437 I Only Provoked You Because You Looked Like You Wanted To Be Provoked.
“Go, go, go, I’ll treat you guys now,” Ruan Nan said.
“Didn’t we just have breakfast? It’s only 10:30 am.” Ruan Yang tapped on her watch.
“It’s alright. I rushed over from Guangzhou at 5 am just to look for you and I haven’t had breakfast. I’m starving,” Li Shaobin said as he rubbed his stomach.
“Really?” Ruan Nan looked at him differently when he heard that. “Sis, Brother-in-law really loves you. He woke up at 5 am. I wouldn’t be able to do that.”
Li Shaobin waved his hand. “That’s because you haven’t met someone you really like. When you do, you’ll even be able to stay up the entire night, much less waking up at 5.”
Ruan Nan couldn’t help but nod in agreement. He was still worried earlier that Li Shaobin would be like Xin Ziao. Now, it looked like this person might be true to Ruan Yang.
Ruan Yang rolled her eyes secretly. Ruan Nan was too easily swayed. However, she didn’t think that Li Shaobin would wake up at 5 am either.
...
After the meal, Ruan Nan asked Li Shaobin about his job. Li Shaobin would never mention anything about being a triad boss. “I have a few chain restaurants and have some small investments. I even opened an investment company with my friend in Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Beijing. I came to Guangzhou this time to discuss agricultural business with my friends for the start of the coming year.”
Ruan Nan blinked and glanced at his sis secretly. It looked like this person had quite a lot of properties. “I think it’s not easy to run an investment company in the mainland right now, right?”
“It’s alright,” Li Shaobin said. “My brother is the Director of a securities company, so there isn’t much of a problem with his help.”
Ruan Nan was startled once again. His brain worked hard as he tried to think of which securities company had a director with the surname Li. In the end, he asked, “Don’t tell me your brother is Li Jinchi of Cheng Jun Securities?”
“Yeah,” Li Shaobin said with a smile.
Ruan Nan was suddenly stumped. Li Jinchi wasn’t just famous in the mainland—he was even reputable in Hong Kong. It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that he had been the influential figure of the capital market in recent years and the thing capitalists never lacked was money.
Ruan Yang was also stunned. She had only heard that the Li Family was very powerful but she didn’t think that Li Jinchi would actually be his second brother. His brother, Li Zhongchi, whom she met previously, seemed to be a high-ranking official in the province too.
After she left Xin Ziao, she had also thought of the day when she would get married. She intended to marry a normal man, but she didn’t expect...
Ruan Nan was having similar thoughts as her. “Since the Li Family is so powerful, would your family members accept my sis?”
“I’ve already told them that I would bring your sis back during the new year. Ruan Nan, help me persuade your sister,” Li Shaobin said. “Your sis is full of bad habits, but I just like her so much.”
“Aiyo, Brother-in-law, with just that word from you, you have my support.” Ruan Nan was touched. Although he was young, he could tell those actions were way more reliable than a thousand or ten thousand “I love you’s”.
Ruan Yang’s face heated up slightly. She propped her chin on her hand and looked out the window. She really couldn’t stand this man. His directness always embarrassed her.
While Li Shaobin was in the washroom, Ruan Nan said, “Sis, I think this person is pretty reliable.”
“You’re saying he’s reliable after chatting with him for only a few hours?” Ruan Yang rolled her eyes at him. “I think you’re an unreliable tester.”
“Oh please, I interact a lot with strangers when I work and I’ve encountered many people. I wouldn’t say I’m really good, but a meal is enough to see through 60 to 70% of a person unless that person is very scheming. But he seems like a straightforward person to me—not the kind who would plot and scheme. Besides, you’ll definitely be able to subdue him. He’s most likely a slave to his wife,” Ruan Nan said. “He’s also good-looking and his other qualities couldn’t be better. And he likes you so much. Don’t forgo a good one and insist on getting a man like Xin Ziao who only likes to hurt you. Women shouldn’t be so low.”
“You’re the low one.” Ruan Yang kicked him under the table.
...
Ruan Nan saw them to the Hong Kong airport and Li Shaobin exchanged WeChat contacts and phone numbers with him warmly. When they got out of the car, he said, “Do come over to Northern City anytime. You definitely have to come when I marry your sis.”
Ruan Yang ignored his nonsense and went straight into the airport.
“Yangyang, can you walk slower?” Li Shaobin caught up with her and caught a glimpse of her arm that was swinging by her thigh. He hesitated for a while before reaching his hand out slowly to hold her hand.
Ruan Yang turned her head back to look at him and he quickly said, “You’re the one who held my hand first. Don’t forget that.”
“It was because I saw that you wanted to put your arm around my shoulders but were too embarrassed,” Ruan Yang retorted straight away.
Li Shaobin felt embarrassed. So she saw it. “Yeah, I wanted to hold your hand but no matter what, you’re still the one who held my hand first. You provoked me.”
“I only provoked you because you looked like you wanted to be provoked,” Ruan Yang said directly.
“You’re such a shameless woman.” Li Shaobin snorted but held her hand even tighter. “Let me tell you that there are a lot of people in Hong Kong’s airport. I have to be careful in case I get lost.”
Ruan Yang was speechless. Usually, men would say they were afraid that their girlfriend would get lost, but he actually said he was afraid he would get lost.
When they got on the plane, Li Shaobin felt very tired. The moment the plane took off, he couldn’t keep his eyelids open and he leaned towards Ruan Yang.
Ruan Yang pushed him a couple of times but he lay straight on her thighs. Just as he was about to fall asleep, he mumbled, “You were the one who told me to sleep on your thighs. Now I’m used to it. I can’t kick the habit anymore.”
Ruan Yang blushed. She was rather bold when she was 18. While she had amnesia, she had already provoked this man several times. Now that she thought back, she found it ridiculous and felt a little moved. It felt as though spring had finally come and her wilted heart had sprouted incredibly. It seemed as though she wasn’t so against it and was no longer so fearful of love anymore.
She turned back and when she saw herself reflected in the window, she found her image so strange, yet familiar.
...
At Northern City’s airport, Hu Zhi had been waiting for a very long time at the car park before he saw Ruan Yang and Li Shaobin appearing in his field of view. He went up to welcome them. “Boss, congratulations. I heard that you succeeded in taking down that agricultural business this time.”
“It’ll only be set in stone when work starts next year.” Li Shaobin opened the door for Ruan Yang and allowed her to enter the car.
When they got into the car, Hu Zhi asked, “Where to?”
“Rong estate.”
“My villa.”
The two of them spoke at the same time and Hu Zhi was put in a difficult position. Li Shaobin frowned and said, “Why are you going back to Rong estate again?”
“I thought about it and realized there wasn’t a need to keep hiding. It doesn’t make sense that I can’t go back to my own house,” Ruan Yang said nonchalantly. “If the reporters want to take photos, so be it. Besides, it’s been such a long time. Maybe they’re not there anymore.”
Hu Zhi nodded secretly. Indeed, she was different after she regained her memory. She even became bolder.
“Then are you not going to be staying at my apartment anymore?” Li Shaobin asked with protest.
Ruan Yang remained silent.
Li Shaobin sighed. “Alright, it’s fine with me. I’ll follow you wherever you go.”
“I didn’t say that I’m going to stay with you,” Ruan Yang said lazily.
Li Shaobin didn’t say anything further.
Hu Zhi looked at him sympathetically.
When they arrived at the Rong estate, Ruan Yang opened the door and walked in. Li Shaobin asked in a low tone, “Ruan Yang, tell me honestly—do you not want to be with me anymore?”
Ruan Yang looked at him in shock. She hadn’t forgotten who was the one who told Ruan Nan to call him brother-in-law with a smile on his face, yet this man suddenly became dejected in the afternoon.
However, she knew he was being serious now. She lowered her gaze. “What if I really don’t want to be with you anymore?”
Li Shaobin felt as though he was stabbed in the heart. It felt f*cking painful. “If you don’t want to be with me, the only thing I can do is pursue you again. I pursued the 18-year-old you and now I’ll pursue the 26-year-old you.”
He made it sound like nothing, but Ruan Yang could see the hurt on his face very clearly.
She turned around and felt uncertain for a while. “Actually, I can’t really put my finger on it. Maybe I just need some time to adjust to it.”
“Mm. Alright, I’ll give you some time but don’t take too long. The new year is next week. I want to bring you home. I don’t want to leave you spending the new year alone,” Li Shaobin said tenderly.
Ruan Yang felt as though her heart was warmed by a large hand.
How many years had it been since someone said that to her? Even her parents didn’t say that to her and Xin Ziao just went home every new year.
She sighed silently inside.
Li Shaobin said, “Then rest up; I’ll go back first.”
“Mm.”
...
Li Shaobin didn’t go straight home but he went to Changqing’s house.
The moment he entered, he picked up Yan Wo and made him call him “Godfather”.
“When did you become his godfather?” Song Chuyi said coldly.
“Ruan Yang is his godmother and that makes me his godfather,” Li Shaobin said as though it was a matter of fact.
Song Chuyi was already used to his shamelessness. “I think it’s still unknown whether you will marry Ruan Yang. It’s too early to come to this conclusion right now. I heard that Ruan Yang’s recovered her memory.”
Li Shaobin felt as though he got stabbed in his chest again. He sat while carrying Yan Wo. “Old Song, I’m not going to talk to you. I’m waiting for Changqing to come back.”
“Don’t tell me you want her to teach you how to get Ruan Yang back?” Song Chuyi hit the nail on the head. “However, she’s not like you. She just likes to pretend that she knows things even though she doesn’t. Are you sure it won’t make matters worse?”
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