Chapter 690: This Is the Empire I Conquered for You
By the time Li Yi had seen off Huang Lixing and his wife, as well as the Li family father and son, it was already 10:30.
Back in his fourth-floor bedroom, Li Yi saw his wife standing by the spacious, bright floor-to-ceiling window, lost in thought—so much so that she hadn’t even noticed him come in.
“Ahem!”
Hearing the sound behind her, Jiang Xue snapped back to reality.
“Finished with your work?”
“Yeah, I’m done. Why aren’t you asleep yet?”
No sooner had he spoken than Li Yi was surprised to find that there was no sign of the children in the room. He immediately asked, “Where are the kids? Why aren’t they in here?”
“My older sister took them downstairs. She said I haven’t had a moment’s rest all day and wanted me to get a good night’s sleep!” Jiang Xue said, blushing.
She knew the real reason her older sister had taken the two children away, but she couldn’t say it outright to her husband.
“You’ve been driving all day and taking care of me—you must be exhausted. Go get some rest!” Li Yi said.
“I can’t sleep!”
Seeing the worried look on Jiang Xue’s face, Li Yi immediately asked, “What’s wrong? Is something bothering you?”
“Not really…”
Having been together for so long, Li Yi knew her well. He smiled and said, “Did something scare you?”
Jiang Xue paused for a moment, then nodded and said, “A little.”
Then, she looked around the spacious master bedroom—complete with its own luxurious bathroom, toilet, and walk-in closet—and asked Li Yi, “Is this the villa you were talking about, the one worth hundreds of millions?”
“That’s right. What do you think? Is it comfortable to live in?” Li Yi asked with a smile.
“It certainly looks comfortable, but I still prefer our little courtyard in Beijing. This place is just too big—it makes me feel uneasy. I’m a little scared!” Jiang Xue said honestly.
“It’s just because you’re not used to it yet. Once you get used to it, you’ll find this place pretty nice too.”
Li Yi continued, “Think about it—when we first arrived in Beijing, you felt that nowhere was as comfortable as our brick-and-tile house in Nianzi Mountain Village. But now you’ve gotten used to it, haven’t you?”
“Maybe so, but right now, living here makes me feel a bit uneasy. It’s as if I’m standing on a cloud—it feels unreal and a bit unsettling!” Jiang Xue said.
“What exactly makes you feel unsettled?”
Jiang Xue fell silent again. She didn’t know how to describe the restlessness and anxiety in her heart, nor did she know how to explain it to Li Yi.
At that moment, Li Yi stepped forward, gently wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and said, “They say a husband and wife are one. We’ve weathered storms together—is there really anything we can’t talk about?”
Jiang Xue nodded and said, “I feel like ever since you came to Beijing, the gap between us has been growing wider and wider!”
“A gap?”
“Yes. Back in the village, even though you earned a decent income, I never felt that kind of worry or that sense of inferiority.”
Jiang Xue continued, “But ever since you came to Beijing, I feel the gap between us has grown wider and wider. Especially now—you’re talking about deals worth hundreds of millions with others, living in luxury villas worth hundreds of millions. Compared to you, I feel like I’m good for nothing…”
Before Jiang Xue could finish, Li Yi cut her off and said, “Do you know why I’m working so hard?”
“Well…”
“I’m working this hard to become a better person—someone worthy of an exceptional woman like you!”
“I…”
Before Jiang Xue could speak, Li Yi continued, “Before we got married, you were a pretty educated youth from the city who’d gone to school, while I was just a good-for-nothing, street-smart guy born and raised in the village. If it weren’t for that scum named Tang who were determined to drag you into a pit of fire, you’d never have set your sights on someone like me!”
“To be worthy of someone as wonderful as you, and to stop people from gossiping, I had no choice but to better myself. So I set up a street stall, sold mushrooms, dried produce, built a house, and bought a set of furniture and an audio system—finally putting an end to the villagers’ idle chatter!”
“But just when I started to feel I was worthy of you, you found your biological parents. Man, do you have any idea how much pressure I was under then?”
“You’re the only girl in the Jiang family for generations, and your maternal grandfather comes from a prominent clan like the Ye family. Look at me—for dozens of generations, my ancestors have been farmers tilling the fields. It’s like a toad trying to eat a swan! I was terrified the Jiang family wouldn’t approve of us being together and would force a ‘divorce where the father leaves, but the child stays’…”
Jiang Xue immediately replied, “How could that happen? Mom, Dad, and Grandpa value you so much. If it weren’t for you, they wouldn’t even know if they could have found me.”
“Not to mention, you saved Third Brother and my mother, and you helped Dad and Second Brother. They’re so grateful to you—they’d never dream of breaking us up!”
Li Yi shook his head and said, “Don’t underestimate the resolve of parents who love their daughter dearly. If I were in their shoes, I might not agree to let my precious daughter marry a mountain boy—especially one who’s a little troublemaker!”
“You’re not a small-time hoodlum—you were just young and reckless, not knowing any better!” Jiang Xue said.
“Whether I was or not doesn’t matter anymore—that’s all in the past!”
Then Li Yi added, “I’m telling you all this to make one thing clear: I work so hard to earn money not to prove how great I am, but simply so that when people see us together, they’ll say, ‘They make such a perfect couple!’”
Hearing this, images of all the hard work Li Yi had put in over the years involuntarily flashed through Jiang Xue’s mind.
Her eyes reddening slightly, she said, “Thank you. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me. You know, I’m the one who wronged you back then—I was the one who took advantage of you…”
Li Yi ruffled her hair and smiled. “But you gave me your pure self, and you bore me two smart, adorable children. So we’re destined to be entangled for the rest of our lives.”
“I won’t be fickle just because I have money now, and don’t even think about slipping out of my grasp. In this life… no, in the next life, you’ll always be mine, Li Yi’s!”
“Mm-hmm, I won’t run away. I’m yours!” Jiang Xue nodded, her voice filled with emotion.
At that moment, Li Yi carried Jiang Xue over to the window. Looking down at the luxury cars and magnificent mansions below, he said with a look of pride, “My beloved, do you see? This is the empire I’ve built for you and our royal children!”
Jiang Xue was instantly amused by Li Yi’s words; she leaned into his embrace, laughing so hard she could barely catch her breath.
“This kingdom of yours is a bit small—it’s not enough for Yunrui and Yunjin to inherit!” Jiang Xue said with a laugh.
“Hehe, a small villa is indeed a bit small. Tomorrow, I’ll take you to see our real kingdom!” Li Yi said with a smile.
“Alright…”
As she spoke, Jiang Xue suddenly turned around, wrapped her arms around Li Yi’s neck, and said, “I heard from Sister-in-law Chu Hong that the rich folks over in Hong Kong all have multiple wives and concubines, or they keep female celebrities as mistresses. You keep calling yourself ‘Your Majesty’—are you planning to bring a few ‘little sisters’ home to compete for my favor too?”
Hearing this, Li Yi finally understood why this girl had suddenly started worrying about all sorts of nonsense out of the blue—so that was the crux of the matter.
Li Yi smiled, then said with a serious expression, “You’re overthinking it. I’m a jealous sort—I can only make room for one person. Now that I have you, there’s no room for any other woman!”
“Really?”
“Mm-hmm. Besides, I don’t have much ambition. All I want is ‘one life, one love, two people; half-drunk, half-awake, half a fleeting life’—that’s all I need!” Li Yi said.
“One life, one love, just the two of us!”
That young girl wasn’t exactly shy about her feelings. Hearing Li Yi’s heartfelt words, Jiang Xue was moved once again. She tiptoed toward him and planted a sweet kiss on his lips.
Naturally, Li Yi wasn’t about to turn down such a tempting offer.
He immediately scooped her up and carried her straight to the large bed beside them.
In an instant, a melodious symphony filled the room—at times soaring, at times gentle, and at times as if weeping and pleading…
……..