Chapter 61

In the living room, Xiao Junlan sat on the sofa, her hands covering her face, and low sobs could be heard through her fingers. Her body trembled continuously, her sobs choked, showing her deep sorrow. Seeing this, Lu Li's heart suddenly tightened, the pain no less intense than when he woke up in the hospital, realizing that his efforts to transcend the mundane world had all been in vain.

In front of Xiao Junlan stood a young man, his demeanor arrogant, looking down at her with no emotion as he said, "If you knew it would come to this, why did you do it in the first place? How could you bring shame to our Xiao family? Why don't you just die?"

"Go to hell."

Upon hearing this, Lu Li was completely enraged. He kicked the man in the back, sending him flying and crashing into the coffee table in front of him. The glass coffee table shattered with a loud crack, shards of glass flying everywhere, nearly injuring his mother, Xiao Junlan.

Still not satisfied, Lu Li lifted his foot and kicked the young man's back while cursing, "Bastard, how dare you come to my house and cause trouble? You're asking for death."

Xiao Junlan, hearing the curses, quickly opened her eyes and was momentarily stunned. From childhood to adulthood, her son had always been gentle and kind, even willing to risk his life to save others, showing that he had strong principles. This was the first time she had seen Lu Li lose his temper. His face was wild, and he was not holding back at all, as if he intended to kick the man to death.

"Xiao Li, stop it quickly."

"Mom, don't worry, he won't die."

Lu Li turned to Xiao Junlan, a faint smile on his face, a stark contrast to his earlier rage. Seeing her son's smile, Xiao Junlan was taken aback, her memory flashing back to the past, to the first time she met the man she deeply loved. They were so similar, always maintaining a calm demeanor, seemingly indifferent to everything. But only those who truly understood them knew that once they were provoked, that calm would turn into brutality, instilling fear in others.

Despite his uncontrollable anger, Lu Li would not really kill anyone. Even if he did, he would choose a secluded place. Afterward, he would immediately leave, leaving the police at a loss.

"Crack."

"Ah!"

With a clear crack, the man's lower leg instantly broke. He suddenly raised his head, then fell silent, a yellowish liquid seeping from his pants.

"Damn, you have the nerve to threaten my mother? You really don't know your place."

Seeing the man pass out, Lu Li gave him a disdainful look, then walked to Xiao Junlan and squatted in front of her, hesitantly asking, "Mom, what's going on? Who is he? Is the Xiao family your father's family?"

Xiao Junlan, still lost in her memories, took a long time to come back to reality. She looked down, then stood up abruptly, her face full of panic. "Xiao Li, did you kill someone? Call an ambulance quickly."

"He won't die. At most, his right leg is broken, and he might have some aftereffects." Lu Li said nonchalantly.

"Aftereffects?"

Xiao Junlan was initially stunned, then quickly pulled Lu Li toward the bedroom, saying, "He is the eldest grandson of the Xiao family in Yanjing. The Xiao family has deep roots; they won't let you off. The money from yesterday hasn't been deposited in the bank yet. Take it and run, the farther the better."

"Run? Why should I run?"

Hearing the reason, Lu Li stopped, and no matter how much Xiao Junlan pulled, he wouldn't budge. He looked at her calmly and said with a light laugh, "Mom, don't worry, they can't do anything to me."

"You—"

"Mom, didn't I tell you yesterday that I helped my mentor complete a big project, turning a company on the brink of bankruptcy into a profitable one? That person promised me a favor, and his family's influence is no less than the Xiao family's."

Xiao Junlan looked worried, "But, but will they really fight the Xiao family over a favor?"

Lu Li nodded firmly, "That boss is a big shot. He made a promise in front of everyone; even if a knife was at his throat, he wouldn't go back on his word. Besides, he's not dead; can the Xiao family really kill me?"

"Is this true? You're not lying to me?"

"Of course."

Lu Li smiled, pulled Xiao Junlan to the bedroom, and sat her down. The living room was already a mess, and with the man lying there, it wasn't a suitable place to talk.

"Mom, tell me, where is Lu now? What's the story with the Xiao family?" As he spoke, Lu Li's eyes narrowed. "If they did something to hurt you, they must pay the price, no matter who they are."

Seeing her son's determined expression, Xiao Junlan realized that her son had truly grown up. Some things were perhaps time to tell him.

After a moment of silence, she finally spoke, "Your father's name is Lu Zhan. We met on a plane while going on a trip to the south, and later we fell in love. After the trip, my father, without telling me, arranged a marriage for me. At that time, he had already retired, and the Xiao family was declining, about to lose their place in high society. My father had no choice but to try to maintain the Xiao family's status through a marriage alliance."

Lu Li stroked his chin, listening quietly.

"I refused and was confined to my room. Later, he came and tried to persuade my father but failed. In the end, he fought and took me away." As she spoke, a faint smile appeared on Xiao Junlan's face.

A man's anger for a woman, a woman's resistance to such a thing is almost zero.

"He took me to Haicheng and said there was a mysterious place there. Once he found it, he would take me away from China."

"A mysterious place?" Lu Li suddenly asked, his face full of doubt.

"I don't know what it is," Xiao Junlan continued. "Later, your grandfather sent people to find us, but he easily drove them away. They tried to use official power, but a mysterious department intervened, and it ended there."

Lu Li was startled, thinking, "Could it be a martial arts expert?"

"Without the Xiao family's interference, we lived a peaceful life for three years. I was a teacher at the county experimental middle school, and although he didn't have a job, he was never short of money. The genuine Dong Qichang painting was casually hung on the wall."

"Until you were two years old, one day he suddenly came to the school and told me he had finally found the mysterious place." Xiao Junlan's face showed a faint smile, which quickly turned to pain. "But that night, he suddenly disappeared and never came back."

"Mysterious place? Martial arts expert?"

After Xiao Junlan finished speaking, she seemed to fall back into her memories, falling silent. Lu Li's heart was in turmoil, these two terms combined suggesting that Lu Zhan was not an ordinary person.

No wonder, no wonder he didn't care about Dong Qichang's painting. At a certain level, it was just a decoration.

After a moment of silence, Lu Li frowned and asked, "Was he seriously ill?"

Xiao Junlan's face was full of sorrow, "Because I suddenly left, the relationship between the Xiao family and the Wang family broke down, and the Xiao family suffered greatly from the Wang family's attacks. If it weren't for my brother's outstanding abilities, foresight, and the right connections, the Xiao family might have already declined. Although my father once tried to stop me, I never hated him."

"Mom, do you want to go back?"

Xiao Junlan remained silent, looking very conflicted.

Lu Li understood and raised his voice, "Then let's go back. Even if choosing Lu Zhan was a mistake, I will prove to everyone that as long as I am here, all your choices are right."

With that, he turned and left the bedroom, "Let's be arrogant for once, just the two of us!"