CHAPTER 1533: CHAPTER 1585: WE CAN BE FRIENDS

Li Yifei didn’t have any pajamas, and when he heard footsteps approaching, he turned around. Once he was sure it was Wu Shuwei stopping outside his door, Li Yifei’s lips curved into a smile. What was this woman doing outside his door in the middle of the night?

He heard the knock, said he was coming, and walked over to open the door.

At the moment the door opened, Wu Shuwei saw Li Yifei still dressed and let out a sigh of relief. She was worried that she might have knocked and found Li Yifei shirtless or just in underwear.

Luckily, Li Yifei was fully clothed, sparing them both from awkwardness.

"Not asleep yet?" Wu Shuwei forced a smile and asked.

Li Yifei shook his head and said, "No, I’m not sleepy yet."

"I’m not sleepy either, seems like I slept too much in the afternoon," Wu Shuwei said.

Li Yifei nodded, stepped aside, and said, "Why don’t you come in and sit for a while?"

Wu Shuwei bit her lip and said, "I won’t come in. Why don’t you come out instead and sit on the living room sofa?"

Li Yifei chuckled and said, "Alright, let me get my laptop."

Wu Shuwei acknowledged and turned towards the sofa. Li Yifei fetched his laptop and came out as well.

Just sitting around was boring, so Li Yifei placed his laptop beside him, while Wu Shuwei sat cross-legged, leaning into the soft sofa.

Suddenly, Wu Shuwei wanted to drink wine, not the kind from earlier in the day, but some red wine. So she stood up from the sofa and said, "How about some red wine?"

"Sure," Li Yifei said.

After getting the red wine, Wu Shuwei poured some for Li Yifei. Her white fingers held the wine glass as she clinked glasses with Li Yifei and said, "Cheers."

"Cheers!" Li Yifei said.

After drinking for a while, Wu Shuwei furrowed her brows and said, "Do you think women should stay home and not show themselves everywhere?"

Li Yifei thought for a moment and replied, "I don’t know about others, but I don’t have that belief. I think regardless of gender, everyone should pursue what they love and have the right to do so. No one should interfere, as for showing themselves, is your work something shameful?"

Wu Shuwei raised her chin and said, "Of course not. My work is great, and I have a lot of power, but with great power comes great responsibility. If I don’t do it right, it brings trouble."

"It’s not like you’re a stripper, so there’s nothing shameful. Besides, honestly, even if someone is a stripper, there’s nothing shameful about it. Making a living with skills isn’t something others can criticize. What’s shameful is those who don’t have skills but always meddle in others’ lives."

Wu Shuwei rolled her eyes and said, "Though a bit off-topic, I understand what you mean. But why is it so hard to achieve something, with people holding you back as if they’re afraid you’ll succeed, and others blocking you?"

Li Yifei smiled slightly and said, "Ha, doesn’t that prove you’re doing the right thing? Otherwise, why would so many people stop you? Everyone is busy. If you were doing useless work, who would care?"

Wu Shuwei nodded thoughtfully, fell silent for a moment, then asked, "But... if what I’m persisting in seems destined to fail, what should I do?"

"What should you do? I don’t know because I don’t know what you’re doing," said Li Yifei, shaking his head. Seeing the disappointment on Wu Shuwei’s face, he continued, "But it hasn’t failed yet, right? If it hasn’t failed, there’s hope. There’s a saying, as poor as begging, but in the end, there’s a way out. Over the years, I’ve pulled through many times relying on this saying. I think you should have this mindset too. Failure isn’t scary; what’s scary is giving up."

"But..." Wu Shuwei’s eyes brightened. Hearing Li Yifei’s words stirred her passion. She asked again, "Knowing you’ll fail but continuing, isn’t that unwise?"

"Ask yourself!" Li Yifei pointed to his chest, gently tapped it, and said, "If you truly believe you’ll fail, then sleep in tomorrow, forget about it all. But if you’re not reconciled, then tomorrow do what you have to do. But don’t drink so much anymore; I’m not Superman, I can’t always show up just in time."

With a burst of laughter, Wu Shuwei covered her mouth; it meant her mood improved significantly and she truly relaxed. Of course, she understood everything Li Yifei said, but understanding is one thing; it’s easy to get caught up. After Li Yifei’s few words, she realized her true feelings.

This was great; she understood what she needed and was ready to continue.

"Thank you," Wu Shuwei raised her glass to toast Li Yifei.

When clinking glasses, Wu Shuwei’s charming smile, red lips slightly parted, had a unique allure. Putting down the wine glass, Wu Shuwei said, "I don’t know how many times I’ve thanked you these days, but I’m at a loss for words. Somehow, I feel very lucky this time, you always appear at the times I need during crises."

Li Yifei listened with a smile, then heard Wu Shuwei continue, "I didn’t usually believe in fate, although my life has been good since birth. But this time I kind of believe it because you’ve always been saving and helping me these past days."

"What are you trying to say?" Li Yifei asked.

Wu Shuwei pursed her thin lips, paused, and said, "Don’t misunderstand, I just want to say, I have few friends, almost none, but I think we can be friends."

Li Yifei laughed heartily, saying, "Weren’t we friends before?"

Wu Shuwei’s eyes widened slightly in surprise, but then she smiled gently, saying, "Yes, I misspoke. I’ll punish myself with a drink."

As she spoke, Wu Shuwei took a big sip from her glass. Li Yifei smirked and said, "You don’t drink good wine like that; you’re just wasting it."

"Then how should I drink it?" Wu Shuwei swallowed her wine slowly and asked with a smile.

"At least you should drink it slowly."

"I think wine is meant to be enjoyed, and whether you drink it fast or slow doesn’t matter."

Li Yifei said nothing, waved his hand, raised his glass, and drank it all in one go, then grabbed the bottle to pour himself another glass.

Wu Shuwei raised an eyebrow and said, "No way, I have to drink faster; otherwise, you’ll drink more than I do."

Li Yifei was about to speak when he saw Wu Shuwei already raising her glass and downing a large gulp.

A bottle of wine is quite a lot, but it couldn’t withstand being drunk like this and soon reached the bottom.

Li Yifei was unaffected, and Wu Shuwei seemed fine too, though her cheeks were a bit flushed.

"That’s about enough, this stuff has quite a kick," Li Yifei said.

Wu Shuwei shook her head, turned to look at the wine rack, and pointed at the bottles with her finger, saying, "How about some champagne? This one tastes pretty good."

"Still drinking?"

Before Li Yifei could stop her, Wu Shuwei was already up to fetch the wine, and Li Yifei watched her sway as she walked out. He smacked his lips, sensing something was off—if this continued, wouldn’t Wu Shuwei get drunk again?

When Wu Shuwei came back with the wine, Li Yifei said, "Are you okay? If you get drunk again later, it’s not good for your health."

"Aren’t you here?" Wu Shuwei looked at Li Yifei and said.

Li Yifei shrugged his shoulders and said, "Aren’t you afraid I’ll do something?"

Wu Shuwei giggled, covering her mouth, and said, "I’m really not afraid because you’re a good person, you won’t do anything."

Oh damn, he’s been given the good guy card? Li Yifei grinned, pondering for a moment—if there weren’t the Worm thing, would he do something tempted by her? The answer was almost certainly yes; a few years ago, the freshly retired Li Yifei would definitely not have missed this chance.

But now, Li Yifei rubbed his nose, reluctantly accepting the good guy card, helped Wu Shuwei open the wine, poured her a glass, and poured himself some too.

Sometimes the wine doesn’t make you drunk; it’s the person who becomes intoxicated on their own. Sometimes it both intoxicates and captivates. The tipsy Wu Shuwei exuded a charm she hadn’t shown these past few days, unlike when she drank too much during the day and was wary of Li Yifei, displaying different expressions.

But now, she sat across from Li Yifei, swirling her wine glass, her demeanor, actions, gaze, and even facial expressions all exuded an attraction.

Li Yifei watched for a while, then unconsciously lowered his head, feeling if he looked any longer, his thoughts might wander.

Wu Shuwei wanted to hear Li Yifei talk about his experiences, so he chatted about some military matters, but she was not completely satisfied. She stared at Li Yifei for a while, parted her lips slightly, and asked, "Can you talk about your wives?"

Li Yifei raised his head and asked, "Why?"

"I just... I’m a bit curious!" Wu Shuwei explained flusteredly, "You know, it’s somewhat unbelievable—and no, I shouldn’t doubt you, I’m just curious..."

Li Yifei shook his head and said, "It’s not that I’m being mysterious; it’s just that those stories are too long to finish in one night."

Wu Shuwei showed a trace of surprise without any displeasure, and said, "You mean there are really so many... soulmates?"

"Soulmates, huh? That term fits well. Yes, indeed, they’re soulmates, also confidants, and most beloved ones," Li Yifei nodded.

Wu Shuwei raised her glass and said, "Here’s to you, it sounds like they all get along harmoniously; that achievement surpasses most men in Huaxia!"

"Why not all?" Li Yifei retorted, raising his glass to clink with hers.

With a smile on her lips, Wu Shuwei said, "Because there are still many others whose harems are larger and more harmonious."