Chapter 28: You Grabbed My Brother’s Leg!

Chapter 28: You Grabbed My Brother's Leg!

A cold snort answered Jing Yi.

"If you're going to be mischievous, then be mischievous," Li Ting said with a smile, leaning on the shopping cart. "Butler Jing, don’t hide behind the pretense of business strategy."

He paused for a moment. "Though your tactics are somewhat childish, the outcome is quite good. Here, take this cart of goods as a gift."

Jing Yi: "..."

He looked at the checkout counter more than ten meters away. "But you haven't paid for them yet."

"Using supermarket items to win favor—so this is the infamous... fake generosity."

Li Ting: "..."

Li Wenzhao chuckled softly. "Come on, let’s head back."

As Li Wenzhao was about to leave, Li Ting called out. "Eldest Young Master, can you help me carry some of my items to the car?"

Li Wenzhao paused. "My car?"

Li Ting nodded. "I didn't drive."

Li Wenzhao glanced at the three carts full of frozen goods and replied coolly, "No."

Li Ting: "Why?"

Li Wenzhao: "I don’t want my car smelling like groceries."

Li Ting: "..."

·

Jing Yi picked up six boxes of fruit, distributing them among the Li family’s young masters and even giving one box to Secretary Fan.

"Beep! Scan complete. Six items, totaling 5228 yuan. Please choose a payment method."

"..."

Jing Yi's hand froze as he reached into his pocket.

"This! Is! Expensive!"

"Alright, alright, fruit bandits! Are your kiwis lined with gold?"

Just as he was about to pull out his phone, a black card brushed past his cheek. "Use this one."

Jing Yi turned, puzzled. "You’re paying?"

Li Wenzhao lowered his eyes. "You've already fought a major commercial battle for the Li Corporation; no need to spend your own money."

The young butler's eyes instantly curved into a smile, adeptly putting on his mask of goodwill. "That’s very kind, but I’d feel guilty."

"Sure enough, following the eldest young master has its perks! Eldest Young Master, you’re way more generous than Third Young Master!"

Li Wenzhao finished swiping the card and left with Jing Yi.

"Eldest brother, eldest brother... Butler Jing, you're just leaving like that? Won’t you help me?" Li Ting was stuck at the checkout counter with all his chosen items. "At least wait for me!"

Even if the supermarket sent two cashiers to help count, it would still take at least ten minutes to sort through so many items.

Li Wenzhao didn’t have the patience and just walked off.

·

After strolling around the supermarket, Li Wenzhao didn’t buy anything and had the driver, Uncle Lin, park the car at the main entrance.

Jing Yi had just gotten into the car with a box of fresh fruit, and the sweet fragrance was almost overwhelming. However, the kiwis had a lot of fuzz, and he was afraid of making Li Wenzhao’s car dirty, so he lowered his head and sniffed the ridiculously expensive fruit.

Li Wenzhao watched the young butler bury his head in the box, then lift it, resembling a little dog as he sniffed repeatedly.

"If you want to eat, then eat. What are you sniffing for?"

Jing Yi turned his head. "These have a lot of fuzz, and I’m afraid I’ll make your car dirty."

Li Wenzhao, expression unchanged, said, "A car’s not meant to stay spotless."

Jing Yi was startled, then opened the box, generously offering Li Wenzhao a share. "Then the eldest young master can indulge with me."

Li Wenzhao: "..."

Back home, Li Wenzhao stepped out of the car, carrying the sweet scent of fruit. Jing Yi carried the box into the house, preparing to give some to the young master.

But before he could go inside, he heard a voice that clearly didn’t belong to the Li family.

Young Master Li Mingzhi was crouching outside the main gate, peering inside.

"Young Master," Jing Yi approached, holding the box. "What are you looking at?"

Li Mingzhi, upon seeing Jing Yi, smiled. "You’re back, Young Butler! Come look, my second brother’s arguing with someone."

Jing Yi was curious. "Are you just going to watch?"

"Shouldn’t someone step in?"

"My second brother won’t let anyone interfere. And when it comes to love, even I can’t do anything."

Jing Yi, crouching next to him, still mindful of Li Wenzhao, patted the young master. "Move over a bit; the eldest young master needs some room."

Li Wenzhao: "..."

Li Wenzhao didn’t crouch. He glanced into the messy scene in the living room and stepped inside.

In the living room stood two people: Li Xu, his face flushed with anger, and beside him, a pale and desperate girl in a white dress.

"Big brother." Seeing Li Wenzhao, Li Xu’s expression changed, and he immediately stood up.

Li Wenzhao, expressionless, asked, "What’s going on?"

Li Xu, somewhat unnaturally, lowered his head. "It’s a personal matter of mine, big brother. I’ll handle it myself."

Li Wenzhao raised his eyes. "If you could handle it on your own, why did she come here? Did you really think I wouldn’t find out?"

Li Xu glanced outside at the small figures of Li Mingzhi and Jing Yi crouching by the door, then sighed. "...Her name is Xie Yun, and she’s my... girlfriend."

The girl, with a self-deprecating smile, said, "Girlfriend? Didn’t you say I was just a stand-in for Qiu Minzhi?"

Li Xu’s face immediately changed.

"When did Second Young Master start dating?" Li Mingzhi muttered, "It's only been half a month since he broke up with Qiu Minzhi. He's been drowning his sorrows in alcohol and hasn't even been home. How did he suddenly start a relationship?"

Jing Yi stared at the girl, his eyes suddenly widening—

"Ahhhh, I remember now!"

The three Li brothers were momentarily stunned by his high-pitched scream: "..."

What did he remember now?

Could there be something off about Xie Yun as well?

Li Xu's expression visibly turned cold.

Jing Yi quickly reviewed the storyline in his mind, realizing that the current scene had completely deviated from the author's original setup.

In the original story, Xie Yun was just a tragic side character who harbored unrequited love for Li Xu for twelve years. After Li Xu's happy marriage to Qiu Minzhi, she left quietly.

But forgetting Li Xu wasn't easy for Xie Yun. To escape her sorrow, she chose to live abroad and only returned after three years.

By then, the once-mighty Li family had collapsed. Li Xu had died in a plane crash, and upon hearing the news, Xie Yun's eyes turned red. She traveled a great distance to the crash site but only managed to retrieve a broken watch from the wreckage.

Xie Yun stayed by the plane wreckage for an entire night.

So, what’s going on now?

"How did Xie Yun end up with Second Young Master? As a substitute? For whom?"

"Hiss... Could it be that after Qiu Minzhi left, Second Young Master felt empty and needed someone to fill the void? Xie, being gentle and considerate, naturally started a relationship with him?"

Jing Yi's voice echoed through the room; everyone could hear it clearly, making it feel like public humiliation for Li Xu. Even Li Xu himself felt a bit uncomfortable.

Both Li Wenzhao and younger brother Li Mingzhi looked at him differently now.

...Was he really that bad?

Jing Yi, not noticing the silence in the living room, continued to babble while cupping his chin—

"Xie and Qiu Minzhi don't even resemble each other. What kind of taste does Second Young Master have? To trample on her feelings like that, secretly loving him for twelve years, only to end up like this, sigh..."

"Honestly, Xie shouldn't have wasted so many years pining after Second Young Master. It's really not worth it. Li Xu, the big jerk, has no clue. He doesn't know that after the Li family went bankrupt, it was Xie Yun who secretly helped him multiple times. He doesn't know that after his plane crash, it was Xie Yun who traveled far to retrieve his body... And yet, he treated her as a substitute, tsk, how shameless can he be?"

Jing Yi looked down at the box in his hands and decided that such expensive fruit wasn't worth saving for the second young master.

"A jerk like him only deserves to eat kiwi fuzz!"

Li Xu: "..."

After listening to Jing Yi's rant, Li Wenzhao couldn't help but admire this seemingly fragile girl. She had genuine feelings for his younger brother.

It was Li Xu who had wronged her.

Xie Yun glanced at Li Xu sadly, and the expressions of the Li brothers suddenly turned sour, as if they were extremely disgusted by her. Xie Yun haphazardly wiped her tears and forced a self-deprecating smile, "Li Xu."

Li Xu's expression changed, suddenly feeling ashamed in front of Xie Yun, "Ah Yun..."

Xie Yun forced a smile, "I thought you came looking for me because you had feelings for me. I didn't expect you wanted me to be someone else's substitute. How ridiculous. I don't want to ruin my feelings. Liking you for so long was the biggest mistake I've ever made. Let's not see each other again, or I might just lose control and hit you!"

Jing Yi pursed his lips and whispered in surprise—

"Wow, she's super cool!"

"..." Li Xu hesitated to speak. "A Yun, I didn't mean it that way..."

"I don't care what you meant," Xie Yun said coldly. "I'm not playing servant anymore!"

Xie Yun turned and left. When she saw the two people squatting outside the door, she paused for a moment, then lifted her head and walked away.

"A Yun, wait up! A Yun!" Li Xu called out desperately as he ran after her.

Jing Yi and Li Mingzhi were nibbling on kiwis, watching the two disappear into the distance. Li Mingzhi said, "My second brother was all flustered a moment ago, and now he’s shamelessly chasing after her."

Jing Yi turned back and gave Li Mingzhi an appreciative look.

"You have quite the way with words," Jing Yi said.

Li Mingzhi curled his lips. "But I really hope Second Brother can win her over. I like this girl. I’d be happy if she became my second sister-in-law."

Jing Yi turned his head and narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

Li Mingzhi was taken aback for a moment, then smiled. "Don't you think she looked super cool just now? She'll definitely keep Second Brother in line in the future. Then I'll have a backer."

Jing Yi: "..."

Kid, you’re really planning ahead.

It was a matter of love; outsiders shouldn't interfere. But seeing how calm and clear-headed Xie Yun was, Jing Yi figured she wouldn't suffer with Li Xu, so he happily shared the kiwis with Li Mingzhi, even giving Li Xu’s share to him.

"Wow, Jing Butler, you remembered to get something for me. I’m really touched!" Li Mingzhi hugged the kiwis, his eyes sparkling like stars.

Jing Yi felt a little guilty. "Actually, Big Brother paid for it."

Li Mingzhi argued, "But you carried it all the way back."

Li Wenzhao: "..." This family is a handful.

With the drama queens gone and Li Ting absent, dinner was unusually quiet. Li Wenzhao sat expressionless at the head of the table, eating slowly and deliberately.

Jing Yi and Li Mingzhi huddled together, eating while watching a drama. Jing Yi was particularly engrossed.

Li Mingzhi found it strange. "This drama is really popular. Haven't you seen it, Jing Butler?"

Jing Yi bit into a braised chicken wing. "No time to watch anything these days."

Li Mingzhi asked, "Ah, is work very busy?"

"Yes," Jing Yi stared at the screen and replied casually, "I have to work like a cow or horse."

Li Mingzhi was shocked. "..."

Li Wenzhao: "..."

At the most exciting part, Jing Yi was glued to the screen. "Quick, quick, young master, look! They're about to kill someone."

In his excitement, he slapped a firm thigh, causing the muscles beneath to tense up.

"?"

"Young master looks soft, but his leg muscles are actually quite developed..."

Li Mingzhi was stunned for a moment and turned to look. "Jing Butler, you grabbed my brother's thigh."

"!!!"

Jing Yi quickly pulled his hand back, almost jumping up from his chair. Oh my god, how could his hand be so unseeing? Where had that slap landed? Li Wenzhao's expression turned grim.

"…………"

Jing Yi stammered, "Eldest Young Master..."

Li Wenzhao waited quietly, wondering what other nonsense the young butler would come up with.

Jing Yi's eyes darted around, desperately trying to change the subject and began to ramble, "If we need more pots, just add them. There’s still rice in the pot."

"……"

Li Wenzhao's movements paused for a moment. "Eat properly," he said in a low voice.

Jing Yi buried his head in his meal. "Yes, yes, okay."

"Not watching, not watching anymore. If I keep watching, who knows where the next slap will land..."

"But, as expected from the CEO, the feel is quite good..."

Li Wenzhao: "……"

"Cough, cough, cough..." Li Mingzhi coughed violently. "This part is so scary; the killer is getting creepier."

Jing Yi curiously leaned over. "Let me take a look, let me take a look."

"I want to see just how creepy it can get."

But Li Mingzhi immediately pressed down his phone. "Let's finish eating first. Watching this will ruin our appetite."

Jing Yi didn't suspect anything and nodded, continuing to eat quietly.

On the other side, Li Mingzhi clenched his chopsticks in shock. Jing Butler had the nerve to fantasize about his brother! Fortunately, his brother didn't mind today, otherwise...

As Li Mingzhi thought about it, he glanced at his brother.

He saw that Li Wenzhao was calmly seated in his chair, showing no signs of anger.

Li Mingzhi: "?"

·

·

The next day, Li Mingzhi received a call from the production team. The first episode would air that evening, and they wanted him to come to the office to discuss the promotional strategy.

Li Mingzhi left happily.

Jing Yi and Li Wenzhao arrived at the office at 9 a.m. sharp. Upon entering the office building, they saw a group of employees gathered in the lobby, chatting animatedly.

Li Ting was there too, pacing around a man-high cardboard box.

"What's going on?" Li Wenzhao's voice made the employees scatter.

"Big brother, this is really interesting." Li Ting rapped on the box. "It was sent by Secretary Zou from the Shen Group. It's a gift. It's not a special occasion, could it be a bomb meant for an assassination?"

Jing Yi looked stunned.

"No way, right? Does Shen Shubai have such a depraved mind?"

Li Wenzhao said, "Unwrap it."

Li Ting nodded and used a small knife to cut open the packaging.

"Wow."

"So beautiful."

"It smells amazing."

The employees whispered among themselves.

The paper box opened, revealing an eight-layer mousse cake, exquisitely decorated with fresh fruits and delicate carvings. It was beautiful and delicious, from the top layer to the bottom. As soon as the box was opened, a rich fragrance wafted out.

But this move by Shen Group... was really confusing.

Li Ting clicked his tongue. "What's this supposed to mean? Is it poisoned?"

Li Wenzhao furrowed his brows and examined it carefully from top to bottom, but he couldn't make any sense of it.

Has Shen Shubai lost his mind?

Sending a cake to a rival company?

Jing Yi stared at the cake for a moment, then clicked his tongue. "Could this be their plan..."

Li Ting and Li Wenzhao both turned to him.

Li Wenzhao asked, "Did you figure something out?"

Jing Yi nodded. "I see now. Secretary Zou must be implying that our Li Corporation will be done for in eight layers."

"..."

"..."

A long silence.

Li Ting sneered. "Do you really think they'd be that petty?"

Jing Yi said seriously, "Maybe it’s payback for the kiwi incident yesterday."

Li Wenzhao just stared. "..."

He turned to the front desk. "So, who sent the cake?"

The front desk lady looked nervous. "It was Secretary Zou from Shen Group. He said it's a special thank-you gift for... Assistant Jing."

Jing Yi nodded knowingly. "Told you so."

"It's definitely for revenge."

"......" Li Ting let out a soft chuckle, "So it was Jing Butler who caused the trouble. What do you plan to do to retaliate next?"

We need to retaliate, huh?

But it's normal, after all, it's just tit for tat.

Jing Yi thought for a moment, "What if we send them a bunch of bamboo shoots?"

Li Ting didn't understand, "What do you mean?"

Jing Yi, "Then they’ll really be in deep trouble."

Li Ting: '...'

Li Wenzhao: '...'

Jing Yi cautiously glanced at Li Wenzhao, "Not working? How about putting a Liu Bei statue in the hall and wait for the Shen Group to show up and call us their big brothers!"

Li Ting: '...'

Li Wenzhao: '...'

Still not good enough?

Jing Yi continued rambling, "Or, we could print a bunch of Shen Group’s business cards and have our employees pass them out every time they mess up... huh?"

Someone clapped a hand over his mouth.

Li Wenzhao said, "Jing Butler, cut it out." He sure has some crazy ideas.

Jing Yi nodded vigorously with his mouth covered: "Mmm-hmm."

Only then did Li Wenzhao let go.

His fingertips curled slightly, as if the soft, smooth touch still lingered.

Their Jing Butler is truly a sweet treat—like tangyuan!

Li Ting burst into rare laughter after hearing these creative ideas. "Jing Butler, you're truly a rare genius in the business world!"

Jing Yi replied modestly, "Third Young Master, you're too kind."

In a playful mood, Li Ting gave Li Wenzhao a nod. "Big brother, leave this to me. I'll make sure it drives that Shen guy crazy."

Li Ting was eager to give it a try. Their usual business tactics were too old-fashioned, time-consuming, and laborious. They weren't as effective as the casual remarks Jing Butler made.

Even without physical confrontation, it was infuriating enough.

As long as they could make Shen Shubai lose his temper, he'd be satisfied.

Humming a tune, Li Ting skipped out cheerfully.

Jing Yi turned to Li Wenzhao, looking like he wanted to say something.

"What do you want to say?"

"Am I allowed to talk now?"

"..." Li Wenzhao nodded lightly. "Mhm."

"When we pull some shady moves on the Shen Group—well, not exactly shady, but during our business battles, can I come watch?"

No ulterior motives—he just wanted to witness the main character's dramatic reaction.