Chapter 47

After that day, Li Sipei started waiting again—still waiting for news from Mi Zhao.

However, before he received Mi Zhao’s reply, he first got a call from Madam Li.

“I heard you’re in a relationship?” Madam Li, who usually pretended to be gentle and kind, now had a sharp voice, almost questioning him.

Li Sipei was silent for a moment before he chuckled. “Your information is as well-connected as ever. Did Li Zhixuan tell you?”

“Doesn’t matter who told me. I’m asking you—is it true?” The situation was slipping out of her control, making Madam Li sound a little irritable, though she was doing her best to suppress it.

Li Sipei’s smile faded, and he answered in a deep voice, “Yes.”

“Who is it? Do I know them? When did you two start?” Madam Li fired off three questions in a row, her tone becoming increasingly forceful.

It seemed Li Zhixuan hadn’t revealed Mi Zhao’s identity yet.

But it didn’t matter. He had no intention of hiding it from Madam Li.

“He’s a student. You don’t know him. We met at the end of August, and we started dating at the end of August.” Since the accident, this was the first time Li Sipei had shown such patience with Madam Li. After all, she was still his biological mother, and he wanted to take this step to be honest with his family. “Also, he’s a man.”

The other end of the phone fell into a long silence.

Li Sipei didn’t care how Madam Li felt about it. He continued saying what he wanted to say: “If you’re willing, I can arrange for you to meet him, but not now.”

“You…” Madam Li struggled to find her voice. “When did you start liking men?”

“I don’t know.” Li Sipei thought for a moment. “Maybe when I confirmed our relationship.”

“……”

For a moment, Madam Li had no idea what to say.

Her mind went blank, and she almost forgot who she was and where she was. Her body wobbled, and she quickly sat on the armrest of the sofa to avoid falling.

Li Zhixuan had only told her that Li Sipei had been getting close to someone lately, that he was using his phone more often, going out frequently, and that almost all his outings were either to meet that person or to go somewhere with them.

Li Zhixuan hadn’t spelled it out, but she wasn’t senile—how could she not catch the implication?

She had assumed that person was a woman. But it turned out to be a man?!

The mental overload made it hard for her to process anything. In the past, she would have immediately bought a plane ticket and flown overnight to confront Li Sipei, demanding to know why he was with a man.

But now, listening to her son speak to her in a rare, warm, everyday tone, she found herself reluctant to destroy this moment.

Even after hanging up, she didn’t explode as she had expected. She simply sat on the sofa, dazed for a long time, slowly digesting this reality. Then, she dialed Li Zhixuan’s number.

—

Early the next morning.

Li Zhixuan knocked on the door of Li Sipei’s residence, looking utterly miserable. A few hours ago, he had received a call from Madam Li and had spent half the night talking with her. Then, a new order came—Madam Li was temporarily suspending his work and instructing him to focus on accompanying Li Sipei through his rehabilitation training.

Of course, keeping him company was secondary. The main task was to find out how Li Sipei and that young man had ended up together.

Madam Li had already gathered all the information she could, but she still couldn’t figure out how the two had fallen for each other. Their differences in age, family background, life experiences, and personalities were all significant.

Li Zhixuan wiped his face, thinking that Madam Li had really given him a tough assignment. The last person she had sent to Li Sipei’s side had already been reassigned to a development project in the southwest—doing all the hard, exhausting work.

After waiting for a while, Ruan Xin came to open the door.

Seeing the empty living room, with the people who had been here before nowhere in sight, he asked, “Where is everyone?”

“Third Master sent them back to the company,” Ruan Xin answered honestly. “He said I can handle things here alone.”

“And Third Master?”

Ruan Xin pointed inside. “He’s doing his rehabilitation training.”

“Huh?” Li Zhixuan glanced at his watch. “The doctors are here this early?”

Ruan Xin shook her head with a complicated expression. “He’s doing it himself.”

“……”

Li Zhixuan suddenly realized that Madam Li’s concerns weren’t unfounded. Their Third Master really seemed to have been enchanted by that young man. Fortunately, all his changes were for the better.

By the time Li Sipei finished his rehabilitation training, an hour had passed. With the central heating on indoors, he was only wearing a dress shirt, already drenched in sweat.

Li Zhixuan knew that Third Master had a slight obsession with cleanliness. Seeing him reach out, he quickly handed over the towel he had prepared.

But unexpectedly, Li Sipei’s hand bypassed the towel and continued reaching forward. “Phone.”

“……” Li Zhixuan looked like he had just seen a ghost, but only for a moment. When he saw Li Sipei’s face darken, he immediately coughed and respectfully handed over the phone from the table with both hands.

Li Sipei took the phone and quickly scrolled through it. Apparently, he found nothing, so he turned off the screen and then said, “Towel.”

Li Zhixuan cautiously observed Li Sipei’s clearly displeased expression. He lowered his gaze and held his tongue, quickly handing over the towel without daring to make a sound.

After Li Sipei finished showering and changing his clothes, more than an hour had passed. By ten o’clock, the sky was still gloomy, heavy clouds pressing low over the rooftops, as if they could collapse at any moment.

Even with the curtains drawn open, the lighting inside was insufficient, so Ruan Xin had to turn on the living room chandelier.

Li Zhixuan didn’t dare to sit on the sofa. He paced around the living room anxiously. When he saw Li Sipei coming out of the bedroom, leaning on a cane, his gaze lingered on the cane for several seconds before he hesitated to speak.

Li Sipei ignored him, sat on the sofa, and picked up his phone to check it again. He lingered on WeChat for nearly a minute before putting the phone down.

“My mom sent you?” Li Sipei didn’t look at Li Zhixuan, but his words were directed at him.

How could Li Zhixuan dare deny it? But he also didn’t dare to admit it outright, so he chuckled awkwardly. “Madam is worried about you.”

Li Sipei didn’t bother responding to that. Instead, he asked directly, “What did my mom send you here to do this time?”

“……”

Even though Li Sipei’s tone was perfectly normal, Li Zhixuan’s forehead broke out in cold sweat. Even Ruan Xin beside him cast a sympathetic glance his way.

Swallowing hard, he answered, “Madam heard about some of your personal matters. Since she’s far away and can’t ask directly, she sent me to find out…”

Li Sipei turned to him. “You mean, from you?”

“……”

Li Zhixuan immediately started sweating.

He knew Third Master would settle accounts with him!

If he had known, he would have delayed his visit. Now, he had walked right into the lion’s den!

He was doomed.

Would he be sent to the southwest to do hard labor next?

Just as Li Zhixuan was filled with despair, expecting his end, Li Sipei unexpectedly gave him a mild nod. “Come sit.”

Li Zhixuan froze for a moment before sitting across from him in shock, sitting as upright as a schoolboy trying to impress his teacher.

After Ruan Xin brought a cup of hot water, Li Sipei took a sip and then asked, “Go ahead. What do you want to know?”

Li Zhixuan couldn’t figure out what was on Li Sipei’s mind, but seeing that his expression wasn’t too bad, he cautiously asked, “Madam wants to know how you two met.”

Tapping his fingers on the sofa armrest, Li Sipei wasn’t actually in a bad mood. The only reason he hadn’t kicked Li Zhixuan out was that, given his extensive dating experience, he might be useful for some questions.

After giving a brief response, Li Sipei quickly cut to the point. “I have a few questions. Help me analyze them.”

Li Zhixuan: “……”

Why did he feel like Third Master had been waiting for him all along?

Li Sipei didn’t go into too much detail—he only mentioned that he hadn’t revealed his identity and family background to Mi Zhao earlier, and after Mi Zhao found out, his attitude changed.

Rubbing his chin, Li Zhixuan said, “That doesn’t make sense. If I found out my girlfriend was actually a top-tier tycoon, I’d be over the moon. Why would he avoid you?”

Li Sipei spoke in a low voice, “He even said he wanted to have a clean break with me.”

“…” Li Zhixuan was momentarily stunned by the grievance written all over Third Master Li’s handsome face. It seemed even more unlikely now. He started guessing wildly, “Could he be hiding something from you?”

“Impossible.” Li Sipei’s tone was firm. “He tells me everything.”

“…” Li Zhixuan thought, Alright then, this old house really has gone up in flames!

This was a tough problem—even for a seasoned player like him. He even considered whether Mi Zhao was using some kind of reverse psychology.

Of course, he wouldn’t say that out loud—otherwise, the flames from this burning house might engulf him too.

After mulling it over, Li Zhixuan decided to start from the beginning. “Before he knew your identity, how did he treat you?”

“Very well.” Li Sipei seemed to recall something, and his previously numb expression finally softened a little. “He often gave me gifts, but I heard that to earn money, he took on many part-time jobs at school, working around the clock drawing commissions.”

Naturally, Li Sipei felt distressed about this. So, he considered transferring a few hundred thousand yuan into Mi Zhao’s account—not too much, fearing that Mi Zhao might overthink it.

But as soon as he brought up the idea, Li Zhixuan vehemently opposed it, analyzing the situation in a logical manner: “Third Master, think about it—he already knows who you are, yet he chose to distance himself. Under these circumstances, do you think he’d accept your money?”

Before Li Sipei could respond, he continued, “I have a suggestion. Since he likes to buy things so much, why not just give him a black card?”

Li Sipei was momentarily stunned before falling into deep thought.

—

Mi Zhao found time to return to his rented apartment. During dinner, his parents, Mi Bin and He Linfang, brought up that “Mr. San” again.

“Next month is his birthday. He’s invited us over, and you should come with us,” Mi Bin said, afraid that his son would refuse. Before Mi Zhao could speak, he hurriedly added, “Just this once. Your mom and I have already promised him that we’d bring you along. After this, we won’t ask you for anything else!”

Watching his father’s pleading expression, Mi Zhao couldn’t bring himself to refuse outright. After a moment of silence, he sighed. “Just this once.”

He was also curious to see this so-called Mr. San in person—just what kind of charm did he have to have his parents wrapped around his finger?

Even the title itself sounded strange.

Mi Bin was overjoyed and quickly turned to He Linfang. “Hurry, let Mr. San know! Tell him our son is coming too.”

Still holding her chopsticks, He Linfang rolled her eyes at him. “Finish your meal first. What’s the rush? It’s not like we’re some VIPs.”

Mi Bin chuckled sheepishly.

He Linfang then shifted her gaze to Mi Zhao. Without any preamble, she asked, “Son, when are you bringing that boyfriend of yours over—”

Before she could finish, Mi Zhao set down his chopsticks and abruptly stood up. “I’m full. I’m leaving.”

Seeing him grab a napkin to wipe his mouth while getting ready to go, He Linfang huffed, “You always run away whenever this topic comes up!”

Mi Zhao slung his backpack over his shoulder. “If I don’t leave now, the school gates will be locked. There’s no spare room here anyway.”

He Linfang retorted, “Since when does your school lock up at eight or nine o’clock? You can fool your dad with that excuse, but not me.”

Unexpectedly dragged into this, Mi Bin scowled. “Neither of us went to college, so let’s not call each other out.”

The only response they got was the soft sound of the door closing—Mi Zhao was already gone.

The couple fell silent, glancing at the door before exchanging looks with each other.

He Linfang spoke first. “He seems to be in a bad mood today.”

“I thought so too,” Mi Bin agreed. “Maybe something happened at school? Or maybe he had a fight with that boyfriend of his?”

“I hope they fought.” He Linfang scoffed. “That boyfriend of his avoids us like the plague. Is he really that ashamed to meet us? Even a stone thrown into water makes a splash. We’ve asked him over so many times, and he still hasn’t shown up. If Mr. San didn’t already have a partner, I’d have set them up instead.”

Mi Bin sighed. “Mr. San talks about his boyfriend so openly. I heard he’s also a student at A University. Too bad he and our son weren’t fated to meet.”

Despite their words, they were still worried about their son and lost their appetite.

—

Meanwhile, after getting off the subway, Mi Zhao once again saw that Bentley parked by the school’s main entrance. He had initially planned to ignore it and head straight inside.

But just as he reached the gate, his phone rang.

“Come out,” Li Sipei’s voice was cold and indifferent, but anyone could tell he was upset.

Mi Zhao’s back suddenly stiffened, and his raised foot could no longer move forward. He felt as if he were a game NPC receiving a command—without hesitation, he turned around and walked straight toward the Bentley.