"Miss Li, please don't be angry. I'm not very well-read, and my well-intentioned words might have been misinterpreted. You can ask Hu Li." Hua Yan said, looking at Hu Li.

"Yes, Yan is usually straightforward," Hu Li's words seemed to rub salt into Li Jiao Jiao's wound. Hua Yan looked at Hu Li in surprise. She had wanted him to say she wasn't good at talking, but now it seemed like he was saying she was an honest person.

This wasn't indirectly saying that Li Jiao Jiao was lonely and desperate, was it? With guests around, Hua Yan couldn't scold him but felt both amused and annoyed inside.

From the kitchen, Fatty sighed again, "I think even if I lived a few more lifetimes, I wouldn't be able to match Hu Li. Look at how manly his words are!"

Big Black glanced at Fatty, kicked him lightly, and continued to watch the drama unfold in the living room.

"Actually, men need to have a few friends, whether male or female. What do you think, Hua Yan?" Li Jiao Jiao wasn't someone to be easily defeated. She quickly turned the conversation around.

"That's quite true," Hua Yan said with a smile.

"Then I would like to invite Hu Li out for a chat. You wouldn't mind, would you? Hu Li is a rare, tasteful person, and I want to be friends with him."

Hua Yan kept smiling but gave Hu Li a fierce look. She thought to herself, look at you, this trouble magnet, causing me so much hassle.

Seeing Hua Yan's piercing gaze, Hu Li recalled the time he had to kneel on instant noodles. However, Li Jiao Jiao's more shameless words touched the bottom line of this eternally aloof man.

"I'm afraid you'll be disappointed, Miss Li. I still have many things to help Yan with. If there's nothing else, we'll take our leave." Hu Li said coldly, looking at Li Jiao Jiao.

Hu Li directly issued an eviction order, and Hua Yan was happy to see it. She picked up the book she had been reading. No matter how shameless Li Jiao Jiao was, she couldn't stay.

With the eyesore gone, Hua Yan collapsed on the sofa, exhausted. Talking to a clever and thick-skinned person was more tiring than eating an ox's horn.

"Tired?" Hu Li placed one of Hua Yan's legs on his lap and skillfully massaged it. His words touched Hua Yan's heart, but she said, "Isn't this your fault?"

Hu Li smiled guiltily and said, "How about I cook lunch?"

"Really?" Remembering Hu Li's culinary skills, combining both Chinese and Western cuisine, Hua Yan couldn't help but swallow her saliva, her eyes shining like the stars. Hu Li thought to himself, what a treasure he had found in such a cute person.

"Of course." After massaging Hua Yan's legs and back, Hu Li sent Fatty to buy groceries and went to the kitchen, donning an apron to start cooking.

The sound of Hu Li chopping vegetables in the kitchen was like a lullaby to Hua Yan. Before long, she fell asleep with a sweet smile on her face.

In the evening, Hu Li received a call from his mother about attending a family banquet. Hu Li's mother didn't mention inviting Hua Yan, and Hu Li didn't bring it up. He had his plans and wouldn't let Hua Yan be ignored by his family.

"Do I have to go?" Hua Yan didn't want to attend the Hu family banquet when Hu Li suggested she go with him. It would be an ordeal.

Hu Li rubbed her furrowed brow and patiently explained his plan, "My mother doesn't want you to go, but I don't want you to remain unnoticed. One purpose of this banquet is to find me a suitable fiancée, which you can imagine."

Every generation's family head's wife is carefully chosen to determine the family's business direction. With the current economic growth in the mainland, the Hu family was keen on establishing their roots there. As a potential family head, Hu Li's wife was highly coveted by those who knew the Hu family's status.

From the start, Hu Li didn't want to give anyone false hope. He wanted people to know Hua Yan was his chosen one. On that day, he planned to be a devoted man, serving and following Hua Yan with his eyes. He didn't care if he angered his mother. Of course, defying family arrangements could cost him his candidacy, but he didn't care anymore.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Everything in the world had its patterns. Life was short, and he didn't want to look back at the end with no warmth or happy memories.

"Then let's go." Although she didn't want to, there were things she had to face.

A few days later, Hua Yan met Li Jiao Jiao again, this time by chance at the airport. However, Hua Yan didn't believe it was a coincidence. Since they ran into each other, Hua Yan decided to let her tag along. She had great confidence in Hu Li's self-control and propriety. Besides, with nothing else to do on the plane, she didn't mind the free entertainment.

On the way, Hua Yan was engrossed in her book, occasionally chatting with Hu Li. Hu Li, ever the attentive partner, brought her tea, covered her with a blanket, and displayed all the qualities of a considerate, domestic man. Li Jiao Jiao started off confident, trying to get closer to Hu Li, but after being ignored by him several times, her confidence waned, and she eventually fell silent, feeling frustrated.

Once Li Jiao Jiao settled down, Hu Li finally relaxed. After all, when Li Jiao Jiao left their house that day, his diligent cooking had earned him a reprieve from Hua Yan, who decided to postpone his punishment. He didn't want to suffer again because of another woman.

Seeing Li Jiao Jiao looking dejected, Hua Yan put down her book and quietly asked Hu Li, "Are you afraid of Li Jiao Jiao?"

Hu Li gave her a look, thinking to himself that he was more afraid of her than Li Jiao Jiao. "That's not true," Hu Li denied directly.

Hua Yan was just teasing him, and she laughed it off at his response.

In Haibin City, Hu Li's mother was anxious and stressed to the point of developing mouth ulcers. She was worried about her son and angry that he didn't return for the banquet. When she learned that Hu Li was already on a plane back to Haibin City, her face lit up with a smile, thinking her son had a good sense of priorities.

"What? That woman Hua Yan is coming too?" Just a second later, upon learning that Hua Yan was accompanying him, Hu Li's mother's anger surged, and she wished she could kick Hua Yan off the plane.

"When Hu Li arrives in Haibin City, have him come see me."

"Aunt, that woman Hua Yan has upset you again. And cousin, of all the women he could choose, why does he have to like her?" Ke Shaozheng said, adding fuel to the fire.

Hu Li's mother glanced at Ke Shaozheng, and an idea came to her. "Why don't you go and seduce that woman? If you succeed, I can let the Ke family participate in some of the Hu family's enterprises."

Ke Shaozheng's eyes lit up, but then he looked deflated and said, "Aunt, you're sending me to my death. If my cousin finds out I'm trying to steal his woman, he'll chop me up and feed me to the fish. That's impossible."

"Can't you do it yourself? Or can't someone else do it? If you want to be ruthless, seducing and then killing her would work too. Some people value money over their lives."

"Aunt, are you serious about this? Do you really want her gone?" Ke Shaozheng saw that his aunt was serious, and his mind began to race with plans.

"Yes! The thought of her becoming the mistress of the Hu family one day makes me furious. I don't want to become a laughingstock. As a noblewoman, how can I tolerate her being on the same level as me?"

"Aunt, since you dislike her so much, I will make sure to remove this thorn from your side." Ke Shaozheng confidently assured her, bringing a smile to Hu Li's mother's face.

Meanwhile, on the plane, Hua Yan suddenly felt a chill and sneezed. Hu Li, concerned, asked, "Are you catching a cold?"

After a moment, Hua Yan didn't feel any discomfort and said, "It's nothing, just an itchy nose." Li Jiao Jiao could only feel envy and jealousy at this scene.

Before the banquet, Hua Yan and Hu Li stayed at Hu Li's villa. It was Hu Li's mother's first time stepping into this place. Seeing that the environment here was much better than where she lived, she felt a desire to move in. But then she remembered that woman was already living here and snorted coldly, feeling even more displeased.

Although Hu Li had always lived alone, it wasn't impossible for his mother to move in.

When Hu Li learned that his mother had arrived, his eyes showed a bit of helplessness and displeasure. Nonetheless, he got up to personally welcome her in.

"Mother, what brings you here?"

As soon as she entered, Hu Li's mother started glancing around, seemingly looking for someone. Hu Li knew she was searching for Hua Yan. However, Hua Yan was upstairs taking an afternoon nap.

"You came back without visiting me. You know your father isn't around, and if you came over, we could discuss some matters."

Just as she was speaking, a wet-haired Hua Yan came downstairs in her cotton pajamas, her eyes half-closed.

Having just woken up and taken a hot shower, Hua Yan's mind was still foggy. She was at home, comfortable, and didn't regard Hu Li as an outsider, so she came downstairs dressed like that.

Seeing Hua Yan like this, Hu Li glanced at his mother’s shocked expression, feeling amused. Remembering Hua Yan might have signs of a cold from the plane, he quickly pulled her into his arms, took the towel from her hand, and started drying her hair. "It's winter; how can you come down with wet hair? If you catch a cold, you'll have to take bitter medicine again."

Hua Yan, enjoying Hu Li's service, closed her eyes and didn’t notice Hu Li’s mother on the other side. "I’m not afraid of bitter medicine!"

Hu Li chuckled in exasperation, saying, "Getting sick harms your body; don't do this again."

"Alright... Huh, there's a guest!" Hua Yan rubbed her eyes and looked at Hu Li's mother. Not fully awake, Hua Yan didn’t realize the person glaring at her was Hu Li’s mother.

Hu Li's mother was so angry her gums hurt. At first, she didn’t recognize Hua Yan and thought she was just one of her son's flings. She was momentarily happy, thinking Hua Yan hadn't completely won over her son.

But after observing for a while, she realized it was indeed Hua Yan. Seeing her son drying Hua Yan’s hair, wrapping her in a blanket, and taking care of her so attentively, she wanted to rush over and give Hua Yan a good beating.

Hearing Hua Yan's casual remark, Hu Li's mother was almost driven to the point of spitting blood.