It was late at night, and it was already past ten o’clock when Li Yi emerged from his study.
After dinner that evening, once he had settled his family, the phone in his study suddenly rang.
He went to the study and answered it—it turned out to be his father-in-law calling.
So the father-in-law and son-in-law chatted for a while, and Li Yi had only just hung up.
Stepping out of the study, the entire villa was silent. Knowing everyone was already asleep, Li Yi headed toward Jiang Xue and the children’s room.
When he cautiously pushed open the door, he saw Jiang Xue sitting on the bed, holding Yun Jin in her arms and softly humming a lullaby.
On the other side of the bed, Yunrui was fast asleep, covered with a small blanket with only his little head peeking out—he looked especially adorable.
The two children were about to turn one. Not only were they beginning to babble, but they were also learning to walk, and their mischievous streak was already showing.
It was clear that Jiang Xue was finding it difficult to care for both children on her own.
“Xiao Xue…”
Li Yi was about to speak when he saw Jiang Xue make a shushing gesture toward him.
She’d finally managed to lull the excited little girl to sleep, and Jiang Xue didn’t want all her hard work to go to waste.
Whether it was because she’d seen Li Yi or due to the warm climate here in Guangzhou, the two children…
No, actually, all three of them were unusually active and excited today.
Normally, they went to bed promptly at nine o’clock every night, but today they showed no signs of sleepiness. Jiang Xue had to put in a lot of effort to get her son to sleep, while the little girl had been keeping her at it until now.
If it weren’t for waiting for Li Yi, Jiang Xue felt like the little girl would have worn her out completely!
Seeing this, Li Yi gestured to Jiang Xue, asking if he should help.
But Jiang Xue shook her head. Her little brat was particularly sensitive; even the slightest movement might wake her up.
Plus, if she woke up, she’d probably start crying, and there was a good chance she’d wake up her older brother, Yunrui, too. Jiang Xue certainly didn’t want to start all over again.
Li Yi said nothing more, but instead sat down on the edge of the bed, quietly watching his three little treasures.
After a short while, the little girl in Jiang Xue’s arms finally fell into a deep sleep, her breathing becoming steady and even.
Then, Jiang Xue gently laid her down next to her older brother Yun Rui and tucked a small blanket around her as well.
The little girl’s lips twitched slightly, and her brow furrowed ever so slightly, but she didn’t wake up!
Jiang Xue let out a huge sigh of relief, then turned to Li Yi and asked, “Who called you just now? Was it Dad?”
“Yeah, Dad went out of town today. He won’t be back for two or three days!” Li Yi replied.
“What should we do then? Should we wait here for him?”
“No need. I’ve already made arrangements with Dad. I’ll take you across the river first, and we’ll come find him when he gets back!” Li Yi said.
“That’s fine, but Mom might be a little disappointed. She’s been missing Dad back home for ages!” Jiang Xue said.
“There’s nothing we can do about that. Dad has important work to do, after all. Even if he comes back from out of town, he probably won’t have time to spend with Mom!”
His father-in-law had just told him over the phone that the situation in Hai County was extremely tricky. Located at the junction of three regions, it had always been a poor, lawless backwater—what the locals called a “no-man’s-land.”
They’d only been there an afternoon and had already uncovered numerous problems. From top-level officials down to ordinary citizens, no one was focused on their work—a classic case of “the general doesn’t set up camp, the soldiers don’t go to work.” In fact, there were hardly any people to be found in the entire county government compound.
More importantly, the smuggling problem there was extremely severe; contraband items like watches and tape recorders could be seen everywhere on the streets.
Jiang Shiying and his colleagues learned from some veteran comrades that this situation had existed for a long time. In the past two years, it had become a place where “workers didn’t work, farmers didn’t farm, and students didn’t attend classes”; every household was busy with smuggling, and rumors abounded locally of people striking it rich through smuggling.
What was truly chilling was that, despite the severity of the situation, neither the county Commission for Discipline Inspection nor the regional Party committee’s supervisory department had shown the slightest reaction—as if they were completely oblivious to it.
Similarly, the provincial disciplinary commission was oblivious to the situation, completely unaware of what was happening.
Therefore, although the investigation had only just begun, Jiang Shiying had already realized that the problems in Hai County were extremely serious, and that the individuals involved might extend far beyond the county’s borders.
He decided to stake out Hai County personally to investigate the matter and asked Li Yi to explain the situation to his wife and daughter!
Upon learning she wouldn’t be seeing her father this time, Jiang Xue was quite disappointed, but she didn’t say much.
Jiang Xue knew what her father did for a living; once he got busy, he might not have a moment to spare for two or three months, and she was used to it.
“So when are we leaving for Hong Kong?”
“Tomorrow. I have a few things to take care of back there anyway!” Li Yi said.
“Okay, I’ll leave it up to you!”
“By the way,” Jiang Xue asked again, “what’s the deal with Comrades Zhang Feng and Yang Miao? Why did they suddenly show up at my door, saying they were here to provide me with close protection? I… I’m a little nervous.”
“Haha, what’s there to be nervous about? They’re just like my own guards, Zhang and Zhou—they’re all military personnel handpicked by higher-ups to ensure our safety!” Li Yi said.
“We’re fine just as we are—why do we need protection?”
Jiang Xue continued, “You don’t understand—having people following me around all the time really makes me feel uneasy!”
“You’ll have to get used to it. After all, your status is different now!” Li Yi said with a smile.
“I’m still me—what’s so different?”
“Because now you’re not just the Jiang family’s only legitimate daughter—you’re also the wife of the country’s richest man and a co-owner of Hong Kong’s largest investment firm…”
Before Li Yi could finish, Jiang Xue said with a dazed, innocent expression, “What are you even talking about? I don’t understand a word of it.”
“Hehe, to put it simply, your husband has made something of himself. The higher-ups need him to serve the country. To prevent certain factions from lashing out in desperation, they’ve assigned some people to stay by our side and protect our safety at all times!” Li Yi explained.
“Oh my, does that mean you’re in danger?”
“Normally, no. But nothing is certain. Some factions might be so enraged that they take desperate measures and try to take me out!” Li Yi replied honestly.
Although this might worry Jiang Xue, he had already reached this position, and there were certain things she needed to know.
After all, his wife wasn’t a delicate flower in a greenhouse, nor did she want to hide under his wing forever; she wanted to fight alongside him and grow together.
Her determination was evident in her firm decision to major in accounting and her repeated insistence on managing his finances.
“But… does this really have to be you? Maybe we shouldn’t do it…”
Li Yi smiled and said, “It’s an honor when the higher-ups ask us to handle something. How could we just walk away from it?”
“As for safety, you can rest assured. Those who lack the ability can’t touch us, and those who do have the ability won’t dare to!”
Jiang Xue sighed and said, “Sigh, I know I can’t talk you out of it—you’re just a stubborn mule!”
“But you’d better remember—you’re not that reckless village ruffian with no one to keep you in line anymore. You’ve got a wife and a kid now. Think about the three of us—your wife and kids—when you’re out there doing your job!”
“Got it!”
Then Li Yi changed the subject and asked again, “By the way, why did Juanzi come along too? I don’t remember telling her to come.”
“It was my mother’s idea!”
“Your mother?”
Hearing this, Zhou Yang felt a bit puzzled. What was his mother-in-law up to?
“My mom said to bring Juanzi along—she can help us look after the kids every now and then!” Jiang Xue explained.
“With you, Mom, and me here, how could we possibly need Juanzi?”
Jiang Xue’s face flushed, and she said, “Mom said… she said that once we get to Hong Kong, we might not have time to look after the kids…”
Seeing Jiang Xue’s blushing face, Li Yi instantly understood.
It turned out his mother-in-law was worried that their brief separation would make them feel like newlyweds again, leaving them no time to care for the kids, and since she couldn’t look after both of them on her own, she’d decided to bring Juanzi along too.
You have to admit, his mother-in-law had really thought of everything!
With that in mind, Li Yi pulled Jiang Xue into his arms and whispered in her ear, “Mom really did think of everything. We can’t let her down!”
As he spoke, Li Yi’s hands began to roam all over his wife’s body…
……..