Chapter 41: A Family Should Be Complete

Chapter 41: A Family Should Be Complete

“……”

Outside, the rain poured heavily, while the living room was completely silent.

Li Xu seemed unaffected by the awkwardness he created. After sitting quietly for a while and seeing that no one was speaking, he asked suspiciously, “Why aren’t you talking?”

He had been swamped with work at the company lately and hadn’t had time to visit Xie Yun, who was teaching in the mountains. However, that afternoon, he received a message from the family bodyguards saying that his third brother had brought his marriage partner home to register for marriage.

Remembering Jing Yi's earlier remarks, Li Xu sensed something significant was brewing and dropped everything to come back quickly.

But after sitting down, no one said a word. Li Xu was still confused, “Have you already finished talking?”

Li Ting clenched his jaw, “Brother, could you stop stirring things up?”

He was just trying to get married. Even if no one was giving them their blessings, did the entire family have to start opposing it? Even his second brother, who usually didn’t care about family gossip, had rushed back in the heavy rain just to witness it.

What’s the point of all this? He had even gotten drenched on the way.

Li Ting felt like a plucked bird, with no privacy as the whole family watched.

At least he had Yuan Tingxuan by his side, which was some consolation.

Li Xu remained seated, unfazed, “I rushed back because I heard you were getting married. How is that causing trouble?”

Li Ting: “……”

Don’t think I missed that gossipy look on your face. My Xuanxuan will never let me down!

After waiting a bit without hearing anything, Li Xu turned to the corner, “Butler Jing.”

Jing Yi, interrupted, suddenly forgot what he was about to say and looked up blankly, “Ah?”

Li Xu generously said, “You’re also a part of this family. Come and sit.”

Jing Yi hesitated, “Is that really okay, young master?”

This was a family meeting.

“What’s not appropriate?” Li Xu motioned with his chin, “Sit.”

Sit closer so I can hear you better.

Li Ting, catching the underlying meaning, gave a silent sigh.

Li Wenzhao remained silent, his ambiguous attitude left much to interpretation. Li Mingzhi, who was even less likely to object, patted the empty spot beside him, “Butler Jing~ come sit here, next to me.”

The sofa was long and wide, but with several grown men occupying it, space was limited. The spot Li Mingzhi offered was next to Li Wenzhao.

Hearing the invitation, Li Wenzhao lightly raised his eyebrows, his sharp features turning towards Jing Yi. His deep-set eyes, partially hidden by his thick brows and tousled hair, held an intense gaze.

Jing Yi shrank back under his gaze, “I, I’d better not.”

There it is again, that look like I'm some kind of dessert.

“Oh, Butler Jing, just sit,” Li Mingzhi said, pressing Jing Yi down onto the sofa, “My elder brother has already approved. Once he agrees, no one will argue, right, elder brother?”

Li Wenzhao’s gaze shifted, “Let’s discuss the matter at hand first.”

One sentence calmed Jing Yi, and he sat quietly without moving.

After Jing Yi sat down, Li Xu waited a bit longer.

"..."

Li Xu: "..."

"..."

Li Xu: "..."

Why haven't they started?

Seeing no one was speaking, Li Xu straightened up and took charge of the situation, "Third, you go first."

Li Ting: "...??"

Hadn't he already said everything? What more could he add?

Li Xu dutifully played the role of a gossip host: "Who is this young lady?"

"..." Li Ting was speechless. "Brother, this is my fiancée. She just came back from abroad, and we're planning to get married."

Li Xu glanced at Jing Yi.

Jing Yi: "???"

"Why is Second Master looking at me? Did I miss some chip crumbs?"

Li Xu: "..."

Seeing Jing Yi didn't react, Li Xu turned his head, "Why are you getting married?"

Li Ting: "Because of love."

"..."

Desperate, Li Xu blurted out, "Do you have any juicy details?"

"..."

Li Ting's face flushed red.

"..." Li Xu closed his mouth.

He didn’t want to be the host, but Jing Butler wasn’t saying anything, right?

At that moment, Jing Yi was a bit distracted. Their legs touched, and he could feel the tension in his muscles and his warmth. Jing Yi was someone who easily got distracted, and now his attention was even more focused on Li Wenzhao.

It wasn't until Yuan Tingxuan made an uneasy sound, "Ah Ting, your family... do they not like me?"

That’s when Jing Yi snapped out of his thoughts and looked over.

Li Xu noticed his movement and slowly straightened his back, pricking up his ears.

"Don't overthink it, baby. My brothers don't mean any harm," Li Ting gently stroked Yuan Tingxuan's head and said softly, "You're the first girl I've brought home. My brothers are just worried that I might be rushing into things. They're testing us, so don’t worry."

The girl nestled closer into Li Ting's arms. "Ah Ting, I'm relying on you for me and the child. You won't abandon us, right?"

"Of course not!" Li Ting said resolutely, "I've even stolen the household registration book. I'm definitely going to give you and the child a home."

"Third Young Master sure takes responsibility seriously, bringing home a child like this..."

It began.

Li Xu and Li Mingzhi exchanged an excited glance, both seeing the undeniable curiosity in each other's eyes.

Li Wenzhao casually shifted his gaze. Jing Yi tilted his head, observing Li Ting and Yuan Tingxuan. His soft profile, delicate ears, and puffy cheeks made him look pinchable.

Li Ting, at the center of the gossip, wore a dark expression.

Jing Yi began to talk as if no one else was present—

"As far as I know, Yuan Tingxuan spent three years abroad, constantly changing boyfriends. She's collected identity cards representing all twelve zodiac signs and even two sets of the twelve Chinese zodiac animals."

"If she hadn't gotten into trouble abroad, racked up massive debts, and was hunted down by her enemies until she had no way out, Yuan Tingxuan wouldn't have chosen to hide back in the country."

"When she returned home penniless, her worries far outweighed her homesickness. Maybe she was worried about how to make ends meet, but then the Third Young Master showed up at just the right time."

Li Ting's expression grew darker.

He told himself it wasn't true and that Butler Jing had no solid evidence, but his inner balance was tilting uncontrollably.

Jing Yi's insights had never been wrong.

Li Ting's fingers slowly tightened, causing Yuan Tingxuan to cry out in pain, "Ah! Ah Ting, you're pinching me too hard."

Li Ting immediately let go, but his eyes began to lose focus as he drifted further away, following the direction Jing Yi pointed out.

"During her three years abroad, Yuan Tingxuan spent the money funded by the Third Young Master lavishly, kept young men as her lovers, and was eventually swindled by a foreign con artist, leaving her penniless and forcing her to return to the country empty-handed, trying to find a rich and easy mark."

"And let's not forget the child—conceived abroad with a blonde, blue-eyed drug addict. Yuan Tingxuan was afraid that her belly would be too big to hide, so she rushed back to the country to register the child's household! She’s just looking for a rich, easy stepdad for the kid!"

Li Ting: "..."

Li Xu and Li Mingzhi shot him an intrigued glance—Third Brother/Third Brother, you seem a bit foolish.

Li Ting: "..."

At that moment, Yuan Tingxuan's phone suddenly rang. She looked at the screen, a flash of discomfort and hidden delight crossing her face. "Ah Ting, I have something to do today. Can we postpone the marriage registration?"

Li Ting's expression darkened further. "What do you need to do?"

Yuan Tingxuan said, "My best friend has returned from abroad and invited me for afternoon tea. It's getting late. Let's go to the civil affairs bureau tomorrow, okay?"

"Hohoho"

"Check out these weak excuses. 'Best friend coming back from abroad'? Really? It’s really about her foreign lovers meeting her at a hotel!"

Poor Third Young Master, still clueless. That green hat on his head is shining bright!

She even uses his card to book hotel rooms with other guys. Tsk tsk tsk...

However, this was only the beginning of Li Ting's tragic life. Jing Yi continued to recall—

"After the marriage, Yuan Tingxuan, in order to completely seize the third young master's property, conspired with her lover to deliberately crash a car into him, leaving him with broken legs."

"The third young master, having lost his ability to move, fell into despair and lived each day in a daze, until one day, he caught his wife bringing her lover home, and they were messing around in their bedroom."

"The third young master was so shocked that he vomited blood on the spot. In the dead of night, he opened the gas to kill himself along with Yuan Tingxuan..."

That was the plot near the end of the novel.

The main perspective focused on Shen Shubai, and there wasn't much description of the Li family's downfall, which only appeared as a side note in Shen Shubai's protagonist-centered life.

After Yuan Tingxuan's affair was exposed, Li Ting opened the gas, but at the last moment, he regained his senses and didn't want to die with her. He wheeled himself out of the house and watched Yuan Tingxuan and her lover spiral into the sky together.

He was then imprisoned and sentenced for intentional homicide and died two months later during a prison riot secretly orchestrated by Shen Shubai.

Li Ting's death marked the complete demise of the Li family.

Li Wenzhao, having lost three brothers in succession, almost went insane. The criminals lying in ambush around him swarmed and stripped him bare.

To achieve the goal of eradicating the root, Shen Shubai, carrying the ashes of his brothers, met Li Wenzhao on a cliff. By then, Li Wenzhao was already gaunt, heartbroken, grim-faced, and ragged. He was so thin that even among beggars, he wouldn't stand out.

The ashes of his brothers dealt the final blow, shattering his mind. He clutched the urns and leaped off the cliff, and the villainous family perished.

Jing Yi let out a soft sigh.

When reading the novel, he had only focused on Shen Shubai's sense of achievement. Seeing it from a different perspective now, he felt the author was too cruel.

Jing Yi pursed his lips in dissatisfaction and was determined to help the Li family break free from the author's constraints.

He turned his head and shifted his weight, actively moving closer to Li Wenzhao, and lightly poked his leg. "Eldest young master, you must stop the third young master. If he marries Yuan Tingxuan, he will die."

Li Wenzhao lightly turned his gaze, and the bodyguards beside him understood his intention. They stepped forward and took the household registration book back from Li Ting's hand.

Only then did Jing Yi breathe a sigh of relief. "It's a good thing that a household registration book is required for marriage; otherwise, we really couldn't have stopped the third young master."

Engrossed in the gossip, Li Shu suddenly twisted his face to look at his eldest brother: So, you've already talked it out?

Li Mingzhi wore a knowing smile.

Li Shu moved his eyebrows: You know?

Li Mingzhi's smile widened: *^O^* Yes! I've already heard this gossip.

Li Shu pressed his lips, carrying a load of outdated gossip, and frowned in dissatisfaction.

When did the eldest brother and Jing Butler talk it out? How come he didn't know?

Having outdated gossip was really annoying.

Another long silence followed, and Yuan Tingxuan felt that the Li family was giving her the cold shoulder. Even Li Ting didn't respond, making her excuse to meet her best friend seem like a big joke.

Yuan Tingxuan's face subtly worsened. Instinctively, she sought Li Ting's help, as usual. "Ah Ting, my stomach hurts a little..."

But as soon as she leaned in, Li Ting pale-facedly dodged away.

Yuan Tingxuan: "...Ah Ting?"

Jing Yi: "???"

"How did Third Young Master manage to... dodge that?"

He subconsciously turned his head and shared his gossip insights: "Eldest young master, it seems like Third Young Master has seen the light. My mind-carrot trick really worked. Even a seasoned hopeless romantic got snapped out of it, haha!"

Li Ting was speechless.

Yuan Tingxuan's eyes were filled with disbelief. Li Ting turned his face slightly, suppressing the shock in his heart. "Xuan... Xuan, if you have something to do, go ahead and take care of it first. Our matter isn't urgent."

Yuan Tingxuan immediately frowned. A woman's intuition can be pretty unpredictable, and even the slightest change could trigger alarm. She put down her phone and affectionately took Li Ting's arm. "Ah Ting, I've thought about it, and you're the most important. I can catch up with my friends any other day. Let's just get married already. Love trumps all."

"Carrot poke! Don't believe it, Third Young Master. Scammers use this exact line all the time."

Li Ting, caught between two extreme statements, felt his head was about to explode.

As the situation was nearing its conclusion, Li Wenzhao calmly intervened, bringing the chaos to an end.

"Miss Yuan."

Yuan Tingxuan immediately flashed a standard eight-tooth smile. "Eldest young master."

"Head home for now," Li Wenzhao said. "Marriage isn't something to rush into. The Li family needs to prepare."

Yuan Tingxuan looked at Li Ting, who hadn't spoken. "Eldest young master, Ah Ting and I are sincere. I don't care about the formalities. All I need is a home for us and our baby."

"You may not care about the formalities, but the Li family does," said Li Wenzhao. "Third Young Master's wedding needs proper planning. Miss Yuan should go back first."

At the mention of 'wedding,' Yuan Tingxuan finally smiled, her hand caressing her belly. "Thank you, eldest young master. Ah Ting and I will definitely be happy."

"Uncle Lin," Li Wenzhao turned and said, "see Miss Yuan home."

"Yes, eldest young master."

Yuan Tingxuan left, delighted. Li Ting slouched on the sofa, even his hair seeming to droop.

Seeing this, Li Xu patted Li Ting's shoulder. "Third, don't be discouraged. As someone who's been through it, I can tell you, the darkness will pass."

Li Mingzhi also chimed in. "Third brother, I'm also a person who's been through it, but I'm over it now."

Li Ting felt no comfort at all.

Li Xu hesitated, then turned to Li Wenzhao. "Big bro, when did you join us? Family should stick together."

Li Wenzhao said nothing.

Shortly after Yuan Tingxuan left, Li Ting also grabbed his car keys and headed out. No one stopped him, but he took five bodyguards with him.

Once the main character left, the living room became less interesting. Li Xu changed his clothes and returned to the company, while Li Mingzhi was called away by a phone call from his agent.

Only Li Wenzhao and Jing Yi were left at home.

Since Li Wenzhao made things clear, Jing Yi felt awkward around him. He hadn't experienced such a situation before and found it hard to interact.

"I haven't experienced it either," Li Wenzhao suddenly spoke, still holding a financial newspaper.

Jing Yi suddenly covered his chest, accusing. "Why are you listening to my thoughts again?"

Li Wenzhao replied, "It's a passive skill. I can't control it."

"It's not fair." Jing Yi muttered softly.

Li Wenzhao could clearly hear Jing Yi's inner thoughts, but Jing Yi had no idea what Li Wenzhao was thinking.

Li Wenzhao set aside the newspaper and turned to face him. "What do you want to know? I'll tell you everything."

Jing Yi pursed his lips and scratched his head, feeling restless all over. "Just... why? Why did you suddenly start liking guys?"

"There were no signs at all."

Li Wenzhao's expression softened for a moment, and he said softly, "It doesn't need any sign. Falling for someone usually happens in an instant. In that moment, you made my heart skip a beat, and I just fell for you. It has nothing to do with orientation."

Jing Yi: "..."

He nervously pursed his lips.

The next second, Li Wenzhao added, "And you're very well-behaved, with a cute personality, a sense of humor, and a strong sense of justice. You're lively and vivid every day, so it's normal to like you, understand?"

Jing Yi blushed at his description.

The inexperienced college student felt flustered, unable to handle Li Wenzhao’s directness. He searched for words to refute, "But I don't know..."

"You don't need to answer me in a hurry." Li Wenzhao, already skilled at reading minds, knew what Jing Yi was thinking. "I promised not to pressure you. Tell me when you're completely calm and ready."

Hearing this, Jing Yi gently sighed in relief. Since Li Wenzhao laid it all out, Jing Yi still hadn’t figured out how to face reality, let alone sort through his jumbled thoughts.

He had never been in a relationship and treated feelings very seriously. He just wanted to find a place to hide until he was ready.

But after their talk, he felt less scared now.

Thinking of this, Jing Yi suddenly turned his head alertly. "Eldest young master, did you hear me again?"

Li Wenzhao calmly picked up the newspaper.

"..." Damn!

·

In the evening, Jing Yi returned to his room. With his heart knot temporarily untangled, he happily took out his phone to watch a drama.

The last serial killer case was about to be solved, and tonight the true identity of the murderer would be revealed. He settled in happily and clicked on the video app.

Just as the face of the murderer appeared, the camera slowly zoomed in, and the BGM drumbeats became noisy...

Whoosh—

The light bulb sighed, and the room plunged into darkness.

[Your current network is unavailable, would you like to switch to mobile data?]

Jing Yi: "..."

How could he forget that Li Wenzhao had set a curfew for him?

Jing Yi angrily threw his phone aside and rolled around hugging his quilt.

What kind of situation was this?

The next day, Jing Yi was awakened by the sound of his alarm clock, stumbled through his morning routine like a zombie, and still had a dreamy expression when he left the house.

"Another day, another grind for this poor corporate drone..."

He lowered his head, intending to slip into the passenger seat, but was gently pulled back by the person next to him. "If you don't pull all-nighters, you won't be dragging yourself through the day. Sit in the back."

Jing Yi floated over with a dazed expression. "You don't understand. Staying up late is like facing off against the Grim Reaper. It's thrilling."

Li Wenzhao, curious, asked, "How did you stay up with the power and internet cut off?"

Jing Yi replied, "I borrowed a power bank from the young master and got a data plan."

"Necessity is the mother of invention."

Li Wenzhao: "..."

The young butler had a messy schedule, a dull mind, and was lazy every day, but he was an expert at finding shortcuts.

·

Upon arriving at the company, Jing Yi barely woke up.

His main job at Li Corporation was to root out criminals. Ever since he started earning extra cash, he had practically memorized the original text by heart.

After sifting through all personnel files, big and small, Jing Yi was beat, his eyes red and gritty from staying up all night. He slumped over the table, eyes half-closed, zoning out.

Li Wenzhao, just back, saw Jing Yi frozen like that and, after hanging his coat over a chair, asked with his eyes lowered, "Asleep?"

Jing Yi was too lazy to open his mouth and answered telepathically with a lazy tone, "Resting."

Li Wenzhao, looking at his closed eyelashes, asked, "Do you want to continue resting or go down for lunch?"

Jing Yi, like a system hit with a power button, rebooted quickly, "Eat!"

"Only when you're full do you have the energy to be sleepy."

A familiar cold laugh answered him.

As they walked out and downstairs, passing by the secretarial office, Jing Yi caught a glimpse of Fan Ming inside, sighing heavily.

Jing Yi sidled over, "Secretary Fan, what's up?"

Fan Ming didn't lift his head. "Jing Yi, I've just gone through a breakup."

？

Jing Yi leaned on the table and asked, "You had a girlfriend?"

"Not anymore," Fan Ming sighed. "Jing Yi, if my girlfriend and my mom both fell into the river, who should I save?"

Jing Yi instinctively glanced at Li Wenzhao.

Fan Ming sneered, "Can't answer that, huh? Neither can I..."

"Hmm... If your mom and your girlfriend both fell into the river." Jing Yi pondered. "I'd probably steer clear of you, Mr. Bad Luck."

"..." Fan Ming widened his eyes in shock. "You're not Jing Butler, you're Secretary Zou! The answers are identical!"

Jing Yi tilted his head. "What's this got to do with Secretary Zou?"

Fan Ming slumped over the table in frustration. "Last night, after we had a fight, Secretary Zou invited me out for drinks... and then insisted on coaching me for the civil service exam at the bar... And, I don't know, he led me down some twisted path."

Fan Ming's expression was about to burst into tears. "After a whole night of drinking with Secretary Zou, I came home and told my girlfriend to get back with her ex, ugh..."

"..."

Jing Yi: Mind blown.

Today’s biggest shock goes to you, Secretary Fan.