Chapter 31: Chapter 31: About To Be Harassed

"Gao Yang must have informed you," he said and rolled his eyes in exasperation.

Bringing attention to the fact that he never directly told her, she carefully asked to speak.

"Go ahead," he noted, causing her to exhale a deep sigh.

"Can you let me handle my own battles when possible?" she asked.

Even though she was grateful for the assistance, she still felt like it was something she had to do by herself.

She understood from her previous life not to depend too much on other people. Yes, they were married, but she preferred not to involve him in her problems.

Li Qiang’s expression hardened, his eyes filled with an unsettling chill as he looked at her. She shifted uncomfortably when he locked eyes with her. She felt instant goosebumps as he looked at her.

"Why are you giving me that look?" she asked, followed by a cough.

Li Qiang left the room without saying anything, surprising her because she hadn’t anticipated it.

"Uh? ’Is he mad at me?’ she mused, trying to understand the swift change in his demeanor.

He was as unpredictable as the weather.

At the same time, Li Qiang walked into the study, his face tight with frustration.

He wondered what was on her mind as a strange light flickered in his eyes. He experienced such doubts previously.

What has she encountered? One could easily spot the difference in her. He hoped she would confide in him, but he disliked how reserved she was.

Li Qiang opted to spend the entire night in the study instead of sleeping in the same room. Xin Yan found it perfect as it allowed her ample space to prepare her proposal.

The next morning

After the alarm went off, Xin Yan woke with a feeling of grogginess. She rubbed her eyes while sitting up on the bed. She felt groggy this morning because she went to bed so late last night.

She cleared her throat gently because her voice seemed hoarse. She looked around but didn’t find Li Qiang in the room.

She gave a minor shrug before climbing out of the bed. She promptly went through her morning habits. Li Qiang entered while she was putting on her earrings.

"You didn’t sleep in the room last night?" she queried, confused.

He shot a look at her petite face, then brushed past to walk directly into the bathroom. With wide eyes, Xin Yan glowered in his direction.

’Is he throwing fits now?’ she thought with an amused expression.

She gave it some thought and then proceeded downstairs. The moment she entered the dining room, the food’s aroma hit her senses, making her stomach grumble loudly. Only then did she realize she didn’t have dinner the previous night.

Startling her with his presence as she hadn’t known he was in the dining room, Grandpa Li asked, "Little Yan, when did you and Li Qiang arrive the previous night?"

With her hands placed gently behind her back, she called out, "Grandpa."

He raised an eyebrow at her obedient expression. ’You skipped dinner yesterday, didn’t you?’ He queried.

A gulp escaped her without her knowing. Many years of holding power had solidified his aura, and despite his age, it only added to his unapproachability.

"Yes, Grandpa," she answered with unease and slight trepidation

Seeing her increasing discomfort, Grandpa Li warmly motioned for her to take a seat and relaxed his gaze.

"Hmm, it smells amazing." Xin Yan complimented,

’Aunty Fei has exceptional cooking again,’ making Aunty Fei’s lips twitch.

Shaking her head, she served herself breakfast.

Grandpa Li questioned, ’Where is Qiang?’

"He’s still in the room," she said, turning her attention back to her meal.

ViewIng the vast assortment of dishes made her aware that she was very hungry. As soon as she began, Li Qiang turned up wearing a suit. He was strikingly good-looking and she kept her eyes fixed on him.

Grandpa Li surprised him with a sudden question, ’why did you sleep in the study?’ Xin Yan shared in the surprise that he felt.

Grandpa Li thumped his cane angrily and said, ’At least answer my question!’ startling Xin Yan.

He explained, ’I had gone to the study so as not to disturb Yanyan with an important work but I didn’t expected to drift off there,’ as he made himself comfortable at the dining table.

Grandpa Li squinted, making it obvious he doubted what he heard.

"Yes, Grandpa, that’s true. I begged him to stay, but he refused as he worried about my health," Xin Yan immediately clarified.

He nodded, fully convinced by her words. There was a slight twitch at the corner of Li Qiang’s lips. Even though he didn’t want to admit it, the blatant display of preference hurt him.

After they finished breakfast, Grandpa Li encouraged Li Qiang again to take her to the office; however, she refused.

"Grandpa, I need to attend a land bidding event. It would be better if someone else could take me there. It will be more convenient that way," she suggested.

He considered disagreeing, but Li Qiang’s subtle movement made him hold back and agree with her instead.

Li Qiang asked, "When is it going to be over?" as he led her towards the car. He did not recall that he had resolved to ignore her.

"I thought you were giving me the silent treatment. Why are you talking to me now?" With a subtle smile, she derived pleasure in his moment of awkwardness.

"I had no intention of shutting you out," he retorted, and she raised an eyebrow to his comment.

Both of them were aware that it was a lie.

"No matter what, just inform me when you finish this." He found the issue embarrassing and did not want to discuss it further.

"I really have no clue; you must be aware of the land I’m attempting to bid on. We’re up against tough opponents," Xin Yan remarked with anxiety. The competition was intense, and no one was sure who would win the contract.

"If you can’t handle it, just give me a call." He joked, ’The government is sure to take my words seriously.’ Xin Yan knew he was just joking, so she laughed.

She smiled and said, ’It’s fine. I believe in my abilities, and even if issues arise, I’m confident I can solve them myself.’

He gave a curt nod. How could he not see that she didn’t want his help and preference? She said it indirectly to his face.

Wishing her good luck, he saw her nod and instruct the chauffeur to drive.

Li Qiang stood with clenched hands, watching the car drive away. Confused and deeply hurt, he struggled to grasp why she always pushed him back.

"You can’t seem to win a girl’s heart still; I wonder why you are my grandson," his grandfather’s voice startled him. He turned around to find him staring with disdain.

He slightly dropped his neck; if anyone instilled both fear and admiration in him, it was his grandfather.

’You’re a disgrace to my lineage,’ Grandpa Li remarked, prompting a chuckle from him.

Grandpa Li’s anger flared as he said, "You still have the guts to chuckle."

Grandpa, you need to understand that chasing a determined woman like Xin Yan isn’t easy. Calm down; she’s my wife after all. "She’ll succumb to my charms by day’s end," he declared assertively.

Grandpa Li shook his head and they entered together. Li Qiang chose to spend a few minutes with his grandfather before heading to work.

In the meantime, Xin Yan gave the driver an address. The address belonged to Chen Wenling. She chose to pick her up so they wouldn’t be late for the meeting.

With her sharp memory, she recalled when Chen Wenling shared his home address from a past experience.

They drove for twenty minutes before they arrived. As the chauffeur drove into the neighborhood, Xin Yan looked out the window and shared Gao Yang’s thoughts.

She looked puzzled as she reflected on how Chen Wenling could live in that kind of environment.

"This area doesn’t seem too great, Young Madam," the driver remarked while driving down the rugged road.

"You’ve got a point—it looks like the area will suffer from a lot of criminal activity," she nodded, clearly approving of what he said.

Her sharp eyes flickered with a cold light as they suddenly caught something.

"Stop the car!" she commanded. The moment the car came to a stop, she got out and hurried toward a certain direction.

The chauffeur was stunned and hurried out as well.

’Young Madam,’ the chauffeur pleaded as he jogged after her. But Xin Yan was incredibly quick. Thankfully, his youth and agility helped him keep up with her.

Xin Yan halted, her expression darkening slightly. ’Just as I thought,’ she whispered to herself.

There, she saw Chen Wenling who was struggling with about three men. They were about to harass her.

"Stop," Xin Yan screamed, with her heart in her mouth, fearful of what might happen.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read