Li Shu was sitting in the back seat of the black car, facing the car window. He happened to meet Gu Yi, who was looking in this direction. Knowing that he was a good friend of Li Heyuan, Li Shu smiled at him.
Gu Yi blinked, even doubting whether he was seeing things correctly. Was this really the head of the Li family?
As a child of the Gu family, he had seen Li Shu before. In his perception, Li Shu was a cold person, not the kind of superficial coldness, but a coldness from the bones. But now, the Li Shu he saw had shed that layer of coldness, as if he had descended from the clouds, radiating more charisma.
Gu Yi often heard Li Heyuan mention this “Sir” of his, and there was a kind of blind admiration for this “Sir” in his words. In front of him, he absolutely couldn’t say anything bad about this “Sir”. If it weren’t for him pulling him aside last time, Li Heyuan would have confronted those people right then and there.
He had always been puzzled. How did Li Heyuan develop such feelings? Based on their recent interactions, Li Heyuan was not the kind of person who overly relied on others. So, what was the reason behind his attitude towards Li Shu?
After seeing Li Shu today, Gu Yi vaguely understood.
When someone who is indifferent to everything outside treats you gently, even a heart made of ice will melt. Not to mention, his friend’s heart was not made of ice.
Obviously, Li Heyuan was also very surprised that Li Shu came to the school. He unconsciously quickened his pace.
At this time, there were very few people at the school gate. There were only a few people in groups of three or five and no one was paying attention to this side. Li Heyuan took a few steps, then suddenly stopped, thinking of something.
Although excited, Li Heyuan didn’t forget the reason why Li Shu hadn’t shown up during this time. Was it okay for him to come to the school so openly? Did he ruin Sir’s plan?
Rarely, Li Heyuan hesitated. He stopped for a while, and Gu Yi, who was left behind, caught up to him. “Hey, Brother Li, why did you stop?”
Li Heyuan didn’t answer immediately. Just when Gu Yi was wondering if something had happened, the boy spoke up, “Gu Yi, tell me, besides you, do you think anyone else saw Sir here?”
Gu Yi suddenly understood the meaning behind Li Heyuan’s question. He patted Li Heyuan on the shoulder and said, “Since your Sir chose to come pick you up, naturally, he isn’t afraid of being seen by others. Brother Li, what are you worried about?”
He was worried that it would ruin Sir’s plans, but what Gu Yi said was also correct. Since Sir came to pick him up, he must have considered everything. Otherwise, why did he choose to come on this day, after so many days of not coming?
After understanding this point, Li Heyuan no longer dwelled on it. He looked ahead and happened to see Li Shu looking at them. Somehow, he felt a wave of embarrassment in his heart.
The campus was getting emptier and emptier. This school was the largest aristocratic school in S City, with strong teaching staff, a good campus environment, and a unique blend of historical charm and contemporary fashion, possessing a unique beauty.
Li Shu in the car slowly lowered the rear window, watching the young man walking towards him in the spring light.
The boy was now taller than him, and his body was more robust. Under the navy blue school uniform were smooth muscles. His long legs were wrapped in suit pants, bursting with powerful strength with each step he took.
The boy’s thin figure from when they first met was gradually fading from memory, replaced by a more outstanding and captivating young man.
Having witnessed the boy’s growth and even participated in it, Li Shu had a sense of satisfaction in his upbringing. Even if he was standing in front of the staff of the orphanage where he had stayed for more than ten years, those people would not dare to think that this was the Xiao Liu who was the least liked by the director in the orphanage.
From the moment Li Shu brought Li Heyuan back to the Li family, the Xiao Liu from the orphanage no longer existed. Now existing in the world was Li Heyuan of the Li family, the one Li Shu, the head of the Li family, had put great effort into nurturing.
After that birthday banquet, the entire upper society remembered the name Li Heyuan. Even if he didn’t have Li family blood on the surface, as long as Li Shu, the head of the Li family, acknowledged it, he was undoubtedly a member of the Li family and the highly likely future heir to “Linsi” shares.
Learning could truly change a person. The aura around Li Heyuan had undergone earth-shaking changes, changes that were enormous and visibly perceptible. During the birthday banquet, he used to feel slightly constrained when meeting the big shots he had only seen on TV or in magazines. But now, he didn’t. His previous confidence was partly a facade, but now it radiated from within, allowing him to handle any situation with ease and grace.
The process was exhausting, but the results were always gratifying. Witnessing a rough gem transform into its best form under his own guidance gave Li Shu an indescribable sense of accomplishment.
The more Li Shu looked at the boy now, the more satisfied he felt. He had shown the boy the evils of the world and also guided him to find its beauty. Compared to the male protagonist in the original plot who was taken to the old Li mansion and was neglected and bullied, Li Shu was certain that the current male protagonist was better than the one in the original plot.
Sensing the host’s thoughts, 1314 sighed slightly. This was probably the most realistic portrayal of being a parent. In their eyes, their own children were always the best, it was a principle that even the powerful host couldn’t avoid.
Li Shu opened the car door and first touched the boy’s head. Li Heyuan obediently bent down slightly to make Li Shu’s movement smoother.
Since he gradually caught up with Li Shu in height, he often made this move and had become quite skilled at it.
While they were used to it, Gu Yi was surprised and his mouth agape. In just a few minutes, he had already felt his world views shattered twice.
He thought in a daze: So, this is how Li Heyuan is in front of his Sir?
Fortunately, as a member of the Gu family, he had seen various grand scenes before. When the two people finally turned their gazes towards him, he had already managed his expression well, and there was no trace of anything wrong on the surface.
“You’re Gu Yi from the Gu family, right? I often hear Xiao Yuan mentioning you. I’ll trouble you to take care of him at school.” Li Shu cared a lot about the friends approved by Li Heyuan. He hoped that Li Heyuan would grow up like a normal teenager, so friends were indispensable.
He had heard of this child Gu Yi before. Although he was a bit playful, he was sincere. Most importantly, he insisted on staying by Li Heyuan’s side not because Li Heyuan was the child brought back by the head of the Li family, but out of genuine friendship. He befriended Li Heyuan because of the person Li Heyuan was, not because of the Li family behind Li Heyuan.
Regarding the cub’s friendships, Li Shu wouldn’t interfere too much. How to deal with various people who had hidden agendas was a test for Li Heyuan. If he couldn’t handle such interpersonal relationships well, it would be even more difficult for him to deal with those he would face in the business world in the future. As the son of destiny in this world, Li Heyuan was destined to be entangled with these things throughout his life and could not escape or avoid them.
Since that was the case, why not handle these problems alone from the beginning?
Li Shu defended the cub, but he wouldn’t refrain from letting him face dangers he needed to face. The world was always about the survival of the fittest. If he didn’t want to be the prey in the mouths of the strong, he could only become strong himself.
These were the principles Li Shu had realized on his journey of cultivation. No matter when, only when he truly became powerful could he fearlessly face everything in the outside world.
Hearing that Li Heyuan mentioned him in front of Li Shu, Gu Yi was somewhat surprised. He had long noticed that Li Heyuan had a strong possessiveness towards the “Sir” he mentioned. He felt that, with Li Heyuan’s personality, it was impossible for him to mention others in front of Li Shu on his own initiative.
Indeed, that was the case. Li Heyuan rarely mentioned other people’s names in front of Li Shu. Unless Li Shu asked, he would say a few more words. Many things Li Shu knew about Gu Yi were got through other means.
Gu Yi: “Hello, President Li. Brother Li and I are friends. Friends don’t need to say the word ‘trouble’.”
“Since we happen to meet today, Xiao Yuan, why don’t I invite your friend to have a meal together?” Li Shu turned to ask Li Heyuan.
“No need, no need,” Gu Yi quickly declined, intuitively feeling that it was better to refuse this tempting offer, “My family has something going on today, so I won’t disturb you.”
Seeing that he was really in a dilemma, Li Shu no longer insisted, “If there’s a chance in the future, I’ll treat you.”
“Okay, then I’ll leave now. President Li, Brother Li, goodbye.”
“Goodbye.”
The driver of the car today was Klaus. Li Heyuan and Li Shu sat in the back seat. After getting in the car, Li Heyuan asked, “Sir, why did you come to the school today?”
He was really puzzled. Yesterday, he wanted to take Sir out for a walk, but Sir refused with various excuses. Since the serious illness last year, Sir had almost become a recluse. Like a cat in the winter lethargic period, he either stayed in his room or curled up on the sofa, looking lazy all over and hardly moving a muscle.
This seemed to have fulfilled the secret hope in his heart. While he was happy, Li Heyuan always worried about Sir’s health and wanted him to go out for a walk.
“I came out to do something today and came over to pick you up on the way. Why, aren’t you happy to see me?” Li Shu squinted his eyes slightly, seeming to fall into a drowsy state again, and his voice lazy.
“I’m very happy to see you come to pick me up, Sir.” How could he not be happy? The moment he saw Sir, it was like flowers blooming and the moon appearing. He heard the sound of bubbles popping everywhere, and felt an indescribable joy.
The black car slowly merged into the traffic and blended in with many other vehicles, making it difficult to trace.
—
Li family’s old mansion, second-floor study.
Li Song extinguished the cigarette butt, took the documents handed over by the man in the black-suit opposite him, his fingers trembling slightly. Whether the plans of many years could succeed or not depended on the contents of this small file pouch.
“Boss Li, the people over there said that they have already provided everything you need. They asked if you had prepared the things they asked for.” The man lowered his eyes. Li Song was immersed in the impending grand plan, not noticing the sarcasm in the man’s eyes.
“Don’t worry, everything has been prepared long ago. You’ve done a great job on this matter. After it’s done, I promise you’ll be rewarded doubly.”
“Thank you, Boss Li,” the man’s lips curled slightly, “Well then, I’ll wish Boss Li success in advance.”
