Chapter 227 - Encountered a Problem
Chapter 227 of "Super Soldier in the City" begins with suspense: Chapter 227: Chapter 228 Encountered a ProblemMichelle soon returned, and by then He Fangqing had... Donât stop reading!
Chapter 227: Chapter 228 Encountered a ProblemMichelle soon returned, and by then He Fangqing had also signed the document. Taking it from her, Michelle was ready to leave, followed immediately by Li Yifei leaving the office.
"Brother Li, Iâm really sorry. My reaction just now was... was far too intense. Please donât take it personally." Li Yifei was about to explain further when Michelle had already apologized to him.
Li Yifei awkwardly smiled and said, "Michelle, the one who should be apologizing is me. If I had phlegm stuck on me, I would be disgusted myself, let alone you."
Michelleâs smile sweetened as she replied, "Itâs really okay, you didnât do it on purpose. By the way, you should smoke less. Smoking is bad for your health, you know. Oh, and have you taken your medicine?"
"Iâve been smoking for so many years; quitting is easier said than done. I can get better without medication."
"Thatâs not okay. Iâll get you a couple of boxes of lozenges later. At the very least, they can protect your throat a bit more."
"No need!" Li Yifei hastily declined. He wasnât truly coughing, so why would he need any medicine?
"Alright then, Iâm just about to go out to buy some things. Iâll bring them back for you when I return."
Michelle was resolute, so Li Yifei could only say thank you. Only then did she seem content and parted ways with him.
Just before closing time, Michelle brought the medicine to Li Yifei. He was thinking of just casually putting it away when Michelle insisted, "You have to carry this medicine with you and have one now."
Li Yifei couldnât refuse Michelleâs kindness, and saying he wasnât coughing at all wasnât exactly true. Wouldnât that mean what got onto Michelle wasnât phlegm? He obediently opened the packaging and put a lozenge in his mouth.
Michelleâs smile instantly blossomed like a flower. "Thatâs more like it. Youâre a grown man who doesnât know how to take care of himself."
Li Yifei chuckled, "Youâre the one who knows how to take care of people, Michelle."
Michelle squinted her eyes, her cheeks tinged slightly red, and said, "Brother Li, if thereâs anything you need help with, just let me know. I might not have great powers, but doing some washing and household chores is no problem for me."
Li Yifei felt there was something amiss with her words. Laundry and housework were tasks typically done by a girlfriend. Could it be that Michelle was confessing something to him?
Feeling Li Yifeiâs puzzled gaze, Michelle suddenly became a bit bashful, gave an awkward smile, and said, "Brother Li, now that you have a girlfriend, you probably donât need my help with these things. Anyway, if thereâs a time you do need my help, just let me know."
Her words eased Li Yifeiâs mind, and he laughed lightly, "No problem, weâre good friends, arenât we?"
"Alright, Iâll be off then, call me if you need anything." Michelle turned and walked out of Li Yifeiâs office. But once she left, her lips pursed slightly in a pout. Li Yifeiâs reaction had truly disappointed her. Then she quickly pressed her lips together, clenched her fist, and with a determined look, she glanced back at Li Yifeiâs office before departing.
When it was time to leave work, Li Yifei was getting ready to leave when Xu Yingying called him.
"Iâm already at the airport, come pick me up."
"Werenât you coming back tomorrow?" Li Yifei asked in surprise.
"With my parents here, how can I be in the mood to stay in Capital City? After speaking to Miss Su, I decided to come back early."
"Okay then, Iâll be right there."
Half an hour later, Xu Yingying was sitting in Li Yifeiâs car, frowning. The sudden arrival of her parents had clearly caught her off guard. Even with a dayâs notice, she still felt this issue was rather tricky.
"Why the long face? Didnât you say youâd get a fake marriage certificate to trick them?" Li Yifei glanced at Xu Yingying and asked.
Xu Yingying looked at Li Yifei and said, "Yes, but Iâm afraid they might not leave in a hurry."
Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "Then let them stay a while longer. Donât you, as their daughter, want your parents around?"
Xu Yingying countered, "Do you want them to stay longer?"
Li Yifei shrugged his shoulders, "Of course not. If they stay here, my life wonât be as free."
Miss Xu Yingying squinted her eyes at Li Yifei and said, "It seems that with them here, youâll have to sleep in the same room with me. Arenât you looking forward to something?"
"Is there anything to look forward to?" Li Yifei asked amusedly, looking at Xu Yingying.
Xu Yingying raised an eyebrow and said, "I remember somebody used to give quite a terrifying look when he shared a room with me."
Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Times change, donât they? Back then, looking at you, I was taking advantage, but now looking at you, Iâm afraid of taking responsibility, so no, Iâm not looking forward to it."
Xu Yingyingâs face immediately darkened. That damn Li Yifei was really blunt with his words, and quite demoralizing too. Now she appeared to be the one clinging to him. As a proud CEO with countless suitors, it was truly embarrassing.
The two quickly arrived at Xu Yingyingâs house where her parents and Xu Shanshan were chatting at home.
"Yingying, why are you back so soon? Donât you have work to do?" Xu Yingyingâs mother immediately asked with concern.
Xu Yingying smiled and sat next to her mother, saying, "You all came over, of course, I wanted to spend time with you."
Her mother, beaming with joy, said, "Mom doesnât need your company. If you were really thinking about that, you wouldnât be always so busy with work. You should spend more time with Yifei, and giving mom a grandchild sooner would be the best."
Xu Yingying was instantly embarrassed. Her mother was becoming more anxious. Before bringing Li Yifei home, she was being pushed to find a boyfriend. After meeting Li Yifei, it was all about urging them to get married. And now, as the marriage was getting closer, the pressure had moved on to having children.
At this point, Xu Shanshan chuckled and said, "Mom, I totally support you. You should definitely give her an ultimatum to get pregnant this year, to have a child."
Xu Yingying glared at her, while Li Yifei also felt a jolt of fear. If Xu Yingyingâs mother really resorted to that tactic, it would be a real headache. Marriage certificates can be faked, but how do you fake having a child?
And just as feared, Xu Yingyingâs motherâs eyes lit up with glee as she said, "Shanshanâs idea is good. Iâm telling you, Yifei and Yingying, you must have a child this year. You have to understand, once a woman ages, she passes the prime age for childbearing. Itâs best to have children before thirty; beyond that, it gets more difficult and dangerous. Complications with childbirth at an older age â you educated people should understand this. Also, the sooner you raise kids, the better off you are. Like your father and me, we had kids early. I had you when I was twenty-three. By the time you went to college, I was just over forty, and still in good shape to have fun with your dad. If you have kids late, youâll be old by the time theyâre grown, and it becomes harder to take care of them..."
Xu Yingyingâs mother had a whole series of arguments about childbirth, leaving Li Yifei and herself speechless and overwhelmed, as if not getting pregnant right now would be a huge mistake.
Xu Shanshan couldnât help but sneak a laugh on the side. Her motherâs killer move had always been big trouble for her and Xu Yingying since they were kids. Once she started, thereâd be no end to it for at least half an hour.
"By the way, are you two using birth control now? Let me tell you, youâre not allowed to do that anymore. Getting pregnant isnât guaranteed just because you want to. Some couples take a year and a half or longer to conceive. By the time you really want a child, who knows how long it will take, so itâs best to start trying now. Whenever it happens, it happens."
Li Yifei almost burst into laughter. This faux mother-in-law was really something, able to discuss such a topic openly, clearly desperate for a grandchild.
At that moment, Xu Yingying was even more embarrassed. It was already mortifying to talk about having children, and now they were discussing birth control. If her mother kept going, she might even start detailing how to get pregnant or the best times for intercourse. In desperation, she pleaded with a pained expression, "Mom, Iâve just gotten back and Iâm still hungry. Can we have dinner first?"
Xu Zhenguo then interjected, "You old woman, this isnât something to rush. Letâs talk about it slowly. Letâs cook and eat first."
Li Yifei quickly stood up and said, "Iâll do the cooking. Uncle and Aunt, please take a rest."
Xu Yingying, remarkably, also stood up and said, "Iâll help." She hurriedly followed Li Yifei into the kitchen.
Once in the kitchen, Li Yifei couldnât help but laugh out loud. Xu Yingying, annoyed, glared at him and asked, "Whatâs so funny?"
Li Yifei, struggling to suppress his laughter, said, "Your mom is formidable. Iâm actually wondering where youâre going to find a fake grandchild for them."
At the mention of this, Xu Yingying felt a headache coming on. She couldnât reason with her persistent mother. She wouldnât have resorted to a fake boyfriend if not for her motherâs nagging. If she chose not to have children, her mother would surely revert to her daily calls, just like before she had a boyfriend.
"Letâs just cook already instead of laughing at jokes. You wonât be able to escape it either," Xu Yingying said despondently as she tore the leaves off the vegetables, as if she had a great grudge against them.
Li Yifei quickly snatched the vegetables from her, saying, "You better rest. At the rate youâre picking vegetables, weâll have none left to eat."
Then, he turned to Xu Yingying with a mischievous smile and said, "How about we make one for your parents?"
"You..." Xu Yingyingâs face fell, and she glared at Li Yifei fiercely, as if she might devour him.
But then, Li Yifei flashed an ecstatic smile, realizing from Xu Yingyingâs reaction that she didnât really like him. Otherwise, she wouldnât have reacted as if the idea insulted her so deeply.