0020 An Embrace

"Li Zhiyan!"

"Don't make such unethical jokes."

At this moment, Shen Hongmei felt a mix of exasperation and amusement. What on earth was this child thinking?

He could go to the ends of the earth with her. He could follow her to the furthest corners of the world. But he could not call her "mother"!

"Oh..."

"Forget it then. I don't want to be your godson."

"Why..."

Li Zhiyan looked at Shen Hongmei’s long, slender legs encased in Valentino stockings and said earnestly, "We were already like that that night; how could I possibly call you godmother now?"

"That would truly be an ethical problem."

In his heart, Li Zhiyan only wanted to have a proper relationship with Shen Hongmei, one that bridged their twenty-two-year age gap. He didn't want any ethical complications. After all, such things were not tolerated by society; writing about them in a novel would get it banned, so it was best not to tempt fate. Furthermore, he really didn’t want to become the god-brother of that bitch Xu Qianqian. He had started school a year earlier than his peers, which meant his classmates were all older than him, and Xu Qianqian was a year his senior.

"Xiao Yan, that incident was just a biological instinct between a man and a woman; it was an accident."

"We both enjoyed it, so let's just leave the past in the past."

"No..." Li Zhiyan refused her again.

"Alright, you child."

"But if you ever change your mind, you can come to me anytime."

Shen Hongmei felt that once Li Zhiyan set his mind on something, it wasn't easily changed. The boy was stubborn, a trait she realized was somewhat similar to her own.

"Hmm, Auntie Shen, does your stomach still hurt?"

Li Zhiyan’s concern for her well-being brought back the memory of him warming her feet, causing Shen Hongmei’s mind to stir.

"I'm fine today."

Just as Shen Hongmei wanted to continue chatting, her phone rang.

"President Shen, you need to come to the office immediately."

The urgent voice on the other end signaled that Shen Hongmei had to leave. Although she was a wealthy woman, she ran her own business and rarely had free time. In contrast, Auntie Lai, the drunkard, was completely different; her days consisted only of eating, sleeping, and drinking.

"Xiao Yan, Auntie has to head back to the company. You work hard."

"Yes... Auntie."

As she stood up, Li Zhiyan opened his arms. The gesture puzzled Shen Hongmei for a moment, but she quickly realized he wanted a hug. She initially wanted to refuse, but looking at his eager eyes and recalling the unprecedented sense of security she felt the moment he appeared earlier, she opened her arms as well.

Li Zhiyan stepped forward and embraced her. Due to their height difference, his chin rested at the perfect spot. Shen Hongmei’s face flushed slightly as she realized how seamlessly they fit together. She couldn't help but think that she and Li Zhiyan were truly compatible in every way.

"Auntie is leaving now."

Shen Hongmei felt her mood brighten significantly. Watching her walk away, Li Zhiyan was even more determined to be with her.

At noon, with money in his pocket, Li Zhiyan splurged on a 50-yuan lunch. Even then, he didn't forget to study online, quickly charging himself with knowledge. In the afternoon, he returned to the company, planning to see Liu Jinxin.

However, before he could find Liu Jinxin, he spotted the person he despised most in the lobby: Xu Qianqian.

"Li Zhiyan? What are you doing here!"

Xu Qianqian, who had just finished helping Liu Jinxin with his onboarding, was planning to leave when she bumped into Li Zhiyan.

"I work here."

Noticing the ID badge on Li Zhiyan’s chest, a wave of intense frustration surged through Xu Qianqian. Liu Jinxin had only been able to get into Changlong International because of his family connections; what right did Li Zhiyan have? She had always looked down on him, viewing him only as her ATM—one that was supposed to serve her without complaint. Seeing him doing well made her feel miserable; she hated seeing his life improve.

Li Zhiyan couldn't be bothered to argue with the bitch. Under her hateful gaze, he headed to the sales department to find Liu Jinxin.

Watching his back, Xu Qianqian cursed, "You small-minded loser, you’ll never pass your probation!"

She truly couldn't stand to see Li Zhiyan doing well.

...

Sure enough, Li Zhiyan found Liu Jinxin there. Liu Jinxin was chatting with several female colleagues, cracking self-important, vulgar jokes. Having just started, he had already set his sights on Wang Ya, a pretty clerk in the sales department. Although she was married, Liu Jinxin thought it would be exciting to have an affair with such a beautiful woman, so he was desperate to curry favor with her.

Just as he was belittling a bald colleague, he saw Li Zhiyan walk over. His eyes widened.

"Li Zhiyan, why are you here!"

"Why can't I be here?"

Wang Ya crossed her arms and asked curiously, "Xiao Yan, do you two know each other?"

She had liked Li Zhiyan since he first joined, finding him to be a reliable young man, and treated him with warmth.

Liu Jinxin swallowed hard and said, "Yeah, we know each other. Li Zhiyan used to chase my girlfriend, but she never paid him any mind. Just the day before yesterday, he even demanded back all the money he’d spent on her."

Liu Jinxin wanted to ruin Li Zhiyan’s image in Wang Ya's eyes, believing that wherever he was, the women there should be fawning over him.

"Oh, yes, he’s my 'good' classmate. Look at how pale he is—he spent a fortune on estrogen supplements. Liu Jinxin has even started squatting to pee now!"

"I bet he’ll be posting educational videos in the company group about why men should squat to pee very soon."

The remark made the women in the department cover their mouths to stifle their laughter. Liu Jinxin’s face twitched; he had actually planned to post such videos to win the women over. With Li Zhiyan saying that, how could he possibly do it?

Watching Liu Jinxin’s face turn the color of pork liver, Li Zhiyan felt a surge of gratification. This was the power of future intelligence! Using the advantage of foresight, he could strike back immediately whenever someone provoked him.

...

That evening, after returning home, Li Zhiyan went through his routine: taking off his shoes, getting into bed, and turning on the air conditioning. Once finished, he ordered takeout.

"Later, I can catch the tampering with the takeout that Shang Shunsheng has been doing."

He realized this was a leverage point. If he recorded the act and exposed it to Shang Shunsheng’s employer, it would surely have a significant impact on her job. If he could record it this time, he would finally have the upper hand. Then, he’d see if that shrew dared to tear his clothes again!

Li Zhiyan was increasingly realizing the true value of his future intelligence. Just as he was waiting to catch Shang Shunsheng in the act, Auntie Lai Feifei called.

"Little Yan-bao, have you eaten yet?"

Hearing her call him "Little Yan-bao," Li Zhiyan knew she was drunk again; when she was sober, she always called him Li Zhiyan.

"Not yet."

Thinking of Lai Feifei’s beautiful, alluring face, Li Zhiyan felt a restless itch. Since Shen Hongmei had opened the door to a new world for him, his attraction to mature women had more than doubled.

"If you haven't eaten, come see Auntie Lai..."

Li Zhiyan: "..."

He didn't dare respond to the drunkard's words.

"Auntie Lai, I’ve already ordered takeout."

"Fine, Auntie understands. You only like letting Shen Hongmei [do things for you]. True, Shen Hongmei is more substantial and can fill you up."

Li Zhiyan: "..."

"Auntie Lai, you're drunk again!"

"I'm not drunk. Little Yan-bao, come see Auntie tonight. Auntie will take you for a foot massage."