Chapter 324 - 322: Incurring Public Wrath
Staring up at the ceiling, Ping’an was still a bit dazed. He turned to glance at the room’s decor and finally remembered he was back in the Capital City. This was the room the Li family kept for him in their courtyard. He glanced at his watch—it was already past four in the afternoon!
After freshening up and changing clothes, Ping’an went to the living room to find Li Xiu sitting on the sofa, reading a book. Glancing around, Ping’an asked in a low voice, "Brother, where’s my sister?"
"She went to the garden to see your wife. Are you hungry?" Li Xiu set his book down, speaking to Ping’an with uncharacteristic gentleness.
Rubbing his stomach, Ping’an nodded. "I’m hungry!"
"Wait here."
With that, Li Xiu rose and went to the kitchen. Zhou Lian, knowing Ping’an would be hungry when he woke up, had already asked Sister Fang to prepare a meal and keep it warm on the stove for him.
Ping’an poured himself a glass of water and walked to the kitchen doorway. Watching Li Xiu bustling about, he took a sip and asked, "Brother, what is there to eat?"
"Bao’er had Sister Fang make you some beef buns, plus your favorite wild mushroom soup!"
Stepping forward, Ping’an grabbed a bun and took a large bite. "My sister really is the one who spoils me," he mumbled, his mouth full.
Li Xiu ignored him and carried the dishes to the dining table. Ping’an sensibly followed, sat down, and began to wolf down his food. ’To be honest, I’ve really missed Li Xiu’s and Sister Fang’s cooking!’
Seeing Ping’an clear his own bowl and chopsticks to the kitchen after he finished, Li Xiu smiled. "Now that you’re awake and fed, go see your wife."
"Oh, right. I need to go see Shengnan. I have to head back tonight!"
In the reception room sat Ping Jing and his wife, along with Zhou Lian and Liu Shengnan. When Ping’an walked in behind Li Xiu, Ping Jing was unfazed, having seen him that morning. But the three women hadn’t laid eyes on Ping’an in a very long time.
Zhou Lian didn’t waste any words, immediately shooing the young couple off to their room to talk. Watching Ping’an lead Liu Shengnan away by the hand, she turned and asked Li Xiu softly, "Is everything settled with the squad leader?"
"Yes, don’t worry, Bao’er. It’s all arranged. He’ll drive and escort Ping’an back tonight. I already sent someone to pick up his grandmother this afternoon," Li Xiu said, walking over to sit beside Zhou Lian and looking at her tenderly.
The Eldest Young Madam took a sip of water, her expression shocked. "You’re really having someone follow him? Will Ping’an agree to that?" ’Her brother-in-law was the youngest child in the family, and the large age gap between him and his siblings meant he’d been spoiled to the point of being completely unruly. Would a plan like this really work?’
’Zhou Lian knew that having a 24/7 shadow was excessive, but Ping’an had been too reckless. Traveling thousands of miles all by himself... if word had gotten out and something had happened to him on the road, it would have turned the entire Capital City upside down!’
’If she didn’t teach him a lesson this time, he would never learn. A gentleman does not stand beneath a collapsing wall. She refused to believe he wouldn’t remember it this time!’
"It’s not up to him whether he agrees or not," Zhou Lian sneered. When Li Xiu had told her about it that morning, she had broken out in a cold sweat from fright.
Ping Jing shook his head at his wife. Zhou Lian was clearly furious this time. If she had come up with such a plan, she certainly had a way to make Ping’an agree.
A short while later, Ping’an and Liu Shengnan emerged, holding hands. Zhou Lian smiled at Liu Shengnan. "Shengnan, come sit over here by Eldest Young Madam."
Confused, Liu Shengnan obediently sat beside the Eldest Young Madam. She watched as Zhou Lian had Ping’an sit next to her, then noticed that his eldest brother and sister-in-law were both staring at the floor in silence. Liu Shengnan was instantly on alert. ’Ping’an must have upset his sister. I’d better keep my distance and not get caught in the crossfire!’
"Sis!" Ping’an, still oblivious to the tension, sat down beside Zhou Lian with a grin and called out to her coaxingly.
Zhou Lian leaned back into Li Xiu’s arms and smiled at Ping’an. "I heard you drove for a day and a night all by yourself to get back. I was a bit worried. So when you head back tonight, I’m having someone drive you. You shouldn’t drive yourself; it’s too long of a journey."
"Okay, whatever you say, Sis!" Ping’an agreed with a smile. ’The journey is pretty long, so having someone else drive is fine. I’ll just treat it as a way to put my wife, my sister, and my sister-in-law’s minds at ease.’
Nodding in satisfaction, Zhou Lian continued smiling. "The man I’ve chosen is very skilled and has quick reflexes. Instead of having him come back, he can just stay with you from now on. With someone to protect you, Shengnan, Eldest Young Madam, and I can finally rest easy. What do you think?"
Ping’an froze. ’My sister just made a statement, not asked a question, right?’ He glanced at his older brother, sister-in-law, and wife, who all had their heads bowed, then at the expressionless Li Xiu. Turning back to the smiling Zhou Lian, he said, "Then... then I guess he can stay with me. It’ll keep Shengnan, you, and Eldest Young Madam from worrying."
"Oh, by the way, I had Jin Chen pay him three years’ salary up front. His family is also being brought to our estate today to be cared for. So you can make use of him without any reservations."
"Okay, Sis!"
"He’ll be your personal protection, 24/7. That way, we can all finally stop worrying," Zhou Lian said softly, smiling at Ping’an.
"Personal protection? Twenty-four-seven? Sis!"
"Don’t you agree, Ping’an? If you don’t agree, then he doesn’t have to go," Zhou Lian said softly, a slight smile playing on her lips as she looked at him.
A shiver went down Ping’an’s spine as he looked at her smile. He asked in a low voice, "Sis... there’s another condition, isn’t there?"
"Mm, you’re catching on. In that case, take a look at this." With that, Zhou Lian pulled a letter from her pocket and handed it to him.
Ping’an took the letter, swallowed hard, and opened it. The large words at the top—"Resignation Letter"—seared his eyes. After reading it carefully, he broke out in a cold sweat. ’It can’t be what I think it is, can it?’ He cautiously looked up at Zhou Lian’s brilliant smile, and at Li Xiu, who had an arm around her. Gritting his teeth, he thought, ’This is going to be a tough one to get through.’
"Sis, it’s not what I’m thinking, right?"
"What do you think?"
"Brother, aren’t you going to do something? You’re just going to let my sister resign?!" Seeing the threat in Zhou Lian’s eyes, Ping’an turned to Li Xiu in desperation.
Li Xiu glanced at Ping’an and said nonchalantly, "You know how it is in this family. Your sister calls the shots."
"Sis!"
Zhou Lian suddenly sat up straight, staring at Ping’an. Her voice was soft but firm. "Ping’an, don’t play games with me. Either you take this man with you and behave, or I’ll resign and accompany you myself, along with Jin Chen. You choose."
"Sis, I..."
"Shut your mouth! Sneaking off, driving north for a day and a night all by yourself—do you even have a brain? Have you forgotten the situation in the Capital City right now? A gentleman does not stand beneath a collapsing wall, but you? You practically offered yourself up on a platter to a tiger! You’ve gotten so capable, haven’t you? Why don’t you just ascend to the heavens while you’re at it? If, by some chance, something had happened to you, what were the rest of us supposed to do? Huh? Are you really not afraid that your two brothers would tear the whole sky down?!"
At Zhou Lian’s words, Ping’an snapped his head up to look at Li Xiu and Ping Jing. When he saw the look in their eyes, his face instantly turned deathly pale. ’His eldest brother, Ping Jing, was renowned in the Capital City for his peerless intelligence. His other brother, Li Xiu, was famous far and wide for his near-demonic cunning and deep scheming. Then there was his decisive, ruthless sister-in-law, and his own sister with her Seven-orifice Exquisite Heart. If they were to... ’