Chapter 224: Lonely New Year’s Eve
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Those few people lifted their heads to look at Li Lei.
So far, although they had some guilt in their hearts and felt that they should not have done those things to an innocent girl, they thought they were doing it for the sake of Young Master Lei’s future and safety.
They had already prepared for Young Master Lei’s punishment and were willing to be punished.
Li Lei saw through their thoughts and lightly sneered. “Very good. None of you are scared, right? Not bad. Some of you are older than me and more senior than me, so you think of my ruthless eviction as me doing you wrong. Li Qingshu, you’re my cousin. Li Fanhao, you’re my third uncle. Also, Li Zhen, Li Wei… From today onwards, you’re no longer my subordinates. You can seek refuge wherever you want!”
“Young Master!”
“Uncle Lei!”
“Xiao Lei!”
The crowd was shocked, and everyone was calling out to him. They were all prepared to be punished by Li Lei, but they never expected the punishment to be so serious such that they were being chased out of their home!
“Xiao Lei!” Li Fanhao said. “We’re doing this for your own good. That girl is too weak and unsuitable for you! Even if our methods were extreme, we’re all loyal to you. You can punish us however you like, but please don’t chase us away!”
“Exactly Young Master Lei! Please forgive us this once!”
“It’s too late to beg for mercy.” Li Lei eyes scanned his subordinates. Many had watched him grow up from a child to an adult and had braved many storms with him. Being able to enter Thunderous Yard meant that they entrusted their lives to him. How could he bear to see them go?
However, for Xiao Lei, there were some things he must do.
“Xiao Ling is my woman,” Li Lei said. “Regardless of whether grandfather acknowledges her, whether you acknowledge her, or even if I make a statement announcing that I have broken up with her, she will always be the woman who is more important to me than my life. I will never let anyone have the slightest chance of hurting her. Li Qingshu, Li Fanhao, Li Zhen… This time, Xiao Ling almost died, so I will expel you from the yard. If this happens again, I will make all of you… including your families pay with your lives!”
“That’s not fair!” The shrill voice of a small girl rang out. “Uncle Lei, this is not fair!” It was Li Xiaoxing. A few other children and she were standing in the chamber and noticed the uproar that was caused by them.
Li Lei looked at her faintly but his expression was murderous, and the small girl found it hard to breathe.
Li Xiaoxing picked up her courage and said, “Uncle Lei, this situation was caused by me. On that day, several of us children were having a combat cla.s.s on the island and randomly chose a good target. You know that any adult on the island is a potential target. No one has ever sought revenge because he or she was targeted during combat cla.s.s!”
“Exactly, Uncle Lei!” Seeing that his parents were about to be evicted, Li Xiaolong became anxious. “It was only a simple trap, and it was not even dangerous. If it were any other adult on this island, even if he fell into the trap, he would just laugh it off. Who knew that Miss Ye’s reaction would be that big, and she would be so weak! My dad also thinks that any child on the island is braver than her. We were just scared that you would marry a useless woman, so we opposed your relations.h.i.+p!”
The children’s crisp voice echoed in the chamber, and no one scolded them. Their words were exactly what the Li family adults wanted to tell Li Lei. A woman who was weaker than the average person was not qualified to be with him.
“Xiao Ling is not as weak as you think she is.” Li Lei said. She was provoked by something in the trap which caused her to have a mental breakdown. “Xiao Ling is afraid of the dark and she…” He shook his head and did not continue.
He recalled a recent scene in his mind. Not long after the Nebula Music Festival ended, he had rushed back from abroad to see her. It was about three or four in the morning. She was sleeping, but her bedroom light was still on.
He thought that she forgot to turn the light off.
Later, there was another time he entered her bedroom after she was asleep and found that the light was still on.
He initially did not care that much, but after the trap incident, he felt that something was unusual. Was she unable to stay in a dark environment for a long time? Was she… once imprisoned in the dark?
Li Lei did not dare to think about it further. He looked at the children and said, “You’re right. There is a rule like that regarding combat cla.s.s. However, now there is a rule that takes precedence over all the other rules: No one is allowed to harm Xiao Ling! Otherwise, I don’t care if it is combat cla.s.s or which subordinate or family member he is, I will not be nice to him!”
Everyone fell silent.
The rules were stated only for those who were willing to abide by them or those who were forced to obey them. In the presence of a strong person like Li Lei, their excuses were all bullsh*t.
“Uncle Lei, please don’t chase us away…” Li Xiaoxing cried.
“Leave.” Li Lei refused to relent. The incident involved Xiao Ling, and he had no choice but to deal with it in the strictest way possible to let everyone know that he had his limits and they should be wary of them. Only then would Xiao Ling’s safety be guaranteed.
He turned around and left, leaving behind a crowd of dejected family members.
“Evicted all of them?” In Calming Heart Garden, Old Master Li was drinking tea.
“Yes.” Uncle Liu reported everything that happened in Thunderous Yard thoroughly to Old Master Li.
“His name does not mean ‘thunder’ for no reason. His rage is really thunder-like.” Old Master Li lightly said. “It’s just that he’s going to this extent for that cursed girl…” He shook his head and sighed deeply. “Hire two men to watch them in China. Don’t let them rekindle their romance.”
“Yes.” Uncle Liu responded but sighed in his heart. They were truly star-crossed lovers. What caused that small girl called Ye Xingling to be a taboo… It did not matter how she was born or whether she was weak or strong, the only problem was that she was born unlucky and cursed to be lonely. How could she enter the Li family?
Old Master was very old and superst.i.tious. There was no way to convince him otherwise.
It was difficult for Young Master Lei to find the person he loved but…
New Year’s Eve.
There was snow on the ap.r.o.n of S City.
Xia Ling got off the plane wrapped in her thin clothes. The cold wind was blowing as she stood alone in the open wind and snow.
Well, it was the day of the family reunion. Who would be alone like her?
Her body was exhausted. The searing pain from her body and the wounds inflicted on her by Li Feng were weighing down on her and caused her to crumble slowly, and she looked like she could fall down at any time. She tried her best to support herself into the lounge at the edge of the tarmac and fumbled as she poured herself a cup of hot water.
Her hands were frozen and numb, and she dropped the cup and spilled the warm water on her.
Looking at the mess on the floor of the quiet lounge, she slowly knelt down, and her tears started flowing.
Li Lei did not want her anymore.
Pei Ziheng also did not recognize her anymore.
The world was vast, but no one loved or cared about her.
Perhaps she should not have lived another life and should have died completely during the staged murder. In that case, she would always be the bright and dazzling Diva Xia Ling. Even if she had descended into darkness, she would never be abandoned or forgotten.
Break up.
Even in the worst moments of her past life, she had never heard those two words.
As her world started to fall apart, suddenly, she kind of understood what Pei Ziheng felt when she left him then.