Gentle Gaze

At this moment, Li Zhiyan fully understood what a true drunkard was like.

Aunt Lai was never normal whenever she started drinking.

Lai Feifei was rummaging through the trash can, searching to see if there were any used condoms left behind.

Meanwhile, Shen Hongmei subconsciously pulled the quilt up to cover her chest.

She had originally been waiting for Li Zhiyan, but she never expected that this heavy drinker would show up instead.

And she was even digging through the garbage.

However, apart from finding some used tissues, Lai Feifei did not find anything else.

"Well, I guess I wronged you."

He Eryong stepped forward and remarked, "How did your silk stockings end up torn into such a state?"

Her seductive, foxy eyes were filled with curiosity and gossip. Could it be that Shen Hongmei and Li Zhiyan had actually done that thing?

That couldn't possibly be true! There was a full twenty-two-year age gap between the two of them.

With an age gap like that, they could practically be mother and son. How could something like that happen?

She felt that Shen Hongmei surely wouldn't do such a thing.

"I drank too much and ripped them myself."

Lai Feifei looked at Shen Hongmei's figure and said, "I knew you were trying to seduce my little colt."

"You evil cougar, trying to seduce my little pony cub."

"Cub, let's go. Stay far away from this evil cougar auntie!"

With that, she grabbed Li Zhiyan by the hand and walked outside. He Eryong also left, giving Shen Hongmei time to change her clothes.

After the hotel room door was locked once again, Shen Hongmei's alcohol buzz finally faded completely, and she snapped back to total sobriety.

"Does that crazy woman actually know something?"

Massaging her temples, Shen Hongmei felt a throbbing headache coming on.

When checking out of the hotel, Li Zhiyan quietly picked up the torn silk stockings from the trash can.

He didn't have any strange motives; he was primarily worried that the hotel staff might fish them out and sell them.

***

In the evening, the four of them arrived at a hot pot restaurant for dinner.

"Cub."

"Quickly, call me Mom."

Lai Feifei took the initiative to sit next to Li Zhiyan, repeatedly urging him to call her Mom.

Deep down, Shen Hongmei felt a lingering sense of discomfort, a sour wave of jealousy spreading continuously through her chest.

"Feifei, are you trying to adopt classmate Xiaoyan as your son?"

He Eryong teased with a chuckle.

"What do you mean adopt? The cub is already my son by nature."

"I gave birth to him. Right, cub?"

"Still, a godmother and a godson truly make the closest kind of familial bond."

Lai Feifei muttered to herself, leaving Li Zhiyan feeling somewhat overwhelmed. In his heart, he couldn't help thinking that Aunt Lai was genuinely adorable when she was drunk.

After exchanging a glance with Shen Hongmei, Li Zhiyan passed the morning-after pill to Shen Hongmei underneath the table.

After taking the pill with a sip of fruit juice, Shen Hongmei felt a heavy burden lift from her heart. The root cause of the earlier accident was simply that she had drunk too much.

That was the most crucial factor, but under no circumstances could she afford to get pregnant. At her age, she would firmly fall into the category of an advanced-maternal-age pregnancy.

Even though she maintained excellent physical health and took great care of herself, the risks of pregnancy at this stage were still far too high.

"Cub, what are your hands doing under the table?"

"Are you and Shen Hongmei up to some secret business?"

"I've read plots like this in novels before..."

Just as Lai Feifei was about to go into detailed elaboration, Shen Hongmei lunged forward and clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Shut your mouth, you hussy!"

"You flirtatious wretch, there are so many people around us."

Right now, during the evening peak hours, the hot pot restaurant was packed with diners. If other patrons overheard her, the looks they would cast their way would undoubtedly be extremely bizarre.

"Wuwu... Fine, I won't say anymore."

Only then did Lai Feifei rein herself in somewhat.

"Cub, Auntie will feed you some watermelon."

Picking up a piece of watermelon, she shoved it directly into Li Zhiyan's mouth. The look in Lai Feifei's eyes as she gazed at him was overflowing with utter indulgence.

Ever since Shen Hongmei brought Li Zhiyan into their social circle, various incidents had caused Lai Feifei's affection and fondness for Li Zhiyan to grow steadily.

At this point, she truly regarded him as one of her own.

"Waiter, bring me a bottle of liquor."

"You'd better not, Aunt Lai. We've already had so much baijiu today; let's save the drinking for tomorrow."

"All right then. Since the cub has spoken, Mommy has no choice but to be a good girl and obey."

He Eryong exclaimed in sheer astonishment, "Feifei!"

"I have never, ever seen you listen to anyone else and cut back on your drinking."

"Of course."

"After all, the cub is my biggest baby."

"I have to listen to the cub so he doesn't get hurt."

As she spoke, Lai Feifei even began to hum a little tune.

Li Zhiyan: "..."

Deep inside, he felt as though he was being melted to death by the sheer cuteness of this glamorous young matron.

"However, Eryong, I'm not going to let you feed my cub today."

"You've had way too much to drink. If you feed my cub, you'll definitely get him plastered."

Her face flushed red, He Eryong retorted, "I think your child must have been raised on alcohol, you absolute drunkard!"

Throughout the dinner, although Aunt Lai had reined herself in significantly, she still maintained a steady and continuous stream of provocative remarks. Li Zhiyan had long since grown accustomed to Aunt Lai's flirtatious teasing.

Her flirtatious words never ceased, but she had never once actually followed through on them.

Except for that incident with the dragon fruit, when she genuinely thought she was dying and consequently imparted some kissing experience to him.

Whenever Li Zhiyan thought back on that, a deep sense of nostalgia washed over him.

During the dinner, Li Zhiyan sneaked off to pay the bill.

Last time, Aunt Shen had helped him find a job and also secretly settled the bill, and Li Zhiyan felt it was time for him to return the favor.

Spending a little money on these aunties was entirely worth it, because they were all women of substance who understood the value of things in their hearts.

As they walked out of the restaurant, Shen Hongmei complained with a hint of reproach, "Xiaoyan, you're just a student dining with your elders. Why did you pay the bill?"

"Don't ever pay for things again, you hear me?"

"Whenever you're out with your aunties, just sit back and enjoy your meal honestly. You don't need to worry about anything else."

He Eryong echoed, "That's right. When you go out to eat with your aunties in the future, don't ever reach for your wallet again. It's not easy making your own way in Shanghai."

"Exactly, cub. Mommy has money; how could I let you pay?"

"In the future, Mommy's Maybach and villa will all be handed over to you to inherit."

"Come home with Mommy, and Mommy will feed you tonight."

Hearing the words of the dragon fruit auntie, Li Zhiyan felt an inexplicable itch spreading deep within him—an itch originating from the very depths of his soul.

Still, Aunt Lai was far too skilled at drawing big, empty pies in the sky.

She had a biological son of her own; how could she possibly leave her inheritance to him? Those remarks were best taken with a grain of salt. Aunt Lai had talked about feeding him so many times, yet she had never once made good on her promises.

Nevertheless, the genuine care and concern from the three wealthy aunties warmed Li Zhiyan right down to his bones.

In his heart, he truly cherished this kind of feeling.

Shen Hongmei called her secretary to come pick them up. Once the secretary arrived, the look in Shen Hongmei's eyes as she gazed at Li Zhiyan was so intense it practically spun threads of longing.

While this era was certainly obsessed with looks, it was also an era that appreciated talent.

Generally speaking, ordinary talent wasn't enough to turn heads; after all, every college student possessed a smattering of knowledge in astronomy and geography.

Mastering those things was no longer anything remarkable.

Yet someone like Li Zhiyan not only spoke fluent German, but was also capable of chatting up that stubborn German client to such an extent, displaying such profound mastery of German history.

It was simply too dazzling.

Consequently, deep within her heart, she couldn't help but indulge in a few fanciful daydreams regarding Li Zhiyan.

Of course, Li Zhiyan didn't have the slightest bit of romantic interest in her secretary.

Having experienced what Shen Hongmei was like, combined with the golden finger he now possessed, Li Zhiyan was naturally entirely unwilling to return to his former life trajectory.

After dropping He Eryong off at the entrance of the Century Palace, Liu丽 came out to greet them and escorted He Eryong inside.

"Out hanging out with that young man again, I see."

As they walked down the hallway, Liu Li teased with a smile.

"What nonsense are you spouting? Who's hanging out?"

"Xiaoyan is just a child, so stop talking rubbish."

"Who says he's a child? No matter how much of a child he is, he's already twenty years old. He understands everything and knows how to do everything."

Unable to help herself, He Eryong recounted how Li Zhiyan had helped secure the contract today.

"Well, that much is true; classmate Xiaoyan can do practically everything."

"You know what?"

"Today, a German client came to Shen Hongmei's company."

"And they had Xiaoyan act as the translator!"

"At first, things weren't going smoothly at all."

"But he started chatting with that German guy about German history."

"And he literally talked his way into getting the contract signed."

"My jaw dropped when I saw it. If only my son were half as outstanding as him."

He Eryong's voice was filled with thick, unadulterated envy.

She couldn't imagine what kind of parents could possibly raise a child as exceptional as Li Zhiyan.

To be able to study with such fierce dedication while in university, and even master the German language and German history to such an exaggerated degree—

It was genuinely difficult not to feel a sense of profound respect.

"Have you fallen for this man?"

"What man? He's a child, I'm old enough to be his mother."

"So what if you are? This is 2024."

"Love is free. What's wrong with a little age gap?"

"It's not like being with him violates any moral boundaries or causes other problems."

"This is absolute freedom for you."

"With that foxy face of yours, you're practically a modern Daji."

"I bet every time that kid looks at you, his blood starts boiling!"

He Eryong's heart skipped a beat.

"Stop talking nonsense, Sister Liu."

"He's just a kid. He wouldn't be interested in someone at the level of a madam like me."

"You can't be so sure about that."

Liu Li looked He Eryong up and down and remarked, "You're so gorgeous that even an eighteen-year-old kid wouldn't be able to resist you. Didn't you have plenty of eighteen-year-old customers begging to book you before?"

"Still, you're right to think that way—keep a bit of distance from that kid. He's simply too outstanding."

"I feel like sooner or later, you're going to get sucked right in by him."

"In our line of work..."

"It's best not to develop emotional attachments to men."

"I am not in the same line of work as you."

In her mind, He Eryong recalled the scene of her embracing Li Zhiyan at the vehicle administration office.

She vividly remembered the sensation of that exact moment; Li Zhiyan was truly a monster.

It felt as though her entire hormonal system had been completely ignited.

***

Upon arriving in front of Lai Feifei's villa, Li Zhiyan looked at Shen Hongmei, who was also swaying slightly on her feet, and said, "Aunt Shen."

"Let me take Aunt Lai inside by myself. It won't take long."

Overwhelmed by another wave of alcohol, Shen Hongmei gave a soft hum of assent.

After helping Lai Feifei out of the car, Li Zhiyan reached out and pinched Lai Feifei's stunning, mature face.

"Aunt Lai."

"Open the door."

Although Lai Feifei was heavily intoxicated, she was still capable of performing this basic task.

Hearing Li Zhiyan's call, Lai Feifei unlocked the villa door.

Then, she leaped directly onto Li Zhiyan, wrapping her limbs around him like an octopus. Li Zhiyan instinctively caught her by her black-silk-clad thighs, scooping her up as he walked into the villa.

Drunkenly squinting her eyes, Shen Hongmei clearly witnessed this entire scene, and an uncontrollable surge of sour jealousy welled up in her heart.

She instantly regretted letting Li Zhiyan take Lai Feifei inside alone. Through her observations during their recent encounters, Shen Hongmei felt deep down that Lai Feifei harbored romantic intentions toward Li Zhiyan.

After all, Lai Feifei's behavior toward Li Zhiyan was simply far too intimate.

The Lai Feifei of the past had never acted like this with anyone.

Thinking about this gave Shen Hongmei a splitting headache. She did not want to see Li Zhiyan get drawn into a cross-generational romance with a twenty-year age gap.

If Lai Feifei really made a move to seduce Li Zhiyan—

With how gorgeous she looked, Xiaoyan would undoubtedly fail to hold out in the end.

What man in this world could resist the seduction of a beautiful woman? Driven purely by hormones, some men couldn't even resist the seduction of an ugly woman.

And Lai Feifei was a top-tier beauty in every sense of the word, the kind of petite yet voluptuous type that many men adored.

Coupled with her alluring mature face, Xiaoyan would inevitably fall into her trap sooner or later.

She needed to do something. Her mind racing with chaotic thoughts, Shen Hongmei sobered up just a fraction more.

***

Carrying Lai Feifei upstairs, Li Zhiyan expertly flicked on the air conditioner.

With Aunt Lai's arms wrapped tightly around his neck, Li Zhiyan tumbled down onto the bed alongside her.

"Cub."

"Don't leave tonight. Stay and sleep with Auntie."

As she spoke, she tightened her grip around Li Zhiyan even further.

Actually, Li Zhiyan quite liked sleeping with Aunt Lai. At night, holding Aunt Lai's wonderfully fragrant body—even if they couldn't do anything—was infinitely more comfortable than sleeping alone.

Not only did Aunt Lai have a uniquely intoxicating scent, but she also slept remarkably quietly. She truly was a fragrant, delicate young matron.

Holding Aunt Lai filled Li Zhiyan with a profound sense of security!

Given that Lai Feifei had consumed a considerable amount of baijiu tonight, staying behind overnight was technically feasible.

However, Shen Hongmei was still waiting outside; not leaving was simply out of the question.

"Aunt Lai, Aunt Shen is still waiting downstairs to drive me home."

"Hmph, it's always Aunt Shen this, Aunt Shen that. What does she have that I don't? Just longer legs and bigger breasts..."

"Am I your mother, or is she your mother?"

Li Zhiyan: "..."

Aunt Lai was talking nonsense again. He felt that Lai Feifei genuinely harbored a strong desire to be his mother.

In this regard, she was somewhat similar to Shen Hongmei, though Li Zhiyan had no intention of ever agreeing to such an arrangement.

Once you have a godmother, you can't have a godson in that way; it was better not to recognize any formal god-relatives at all.

"Tell me, do you love her, or do you love me?"

"Cub, answer me."

Lai Feifei pinched Li Zhiyan's ear and demanded an answer.

"I love you, Aunt Shen."

"That's more like it."

"Cub, you should go home now and get some early sleep."

Releasing her grip on Li Zhiyan, Lai Feifei collapsed onto the bed and plunged straight into deep slumber.

Li Zhiyan picked up the blanket and tucked it securely over Lai Feifei.

Deep down, he felt a lingering trace of regret; Aunt Lai was truly too adorable.

Of course, that cuteness was strictly limited to when she was intoxicated. When sober, this heavy-drinking auntie was actually a rather aloof and cold young matron.

***

On the way back, since the secretary was driving, Shen Hongmei remained silent. Once the car was parked by the roadside, Shen Hongmei and Li Zhiyan stepped out together.

"Auntie, if you're tired, you should head back."

Li Zhiyan knew that Shen Hongmei, having consumed a fair amount of alcohol and been put through the wringer by him earlier, was genuinely exhausted.

"Let Auntie walk you to your door."

"Alright."

"Why is Lai Feifei's Maybach parked over here?"

Catching sight of the Maybach, Shen Hongmei asked with a hint of perplexity.

She and He Eryong had accompanied Lai Feifei to pick up this very Maybach, and they had even gone along when the custom paint wrap was being applied.

She was far too familiar with the license plate number.

"Aunt Lai has a younger brother who keeps trying to borrow money from her, so Aunt Lai parked the car at my place to put on an act of being poor."

"That younger brother of hers is truly out of line."

Walking alongside Li Zhiyan toward his rental building, Shen Hongmei spoke in a soft voice: "Xiaoyan, you and Lai Feifei should still maintain a proper sense of distance between a man and a woman."

Li Zhiyan came to a halt, raising his gaze to meet Shen Hongmei's cool, clear eyes. The aura of this aloof, elegant career woman naturally gave off a sense of unapproachability.

Looking at her naturally induced a feeling of losing one's confidence, unlike He Eryong, who exuded an air of worldly, seductive charm.

Just looking at He Eryong's photos could make Li Zhiyan lose control of himself; the temperaments of these two women were absolute extremes.

"Aunt Shen, are you jealous?"

Li Zhiyan knew this was glaringly obvious. From the clues gathered earlier, he had already deduced that Shen Hongmei was jealous.

Jealousy was an innate instinct for women, even for someone like Shen Hongmei, whose mind was weighed down by far too many pragmatic reservations!

And Shen Hongmei's reactions while intoxicated were items Li Zhiyan remembered with crystal clarity.

She undoubtedly had a lot of considerations on her mind. After all, a rational, mature woman would never act with the reckless spontaneity of a young girl.

"Who's jealous?"

A flash of panic surprisingly crossed Shen Hongmei's face.

Her hands fluttered uncertainly, not knowing where to put themselves. That fleeting trace of panic made Li Zhiyan feel as though he were catching a glimpse of a young girl's shyness in Shen Hongmei.

This genuinely struck Li Zhiyan as quite a rare sight.

"Aunt Shen, the truth is, the two of us really could be together."

"You think I'm just a kid and unreliable."

"But the truth is, I have every confidence that we can have a future together."

"I hope you'll seriously consider it, okay? Don't just shut the door on me so decisively."

As the scene of Li Zhiyan dealing with that German businessman flashed through her mind, Shen Hongmei still felt a profound sense of amazement.

She knew that Li Zhiyan was right!

Li Zhiyan truly was a gifted young man.

His intelligence far surpassed that of ordinary people, and this child's future was undoubtedly dazzlingly bright.

Originally, Shen Hongmei intended to reject Li Zhiyan once more.

However, upon seeing the look of eager anticipation gleaming in Li Zhiyan's eyes—

In the end, Shen Hongmei let out a soft sigh and gave a reluctant nod.

"Mm..."

"Auntie will think about it. If there is a possibility of us developing further in the future..."

"Auntie will be with you."

Li Zhiyan let out a breath of relief.

Though her words still carried an undertone of hesitation, at least there was far more hope now than before.

"I'm heading back."

Just as Shen Hongmei turned to leave, Li Zhiyan looked down at her plump, flesh-colored-silk-clad legs and said, "Aunt Shen, since you're leaving, could you grant me one tiny little wish?"

Shen Hongmei paused in her tracks.

"What wish?"

"I want to kiss Aunt Shen."

Shen Hongmei glanced around her surroundings. Fortunately, the summer weather was oppressively hot, meaning there wasn't a soul in sight, sparing them a great deal of embarrassment.

"Xiaoyan, wouldn't that be inappropriate for us..."

"Just for today."

Zh- "We already did that earlier today."

"That was just an accident."

Shen Hongmei's internal defenses were shattered once more, and a flush began to creep up her pretty cheeks.

"I know it was an accident..."

"But since it already happened once, kissing once more won't hurt."

"Forget it..."

Looking into those cool, clear eyes, Li Zhiyan lost his nerve slightly. He didn't want to ruin the romantic connection he had built with Shen Hongmei out of mere greed for small favors.

"Fine... Auntie will let you kiss her."

Shen Hongmei gave her consent. Under the illumination of the streetlamp, those legs, which were longer than Li Zhiyan's entire life, looked exceptionally alluring.

"Really?"

"Of course, Auntie keeps her word."

Whether it was because Shen Hongmei had drunk too much or not, Li Zhiyan couldn't be certain, but such wonderful news left his heart pounding with excitement.

Stepping forward, he wrapped his arms around Shen Hongmei's waist, intending to kiss her.

However, Shen Hongmei was wearing high heels and stood nearly 190 centimeters tall, making it rather inconvenient for Li Zhiyan to reach her lips.

Looking slightly awkward, Li Zhiyan muttered, "Aunt Shen..."

"Bend down a little, I can't quite reach."

Shen Hongmei couldn't help covering her mouth with a soft chuckle, giving off the impression of a melting glacier.

"You child..."

Lowering her head, Shen Hongmei gently pressed her lips against Li Zhiyan's for a fleeting moment before pulling back slightly.

"There, the kiss is done."

Li Zhiyan tasted the lingering trace of lipstick on his lips, a wave of disappointment washing over him.

"Oh..."

"You really are a literal-minded kid, aren't you?"

Both of them quieted down, locking gazes with one another.

Eye to eye, at this very moment, Shen Hongmei's aloof and clear eyes were suffused with deep affection and feminine tenderness.

That gaze was intensely gentle, seeming to conceal a quiet pool of spring water within its depths.

It was the look of a woman enamored with a man, a gaze that also harbored various other complex emotions.

Without a doubt, Shen Hongmei harbored genuine affection for Li Zhiyan deep in her heart.

After all, there was a certain pathway that led directly to a woman's heart.

For a lonely Shen Hongmei who had spent years in solitude, those nine hundred days of intimacy shared with Li Zhiyan, combined with his distinct uniqueness, made it impossible for her heart not to ripple.

Right now, with her rationality swallowed up by alcohol, the true light of her inner desires finally shone in Shen Hongmei's eyes.

A gaze like that caused a slight, thrilling shiver to run through Li Zhiyan's soul.

Noticing that Shen Hongmei hadn't straightened back up to her full height, Li Zhiyan locked his eyes onto her crimson lips.

He pulled Shen Hongmei tightly into his arms and, breathing heavily, pressed his lips fiercely against hers.

Yet for a moment, Shen Hongmei offered no cooperation, merely standing there with a quiet, teasing smile.

Her alcohol-hazed mind had yet to regain control of her brain.

Thus, she remained blissfully intoxicated by the sheer amusement of teasing Li Zhiyan.

"Aunt..."

"Open your mouth..."

Only then did Shen Hongmei part her lips, finally cooperating with Li Zhiyan.

"Silly kid, so clumsy..."

"Mmm..."

As Li Zhiyan deepened the kiss, it transformed into an intensely passionate embrace, with Li Zhiyan clutching desperately at the fabric of Shen Hongmei's red dress.

He was completely and utterly intoxicated by the moment.

Ten minutes later, sensing that Shen Hongmei was growing too unsteady on her feet to stand properly, Li Zhiyan finally pulled away.

At that moment, the soles of Shen Hongmei's feet were aching; after all, she was wearing high heels and had consumed alcohol, making her balance exceptionally precarious.

"Xiaoyan, Auntie has to head back now."

Helping wipe the saliva from the corner of Li Zhiyan's mouth, Shen Hongmei said gently.

"I'll walk you out."

"It's fine, Auntie is still sober."

Despite Shen Hongmei's assurances, Li Zhiyan stood watching until she was safely settled inside the car and it drove away.

Only then did his heart finally settle completely at ease.

Reaching into his pocket to touch the silk stockings, his mind involuntarily drifted back to Shen Hongmei's affectionate and tender gaze.