Chapter 275 - 273: Heartache

Chapter 275: Chapter 273: Heartache

Li Xiu was at a loss, watching Zhou Lian’s sudden outburst. In her memory, she had never been this angry with him in either of her two lives. Even in her previous life, when things between them were at their most strained, she had never been this upset.

"Bao’er, what’s wrong?" Li Xiu asked softly, watching her cautiously.

Looking at Li Xiu’s expression and thinking about everything he had done for her, she felt a sharp, throbbing pain in her heart. She reached out, wrapped her arms around his neck, and buried her face in his shoulder. "Jin Chen," she said softly, "can you please not love me so much? It breaks my heart to see you go to such lengths!"

As Li Xiu gently patted Zhou Lian’s back, he felt a cool liquid on his neck. His hand froze for a moment. "Bao’er, you silly girl," he said gently. "How could I possibly love you any less? I’ve always felt that no matter how much I love you, it’s never enough. Those things... if you don’t want me to do them, I won’t, okay? Don’t cry, Bao’er. When you cry, my heart aches terribly."

It took a long time of coaxing before Zhou Lian’s emotions finally settled. Leaning against Li Xiu’s chest, she said in a stuffy voice, "I don’t care. Anyway, you are not to get involved in this. It’s not that I don’t care about my relationships with my brothers and sisters, but there are just some things others can’t interfere in. If they have potential, we can help. But if they don’t, what good will helping them do? Jin Chen, don’t get involved. I can’t bear to see you exhaust yourself only to end up being resented by everyone. Jin Chen, you can’t!"

Hearing the slight sob in Zhou Lian’s voice, Li Xiu felt a sweetness as if he had drunk honey. ’My precious wife is so worried about me she’s crying.’ But he still couldn’t bear to see her shed a single tear. A sweet smile touched his lips as he said, "Alright, I’ll listen to my Bao’er. I’ll listen to whatever you say. Don’t cry, Bao’er. Every tear you shed just about takes half my life with it!"

The sweet, affectionate couple didn’t notice Mrs. Zhou, who had been standing outside the window for quite some time. Seeing Zhou Lian held in Li Xiu’s embrace in the study, Mrs. Zhou quietly left. It wasn’t until she was back in her room that she let out a sigh. ’It’s no wonder my son-in-law dotes on my daughter so much.’ She thought of her daughter, who had been honest and dutiful since she was a child. The daughter who had subtly supported her maiden family after getting married. The daughter who got into university. And then she thought of her daughter who had suddenly returned home last summer, wailing in her father’s arms.

Mrs. Zhou couldn’t help but cry, her heart aching for her daughter. ’Everyone thinks this daughter of mine has the easiest, most blessed life. But when you think about everything she does—taking care of her own family and her in-laws, painstakingly balancing everyone’s needs... It’s a good thing she found a man who cherishes and pampers her. She brought her nieces and nephews here to help her older siblings, and she’s taking care of her own parents. Yes, her future is the brightest, but the burden she carries is also the heaviest!’

That evening, Mrs. Zhou quietly recounted what she had seen to Mr. Zhou. She finished by saying, "You need to remember this from now on. We can’t keep troubling her with our family’s problems. It’s not easy for her. Our children and grandchildren will have their own fortunes. From now on, you and I shouldn’t interfere. For better or worse, let them carve out their own paths. We can’t expect her to handle everything!"

After hearing Mrs. Zhou’s words, Mr. Zhou silently nodded. ’That’s right,’ he thought. ’Just because her prospects are the best, we can’t expect her to support all her siblings. How could she possibly manage it all!’

Unaware that her parents had reached an agreement, Zhou Lian was fast asleep in Li Xiu’s arms. After crying during the day and being pulled into "deepening their relationship" by Li Xiu at night, she was physically and mentally exhausted and had fallen asleep early.

In the blink of an eye, it was summer vacation. Mr. and Mrs. Zhou, along with Zhou Lian’s nieces and nephews, were not returning to their old hometown. Behind Zhou Lian’s back, Li Xiu had persuaded Professor Xiao and Professor Fan to move into their estate, making it more convenient to teach the two children. He had also quietly given Mr. and Mrs. Zhou a heads-up.

And so, when Zhou Lian woke from her afternoon nap, she found herself in a moving car. She looked at Li Xiu, who was concentrating on his driving, and decided not to disturb him. Seeing the back seat stuffed with bags of all sizes, she had a faint inkling of what was going on. After all, Li Xiu’s occasional bursts of excitement recently had been rather strange.

"You’re awake, Bao’er!" Hearing the change in her breathing beside him, Li Xiu knew his wife was awake and spoke with a hint of guilt.

Glancing at Li Xiu, Zhou Lian asked with a sense of resignation, "Is everything at home taken care of?"

"Mhm, mhm, it’s all arranged," Li Xiu explained hurriedly. "Teacher Xiao and Professor Fan have moved into the estate to teach Nuonuo and Yanyan, and they can also tutor Huaitai and Yizhen on the side. Sister Fang is looking after the house—I left her plenty of money. I also gave Li Bao and Wang Dongfang a heads-up, asking them to drop by often when they have time. Besides, Huaitai and Yizhen are practically young men now. While they can’t exactly run the household, having two strapping lads like them at home provides some peace of mind, right? I’ve already cleared it with your parents, too. We’ll only be gone for two weeks. We’ll be back before you know it!"

"If it was all arranged, why did you hide it from me?" Zhou Lian grumbled, giving Li Xiu an irritated look.

Stealing a cautious glance at her, Li Xiu said with an aggrieved tone, "I didn’t want to hide it from you, but when I asked you before, you said you couldn’t stop worrying about the two kids. I was just afraid you wouldn’t agree!"

"So you decided to act first and report later!" Zhou Lian was so exasperated she had to laugh. ’This man is already thirty years old, and he’s jealous of his own son and daughter. Could he be any more shameless?’

"I was just afraid that even if you agreed, you’d still worry about the kids and insist on bringing them with us. They’re older now; their studies should be the priority! Bao’er, you can’t keep spoiling them!" Li Xiu said in a low voice. ’Those two little rascals are eight and five now. They’re big kids. It’s time to set some rules for them!’

At this, Zhou Lian was once again so exasperated she laughed. ’This petty man. I never realized it before. No wonder he’s always so hands-on with the children; it turns out he’s afraid I’ll focus all my energy on them.’ But seeing his affectionate yet cautious expression, Zhou Lian let out a sigh of resignation. "Jin Chen," she said wearily, "can we please have some shame? Those two ’little rascals’ are your own daughter and your own son. Can you please not compete with them for attention?"

"Why should I? Bao’er is mine, and mine alone!"

"And I’m their mother!"

"I don’t care. Anyway, you’re my wife. When they grow up, they’ll leave. I’m the one who will be with you for the rest of your life, so what right do they have to compete with me!" Glancing at Zhou Lian, Li Xiu added, "Besides, they’re not little anymore. It’s not like they still need to be nursed!"

Not knowing whether to laugh or cry as she watched Li Xiu steal glances at her, Zhou Lian couldn’t help but cover her face. ’This childish man. Forget it, I can’t argue with him. His twisted logic is too powerful; I can’t win against him.’ She could only say helplessly, "Stop looking at me and drive properly. I’m not mad at you."

"Really? Bao’er, you’re the best!" Instantly triumphant, Li Xiu started showering Zhou Lian with praise.