Chapter 7

What is it?

Chang Li has never been foolish; even at the age of 14, she understood strategy better than Chang Shilin and had learned to fully leverage her own advantages

She finished speaking and directly got out of the car, slamming the door shut

Seeing that she did not respond, Bai Yi snatched the wet tissue from her hand and threw it aside, raising his voice: "Look at how you look right now! No one would believe you are my daughter! You look like a beggar!"

Fang Ji noticed that he was distracted: "What’s the matter, Xu Shao? Which gentle haven did you crawl out from, looking so dazed?"

She is actually not interested in the assets of the Chang family at all; she simply does not want them to fall into the hands of outsiders, not even a single cent.

Xu Ningqing curled the corner of her mouth and let out a light scoff

Originally, in such an informal business gathering, Xu Ningqing was most at ease, enjoying drinks and conversations with many friends he usually socialized with, and time passed pleasantly.

Chang Li raised her eyes and said, "Then you go and snatch it."

The driver standing beside is tilting his head back, forming a small trumpet shape with his hand near his mouth

The school's locking system is integrated, locking automatically at the designated time. The key given by Li Qin is no longer useful at this point

In Chang Li's memory, her father and mother often quarreled. As she grew older, Chang Shilin seldom returned home; he had taken a woman outside, something Chang Li had known since she was very young

The girl's indifferent yet prickly demeanor finally caused Bai Yi to shed her socialite facade, and her voice became sharp as she exclaimed: "Am I going to rob? Who am I doing this for?! What success can you achieve by painting these worthless things every day?!"

Grandfather invited Chang Shilin and his son to stay over

She quickly took out her phone, which was already turned off

Why is this little rascal unable to wake up, as if he has consumed counterfeit liquor

He turned his head towards the driver and said, "Let her open the window"

Uncertain of how much time had passed, just as she was about to fall asleep once more, a voice cleaved through the darkness, pulling her out of her dreams

Old Master Chang chuckled and said, "Of course, if Lili wants the stars in the sky, Grandpa will go and pick them for you"

Xu Ningqing remained silent, slightly furrowing her brow as she observed the little girl by the roadside, who was gazing up at the graffiti. The girl's eyes were somewhat red, yet her expression remained unchanged.

Her father, Chang Shilin, is notoriously known as a spendthrift in high society, and he is the only blemish on the reputation that Old Master Chang has built over the course of his life.

On her 14th birthday, Chang Shilin gave her a "surprise"; he brought his illegitimate child to meet Old Master Chang, presumably intending to follow the strategic route initially taken by Bai Yi, using the child to gain Old Master Chang's acceptance of the woman he had raised outside.

Although this action does not cause pain, it is indeed not gentle to watch. The driver beside them could not help but say, "Mr. Xu, let me carry Miss Chang up."

Unfortunately, this seemingly love-at-first-sight romance that overcame numerous obstacles did not last long

A man wearing a shirt stands under a dim streetlight on a summer night, his tall and slender figure with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, casually leaning back against a Bentley Continental

If it were merely a lack of business acumen and mediocre talent, it would be one thing; however, Chang Shilin's private life is also extremely chaotic

The Bentley sped past on the road leading to the nightclub, while a mechanical voice announced the traffic conditions ahead

The man directly grasped the child by the nape of the neck, lifting Chang Li out of the back seat as one would lift a kitten.

Chang Li could hardly believe that her unreliable uncle, whom she had just been complaining about in her mind, was now standing downstairs. The girl pressed her head against the glass again.

The child stared wide-eyed, making a soft "uh" sound, and whimsically pouted: "I'm so tired, carry me."

The little girl's eyes were still red, her eyelashes damp and clumped together, and the tip of her nose was glistening with a moist pink hue, uncontrollably hiccuping as she cried.

Since that birthday, Chang Li has not called him father again

Miss Chang

He hurried home and was indeed surprised to find the child's room empty

In his youth, he met Bai Yi, the mother of Chang Li. At that time, the Bai family could be considered a wealthy household, but compared to the Chang family, they were not of the same class at all. Chang Shilin fell in love with Bai Yi at first sight and immediately launched a fervent pursuit.

The man carried the young girl into the house, walked straight to the guest room, and threw her onto the bed, while the plump cat followed closely behind, letting out a "meow".

Chang Li immediately opened the window and excitedly waved to him, saying: "Uncle!"

At this hour, the school gate had already been locked. She walked over and tugged at the art studio door, which was indeed locked as well

Xu Ningqing frowned, her voice deep and magnetic, once again indifferent as she pushed the person down: "Stand properly yourself."

Old Master Chang initially opposed their marriage, but Chang Shilin did not listen at all. In a moment of impulsiveness, he married Bai Yi. Old Master Chang then drove the couple out of the house, but two months later, Bai Yi became pregnant with Chang Li, which was when they truly entered the Chang family.

Chang Li is not fond of mentioning matters concerning her parents to others

The man withdrew his gaze, the corners of his eyes raised at an angle exuding a piercing coldness. He closed his eyes briefly and said, "Let her go to the banquet."

Xu Ningqing looked at her for a moment, the elevator ascended to the 28th floor, and the man slightly leaned forward in front of her, his tone impatient: "Get in."

Chang Li said: "The heir of the Chang family can only be me."

Xu Ningqing raised her gaze for a moment and couldn't help but let out a light laugh: "Foolish."

It appears to be someone who seems wronged yet foolishly happy, lacking in insight

The driver also feels heartbroken: "Mr. Xu, what should we do now?"

Bai Yi looked at her with a frown and said, "You are so calm, yet you spend every day on these useless things. How do you expect to inherit the family business in the future? Do you really think the old man is foolish enough to hand over the company to someone who knows nothing?"

"Where are you going?" Fan Mengming asked

When Chang Li woke up again, she found that it was already dark outside. She stared blankly at the pitch-black and quiet studio, dazed for half a minute, before the events that had occurred earlier came back to her.

He instructed the driver to first find someone to bring the keys, while he leaned against the car and spoke with the child

Chang Li continued to light 14 candles without changing her expression, making a wish as she blew out the candles, appearing completely unaffected by the farce that had just occurred

Xu Ningqing raised her eyes, lazily arching an eyebrow and scoffing: "As if I were like you."

Xu Ningqing watched as the girl widened her eyes in surprise, pressing her face against the glass with great effort, her pert nose creating a small round mark from the pressure, truly a case of beauty being willful

He watched as Chang Li wiped away her tears, then tugged at the straps of her backpack and jumped up and down in place a couple of times, took an exaggerated deep breath, and returned to her usual self, bouncing back into the school.

In the past, Chang Li often had to work late into the night while rushing to complete her drawings. She had even slept in the studio before, but the studio at school was not frequently visited by others, resulting in an unpleasant odor.

"Turn off the broadcast," Xu Ningqing said

The car arrived at the entrance, and Xu Ningqing got out and walked around to the other side, calling out to Chang Li twice

The child appeared extremely excited, her smile revealing nothing of the tears she had secretly wiped away in the afternoon. She leaned out a bit further and said, "Uncle, what brings you here!"

At that time, the old gentleman asked her: "What wish did Li Li make? Let's see if Grandpa can help you fulfill it"

"I ran out of battery, I accidentally fell asleep." The girl shyly scratched her head, "Did you get scared when you went back and couldn't reach me by phone?"

The man said nothing, picked up his coat, and strode directly out of the banquet hall

How to turn off the mobile phone

On the other hand, when Xu Ningqing arrived at the cocktail party, he was still a moment late and was immediately surrounded by people, resulting in him being forced to drink three glasses of alcohol.

Fortunately, as soon as the car entered the school, a light suddenly illuminated on the second floor of the art building. The driver took a detour and called out for a while, and soon the child peeked out from the window.

One could see the man lowering his gaze and smiling slightly; that smile was faint, yet it was polished into an exceptionally gentle hue in the summer night.

Xu Ningqing frowned, and after sitting for another two minutes, he stood up just as Fan Mengming approached with a wine glass

There were too many classmates watching around, so Chang Li and Bai Yi got into the car

But today is clearly not the case

Chang Li suddenly stood up and ran to the window, pressing his forehead against the glass.

The moonlight is hazy

The driver quickly brought the doorman, who was holding a large bunch of keys, over. It seemed that everything had been explained clearly, and without further ado, they went upstairs to open the door

Chang Li lowered her head, using a wet tissue to gently wipe away the dried paint spots: "If he wants to stay, then let him stay"

On what basis should they be given that

Xu Ningqing glanced at him and said softly, "No need."

The man paused his steps, crouched down, and picked up one of the letters with his long, slender fingers

The voice is unfamiliar

The 14-year-old child spoke such words that even Old Master Chang was momentarily taken aback, but he quickly embraced her and seriously stated that apart from her, there was no second heir in the Chang family

What nonsense this is, a group of little kids not studying and engaging in such activities

Chang Li went to the school's art studio

Xu Ningqing had also heard of Chang Shilin and Bai Yi, and at first, she was indeed surprised that these two could raise such a child

Xu Ningqing locked eyes with the fat cat in her room for two seconds before slamming the door and stepping out to find her

The young girl, feeling somewhat downcast, sat back down in her chair, staring at the discarded draft in front of her, expressionless as she rubbed her eyes and fell into a daze

Xu Ningqing glanced sideways at the girl beside her, who had fallen asleep shortly after getting into the car. Her long and thick eyelashes cast a fan-shaped shadow beneath her eyes

Five minutes later, the little girl came down, bouncing with her backpack.

Ke Xuningqing may have seen the mocking appearance of a child whispering in someone's ear. She is not the type to compromise her principles. When she got out of Bai Yi's car, she displayed a demeanor of indifference, certainly not the submissive type who listens to reprimands.

Bai Yi put on sunglasses, tidied her hair, and posed elegantly: "Not really, your dad bought a house nearby, so he will probably have to show up in front of your grandfather often in the future"

The girl, with her confused eyes and head held high, pouted her lips and said: "Back."

A gentle touch pressed against from behind

Xu Ningqing scoffed lightly: "What can I scare?"

Xu Ningqing frowned and couldn't help but say: "Be careful not to fall down"

At this moment, the redness at the corner of her eyes collided abruptly with the smile on her face, causing Xu Ningqing's heart to soften unexpectedly

As for her little uncle, he is likely to return home only in the early hours, and he will not even notice that she is missing, so there is no hope.

The people around the graffiti wall have already dispersed

Xu Ningqing took her hand out of her pocket, waved it at her, and quickly put it back again

As the temperature dropped in the evening, she was wearing a short-sleeved shirt. Xu Ningqing picked up her own jacket and tossed it over her head

He raised his hand to tousle her hair, wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and brought the child into the car: "Let's go, it's time to go home and sleep"

Xu Ningqing felt a bit burdened and did not want to stand downstairs shouting loudly like a fool, so he entrusted all communication tasks to the driver

About a minute later, the child's face began to show signs of relaxation. She lowered her head, trying hard to widen her eyes to prevent the tears from falling, but in the end, she quickly raised the back of her hand to wipe her eyes.

Chang Li stared at Bai Yi, finding it amusing that the person she chose to marry was so blatant about it yet still did not choose to divorce. He had specifically traveled a long distance just to have her reinforce the mental barrier in her grandfather's heart.

She straightened up, held her breath, and then there came another voice: "—Miss Chang!"

The sound is clear this time, but this voice is unfamiliar

The girl's slender and fair arms pulled down the coat from her head, her hair became disheveled, and there was still a hint of red at the corners of her eyes. She smiled sweetly at him with her eyes curved, saying: "Thank you"

There are several letters in the backpack, all of which are love letters

The key to the studio was still given to her by Li Qin in the morning. Chang Li set up the easel and prepared the paints before starting to paint

Having said that, he directly wrapped his arm around the person's neck, half-dragging and half-hugging them towards the elevator entrance

Old Master Chang and Grandma have always doted on this obedient and beautiful granddaughter

The driver secretly complained that this young Master Xu was truly too impatient with children, unaware that as soon as the elevator door closed, the girl clung to the man with all her limbs.

How foolish, even forgetting to open the window

The call did not go through, the phone is turned off

Recalling the sight of the child secretly wiping away tears with his head lowered in the afternoon, I couldn't help but frown. At that moment, he did not approach, thinking that at this time, Chang Li probably did not want others to see such a side of himself. However, with the phone not connecting and no one at home, some unpleasant thoughts suddenly emerged in his mind

Xu Ningqing : `` ? ''

In that moment, he experienced an inexplicable and undefined feeling of anger

In September, even at this time in the afternoon, the heat remains exceptionally oppressive. Chang Li looked around the streets with little expression, took out her phone from her backpack, hesitated for a moment, and then put it back.

Chang Li chuckled lightly, her voice indifferent: "Then I shall not dirty your eyes."

Being denied, Chang Li did not feel sad at all, instead, she lay by the bed, smiling happily to herself.

Chang Li asked: "Can you help me achieve this, Grandpa?"

Xu Ningqing casually pulled up the quilt to cover the child and, as she was preparing to go out, caught sight of the backpack that had been left at the foot of the bed. The zipper was not fully closed, and a pink envelope slipped out.

Chang Li found it quite incredible how Bai Yi, with such a utilitarian nature and devoid of any artistic sensibility or respect, managed to attract Chang Shilin, that debauched playboy who indulged in food, drink, and entertainment.

The result was that Old Master Chang directly drove him out of the house with a broom.

"Mr. Xu, would you like me to bring Miss Chang over?" the driver asked

Chang Li is uncertain whether she is hearing things.

Everyone gathered together to chat, and Xu Ningqing did not participate any longer. In the end, she took out her phone and made a call to Chang Li for the first time.

The child chuckled softly, and the little head obediently shrank back a bit.

Xu Ningqing only realized that the night is quiet, and in fact, one does not need to speak loudly to be heard