Unlike the storm May was stirring up, Li Yuan's daily life was incredibly relaxed. He woke up at 10 AM and closed shop by 5 PM, never working more than six hours a day. The rest of his time was spent in absolute freedom.
Of course, Li Yuan wasn't just a slacker. On the contrary, he was a "super filial son." He never wasted his free time on useless hobbies; instead, he spent almost every waking moment accompanying his "Auntie" Delia. His dedication to her needs was truly touching—in a very carnal sense.
The moment he saw off the last customer of the day, Li Yuan didn't hesitate. He flipped the "Closed" sign on the door with practiced speed and scurried over to Delia's side.
Delia had clearly been waiting for this moment as well. As Li Yuan drew closer, the look in her eyes was filled with a primal hunger. She craved the sense of peace and happiness only this boy could give her.
Truth be told, "peace" was an understatement. After years of living together, Li Yuan's "meticulous and inseparable" care had long since pulled her out of the shadows of losing her husband and son. She was no longer the fragile woman who couldn't sleep without him by her side.
But because his embrace was so intoxicatingly safe, she had developed a deep dependency on him. To her, a day without his body pressed against hers wasn't a day worth living.
No one rejects happiness. As soon as Li Yuan sat down next to her, before he could even make a move, Delia had already lunged into his arms. she buried her beautiful face against his chest, inhaling his scent with a desperate greed.
Feeling his hands wrap around her waist as they always did, Delia hugged her beloved nephew tight. They sat there, inseparable and entwined, as if they were two halves of a single soul.
However, unlike previous days, Li Yuan's Aura picked up a flicker of unease in her spirit.
"Auntie, is something on your mind?" Li Yuan asked gently. He brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear and cupped her soft cheek, his thumb tracing her jawline with affection.
"I suppose so. Nothing escapes your eyes, does it?" Delia sighed, leaning into his palm and nuzzling his hand like a contented cat.
"Is it about May?" Li Yuan guessed.
If there was anything different about today, it was the arrival of May. Li Yuan had treated May differently than any other customer. He had seen plenty of beautiful women in his shop and shared many "candied potato" sessions (swapping spit) on the training hall sofa, but May was the first one he had officially labeled as his "girlfriend."
It made sense that Delia would feel a bit of a sting at that.
"It is. Do you... really like that girl, Li?" Delia asked, her voice tinged with a clear note of jealousy.
"To be honest, I don't necessarily like her more than the other beauties I've met," Li Yuan replied thoughtfully. In terms of raw looks, May was great, but someone like Erika probably had a slight edge over her.
"Then why her? You've never been this open about someone, not even with Erika," Delia pouted.
"Maybe because she was my desk-mate in high school. When life is this relaxed, it's easy to get nostalgic. I just have a different kind of feeling for her," Li Yuan explained.
In reality, it was simply because May was a "Heroine" in the system, but he wasn't about to tell her that.
"I see... and what about Erika? How do you plan to handle her?" Delia asked, her worry shifting.
She didn't know what Li Yuan and May were like in high school, but she knew Erika was his childhood friend. They had grown up together, and their bond was "stronger than siblings." She didn't believe for a second that a skirt-chaser like Li Yuan hadn't "tasted" Erika's candied potatoes in secret. He probably did it every chance he got, until his tongue went numb.
And yet, he gave the "girlfriend" title to a girl who just fell from the sky, leaving Erika in the lurch. How was he going to explain that to her?
"I don't plan to 'handle' anything. Erika will always be my sister—my very capable, very useful sister," Li Yuan said, shrugging. "I'm not letting go of her."
"You... you really intend to have your feet in two boats?" Delia gasped, finally understanding his game. He intended to collect every woman around him. She couldn't believe he could say it so shamelessly.
"But Auntie, even if I only chose Erika, I'd already have my feet in two boats, wouldn't I?" Li Yuan reminded her.
"Who else is there?" Delia asked, confused. She didn't remember him being particularly close to anyone else lately. Is it Erika's mother? she wondered. With Li Yuan's charms, it wasn't impossible. They were probably sneaking off to share "sausages and congee" behind everyone's backs.
"Auntie... you forgot to count yourself. You're the one I love most right now," Li Yuan said, rolling his eyes as he pulled her closer. He made no secret of his desire to keep his "Auntie" in his bed forever.
If he didn't "play the field," he would eventually have to marry someone. But his mother would likely never approve of him marrying her best friend. So, if he married someone else but kept Delia by his side, he'd still be cheating.
Delia's face turned bright red. She realized she had stopped thinking of herself as an outsider a long time ago. Erika was a "capable sister," but wasn't she also a "capable auntie"?
Just look at them now—clinging to each other, touching and caressing. What "normal" wife would ever accept a husband who spent all day locked in a room hugging his aunt? No woman would tolerate that.
So, if Li Yuan wanted a wife and her, he had to build a harem. Any woman who couldn't accept her would never be allowed into the family. She wouldn't have it any other way. Why should she suffer just so he could have a "normal" relationship? Was Erika not better than some random stranger?
With that realization, Delia's jealousy toward May vanished. As long as Li Yuan loved her the most, he could have as many girlfriends as he wanted.
She looked up at him with pure affection, her heart swelling with happiness. As if the atmosphere had finally reached its boiling point, she wrapped her arms around his neck and stared into his eyes with a dazed, hungry look.
She had worked hard all day, too. She was feeling quite hungry herself.
Why not have a little snack before dinner? A serving of "candied potatoes" sounded like the perfect appetizer. Don't you agree?