92: urging marriage

"Grandpa, I really like doing business; it can make a lot of money, but I feel like my abilities are lacking, far behind others in the family."

Xiao Xi understood exactly what Grandpa Ye was thinking, but one must always learn to be humble.

"You child, I told you to be humble before, not to be overly humble. I heard that at the company's board meeting, you took down those old foxes and got rid of a parasite for our Ye family. You truly can't judge a book by its cover." Grandpa Ye nodded and gave her a thumbs up.

Facing the praise, Xiao Xi's cheeks flushed. She scratched her head shyly, a humble smile on her lips, and softly said, "Grandpa, it's not as miraculous as you say. Ye Sirui helped me a lot; I couldn't have done it without him."

"By the way, have you found a partner?"

Grandpa Ye's brows furrowed slightly, a deep worry appearing on his forehead.

Recalling how Ye Yaqin was deceived by that man back then still made his heart ache.

Now, facing this excellent granddaughter, if she were to encounter a similar tragedy again, it would be an unbearable blow to him.

Many years had passed in the blink of an eye. Although Xiao Xi's father had also achieved considerable success abroad, all of this was insignificant in the eyes of the Ye family.

From the Ye family's perspective, if you abandoned your wife and child for so many years, why come back now?

Regarding his granddaughter, Xiao Xi, although she was not a direct descendant, the fact that her surname was Ye made Grandpa Ye feel especially close to her.

Thinking of Ye Yaqin and her daughter drifting outside for many years, a strong sense of guilt welled up in Grandpa Ye's heart. If Xiao Xi could officially join the Ye family and receive their nurturing and education, it would undoubtedly be the best outcome.

Hearing the question, Xiao Xi pondered Grandpa Ye's thoughts for a few seconds, then smiled and replied, "Yes, I have a partner. But don't worry, Grandpa, she is definitely a good person."

Although Grandpa Ye was a bit worried, considering it was a young person's romantic matter, as an elder, he felt he couldn't interfere too much. So, he said helplessly, "You must keep your eyes open and decide for yourself. If you truly like him, then it's fine for him to marry into our Ye family. Grandpa doesn't want you to suffer in someone else's home."

"Grandpa, I'm not a child anymore. I can distinguish between what's important and what's not." Xiao Xi maintained her sweet smile.

"Hmm, study hard. When you grow up, the Ye family will entrust you with more important business. All right, let's go eat now."

Xiao Xi supported Grandpa Ye as they walked towards the main hall of the Ye family.

To welcome them both back, Grandpa Ye had specially prepared many lavish dishes.

"Let's eat," Grandpa Ye announced loudly.

As his voice fell, a group of maids emerged from the corridor, carrying plates laden with delicious food, their steps synchronized, and even their heights remarkably uniform.

Xiao Xi secretly glanced at the beautiful maids. It was truly impressive. With her current financial strength, wouldn't living like an emperor be something she could achieve in an instant?

During the meal, Grandpa Ye was busy serving food to Xiao Xi and Ye Yaqin. Ye Yaqin smiled, shook her head, and softly said, "Dad, please don't serve any more food. If anyone should be serving, it should be me serving you."

"Alright then, I'll serve my granddaughter."

Grandpa Ye said, turning to Xiao Xi, "Xiao Xi, do these dishes suit your taste? If not, I can have them all removed and have the chef prepare something new for you."

Xiao Xi looked at her plate, piled high with various delicacies, and couldn't help but say playfully, "The food is delicious, but everyone, please stop serving! I've already eaten too much, I'm afraid I can't finish all of this!"

For the next hour or two, Xiao Xi was doted on by her aunts, uncles, and cousins, who took turns asking about her well-being.

By the afternoon, when she finally returned home, she felt utterly exhausted.

"Mom, the Ye family is really enthusiastic," Xiao Xi said, her voice tinged with fatigue and emotion.

Ye Yaqin sat by the table, taking a small sip of fragrant tea, and smiled, "Yes, I'm even a little surprised that this return home went so smoothly."

Although neither of them explicitly said it, they both understood very well that Grandpa Ye's attitude directly influenced everyone else's opinions. Reality was truly this cruel and real.

"What do you think of your Grandpa?" Ye Yaqin asked curiously.

Xiao Xi pondered for a few seconds before answering, "He's alright, quite enthusiastic."

"That's because you're too outstanding!" Ye Yaqin's face was full of pride and affection, "Ultimately, the reason this return went so smoothly is all thanks to my daughter."

"Mom, you're being too polite," Xiao Xi softly retorted, "There's no such thing as 'benefiting' or 'not benefiting' among family. No matter what difficulties we encounter in the future, I will definitely ensure you live a happy and fulfilling life."

Xiao Xi's heart was filled with deep gratitude for her mother, Ye Yaqin.

Transitioning from a rich young lady to an ordinary person was undoubtedly very difficult.

However, throughout this process, her mother had always been by her side, giving her endless support and encouragement.

After an afternoon of rest, Xiao Xi woke up at six in the evening.

Her phone rang. She picked it up and saw many missed calls from Li Xuening. However, because she had been sound asleep, she missed the opportunity to answer them.

After the call connected, Li Xuening's sweet voice quickly came through: "Baby, you haven't paid attention to me all day. Are you going to abandon me?"

Xiao Xi smiled helplessly and replied, "It's only been a day or two since we last saw each other, and you miss me this much?"

Xiao Xi was actually a little touched. It felt really great to have someone care about her all the time. Now, she could even feel a trace of warmth from home.

"Of course! Super, super miss you. How was it? Did going home go smoothly?" Li Xuening continued to flirt in her sweet voice over the phone.

"It went well. Grandpa Ye really likes me, and he even said he wants to give me important responsibilities in the future." Xiao Xi answered truthfully, her joy evident in her words.

"That's good! You'll be the rich woman from now on, and I can rely on you. Rich woman, hungry, feed me..."

When Li Xuening heard this, she immediately felt incredibly relieved. She had been a little worried that Xiao Xi would be treated coldly or not valued when she returned home.

"Alright, stop with the chatter. Didn't you say you wanted to invest before? I can quickly gather the money you need, and we'll make a lot of money together in the future." Xiao Xi's words were full of confidence and anticipation.

Xiao Xi would never complain about having too little money. For her, the more money, the better. She remembered the times she had to say cheesy things to those boys just to trick them out of a few measly coins for gaming. Thinking of it, she wished she could find a hole to crawl into.

"See, see? Having a young rich woman as a wife is great! She can solve problems when there are difficulties, and she can help when you want intimacy. How wonderful, how wonderful... Do you want to video call tonight?"

Just thinking of Xiao Xi's body, Li Xuening on the other end of the phone was utterly intoxicated.

"Go away, go away! Every time I call, I can't talk to you for more than three sentences before you bring up this topic. It's truly speechless." Xiao Xi couldn't help but complain inwardly.

"Alright, alright, no video call then. Come back to Shengcheng as soon as possible after a few days."

After hanging up Li Xuening's call, Xiao Xi was about to go to sleep, but her phone rang again.

"Hello, Cousin."

"Cousin, did going home go smoothly? I'm telling you, my grandfather accepted you so quickly, my elder brother and I helped a lot! How do you want to thank me?" Ye Sixue's voice carried a hint of triumph and expectation.

Xiao Xi's eyes flickered slightly, revealing a sly smile: "You can do anything you want to me."

"Really?" A hint of unconcealed joy flashed in Ye Sixue's eyes.

Xiao Xi chuckled, "Of course, but there's a precondition."

Ye Sixue asked curiously, "What condition?"

Xiao Xi said mysteriously, "Whatever you want to do to me, you'll need my partner's permission."

Ye Sixue mumbled impatiently, "So, what you said is no different from not saying anything at all."

"So, don't even think about me, otherwise..." Xiao Xi's lips curved into a mischievous smile.

"Otherwise what?" Ye Sixue was a little curious.

"Aren't you currently pursuing my little secretary? Hehe, you know..."

After hanging up the phone, Xiao Xi secretly rejoiced, finally able to rest in peace.

However, to her surprise, her phone rang again.

"Hello, Cousin! I have some amazing news for you!" Ye Sirui's excited voice came from the other end of the line.

"Didn't you say there was a man who always bullied you and Auntie? I've already found their company, and I'm about to drive them into bankruptcy. It won't be long before you see them sleeping on the streets." Ye Sirui, with a smug expression, sought credit from Xiao Xi.

"Really?" Xiao Xi was surprised, but also a little touched.

"Thank you, Cousin." She had only mentioned it casually, not expecting her cousin to take it so seriously.

Originally, Xiao Xi planned to deal with the current troubles and then, using her current status, thoroughly humiliate that man. But now, it seemed there was no need to personally intervene. After all, humiliating a beggar wouldn't give her a sense of accomplishment.

In the Shengzhong District, within Lis Group's office, Li Xuening was buried in a mountain of work, looking particularly busy and tired.

She couldn't help but sigh, "I can't even leave this company for a moment; it's such a headache. How can I possibly have time for a relationship like this?"

Just as she was diligently reviewing an important proposal submitted by the manager, her phone suddenly rang.

"Is it my wife missing me?" Li Xuening guessed inwardly, quickly picking up her phone.

When she saw "Zhang Jing" clearly displayed on the caller ID, her brows involuntarily furrowed. She then answered the call.

"Mom, you're not going to arrange another blind date for me, are you? The ones you introduced before were really not great. I think we should just forget it." Li Xuening's voice revealed a hint of helplessness and weariness.

"You guessed right. Although the previous ones weren't ideal, this time it's really different." Zhang Jing's tone on the other end of the phone carried a hint of worry.

"While you're still young, you should start thinking about your lifelong happiness."

From the parents' perspective, if Li Xuening were to become a typical 'leftover woman' later on, although she could still find a partner, most would only be interested in her money.

In their opinion, in today's society, those without money pursue it, and those with money pursue happiness. Their family had money, so Li Xuening should actively meet more people of the opposite sex and strive to find someone who could bring her true happiness.

"Daughter, be obedient. The one we're introducing you to this time is very reliable." Li Xi, Li Xuening's father, urged anxiously from the other end of the phone.

"Dad, you're so busy, how do you even have time to meddle in my affairs?" Li Xuening was surprised to hear her father's voice.

Li Xi was silent for a moment, then slowly began, "I can't not care about you! I'm afraid that if you venture out alone for too long, you'll lose your way. Time passes quickly, so while you're still young, you must seize the opportunity to seriously consider marriage, understand?"

"Alright then, tell me, who are you introducing this time?" Although Li Xuening was a bit helpless, she decided to listen to her father.

"Ye Sirui, the eldest grandson of the Ye family, is back. You should know, right? There was a welcome banquet for their family before, and we forgot to inform you to attend." Li Xi's voice carried a hint of helplessness.

"Daughter, I heard he's very handsome, and his character is good. He's also a career-oriented person, much like you. I think you two would be very suitable together." Her mother, Zhang Jing, also tried to persuade Li Xuening from the side.

After hearing her mother's words, Li Xuening felt a sudden confusion. She and Xiao Xi were married, and Xiao Xi was Ye Sirui's cousin. So, what was her relationship with Ye Sirui then? This made her feel very confused.

"Mom, I know him. Don't think about it anymore; this is impossible." Li Xuening's voice carried a hint of helplessness.

"Why?" Her parents on the other end were clearly puzzled. Their daughter was too picky! She didn't even like an excellent man like Ye Sirui. What kind of person was she looking for?

"I have a partner. No, I should say I have a wife." Li Xuening took a deep breath, deciding to confess everything. She knew that concealment would only make things more complicated.

"You have a partner? Then bring her home so we can see her. We'll help you vet her. Wait, what did you say? You, a girl, have a wife?" Her parents on the other end were clearly shocked by this sudden information. Their minds seemed to stop working, unable to accept this fact for a moment.

"Yes, I'm very busy, and the signal here isn't good. I'm hanging up now. You two can think about it." Li Xuening didn't offer any more explanations and quickly ended the call.

She knew that saying more would be useless; she could only give her parents some time to digest the news.

After handling all of this, Li Xuening immediately sent a message to her younger brother, Li Xingyu: [Bro, since you're free right now, I'm entrusting you with Xiao Xi's and my situation. Go back and do some persuasive work on Mom and Dad.]