Super Soldier in the City
Chapter 227 - 228 Encountered a Problem

Chapter 227: Chapter 228 Encountered a Problem

Michelle soon returned, and by then He Fangqing had also signed the document. Taking it from her, Michelle was ready to leave, followed immediately by Li Yifei leaving the office.

"Brother Li, I’m really sorry. My reaction just now was... was far too intense. Please don’t take it personally." Li Yifei was about to explain further when Michelle had already apologized to him.

Li Yifei awkwardly smiled and said, "Michelle, the one who should be apologizing is me. If I had phlegm stuck on me, I would be disgusted myself, let alone you."

Michelle’s smile sweetened as she replied, "It’s really okay, you didn’t do it on purpose. By the way, you should smoke less. Smoking is bad for your health, you know. Oh, and have you taken your medicine?"

"I’ve been smoking for so many years; quitting is easier said than done. I can get better without medication."

"That’s not okay. I’ll get you a couple of boxes of lozenges later. At the very least, they can protect your throat a bit more."

"No need!" Li Yifei hastily declined. He wasn’t truly coughing, so why would he need any medicine?

"Alright then, I’m just about to go out to buy some things. I’ll bring them back for you when I return."

Michelle was resolute, so Li Yifei could only say thank you. Only then did she seem content and parted ways with him.

Just before closing time, Michelle brought the medicine to Li Yifei. He was thinking of just casually putting it away when Michelle insisted, "You have to carry this medicine with you and have one now."

Li Yifei couldn’t refuse Michelle’s kindness, and saying he wasn’t coughing at all wasn’t exactly true. Wouldn’t that mean what got onto Michelle wasn’t phlegm? He obediently opened the packaging and put a lozenge in his mouth.

Michelle’s smile instantly blossomed like a flower. "That’s more like it. You’re a grown man who doesn’t know how to take care of himself."

Li Yifei chuckled, "You’re the one who knows how to take care of people, Michelle."

Michelle squinted her eyes, her cheeks tinged slightly red, and said, "Brother Li, if there’s anything you need help with, just let me know. I might not have great powers, but doing some washing and household chores is no problem for me."

Li Yifei felt there was something amiss with her words. Laundry and housework were tasks typically done by a girlfriend. Could it be that Michelle was confessing something to him?

Feeling Li Yifei’s puzzled gaze, Michelle suddenly became a bit bashful, gave an awkward smile, and said, "Brother Li, now that you have a girlfriend, you probably don’t need my help with these things. Anyway, if there’s a time you do need my help, just let me know."

Her words eased Li Yifei’s mind, and he laughed lightly, "No problem, we’re good friends, aren’t we?"

"Alright, I’ll be off then, call me if you need anything." Michelle turned and walked out of Li Yifei’s office. But once she left, her lips pursed slightly in a pout. Li Yifei’s reaction had truly disappointed her. Then she quickly pressed her lips together, clenched her fist, and with a determined look, she glanced back at Li Yifei’s office before departing.

When it was time to leave work, Li Yifei was getting ready to leave when Xu Yingying called him.

"I’m already at the airport, come pick me up."

"Weren’t you coming back tomorrow?" Li Yifei asked in surprise.

"With my parents here, how can I be in the mood to stay in Capital City? After speaking to Miss Su, I decided to come back early."

"Okay then, I’ll be right there."

Half an hour later, Xu Yingying was sitting in Li Yifei’s car, frowning. The sudden arrival of her parents had clearly caught her off guard. Even with a day’s notice, she still felt this issue was rather tricky.

"Why the long face? Didn’t you say you’d get a fake marriage certificate to trick them?" Li Yifei glanced at Xu Yingying and asked.

Xu Yingying looked at Li Yifei and said, "Yes, but I’m afraid they might not leave in a hurry."

Li Yifei chuckled and replied, "Then let them stay a while longer. Don’t you, as their daughter, want your parents around?"

Xu Yingying countered, "Do you want them to stay longer?"

Li Yifei shrugged his shoulders, "Of course not. If they stay here, my life won’t be as free."

Miss Xu Yingying squinted her eyes at Li Yifei and said, "It seems that with them here, you’ll have to sleep in the same room with me. Aren’t you looking forward to something?"

"Is there anything to look forward to?" Li Yifei asked amusedly, looking at Xu Yingying.

Xu Yingying raised an eyebrow and said, "I remember somebody used to give quite a terrifying look when he shared a room with me."

Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Times change, don’t they? Back then, looking at you, I was taking advantage, but now looking at you, I’m afraid of taking responsibility, so no, I’m not looking forward to it."

Xu Yingying’s face immediately darkened. That damn Li Yifei was really blunt with his words, and quite demoralizing too. Now she appeared to be the one clinging to him. As a proud CEO with countless suitors, it was truly embarrassing.

The two quickly arrived at Xu Yingying’s house where her parents and Xu Shanshan were chatting at home.

"Yingying, why are you back so soon? Don’t you have work to do?" Xu Yingying’s mother immediately asked with concern.

Xu Yingying smiled and sat next to her mother, saying, "You all came over, of course, I wanted to spend time with you."

Her mother, beaming with joy, said, "Mom doesn’t need your company. If you were really thinking about that, you wouldn’t be always so busy with work. You should spend more time with Yifei, and giving mom a grandchild sooner would be the best."

Xu Yingying was instantly embarrassed. Her mother was becoming more anxious. Before bringing Li Yifei home, she was being pushed to find a boyfriend. After meeting Li Yifei, it was all about urging them to get married. And now, as the marriage was getting closer, the pressure had moved on to having children.

At this point, Xu Shanshan chuckled and said, "Mom, I totally support you. You should definitely give her an ultimatum to get pregnant this year, to have a child."

Xu Yingying glared at her, while Li Yifei also felt a jolt of fear. If Xu Yingying’s mother really resorted to that tactic, it would be a real headache. Marriage certificates can be faked, but how do you fake having a child?

And just as feared, Xu Yingying’s mother’s eyes lit up with glee as she said, "Shanshan’s idea is good. I’m telling you, Yifei and Yingying, you must have a child this year. You have to understand, once a woman ages, she passes the prime age for childbearing. It’s best to have children before thirty; beyond that, it gets more difficult and dangerous. Complications with childbirth at an older age – you educated people should understand this. Also, the sooner you raise kids, the better off you are. Like your father and me, we had kids early. I had you when I was twenty-three. By the time you went to college, I was just over forty, and still in good shape to have fun with your dad. If you have kids late, you’ll be old by the time they’re grown, and it becomes harder to take care of them..."

Xu Yingying’s mother had a whole series of arguments about childbirth, leaving Li Yifei and herself speechless and overwhelmed, as if not getting pregnant right now would be a huge mistake.

Xu Shanshan couldn’t help but sneak a laugh on the side. Her mother’s killer move had always been big trouble for her and Xu Yingying since they were kids. Once she started, there’d be no end to it for at least half an hour.

"By the way, are you two using birth control now? Let me tell you, you’re not allowed to do that anymore. Getting pregnant isn’t guaranteed just because you want to. Some couples take a year and a half or longer to conceive. By the time you really want a child, who knows how long it will take, so it’s best to start trying now. Whenever it happens, it happens."

Li Yifei almost burst into laughter. This faux mother-in-law was really something, able to discuss such a topic openly, clearly desperate for a grandchild.

At that moment, Xu Yingying was even more embarrassed. It was already mortifying to talk about having children, and now they were discussing birth control. If her mother kept going, she might even start detailing how to get pregnant or the best times for intercourse. In desperation, she pleaded with a pained expression, "Mom, I’ve just gotten back and I’m still hungry. Can we have dinner first?"

Xu Zhenguo then interjected, "You old woman, this isn’t something to rush. Let’s talk about it slowly. Let’s cook and eat first."

Li Yifei quickly stood up and said, "I’ll do the cooking. Uncle and Aunt, please take a rest."

Xu Yingying, remarkably, also stood up and said, "I’ll help." She hurriedly followed Li Yifei into the kitchen.

Once in the kitchen, Li Yifei couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Xu Yingying, annoyed, glared at him and asked, "What’s so funny?"

Li Yifei, struggling to suppress his laughter, said, "Your mom is formidable. I’m actually wondering where you’re going to find a fake grandchild for them."

At the mention of this, Xu Yingying felt a headache coming on. She couldn’t reason with her persistent mother. She wouldn’t have resorted to a fake boyfriend if not for her mother’s nagging. If she chose not to have children, her mother would surely revert to her daily calls, just like before she had a boyfriend.

"Let’s just cook already instead of laughing at jokes. You won’t be able to escape it either," Xu Yingying said despondently as she tore the leaves off the vegetables, as if she had a great grudge against them.

Li Yifei quickly snatched the vegetables from her, saying, "You better rest. At the rate you’re picking vegetables, we’ll have none left to eat."

Then, he turned to Xu Yingying with a mischievous smile and said, "How about we make one for your parents?"

"You..." Xu Yingying’s face fell, and she glared at Li Yifei fiercely, as if she might devour him.

But then, Li Yifei flashed an ecstatic smile, realizing from Xu Yingying’s reaction that she didn’t really like him. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have reacted as if the idea insulted her so deeply.