Chapter 140

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Chapter 140: Scare Her A Little!

Ever since Christmas, Li Mengyue had constantly felt anxious and insecure, plagued by a sense of unease.

As a foodie, even in front of delicious dishes lately, she couldn’t summon any enthusiasm. She had no appetite and was listless.

Because she felt that Ye Xiao wasn’t avoiding everyone — she was avoiding her.

Of course, this wasn’t an unfounded suspicion, she had her reasons.

Among Ye Xiao’s many close female friends, everyone had come to like her due to various coincidences and encounters.

Although she also felt that she had fallen for Ye Xiao, she was the only one among them who had made a special request.

That was back at the private restaurant, when she asked Ye Xiao to help prove her value to her family — that she wasn’t just a pretty face — so she could escape the fate of a potential arranged marriage.

She didn’t think she had any qualities that stood out more than the others. In fact, she felt she might be less capable than her sisters. Compared to Ye Xiao’s other girlfriends, the only thing she excelled at was probably eating more than them.

For over twenty days, Li Mengyue had been caught in this anxious cycle. The first thing she did every morning was check her phone, open WeChat, and click on Ye Xiao — whose chat was pinned to the top — to see if she had messaged her.

During this period, every message she sent to Ye Xiao vanished without a trace.

Li Mengyue knew Ye Xiao had muted or blocked her messages. Unless Ye Xiao lifted the block herself, no matter how many messages she sent, it would be useless.

But she couldn’t help it — she kept sending messages every day, clinging to the hope that one day, maybe right after sending one, she might finally get a reply.

That day, just like the twenty or so before it, Li Mengyue slumped into bed in a daze after a tasteless lunch, looking thoroughly dejected.

“Young miss, how come you’re eating so little every day lately? Your body can’t take it like this,” said Auntie Wu, the Li family’s housekeeper, sighing at the more-than-half-full plate left on the table.

“Auntie Wu, I just don’t have much of an appetite. Sorry, I’m troubling you all,” Li Mengyue replied weakly, glancing at her before speaking softly.

“Sigh… whatever’s bothering you, don’t keep it bottled up. Talking to someone will make you feel better.”

Auntie Wu sighed again. She had been with the Li family for over twenty years and had watched Li Mengyue grow up.

All along, Li Mengyue had been a lively, energetic girl who never seemed to worry about much — except for food.

Even when she found out that she might be sent into an arranged marriage, it hadn’t shaken her this much.

Though she was the daughter of a wealthy family, Auntie Wu had always treated her like her own child.

After all, most aspects of Li Mengyue’s daily life were taken care of by her.

People aren’t made of wood — how could they be without feelings? After spending so many years under the same roof, even animals form attachments, let alone people.

Just as Auntie Wu finished cleaning up and left Li Mengyue’s room, the phone on the bed suddenly rang.

Originally lethargic, Li Mengyue perked up instantly upon picking up her phone — and the moment she saw who was calling, all the gloom from the past twenty-some days was swept away. It was replaced by excitement and nervous anticipation.

Auntie Wu saw the whole thing.

Seeing the girl come back to life, Auntie Wu was, of course, happy. But the way Li Mengyue acted — like a bashful, love-struck girl — was unmistakable.

As someone with life experience, Auntie Wu instantly imagined a full drama: a rich girl falling in love with a poor boy.

She wasn’t going to say anything outright, of course — but a matter as significant as the young lady being in a secret relationship had to be reported to the master and madam of the house.

Li Mengyue’s parents were never home during the day. Her father, a businessman, always seemed to be pressed for time.

Her mother wasn’t her birth mother — after her real mother passed away, her father Li Yansheng had remarried and brought in a stepmother.

This stepmother was rarely at home either. Except when Li Yansheng was present, she would obediently stay in the house. But whenever he was away, Li Mengyue barely saw her at all.

She was only five years older than Li Mengyue — a fact that made the whole situation even more frustrating. Li Mengyue had fought with her father about it more than once.

But in the end, what her father said went. She couldn’t overpower him — and could only grit her teeth and accept it.

Who could possibly feel good about a woman barely older than themselves suddenly becoming their mother?

A woman who marries a man more than twenty years her senior — could it really be for youth? For looks? For love?

Li Mengyue didn’t deny that her father had the mature charm of an older man — a charisma cultivated through years of running a major enterprise.

Any man in such a position would naturally carry a commanding presence — not much different from her old man.

But her father wasn’t exactly good-looking. The fact that she had turned out so well was entirely thanks to her mother’s genes.

As for her stepmother — what could she possibly want, other than her father’s money?

“Hello? Madam?”

“Auntie Wu? What is it, calling me all of a sudden?”

“Madam, I think the young miss is secretly dating someone!”

Though Auntie Wu treated Li Mengyue like a daughter, the master and madam of the house were her real employers — her source of livelihood.

How could a girl who wasn’t her real daughter be more important than the people who paid her?

So when she reported what had happened, Auntie Wu didn’t feel the slightest bit of guilt. After all, she was doing it for the girl’s own good — to keep her from being deceived by some smooth-talking young man.

“Dating?”

Feng Yin furrowed her brows as she lay on a treatment bed at a wellness spa, getting an essential oil massage while holding her phone.

In truth, the suggestion that Li Mengyue prove her own value — or be used as a pawn in an arranged marriage — was her idea.

But Li Yansheng still hadn’t made up his mind on the matter. After all, they only had one daughter. If she were married off, the company might fall into the hands of his brothers.

So, although he followed Feng Yin’s suggestion and talked to his daughter, he didn’t actually intend to force her into marriage.

He just didn’t want to see her idle all day, living a life of food and pleasure.

He just wanted to scare her a little!