Chapter 11: Li Moli Complains? Kick Her Out of the House

Zhou Yufeng sensed the awkward atmosphere and didn’t stay long in the hospital room. After greeting Fu Tingzhou, he quickly left.

Li Yongge and Yuan Huilan, after finishing up work at home and having a quick dinner, rushed over to the hospital.

Trailing behind them was Li Moli, her cheeks swollen, eyes red from crying, and hands full of bags.

Hearing her soft sobbing, Yuan Huilan couldn’t help but feel distressed. “Zhizhi, Moli said you hit her. Why would you do that? She also said you told her to get lost and go back to her real home. She came to take care of you out of kindness. Saying something like that is too much. Just apologize to her, make up, and try to get along, okay?”

They felt guilty toward their biological daughter but also couldn’t bear to part with the adopted daughter they had raised for over a decade.

Li Zhi had already expected she would snitch and calmly sat up in bed.

Fu Tingzhou smoothly placed a pillow behind her back.

Li Zhi looked indifferent as her gaze swept over to Li Moli. “Li Moli, you’ve always liked saying I bullied you, even at the restaurant. If you’re used to it, why complain about it? Isn’t it just the usual thing between us? I don’t even know when you’re telling the truth and when you’re lying anymore.”

Li Moli said, “I said you bullied me, but that doesn’t mean you had to hit me. You slapped me so hard my face is swollen. Who could stand that? I’ve never been hit in my life! You were eating with Commander Fu, all chummy like that. I didn’t say anything wrong. You hit me because you were embarrassed and got mad!”

Yuan Huilan quickly interjected, “Moli!”

Li Yongge also said, “Commander Fu is a soldier. Slandering a soldier is illegal. Don’t talk nonsense.”

“I know, Dad.” Li Moli cried even harder.

Li Zhi turned her head slightly and looked at him. “So what you mean is, if Commander Fu weren’t a soldier, then she could falsely accuse us of something?”

Li Yongge was momentarily stunned and quickly explained, “That’s not what I meant. You and Commander Fu are both decent people, nothing would happen between you two.”

“Li Zhi, don’t blame Dad. It’s all my fault. I’m sorry. If you need to scold someone, scold me,” Li Moli said, crying, her swollen face looking pitiful and miserable.

Yuan Huilan comforted her, “Don’t cry anymore, Moli. Your eyes are all swollen. What if you damage your eyesight? We’ll get some ointment later for the swelling.”

After all, she had raised this daughter for nineteen years. Seeing her sobbing like this broke her heart.

“Zhizhi, Moli has already apologized. You also hit her. Let’s put the matter behind us.”

Li Moli wiped her tears while secretly glancing at Li Zhi with the corner of her eye—just a quick peek, timid and wary.

To Yuan Huilan and Li Yongge, it looked like she was scared of Li Zhi.

But Li Zhi could see the provocation. Playing the pitiful victim while provoking others—that was Li Moli’s go-to move. Glancing at the luggage on the ground, her eyes turned cold. “Where are you going with all that? Back to your biological parents? What’s in the bags? If you’re going back to the Li family, you shouldn’t take anything from the Li Zhi household. And you should change your last name too. It’s Li, not Li Zhi.”

Li Moli burst into tears, her eyes so swollen they looked like walnuts. She could barely see. “Li Zhi, I truly see you as my sister. You’ve never seen me as your older sister, and now you want to drive me out. I know I’ve wronged you, and I’ve always yielded to you. I just want to stay by Mom and Dad’s side and be filial. You won’t even allow me that little wish. I—I…” sob sob

“Mom, Dad, Li Zhi never considered me family. I’ll go back to my birth parents. Thank you for raising me all these years.”

Li Zhi continued to expose her scheming. “Li Moli, if you really wanted to leave, you’d have snuck out earlier. Why wait until Mom and Dad came home from work? Isn’t it just because you want them to beg you to stay? You’re staging a one-woman show, and honestly, I admire how deep into character you are.”

She deliberately called her Li Moli to remind her of her true place.

If she had behaved herself in the Li family, there might’ve been room for her to stay.

“How can you say that? I didn’t mean it like that. You’re being so aggressive just to force me out, aren’t you? I know you’ve never accepted me. I only endured your sarcasm and cold treatment because I couldn’t bear to part with Mom, Dad, and my brothers. I just wanted to say a proper goodbye, and you won’t even let me. You’re too cruel… sob sob sob…”

“Mom, Dad, take care. I’m leaving. I’ll come back secretly to see you. Thank you for raising me for nineteen years.” Li Moli bowed to the couple, picked up her bags, and walked out.

She walked slowly, casting glances back from the corner of her eye, hoping her adoptive parents would stop her like they always did.

But Li Zhi stopped them both from going after her.

“Mom, Dad, if she wants to go, let her. After all, she’s the biological daughter of the Li family. I’m sure she misses her real parents. You can’t be so selfish as to keep her from going back to them, right?”

Hearing that at the doorway, Li Moli was so furious she almost spat blood. She had to be crazy to want to return to her poor parents in the countryside.

Hurry up and come after me, beg me to stay!

She didn’t want to go back and suffer.

Yuan Huilan looked at the dark sky outside. “It’s already so late. How can I be at ease letting a young girl leave on her own?”

Li Zhi said, “Her boyfriend and biological mother’s family live in the same village. She’s been there many times. You don’t need to worry.”

Still uneasy, Yuan Huilan suggested, “Moli, why don’t you wait until tomorrow to leave?”

Hearing that, Li Moli immediately rushed out of the hospital.

Tomorrow?

Ha!

What’s the difference between leaving today or tomorrow?

She was just waiting for the Li family to come beg her to come back.

Yuan Huilan chased after her, but she was already gone. “Moli, why are you so stubborn?”

Li Yongge followed and comforted her. “Don’t worry. Moli has a lot of friends and money on her. She won’t be stranded. The doctor said Zhizhi must not be emotionally upset. We’ll bring Moli back after Zhizhi is discharged.”

Having driven the annoying person away, Li Zhi felt cheerful and said to Fu Tingzhou, “Sorry, Commander Fu, you had to witness that drama. It’s getting late. You should head back. If you have something to do tomorrow, you don’t have to come.”

“I don’t have anything tomorrow.” Fu Tingzhou thoughtfully filled her kettle with hot water and reminded her to take her medicine.

He said he’d bring her porridge at 7:30 the next morning.

“I’ll head out now.”

“Okay, stay safe.”

“Got it!”

Before leaving, Fu Tingzhou made sure to bid goodbye to Li Yongge and Yuan Huilan.

“Uncle, Auntie, goodbye.”

Once Fu Tingzhou left, only the three of them were left in the room.

Li Yongge and Yuan Huilan exchanged a quiet look but said nothing.

Could this guy actually be interested in Li Zhi?

Li Yongge asked, “Zhizhi, what do you think of Commander Fu as a person?”

Li Zhi replied, “If you have something to say, just say it.”

Sometimes, he was kinder to her than her own family—at least he never stood on Li Moli’s side and made her feel wronged.

Li Yongge said, “Alright, I won’t beat around the bush. Commander Fu comes from three generations of military officers. His grandfather had three stars. His family holds high positions in Beijing. Your mom and I are just afraid you’ll suffer.”

Lu Yanzhi was just a battalion commander from an average family. His family looked down on Li Zhi, thinking she wasn’t good enough.

But Fu Tingzhou had a strong background and a promising future. His wife would surely be expected to come from a good family. The Li family wasn’t bad, but still far behind the Fu family.

A marriage between mismatched families—especially when the man is so outstanding—would just bring hardship and exhaustion to the woman.

Li Zhi explained, “You’re overthinking it. We’ve only known each other for a few days. We’re just ordinary friends. I don’t have any feelings for him. He takes care of me just out of duty. Once I’m discharged and go home, he’ll return to his unit. We’ll be strangers again, no more contact.”

She had no plans to start a relationship right now. She wanted to repeat her studies, retake the college entrance exam, go to university, and improve herself.

Only after hearing that did Li Yongge and Yuan Huilan finally feel at ease.