Zhao Yuqing nestled in Li Chen’s arms, whispered some sweet nothings, and then drifted into a deep, sweet sleep.
She slept so sweetly, with a smile still lingering on her lips, as if she was having a beautiful dream.
Watching Zhao Yuqing’s gently trembling eyelashes, Li Chen couldn’t help but smile knowingly.
Unknowingly, the eastern sky had already started to lighten.
The bright red sun peeked out from the horizon with a playful little head, casting the clouds at daybreak into fiery red hues.
A few autumn geese, flapping their wings and calling out long cries, added a burst of vibrant life to the stillness of the world.
Li Chen gently nudged Zhao Yuqing in his arms: "Yuqing, Yuqing, wake up, didn’t you want to watch the sunrise? It’s already getting light."
"Mmm, no, let me sleep a bit more, just a little more!"
Zhao Yuqing, with her eyes tightly closed, murmured softly and then turned over to a more comfortable position, sinking back into a deep sleep in Li Chen’s arms.
Watching the adorably foolish Zhao Yuqing, Li Chen was both amused and helpless.
However, he could do nothing about it and just let her be.
Nearly another hour passed before Zhao Yuqing finally slowly opened her sleepy eyes.
When she saw the risen sun already high in the sky, she began to pout and blame Li Chen for not waking her up to watch the sunrise.
Li Chen shrugged, saying that he had fallen asleep too and had just woken up.
Zhao Yuqing was quite satisfied with Li Chen’s response, and nodded emphatically: "Then let’s make a plan to come watch the sunrise again, okay?"
Li Chen didn’t respond verbally, just gave a gentle nod.
Seeing Li Chen agree to her request, Zhao Yuqing started hopping and skipping joyfully along the rugged mountain path, laughing like a child.
Halfway, she suddenly remembered something and exclaimed with wide eyes: "Oh, I forgot to tell you something."
Li Chen casually asked, "What is it?"
Zhao Yuqing, scheming, said: "Zhao Yikuan and his family have moved to Yanzhou!"
Since severing father-daughter ties, Zhao Yuqing always referred to Zhao Yikuan by name.
Li Chen nodded, indicating that he was aware.
He had anticipated this.
Although Zhao Yuqing had severed ties with Zhao Yikuan, she was a girl who valued relationships deeply. Besides, blood is thicker than water, and such ties aren’t easily cut.
Seeing no displeasure on Li Chen’s face, Zhao Yuqing started chattering again.
"They bought a villa in Goose Lake District, and they’ve specifically kept a spacious room for me. However, I’ve never gone back to stay there!"
Li Chen asked: "Do you want to go back?"
Zhao Yuqing, scheming, didn’t respond.
Seeing her , Li Chen understood her thoughts.
"The scenery in Goose Lake is nice, let’s go for a walk there!"
Zhao Yuqing smiled broadly and nodded vigorously.
Meanwhile, Zhao Yikuan was all smiles entertaining his guests.
Many of the guests were people whom Zhao Yikuan had previously been unable to connect with.
Yet now, they had taken the initiative to visit and celebrate his housewarming.
This was something that Zhao Yikuan wouldn’t have dared to even dream about in the past.
In fact, he was very clear that these people were not coming for his sake, but for his daughter, Zhao Yuqing. More precisely, for the man behind his daughter, the incomparably stunning and peerless Immortal Master Li.
Although Zhao Yuqing had publicly announced in front of a large crowd that she was severing her ties with him, can the deep bond of blood truly be cut off so easily?
Zhao Yikuan was overjoyed, but Pan Lian and her son Zhao Chen were extremely depressed.
They couldn’t understand how Zhao Yuqing, whom they had always treated like a maid, could have transformed from a nobody into a phoenix so mysteriously?
Zhao Chen looked around and asked angrily, "Mom, are you saying all of our family’s wealth will be given to Zhao Yuqing alone, and none left for me?"
Pan Lian, gritting her teeth, said, "That girl isn’t even part of our Zhao family. Why should she get a share of our family property? Forget giving her everything, even half is too much. It should all go to you."
Zhao Chen said resentfully, "But Li Chen has spoken, he wants dad to transfer all the family property to Zhao Yuqing."
Hearing the name "Li Chen," Pan Lian’s previous bravado seemed to falter.
After a long time, she stammered, "Chen’er, don’t be afraid. We’ll hire a lawyer and sue him. He’s wrong in this matter; we are sure to win. I don’t believe there’s no justice in this world, can he really cover the sky with one hand?"
While Pan Lian and her absurd son Zhao Chen were discussing how to sue Zhao Yuqing and Li Chen, a maid came over and said that the master was asking them to come to the living room.
Zhao Chen responded casually and went to the living room, his heart burning with rage towards Zhao Yuqing.
Since moving here, there had been daily visitors, which he took in stride with arrogant indifference.
However, when Zhao Chen saw that today’s main guest was not his father Zhao Yikuan but Zhao Yuqing, whom he least wanted to see, his anger flared uncontrollably.
"Zhao Yuqing, you make your father stand below while you sit above priding yourself, do you even understand the slightest bit of etiquette?"
When he spoke out of anger, he instinctively raised his hand to slap Zhao Yuqing.
But the Zhao Yuqing of today was no longer the timid, easily bullied lamb.
Before Zhao Chen could raise his hand, she fiercely slapped him back.
After slapping him, she said slowly and deliberately, "Zhao Chen, this is the etiquette!"
Zhao Chen was stunned, staring at Zhao Yuqing and hysterically shouted, "You dare to hit me?"
Zhao Yuqing coldly responded, "You used to slap me; why can’t I hit you now?"
Seeing her precious son being hit, Pan Lian, like a shrew, pointed at Zhao Yuqing’s nose and cursed loudly, "Zhao Yuqing, don’t think just because you’ve found a man to lean on, you can come back here and throw your weight around. Dream on!"
Zhao Chen, encouraged by his mother’s cursing, also started yelling, "Zhao Yuqing, an outsider like you has no right to wreak havoc in our Zhao family. We don’t welcome you; get out of here now!"
Facing the furious Zhao family duo, Li Chen just smiled calmly and said, "Who exactly is the outsider has yet to be determined."
Only then did Zhao Chen realize Li Chen was also in the living room, which startled him.
He forced himself to calm down and raised his voice to bolster his courage, "This is our Zhao family’s internal matter, it’s not your place as an outsider to intervene."
Seeing the situation getting out of hand, Zhao Yikuan quickly stepped forward to apologize to Li Chen.
"Immortal Master Li, you are magnanimous, please don’t stoop to their level..."
Li Chen waved his hand, cutting off Zhao Yikuan.
"Mr. Zhao, today is your house moving celebration, and I have specially brought you a gift, hoping you will like it!"
As he spoke, he pulled out a sheet of white paper and handed it over.
Hearing Li Chen suddenly mentioning a gift, Zhao Yikuan felt bewildered.
He had an ominous premonition.
After hesitating for a moment, he still reached out and took the white paper from Li Chen.
When he saw the contents of the paper, his face turned ashen, and the hand holding the paper trembled violently. He looked like a volcano ready to erupt at any moment.