Chapter 406: Chapter 406: 406: The Number You’ve Dialed is Switched Off

“Brother Beiting probably wanted to handle things personally because, after all, for many things, doing them oneself feels more reassuring,” Mi Fei said.

“Feifei, you really are indulging him,” Li Beiting’s mom laughed.

“Brother Beiting is very responsible. Sometimes when I go to the Li Family company, I see all the employees well-trained, working diligently and conscientiously.”

“Don’t keep praising him. I’m clear about what this kid weighs,” Li Beiting’s dad laughed heartily.

Mi Fei smiled, then picked up the tea in front of her and took a sip.

Li Beiting’s mom continued with her silk flower-making. Mi Fei helped with cutting paper, passing glue, and the relationship between them was particularly harmonious.

The atmosphere was exceptionally warm, and it wasn’t too hot on this patch of grass. Whenever the wind blew, the aroma of green grass drifted over.

In the midst of light-hearted laughter, Mi Fei suddenly asked casually, “Auntie, I heard that Brother Beiting had a girlfriend before?”

“They broke up, three years ago now, don’t think too much about it.”

Mi Fei had been with Li Beiting for just over a year and he rarely talked about his ex-girlfriend.

She had looked into it herself and discovered that the girl studied andrology at C City Medical College and later raised money to open a male research institute.

When Mi Fei found out about this, she actually found it quite funny. It wasn’t intentional, but she couldn’t help laughing out loud.

A girl running an institute for male studies was indeed an oddity to her, something she had never seen before.

“No, no, it’s nothing, I was just asking. But I heard that girl opened a research institute, seems quite amusing,” Mi Fei said with a laugh.

“Ridiculous stuff,” Li Beiting’s mother’s face suddenly fell.

For a girl to open such an institute and for Li Beiting to have broken up with her early on, she wouldn’t have agreed to such a relationship in the first place.

The Li Family wasn’t conservative, but they weren’t that liberal either.

“That’s quite idealistic,” Mi Fei said with a smile, lowering her head.

She continued to help Li Beiting’s mom fold paper and learned to make silk flowers from her.

At this point, it was just past nine in the morning, the most vibrant and energetic part of the day.

But after Li Beiting slowly walked back to the bedroom, he felt an intense headache and suddenly very tired in his heart.

He didn’t know if it was because he had been too busy lately. He had often worked late into the night before, but never felt such fatigue.

At this moment, he very much wanted to hear that familiar voice.

The voice that was sweet, playful, but also stubborn.

He lay on the large bed in the bedroom, took out his phone, and dialed that familiar number.

He had saved this number for many years and had never deleted it.

But since three years ago, he had never dialed it again.

Knowing it wouldn’t connect, he dialed persistently anyway.

As expected, there was no surprise.

The voice on the other end was a mechanical female voice: “Hello, the number you have dialed is switched off, please try again later.”

Switched off, for three years now.

Li Beiting put down his phone, his fingers silently scrolling through the screen.

He flipped through the contacts from start to finish…

Soon, he came across the number of her research institute again.

It was less of a landline number, and more of a mechanical customer service number.

As soon as he dialed, a melodious tune played: “Welcome to Sunshine Institute, here…”

“Hello, this is Sunshine Institute. May I help you with any particular issue?”

The voice on the other end was a sweet, generic greeting.

Li Beiting was silent for a long time, without speaking.

“Hello? May I assist you with anything?”

Only then did Li Beiting deepen his voice, “Is Yu Weiwei there?”

“Hello, do you have an appointment?”

“No.”

“I’m sorry, but you can make an appointment first. Tell me the details, and I can get you registered.”

“Forget it,” Li Beiting said indifferently, his tone as fleeting as the breeze.

For a long time, he neither spoke nor hung up the phone.

The customer service on the other end initially didn’t dare to hang up either, persistently inquiring if he had any questions.

He remained silent, and after a long time, the customer service slammed down the phone in frustration.

In the end, they couldn’t help but mutter “nutcase.”

“What’s with these men, creating issues out of nothing, really,” the customer service complained to the phone before grumbling a few more sentences.

“Who’s got our Xiuxiu upset again?” another clerk asked as she walked over.

“Just a nutcase. He called looking for Director Yu, and when I suggested he make an appointment, he said nothing,” the customer service replied.

“Oh? Is that so?” The clerk went over to the phone and checked.

“Indeed, it’s the same number,” said the young lady.

“Hmm? What about it? Does this number call often?”

“Yes, Xiuxiu, you don’t know, but when I was the customer service here, I frequently received calls from this man. Every time, either he said nothing or he would ask for Director Yu.”

“And then?”

“After that, when I saw that number, I just stopped answering.”

“Does Director Yu know about this?”

“I reported it to her; she asked me what the number was. After I told her, she had two words for me…”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“What, what?”

“Blacklist.”

“Pfft!” The customer service burst into laughter, “If only you could blacklist from a landline.”

“I asked Director Yu if she knew this man, guess what she said?”

“She knows him? She doesn’t?”

“Director Yu said that the man is a patient who escaped from the psychiatric hospital, someone she met during her visit there for a lecture, and he’s been pestering her since.”

“Hahahaha.” The customer service doubled over in laughter, hitting the table.

“Director Yu also said that after the man’s nerves went haywire, he couldn’t even tell the difference between black and white, or men from women.”

“Gee, that serious?”

“Who knows, that’s what Director Yu said.”

“He still calls, but honestly, he does have a nice voice.”

“Oh come on, Xiuxiu, what good is a nice voice from a loony?”

“Next time this nutcase calls, maybe we should tease him a bit.”

“Hey, that’s a good idea. Why didn’t I think of that! Xiuxiu, you’re so clever. But isn’t it a bit mean to tease a fool?”

“Who asked for him to keep harassing us with his calls?”

“Fair enough.”

“Hey, why don’t we call him back now and give it a try? I’m telling you, the nutcase does have a pretty nice voice.”

“Sure, but Xiuxiu, I’m scared to do it. I don’t want him to latch on to me…”

“For shame! I’ll do it!”

Xiuxiu tapped the other clerk’s forehead and pulled the phone towards her.

They whispered together for a bit, then Xiuxiu dialed that number again.

Li Beiting had already placed his phone beside the pillow and lay down with his eyes closed.

A stone seemed to be lodged in his heart, leaving him breathless. His head also throbbed with a faint pain, an uncomfortable feeling.

At that moment, he turned on the air conditioner, but a thin layer of sweat still broke out on his forehead.

Just as he was feeling frustrated, his phone rang.

Picking up the phone, he cracked open his eyes and to his surprise, it was the research institute’s landline number.