Chapter 294 - 292: Zhou Lian’s Mind

Chapter 294: Chapter 292: Zhou Lian’s Mind

Time slipped by like sand through one’s fingers, and in the blink of an eye, it was the end of the year. The schools were on break, and before the New Year, Li Xiu had to make a trip back to his hometown to visit his master’s grave. This was a matter of utmost importance that could not be delayed.

Usually, Li Xiu was the one who made these arrangements. This time, however, Zhou Lian took charge of everything with an authority that brooked no argument. Seeing this rarely assertive side of her, everyone fell silent. Li Xiu, especially, couldn’t bear to see her upset, so he went along with all her decisions.

Considering the family had two new cars, Zhou Lian looked at her relatives seated on the living room sofa and said, "Mom, Dad, you two will take one car with Huaitai and Yizhen. I’ll have a driver take you back. This year, Nuonuo and Yanyan will both go back with you. Let them kowtow to Master. Li Guo, Li Cui, you two will take a car with your Eldest Uncle. Jin Chen, you’re not driving this time. I’ll have someone drive you all. That leaves one car here in the Capital City, which I’ll need."

She glanced at her own parents, and Zhou Lian said softly, "After the fifteenth day of the first lunar month next year, I’ll send someone to bring you back, along with Li Guo and Li Cui."

Looking at Li Bao’s family, Zhou Lian said apologetically to Wang Xiaojuan, "Sister-in-law, my apologies. Things are busy this year, so I can’t have you all going back so early."

"Oh, listen to you, Eldest Sister-in-law," Wang Xiaojuan said, waving a hand dismissively. "We can have Li Guo go back and tell Mom and Dad that we’ll head home on the twenty-eighth!" She wasn’t clear on the specifics, but seeing that her Eldest Brother and Sister-in-law now had so many bodyguards—and that Eldest Brother had even assigned two to her own family—she knew something big was about to happen. She didn’t understand the details, so the best she could do was stay out of the way and not cause trouble.

Smiling at Wang Xiaojuan, Zhou Lian said, "Alright then. Stay home until the third day of the New Year before coming back. And Sister-in-law, have the two from your house go back with you."

Wang Xiaojuan’s heart tightened, but her expression remained unchanged as she smiled at Zhou Lian. "Of course, whatever Eldest Sister-in-law says. These two rascals are more than I can handle on my own. With those two helping me look after the kids, I can finally relax a little!"

Nodding at her in approval, Zhou Lian smiled silently. ’This sister-in-law has certainly learned a lot.’ She turned to Li Xiu and said seriously, "Jin Chen, don’t be in a hurry to come back with the two children. Grandma hasn’t seen them in a long time. Stay for a few days and keep her company."

"Bao’er, let’s wait until after..."

"Jin Chen," Zhou Lian said slowly, interrupting him as she looked him in the eye, "sometimes man proposes and God disposes. Just do as I say. Don’t worry about things here in the Capital City. You have Li Bao and Wang Dongfang keeping an eye on the company, and as for home, you’re taking the children with you. I’ll be here by myself and won’t go out, so rest assured."

He nodded in resigned agreement. Li Xiu understood that Zhou Lian had already made up her mind. She was usually gentle and easygoing, but once she decided on something, no one could talk her out of it. If you didn’t agree with her, she would find a way—any way—to make you. Besides, it wasn’t as if he could ever refuse her anything.

As the two cars slowly drove away, Zhou Lian glanced around with a cryptic smile and returned to the residence, surrounded by bodyguards. She saw the Eldest Young Madam helping Liu Shengnan on a walk, with the Eldest Young Master trailing four or five steps behind them. She smiled. ’See? Beautiful people and beautiful moments always lift the spirits!’

"Eldest Brother, Eldest Sister-in-law, Shengnan."

Ping Jing, the Eldest Young Madam, and Liu Shengnan watched in a daze as Zhou Lian approached, flanked by a crowd of bodyguards. They suddenly sensed that her aura wasn’t the gentle one she usually presented. It seemed their understanding of her wasn’t so thorough after all. ’Then again,’ they thought, ’how could a woman doted upon by a man as brilliant and almost supernaturally intelligent as Li Xiu be someone so mild as to lack a personality of her own?’

"Have Jin Chen and the others left?" the Eldest Young Madam asked with a smile.

The corners of Zhou Lian’s lips curved into a slight smile. She nodded. "They’ve all gone back. It’s the perfect time to close the net."

"Sister-in-law!" Ping Jing cried out in shock.

She slowly walked to Liu Shengnan’s side and, along with the Eldest Young Madam, gently helped support her. "Let’s talk inside," she said.

Looking at the three people on the opposite sofa, all with dumbfounded expressions, Zhou Lian chuckled softly. ’Really? Did they think she was that simpleminded? She might have been naive in her past life, but in this one, she had spent seven or eight years in university, studied under a great mentor—and his even greater master—and socialized with a circle of wives from the Imperial Palace, every one of them as sharp as a tack. If she were still her naive former self, hah... then no matter how much Li Xiu doted on her and protected her, there would be times when even he would be powerless. Could she possibly be living so carefree a life as she was now?’

"Sister-in-law... uh... did Jin Chen tell you all of this?" Ping Jing stammered, struggling to find his words.

With a smile, she glanced at the Eldest Young Master of the Ping family. "No," she said slowly. "He wouldn’t tell me these things unless I asked. But it’s about time, isn’t it? Jin Chen probably wanted to close the net before the New Year, while Eldest Brother here was hoping to wait until after. Now that I’ve sent Jin Chen home, you all must have agreed to wait until the holidays are over, out of consideration for the Eldest Miss, I presume."

The three of them exchanged glances. Liu Shengnan, always one to speak her mind, blurted out, "Sister, how did you know?"

"Jin Chen despises dragging things out, while Eldest Brother is likely hung up on blood ties. Since it wasn’t a critical matter, Jin Chen just let Eldest Brother have his way," Zhou Lian said nonchalantly. ’Did they really think she spent all those years with her mentor and grand-mentor just warming a seat? She might not have absorbed all of her grand-mentor’s skills, but she’d certainly picked up eighty or ninety percent of them.’

’All Li Xiu ever wanted was to give her a peaceful and stable life. How could she bear to disappoint him? But he was so tired now, having pushed himself relentlessly for the past seven or eight years. Now that the Eldest Young Master was in the picture, she had to pull him out to help Li Xiu. The Ping Family’s business, Ping’an’s business... why should the weight of it all rest on Li Xiu’s shoulders alone? The Eldest Young Master had also been a celebrated figure in the Capital City back in the day. Since he’d already stepped forward, he could just stay out. Thinking of shrinking back into his shell? He’d have to get past Zhou Lian first!’

"That’s not it, Sister," Liu Shengnan started, "how did you know that Brother-in-law and Eldest Brother were going to..."

Zhou Lian shot a cryptic glance at Ping Jing and gently cut Liu Shengnan off. "It’s such a simple matter, how could I not know? The strongest fortress is most easily destroyed from within. The Eldest Miss is completely love-struck; in her heart and mind, no one is more important than her Director Sun. Cut the roots, dig up the foundation, and they won’t be able to cause any more trouble, will they?"

Looking at Zhou Lian’s rather wicked smile, Ping Jing was momentarily dazed, as if he were seeing Li Xiu himself saying, "Eldest Brother, just give me a few days, and I’ll take care of it!"

The Eldest Young Madam glanced at her husband, then back at Zhou Lian, giving an almost imperceptible shake of her head. ’Her husband was still too soft-hearted,’ she thought. ’Some people, and some situations, simply cannot be indulged.’ Looking at the woman before her, the Eldest Young Madam suddenly understood what Zhou Lian was about to do.

"Eldest Brother," Zhou Lian said bluntly, looking directly at the Ping family’s Eldest Young Master, "some things cannot be postponed. It’s best to pull the weeds and tear out the roots early. I’ve just had a message sent in your name. It’s time to close the net. After all, the year is coming to an end. Debts must be collected, and accounts must be settled, shouldn’t they? Our people have always considered it taboo to carry debts into the New Year, haven’t they?"