fictionpage Chapter 1559 You Have to Be Appreciated
Chapter 1559 You Have to Be Appreciated
Chapter 1559 You Have to Be Appreciated
Gu Cangping knelt on the kang (heated brick bed), his head bowed low. He dared not and did not want to look at Mikami Yua and Wang Yajuan, who were kneeling opposite him. His face was deathly pale.
Li Xuewu sat on the kang (a heated brick bed), his face serious, as if he were about to suddenly attack.
This silence, this oppressive atmosphere, has lasted for five minutes, during which no one has shown any intention of speaking.
When she saw Heiji Taniguchi get thoroughly beaten up, Yua Mikami admitted that she felt a sense of satisfaction.
The emotions that had been suppressed for so long were suddenly released, and I felt an urge to cry.
She didn't say anything to stop her; it was Wang Yajuan who pushed her into the house and then closed the door.
It was still very hot inside, even hotter than in Tokyo.
But Wang Yajuan could tell that the sweat gushing out of the barn was definitely not hot.
She had never seen Li Xuewu so terrifying when he was enraged.
It's not that Li Xuewu was particularly ruthless; if he had really been ruthless, she was certain that the granary would have been lying on the ground, not kneeling on the kang (a heated brick bed).
The reason she acted so nervously, pushing Yua Mikami into the house and immediately closing the door, was all because of what the barn said.
What the hell do I want to be Chinese?
Wang Yajuan was terrified by those words, and she believed that Li Xuewu's actions were also due to this.
She can't even remember the sin of blaming the barn for recommending Yua Mikami's "efforts".
Compared to launching missiles, who cares about the sin of farting? The barn is truly a guilty fellow.
"I invited you for drinks, not to let you harm me, if you're even remotely smart."
Li Xuewu broke the silence first, picked up the wine glass on the table and took a big gulp, saying, "You should apologize for your drunken slip of the tongue today."
He turned his head slightly, looked at the other person, and said calmly, "I can generously express my forgiveness."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Li, I've caused you trouble—" Gu Cang Heiji readily knelt down and kowtowed forcefully.
"You really are—" Li Xuewu glared at him through gritted teeth and said fiercely, "Bastard!"
After uttering this curse, he raised his hand to smash the wine glass in his hand on the other person's head, but Wang Yajuan took the initiative to reach out and stop him.
"Learn from—leaders, no!"
How much strength could she possibly have? Besides, she was sitting quite far from Li Xuewu, with Yua Mikami sandwiched between them. If Li Xuewu really wanted to smash the cup, she couldn't stop him with words alone.
Li Xuewu himself was patient and restrained.
"Mr. Gucang!" Seeing Li Xuewu's angry expression, she slowly withdrew her raised hand, then frowned and looked at Gucang, rebuking him in a serious tone, "How could you do this?"
I'm so sorry—
Heiji Taniguchi seemed determined not to apologize for his mistake, but only to express his apology for causing trouble for Li Xuewu and the other man. His meaning was all too clear.
Li Xuewu narrowed his eyes slightly, stared at him, and asked, "Give me a reason. You should know that I can handle this matter more directly."
"Of course, you have the right to do so."
Heiji Taniguchi propped himself up, his eyes red-rimmed, and said, "After all, I've caused you trouble..."
"Give me a reason!" Li Xuewu was impatient with his apology.
“Yes—” After bowing once more, Taniguchi Heiji began his introduction.
Li Xuewu listened calmly, but Wang Yajuan was somewhat moved by the story he told.
Looking at Yua Mikami kneeling beside him, he realized that she had already lowered her head.
Yes, the story is a bit melodramatic. After all, any love story mixed with filth will always seem melodramatic, and you might even get impatient after seeing or hearing it too many times.
Of course, Wang Yajuan had never encountered such a melodramatic love story before, so she seemed quite taken aback.
She didn't know that if such a little story were told to a dog in later generations, even the dog wouldn't want to hear it.
"So, you chose to sacrifice yourself because you didn't want to put Ms. Mikami in a difficult position?"
Li Xuewu tapped his fingers on the dining table and asked, "You're also choosing to make things difficult for me?"
He turned to Yua Mikami and asked, "Do you agree with his choice, Ms. Mikami?"
Unable to answer the question, Yua Mikami could only bow her head in apology.
As mentioned earlier, the Japanese people's apology is not simply because they feel they were wrong, but also because they feel that their actions have caused trouble for others.
This is exactly what Mikami's apology is like now.
No matter how wrong the barn's actions were, its explanation was always for her sake.
She couldn't criticize Taniguchi Heiji's self-indulgent sentimentality, nor was she sure if she herself was moved.
If she was truly moved, why did she act so calmly, unlike when she arrived?
"It seems things aren't as you think."
After seeing Yua Mikami's statement, Li Xuewu turned to Heiji Taniguchi and said, "Given that I've determined Ms. Mikami cannot accept me, you're recklessly choosing to sacrifice yourself? Ha—"
He laid bare Gu Canghei's plan to the group, then sneered and asked, "Have you considered what kind of disaster your recklessness will bring to the cooperation prospects between Honggang Group and Sanhe Co., Ltd."
Do you think I will accept you?
These words made Heiji Taniguchi lower his head even further. What he had just expressed was that this was all he could do for Yua Mikami.
"You will receive the punishment you deserve."
Li Xuewu stood up, supporting himself with his hands on the heated brick bed. He glanced down at the other man and said, "You stupid and stubborn idiot."
“Li-san—” Just as he was about to get off the kang, Yua Mikami suddenly reached out and hugged his ankle, pleading in a trembling voice, “Please forgive his mistake, it’s all my fault.”
"I have no interest in your love story, no matter how tragic and romantic it is told."
Li Xuewu glanced at Gu Cang Heiji before turning to Mikami Yua and saying, "If you're still conscious, you should be able to understand what I'm saying."
"Yes, I'm very sorry." Yua Mikami still didn't let go of his hand, looking up at him as she said, "Please forgive him. I'm willing to make up for his mistakes, anything..."
The final hesitation turned into trembling. Li Xuewu looked at her suspiciously, and frowned as he asked, seeing Wang Yajuan's nervous expression, "Are you confused too?"
"What kind of person do you take me for?"
He turned and glanced at Mikami and Taniguchi, emphasizing in an icy tone, "In your hearts, am I an irredeemable villain?"
Tell me! Look me in the eyes!
Heiji Taniguchi remained kneeling without raising his head, while Yua Miyama lowered her head again, not daring to look him in the eye; he was too imposing now.
Wang Yajuan wanted to offer some advice, but on one hand, there was a tragic love story, and on the other hand, there were the company's vital interests. She didn't know how to choose.
Li Xuewu was much more clear-headed than her. No matter how much Yua Mikami pestered him, he always maintained the same attitude: he would not accept the barn's "surrender".
-
"Boss, the bathroom arrangements are complete."
Zhang Enyuan was unaware of what had happened in the restaurant, but when Li Xuewu came out with a gloomy face, he still took the initiative to report it.
He had just noticed Wang Yajuan and that Japanese woman entering the room in a panic, and now, looking inside, the lively atmosphere was nowhere to be seen.
What... happened?
"If you've figured it out."
Li Xuewu glanced behind him slightly, left after saying only half a sentence.
Zhang Enyuan was completely confused, but the three people in the room understood.
Wang Yajuan gave Gu Cang Heiji a deep look, then turned to Mikami Yua and asked softly, "Are you alright?"
The two had been kneeling for a long time. She complained about the barn's stupidity, but also pitied Mikami's fate.
So I reached out and helped her up.
"Thank you, I'm fine."
San Shang nearly fell onto the kang (a heated brick bed) due to a slight sway in her body, but Wang Yajuan caught her in time.
"Let me help you go and rest first."
She glanced at Taniguchi Heiji, then helped Mikami Yua off the heated floor. Slipping on her shoes, she walked towards the door, whispering to Zhang Enyuan at the door, "Mr. Taniguchi has had too much to drink. Please take care of him."
"Yes, Director Wang." Zhang Enyuan responded, glanced at the expressions of the two men, and then looked at Gu Cangping Er, who was still kneeling on the kang, with a strange look in his eyes.
It's hard not to be surprised; isn't this kneeling a bit too respectful? He wasn't even this devout and respectful when he visited his grandfather's grave. Who was he kneeling to just now?
"The hot spring bath is ready."
He reminded the two who were about to leave, saying softly, "You can relax a bit."
"I understand," Wang Yajuan replied, and helped Yua Mikami leave.
"I'm so sorry to have troubled you."
When Zhang Enyuan walked to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) to help him up, Gu Cangping Er raised his head, calmly thanked him, and stood up on his own.
He didn't look like he had drunk too much.
Zhang Enyuan glanced at him and asked, "Are you alright?"
"Thank you, it's all over now."
Gu Cang Heiji nodded slightly, got off the kang (heated brick bed), put on his shoes, and said, "I'm sorry to have affected tonight's hospitality. I apologize."
"It's alright, shall I help you?"
Zhang Enyuan didn't want to hear his explanation; it was better not to know such things, as it wouldn't do him any good.
Heiji Taniguchi didn't seem to want to chat with him; he waved his hand and left.
That's really strange—
Zhang Enyuan followed him out the door, nodded to the service staff, and continued walking forward.
There are hot spring pools right outside the restaurant, and not only outside the restaurant, but also behind the guesthouse where guests stay.
Just as Wang Yajuan said, this Mr. Barn had drunk too much, and he dared not leave the other person alone.
If you accidentally walk out the door again, or wander into one of the hot spring rooms, it could be troublesome.
The leaders were already on guard when these two came to visit the steel city, so he dared not be careless.
Fortunately, Heiji Taniguchi seemed to have a good tolerance for alcohol, and he remained quiet after returning to his room.
He stood at the door for a while before giving some instructions to the waiter on duty in the corridor and then went to Li Xuewu's room.
It was only when they couldn't find Li Xuewu in the room that they realized the leader must have gone to the bathroom.
***
There are several hot spring pools in the sanatorium. The pools are not actually connected to springs buried beneath them, but rather to pipes. These pipes are not connected to springs, but to hot spring wells with valves.
There are indoor hot spring pools, outdoor hot spring pools, and hot spring pools that combine indoor and outdoor features, all in different sizes.
Overall, the sanatorium section, which is still under construction, is not yet completed, and the hot spring pools are not yet filled with water.
Li Xuewu had already seen it during his visit; it was a very large hot spring pool, large enough for a hundred or so people to go in without feeling crowded, and it was prepared for employees recuperating at the sanatorium.
This is considered a large one; there are also smaller ones, such as the guesthouse that has already been built.
He returned to his room, changed into his pajamas, and followed the staff's directions to the bathroom that had been prepared in advance; it was more like a multi-functional tea bar.
There is a hot tub, a tea table, and a viewing platform. Near the inside, there are also decorations such as a radio.
The paintings on the wall are also related to winter snow, seemingly suggesting that winter is a good time to soak in hot springs.
wow-
The door opened again, and Li Xuewu, lying in the hot tub, didn't turn around. Instead, he said calmly, "Close the door, it's too cold."
The water in the hot tub is constantly flowing and maintained at a constant temperature, so there must be an exhaust vent for the rising steam; otherwise, no one would be able to see inside.
When the door is opened, the vents on the wall will suddenly draw away the mist, taking away the warmth from the room as well. Li Xuewu, whose head is the only part of the room exposed, feels a cool breeze blowing over his head.
The person tiptoed to the edge of the hot tub and sat down, looking at him without daring to speak.
Li Xuewu didn't hear any movement, so he opened his eyes and saw Yua Mikami taking off her clothes.
Well—that description is not wrong at all, but it's not what the old pervert thinks.
She was just taking off her outer pajamas; she was still wearing a relatively conservative yukata underneath.
"Why you?" he asked.
Yua Mikami didn't answer. She simply turned around, her toes lightly touching the pool water. After gradually getting used to it, she immersed her entire body in the water.
"sorry."
"It's a bit late to apologize now." Li Xuewu smirked and reached out to press the call bell on the wall, an electronic switch.
Soon, a staff member opened the door and asked softly, "Sir..."
The staff member was also surprised; through the mist, she discovered two people in the hot tub, a man and a woman.
Of course, it doesn't matter if there are more people, just like the large public bathhouse outside, where employees who come for recuperation, regardless of gender, can soak in it.
Swimming pools don't separate men and women, so how could public hot tubs, which are outdoors, be segregated by gender?
But things were different in the guesthouse's private bath. The staff were clearly terrified, after all, Li Xuewu was in the tub.
"Brew me a pot of tea."
Li Xuewu glanced at Yua Mikami, then turned to the staff and said, "Please invite Director Wang over as well. Tell her that Ms. Mikami is here too."
"Um, okay...okay—"
Hearing her supervisor's explanation, the service staff member finally breathed a sigh of relief; she had misunderstood.
"There's no need to close the door."
She turned to leave, and was about to open the door when she heard her supervisor's reminder, and her hand paused.
In just a moment, she understood: it's better for men and women to be in the open when they're alone together.
"Yes," she replied and left.
Yua Mikami kept her head down and sat there with her hands wrapped around her knees while he was speaking.
Li Xuewu ignored her, squinted slightly, and submerged half of his head in the water.
That little devil is really cunning and vicious; he almost got dragged into the water by the fish while fishing.
"Secretary-General?" A moment later, Wang Yajuan's voice came from the doorway.
"Yes, I'm here. Come in."
Li Xuewu responded, and only when he heard that it was her did he dare to close his eyes slightly and enjoy the rare hot spring therapy.
Wang Yajuan walked into the bathroom and saw that Yua Mikami, whom she had just helped to her room to rest, was also there, and her eyes were full of surprise.
This is unbelievable! Wasn't she sad? Why is she here again... sad?
"Aren't you cold?" Li Xuewu opened his eyes when he heard no more movement. He saw her standing there with a strange expression on her face and asked her helplessly.
Wang Yajuan snapped out of her daze, looked at him, and seemed to suspect that he had done something wrong.
Li Xuewu gave her a disapproving look. "You know your own abilities, even if others don't. We've only been apart for a short while; there's hardly enough time!"
Wang Yajuan was glared at by him, then pursed her lips and, at his prompting, took off her pajamas and got into the hot tub.
The room door was open, and a cold wind blew in, quickly sucking away the accumulated steam inside, while steam kept rising from the hot tub, in a continuous cycle.
The water on the surface of the hot tub was a bit cool, but the tub was very deep, and only your neck was sticking out when you sat in it, so you didn't feel cold.
The door should have been closed, but the service staff dared not close it without orders; they even considered dismantling the doors and windows to appear more upright.
I should have prepared a large hot tub and invited the leaders to soak outside; no one would misunderstand that way.
The waiter brought over three cups of tea; of course, it wasn't just for the leader.
Since they didn't receive any indication to close the door when they left, they assumed the door was open.
Have you ever soaked in a hot spring?
Li Xuewu ignored Yua Mikami, and looked at Wang Yajuan with his eyes slightly narrowed, asking her a question.
Wang Yajuan nodded, glanced at him, and said, "I went to a sanatorium in Fangshan with my dad. There are hot springs there, but that was when I was a child."
“I’ve never been to a hot spring before. I’ve never enjoyed this kind of treatment before leaving the capital, and I don’t even know what a hot spring is.” Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows and said in a somewhat lazy voice, “What a country bumpkin.”
"You seem to be enjoying yourself right now."
When Wang Yajuan said this, she glanced at Yua Mikami sitting on the other side, her words clearly carrying a hidden meaning.
Li Xuewu smacked his lips, not wanting to respond to her, and instead closed his eyes.
With her here, there's nothing to be afraid of.
Even if the little devil has some schemes, as long as Wang Yajuan is there and the bathroom door is open, there's nothing he can't explain.
Moreover, he had already heard the noise at the door; it was Zhang Enyuan who had arrived.
Sure enough, Zhang Enyuan couldn't find Li Xuewu in the room, so he came to the bathroom. After listening to the waiter's report, he went into the bathroom on his own initiative.
Of course, he had no intention of taking a hot spring bath; he hadn't even changed his clothes, as he had to protect his superior.
Upon seeing him arrive, Li Xuewu gestured to the bathroom door and said, "It's terribly cold, close it."
Yua Mikami looked up at him, her gaze unreadable and inscrutable.
Li Xuewu didn't care at all. Even if the other person was good-looking, could they still be eaten?
There are plenty of pretty girls out there, why does he insist on eating fish with bones?
"The first time I soaked in a hot spring was in the south, in the wild." He didn't seem to care about the other people in the bathroom. He said as if talking to himself, "It was a big crater blasted out by artillery fire."
"We must have gone half a month without a shower back then, right?" Li Xuewu tilted his head slightly and recalled for a moment before continuing, "After enduring half an hour of enemy shelling, we used bullets to teach them what it meant to be futile, and that's when we discovered that big crater."
"On the battlefield?" Wang Yajuan finally understood and asked in surprise, "That time..."
"Yes, it hadn't been long since it started." Li Xuewu nodded and said, "At that time, we hadn't even figured out what methods to use to strike the other side."
"You may not remember."
He sat up straight, looked at Wang Yajuan and said, "That was my second year in the army, a very special experience."
"I saw it in the newspaper."
Wang Yajuan pursed her lips and lowered her head slightly, saying, "But I didn't know you were involved in that war."
"I'm just an ordinary person."
Li Xuewu smiled and said casually, "No one expected the war to come so suddenly and in such a unique way."
"According to the higher-ups, even the mentor thought about it for a long time and still couldn't understand why Nehru would actually dare to start a war."
He looked at Wang Yajuan and Zhang Enyuan, who was carrying a plate of fruit, and said in a joking tone, "Back then, we had just won the War of Resistance against Japan. We were fighting seventeen against one."
"We went to the battlefield on this strange and unique call to war, and ended up fighting all the way to a place 600 kilometers away from New Delhi without really knowing what was going on."
"Were the casualties high?" Wang Yajuan didn't know that Li Xuewu had participated in the war in the south at the time; she only found out later when she met him.
Even if she heard about it again, she wouldn't care about the losses of that war.
"Hmm, more than seven hundred people." Li Xuewu breathed a sigh of relief and said, "At first, I really didn't estimate the strength of the enemy. Later I found out they were a bunch of idiots."
He shook his head and said, "In this battle, we killed nearly five thousand enemy soldiers and captured four thousand. Towards the end, we even had a kind of illusion."
"What do you mean?" Wang Yajuan asked him curiously, "What illusion?"
“Well…” Li Xuewu closed his eyes and thought for a moment before saying, “Nehru’s preparations for this war seem like a joke.”
Whether it was Wang Yajuan, Zhang Enyuan standing to the side, or even Yua Mikami who could understand Chinese, they all had a look of astonishment on their faces.
Is it...like a joke?
"So we later concluded that we should treat the enemy as cruelly as a harsh winter."
After saying this, he looked at Yua Mikami, who had a surprised and bewildered expression, and smiled slightly, saying, "These are the words of Comrade Lei Feng."
"His original words were: treat comrades with the warmth of spring, treat work with the passion of summer, sweep away individualism like autumn leaves, and treat enemies with the cruelty of winter."
After saying that, without waiting for Yua Mikami's reaction, he stood up and stepped out of the hot tub.
"I'm tired, you guys take your time soaking."
He took the pajamas Zhang Enyuan handed him and put them on. He glanced back at the two of them and said with a smile, "Soaking in hot springs can improve blood circulation and complexion, but you can't soak for too long, or it can harm your health."
It sounded like words of concern, but it also carried a deeper meaning.
Watching him leave, Yua Mikami finally looked away, only to unexpectedly meet Wang Yajuan's gaze.
-
Although he is not yet old enough to suffer from kidney deficiency, Li Xuewu still loves the heated kang bed.
Before he had even had a chance to enjoy himself at the restaurant, he had already instructed Zhang Enyuan to arrange a room with a heated kang (a traditional Chinese bed-and-heated brick bed) for him when he was preparing to receive the two men from the granary.
After soaking in the hot spring for half an hour, I took a quick shower, changed into my pajamas, and went to bed.
Those who have never slept on a heated kang bed will never understand this kind of happiness. The three happiest things for Northeasterners are: wife and children, and a warm kang bed, with a warm kang bed being one of them.
The room he was in had a kang (a heated brick bed) that could sleep four or five people. It was neither too big nor too small. The stove door was not inside the room, and thanks to the careful decoration, there was no smell of smoke or dust.
Li Xuewu had already imagined that if such a room were to be opened to the public in the future, he would have to charge five yuan a night, otherwise it would be a disservice to this wonderful experience.
hum-
Just as he was about to fall asleep, a slight noise came from the door. Li Xuewu was instantly awakened, and M1911 was already in his hand.
"Open the door." The voice wasn't loud, but it was loud enough for Li Xuewu to hear.
What a mess! What's wrong with everyone today? Why isn't anyone sleeping? Are they all sick?
Li Xuewu recognized the voice at the door. He put away his pistol, walked to the door, opened it, and asked, "Aren't you going to sleep..."
Before he could finish speaking, Wang Yajuan had already pushed her way through him and entered.
"Close the door." Her words were even more forceful than his, as if this wasn't Li Xuewu's room, but hers.
Li Xuewu twitched the corner of his mouth as he watched her crawl into his bed without any hesitation. Could this be described as a cuckoo taking over a magpie's nest?
"What do you want to do?"
He stood at the door without moving, looking at her suspiciously and asking, "Do you like this room? Want to switch rooms with me?"
"If you keep talking nonsense, you'll attract attention."
Wang Yajuan lay on his pillow and said calmly, "You don't want our affair to become public knowledge, do you?"
"What...what's up between us?" Li Xuewu was even more hesitant to move when he heard her say that. He gripped the doorknob and reminded her, "It's getting late."
"Okay, get some rest." Wang Yajuan sniffed and reminded him in return, "Turn off the lights, don't just stand there, you'll catch a cold."
"You dare to leave!" Just as Li Xuewu was about to open the door, her voice turned cold as she said indifferently, "If you dare to leave, I dare to take off my clothes and shout."
"Which side are you on?"
Li Xuewu was truly exasperated with her. He locked the door again, walked to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), looked down at her, and asked, "So you think I'm not tired enough today?"
"You can have either one."
Wang Yajuan seemed not to understand him, and gestured to the left and right sides of the blanket, looking into his eyes, asking, "Which side do you want to sleep on?"
"..." Li Xuewu stared at her for half a minute before asking seriously, "Are you serious?"
"I've never been this serious before." Wang Yajuan nodded frankly, looking up at him and asking, "Do you want to sleep?"
"Then I'll put a new quilt on the bed."
Just as Li Xuewu was about to step onto the kang (a heated brick bed), he saw Wang Yajuan reach out and pull the light cord under the edge of the kang, and the room instantly went dark.
"Is this fun? Aren't you tired?"
Now it's her turn to say that, making it seem like Li Xuewu is the one being unreasonable.
Li Xuewu could not tolerate being looked down upon by a woman, but that woman was Wang Yajuan.
I lay back in bed, and although it was still the same person, it just didn't feel the same as before...
"what are you doing?"
"What else can I do?" Wang Yajuan shook off his hand and said indifferently, "Are you still pretending to be innocent with me?"
Li Xuewu was certain that this was the first time in his decades of experience that a woman had asked him this question: When did he ever pretend to be innocent?
He's naturally innocent!
***
"Which of them do you think is acting?"
Wang Yajuan lay flat, feeling the warmth of the heated kang bed beneath her. It wasn't quite as "hot" as it had been just moments before, when she was drenched in sweat.
"I'm asking you a question, don't pretend to be asleep."
Not hearing Li Xuewu's reply, she nudged him with her elbow.
"Sigh—" Li Xuewu sighed softly, "A lifetime of innocence—"
"Don't play the victim, it's like I did something to you." Wang Yajuan acted more naturally than him, turned her head to look at him, and said, "Your innocence is long gone."
Yu felt that this was inaccurate, and she added, "I'm not the first one."
She only said half of what she wanted to say, but it was enough to convey her message.
“I’m not coming tonight, and that Mikami…” She paused, then asked sourly, “Have you been thinking about Mikami for a while now?”
"Be careful, she's dangerous."
Li Xuewu shifted his position on the pillow and said calmly, "Don't pity her; she doesn't deserve it."
"Then tell me—" Wang Yajuan seemed very interested in the love story of the couple, and curiously turned to ask, "Was that barn for real?"
"What are you taking so seriously?" Li Xuewu turned to look at her and said, "Giving away your lover as a gift? Is that something a human being should do?"
"So, if you put it that way, he's lying too?" Wang Yajuan's brain was about to overheat, and she frowned as she asked, "Then why..."
"I don't have time to guess that."
Li Xuewu turned his head, squinted slightly, and said, "He was the one who wanted to play dangerous games, so he has to pay a price."
"What price? That Mikami?" Wang Yajuan shifted her body and nestled against his chest, looking at him as she asked, "Or..."
"His life is at stake."
Feeling the softness in his heart, Li Xuewu opened his eyes and looked at Wang Yajuan, reminding her, "Japanese people are born with a gambler's mentality and don't deserve sympathy."
"So you're going to use him?" Wang Yajuan knew exactly what kind of person he was. He had never been one to suffer a loss since childhood, and he had become an even bigger villain as he grew up.
"He came to me of his own accord."
Li Xuewu tilted his head and said, "If I don't give him this opportunity, he'll really think he's someone important."
"What are your plans for him?" Wang Yajuan frowned and reminded him, "His identity is very special; there's basically no way he can change his nationality."
"Of course I know, that's why he has to pay his dues."
Li Xuewu sneered and said calmly, "If I don't accept his pledge of allegiance, who else can he give it to?"
"You really are..." Wang Yajuan seemed to understand his plan, but then frowned and asked, "What about Mikami? What are your plans for him?"
"Why does it have to be me who makes the arrangements?"
Li Xuewu opened his eyes, looked at her and said, "Even if you hadn't come tonight, I wouldn't have let her succeed."
"I'm here to protect you." Wang Yajuan had already succeeded, so she naturally had something to say. Seeing his depressed look, she smiled smugly and said, "You have to appreciate it."
"Hehe—" Li Xuewu rolled his eyes and said, "You got off easy."
"What did I get off easy?" Wang Yajuan pinched him, annoyed, and said, "You're really going to drag this out, aren't you?"
"Do you think I'm not worth it either?"
“I knew you’d say that.” Li Xuewu turned her over and pressed her down on the kang (a heated brick bed), staring into her eyes as he said, “I don’t want to provoke you.”
"But you've already provoked me."
Wang Yajuan looked at him too, her eyes already filled with tears, a mixture of fear, grievance, and regret from those years.
If it weren't for "what ifs," would he still be the same person he is now?
"I heard it's a Toyota Century?"
Even through the phone, Li Huaide's voice carried a hint of greed, unlike his more assertive demeanor of a few days ago.
"It seems so." Li Xuewu didn't seem to care, and replied on the phone, "I've already refused. I can't accept something for nothing."
"Yes, of course." Li Huaide paused for a moment, seemingly lost in thought, before saying, "Okay, I understand."
Before hanging up, he asked again, "Has the person already left?"
"Yes, I'm already on the train back to Beijing."
Li Xuewu explained in a very calm tone, "Zhang Enyuan personally saw them off on the train."
"Okay, then that's settled." There was even a hint of disappointment in Li Huaide's voice. Could it be that Li Xuewu had misheard?
Yes, he hadn't misheard. Zhou Yao was standing in front of his desk, and as soon as he hung up the phone, she reported, "That's roughly the situation."
"Keep a closer eye on them." Li Xuewu frowned slightly and said, "They're bound to make a move soon; they'll fight like cornered beasts."
"Yes, I understand." Zhou Yao nodded and replied, "After I get back, I will arrange for a working group to keep an eye on them and send more people to watch over their office and residence."
"No need to be so tense." Li Xuewu's expression softened a bit. He glanced at Zhou Yao and said with a smile, "Who knows what we'll catch in this net?"
"How could the net you cast possibly catch small fish and shrimp?"
Zhou Yao appeared even more confident than him, smiling as she said, "We guarantee that under your guidance, we will wipe out all these demons and monsters."
“Hey—” Li Xuewu glanced at her with feigned displeasure and reminded her, “It was under the guidance of Deputy Director Su.”
"Oh, oh, I see."
Zhou Yao was very clever; she understood what he meant and nodded with a smile, correcting him, "It was under the guidance of Deputy Director Su."
“You are free to use your own methods, whether it’s correct guidance or accurate guidance,” Li Xuewu nodded at her and emphasized, “but it must be positive and hard-working.”
"Yes, I understand," Zhou Yao said with a smile. "I will definitely keep it in mind and learn from you."
"Hehe—" Li Xuewu chuckled and glared at her, then asked with concern, "What are your plans with Xiaoyan? You don't want children yet?"
"Why are you asking this all of a sudden?"
Zhou Yao was surprised that he changed his mind so quickly, and said somewhat embarrassedly, "We haven't discussed it yet."
"If we haven't reached an agreement yet, let's discuss it slowly." Li Xuewu tore off a piece of paper, wrote down an address and his name, and pushed it over, saying, "Once we've reached an agreement, we can go here and ask."
"This is..." Zhou Yao looked at the note in her hand with some surprise, then looked up at her brother-in-law blankly and asked, "Where is this?"
“Aren’t you worried about who will take care of the baby after it’s born?” Li Xuewu pointed to the note and explained, “It’s a nanny you can trust to help you take care of the baby.”
"Well..." Zhou Yao said, somewhat amused and exasperated, "How can we afford a nanny with our combined salaries?"
“It’s alright, you can pay, I’ll pay.” Li Xuewu tapped the note again and said, “I’ve already paid, now we’re just waiting for you to discuss it.”
"Brother-in-law—" Zhou Yao really didn't know what to say, and said reproachfully, "You're even more anxious than my parents are."
"No, I didn't rush you."
Li Xuewu smiled, tidied up the documents in his hand, and emphasized, "I'm doing this to relieve your worries."
"Thank you, brother-in-law—" Zhou Yao knew her brother-in-law's good intentions, and said while looking at the note in front of her, "We really weren't prepared."
"Didn't I say?" Li Xuewu finished tidying up the documents and said very seriously, "We can have the baby whenever we've agreed on it."
"One more thing," he said, pointing at Zhou Yao. "Don't feel pressured. A job can't belong to you forever, and you can't belong to your job forever."
"Your life should include more than just a career; it should also include family and a future. Only then can it be truly fulfilling."
He spoke from the bottom of his heart, and Li Xuewu was sure Zhou Yao understood him. He stood up and waved, saying, "Come on, it's rare for you to come all the way to Steel City, I'll treat you to something good."
"Brother-in-law, there's no need to trouble yourself."
Zhou Yao put away the note, then stood up and said, "The person has already boarded the bus, let's go back and keep an eye on them."
"What did I just say?" Li Xuewu turned to look at her and said with a smile, "Life isn't all about work."
"Let's go, there's delicious food in the steel city too."
He left the office first, and when he saw Zhang Enyuan coming over, he instructed him: "Listen to the phone at Sanhe Co., Ltd. If anything happens, call the cafeteria and find me."
"Yes, sir, I'll have someone keep an eye on it."
Zhang Enyuan nodded, and then smiled and greeted Zhou Yao, who came out behind him, saying, "Director Zhou."
After greeting them, he said to Li Xuewu, "The car is ready and downstairs."
“It’s really too cold today. It’s a bit far to the Steel Plant’s canteen, so let’s take a car.” Li Xuewu turned around and explained to Zhou Yao, “Steel Plant has a new chef who specializes in Northeastern cuisine. He’s been telling me for a while that I should try it. Now that you’re here, you have the chance.”
"That's too much trouble," Zhou Yao said embarrassedly. "We can just eat something in our cafeteria."
"Hey, have something good to eat, you've been working so hard."
Li Xuewu smiled as he walked downstairs, saying, "Northeastern cuisine still holds a certain status in the culinary world; you have to learn to appreciate life."
"Then I'll listen to the leader," Zhou Yao said with a smile. "Thank you for letting me try this Northeastern cuisine and see what's so special about it."
Of course she knows when to use what title. In the office she can call him "brother-in-law" because they are talking about private matters, but here she uses his title.
"I'm only doing this because of you—"
Li Xuewu said with a smile, "You should also meet Director Lü of Steel Plant. He's the one who's treating us today."