Volume One, Chapter Seven: Could It Be That the Little White Flower Outside Still Fails to Satisfy Him?

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Cheng Qian paused on the stairs and said softly, "I didn’t buy anything."
Li Zhinan didn’t believe her. He remembered how she used to love going out to buy gifts for him, especially for his birthday; she would prepare well in advance.
“Let me see…” Li Zhinan strode over.
Cheng Qian ignored him, carrying her bags upstairs.
Li Zhinan stood by the stairs, a cold shadow passing over his brow.
“Xiao Ye, who did Mommy go shopping with today?” Li Zhinan lowered his gaze to his son and asked quietly.
Xiao Ye played with a little duck toy and replied in a soft voice, “A very fierce lady.”
Li Zhinan frowned slightly. “What’s her name?”
“Don’t know,” Xiao Ye pouted, “just very fierce.”
Li Zhinan’s cold eyes flicked toward the second floor.
Cheng Qian put the clothes in the closet and went to take a shower. When she came out, her phone rang.
An unknown number.
She answered immediately, and the next moment, she exclaimed with joy, “Uncle Ji, is that really you?”
The middle-aged man’s voice came through the line: “Qian girl, it’s been a long time since I heard your voice. I heard about your parents… it’s truly unfortunate. When I found out, I felt awful. I sent a gift—did you receive it?”
Cheng Qian was startled. Uncle Ji sent her a gift?
She hadn’t received anything.
Suddenly, she recalled the time when her parents had just been in the accident. She was studying abroad then and rushed back hastily, not even able to see them one last time. She had cried inconsolably.
“Didn’t receive it?” Uncle Ji’s voice grew more pained, sighing softly, “It’s alright. This time, I’m back in the country and will send you another gift.”
Cheng Qian’s voice choked up, gasping, “No need for gifts. Just seeing you makes me very happy.”
“When will you arrive? What time is your flight? If I’m free, I can pick you up at the airport.”
“Okay, I’m free tomorrow night. I’ll come over.”
At that moment, a tall figure paused in the corridor outside and happened to overhear Cheng Qian’s last sentence.
“I really missed you. I’m so happy we can meet again,” Cheng Qian said before ending the call.
Outside, the man’s handsome face darkened like iron as he tightened his grip on his son’s hand.
“Ow, ow, ow…” The little one gritted his teeth, pounding the man’s arm with his tiny fists.
“Sorry!” Li Zhinan finally noticed he’d been holding his son too tightly.
After hanging up, a hint of hope glimmered in Cheng Qian’s eyes.
Back then, Uncle Ji had been implicated in a dispute and was forced to resign, moving abroad to develop his career.
Cheng Qian was only nine years old then, and besides her parents, she was closest to Uncle Ji.
He was a warm-hearted man who often brought her candies from overseas.
He even taught her to study and box.
The day he left was snowy; Cheng Qian chased his car for a kilometer before finally standing in the snow, waving goodbye with all her might.
Though her memories were fuzzy due to her young age, she would always remember how kind Uncle Ji had been.
At dinner, Cheng Qian was coaxing her son to eat.
The little one’s temper had grown lately, and he was reluctant to eat, only wanting snacks.
Cheng Qian had the nanny cook varied meals daily following a recipe book, but her son was too picky.
“Xiao Ye, open wide, the airplane is about to fly in,” Cheng Qian used a little trick to coax him.
The little boy obediently opened his mouth wide and was fed a spoonful of food.

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Cheng Qian watched his pouty lips and covered her mouth to stifle a laugh.
She was slowly discovering the joys of raising a child.
Though tricked by his mother, tasting the food made it easier for him to swallow.
Across the table, the man keenly noticed that Cheng Qian’s mood was much better than before.
It seemed something happy was about to happen for her.
Recalling the overheard phone call just now, who was she going to the airport to meet tomorrow night?
A lover?
Though Li Zhinan was curious about who the scoundrel was, he refused to ask.
Cheng Qian’s mood had clearly improved. After dinner, she went upstairs to read picture books with her son.
Li Zhinan sat in the study, flicking ashes from a finished cigarette.
From the hallway came the gentle, soothing sound of a woman coaxing a child.
Li Zhinan’s mood grew strangely restless and gloomy.
It was already 10:30 p.m. After Cheng Qian bathed their son, she told him a story to lull him to sleep.
The little one fell asleep after just the beginning, no coaxing needed.
Cheng Qian looked tenderly at his adorable face, never feeling satisfied no matter how long she stared.
Thinking about meeting Uncle Ji tomorrow, she still had some documents and drafts to prepare.
When she saw Uncle Ji, she wanted to ask him some professional questions.
She also hoped to join his research team.
Over the years, she had been involved in scientific research, but due to a weak team and backstabbing rivals, her achievements had been hard to come by.
Even Li Zhinan doubted her professional skills; she needed to prove herself.
Cheng Qian bent over the documents when the door behind her made a sound.
She turned to see Li Zhinan standing by the door.
Despite the cold weather, he wore no extra clothes, just a white towel wrapped around his waist.
Water droplets, still un-wiped, slid down his perfect, solid abs, tracing the lines beneath the towel, radiating raw masculine desire.
Cheng Qian glanced once, then looked away, returning her focus to the documents.
Li Zhinan had excellent assets and a perfectly proportioned body, maintained by disciplined training.
Yet even so, Cheng Qian’s eyes were fixed only on the data, not him.
“Still working so late?” Li Zhinan asked indifferently.
“Yes. Do you need something?” Cheng Qian did not look back, typing as she thought.
Li Zhinan glanced at the towel wrapped around his waist, his voice lowering, “It’s the sixth today. You’ve been back for a week.”
Cheng Qian responded lightly, “Time flies.”
Li Zhinan’s brow furrowed deeply, his face darkening. Had she not understood his hint?
“Your relatives still haven’t left?” Li Zhinan guessed her indifference toward him these days was because she was inconvenienced.
Cheng Qian paused, recalling the lie she’d casually told that night, then nodded, “Yes, they haven’t left.”
Li Zhinan instantly lost all interest, turning away coldly to his master bedroom.
Cheng Qian curled her lips into a cold smile. Li Zhinan’s demands in that regard were always high.
Could the little white flower outside still not satisfy him?
Shaking her long hair, Cheng Qian ignored the man’s hint and resumed her work.

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The next morning!
Li Zhinan’s mood was sour from early on, his face gloomy.
Cheng Qian had breakfast with her son and prepared his little backpack to send him to school.
Li Zhinan put down his chopsticks and stood in front of his son. “Xiao Ye, listen to your teacher and don’t be naughty.”
Xiao Ye nodded his little head. “Okay, Dad.”
“You’re really Daddy’s good boy,” Li Zhinan said gently, stroking his head and then kissing his forehead.
“Mommy wants a kiss too,” the little one suddenly reached out and pointed at Cheng Qian.
Cheng Qian, holding the backpack and standing nearby, stiffened.
Li Zhinan stood tall, his broad figure towering over the delicate and gentle Cheng Qian, who seemed like a bird leaning on a branch.
He immediately bent down to kiss Cheng Qian’s forehead.
But Cheng Qian squatted and adjusted the buttons on her son’s clothes. “All set, Xiao Ye. We have to go now, don’t be late.”
The man’s bent posture froze, and then he saw Cheng Qian pick up their son and head out.
The little boy had already forgotten his earlier request: before Dad leaves, he must kiss Mommy.
Li Zhinan’s face, already unpleasant, darkened further.
The nanny nearby, seasoned with many storms, turned away to do her work.
Li Zhinan left the house with a cold expression.
After sending the child off, Cheng Qian hurried back to work on her documents. At the same time, she called Ji Yichen.
“Hello!” The deep male voice sounded distant and indifferent.
“Hello, Mr. Ji, this is Cheng Qian. Last night, Uncle Ji called me and said his flight arrives tonight. May I go to the airport to pick him up?” Cheng Qian asked politely.
Ji Yichen smiled faintly, “If you’re willing to pick him up, my father will be very happy.”
Cheng Qian’s face lit up immediately. “Then it’s settled. I’ll come over tonight.”
“Good!” the man responded.
“Alright, I won’t bother you. See you tonight.”
“Goodbye,” Ji Yichen replied courteously.
Time passed quickly; it was already evening when Cheng Qian picked up her son and returned home.
Because she had to go to the airport at eight o’clock, she had dinner with her son, then left him in the nanny’s care and drove out of the villa gate.
As the Mercedes sedan left the community gate, a business van parked by the roadside. Inside, a man in a suit spoke to another man dozing in the back seat, “President Li, Madam has gone out.”
Li Zhinan’s eyes snapped open, staring ahead.
“Follow them!” the man ordered in a low voice.
The van started and rapidly pursued the Mercedes’s taillights.
In the airport parking lot, after getting out of the car, Cheng Qian crouched by the mirror to tidy her appearance. Finally, she bent to take a bouquet of fresh flowers from the back seat.
Adjusting the hair at her ear, Cheng Qian checked the time and strode toward the airport exit.
The business van stopped nearby just as a Mercedes-Maybach pulled in.
The window rolled down, revealing Ji Yichen’s handsome face. He called out to Cheng Qian, “Madam Ji, wait a moment.”