Chapter Thirty-One

ondered for a long time before deciding to call her mom."Luoxi, why are you calling so late" asked Xue Liping."Mom, where are you now""I came to Hong Kong with two sisters of mine to buy clothes. Orig...Chapter Thirty-One

Ni Xuanyi was dozing off in a daze when she was awakened by the ringing of her phone.

She reached for her phone and looked at it with blurry eyes; it was a call from Li Yi. As she gazed at the flashing name on the screen, tears of委屈 immediately welled up in her eyes.

Ni Xuanyi didn't answer the call right away, but Li Yi continued to dial. Cong Lei, who was lying on the adjacent bed, got up and asked with puzzlement: "Who is it Why aren't you answering"

"Ah!" Ni Xuanyi did not want her roommates to be suspicious, so she pressed the接聽button.

"Xuanxuan!" Li Yi's voice was still warm. "Where are you"

Ni Xuanyi stifled the tears welling up in her eyes and softly replied: "I'm at school."

"Why does your voice sound strange, did you cry" Li Yi was very perceptive.

Ni Xuanyi quickly cleared her throat and covered up: "No, I just woke up."

"Oh, Xuanxuan, I'm back home now. I'll have the driver come to pick you up. Come over for dinner tonight!" Li Yi always invited Ni Xuanyi to eat at his place whenever he returned from a trip, and this time was no exception.

Hope suddenly rose in Ni Xuanyi's heart again; perhaps Brother Li Yi had nothing to do with that beautiful woman after all. They might just be ordinary friends! Why did she feel so miserable here without understanding the situation

"Sure, Senior Brother Li Yi, you can arrange for the driver to come over!" Ni Xuanyi's voice grew louder as she quickly got up from the bed.

Ni Xuanyi got out of bed and washed her face, then carefully picked a more mature-looking suit dress to wear.

Looking at herself in the mirror, her long hair was black and straight, reaching down past her shoulders to her waist, accentuating her fair complexion. She had rosy lips and white teeth. Ni Xuanyi forced a smile into the mirror; who said she wasn't as beautiful or youthful as that woman Youth is the most invincible and beautiful thing.

When Ni Xuanyi arrived at Li's home, even before entering the house, she heard a cheerful laugh. She stepped into the living room to see Li Yi sitting next to that woman in friendly conversation. Li Yi looked at her with gentle eyes, and there were piles of various fruits on the coffee table. The air conditioning was set just right.

Seeing Ni Xuanyi walk in, Li Yi immediately waved to her, "Xuanxuan, come here, I want to introduce someone to you."

Ni Xuanyi's heart tightened involuntarily; what if Li Yi introduces this beautiful woman as his girlfriend Should she burst into tears or pretend it doesn't bother her

"Xuanxuan, this is the famous violinist Qu Wanguo."

Li Yi’s introduction finally put Ni Xuanyi's mind at ease. Qiu Wanguo was graceful and had a beautiful voice; she greeted Ni Xuanyi politely, "Little sister, you're really pretty! Are you eighteen this year" Standing in front of Ni Xuanyi, Qiu Wanguo, with her tall stature over 170 cm, looked like a goddess. This made Ni Xuanyi's heart feel slightly resentful as she was afraid that Li Yi would find her too young, but she couldn't show it on her face and could only greet Qiu Wanguo politely, "Hello, Miss Qiu."

At this moment, a servant came over to invite them to have dinner. The three of them moved to the dining room where many delicious dishes were already set up on the table. They sat at opposite sides.

Ni Xuanyi sat down beside the dining table and realized that Li An wasn't home. Suddenly, she felt a bit nostalgic for Li An; if he had been home, even with his sharp tongue, it would have been better than eating together with these three people now.

The dishes on the table were quite light. From listening to Li Yi and Qu Wangge's conversation, Ni Xuanyi learned that Qu Wangge didn't like greasy food.

In the past, during meals, Li Yi would personally serve Ni Xuanyi dishes, but today he merely instructed the servant meticulously to prepare a bowl of pork rib lotus root soup for both Ni Xuanyi and Qu Wangge, then watched as the servant brought it over.

Qu Wangge seemed to have known Li Yi for quite some time, constantly chatting with him about people they both knew or had experienced together. There were a lot of topics for them to discuss, making Ni Xuanyi feel like an outsider who didn't need to insert herself into their conversation. She kept her head down, eating quietly.

The meal today was delicious, but Ni Xuanyi found it hard and strenuous to chew and swallow.

"Xuanyuan, why aren’t you eating your vegetables" Qu Wangge put a piece of lotus root in her mouth, chewing slowly. The sound she made was elegant and pleasant.

Ni Xuanyi smiled, "I might be suffering from summer heat; every year at this time I lose my appetite."

"But it's spring now!" Qu Wangge looked at her with big round eyes, finding it amusing.

"Oh, that must mean I'm sensitive to the warmth. To me, it feels like summertime already." Ni Xuanyi joked, which made Qu Wangge giggle.

"Yi, your food still tastes so good. Eating here makes me feel full and contented!" With a hand on her belly, she looked completely satisfied, "When I’m abroad, I often think about your family's meals."

Ni Xuanyi nearly choked; the thing she found most uncomfortable was how Qu Wangge addressed Li Yi.

"If you enjoy it, come over more often." Li Yi smiled and said.

"Really, then I'll live here long-term from now on." Qū Wǎngē had a rosy face and bright eyes, exuding the charm of a petite woman.

"Sure, as long as you don't mind Li n being annoying." Li Yì answered nonchalantly.

"Li An!" Qū Wǎngē's adorable smile seemed to have been suddenly struck hard; her smile instantly disappeared. She looked anxiously towards the door and asked worriedly, "Yi, won't Li An come back tonight"

"Don't worry. He said he went out to sea with friends on a yacht and will probably stay in one of our villas on an island. Even if he comes back, it won't disturb you. In recent years, Li An has grown up and become much more amiable." Li Yì comforted her by patting Qū Wǎngē's shoulder reassuringly. "If you don't believe me, ask Xuanxuan; recently she's gotten along well with Li An."

Ni Xuanyi candidly replied, "Yes, he hasn't been difficult for the past month and eight days."

Hearing Ni Xuanyi’s words, Qū Wǎngē's face turned even paler.

Seeing this, Li Yì immediately solemnly assured her, "Wangge, don’t worry. If Li An dares to be difficult for you when he comes back, I'll hit him."

Ni Xuanyi felt a tug at her heart upon hearing this; she knew how much Li Yì loved Li An. He was willing to hit Li An now for Qū Wǎngē’s sake—true love really makes one blind.

After dinner, Li Yì invited Qū Wǎngē to play a piece of music for them proactively.

Qū Wǎngē happily took out her instrument and stood by the window, playing an incredibly classic piece, "Butterfly Lovers."

The melody was ethereal and sorrowful, moving and rich in imagery, like a poetic scroll unrolling slowly before one's eyes. Li Yì sat on the sofa, his gaze fixed intently on Qū Wǎngē as she played with great focus. He often broke into appreciative smiles.air; his voice sounded soft and tender. "Luoxi, we’ll make a promise: from now on you won’t contact Zhou Guangtao anymore, and I won't randomly get angry with you. We'll never argue or cause trouble a...