dognovel Chapter 1588 That's Not Love
Chapter 1588 That's Not Love
Chapter 1588 That's Not Love
"I think it's you—"
Sha Zhu first peeked into the room through the window and saw that it really was Li Xuewu sitting on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), so he smiled and greeted him.
"Why aren't you at home taking care of your wife? What are you doing out strolling around?" Li Xuewu beckoned him inside.
"I said, 'Let's dump the dust.' As I walked by, it sounded like you, but I wasn't sure when I got there."
Sha Zhu put the gray bucket in his hand at the door, smiled and went into the house, nodding and greeting his grandmother and Li Shun.
"When did you come back? I haven't seen you around." He waved his hand, refusing the cigarette his grandmother offered. "I really quit. He Zhuang's mother won't let me smoke anymore."
"Hehe—" Grandma couldn't help but laugh out loud, and the others in the room laughed along with her.
"I wouldn't call myself henpecked."
Sha Zhu knew exactly what they were laughing at, and he laughed along, but he still defended himself by saying, "She said I cough a lot at night."
"It's good that you quit. If you don't smoke, you won't miss it."
Li Shun smiled and looked at him, asking, "Did Diliya finish eating now? She's not throwing up anymore, is she?"
"I'm not throwing up anymore, it's all thanks to you." Sha Zhu chuckled and sat down by the edge of the kang (heated brick bed), saying, "Without your method, we don't know how much longer we would have had to go through all this trouble."
"As long as it works." Li Shun didn't seem to care much and nodded slowly, saying, "This method doesn't work for everyone, but it seems to be working so far."
"Once the second one is born, I'm going to give him a good beating, to teach him a lesson for all his nonsense—"
Sha Zhu was spouting harsh words, but his face was full of smugness, especially when he looked at Li Xuewu, whom he had already gloated over last month.
Li Xuewu ignored him, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and asked, "Does Pazil come often?"
"I came here once at the beginning of the month, but I was busy."
Sha Zhu accepted the tea that Liu Yin brought and explained, "Wang Yamei dragged him home from the army, and I don't know what the couple talked about."
He sipped his hot tea and chuckled, saying, "I didn't dare ask too many questions, afraid he'd feel awkward."
"Are you two having a fight?" Liu Yin glanced at him and asked, "I didn't realize it. Ya Mei seemed perfectly fine when she came to work."
"Her—" Sha Zhu said with a laugh, "It's hard to say whether she's big-hearted or easygoing."
“You’re just as good as me.” Li Xuewu said with a smile, “When I came to Gangcheng to pick up her sister, I suggested that I treat her to a meal, and the two sisters almost got into a fight.”
"She herself said it when she got back—"
Sha Zhu put down his teacup, nodded, and said, "You said you criticized her, so she needs to reflect deeply and learn to mature."
"And then?" Li Xuewu leaned against the kang cabinet, raising an eyebrow as he asked, "Have you reflected on your actions?"
"Hehe—" Sha Zhu didn't answer his question, but just smiled meaningfully.
Li Xuewu sensed something was off about the laughter and asked, "What's wrong? Did it backfire?"
"Ya Mei has the mind of a child."
At this moment, Liu Yin smiled and chimed in, "When you can't see any sorrow, you're cheerful all day long."
"That's good, considering they're still young."
She refilled the teacups of the people on the kang (a heated brick bed) with hot water from the thermos, saying, "We can't even have any fun every day."
"What's bothering you now?"
Sha Zhu picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said with a smile, "You're the most worry-free person in our courtyard. Who else on this street can compare to you?"
"That's what they say," Liu Yin nodded with a smile, "but life isn't always smooth sailing."
"Don't be ungrateful." Sha Zhu looked at the people in the room with amusement. He didn't see any worries on their minds, so he knew that Liu Yin was just maintaining her usual low-key attitude.
"Where are Xuewen and his family of four?" He turned to look at the south room, but the lights were off and he heard no movement.
“They moved to the front yard because they said the kids are too noisy,” Liu Yin explained with a smile. “The second child often wakes up at night, and the couple were afraid of disturbing us.”
"Look, the old lady coaxed the eldest son to sleep in that room."
She gestured towards the south room and said, "After dinner, I gave the eldest son a bath. The old lady was feeling weak, so she lay down as well."
"Having more rooms is good." Sha Zhu raised his chin and said, "In the past, no matter how noisy we were, we would still have to squeeze into one room."
He took another sip of tea, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Where are the third couple? Did they move to the backyard? I haven't seen them there."
"I'm not staying at Lao San's place anymore, I'm staying at Yu Li's room, it's empty now." Liu Yin nodded and said, "I'll stay there for a while, until the child is a little older."
She glanced back at the time on the wall and said, "The two of them said they were going to see a movie, they should be back by now."
"It's still early," Li Xuewu said, glancing at the time on the wall. "We finally get a break, we should go out and have some fun."
"What's so fun about this late at night?"
Liu Yin habitually muttered, "This couple is just like children."
"No matter what, she's better than Wang Yamei," Sha Zhu chuckled. "It's just that there's been no news yet. Are you not planning to have children so soon?"
"Who knows what they were thinking?" Liu Yin lowered her head awkwardly and said, "Young people these days—"
Li Xuewu glanced at his mother and comforted her, "Third brother has only been married for a short time, and both of them are busy with their jobs, so please don't rush them."
"Why should I rush them?" Liu Yin took a sip of hot water and said, "If they want it, they can have it; if they don't, it's less of a hassle."
“Young people have their own ideas.” The old woman pulled her legs back and rested her knees on her hands, saying, “Children and grandchildren have their own blessings; don’t be too restrictive.”
"Let them decide for themselves—"
Liu Yin sighed for no apparent reason and said, "They're not children anymore, yet there's always something to worry about."
"Li Xue hasn't returned from Liaodong yet?"
Seeing that the conversation was getting a bit dull, Sha Zhu changed the subject and looked at Li Xuewu, asking, "It's been several months since you left?"
“She’s come back a few times.” Li Xuewu glanced at his mother before explaining to Sha Zhu, “She’s in the work group, and there are unified arrangements for her actions.”
"They're still investigating United Energy?" Sha Zhu asked in surprise. "Didn't they say they'd already dealt with a lot of people? Why are they continuing the investigation?"
"Yes, they said they would investigate thoroughly." Li Xuewu nodded and said, "I wasn't in charge of this project, and what I know is only what's in the briefing."
“My goodness—” Sha Zhu raised his eyebrows and said, “Who is the head of this United Energy company again? Isn’t it Bu Qingfang from the publicity department?”
Seeing Li Xuewu nod slightly, he widened his eyes and asked, "She's been so ruthless, how is she going to lead the team in the future?"
“If I don’t ruthlessly control her, she’ll be even less able to manage me.”
Li Xuewu glanced at him and said indifferently, "She can't win either way. The group has a problem with her, and the joint venture doesn't think much of her either."
"They're really going all out—" Sha Zhu said with emotion, "If everyone does this, one-fifth of the cadres in the government will have to be sent away."
"Hehe—it'll be soon—" Li Xuewu took a sip of hot tea and said, "A new broom sweeps clean, and that's what he's doing to those who don't know what's good for them."
-
"Second brother? Second brother?"
Li Xuewu was half asleep when he heard someone calling his name. He opened one eye and saw Xiao Yan reaching out to tug at him.
"Second brother, the sun's already high in the sky, aren't you getting up yet!"
"Okay, I'm not going to work, I'll sleep a little longer."
Li Xuewu closed his eyes, turned over, and continued sleeping, grumbling, "Don't bring me food. I can eat whenever I wake up."
"Let him sleep, it's nothing serious."
Grandma came out of the kitchen, glanced at the west room, and said to Xiaoyan, "Heat up the rice for him in the pot."
"What did he do last night? Did he play cards?" Xiao Yan came out of the house and asked curiously, "Brother Zhu? Who else was he?"
"We didn't play games, but we chatted for half the night."
Grandma chuckled and said, "If I hadn't been so sleepy that I chased him away, he would still be here."
“He’s really something—” Xiao Yan said with a laugh, “He’s been holding it in for so long, he’s finally found someone to chat with.”
There were only the three of them left at the recycling station store. Xiao Yan wasn't in a hurry to have children, but Wang Yamei already had one. If they all had children at the same time, Grandma wouldn't be able to manage.
Diliya could have helped, but her pregnancy symptoms were too severe, so Xiaoyan told her to rest.
"Let me see what that lazybones is up to!"
Hearing the commotion, Wang Yamei came over from the west gate like a fuzzy rabbit, rolled up her sleeves, and was about to rush into the house, but Xiao Yan pushed her away with a laugh.
"You're a mother now, how can you still be so reckless—"
She smiled and tapped Wang Yamei's forehead, scolding her, "Even if you're very close, you're still a man. Be mindful of your image, okay?"
"Hey, what's your relationship with Brother Wu?"
Xiao Yan glanced into the house without a care in the world, then greeted him with a smile, "Brother! The sun's already high in the sky, my son's already dressed and playing in the yard, and you're still lying in bed?"
"Go away—it's so annoying—"
Li Xuewu was reluctant to open his eyes. He covered himself with the blanket and cursed under his breath. After a burst of laughter outside the window, the noise subsided.
Even though he could still sleep soundly despite the occasional sounds of voices coming from the west store and the neighbors coming and going in the courtyard by the hanging flower gate.
At the end of the alley where the compound is located is a supply and marketing cooperative. Today is the weekend, and it was bustling with activity all morning.
Li Xuewu indulged himself for once, sleeping until after ten o'clock before waking up. But even after waking up, he didn't get up and remained lying on the kang (a heated brick bed) in a daze.
How long has it been since he felt this relaxed? Even at home, with the children making a ruckus and the pressure of work, he had never felt this at ease.
Yesterday wasn't entirely Sha Zhu's fault. He and his grandmother left home after nine o'clock, and Sha Zhu came over and sat here for a while. When they looked at the time, it was already 11:30.
He couldn't remember what happened last night; it was all a blur. Of all the people he talked about, Sha Zhu was the most talkative and energetic.
Men who get married don't like going home; they'd rather be anywhere else than at home.
"Are you still sleeping? What time is it?"
He Yushui glanced at him through the window, and seeing that he was awake, she went into the room and asked, "What time did you go to sleep last night?"
"Ask your older brother." Li Xuewu yawned and lazily looked at her, asking, "Why are you here? Aren't you at work?"
"You don't go to work, so why should I?" He Yushui picked up the bag in her hand and asked, "Want some bread?"
"Brought this for me?" Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow, turned over to look at it, and asked, "Did you bring it back from the restaurant?"
"It could have been picked up from the roadside—"
He Yushui rolled her eyes in annoyance and said, "Just tell me if you're going to eat it or not. If you're not, I'm taking it away."
"Keep it for your nephew."
Li Xuewu rolled over and lay back down, smiling as he said, "This stuff is sweet, and the kids are all very happy about it."
"What, you think you can get away with missing out on a bite?"
He Yushui, true to her nature, took out a piece of bread from the paper bag and stuffed it into his mouth, saying, "He's already as fat as a ball, and you're still feeding him."
"Ugh—" Li Xuewu slapped her hand away, took the bread, caught his breath, and looked at her sideways, asking, "Are you trying to suffocate me?"
"Suffocating to death from bread is news."
Yu Shui sat down next to the kang (a heated brick bed), looked at him and gestured, "Eat quickly, and get up quickly after you finish eating. It's so late and you're still in bed."
"Why are you so free? You're even bothering me about staying in bed late?" Li Xuewu turned around, lay on his pillow, took a bite of bread, and asked, "You didn't come here specifically for me, did you?"
"What if I said yes?" Rain looked at him and said, "Are you pretending to be confused?"
"Alright, I told you not to eat other people's food."
Li Xuewu reached out to stuff the half-eaten bread back into the bag, but was punched hard in the back by the rain.
Cough—he almost choked.
Everyone says you shouldn't mess with older spinsters, but I never expected her to be this ruthless!
"You've already taken a bite, and you still want to spit it out?" Rainwater glared at him fiercely and said, "Now you have to eat it whether you want to or not, I'm going to extort you!"
"Are you a bandit?" Li Xuewu pulled his pillow a little further away from her, gave her a disapproving look, and said, "Trying to force me to buy or sell, is that it?"
"What? You're trying to renege on your debt?" Rain seemed to have found a reason to provoke her, and she glared at him, demanding, "Are you even a man?"
Holy crap—
Li Xuewu really wanted to jump up and show her if she was a man, but then he thought better of it; this old maid's eyes were practically bulging out of her.
"Don't try to trick me, bread is bread." Li Xuewu, who couldn't afford to offend anyone, decided to avoid them and took a bite of bread, saying, "I'll buy you ten later."
"You'd better buy me ten thousand and support me then—" Rain rolled her eyes at him and pouted, "You have the desire but not the guts."
"Don't worry, I don't have the guts or the desire to steal," Li Xuewu said bluntly. "Your brother said last night that he would help you find a girlfriend."
"Go ahead and look for someone. I'll meet them once I find them."
Rain said nonchalantly, "What if it turns out to be a good match? You'll be relieved, right? You're always on edge whenever you see me."
“I’m not a mouse, and you’re not a cat.” Li Xuewu finished a small piece of bread in a few bites, and didn’t want to eat the rest. He waved his hand and said, “Alright, you may leave. I need to wash up and change.”
"Your character—" Rain said with a smirk, "Who cares what you're like?"
After saying that, he stood up and strode out the door.
Li Xuewu glanced outside, and seeing that no one was around, he turned over and lay back down.
Since breakfast has already been taken care of, what's the point of getting up?
I checked the time; it was time for my afternoon nap.
bang-
The door above his head was suddenly kicked open. Before he could even look up to see who it was, a dark figure pounced on him, grabbed his face with both hands, and bit his lips.
"Damn—are you a dog?"
It would take at least three minutes, Li Xuewu was sure of it; she was as clumsy as a stupid dog, all she could do was bite and lick.
You owe me—
He Yushui straightened up, looked down at him and said, "If you won't give it to me, then take it yourself."
Perhaps it was because he was excited for the first time, or perhaps it was because he was finally able to say what he had been holding in his heart, but Li Xuewu looked at her and trembled slightly.
"You're a little bit off—"
Li Xuewu wiped his face and looked at the drool on his hand. He was disgusted with himself for not brushing his teeth in the morning, so how could this girl bring herself to kiss him?
"Well, you forced me to do it—"
Rainwater glared at him, then turned and stomped away, as if the only reason for coming back was to bite him and say something harsh.
"What a terrible thing!"
Li Xuewu grinned and wiped his hands on the blanket. He was so annoyed that he couldn't take a nap anymore.
I finally got a day off, but she ruined my good mood.
***
"Second Uncle! Second Uncle—"
Li Tang's voice came from outside the door. Li Xuewu had just washed his face when he saw the chubby boy stumble in through the threshold.
"Where are you? Are you all alone?"
“Tai is behind us—” Li Tang looked up at him with delight in her eyes and reached out to pull him out to play.
"Second Uncle, let's go to the yard and play with my little sister—"
"No, Uncle hasn't eaten yet."
Li Xuewu had just checked the pot and found that breakfast had gone cold. He kicked in some firewood and lit it, so it should be warm now.
"Go, there's bread inside. Share it with your sister."
He was too lazy to coax the chubby boy; he was already fed up with all the "ten thousand whys" in the house, let alone "ten thousand and one whys."
Li Tang was a little glutton. Upon hearing that there was bread, he forgot about his second uncle and ran into the inner room. He knew without asking that the bread was in the paper bag.
"Who should eat first?" Just as he was about to open the bag, Li Xuewu grabbed the bag and asked Li Tang.
Li Tang looked up at his second uncle, blinked, and said, "Give it to Madam first."
"And then?" Li Xuewu gave him an encouraging look.
Li Tang understood and nodded, saying, "Give some more to your sister, and Li Tang will eat last."
"Good boy." Li Xuewu let go of his hand, and casually patted the back of his head, saying, "If you dare to embezzle halfway, I'll kick you up to the roof."
Li Tang didn't care whether his second uncle's threat was valid or not, and ran out with the bread in his hand.
After a while, the old lady's voice came from the outer courtyard. The door opened, and Li Xuewu was standing by the stove eating. She then asked, "Is this breakfast?"
"This should be considered lunchtime." Li Xuewu looked at the sunlight outside the window and said with a smile, "I stayed up late last night."
"What happened to your mouth?" The old lady, holding Li Yue in her arms, glanced at her grandson and asked, "Why is it swollen?"
"I ate too fast and bit my tongue," Li Xuewu chuckled, teasing Li Yue as he asked, "Did your brother give you any bread?"
"You dare ask? Where did the bread come from?"
The old lady laughed and pulled Li Yue's hand out of her mouth, touched her cheek and said, "Li Tang is showing off his treasure like this, saying it was given to him by you."
"It was from the rain," Li Xuewu said bluntly. "If it weren't for her, I could have slept a little longer."
"If you sleep any longer it will be evening—" The old lady bounced the child in her arms, looked at him and asked, "Are you free today?"
"Nothing's wrong." Li Xuewu turned to the old lady and asked, "Is there something you need?"
"What could possibly happen to me?" The old lady smiled and said, "Your mother said that Xiao Ning and the children went to Nanjing. I'm just asking around."
“It’s been almost a year since we last saw each other, and since I had some time off, I let her go,” Li Xuewu explained. “The child’s maternal grandparents also miss them.”
“That’s for sure—” the old lady clicked her tongue and said, “It would be so nice if they were all together, but who would have thought they would move to Nanjing.”
"It's for work, just like me right now." Li Xuewu tore off a small piece of steamed bun and stuffed it into Li Yue's hand, teasing her, "Just like your brother, you're both little gluttons."
Watching her second uncle eat so heartily, Li Yue's mouth watered. She was almost eight months old and could already eat simple complementary foods. Watching her nibble on a steamed bun, she looked incredibly cute.
"You gave me a piece of bread and then gave another piece to Li Yue. You ate the rest yourself and were very happy."
The old lady smiled and said that she had eaten breakfast with him before handing the child to him.
While the old lady was clearing away the dishes, Li Xuewu carried Li Yue outside, talking to her as they walked. Children of this age are the cutest, especially daughters.
"Second Uncle—" Mischievous boy Li Tang ran back again, shouting loudly, "Second Uncle, I've run out of bread."
"So what if it's all gone? What else do you want?" Li Xuewu glanced at him and said, "I was about to ask you that, why didn't you leave me a piece?"
"Huh?" Li Tang was dumbfounded, and stammered, "You didn't want it either."
"Stick your butt out." Li Xuewu raised his leg and gestured, "Come on, I'll kick you up to the roof."
"No! Help me!"
Li Tang, like a clumsy monkey, stumbled into the inner room to complain to his wife.
Seeing her brother's disheveled appearance, Li Yue hugged the steamed bun in her hand and giggled.
When Li Xuewu saw her smile, he smiled too.
Daughters are always the best. As long as no blond-haired guy comes looking for you, daughters will always be the best!
"Second brother, you've finally decided to get up."
As he walked into the west courtyard, Wang Yamei, who was sorting through recyclables, saw him, shielded her eyes with her hand, and exclaimed, "I thought you were going to sleep until tomorrow morning."
"Almost there," Li Xuewu said with a smile. "Finally, I've had a good night's sleep."
"You're really something—" Wang Yamei walked over and made a face, teasing Li Yue, "Get down on the ground and run around with your brother."
"It'll take at least a week." Li Xuewu looked at her and asked, "Has your Ah Hong learned to walk yet?"
"I just learned to dab," Wang Yamei smiled, dodging Li Yue's little hand, and said, "Don't touch Auntie, Auntie is working, her hands are dirty."
Li Yue still couldn't understand what she was saying. Seeing that she wouldn't let her touch him, she gave up and continued to drool as she ate the half-eaten steamed bun in her hand.
"Oh my, mine's the same, it's like she'll never stop drooling." Wang Yamei couldn't help but grin when she saw her drooling, and said, "When will this ever end?"
"It'll be soon. The drooling phase means your teeth are coming in." Li Xuewu bounced Li Yue and asked, "How are you doing? I was just saying I'd invite you and Pazile to get together when I get back."
"It's all right, nothing's wrong."
Wang Yamei smiled and looked at him, saying, "I'm so sorry, brother. You're so busy, it's really not right for me to trouble you."
"Is that the truth?" Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow, looked her over carefully, and then said, "No wonder they all say you've matured a lot since you came back."
“Sha Zhu definitely didn’t say anything good about me—” Wang Yamei smiled. She was Sha Zhu’s sister-in-law, and despite her young age, Sha Zhu actually had to respond when she called him that.
"Hehe—" Li Xuewu smiled and looked at her, saying, "Alright, just learn to live a good life. Among these people, who is as carefree as you?"
“I know, brother—” Wang Yamei replied sweetly, then raised her eyebrows and looked at him, asking, “Brother, you and my sister…you two…”
"Hmm?" Li Xuewu looked at her, feigning ignorance, and asked, "What's wrong?"
"I think something's up between you two—"
Wang Yamei smiled meaningfully and raised her eyebrows, saying, "I noticed that she's different from before when I picked her up last time."
"What's different?" Li Xuewu asked, amused. "It's become shabby?"
"You said it yourself! I didn't!" Wang Yamei pointed at him with a mischievous grin and said, "Have you two rekindled your old flame?"
"It's okay, even if it was me, I'll keep it a secret. Even if it wasn't me, I'll still call you brother-in-law."
"Do I even need to say anything—" Li Xuewu glanced at her and said with amusement, "You can always make trouble out of nothing."
"Could I have orchestrated that?"
Wang Yamei said indignantly, "When she said she was going to be transferred back, I thought something terrible had happened. I was afraid she'd make a scene, but I never expected—"
She let out a sigh of relief and said, "Forget it, I won't ask anymore. As long as she's happy, that's all that matters. Do whatever you want."
"This has nothing to do with you anyway—"
Li Xuewu glanced at her with amusement and said, "You're just worrying about things that don't concern you."
"Alright, alright, it was my fault for meddling."
Wang Yamei nodded amiably and said, "If anything happens again, I'll take care of you."
She pointed angrily at Li Xuewu and scolded, "Have you forgotten who kept watch for you guys back then? If it weren't for me, could you—"
"Second Uncle—" Li Tang appeared at the courtyard gate, holding his wife's hand. Wang Yamei swallowed the rest of her words.
Li Xuewu looked at her with amusement; her puffed-up face resembled a toad.
"I'm ignoring you now—humph—"
Wang Yamei stomped her foot, turned around and went to the store. When she passed Li Tang, who was running over, she flicked him on the head.
"Ouch—" Li Tang covered his forehead and turned to his wife to complain, "My aunt hit me."
"What are you doing here again?" Li Xuewu looked at him with feigned seriousness and said, "Stick your butt up and I'll kick you up to the roof."
"Madam—" Li Tang had found someone to back him up, so he wasn't afraid of his second uncle at all. He stuck out his tongue behind his wife, being as mischievous as he could be.
"Give me the child, go and do your own thing."
The old lady took Li Yue from his arms and said, "A morning's rest is enough. If a man isn't busy with his career, what's the difference between him and a useless person?"
Perhaps this is the life and striving philosophy passed down through generations of the family, which is why there is no idle person in the Li family.
-
"Am I late?" Shangguan Qi glanced at her watch, making sure she had arrived ahead of schedule before letting out a sigh of relief.
She looked at Li Xuewu across from her and smiled, saying, "That's a bit of a surprise."
"What's unexpected? I asked you out?"
Li Xuewu looked at her amusedly and asked, "What do you usually do during your free time? Don't you have any social life?"
"Yes, I was planning to go shopping." Shangguan Qi smiled, picked up the coffee on the table, took a sip, and her eyes lit up. "This coffee is really good."
"How does it compare to what you drank when you were in school?" Li Xuewu asked, squinting slightly as he looked at the girl in front of him. "Which one tastes better?"
"I didn't drink this often when I was in school; I only started drinking it after I started working."
Shangguan Qi's face always wore a surprised smile, yet also a hint of forced modesty, as she didn't want to embarrass herself in front of him.
“That’s what I understand,” Li Xuewu said, flipping his palm. “Americans can’t live without coffee, just like Chinese people can’t live without tea.”
“That’s true.” Shangguan Qi nodded and explained, “However, coffee is like tea for us; not everyone can afford it.”
"The most economical option is to buy a hand-cranked coffee machine and make your own coffee from beans, but that's time-consuming and laborious," she explained. "Most of the time, you canned coffee powder is the better choice."
"That must be because freshly ground coffee tastes better." Li Xuewu picked up his teacup and took a sip of hot tea. He didn't like the taste of coffee, so he almost never touched it.
He prefers the mild bitterness of tea to the strong flavor of coffee.
Just like one's attitude towards life, it's already difficult enough to just live, why make yourself suffer? Isn't that just being idle?
"Not necessarily, some coffee powders taste better," Shangguan Qi explained earnestly, "because some flavorings are added to them."
“Yes, I understand.” Li Xuewu smiled and said, “The batch of coffee that the Santayar Group shipped to East Germany through our channels had several different flavors.”
"I admire you so much, you know that?"
Shangguan Qi is indeed an elite nurtured in the overseas environment. She has a straightforward personality and a clear sense of love and hate. Although she has learned a lot after returning to China, she still retains that same stubbornness.
She looked Li Xuewu in the eye and said bluntly, "Your strategies and methods for running a business are no less impressive than those I've encountered abroad."
“If it’s not surprising that we both received higher education, but you—” she gestured with both hands to Li Xuewu, her eyes full of admiration, and said, “You are the smartest person I have ever met.”
"Do you think Americans are smarter or Chinese are smarter?" Li Xuewu didn't care about the admiration in her words; he didn't need it.
If he really wanted a woman, he would have countless ways to attract and win her over, but with Shangguan Qi, he only had an attitude of appreciation and work.
“Sometimes I really wonder if you studied abroad too.” Shangguan Qi looked him over carefully, nodded and said, “I know what you mean, Americans are stupid, right?”
“Hehe—” Li Xuewu shook his head slightly and said, “I didn’t say that.”
"Actually, that's what I think too."
Shangguan Qi pursed her lips, shrugged, and said, "Their education system has problems, and even they themselves know that. Their education is a business."
“American children are never the future of the country, but the future of capital. They will use a set of social mechanisms to ruthlessly filter out non-compliant citizens.”
She earnestly stated, "Only those who meet the needs of society or can provide certain value to the country are their citizens."
"And the young people who are screened out will be treated like trash and thrown on the roadside."
“Or perhaps it’s a battlefield, right?” Li Xuewu added, nodding with a smile. “Every financial crisis is a disaster for their young people.”
“They’ve gotten used to it,” Shangguan Qi chimed in. “They habitually use war to solve everything; it’s barbaric, domineering, and completely unreasonable.”
"It's due to historical reasons," Li Xuewu explained with great understanding. "Their country and land were seized, so they have a bandit mentality in their genes."
“I’m reminded of something my father once said,” Shangguan Qi said, looking at him. “He said that a scholar can know everything under the heavens without leaving his home.”
"Hahaha—" Li Xuewu laughed out loud, waving his hands humbly and saying, "I dare not accept such praise. My level is far from that of a scholar, let alone a mere educated person."
"You're getting a little too proud—"
Shangguan Qi chuckled, covering her mouth, "If you, an associate professor, aren't considered a scholar, then who dares to call themselves a scholar?"
"Ha—" Li Xuewu was convinced and raised his hands to show his surrender. He joked, "I dare to pretend in front of others, but how could I dare in front of someone from a scholarly family like you?"
"You're just being too modest—"
Shangguan Qi shook her head slightly and said, "My father said that learning should be applied to practical use. If what you learn cannot be used, it is the same as not learning at all, and it is a waste of time and energy."
“You are the perfect example of what my father meant by applying what you have learned, and that’s what he thought too.”
"Please thank Mr. Shangguan for me."
Li Xuewu picked up his teacup and said with a smile, "I am extremely honored to receive such high praise and affirmation from him."
"You deserve that compliment." Shangguan Qi smiled, picked up her teacup, took a small sip, and kept her eyes on him.
Her mother once warned her not to be misled by the temperament displayed by a man's status and position, and even more so not to date someone who is too confident or too individualistic, as love and marriage would be exhausting.
But she was completely addicted to it and couldn't break free.
He wasn't bad-looking; it was the scar on his face that marred his handsome features. But in her eyes, even with that scar, he was still handsome.
Have you seen Peter Gwett recently?
Li Xuewu put down his teacup and changed the subject. One of the reasons he had asked the other party out today was to ask this optoelectronics expert some questions.
“I see him almost every day.” Shangguan Qi put aside her thoughts and nodded, saying, “The newly established Institute of Optoelectronics is right next to our institute.”
"Oh, I haven't been there, so I don't know much about it." Li Xuewu raised his chin and asked, "What's the environment like? What about the staffing and working conditions?"
"Didn't you hear General Manager Xia's report?" Shangguan Qi glanced at him, thought for a moment, and then explained, "I don't know the specifics very well either, since I'm not from their department."
“But Peter Gwett said it’s great, he enjoys the work environment here, especially doing what he loves.”
She shrugged and said, "He's pursuing me, did you know that?"
"Really?" Li Xuewu smiled and asked, "So? Are you two dating?"
"No, not at all." Shangguan Qi couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. Looking into his eyes, she seemed oblivious to his admiration, and said indifferently, "I don't like him."
"He will be very sad."
Li Xuewu smiled and nodded, saying, "Everyone has the right to like someone, and everyone has the right to reject someone's liking."
He spread his hands and said understandingly, "You are fully entitled and capable of pursuing your own happiness, and it doesn't stop you from being friends, does it?"
"Thank you for your understanding." Shangguan Qi suddenly smiled and looked at him, asking, "If I were to take the initiative to pursue you, would that be alright?"
"Hehe—don't joke around."
Li Xuewu chuckled and waved his hand, saying, "My son is old enough to run errands, you should be making your move on to younger, more outstanding young men."
"But I just like your style."
Shangguan Qi raised an eyebrow and asked with a smile, "Do you know any other men as outstanding as yourself who are still single?"
"Hmm—I need to think about that carefully."
Li Xuewu pretended to think seriously, even frowning in agreement, before looking at her for a while and saying, "Sorry, I don't think I have any in my social circle."
"You either continue to work hard to expand your social circle and make more outstanding young friends, or you have to change your taste."
“That’s not necessarily true—” Shangguan Qi picked up her coffee cup and said jokingly, “What if one day you fall in love with me too?”
"Well, maybe," Li Xuewu said jokingly. "There's a saying that goes, 'Men will always like young and beautiful women.'"
"So you just don't like smart people?"
Shangguan Qi immediately understood the deeper meaning behind his joke, pouted, and said, "It's such a pity, I wish I had met you sooner."
"Hehe—" Li Xuewu said with a laugh, "If you're not joking, or if you're not just flattering me, I really can't think of anything that could attract you."
He spread his hands and said, "I'm incredibly lazy. I don't know what I would be like if no one took care of me."
"Besides, I'm way past the age of dating. I'm busy with my career and family now, and I barely have time to spend with my family, let alone a lover."
He raised his eyebrows and said, "Believe me, never fall for someone like me. I'm boring and a pain in the neck, and I'll do you no good at all."
"You talk about yourself like that?" Shangguan Qi raised an eyebrow and asked, "Are you that insecure about yourself?"
"No, I was too confident in myself."
Li Xuewu let out a long sigh of relief, looked at her earnestly, and said, "I have countless ways to get a girl as beautiful and intelligent as you."
"But I can't be with them often, take care of their feelings, protect their lives, or understand their bad moods."
He nodded sincerely and said, "Having love is like growing a flower. If you can't water it, weed it, fertilize it, or even protect it, what meaning does that flower have for you?"
"On the other hand, why should this flower rely on him? An incompetent and unethical guardian is simply wasting his life."
"But love isn't all about companionship, is it?"
Shangguan Qi looked at him stubbornly and said, "You said you've lost interest in romance, but do you still have the urge to like or love?"
"Of course, I'm not seventy or eighty years old."
Li Xuewu smiled and looked at her, saying, "But I no longer have the responsibility or desire to cherish and protect. Can you accept a love that has no future?"
"Madam, that's not love at all."