Chapter 1610 - 1662: The Aunt Asking for Money
An hour later, after playing three games against AI, Chu Xiaoyao didn’t rush to start the fourth game but widened her eyes and stared at Li Yifei.
"Why are you looking at me?"
"I really believe geniuses exist in this world. Uncle, oh no, hubby, you really surprise me. After just three games, you’re already better than others who have played hundreds of games!"
Li Yifei puffed his cheeks proudly and said, "Because I’m your hubby, I’m naturally not ordinary."
Chu Xiaoyao nodded in agreement and said, "Yep, I completely agree!"
"Come on, let’s start. I can’t wait to start dominating," Li Yifei said, pointing at the screen.
Chu Xiaoyao nodded while setting up the game room, preparing to enter matchmaking mode.
All afternoon, boisterous sounds occasionally erupted from Chu Xiaoyao’s room — sometimes cheers, sometimes curses, from both Li Yifei and Chu Xiaoyao. They occasionally high-fived each other.
After three or four games, Chu Xiaoyao’s understanding and operation of the game needed no further comment. Her ADC position had formidable attack power, and according to Chu Xiaoyao, her rank in the game’s ranking system was at the top level.
Even the account she lent to Li Yifei was of the highest rank, indicating that the little girl played very frequently.
Upon understanding the ranks, Li Yifei felt like rolling his eyes. No wonder when he chatted with Chu Xiaoyao in Dubai, it was often late at night and she was still awake, just to play this game.
In a previous game, Chu Xiaoyao scored over ten kills in a little over ten minutes, averaging almost a kill per minute, and even scored a pentakill. The little girl was incredibly excited, and although she often achieved similar records on her own, playing with Li Yifei made it much more thrilling for her.
Li Yifei, playing support, also snagged a few kills, not because Chu Xiaoyao let him, but because he figured out the game on his own and got them actively.
It’s a great game, very entertaining, but Li Yifei rarely gets such leisurely chances to play.
Stretching, Li Yifei glared playfully at Chu Xiaoyao and moved his body. After playing all afternoon, he was a bit tired, but Chu Xiaoyao remained energetic and seemed unaffected.
On the computer table in front of them, once a pile of snacks, now mostly empty. Chu Xiaoyao smacked her lips and handed a bottle of milk tea to Li Yifei, saying, "Hubby, open it."
Li Yifei took and twisted it open, handing it back to her. Chu Xiaoyao took a big sip, swallowed slowly, sighed with satisfaction, and looked up at Li Yifei. Despite his busy schedule, he spent the whole afternoon playing games with her. Chu Xiaoyao felt very grateful and really happy.
Any previous grumpiness of Chu Xiaoyao had almost vanished. She squinted at Li Yifei, thoroughly enjoying the moment.
"Let’s get up and stretch. Playing games is fine, but you must exercise. I don’t want you developing health problems from sitting too long," Li Yifei said seriously.
Chu Xiaoyao put down her snacks, pushed her chair away, stood up, saluted Li Yifei, and said, "No problem, sir."
"You little rascal," Li Yifei laughed, shaking his head and pinching Chu Xiaoyao’s cheeks.
They had played the entire afternoon, and Li Yifei didn’t want to continue. Just as he was about to excuse himself, Chu Xiaoyao brought something up that Li Yifei couldn’t refuse. After a moment of thought, he said, "Alright, you go first. I’ll take the food to Sister Shanshan and Sister Lin Qiong in the hospital, then I’ll come and find you, okay?"
Chu Xiaoyao nodded and said, "Okay, let’s split up then. I’ll go check it out. If what they said is true, I might need to trouble you to help handle it."
Li Yifei hugged Chu Xiaoyao and said, "No need to thank me, we’re one. What’s there to trouble about? Go ahead, change your clothes, and find something for me too. Let’s get ready to head out."
Over ten minutes later, they were dressed and ready. They headed to the garage and chose an Audi A7, while Li Yifei got into a BMW X6.
The Li family’s garage was like a car show now. Li Yifei liked cars, and so did the women, so they bought whichever caught their eye. The garage was nearing capacity.
Chu Xiaoyao’s destination was her aunt’s, not her dad’s sister but her grandmother’s sister’s daughter. This relationship isn’t too distant nor too close. Somehow, she got Chu Xiaoyao’s number, calling her daily. At first, it was just trying hard to establish a connection. Li Yifei knew Chu Xiaoyao’s personality well; if it was just that, she wouldn’t get angry,
Indeed, after a few words, the other party asked Chu Xiaoyao for half a million yuan—not borrowing, but demanding. Regardless of whether Chu Xiaoyao had that kind of money, even for immediate family, it’s unreasonable to ask for half a million right off the bat. Plus, they don’t even have that close of a relationship. Chu Xiaoyao had only met this aunt a few times, so she refused.
Chu Xiaoyao is wealthy; not just half a million, she could afford five million now. Moreover, she is generous and not stingy at all; having money hasn’t changed her. It’s just that Chu Xiaoyao feels there’s no need to give this money. Why should she? When her parents passed away, they didn’t offer much help, and now that she’s rich, they suddenly appear?
The key was that they were so rude. After Chu Xiaoyao refused, her aunt’s tone changed instantly, constantly berating her for a lack of familial love. Even if your parents are gone, I’m still your aunt. Now that the aunt’s family has difficulties, how can you not help? Indeed, you’re an ungrateful wretch, ungrateful thing, forgetting those times you visited aunt’s house when you were young. Whatever you loved to eat, your aunt would make for you, and shrimp was so expensive, buying several kilos at a time...
Anyway, such words kept coming up, making Chu Xiaoyao even more uncomfortable. The rebellious nature of the little girl was awakened, so she responded in kind. She’s matured quite a bit over the past few years, otherwise, she would have thrown some harsh words already.
This was what Chu Xiaoyao told Li Yifei on the way, needing her husband to understand the situation.
Li Yifei just chuckled and said, "Let’s see what the situation is when we get there. Since you agreed to go, it shows you still care about this family bond."
Chu Xiaoyao pouted and whispered, "It’s not that I care... After my parents passed, I didn’t have anyone to care about anymore. It’s just... forget it, let’s not talk about it to avoid affecting your mood."
The words Chu Xiaoyao wanted to say were understood by Li Yifei. He understood her because the other women in the family all have their parents and friends from their parents’ families. Besides those few good friends, the Li family is her home now. There is no longer saying that she has a parents’ home to go back to.
In this regard, she and Li Yifei are the same, which is why there’s a special feeling between them.
Li Yifei patted her head and said, "Once things settle down, I’ll take you on a trip, go everywhere and explore."
"Really?" Chu Xiaoyao immediately turned around, her big eyes blinking, looking at Li Yifei.
"Steamed and cooked, of course, it’s true." Li Yifei said with a smile.
Chu Xiaoyao puffed her cheeks adorably and said, "Great, then I’ll wait for that."
"Go ahead, drive slowly, I’ll come find you after I’m done delivering the food!" Li Yifei said.
Chu Xiaoyao nodded, they each got into their car and went separate ways, with Li Yifei watching Chu Xiaoyao leave. He grabbed the two large thermal lunch boxes and got into his car, heading towards the hospital.
Chu Xiaoyao drove for more than twenty minutes and arrived at her aunt’s apartment building. She still remembered where her aunt’s apartment was, on the other side of Mile City, just an ordinary household according to Chu Xiaoyao. Her aunt and uncle are regular folks, with a child, a boy, who’s five or six years older than her. Although they lived in the same city, their contact wasn’t frequent, and the impression she had was that her cousin always bullied her, so she didn’t like him, and they have had no contact since growing up.
Parking downstairs, Chu Xiaoyao looked up and remembered her aunt’s apartment is on the fifth floor.
This time her aunt was asking for money to treat her uncle’s illness, which was said to be a very difficult disease requiring a lot of money for treatment. So though she was angry, Chu Xiaoyao felt she should see for herself. If there was truly a need, she wouldn’t be unable to help. She just didn’t like the way they asked for money; if you’re asking for help, you should have an attitude befitting someone asking for assistance, or else you become the one in charge.
On Li Yifei’s end, he also drove to the hospital, carrying two large lunch boxes upstairs to the Special Care Ward, where he saw Xu Shanshan and Lin Qiong chatting. Both were in good spirits, seemingly happy. Upon seeing Li Yifei enter, Xu Shanshan stood up and glared at him.
Li Yifei found this glare baffling, so he asked, "Why are you glaring at me? I’ve brought you delicious food."
"Who else am I supposed to glare at if not you." Xu Shanshan replied, perhaps because she was hungry, she didn’t continue and swiftly grabbed the lunch box, setting Lin Qiong’s table down and laying out the contents one by one. The room was immediately filled with fragrance—all foods both of them loved.
Li Yifei pulled up a small stool to sit beside them, watching the two women eat.
Lin Qiong asked him if he was going to eat, and Li Yifei patted his belly, saying he ate quite a bit with Chu Xiaoyao this afternoon, so he wasn’t hungry at all now. The two women then asked what he and Chu Xiaoyao were doing, and Li Yifei hesitated before saying three words: playing games, immediately earning eye rolls from both women who said he really wasn’t up to anything serious.
Li Yifei laughed heartily and said, "You can’t put it that way. I only play once every few years. Plus, I spent time with the little girl; she’s lonelier than you are."
With that said, the two women couldn’t really say anything. It was just a casual remark; they wouldn’t genuinely think anything negative about Li Yifei or Chu Xiaoyao.
Watching the two women finish their meal, Li Yifei packed the leftovers back into the lunch box. After washing his hands, his phone rang, and seeing it was Chu Xiaoyao’s number, he answered the call.
As soon as the call was connected, he heard Chu Xiaoyao crying.