Chapter 178: Birthday

Chi Nan Yi handed him the Spirit Spring Water he had prepared long ago; the Li family head felt as if he had received a treasure, repeatedly thanked Chi Nan Yi, and before leaving he took out documents he had prepared, smiling, "Southern First Young Master, rest assured, the matters our Li family promised will never be reneged upon." Li Chen Chong turned his head to look at his granddaughter, saw she kept her head down, and couldn't help sighing quietly.

"Southern First Young Master, my granddaughter is stubborn and not agile in business; if you could guide her, I would be immensely grateful."

Upon hearing her grandfather speak, Li Yunxi buried her head even lower.

"A daughter must eventually marry; now I only hope she can wed a decent family. Her parents died early, I have only this one granddaughter; after my hundred years, everything of the Li family will belong to them. If the husband is incompetent, how can he support such a vast clan!"

Understanding his worry, Chi Nan Yi smiled, "What of men, what of women? Why must the Li family head be so narrow‑minded? How do you know that handing the family to Miss Li would prevent her from making the Li family flourish?"

When the words fell, the ever‑downcast Li Yunxi was startled, looked up at Chi Nan Yi, and her eyes were bright.

"I think Miss Li's unwilling‑to‑lose spirit makes her a good seed for business," Chi Nan Yi said, his gaze landing on the sudden spark in Li Yunxi's eyes, smiling, "Business has no gender divide; what truly lifts a business and a family are vision, magnanimity, composure, and unyielding spirit—Miss Li possesses all these."

Li Yunxi stood behind Li Chen Chong, her hands clasped tightly inside her sleeves; hearing his praise, her heart was both startled and delighted, and her nose couldn't help turning sour.

At last someone understood exactly what she wanted to do.

The elder Li, upon hearing this, remained silent for a long while, sighed, and said lightly, "But Yunxi is still a girl; she must eventually marry. I cannot let her waste the most beautiful years of her life for the Li family and these businesses. If we could find a good husband…"

"The Li family head probably fears that after marriage Miss Li will have no one to rely on, fears a miserly husband, fears a harsh mother‑in‑law, but those fears all stem from Miss Li's own lack of ability. If she can expand and strengthen the Li family's business, restoring it to its peak—or even surpassing it—then marriage will make the husband respect her a bit. If she cannot, the Li family head will make the Li family the richest in Jingcheng, but that too will eventually collapse, and then Miss Li will truly have no one to depend on." Chi Nan Yi gave a faint smile, gently twirled the tea cup in his hand, and said, "When Miss Li can stand on her own, she will choose her own husband; only a sufficiently worthy man can match her. I understand your concern for her, junior, but true love has never been about confining her to the safe place you deem appropriate, preventing her from seeing her own abilities."

Chi Nan Yi's words lingered for a long while, and the astonishment in Li Chen Chong's eyes had not faded.

"You kid, you're even more perceptive than this old man!"

Chi Nan Yi gave two light laughs, "Just a humble opinion of a junior."

"Hahaha, Southern First Young Master is being modest; indeed this old man has narrow sight. Anyway, Yunxi, from tomorrow onward, you will stay by your grandfather's side, learning to run the household and conduct business. Do you agree?"

"Granddaughter agrees!"

Hearing the surprised and hurried voice from behind, Li Chen Chong couldn't help but be slightly startled.

Since she was rejected by the Liu family, she had been gloomy all day; it had been an unknown length since anyone heard her speak so happily. This bright smile was like warm sunshine entering the old man's heart: "Very well, but let me warn you first—if you cannot endure hardship, the grandfather will punish you."

"Granddaughter will certainly devote herself wholeheartedly and make the Li family's business flourish!" Li Yunxi bowed to Chi Nan Yi, "Thank you, Young Master, for your guidance; Yunxi is deeply grateful."

Chi Nan Yi saw the light in her eyes, smiled and nodded; he knew the Li family was finally about to usher in a different future.

Now it's the Li family; later there will be the Zhao family, Zhou family, Qian family… more and more women like Li Yunxi will break the worldly shackles placed on women.

That night, a figure appeared in her room; sensing a familiar aura, Chi Nan Yi raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Rare guest! I never expected the Prince to have such leisure, coming at the third watch without sleep to pry open a window for a common girl."

Although she usually talks to me without formalities, it's rare to see her so forward as now, brandishing a gun and stick.

"What's the matter?" Mo Junyan asked, "Has This Prince offended you somewhere?"

Chi Nan Yi seemed to sense the sharpness of his own words, coughed lightly a few times, and put on a false smile again, "No, no, the common girl's somnambulism just acted up again."

"Oh, so that's it!" Mo Junyan looked at her, a hint of sly amusement in his eyes, "I didn't expect This Prince to appear in your dream."

Chi Nan Yi: "…"

A pit one digs oneself, there's no way out but to endure it.

She pretended not to hear anything, poured Mo Junyan a cup of tea, "This was just delivered a few days ago; Prince, please have a taste."

A faint fragrance tickled her nose; Mo Junyan lifted the cup and laughed, "It seems you don't intend to let This Prince sleep today."

Pfft— a mouthful of tea was spat out cleanly by Chi Nan Yi.

His words… sounded somehow odd.

Mo Junyan glanced at the water stain on his clothes, said nothing.

Chi Nan Yi felt a bit apologetic, handed him a handkerchief, "Prince, truly sorry, I just choked."

Mo Junyan used the handkerchief to wipe the stain off his body, but did not return the handkerchief to her.

It was just a handkerchief; Chi Nan Yi didn't mind, even completely forgot about it.

"Are you going to do the Eastern Pearl business together with the Li family?"

"Prince, your information is truly far‑reaching; I thought the Prince spent all day with the Yuqin Guo Princess and had no time to attend to other matters."

When the words fell, not only Mo Junyan but even Chi Nan Yi himself was stunned.

It's hard to imagine such jealous, sour words coming from her mouth; more importantly, she had no standing to say them.

Mo Junyan's eyes flickered slightly; hidden within was a delight he himself had not yet realized.

"Prince, the common girl's meaning is…"

At that moment, heavy snow began to fall outside the window; Mo Junyan took a box from his bosom and placed it on the table.

"Birthday congratulatory gift."

Chi Nan Yi was startled, "Birthday…"

So today is his own birthday?

He had thought it was still several days away; when he was at the Minister's Residence earlier, his birthday was still a few days later. The "birthday" Mo Junyan mentioned must refer to the hour his mother gave birth to him.

"Thank you, Prince."

Chi Nan Yi took the wooden box; inside lay a jade hairpin.

"This Prince is not accompanying anyone."

"Hm?" Chi Nan Yi was startled, then gradually grasped his meaning, coughed lightly twice, and his gaze flickered evasively.

"This… seems to have nothing to do with the common girl."