Chapter Twenty-Three: Another Nightmare!

The three beauties sat quietly, not uttering a word, perhaps afraid to disturb Li Yi’s rest. Each, by silent agreement, kept her lips sealed. Li Xueyan watched him with tender concern, her heart aching at the sight. Li Zixuan was sewing something—by the look of it, a gift for Jiang Lichen. Changle gazed out the window in silence; only she herself knew that her inner turmoil was far from the calm she displayed.

“Miss! Miss! The noodles are here!” Before long, the little maid Yiyi burst into the room, carrying a steaming bowl of hot soup noodles, calling out with excitement.

“Miss? Where’s the miss? Where is she? Where?” Awakened by Yiyi’s shouting, Li Yi was still a little groggy, squinting and calling loudly.

“Master! What do you think of this young lady?” Li Xueyan, her face full of murderous intent, reached toward Li Yi’s ear with her invisible claws.

Startled by her threatening aura, Li Yi instantly sobered up, but he dared not open his eyes. Opening them now would be even more shocking than seeing Sadako. His mind raced, and he quickly settled on a strategy—he lowered his head and muttered, “Ah! To dream of Xueyan—looks like another nightmare.” He continued to pretend to sleep.

Li Xueyan’s hand halted midair, her cheeks flushed; she was caught between pinching and not pinching him, her expression adorably conflicted.

Witnessing this theatrical scene, Yiyi and Li Zixuan were momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter. Changle did not laugh, but struggled to contain it, leaving Xueyan wishing she could crawl into a hole.

After a while, Xueyan could take it no longer. “Still laughing! Stop it now! Stinky Yi, if you don’t get up, I’ll cry for you!”

“Hah—hey! How did I get here? Wow, what a delicious smell! Ah, here it is! Yiyi, hurry and give me the noodles!” Li Yi sat up, yawning and pretending nothing had happened, heading straight for the noodles.

“Hmph! I won’t let you eat!” Xueyan snatched the bowl, wrinkling her delicate nose, pouting and glancing away, refusing to acknowledge him.

“Come on, Miss Li! You can’t do this to me! I’m facing crises in family, career, and love. I’m already exhausted, unable to handle so many troubles! You mustn’t treat me like this anymore!” Li Yi put on a pitiful face, hoping to elicit sympathy.

As expected, his tactic worked. All four women turned their eyes to him, their concern evident.

Xueyan spoke first, “Brother Yi, what trouble have you run into?” She placed the noodles before him, watching him with care.

Li Yi grabbed his chopsticks and devoured several mouthfuls, feeling his stomach less empty, then slowed his eating. “I have a good news and a bad news. Which would you like to hear first?”

Xueyan replied without hesitation, “Good news!”

“Well, the bad news is that tomorrow I’ll be moving out. From now on, if you want to see me, you’ll have to walk a long way!” Li Yi chewed a mouthful, frowning as he swallowed—this tasted awful, the salt was off. He regretted not making his own plain noodles.

Hearing he was leaving, Xueyan panicked, grabbing his arm, her face anxious, her grip unconsciously tightening. “Brother Yi, what’s happened? Where are you going?”

Li Yi was pinched so hard he spat out his noodles in pain. “Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! My dear lady, don’t be so anxious! There’s still good news, isn’t there? The good news is, I’m confident I can handle your family’s big boss!”

“Really? Oh, Brother Yi, what’s going on? Tell me quickly!”

“Ha! Xueyan, don’t rush. Let Li finish his noodles first,” Princess Changle, amused by Li Yi’s predicament, managed to keep her composure for the sake of royal dignity.

“Look at the princess, then look at you—not a bit of tenderness for me! Princess, don’t call me ‘Mister Li’ anymore, I’m not used to it. Pick something else—‘Brother Yi’, ‘Brother Wen Yong’, anything will do, I’m not picky!” Li Yi wolfed down the noodles, wiped his mouth, finally feeling a bit revived.

“Pfft! You really are such a character. I’ll just call you ‘Big Brother Li’. And don’t call me ‘Princess’ anymore—just call me Changle.” Changle couldn’t hold back her laughter.

“Ha! It’s about time. Laugh and speak as you will—what’s the use of being a stoic? A bit of dignity is fine, but if you wear a mask even among friends, when will you ever be yourself?” Li Yi gave Changle no quarter, saying what needed to be said, even to Li Er, for her own good.

“Can I really be myself?” Changle gave a bitter smile and shook her head, trying to dispel her gloom.

“Ah, that’s an illness—a slow cure, though. No rush, take your time. But let’s talk about my troubles first.” Li Yi shook his head; expecting Changle to change overnight was unrealistic. It had taken him three years himself, under the strict guidance of his senior, and others would have even less hope.

Li Yi moved to the window, gazing at the world now plunged into darkness. Yet a warm current flowed through his heart. “I declare—I, Li Yi, have found my family! From now on, I belong somewhere—I have a home!”

“What? Brother Yi, you really found your family? That’s wonderful!” Xueyan leaped up in joy, unconcerned with her appearance, as if she herself had regained family.

“Big Brother Li, congratulations!” Li Zixuan was also elated. Despite her usual silence, she was highly sensitive, and so, aside from Li Yi, she alone could truly feel his past loneliness.

“Big Brother Li, congratulations! Wait—judging by how starved you are, you must have spent the afternoon in the palace. Could it be...? Is your family...?” Changle, inheriting her mother’s poise and elegance, was also sharp and perceptive, quickly noticing something amiss.

“Nonsense! Aren’t you afraid your father will spank you? If word reaches your mother, it’ll disrupt unity! Here’s how it happened...

So, I became the second eldest grandson of the Li family.”

“You’re actually Duke Wei’s grandson? I see! Only a genius like Duke Wei could have a son like Wen Yong!” Changle breathed a sigh of relief, though she didn’t know why she’d been so tense—perhaps afraid that if Li Yi was a prince, she’d lose her chance.

“Ah, right! Brother Yi, I just remembered—Changle was so engrossed in conversation with me she forgot the time. She can’t return to the palace tonight. Please help us figure out what to do!” Xueyan slapped her forehead, asking anxiously.

“Seriously? The mighty Emperor of the Great Tang won’t bring his army to invade, will he? Xueyan, your brother is a man, not Doraemon! If you keep this up, I’ll die of overthinking!” Li Yi looked up at the sky, asking the gods if they’d taken the day off, leaving all the troubles to him.

Receiving no answer from above, Li Yi showed a middle finger, then had to keep thinking. He habitually wanted to open a folding fan—a habit from his past life; pondering problems, he liked to gently wave a fan, feeling it made him look cool.

“Ah! I forgot, this is Great Tang—where would I find a folding fan?” Li Yi shook his head with a wry smile. “Right! Folding fan? Good grief, I must be starving—such a simple question took so long, what a waste of my looks!” Once Li Yi had a solution, his thoughts flowed like a spring, solving every issue.

“Got it!” Li Yi turned, smiling confidently.

Changle, who had been waiting anxiously, saw his frown and thought she was surely in for a scolding. After all, royal affairs weren’t for outsiders to meddle in. But hearing Li Yi had an idea, she lost her composure and, forgetting propriety, asked urgently, “Big Brother Li, what is it?”

“What else? An idea! Now, tell me about my family—my grandfather left in such a hurry, I never got the chance to ask!” Li Yi blushed, embarrassed to ask such questions.

“Oh! Duke Wei’s household isn’t large. The elder generation includes Duke Wei and his wife, Lady Hongfu. Duke Wei has two sons: the elder, Li Dejian, has a wife, Madame Cui, and two sons—Li Yesi, fourteen, and Li Yexu, twelve. The second son, Li Dejiang, disappeared sixteen years ago and hasn’t been found. Wait—Big Brother Li, could you be...?” Changle, as a royal princess, was well-informed about the households of important ministers. If you’d asked Xueyan, she probably wouldn’t even know who Li Dejiang was.

“Yes, that’s right. My father is Li Dejiang.” Li Yi sighed, “My master was truly prescient—even before I left the mountains, he calculated that I had two brothers. That’s why he said, when I find my family, it’s like a blade finding its owner! Well, now I don’t have to worry about gifts for my brothers. Luckily, I reincarnated as a son of the Li family. If I’d ended up in Cheng Yaojin’s household—oh my God! They say there are three little monks there! I’ve already prepared gifts for grandmother and aunt, just need grandfather and uncle’s. Decided—two folding fans, and one for Li Er as an apology for Changle, and one for myself. Damn, almost forgot Prince Rencheng—if I don’t give him one, Xueyan will skin me alive!”

Having thought it all through, Li Yi started issuing orders. “Alright, everyone listen up!”

The four women straightened, all eyes fixed on Li Yi. Though they didn’t know what he was planning, it didn’t matter—they only needed to follow his instructions.

“First—wait! Xueyan, where are your parents?” Li Yi suddenly realized he hadn’t met his future in-laws yet—how rude!

Xueyan rolled her eyes. “You only just thought of it? Don’t worry! My father and mother are in Xingyang visiting my maternal grandfather—they’ll be back tomorrow.”

Li Yi breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good! Xueyan, you and Yiyi go find me some carpenters—the more the better, and get some maids too!”

Xueyan didn’t ask further and left with Yiyi.

“Zixuan! Go tell your family’s Lichen: if he wants something good, he’d better get up right now, or he’s out!”

“Who’s ‘my family’s’? Hmph!” Li Zixuan stomped her foot and left.