The Eldest Aunt rubbed her ears, convinced she must have been hearing things.
Shi Li was indeed at a loss, having eaten a plate of fruit and now biting into a pear with a crunch, purely imagining the pear as Ji Chunsheng's head.
The Eldest Aunt had met Ji Chunsheng once and was quite pleased with this polite young man. "I can see that Shi Ruan and Chunsheng get along very well. I think they should be able to get married next year."
Mentioning this reminded Shi Li of matters concerning Ji Chunsheng. Ji Feiyu's brother would soon meet with misfortune, and not long after that, Ji Chunsheng would become involved with Ji Feiyu's sister-in-law. Just thinking about this plot made Shi Li's teeth ache.
She was in a difficult position now. Preventing Ji Feiyu's brother from going to his death would save a life, but if she did so, Ji Chunsheng wouldn't receive his friend's dying wish to look after the widow, and they wouldn't immediately get together. Perhaps Ji Chunsheng would actually end up with Shi Ruan.
In her previous life, Shi Li often saw news of Ji Chunsheng and Ji Feiyu's sister-in-law showing their affection publicly. Shi Li couldn't imagine replacing that woman's face with Shi Ruan's - it was too strange.
As Shi Li's expression changed, the villa's door opened from outside - Shi Ruan had returned home.
After not seeing her for a while, Shi Ruan appeared more rounded than before, suggesting she had been living well lately.
When her eyes fell on Shi Li eating fruit, Shi Ruan's gaze froze.
"Ah Li, you're back?"
Shi Li nodded and casually asked, "Sister, where did you go?"
Knowing her sister disliked Ji Chunsheng, Shi Ruan tried to conceal it, saying, "I went out with friends."
"Male or female friends?"
The Eldest Aunt glanced at Shi Li, wondering why she would ask when it had already been mentioned that Shi Ruan was out with her boyfriend.
Shi Ruan responded naturally, "You know me, of course I went out with girls."
The Eldest Aunt couldn't help but cover her face - what a silly daughter.
However, she didn't understand why her daughter needed to hide having a boyfriend from her sister. It was a good thing, and Shi Li wasn't the jealous type.
Shi Li smiled slightly, "Is that so? I heard from Aunt that sister went on a date with her boyfriend."
Shi Ruan's smile froze, "Well, I was on a date with my boyfriend initially, but then I went out with female friends afterward."
Shi Li's voice took on a peculiar tone, "Oh, really? Sister, why didn't you tell your little sister about having a boyfriend? I could have shared in your happiness."
Shi Ruan looked embarrassed, "I was worried about disturbing your busy studies, so I hadn't mentioned it."
"Well then, who is sister's boyfriend, and when are you getting married?"
"Marriage isn't urgent, I'm still young, and I'm not even sure if I'll marry him."
This response wasn't just for Shi Li's benefit; it reflected Shi Ruan's true feelings.
How would she know who was most suitable for marriage without dating several boyfriends?
The Eldest Aunt couldn't bear to hear her daughter talk like this, "Don't be ridiculous, last time Chunsheng said he was planning to get married next year."
Shi Ruan pouted; that was his idea, not hers.
Knowing this explanation would satisfy her young cousin, Shi Ruan focused on placating her mother, "Mom, I just graduated, and you already want me to get married and have children? Do you really want to see me worn out from taking care of children at such a young age?"
The Eldest Aunt elegantly rolled her eyes, "Let me remind you, our family's drivers and housekeepers can meet all your needs. You could completely be hands-off and leave the children to nannies and housekeepers."
The daughter pouting before her made the Eldest Aunt's heart soften. She was still young, after all. Life after marriage would never be as free as before, so perhaps it was better to let her enjoy a few more years.
However, the Eldest Aunt had her principles, "You can marry later, but you must hold onto Chunsheng as a good son-in-law, understand?"
Shi Ruan shrugged, unclear whether she had taken the message to heart.
When only the two sisters remained, Shi Ruan promised, "Sister knows you don't like Ji Chunsheng, but I quite fancy him right now. Wait a while, and after I've had enough of him, I'll find you a new brother-in-law, okay?"
Such words coming from the seemingly well-behaved Shi Ruan created quite a contrast.
Shi Li pouted, "It's not that I don't like him, I just feel he's unreliable. He seems like the type who would look after his good friend's widow after his death, only to end up making her his wife."
Shi Ruan was very indulgent toward her little sister, and seeing her pout and act coy, she immediately assured her, "Don't worry, your sister isn't a fool."
Hearing her decisive tone, Shi Li couldn't help but recall events from her previous life, where Shi Ruan and her shrewd mother-in-law tormented each other. Shi Ruan rarely lost in their battles of wits, but not losing didn't mean she lived well. Having to constantly scheme after coming home each day, never having a peaceful moment - nobody could endure that.
After hearing about Shi Ruan's mother-in-law's antics, the Eldest Aunt had urged her daughter to divorce quickly.
Shi Ruan had been somewhat reluctant to let go, wanting to continue their battle of wits - she truly wasn't one to be trifled with.
Shi Ruan had heard from Huang Jie that her sister had been attending a summer camp recently.
She asked a few concerned questions about Shi Li's life and studies there, wanting to say more but worried about putting psychological pressure on Shi Li.
She internally berated herself for letting her professional habits show again.
While Shi Ruan remained quiet, Shi Li couldn't help but question her, "Sister, you were on a date with your boyfriend, why did you come back halfway? Did he stand you up?"
Shi Li muttered, "I knew this man was no good, how could he do something like that?"
Shi Ruan responded fairly, "It wasn't really a date. I went to his company to find him, but he had an urgent meeting, so I felt bored and came home."
Shi Li couldn't resist criticizing him, "He's too stingy, meeting at his company, and you having to go to him. It makes me wonder if he's actually the one holding the power in your relationship."
Shi Ruan couldn't tolerate this insult and explained, "His company is planning to do some volunteer teaching in mountain areas soon, and I was thinking of going too. I went to his company today to ask about the specific details."
Shi Li showed great interest in the volunteer teaching matter and immediately asked, "If that's the case, why did you come back halfway?"
Shi Ruan shrugged, "It was because of the Ji family's youngest daughter. That young miss's privileged temperament kicked in, and she couldn't bear to let her brother go teach in remote mountain areas. She insisted on bringing all the children from that mountain school here to experience New Year's study tour instead."
Shi Li's eyes widened.
Shi Ruan continued, "Though it's quite an interesting idea. The young miss is willing to use her own allowance to pay for the children's study tour expenses. Ji Chunsheng's meeting was to discuss the feasibility of this proposal. I figured they would definitely agree to this suggestion, so there was no need to wait at Ji Chunsheng's company to ask about the volunteer teaching, and I came home halfway through."
