“You want to come with me?”
Li Mobi hadn’t expected the little girl to cling to him at this moment!
His sharp mind immediately turned over. Recently, her miraculous abilities had not only restored Grandfather’s health, helped Big Brother avoid disasters, but even cured Third Brother’s insomnia.
Could it be… that luck was finally coming to him this time?
“Wanwan, are you sure you want to stay with Second Brother?” Li Mobi asked again.
Wanwan nodded, then asked back: “Where is Second Brother going?”
“He’s going to eat something delicious. You want to eat too, right?”
“Mm-hmm, Wanwan’s tummy is hungry. Wants lots of yummy food!” She gestured exaggeratedly.
A mischievous smile spread across Li Mobi’s beautiful eyes. Carrying Wanwan, he headed to the teahouse for his matchmaking appointment.
Although delayed a little at home, he still arrived slightly before the lady.
Li Mobi first ordered some food to fill the little one’s stomach, fulfilling his promise.
Wanwan’s left hand held a pastry, her right hand clutched a large shrimp, her cheeks puffed with food—like a little squirrel hoarding snacks—so irresistibly cute.
Li Mobi took out a handkerchief, gently wiping the oil from her mouth.
What should have been a heartwarming scene, in the context of a matchmaking meeting, felt somewhat inappropriate.
“Mr. Li, this little one with you is…” Miss Liu, the prospective match, asked curiously, not taking a seat at first.
Li Mobi’s delicate face displayed a polite and composed smile. He stood, elegantly pulling out a chair: “You must be Miss Liu? Please, have a seat.”
She cautiously sat down. Wanwan, her mouth still greasy, politely greeted her guest: “Hello, Tie Tie, I’m Wanwan.”
“Wanwan, you shouldn’t call her sister; call her auntie,” Li Mobi whispered mischievously where Miss Liu couldn’t see.
He inwardly scowled. Miss Liu claimed to be twenty-six, but she looked at least twenty-seven or twenty-eight. If she had lied about her age, she could even be thirty!
Li Mobi was only nineteen. Even if Grandfather and Grandmother wanted to find him a well-matched young lady, it shouldn’t be someone so much older!
Wanwan didn’t overthink it; she simply obeyed Second Brother’s instructions and sweetly called: “Hello, Auntie.”
Miss Liu didn’t respond. Instead, she frowned, clearly displeased, and immediately questioned: “Mr. Li, what exactly is this child’s relationship to you?”
Li Mobi, seeing her cold expression, was grateful for Wanwan’s presence. Luckily he had brought her along; otherwise, he wouldn’t have known how to respond.
“Well… Miss Liu should know that recently I and my father, along with my older brother, have been going inland. Fate is… a strange thing, it’s…”
“So this child is your illegitimate daughter from inland?” The woman suddenly stood up, her meticulously made-up face full of anger. “Li Mobi, you come to a matchmaking meeting with a mistress? What do you take my Liu family for?”
Li Mobi raised an eyebrow, calmly replying: “Miss Liu, please calm down. Let me finish speaking.”
“I have nothing to say to you!”
Splash!
Miss Liu picked up her teacup, poured it on his handsome face, and stormed off, her high heels clacking angrily on the floor.
Li Mobi wiped the water from his face and let out a mocking chuckle.
The whole incident had happened so suddenly that little Wanwan, who had been eating breakfast nearby, was stunned, her mouth forming an O shape. She immediately grabbed a napkin to wipe Li Mobi’s face.
“Second Brother, Auntie was rude, she’s a bad person!”
Li Mobi smiled, enjoying Wanwan wiping his face. Every hair on his body seemed to relax and bask in delight.
“Exactly, Second Brother is so excellent and she still doesn’t appreciate it, she deserves not to get married!”
After Wanwan had eaten her fill, Li Mobi worried that his family might notice her absence. To avoid another uproar like last time, he quickly brought her back.
In summary, aside from the time spent traveling, he had spoken fewer than ten sentences with Miss Liu—at most, he just took Wanwan out for a meal and returned. Even if the elders noticed Wanwan was missing, they wouldn’t panic.
However, Li Mobi didn’t expect that when he returned Wanwan to Old Madam Li’s courtyard, news from the matchmaker arrived.
The elders already knew that he had used Wanwan to impersonate a supposed illegitimate daughter, scaring off Miss Liu, and were waiting for him at the main house.
“Li Mobi, you’ve grown up! You went on a matchmaking date and scared the girl away! Who gave you the guts to do that?”
Grandfather Li shouted angrily, his loud voice startling birds from the trees.
Old Madam Li, seeing Li Mobi holding little Wanwan, quickly intervened: “Don’t be so loud, you’ll scare Wanwan!”
She also glared at Li Mobi: “Your grandfather is right, a young man should behave like one. Ah Bing, how do you want me to explain this?”
“He misunderstood, it’s none of my business,” Li Mobi said boldly, knowing that with Wanwan in his arms, the elders wouldn’t dare reprimand him.
Grandfather Li’s chest heaved with anger: “You still dare talk back?”
With that, he turned to a corner and drew a three-foot-long whip from a redwood cabinet.
Old Madam Li hurriedly clapped her thighs, rushing to hold his wrist: “Old man! Do you have to be so harsh?”
Grandfather Li only gave Li Moyi an order: “Ah Ying, take Wanwan away.”
Li Moyi knew the family’s anger was serious this time. Suppressing any urge to plead, he waited until the elders cooled down.
“Give me Wanwan.” Li Moyi held out his hand.
Li Mobi knew the situation had reached a point of no return, yet he did not regret it. He handed over Wanwan, who looked puzzled but trusting.
“Second Brother?” Wanwan noticed the tension and looked at him with concern.
Li Mobi smiled faintly, pretending to be relaxed as he patted her little twin buns.
“Wanwan goes to play with Third Brother first. Second Brother will come later.”
Li Moyi gave him a deep look and, without waiting for Wanwan’s response, carried her out.
As Li Moyi left with Wanwan, Grandfather Li broke free from Old Madam Li’s hold.
“Today you’ll learn a lesson! Count each time, say ‘I admit my mistake’ for every hit!”
With that, the whip struck Li Mobi’s back, tearing the skin.
Li Mobi bowed his head, lips clenched, sweat beading on his forehead, yet he made not a sound.