Chapter 398 - The Mafia King's Faceoff With His Father (1)
Chapter 398 – The Mafia King’s Faceoff With His Father (1)
Lihua wiped her mouth with a tissue. For now, she took it as a compliment rather than him flirting with her.
"I am full."
And indeed it was. Her stomach and so was her heart. Her heart, which Wei hurt for refusing to tell what was going on, was healed by three bowls of super delicious ramen.
Wei nodded.
They stepped out and set out to go back home. Lihua's apartment complex was 'on the way', so Huang Liangshi offered to go with her.
But as they reached her complex, Wei found a surprise, rather shock waiting for him.
A lavish limousine was parked at a space it could get in the narrow street where her apartment complex was located.
Lihua slowed down her steps and squinted her gaze. The car looked all too familiar to her, and she froze in her steps.
There stood a man in his forties, a replica of her ex-husband she had just met in jail. He seemed to be patiently waiting for someone with an absolutely expressionless face.
"Dad…?"
Jiang Weizhe turned his head to his left, and his blank demeanor brightened upon seeing her though it was hardly noticeable.
Wei blankly stared at his father.
What is he doing here?
He looked down at his phone and found several missed calls from Jiang Ruiling and Jiang Fai.
He read Jiang Fai's message. 'Emergency! Emergency! Don't drop sister-in-law back home today! Uncle Weizhe is going to meet her. We just suddenly got to know about it. Don't accompany her today! He cannot see you with her in disguise! He doesn't know it's you!'
They didn't want any elders to know about Wei's disguise plan and ask them to abort it. They were elders, after all. They might not like Wei lying to Lihua like this or disguising himself as a college student. So only siblings knew about it, and they wanted to keep it that way.
It was already late by then. Since Wei was enjoying his date with Lihua, he kept his phone on silent because he didn't want any disturbance.
Wei pursed his lips.
Lihua walked slowly, at first, and then rushed to his hug. "Dad… what are you doing here?"
A soft smile bloomed on Jiang Weizhe's face, and he patted her head. "I just came to meet you," he pursed his lips exactly like Wei used to, "If you don't mind…" He hesitated and seemed nervous, which she found to be really cute.
Lihua furiously shook her head. "I will never mind! How can you think like that?"
"Yubi and I missed you a lot. Yubi also wanted to meet you, but she didn't know if you would like us to come under the circumstances. So, I am here."
So basically, Jiang Yubi sacrificed her husband for any blast of fury they would have to face in case Lihua wasn't so thrilled with their visit. If Lihua didn't mind, then she would surely be here the next time.
Lihua had an urge to laugh. And equally, she had an urge to cry too. It was hardly two weeks maybe, but meeting him again made her realize just how much she missed the Jiang family.
Jiang Weizhe lifted his gaze, and his eyes finally settled on the strange man accompanying Lihua.
He narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"
Wei said nothing.
Lihua said, "Oh, he is my classmate, Huang Liangshi."
"Hooo…" he tilted his head, "Why is he here?"
"We live in the same direction. His house is a little further away, so we head to college and back home together."
Jiang Weizhe narrowed his eyes further. His eyes traveled up and down as if gauging and assessing him.
Lihua tugged his arm. "Let's head inside. I will make your favorite tea."
She thought it would be weird to ask Huang Liangshi to join in since he didn't know Jiang Weizhe, but it seemed equally odd to her not to invite him either and just leave him like that. Plus, she also wanted to thank him for taking her to the ramen restaurant for the meal.
She smiled. "Liangshi, you join us too."
Jiang Weizhe pursed his lips further. His expression didn't look so good.
Wei pursed his lips too.
Lihua didn't understand the source of silence that suddenly doomed, nor the tension brewing in the air. "What's wrong?"
Jiang Weizhe was the first to break into a smile. "Nothing. Let's go inside."
Then he shot a sharp stare at Wei. "I hope you don't mind bringing some bags inside."
Wei glanced at a distance and found a heap of bags at the back seat from the car's front glass. All gifts for Lihua.
Lihua stared at him in surprise.
Was it good to ask a stranger to do that?
She just awkwardly looked at Wei.
Jiang Weizhe said in a pointed tone. "Do you want an elder like me or my delicate daughter here to carry the bags? You don't seem to be such a gentleman."
"…"
Wei blinked his eyes. "No problem."
"You should have said that immediately."
Lihua cleared her throat. Usually, Jiang Weizhe wasn't much of a talker, but today he seemed oddly in the mood. But not in a good mood
He held her hand and went inside, but not before throwing a silent glare at 'Huang Liangshi.'
Wei was left alone, and he pressed the space between his brows. He set out to carry the order from his father.
—
Jiang Weizhe stepped inside and threw a glance at her house. It was definitely way smaller than even a single bedroom of their villa. So smaller that his presence felt way larger. But it was warm and homely.
He wondered how his pregnant daughter could ever live in such a small house. But this was where she lived with Jia and shared memories with her, so he said nothing.
Lihua froze, seeing the mess on the couch with her books and clothes untidily lying around. She tried to smile. "Yesterday was too busy…But I am not so disorganized," she lied through her teeth.
Jiang Weizhe immediately said, "I will hire a maid for you."
He had pure intentions of not letting his daughter work too hard, but Lihua misunderstood it.
She cried.
Am I so hopeless that I need a maid's help?
Finally, Wei came in – his two hands filled with bags up to the brim.
Jiang Weizhe was expressionless. "For a young and healthy man, you were too slow. You are not reliable at all."
Lihua – "…"
Wei – "…."