Wife Takes the Reins: The Calm CEO

Chapter 14: The So-Called “Meeting the Parents”

This couldn’t help but remind Li Xiaowan once again of that ancient saying: “When the enemy comes, block them; when water comes, dam it!” Although she was far from matching the ancient sages’ great wisdom in repelling enemies and their indomitable fighting spirit, she at least possessed a pure and fearless heart. At 6:30 a. m. the next day, Li Xiaowan got up as usual for her morning run. However, when she finished and returned to the building where she rented a room, a Mercedes-Benz minivan was conspicuously parked right at the entrance to the stairwell, blocking the way in and out. “What kind of manners is this? Parking a car right at the entrance to a building where people come and go!” Li Xiaowan thought to herself as she walked over to the driver’s side, intending to ask the driver to move the vehicle. But before she could even get close to the vehicle, a man dressed in a black suit and wearing a pair of glossy black sunglasses stepped out of the passenger seat. He walked straight up to Li Xiaowan and asked, as if going through the motions, “Excuse me, are you Miss Li Xiaowan?” “So what if I am? So what if I’m not?” Li Xiaowan’s face betrayed her confusion. Who on earth was this man? “It seems you’re the person our boss asked us to pick up. Miss Xiaowan, please get in the car!” After saying this, the man in the black suit made a gesture of invitation. The boss had already shown him her photo; his earlier question was merely a polite formality to break the ice. “Wasn’t it supposed to be at eight? Is there really any need to be in such a rush? Are you afraid I’ll run away or something?” Li Xiaowan couldn’t help but demand, her tone brimming with anger. So this was that “uncivilized” lackey. “Miss Xiaowan, you’re overthinking it! Please come along!” The man in the black suit didn’t say a single unnecessary word. He knew full well that his duty was to take the person in front of him back immediately to report, and as for the rest, it had nothing to do with him—nor did he have the authority to offer further explanations. “What if I say I’m not getting in the car?” Li Xiaowan said with a cold smile as she looked at the man in the black suit. “In that case, Miss Xiaowan, please forgive my rudeness!” The man in the black suit remained standing ramrod straight; Li Xiaowan could detect not a trace of panic on his face. Hah! Who would have thought that a lackey of the Feng Family could remain so unflappable even as Mount Tai crumbled before him? Only someone who either abuses their power or possesses exceptional mental fortitude could maintain such composure. The man in the black suit’s impassive attitude actually left Li Xiaowan feeling somewhat at a loss; she was now in a bind—she couldn’t go up, and she couldn’t stay put either. “Well, I’ll have to go upstairs to change my clothes!” Li Xiaowan said, then tried to walk around the van toward the stairwell—only to find that the stairwell had already been completely blocked by the van. Li Xiaowan was livid and kicked the van twice in quick succession. “Ouch! That hurts!” The pain shooting through the tip of her right foot made her cry out involuntarily, and she couldn’t help but silently berate herself: What a klutz—why did I kick so hard? Idiot! Total idiot! At that moment, Li Xiaowan felt even more frustrated. “Miss Xiaowan, are you okay?” the man in the black suit hurried over and asked. “I’m fine—it’s not like I’m going to die!” Li Xiaowan really wanted to take her frustration out on the man in the black suit, but on second thought, she realized he probably had it tough too, and besides, he was just doing his job for that “uncivilized” guy. So she decided against it—she wouldn’t make things difficult for him. “Xiao Tong, move the car forward a bit so Miss Xiaowan can go upstairs.” The man in the black suit ignored what Li Xiaowan had said; instead, he turned and walked to the driver’s side door, addressing Xiao Tong, who was sitting in the driver’s seat. “Yes, Yi Ge!” a boyish voice replied. Li Xiaowan couldn’t help but feel curious. Judging by the voice—which sounded like it was still going through puberty—and the way he said “Yes, sir,” could it be that he’d been coerced by that “uncivilized guy” into helping with some illegal activity? Or was this a case of employing a minor? No, she had to call the police right away. Just as Li Xiaowan was about to take out her phone to dial 110, a man in a black suit who had walked over snatched it from her. “Miss Xiaowan, what are you doing?” ” After giving Xiao Tong his instructions a moment ago, he’d intended to turn back and ask Li Xiaowan if she needed any help. But he happened to notice that she’d been staring intently at the minivan the whole time, her expression unusually tense. As Feng Lingzheng’s personal bodyguard, if he couldn’t even read the slightest hint of suspicion on Li Xiaowan’s face,then Feng Lingzheng wouldn’t even need to fire him—he wouldn’t have the face to continue serving her. “What are you doing? Give me back my phone.” The sudden move by the man in the black suit startled Li Xiaowan. “Miss Xiaowan, Xiao Tong is our boss’s cousin; he’s twenty this year according to the lunar calendar,” the man in the black suit explained, returning the phone he’d just snatched from Li Xiaowan’s hand. He was confident Li Xiaowan wouldn’t do anything absurd again. “Hah! Another cousin has popped up out of nowhere,” Li Xiaowan said before heading upstairs without looking back. As soon as she pushed open the door, she saw Qi Xin'er hurrying toward her with her phone, saying anxiously, “Xiaowan, why did you take so long today? I was just about to call you. I remembered seeing a news story about ‘night running’ not long ago—it really had me on edge.” “Silly girl, it’s not even nighttime. By the way, the car that’s here to pick me up is already parked downstairs. I just came up to change my clothes—and to let you know in person, so you wouldn’t worry,” Li Xiaowan said calmly. At this point, all she could do was take it one step at a time. “Xiaowan, I really don’t feel comfortable letting you go alone. I might as well skip work and go with you,” Qi Xin'er said firmly. “Xin'er, I can’t drag you into this. There are already plenty of people who have it in for the two of us. If you skip work for no reason, someone with ulterior motives is sure to snitch on you—at best, you’ll have your pay docked; at worst, you’ll be fired.” Li Xiaowan was absolutely unwilling to drag Qi Xin'er into this. “Xiaowan, look what the people at this company have pushed you to. Do you really think I care whether I can keep working at this lousy company?” In Qi Xin'er’s heart, a mere job was nowhere near as important as Li Xiaowan. “All right then. I’ve thought it through. I’m going there today just to set the record straight with that ‘uncivilized’ guy. Even if he takes me to court, I won’t agree to his ridiculous demands,” Li Xiaowan said firmly. “Xiaowan, I, Qi Xin'er, will always support you and respect your decision!” Although marrying into a wealthy family was something Qi Xin'er envied deeply, under normal circumstances, she would certainly have done her utmost to persuade Li Xiaowan not to act impulsively. But this was an extraordinary situation, and she stood firmly by Li Xiaowan’s side. “Xin'er, you’re the kindest person in the whole world to me. Let’s go! I don’t even need to change my clothes.” Li Xiaowan led the way out. “Xiaowan, wait—let me grab my purse.” No matter where she went, Qi Xin'er could never be seen without her handbag, whereas Li Xiaowan was the exact opposite: she avoided carrying one whenever possible. To her, a purse was nothing but a burden; even when she absolutely had to use one, she’d usually opt for a simple backpack. Then, the two of them went downstairs. “Miss Xiaowan, may I ask who she is?” a man in a black suit approached and asked. “She’s my best friend. I asked her to come with me—otherwise, there’s no way I’d have gone.” Li Xiaowan knew she couldn’t intimidate the man in front of her, but she still had to make her stance clear. “No problem. Please get in the car, ladies!” The man in the black suit’s response took Li Xiaowan by surprise; she’d expected him to put up some resistance, but he answered so readily. Once they were seated in the car, Li Xiaowan finally got a good look at the person called “Xiao Tong.” From her appearance, she looked no older than seventeen or eighteen. Her eyes were clear, her skin fair, and her handsome face radiated youthful vitality—it instantly reminded Li Xiaowan of boys and girls in the prime of their youth. It was just a pity that, for her, those beautiful days were long gone. Qi Xin'er, sitting beside her, was also staring in a daze. “Ladies, is there something on my face? Why are you staring so intently? You’re making me feel a bit embarrassed!” Xiao Tong said with a grin, looking at Li Xiaowan and Qi Xin'er in the back seat through the rearview mirror. “Ah! No, you must be mistaken,” Li Xiaowan hurriedly explained. “That’s right, little brother. You must have seen it wrong. We weren’t looking at you at all,” Qi Xin'er added, echoing Li Xiaowan’s words. Unfortunately, any explanation was unnecessary. Still, Xiao Tong didn’t argue with them any further. He simply flashed a smile as bright as the sun and said, “Ladies, hold on tight—Xiao Tong’s going to take you for a wild ride.” After saying that, he nimbly started the car and sped off in a flash from the building where they rented a room. Just as Xiao Tong had said, he really was taking them for a wild ride. Fortunately, neither of them got carsick; otherwise, they would’ve thrown up a dozen times by now. “Ladies, we’re here!” Before Li Xiaowan and Qi Xin'er had a chance to catch their breath, Xiao Tong opened the car door and motioned for them to get out. She then turned to the man in the black suit and said, “Yi Ge, you go ahead and take care of your business. I’ll take them inside.” “Alright, Xiao Tong, I’ll leave it to you,” the man in the black suit said gently. In their eyes, Xiao Tong was just a little brother who would never grow up, exuding a childlike charm all around him. However, he possessed a clear and perceptive mind; he had been called a “child prodigy” since childhood and showed exceptional talent in computer science. His abilities were beyond imagination, and Xiao Tong himself lived up to everyone’s expectations—he had already completed all his college courses last year and successfully earned his bachelor’s degree. Originally, his family had planned for him to study abroad, but he had no interest in furthering his education. His sole ambition was to follow in the footsteps of his older brother—known as “Ye”—and work alongside his cousin, Feng Lingzheng. That’s right, Xiao Tong was Ye’s younger brother. They had an older brother as well, and it was he who had inherited their grandfather’s and father’s aspirations; he was now a major general in a certain military region. “Don’t worry, Yi Ge, I’ll take Sister Xiaowan in to meet the parents right away,” Xiao Tong said playfully. It wasn’t a big deal until he mentioned it, but the mere mention of it sent a chill down Li Xiaowan and Qi Xin'er’s spines—especially Li Xiaowan, who was nearly scared out of her wits. “What did you say?” Li Xiaowan asked, unable to contain her excitement.