Chapter 63. Liu Pingping’s Blush (Part 2)

Before, she had thought Penguin couldn’t turn a profit.

Now, she saw limitless potential—

Because Penguin’s owner was Li Mo.

And this man’s capabilities were beyond imagination.

“Penguin is a private enterprise of mine. I’m not accepting outside investment—so I’m sorry, Miss Ji.”

Li Mo’s refusal didn’t surprise her.

“Alright then. Let’s look forward to another opportunity in the future.”

As she watched Li Mo walk away,

Ji Wanxian felt something she wasn’t used to—discomfort.

Being rejected…

Was this the first time in her life?

…

On the other side—

Liu Pingping had just sat down when

She saw Li Mo walking toward her.

“No deal?”

Worried, she gently pulled him into the seat beside her.

A project of that magnitude should have taken hours—maybe even half a day.

But it had only been seven or eight minutes.

She was ready to comfort him.

“No, Mom—it’s done.”

Li Mo pulled out the contract and handed it to Liu Pingping.

Now that the Yidong deal was finalized,

He could confidently head to Hangzhou with his Five Tigers.

Liu Pingping’s heartbeat quickened.

She took the contract, unable to believe something so complex and difficult

Had been handled so quickly by Li Mo.

Before she realized it, her pretty face had flushed with excitement.

“This… this is real.”

Liu Pingping slowly opened the contract,

Still unsure whether to believe what Li Mo had told her.

Could such a deal really have been signed so easily?

Her company had worked with similar firms in the past—

And securing a contract had always been extremely difficult.

Sometimes they dragged on for months.

And yet Li Mo had sealed the deal in just seven minutes?

Could this be real?

She opened the contract and clearly saw the signatures

And the official company stamp.

The vision they had previously discussed had now been fully realized.

“You actually did it.”

Looking at Li Mo in front of her, that trace of admiration in Liu Pingping’s heart deepened even further.

Why hadn’t she noticed his brilliance before?

“As expected. Don’t worry, Mom. Let’s start preparing for the Hangzhou trip.”

“There will be a few well-connected business elites at this event.”

“We need to be ready.”

Liu Pingping slowly snapped out of her daze.

She decided to carefully pick out something formal to wear.

She couldn’t afford to embarrass Li Mo.

However, guilt crept into her heart.

She was worried that Xiao Xiao might find out she and Yanyan had been staying at Li Mo’s place.

If Xiao Xiao knew… would she fall out with me and Yanyan?

After that, Li Mo sat and had some tea with her.

When it came to tea, Liu Pingping clearly knew her stuff, while Li Mo seemed quite clueless.

That helped her regain a bit of confidence around him.

Thank goodness this kid doesn’t know everything…

Otherwise, could anyone else in this world even compare to him?

…

Back at home, Liu Pingping quickly cooked a meal for Li Mo.

“Mom, you’ve been busy all day—go take a rest.”

Watching Liu Pingping walking around in black stockings and slippers, Li Mo felt a little distressed.

He could sense that Liu Pingping truly treated him like a son now.

At least since she came to Shen City, she’d clearly changed.

“I’ll get the nutritionist to prepare our meals. She’s pretty good.”

The nutritionist Li Mo had hired at a high salary was indeed highly skilled.

She was proficient in all four major regional cuisines and could cater to all kinds of preferences—

—well worth what she was being paid.

“What nutritionist? As long as I’m around, it’s a mother’s job to cook for her child.”

Watching Liu Pingping bustling around,

Li Mo could only smile wryly.

Apparently, some of Su Qingyan’s quirks had come straight from Liu Pingping.

“I’m heading to an internet café later to check on Penguin’s performance.”

That was basically Li Mo’s version of field research now—

—his way of staying responsible for his own project.

“Oh right, better give Yanyan a call.”

Li Mo knew that Su Qingyan had been avoiding Liu Pingping lately.

He also understood very well what she was afraid of.

But… the more you try to avoid some things, the harder they are to escape.

Sooner or later, it’ll all have to come to light.

Keep hiding from your mother, and it’ll only create more trouble in the future.

“Yanyan.”

“Are you out of school yet?”

Hearing Li Mo’s voice, Su Qingyan answered softly,

【School’s over.】

She sounded like she was worried Liu Pingping might overhear.

“How’s your coursework going?”

【Much better.】

Li Mo continued, “Then come home and stay for a few days.”

“I’ll take you with me to Hangzhou in a few days.”

Hearing that, Su Qingyan immediately responded in a whisper,

【I don’t want to go back home…】

Not long ago, she had rejected multiple calls from Liu Pingping and Su Xiaoxiao.

Now, she was a little scared of hearing from them.

【I really don’t want to face Mom.】

Li Mo tried to comfort her.

“Yanyan, your mom still doesn’t know anything right now.”

“So just come back—this will be a good chance to rebuild your bond with her.”

“Take your time, tell her little by little.”

“It’ll be fine.”

“Come home, okay?”

Hearing that, Su Qingyan finally gave in.

【Alright, I’ll come back. Just remember, I’m only doing this because you asked me to.】

Li Mo smiled—he fully agreed with that statement.

Back when Su Qingyan was still a little girl in elementary school,

he used to take her everywhere to have fun.

Thinking back on it now,

she’s always been the type to listen to me.

In the kitchen, Liu Pingping was still busily preparing dinner.

Even though making so many dishes was exhausting,

there was a sweetness in her heart.

This trip to Shen City had truly given her life a different kind of meaning.

“Mom, Yanyan’s coming back for dinner later.”

“She’ll be staying here tonight, too.”

When Li Mo mentioned Su Qingyan,

a flicker of emotion crossed Liu Pingping’s heart.

A touch of melancholy surfaced.

Suddenly, she remembered why she had come to Shen City in the first place—

It was all because of Su Qingyan.

She had come to stop her from dating during university.

Only…

the emotional rollercoaster she’d experienced at Li Mo’s place had completely swept her up.

At times, she even forgot the real reason she was here.

“As long as she’s willing to come home.”

At that moment, even her tone sounded a bit displeased.

Su Qingyan really gave her a headache.

Every time she thought about her, she couldn’t help feeling annoyed.

Unless Su Qingyan broke up with that person.

In the kitchen, Liu Pingping kept herself busy.

“This time, you really have to help me talk to her properly.”

“Dating in college is no good at all.”

Li Mo felt a twinge of guilt. He didn’t know what to say—

so he stayed silent.

“Alright, Xiao Mo. Just wait a bit longer. Mom’s making your dinner—

—you’ll be satisfied, I promise. And it won’t make you gain weight.”

When it came to managing body shape,

Liu Pingping had always been meticulous.

Her cooking always balanced flavor with nutrition—

—doing her best to make sure it didn’t lead to weight gain.

Roughly twenty minutes later,

Li Mo saw Su Qingyan appear at the entrance.

He got up and went to greet her.

“I’m home!”

At the door, Su Qingyan entered the passcode and unlocked the door.

Then, she ran straight into Li Mo’s arms.

“I haven’t been home in days… I missed you so much.”

Li Mo looked helpless.

This girl… she really wasn’t afraid of being seen by his mom?

“Come down,” he whispered.

“Did you forget—”

Just then—

Through the kitchen window, Liu Pingping saw it all.

In that instant, she stood frozen in place.