Read Novel Full Chapter 157 Part 1 – We Are Also Running Now (I)
Chapter 157 Part 1 – We Are Also Running Now (I)
After finishing her chat with Feng Qi, Jiang Li began to seriously think about how exactly she should talk to him about her relationship.
Third Uncle clearly already knew, yet he hadn’t said or asked anything. It was obvious he was waiting for her to bring it up herself, but how was she supposed to do that?
Even when Tong Yi came back to the living room after showering, wrapped in a bathrobe, Jiang Li still hadn’t figured out how to break the news. She was genuinely torn.
Seeing her sitting on the sofa with a troubled look, Tong Yi walked over and sat beside her, pulling her into his arms.
He gently poked her cheek and asked, “What are you thinking about so deeply?”
Curled up in his arms, Jiang Li fiddled with the sash of his bathrobe and whispered, “I’m thinking about how to tell Third Uncle about us. And I think he’s probably mad at me.”
She had clearly promised that she would tell him in advance before getting into a relationship. Now it had already been almost ten days, and not only had she not told him, but he had already found out on his own.
If she were in his shoes, she’d definitely be pretty mad.
Tong Yi chuckled and said, “Don’t worry. Your uncle has always doted on you the most. Even if he is mad, it won’t last long. Just act cute with him, say a few sweet things, and he’ll definitely forgive you.”
“But that’s exactly why I feel bad. Third Uncle’s always been so good to me, yet I didn’t tell him right away after starting a relationship. He must be disappointed in me,” Jiang Li’s voice sounded a bit muffled, her whole mood seemingly downcast.
Tong Yi was about to continue comforting her when Jiang Li’s phone suddenly rang. It was a video call from Feng Qi. She immediately turned her head to Tong Yi, signaling for him to get out of sight.
Tong Yi instantly understood and got up from the sofa, disappearing from her view as fast as he could.
It wasn’t just that he was wearing a bathrobe—honestly, even if he were fully dressed, he wouldn’t dare show up in a video call between Jiang Xiao Li and Third Master Feng!
After he left, Jiang Li fixed her hair before answering the call, sweetly greeting, “Third Uncle.”
Feng Qi could immediately tell she felt guilty and smiled as he asked, “Not staying on campus tonight?”
Jiang Li forced herself not to glance toward the staircase, pretending to be completely calm as she replied, “I have an early flight tomorrow, and I was worried I’d disturb my roommates if I stayed at the dorm, so I decided to stay out tonight.”
“Mhm. That’s good,” Feng Qi said.
He’d gotten the place for her in the first place so she could be more comfortable. Even if it was only used occasionally, it was worth it.
Jiang Li noticed the familiar clock behind him and realized he was back at the family home, so she couldn’t help but ask, “Third Uncle, you didn’t stay at the institute tonight?”
Feng Qi raised an eyebrow in surprise. “You wanted me to stay at the institute?”
“Huh?” Jiang Li didn’t understand why he would ask that.
Feng Qi chuckled softly. “You’re bringing your boyfriend home tomorrow, aren’t you? If I weren’t here, wouldn’t you be disappointed?”
Jiang Li’s eyes widened, and she blurted out, “Third Uncle!”
Then, she had no idea what to say.
There was a smile in Feng Qi’s eyes. “No need to yell. I can hear you just fine.”
Jiang Li: “…”
She had been struggling with how to bring it up. Unfortunately, her acting skills weren’t great, so pretending not to know that Third Uncle was already aware of her relationship was going to be difficult.
She hadn’t expected that he’d bring it up himself.
Seeing her stunned expression, Feng Qi was in a surprisingly good mood. He smiled and said, “We had a deal, remember? You were supposed to let me vet him before you started dating.”
Jiang Li nodded immediately. “Yeah, I remember. So… Third Uncle, what do you think of Tong Yi?”
Feng Qi chuckled. “I’ve always been using WeChat personally.”
Jiang Li: “…”
What he meant was clear—when he said on WeChat that he didn’t think much of Tong Yi, that was his honest opinion.
She couldn’t tell if he was joking or not, and that uncertainty made her feel even more conflicted.
But Feng Qi didn’t let her stew for long. He continued, “If you had asked me this before you fell for him, I probably would’ve given you a different answer.”
Jiang Li hesitated for a few seconds before carefully asking, “Is it because… I kept it from you?”
“No,” Feng Qi denied without hesitation. “Even if you’d asked me before dating him, I still would’ve said he’s nothing special.”
“Why?” Jiang Li was confused.
Feng Qi sighed and said helplessly, “It’s probably a universal flaw in all parents—or more specifically, in every parent who has a daughter. Watching their girl get taken away, how could they possibly have no opinions?”
Xiao Lizi was his niece, not his daughter, but to him, the feeling was basically the same.
Jiang Li froze for a few seconds, “But I haven’t been taken away—I’ll always be your daughter. No one can change that.”
A long time ago, when she saw Feng Qi getting confessed to at the research institute’s gate, she couldn’t help being playful and called him “dad.” Back then, she was just joking.
But over the years, the bond between her and her Third Uncle had only grown deeper. Now, when she said she was his daughter, it no longer felt strange in the slightest.
Before transmigrating into the book, she had never experienced fatherly love. And after arriving in this world, although she technically had a biological father, it was as if she didn’t.
To her, Third Uncle was the one who had truly filled that role—he was like a father to her, and that would never change.
Feng Qi’s eyes held a smile. “Did Tong Yi tell you he plans to marry into the Feng family?”
Jiang Li looked surprised. “Marry in? That… doesn’t sound right, does it?”
She hadn’t been “taken” by Tong Yi, but she certainly didn’t plan to “take” him home either.
Even though Tong Yi didn’t seem like the possessive or macho type, if she really asked him to marry into her family, he probably wouldn’t agree!
Feng Qi raised an eyebrow. “He didn’t mention this to you?”
Jiang Li asked in confusion, “Mention what?”
Feng Qi’s eyes still held that amused look. “He personally told me before, saying that he plans to marry into the Feng family and become a live-in son-in-law. He even said that if you two have kids in the future, they can take either your surname or mine.”
Jiang Li: “…”
Such a thing happened?
She couldn’t even picture what it was like when Tong Yi said all that to Third Uncle, but… she was honestly quite moved.
After a long moment, she muttered, “Who cares about him being some live-in son-in-law. If he wants to have kids, he can go have them on his own.”
Let alone having kids, marriage itself was something far in the future. It wasn’t even on her radar yet.
Seeing her slightly bashful expression, Feng Qi felt a hint of bittersweet emotion, but in the end, he only said, “You should get some rest. Aren’t you introducing your boyfriend to the family tomorrow?”
Jiang Li paused and said, “But I wasn’t planning to bring him home tomorrow.”
Feng Qi raised an eyebrow. “Why not?”
Jiang Li lowered her voice. “I haven’t told the rest of the family yet. If I just suddenly bring him back, it’ll definitely be awkward.”
Feng Qi chuckled. “You’ve actually thought it through quite well.”
Jiang Li shifted positions, sitting cross-legged on the sofa. “It’s not even been half a month since we started dating. Wouldn’t it be too soon to bring him home? I don’t really understand the customs for this kind of thing.”
Feng Qi paused for a few seconds before admitting, “I’m not too clear on those customs either.”
He had never given marriage much thought, so he definitely hadn’t bothered with those little traditional details.
Jiang Li thought for a bit and said, “Maybe I should ask Eldest Brother. He’s already married, so he must know a lot about this stuff.”
Feng Qi smiled. “Go ahead and ask. You can also tell him that his nephew might become his brother-in-law someday. I think he’ll be quite pleased.”
Jiang Li: “…”
If he hadn’t brought it up, she would’ve almost forgotten that she used to call Tong Yi “Big Nephew” for years.
After ending the video call with Feng Qi, Jiang Li was still hesitating about whether to call her eldest brother when Tong Yi casually strolled back into the living room from the stairwell.
Looking at the oversized bathrobe he was wearing, Jiang Li frowned. “Can’t you just wear something proper?”
Tong Yi sat down beside her and rested a hand on her shoulder. “I just showered—bathrobes are super convenient.”
Jiang Li poked his arm. “This is my villa, you know. You come and go like it’s your own place. You even left your bathrobe here. If my uncle shows up and sees it, how am I supposed to explain?”
Tong Yi grabbed her hand and smiled. “No need to explain. Your uncle is pretty open-minded. He probably won’t ask anything—or say anything.”
Jiang Li shot him a glare. “You talk big. If Third Uncle knew how much of a perv you are, he’d have beaten you up by now.”
Tong Yi pulled her into his arms, took off the hair tie she used to tie her hair, slipped it onto his own wrist, and then began winding strands of her hair around his fingers. “Even when I left those hickeys on your neck, your uncle found out, and he still didn’t hit me!”
Jiang Li looked shocked. “He… How did he find out?”
Tong Yi grinned. “Did you forget that time he used my phone to text you?”
Jiang Li: “…”
Yeah, there was no way she could forget that.
Thinking about how she had sent several messages complaining about the hickeys Tong Yi left on her neck, only for Feng Qi to see them… Jiang Li just wanted to dig a hole and crawl in.
Tong Yi really was the worst!
Jiang Li looked at Tong Yi and said with a blank expression, “It’s honestly surprising that Third Uncle didn’t beat you up.”
Tong Yi grinned shamelessly. “He’s afraid I’d fake an injury, and then our Jiang Xiao Li would definitely feel bad for me.”
Jiang Li reached out and pinched the soft flesh at his waist. “Back when you tried to pull that stunt on Third Brother, I already wanted to deal with you. Now you’re actually thinking about trying it with Third Uncle?”
When she mentioned Feng Bai, Tong Yi simply smiled without saying anything. He had, in fact, used a pitiful act back then; there was no denying it. Jiang Xiao Li definitely saw through it.
He quickly changed the subject. “Didn’t you just say you were going to call your eldest brother? Why not call him now?”
Jiang Li hesitated a little. “If I suddenly tell Eldest Brother about us, he’ll probably be pretty shocked, right?”
Tong Yi smiled and said, “Then let me do it.”
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Translator’s Note:
Extra chapter this Sunday~
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