Chapter 317 - 315: Ping’an Returns to the Capital

Chapter 317: Chapter 315: Ping’an Returns to the Capital

The sky was just beginning to lighten when the tranquility of the courtyard house was shattered by urgent knocking. The squad leader opened the door, saw the car outside and the man standing there, and though he had a good idea of what was happening, he simply stared back expressionlessly.

"You must be new. Open that gate so I can drive in."

The squad leader glanced at the license plate, then swiftly opened the adjacent gate to let the car through.

After parking the car, Ping’an got out. He looked at the squad leader standing nearby and said with a smile, "What’s this? You know me?"

"I don’t. Your face looks familiar, but I recognize the license plate."

Ping’an snorted with laughter and patted the man’s shoulder. "Where did Jin Chen dig you up from? You’re quite the talent!" With that, he strode through the ornamental gate into the inner courtyard.

Sister Fang was already busy in the kitchen. Hearing the commotion, she stepped out onto the covered veranda and saw Ping’an striding toward her. She smiled and went forward to greet him. "Young Master, what brings you here so early? Go and get washed up. I heard some stirring; Li Xiu should be awake."

Handing his small duffel bag to Sister Fang, Ping’an said with a grin, "Got it, Sister Fang. These are some local specialties for my sister and my wife. Could you put them away for me? I’m going to get washed up."

Looking at the bag in her hands, Sister Fang shook her head. ’I hope he’s still the same as he used to be.’ She watched as Ping’an headed familiarly toward the room he used to stay in. Ping’an had insisted that Li Xiu keep this room for him and not let anyone else use it. For all these years, Li Xiu and Zhou Lian had done just that.

"Sister Fang, who’s here so early? It sounded like Ping’an." Li Xiu, already washed and neatly dressed, walked into the living room. Seeing Sister Fang unpacking the duffel bag, he asked her softly.

"It’s him. He went to his room to wash up. He looks like he drove all night—completely worn out." Sister Fang deftly finished putting the items away, gave Li Xiu this brief reply, and headed for the kitchen.

Glancing at the items Sister Fang had just set aside, Li Xiu knew they must be what Ping’an had brought. After a moment’s thought, he went to the dining room, grabbed a large glass, and mixed a drink of honey water before carrying it to Ping’an’s room.

The room was empty. Hearing the sound of running water from the bathroom, Li Xiu knew he was still washing up. He quietly set the glass down and sat on the sofa, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the armrest as he waited patiently.

After his shower, Ping’an changed into some loungewear and came out, rubbing his hair with a towel. Seeing Li Xiu on the sofa, he broke into a grin and sat down unceremoniously across from him. "You’re up pretty early. Where’s my sister? Still asleep?"

"Hmph. How old are you? Driving through the night? What’s next, you’ll be flying to the moon? And the men assigned to you? Are they completely useless? Letting you drive back to the Capital City all night by yourself!"

Seeing Li Xiu’s flat, unchanging tone, Ping’an couldn’t help but flinch. The grin vanished from his face as he said in a small voice, "It would’ve been too conspicuous with more people. I came back secretly. I have to rush back tonight, anyway."

"Don’t you have a brain? A full day and night of driving without eating, drinking, or sleeping? Give you a ladder and you’d climb to the sky, wouldn’t you!" Li Xiu sighed and pressed a hand to his forehead. ’Is he getting more childish with age?’

Glancing cautiously at Li Xiu, Ping’an mumbled, "I did eat. I ate in the car."

Taking a deep breath, Li Xiu suppressed his anger and glanced at the glass on the table. Ping’an followed his gaze, and his face immediately lit up. He picked up the glass, took a sip, and tasted sweetness. Honey water! He glanced at the expressionless Li Xiu, not daring to act up. He held the glass and drank with relish, feeling his heart instantly relax. ’He knew it. Li Xiu was too smart to misunderstand him!’

"Brother, I finished it." Ping’an put down the glass and looked at Li Xiu meekly. He knew his reckless solo trip back to the Capital City must have infuriated him, so he sat cautiously on the sofa, waiting for the scolding to begin.

"So you know everything," Li Xiu stated, his voice flat as he watched Ping’an.

Ping’an nodded meekly. "Yeah," he said quietly. "Shengnan felt something was off and called me. I pieced it together from there. I wasn’t going to rush back, but then Shengnan said you’d gone back to your hometown because of my sister. That’s when I got worried. With my sister’s fragile disposition, there’s no way she wouldn’t get worked up over something like that."

"So you drove for a day and a night without rest, rushing back to the Capital City all by yourself."

Meeting Li Xiu’s sharp gaze, Ping’an shivered and tried to defend himself in a low voice. "I was just worried about my sister, wasn’t I? I didn’t know you were already back!"

As he spoke, Ping’an’s voice grew softer and softer under Li Xiu’s expressionless stare. Unable to take the pressure, he finally surrendered. "Brother, I’ll never do it again. Let this be the last time, okay? Brother, I was wrong. I’ll never do it again!"

"If you ever dare to ditch the two men I assigned to you again, just you try and see what happens."

"I won’t, I won’t dare! Brother, I was wrong!" It wasn’t that Ping’an was a coward, but he vividly remembered the time Li Xiu had dealt with him. It was an unforgettable experience. He had also witnessed Li Xiu disciplining Li Bao on several occasions. So yes, he was genuinely scared.

"What’s your plan?"

Ping’an’s expression immediately turned serious. "Brother, stay out of this. I’ll talk to my older brother. But honestly, I doubt it will do much good. He raised me, so I know him better than anyone. He’s not a bad person, but he’s overly suspicious. It’s a part of him no one can change. In this whole world, he doesn’t fully trust anyone besides me and my sister-in-law—not even our parents."

"My brother wasn’t always like this. That incident was just too great a blow to him. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have fallen into a slump for over a decade. Brother, to be honest, my heart aches for him, but sometimes he’s just such a headache. I never even expected him to get back on his feet."

Peeking cautiously at Li Xiu, Ping’an asked in a low voice, "Brother... was that you?"

"No," Li Xiu said, his face still impassive as he glanced at Ping’an. "I just provided some encouragement from the sidelines. Your sister was the one who woke him up with a sledgehammer."

After a moment of shock, Ping’an broke into a grin. "My sister is amazing! After all these years, nobody could get through to him, but she did. She’s really something else!"

"It was a matter of fortunate timing. Your wife’s pregnancy was the perfect catalyst. That child is, to date, the only heir to the Ping Family."

Stunned for a long moment, Ping’an gave a wry smile. "Brother, what a mess this all is... By the way, my sister didn’t get too upset, did she?"

"She was overcome with anger and stress. Her fever shot up to 39 degrees."

"How is she now? Has she recovered?"

Seeing Ping’an’s anxious expression, Li Xiu’s tone softened slightly. "Yes, she’s fine now."

"What did the doctor say? My sister has always had a delicate constitution. Is it serious?"

"It’s manageable. He said she must avoid any major shocks or extreme emotional swings, like intense anger or grief."

"Brother, but how can she do that? Emotions aren’t that easy to control! I..."

"That’s enough. I’ll watch over her. How do you plan to talk to your brother? Will he even listen? Or, to put it another way, can he be changed?" ℯℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

At this, Ping’an deflated and said listlessly, "What else can I do? I’ll just have to tell him the truth. My brother is a smart man; he should be able to understand the gravity of the situation. I hope."