136: Mother, you look healthy?

Mother, you look healthy?

"Mother, what are  you doing in the kitchen?"  1

When Chen Yi had entered Li manor, she found a snoring Li Yuan sprawled over the couch rather ungracefully. Head down, legs up, a steak of saliva ran down freely through the corner of his mouth and gathered into a puddle underneath.

Chen Yi's lips twitched but she could not bring herself to dislike him. Li Yuan reminded her of her own brother. She missed Chen Jianghong, her own younger brother. With a smile, she shook her head and went upstairs. 

Surprised and worried at not finding Mother properly tucked in the blankets, she asked around some servants and found that Li Shanguaan was in the kitchen.

"This..." Li Shanguaan caught off guard at Chen Yi's sudden appearance, coughed. "Didn't Yi'er say that you would come back late at night?"

"The Director was someone strict with time. He doesn't let the subordinates slack." Chen Yi explained as she walked close to Li Shanguaan. Placing her hand over Li Shanguaan's forehead, she mused. "The fever seems to have subsided." She looked down at Li Shanguaan's face and somewhat surprise, commented. "Mother complexion also looks good... almost back to normal."

Beads of sweat formed on Li Shanguaan's temple. Her eyes looked here and there, not sure what to say. It was when Li Yuan came rushing into the kitchen, almost tumbling over something and falling down breaking his front teeth before finally stabilizing before Chen Yi. "Sister-in-law, when did you come! I didn't even notice!"

Chen Yi wore a weird expression as she observed a hyperventilating Li Yuan struggling to stand properly before her and a guilty-looking Li Shanguaan who refused to meet her eyes. 

"Were you in the lounge waiting for me?" She asked cautiously.

"I-I-I didn't. I mean, coughs coughs coughs..."

Chen Yi blinked in confusion. "What happened? Mother, even if you are feeling better now, it's not a good idea working in the kitchen."

"That's what the doctor said!" Li Yuan cut in. He seemed to have regained his composure. "Actually I also thought so too. In fact, it had been Mother who put me up to this. She said sister-in-law won't allow her to make dinner. But she wanted to cook personally for you. So she asked me to spy on the front door in case you came back. Then I would tell her and she would go back to her room so sister-in-law would not feel guilty! Isn't that right, Mother?"

Li Yuan's ability to come up with cooked-up stories was once because the crease of Chen Yi's forehead smoothened. She then looked at Li Shanguaan, who also seemed to have regained some degree of control over her composure.

"Yi'er wouldn't blame Mother, would she?"

"How could I?" Chen Yi stayed silent for a few moments. Then said. "But now that I've returned, there's no need for Mother to tire yourself anymore. I have prepared dinner with your before, I am familiar with Mother's methods. Take a rest in the room and I'll see the dishes to end. Okay?" 

"Exactly!" Li Yuan pipped in. "Mother should not stay here for long lest your illness returned. Let me guide you back to your room."

While Chen Yi tended to the dishes, the duo of Mother and Son fought in the bedroom.

"Mother, what did I tell you about not preparing the dinner today? Would it have hurt you to change your routine just for one day?! We almost got caught! But do you ever listen!" Li Yuan said with self-righteous anger.

"Blame me this, blame me that! Was it not you who said 'Mom, don't worry' I got the lounge. I would ring the bell as soon as sister-in-law comes back!"

At his Mother's comeback, Li Yuan's confidence dwindled somewhat. With a cough, he said. "Alright, alright, let's not dwell on whose fault is this. The situation at hand is more important." Once being blamed, Li Yuan timely suggested. Then clapped and praised himself. "Luckily I was smart and saved the situation. Sister-in-law is really naive. I bet she didn't suspect a thing!"

"What to do now? She saw me without your stupid makeup!" Li Shanguaan worriedly touched her face. "What if she thinks I have recovered? What if she insists on leaving? That won't do, what if those stupid kids continue being stubborn as mules?!"

As his Mother began to enter into a panicked state, Li Yuan hurriedly said. "Relax Mother. Nothing like this will happen. Don't you know who your son is? With me being their cupid, this ship will never sink!" Li Yuan puffed out his chest in pride.

Li Shanguaan hit him on the very chest and chided him. "Shut up. You! Your stupid plans have brought me to this position of no retreat! If something bad happens, I'll see you through your end!"

...

Chen Yi wiped off the sweat from her forehead. Finally done with the dishes, she rolled down her sleeves, hiding away those slender, tempting forearms. Digging out her phone from her purse, she sighed in annoyance.

"The battery's dead. I need to call Gu Chiantao." 

Chen Yi thought for a second then headed for their room upstairs.

After what happened between them last time, Chen Yi was certain Li Luxian won't press her for the time being. The thought relieved and saddened her at the same time. She didn't know how long she could put up that facade. Last time, as he kissed her, she had almost lost herself and revealed her true feelings.

If he continued to go after her, sooner or later she would break down and give in to him.

Maybe it was for the best that he gave up.

As Chen Yi thought this, a strange feeling of loss surfaced in her heart. It was as if a warm blanket that has engulfed her in the chilly winter had suddenly been snatched away. Now she was to face the bitterness of this world... alone.

But it was her fault... to begin with.

She knew perfectly well that they could never be. She should never have let herself be comfortable with the warmth.

Preoccupied, Chen Yi didn't know when she had already reached the room. As she opened the door and comfortably walked in, the shock she received froze her feet to the ground. 

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