Sitting in his wheelchair, Li Haojue fell silent for a moment and then looked up at Li Yourong. "Father, you are suddenly concerned about my marriage because you care for me, or…" His eyes hidden behind the mask were filled with sarcasm and disdain. "Or are you afraid that I, this 'jinx', will bring misfortune to your family?"
Since the fire incident, Li Haojue had been wearing a mask, and no one knew what he looked like underneath it.
Recently, his half-brother, born to a different mother, had fallen seriously ill and was nearly lost. Li Yourong consulted a Feng Shui master who claimed that there was a clash in the brothers' destinies, and to ensure the family's prosperity, one person had to move out.
Li Yourong had always believed in Feng Shui, so after hearing the master's advice, he started looking for a suitable marriage partner for Li Haojue to get him out of the Li family. Of course, Li Haoruo didn't mind leaving this distasteful home under the pretext of marriage either.
Li Yourong had never liked this son, Li Haojue, and hearing his rebuttal, his face darkened. "Is this the way you speak to me?!"
Li Haojue smiled. "There's no need to get angry. Since you want me to marry, then I will." After all, to him, it didn't matter who.
"What kind of attitude is this? Let me make it clear, even after you move out, you must remember that you are still a member of the Li family. Don't tarnish our reputation by talking nonsense outside!" Li Yourong was someone who cared deeply about reputation, or else he would have kicked Li Haojue out long ago.
"I'm just a piece of trash. Who would care about me? Father, don't worry." After saying this, Li Haojue turned his wheelchair and moved towards his room on the ground floor. Although he was the young master, his status in the Li family was only slightly better than that of the butler.
Two days later, Li Haojue received the information about Xiao Fan. After reading it, a slight flicker appeared in his otherwise calm eyes, but it quickly disappeared.
His assistant, Xiao Lin, who was responsible for taking care of his daily needs, said, "First Young Master, it's quite obvious that the Xiao family is trying to deceive you… It was supposed to be Second Young Lady Xiao who discussed the marriage with you, but they took the liberty of replacing her with the less favored Miss Xiao Fan… You should know that Xiao Fan's reputation isn't good. She has a child before marriage…"
Li Haojue tapped on the table intermittently. "Less favored, huh… Doesn't that make us quite a suitable match?" He spoke mockingly. He didn't care if these people saw him as useless or a jinx but he was quite interested in Xiao Fan.
Li Haojue and Xiao Fan were scheduled to meet at three in the afternoon.
She arrived at the agreed-upon cafe ten minutes early. She scanned the small cafe and eventually locked her gaze on the man wearing a mask in the corner.
"Hello, I'm Xiao Fan." She introduced herself while sizing up Li Haojue. He appeared to have a strong physique, and even in the wheelchair, his tall stature was evident. The mask covered most of his face, revealing only a glimpse of his stern facial features and those cold, indifferent eyes… Her initial impression was that he wasn't an easy person to get along with.
As expected, in the next moment, he asked, "Xiao Fan? I heard you have a child. Do you think I'll marry a woman with a child?"
Xiao Fan had grown used to such questions and wasn't fazed. She glanced at him from head to toe, pausing briefly at certain areas before calmly responding, "What First Young Master Li needs is merely a nominal wife. As for the child… Anyway, you can't satisfy me in that aspect. It's very reasonable for me to come with a child. Isn't that quite reasonable?"
He slowly narrowed his eyes. This woman doubted his capabilities in that aspect… He had heard that Xiao Fan agreed to the marriage as part of a deal to gain a ten percent share in the Xiao Corporation. She was shrewd and money-minded, and in a way, they seemed quite compatible.
Xiao Fan: "First Young Master Li, now that we've met in person, if you're satisfied, when do you think it would be suitable to register our marriage? I also heard that you have no plans to hold a wedding." She chose not to explain the situation regarding her daughter, and she could tell that he was simply probing and not genuinely concerned about her having a child.
Li Haojue: "Do you want a wedding?" Normal women seemed to look forward to a grand wedding, as marriages without one often felt incomplete.