Little Yunduo's delicate face creased slightly as she looked at the unsuspecting Yan Xiaye, then stealthily signaled to her at the stairway, gently pushing her towards the room, "I get it, Yan Yan, do you have difficulty choosing? Don't know which outfit would be best?"
Yan Xiaye blinked in confusion, following Little Yunduo's gaze to the entrance of the staircase, and instantly understood.
Should it be said that there's a mother-daughter connection?
Even if Yan Shuirou wasn't qualified to be here, her daughter wouldn't give her a moment of peace.
"Hmph!"
Ya'er, hiding at the top of the stairs and secretly watching, stomped her foot in irritation upon being spotted, then rushed down the stairs in a huff.
"Oh no, she's definitely going to tattle to Brother Beicheng," Little Yunduo said with a pout and a sigh, following Yan Xiaye into the room, accompanying her as she browsed the closet, "My daddy has such good taste, you know? Yan Yan, you'd look pretty in anything you wear."
"Younger Uncle?" Yan Xiaye was puzzled, unable to see how those clothes had anything to do with that stern and steady man.
Little Yunduo blinked mysteriously, "Yeah, Grandma said she's too old to understand fashion, Brother Beicheng said he has no time, so Daddy is the one who picked out these clothes for you."
So that was it...
Yan Xiaye reached for the nearest pale purple dress, and before even appreciating the design, she was taken aback by the eye-wateringly high price tag.
Despite being Young Madam Li for nearly two years, she had always been acutely aware of her status, living modestly in every way, fearful of being seen by Li Beicheng as a vain woman with impure motives.
But what about now...
Seeing Yan Xiaye's bitter expression and her frozen stance, Little Yunduo wasn't sure what she was thinking, but felt unconsciously sorry for her, "Yan Yan, I'll go down and wait for you first. Be quick, don't make Grandma wait too long."
"Okay."
Fifteen minutes later, Yan Xiaye arrived belatedly at the first-floor dining room.
Blessed with natural beauty, the light-colored dress only enhanced her porcelain skin, and with her slender and frail frame, she had an air of fragility and loveliness that seemed as though she could shatter upon touch.
At the dining table, Li Beicheng caught sight of her, his eyes flickering with amazement before he masked it with indifference.
Little Yunduo, sitting next to Old Madam, was now so full of praise, clapping her hands genuinely, "Yan Yan, you look beautiful!"
Ya'er sat on her daddy's lap, her eyes wide with awe, unable to erase the image of Yan Xiaye's recently disheveled state from her mind.
Only Old Madam's eyes reddened instantly, and she hurriedly ordered the servants, "Tell the kitchen to serve the nourishing soup quickly, from now on Xiaye's diet needs to be carefully managed; the head chef should take special care."
"Grandma, don't worry about me, I may look thin, but there's absolutely nothing wrong with my health," Yan Xiaye reassured as she took the opportunity to quickly glance around, noting that there were only two vacant seats and that Li Yuntang was nowhere to be seen.
Thinking that he may be uncomfortable attending family banquets, Yan Xiaye muttered a silent prayer of luck and quickly took the seat at the Old Madam's left, facing Li Beicheng across the table.
Her avoidance did not escape the latecomer Li Yuntang.
The man raised an eyebrow without a word and sat down casually in the spot originally intended for Yan Xiaye.
With this, Li Beicheng found himself unable to say anything else.
Yan Xiaye glanced gratefully and, upon seeing the smile at the corner of Li Yuntang's lips, felt a pang of panic in her heart, hastily averting her gaze to listen attentively to her grandmother speak.
"...nurture your health, and when you give Ya'er a few more brothers and sisters, Grandma will be completely satisfied."
A twitch crossed Yan Xiaye's lips, knowing in her heart that Grandma truly loved her, yet she still could not utter a word of agreement.
Had it not been for Li Beicheng's predatory gaze from across, had she not still had leverage in Li Beicheng's hands, she would have wanted to tell Grandma the truth without caring about the consequences!
"Alright, I'll try," Li Beicheng said with a light laugh, breaking the slightly cooling atmosphere, while sternly staring at Yan Xiaye as a warning not to speak out of turn.
On the contrary, Ya'er pouted dissatisfiedly and coquettishly said to Daddy, "No, Ya'er doesn't want any brothers or sisters, having Ya'er as his one little princess is enough for Daddy."
"Ya'er is good, even if your mommy and I have other children in the future, you will always be Daddy's most beloved little princess."
Watching with cold eyes as Li Beicheng once again put on the act of a good husband and father, Yan Xiaye felt nothing but disgust and turned her eyes away, unwilling to watch any longer.
The Old Madam observed from the side, also noticing the strained interaction between Ya'er and Yan Xiaye.
But after all, Ya'er was Xiaye's own flesh and blood, and even if they were a bit estranged at the moment, there was no need to worry unduly.
Thinking this, the Old Madam remembered Li Beicheng's request and changed the subject, "Xiaye, now that most of the company's responsibilities have been handed to Yuntang, I think it's a good opportunity for Beicheng to accompany you on a trip abroad. Wherever you'd like to go, I can have someone book the flight right away."
The moment Yan Xiaye heard about being alone with Li Beicheng, she decisively refused, "Grandma, I want to go to the company to work."
The events that had just unfolded were still fresh in her mind, frightening her; if it hadn't been for Li Yuntang's timely intervention in sending someone for Li Beicheng, she shuddered to think what her fate might have been.
"That's good too; staying at home all the time will make you sick of boredom. Let Beicheng arrange a position for you, something with less responsibility, more money, and no worries; I think a secretary's role would not be too bad." The Old Madam immediately agreed with her wish and then turned to look at Li Yuntang sitting across.
Her friendly demeanor instantly transformed into a storm, and with a stern face, the Old Madam pressed, "Yuntang, when exactly do you plan to bring Little Yunduo's mother back home?"
Yan Xiaye was startled.
Since the day she met the Old Madam, she had never seen Grandma be so stern with anyone.
And this meant, could it be that Li Yuntang was not yet married?
Li Yuntang looked nonchalantly as the servant poured tea, indifferent to the sternness of the Old Madam, "I have my plans, you needn't worry."
The Old Madam's face grew even darker, "Listen to what you're saying! Even if you don't like me, I am still your mother; I just want to see my grandson's mother, my future daughter-in-law. Is it really so difficult?"
As her words fell, the entire dining room was so silent you could hear a pin drop.
Seeing the Old Madam truly angered, Yan Xiaye put down her chopsticks, knowing she couldn't interject in a matter that involved the Li Family's secrets, though she felt some concern for Li Yuntang inside.
Her understanding of Li Yuntang mostly came from hearsay; the number of times she had actually met him was exceedingly few.
If it hadn't been for the Old Master Li passing away six years ago from serious illness, and Li Beicheng's father going abroad for a prolonged health recovery, leaving the vast business empire of the Li Family headless and on the brink of collapse, she probably would never have seen him in the Li household.
She only knew that at the age of twenty, Li Yuntang had left the Li Family alone, making a name for himself in the business world after three years, and within five years, he became a renowned figure.
And today, twelve years later, he was in possession of a remarkable fortune comparable to the century-old accumulation of the Li Family.