Chapter 52: Little Thoughts

Zhao Chengyu wouldn't invest emotions or pay much attention; as long as she managed the household well and played the role of Mrs. Zhao, that was enough.

But then, he met Li Yaqin.

That young woman with a cold gaze, a quick mind, and a prickly aura, yet inexplicably attracted him.

Now that he had met her, the position of his wife could only be her, and had to be her.

He wanted more than just a wife who met his political needs; he wanted the person herself.

Zhao Chengyu wasn't a good person. If someone he fancied didn't reciprocate his feelings,

he would simply hide her away!

Whether a forced relationship would be sweet or not was unknown, but it would certainly quench his thirst.

Fortunately, the young woman was pragmatic and didn't have anyone she liked.

One day, she would like him.

The sky was just breaking through the dawn, revealing a pale, fish-belly-like light.

The morning chill hadn't yet dissipated, carrying a damp, cold feel.

Li Qiang barely slept a wink all night, his heart heavy with worry about his sister's hard-won job.

This job was linked to Zhao Chengyu, the key to the Li family's meteoric rise.

He strained his ears, holding his breath, listening intently to the slightest sounds from the next room, even turning over cautiously.

He anxiously calculated in his mind that Yaqin should have already changed into her work uniform, the symbol of her status.

Even if it was just a formality, she should at least show her face at the slaughterhouse warehouse, at least become a familiar face.

Even if it was just for show, she needed to let Zhao Chengyu's people see her enthusiasm, her dedication to this job.

However, time ticked by, the old grandfather clock in the corner chimed, but he still didn't hear the footsteps he expected from his sister leaving.

Finally, he couldn't contain himself any longer and gently pushed open the door a crack to peek inside.

One glance, and an uncontrollable surge of anger, like boiling oil, shot straight to his head.

His dark gray work clothes, a symbol of a stable job, were carelessly tossed at the foot of the bed.

Not a single wrinkle was smoothed out; clearly, Li Yaqin hadn't even touched them.

Yet, she sat leisurely before the old mirror, covered in spiderweb-like cracks.

She seemed oblivious to the weather outside, to the work about to begin.

Holding a fine eyebrow pencil, she meticulously examined herself in the mirror.

She focused intently on shaping her eyebrows, her expression as earnest as if she were creating a work of art.

Not only her eyebrows, but her hair was also neatly combed and glossy, and her face seemed to have been lightly powdered.

And on the old wooden bed behind her, several pieces of her own clothing were spread out.

The fabric looked fine; the colors were either delicate pink or bright blue.

The styles were far more fashionable and stylish than her drab work clothes.

After finishing her makeup, her gaze lingered on the several beautiful outfits.

Her fingers lightly brushed against the fabric, clearly carefully choosing which one to wear that day.

Li Qiang felt a wave of dizziness wash over him; his already tense face darkened completely, like the sky before a storm.

His face was ashen, his lips pressed into a stiff line, his eyes so sinister they seemed to ooze water.

He could no longer restrain himself; he abruptly pushed open the door and strode heavily inside.

His tall frame almost blocked the faint light streaming through the doorway, casting an angry shadow in the small room, making the air seem stagnant.

He took a few steps to his sister and stopped.

His face, bulging with rage and taut muscles, was clearly reflected in the cracked mirror.

It contrasted sharply with Li Yaqin's composed and meticulously crafted face in the mirror.

He struggled to suppress his almost explosive anger, but his voice still carried an undisguised harshness and tremor.

Anxiety practically overflowed from every word he uttered, fearing that his sister's inconsiderate act would ruin this golden opportunity.

"Li Yaqin!" he growled, his voice laced with gritted teeth.

"Look at the time! It's already bright outside the window. How can you still be sitting here so leisurely?"

"Commander Zhao went to the trouble of arranging this work for you. Even if it's a light job, you can't be this lazy!"

"At the very least, you should have gone there earlier, familiarized yourself with the place, greeted everyone, and shown some serious work ethic!"

"If word gets out, people will say that someone from the Li family got a good job and is acting all high and mighty."

"You don't know the rules, you have no sense of propriety at all. What will Commander Zhao think of you? What will he think of our family?"

Li Yaqin was tilting her head, carefully examining her meticulously drawn eyebrows in the mirror.

Looking left and right, adjusting the subtle angles.

The dark, arched eyebrows in the mirror made her eyes even more expressive.

The corners of her mouth were almost imperceptibly upturned; she was clearly very satisfied with her work.

Her self-satisfied mood was abruptly interrupted by her brother's thunderous, stern questioning from behind.

A surge of annoyance at being disturbed immediately welled up within her.

Her hand, holding the eyebrow pencil, froze in mid-air as she slowly turned her head.

Her meticulously drawn eyebrows were now tightly furrowed in impatience.

Her tone was clearly irritated by her disrupted mood, mixed with a hint of spoiled irritation.

"Brother," she drawled, her voice tinged with complaint.

"The sky hasn't fallen yet, why are you yelling at me like that?"

"Didn't the person who processed my onboarding yesterday make it very clear?"

"My job is just to open the warehouse door in the morning and lock it again when I leave work in the evening, that's all."

"The actual storage room inside has its own lock, and I don't have the key."

"The inventory checks and bookkeeping are things I don't need to worry about."

"Then why would I bother going so early? Just to stand there in the cold wind at the empty warehouse door?"

"Besides," she straightened her collar, her gaze returning to the mirror,

"It's my first day at work, I should at least look presentable and neat, right?"

"Dressing nicely makes you look more energetic, and it's also a way of..." She paused, seemingly choosing her words carefully, her eyes flashing quickly.

"It's also a way to save face for our company and the person who assigned me this job."

"I can't go out dressed like a disheveled, slovenly woman, can I?"

Li Yaqin said this with a confident air.

Her face showed a touch of girlish coquettishness and an air of self-righteousness about dressing up.

In reality, she was subtly reassuring Li Qiang.

She knew perfectly well that her brother, Li Qiang, always wanted her to be obedient and sensible, to satisfy his desire for control.

If she appeared too shrewd and opinionated, it would make Li Qiang feel uncontrollable and insecure.

On the contrary, by making him think she was just a little vain and a little willful, he could feel at ease treating her as an obedient sister.

This would also make it easier for her to subtly manipulate her in the future to get everything she wanted.

Li Yaqin's dawdling and meticulous dressing weren't genuine displays of spoiled or immature behavior.

It was merely a carefully orchestrated performance, a clever test.

She wanted to see how much her brother valued her job and how much he valued his relationship with Zhao Chengyu.

Meanwhile, this feigned delay concealed a more practical purpose.

She wanted Li Qiang to offer to send her to work at the slaughterhouse.

After all, the distance from the military family quarters to the slaughterhouse warehouse was quite considerable.

Especially in the early morning and late evening, when it was dark, it always felt unsafe for a young woman to walk that distance alone.

However, the sibling-like bond between her and Li Qiang was very weak, far from enough for her to openly ask for a ride.

Their relationship was more of an unspoken understanding of exploitation and being exploited, rather than genuine familial care.

Directly asking him would only make her appear weak and incompetent, and put her at a disadvantage.

Therefore, she deliberately got up very early, leisurely choosing clothes, applying makeup in front of the mirror, intentionally putting on this act.

She wanted to use this "naive" demeanor to provoke Li Qiang's anxiety.

To make him feel that rather than worrying about her being late or encountering some mishap on the way and affecting him,

it was safer to personally take her there.

In this way, she can achieve her goal without bloodshed, which is both safe and convenient, and she doesn't have to owe anyone a favor.