The Li couple got to the house early the next morning. Infact, Li Chuanmo raised an eyebrow when they came in. Were they in such a hurry that they couldn't even wait till noon?
They were just in time to wave Li Yuchen goodbye as he was on his way to school. He hugged them and winked excitedly.
It was very reassuring to have backup!
Li Chuanmo had already informed Pei Yueran about their visit, and she waited nervously in the living room. She hoped they would not be displeased to see her.
When they came in, she stood up immediately, smiling slightly. Looking at her, Zhang Heying was so happy that she couldn't close her mouth. She looked like she belonged there, as the lady of the house.
She came closer to hug her. "Ran'er, you should have rested in bed more. Why are you standing up for we old bones? Quickly sit."
Pei Yueran sat down, overwhelmed by the favour. "I feel much better Auntie. How was your journey?"
"Fine fine. It was not such a journey after all." The Li family villa was just about half an hour's drive. "I hope you've been enjoying your stay here. Has Chuanmo been taking care of you?"
"Yes Auntie. He has been taking very good care of me. Yuchen too. They've made me feel very welcome." Pei Yueran said honestly.
Zhang Heying rolled her eyes, "He has no choice. If he does something wrong, just tell me. I'll whip him into shape."
The image of Li Chuanmo getting whipped came alive in her head, and Pei Yueran laughed.
"What are the ladies laughing about?" Li Qianye asked as he came in with Li Chuanmo. He went straight to his wife and gave her a long, smouldering kiss.
Pei Yueran gaped at them, shocked. She knew they were a very affectionate couple, but it was the first time they had kissed so passionately in front of her.
Li Chuanmo was not very surprised. They used to do this when he still lived with them, especially when they thought he wasn't looking. But kissing immediately they entered his house?
Something was fishy.
He could see that Pei Yueran was shocked, so he cleared his throat. "Father, Mother, your room has been prepared. You can go there and continue. Stop embarrassing my guest."
The Li couple finally broke apart. Zhang Heying glared at him as she retorted, "What's there to be embarrassed about? There's no guest here. Our Ran'er is already family, right Ran'er?"
What was Pei Yueran supposed to say? She blushed and nodded, while Zhang Heying grinned.
"Alright Wife, let's go to our room and leave them to it." Li Qianye said.
The butler, who was "entertained" by the family drama, came forward with Jiahui to take their luggage to the room specially prepared for them on the second floor.
Once the door closed after the butler left, the couple gave themselves a high-five. Their plan was off to a good start.
The game was on!
Back downstairs, Pei Yueran was still blushing. Only that this time, the memory of yesterday's hair wash session gone wrong was foremost on her mind. The feel of his muscles beneath her fingers were etched in her memory.
The sparks that always flew when they were together in the same space was real, and Pei Yueran was having a hard time ignoring it.
Li Chuanmo sat down beside her and held her hand. "Are you sure you would be comfortable with them around? We could go somewhere else."
"Of course. Auntie and Uncle are very nice and fun to be with. Besides, why would you leave your house and parents behind? Where would you go?" Pei Yueran answered, while wondering when he became so comfortable touching her at random.
"Li Yuchen can stay to keep them company. They prefer him to me anyway. We could stay in your house, one of my other houses, or better still, a hotel."
Pei Yueran was just about to joke that she preferred Li Yuchen to him too when she heard the word "hotel".
Air went into the wrong pipe and she choked.
He rubbed her back, till she calmed down. When Pei Yueran got her breath back, she quickly said, "No need to think about that. I'm very happy they're here, and as long as I won't be a bother, I'll be happy to stay and enjoy their visit.
"By the way, I wanted to tell you that I'm also fully recovered. So I want to go home tomorrow or the next."
Li Chuanmo's face changed. He was about to talk, but he calmed down and took a deep breath. He turned to her and held her hand,
"Yueran, please understand, I'm not trying to impose my will on you. I know you're recovering, but I can't bear to let you stay alone. I'll be very worried. Can't you stay for longer?"
He added after a pause, "if you feel uncomfortable because of my ...advances, I'll change." He looked like an abandoned puppy.
"No, no. I'm not uncomfortable." Pei Yueran quickly denied it before she even thought of how it would sound. But looking at the way Li Chuanmo perked up, she knew she had said the right thing.
"Alright then, but on one condition - I need my laptop. Enough of this "no work" policy. I want to be updated on company matters and do some work from home at least."
Li Chuanmo was so happy that he could agree to anything at that moment. "Fine." He hugged her gently, careful not to put pressure on her wound. She hugged him back happily.
*****
Fu Mengyao and the assassin she hired appeared in court the following day. Only Gong Anwei and Li Chuanmo's lawyers attended the hearing.
The results of the court hearing reached Li Chuanmo as soon as the court session ended. Fu Mengyao was sentenced to five years imprisonment with the option for a parole after two years. The assassin was sentenced to seven years imprisonment without the option of parole, as he had a criminal record.
Li Chuanmo only said "Got it" before hanging up. He was not very pleased with the results, but it was the best outcome they could achieve given the circumstances.
Gong Anwei also told him that Fu Mengyao's lawyers had tried to plead for a lenient sentence on the grounds that she was "mentally unstable", but the judge vetoed it.
Li Chuanmo snorted. What a joke! If she was truly mentally unstable at that time, then he would have paid for her treatment, but he knew it was all a ruse. She had to go to prison.
If Pei Yueran had died, would she have pretended to be insane to avoid punishment? He felt the argument was ridiculous.
When he went to Pei Yueran's room to inform her, he met the whole family there.
It was a weekend, so Li Yuchen was home. He and the Li couple were sitting together with Pei Yueran, playing a game of cards.