Chapter Thirty-Four: The Li Family

Stepping into the Li family estate, Li Chuxi felt a sudden, poignant wave of trepidation. Having been away for five years—and having spent who knows how many years drifting through those various small worlds—she could not even calculate the last time she had set foot in this home.

Returning now, the thought of her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins whom she had not seen for so long filled her with a nervous, bittersweet yearning.

"Host, I honestly never thought I'd see the day you felt like this!"

The boisterous laughter of Zero-Zero-Yao echoed in her mind. "I really should record this for posterity!"

"Zero-Zero-Yao, stop making trouble," Li Chuxi replied, a hint of helplessness in her voice. "I know you're trying to ease my nerves, but your words are truly asking for a beating."

"Fine," the system’s voice deflated, tinged with a touch of frustration.

In truth, because the system was bound to her, it could keenly sense the fluctuations in her emotions. When it felt her anxiety, it had hoped to use humor to distract her, but it seemed she had seen right through the attempt.

A confident smile tugged at the corners of Li Chuxi’s mouth as she silently replied, "Zero-Zero-Yao, thank you."

No matter what, the system cared for her. It had been by her side through all these long years; although it was merely an artificial intelligence, she had long since come to regard it as family.

"You're welcome," Zero-Zero-Yao replied, its tone instantly shedding the earlier gloom for a note of smug pride.

With a gentle smile, Li Chuxi walked slowly into the Li family manor.

What was there to fear? This was the Li family. Her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins had always doted on her. Even after all these years of absence, she knew deep down that their love for her remained unchanged.

Upon entering the main hall, she saw the two elders sitting in the seats of honor—Grandfather Li and Grandmother Li. They sat with solemn expressions, waiting.

"Grandfather, Grandmother."

Although she had braced herself, seeing the two elders again made her eyes brim with unshed tears.

"My dear Chuxi!"

Seeing her, Grandmother Li could hardly bear to imagine the hardships her granddaughter must have endured. She stood up immediately, pulling the approaching girl into a warm embrace, whispering softly, "Chuxi, don't be afraid. If anyone has bullied you, tell us. We will avenge you."

As she spoke, she shot a fierce glare at Li Kunjie and Li Fengmei, who were sitting on the sofa, looking visibly ill at ease.

Grandfather Li stood up as well, anxious to see how his granddaughter was faring. Finding no opening to intervene, he instead turned his own stern, piercing gaze toward Li Kunjie and Li Fengmei. He was convinced that if Chuxi was in such a state, she must have suffered grievances at their hands.

Li Kunjie and Li Fengmei felt as though they were sitting on pins and needles. They had known that coming here today would not lead to anything pleasant, but they had been unable to decline the summons and had no choice but to attend.

However, they had not expected that the moment Li Chuxi walked through the door, she would say nothing and immediately throw herself into Grandmother Li’s arms, sobbing.

Was she not clearly setting them up for disaster?