Seeing her coming, Xue Lianyu rushed forward, seeking praise. "How about it? Did I handle this matter well for you? That Liu woman must be furious by now. Aren't you thrilled? Come on, give me some compliments to make me happy!"
Cheng Xiran dodged his liquor - soaked body and said in disgust, "Why are you drinking so early in the morning?"
"Can you guess why? It's because I'm being a fool!"
Suddenly, a voice as clear as a silver bell came from not far behind. When they looked back, they saw Chu Liyin walking towards them with a bowl of hangover soup.
"Hey, Liyin is here too!"
In a great mood, Cheng Xiran blew her a kiss.
Chu Liyin responded with a deep smile, but when she turned to Xue Lianyu, her face sank. "If Uncle Xue didn't treat me well, do you think I'd want to follow you? Come on, drink this hangover soup quickly, or you might do something stupid later."
But Xue Lianyu showed no intention of taking it. "I don't want it. I'm not drunk. So what if I'm drunk? You're not my wife. Who do you think you are to tell me what to do? My father must be out of his mind. I feel like an adopted child now, unloved and unwanted."
As he spoke, tears welled up in his eyes, but Cheng Xiran found it quite amusing.
He Lianduo was quietly reading a book over there. If it weren't for his powerful aura, Cheng Xiran said she could easily ignore his presence.
Chu Liyin was at her wit's end. "I give up on you. I'll go and resign from Uncle Xue later. I won't stay in the villa anymore. I'll go back to the palace. I won't compete with you for Uncle Xue. Is that okay?"
Hearing this, Xue Lianyu sobered up a bit. "Are you serious?"
Furious, Chu Liyin threw down the hangover soup and ran out. Before leaving, she stamped her foot and said fiercely, "Fine, Xue Lianyu. You didn't want me to stay in the villa from the start, right? Fine, I'm leaving now. I'll never come back. You can do whatever you want!"
With that, Chu Liyin left. Cheng Xiran quickly told Xue Lianyu to go after her, but Xue Lianyu calmly picked up the hangover soup in front of him and took a sip. "It tastes good. There's ginger in it."
"Lianyu, you'll regret this," He Lianduo, who had been silent, suddenly spoke, his words brief and to the point.
But Xue Lianyu spat disdainfully. "Impossible. I've been wishing for her to leave for ages. Once she's gone, I can do whatever I want without having to worry about anyone. I won't have a shadow following me everywhere. I'm so happy!"
The more he emphasized and the more he talked, the less his lips curved. Soon, he fell silent.
Cheng Xiran chased after Chu Liyin, but there was no sign of her outside.
"Don't worry. My father has secretly sent people to protect her. She'll be fine," he said with a dejected look in his eyes.
Both Cheng Xiran and He Lianduo noticed it.
After sitting there for a while, once he was fully sober, Xue Lianyu dragged his tired body out, saying he was going back to the villa. Maybe he was going to find Chu Liyin.
After Xue Lianyu left, He Lianduo changed his previously cold tone. "I'll send some clothes and jewelry to your mansion later. Choose carefully. Dress neatly and go to the palace early tomorrow morning. The Empress Dowager values you, so you should go earlier to avoid any delays in important matters."
"You've said this so many times. I'm not Xue Lianyu. Don't you trust me to handle things?"
"Do you know the Empress Dowager better, or do I?"
Cheng Xiran had to admit that sometimes, He Lianduo could subdue her with just a single look, and this was exactly the case now.