"She must be asleep." Yue Xi nuzzled against Li Nianlong's face and said, "Chang Chang falls asleep as soon as she hits the pillow. I bet she'll sleep until morning."
With Nalan Ruyue present, Yue Xi didn't tell the truth, but Yue Chang was indeed asleep. Last time, after giving Li Nianlong three days' worth of her superpower, she slept for three nights straight. This time, she had given him two months and twenty-seven days of her power. Even Yue Xi didn't know how long Yue Chang would sleep this time?
Thinking of Yue Chang's sacrifice for him, Li Nianlong walked to the other side of the bed, gazing at Yue Chang's sleeping face with a gentle yet pitying gaze. Tucking the blanket around her, he said, "Let's go downstairs! Don't wake her up."
Nalan Ruyue nodded softly, and Yue Xi let out a small hum, her tiny feet rubbing against Li Nianlong's stomach. "Big brother, don't forget my slippers."
"You little rascal," Li Nianlong chuckled helplessly, bending down to pick up the pink slippers from the floor. He turned off the bedroom light and walked out with the two girls.
Just as the door clicked shut, Yue Chang, who had been sleeping soundly, opened her eyes. Her gaze was still a bit dazed as she rubbed her head. "So sleepy! This time, I expended a lot. Xi Xi is also in a weakened state. Ah, I was careless and impulsive... Fortunately, the agreed date is almost here. I hope nothing unexpected happens these next two days."
She took out her phone. "I should report to Master first!"
Their eyes met, both filled with aggression, but neither could overpower the other. Just this fact alone brought immense satisfaction to Shao Meiyun.
"Li Nianlong, male, 24 years old, 188cm tall, 83kg in weight. Father unknown, mother Li Ying, passed away two months ago at the age of 41. Grandmother Qin Yu, 64 years old, left alone 25 years ago, whereabouts unknown." Noticing Li Nianlong's sudden change in expression, Shao Meiyun smiled slightly. "Is all of the above... correct?"
Li Nianlong's face darkened. "What do you mean by this, Ms. Shao?"
"Don't be nervous, I bear no ill intent." Shao Meiyun crossed her legs elegantly, the exposed flesh-colored stockings exuding the allure of a mature woman. She smiled again. "Li Nianlong, let me ask you this: if one day, you were asked to take charge of a large family beset with crises, one that might even face destruction, what would you do?"
"Why should I answer you?" Li Nianlong replied coldly.
"Aren't you curious about why I'm here?" Shao Meiyun smiled, knowing full well that Li Nianlong must be curious. If he wanted to know, he'd have to answer her questions obediently, but Li Nianlong's response was completely unexpected.
"Not really." Li Nianlong said firmly, "It's getting late, Ms. Shao. If there's nothing else, please excuse us; we need to rest."
Seeing Li Nianlong's serious expression, Shao Meiyun forced a bitter smile. "Alright! You're indeed hard to deal with. I'll be straightforward then."
"Hmph!" With an Intelligence stat of 155, which translated to an IQ well above 300, while intelligence didn't equate to wisdom, Li Nianlong's super intelligence allowed him to learn quickly. In recent times, aside from working during the day and hunting in the early hours, he also spent two hours every night reading to expand his knowledge. He had absorbed a vast amount of information from various classics, military strategies, world-renowned literature, strange tales, political wisdom, and more. Anything he deemed useful, he didn't overlook. Having assimilated so much knowledge, Li Nianlong was no longer the same unworldly man he once was. Shao Meiyun thought she could take control of the situation, but she had underestimated him.
"What I'm about to say is rather confidential. Should we perhaps..." Shao Meiyun glanced at Nalan Ruyue and Yue Xi.
Downstairs, Li Nianlong was surprised to find Shao Meiyun asleep on the sofa. Seeing her deep sleep, even snoring slightly, it was evident she had been very tired recently.
"She's actually asleep?" Yue Xi was stunned. "Is this a joke? We came to talk to her, and she's asleep, in someone else's house no less. She really doesn't treat herself as an outsider."
"Just keep quiet!" Li Nianlong, seeing Shao Meiyun frowning even in her sleep, felt a touch of compassion. He sighed lightly, "Let her sleep. Let's eat first."
"Pfft, for big brother's sake, I'll let her off this time."
"Hehe, thank you, heroine, for sparing her."
"No problem, this heroine loves justice."
"Go play."
"I'll bite you!"
Shao Meiyun was awakened by the aroma of food. Seeing the spicy hot pot on the dining table, her stomach betrayed her with a few grumbles, instantly drawing the attention of the three people at the table.
Feeling their gazes, Shao Meiyun, who rarely showed vulnerability, blushed and hurriedly sat up, awkwardly smoothing her hair. "Sorry, I've been so exhausted lately that I fell asleep without realizing it."
Seeing such an ordinary reaction from a high-ranking woman like Shao Meiyun, Li Nianlong smiled faintly. "Didn't you have something to discuss with me? Come, eat with us and talk."
"Then I won't be polite." Shao Meiyun, experienced in many situations, quickly regained her composure, her composed smile returning as she stood up and walked over.
Nalan Ruyue added another set of chopsticks.
"Thanks." Shao Meiyun smiled in gratitude, broke a bun in half, and picked up a slice of meat from the hot pot, taking a bite. The spicy flavor of the meat stimulated her taste buds, and the unique taste made Shao Meiyun exclaim, "Delicious! Who made this hot pot?"
"Told you!" Yue Xi wrinkled her nose and snorted. "It's made by Sister Ruyue herself. Ordinary folks can't get this."
Shao Meiyun smiled faintly, looking at Nalan Ruyue with admiration in her eyes. "Beautiful, great figure, and skilled in cooking. I wonder which lucky gentleman will marry you in the future."
Nalan Ruyue smiled faintly and placed a piece of fish tofu in Li Nianlong's bowl.
Li Nianlong naturally popped it into his mouth and said, "Ms. Shao, I'm curious, why would a prominent person like you come to the home of a commoner like me? We didn't know each other before, did we?"
Noticing the earlier scene, Shao Meiyun's eyes flickered, and she smiled slightly. "We didn't know each other before, but we do now!"
"Well, okay!" Since Shao Meiyun wasn't volunteering information, Li Nianlong wasn't bothered to ask. He wasn't the one in a hurry.
Observing Li Nianlong's calm demeanor, Shao Meiyun's eyes flashed with approval. He was patient, unhurried, displaying the traits of a leader.
While Li Nianlong didn't initiate conversations, Shao Meiyun kept talking, using her honed conversational skills to quickly dispel the negative impression Yue Xi and Nalan Ruyue had of her. Gradually, the two women began to smile, leaving Li Nianlong secretly impressed.
Dinner didn't last long. In less than half an hour, the entire spicy hot pot was empty.
Shao Meiyun had eaten a fair share and sat on the sofa with a slightly rounded belly. Nalan Ruyue brewed a pot of Bamboo Leaf Green tea and poured her a cup.
"Thank you." Shao Meiyun smiled and lifted the teacup, inhaling the fragrance first before praising, "Excellent tea! This natural orchid aroma is truly long-lasting. If I'm not mistaken, this should be the top-grade Supreme Dialogue, right?"
Bamboo Leaf Green tea is classified into three grades: Taste, Tranquility, and Dialogue.
Taste and Tranquility are mid to high-end, while Dialogue is high-end. Within Dialogue, there is Supreme Dialogue and regular Dialogue.
Supreme Dialogue is harvested from tea gardens at altitudes of 1200 to 1500 meters, while regular Dialogue comes from areas between 800 to 1200 meters.
Supreme Dialogue tastes fresher and has a more pronounced natural orchid aroma compared to regular Dialogue. This is due to its richer content, including higher levels of amino acids and chlorophyll, which are essential nutrients for the human body.
Supreme Dialogue is expensive, costing over ten thousand per kilogram. Li Nianlong developed a liking for tea after entering university, and since then, he spent around fifty thousand yuan a year just on tea, a true spendthrift.
"Ms. Shao is knowledgeable and impressive." Li Nianlong smiled faintly and took a small sip.
Shao Meiyun smiled back. For the next half-hour, they casually chatted about household matters and various interesting news stories. Time flew by, and it was soon nine o'clock in the evening. Seeing Li Nianlong remain unhurried, Shao Meiyun's estimation of him reached a peak.
Putting down her teacup, Shao Meiyun composed herself and said, "Li Nianlong, do you know why I came?"
Here it comes!
Li Nianlong straightened up. "I was just about to ask."
Their eyes met, both filled with aggression, but neither could overpower the other. Just this fact alone brought immense satisfaction to Shao Meiyun.
"Li Nianlong, male, 24 years old, 188cm tall, 83kg in weight. Father unknown, mother Li Ying, passed away two months ago at the age of 41. Grandmother Qin Yu, 64 years old, left alone 25 years ago, whereabouts unknown." Noticing Li Nianlong's sudden change in expression, Shao Meiyun smiled slightly. "Is all of the above... correct?"
Li Nianlong's face darkened. "What do you mean by this, Ms. Shao?"
"Don't be nervous, I bear no ill intent." Shao Meiyun crossed her legs elegantly, the exposed flesh-colored stockings exuding the allure of a mature woman. She smiled again. "Li Nianlong, let me ask you this: if one day, you were asked to take charge of a large family beset with crises, one that might even face destruction, what would you do?"
"Why should I answer you?" Li Nianlong replied coldly.
"Aren't you curious about why I'm here?" Shao Meiyun smiled, knowing full well that Li Nianlong must be curious. If he wanted to know, he'd have to answer her questions obediently, but Li Nianlong's response was completely unexpected.
"Not really." Li Nianlong said firmly, "It's getting late, Ms. Shao. If there's nothing else, please excuse us; we need to rest."
Seeing Li Nianlong's serious expression, Shao Meiyun forced a bitter smile. "Alright! You're indeed hard to deal with. I'll be straightforward then."
"Hmph!" With an Intelligence stat of 155, which translated to an IQ well above 300, while intelligence didn't equate to wisdom, Li Nianlong's super intelligence allowed him to learn quickly. In recent times, aside from working during the day and hunting in the early hours, he also spent two hours every night reading to expand his knowledge. He had absorbed a vast amount of information from various classics, military strategies, world-renowned literature, strange tales, political wisdom, and more. Anything he deemed useful, he didn't overlook. Having assimilated so much knowledge, Li Nianlong was no longer the same unworldly man he once was. Shao Meiyun thought she could take control of the situation, but she had underestimated him.
"What I'm about to say is rather confidential. Should we perhaps..." Shao Meiyun glanced at Nalan Ruyue and Yue Xi.