It’s not that Li Heyuan wanted Li Shu to accompany him. It’s just that he still wanted to spend some time alone with Li Shu. The hustle and bustle outside had nothing to do with him. In the name of celebrating his birthday, those people had their own thoughts. If it weren’t for Li Shu, why would those so-called big shots participate in the birthday banquet of a child who hasn’t grown up yet?
These people were all here for Sir. Li Heyuan knew that, and the more he knew this, the more he didn’t want to leave Sir. He always thought about working harder, only in this way could he get closer to Sir.
His silence obviously misled Li Shu. Well, the current male protagonist was still a minor after all, and it was normal to be afraid when experiencing such a big scene for the first time. Li Shu raised his hand, intending to rub the boy’s hair, but when his gaze fell on the carefully groomed hair, he had to give up.
“I’ll accompany you this time, but next time, you’ll have to face it on your own.” Li Shu took back his hand with a little regret and said to the young boy.
In fact, Li Heyuan was not afraid to face those people alone, but Li Shu’s unexpected offer to accompany him was a pleasant surprise. Li Heyuan didn’t want to refuse at all, and the smile on his lips couldn’t be suppressed. “Thank you, sir.”
“Don’t be afraid of meeting anyone at the banquet. Today, you’re the birthday boy, and you’re the star.” Before leaving, Li Shu reminded him one last time.
Li Heyuan’s heart softened. The outside world spread rumors about the head of the Li family being cold-blooded, ruthless, and an emotionless hand in the business world, but the Sir he came into contact with was not such a person at all. He was gentle, strong, and gave him a warm place to live.
In Li Heyuan’s heart, Sir was the best, an irreplaceable existence.
In the hall, glasses clinked, waiters moved among the guests with trays, and exquisite food was placed on the tables. Well-dressed ladies gathered together, covering their mouths as they laughed softly.
Men held champagne glasses and found people to talk to. With perfectly appropriate smiles on their faces, they toasted, exchanged glasses, and chatted amiably. Beneath the surface harmony, a hidden undercurrent surged.
The lights on the roof emitted a dazzling light. Under the light, all the darkness was invisible. Everything was bright and beautiful, like the surface layer of this circle seen by outsiders, while the inner filth was buried deeply.
The compliments on their lips seemed to be harmonious, but in fact there was temptation in every word. Undercurrents were hidden under the calm surface, and what was presented to outsiders was only the prosperity on the surface.
Before the protagonist of the banquet came out, many people surrounded the Li family. Among these people, some were partners, some were competitors, and some were just here for the spectacle.
Li Shu brought back a child with the surname Li, which was not a good thing for any of the younger generations of the Li family. Among them, the pressure on Li Ziyue was the greatest.
After all, everyone knew that Li Shu, the current head of the Li family, had no wife or children, and he had no intention of marrying or having children. If this situation continued, then Li Ziyue was likely to become the next one to hold power in the Li family. Now that the head of the Li family had brought back a child and held a birthday banquet to announce it, there was much more to be said about this.
People who were friendly with Li Ziyue felt sorry for him. But in such occasions, some words were obviously not suitable to be said. They watched Li Ziyue’s expression carefully and spoke cautiously, afraid of saying anything to upset him.
“Big brother, are we just letting the family head do this?” The speaker, dressed in a black suit, with drooping brows and eyes, exuded an indescribable sense of listlessness. He was the youngest in Li Shu’s generation and only a few years older than Li Ziyue. He had been busy with projects abroad and had returned only recently.
“It had reached this point, can we stop him? Let him be happy for a few more days. How’s your contact doing?” Li Song, the eldest brother of the Li family, took a sip of red wine, his eyes dark and unreadable.
“I’ve made contact. It’s just as Big Brother guessed. There’s a problem in that laboratory. The people I arranged have succeeded in infiltrating it recently. Specific information will be available soon.” At this point, Li Jin’s eyes became fanatical. “It’s almost done. Soon, our plan will be realized!”
“That would be… excellent.”
Li Song raised his glass, and Li Jin clinked it. Liquid stirred in the glasses, rippling, and falling.
When Li Shu and Li Heyuan came out, the atmosphere in the hall was lively. However, when everyone saw the unfamiliar young man beside Li Shu, the atmosphere briefly cooled.
Was this young man the one that the Li family head brought back to train vigorously? Did he have no blood relation with the Li family head? It was said that this child was studying at “Fengqi.” They quickly thought about whether they had children of the same age at home, and if so, whether they could use this opportunity to establish a relationship with the Li family?
Various thoughts circulated in their minds, but they all spoke with compliments, hiding any thoughts they shouldn’t reveal.
First, Li Heyuan’s identity was introduced to the guests, which was equivalent to announcing to the outside world that from now on, regardless of Li Heyuan’s past, he would live as a member of the Li family. His treatment would be the same as other younger generations of the Li family. He would have what the Li family younger generations should have, including inheritance rights.
There was an uproar in the audience.
It was very surprising, especially the last point. This was an era that took blood relations above all else. They couldn’t understand why the Li family head was willing to let someone without Li family blood have inheritance rights. Could it be as some people said, that this child actually had Li family blood?
There were various speculations. Some people couldn’t help but look at the front row of the hall where the Li family members were sitting. These outsiders found the actions of the Li family head hard to accept. Then… how would the Li family members with direct interests feel?
Although they were prepared early on, upon hearing such news in public, those in the Li family still found it hard to accept. It was like a cake originally divided among eight people suddenly had one more person added to it, and this person took away most of the cake at once. The original eight would naturally find it hard to accept it in their hearts.
Fortunately, the elders had enough self-restraint to maintain their grace in this situation, but it was difficult for the younger ones, especially Li Zixuan and his group.
Li Shu personally brought Li Heyuan down to meet people. No matter what the guests thought, they all showed sincere blessings when facing Li Shu. With both sides intentionally maintaining harmony, the atmosphere was jovial.
“Young master is truly talented, his demeanor is just like President Li’s back then.” Someone praised.
“Sixteen is almost an adult. I hope Young Master Li will like this small gift.” Someone presented a gift.
Someone gritted their teeth on the side, unable to say anything, only able to suppress all kinds of grievances in their heart, while maintaining a smile on their face, not daring to reveal any real emotions.
Li Shu naturally knew that these people didn’t have much sincerity, and he didn’t need their sincerity. As long as he could achieve his goal in the end, that’s all that mattered.
A banquet showcased various human emotions. Li Heyuan followed Li Shu, experiencing firsthand what power and influence were for the first time at close range.
Such large-scale banquets were generally used to expand networks because the hosts were top figures. Those who could attend were from prominent families. By chatting with each other, they might be able to negotiate big deals.
Although Li Heyuan was the protagonist of the banquet, he was still young and hadn’t been exposed to business matters. He couldn’t engage with these people in conversation. After Li Shu introduced him to some important figures, he patted his shoulder. “Go play with your classmates.”
“Okay.”
After knowing Li Heyuan’s true identity, some people seemed embarrassed when facing him. These were mostly people who disliked him at school for various reasons and had had one-sided frictions.
Gu Yi’s attitude didn’t change. Seeing Li Heyuan come in, he came over and hooked his neck. “How do you feel?”
“Not bad.” Li Heyuan pushed the arm off his shoulder.
“You can actually say it’s ‘not bad’!” Gu Yi was surprised. “Let me tell you, I hate this kind of banquet the most. Everyone is wearing a mask. They look friendly on the surface, but who knows what dirty tricks they’re up to behind your back.”
Li Heyuan nodded in agreement. He agreed with this point. At such banquets, no one was sincere. Those who were sincere had long been devoured and nothing was left.
“Li Heyuan, happy birthday.” A classmate came over with a glass of juice.
The two stopped talking and picked up the juice beside them, clinking glasses with the classmate.
As if a switch had been flipped, the remaining people also came over one by one, surrounding Li Heyuan and saying all sorts of flattering words.
They were originally worried that Li Heyuan would become even colder after his identity was exposed. But after a few exchanges, they found that his attitude had not changed much from before. After a few words, the atmosphere became heated.
Originally, some people were unhappy because he rejected the school flower’s confession, feeling that he didn’t deserve the school flower’s favor and that he didn’t understand how to cherish jade. Now, they wouldn’t speak out for the school flower anymore. Feelings were between two people. Since he didn’t like her, it was better than leading her on.
Li Heyuan didn’t care about what these people were thinking. He only cared about Li Shu.
The banquet didn’t end until late so they stayed overnight at the old mansion. Li Shu was exhausted and went upstairs to rest halfway through.
He lay on the bed and asked 1314, [How long can this body last?]
1314 conducted a full-body scan and gave a somewhat pessimistic answer, [One year.]
[I remember that in the original plot, the original owner lasted three years.] Li Shu knew his condition and vaguely expected that answer.
[Half of that time, the original owner was unconscious in bed.] 1314 stated truthfully, [Just before that, the original owner gave up on that treatment plan that could extend for another year and a half.]
[I see.]
He didn’t mention the need to use points for treatment, and 1314 didn’t bring it up either because it was a particularly unprofitable deal. Even if a large number of points were spent, it would only extend life by a few more years, which wasn’t worth it.
The lights in the old mansion stayed on all night, and many people in the Li family didn’t sleep a wink.
After that day, Li Shu still took Li Heyuan back to the house in the city center. Li Heyuan initially thought it was because of him, but now he knew the real reason lay with Li Shu.
Li Shu became busier than ever before. Under the same roof, Li Heyuan saw less and less of Li Shu. Finally, one day, Li Shu seemed to have finished his busy schedule and spent more time at home.
But he fell ill.
It wasn’t clear from which day onwards, but there were many unlabeled medicines in the house. Li Shu started running a low-grade fever every day. Li Heyuan wanted to persuade him to go to the hospital, but he always received a firm denial.
“Sir…” Li Heyuan helped him sit up, tried his forehead’s temperature, and brought up the old topic, “Are you really not going to the hospital?”
Li Shu’s complexion was very bad, and he was showing faint signs of decline. Over this period, he had become even thinner, with bones protruding. He looked even thinner than the children Li Heyuan had seen in the orphanage.
“It’s fine. Bring me the medicine.” The decay of this body was shorter than Li Shu had imagined. Li Song should have received the news, and the time he had been waiting for would come soon.
To be honest, Li Shu had had enough of this body. He hadn’t felt so miserable even after suffering a fatal injury. The overwhelming decadence emanating from his bones was unstoppable.
Li Heyuan got out of bed to fetch the medicine. There were several medicines on the shelf, and various bottles and jars were neatly arranged together. After taking out two bottles of medicine skillfully, Li Heyuan went to pour hot water before returning to the bedside. “Sir, you’ve been sick for several days now. Isn’t it okay to not go to the hospital?”
“It’s okay. I’ll just take some medicine and it will be fine.” Li Shu took the medicine bottle, opened it, and skillfully poured out five pills, swallowing them with the water in Li Heyuan’s hand.
Li Shu lowered his head, revealing his fragile and slender neck. His clothes were obviously too big, hanging loosely on him and exposing large areas of skin. His skin was pale and showed an unhealthy white.
Without him knowing, this man had become so thin. Li Heyuan clenched his hand hanging by his side, unaware that his nails were digging into his flesh. A deep sense of powerlessness overwhelmed him. He couldn’t even persuade sir to go to the hospital!
“Don’t worry,” Li Shu fumbled for Li Heyuan’s clenched fist and opened his fingers one by one, “Why are you upset with yourself? I’ll be fine in a few days, really.”
“I believe you, sir.” Realizing that his emotions were leaking out, Li Heyuan suppressed various emotions and pretended to be relaxed, “Sir, take your medicine properly. You’ll definitely get better soon.”
Li Shu gave a soft “mm” in response.
Both of them knew deep down that this was a very slim possibility, but for different reasons, neither of them brought it up. Li Heyuan still held a glimmer of hope—maybe, just maybe.
During this period, Li Shu had some free time. He delegated the company’s affairs to the newly promoted special assistant. Due to his absence from the company for several days, rumors began to spread: President Li was severely ill.
It was unclear where the rumors started, but by the time the assistant noticed, the entire company knew. The rumors were detailed and convincing, and many people believed them.
When handing over the work, the assistant informed Li Shu of this matter and finally asked, “Does this matter need to be dealt with?”
In fact, the simplest way to dispel the rumors was for Li Shu to show up once. But Li Shu had been fishing for so long, now that the fish had finally taken the bait, how could he let it slip away?
He replied coldly, “Don’t worry about those. Just focus on the tasks I arranged earlier.”
