75 My Good Auntie
On the way home, Li Zexin practiced smiling a few times in front of his phone screen. In the end, he chose the one he thought looked most sincere.
When he arrived at the courtyard, his mouth was already very stiff. But to be Xiao Yi’s disciple, he would do anything.
“Auntie Lin, are you free right now? Let’s go out for a walk.” Li Zexin sat next to Lin Wan and smiled at her.
‘Auntie Lin? Lin Wan was stunned. Except Li Zekai, the other two always called her Ms. Lin. ‘When did the bad boy of the Li family become so polite?’ He was smiling at her so warmly. It made her feel awkward and suspicious.
Lin Wan hugged her bowl. “If you have something to say, just say it. You don’t have to be like this.”
“My good Auntie, I just want to talk to you in private.” Li Zexin took Lin Wan’s arm.
Lin Wan choked on some vegetables and started coughing fitfully. Li Yanchen subconsciously reached out a hand and almost patted her on the back. However, Li Zexin was quicker.
The boy gently patted Lin Wan on the back a few times. “Eat slowly, there’s no hurry. I’ll wait for you.”
Lin Wan was speechless. ‘That isn’t the point!’
It was Li Zexin’s creepy smile and his polite way of calling her “Auntie” that weirded her out. It felt like a plot from a horror movie.
[Are my ears failing me? Did Li Zexin address Lin Wan as “Auntie Lin”?]
[Not just that! He called her “my good Auntie”. I was eating my food and almost choked on it. Li Zexin’s smile looks weird.]
[Could it be that Xiao Yi’s conditions have increased? In addition to having good grades, he also needs to build a good relationship with Lin Wan?]
[It doesn’t make sense. This is the Li family’s personal matter. Xiao Yi won’t interfere so brazenly.]
[Is this a trick by the Festival Group? Are they deliberately doing some nonsensical missions to attract traffic?]
[Could it be that our livestream views are different from the on-site opinions of people? Why are so many people scolding Lin Wan, but Xuanxuan and the rest are obviously supporting her?]
Li Zexuan was also shocked by his brother’s behavior. For a long time, he could not even swallow the food in his mouth. Li Yanchen was equally stunned.
“What the hell is going on?” The man could not help but ask.
“I have something to say to Auntie. Please, Auntie!” The reckless and aggressive child was suddenly acting strange. Lin Wan put down her bowl. She got up and ran away at the speed of light.
[Lin Wan is also frightened by the child. No one can take it when a boorish person becomes gentle suddenly.]
[What boorish person? He is just a little child.]
Li Zexin used his ultimate move again. He did not care about his reputation and followed behind Lin Wan.
Lin Wan felt helpless. She stopped and put her hands on her hips. “What do you want? Just tell me.”
“Let’s talk about it outside. I can’t let dad and others hear about it,” said Li Zexin.
Lin Wan sighed. “I will give you ten minutes.”
Lin Wan and Li Zexin walked out of the courtyard under the confused gazes of the entire Li family. Li Yanchen was afraid that his son would make things difficult for Lin Wan, so he followed them. However, he had only taken two steps when Li Zexin pushed him back. “Dad, please don’t follow us. I promise it’s nothing serious. I won’t make things difficult for Auntie.”
Li Yanchen looked at Lin Wan questioningly. She rejected him too. “Just stay here.”
‘What secret is it that I need to be turned out like this?’ Li Yanchen thought sulkily.
In the end, Li Zexin and Lin Wan stopped in a small pavilion less than fifty meters away from their home.
Li Zexin continued to smile. “My good Auntie, I can massage your back if you want.”
Lin Wan glanced at the four load-bearing pillars that supported the pavilion. She really wanted to climb up and disappear.
“My good Auntie,” Li Zexin clenched his fists and prepared to massage Lin Wan’s back.
Lin Wan subconsciously stepped back. “D*mn it! If you don’t spill it out, I am leaving.”
“Auntie, please do me a favor. It’s a very small matter.” Li Zexin was still pretending to be coy.
“What is it?” If it was in the past, Lin Wan would have rejected it outright but it was Li Zexin who was begging her, not anyone else. So, she decided to listen.
“Why don’t you want to join for the next episode? I promise I won’t lose my temper again. I’ll take care of all the work, too. You just have to be in charge of appearing on the camera.” Li Zexin gritted his teeth.
Lin Wan thought she had heard it wrong. ‘The most irascible stepson is begging me to participate in the next episode?’ Everything was getting stranger by the second.
“Why should I?” Lin Wan retorted.
“Auntie, please,” Li Zexin began to squeeze out some tears. “If you weren’t here, dad wouldn’t have joined at all. From the time when we were young, we never got to spend this much time with him. Ever! It’s a pity we don’t have a mother. With dad, he is always so absent that it is equivalent to not having a parent at all. This is the first time we have experienced fatherly love. But we are about to lose it again because this episode will end, and he will be occupied with his work again. Please, Auntie. This is our only hope…”
Lin Wan looked at Li Zexin. She wasn’t fooled. He should have gone to acting school. Lin Wan didn’t promise anything outright.
“Let’s just take some time to think this over, alright?” She gave him a vague reply.
Li Zexin’s eyes lit up. He felt that there was still hope. At least, she didn’t reject him outright like she rejected Xia Mo.
“You want to see my performance when I get home? Don’t worry, I’ll take care of all the housework during the summer vacation. If it’s not enough, I’ll ask my friends from school to come and help out at home, too.” Li Zexin patted his chest. In Yun Xi middle school, his popularity was not so bad.
Lin Wan was speechless.
“Auntie, let’s go home. Otherwise, dad will be worried.” Li Zexin stood beside Lin Wan obediently.
In the Li family’s courtyard, Li Zexuan and his father were discussing what his brother was planning. Before they could come to a conclusion, they saw the two of them returning home.
[So fast? Finished chatting? Is li Zexin singing? I’m in a good mood!]
[Why is Lin Wan so confused? What’s going on?]
[Maybe something insignificant. If not, how could they have settled it so quickly?]
[Isn’t it dinnertime? Why are there so many people in the live broadcast room? Don’t we all need to cook?]
[I’m making rice and ordering some take-out. Do they have a mission tonight?]
[The livestream will end at 7 P.M. today. Tomorrow at 4:30 A.M., they have a mission. The five families will go to Mount Lan to watch the sunrise together.]
[That’s such a romantic mission. The sunrise in Mount Lan is so beautiful. Anybody wants to go on a trip? We can meet by chance.]
[In your dreams. The road will definitely be closed tomorrow morning.]
[We can also rest tonight. My eyes are so tired.]
The last day’s task was to watch the sunrise at half past four in the morning. The Festival Group required all members to be dispatched. They would send the best photography team to capture the moment when every family was watching the sunrise. They would then select one family to endorse Lan Shan Shui.
The netizens only knew about the sunrise. They didn’t know that the five families would be competing for endorsement spots. Lan Shan Shui was well-known in the country. It was just a mineral water brand, but it wasn’t a small company. Many people who endorsed it in the past were all big stars now. The reason why the broadcast would be closed at 7 P.M. was to let the families prepare for the next morning.
The last task was written only in the supplementary agreement. Therefore, a few guests, including Lin Wan, had forgotten about it.
Nannan had always been sure that no one could surpass her family in terms of tacit understanding. If she was chosen, she might become famous.