"Elder sister, brother-in-law."
Li Xichi walked over.
Song Jiaye's expression instantly turned cold. On the contrary, Li Qiyu was extremely enthusiastic when she saw Li Xichi. She was just about to ask Li Xichi to help her open the box when Li Xichi bypassed her and walked straight up to Song Jiaye to greet him.
"Brother-in-law, the day before yesterday, did my scandal cause you any trouble?" Li Xichi looked aggrieved. "Alas, these paparazzi have been keeping an eye on me. If I had known this, I wouldn't have gone to Xiyu Villa. Now I've even disturbed your peace with elder sister."
Song Jiaye stared at Li Xichi coldly.
He watched as this face he had once been infatuated with made those pitiful and innocent expressions.
How come he never saw the many schemes hidden behind this face before?
Song Jiaye snorted and replied, "You shouldn't have gone."
Li Xichi was stunned. Since she went to Xiyu Villa, Song Jiaye had become increasingly cold towards her.
She fought back the urge to cry and choked out, "Bro...brother-in-law, did I...make you angry?"
Of course Song Jiaye was angry! The video was irrefutable evidence. Even though Song Jiaye was initially reluctant to believe that Li Xichi was such a scheming person, he had to believe it in the face of the hard evidence.
Once Li Xichi shed her innocent disguise in Song Jiaye's heart, many things that Song Jiaye couldn't understand before became clear.
During the many years he had known Li Xichi, he always felt that Li Xichi was elusive towards him. He didn't know whether she liked him or not. Back then, he thought Li Xichi was emotionally slow and didn't realize his feelings because he hadn't confessed directly. Now, he feared that he was just a backup.
Li Xiyu and Li Xichi didn't get along as soon as they met. Since Li Xichi was always weak in Song Jiaye's heart, he subconsciously thought that it was Li Xiyu, the eldest daughter of the Li family, who was bullying Li Xichi, her stepsister. However, the scene captured in the swimming pool proved that the so - called bullying might be somewhat self - directed.
Song Jiaye was eager to expose Li Xichi's true face on the spot and throw those videos in front of her. But Li Qiyu suddenly stepped in. She glared at Song Jiaye and protected Li Xichi like a mother hen protecting her chicks.
"Why are you being so mean to my sister?"
Then she turned back to comfort Li Xichi softly.
"Hey, Xichi, don't cry. Don't listen to him. He's all bark and no bite. He's easy to talk to. Don't be scared of him."
It was like she was coaxing a child.
Hearing this, Li Xichi wanted to cry even more.
Since when did Li Xiyu become more familiar with Song Jiaye than she was?
Song Jiaye was also speechless. He really wanted to give Li Qiyu a wake - up call to make her see this person's true face clearly, but then he thought better of it. He couldn't bear to do it.
Li Xiyu was like a newly - born child now. She believed whatever others told her.
So now she was simple, kind, and a bit cute.
Compared to her hysterical self before, at least she was easier to be around.
Song Jiaye suddenly didn't want to say anything.
If Li Xiyu knew that the person she had struggled to save was just acting, she would probably be very sad.
Some things were too dark. It's better not to let her know.
At this moment, Jiang Yongfeng walked over.
"Oh, the kids are all here. Auntie has cut some fruit. Come and have some quickly."
Afraid that her mother would notice something wrong with her, Li Xichi quickly turned around and left. Li Qiyu looked at Li Xichi's hasty back and felt a bit lost.
She hadn't even had the chance to ask her how to open this medicine bottle.
Li Qiyu walked towards the hall alone.
She wasn't stupid. Li Xichi's tricks weren't very sophisticated. They were easy to see through.
Moreover, she had heard clearly that day that Li Xichi liked Song Jiaye.
Li Qiyu regarded her past with Song Jiaye as bygones. As for the current Song Jiaye, whose temper and personality were very different from before, in Li Qiyu's eyes, he was already a different person.
If Song Jiaye liked Li Xichi, she would be happy to step aside.
But at Xiyu Villa, she and Ming Yuexuan had clearly heard Song Jiaye's response - he didn't like Li Xichi.
Li Xichi's constant pursuit was really demeaning herself.
Seeing Li Xichi like this, Li Qiyu would think of herself. She thought of herself in the past, who had done everything she could to keep her husband's heart, risked her life, and finally ended up disfigured and jumping off a building.
She didn't want Li Xichi to end up in such a painful and hopeless situation like she did.
Not only because Li Xichi was her sister.
But also because Li Xichi looked exactly like her in the past.
When Li Xichi was stubbornly infatuated, Li Qiyu would feel heartache and regret.
So when Song Jiaye was mean to Li Xichi, she would protect her. In fact, she was protecting her past self who had been deeply hurt.
Song Jiaye followed Li Qiyu and was about to leave with her when he was stopped by Jiang Yongfeng.
"Jiaye."
Jiang Yongfeng was an elder after all. When Song Jiaye heard her call him, he stopped in his tracks.
"Xichi has caused you a lot of trouble these days. Auntie wants to apologize to you on her behalf."
"Auntie Jiang, you're being too polite."
During half of Song Jiaye's high - school years, he had been taken care of by Jiang Yongfeng. At that time, Song Jiaye's mother was seriously ill. As his mother's good friend, Jiang Yongfeng often took care of his mother. When his mother was hospitalized, Jiang Yongfeng even took him to her home and cooked for him. She was like a half - mother to him.
So, no matter what Li Xichi did, Song Jiaye would always remember Jiang Yongfeng's kindness of providing him with meals.
"I'm really happy to see you and Xiyu getting along so well. Xiyu has become much more lively now. She's very different from before. Her father and I can finally feel at ease."
Song Jiaye nodded and said, "Don't worry, Auntie Jiang. I'll take good care of her."
Jiang Yongfeng nodded, looking like a kind mother.
"Yes, Xiyu lost her mother when she was very young. By the time I married into the family, she was already grown - up, and it wasn't easy for me to discipline her. Over the years, I've watched her go crazy. As a mother, I've been really worried."
Song Jiaye listened quietly. Jiang Yongfeng slapped her forehead and said, "Look at me. I still think of you as the former little Song. I've said too much. Well, go quickly. Your father is waiting for you. He has something to discuss with you."
Hearing the words "former little Song", Song Jiaye's heart trembled for a moment. His thoughts seemed to go back to the days when he and his mother were crowded in a dark and cramped rental house.