Chapter 73.1

Boss You and his family traveled every year during the Spring Festival, so Li Xiao did not contact them directly after returning. Instead, he waited until after the Lantern Festival to reach out and see if they were available—
Li Xiao wanted to extend his New Year’s greetings.

Boss You and Madame Song had been medium in helping Li Xiao, and though Li Xiao and Jiang Rou had saved Lele by accident, the gratitude Li Xiao felt towards them was still significant. He valued their assistance and wanted to maintain a close relationship with them.

However, when Li Xiao tried to call Boss You, his first two attempts were unsuccessful. On the third attempt, Madame Song answered the phone. Her voice was hoarse, and she told Li Xiao that Boss You was in the hospital.

Unclear about the details over the phone, Li Xiao asked for the hospital’s address and, along with Jiang Rou and An An, headed to the hospital.

As they arrived at the hospital gate, An An, frightened by the prospect of another hospital visit, refused to get out of the car. Recalling a recent injection, she pleaded with Jiang Rou, “Mom, let’s go back. I’ll be good from now on.”

Jiang Rou quickly reassured her, “We’re not here for an injection today. We’re here to see Lele’s father.”

Boss You was in a VIP single ward on the 17th floor. When they reached the ward, they found Boss You lying in bed, surrounded by Madame Song and Lele. The large room was very quiet.

Seeing Li Xiao arrive, Boss You appeared visibly relieved and invited them to sit.

Li Xiao set down the gift he had brought and anxiously inquired about what had happened.

Madame Song stood up, her eyes slightly red and her demeanor less calm and elegant than usual; she appeared more haggard and tired. Lele seemed to sense something was wrong, and her big eyes were filled with worry. When he saw Jiang Rou and Li Xiao approaching, he whispered, “Uncle Li, Aunt Jiang, An An.”

Jiang Rou walked over and gently touched Lele’s head.

An An, not understanding the situation, immediately ran up to Lele and stuffed the candy she had secretly hidden in her pocket into Lele’s pocket.

Lele forced a smile in response.

Madame Song went to pour them some water, and Jiang Rou went to help. Li Xiao took the seat Madame Song had just vacated and began talking with Boss You. From their conversation, Li Xiao learned that Boss You had been diagnosed with a brain tumor and was waiting for test results to determine if it was benign or malignant. He was also preparing for surgery.

In the kitchen, Madame Song confided in Jiang Rou, “I had advised him not to work so hard. Now he looks so successful, but in reality, his health has suffered. No matter how much money he makes, it’s not as valuable as having good health.”

Jiang Rou was stirred by Madame Song’s words but replied seriously, “It will be fine.”

In her previous life, Boss You and his wife had spent many years searching for Lele and ultimately died in a car accident after falling off a mountain. This was several years later, which suggested that Boss You should be okay for now.

Madame Song, reassured by Jiang Rou’s words, nodded and said, “I hope so.”

Yet, she was still very worried for her husband.

Jiang Rou and Li Xiao spent some time in the ward before deciding to leave. As the family of three went downstairs, Jiang Rou, feeling a bit anxious, decided to have Li Xiao and An An undergo a full-body check-up.

After An An had her blood drawn, she refused to let Jiang Rou hold her, crying and accusing her mother of being a liar.

Jiang Rou didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “When did your mother lie to you? That was just a blood draw, not an injection.”

The little girl pouted, turned her head away, and ignored her.

Li Xiao picked up An An and stood by the door waiting for Jiang Rou. While Jiang Rou was in the bathroom, she ran into two schoolmates from the next year and chatted with them for a while.

Li Xiao, waiting at the door, tried to comfort An An, who was still upset. The little girl’s mood shifted quickly. She looked at the building with concern and asked Li Xiao, “Why hasn’t Mom come out yet?”

Li Xiao wiped away the big tears clinging to An An’s eyelashes and teasingly said, “Maybe she fell into the toilet?”

An An’s eyes widened with worry as she craned her neck to look. When she saw Jiang Rou emerging, she squirmed to get down, exclaiming, “I see Mom!”

Li Xiao followed her gaze, confirming it was indeed Jiang Rou, and set her down.

An An ran toward Jiang Rou, with Li Xiao following closely behind. Seeing An An hug Jiang Rou’s leg, Li Xiao felt a sense of relief.

At that moment, someone suddenly called out, “Li Xiao—”

Li Xiao turned his head instinctively and met the gaze of a woman with a warm, inviting smile. She wore a form-fitting black knitted dress that accentuated her curvaceous and slender figure, topped with a short mink coat.

Her hair was styled in large, voluminous waves, and her lips were painted a striking red. This look was exactly how Jiang Rou had described Hong Kong actresses. Jiang Rou had considered curling her long hair before but decided against it, fearing it might not be suitable for interviews. Instead, she kept her hair straight.

Li Xiao admired Jiang Rou’s long, straight black hair, which looked beautiful when spread across the pillow and even more alluring when it moved.

The woman approached him with a smile, “It’s really you. I wasn’t sure if I had the right person. What are you doing here?”

There was also a young girl with her. She was wearing even more revealing clothes. Even though the weather was not hot yet, she was only wearing a thin suspender skirt with a low collar, revealing a large area of skin on her chest. The slit below went straight to the root of her thighs, and she didn’t even wear underwear inside.

Men passing by cast lingering and curious glances at the two women.

Li Xiao briefly glanced at them before turning his gaze away. He nodded to Zhuang Qing in acknowledgment but had no intention of engaging in further conversation.

Zhuang Qing, apparently unaffected by his disinterest, maintained her smile and said, “It’s been a long time since we last met. Are you free? Let’s have a meal together. You’ve helped me before, and I haven’t had a chance to thank you.”

Li Xiao declined directly, “Sorry, I have things to do.”

Zhuang Qing smiled, “Yes, your business is growing, so you must be very busy now.”

Then, as if recalling something, she continued, “By the way, I’m remarried. This is my stepdaughter, Yao Shiling. My new husband is a wonderful person and helps take care of my ex-husband.”

She observed Li Xiao’s face, seemingly searching for a reaction, but Li Xiao’s expression remained neutral. He simply nodded and replied, “Congratulations. That’s wonderful news.” He did not seem interested in addressing Yao Shiling.

As Yao Shiling turned her gaze away from Li Xiao, she noticed he had not looked at her again after their initial brief glance. Unlike the other men around her who ogled her openly, this man appeared genuinely uninterested.

Feeling a bit challenged, Yao Shiling stepped forward and extended her hand with a confident smile, “Nice to meet you. I’m Yao Shiling. I just returned from studying abroad last year.”

Li Xiao frowned, uncomfortable with the intensity of Yao Shiling’s stare. He did not extend his hand in return but merely nodded with indifference—showing no interest.

Yao Shiling was taken aback by his coldness and was about to say something more when a childish voice interrupted, “Dad——”

A small figure then rushed over and hugged Li Xiao’s legs.

The man, who had been aloof moments earlier, immediately softened. He bent down skillfully to lift the child and noticed the sugar residue at the corner of her mouth. He gently wiped it away.

An An opened her mouth to show him, saying, “Two aunts gave me candy.”

Li Xiao responded with a soft hum.

Jiang Rou approached and saw the two women in front of Li Xiao. While the older woman’s gaze was more reserved, the younger one looked at her with clear hostility.

Seeing this, Jiang Rou instinctively stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Li Xiao’s waist, smiling as she asked, “What’s going on here?”

Zhuang Qing’s gaze shifted to Jiang Rou’s beautiful and delicate face, and a pang of bitterness hit her. She suddenly understood why Li Xiao had been so indifferent.

Previously, she had only known that Li Xiao had a wife back in his hometown. Although she had heard that his wife had been admitted to university, Zhuang Qing had assumed that, coming from a small place, she might not be very attractive.

She was very proud of her own appearance and figure, Zhuang Qing had always thought she was superior and had harbored other intentions.

But seeing Jiang Rou’s grace and beauty, she realized her own misjudgment.

She was a few years older than Li Xiao, but she didn’t mind. She was content with Li Xiao being the younger one.

Despite her proactive efforts, Li Xiao never seemed to notice her and even went out of his way to avoid her.

Zhuang Qing fell silent, but Yao Shiling, standing beside her, looked at Jiang Rou with a challenging gaze and asked bluntly, “Are you married?”

Jiang Rou responded with a polite smile and a nod.

Rather than engaging with a question that seemed deliberately provocative, Jiang Rou turned to Li Xiao and said, “Let’s go. We should eat first.”

Li Xiao, no longer interested in interacting with anyone, simply walked away.

Jiang Rou glanced back at the two individuals and said with a smile, “We’ll go first.”

She didn’t inquire about the identities of the two and followed Li Xiao’s lead, one hand around his waist and the other playfully teasing An An.

Once they were a good distance away, Jiang Rou pinched Li Xiao’s waist firmly.

Li Xiao winced in pain and turned to look at Jiang Rou.

With a straight face, Jiang Rou asked, “Who were those two people just now?”

It was clear to her that the two women had been practically staring at him.

Li Xiao, feeling a bit uncomfortable with Jiang Rou’s intense gaze but also realizing her directness when addressing such matters—responded without hesitation, “The older one is Zhuang Qing. I mentioned before that she is the owner of Liuzhuang and that her husband is paralyzed. She confirmed that she is married. The woman with her is her stepdaughter.”

Jiang Rou recalled the situation, remembering that she had heard Li Xiao mention it before. He had helped the other party by blocking the wine, but afterward, Chang Yong and his associates exploited the situation to create trouble. As a result, Li Xiao had distanced himself from that place.

Now that she knew the other party was married, Jiang Rou felt reassured. She rubbed the spot where she had pinched him and asked, “Who did she marry?”

Li Xiao replied with a touch of sarcasm, “How should I know?”

To him, it seemed that those women were only interested in his wealth and status. If he were unattractive and broke, they wouldn’t give him a second glance.

This reminded him of Chang Yong. Once he lost his money, all his old friends disappeared, and some even exploited him. The woman he had been seeing had since found a richer man. Li Xiao had seen her at the end of last year, still living comfortably.

In contrast, Chang Yong now lived in a damp, cheap rented room and made a meager living by sweeping the streets.

Li Xiao had little patience for women seeking him out for personal gain. He considered such transactions a waste of time and money. He’d rather spend that money on toys for An An and clothes for Jiang Rou.

Jiang Rou was pleased with his attitude but still offered a piece of advice: “In the future, stay away from other women. If anyone has ulterior motives, come to me. I’ll help you handle it. You wouldn’t want to end up like Chang Yong, would you?”

Li Xiao turned to her with a smile and agreed, “Okay.”

He was content with this arrangement, as he didn’t have any interest in such matters anyway. It suited him well and he thought it would be fair to make similar requests of Jiang Rou in the future.

Jiang Rou had a wonderful personality, a kind temperament, and was beautiful. During her internship, she received love letters that were sneakily stuffed into her bag. Unlike Li Xiao, who was more direct, Jiang Rou declined all advances firmly but courteously. Despite her rejections, she handled each situation with tact and grace, even when some individuals feigned ignorance to her refusals.

Thinking about this, Li Xiao gritted his teeth, wishing he could stamp “married woman” on her forehead to make it clear to everyone.

After the two walked away, Zhuang Qing turned her gaze away with a look of dejection. Yao Shiling, standing beside her, asked straightforwardly, “What’s his full name? What does ‘Li’ and ‘Xiao’ mean?”

Zhuang Qing, catching the determined look in her stepdaughter’s eyes, frowned slightly but chose to hide her emotions by lowering her gaze. She replied calmly, “Li means dawn, and Xiao means night. He’s quite capable. He’s established two snack factories in just a few years since moving south. I heard he’s now preparing to start a company. His products are distributed across many provinces, and he’s even appeared on the Spring Festival Gala. However, his background isn’t particularly notable.”

As Yao Shiling listened, her eyes grew brighter. Given her father’s involvement in the food business, she understood the profitability of the industry. Li Xiao’s success in selling snacks nationwide seemed far more lucrative than their family’s restaurant business in Province G.

Zhuang Qing added, “He is very devoted to his wife and doesn’t stray.”

Yao Shiling’s interest was piqued further. She raised an eyebrow and responded, “So what? My dad used to love my mom too, but he still ended up marrying you.”

Zhuang Qing pursed her lips and chose not to respond. She felt a mix of disgust and curiosity. She was eager to see if Li Xiao truly valued his wife as much as claimed.

—o—o—o—

Lucia: I smell trouble!