124: I do not understand

At the Beijing airport, Li Xiuwu and Liu Yifei walked out of the exit and saw Liu Xiaoli waiting to pick them up.

"Mom." Liu Yifei ran over and hugged Liu Xiaoli's arm.

Liu Xiaoli glanced at her daughter's face and then turned to look at Li Xiuwu with a strange gaze.

"Xiuwu, you're back. Let's get in the car first; there are too many people here."

"Mom, I'm back too." She shook Liu Xiaoli's arm dissatisfiedly.

"Didn't you say you're not a child anymore?" She glanced at her daughter.

"Mom, why are you still holding a grudge?" Liu Yifei grumbled.

Everyone got in the car, and Liu Xiaoli asked, "Xiuwu, did you really open a chip company in Xian?"

"It's a chip research lab," Li Xiuwu said.

Liu Xiaoli fell silent upon hearing this. She had done some research recently; a chip research lab, not even counting staff salaries, would require at least several hundred million just for research equipment. To get an advanced lab running, even a billion wouldn't be enough.

Moreover, this was likely an industry requiring continuous investment, with no profit possible in the short term.

To invest in such a project, there had to be a certain amount of capital redundancy, meaning Li Xiuwu would need at least three billion in backup funds.

She didn't know how to evaluate it. Rationally, she thought it was impossible, but the reality was right before her eyes, witnessed by her daughter. She couldn't understand where Li Xiuwu got three billion in funding.

The car returned to the Courtyard House. Liu Yifei got out and saw Little Lion crouching, its bottom wiggling as it peered into the flowers. She ran over, scooped it up, and rubbed it against her face.

"Little Lion, did you miss me?"

Little Lion, who was just about to catch a butterfly, was suddenly picked up and looked completely dazed.

"Oh boy, you're de—" a sleazy voice piped up.

Li Xiuwu looked up. With a whoosh, a toothpick pierced the brick right beneath the Budgerigar's feet.

"Quack, quack, quack!" The Budgerigar let out a duck-like squawk in fright, spread its wings, and flew away.

"Xixi, you're back!" Hearing the commotion, Shu Chang ran out wearing an apron and holding a spoon.

"Chang Chang, you're back too!" Liu Yifei put down Little Lion and ran to grab Shu Chang's hand.

"Yeah, filming for Jingwei Filling the Sea is finished." Shu Chang's eyes were full of smiles.

"Brother," she said, looking up at the approaching Li Xiuwu.

She had been very worried a while ago and wanted to come back, but Li Xiuwu hadn't agreed.

"What delicious food did you make, Chang Chang?" Li Xiuwu instinctively ruffled her hair.

"Chang Chang, you've grown taller again." He was a bit surprised.

"I'm 165 now." She puffed out her chest, slightly annoyed by Li Xiuwu's surprise. She felt like she could still grow more.

"What are you all doing standing at the door?" Liu Xiaoli walked up from behind.

"We went to see the Old City Wall and Huaqing Pool together, and so many other interesting places," Liu Yifei bragged about her trip to Xian.

"In Li Xiuwu's company, everyone is a top student. They all liked me a lot and even asked for my autograph."

There was envy in Shu Chang's eyes.

"Chang Chang, when there's time, I'll take you there. I'm very familiar with the company," Liu Yifei promised, patting her chest as she noticed Shu Chang's envy.

"Okay!" Shu Chang laughed.

"Chang Chang, come quick, I brought you a gift." After dinner, Liu Yifei pulled Shu Chang and ran off. Crisp laughter echoed through the Courtyard House.

Returning to the Courtyard House, Li Xiuwu felt a sense of relaxation. He went to the First Courtyard, took out his fishing gear, and prepared to go fishing at the West Sea.

"Little Lion, where are you? I'm taking you for a feast."

A moment later, Little Lion came running excitedly. It poked its head out from the Chuihua Gate, but when it saw the fishing gear in Li Xiuwu's hands, it immediately slammed on the brakes.

"Meow, are you going fishing?" It looked suspicious.

"Don't worry, I'll definitely let you eat a big fish this time," Li Xiuwu said confidently as he organized his gear.

"Meow doesn't believe it." It sat on the ground, tilting its head at Li Xiuwu.

"Let's go, come with me." He came over, grabbed one of Little Lion's front paws, and pulled it out the door.

"Meow won't go." Little Lion pushed against the ground with its other three legs but still couldn't outpull Li Xiuwu. It was dragged out of the Courtyard House gate, across Huanhai Road, and to the edge of the West Sea.

Little Lion looked at him with a face full of resentment.

"Don't be in a hurry," Li Xiuwu soothed Little Lion after sitting for half an hour.

This time, there wasn't even a Goby.

In the attic of the Reverse-facing Room, Liu Yifei and Shu Chang were playing when they suddenly saw Little Lion and realized the person fishing was Li Xiuwu.

"It's Brother and Little Lion, they're fishing," Shu Chang immediately told Liu Yifei.

Liu Yifei saw them too; it really was them.

"Brother, did you catch any fish?" Shu Chang shouted loudly toward him.

Li Xiuwu looked back and saw two pretty faces in the attic window.

"Almost," he said, then turned back to focus intently on the float.

"Let's go take a look." Liu Yifei pulled Shu Chang down from the attic.

The two of them opened the vermilion gate, looked left and right, and ran out. Holding up their skirts, they came to Li Xiuwu's side.

"Little Lion." Liu Yifei nudged Little Lion. The bored cat made some room for her, letting her squat down and wait too.

Shu Chang squatted on the other side, helping Li Xiuwu watch the float.

"Meow, they want to eat fish too."

With two more people watching, Li Xiuwu suddenly felt the pressure mount.

"Are there even any fish in this water?" Shu Chang squatted for a while and felt her legs go a bit numb.

"There should be. I saw an old man catch one last time," Liu Yifei said.

Just then, Little Lion's ears twitched. It lowered its body and carefully crawled toward the water's edge.

Suddenly, it lunged like lightning, its sharp claws reaching into the water, and violently flicked a carp out.

The carp landed on the ground, flopping wildly until it bounced to Li Xiuwu's feet and hit his shoe.

Little Lion sat on the ground, licking its wet paw and tilting its head at Li Xiuwu.

After a brief silence, Liu Yifei cheered, "Wow, Little Lion is so amazing! It actually caught such a big fish. How many pounds is this?"

"That was too fast; I only just saw it." Shu Chang also walked over, looking at the fish in shock.

The two of them surrounded Little Lion and the fish it had caught, cheering and marveling.

Li Xiuwu looked at the fish flopping at his feet, then at the float that hadn't budged an inch.

"I'm done fishing." He resentfully packed up his fishing rod and turned to leave.

The two girls ignored him, still gathered around the fish.

"We're having fish tonight." Shu Chang snapped off a willow branch, skewered the fish, and carried it back home.

"Little Lion, you're actually so impressive." Liu Yifei picked up Little Lion.