Chapter 970: You are not allowed to turn bad!

"Are we not staying here?"

"Hm, listen to the leader's arrangements."

Peng Xiaoli let Zhou Xiaobai and Luo Yun get into the car, then closed the door, jumped into the passenger seat, and signaled the driver to drive.

Two Shanghai-brand cars slowly slid out of the gate of the Trade Management Center and drove toward the cross-river bridge.

In the car, Luo Yun looked back curiously at the Trade Management Center building, which was still brightly lit behind the car, then giggled and leaned into Zhou Xiaobai's ear, whispering: "Are they not going to sell us off?"

"Hard to say, it's possible!"

Zhou Xiaobai remembered Li Xuewu's teasing yesterday and couldn't help but purse her lips and tease her: "Sell you first, sell you to the landlord's silly son to be a child bride."

"Sell you first!"

Luo Yun raised her hand and punched Zhou Xiaobai. Her reaction was a bit big, and her voice was a few decibels higher, causing Peng Xiaoli, who was sitting in front, to look at them through the rearview mirror.

Reminded by Zhou Xiaobai to pay attention to the influence, Luo Yun hurriedly lowered her voice, but still whispered back: "Sell you first! Sell you to a wealthy family to be a maid!"

"That's still better than a child bride!"

Zhou Xiaobai laughed and poked Luo Yun's forehead, saying: "I'll call you the landlord's wife from now on."

"Pfft~"

Luo Yun pouted and scolded: "My landlord's wife will watch you be a concubine for the master!"

"Ah!"

Zhou Xiaobai's face turned red, she punched Luo Yun lightly, and said coquettishly: "How can you say anything~"

"You provoked me first~"

The two little girls sat in the back row of the car, laughing and joking with each other, without any worries or troubles.

Peng Xiaoli listened with his ears and watched in the rearview mirror, unable to help but recall the running in the sunset that afternoon, that youth of his that had passed away.

He didn't know where the destination of the two cars was, and he didn't know who these two little girls in the car were.

Regarding everything about Li Xuewu, there were still many things that were not something he could understand with his current status or relationship.

The two cars crossed the Haihe Bridge one after another, then turned right and drove back toward the residential area on the opposite bank of the pier in front of the Trade Management Center.

It was night, and the river surface was still busy, with stars reflecting—there were icebreakers working day and night.

There were even more cargo ships coming and going, loading and unloading according to the navigation lights, and passing through the bridge quickly.

The Jinmen Haihe River has an ice-bound period, lasting about three months.

In order to ensure the smooth flow of the river and the smoothness of navigation, the Jinmen Channel Bureau is responsible for the dredging and ice-breaking tasks of the entire river.

Looking from the car to the opposite side, the lights of the Trade Management Center building were reflected on the river surface, and the reflected light was so dazzling and charming.

The front car slowed down slowly, then turned into a street, and the car behind followed.

It wasn't a long or deep road, but the road in the street was narrow, and the speed couldn't be increased.

When they reached the entrance of an alley, the two cars stopped one after another, their headlights shining and splitting the night sky.

Peng Xiaoli jumped out of the car first. After seeing the gesture made by Secretary Li Haiyang, he opened the back door and invited the two girls to get out of the car.

Zhou Xiaobai observed the surrounding environment, which was quiet and gorgeous, with some confusion.

Luo Yun grabbed her hand nervously, looked at Peng Xiaoli, who had taken two suitcases out of the trunk, and asked: "Where is this?"

"I don't know."

He answered her question concisely, then handed the suitcases in his hands to the two and said: "I can only send you here; please listen to the leader's arrangements afterward."

After saying this, he didn't wait for Luo Yun and the other to react and sat back in the car.

Until the sound of the car door slamming shut, and the two cars started again, they finally came back to their senses.

Watching the car drive away, Li Xuewu's tall figure walked toward a villa by the side of the alley with that Director Li. The two looked at each other with some panic, each grabbed a suitcase, and chased after them.

"Let's go, let's go sit at your place."

Originally, the villa Li Huai De gave Li Xuewu was separated from his own by a small alley.

At this moment, seeing the lights on in the villa on the left, Li Huai De insisted on coming to the one on the right with him.

An uninvited guest is a bad guest, but Li Xuewu came back with him, so how could he refuse to his face.

Moreover, Old Li came to Jinmen this time for a large part of the reason to see his "golden house hiding a beauty," his confidante.

"I heard she is pregnant, right?"

Li Huai De looked at Li Xuewu knowingly, nodded to Secretary Li Haiyang behind him, and said to him: "Specially prepared some nutritional supplements."

"Look at you! Too polite!"

Li Xuewu suddenly smiled, then turned back to look at Secretary Li Haiyang, as well as the somewhat dazed Zhou Xiaobai and Luo Yun.

"Even if you didn't bring anything, could I not let you come to my house~"

"Please!"

"Hahaha~"

Li Huai De looked at Li Xuewu's gesture of invitation and walked up the steps with a smile.

The villa's courtyard was not small; the path leading to the entrance hall was paved with stone slabs and pebbles, having a kind of natural beauty.

Perhaps it was because they heard the voices at the courtyard gate, the lights outside the entrance hall turned on first, and then the door opened, and a woman about forty or fifty years old walked out.

"Mr. Li."

"This is...?"

Li Huai De was stunned for a moment, then reacted—this woman was calling Li Xuewu, not him, this Mr. Li.

And Li Xuewu explained casually at this moment: "Lu Jie, her distant relative, here to take care of her."

After saying this, he introduced to that Lu Jie: "This is Director Li, my leader."

"Hello, Director Li."

Lu Jie performed very appropriately, bowed slightly to let everyone aside, and invited everyone into the house.

Li Huai De sized up the other party, nodded slowly, and then walked into the entrance hall.

"You have to be careful when you are pregnant, especially living so far away; there should be someone to take care of you."

"I have too many things to do; how could I think of these?"

Li Xuewu smiled self-deprecatingly, then explained: "She found it herself; I arranged for Sha Qizhi to send her over."

"Oh~"

Li Huai De was slightly relieved, understanding why this servant called Li Xuewu "Mr. Li" just now.

Secretary Li Haiyang walked at the end, greeted Lu Jie with a smile, and handed the gifts in his hands to the other party.

Zhou Xiaobai and the other were dazed, following behind Li Xuewu like lost children, looking at the big house in front of them with some loss.

After entering the living room, the warm air rushed over, making the few people who had just taken off their coats in the entrance hall feel the heat from the flames in the fireplace.

"Just finished eating at this hour?"

Suddenly, Zhou Miaomiao stood up from the sofa with her back to the door to greet them, which startled Zhou Xiaobai and the other.

Li Huai De waved his hand without answering her question, but took the initiative to look at a pregnant woman who stood up with her.

"Shuping, this is Director Li."

Li Xuewu smiled and handed his bag to Lu Jie, introducing Wu Shuping to Li Huai De, and then introduced to Li Huai De: "Director Li, this is my wife, Wu Shuping."

"Hello, Director Li."

"Oh~ oh~ Good! Hello!"

Li Huai De didn't care about everyone's surprised expressions, took the initiative to greet Wu Shuping with a smile.

While observing Wu Shuping's performance, he pointed at Li Xuewu and joked: "I have always been thinking, who exactly is the 'golden house hiding a beauty' that this Deputy Director Li treasures?"

"Haha!"

Li Huai De looked at Li Xuewu, who was standing behind Wu Shuping, and laughed: "Seeing you today, you are indeed beautiful inside and out, wise and orchid-fragrant."

"You praise me too much; I haven't dared to look in the mirror since I got pregnant, but this Ms. Zhou is a beauty!"

Wu Shuping replied with a joke, and with the bearing of a hostess, gestured to everyone: "Don't stand there, please sit down."

Her generous and appropriate hospitality, combined with the smile on her face, was as warm as the tea served by Lu Jie.

But no matter how warm the room was, it couldn't melt the cold in Zhou Xiaobai's heart.

At this moment, she was like a walking corpse, frozen in place, and it was only after being pulled by Luo Yun that she sat on the sofa.

Her gaze stared straight at Li Xuewu and his sweetness, and she could seem to hear the greetings in the room, but this sound seemed to be far away in the sky.

"I was just saying when I came out, why didn't I see you, and I was going to let Haiyang find you."

Li Xuewu walked behind Zhou Miaomiao and patted the back of the sofa, saying as he walked toward the single sofa by the fireplace: "But Haiyang said you came back first."

"I can't stand those social engagements; it's too noisy."

Zhou Miaomiao smiled and explained to Li Xuewu: "After eating, I asked Haiyang to send me over first."

Secretary Li Haiyang stood by the tea cabinet at this moment, but had no intention of going to sit on the sofa.

Last time, because of the villa, Deputy Director Li looked at him as if he were looking at a dead man, which scared him so much that he never dared to bring up the topic of the house again.

Today, everyone came here again; although the room was full of laughter, he only felt a chill down his spine.

"Are you full? Back so early."

Li Xuewu habitually took out a cigarette from his pocket and was about to light it when he saw Wu Shuping looking at him with some resentment.

"Hehe, I came back after I was full; I was bored at home alone, so I came here to disturb you first."

Zhou Miaomiao saw Li Xuewu's awkward expression and found it quite funny as he put away the cigarette under the gaze of the hostess.

Li Huai De also discovered the interaction between the two, his gaze flowing, and he smiled like an old fox.

At this moment, he also noticed the two girls sitting on the other sofa, pointed at them, and asked Li Xuewu: "Your relatives?"

"Little friends."

Li Xuewu looked at the two of them, without any intention of introducing them much, just said casually: "They said they hadn't been to Jinmen and wanted to come out for a walk."

"What about Zhou Miaomiao? Have you been to Jinmen?"

He drank a sip of hot tea and placed his gaze on Zhou Miaomiao again, asking about her feelings about Jinmen.

Wu Shuping nodded politely to Li Huai De, then supported herself on the armrest and stood up, and under the gaze of Li Huai De, walked to Zhou Xiaobai and the other and beckoned.

Li Xuewu's gaze followed everyone to this side, looked at Zhou Xiaobai and Luo Yun's cautious expressions, smiled, and said: "You two call her sister-in-law."

Luo Yun looked at him with raised eyebrows and didn't speak, pulling Zhou Xiaobai's hand and standing up.

At this moment, Zhou Xiaobai lowered her head, trying hard to hide her disappointment and sadness.

Wu Shuping smiled and gestured toward the stairs for the two, saying: "Ran around all day, tired, right? I'll take you to your room."

After saying this, she didn't wait for the two to answer and went up the stairs first.

Zhou Xiaobai glanced at the sofa, and followed her up to the second floor, pulled by Luo Yun.

"I've been here once, but I didn't know your house was here last time."

Zhou Miaomiao looked at the stairs meaningfully, then smiled and said to Li Xuewu: "If I had known earlier, I would have come to disturb you long ago."

"Come play often in the future."

Li Xuewu smiled slightly, looked at Li Huai De, and said: "Jinmen is colder than Beijing; it's quite suitable to come in summer."

"It's all the same; I didn't feel much difference."

Li Huai De picked up his teacup and drank, said to Zhou Miaomiao: "You wait here for Wu Laoshi; we have something to discuss."

As he spoke, he stood up and gestured toward the study for Li Xuewu.

Those who know know this is Li Xuewu's house; those who don't would think it was his.

Of course, this property was given to Li Xuewu by him, and the relationship between the two is now very close; there is no need for these polite formalities.

The relationship at work goes without saying, but the relationship in private, Li Xuewu's way of doing things makes him very satisfied.

It's not that he hadn't heard rumors of Li Xuewu's romantic affairs before, but this time he saw the real person.

Especially the child in the other party's belly; I heard there was a special story.

The situation Secretary Li Haiyang found out wasn't very complete, but the general context was very clear.

This Wu Laoshi is still a physics professor at Huaqing University and is a colleague of Li Xuewu's brother.

Somehow, she got to know Li Xuewu and became pregnant.

Of course, Wu Laoshi has a husband; I don't know if that person discovered the clues or didn't, anyway, he never came back.

And then the university learning movement broke out, and this Wu Laoshi suffered; it was Li Xuewu who single-handedly saved her.

What happened in between, he doesn't know, and Secretary Li Haiyang doesn't know either; being able to find out these things now is considered lucky.

People related to this matter either left or died, and Huaqing is also in chaos.

No one knows when Li Xuewu met Wu Shuping, and no one knows if this child is Li Xuewu's.

Of course, these are not important anymore; now Wu Shuping is hiding in Jinmen, living under Li Xuewu's protection.

Looking at the interaction between the two just now, there is a foundation of affection; Li Huai De doesn't believe Li Xuewu would randomly pull a woman from the street to perform this for him.

Even if he could perform, who would be willing to let his pregnant wife come to play house with him.

It's been a day or two, and it's been a few months, but I haven't seen anyone come to "visit."

He doesn't avoid Zhou Miaomiao's existence in front of Li Xuewu now, and Li Xuewu didn't hide it from him; the two can be considered to have laid their cards on the table and have a foundation of mutual trust.

In the study, Li Huai De didn't go to sit behind the desk, but sat on the rattan chair by the window.

Li Xuewu brought in the teacups for the two and asked softly: "Do you want to change to a cup of strong tea?"

"No~"

Li Huai De opened his eyes, waved his hand, and said: "Didn't drink too much, just a bit lacking in energy."

"After all, I'm not young anymore, not as good as you all."

"You have to exercise more."

Li Xuewu put down the teacup and sat on the rattan chair, without closing the study door, and said with concern: "Jogging for an hour in the morning is good for the heart and lungs, and also good for the prostate."

"Hehe~"

Li Huai De picked up the teacup and pointed at Li Xuewu, laughing: "You can always get to the point."

"Sigh~"

After the joke, he sighed slightly, shook his head slightly and said: "Time and tide wait for no man; I feel my physical strength is not as good as before."

"Taking medicine is one aspect, but you still have to exercise."

Li Xuewu drank a sip of tea and advised: "Pay attention to maintaining your health; this is the capital of revolution."

"Hm, makes sense."

Li Huai De turned his head to look at Li Xuewu and said: "As long as the green hills remain, there's no need to worry about firewood."

"Hehe~"

Li Xuewu raised his head to look at him, raised his eyebrows and asked: "You don't approve of my way of doing things either?"

"Haha, thinking too much, aren't you."

Li Huai De sized up Li Xuewu, then laughed: "Even if they are arrogant again, can they make me afraid?"

"I'm thinking of you~"

He smiled helplessly and nodded, saying: "A body full of pride, never leaving yourself a way out."

"In the Steel Rolling Factory, you talk about courage and strategy; in the branch bureau and the garrison, you talk about being open and aboveboard."

"But..."

Li Huai De turned his head to look at Li Xuewu and asked: "People who know you so well, will they play surface articles with you?"

"Either don't do it, give yourself time to relax, take a step back and the sea and sky will be vast."

"Either do it, then do it ruthlessly; don't talk about benevolence and morality, let alone fairness and reasonableness."

Li Huai De pointed his finger at the tea table between the two, and said with a soft but slightly sinister tone: "Kill him first, then talk to him about reason; everything is up to you."

"It's my consideration that was not thorough."

Li Xuewu nodded with a solemn expression and said: "Mistook false affection for true affection, leaving behind a tail."

"Just take it as a lesson."

Li Huai De waved his hand indifferently and said: "Who hasn't been young; you've already been good enough."

After saying this, he nodded, looked at the bookshelf in the study, and said: "Our joint trade project hasn't been a day or two, have you seen the other party stand up and greet you twice?"

"If you don't give him meat today, he will come to bite you tomorrow; this root of disaster was buried by you long ago, it's on you."

Li Huai De pointed at the rattan chair armrest, and said with a soft but slightly sinister tone: "This kind of person should be kept hungry from the beginning; you can't let him eat his fill. Don't you know how to train a dog?"

"Alright, I support you in how you handle this matter."

Li Huai De turned his head and comforted: "You don't need to worry about the factory; it won't cause any big waves."

"As for the outside..."

He paused, lifted the teacup lid, pointed at Li Xuewu and said: "Don't kill them all; it doesn't matter if you leave a few small ones, lest the rabbit dies and the fox grieves, and the people above also get tired of you."

After saying this, he loosened his hand and let the teacup lid fall, making a clanging sound.

"Talk about the shipyard; what are your plans?"

"Mainly considering future product layout and market competitiveness."

Li Xuewu folded his left leg, turned slightly to look at Li Huai De, and reported: "Any enterprise will face the difficult problem of choosing a customer group when intervening in market competition."

"That is to say, who are the products we build to be sold to, who are they for, and who will buy them again after using them."

"Yingcheng Shipyard is a product of solving the overflow of steel rolling production capacity and the research and development progress of special steel for steel mills."

"Building fishing boats, building cargo ships—one is small and many, one is big and few—both lack core market competitiveness."

Li Xuewu explained seriously to Li Huai De: "I want to sell the goods in my hands to you; now I can rely on the planned economy to solve the sales problem, but I can't solve the profit-R&D recycling problem."

"So, the shipyard has to find another way, right?"

Li Huai De pursed his lips and nodded, saying: "Can't take domestic orders, can only find a way out from the outside."

"Yes, our factory has no R&D foundation, let alone talent and technical reserves."

Li Xuewu told him: "Even if someone orders or buys the fishing boats or cargo ships we are building now, what about five years later? Ten years later?"

"After the group goal is achieved, what we face is a mess of bankruptcies, and life will be even harder."

"This situation cannot happen!"

Li Huai De frowned and leaned back on the rattan chair, saying to Li Xuewu: "I understand your idea; is this being prepared for a rainy day?"

"Not really..."

Li Xuewu paused, looked into Li Huai De's eyes and said: "You should be very clear that relying solely on the planned economy now cannot stand firm; it is easy to go astray."

"Hm~"

Li Huai De's frown deepened, his fingers kept tapping on the rattan chair armrest, thinking while asking: "Do you mean that it is possible for the sky to change?"

"Not certain, but we must guard against the opening of market-oriented operations."

Li Xuewu tapped the solid wood tea table lightly and reminded softly: "Being able to engage in agricultural and sideline production, and being able to run some small and medium-sized factories, producing some products they need and products that can be exchanged at equal value with the state... isn't this just opening a gap?"

"Oh..."

Li Huai De hesitated, pursing his lips, but still said: "It's because the people above and the organization are too difficult that they have to do this."

"What I want to say more is that times change, and we should follow the trend."

Li Xuewu lowered his voice and said: "Think about it, if it weren't for the fact that the needs below were too strong, or that the current social productivity really couldn't satisfy the people's needs, how could there be today..."

"I know, I know."

Li Huai De nodded slightly and said: "We must guard against this sudden change, just like today's reform."

"I think so; we can take it slowly."

Li Xuewu explained in a gentle tone: "The fact that the people above can allow foreign businessmen to come to the interior to purchase goods proves that the attitude is clear and open."

"It's just..."

Li Huai De hesitated and said: "How should we grasp the scale?"

"Of course, it is to resolutely maintain and strive to create!"

Li Xuewu looked at Li Huai De seriously and explained: "Our factory must always consider problems from the perspective of all factory employees, and based on your management philosophy, lead the way in striving to create a model of enterprise management in the new era."

"Hm, hm."

Li Huai De's brain was spinning rapidly, trying to keep up with Li Xuewu's thinking rhythm, while he said with feeling: "That is to say, inside and outside, one set of rules for the front, another set for the back...?"

"Although it sounds ugly, the understanding is very correct."

Li Xuewu commented: "Selling goods to the outside is to create foreign exchange and economy; is selling technology to the outside not?"

"We must firmly grasp one red line and two basic points, and resolutely take creating excellence and striving for foreign exchange as the goal of foreign operation."

"And internally, we must fully mobilize the enthusiasm of factory employees to participate in daily management and labor; the factory belongs to everyone, and it is everyone's home."

"Hm, makes sense."

Li Huai De's gaze turned a few times, looked at Li Xuewu and asked: "In your opinion, where is the breakthrough point for Yingcheng Shipyard in the future?"

"Based on the foundation, looking forward to the future."

Li Xuewu's eyes brightened, and he explained: "The existing cargo ship and fishing boat manufacturing capacity will cultivate a large number of technical talents for the shipyard, and the yacht manufacturing capacity will continuously provide the shipyard with advanced technology and design concepts."

"With talent and technology, and advanced design concepts, what do you think Yingcheng Shipyard will develop into?"

"... Dare not think."

Li Huai De shook his head slightly and said: "Just this light ship and boat manufacturing item alone, we can lead the northern shipbuilding industry by a large margin."

"This is competitiveness."

Li Xuewu looked at Li Huai De with burning eyes and said: "The assessment criteria for group construction must also consider whether an enterprise can drive the progress and development of other enterprises."

"I have studied the group process of the Beijing Automobile Factory; they took the path of constant mergers, but the disadvantages of this are too many, and the gains don't make up for the losses."

"Hm, indeed so."

Li Huai De thought about what Li Xuewu had reported to him about the group direction of high quality, high technology, and strict management, and he already understood the layout of the shipyard in his heart.

He nodded slowly, looked at Li Xuewu and asked: "Do you think it will be the era of small boats in the future?"

"Of course not!"

Li Xuewu smiled and picked up the thermos to refill his hot water, saying: "I actually hope that our shipyard can take one step to the end and build a ten-thousand-ton giant ship directly."

"But..."

Just at the moment Li Huai De's gaze froze, Li Xuewu smiled and explained: "Ships and boats will always have production capabilities that big ships don't have."

"Take the ten-thousand-ton giant ship for example; let it deliver goods to Beijing—can it achieve it?"

"Take the patrol boat for example; is it more suitable to modify a fishing boat, or is the kind of fast boat we are going to build more suitable?"

Li Xuewu put down the thermos and said to Li Huai De: "I dare not say whether the future is the era of big ships or small boats; I dare to say that the future is the era of fast ships."

"Hm, makes sense."

Li Huai De patted the rattan chair armrest and said: "You want to solve the sales problem of ships from the perspective of speed!"

"Always have to occupy one advantage!"

Li Xuewu smiled and said: "Just like our cars—if your quality is better than mine, then I will have more functions than you; if your loading capacity is bigger than mine, then I will be cheaper than you."

"Hm, hm, your idea is right."

Li Huai De nodded slowly and said: "Fiberglass ships have disadvantages, and Yingcheng Shipyard has just started, which also has weaknesses."

"If we pass this starting period and suddenly have fast ships, then..."

He looked thoughtful, looked at the decorative painting on the wall, and asked in a murmur: "Then what can fast ships do?"

"What is the expected due date?"

Zhou Miaomiao looked at Wu Shuping's belly curiously, then said with a special tone: "Will it be very hard to be pregnant?"

"It is a bit hard."

Wu Shuping smiled and sized up the girl in front of her, saying: "Fortunately, I can give birth next month; then it will just be tired."

"Ah?"

Zhou Miaomiao looked at her in surprise and said: "Then... is giving birth very painful?"

"Maybe~"

Wu Shuping lowered her head and touched her belly, saying: "I'm looking forward to him leaving all the pain to me, and living a life without worries."

"No wonder the book says maternal love is great~"

Zhou Miaomiao said with some emotion: "Being a mother is really too difficult."

Saying this, the gaze looking at Wu Shuping even carried a hint of sympathy and mutual understanding.

The pain of giving birth is one thing, but if the child born has no name and no status, for a woman, isn't it also a kind of torture.

She doesn't dare to try, and she doesn't have such courage; no matter how she is with Li Huai De, she will never want a child.

Unless he divorces and marries her.

Pitying Wu Shuping also meant pitying herself; Li Xuewu hid a beauty in a golden house here to raise Wu Shuping, so next door, wasn't it Li Huai De who used the same house to raise her.

Looking at Wu Shuping's full maternal radiance, thinking that Li Xuewu doesn't even come once a month in Beijing, the future...

"The love of parents in the world is the truest, tears and blood melt into the bodies of children."

"Exhausting all efforts for the children, pitiful are the parents of the world!"

Zhou Miaomiao sized up Wu Shuping, feeling emotional about the other party's stupidity in her heart, while her mouth comforted the other party, as if she were celebrating her own sobriety now.

Li Huai De and Li Xuewu came out of the study and happened to hear her say this, and scolded with some displeasure: "What nonsense!"

After saying this, seeing the gazes of Zhou Miaomiao and Wu Shuping looking over, he pointed at his little girlfriend and reminded: "Wu Laoshi is a physics professor at Huaqing University; you are showing off your skills here, which is inevitably laughable."

"Ah?"

Zhou Miaomiao was stunned for a moment after hearing Li Huai De's words, then looked back at Wu Shuping with some disbelief.

Although she had the gentleness of a southern woman, she didn't see much of a scholar's temperament on the other party's face.

Furthermore, during the conversation just now, the other party didn't mention topics of learning and cultivation; it was just her who kept pulling out book knowledge she had read recently...

Too embarrassing!

It wasn't just an embarrassment problem; she was even a bit unconvinced, or rather, unwilling to face the current reality.

Ever since she heard that Li Xuewu had a confidante here, she had been thinking about coming to see.

The moment she saw Wu Shuping, she was a bit proud; in terms of looks and figure, she absolutely crushed the other party.

At first, Li Xuewu ignored her active flattery, but behind her back, he found such an ordinary-looking woman and even had a child; he really had no taste.

Even if she is generous, a small family girl, and gave birth to his child, she is ultimately raised outside.

There was a saying earlier: marry a wife for virtue, take a concubine for beauty; since Li Xuewu already has a wife, finding another one, shouldn't she be more beautiful.

Didn't expect...

Didn't expect to find a university professor!

What the hell!

Is it that being an outsider is so competitive now?!

She looked at Wu Shuping in a daze, thinking in her heart that her stumbling junior high school education was not enough to qualify to have a child for someone.

This Li Xuewu is really... really hard to fathom; even for someone outside, he has to choose one with a high cultural level. No wonder he didn't look at her in the first place.

Li Huai De smiled apologetically at Wu Shuping; he respected intellectuals very much, especially young and cultured ones like Wu Shuping.

Li Xuewu sent him and Zhou Miaomiao, who was still dazed, away. The moment he turned back to close the door, his eyes couldn't help but narrow.

Wu Shuping stood in front of the sofa, supporting her waist, and looked at Li Xuewu strangely. After he walked closer, she opened her mouth and said: "He investigated me."

"It's inevitable."

Li Xuewu stood behind the sofa, his hands supporting the back of the sofa, and said in a gentle tone: "From the beginning, I knew he would have these little movements."

"Will there be a problem?"

Wu Shuping's gaze swept over the nanny room on the first floor, and her worry included the woman who had come suddenly.

Li Xuewu shook his head slightly and said: "Rest assured, although she is not one of our own, she is not an outsider either."

"I know."

Wu Shuping nodded with a frown and asked: "Then what next...?"

"Continue!"

Li Xuewu patted the back of the sofa lightly and stood up straight, saying: "That Zhou Miaomiao coming back early was instigated by Li Huai De, and the following situations were all him testing you."

"But don't worry, just live your life as usual; treat the real as false, and the false as real."

Saying this, Li Xuewu walked around the sofa to Wu Shuping, raised his hand to support her, and gestured toward the stairs: "I'll send you upstairs."

"Good."

Wu Shuping glanced out the window and let Li Xuewu support her up to the second floor. When passing the guest room, she could still hear footsteps.

"They are..."

"Trying to cover up, disturbing the hearing."

Li Xuewu didn't care about the movement in the guest room, sent Wu Shuping into the master bedroom, and personally stood by the window to pull the curtains.

Then he extinguished the lights in the room, leaving only the bedside lamp for Wu Shuping.

"Rest early; I have to rush to Yingcheng early tomorrow morning. You sleep your sleep; don't get up to accompany me in the morning."

"Good."

Wu Shuping nodded while lying on the bed and said softly: "I'll invite that Zhou Miaomiao to a casual meal at noon."

"As you wish, invite her if it's convenient."

Li Xuewu unbuttoned his shirt and said at the door: "Don't pay too much attention to her; she is smarter than you think."

After saying this, he smiled slightly, said goodnight to Wu Shuping, and went out.

Of course he had to leave; this wasn't playing "Lurk," where he had to sleep in the same bed.

It was impossible for anyone to wiretap him unless the other party didn't want to live.

Moreover, it was a matter of mutual trust; Li Huai De wanted an attitude, not facts.

"Hmph~"

Li Xuewu had just come out when he saw Luo Yun standing at the door of the guest room, wearing pajamas and hugging her arms, humming: "I didn't misjudge you!"

"Do I need you?"

Li Xuewu curled his mouth and sized her up, saying: "Stand straight; who taught you to lean against the door frame to talk? What kind of look is this for a young girl?"

"Hmph! Still talking about me~"

Luo Yun grabbed Li Xuewu's arm, pulled him into the guest room hard, and scolded: "Hurry up and explain; she's already wiped her tears twice."

"What?"

Li Xuewu was pulled into the guest room by her. He had just asked a question when he saw Zhou Xiaobai sitting by the bed, covering her face and hiding from him.

"Crying~"

Luo Yun explained to Li Xuewu, who was looking over, with a "hate that iron doesn't become steel" attitude, then pointed at Zhou Xiaobai, curled her lips, and climbed onto the bed.

Li Xuewu looked at her, who was small but had a big ghost, amusedly, then walked to the bedside, pulled out a rattan chair and sat down, turned his face to look at Zhou Xiaobai, who was lowering her head.

"What's wrong? Crying just like that?"

After saying this, he pulled some tissues from the nightstand and handed them over, saying: "Is it homesickness, or has my tall, upright, and glorious image collapsed in your heart?"

"Need to ask?"

Luo Yun, who was rolling on the bed, pouted and said: "You don't know what kind of status you have in her heart; she gets anxious if I say one word."

After saying this, she poked Zhou Xiaobai, who was lowering her head, and looked at her, who was twisting her body to hide from her, and said amusedly: "Hurry up and explain; whose lover is that sister-in-law, and is that child yours?"

"Hehe~"

Li Xuewu stretched out his finger to lift Zhou Xiaobai's chin, looked at the pear-blossom-with-rain girl, and asked with a smile: "Did you cry because I said she was my lover?"

Zhou Xiaobai pursed her lips, tears falling down, looking at him aggrievedly, not daring to move her chin away.

"Hahaha~"

Li Xuewu found her expression even more interesting and teased: "Who said that if she is my lover, the child is mine?"

"Hm...?"

Zhou Xiaobai looked up at him, her gaze filled with a few parts of sympathy.

"What are you thinking!"

Li Xuewu flicked her forehead, then rubbed her head, and said: "Silly child, I said she was my lover and you believed it; if I really had a lover outside, would I let you see her?"

"Ah?"

Zhou Xiaobai looked at him blankly, opened her mouth; her brain wasn't enough at this moment, just now the tears were flowing backward, and she had a bit of water in her head.

"Idiot!"

Luo Yun climbed up from the bed, not caring that her pajamas were loose and she was exposed, hugged Zhou Xiaobai from behind, and said: "I just said Brother Li's words can't be trusted, but you insisted on believing!"

"Hey! Hey! What are you saying!"

Li Xuewu made a gesture to flick her forehead, and threatened: "Speak properly, don't look for a beating!"

"Hmph~"

Luo Yun had gotten to know him a bit, pouted her little mouth, then suddenly stood up with a smile, jumped directly from the bed to behind him, hugged his shoulders and neck hard, and whispered into his ear: "I just knew that the person I worship wouldn't turn bad!"

"Oh my, oh my~"

Li Xuewu supported her from behind and said with disdain: "Do I need you to worship me?!"

"I don't care!"

Luo Yun hugged his neck hard with a smile and acted coquettishly: "You are my worship; you are not allowed to turn bad!"

"Then..."

Zhou Xiaobai looked at Luo Yun and Li Xuewu playing with envy; at this time, she also knew she had misunderstood.

I'm afraid Li Xuewu had other arrangements or was going to do something, which was why he said that.

From the fact that Luo Yun said he came out of the master bedroom, she had a premonition that things were not what she thought.

Zhou Xiaobai was also blaming herself for thinking wildly and blaming him wrongly just now; he was a gentleman, and he had never taken the initiative to do that to her.

"Then, what is the relationship between that sister-in-law and you?"

"Hehe, friend relationship."

Li Xuewu looked at her courageous question, turned around behind Luo Yun, and threw the other party directly onto the bed.

Ignoring Luo Yun's scream, he reached out and touched Zhou Xiaobai's head and said: "But for now, I have to say it's a lover relationship; can you understand?"

"Hm!"

Zhou Xiaobai looked up, letting Li Xuewu touch her head like a kitten.

Only after confirming it once, she was still a bit worried, so she opened her eyes and asked: "Then... then where are you sleeping tonight?"

"Oh~"

Li Xuewu looked at her with a smile and said: "Just now I was busy arranging rooms for you and forgot to arrange one for myself."

"Then~~"

He lowered his head and leaned close to Zhou Xiaobai's face, asking with a smile: "How about I share a room with you? Let's kick Luo Yun out!"

Zhou Xiaobai said with a camel-red face: "This... this is not very good~" ===== CHAPTER 971 =====