CHAPTER 619: CHAPTER 536: TURNING THE PAGE

Yao Meiling shot her a cold glance and, without a word, headed to the small storage room in the back.

"Tsk! That woman! What’s she so proud of?"

"Don’t bother with her! She probably won’t last long anyway!"

The two whispered to each other, gossiping quietly while chuckling.

Yao Meiling changed her clothes, grabbed her bag, and said icily, "This work uniform—when Boss Wang comes in, let her know I quit! I’m done with this crap job!"

She wasn’t going to put up with any more humiliation. Still, there was some apprehension about how that person might react when they found out she had messed things up.

With that, she ignored her coworkers’ shock and walked away decisively.

As soon as Yao Meiling left Mo Si Furniture, she took out her phone and dialed a number.

The call wasn’t answered for a long while, but as soon as it connected, her tone softened immediately: "Big Brother..."

"Speak."

Yao Meiling swallowed hard before cautiously saying, "Li Si caught me! What should I do next?"

There was a moment of enigmatic silence on the other end of the line. "Don’t go back to your place for now. Wander around different malls and head back later in the evening."

"Ah! Got it! Got it! I’ll do as you say!"

After hanging up, Yao Meiling finally breathed a real sigh of relief. From his tone, it didn’t seem like he was angry with her.

Good, good!

When Li Si arrived at Liu Xiaole’s family restaurant, business was booming. The nearby University City brought in a flood of students during this season.

Mr. Liu and Nanny Liu had already prepared a table full of dishes. Seeing the restaurant packed and bustling with noise and activity,

they asked two young servers at the restaurant to pack the dishes and bring them to Liu Xiaole’s home in the back for her and Li Si to enjoy.

Nanny Liu apologized profusely: "Li Si! I’m so sorry you have to deal with the crowd here. I hope you don’t mind heading over to the house to eat with Xiao Le.

Xiao Le is where she is today entirely thanks to you! Eat whatever you like—don’t hold back!"

Mr. Liu emerged from the kitchen, sweat dripping from his brow, his face filled with gratitude: "Yes, yes! Whatever you want to eat, I’ll make it for you!"

Mr. Liu wasn’t one for flowery words, but the kindness Li Si had shown their family was something he held close to his heart.

Li Si smiled and replied, "Auntie! Uncle! You’re too kind! Eating at your place is great—it’s peaceful, and the two of us can chat while we eat. It’s much cozier!

As for thanking me, there’s really no need. Xiao Le’s success is ultimately due to her own hard work and determination!

The restaurant is busy, so don’t worry about us—focus on your customers!"

Even Liu Xiaole hadn’t expected this many customers today. Heading back to her home to eat sounded like a great idea—it would give them a chance to talk uninterrupted.

"Exactly! Mom, Dad, you guys handle your business! I’ll take good care of Sisi!"

Mr. and Mrs. Liu chuckled warmly, escorting them to the door while two servers followed with large meal containers.

Behind the restaurant was a residential complex, where Liu Xiaole lived in a third-floor two-bedroom unit. The old-style building had a cozy vibe.

As soon as Li Si stepped in, she felt a warm, homely atmosphere. Cute little plush toys were scattered throughout the tidy and well-organized apartment.

The two servers placed the food on the dining table and hurried back to the restaurant to attend to business.

Li Si and Liu Xiaole unpacked the dishes, instantly filling the room with mouthwatering aromas, revealing the care Mr. and Mrs. Liu had put into the meal.

Everything had been tailored to Li Si’s tastes: pork stir-fried with shredded fish-flavored sauce, braised pig trotters, cola chicken wings, soy sauce ribs, sweet and sour pork, red-braised pork, refreshing side dishes, and even steamed crabs and prawns!

Liu Xiaole gleefully grabbed beers from the fridge, but Li Si quickly stopped her: "I don’t drink! And neither should you—just have some juice instead!"

She was planning to bring up certain topics during their conversation, which might stir up emotions. Alcohol would only complicate things.

Liu Xiaole lightly slapped her forehead and said, "Oh, right! I completely forgot you’re breastfeeding! Okay, juice it is! Let me pour you a glass!"

Li Si chuckled as she watched Xiao Le fill a clear glass with orange juice.

With a serious expression, Liu Xiaole raised her glass: "Sisi! I won’t waste words thanking you. This toast is for you! May you stay forever beautiful and happy every single day!"

Li Si burst into laughter: "Oh, come on! You make it sound like I’m ancient! Fine, then: I toast to you staying slim and always happy forever!"

Both giggled as they downed their glasses of juice.

"Dig in! My parents’ cooking is pretty good, don’t you think?"

Li Si smiled, picking up a bite of the refreshing side dish. After chewing a few times, her eyes lit up: "Delicious!"

"Right? But don’t just eat the veggies—you love meat! Try the fish-flavored shredded pork!"

"You have some too!"

The two chatted and laughed as they gradually filled up, until Li Si casually remarked, "Xiao Le, it seems like you’ve truly moved on..."

Throughout their reunion and dinner, Xiao Le hadn’t shown any signs of distress or sadness.

Li Si wanted to figure out her feelings before bringing up An Zhengran.

After all, now that she’d come across An Zhengran and Wang Ruotong, and learned the truth, she didn’t intend to keep it from Xiao Le.

Liu Xiaole’s chopsticks froze mid-movement, and the smile on her face faded slightly.

"Sisi, there’s no need to tiptoe around me. Who am I, huh? Liu Xiaole! It’s completely over between him and me!"

She had already sensed Li Si’s hesitation and knew that she had something to say. But she wasn’t the fragile type who couldn’t handle the truth.

Li Si took a sip of her drink and smiled gently: "I’m really glad you think that way! Xiao Le, I think instead of dragging out the back-and-forth with him, you should focus on improving yourself. There will be plenty of chances to find someone truly suited to you in the future."

That was her heartfelt sentiment. As for An Zhengran’s mother’s views, Li Si found them quite understandable.

What mother doesn’t see her son as the best? In An Zhengran’s mom’s eyes, she probably thought her son was practically royalty, deserving nothing less than a match from her social class—or better yet, someone above it!

And no matter how much Xiao Le endured or tried to please her, it would only make her less valued in the long run.

"That day, my mom said it right—finding a boyfriend or getting married is no small matter. It shapes what kind of life you’ll live later on!

Look at my mom and my aunt—they chose different men, and their lives are completely different.

My mom may work hard now, but at least my dad is reliable and doesn’t cause her trouble. My aunt may have enjoyed luxury, but now her family is a chaotic mess!

When I picture my future, even if we hadn’t broken up this time—even if An Zhengran and I were perfect together—we wouldn’t have been able to overcome his mom’s interference.

Now I understand: that kind of life, where you constantly endure and swallow your pride just to keep the peace, isn’t what I want.

Instead, I’d rather find someone down-to-earth, someone with shared interests and matching values—it’d be so much more comfortable!

Really, what’s there to linger on? In this world, life goes on without anyone being truly indispensable! See? I’m doing just fine now, aren’t I?"

Li Si couldn’t help but clap lightly: "Well said! Come on, Xiao Le! Here’s to you finding your ideal down-to-earth guy soon!"

"Haha! Thanks! I’ll take your blessings to heart!" Liu Xiaole and Li Si touched glasses lightly, each taking a sip of their drinks.

Li Si took a deep breath: "But you know, Xiao Le, there’s something I still think I need to be honest with you about."

(To be continued. If you enjoyed this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com for reading.)