Mister Li, the Heart Bandit

All three turned their eyes together towards Ji Weixi and Li Shaoling upon their arrival.

Li Shaoling stayed impassive the moment he entered the house while exuding a forbidding coldness around him.

He helped Ji Weixi take a seat before looking up to meet Li Nanhai’s eyes, before turning away with slight insolence.

Upset, Li Nanhai slapped one of the tables. “Not even a word after seeing me?!”

“I have nothing to say.” Li Shaoling said neutrally.

It was a simple exchange that revealed that father and son were on bad terms.

Li Nanhai’s eyes went red, but he turned to glare at Ji Weixi.

She was about to speak first, intending to afford him courteous greeting but Li Nanhai beat her to it.

“You don’t have to introduce yourself,” he snorted coldly. “I recognize you!”

That left Ji Weixi speechless.

‘Aren’t you thinking too much? I only wanted to say hello—it’s not an interview, who would bother to self-introduce here?’

Nonetheless, she smiled. “Greetings.”

“You are quite something, woman,” Li Nanhai said, mocking her despite appearing to be offering praise. “But I must thank you for birthing a male heir to the Li family.”

Ji Weixi’s smile only grew wider. “You flatter me.”

Old Madam Li promptly shot her a glare. What a thick-faced woman, just as she thought.

Still, she wisely held her tongue despite her fury against Ji Weixi, since she almost met God the last time she was enraged.

That woman had quite the mouth.

Couldn’t afford to provoke her.

Meanwhile, Li Nanhai narrowed his eyes. “I’m not flattering you.”

Ji Weixi smiled humbly. “I know. I’m just acknowledging that you praised me.”

It was Li Nanhai’s turn to be speechless this time.

He could not help but frown to study Ji Weixi again.

An expensive, exclusive necklace adorned her white neck, while the bangle passed down over generations in the Li family was hanging on her wrist.

Li Nanhai turned to Old Madam Li in disbelief. “Mother, how did that bangle...”

“Oh, this bangle...” Ji Weixi tried to speak out, but Li Shaoling covered her wrist with his palm, leveling a cruel gaze on Old Madam Li. “Grandma likes Weixi as her daughter-law, doesn’t she? She couldn’t wait to give her that bangle. Right, Grandma?”

Old Madam Li felt chills under his glare. She knew that he was threatening her.

What he said that night still rang in her ears. She understood that he loved Ji Weixi and therefore must not be crossed.

Moreover, Li Shaoling was now the head of the family, and she could never win against the sentiment towards him despite her greater authority.

That was the same thing for the generations of monarchs across ancient times: ascension requires not only measures but also the sentiments of the people.

Old Madam Li took a deep breath, swallowing her reluctance while nodding in admission.

“Heh.” Li Nanhai sneered unhappily. “You’re really on Shaoling’s side, Mother. You gave him control over the family, along with CBS and even approve of his woman. His child would also be the next head, then?”

That attitude made it clear that Li Nanhai disliked Li Shaoling, and never even looked him straight in the eye.

Old Madam Li’s face dropped. However, she averted her eyes and cleared her throat, unwilling to reply. “Xiao Yu, take me upstairs. I need to rest!”

“Yes, Madam.”

Right after Old Madam Li was wheeled away by Xiao Yu, Li Nanhai stopped beating around the bush immediately. “Shaoling, your brother had come back to work as vice-president at the company. You know that Shaogan has a great business mind, and you must be tired of running the company alone. I believe Shaogan could help you a lot so that you can have an easier time. Moreover, a partnership between you brothers would push the company to new heights!”

Ji Weixi had always thought that business matters were boring, often drawing a blank during such conversations.

Still, she could understand this time.

Even a fool would understand why Li Nanhai was mysteriously acting in Li Shaoling’s best interest and ‘afraid’ that he would tire himself: it was to plant Li Shaogan at Li Shaoling’s side, helping him right until an opportunity presents itself and Li Shaogan would claim the seat of power.

Li Shaoling understood too but simply smiled. “Sure, but Shaogan’s feet aren’t in good shape and he’s in poor health, so he should be careful.”

He emphasized on ‘be careful’ heavily.

Meanwhile, Li Shaogan moved his wheelchair closer to him and smiled—a look that leaves others uneasy. “Be rest assured. We’re brothers, I’ll support you as best as I can.”

On the other hand, Li Shaoling stared down at him disdainfully before turning away.

The air was filled with the scent of gunpowder.

At the same time, Ji Weixi’s hips were hurting even more. She shifted a little to change her sitting, and looked up to find Li Shaogan looking at her with smiling eyes.

It was a chilling smile.

“Greetings, Sister-in-law. I’m Li Shaogan.”

Li Shaogan offered his hand, but Li Shaoling spoked coldly even as Ji Weixi hesitated on whether she should take it. “Shake on it if you don’t want that hand anymore.”

“Brother, why are you still behaving like that?” Li Shaogan withdrew his hand helplessly and shook his head. “Here I was, worrying that you won’t marry. But now...”

Pausing, he glanced at Ji Weixi meaningfully. “I believe that I was worrying too much.”

Ji Weixi averted her eyes, completely unwilling to look straight at him.

There was an eccentric, unfathomable element in how Li Shaogan spoke. Furthermore, Ji Weixi felt strange inward chills whenever he smiled with that face brimming with wildness and danger.

He was perhaps not one to be crossed either.

Meanwhile, sensing that Ji Weixi was uncomfortable, Li Shaoling put an arm over her shoulder and stroked her hair. “I’ll make you some ginger water.”

“Okay.” Ji Weixi nodded, watching as he headed to the kitchen.

What an exit. Now she could clearly feel that she was about to be killed by two wolves...

Li Nanhai took a sip of his tea and threw her a sharp look. “You’re Ji Xiangdong’s daughter, right?” He asked.

“Yes.”

It was the undeniable truth even if she felt ashamed to admit it.

“Xia Jie is your mother, correct?”

Ji Weixi nodded again. “Yes.”

“She was my friend when she was alive.”

While Ji Weixi was left taken aback, Li Nanhai’s gaze turned distant. “Xia Jie had always been a kind person, so kind that she never ever thought for herself... She is a fine woman, but it’s a pity that she actually married Ji Xiangdong...”

Then, turning to Ji Weixi, Li Nanhai’s said meaningfully, “I’m not surprised that you would cross paths with Shaoling, of course, you two had...”

He then paused, seemingly aware that he had spoken too much and managed to catch himself halfway in time.

His eyes suddenly turned cold. “I had a good relationship with your mother, of course, but that doesn’t mean that I approve of you. I believe I must have spoken to you before I returned, which is why I won’t repeat myself—you would understand.”

“Father, it’s as if you’re saying that Brother and Sister-in-law are a suffering couple.” Li Shaogan said, looking at Ji Weixi with an inscrutable smile. “Don’t be afraid, Sister-in-law—that’s how Father is. And I definitely approve even if everyone else doesn’t approve you being with Brother. Or what, are we supposed to separate you two when you already share a child?”

Ji Weixi would have been happy if any other person was saying that.

But that person was Li Shaogan.

Why was there a nagging feeling that he was having a moment of schadenfreude, as if he was watching a movie?