Jian An'an instantly thought of the man from five years ago. He had a tattoo on his waist, and she couldn't help widening her eyes, trying hard to see clearly...
Before she could, a figure flashed past as Li Shaoting put on his robe, tying the belt as he walked over and asked in a rather good mood, "What did you make for lunch?"
Jian An'an let out a delayed "Ah," snapped back to her senses, and hurriedly followed him.
Li Shaoting picked up a flower-shaped mini sausage with his fork, twirled it in front of his eyes, and looked at Jian An'an. "What, do you take me for a child?"
Jian An'an blushed and stammered, "I'll change it next time!"
Li Shaoting popped the mini sausage into his mouth, his brows relaxing. It tasted very good.
Though he didn't know why, indeed only the food made by this woman could restore his sense of taste, allowing him to savor sweet, sour, bitter, and spicy flavors.
His mood instantly improved, and the sharp, stern look on his face softened a bit. "No need, leave it as it is."
This was the best meal Li Shaoting had eaten since losing his sense of taste, so he enjoyed it thoroughly. However, Jian An'an beside him remained absent-minded throughout.
Thinking of what the nurse had said yesterday, combined with the fact that Li Shaoting seemed to really have a tattoo on his waist, the seeds of suspicion were planted deep in Jian An'an's heart...
Standing to the side watching Li Shaoting eat, the more she looked at him, the more she felt that Xiaoxin shared a striking resemblance to him...
Both of them ate at a measured, unhurried pace, with graceful and refined manners. Even the curve of their mouths when they pursed their lips was an exact match.
If it was a coincidence, it was simply too much of a coincidence...
She didn't know if she was just seeing things, nor could she be sure whether Li Shaoting really had a tattoo on his waist... But she had to see it with her own eyes. After all, she had been searching for that man for four years!
This was her only clue. No matter who he was, she couldn't let it go.
After finishing his meal, Li Shaoting went upstairs to work. Important decisions for the Li Group required his personal review, so even on a Sunday, he was very busy.
Finding no opportunity to get close to him, Jian An'an remained distracted all afternoon, racking her brain over how she could manage to see the tattoo on Li Shaoting's waist.
She tried probing Uncle Wang for information about Li Shaoting through indirect questions, but Uncle Wang kept his lips sealed tight, merely smiling and deflecting that he was clueless and knew nothing.
Anxious as she was, Jian An'an couldn't act rashly either. If she accidentally offended Li Shaoting and got driven out of the Li Residence, the huge gap in their social status would make it even harder for her to see him again in the future, let alone figure out whether there was truly a tattoo on his waist.
By evening, Jian An'an prepared home-cooked dishes as scheduled. Li Shaoting had his meal upstairs and did not come down.
After a whole day of agonizing without result, she had no other choice but to look for another opportunity later.
Just as she was planning to head home, a loud rumble suddenly tore through the overcast sky outside, followed without warning by a torrential downpour.
Standing at the doorway, Jian An'an was dumbfounded.
Oh no, she had forgotten to check the weather forecast before leaving! She didn't bring an umbrella; how was she supposed to get back now?
Was she going to have to ask Uncle Wang to drive her? Thinking it over, aside from asking Uncle Wang for a ride, she had no other options.
Jian An'an sighed and was about to turn back inside to swallow her pride and ask, when Uncle Wang appeared right behind her with perfect timing. "Ms. Jian, thank goodness you haven't left yet."
Jian An'an was a bit surprised. "Uncle Wang, is there something else?"Uncle Wang explained, "The Young Master often works past midnight and has the habit of having a late-night snack, so you need to be on standby at all times. Besides, with the rain pouring down this heavily, it wouldn't be convenient for you to go back tonight anyway. Why don't you just stay here? The room is all ready. Do you have any questions?"
Jian An'an was momentarily stunned. Recovering her senses, she nodded quickly, "No problem at all. Thank you for the trouble, Uncle Wang!"
She had been worrying about how to find an opportunity to get close to Li Shaoting, and this was nothing short of a godsend! Uncle Wang arranged a guest room for Jian An'an to stay in and then went off to attend to other matters.
After getting settled, Jian An'an had nothing to do. Lying on the soft, spacious bed, she tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.
That fleeting glimpse of the tattoo made her mind race with anxiety; she could hardly wait to march right over there and pull aside Li Shaoting's clothes to take a look.
Yet Li Shaoting had helped her on numerous occasions, and coupled with his lofty status, she truly found it impossible to connect him with that scoundrel from five years ago.
There were only three scenarios that would allow her to see Li Shaoting without his shirt: swimming, taking a bath, or changing clothes... Just how could she manage to catch a glimpse of Li Shaoting's waist politely and without crossing any boundaries?
Her mind was a tangled knot of confusion. She couldn't sleep, nor could she stay cooped up in the room any longer, so she simply pushed open the door and decided to go out for a walk.
The guest room where she stayed was on the ground floor, and not far outside was a long, transparent corridor. Standing inside the glass walls, one could clearly see the torrential rain raging outside, along with the dim, rain-blurred lights in the distance.
The Li Residence was built in the very center of Dijing Shangdu, which was also the highest point of the entire city. Towering above everything, it overlooked the whole metropolis—much like Li Shaoting's own noble and exalted status in Yuncheng.The Li Family is the most powerful conglomerate in Yuncheng, and every generation of its patriarchs has been a formidable figure who brooks no dissent. Li Shaoting is no exception; otherwise, he could never have safeguarded such a massive family estate.
To the outside world, he has always been aloof, cold, and imposing, leaving people with no way to even attempt currying favor with him.
Jian An'an stood there for a moment, intending to go back to sleep, when she turned her head and saw a maid not far away suddenly stumble and crash heavily against the glass wall.
Startled, Jian An'an hurried over to help her up and asked with concern, "Are you alright?"
The maid's complexion was dreadful, her face completely pale.
Clutching the laundry tray in her arms with great difficulty, her teeth chattered uncontrollably. "It's... it's Ms. Jian... I have dysmenorrhea, and I haven't taken my painkillers yet today..."
"Then go back and take your medicine. Look how pale your face is."
"But I have to deliver a change of clothes to Sir... I can't afford to delay..." By the end, the pain in the maid's voice carried a hint of a sob.
A thought stirred in Jian An'an's heart, and she took the tray from the maid's hands. "It's fine, I'll deliver it for you."
The maid was in excruciating pain and had no other choice, so she had to let Jian An'an take over.
Jian An'an helped her back to her room and then went upstairs to Li Shaoting's bedroom.
Li Shaoting's master bedroom was very large and deathly quiet; not a sound of the rain could be heard inside, save for the faint sound of a shower drifting out from the bathroom... Is Li Shaoting taking a bath right now? Her heart suddenly began to race. Since Li Shaoting is in the shower, he certainly isn't wearing any clothes. Isn't this the absolute best opportunity for her to verify whether Li Shaoting is the man from five years ago?
Jian An'an took a deep breath, quietly stepped inside, pulled the door shut, and then, tiptoeing like a thief, crept up to the bathroom door.