Chapter 010 Intentionally Messing with Him

Chapter 010 Intentionally Messing with Him

Li Pushu didn’t know when she left the space. When she woke up late the next day, she was already lying on the bed in her room, feeling relaxed and comfortable, with all those love bites gone.

Her phone was on the nightstand. She groggily reached for it, checked the time—it was almost eleven. Startled, Li Pushu sat up, her drowsiness instantly vanishing as she became fully awake. “I actually slept this long! I forgot to set the alarm. I was supposed to get up and exercise in the morning.”

Li Pushu grabbed her hair in annoyance. Her waist-length black hair was shiny and glossy, with playful little curls at the ends, so even a careless grab didn’t make it look messy.

She usually kept to a routine of going to bed early and waking early (or sometimes late), but mostly it was early to bed and early to rise—this was one of the most effective ways to maintain her beauty.

After getting up, she would do some body-shaping exercises, then skincare and health maintenance. This was her daily ritual, absolutely non-negotiable—but today, she missed it.

“Oh well, I’ll just count this as a lazy day.” Li Pushu was oddly stubborn about sticking to her plans. If she didn’t follow through, she would feel a bit restless.

Just like when she had decided to break up with Ye Sui—whether or not it actually succeeded, she still had to take that step to feel at ease. Act first, deal with the results later.

Since the morning exercise plan fell through, she could shift it to the afternoon. She was still very satisfied with her figure.

Actually, there wasn’t a single part of herself she wasn’t satisfied with. She absolutely adored herself—how could she have turned out so perfectly, with every feature matching her own aesthetic?

After indulging in a moment of self-love, Li Pushu, still in her pajamas, washed up and opened the door. She heard Granny Li talking to someone, and that person’s voice sounded very familiar. How could that be? She must be imagining things...

But when she saw the person walk out of the kitchen, Li Pushu rubbed her eyes—she wasn’t dreaming. It really was Ye Sui. She was shocked. “Ye Sui! Weren’t you in Jiangdong last night? How are you here!”

“I caught the earliest flight this morning and got home just a few minutes ago.” Ye Sui was holding a fruit plate. He walked over, bent down to kiss Li Pushu’s forehead, and said, “You must be hungry. I’m cooking lunch today, all your favorite dishes.”

Li Pushu huffed and pinched his waist. “Seriously, you said you’d come in a couple of days, but now you show up without telling me? You’ve gotten bold, huh!”

“Have mercy, wife. I won’t dare next time.” Ye Sui looked at her adoringly, raising his hands in surrender.

Li Pushu rolled her eyes, clasped her hands behind her back, and walked past him to the sofa. “Who’s your wife?”

“You are,” he said, following her. He was tall with long strides, and he even managed to bend down and sneak a kiss on her cheek, earning a slap on his arm from Li Pushu.

Just then, Granny Li came out and saw this. Disapprovingly, she said, “Shushu, talk things out properly. Why use your hands to hit someone?”

Li Pushu caught Ye Sui’s smug look and turned her head slightly, feigning grievance. “Grandma, you’re being biased.”

“Nonsense, when have I ever been biased?” Granny Li found it amusing. She’s still such a child.

She thought Xiao Ye was a good guy, and as an elder, she said it deliberately to see how Ye Sui would react.

Ye Sui turned and smiled. “Grandma, Shushu wasn’t hitting me. We were just chatting, and she’s shy. If she did hit me, it would be because I did something wrong, and I deserved it.”

“Living together as a couple will inevitably bring arguments. If there’s a problem, talk it out properly. No hitting. Whether it’s a man or a woman, hitting is wrong.” Granny Li was satisfied with his response, but she still had to make a point.

Even your own teeth can bite your lip; living with others is a real art.

“I understand, Grandma.” Ye Sui nodded, only to be pinched again discreetly. Li Pushu muttered disdainfully, “You’re all talk. Sleep in the guest room from now on!”

She pushed Ye Sui aside and ran over to the dining table. “Wow, Grandma’s soup smells amazing!”

That was Granny Li’s specialty—she recognized it at once.

“Yours is pretty good too,” she said, looking at Ye Sui, pretending to reluctantly praise him as well.

Ye Sui smiled. “Getting a ‘satisfactory’ from the princess is enough.”

“Stop pretending, you.”

They had a lively lunch.

When Ye Sui arrived, many people in the neighborhood had seen him and knew he was Li Pushu’s boyfriend. Now they were all curious.

After lunch, the doorbell rang repeatedly. Many neighbors came over—it was summer vacation, and a group of retired seniors had plenty of free time to visit each other.

Over at the Mengs’ place, Grandma Meng came back from outside and had even run into Ye Sui briefly.

She’d glanced at the photo last night, but seeing him in person—no filters or beauty mode—he was indeed a tall, handsome guy with an extraordinary presence.

He was taller than Meng Ci, and compared to Meng Ci’s thinner, pale-faced look, Ye Sui’s casual clothes couldn’t hide his robust physique. In that comparison, it was clear who seemed more reliable and dependable. Just by appearance, Ye Sui was the clear winner.

This made Grandma Meng barely manage a polite nod. In a bad mood, she went home and made lunch, and then the grandfather and grandson, who had been playing chess, came over to eat.

At the table, she brought it up, sounding a bit jealous. She didn’t have strong opinions, just felt that Li Pushu was really lucky in life.

An orphan with a beautiful face, who had met Teacher Li and many good people in the neighborhood, got into a good university, and found a good partner—how many people could be that lucky?

So in the end, no matter how good things are, being born lucky is better. Fate is predetermined, and good fortune is something to envy.

As she talked, Grandma Meng felt a little regretful. “Pushu is a blessed girl. It would’ve been perfect if she’d married into our Meng family. But we were too late. I wish I’d set A Ci up with her earlier. Growing up together would’ve created a special bond.”

Yes, after thinking it over, she felt that Li Pushu carried good fortune. If she married into the Meng family, it would mean the Meng family’s fortune would also improve, washing away those old scandals that made them hang their heads in shame.

But now, thinking about it was pointless. Li Pushu already had a partner, and he seemed pretty decent.

Besides, in her eyes, her own grandson was the best. How could she let her grandson be with a woman who had already been with another man?

With that thought, Grandma Meng gave up that idea. After all, it was someone else’s business, not her granddaughter’s.

Grandpa Meng shared her thoughts. But given his daughter’s situation, he still disliked such overly beautiful women coming into the Meng family—they’d be trouble. So he took a sip of soup and said, “Nonsense. A Ci is still young; there are plenty of good girls out there. No rush.”

Grandpa Meng had the final say, so Grandma Meng kept quiet. Seeing the two men's bowls were empty, she refilled them and went back to eating.

“Sister Li and I are just acquaintances; I see myself as an older brother. You’re overthinking, Grandma,” Meng Ci said with a smile. “Grandpa and Grandma have watched Sister Li grow up. How about we go visit the Li family later? Take a look at that guy—if he’s good, you can rest assured.”

Grandma Meng did want to see. She felt she had to find some flaw to ease her mind, so she agreed, but she made sure to say it nicely.

“That makes sense. After all, we’ve watched Pushu grow up. Young girls can be easily deceived and misjudge people. As elders, we should help her assess.”

So it was decided.

Meng Ci lowered his eyes, his gaze filled with many thoughts, some of them cold.

He hadn’t known until last night that Li Pushu already had a man. Of course, it was normal for such a beautiful woman to have a boyfriend—it would be strange if she didn’t.

What surprised him was that the man he heard about was just some ordinary guy, not some rich, powerful rich kid who could match Li Pushu. It seemed her standards were that low. The narrower her horizons, the better for him.

Just an ordinary guy from a simple background with a bit of success—once the Su family was in his grasp, dealing with him would be easy.

After lunch, they grabbed some fruit and headed over to the Li house.

At that time, the Li house was also buzzing with many of Granny Li’s close friends. Surrounded by everyone, Ye Sui handled all kinds of questions with ease.

Hearing the doorbell, Li Pushu took a bite of her apple and went to answer the door. She saw Grandma Meng and Meng Ci standing at the entrance. Startled for a second, she then put on a smile and politely said, “Granny Meng, you’re too kind. You shouldn’t have brought fruit. Come on in, quickly. Granny Wang and the others are here too.”

As for Meng Ci, she deliberately pretended not to see him, and he didn’t seem to mind. Still smiling lightly, he nodded and said hello: “Sister Li, Granny Li...”

Like a well-behaved kid, he greeted everyone by name. He remembered everyone correctly, showing respect and care, which won over the elders.

But when he saw Ye Sui, his gaze paused, a bit unsure how to address him. "Hello, I'm Meng Ci." He smiled and politely held out his hand.

"Ye Sui."

The two shook hands. Ye Sui also wore a polite smile on his face, but he secretly increased the strength in his hand. To outsiders, it wasn't noticeable, but he did it on purpose, obviously.

Fuck!

Meng Ci clenched his jaw. He couldn't say "You're gripping too tight, you're doing it on purpose," because how could he do such an embarrassing thing?

After the two released their hands, Meng Ci's expression was very natural, but his withdrawn hand was trembling slightly. Invisible, yet the pain stirred resentment in his heart.

Fuck! How the hell did this guy do that? He's so strong!

Ye Sui feigned concern, "Mr. Meng, are you feeling unwell? Your face is so pale, you seem very weak. Do you want to go back and get some sleep?"

No matter how much Meng Ci tried to hide it, the bone-deep pain seeped into his marrow, causing a flicker of emotion to cross his face. His already pale complexion made him look somewhat weak.

This comparison made the difference immediately apparent.

Li Pushu turned away and stifled a laugh.

She certainly knew that with Ye Sui's jealous and petty nature, since Meng Ci had come to him, how could he not take the chance to collect some interest?

Meng Ci still managed a smile, "It's nothing. I've been busy with work these past few days. When I went home, there was even more backlog. I've been working until midnight every day, so my energy is a bit lacking. I guess I need to find a better work-life balance."

"Yes, this child's work is busy. His grandfather and I feel sorry for him, but his future is also important. No matter how sorry we feel, we can't delay his work, so we just have to supplement his nutrition more." Grandma Meng chimed in to help.

Mentioning this topic, everyone shifted their attention. Nowadays, young people have high work pressure, often working overtime until very late and getting up early to go to work.

They all looked on with sympathy too—every family has its young people.

Meng Ci secretly let out a sigh of relief. Catching the contempt in Ye Sui's eyes, his breath felt tight, and he also knew that this man held grudges, deliberately messing with him for Li Pushu's sake.

He was still thinking of finding an opportunity to probe, when suddenly the conversation of those older women turned back to him.

Seeing the love between Ye Sui and Li Pushu, the older generation liked to prod young people about their love lives. Someone said, "Xiao Ye, do you know any suitable young men? You could introduce one to my unworthy granddaughter. She shouts every day that she only likes fictional characters and doesn't like real men. Listen, does that sound right?"

"I do know a few, but they're just average, not really suitable." Ye Sui shook his head with a smile, then looked at Meng Ci, "I'm not as outstanding as Mr. Meng either. He's already working at the Su Group as a department manager. The men he knows are all top professionals; the people he'd introduce would be top-notch."

Hearing the words "Su Group," which was too sensitive, Meng Ci's eyelids started twitching uncontrollably. He jerked his head up and stared at Ye Sui.