Chapter 129: The Phantom

"Mr. Liu..." While eating hotpot, Xiang Youyou asked, "Where have you been recently? I took a break a couple of days ago and went to the massage parlor to find you, but I heard you resigned."

"Oh." Li Nianlong took a bite of fish tofu and said, "I haven't been anywhere, just staying idle at home!"

"You're not working?" Xiang Youyou was a bit surprised. "What about living expenses?"

"Haha..." Li Nianlong laughed. "My family still has plenty of savings, enough to live comfortably for a lifetime."

"Oh! So Mr. Liu is not only handsome but also rich." Xiang Youyou chuckled. "Can I say I want to be friends with you?"

"Don't make fun of me. I'm just an ordinary person." Li Nianlong shook his head. "But Ms. Xiang, your family must be quite wealthy, right?"

"What makes you say that?" Xiang Youyou smiled.

Li Nianlong pointed at Xiang Yu. "From head to toe, his outfit is worth at least a few million. The jade around his neck is probably glassy jadeite, and that watch looks like this year's new Patek Philippe commemorative model, limited edition, worth over two million. As for the clothes, even though they're sportswear, they're custom-made and must cost tens of thousands."

"So that's it! It was you who exposed me to my sister." Xiang Youyou slapped Xiang Yu on the back of the head, making him hit the table face-first.

Li Nianlong laughed. "Ms. Xiang, you've hidden it well. Your surname is Xiang, and you're from Jingchu. Could it be that you're from the Xiang family of Jingchu?"

"Oh no! I've been found out." Xiang Youyou stuck out her tongue. "Sorry, Mr. Liu, I've been hiding it from you. I didn't want people to think I'm so great. Besides, I'm just a side branch of the Xiang family. We have some money, but compared to the main family, we're far from having any real power."

Even though Xiang Youyou's appearance was quite ordinary, her cute gesture made Li Nianlong quite fond of her. He smiled slightly. "Greed for power isn't always a good thing. A simple life is just fine."

"Mr. Liu thinks a simple life is good?" Xiang Youyou asked.

"It's quite good." Li Nianlong nodded. "No matter how grand one's life is, everyone ends up in the ground. I think cherishing the people around you while you're alive is enough. The world is noisy, and there's nothing wrong with a simple life."

Nalan Ruyue looked at Li Nianlong and smiled gently. Clearly, she liked the idea of simplicity, and Li Nianlong's words pleased her greatly.

Xiang Youyou scratched her head. "I also think a simple life is good, but it's also nice to gather with friends occasionally or travel to see the beautiful scenery around the world."

"Haha, there's nothing wrong with that. Different people have different choices." Li Nianlong smiled slightly. "As long as you enjoy it, it's fine."

Xiang Youyou beamed. "Exactly, it doesn't matter what others say, as long as you like it."

"If you really don't care about what others think, you need an economic foundation to support your ideals." Li Nianlong dipped a piece of lettuce into the sauce. "Nowadays, there are more and more shut-ins. Many people look down on them, thinking they're unambitious for staying at home. But those who laugh at them don't realize that being a shut-in requires conditions. Anyone who can stay home without lacking money likely makes more than those who work nine-to-five jobs. They might be writing novels, programming, trading online, or even trading stocks. They have the ability to stay home and can ignore others' opinions."

At this point, Li Nianlong looked at Xiang Youyou. "If Ms. Xiang wants to ignore others' opinions, you need the means to do so. Do you have that?"

"No." Xiang Youyou was very dejected. "Everything I do involves coordinating relationships. I can't ignore others' opinions."

Li Nianlong laughed. "Ms. Xiang, at least you're honest. So, you should still pay attention to others' opinions."

"Doesn't Mr. Liu need to pay attention?" Xiang Youyou countered, unwilling to give up.

"Sorry..." Li Nianlong picked up a piece of meat and dipped it in sauce. "I really don't need to."

"You're ruthless!" Xiang Youyou glared at him fiercely. "It's just because you have money! When I have money, I'll travel the world to spite you all."

"You could travel the universe and still not bother me." Li Nianlong laughed while stuffing the meat into his mouth. "I told you, I'm all about the simple life. Especially since my mom passed away, I cherish time with family even more." He put down his chopsticks and gently stroked Nalan Ruyue's hair. "Ruyue likes peace and quiet, and I want to share that life with her. Aside from Ruyue, I don't care about anyone else's opinions. To use a trendy phrase, 'What others think is none of my business.'"

As Li Nianlong caressed her hair, Nalan Ruyue blushed, her eyes sparkling with gratitude. She leaned slightly towards Li Nianlong, looking especially adorable and endearing.

Xiang Youyou's eyes showed a hint of envy. "How wonderful! Having a brother who cares so much about you is great. Unfortunately, I don't have a brother, and there's no one to comfort me when I need it."

"Who says that!" Xiang Yu, who had been out of commission, suddenly revived and spiritedly patted his chest. "Sis, you still have me, your brother! Whenever you need comfort, just tell me. I'll comfort you until the end of time."

"Get out of here, it's none of your business." Xiang Youyou slapped him, and Xiang Yu fell flat again.

Xiang Yu was tearful: "Why am I always the one who gets hurt?"

Li Nianlong laughed at the scene. "You two have a good sibling relationship. That's nice, but it would be better if your brother wasn't so obsessed with you."

"Mind your own business!" Xiang Yu glared at him fiercely. "I'm not obsessed with my sister. I just think no man in this world is worthy of her. Even the crown prince doesn't deserve her!"

Such a childish statement, don't you feel embarrassed?

Li Nianlong found it amusing. "Yes, your sister is stunningly beautiful with an amazing figure. She's perfect in every way. There's truly no man in this world who deserves her."

"Oh?" Xiang Yu's gaze towards Li Nianlong softened a bit. "I didn't expect you to have such good judgment."

Li Nianlong coughed lightly. "Not bad, not bad."

Xiang Youyou sighed helplessly. "What did I do to deserve this?"

"Hey, I was wondering..." Xiang Yu looked at Li Nianlong and asked, "What kind of martial arts do you practice? Want to spar sometime?"

"Just some family techniques, nothing special." Li Nianlong smiled and shook his head. "As for sparring, let's forget about it. Injuries wouldn't be good for either of us."

"Cut the crap! What kind of man is afraid of getting hurt?" Xiang Yu rolled up his sleeves, revealing many small scars on his arm. "See these? Scars are a man's medals. A man who hasn't been hurt isn't a real man."

"You're right. A man who hasn't been hurt isn't a real man." Li Nianlong smiled and nodded. "But a man's injuries should have a reason. If it's for saving people or helping during a disaster, that's commendable. If it's just from fighting, then it's just foolish."

The fool turned red with embarrassment. "I... I wasn't just fighting, I was being a hero... Yes, a hero."

Xiang Youyou, both annoyed and amused, slapped him on the back of the head. "You weren't being a hero. You were just getting into fights to show off for your friends. Don't try to make yourself sound noble. You're embarrassing."

Xiang Yu wailed, "Sis, you shouldn't hit people in the face or expose their shortcomings!"

"I'll hit you in the face and expose your flaws. What can you do about it?"

Under Xiang Youyou's fierce gaze, Xiang Yu tearfully retreated.

Watching this scene, Li Nianlong and Nalan Ruyue couldn't help but laugh, making the meal quite enjoyable.

After about two hours, the four of them finished the meal and agreed to meet again in the future. Then they each went home.

By the time they got home, it was already eight in the evening. After eating the flavorful hotpot, they had sweated a lot, and their clothes were sticky and uncomfortable.

"Let's take a shower and go to bed early." Li Nianlong took off his jacket and threw it on the sofa. "I'm staying home for the next few days, so you don't need to wake up early to make breakfast. Get a good night's sleep."

Nalan Ruyue's eyes sparkled with joy: Is brother really not going out?

"Yes, I'm not going out." Li Nianlong smiled. "But I won't be idle at home. I've recently learned some physical exercises that I want to practice."

Physical exercises? Nalan Ruyue asked curiously: What kind of exercises?

"It's a type of physical exercise that involves twisting the body, similar to yoga," Li Nianlong explained, patting her shoulder. "Don't ask too much, go take a shower and get some sleep. I'll go lock the door."

Nalan Ruyue nodded and went to the second floor to take a shower.

Li Nianlong locked the front door and went up to the third floor.

After taking a shower in the bathroom, Li Nianlong, wrapped in a towel, sat on the edge of the bed and picked up a photo of Li Ying to talk to her for a while. For some reason, Li Nianlong had always felt that Li Ying hadn't left him, that she was always by his side. This feeling started about two months ago and had been growing stronger. Li Nianlong didn't know if it was because he missed Li Ying too much or what, but he didn't reject this feeling. On the contrary, he was very happy and excited about it.

"Mom, it would be great if you were really by my side. Even if I'm a person and you're a ghost, I would be satisfied." Stroking the photo of Li Ying, Li Nianlong's eyes were misty. "Mom, I miss you so much."

In the haze, a phantom that Li Nianlong couldn't see gently swayed in the bedroom.

A gust of cold wind blew, making Li Nianlong shiver. He turned to look and saw that the balcony window was open, letting in the cold wind from outside.

Putting down the photo, Li Nianlong got up to close the window. When he returned to the bed and picked up the photo again, the previous feeling was gone.

Li Nianlong smiled faintly, thinking that he had been too immersed in a world of fantasy due to missing Li Ying too much. The cold wind had awakened him, and naturally, that world was no longer there.