97 Are We Going Bankrupt?
Li Zekai went to the study to look for her. He couldnât find her there either. He went downstairs again.
âGrandma Huang, whereâs Auntie Lin?â he asked, a little embarrassed.
âMadam went to work. She will be back tonight,â said Auntie Huang.
âWork? When did Auntie Lin start working? It had only been a few days since the live broadcastâ¦ân/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
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Li Zekai was even more disappointed. He was already tired of his father being a workaholic. He rarely saw his father because of it. He had thought that he would finally have some company during the summer break, but Lin Wan had also started working.
Li Zekai took out his phone and called Li Yanchen.
In country H, Li Yanchen, at the hospital, saw Li Zekaiâs name flash on his phone. He walked out of the hospital room.
âJiejie, reached home?â asked Li Yanchen.
âDaddy, you really hate me, donât you? You are still not back!â Li Zekai whined.
Li Yanchen found a bench to sit down on. He wanted to listen to his younger sonâs complaints patiently.
âAre we going bankrupt?â asked Li Zekai. He knew that something must have happened at his fatherâs work. That was why he had sent Lin Wan to work.
Li Yanchen furrowed his brow. âWhat does he mean?â
âWhy do you say that?â
âI just got home and couldnât find Auntie Lin anywhere! Grandma Huang said she went to work. Is our family going bankrupt? Thatâs why you forced Auntie Lin to work, right? Dad, will we have to leave his house?â Li Zekaiâs eyes welled with tears. Last month, his classmates were spreading some rumor about Zong Yiyi transferring to another school because his father went bankrupt and his mother ran away. He had to go to the countryside to live with his grandmother.
Although Li Zekai had never seen his father at home to keep him company, he still liked the house he lived in.
Li Yanchen chuckled. âNo, Jiejie. First of all, we arenât going bankrupt. I promise. Second, I would never force Auntie Lin to work.â
âThen why? You have so much money. Why does Auntie Lin need to work? Are you stingy? You arenât giving any money to Auntie Lin, right? Did you refuse to buy things that Auntie Lin needed?â
Li Zekai remembered that every time he wanted to buy a toy, Assistant Qin would always ask him if there was a need to buy another toy when he had so many toys at home.
Auntie Huang overheard the conversation and couldnât help but laugh.
Even though Li Yanchen was being scolded by his son for being stingy, he felt so happy to see that his son had begun liking Lin Wan. Li Yanchen chuckled. âWell, why donât you ask Auntie Lin if thatâs true when she gets home?â
âI hate you, dad. Just go on your business trips and donât ever come back home!â Li Zekai cut the call in a huff.
He turned to Auntie Huang. âGrandma Huang, do you know where Auntie Lin works?â
âAssistant Qin does,â said Auntie Huang, glancing at Assistant Qin, who was still sitting in the car. âHe will go to pick her up from there tonight.â
Li Zekai ran back to the car. âUncle, are you going to pick up Auntie Lin later? Can I come with you?â
âThereâs no need. Madam is having dinner with Ms. Xia later. Ms. Xia said she will drop Madam here after dinner.â Assistant Qin was about to return to the company.
Li Zekai lowered his head. He wanted to give the candies to Lin Wan as soon as he got home. âDid you not tell Auntie Lin I would be coming home today?â
âWell, no. Did you tell her?â Assistant was confused at the childâs behavior. He thought the kid hated his stepmother.
âUncle Qin, you must inform Auntie Lin on the day I come back home from next time!â Li Zekai was very upset now.
Assistant Qin was perplexed. He had just driven Li Zekai back from his school. The entire time, the kid had been in a good mood.
âYou can go,â said Li Zekai briskly. âI am going upstairs.â He ran into the house, dejectedly.
âAuntie Huang, what is even happening?â Assistant Qin looked at her.
Auntie Huang pursed her lips. âI heard him speak to Mr. Li just a moment ago. Young master wasnât thrilled to know that Madam was working. I think he sees her as family and was excited to see her when he arrived home.â
âWhen did they become so close?â asked Assistant Qin.
âI think she is a very nice person,â said Auntie Huang. Lin Wan never treated her as a servant. Even when she came home late and Auntie Huang offered to cook something for her, she would tell her to rest.
Assistant Qin had driven L:in Wan to where she wanted to go but he had rarely talked with her. He realized he did not know much about Lin Wan.
Li Zekai went to the playroom. There was an ocean ball pool and a slide ladder inside. He climbed up and slid down, but he did not have any fun. The little boy picked up the scattered ocean balls and went down to call Assistant Qin.
Fortunately, Assistant Qin hadnât left yet. When he saw the young master rushing down the stairs, he asked, âWhatâs wrong?â
âTake me to Auntie Lin, please.â
It was not that Assistant Qin did not want to take the kid there but Lin Wan had told him not to disturb her unless it was something very important. He was not sure if he should take a child where she worked.
âMadam is at Ms. Xia Moâs store. Sheâs working. Youâll disturb her work if you go to her.â
âUncle Qin, I know Auntie Xia. We are very familiar. I promise I will be obedient. So, please take me there?â Li Zekai clung to Assistant Qinâs hand.
Assistant Qin sighed. âLet me call and ask Madam once.â
Li Zekai didnât know what Lin Wan would say. If she refused, Assistant Qin would not take him to her. He couldnât take the risk. Li Zekai jumped up and caught Assistant Qinâs phone. âNo, donât call her! I brought some candies for her. Letâs just surprise her?â
âButâ¦â
âUncle Qin, Iâm begging you. Iâll tell dad that you were really good to me when he was away on his business trip. He will give you a raise.â
Assistant Qin sighed but he was relented. He had a soft spot for these children. âAlright. Letâs go.â
In the live broadcast room, Xia Mo was leading today. Lin Wan was guiding her from the side. Xia Mo recreated the Fire Ice Cream Cake today and everything went smoothly.
[Great! Itâs still Fire Ice Cream Cake today. I didnât understand some steps last time.]
[Did you guys hear that The Sweetheart Inn has just launched this cake? Stocks are limited. There are only ten of them. First come, first served.]
[I knew Xia Mo would definitely be able to copy it. It wonât involve any copyright infringement, right?]
[Maybe not. The Sweet Little Circle did say they were okay with sharing the recipe.]
[Oh my god, there are only ten of them! How will they satisfy so many peopleâs cravings with just ten cakes? ]
[You can buy other desserts.]
[I really want to know what Xiao Huan looks like. ]
...
[Sister, when are you going to let us see you?]
[She said she would only reveal her face when she is ready. Everyone, just wait patiently.]
Lin Wanâs popularity was increasing. At one point, the number of red hearts broke a record beyond 100,000. However, as the number of fans increased, more and more people wanted to see her face.
At 3 in the afternoon, Li Zekai arrived. As soon as he entered the shop, one of the staff recognized him. âYou are Li Zekai! I saw your livestream. You are so cute!â
âThank you! Is this Auntie Xia Moâs shop?â Li Zekai politely asked the staff.
âYes, youâre looking for her? You can sit here for a moment. I will go get her for you.â The staff brought out a small chair for Li Zekai.