Chapter 84: Extra 1 Back home

Mi Bin and He Linfang planned to leave the next morning, so Mi Zhao got up early as well.

For the first meal of the new year, the dining table was no longer crowded with over twenty people. Apart from Mi Zhao’s family of three, only Pei Yu and Li Sipei were present, likely at Pei Yu’s special request.

After breakfast, Mi Bin and He Linfang went upstairs to get their things. Pei Yu looked at Mi Zhao. “The sun’s out. Would you like to accompany me for a walk?”

Mi Zhao couldn’t possibly refuse and immediately nodded, agreeing.

They stood up, and Li Sipei also followed suit.

Pei Yu smiled at Li Sipei. “Aren’t you supposed to go back with them? Aren’t you going upstairs to pack your things?”

Li Sipei remained indifferent, his tone as flat as ever. “I’m staying with you.”

Pei Yu replied, “I think you should go take care of your own business.”

Li Sipei’s eyes darkened, and out of nowhere, he said, “What do you want to say to him? Can’t I hear it?”

Mi Zhao’s heart nearly leaped out of his throat at those words.

What was going on with Li Sipei?

It was one thing to argue with others, but now he was even confronting Pei Yu!

Mi Zhao initially wanted to intervene, but then he recalled what Li Sipei had said about his childhood, and he swallowed his words.

Pei Yu, though seemingly calm, was clearly upset by Li Sipei’s aggressive tone. But instead of showing anger, she gave a sarcastic smile. “Am I some kind of beast in your eyes? I’ve been careful around you all night, and now that he’s leaving, I can’t even say a few words to him privately?”

Seeing the situation getting tense, Mi Zhao stepped in to smooth things over. “Li Sipei, we’re just going out for a bit. You carry on with your work.”

He subtly winked at Li Sipei and gestured for him to go upstairs. “I’ll come find you later.”

Though Li Sipei still wore a cold expression, his gaze was less fierce than before. After a brief pause, he muttered, “Fine.”

Then he added, “Call me if anything happens.”

Mi Zhao felt a lump in his throat and secretly glanced at Pei Yu.

As expected, Pei Yu’s expression was dark.

Li Sipei was quite skilled at getting under people’s skin. Mi Zhao had once thought Li Sipei was harmless, but he had been deceived by his outward appearance.

“Got it,” Mi Zhao said, waving his hand. “You should head upstairs now.”

The daylight outside was a different sight compared to the night. Although Mi Zhao had just been outside setting off fireworks last night, walking outside again now, he barely recognized the surroundings.

The sun today was particularly bright. It was not yet 10 a.m., but the golden light had already enveloped the garden’s greenery.

Pei Yu seemed polite on the surface, but as the head of the Li family, with no one else around, Mi Zhao couldn’t help but feel uneasy. He had thought of several things Pei Yu might say, yet his heart remained heavy.

It wasn’t until Pei Yu stopped walking that Mi Zhao’s anxiety slightly eased.

“Shall we sit?” Pei Yu looked toward a stone bench not far away.

“Sure.” Mi Zhao quickly nodded.

It was clear the maids had been cleaning regularly. The stone table and benches were spotless, and the gravel-covered ground had only a few fallen leaves that the wind had blown in.

Mi Zhao and Pei Yu sat facing each other. Pei Yu crossed her legs and gently hugged her knees with both hands. She smiled at Mi Zhao, whose nervousness was clearly written on his face. “Look at you, so scared of me. Did Sipei talk bad about me behind my back?”

Mi Zhao instinctively shook his head, then thought for a moment before nodding.

Pei Yu asked, “Yes or no?”

Mi Zhao, realizing that Li Sipei wasn’t afraid of Pei Yu, decided to be honest. “He did tell me a few things about you, but I don’t know if they count as bad things.”

Pei Yu raised an eyebrow, showing curiosity. “What did he say?”

Mi Zhao scratched his head. “He said you were very strict with him when he was younger, controlling his social life and daily activities.”

After a brief pause, he glanced at Pei Yu and added quietly, “He also said you installed surveillance cameras in his bedroom.”

These were the lighter things.

What Li Sipei was most upset about was that Pei Yu never told him about his father’s illness, making him almost disappear from his father’s life during the last phase of his father’s life. Now that his father was gone, Li Sipei’s emotional wound had no one to heal.

In fact, Li Sipei didn’t say much about it, but every time he mentioned it, Mi Zhao could feel the deep sadness emerging from his heart.

Mi Zhao felt helpless.

He never knew how to comfort Li Sipei.

After hearing Mi Zhao’s words, Pei Yu’s smile gradually faded. After a long silence, she uneasily moved her fingers, straightened her crossed legs, and curved her mouth into a small smile. “He even told you this?”

“He’s mentioned it several times,” Mi Zhao said. “It was a part of his life, and it means a lot to him.”

Pei Yu’s face remained calm, but like Li Sipei, her light brown eyes hid a turbulent undercurrent. She stared at Mi Zhao for a while before abruptly changing the subject. “Do you think I asked you out here to do what?”

Mi Zhao didn’t speak.

“Break you two up?” Pei Yu looked at him. “Or do you think I’m going to give you a check and have you disappear from my son’s life?”

Mi Zhao smiled. “Aunt, your check came a little too late. I already received one from Li Sipei last night as my New Year’s red envelope.”

“I’m not giving you any check.” Pei Yu scoffed, then reached into her small handbag and pulled out a dark red square box. She placed the box on the stone table in front of Mi Zhao. “This is such an old trick, it’s tacky.”

Mi Zhao looked at the box in front of him in surprise. “So, what is this?”

“It’s your New Year red envelope,” Pei Yu pointed at it and reminded him, “Open it when you get back.”

Mi Zhao froze for a moment, then half-jokingly said, “Aunt Pei, aren’t you making things difficult for me? If I open it later and find that your gift is expensive, I won’t be able to return it.”

“Who said you should return it?” Pei Yu pretended to be angry and said, “This is a family heirloom for the daughter-in-law or son-in-law.”

Mi Zhao: “…”

That makes it even more valuable!

Seeing that Mi Zhao had not moved for a while, Pei Yu simply took the box and shoved it into his hand. “Your parents have already seen it, and you need to keep it. You and Si Pei may not be able to legally marry or have children, but there should still be some sense of ceremony, right?”

Mi Zhao wanted to refuse, but upon hearing this, he hesitated for a moment. He tightened his grip on the box. “Thank you, Aunt Pei.”

“Mm,” Pei Yu smiled.

The two chatted for a while longer, and when they saw that the time was almost up, Pei Yu stood up and, as if sensing something, turned her head to look at the second floor of the villa.

As Mi Zhao stood up, he followed her gaze and saw Li Si Pei, now in a change of clothes, standing on the balcony of a bedroom on the second floor. He was resting his hands on the railing, expressionless, staring in their direction.

When their eyes met, Li Si Pei’s cold face softened, and he gave him a small smile.

Mi Zhao immediately waved enthusiastically.

Pei Yu, who had noticed the movement behind her, turned around and saw the gesture. Her expression seemed somewhat melancholic as she sighed and shook her head. “You two have only been apart for a few minutes and you’re already clinging to each other. Once they grow up, they can’t stay.”

Mi Zhao followed Pei Yu back inside, clutching the box in his hand, and hesitated before speaking. “Aunt Pei, Li Si Pei, just like you, is an individual. He has his own thoughts, hobbies, and lifestyle. He feels the joys and sorrows differently from you. If you love him, please don’t restrict him too much.”

Pei Yu’s movement slowed slightly, but she didn’t stop walking.

From Mi Zhao’s angle, he couldn’t see her expression clearly, only noticing her jawline was tight.

“But at the same time, he is your son. No matter how far he goes, the blood bond between you and him is like the kite string in your hand. As long as you pull a little, he will sense your thoughts.”

Pei Yu turned her head, her expression inscrutable as she looked at Mi Zhao.

Mi Zhao also looked directly at her eyes, which resembled Li Si Pei’s, and said clearly, “As you can see, all these years have passed, and even though he rarely stays at this home, your call will always reach his phone. He will never be out of touch with you.”

Pei Yu nodded. “You’re right. Did he ask you to say this to me?”

“I wanted to say it myself,” Mi Zhao replied. “Maybe this is also what he wants to tell you.”

“You’re quite observant. The Li family all thinks I’m a bad mother and he’s an ungrateful son. I can’t control him, and he doesn’t listen to me, but you noticed these little details.” Pei Yu smiled, then glanced at the second-floor balcony again. Li Si Pei, who had been standing there, was no longer visible. She took a deep breath and said, “I’ve already come to terms with it. Otherwise, why would I invite your parents to visit?”

Mi Zhao was stunned and then smiled.

“I can’t control what you young people do, nor do I want to. Whether it’s good or bad, it’s up to you to handle it.” Pei Yu said.

Mi Zhao smiled widely. “Thank you for your understanding, Aunt Pei!”

The sunlight fell on Mi Zhao’s face, and two small dimples were particularly noticeable.

Pei Yu stared at the dimples for a while, thinking this child was truly likable. As long as he wasn’t like Li Tianqing, who was full of schemes and caused strife in the Li family, everything would be fine.

Pei Yu didn’t let Mi Zhao open the box, so Mi Zhao obediently put it in his backpack and didn’t touch it again.

They took a flight to the provincial capital at noon, then transferred to a nearly two-hour high-speed train. When they exited the station, Mi Bin’s assistant was already waiting by the roadside with the car.

Mi Zhao’s hometown was a small city with moderate development. However, it had many wealthy people and lots of newly built houses. They lived in a villa area by the river, built less than ten years ago. Though the villa wasn’t as big or luxurious as the Li family’s, it was the envy of everyone in this small county.

When Mi Bin and He Linfang left, the house was left with only a maid. When the maid heard they were coming back, she prepared a large spread of delicious food.

As soon as Mi Zhao returned, he smelled the aroma of the food. He pushed his suitcase forward and rushed to hug the maid, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time.

“Wow, our Xiao Mi has grown taller!” The maid, reluctant to let go, patted Mi Zhao’s back several times before finally loosening her hold. She looked him up and down. “You’ve gotten more handsome. Are you more popular at school?”

Mi Zhao, flustered by the compliment, shyly said, “Not really.”

“Look at him.” The maid laughed heartily, pointing at Mi Zhao and saying to He Linfang, “I’m telling the truth, and now he’s shy.”

He Linfang smiled. “You flatter him so much, now I’m shy too.”

“Don’t I flatter you enough?” The maid responded, then noticed Li Si Pei, who had been quiet the whole time. She froze for a moment and asked, “Who’s this?”

Mi Zhao grinned and hooked his arm around Li Si Pei’s, formally introducing, “This is my boyfriend, Li Si Pei. You can call him Xiao Pei.”

Then, he introduced to Li Si Pei, “This is our family’s Aunt Zheng. She took care of me when I was in middle school, and her daughter also studies in A City.”

Li Si Pei politely greeted, “Aunt Zheng.”

“Ah~” Aunt Zheng, seeing Li Si Pei was a fine young man, smiled widely. “Is he the one you mentioned before?”

Mi Zhao: “…”

The person he had mentioned before was Li Yan, not Li Si Pei!

Before Mi Zhao could explain, Aunt Zheng happily continued, “You probably don’t know, but our Xiao Mi often talks about you.”

“Aunt Zheng…”

“Oh?” Li Si Pei’s voice covered Mi Zhao’s panicked one. His tone was calm, with no emotions showing. “What did he say about me?”

Without thinking, Aunt Zheng said, “He said you’re a good person, you’re smart, and you’re handsome. Many people at school like you.”

“Aunt Zheng!” Mi Zhao’s face turned red in a flash. He quickly defended, “You must be mistaken. I didn’t say that. I just said you’re a good person.”

He quickly pushed Li Si Pei’s arm. “We haven’t brought our things upstairs yet, hurry up, dinner’s almost ready.”

However, Li Si Pei stood still like a wooden post. He slowly glanced at Mi Zhao, who was visibly anxious, and said, “No rush. I still want to hear what Aunt Zheng says about me.”

“…” Mi Zhao was already covered in cold sweat, his limbs stiff.

Aunt Zheng, unaware of the tension between the two, continued cheerfully, “Our Xiao Mi has never liked anyone like this. You’re the first one he’s so obsessed with. Don’t you dare bully him.”

Hearing this, Li Si Pei slowly curled the corners of his mouth into a half-smile. “Don’t worry, Aunt Zheng. I won’t bully him. How could I bear to bully him?”

“…” Mi Zhao couldn’t help but shiver.