Nalan Ruyue looked at Li Nianlong as he picked up his phone and immediately chuckled, "It's XiXi."
A hint of joy flashed in Nalan Ruyue's eyes. Li Nianlong answered the call and turned on the speakerphone, "Little girl, what's up? Good morning."
"Giggles, Big Brother, good morning! I figured you'd be having breakfast, so I gave you a call. Sister Ruyue is with you too, right?" Yuexi's energetic laughter echoed, momentarily transporting them back to the past.
Their eyes met, and Li Nianlong and Nalan Ruyue exchanged smiles. "Yes, today's breakfast is your Sister Ruyue's secret recipe for dry hot pot. It's rich, spicy, and appetizing."
"Gulp..." The sound of Yuexi swallowing saliva came through the phone. "Ahhhh... I really want to eat Sister Ruyue's cooking too! After getting used to Sister Ruyue's food, the food in Dragon City tastes bland."
"Slurp slurp..." Li Nianlong savored the spicy hot pot.
"Argh! You did that on purpose! You must have!" Yuexi's indignant voice made Nalan Ruyue cover her mouth and giggle. Li Nianlong gulped down the last sip of hot soup and sighed, "Refreshing!"
"Argh! Just you wait, when I come to Tianfu next time, I'll eat all of Sister Ruyue's cooking and won't leave you a bite."
"We'll see when you get here!" Li Nianlong chuckled and asked, "Have you eaten? How's Chang'e?"
"Pfft!" Seeing Li Nianlong diverting the topic again, Yuexi pouted and said, "Not yet! I just woke up and am planning to grab breakfast outside. Chang'e is still the same, sleeping without waking up."
"Is she okay?" Li Nianlong grew concerned upon hearing Moon Chang hadn't woken up yet.
"Don't worry!" Sensing Li Nianlong's concern, Yuexi giggled and comforted him, "Everything is normal, she'll wake up in a couple of days." Pausing, Yuexi suddenly asked, "Big Brother, Sister Ruyue, the Liu family hasn't bothered you guys again, right?"
At the mention of 'Liu family,' Li Nianlong's expression changed slightly, and he replied indifferently, "No, the Liu family is the Liu family, and I am me. I won't get overly involved with the Liu family."
"That's good."
"What?"
"Oh? Nothing! I just think prominent families must have lots of messy and dirty secrets. If Big Brother gets entangled in it, you might not come out with even your bones intact, so it's right not to get involved with the Liu family."
"Oh?" Although Yuexi's explanation seemed flawless, Li Nianlong felt the girl was hiding something.
"Big Brother, Sister Ruyue, I'm going out to eat now. Talk later."
"Oh? Alright."
"And also..." Yuexi chuckled, "Sister Ruyue, if you cook for Big Brother again, remember to put some laxatives in it. I won't forgive him unless he spends a whole night in the bathroom!"
"Get lost!"
"Ahahaha... Hack!"
"This girl!" Li Nianlong was amused and exasperated.
Nalan Ruyue's eyes curved into crescents as she signed, "XiXi is really adorable. With her around, our home is never short of laughter."
"Yes!" Although he often bickered with this girl, it was indeed joyful.
But...
Li Nianlong remained calm on the surface while his mind kept pondering over the conversation. What did Yuexi's 'that's good' actually imply? Was it really as Yuexi explained, that she didn't want him to be assimilated by the Liu family?
Given Yuexi's thoughtless nature, her casual remark likely hid deeper meaning. Connecting it with the recent state of the Liu family, Li Nianlong guessed that perhaps the force targeting the Liu family was about to make a move.
Suddenly startled!
That's right. The Moon sisters were hired by that force to strike at the Liu family. Now that the head of the Liu family was dead and a new one hadn't emerged, the Liu family was at its most chaotic and vulnerable. The hidden force would surely seize this opportunity to strike.
Contemplating this, Li Nianlong's heart sank. Though he didn't want to get involved with the Liu family, Patriarch Liu was his grandfather. As Shao Meiyun said, blood was thicker than water, and the Liu family blood ran in his veins, a fact that would never change. He didn't hold the Moon sisters accountable for killing those uncles and cousins he had never interacted with, but he couldn't watch idly as the Liu family was swallowed by another force.
Shao Meiyun mentioned that Patriarch Liu was on his last legs. If that hidden force acted, it would only hasten the old patriarch's demise.
What should I do?
Li Nianlong asked himself.
...
After breakfast, Li Nianlong accompanied Nalan Ruyue to the convenience store for shopping. Apart from the day she first arrived, this was Li Nianlong's first time accompanying her outdoors, and it was evident that Nalan Ruyue was delighted, her smile never fading.
In the store, they walked to the shelves, where Nalan Ruyue deftly selected groceries and daily necessities. Unable to assist, Li Nianlong watched from the side.
His gaze lingered on Nalan Ruyue's face, appreciating her extraordinary charm.
Despite her youthful vigor, she exuded a mature aura of a young woman. Her face was bright like the moon, her figure graceful, as if she were a fairy stepping out of the moon palace. Virtually every man who passed by cast envious or jealous glances at Li Nianlong, a seemingly ordinary guy, lamenting how another fine flower had been plucked.
Feeling those men's gazes, Li Nianlong smiled faintly. While walking, he noticed several types of brown sugar on a shelf and remembered Nalan Ruyue had just started her period. Thoughtfully stroking his chin, he picked up a bag of blood-enriching brown sugar and placed it in the shopping cart.
Seeing what Li Nianlong had picked up, Nalan Ruyue blushed slightly, stealing a shy glance at him. Her heart swelled with sweetness, and her steps lightened.
After finishing their shopping and returning home, the rain showed no sign of stopping. According to the weather forecast on his phone, the rain was expected to last all day, signaling the start of a significant temperature drop.
The persistent drizzle brought with it a tinge of melancholy, mirroring Li Nianlong's mood. For over twenty years, during countless rainy days, Li Ying and Uncle Guan had always been by his side. Now, with his family gone, he would never again have their company on such rainy days.
Soft footsteps approached, and he looked up to see Nalan Ruyue placing a plate of brightly colored fruit cubes on the newly purchased coffee table, her face adorned with a sweet smile as she signed, "Brother, have some fruit!"
Looking at Nalan Ruyue's smiling face, Li Nianlong's gloom instantly dissipated, and he smiled gently, "Thanks."
You're welcome.
Beep beep ——
The sound of a car horn disrupted the tranquility at home. Li Nianlong's brows furrowed slightly as he turned to look out the window. A familiar sedan was parked at the entrance, and Shao Meiyun was assisting an elderly man out of the car. Three black-suited bodyguards emerged from a following vehicle, holding umbrellas to shield the pair from both rain and potential danger.
Seeing the aged, weary-looking man, a trace of emotion flickered in Li Nianlong's eyes.
It was him – Liu Tianming.
Ding dong —
The doorbell rang, interrupting Nalan Ruyue's kitchen work. She put down her knife and walked to open the door.
Upon opening it, she saw Shao Meiyun, whom she had met before, and her brows knitted slightly. Spotting the elderly man beside her, she seemed to recall something, and her forehead creased further with concern.
Greeting the girl pure as the moon, Shao Meiyun smiled softly, "Hello, Ruyue. Is Menglong home?"
Nalan Ruyue let out an almost imperceptible sigh and stepped aside to let them in. The black-suited bodyguards took up positions by the door, vigilantly watching the surroundings.
When Liu Tianming laid eyes on Nalan Ruyue, a hint of satisfaction flashed across his eyes: This girl is excellent, truly worthy of being my granddaughter-in-law!
The gloom that had weighed on Liu Tianming's heart for days was unexpectedly lifted by Nalan Ruyue's appearance, letting in rays of bright sunlight.
His gaze shifted to Li Nianlong, who sat on the sofa watching TV and eating fruit. Liu Tianming frowned slightly but then thought of something and sighed in resignation, "Meiyun, help me over there."
"Okay." Shao Meiyun helped Liu Tianming sit down on the other side of Li Nianlong, who paid them no attention, his eyes still fixed on the TV, occasionally reaching for a piece of fruit.
Just as Shao Meiyun was about to speak, Liu Tianming raised his hand to stop her, his own eyes turning to the television. The news channel was broadcasting current affairs: The King of Huaxia had completed his visit to America and had just returned home; the Queen, whose health had improved, and the Crown Prince went to greet him at the airport. The King and Queen shared a heartfelt embrace, with the Crown Prince standing by, a touching scene.
Watching this news, a hint of disdain flickered in Li Nianlong's eyes.
"You seem to have no affection for the Long family," the elderly Patriarch Liu spoke up for the first time, causing Li Nianlong's eyebrows to rise slightly as he replied indifferently, "I have no fondness for any prominent families, especially the Liu family."