in the end, if the bargaining chip satisfies you, you still want me to be with Fu Chengyue, right?"
Li Huian was almost completely unmoved by Li Xilai's words.
She was just looking at an immature child, and these were words she herself might have said many years ago.
I don't understand either.
The same sadness.
But so what? Li Xilai will understand eventually.
"Don't be so willful anymore. Would your mother ever hurt you?" Li Huian frowned.
"alright."
Lian Yi smiled, but unfortunately she was wearing a skirt today and didn't have a chance to put her hands in her pockets.
She was a head shorter than Li Huian, yet she showed no timidity or avoidance of eye contact when facing this elder who was older than her.
“This happened in my Lian family, Aunt Li. Before you make any decisions, at least ask the master what he thinks.” Lian Yi’s lips curled slightly as she glanced at her father and uncle with a sneer.
"Of course, the most important opinions are those of me and Li Xilai, the two parties involved."
“Lianyi, this matter is ultimately a family affair. I know you and Xiaolai are friends and I care about her. But have you ever thought about the consequences of your impulsive actions? You can’t even imagine them now.”
Lian Decheng said, "Lian Yi, you can let Aunt Li handle this matter."
He was getting impatient. If Lian Yi hadn't been involved, why would things have become so complicated, and why would so much time be wasted on these meaningless arguments?
As the chairman of a large corporation, having to deal with the conflicts among these juniors would inevitably become a laughing stock if word got out.
More importantly, Lian Yi's words just now made him realize that he was getting to know this daughter for the first time.
Lian Decheng wasn't indifferent to Lian Yi; over the years, he had given her every penny, whether it was money she should or shouldn't have spent.
But in the end, she was just a daughter.
She has always been a spoiled brat, so why should he care about nurturing her? But looking at Lian Yi's behavior now, it seems that's not the case, at least not the spoiled and dull brat he always thought she was.
This made Lian Decheng feel uneasy; he never expected that Lian Yi would have such abilities.
Why has she remained completely hidden all these years? With such cunning and shrewdness, what exactly is she trying to achieve?
Lian Yi scoffed lightly, slightly raising her chin. Her eyes held the same contempt for them and Fu Chengyue lying on the ground. Before she even spoke, she had already fairly looked down on everyone present.
"I'm making this clear to you, and this is the last time I'll say it to you."
"Don't talk to me about interests or personal relationships. He caused trouble at the Lian family's house, hurt my friends, and even tried to take advantage of me. I want him to pay the price and ruin his reputation."
"Do any of you have different opinions?"
"..."
“Lian Yi, this guy has designs on you…” Lian Xuhan said, “Well, I’m afraid he doesn’t have the ability to do that, does he?”
Everyone could tell that this charge was simply imposed on Lian Yi in a fit of anger.
Lian Yi sneered, "What? Uncle, do you think I'm lying?"
"Isn't this exactly the lesson you all taught me? To achieve your goals and pursue your interests, you should stop at nothing. Now I say he had ulterior motives towards me, and that's exactly what he did."
"Whether it's true or false, you just need to believe it and don't need to investigate it further."
"Enough!"
Lian Decheng took a deep breath and said earnestly, "Don't make things difficult for your Aunt Li."
"Difficult to do?" Lian Yi laughed.
“You are not the ones who are arranged to marry drug addicts, you are not the ones who are choked and cannot even cry for help, and you are not the ones who are wronged and scolded.”
Lian Yi looked at these people and said, word by word, "Of course it's not difficult for you."
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