“Don’t move, there’s a grain of rice at the corner of your mouth!”
As the voice landed, a cool, soft hand brushed against his cheek.
A faint, familiar fragrance drifted into his nose.
Miao Xiaoyu gently removed the rice grain and ate it.
Only after doing so did she suddenly realize that this action might have been a little too intimate.
She immediately blushed and panicked.
She wanted to explain something, but He Li didn’t give her the chance. He simply stood up, stretched lazily, and said gently, “Let’s rest for a bit, then go check out a few more pharmacies and buy more of that medicine.”
“When we’re done, just come straight to my place.”
“After dinner, I’ll take you home.”
“How about it?” he asked as he sat back down.
Seeing that He Li didn’t mind what just happened, Miao Xiaoyu relaxed and packed up the lunchbox with a bright smile, nodding.
“Okay, I’ll listen to you!” she said.
The two of them quietly sat on the bench, enjoying the sunlight under the shade of the trees and the cool breeze blowing past.
He Li, eyes closed, basked in the comfort and was nearly drifting off to sleep.
Miao Xiaoyu, however, was wide awake.
She gazed at He Li. Maybe because she noticed he was getting drowsy and wouldn’t catch her staring, her courage grew.
She stared at He Li’s face without blinking…
That familiar, handsome face made her utterly captivated.
As she looked, her mind wandered back to the past.
She recalled that tall figure who stood in front of her, protecting her and making her feel safe.
She also remembered the warm smile that comforted and encouraged her when she was feeling down.
She watched quietly, lost in thought.
But her flushed cheeks betrayed her inner turbulence.
A breeze blew by, and her hair fluttered with the wind.
It was unclear whether it was her hair being stirred… or her restless heart.
…
Inside the restaurant, Liu Yuyan was still staring out the window.
He Li had deleted her again. Her messages wouldn’t even go through.
Her anxiety had reached its peak!
She didn’t want to lose He Li. She wanted to go straight to him and say to his face that she forgave him and wanted to go back to how things were.
But Miao Xiaoyu’s presence made her fear that confronting them directly might backfire.
She thought it best to be cautious.
Any further mistakes and she and He Li might really be over.
So she held herself back.
Liu Yuyan figured that since she lived closer to He Li and knew his home better, she could wait until Miao Xiaoyu left, then go directly to his house and talk things out.
“His parents have met me before too.”
“They should still have a good impression of me!”
“If I go to He Li’s house to make up with him, Uncle and Auntie should help persuade him too.”
“Then I can naturally invite him to my birthday party…”
Forcing herself to calm down, Liu Yuyan quickly laid out a plan to win He Li back. She stood up, looked one last time at He Li in the distance, and resisted the urge to turn back before leaving the restaurant.
Li Feng’er and Li Lingjie quickly followed behind.
…
“Why didn’t you wake me up?” He Li, still sleepy, yawned as he sat up from Miao Xiaoyu’s shoulder.
Miao Xiaoyu smiled, “You looked so peaceful sleeping, I couldn’t bring myself to disturb your sweet dreams!”
Of course, she wasn’t going to admit that she had been hoping he’d stay on her shoulder just a little longer.
He Li scratched his head and smiled helplessly.
He took out his phone—it was almost 2 p.m.
“Let’s go, there are still a lot of pharmacies we haven’t checked.”
“The sooner we finish, the sooner we can head back!”
“Mm!” Miao Xiaoyu nodded obediently.
The rest of their pharmacy visits went smoothly. Now that they knew the brand and specific medicine, they just had to walk in and ask.
Along the way, they also called Wu Gang, who brought over the 5,000 yuan he had earned yesterday to help buy more medicine.
By the end of the day, nearly all the tens of thousands they earned yesterday were spent.
Once they’d loaded all the medicine, He Li called Shennong Pharmaceuticals on the way back.
Just as he expected, the company took the matter very seriously.
After all, this wasn’t just about a massive fine.
The bigger issue was reputational damage!
If a rival company or a nosy media outlet found out that Shennong Pharmaceuticals had unqualified medicine circulating in the market, the losses wouldn’t just be in the hundreds of thousands.
It could potentially ruin the company completely.
“This matter will be thoroughly investigated!”
“If you’re available, Mr. He, our management would like to meet with you personally to discuss the refund for the medicine you purchased and related details.”
“Would tomorrow at noon in the Tianzi VIP room of the Radiance Hotel work for you?”
Hearing the voice on the line, He Li nodded.
“Alright, I’ll be there.”
With a simple agreement, he hung up.
He Li started thinking about the next steps.
He needed to begin work on his game project. Right now, what he needed most was equipment. Once the money arrived, he had to prioritize buying a few high-performance computers and renting a workspace.
There was no room at home for that!
As his thoughts wandered, he casually chatted with Miao Xiaoyu and Wu Gang.
Soon, the car stopped at the entrance of the community.
He had Wu Gang deliver the medicine to his family’s storage unit.
There was no space at his place to keep them. Once Wu Gang drove off, He Li took Miao Xiaoyu home. His parents had already received a message from him and were waiting.
Seeing them return, He’s mother greeted them with a bright smile and pulled Miao Xiaoyu down to sit and chat.
His father also looked her over and nodded. Find the original chapter at g.com.
“Mm, this girl is quite nice!”
“She speaks well, seems cheerful, and she’s pretty too.”
He then leaned over and whispered to He Li, “Hey you little rascal, when did you get together with this girl?”
Before He Li could answer, he continued, “But I gotta say, this girl is way more approachable than that Xiao Liu you used to bring over. Back then, your mom barely had the energy to talk to her.”
It was true—trying to have a casual conversation with Liu Yuyan was nearly impossible.
She was like a pampered little princess with problems.
Chatting with her without awkward silence was already an achievement.
He Li complained silently in his head but smiled on the surface, “So it sounds like you and Mom both approve of Xiaoyu, huh?”
His dad snorted.
“What good is our approval?”
“You only get credit if you can actually win the girl over!”
“Hehe~” He Li just grinned and didn’t respond.
At that moment, He’s mother stood up and said cheerfully, “I still have dishes cooking on the stove. I’ll go check on them. Later we’ll treat Xiaoyu to a good meal!” She walked quickly to the kitchen.
Miao Xiaoyu immediately followed, “Auntie, let me help you!”
“Ay, you’re a guest, how can I let you help?”
“It’s no problem, Auntie. I’m not one to sit still anyway…”
“You little girl…” He’s mother still wanted to protest, but He Li interjected, “Mom, just let Xiaoyu help. Her cooking is amazing—you and Dad are in for a treat today.”
Hearing that, He’s mother was a bit surprised—and skeptical.
Such a pretty girl, wasn’t she probably spoiled at home?
And she could cook? Really?
That Liu Yuyan couldn’t even cook to save her life!
And judging by her son’s tone…
Had he already eaten her cooking before?
When did that happen? In an instant, He’s mother’s curiosity flared. She didn’t turn down Miao Xiaoyu’s help anymore and instead chatted with her while they cooked together.
Watching Miao Xiaoyu busy in the kitchen with his mother, He Li’s smile grew brighter.
His father nodded with great satisfaction.
This girl was perfect for a daughter-in-law!
Thinking back to Liu Yuyan…
Couldn’t even make small talk, couldn’t cook, had a bit of a spoiled attitude, and was hard to get along with.
Even her best traits—her looks and figure…
Didn’t seem to outshine Miao Xiaoyu.
With the comparison, He’s father suddenly understood what people meant by “Without comparison, there’s no harm.”
Compared to Miao Xiaoyu, Liu Yuyan fell short in every way.
Meanwhile, Liu Yuyan had no idea that her image in the minds of He Li’s parents was rapidly deteriorating.
And she was still counting on them to speak on her behalf later…