Reborn: Instead of Chasing the School Beauty, I Chased Her Mother

"President Xu."

"It's like this, my aunt has accumulated some debts."

At this moment, Fang Zhiya ran to Li Zhiyan's side.

Clenching a kitchen knife in her hand, she feared these gangsters might harm Li Zhiyan. Although she knew Li Zhiyan was a good fighter, she was still worried about the child's safety.

In front of the child, she is an elder and must protect him.

"Someone came to collect the debt and smashed her stall."

"I gave them a beating."

"These people seem to have some connection with President Xu, right?"

A chuckling sound came from the other end of the phone.

"Brother Li, don't blame them for this,"

"It's our way of making a living, they just didn't know the debtor was your aunt."

"How did your aunt incur these debts?"

"Tell me about it, I'll have someone look into it so that she won't be harassed in the future."

Li Zhiyan followed up by saying, "My aunt is called Fang Zhiya."

The sound of typing came from the other end.

"Fang Zhiya, got it, it's her husband Liu Jiannan who accumulated the debts."

"Last year in July, he took out a bridge loan from us."

"Under normal circumstances,"

"This bridge loan, according to his income, could have been covered."

"But unexpectedly, he got involved in a job-related crime this year and was fined a substantial amount."

"The company's projects also had to be halted."

"In such a situation, his assets could no longer cover the debts."

"Well then..."

The person on the other end paused before saying, "Brother Li, have them go through the divorce procedures."

"If she's no longer married, naturally no one will come after her for debts."

"The local private lending firms aren't all operated by me alone."

"So, some things still need to be done reasonably..."

"I'll wait until Liu Jiannan gets out of prison, then I'll ask him for the debt."

Li Zhiyan thought this was quite reasonable; he hadn't expected Xu Gensheng to indirectly help resolve an issue for him.

Under the current circumstances, it was indeed inappropriate for Aunt Fang to continue being married to him.

"I understand."

"Thank you, President Xu."

"Who are we kidding, let's have tea together sometime."

After exchanging pleasantries for a bit, Li Zhiyan hung up the phone.

Looking at the three gangsters who had been beaten rather badly, he said two words.

"Get lost."

The three dared not linger, as they all had leverage in Xu Gensheng's hands.

This guy was clearly a well-connected rich second-generation; staying here was truly seeking death.

"Xiao Yan..."

Seeing that everything was settled, Fang Zhiya threw the kitchen knife on the ground and began to cry.

Everything that had happened today was too terrifying for her, as a woman.

"Aunt Fang, don't cry..."

"Let's not work anymore today, let's pack up and head home."

"I promise no one will trouble you in the future."

Holding Fang Zhiya's hand, Li Zhiyan reassured Aunt Fang gently.

After a while, Fang Zhiya wiped her tears away.

"Alright... let's go home."

...

While walking on the road, Li Zhiyan was pushing Fang Zhiya's cart and delicately asked, "Aunt Fang,"

"Why don't you and uncle go through the divorce procedures tomorrow?"

Hearing about divorce, the traditionally-minded Fang Zhiya found it hard to accept.

Her affection for her husband over so many years, how could she simply agree to divorce.

"Xiao Yan, your aunt and uncle have a deep relationship... all these years."

"Aunt doesn't want..."

Li Zhiyan didn't give her a chance to think.

"Aunt Fang, I really paid a big price for this matter of yours."

"If you don't get a divorce, there will be countless troubles coming your way, you'll never have peace, and I will spend every day worrying and being upset."

"I don't want to see such a petite woman like you, fending off others with soup or a knife in hand anymore, it hurts me..."

Li Zhiyan's words made Fang Zhiya come to her senses, and a tide of guilt washed over her. She wanted to slap herself.

Xiao Yan had gone through so much for her, and yet she was still caught up in not wanting to let go of the affection between husband and wife, not wanting a divorce.

What was she thinking, was this fair to Xiao Yan?

"I'm sorry, Xiao Yan, your aunt was confused, I'll get a divorce from your uncle tomorrow."

After all, they could always remarry in the future, and with the many years of affection between Fang Zhiya and Liu Jiannan, she definitely didn't want to separate from him.

"Okay, Aunt Fang, then I'll help you with the divorce tomorrow."

At this moment, Li Zhiyan breathed a sigh of relief...

It seemed like this task was as good as done.

When they reached the apartment building downstairs, after locking up the cart, the two went upstairs.

It was already past ten o'clock.

Li Zhiyan discovered that his mom had sent a text asking if he would be returning home tonight.

He hurriedly replied, "Mom, I'll definitely come back!"

When he arrived upstairs, the uncle who had taken a liking to Fang Zhiya, and was cooling off outside, saw Li Zhiyan and Fang Zhiya returning together and once again restrained himself.

A woman with a son, he couldn't afford to offend her, and knew he was no match in a fight against a young man. Finding it tedious, he went back to his room to sleep.

Now back at home, Fang Zhiya still felt somewhat unsettled.

The events that had just transpired were so frightening, Xiao Yan was actually so formidable!

Not only could he fight, but he also knew people of such high status, owned his own internet café, and he was only 18 years old.

"Xiao Yan, if it weren't for you today, Aunt Fang really doesn't know what she would have done…"

"Aunt Fang, don't worry, such things won't happen again, I would risk my life to protect you," he reassured her.

Fang Zhiya uttered a sound of acknowledgment, as tears unwillingly threatened to fall once more.

"Aunt Fang, I saw you walking a bit awkward today, is your back hurting?"

Fang Zhiya thought about acting tough...

But then she remembered she indeed still had to set up her stall.

So she answered truthfully.

"Then let me give you a massage," he offered.

"This way you can sleep well tonight."

"Tomorrow we'll go finish the divorce procedure together, then I'll be at ease."

Fang Zhiya could no longer see Li Zhiyan as just a child…

After all, Li Zhiyan had today taken the initiative to touch her hand because he hadn't yet felt what a girl's hand was like.

And she had witnessed his fierce and arrogant demeanor as well.

How terrifying…

"That wouldn't be appropriate…"

"Xiao Yan."

Li Zhiyan earnestly said, "Aunt, don't think too much, it would hurt my feelings."

"Today I touched your hand only because no girls like me, so I had never touched a woman's hand and wanted to try it."

Fang Zhiya's heart ached, such a pitiful child.

"In my heart, I don't think of you as a woman, I have no disrespectful thoughts towards you."

"I just see you as an elder, a motherly figure, and I want to show my respect."

"Just to give you a massage."

Fang Zhiya felt even more upset, her own mind was filthy.

The heart of an adult could never be as pure and straightforward as a child's, and his skill in traditional massage was so proficient.

He just wanted to massage her back, to ease her pain, nothing more.

But she was concerned about things like the proper distance between men and women, and it ended up hurting the child's feelings.

Driven by her guilt over previous incidents, she was compelled to agree...

"Okay…"

"Xiao Yan, go ahead and give Aunt Fang a massage."

"My back really hurts, and I have to go get divorced tomorrow, if you massage it, it surely won't hurt anymore."

Li Zhiyan felt a bit surprised inside, he hadn't really expected Aunt Fang to agree given how traditional she was.

And he couldn't possibly impose his will on Aunt Fang, after all, she was a woman brave enough to contemplate suicide.

But unexpectedly, she had agreed in the end.

Now he could properly show his respect for Aunt Fang.

He definitely had to do his best to honor Aunt Fang…

"Aunt Fang, then you should lay down on the bed, it will be more convenient that way," he suggested.

"Wait a minute, Xiao Yan…"

"Aunt wants to take a bath first, I don't smell nice."

At this moment, Fang Zhiya really wanted to take a bath, so she wouldn't make the child smell her sweat. In such hot weather, she had been in front of a boiling pot for so long and had sweated buckets, this weather.

It was just too hot…

She didn't want to lack poise in front of the child.

"Sure, Aunt, you go heat the water for your bath, I'll wait by the door," he said.

In this weather, there's no need to heat the water too much, the temperature from the briquette coal would suffice for a bath soon.

Watching Li Zhiyan leave, Fang Zhiya went to the stove, opened the damper below.

The flame blazed up more vigorously…

Just like the flame inside Fang Zhiya's heart.

"I need to wash properly, I can't let the child smell my sweat..."

"This child wants to show his filial piety, it's really rare."

"If only my son could be half like him…"

The more she thought, the more Fang Zhiya felt that her own son and this son's classmate were worlds apart.

Why couldn't her own son be Li Zhiyan?

If only, how nice that would be...

Fang Zhiya headed to the back, opened the old wooden wardrobe, and began to look for clothes.

"Massage, this child, won't actually get on top of me to massage me, will he…"

"To massage the back, it seems you have to be on top…"

While picking out clothes, Fang Zhiya's thoughts began to wander.

At the door, Li Zhiyan stood on the corridor.

But he saw that the couple in the room had already begun their preparations for domestic violence.