Chapter 57: Li Meiyu's Pawn

"Mom, please come down. I already told you I can handle it myself!" Zhou Xiaoya felt quite awkward, stamping her feet with anxiety. At sixteen years old, she was entirely capable of doing these chores herself. Having her parents do everything made her feel as though she had no hands. Ever since they learned that Zhou Xiaoya was destined to become a physician, her parents had practically treated her like an ancestral deity, eagerly fighting over tasks like making her bed.

"Auntie, please come down. I'll finish it quickly!" said Xing Haotian with a calm tone. Sensing that further refusal would be impolite, Zhou Mother finally climbed down from the upper bunk.

Staff Officer Sheng had remained standing nearby, staring in utter astonishment at the scene unfolding before him. Not only was the general making a bed, tidying tables, and organizing clothes for a young girl, but he was now even being ordered around to make someone else's bed.

He truly doubted whether this man was genuinely General Xing, or perhaps someone in disguise.

Although they were not intimately close, they had known each other for at least two or three years. Never had he witnessed Xing Haotian act with such gentleness—so much like a... human being!

Though it sounded somewhat bizarre, the former Xing Haotian had indeed resembled a machine rather than a normal person—a machine built for slaughter.

He could execute any mission to absolute perfection, serving as an exemplary general, a brilliant commander, and an exceptional chief, yet he remained worlds apart from ordinary human life.

Yet right now, watching Xing Haotian in this state, Staff Officer Sheng felt as though he were looking at a lovesick greenhorn, completely wrapped around the young girl's finger.

Xing Haotian had certainly met his match. Despite her young age, Wei Zi's gaze revealed someone profound and restrained; while not necessarily scheming, she was unmistakably an inscrutable person.

With Xing Haotian pitching in, a leisurely cleanup was out of the question. Eager to impress, he wrapped up the chores in no time, leaving nothing left to do!

At that moment, Staff Officer Sheng, busy with official duties, prepared to take his leave.

"Alright, there's nothing left for you to do here. Go see Uncle and Auntie off!" Wei Zi said, secretly thrilled to finally have an excuse to chase Xing Haotian away.

Figuring that escorting Zhou Xiaoya's parents out wouldn't take much effort—and knowing he would return anyway—Xing Haotian raised no objections and departed alongside Staff Officer Sheng.

Wei Zi breathed a sigh of relief, somewhat surprised that Xing Haotian had obeyed so readily, leaving the moment she told him to.

At any rate, it saved her a lot of trouble!

Zhou Xiaoya chuckled softly. "Now I finally understand the meaning of 'husband'—husbands are practically laborers, being ordered around by you like this!"

"Zhou Xiaoya!!!" Wei Zi gnashed her teeth.

"Oh, my stomach is starving! Let's go grab something to eat. Yanan, come along!" Zhou Xiaoya hopped joyfully over to Sheng Yanan's side, essentially using her as a shield to escape Wei Zi's wrath!

Sheng Yanan hadn't eaten lunch either, and after working up an appetite cleaning for so long, she felt hungry too. "Alright," she agreed.

The three girls walked out of the dorm together, heading toward the cafeteria.

Meanwhile, inside a luxurious villa located deep within the city, an alluring woman dressed in revealing attire stared at the documents spread before her. Her eyes burned with fury, and her expression twisted in rage.

The computer projection displayed various photographs. Had Wei Zi been present, she would have instantly recognized them as pictures of herself and Xing Haotian.

There were images of Xing Haotian taking her to a styling salon, accompanying her to try on the Frozen Heart jewelry, and standing with her at the entrance of the Imperial Banquet.

Of course, these were not taken by stalkers; otherwise, let alone Xing Haotian's sharp intuition, even Wei Zi would have sensed them.

These frames had been captured from city surveillance cameras, which required a high level of clearance to access.

Other pictures had been clipped from newspapers, capturing the moment Wei Zi attended the Cheng Corporation's shareholder meeting with an icy demeanor.

"To think she has such a backing!" Li Meiyu bit her lip, her face warped by jealousy.

Ever since her encounter with Xing Haotian last time, Li Meiyu had harbored persistent thoughts about him. Upon learning that his health had fully recovered and remained completely unaffected, her mind grew restless as she constantly schemed for an opportunity to approach him.

Unfortunately, following her, another woman named Zhao Qian had managed to capture Xing Haotian's interest, leaving Li Meiyu to exhaust every trick in the book without ever managing to set foot inside his home again.

Desperate, she resorted to investigating him, unhesitatingly abusing her father's clearance to track his movements. Fortunately, these public whereabouts were not meant to be concealed, making them easy for Li Meiyu to uncover.

Yet the more she investigated, the harder it became to let Xing Haotian go.

Gazing at the images of Xing Haotian's handsome visage and his willingness to spend a fortune for a woman, Li Meiyu felt a mixture of bitter resentment, envy, and jealousy!

Naturally, the target of her envy was none other than Wei Zi.

She kept thinking: if not for Wei Zi, would the person cherished by Xing Haotian right now be her? That position rightfully belonged to her, yet Wei Zi had rudely inserted herself into the picture. Otherwise, she would now possess the husband every woman in the Hantian Kingdom dreamed of!

Li Meiyu was a woman who would stop at nothing. She knew full well that attempting to influence Xing Haotian directly would be exceedingly difficult, as her capability and status fell short of threatening him in any way. However, she had thoroughly investigated Wei Zi, even unearthing some details of her past.

Contemplating her upcoming plan, a cold sneer curved Li Meiyu's lips. "Bitch, you won't get your way for much longer!"

Li Meiyu opened her communicator and dialed a number. Within moments, the young and handsome face of a young man appeared on the video screen.

Dressed in sportswear, Wang Ling flashed the radiant, sunshine-like smile typical of a youth, his mouth curling with the passion and vitality of his age.

"Sister Meiyu, you're looking for me? Did you miss me?" Wang Ling said in a voice still undergoing its adolescent change, uttering lines with a slickness unsuited for his years, as if trying desperately to act mature.

"Yes, little brother, let's go out for coffee. I want to chat with you!" Li Meiyu said with practiced elegance.

"Great, where should we go?" Wang Ling responded eagerly, his gaze fixed on Li Meiyu burning with youthful fervor. Although he was only sixteen—more than ten years younger than Li Meiyu—she was the daughter of the Minister of Finance and hardly lacked for wealth. Aside from routine beauty treatments, she occasionally took spiritual elixirs and rare herbs, making her appearance seem no older than twenty-one or twenty-two.

Moreover, she possessed the full-bloom beauty of a mature woman, offering a distinct flavor entirely different from youthful teenage girls.

It was much like the universal truth that teenage boys adore mature women while older men love youthful maidens.

"Well, wait for me by the alley near your house. I'll drive over to pick you up!" Li Meiyu said before terminating the call, feeling immensely proud. How could any sixteen-year-old greenhorn resist her charm? She had simply faked a twisted ankle in front of him to strike up an acquaintance, yet he had proven to be such an exceptionally useful pawn!