"What?"
"You're not allowed to live in this house with Ziyu anymore?"
After hearing Lao Su finish, Li Qianfan suspected his ears had malfunctioned.
"Cough, suggestion, hehe, suggestion."
Lao Su coughed dryly and got straight to the point, "You and Ziyu can come home in the future, but only as guests! It's best not to stay at home. Because after you and Ziyu moved out, your mother and I experienced a world for two, and we felt like we were back in our youth. We were full of passion, feeling like we had entered our second spring. This is why your mother is getting younger and more beautiful. If we had known that the middle-aged world for two was so wonderful, we shouldn't have had Ziyu in the first place."
Li Qianfan was dumbfounded—
Inexplicably, he and Su Ziyu had become superfluous.
Most crucially, Mother Lan, who was wiping glass nearby, took the opportunity to express her stance.
She planned to buy a small apartment near her workplace after the new year.
After all, the current home was too large, lacking a sense of security, and was far from work.
A well-decorated small apartment of just over thirty square meters was most suitable for a middle-aged couple to enjoy their happy world for two.
What could he say?
In any case, Li Qianfan instantly lost the warmth of home.
Especially when Mother Lan said she would be on duty tonight, New Year's Eve, and wouldn't be back until the third day of the new year.
Li Qianfan's feeling of being kicked out was even stronger!
Old Father Su also joined the fun, saying he had to be on duty at the pharmaceutical factory and garment factory during the Spring Festival.
No one would be home.
He hoped his beloved son-in-law could overcome his loneliness, clean the house himself, and find something to do.
This—
Li Qianfan said haltingly, "Dad, Mom, I drove over a thousand miles yesterday, eagerly returning to Qingyun, specifically to fulfill my filial duties for Ziyu and spend the New Year with you. But you're abandoning me to stay home alone. May I ask, doesn't your conscience hurt?"
"What is conscience?"
Old Father Su looked helpless, sighed, "Alas, Chu Yazhi has returned to Tiannan; Wei Wan and Gao Lingwang left for the Northwest a few days ago; Chen Dong and An Ran also returned to their hometowns for the New Year yesterday afternoon. As the general manager, I can't let Xie Wenxiu be the only one holding down the fort, can I?"
During the New Year, Chen Dong and the others, whose homes were outside the city, would definitely return home for the holiday.
Similarly.
Due to the rampant vampires, the garment factory and pharmaceutical factory had not stopped production but required management.
Old Su, being a local and the general manager, naturally had to set an example and go on duty.
"Qianfan."
Ning Xiaolan thought for a moment and said, "Why don't you let your father go on duty, and I'll swap shifts with my colleagues? I'll stay home and spend the New Year with you tonight and on the first day."
What?
You'll spend the New Year with me at home, just the two of us?
Let's forget it!
Li Qianfan quickly shook his head—
He wasn't here to spend the New Year with his in-laws; he was here to cause trouble!
This situation was really difficult to handle.
If he had known this, Li Qianfan wouldn't have returned to Qingyun.
He could have gone with Sister Wujiang to spend the New Year in Emperor Valley (Li Wujiang's trip to Emperor Valley this year was actually to apologize to Father Li in person and receive ideological education for her mistake in handling the scandal), or simply flown to Longxu to find Ziyu's wife.
Seeing that Li Qianfan's mood was a little affected, Old Su and his wife felt very apologetic and even more awkward.
"Old Su, why don't we both stay home from work! It's New Year's Eve, we must spend a good New Year with Qianfan at home."
Ning Xiaolan finally made up her mind.
Old Su slowly nodded, "Alright, I'll go to the unit and make arrangements now. We'll make dumplings when I get back."
Ring, ring.
Before Li Qianfan could wave his hand to refuse, Mother Lan's phone rang.
It was her assistant, Xiao Han: "Director Ning! Just now, a certain male star from Canada caused public disorder at the train station due to a large number of fans. When the duty personnel advised him to leave quickly, hundreds of female fans who had come to meet him clashed with the duty personnel."
The train station had its own special police station, which did not fall under Ning Xiaolan's jurisdiction, but it was within her area.
If anything happened there, they would immediately call for backup from here.
"What?"
Ning Xiaolan heard this and sprang up, cursing, "What damn celebrity is running to our Qingyun during the New Year for?"
Xiao Han replied, "Reportedly, he's here to participate in Qingyun TV's New Year's Eve gala."
"Damn it, these coquettish creatures only know how to cause trouble."
Ning Xiaolan had no good feelings towards those fresh meat idols: "I'll rush over immediately, you take people to support the station first!"
Conflicts between celebrity fans and duty personnel were commonplace.
However, handling them required caution and care.
After all, those brainless fans who would dare to cheat on their boyfriends for their idols; curse their own fathers; and sell their own mothers were not to be trifled with and had to be treated with great care!
"Qianfan—"
After Ning Xiaolan hung up the phone, her face was full of apology.
Li Qianfan stood up and quickly said, "Mom, you go and handle your business. We'll have plenty of opportunities to spend New Year's together in the future, especially after you retire; we'll be together every year."
Ning Xiaolan didn't speak.
Instead, she opened her arms, hugged Li Qianfan tightly, and then turned and hurried out the door.
Wearing that watch!
"Beloved son-in-law, it seems like I'll have to accompany you for a drink tonight."
Old Su shrugged, and his phone rang.
Xie Wenxiu called, saying that security at the pharmaceutical factory had apprehended two employees who were secretly stealing Qianfan No. 1, and the matter was serious, requiring General Manager Su to handle it personally.
Old Su was furious when he heard this: "Are these ungrateful wretches? Wait, I'm coming over now!"
Li Qianfan—
After the apologetic Old Father Su gave him a loving hug, just like Mother Lan, and then rushed out the door, Li Qianfan looked at the empty house and suddenly missed Ziyu's wife intensely.
In less than half a day, it would be New Year's Eve.
A day for family reunions.
But Li Qianfan was alone, feeling abandoned by the whole world.
Sorrow welled up in him—
He picked up the phone and called Su Ziyu.
For a full hour, under the sweet talk of Sister Yu and Sister Mo working together, Li Qianfan felt much better.
So what if he spent New Year's alone at home?
Li Qianfan wasn't a child who needed adults to accompany him for New Year's.
He would make dumplings himself!
As soon as he decided, Li Qianfan rolled up his sleeves and prepared to go to the kitchen when his phone buzzed.
Seeing the caller ID, Li Qianfan quickly put on a filial expression: "Grandpa Zhao, I wish you a Happy New Year in advance!"
The person who called Li Qianfan was General Manager Zhao.
General Manager Zhao must have known about Li Qianfan and Su Nanyin's "secret rendezvous" on the Great Wall that day.
He must have also heard about the "domineering declaration" Li Qianfan made to Shen Haoyu.
But General Manager Zhao had never contacted Li Qianfan.
General Manager Zhao and Li Qianfan had the same idea: let the situation unfold and observe the reactions of all parties.
Li Qianfan's domineering declaration—
Had caused extremely negative repercussions within the influential families of Jiangnan and Beibei!
Not only were the eleven influential families criticizing him, but even top influential families such as the Gao family of the Northwest, the Chu family of Xincheng, and the Qin family of Hong Kong had expressed their displeasure.
Not to mention the news coming from Lingnan.
"Kid, I also know why you did this. This is the only way to ensure that Deputy Director Su doesn't have to prove her innocence by committing suicide. Because you know very well that she went to the Great Wall that day precisely to protect you."
General Manager Zhao's tone was heavy: "But I have to say, we underestimated those people. This way, the pressure you bear will be immense."
"I know."
Li Qianfan said calmly, "But I cannot be crushed."
General Manager Zhao said, "I've thought about it for a long time. Kid, you've already ensured that Deputy Director Su doesn't have to commit suicide to prove anything. You've done your utmost and have to bear the subsequent pressure. In short, you've done very well. For your and Deputy Director Su's future, I want her to resign and leave the Dark Blade. As for you, there's no need to join the Dark Blade either. Letting Deputy Director Su live peacefully in Si Jiu in the future might be the best outcome. You should also stop seeing her from now on."
Li Qianfan frowned.
A trace of defiance, which even he himself was unaware of, flashed in his eyes!
"Grandpa Zhao."
Li Qianfan said slowly, "I am determined to be Deputy Director Su's secretary!"
General Manager Zhao fell silent.
Li Qianfan's reaction was not beyond his expectations.
Beep.
The call ended.
"Damn it, if they couldn't force Su Nanyin to commit suicide, they're now eyeing her position, thereby undermining the unity of the Dark Blade and affecting Du Yaoya's smooth succession as the next Chief Manager after Sister Wujiang. They all have such grand plans. Heh heh."
After a series of cold laughs, Li Qianfan put down his rolled-up sleeves and walked into the master bedroom.
When he came out again, he was already wearing the formal suit that Mother Lan had personally bought for him.
He walked to the door of the master bedroom, took out his phone, and directly made a video call to Ning Xiaolan: "Mom, I have an urgent situation and need to return to Si Jiu. I'll give you and Dad an early New Year's greeting first."
On the video.
Ning Xiaolan, who was handling matters at the station, saw Li Qianfan kneel down and kowtow respectfully towards the master bedroom door.
Tears—
Suddenly welled up, and Ning Xiaolan could no longer see anything clearly.
It was getting dark.
This was Si Jiu!
The Su family—
In the living room of the backyard, four women whose beauty and appearance, no matter where they were placed, would attract the attention of men, were gathered around a table making dumplings.