Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Li Zexin wiped his drool and squinted his sleepy eyes. âMs. Lin, I heard you say
âson.â Were you calling me just now?â
âNo, I was chatting with Mr. Li. You go back to sleep,â Lin Wan said. She could hear her three stepsons snoring. She hadnât expected their hearing to be so sensitive.
She saw that her second stepson still had some drool hanging out of his mouth. She couldnât help but smile. He was truly adorable.
In Royal Water Bay, the wives were getting bored. They asked one of their housekeepers to bring out the Mahjong set to the yard of the Li family house.
At first, Auntie Huang was quite happy about it. She felt a little sentimental. She was glad to see that the ladies of the other house treated this place as their own home.
In the winter, it got dark very early. It was not even 5 p.m., and the sky was already darkening.
Several energy-saving lights in the Li familyâs yard were turned on. Time always flew by when playing Mahjong. The wives at the table seemed unaware that that night had approached.
Li Yanchenâs car entered the villa area and reached the parking lot near the yard.
The sound of the horn made the wives jump up.
Auntie Huang was the first one to approach.
âSir, Madam, welcome home,â she said as she opened the car door.
âAuntie Huang.â
Lin Wan gently woke her stepsons. âWeâre home.â
Li Zexuan stretched lazily. His arm bumped into Li Zekai and woke him up.
The kids opened their eyes and got out of the car in a daze.
Several women stood behind Auntie Huang. They were all smiles. When they saw Lin Wan stepping out of the car, they eagerly reached out to take her arm.
Lin Wan was startled.
âThe treatment of a superstar,â Li Zexuan said. He had experienced it when he went to fan meets. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Lin Wan felt like her feet never touched the ground. She was pulled away.
âMrs. Li, are you hungry? Come to my house for dinner. Iâve invited a Michelin chef to come over to cook,â said one of the women.
âWanwan, come to my house. I had a friend from New Zealand airship bluefin tuna for you. Itâs fresh and alive.â
âMrs. Han, bluefin tuna canât survive out of water. Once itâs out, its intestines will rupture, which means itâs dead. Where did you get live bluefin tuna? Are you planning to have Wanwan scuba dive to catch some?â
âWhat I mean is that they were freshly caught and immediately air-shipped here,â Mrs. Han said in clarification.
The others burst into laughter.
âCan I at least catch my breath? Iâve been in the car for so long, and now youâre suffocating me here.â Lin Wan squeezed out of a gap.
â Auntie Huang, you pack up too. Letâs all go out for dinner. Assistant Qin has already reserved a private room,â Li Yanchen came up with an idea.
âAre you all going out?â
âYes, ladies. Iâll come to see you tomorrow morning,â Lin Wan said quickly.
âWanwan has something to do, then letâs meet tomorrow,â Mrs. Zhou said.
After chatting for a few minutes, the ladies politely returned home.
Lin Wan was getting a headache from all the noise. She sat down on a bench and noticed the Mahjong set.
âThey moved it here in the afternoon,â said Auntie Huang.
Lin Wan sighed. âThey really think this is their own home. Iâll have them move it out tomorrow. I still need to do a live broadcast here.â
âIâll go cook dinner.â Auntie Huang thought that Li Yanchen had suggested going out only as an excuse to get rid of the ladies.
âWeâll rest for a while and then go out to eat. I sent a message to Assistant Qin. He has reserved a table for us.â
âYay!â Li Zekai exclaimed. âDaddy is treating us to dinner, and Grandma Huang will join us!â
Li Zexuan and Li Zexin took out their luggage from the car and went to their rooms.
After receiving a message from Li Yanchen, Assistant Qin immediately made a reservation at a restaurant. He locked the office door and continued working while waiting for the family to arrive.
After resting for a while, Li Yanchen washed his face, changed into something casual, and went out again.
The GPS showed that he was at Yun Lake. Assistant Qin knew about the Li familyâs habits.
When they were about to arrive, Assistant Qin instructed the waiters to start laying out the food.
When the children saw him, they greeted him warmly. âUncle Qin!â
Li Yanchen glanced at the notebook on Assistant Qinâs knee. âLetâs focus on dinner for now. Work can wait.â
âMr. Li, are you coming to the company tomorrow?â Assistant Qin asked.
âYes.â
âI was thinking of taking a half-day leave tomorrow afternoon,â said Assistant Qin reluctantly.
Assistant Qin knew that the company was very busy at the end of the year, and it was challenging to approve employee leave during this time. Getting a leave required so many procedures, especially at the end of the year. Some people didnât even apply for leave because the process was so complicated and tedious.
âSure.â
Assistant Qin was shocked. âReally? You agreed?â
âDo you want me to disagree?â
âNo, no! Itâs just⦠Thank you. Youâre really kind,â said Assistant Qin. âEver since Madam came into your life, youâve become compassionate.â
âUncle Qin, donât flatter him so much,â said Li Zexuan with a faint smile. âHe has now become a decent, normal human being. In the past, he was strict and unapproachable. â
Li Yanchen playfully smacked the back of Li Zexuanâs head. âWhat are you saying, kid?â
Li Zexin took a step back. He had been about to say the same thing, but luckily, his older brother had taken the lead and the hit.
Li Zexuan winced. âMs. Lin, your husband is mistreating his children. Arenât you going to do anything about it?â
Lin Wan grabbed Li Yanchenâs sleeve. âYouâre too heavy-handed. Stop it.â
She then tiptoed over to Li Zexuanâs side and checked his head. âNo bleeding.
Nothing broken.â
Li Zexuan sat down and sulked.
Assistant Qin thought that his unintentional remark had sparked some conflict between the father and son.
âYoung Master, Iâve ordered the dishes you love,â he said apologetically. âBraised chicken with mushrooms, fresh steamed vegetables, sweet and sour porkâ¦â
All of them were Northeastern specialties. Lin Wan had always been curious as to why the Li family, who had lived in the South for a long time, developed a preference for Northern cuisine.
âI also ordered shredded pork with Beijing sauce, pickled cabbage vermicelli, braised pork ribsâ¦â Those were the dishes Lin Wan loved.
When it came to food, her preference was diverse. She loved all kinds of dishes. She always believed that it was a side effect of not having had the chance to enjoy so many types of food in her childhood. When she began to earn her own money, she had become a big foodie.
âAuntie Huang, I have ordered something you like too,â said Assistant Qin.
Auntie Huang was touched by the gesture. Like Assistant Qin, she sincerely thanked Lin Wan. If it wasnât for Lin Wan marrying into the Li family, the family wouldnât be as happy as they were now..