Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Now that things were settled with Lu Cheng, I had the confidence to negotiate with the Li Family.

I arranged a meeting with Li Xiuyi’s father.

To my surprise, he brought Li Xiuyi along.

I hadn’t seen him for a few days, and he looked more dejected than ever.

Before we entered the private room, Li Xiuyi grabbed my arm.

“Why didn’t you call me?”

“What?”

“The engagement is between the two of us. If you wanted to talk, why didn’t you call me?”

I looked at Li Xiuyi quietly.

Sometimes I really envied him.

Even now, he was still so naive.

I spoke up. “You’re wrong. The engagement has never been just between the two of us.”

Li Xiuyi stared at me intently.

His grip tightened, and it started to hurt.

When Li Xiuyi and I walked inside, Director Li was already seated at the head of the table.

After a bit of small talk, he said with a kind expression, “I know Xiuyi made you angry. I brought him here today so you can scold him or hit him as you please. I’ll make sure justice is done for you.”

I gave a small smile.

“I took the liberty of asking you out today to discuss my marriage to the Li Family. Director Li, I intend to break off this engagement.”

The relaxed atmosphere froze instantly.

Li Xiuyi stood up abruptly.

He enunciated every word: “I don’t agree.”

Director Li’s face darkened. “You brat, sit down.”

Li Xiuyi met his father’s gaze and sneered. “What? Are you going to make decisions behind my back again? Getting engaged back then went against my will, and now canceling it is going against my will too? What am I to you? A puppet?”

Director Li slammed his hand on the table. “Then what exactly do you want? You didn’t agree when we got engaged, and you’ve been making a fuss for six years. How much face have the Li Family and the Song Family lost because of you during these six years? Since you don’t want to cancel the engagement, then what on earth are you acting out for?”

Li Xiuyi froze for a moment, then lowered his head.

Director Li gave him a deep look. “Get out.”

Li Xiuyi left.

But he didn’t just leave alone; he took me with him.

He moved so fast, grabbing me and running as if we were eloping. I didn’t even have time to react.

“Li Xiuyi, what are you doing?”

Li Xiuyi’s grip tightened, but he didn’t say a word.

I struggled helplessly, but he only held on tighter.

“Hiss-you’re hurting me!”

I shouted in frustration and started swatting at him.

Li Xiuyi seemed to snap out of it only then.

He suddenly let go of me, his eyes full of confusion and distress.

“Are… are you okay?”

I felt a knot of frustration in my chest.

I really didn’t know what Li Xiuyi was playing at.

I had always thought the only resistance to breaking the engagement would come from the Li Family, and that Li Xiuyi might even help me.

I never expected him to be the first stumbling block.

“Li Xiuyi, what exactly are you doing? Haven’t you always wanted to break off the engagement? Now that you’re getting exactly what you wanted, why are you making a scene?”

After hearing my questioning, Li Xiuyi laughed abruptly, though it looked more painful than crying.

“What I wanted? Does what I want even matter to any of you? Did you get my consent before making any of these decisions?”

I think I understood what he meant then.

“So, you feel like it hurts your pride because I’m the one bringing up the breakup? Fine. You can be the one to bring it up. I can even tell everyone in our social circle that you dumped me.”

I gave a small laugh. “Actually, it doesn’t even have to be that complicated. Didn’t you already announce you had someone else in mind for marriage last time? Breaking off the engagement now is perfectly logical.”

“There is no one else.”

“What?”

Li Xiuyi looked at me. “I never thought about marrying anyone else.”

I was silent for a few seconds.

“But you’ll get married eventually.”

That was what I had suddenly realized on the day of his birthday banquet.

Six years. I was already exhausted, while Li Xiuyi seemed to have infinite energy to keep acting out.

The person at the banquet that day might not have been someone he actually wanted to marry.

But he would get married one day.

As for me, I never liked being passive.

That was why I had to make plans early and keep the initiative in my own hands.

In the end, Li Xiuyi and I parted on bad terms.

He only left me with one harsh sentence: “Song Ling, you don’t get the final say this time.”