Volume 1, Chapter 26: A Wife Is Not As Good As a Concubine, A Concubine Is Not As Good As a Stolen Love

Cheng Xiuming watched the man before him, whose gaze was fixed intently on his phone screen.

Assuming he hadn't heard, he asked again, "Are you... really planning to rekindle an old flame? Are you just going to write off the fact that she dumped you eight years ago?"

Li Shiyan set his phone down, his expression cold and indifferent. "It won't be rekindled, and it won't be written off either. It’s just for fun."

For adults, "just for fun" implies a physical connection without emotional attachment; there was no need to elaborate.

Cheng Xiuming looked at him hesitatingly, then heard him ask dismissively, "Do you have any plans today?"

"I wouldn't call them plans, but Zhuyu is hosting a gathering; we can go if you're free. You know those brats—they know you went to Zhou Yunming's event yesterday, and they naturally don't want to be outdone," Cheng Xiuming explained.

He heard the man respond immediately: "I'm in."

Cheng Xiuming: ...! Wasn't there a "lady waiting"? What happened to that?

Watching Li Shiyan’s expression, Cheng Xiuming didn't dare ask further and acted as if he hadn't heard the mention of a lady. "How many cars should we take?"

"Take yours."

With that, Li Shiyan stood up and walked out of the office, with Cheng Xiuming following close behind.

On the road, Cheng Xiuming could clearly feel that the aura of the "great Buddha" beside him was off. Even though it was July, Cheng Xiuming had the illusion that the temperature in the car was dropping without the air conditioning even being on.

Between driving, Cheng Xiuming glanced at the rearview mirror every so often. It didn't matter if he didn't look, but one glance was all it took. The man in the rearview mirror was fiddling with his phone with one hand, mostly keeping his eyes closed to rest, but every time he opened them, he would instinctively check the screen.

The look on his face... tsk. Wasn't it obvious he was waiting for a message from someone?

Just as Cheng Xiuming intended to take another look, the man in the back seat coldly opened his eyes and looked straight through the rearview mirror. Cheng Xiuming felt every hair on his body stand on end and immediately averted his gaze.

Fine, fine, fine. Dr. Li was clearly in a foul mood because he had been stood up. If he didn't let this man vent his pent-up frustration, whoever crossed his path today was going to have a rough time.

When the two of them arrived at the presidential suite, the party was already in full swing, though the crowd of socialites had changed. This group happened to be the clique close to the Lin family.

There were plenty of people warming up the atmosphere and even more female companions, but no matter how much the group flattered him or how many beauties were presented, the "Fifth Master Li" remained unmoved. Upon entering the suite, he retreated to a corner, sipping his cigarette unhurriedly. Seeing that he was in low spirits, the group of young masters felt the pressure mounting and didn't dare crowd around him.

However, there was always someone who thought they were special. A provocatively dressed woman with heavy makeup slid a glass toward him and leaned in. "Fifth Master... not in high spirits today?"

Cheng Xiuming raised an eyebrow; finally, someone had stepped up to catch this pent-up fire.

Li Shiyan took a sip of his drink, his voice indifferent. "Get lost."

The woman was a popular hostess at Zhuyu, known for being enthusiastic, open, and wild, and she was very confident in her own charm. "Don't be like that, Fifth Master. Since you've come to Zhuyu, you must know what kind of place this is. Zhuyu... isn't this exactly the place to have fun? Let me help you ease the tension..."

Just as she reached out to tease him, she let out a shrill scream before she could even touch him: "Ahhhhh!"

Without blinking, Li Shiyan pressed his cigarette butt firmly into the back of her hand, his tone impatient. "Drag her out. Clean it up."

The hostesses in the room were terrified, and the young masters forgot their own amusement, immediately ordering the woman to be dragged out. No one dared to speak in the suite.

Li Shiyan tossed the cigarette into an ashtray, his eyes cold. "You people are truly starving; you'll eat anything that’s served."

Every one of the men present was a young master from a prestigious family in the capital. If anyone else had said that, there would have been a scene. But since it was Li Shiyan, they had no choice but to swallow the insult.

Now that he had finally spoken, the anger had been vented. Cheng Xiuming joked knowingly, "You all have fun. The Fifth Master came here with a bit of a temper today; if anyone is blind enough to bump into him, don't expect anyone to plead for you."

Only then did the atmosphere warm up again, with people playing and laughing, and the hostesses didn't dare even glance toward the corner anymore.

Not long after, the suite door pushed open. A man and a woman walked in. Lin Haoyu had brought Ning Yunyun to the gathering specifically to help her relax. She had come to him crying in the afternoon, and it broke his heart. Remembering the party, he thought it was the perfect opportunity to bring her along and show her off, letting everyone know she was his woman so they wouldn't make any mistakes.

To his surprise, as soon as Ning Yunyun entered, she saw Li Shiyan in the corner. Lin Haoyu saw him too, and though he would have usually rushed over, he cautiously sat down with two empty seats between them due to the earlier events of the day. "Uncle."

Li Shiyan didn't even grant him a glance. It wasn't until Ning Yunyun’s voice sounded beside him: "Uncle~"

Lin Haoyu thought Ning Yunyun sat in the middle to ease his embarrassment. Li Shiyan took a sip of his drink, his dark, cold gaze falling on the pair as he mocked, "It really is true these days: a wife is not as good as a concubine, and a concubine is not as good as the one you steal."

The entire capital knew that Lin Haoyu was engaged to the second daughter of the Ning family. Yet here he was, bringing the eldest daughter. The sarcasm from the Fifth Master was maxed out.

Lin Haoyu lost face in front of so many people, but because it was Li Shiyan, he didn't dare to react.

Ning Yunyun forced a smile. "Uncle is joking. Little Yu is at home helping Mother with household chores today, so I stepped in to accompany Brother Haoyu for a walk to clear his head."

"Tell me when you've cleared your heads all the way into bed, and as your uncle, I'll set the stage for you to put on a good show," Li Shiyan scoffed coldly.

Helping with household chores? That was a low-level lie, even for a child. Aside from painting, Ning Yu was clumsy at everything. In the past, she could barely peel an apple without cutting herself, let alone do housework or cook. Eight years ago, he had raised her so she didn't have to lift a finger—she was more delicate than any other noble lady; what could she possibly be doing?

Li Shiyan tapped his glass, his movements pausing for a long moment as he checked his phone again. There were many messages, but not the one he was waiting for.

Ning’s mother keeping her there was real, but it wasn't for chores. As for the actual reason, he would have to go and see for himself. He stood up abruptly and reached toward Cheng Xiuming. "Car keys."

"Huh?" Cheng Xiuming handed them over, caught off guard.

...

The Ning residence.

Ning Yu’s room was on the second floor. When she woke up, the nanny, Mother Li, had already left, leaving the room in a deathly, dark silence. It felt as if she were the only person left in the world, and a familiar sense of loneliness washed over her.

Ning Yu lay on the bed with a pillow under her waist. The wounds on her back, inflicted by a specially made rattan cane, felt slightly better after the medication, but they still ached. Having gone without food or water for half the day, she felt lightheaded. She fumbled for a fruit candy on the nightstand and popped it into her mouth, finding just enough strength to reach for her phone.

She lit up the screen. The lock screen was a photo of her holding Yan Yan, who was less than a month old, taken at the hospital. The wallpaper was a photo of Yan Yan that her mother had begrudgingly given her a few days ago.

She wanted to check the time, but instead saw a message from a few hours ago: [I’m free tonight.]

Ning Yu felt a headache coming on. Didn't they just see each other during the day? Since when were emergency room doctors at top-tier hospitals this idle?

Li Shiyan was driving, and the Ning villa was already in sight. The night was quiet, and the lights in the villa were off. A notification sound chimed; he looked down and finally saw the reply that had just come through:

[Sorry Fifth Master, I’ve caught a cold. I don't want to pass it to you. Let's skip tonight; maybe next time.]