Chapter 127: Little Li is Dating?
I don’t know where Jin Shi Yue found the auntie, but she lived nearby. She was kind, had a friendly face, and was an excellent cook. Most importantly, she made a superb bowl of noodles.
A single coin can stump a hero; a bowl of noodles directly won over Lian Li’s heart.
In the early morning, Lian Li sat at the dining table, scrolling through group messages on her mobile phone.
Shen Huaining was flying abroad today; Zhong Yang’s aunt and uncle were returning from overseas, so their plan to visit the island was temporarily shelved, expected to happen in early spring; Wen Zhixing and Meng Yi’s wedding was set for April, the season of spring blossoms.
Aunt Deng, wearing an apron, was around forty years old, about the same age as Lian Li’s mother, and looked extremely kind and gentle.
She brought a steaming bowl of beef noodle soup to Lian Li and said with a smile, “I’ve also steamed some steamed buns; they’ll be ready soon.”
Lian Li picked up the glass cup beside her and took a sip of milk, smiling, “Mm.”
She picked up her chopsticks, stirred the noodles, and was about to eat.
Just then, the doorbell rang.
Lian Li glanced at the monitor and saw who was standing outside the door, and couldn’t help but be stunned.
Aunt Deng poked her head out from the kitchen, “I’ll get it.”
“No need,” Lian Li put down her chopsticks and stood up, “I’ll get it.”
Aunt Deng watched her retreating back and smiled warmly as she returned to the kitchen.
Lian Li walked to the door with a calm heart.
The door opened, and Jin Yan Ting saw her. The deep and calm pupils of his eyes softened slightly.
His face looked no different than usual, his handsome features sharp, though his expression carried a hint of weariness.
“Brother, why are you here?” Lian Li’s voice was soft and sweet, her face always adorned with a faint smile, making it impossible to find fault.
Jin Yan Ting’s arm was draped with his suit jacket, his gaze subtly appraising her, as clean and delicate as ever.
He composed himself, his voice hoarse from smoking, “I was passing by, just came to see you.”
When Lian Li lived in the apartment before, Jin Yan Ting would occasionally join her for breakfast in the morning. It was considered sibling affection, and Lian Li didn’t think much of it.
She invited him in. As Jin Yan Ting passed the entryway, his peripheral vision caught sight of the shoe rack, noticing a brand-new pair of men’s slippers.
A flicker of darkness crossed his eyes as he asked, “Did Xiao Li get a boyfriend?”
Lian Li’s mind raced. She immediately remembered Jin Shi Yue’s shoes were openly displayed on the shoe rack. She turned her head and responded calmly.
“No.”
She didn’t say anything more, and Jin Yan Ting didn’t ask.
If the young girl said no, then it was no. As for the purpose of the shoes, she had her own considerations.
“Have you had breakfast?” Lian Li asked.
Jin Yan Ting replied in a deep voice, “Not yet.”
“I was just about to have breakfast. Would you like to eat here?” Lian Li, extending the hospitality of a host, inquired.
Jin Yan Ting nodded, “Mm.”
Jin Yan Ting sat down at the dining table. Lian Li walked to the kitchen and said to Aunt Deng, “Aunt Deng, please serve another bowl of noodles.”
Aunt Deng replied, “Coming right up!”
Aunt Deng was efficient. Just as Lian Li poured Jin Yan Ting a glass of water, she came out with the noodles.
Lian Li and Jin Yan Ting sat facing each other at the wooden dining table. The latter elegantly picked up his chopsticks, looked at the former, and asked calmly, “Was Aunt Xu not to your liking?”
He was referring to why she had hired a new auntie.
Aunt Deng was hired by Jin Shi Yue, so Lian Li couldn’t tell the truth.
“Aunt Xu is a very good person, and there were no issues with her work, but she lived too far away,” Lian Li said at a steady pace. “Aunt Deng lives nearby, so it’s very convenient for her to come cook and clean, and she’s not expensive.”
Hearing this, Jin Yan Ting had a new consideration: Aunt Deng was different from Aunt Xu in that the former was not part of the Jin family, thus avoiding surveillance from the family.
Jin Yan Ting hummed in acknowledgment and then ate his noodles in silence.
Lian Li’s dark, bright eyes gently rotated as she glanced at Jin Yan Ting opposite her.
It was normal for the older generation of the Jin family to dislike her; from a status perspective, their gap was indeed significant.
On one hand, Lian Jingcheng was the Jin family’s driver. Benefiting from Old Master Jin’s kindness, he had established a foothold in the Capital City, allowing him to care for his daughter while looking for her mother.
On the other hand, Jin Yan Ting disliked her, and her relationship with Jin Shi Yue was merely a six-month encounter.
Lian Li, from the bottom of her heart, rejected the Jin family, a powerful and influential family that everyone yearned for.
The Jin family had been kind to her and her father, so she would not do anything to harm them.
No matter from what angle, Jin Zhengchuan had no need to worry about her.
When Lian Li was reading Somerset Maugham’s “The Razor’s Edge” before, she saw a quote: “Dare to do it, and don’t be afraid. No one cares, and even if someone does, what are people anyway?”
For things she had decided on, she was not afraid, but for uncertain matters, she could not afford to gamble.
She had things she must do and her own dignity.
After finishing the bowl of noodles, Aunt Deng brought the steamed beef buns to the dining table.
Jin Yan Ting glanced at the thin, steaming heat and said to Lian Li, “Before school starts, come with me to visit Elder Mei.”
Lian Li agreed, “Okay.”
Jin Yan Ting’s initial intention in bringing her to meet Elder Mei was quite clear: to pave the way for her.
After all, Elder Mei held a special position, and many officials and businessmen had been his students. Adhering to the principle of respecting teachers, those close to Elder Mei, the high-ranking individuals, would naturally look highly upon Lian Li.
It was precisely because of his various attentions and willingness to help that Lian Li had mistakenly thought Jin Yan Ting was interested in her before. Indeed, she had overthought it.
Jin Yan Ting’s kindness towards her had nothing to do with romantic feelings. Perhaps there were some feelings over the years, but at most, it was sibling affection.
“Are you performing in Shanghai next week?”
Assistant He was well-informed about Lian Li’s performances and often reported to Jin Yan Ting, so it wasn’t surprising he knew.
Lian Li nodded, “Mm, there are two shows; they were scheduled before the performance.”
Jin Yan Ting said, “No need to buy plane tickets. Come with me then.”
Lian Li looked up at him.
Jin Yan Ting said, “Official business.”
Official business = going out of the way.
Lian Li didn’t overthink it; she was just a little curious about what he was going to Shanghai for.
Jin Yan Ting was not a playboy, so he wouldn’t be going to Shanghai for leisure. Wherever he went, there must be a pursuit of profit.
Lian Li had once asked Xue Shufan if he didn’t feel tired.
Xue Shufan said that he yearned for power and loved high positions. He might get tired, but it would definitely be a happy kind of tired. People are tireless when it comes to things they like. Would those who gain benefits dislike having more benefits? No.
People always like to find flaws in those who are more excellent than themselves. For example, what if he had so much power and money, but no one truly cared about him.
Lian Li collected her thoughts, “Okay.”
Finally, she asked again, “Can I see Lu Hansheng? He still owes me money.”
There was a saying in their circles: the foremost of the hundred-year-old families were the Jin family of the Capital City and the Lu family of Shanghai. Lu Hansheng was the person in power of the Lu family.
If the young girl was going to collect a debt, Lu Hansheng was likely in for trouble.
Hearing this, Jin Yan Ting smiled faintly, “If you want to, you can.”
It was during this faint smile that his peripheral vision caught sight of a pocket square placed on the sofa not far away.
It looked somewhat familiar.
Was he mistaken?
