My System Forces Me to Live off Women-Chapter 68 - 66: I’ve Given Too Much to This Family
PM, Wuzhen, Celestial Melody Restaurant, Main Hall.
A young man and woman sat at the table, flipping through the dazzling display of Wuzhen specialties on the table.
"Soy sauce duck, Dongpo pork, stinky tofu, Hangzhou white chrysanthemum, sister-in-law cake, green dumplings... Pretty much bought everything that needs to be bought!"
Around three in the afternoon, as Li Peifeng had just left the hotel, Huang Tianxuan drove to Wuzhen.
The things they have, ended up being a small part of Li Peifeng’s four-hour exploration under Huang Tianxuan’s guidance.
Others that he couldn’t carry were left at the hotel.
Together, they could almost stock a small grocery shop; there were things to eat, drink, play with, use, and even some unique local jewelry.
All bought by Li Peifeng for the people around him - gifts for his parents, Wu Wenyue and Xu Manning, two junior sisters, Old Zhao, and finally the hero before him, Huang Tianxuan.
Not only because Huang Tianxuan helped guide him, but also because she’s a local from Hangzhou, speaking the local dialect fiercely when bargaining, vendors dared not overcharge, saving Li Peifeng a lot of money.
Li had never expected, that Huang Tianxuan, a rich socialite, would have such high bargaining skills.
"Make sure to take this big bag with you when you go back." Li Peifeng tapped one of the bags, gesturing.
"Got it, won’t forget it even if I forget everything else."
Huang Tianxuan smiled: "But I have to say, you really have a lot of friends, do you need to buy so many gifts just for a business trip?"
"Your white fish."
"Hey, just leave it here."
The waiter brought up the dish, while Li Peifeng got up to help, casually responding.
"No choice, good connections, people travel and they bring me things too, not reciprocating would be rude."
"Oh? Are any of these for a girl?"
Huang Tianxuan handed him a pair of chopsticks, her eyes sparkling bright at him.
"There are, more than one!"
Li Peifeng was very open: "With my good looks, if I said there’s none, would you believe me? Tianxuan, don’t ask questions with answers you already know!"
Huang Tianxuan rolled her eyes: "Those pieces of jewelry are also for girls?"
"Yes."
Li Peifeng glanced southwest towards the outside of the shop: "I heard the blue-printed cloth here is famous, I still want to buy seventeen or eighteen sets of clothes for them, but it’s too late now so tomorrow it is... Are you free tomorrow? I’ll buy a few for you too."
"...Such a dull and insincere invitation."
Huang Tianxuan pouted, picking at the fish with her chopsticks but not eating, just poking.
"Don’t be like this, I haven’t eaten yet."
Li Peifeng took the mashed fish and put it in his bowl, enjoying each bite: "Not bad, tender and tasty, just a bit bony, for freshwater fish the flavor is great!"
"So does the saying ’judging by appearances’ accurately describe you?"
Huang Tianxuan insisted: "Are you just an extraordinarily handsome, extremely fickle guy, managing a huge fish pond full of patsies?"
Such criticism, Li Peifeng had to argue: "First, I’m not dead. Second, I’m not fickle. Perhaps in the eyes of the average person before, I was somewhat loose, somewhat wayward. But that was a long time ago."
"Now I’ve turned over a new leaf, the fish pond isn’t that big, at most a hundred and eighty fish!"
Huang Tianxuan chuckled: "You have the nerve to say that? At most a hundred and eighty?"
Li Peifeng tilted his head and thought for a moment: "It’s somewhat exaggerated, but surely there are fifty or sixty."
Seeing his response, Huang Tianxuan inexplicably sighed at the fish on the plate with a sense of sorrow: "Playing with snakes for ten years, bitten by a snake in the end. Playing with eagles for ten years, pecked by an eagle. Fish pond masters might one day be hooked and become a fish on the plate."
"?"
"Eat, I was talking nonsense."
"..."
"Eat."
Huang Tianxuan’s face showed compassion: "Why aren’t you eating?"
Li Peifeng slowly put down his chopsticks, his face also showing sadness: "Others’ demise resonates with my sorrow. Eating its flesh, feeling its pain. Tianxuan, I was wrong. But there’s something I have to say."
"Wrong?"
Huang Tianxuan expressed relief: "Knowing you’re wrong is good... Hey, what are you trying to say?"
Li Peifeng said seriously: "You haven’t entered my fish pond, nor have I hooked you."
Also, haven’t walked into my heart!
"Really?"
But Huang Tianxuan might have misunderstood, her expression disdainful yet surprisingly delight in her eyes: "I’m not in your fish pond? Then where am I?"
Faced with those hopeful eyes, Li Peifeng was at a loss for how to respond, this misunderstanding seems huge!
"Alright, I got it."
Huang Tianxuan huffed: "Even a damn jerk has such a unique way of expressing affection! Saying you’re not in the fish pond, does he expect people to jump for joy? Such nonsense!"
"’Nonsense’... what does it mean?"
"Saying you’re crazy!"
...
After dinner, they wandered around Wuzhen West Gate to enjoy the night scenery.
This made Li Peifeng a bit surprised, as the town’s scenery was very different from during the day.
The night was clear and warm, with the moon like a tear falling from the sky, slowly seeping through the clouds. Its gentle, quiet light was so rare, like delicate strands of fur floating in the air, landing on the rooftops of riverside homes and sparkling brightly.
Looking at the earthly world, the small bridges over flowing water, the neon lights by the bridge, create a naturally romantic and elegant atmosphere.
"Hurry up, we’re almost at the water market. There’ll be a flower drum performance soon, if we wait any longer, we’ll miss it."
"Oh."
"Why do you walk so slowly with such long legs!"
Admiring the scenery, lost in it, Li Peifeng didn’t realize when Huang Tianxuan found a clumsy excuse to hold his hand.
"Am I being seduced again?!"
Li Peifeng muttered to himself, turning to look at Huang Tianxuan. She continued wandering leisurely, not caring at all, and he couldn’t bring himself to let go.
At half-past nine at night, the Wuzhen West Gate Scenic Area was about to close, and the two of them finally left the area.
As they were about to part, Huang Tianxuan’s tone was light: "I’m heading back now."
Li Peifeng still wanted to be polite: "If you’re not working tomorrow, you can stay at a nearby hotel. I’ll cover the cost."
Huang Tianxuan shook her head, troubled: "No, I still have to work. Even though the company is my family’s, but..."
Her tone paused, and she raised an eyebrow: "My favorite book is actually the one you wrote, ’The Overbearing President.’ Chen Aohong and I are quite alike."
Li Peifeng was surprised: "Don’t tell me you’re the one who had someone buy the film rights to ’The Evil President’?"
"No, where did you get that idea!"
Huang Tianxuan shook her head with a smile: "To put it simply, I have an older brother and a younger brother. My dad favors sons over daughters quite seriously, even though I’m the most outstanding one. But the family’s business is destined not to be helmed by me in the future. I’m not willing to accept that, you know?"
Li Peifeng speculated: "So you want to focus on your work, develop a new drug, and make your uncle change his view and gain more say in the company?"
"You guessed right."
Huang Tianxuan smiled brilliantly, pulled his hand, stood on tiptoe, and kissed him: "That’s your reward."
Considering that even second-generation rich kids have pressures, Li Peifeng decided not to dwell on being taken advantage of.
...
"I walked past Jiangnan, the faces waiting in the season bloomed and faded like lotus flowers."
"The east wind doesn’t come, the willow catkins in March don’t fly."
"..."
[Happy Family], after being broken for thirteen hours, finally reunited due to Li Peifeng’s relentless efforts!
Currently, this newly assembled three-person group is video chatting.
More precisely, the head of the family, Li Peifeng, is lying on the bed, using his magnetic voice and reality-bending tone to recite poetry, lulling the other two family members to sleep. This was already the eighth poem.
"Your heart is a small shutter tightly closed."
"My horse’s hooves are a beautiful mistake."
"I am not a homecomer, just a passerby..."
Xu Manning, a very alert person, also lying on the bed and applying a face mask, squinted her eyes: "This poem is recited with exceptional emotion."
"Probably inspired by personal feelings."
Wu Wenyue, sitting in front of the computer, sneered, her eyes sharp: "Come on, tell us, who distracted you so much, making it hard for you to part with?"
Li Peifeng remained calm: "Due to your baseless slander, the bedtime poetry session ends early! Now, both of you say you miss me, and go to sleep."
"Idiot!"
"Moron!"
The two girls, though their words were different, synchronized in meaning and timing.
Li Peifeng switched his phone to the rear camera, showing the room full of gift bags, a bit humble: "Come on, for the sake of the gifts I bought for you."
"..."
No response, Xu Manning even closed her eyes, Wu Wenyue proudly said: "You’re testing us with this? Who would fail such a test?"
Li Peifeng sighed: "Then just give a middle finger, sign language is fine too. I’ll hypnotize myself to interpret the middle finger as you missing me."
Never seen such a request!
Xu Manning: "凸(=-=)凸"
Wu Wenyue: "凸(¬‿¬)凸"
Li Peifeng was delighted: "And you both raised both hands, you must really miss me!"
"Beep~"
The video was hung up, and at the same time, a new WeChat message popped up;
Huang Tianxuan: "(heart) I’m home, don’t worry anymore!"
Li Peifeng hesitated for a moment, then decided to stick to gentlemanly conduct!
He replied with a non-committal closure sentence.
"Sleep early, don’t miss me, see you tomorrow!"
After replying to the message, Li Peifeng turned off the light, pulled up the small blanket, and whispered to himself before closing his eyes;
"I have given too much for this family..."
(The cold is getting worse, but it should be getting better. I’m trying, I’m typing!)
