Chapter 27 - Past Engagement

After dinner, Liu Tiezhu cleaned up the bowls and chopsticks and headed into the kitchen to wash the dishes, while Ye Fan and Li Zhaojun sat on the wooden chairs in the living room, chatting with the old master.

Old Master Li looked at Ye Fan and Li Zhaojun, who appeared distant in body and soul, and said with concern, “Girl, Xiao Fan, now that you’re married, you’re a couple bound by destiny.

You must understand and support each other.”

“Grandpa, we understand.

Ye Fan and I are growing closer,” Li Zhaojun quickly said, and then swiftly exchanged a glance with Ye Fan.

Catching Li Zhaojun’s signal, Ye Fan immediately obliged with a smile and said, “That’s right, our feelings are growing stronger.

We hope to have a big, chubby boy to show you by this time next year.”

“Why not a daughter?!” Li Zhaojun couldn’t help but retort.

Ye Fan, not willing to back down, said, “Because I have a feeling it’ll be a son.”

“Preference for boys over girls, such feudal thinking!” Li Zhaojun huffed.

The two of them went back and forth, and their tempers began to flare.

Old Master Li coughed twice, and Ye Fan and Li Zhaojun snapped out of it, quickly suppressing their anger.

“Haha, actually, whether it’s a boy or a girl doesn’t matter.

Daughters are more adorable, after all.

It’s said that a daughter is her daddy’s lover from a past life.” Ye Fan changed tack with a smile and even intentionally reached over to gently hold Li Zhaojun’s hand.

Li Zhaojun’s hand stiffened momentarily, but she quickly forced a smile and said, “A son is very good too.”

Old Master Li could see through Ye Fan and Li Zhaojun’s act, but at least they knew to play nice in front of him, which meant there was still hope.

“You two,” Old Master Li said with a sigh, shaking his head.

Ye Fan and Li Zhaojun simultaneously gave Old Master Li an ingratiating smile to keep the old man from worrying.

Old Master Li began reminiscing and said, “You two have a bit of an age gap, but that’s fate.

Back in the day, Zhao Jun’s mother and Xiao Fan’s mother were pregnant at the same time…”

“Hold on, Grandpa.

How could my mom be pregnant at the same time as her mom?

Aren’t you mistaken?” Ye Fan couldn’t help but interrupt Old Master Li.

He didn’t have any older brothers or sisters, just one son.

Old Master Li shook his head and said, “I’m not senile yet.

Your mother did indeed get pregnant at the same time as the girl’s mother.

Your dad and the girl’s dad were very good friends; of course, your grandfather and I also came out of the same trench.

Back then, an old Chinese medicine doctor took their pulses and found out that your mother was carrying a boy, and the girl’s mother was carrying a girl, so they arranged a marriage for you two.”

“No way!

So you’re telling me I stayed in my mom’s belly for four years!” Ye Fan found this unbelievable.

Old Master Li couldn’t help but laugh, scolding, “You think you’re Nezha?

Staying in your mother’s womb for four years!

That’s because later on, your mother had an accident and miscarried.”

“Oh, I see.

But I’ve never heard my mom talk about this,” Ye Fan suddenly realized.

Old Master Li continued, “Four years later, you were born.

After your birth, your grandfather and your dad immediately came to me and said to continue with the earlier marriage arrangement, which is why you ended up marrying Zhao Jun.”

“Oh, I see,” Ye Fan replied, but deep down, he felt some resentment towards his grandfather and father: This marriage arrangement had nothing to do with me, yet they forced it upon me.

Didn’t they consider how I felt?

A four-year age difference!

After discussing the marriage arrangement, they moved on to other topics.

It was a little past eight in the evening when Ye Fan and Li Zhaojun were preparing to leave, and the old Master Li called Li Zhaojun into his study for a private talk.

In the study, it was obvious that the old Master Li was somewhat lacking in energy.

He said to Li Zhaojun, “Girl, your father died young; he was lost to us when you were two years old during the Self-Defense Counter-Attack against Vietnam.

Out of all my grandchildren, I put the most thought into looking after you.

And you’ve made me proud, never letting the family down, and now you’ve even achieved a measure of success in business.”

“Your mother has limited abilities, and being a girl, you have always been marginalized by your uncles and male cousins in the family.

Now, the Li family tree has indeed grown large and deeply rooted, yet you rarely received help from it,” he continued.

“Now that I’m not well, and once I’m gone, there will be even fewer people to look after you.”

“Fortunately, the Ye family is honorable and has allowed Ye Fan to renew the marriage arrangement that should have ended.

Knowing that Ye Fan will take care of you allows me to leave this world with peace of mind.”

Li Zhaojun bit her lower lip slightly and responded with a touch of defiance, “Grandfather, I can take care of myself.”

Ye Fan take care of me?

With what he’s capable of?

I’d have to divide my attention to take care of him, that’s the truth!

She thought bitterly to herself.

Old Master Li shook his head and said, “Society is complex, not as wonderful as you think.

If you were an ordinary person, you could live a passable life under the shadow of the Li family, though not necessarily a glorious one.”

“However, you are competitive and strong-willed, and truly outstanding, which inevitably means that you face far greater and more numerous problems than the average woman.”

“Granted, you practically started from scratch and built up the Emali Group, so your capabilities speak for themselves.

But you ought to realize that the Li family has deterred many villains on your behalf,” the old man said.

Li Zhaojun fell silent.

She did acknowledge that the influence of the Li family had sheltered her for twenty-six years.

Having been crowned the most beautiful woman in Hua Hai, she was strong, prominent, and many men coveted her beauty in secret.

Yet because she was from the Li family, those lustful men only dared to pursue her through normal means, never resorting to force or schemes.

Without the Li family’s protection, all the covetous wolves in the shadows would come out in the open, threatening, coercing, or setting traps, leaving her with nothing in the end.

Old Master Li didn’t rush her, allowing Li Zhaojun a moment of reflection.

After two or three minutes, Old Master Li asked, “Girl, it seems you look down on Ye Fan?”

“I…” Li Zhaojun lowered her head, indicating tacit agreement.

Old Master Li said seriously, “Ye Fan is completely worthy of you, and more than capable.

Even without considering his family background, his own abilities make him a suitable match.

He is a man capable of protecting you.

To be honest, in this marriage, we are the ones gaining the advantage.

So, you should curb your temper and be nicer to him.”

Li Zhaojun bit her delicate, soft lower lip, struggling to hold back her words, feeling extremely unconvinced and even starting to wonder if her grandfather was really getting too old.

“Protect me?

Lazy, superficial, immature, frivolous, shameless, and lascivious, a total wastrel, not even as good as a spoiled brat, how can he be a match for me?

Without the Ye family’s power, he’s not even worthy of one of my fingers!” she fumed silently.

Returning to the villa, Li Zhaojun did not immediately go upstairs but instead stared coldly at Ye Fan.

She was curious to see what was so exceptional about him, whether he had some unique qualities that made her grandfather think she didn’t match up to him.

“Hey, why are you staring at me like that?” Ye Fan deliberately posed in what he believed was his most handsome posture, a smug grin on his face, “Have you suddenly realized how handsome and manly your husband is, haha, don’t worry, we live under the same roof, you’ll have plenty of chances to admire my handsome face and my tall and suave figure.

Hahaha…”

Li Zhaojun held back her disgust, barely keeping the dinner she had eaten from coming back up.

“Boring!

Childish!” She scoffed disdainfully and turned arrogantly toward the stairs, leaving him behind.