Reborn Daughter: The Young Lady Wants to Make a Trouble

After dinner, everyone went their separate ways except Li Chenyang who took Xueyue into the library. They sat in front of a polished wooden table with open books scattered on it.

Li Xueyue flipped through the open books curiously. Topics ranged from the borders of Wuyi and Hanjiang to different political views of different countries. These were all books that she was interested in but had never found the time to read. Speaking of books, she had not yet come across "The Art of War".

"My father handed these to me when he came home." Li Chenyang said as he placed the three scrolls on the table.

Li Xueyue unfolded the parchment and raised her eyebrows. "This is a royal decree!"

“Yes, these were properly obtained and approved by the Emperor, although I doubt whether he actually looked at them before affixing the royal seal.” Li Chenyang looked at the last sentence, his brows furrowed, his blood boiling.

Because the emperor didn't like his workload, he always pushed most of the work to the prime minister, resulting in their father being overworked. Li Chenyang hated that the Li family always had to serve the Wang family. It was unfair and the Li family's work was rarely recognized.

"The imperial edict for the transfer of business shares." Li Xueyue began to read the scroll in front of her. "If Viscount Bai Sheng signs, then all of his shares, that is, most of the business, will be handed over to us. He is the only one in the Bai family who owns shares in the trading port."

Turning to another one, she said, "This one is for royalties for a specific period of time..." She trailed off and turned her attention to the last one. "This is for...!"

She looked up in shock. "Give us the business completely, no strings attached."

"Yes, Father has considered everything very carefully in terms of how it should be drafted. As long as we get Viscount Bai Sheng's fingerprints and sign the imperial edict, everything will be settled."

“What about the other investors in his company? Surely they have a say in this?

"That's what's interesting about Viscount Bai Sheng's business." Li Chenyang said, tilting his head. "He must be very paranoid about who has the most power in the enterprise, because the shares given to other nobles are not enough to overthrow him."

"I see." Li Xueyue whispered, holding up one of the decrees, noticing the wooden scroll spinning heavily and purposefully. "Everything seems easier said than done."

Li Chenyang leaned back in his chair. "The pirates are going to set sail tonight."

Li Xueyue nodded, and then further checked the decrees. All the decrees were the same size. "All we need is Viscount Bai Sheng's red handprint and signature?"

"We also need the Bai family's seal. When the three are added together, everything is finalized and the business is in our hands." Li Chenyang looked thoughtful, watching her roll up the two most important ones and leave the decree of the copyright fee on the table.

"These are what we should focus on," she explained, holding up the scroll in her hand. "As for this," she nodded, pointing to the open scroll on the table, "it's not that important."

"Xueyue," Li Chenyang said suddenly, watching her expression carefully. She seemed satisfied that her plan was going well, but he knew there was more to it than met the eye. Something was bothering her, and little things gave it away, the slight wrinkle between her brows and the slight wrinkle in her smile.

"Hmm?" She hummed in response, turning to him.

Li Chenyang's suspicions were confirmed. She was upset about something. "Did you discuss Yu Zhen's departure with him?"

Li Xueyue's smile faded, and her eyes moved from him to the table. "Not really."

"I thought you had already talked about it when he came to our manor last time?" Li Chenyang pointed out.

Li Xueyue shrugged. "Things didn't go as planned."

"Xueyue, I hope you will be honest with me," he began. "Although we have provided you with advice, the final decision is yours."

Li Chenyang straightened up in his chair and rested his elbows on the table. "What made you stay in Wuyi?"

Li Xueyue didn't respond. She just crossed her fingers together, keeping her eyes on the table in front of her. She couldn't understand her silence. Why was it so difficult to answer him?

Li Chenyang sighed softly through his nose. "I'll say it again, is it revenge that made you back off? Or are you unwilling to leave us? Or is there another reason?"

“It’s everything you listed.”

"I listed three options, but the last one is too vague. Why don't you make it clearer to me? What else is keeping you here?"

"I'm scared." Li Xueyue finally admitted it. She raised her head and stared at him, her eyes trembling with unspeakable thoughts.

Hearing her answer, Li Chenyang was stunned. "What do you mean?" He leaned forward and asked in a low voice, "Did anyone threaten you?"

She heard the alarm in his tone, though he tried to hide it. He would kill anyone who tried to hurt her.

"What if Yu Zhen is just obsessed with me? What if he gets tired of me? We just met, but he seems to love me so deeply. I'm afraid this won't last long."

Li Chenyang's cold eyes softened a little. He reached out and patted her head, and his tense shoulders relaxed.

"Are you worried that this relationship will just be a fling and not something that will last forever?"

Li Xueyue shrank back into her chair. She nodded to him slightly, but it was almost invisible.

"To be honest, I'm worried about the same thing," Li Chenyang admitted. "What if you came all the way to Hechen and he suddenly decided he didn't love you anymore?"

Li Chenyang drummed his fingers on the table in worry. "You will be trapped in a foreign country, without friends or relatives, far away from our helping hands. You will be surrounded by his people, his servants, his companions, and no one will stand by you."

He shuddered at the thought of Li Xueyue and Li Minghua sitting in the same position, surrounded by the world's wealth but lacking a companion to share it with.

Like the flowers grown in the palace, they will bloom and wither. Their names will be only a memory, and soon their existence will be forgotten, while their husbands will surely be recorded in the annals of history.

Thinking of Li Xueyue's bright smile twisted by melancholy, Li Chenyang strengthened his decision: if Yu Zhen wanted Li Xueyue, then he had to wait.

"Let him go to Hanjian, your relationship will also stand the test of time." Li Chenyang suddenly said. "Maybe he will come back to find you, maybe not."

He reached out and patted her head gently, a small smile on his lips. "He may come back as the emperor to ask for his queen, or he may come back with news of the treaty, but he will never come to you."

Thinking of the latter, Li Xueyue’s heart sank. Would he ever come back? Once back in Hanjian, he would once again become the most eligible bachelor. Mothers would scheme to please him, and daughters would kill to get his attention.

One woman after another stabbed her in the back, until finally, a beautiful queen emerged - a woman dressed in scarlet and dazzling gold climbing the imperial steps of the Hanjian Palace. The woman would look up and smile when she saw her husband, Emperor Hanjian, and he would reach out to her with a playful smile. And that woman might never be Li Xueyue.