Lí Xǐng's family moved out of the old residence when he was young, and the family of three settled in a villa outside, only returning during festivals.
After the meeting ended, Lí Xǐng returned home. His father, Lí Zhāng, was still at home. He was the most idle person in the family, spending his days playing chess with other old men or square dancing with aunties at night. In his fifties, he had already started to enjoy retirement.
He was currently wearing reading glasses, holding a newspaper. Seeing Lí Xǐng, he casually asked, "Little Xǐng, I just heard you had a dispute with your second uncle in the meeting?"
"I don't call Lí Jìngcún my second uncle. You can enjoy your elderly life; why try so hard to pry into things when you're free?"
"Isn't it because I'm worried about you? He's someone who will definitely make things difficult for you. You really need to be careful."
Lí Xǐng wanted to go back and change his clothes. "I don't need you to worry about it yet."
"Hey, hey, don't go yet, come here, come here." Lí Zhāng beckoned him mysteriously, as if brewing some mischief.
Lí Xǐng followed him and sat down on the sofa, looking impatient. "What is it, say it quickly. I still have things to do."
"Tsk, oh dear. I'm telling you, your Aunt Fán's eldest son next door, who is only 22, has already wooed a girl and they're getting married next month. You're already 25, not young anymore, why haven't you brought a single girl home?"
There were quite a few neighbors in the villa community, which had turned him into an old gossip.
Lí Xǐng frowned with a headache. "You don't need to worry about my affairs. Why are you in such a hurry for me?"
"It's not that I'm saying this to you, but your wings have grown strong recently. Lí Jìngcún is trying every means to make things difficult for you. The younger generation from other branches of the family have all had arranged marriage partners under his control. He uses arranged marriages to cause trouble. Be careful he doesn't use this tactic on you. It's better if you find someone yourself; it's more reliable."
Lí Xǐng thought of the young men currently living in the Li family, their continuous engagement announcements. He heard that Third Master Lí's arranged marriage partner was not a kind person and was related to Lí Jìngcún. They even lived together but dared not consummate their marriage, afraid of not waking up the next day.
Lí Jìngcún didn't dare to touch him now, but he was secretly arranging women for him, even wanting him to dine with other families' daughters. They were all birds of a feather; he was reaching too far, even into his personal life.
As time went by, Lí Xǐng's private operations were gradually becoming apparent, perhaps provoking him to a corner where he would desperately arrange an arranged marriage partner for him, against his original intentions.
If he were to rush to place an arranged marriage partner by his side now, he wouldn't have the ability to refuse.
"Anyway, you think about it yourself. Don't just work day in and day out. Don't end up working for someone else in the end."
Lí Xǐng stood up. "Are you done talking? If you're done, I'm leaving."
"Hey, you brat, you're already tired of listening to my few words?"
Lí Xǐng ignored him and went back to his room to change.
Sometimes he couldn't understand it. Lí Zhāng was so weak and cowardly, lacking any real ability, and so nagging in his old age. His mother, a strong woman of her era, intelligent, wise, and beautiful, except for her less affluent family background, was considered an outstanding socialite. How did she end up marrying him?
His mother had once said frankly: "I had my eye on his family's assets."
But Lí Zhāng hadn't received any family assets; the share of assets was obtained through his mother's strong efforts.
Lí Xǐng called Qiao Baibai back and arranged to meet at a coffee shop.
In the original plot, after Lí Xǐng developed feelings for the heroine, his family arranged a fiancée for him. With the heroine constantly on his mind, he didn't even attend the engagement banquet, yet news of it was all over, and everyone knew he had a fiancée.
Because of this, it became even more impossible for him to win over the heroine. Lí Xǐng's many romantic exploits made the heroine doubt his sincerity. Under his pursuit, the heroine had also been moved, but the second male lead was still the second male lead, destined to lose to the male lead. Thus, Lí Xǐng became a source of regret for readers.
Looking at it this way, those romantic exploits were smears against him by the Li family while he was still not strong enough.
The fiancée arranged by the Li family must have had conflicting interests with him. When that time came, it would be better to find someone he could control himself. Qiao Baibai believed she could be that person.