Chapter 384: Extra (8)

"Bao’er, is it the kids who can’t adjust, or is it you? They’ve grown up, and we have to learn to slowly let go. They have their own paths to walk. We can guide them for part of the way, but we can’t walk the entire journey for them. Bao’er, the fledglings have matured. We need to let go so they can fly on their own." Patting Zhou Lian gently, Li Xiu sighed with a touch of melancholy. Before they knew it, their two children had grown up.

Zhou Lian frowned, sighed, and said just as wistfully, "Before we knew it, the kids have grown up... and we’ve gotten old!"

"Alright, we’re still in our prime, we’re not old. No need to get all sentimental. It’s time for bed. Close your eyes and go to sleep. I’ll take you into the mountains tomorrow." Li Xiu was happy to see Zhou Lian’s personality become more and more vivacious. It meant her life was comfortable and carefree, just as it should be.

At his words, Zhou Lian’s eyes instantly lit up. She grabbed Li Xiu by the collar and asked excitedly, "You’re really taking me into the mountains?"

"Yes. Be good, and I’ll take you into the mountains tomorrow. Now, close your eyes and sleep." Amused by her antics, Li Xiu nodded, coaxing her to go to sleep.

"Sleeping, sleeping! I’m going to sleep right now."

After a moment, hearing the steady, gentle breathing beside him, Li Xiu quietly sighed in relief. He shifted Zhou Lian into a more comfortable position in his arms and closed his eyes, his thoughts turning to his grandmother’s condition. ’Grandma Li’s prognosis is clear. She has half a year at most.’ Zhou Lian had taken a whole semester off from school. Thankfully, the school’s administration understood the family’s situation, or they never would have agreed.

’We’ll just stay in our hometown for these next six months. It’ll be a good chance to take a break from the hectic life we’ve led for so long. Zhou Lian’s work is fine; Li He can already manage things on his own. My side of things is a bit more complicated, though. I stopped worrying about the company ages ago. With Wei Guo, Liu Qiang, and Wang Dongfang in charge, it’s in good hands. Li Bao is also experienced enough to take care of himself, and as for Li Guo, the state itself is looking out for him!’

’The kids from the eldest branch have all come into their own, too. Li Bo is still out in the provinces, gaining experience, and Li Miao has secured her position at her job. The political waters in Capital City may run deep, but I’ve been operating there for years. Most people wouldn’t dare to cross me. After all, I’m the one who single-handedly turned the city upside down from the shadows, and later, I maneuvered to put Ping’an in power. Is there a single prominent family in the Capital City that doesn’t know who I am?’

’Over the years, there has been no end to the overt and covert schemes targeting my family. I’ve managed to thwart them all, but afterward, I always make sure to explain the full situation to the family. This prevents them from becoming so sheltered that they’d be easily tricked by others. I have to admit, I handled that part pretty well. Now, whether it’s my younger siblings or the next generation like Zhou Huaitai and Zhang Yizhen, none of them are simple. They all have more going on beneath the surface.’

’I started bringing Li Xianglin and Li Xiangrui along to watch me handle these affairs when they were barely ten. I’m not too worried about Li Xiangrui, even though he’s still young. If he actually managed to get into some kind of trouble in Capital City, I’d send him straight back for a complete overhaul. After all these years of training, and with so many elders protecting him both openly and from the shadows, he’d have to be an absolute idiot to still mess up.’

’I was even less worried about Li Xianglin. Who could have guessed that this refined young lady, an expert in zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, wine, and tea, had secretly taken over the majority of my network? Zhou Lian and I were at a standoff with her about it for nearly half a year. In the end, Zhou Lian couldn’t bear to see her disappointed and was the first to give in. And me? I’m a complete pushover for my wife. Once she agreed, I couldn’t hold out against my daughter’s wheedling either.’

’Not long after Elder Ping’s death, I handed over most of my public-facing influence. An enraged Ping’an came and had a massive fight with me over it, but in the end, he listened to my reasoning. I had Liu Shengnan personally take control of it all. I did it for two reasons. First, I wanted to start slowly withdrawing from the scene. Second, it was to appease the other members of the Ping Family’s faction, including Ping Jing and Mrs. Ping. Having lived two lives, I never shy away from assuming the worst of others.’

’This applies even to Ping’an, a man I personally taught and supported. I’ve always been very careful about not getting between family. No one, apart from Zhou Lian, knows about the secret network I command. I gave the majority of it to Li Xianglin, but I’ve kept a portion for myself. I’m worried she’s still too young to handle it all. More importantly, I would never fully entrust Zhou Lian’s safety to anyone else—not even my own daughter.’

’This next half-year will be a perfect opportunity to see just how much my son and daughter have grown, so I’m not worried at all. My in-laws and my adoptive parents will be looking after their daily needs, and besides, they have Sister Fang. Sister Fang has spent the better part of her life with our family, and the way she dotes on Li Xianglin and Li Xiangrui is no less than a real mother. After all, Zhou Lian has her own things to do. As much as she cares for the children, she can’t be by their side around the clock like Sister Fang is.’

His mind drifted through all sorts of thoughts. He pulled the woman in his arms a little closer, and soon, Li Xiu was asleep too. He had been on edge recently because of Grandma Li. Just before drifting off, he recalled how Zhou Lian had been so restless earlier, refusing to sleep. He couldn’t help but smile. ’She was worried about me, so she did it on purpose. All that fussing and chattering about trivial things... she was just trying to get me to relax.’

Thus, the couple drifted sweetly off to sleep.

「Meanwhile, far away in Capital City, the Li family courtyard was ablaze with light.」

Li Xianglin and Li Xiangrui stared at the room packed with their elders, unsure whether to laugh or cry. The siblings exchanged a bitter smile. ’Who on earth gave all these relatives the impression that we’re helpless?’ they thought. ’It hasn’t even been a week, and everyone in the Capital City who could make it has shown up with their families in tow. Our courtyard is large and the house has plenty of rooms to accommodate them, but still, isn’t this going a little overboard?!’

Li Xianglin swallowed as she looked at all her relatives, then shot a smiling glance at her younger brother. ’It’s the little brother’s job to do the hard work. Nothing wrong with that.’

Receiving his sister’s look, Li Xiangrui couldn’t help but curse her internally. ’This sister of mine...’ He cleared his throat and began, "Uncles, aunts, cousins... my sister and I are really okay. Even though our parents aren’t here, our grandparents are, and so is Aunt Fang. We can take care of ourselves."

"Besides, my sister is twenty! I’m sixteen! We’re really grown up. You’re all so busy, and if we needed anything, we would definitely call you. Your own kids are still little; it’s not convenient for them to get to school and kindergarten from here, is it? By the way, where’s Second Uncle? You didn’t tell him, did you? And what about Younger Uncle, or Eldest Uncle, or Fourth Aunt... If my dad found out you were all carrying on like this..."

Li Bao looked at his nephew’s dramatic performance and said irritably, "Oh, spare us the act. Others might not know what you’re like, but we do. Stop trying to use your dad to intimidate us. You little brat, you’re still wet behind the ears and you’re talking about being grown up? Are you so sure you can protect your sister? We’re already here, and we’re not going back. So hurry up and get the rooms ready. By the way, your Uncle Wei, Uncle Liu, and Uncle Wang are expected tomorrow, so you’d better prepare for them, too."