1990s: Spring Water Family

Chapter 240 Xi Yu, you didn't expect this, did you? It's me...

"Oh, that's it."

Lin Xiyu suddenly realized: "No wonder Li Qing invested; she saw the potential in the entertainment city and wanted to get a piece of the pie."

"That's just one of the reasons."

Gu Bin smiled and pointed out: "The real purpose is to marry Wang Fan, become the rightful Mrs. Wang, and make his son the heir to Dingsheng."

"She's playing a long game!"

Lin Xiyu listened with amazement: "No wonder he was willing to invest 30 billion yuan. He's prepared to gamble his entire life, isn't he?"

"more or less."

Gu Bin inwardly agreed: "It won't be easy to get Wang Fan to obediently admit defeat. That kid is a womanizer with a lot of girlfriends and lovers. Li Qing won't be able to subdue him without some tricks up her sleeve."

"Does she absolutely have to marry Wang Fan?"

Lin Xiyu couldn't understand Li Qing's thoughts: "With the Li family's strength, even if their daughter has an illegitimate child, it would be easy for her to find a suitable person to marry. There are plenty of people who want to curry favor with them and rise to the top in one step to become a son-in-law of a wealthy family."

"Perhaps this is destiny."

Gu Bin didn't give a direct answer, but casually brushed it off.

"You're becoming more and more of a charlatan."

Lin Xiyu chuckled and teased him, "No matter what happens, it all comes down to fate."

Don't you think some things are really mysterious?

Gu Bin smiled, reached out and pulled the person from the other end of the sofa into his arms: "Two people who have never met before, from acquaintance to love, and then to marriage and children, it's as if there's a red thread binding them together, they can't be separated even if they want to, and they can't forget even if they want to. Just like the two of us, we were separated for five years, but we were able to reunite. What else could it be but God's favor?"

"Isn't it because I love you more deeply?"

Lin Xiyu gave him a playful chuckle and a reproachful look: "You should thank me, not God."

"hehe."

Gu Bin adored her proud and charming demeanor, and couldn't resist lowering his head to kiss her lips.

"You haven't answered me yet."

Lin Xiyu was very unhappy with his taking advantage of the situation and glared at him resentfully.

"My self-perception."

Gu Bin stopped laughing and solemnly confessed, "Perhaps my love for you is more sincere? After all, I've been completely innocent for the past five years, without a single romantic thought. But you're different. If Li Qing hadn't suddenly appeared, someone else would have succeeded."

"Fine, so you want to bring up old grievances, is that it?"

Lin Xiyu got angry, jumped up, and glared at him unhappily.

"No."

Gu Bin categorically denied it.

"You are, and that's who you are. Denying it won't change anything."

Lin Xiyu persisted, pointing her finger at his nose and questioning him.

"Okay, whatever you say."

Gu Bin suddenly changed his mind and hit her unexpectedly.

"you"

Lin Xiyu choked and almost bit her tongue.

"hehe."

Gu Bin couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"You dare laugh at me?"

Enraged, Lin Xiyu lunged at him and punched him.

Gu Bin leaned back and fell onto the sofa with the person in his arms.

Lin Xiyu couldn't stop in time and fell headfirst, her lips covering his.

Both of them were a little confused.

After realizing what was happening, a hint of mockery flashed in Gu Bin's eyes.

Lin Xiyu blushed deeply, her ears turning bright red. She abruptly raised her head, wanting to turn away and leave.

Gu Bin wouldn't give her a chance to escape. He turned her over in his arms and kissed her lips again.

Lin Xiyu struggled blankly for a few moments, then let out a shy and angry scolding, before being overwhelmed by a passionate kiss and disappearing into a trance of infatuation.

-

Lin Xiyu never imagined that one day she would see Li Qing at the old house.

Although the two were once classmates and close friends, after going through so much, it's inevitable that there will be some distance between them.

The afternoon Li Qing came to visit, she was practicing paper cutting under the pomegranate tree in the yard as usual when a soft knocking at the door caught her attention.

Ever since Wang Meng's son started learning English with her, his wife has been sending fresh vegetables and fruits to their home every day without fail.

She assumed it was Sister Wang again, so without thinking much of it, she put down the scissors and ran to open the door.

"Xi Yu, you didn't expect this, did you... It's me..."

The door opened, and what came into view was Li Qing's face, exactly the same as in my memory, without any change.

"Li Qing? What are you doing at my house? How did you find your way here?"

Lin Xiyu's gaze sharpened, and a very uncomfortable feeling welled up in her heart.

Even now, she can't forget the scene five years ago when Li Qing appeared in front of her with her child.

The mother and son acted pitiful and humble, begging her to leave Wang Fan, as if she were truly a shameless mistress, attracting a lot of onlookers.

"Gu Bin told me."

Li Qing's expression was completely different from before. With the air of a victor, she raised her eyebrows triumphantly: "He and I are allies now, even better than he and Wang Fan."

Gu Bin is not home.

Lin Xiyu didn't want to see her smug smile; she found it a bit irritating. "He went to the market to buy groceries and won't be back for a while."

I'm not here to see him, I'm here to see you.

Li Qing pretended not to understand her rejection, stepped across the threshold, and entered the courtyard with an air of nonchalance.

"I have nothing to talk to you about."

Lin Xiyu's eyes showed displeasure, but out of consideration for Gu Bin, no one kicked them out.

"Don't be so heartless. We're classmates after all."

Li Qing looked around the courtyard, her gaze lingering with interest on the paper-cutting under the pomegranate tree. "You cut this out? Your skills are quite good!"

Regardless of whether others welcomed it or not, she said to herself, "It looks quite professional. Could you cut one out for me sometime? I'll pay a high price."

"Do not sell!"

Lin Xiyu's face darkened, and she retorted without thinking.

"Don't be so angry."

Li Qing walked over, bent down, and picked out a paper-cut from the basket. She pretended to admire it and looked at it carefully: "You people do paper-cutting so that it can generate value. Only when someone is willing to buy it can it be monetized, allowing you to get a value commensurate with your labor."

Lin Xiyu's eyes showed displeasure: "Paper cutting is not only a means of making a living, but also an art."

"How aloof she is."

Li Qing chuckled twice, then feigned annoyance and said, "Oh right, I was stupid. I forgot that your status is different now. You're a CEO's wife with a net worth of hundreds of millions."

“That’s money Gu Bin earned, not mine.”

Lin Xiyu found the tone of her voice when she mentioned her net worth of over 100 million yuan inexplicably grating.

It seemed to be mocking her, saying that she rose to power by relying on men and was just a pretty face with no real ability.

You're really lucky.

Li Qing sighed softly, "She married such a good husband, capable and devoted. I'm even a little envious."

"Didn't you say you were going to marry Wang Fan?"

Lin Xiyu frowned, her tone a bit sharp: "Why are you coming here to cause trouble? Whether Gu Bin is good to me or not is none of your business."

"Tsk tsk, so easily angered."

Li Qing said sourly, "You get all worked up as soon as Gu Bin is mentioned. You really care about him. Five years ago, when I appeared in front of you with my son, begging you to break up with Wang Fan, you weren't this agitated. You accepted it calmly back then. Now that I think about it, you didn't love him deeply enough."

"What on earth do you want to do?"

Lin Xiyu didn't want to listen to her nonsense: "If there's nothing else, you can leave. I have things to do and don't have time to deal with you."

"I'm here on serious business."

Li Qing not only showed no intention of leaving, but instead picked out a small stool and sat down under the pomegranate tree.

"What else do you want?"

Lin Xiyu was speechless.

"As you know, I'm getting married."

As Li Qing spoke, she took out an invitation from her handbag and placed it in the winnowing basket containing paper cutouts: "I came here today to deliver this invitation to you. I don't care about anyone else at this wedding, but you and Gu Bin must attend. No matter what grudges you had in the past, I hope that Gu Bin and Wang Fan, you and me, the four of us, can put aside our differences through this cooperation and be as close and intimate as we were in college."

Do you personally think that's possible?

Lin Xiyu felt a sense of irony upon hearing this.

Gu Bin helped Li Qing scheme against Wang Fan. Although the Li family invested money to solve his immediate problem, marriage was not what he wanted.

It's good enough that he doesn't hold a grudge; he'd be willing to forgive and forget.

"Why not?"

Li Qing didn't think there was anything wrong with her suggestion.

Don't you think you've come to the wrong place?

Lin Xiyu retorted, "You shouldn't be saying this to me, you should be saying it to Wang Fan. You know better than me that he's the one with the thorn in his heart. If you want to reconcile with him, don't involve me and Gu Bin. Your affairs are none of our business."

"Xi Yu, perhaps my words were not quite right and caused you to misunderstand."

Li Qing feigned fear and explained with an awkward smile, "I didn't mean anything else. I really want to repair the relationship between the four of us. I've thought it through very thoroughly. Wang Fan's personality is too impulsive. If he can cooperate with Gu Bin, it will be a powerful alliance that will be most beneficial for their future development."

"It's not that I didn't try to persuade him."

Lin Xiyu frankly admitted: "It's not that they haven't tried to work together again, but the harmony on the surface doesn't mean they've really let go in their hearts. When they meet, they still can't stand each other and are always at odds. I'm also very tired. Rather than that, it's better to avoid seeing each other. At least it won't escalate the conflict and make their relationship worse."

"Your thinking is a bit too negative."

Li Qing came with a purpose, and she was unwilling to give up until she achieved her goal: "Wang Fan was able to escape danger this time entirely thanks to Gu Bin's help. His mentality has changed, and he no longer holds a grudge against him as before. There is room for their relationship to turn around, but he is too embarrassed to speak up because of his pride. He needs someone to give him a push from behind."

Lin Xiyu didn't believe it at all: "Did he tell you this, or did you guess it yourself?"

"He thinks he's smart, but he's actually incredibly stupid."

Li Qing smiled coldly: "His laughter, anger, and curses are all written on his face. There's no need to guess; you can tell at a glance."

Lin Xiyu frowned: "Since you think he's stupid, why did you still marry him?"

Instead of answering, Li Qing asked, "What do you think it's for?"

Without thinking, Lin Xiyu blurted out, "Isn't it to mend fences?"

"Ten years have passed, Xiyu, and you haven't changed at all. You're still fantasizing about love."

Li Qing smiled meaningfully: "But I'm different now. I've long understood that no man is reliable. If you want to live a decent life, the key is to have money. Only money can give you confidence to speak, and only money truly belongs to you and will never betray you."

"If you've thought this through so clearly, why even get married?"

Lin Xiyu retorted, "Knowing full well that Wang Fan is a womanizer and has more than one lover, you still fall head over heels for him. Even so, do you still think you're rational enough to have the right to mock me?"

"He is definitely a womanizer..."

Li Qing's eyes flickered slightly, and she gave an unexpected answer: "He is also very capable. Even my parents had to admit that they misjudged him. That good-for-nothing young man back then has become a powerful tycoon in just ten years by taking advantage of the real estate boom."

"You married him just for his money?"

"Otherwise what? Besides money, what else could I possibly want from him?"

"You're not short of money..."

Lin Xiyu was filled with mixed emotions: "Your parents earn enough money for you to live on for a lifetime, so why do you still want to get married for money?"

"You still don't understand..."

Li Qing smiled again: "Marriages between wealthy families are not about choosing a partner, but about choosing a business partner. Only by combining strengths can a business last longer. Dingsheng's current crisis is a good example. So what if someone is worth over 100 million? They can still collapse at any time. Wang Fan himself knows that without my help, he wouldn't have been able to overcome this hurdle. So even if he's unwilling, he can only accept it. No matter how young and beautiful those other women are, they can't shake my position. I will always be the mistress of Dingsheng Group, and my son will be the rightful heir."

"Since you're so confident, why bother coming to us?"

Lin Xiyu saw right through her little scheme: "Saying that you want the four of you to be as close as before is just a way of saying you're insecure and trying to fool us into helping you win over Wang Fan and ease the tension between you."

"It would be beneficial for both Gu Bin and Wang Fan to join forces."

Li Qing didn't want to admit that she had guessed correctly, and still stubbornly argued: "Gu Bin left Shanghai for you and stayed in this dilapidated old house. You can't not think about him, can you? A man can't live without social interaction. Without connections, it's no different from ruining your future."

"You make it sound like you really care about him, but it's really just for your own sake..."

Lin Xiyu frowned, a hint of impatience rising within her: "I've never stopped Gu Bin from socializing. We both enjoy a peaceful life; we feel it's the most authentic and heartwarming thing..."

"Isn't this just your own idea?"

Li Qing didn't believe it: "Men all have ambition, and no one is content with mediocrity, especially an outstanding man like Gu Bin. He can shine anywhere. His life should be full of challenges and opportunities. As long as he has the chance, he can climb to new heights and achieve an extraordinary life."