It was the first day of the Lunar New Year.
Li Qianfan had not forgotten how Ma, that pompous individual from Modu, had gone to Sijiu to seek Li Qianfan’s contribution of biopsy gene samples. Upon refusal, he had caused trouble by concocting the story of the Empress's secret pregnancy.
For over a month, Li Qianfan had deliberately avoided Modu, intending to let the vampires cause more commotion overseas.
Now, the timing seemed right.
Li Qianfan decided to heed Sister Wujiang’s advice and, instead of going to Hancheng, would make a trip to Modu.
Originally,
Li Qianfan had planned to take Chu Yazhi with him to Modu.
After all, his chances of successfully demanding compensation for defamation there were high. If Ma and his associates were to give him a company, wouldn't he need someone to temporarily manage it?
Chu Yazhi would have been the most suitable person for this role.
However, because she had analyzed Empress Su’s situation for Li Qianfan, she had displeased Master Li Long.
Chu Yazhi no longer wished to go to Modu and only wanted to lie low in Tiandong for a while.
Li Qianfan understood her thoughts and feelings perfectly and naturally would not force her to go to Modu.
So, whom should he take with him?
Li Qianfan thought of Yaoyao.
Yaoyao was destined to become the matriarch of Li Family Village.
She could not simply hold the title of matriarch without taking on any responsibilities.
At the very least, apart from her combat skills, she needed to learn how to manage a household (financial management) and understand basic business models.
Previously, Yaoyao had no exposure to such matters.
However, she was still young, and it was not too late to delve into new industries.
Thus,
After finishing his call with Su Nanyin, Li Qianfan pondered for a moment before dialing Yaoyao’s number.
He was unaware that Su Nanyin was standing beside Yaoyao’s desk, staring intently at her phone with her ears perked up.
Nor did he intend to provoke Su Nanyin by inviting Yaoyao.
He sincerely wanted to take Yaoyao with him to make a fortune.
Du Yaoyao, who had long wanted to seek him out but dared not, brightened considerably upon hearing his invitation.
She blurted out, "Okay, okay, okay! Of course, I'll go! Are we leaving tonight?"
Her reaction was precisely as Li Qianfan had anticipated. He smiled and said, "By noon tomorrow, come to the provincial capital of Tiandong to find me. We can take an evening flight or even drive to Modu. Think of this trip to Modu as a vacation."
Yaoyao nodded vigorously. "Okay, okay. I'll be there on time before noon tomorrow."
Li Qianfan added, "It would be even better if Chongchong is free and can accompany us. After all, she’s quite skilled in business matters, unlike you, whose every little toe is filled with violent impulses, only knowing how to fight."
Yaoyao immediately replied, "Then I'll call Chongchong right away and ask her to join us. But I can't guarantee she'll be able to go. Mao Mao has been very sleepy lately, feeling listless all day. Chongchong is managing a lot of work for Guanyin Group."
"Is that so?"
Li Qianfan said, "Then never mind. Su Mao Mao's health is the priority. Oh, right. How is your work going recently? And how is Her Majesty the Empress’s mental state?"
"My recent work has been so annoying."
Yaoyao, who had been looking down at her phone screen, completely forgot her surroundings when Li Qianfan invited her to Modu to make money.
Her mind was filled with the desire to leave Sijiu quickly and follow Li Qianfan to a life of merriment, where they could drink heartily and eat heartily.
Upon hearing Li Qianfan inquire about her work,
Yaoyao immediately frowned and said, "After you left, Her Majesty started using me as her secretary. Not only is secretarial work tedious and uninteresting, but I also have to constantly watch her moods. When she's happy, I can relax a bit. When she's unhappy, I don't even dare to breathe too loudly."
Li Qianfan expressed his surprise, "Ah? No way?"
"Would I lie to you? Hmph."
Yaoyao snorted and said, "Let me give you an example. The afternoon before yesterday, just before work ended, she insisted I go buy some ink pads, stationery, and fruit. These things are available at the small supermarket just fifty meters to the right when you turn out of the alley."
Li Qianfan knew that small supermarket. "Yes, that small supermarket has quite a good selection."
Bang!
Yaoyao raised her hand and gently slapped the table. "But our Empress put on airs like a deputy manager and told me to buy these items from the supermarket she specified. If I refused, she would give me a cold shoulder. It took me half an hour to run back and forth. Wasting time and effort by going the long way around is a crime against life!"
Li Qianfan agreed, "You have a point."
"Even more outrageous,"
Yaoyao became more indignant as she spoke, "After I broke out in a sweat buying those things for her, I saw a peeled banana on her desk and casually picked it up to eat. Guess what happened?"
Li Qianfan said incredulously, "She wouldn't be so petty as to not let you eat it, would she?"
"Who says she wouldn't?"
Mentioning this incident made Yaoyao even more resentful. "You didn't see her reaction when I took that banana. If you knew, you'd think I had stolen her man instead of just taking a peeled banana! The key thing is, that banana tasted strange. I took one bite and almost vomited on the spot."
"Ha."
Li Qianfan chuckled. "Is it that exaggerated? Does the Empress's banana have poison and shouldn't be eaten?"
"Ever since I became her secretary, I've had enough. If she weren't my mother, I would make a straw effigy and stab it with needles every day."
Yaoyao crossed her legs and took a sip of water from her cup.
She continued to complain, "Also, for the past three days, from the day before yesterday until now, her mind seems to have gone awry. Her moods fluctuate, and her temper flares up and down. She's absolutely capricious, changing her mind faster than flipping a book. These past few days, I've been on pins and needles. Coming to work every day is less comfortable than going to jail."
Li Qianfan remained silent.
He vaguely seemed to have an idea.
Yaoyao continued to chatter incessantly, "Actually, I know very well that she's acting abnormally because you're not around. She feels empty and has become a resentful woman confined to her chambers. Qianfan, I think you'd better come to Sijiu and give her a good scolding; she'll behave. Hmph, she's the perfect example of someone who will climb onto the roof and tear down the tiles if you don't discipline her for three days."
Cough.
Li Qianfan coughed dryly. "Yaoyao, let's not talk about this. Um, if you come to Modu with me, you'll have to ask her for leave, won't you?"
Yaoyao replied, "Of course, I have to ask for leave. After all, I have to abide by the company's regulations."
Li Qianfan asked, "Alright. When you ask for leave, you'd better act cute and charming."
Yaoyao asked, "Are you saying she won't grant my leave if I don't act cute and charming?"
Li Qianfan replied, "It's hard to say for sure. Although Su Xin and the others will ensure her safety when you and I are not around, she'll definitely be unbalanced if we're out having fun while she's stuck in the office. Yaoyao, let me tell you. She appears open-minded, but she's actually very petty."
Yaoyao asked, "Quickly tell me, what petty things has she done to you?"
"Just before I called you, she had called me. It was a video call, heh. She insisted I see her in her little white suit, exuding her powerful aura of authority!"
Li Qianfan said with a wry smile, "She even told me I have only 24 hours. Either come to work or resign and get lost! Pfft! Who does she think she is? Who do I think I am? Even my parents can't control me, so who is she to tell me what to do? How dare she throw her weight around in front of me."
"Sigh, she's just like that."
Yaoyao felt a strong sense of agreement. "At home, she gets along with us children like like-minded sisters, not like a mother. But at the company? Her strictness towards me makes me wonder if I'm her biological child! In short, our Empress is one person during the day and another at night. Qianfan, do you think she's suffering from schizophrenia?"
The two of them got more animated as they talked,
giving the impression that they had met a kindred spirit and would talk until the end of time.
Li Qianfan even boasted, "When I'm done with my current tasks and return to Sijiu, I'll hang her up and spank her thoroughly. I'll make her understand that whether in reality or online, I'm the boss of this family! If she dares to frown, there's only one word for it."
Spank!
Li Qianfan and Du Junlin, shouted the word together.
Then, this pair of former rivals who had once fought each other burst into laughter.
Haha—
Yaoyao even exaggeratedly threw her head back and roared with laughter, "When that time comes, I'll help you pull down her pants, and then..."
And then what?
Du Yaoyao's smiling face suddenly froze.
A look of fear flashed in her eyes.
What had she seen?
Deputy General Manager Su, dressed in a little white suit, stood by the desk with her arms crossed, a half-smile on her face.
Hearing Yaoyao's loud laughter suddenly cut short, Li Qianfan immediately sensed something was wrong and asked, "Yaoyao, what's wrong?"
"Nothing."
Deputy General Manager Su bent down, looked at the phone, and opened her crimson lips slightly. "Secretary Li, when will you come to Sijiu to hang me up and spank me?"