Chapter 153: Old Madam Li

Lu Qi'an rubbed his temples. Once he felt a bit more relaxed, he picked up his phone and happened to see the message from Qin Miaoyu.

He checked the time and realized nearly three hours had passed.

Still, if Li Qixiao was still in that area, he might be able to discover something. Although Li Qixiao was different from the person in his memory, Lu Qi'an always felt there might be some connection between the two; his intuition had always been quite accurate.

After instructing Gu Feng to go and investigate the matter, Lu Qi'an replied to Qin Miaoyu with a sticker.

Lu Qi'an hadn't been fond of using stickers in the past, but after getting used to messaging Qin Miaoyu, he had gradually started using them more often.

Looking at the "meow-meow" thank-you sticker, the haze that had been weighing on Qin Miaoyu's heart due to her nightmare finally dissipated.

There was nothing to do in the afternoon, so Pei Yixue simply called Qin Miaoyu to go out for a stroll.

Qin Miaoyu didn't have anything in particular to buy; she was mainly accompanying Pei Yixue, so they naturally headed to the high-end flagship stores that Pei Yixue frequented.

Unexpectedly, upon entering the store, they saw an old woman who looked like a nouveau riche.

Qin Miaoyu hadn't recognized her at first, having only met her once, but the woman's voice was so distinct that she immediately remembered: this was Madam Li, whom she had encountered in her grandmother's hospital room.

She looked over and saw Madam Li trying on a custom-made garment. The woman was well-maintained, so the outfit didn't look out of place on her.

However, Qin Miaoyu glanced at the price and noted it was very expensive. She remembered Lu Qi'an telling her that the Li family's cash flow had been very tight, which was why they had tried to take a risk and rope Lu Qi'an into a "big deal" back then.

Had the Li family safely passed their period of tight cash flow and returned to spending money lavishly?

Could it be that they had resorted to some crooked path to get money, just like before?

Qin Miaoyu did not hide her scrutiny, and Madam Li soon noticed.

She didn't recognize Qin Miaoyu either, but looking at her attire, which didn't look like that of a wealthy person, she mocked, "Young lady, if you don't have money, don't wander into shops like this. If you see too much, what will you do if you end up going down the wrong path for money or become psychologically unbalanced?"

The tone of her voice was truly unpleasant; even the sales assistant standing nearby couldn't help but frown.

Qin Miaoyu, however, found it rather interesting.

Last time they met, Madam Li had been begging her grandmother not to let the Lu family terminate their partnership with the Li family. Her attitude had been submissive, projecting an image of being weak and pathetic.

But now, she was bossing people around, her tail practically raised to the sky.

It made Qin Miaoyu especially curious about what kind of fortune the Li family had stumbled upon. She remembered that the most expensive item Madam Li had been wearing during their previous meeting was a Chanel-style outfit, but that was a style from several years ago.

Qin Miaoyu remembered it so clearly because when that style first came out, Gu Jing had bought one, worn it once, and never wore it again.

Seeing that Qin Miaoyu was still looking at her and smiling, Madam Li became even more displeased.

"What are you looking at?"

"I'm just curious about your financial status, to suddenly start wearing such expensive clothes."

Madam Li frowned, staring at Qin Miaoyu, but she still couldn't place her.

Qin Miaoyu had no intention of introducing herself to Madam Li; she simply continued browsing with Pei Yixue.

Pei Yixue said, "If you hadn't told me not to speak, I would have scolded her until she left in shame!"

Qin Miaoyu chuckled, "Forget it. They say one should respect the elderly and cherish the young, so let's not bicker with an old lady!"

"You know her? She looks like she's only about forty years old, doesn't she?" Pei Yixue was stunned by Qin Miaoyu's talk of respecting the elderly.

"I've met her. You should have heard her name too; she's that old Madam from the Li family..."

"It's actually her? If it's her, then it's not surprising."

Pei Yixue hadn't seen this Madam Li often, as the Li family had long since fallen out of their social circle. However, Madam Li's reputation was quite loud—though not because of the Li family itself, but because of her unclear and mysterious relationship with Old Master Lu.

Pei Yixue looked back and said, "She really is someone who doesn't have to worry about anything; looking at her, you would never guess she's over sixty!"

After saying this, she whispered, "Miaoyu, is that second son of the Li family actually Old Master Lu's son?"

Qin Miaoyu shrugged, "I'm not sure about that either."

Even Lu Qi'an himself didn't know, so Qin Miaoyu certainly didn't.

By the time Madam Li finished changing and came out, Qin Miaoyu and Pei Yixue were no longer there.

She asked the sales assistant, "Where are those two people from just now?"

"The two young ladies left after finishing their shopping."

Madam Li said disdainfully, "For such young girls to come to a store like yours, I'm sure that money was obtained through improper means!"

The smile on the sales assistant's face almost faltered.

Compared to this Madam Li, Miss Pei was a regular customer at this store, and they didn't really know what kind of background Madam Li actually had.

The sales assistant kindly reminded her, "Madam, one of the two young ladies just now was the eldest daughter of the Pei family."

Madam Li's expression shifted through a spectrum of colors. It was actually the eldest daughter of the Pei family?

Then just now...

But immediately, her expression returned to normal. Times were different now; she didn't need to be so cautious!

Just as she finished paying, her phone rang.

It was a call from the second son of the Li family.

Madam Li happily answered the phone, but the second son's words made her smile freeze on her face.

"Mom, didn't I tell you not to spend money so lavishly right now? Things aren't fully settled yet. If you do this and something goes wrong, what will we do?"

Madam Li was unhappy, "I got this money through my own ability; why can't I spend it as I please?"

"Mom, it's not that I don't want you to spend it. Can't you wait until we get past this hurdle? If others see it, they will inevitably speculate about the reason! This matter cannot withstand a thorough investigation! If it's discovered, wouldn't all the lies you've told over the years be exposed?"

Madam Li's expression changed from anger to panic, "Then what should I do?"

"So, while you haven't bumped into anyone you know, hurry back. Once everything is completely settled, it won't be too late for you to go out and spend money!"

"But... I already ran into the young lady from the Pei family just now..."

"The young lady from the Pei family? It's fine. You've rarely been active in public these years, and the younger generation in the Pei family's circle shouldn't recognize you. It's not a big problem. But if you run into other acquaintances later, that would be a big deal! So stop shopping. Once everything is done, you can shop however you like!"

Madam Li agreed and left, carrying several bags with a sour expression on her face.