Сhарtеr 22: Too Оld-Fаshioned а Temреrаmеnt.
Неaring this, Grаndmоthеr рaused: “Нaving ambition is a gооd thing, but this is toо hаrd оn hеr. I’ll tаlk to thе girl whеn shе gets baсk.”
“Right,” Fаther Jing rеplied, “Plеasе do teaсh her а lessоn.”
Вeside thеm, Li Musi, who had bееn quiеtlу sipping tеа, sеt dоwn his cup аnd cаst a faint glаnce аt his own eldеrly mother.
Grаndmоthеr chоkеd up: “What arе yоu lоoking at!”
Li Мusi: “Looking аt how уоu’vе grown уounger аgain.”
“…”
Evеrуоne in the hall quietly stifled their laughtеr.
Grаndmother knew at оnсe it wasn’t a соmpliment and fumed: “Old man, are you going to do something about this or not!”
Grandfather: “Why don’t you do something about it?”
Grandmother: “Your seed!”
Grandfather: “Your soil!”
“I’ve worked the soil hard enough,” Grandmother said, “and now you want me to weed and fertilize too?”
Grandfather fell silent.
After a moment, Grandfather looked at his youngest son: “Speak properly to your mother.”
Li Musi said coolly: “You’ve grown younger too.”
“…”
It really did feel like it wasn’t a compliment.
Forget it.
Can’t control him.
Better not end up getting lectured by him instead.
Grandfather quickly changed the subject: “Sorry for the embarrassment, but anyway there are no outsiders here, so we family members speak a bit crudely.”
“Not at all,” Father Jing hurriedly said, “Musi is already 30, isn’t he? Doesn’t he plan to settle down and start a family?”
Li Musi’s hand resting on the table imperceptibly stilled for a moment.
The father and daughter of the Jing family really did share a common trait—both loved to bring up his age.
At the mention of this, Grandmother looked worried: “Son, you do like girls, don’t you?”
A chorus of choked sounds erupted from the group.
Li Musi waved his hand, signaling the nanny attending to Grandmother to come over, and said sternly: “Uninstall all the novel and short drama apps from the old lady’s phone.”
“…”
Grandmother clutched her phone tightly, unwilling to hand it over.
The scene swiftly shifted from urging marriage to a battle over protecting the phone.
Li Musi excused himself on account of work and left the hall early.
At the doorway, he ran into Li Kaiji and Sheng Man, who were escorting Li Zhan over, one on each side.
“What’s this,” Li Kaiji sized him up, “upset the old lady again?”
Li Musi: “No.”
Then he looked at Li Zhan, held by the couple: “What’s going on here?”
Sheng Man said irritably: “It’s rare for the in-laws to visit, so we ought to bring him over to meet them. He’s unwilling.”
Li Musi nodded, bent down, and got into the car: “The Jing family isn’t what it used to be. Rein in your temper. Don’t always act so high and mighty. If you feel wronged, you can break off the engagement. No one is forcing you to honor the marriage contract.”
Li Zhan gritted his teeth and said nothing.
“Did you hear that,” Sheng Man scolded, “You want Gege yourself, yet you always put on that damned air of acting like she’s beneath you!”
Li Zhan flared up: “Who wants—”
Sheng Man: “Fine, then it’s perfect timing—your Uncle Jing is here. I’ll ask Grandfather and Grandmother to annul this engagement today!”
Li Zhan’s expression changed slightly, and he struggled hard to break free from the couple’s grip.
“I have plans with classmates. I’m leaving.”
A twenty-year-old young man—Sheng Man and Li Kaiji simply couldn’t hold him back.
They watched helplessly as he shook them off and walked away.
Sheng Man was so angry she was stunned.
Li Kaiji had a headache: “These two kids were fine before. What on earth happened to make things turn out like this?”
Li Musi started the car, rolled down the window, and nodded to the two: “Got things to do. Leaving.”
“Go on, go on.”
The New Year had passed, and it was the peak season for visiting relatives and friends.
The downtown mall had New Year activities, and the crowds were bustling.
Li Musi had his suit jacket draped over his elbow. As always, he wore the proper three-piece suit of shirt, vest, and trousers, paired with a tie of the same color scheme.Meticulous to the point of being just like him.
Yet his exceptionally outstanding appearance frequently drew people’s attention.
Senior executives surrounded him in the middle, with the mall manager leading him to inspect each store one by one, carefully introducing and explaining.
At the entrance of an arcade, Li Musi saw Li Zhan.
And the girl beside him.
Li Zhan stopped in his tracks: “Uncle.”
The girl was startled and quickly looked at Li Musi’s face. A sudden flash of admiration appeared in her eyes, but upon meeting his stern and cold, sharp gaze, she immediately averted her eyes.
Li Musi narrowed his eyes: “This is?”
Li Zhan didn’t speak.
Actually, it was just a few classmates playing together in the arcade. He had just arrived and happened to run into a female classmate who had also just arrived, so the two walked inside together, planning to find the other classmates.
The female classmate had been pursuing him. Seeing this, she boldly mustered the courage to link her arm with his: “I’m his girlfriend.”
He could have explained.
But Li Zhan deliberately didn’t want to speak.
Nor could he explain why.
It was equivalent to tacit consent.
The female classmate gained confidence: “Hello, Uncle. My name is Hu Lingling.”
Li Musi didn’t look at her. His cold, heavy gaze remained fixed on Li Zhan. After a pause of two seconds, he spoke succinctly: “Break up.”
“…” Li Zhan’s expression was equally cold. “Why?”
“Go to your parents and tell them you want to call off the engagement,” Li Musi’s attitude was unreadable. “After it’s called off, you can start dating again.”
Li Zhan lifted his chin, challenging: “What if I don’t?”
Li Musi remained calm: “A Long, A Hu.”
As soon as the words fell, two bodyguards with bulging muscles suddenly emerged from the crowd: “Third Master.”
“The artificial lake outside is very beautiful,” Li Musi said lightly. “The young master has too much fire in him. Let him swim a couple of laps in it.”
“Yes, Third Master!”
Li Zhan panicked: “Uncle, are you punishing me to teach me a lesson, or are you punishing me for her sake!”
Li Musi: “Do I need a reason to punish you?”
“…”
Li Zhan was dragged away.
The weather right after the New Year was freezing cold, even colder than before the holiday. Swimming a couple of laps in the lake would be enough to send Li Zhan on a seven-day hospital stay.
Hu Lingling was terrified: “U-uncle…”
Li Musi’s murderous gaze swept over her.
Hu Lingling hurriedly explained: “I-I was just joking. I’m the one pursuing him. We’re not in that kind of relationship yet…”
“He has a fiancée,” Li Musi said without anger or agitation. “Did you know that?”
Hu Lingling clearly choked for a moment.
Of course she knew.
Everyone knew.
Li Musi was puzzled: “Has social morality deteriorated to this extent now?”
No one around dared to speak.
“Stop pursuing him,” Li Musi said quite seriously. “If he can treat his fiancée like trash, he can treat you the same way. If you insist on pursuing him, call your parents over. I need to talk to them.”
Hu Lingling: “”
Damn.
She thought she had run into an elementary school teacher.
“N-no, I won’t pursue him anymore, I won’t,” Hu Lingling fled in panic. “I’m sorry, teacher…”
Li Musi was silent for a moment: “She called me teacher?”
The senior executives said dryly: “It’s just… your demeanor… is extraordinary.”
Li Musi: “Am I old?”
“…Absolutely not!” The senior executives shook their heads in unison. “Aren’t you only thirty?! It’s the prime of your life.”
Li Musi looked at them: “You’re wrong.”
“?”
Li Musi: “I’m 28 years, 4 months, and 12 days old.”
The senior executives: “”
Li Musi, like the god of death: “So, do I look like I’m 30?”
Cold sweat dripped down the senior executives’ backs: “Absolutely not!!”Li Musi sighed, “That’s just being too old-fashioned in character, needs to change.”
“……”
Li Musi suddenly declared, “Off work.”
“…We haven’t finished the inspection yet.”
Li Musi: “We young people don’t like working on holidays. Today, I’m reforming the workplace—off work.”
Everyone: “”