Chapter 051 She's beautiful.
*
Li Chengshi took Li Xiao’s hand. "Mom, you’re a modern woman—you went to college, raised a child on your own, and you even know how to use AI. Please don't be like those old-fashioned parents who pressure their kids to get married and have babies. I love her, and I want to be with her. If it naturally leads to marriage and children, that's great, but I won't pressure her, and you can't either."
"So, you want to get married and have kids, but she’s the one who won't agree?"
"It’s not that she’s disagreed; I haven't even brought it up yet. But she’s focused on her career, so I suspect she might not want to."
"Exactly. She’s already 34. If she wanted to get married and have kids, she would have done it long ago. It wouldn't be your turn."
"I know, Mom. She’s beautiful and capable. If she were my age, it wouldn't be my turn anyway. I’ve found a real treasure. Mom, I need your unconditional support."
"I don't even support it, let alone 'unconditionally'!"
"Please, Mom." He slid off the sofa and knelt at Li Xiao’s feet, looking up at her with pleading eyes.
Li Xiao grew even angrier. How could her honest, obedient child act as if he were under some kind of spell? But she knew that being harsh now would only backfire. She decided to use a stalling tactic. "Get up first. Let me think about it."
"You have to decide before the end of the holidays, and you have to say yes."
"Li Chengshi, you’re not asking for my opinion—you’re being cheeky!"
"Mom, do you remember when I was being cheeky at five years old?"
*
How could she ever forget? That was the greatest guilt of her life.
He was five, in the middle class of kindergarten. Li Chengshi was surrounded by children calling him a "bastard with no father." He didn't know how to fight; he only knew how to cry. The next day, he refused to go back. Li Xiao coaxed him, saying she’d buy him a robot, and he reluctantly agreed. But once the toy was bought, he started acting up again, lying on the floor of the store and crying, refusing to go to school. She only had two hours of leave and couldn't afford the delay. In a fit of rage, she returned the robot, picked him up, and dropped him off at the kindergarten. Let him cry—back then, making a living was the only thing that mattered.
Thinking back on it now, it was so cruel!
But she wasn't going to let guilt control her decisions. She reached out and pulled Li Chengshi up. "Fine, I agree. You two can date."
He didn't move. "Is that a real 'yes,' or are you just trying to appease me so you can go find her and cause trouble?"
"Li Chengshi, don't think so poorly of me."
"You weren't thinking about calling General Manager Liang for her contact info, calling her out secretly, calling her shameless, and telling her to break up with me?"
Being saw through, Li Xiao let out a helpless sigh. "Fine. See when she’s free and invite her over. We should at least have a formal meeting."
"It's not the right time yet, Mom. Give me a little more time."
"Is it because she doesn't like you?" That would be a relief.
"She likes me."
"Then a meeting is perfectly normal."
"Mom, she likes me, but she has no responsibility to please you."
"Who said anything about pleasing me?"
"You're an elder with a biased, negative attitude toward her. Inviting her to meet you now is clearly meant to make things awkward for her, to get her to give up on her own."
"An 'ugly daughter-in-law' eventually has to meet the in-laws!"
"She's beautiful."
Li Xiao was speechless with anger. She stood up and walked toward the bedroom, telling him, "Just keep kneeling then."
*
Liang Wenya picked up the phone. "What is it, Li Xiao?" After listening to the whole story, she said, "I can't. Li Chengshi told me not to tell you."
"When did he tell you? Did you know about them all along?"
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"I knew a little."
"Then shouldn't you have told me? Are you still holding a grudge against me?"
"If I still hated you, I would have just laughed in your face when you came to me for help. Why would I have helped you? Anliang is a small company, but honestly, with Li Chengshi's personality, he would have been easily filtered out during an interview. You came to me, I hired your son—that was our way of completely settling the score of the past. Why would I still hate you?"
Li Xiao sighed in silence.
Liang Wenya softened her tone. "Our own lives are already a mess; what right do we have to manage the kids? You’ve finally made it to the point where Li Chengshi is earning money. You can drop the burden and enjoy your later years—well, middle-aged years. Huang Shan mentioned he wants to settle down with you; why don't you agree?"
"I'm 47. Why bother with all that? I just want Li Chengshi to marry and have kids soon so the house is lively. I promise I won't be one of those nightmare mothers-in-law. Sigh."
"If you want things to be lively, go live with Huang Shan. You're only 47; it's not too late for a second child."
"I've been through menopause for a long time."
Liang Wenya gave a hearty laugh. "Me too."
"That's quite early for you too."
"Yes, it was."
The two began to reminisce. Back in college, they fought over the same male classmate. Li Xiao won the love, but then lost the game of life. Back then, her relationship with Pei Qingyun was fully supported by her parents, but so what?
*
Li Xiao came out of the bedroom and saw Li Chengshi still kneeling in front of the sofa. She sighed hopelessly. However, even though he chose the weakest method, it was the strongest expression of defiance he had ever shown since childhood. He was starting to disobey, to resist—maybe that was a good thing. She sighed, sat down, and pulled her son’s hand.
"Li Chengshi, I agree. Really. Unconditional support. So, have Engineer Su come over. Don't worry, you can give me a list of topics—I won't say anything you don't want me to. Let's have a formal meeting so you can be a couple with the parents' blessing."
"Thank you, Mom!" Li Chengshi hugged her legs, his face beaming with joy. "Mom, you're the best. I love you."
Li Xiao helped him up and rubbed his knees, saying with feigned disgust, "Look at you, so easily satisfied. Sigh. Stop smirking and contact Engineer Su now. See when she has time."
"About that... I think you should wait a bit longer."
"No way, Li Chengshi. I’m being this reasonable, and you’re still afraid of something?"
"Mom, it’s not you. Su Xian... she might have some psychological issues."
*
Li Chengshi had specifically asked Lao Zhang about Su Xian’s parents. Su Xian had said they were dead, but in reality, they were still alive—she had simply severed ties with them.
From her earliest memories, her parents had a terrible relationship. They fought constantly at the dinner table, and she would try her best to be the one to lighten the mood. But once, on her birthday, they fought so violently that her ill-timed attempt at humor enraged them, resulting in a severe beating. During her senior year of high school, they finally divorced and quickly started new families. At that time, she lived at school and had nowhere to go back during her one day off a month. Things got worse when she got into college; neither side would pay her tuition. Eventually, she contacted the school herself, and after learning about her situation, the administration helped her apply for student loans. She never went home once during those four years, spending every holiday working to earn living expenses.
After graduation, she didn't get into a big, ideal company, but she caught the wave of urban redevelopment. She quickly made enough money to pay off her loans. The following year, the developer paid part of Anliang's engineering fees with apartments at a very good price. With Liang Wenya’s encouragement, Su Xian took out a loan to buy her first home—a small one-bedroom apartment. It was finally a home of her own. She happily posted about it on social media, only for her long-estranged parents to show up at her door, demanding she "repay the debt of being raised."
**
