Chapter 172: Wife’s Text Message

After getting back on the road, Qiao Huanxuan looked at Li Yan, remaining silent for a long time. She had witnessed the scene just now. When she heard Li Yan say that since compensation was inevitable, he might as well beat them up first, she was startled and almost got out to stop him. How could he take on six people by himself? Especially when they came prepared with hammers and wrenches.

But the ensuing scene not only left those six drivers dumbfounded, but also stunned her. She didn’t even clearly see what happened; everyone was already knocked down. If it were a video, she’d want to replay it in slow motion to see exactly how it went down.

By the time Li Yan returned to the car, her curiosity and amazement about the scene had shifted towards curiosity and amazement about Li Yan himself.

Li Yan drove again, speeding quickly into the city amidst their mutual silence.

He didn’t intentionally conceal his skills earlier, displaying them not only in front of strangers but also without avoiding Qiao Huanxuan. From her prolonged silence, she was probably quite shocked.

"Is there something you want to ask? Go ahead, don’t bottle things up. I’ll tell you what I can," Li Yan broke the silence.

Qiao Huanxuan shook her head, "No questions."

"Hmm?"

"This probably involves your past. You haven’t mentioned it to me or any of our classmates. I don’t know if you’re hiding it from people around you, but at least you don’t want us to know. So asking is meaningless and would only put you in a difficult position." Qiao Huanxuan smiled freely, "Letting me see it without putting on a show in front of me means you trust me, right? That’s nice, at least I don’t have to worry about your safety."

"..."

Li Yan initially thought she would ask a lot of questions, including why he left that year, where he went, what he did after leaving, and what he has been doing all these years. The road ahead was long, and they could indeed discuss many things during the journey. He hadn’t expected her to think this way, leaving no use for the explanations and reasons he had prepared, and feeling somewhat stifled instead.

Just as he felt a bit awkward, Qiao Huanxuan’s phone rang. She answered it, then her expression changed.

"No... it’s not like that. It’s not a false report... Someone was indeed extorting us just now. But then we found a chance to drive away... Yes, because you hadn’t arrived yet, they didn’t stay idle, and we didn’t dare linger... So when we got the chance, we left... Let’s consider it a retraction of the report..."

After explaining once more and being lectured by the police, Qiao Huanxuan finally hung up the phone.

"You called the police?" Li Yan, who had been outside earlier, didn’t know she had called the police, and she hadn’t mentioned it after getting in the car.

Qiao Huanxuan gave a bitter smile, "How was I to know you could fight like that? If I didn’t report it, would I really just hand over the money when they tried to extort a thousand yuan from you?"

"Luckily, we left, and fortunately, those people fled too. Otherwise, I’d be the one getting arrested by the police."

"Blaming me? Wasn’t I doing it for you?" After painstakingly explaining to the police, Qiao Huanxuan felt aggrieved to be blamed by Li Yan.

"No, why blame you? Even if they did report it, they extorted us first. Besides, there’s no way to prove I was the one who beat up all six," he calmly stated.

Qiao Huanxuan, seeing Li Yan’s composed demeanor, recalled his unwavering calm during the blockade by six cars, even having the mind to ’follow the vine to find the melon’... Just who is he now? What changes had he undergone all these years?

She started realizing more clearly that the current Li Yan was no longer the Li Yan from high school; not the way she imagined him either. There was a psychological distance between them...

"Do you... want to talk about it?"

"Hmm?"

"The things you wanted me to ask but I didn’t. Go ahead, tell me what you can and are willing to share." Qiao Huanxuan leaned back, realizing the distance between them and how little she knew about him, making her feel a bit lost.

In this way, can they still be together?

Based on what?

If he had some responsibility, perhaps he wouldn’t bear to hurt her, but that’s not love; it’s responsibility and compassion. To her, that would be emotional extortion!

Qiao Huanxuan did not want it to be like that!

...

Li Yan originally thought of replying to her with some half-truths and ambiguous remarks, but she didn’t ask. Now, she’s giving him the initiative, leaving him unsure of where to start.

Looking at the road ahead, images flicker rapidly in his mind, some are deeply ingrained, while others are vaguely blurred...

He feels it difficult to breathe, closes his eyes, and sighs.

"Hey!" Qiao Huanxuan is startled. How could he play with closed eyes while driving?

Li Yan opens his eyes, and thankfully, nothing unexpected happens. He apologetically says, "Forget it, let’s talk about it tonight. I’m afraid discussing these things now would affect my mood for driving."

"Hmm..." Seeing he’s fine, Qiao Huanxuan feels slightly relieved. Then she adds, "If you find it inconvenient to talk, don’t say anything. I don’t necessarily need to know, it’s just... I suddenly realize how little I understand you and want to know more."

Hearing her speak her mind, Li Yan is a bit surprised, then reassures her with a smile, "Actually, you don’t need to feel I’m unfamiliar. There are many things even those closest to me, like Yu Xiaodi, don’t know. They only know I’m quite skilled; you can think of me as someone who has practiced martial arts."

"Okay." Qiao Huanxuan isn’t sure if he’s comforting himself, but hearing that others also know little about his past, she truly feels much more at ease.

After that, their conversation lightens up, revolving around the topic of the drivers they mentioned earlier.

Li Yan drives much faster than regular taxis, speeding through the city, reaching the Eastern Seaside. Passing near the Golden Coast, he slows down a bit and points towards the Yu Family’s direction.

"Yu Xiaodi’s home is over there, wonder if they’ve returned yet..."

"You could pretend to pass by for a visit, catch her mom off guard!" Qiao Huanxuan offers a spontaneous suggestion.

’Catch her mom off guard,’ this blunt truth makes Li Yan laugh, "If I really wanted to ’catch her mom off guard,’ I could have done it at the airport. Why bother coming here? I could have brought you along, saying I happened to meet them while picking you up. Let’s not escalate conflicts; there’s no rush between Yu Xiaodi and me."

"She’s still young, of course not in a hurry. But you’re getting old..." Qiao Huanxuan mutters under her breath. She’s referring to Li Yan and also herself, as she’s a year younger than Li Yan but much older compared to Yu Xiaodi. The pressure of age!

Li Yan smiles, accelerating towards the hotel.

Upon reaching the guest room, Qiao Huanxuan quickly tidies up and goes to fill water for a bath. At the airport, she subtly mentioned spending the night together, so it’s not appropriate for him to leave now; he needs to stay.

After Qiao Huanxuan enters the bathroom, Li Yan writes a text to Zhang Yurong, informing her that he has a social event tonight and might drink too much, so he might not return if it’s late. Since he made plans with Li Jie to have dinner after work to gather some information, he didn’t expect Yu Xiaodi would be back, head to the airport, nor run into Qiao Huanxuan, so he just told her he wouldn’t be home for dinner.

After sending the message, Li Yan feels somewhat heavy-hearted. It’s the feeling of betraying Zhang Yurong, just like those men who have affairs. He realizes his excuse is terribly cliche—business. With Yurong’s intelligence, she might see through it.

The hotel room with a sea view is spacious, yet he feels there’s an invisible pressure. He exhales and steps out onto the balcony, gazing at the ocean.

The vast sea usually feels refreshing, but at night, under the dark sky, it appears gray, with only the seaside near the hotel illuminated by street lights visible. This doesn’t help him feel refreshed; instead, it adds to his sense of oppression. Yet, it’s late, and the chilly wind outside clears his mind a bit.

Originally, Li Yan expected Zhang Yurong would call to check on him, but after waiting for a while, he receives a message instead.

"Got it, drink less."

Just a few words instantly warm him in the chilly night wind! Even though he and Yurong haven’t reached the last breakthrough, haven’t become a real couple, they already seem like an old married couple. Like any wife, she chooses to trust her husband’s reason, offering the simplest and most direct care and advice.

Right now, Li Yan feels both touched and guilty, and the cold sea breeze erases any desire. He wants to return to the room, tell Qiao Huanxuan, and drive home afterward, regardless of how late it is, to be with the trusting wife awaiting his return! 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

From the balcony, he returns to the living room, closing the glass door. Li Yan sighs again, knowing that his thoughts were impulsive. Leaving now would hurt Qiao Huanxuan deeply! This poor classmate has spent years of her youth for him, and he can’t offer her anything or make amends, not even spending a dinner with her alone!

Even when she’s on a business trip in S City, he can’t spend the night with her, it’s so heartless!

Li Yan deliberates for a moment, choosing to turn his phone off. Keeping it on makes him recall Yurong; turning it off gives him psychological comfort. Then, temporarily putting everything aside, he chooses to stay with Huanxuan, and tomorrow he will return home, back to Yurong!

(Sorry, I’m late. The kid had a stomachache, unclear reasons, worrying for a long time. They mentioned speaking during nap time at kindergarten and crying when scolded by the teacher, requesting parents to buy something for school, something difficult to find... headaches. It’s just now finishing 13,000 words for Chapter Four! My eyes are blurry now. Thank you all so much for maintaining a top ten position in urban novels for a day, it’s pitiful! To honor every monthly ticket supporter, 20 tickets will add another Chapter, continued efforts! This is for 40 tickets, tomorrow Lao Lai will continue working hard, requesting support, top ten for only a day, half a day is too embarrassing, please help!)(To be continued, to know what happens next, please visit www.qidian.com, more Chapters available, support the author, support legitimate reading!)