Chapter 18: Setup

Li Beinian spoke smilingly.

However, Li Haoran felt that her smile was mirthless and he could sense the disappointment and grief within her.

Staring at Li Beinian’s face, he could not help but find that she resembled her mother.

Li Haoran’s heart wrenched up and he suddenly felt a little guilty and remorseful.

Li Beinian’s mother passed away a year after being diagnosed with depression out of grief over her child’s abduction. He had also once felt rather morose about it but his agony faded away over time.

After all, his late spouse was introduced to him by his mother and he married her casually since he did not fancy anyone else.

However, he met Fang Zhili after his wife passed away and spent plenty of time with her. Over time, he started to forget about his late spouse.

Now, his daughter was right in front of him. No matter how distant they were from each other, she was still his biological flesh and blood.

Li Haoran felt rather upset to hear that she wanted to cut off all ties with him.

Staring at Li Beinian, Li Haoran chided with a petulant expression. “It’s just acting as Xueqing’s stunt double. If you don’t want to do it, just don’t. Why are you talking about death? You’re going to let your mother down.”

Fang Zhili did not expect Li Haoran to react that way. She looked at him in bewilderment before making eye contact with him.

For the first time, he seemed to be warning her with his stern gaze!

Throughout the past 10-odd years of their marriage, he had never looked at her that way before!

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Despite feeling rather hurt, Fang Zhili could not express her emotions on the surface. She smiled and said, “Yeah, Niannian, it’s a blessing that you get to come home. Don’t say such words again from now on. We’re family. If you don’t want to do it, forget it. Xueqing was just doing it for your own good. She wanted you to go out there and see the world but since you’re not willing to, forget it.”

“Thanks, I’m not willing to,” Li Beinian said smilingly in a harmless yet assertive tone.

The car soon pulled over and Li Haoran stood up. “Niannian, follow me to the study.”

Feeling a little bewildered, Li Beinian stared at the sullen expressions of her step-mother and step-sister before answering with a smirk, “Yes.”

She then alighted before them.

Li Xueqing gritted her teeth angrily while staring at Li Beinian’s back. She pulled her mother out of the car and said, “I really didn’t expect this wild lass to be so scheming as to make use of Father’s remorse towards her to make such a huge issue out of this. What am I supposed to do now that Father decided not to compel her into becoming my stunt double?”

“There are lots of people out there who are willing to take up the job. Go and look for someone else. As for this lass, there’ll be plenty of chances for us to deal with her!”

Still feeling indignant, Li Xueqing asked, “Mother, what do you think Father got her to go there for? Is he planning to arrange a role for her too?”

“That can’t be. I reckon he must be thinking of signing her up for lessons or letting her go to school. After all, she has been living with gangsters ever since she was a child. Don’t take these little tricks to heart. I’ll get your father to send her to school in a faraway place. We won’t be bothered then.”

“She’s already so old but I bet she hasn’t even graduated from high school. So will she be attending high school or university?” The thought of it made Li Xueqing burst into laughter. She added, “Actually, she deserves sympathy too. Forget it, let’s ignore her. Mother, I saw Mu Donglin at the poolside today. He’s really dashing!”

Fang Zhili’s eyes glistened and she asked, “You saw him? Did he speak to you?”

“Yes! Mother, why does that wild lass have such a dashing fiancé?” asked a smitten Li Xueqing.

“Do you like him?”

Li Xueqing blushed and nodded shyly.

Fang Zhili laughed and said after some thought, “Good that you do. Mu Donglin is now the most promising and outstanding youth of Guang City. He’s handsome and he comes from a good family. It would be a waste for him to marry the wild lass… ”