Chapter 153 - Daughter-in-law Comes To Rescue
Along the drive, Li Luxaina was engaged with work, reviewing the reports from the asset management team. Done with it, he repressed an urge to run his hand through his hair running his neatly bombed hair. He stuck with messaging his tension away from his brows.
While putting away the laptop, he titled his head slightly. Finding Chen Yi staring out of the window absentmindedly, he asked. "Nervous?"
"Of what?" Chen Yi questioned back without turning to look at him.
Li Luxain did the courtesy to remind her. "Last time I had taken you to meet my parents, you put up a rather spectacular show. Now this time it's my grandparents so I wonder..."
Breaking out of the nonchalant gazing at villas drifting away, Chen Yi looked, no, glared back. "I had no idea what I was up against. I had even the lesser idea on how long their absurdly quick wedding would last." She looked somewhat annoyed.
"So this is to say you are ready this time around?"
"You bet I am." The excitement was poorly restrained, her eyes brightened and she couldn't resist the confident twitch of her lips.
Li Luxian was amazed.
"Well then," Li Luxain put down his hand, his eyes boring into hers. He hadn't looked down so it was difficult to tell whether it was intentional or not but his hand landed right atop hers, streaming forth stirring warmth in her heart. "I'm looking forward to seeing you rock."
It was very comfortable. Almost on instinct, Chen Yi smiled at first.
Then remembering something, withdrew her hand, refusing to look at Li Luxian.
...
After a couple of people came forward to say their greetings, Chen Yi spotted something that made her smile disappear.
"Excuse me, I'll be right back." She gave Li Luxian a look hoping he would understand before leaving everyone to go in a specific direction.
Chen Yi had been on a fair share of parties, she had an idea of what was happening.
"Did Mother-in-law miss me?" Chen Yi smiled earnestly. Noticing Li Shanguan looked somewhat pale, her heart dropped and she immediately asked. "What's the matter... Mother, are you alright?"
Li Shanguaan was speechless for a second before her strained smile melted into a genuine one, the tension dissipating. "You are here." She said as if it was a great relief before immediately adding. "Is Li Luxain not with you? How come no one noticed you enter?" She turned back her head, searching for Li Luxian.
"He is with me, Mother. Don't look back, he is probably held back by those who wished to see him. We slipped in quietly, who knew there would be such a gathering. Mother, why are you so pale?"
"Oh, it's like this." Li Shanguaan gave up on looking for Li Luxian. Shaking her head, she said. "Now that you are here... Nevermind, I'm alright, no need to worry. Your Mother-in-law is not just used to crowds."
"Did someone overwhelm you? Just ignore them. Mother-in-law is after all the beloved Mother of President Li, I'm certain no one would mind." With the same smile Chen Yi sweet her glance across everyone. However, to those classy ladies, her smile felt as sharp as a knife-edge.
"Is this... your daughter-in-law?"
"Yi'er be nice. No one was overwhelming me." Li Shanguaan didn't want Chen Yi to offend people to protect her. With the warmth of a hand over her shoulder, Li Shanguaan looked at those ladies, this time not hiding away from meeting their eyes. "Yes, she is Li Luxian's wife."
"Oh... I, see. She is indeed... one of the kind." The woman's voice quietened down to silence as she absorbed the appearance of the girl before her. Stealthily, her eyes wandered to where Wang Hualing stood ten back to Chen Yi. This happened a couple of times before she decided it was just better to shut up and not bring up what she had said regarding comparison and everything.
Wang Hualing could... simply just not compare.
"Mother," After addressing the masses surrounding him, Li Luxain approached. He looked somewhat bothered.
However finding how Chen Yi ran up to his Mother's aid, who knew what he thought but a smile crept up to his lips.
Having Chen Yi and his Mother alone, he finally asked. "Wasn't this supposed to be a family gathering?"
"That was what they told us." Li Shanguaan said, "But your Aunt had a change of mind." After a pause, she added, quiet and resigned with a sigh. "I should have expected this."
"Where's Father?"
"Something came up at the office. Your Uncle left with your Father."
"Father left and the gathering plans changed." With a voice a few notes lower, Li Luxian said. Chen Yi, the only one within the hearing range, picked up on his words. And she also thought this was peculiar.
"Oh, look at me, how could have I forgotten about that. Yi'er, hurry and go greet Li Luxain's grandmother. Quick, you can't delay this thing." She pushed Chen Yi and Li Luxain in Li Bai Yuan's direction. "Remember, keep your cool no matter what she says. Be respectful and stay silent."
As Li Luxain led Chen Yi through a throng of guests to this 'family gathering' to meet his grandmother, someone called out to him.
"Brother Li."
There was a subtle hush that enveloped the persistent buzz of endless chattering. Intending to appear uninterested, people still chatted among themselves, but their ears perked up to the subsequent interaction between Li Luxian and Wang Hualing.
Li Luxian steps slower down before he spotted Wang Hualing. Chen Yi looked up to notice Li Luxain's reaction. His face was neutral, it was difficult to tell what he was planning.
It was in public, so maybe it wasn't appropriate to be impolite toward Wang Hualing.
Chen Yi understood this much.
"It's been long." Step by step Wang Hualing approached, slow and cautious. Spotting Chen Yi by his side, her arm hooked around Li Luxain, something sharp flashed across her eyes. The hostility immediately receded replaced with indifference. It was as if Chen Yi was not even there, standing by Li Luxian's side. It was Li Luxain whom Wang Hualing looked at before speaking. "I have been waiting—"
"Le's go. Grandmother must be waiting." Li Luxain's turned his face away from Wang Hualing and smiled down at Chen Yi before resuming his way back up.
Wang Hualing froze, a cold of humiliation crept along her neck. A few whispers flowed into her ears.
"What they say is really true, huh? President Li is head over heels in love with this girl."
"To even ignore his childhood friend for her sake, that came unexpectedly."
"Well, that girl is not lacking. Her looks alone are one of the kinds. And her tastes aren't bad either. I wonder which family she is from? I don't recognize her. She is not from the elite circle from this city at least."
The air tasted bitter, the atmosphere stuffy. Turning over heels, Wang Hualing left for the restroom.. The tears streaming down her face didn't go unnoticed by the guests.