Li Nanfang's timely escape had three reasons.
One.
Of course, it was fear that someone would covet his ill-gotten gains again.
Two.
He wanted to find Gao Lingwang and others and have a good chat with them; after all, those children had left home with nothing to follow Li Qianfan; as Li Qianfan's grandfather, he naturally had to help look after them.
Three.
Li Nanfang's task of supporting the Su family was complete, and dusk was approaching; if he didn't leave now, would he stay at the Su family's waiting to be fed dog food?
These three reasons were clear to both Li Qianfan and Su Nanxin.
Naturally, they didn't mind.
However, no one noticed Luo Huayin, who suddenly left with a stomachache.
Even less did they expect—
Luo Huayin, who originally had her heart set on Li Qianfan becoming her stepfather, was so traumatized by witnessing the speed at which the Li family got rich that her mindset underwent a qualitative change. She started running towards "money," only wanting to become Li Qianfan's grandmother.
The lanterns were lit.
Night fell.
The Su family, which had been lively all day, finally returned to its former tranquility as night arrived.
Tired.
This was the most real feeling for Li Qianfan and Su Nanxin.
After all, their nerves had been on high alert all day, and the mortality rate of their brain cells had reached new heights.
After returning to the backyard, they nestled on the sofa, unwilling to move, wanting only to fall asleep soundly.
They wanted to rest but couldn't.
At least.
They had to sort out the total amount of gifts received today, right?
They needed a general plan for how this money should be used, right?
If the money was insufficient, they worried.
If there was too much money and they didn't know where to spend it, they also worried!
On the contrary, the caterpillars who had made a fortune today were all full of energy.
They wouldn't bother with things that required thinking.
They only needed to follow the instructions of the "big boss" and "second boss" to complete their respective tasks.
Seeing that both bosses were very tired, they showed their understanding by dividing the labor.
The two bosses just had to lie on the sofa and do nothing.
Su Maomao would do the accounting and make preliminary plans.
Yaoyao would help Su Nanxin with a massage, and knead her legs and temples.
Chongchong would help Li Qianfan with a massage, and knead his legs and temples.
Truly sensible children—
Gradually, Li Qianfan, who hadn't slept well the night before, slowly fell asleep amidst Su Maomao's reports.
In a daze, someone snuggled into his arms.
He instinctively embraced them.
Sometimes, when you hold someone while sleeping, you feel more at ease.
When he opened his eyes again, it was already seven o'clock in the morning on the seventh day of the Lunar New Year.
A faint golden-red hue was subtly appearing on the eastern horizon outside the window.
Li Qianfan was already curled up in a corner of the sofa, with the warmth and intoxicating fragrance of a woman lingering in his arms.
But the woman in his embrace was gone.
The sound of a kettle being filled and water being heated came from the kitchen.
"Chongchong is simply too gentle and diligent. Absolutely a model wife and mother. It's a shame, though, that she's a bit out of her mind. She fell in love with a man she shouldn't have. Her lifelong happiness is thus ruined."
Li Qianfan was sometimes quite self-aware.
However.
After lamenting for Chongchong for only a few seconds, he cast this regret to the winds.
It could be said that he had inherited the fine tradition of his grandfather and his father.
Although after a night of high-quality sleep (high-quality meaning not even being able to dream), Li Qianfan's throbbing forehead had long since returned to its previous ease, he still felt too lazy to move when he woke up this morning.
With a creak.
A bedroom door opened.
Shen Chongchong, wearing a white bathrobe, walked out, her eyes half-closed as if sleepwalking.
Li Qianfan was stunned for a moment.
He had thought that the woman who had been sleeping in his arms like a cat until dawn and only went to the kitchen to boil water about ten minutes ago was Shen Chongchong.
Clearly, it wasn't.
Shen Chongchong, sleepwalking, suddenly became alert upon seeing Li Qianfan on the sofa.
She walked over quickly on her snowy white feet, leaned down, and kissed his forehead lightly, whispering, "Brother, did you feel cold sleeping on the sofa last night? I woke up freezing in the early morning. That's when I remembered that Su Maomao had turned off the heating last night because she felt too hot and it was affecting her concentration."
"No."
Li Qianfan answered truthfully, "I almost have no concept of normal temperature changes now."
Indeed.
If he could survive hidden in the snow in minus tens of degrees for tens of hours without freezing to death, what was the difference of being in a living room with the heating turned off?
"Oh, oh, I forgot."
After nodding, Chongchong's face suddenly flushed, and she said in a mosquito-like hum, "Brother, I'm still very cold now."
This was an invitation.
Early in the morning—
Li Qianfan immediately understood the implication.
He stood up from the sofa and walked towards the door, saying softly, "I'll go to the middle courtyard."
The backyard had a separate bathroom only in the master bedroom of the "big boss"; the other four rooms did not.
When the early-rising Chongchong needed to wash up, she would inevitably occupy the "public bathroom" in the backyard.
Li Qianfan could go to the middle courtyard to use the bathroom there.
Chongchong immediately nodded, turned around, and rushed into the bathroom at full speed.
Shamelessly humming, "Early bird catches the worm. Early worm gets eaten by birds."
After she finished washing up as quickly as possible, and returned to her bedroom to get a few black items; she glanced at the figure busy in the kitchen and quietly opened the door to leave, when Du Yaoyao walked out of the bedroom.
As soon as she left the bedroom, she raised her hand and banged on Su Maomao's door, complaining, "Su Maomao! Why didn't you turn on the heating before bed last night? I was woken up by the cold in the middle of the night."
Su Maomao's voice came from the bedroom, "I was also woken up by the cold in the middle of the night! Since you were woken up, why didn't you turn on the heating?"
Du Yaoyao retorted, "Why didn't you?"
Su Maomao replied, "I didn't want to move."
Du Yaoyao stated righteously, "I wanted to move even less! I'd rather freeze in the middle of the night than turn on the heating for you."
The eldest and youngest daughters were bickering, while the second daughter was sneaking towards the front like a thief.
Hearing all this, the "big boss," who saw everything through the window, was chopping vegetables.
Her expression was calm, but she was silently recalling why she didn't turn on the heating after being woken up by the cold in the middle of the night.
The cold wind of the seventh morning of the Lunar New Year swirled through the Su family's courtyard.
But the temperature in a certain guest room was warm and comfortable, around twenty-six or twenty-seven degrees Celsius.
Intoxicating fragrances slowly permeated the air amidst the intermittently rising and falling chirps of insects.
At 7:15 AM, the sun finally showed its face.
The shattered porcelain doll, however, closed her eyes, bit her left thumb, sweat on her forehead, her delicate face pressed against the pillow, unwilling to move at all.
The refreshed "second boss" righted the kneeling porcelain doll, then pulled over a blanket.
The middle courtyard also had a bathroom.
Furthermore, each guest room had its own private bathroom.
As for bedroom amenities—
Whenever guests checked out, they would be disinfected and replaced with new ones.
The "second boss" bent down and picked up several tattered black stockings from the floor.
He didn't know which uncivilized person had casually discarded the garbage.
It caused the porcelain doll, who was now sleeping groggily, to like wearing these broken things.
Li Qianfan couldn't stand it and quietly pulled off the broken silk stocking on her left foot.
As a person, one should learn from Mr. Qianfan, who cared about environmental hygiene!
Dispose of garbage first, then shower.
After everything was tidied up, it took only twenty minutes.
Li Qianfan returned to the living room in the backyard.
Breakfast was ready.
Golden millet porridge; three-colored spicy and sour pickled vegetables; pan-fried mantou slices.
The breakfast was simple, yet it was visually appealing, fragrant, and delicious, making one's appetite whet upon first glance.
The "second boss" entered the room, exchanged a glance with the "big boss" who had just set out the breakfast, and then they both quickly averted their gazes.
"Get up, it's time to eat!"
The "big boss" called out to her two daughters who had gotten up in the morning, gone to the bathroom, and then retreated back to their warm beds to sleep in. She opened the door and entered the master bedroom.
As she closed the door, Li Qianfan clearly heard her let out a sigh filled with resentment and self-blame.
Perhaps it was an illusion—
Neither the sleepy Su Maomao nor the late-sleeping Du Yaoyao paid any attention to the "big boss's" call to eat.
When Su Nanxin emerged from the bedroom and reappeared in the living room, she had already neatly tied up her exquisite hair, changed into a designer black suit, flesh-colored leggings, and was wearing black ankle boots.
Yesterday, the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, the Su family officially opened its doors.
Today, the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, "Dark Blade" officially opened its office!
The Su family's grand opening was publicized.
"Dark Blade's" opening was a quiet entry into the village, no shots fired.
Su Nanxin would officially take over the office premises from Director Zhao at ten o'clock in the morning, on behalf of Li Wujiang (now Li Nanfang), the chief steward of "Dark Blade."
She would also establish various departments and secretly transfer administrative personnel such as secretaries, electronic reconnaissance specialists, accountants, and logistics staff from relevant units.
In short, there were many trivial matters.
The two of them silently ate breakfast across the table.
The atmosphere began to become awkward—
Li Qianfan disliked this atmosphere and looked up, opening his mouth.
The moment he looked up, the "big boss" also looked up.
In unison, they asked a disjointed question: "How was your sleep quality last night?"