Li Junjie calmly sipped on his coffee again, utterly oblivious to Li Caiyi's shocked state. "I acknowledged Father's reasoning for wanting me to reach success, but I disapproved of his way of doing things. That's why I will become his proudest son, and erase the Li family from its current fake glory, to show him my worth."

An extremely dark and black aura exuded from his brother's tranquil eyes, and Li Caiyi gulped down nervously. Her brother could be intimidating if he wanted to—not that he wasn't regularly. She really didn't want to be on her brother's wrong side.

"However, doing that would require a lot of time. I have to become a proper adult before I can do anything about him."

Li Caiyi understood that even if Li Junjie could gain the Li family's assets, it wouldn't solve the core of the problem. As long as Li Jirong was around, there would be no peace in the family. That was where Li Caiyi's evidence came in.

She wondered if her brother intended to do this from the start in her previous life? That would explain his obsession with studying and his indifferent reaction to almost everything at home. It was a plan that only a person with a one-track mind like Li Junjie could pull off.

Li Caiyi partly understood how her brother could come to that conclusion. However, it didn't make everything sound less hard to accept. Although Li Junjie had never mistreated her like Li Jirong, he acted like she didn't exist, which was more painful in one way or another.

Li Caiyi clenched his hand into a fist below the table, watching how Li Junjie kept his gaze on his cup. She used to think that Li Junjie was perfect and unfeeling, but in reality, he was just an awkward person who didn't know how to ask for help from anyone. It was pitiful, in a way.

"Brother Jie, I plan to move out of the house someday." Li Caiyi declared firmly.

Li Junjie's movement halted, and he said nothing for a while. "I see. I wish you the best."

As expected, he didn't try to stop or even question her. "Even if I go after this, nothing will happen in the house because you probably can take care of Father with this. I want to live for myself this time."

"....Yes, you should do that."

"Don't you have anything to say to me?"

"Even if I do, it will be pointless. If that's what you decided, then there's nothing I can do about it."

Li Caiyi let out a mirthless laugh. "You are hiding again. Brother Jie, don't avert your eyes from the reality you see in front of you. The person you are ignoring right now could be holding on to the last straw, and every word and action from you matters a lot to them. Some things couldn't be solved by simply saying 'I don't know'."

Li Junjie raised his head when he noticed the hint of grievance in Li Caiyi's tone. When his gaze met hers, he realized how much that crybaby little girl had changed. Now she wasn't the same girl who used to hide behind his back anymore.

Li Junjie felt a sense of loss and pride at the same time. A small smile escaped his lips as he said in a relieved tone. "Maybe you're right. I should reflect on my mistake."

Li Caiyi didn't understand why her brother could be so calm. In the end, she couldn't find out whether or not he understood what she said. Talking to him was akin to talking to walls.

"Forget about that. Brother Jie, are you going to tell this to Mother by yourself?"

"Mother should know about this sooner or later. If you want to be the one to tell her, then be my guest. I admit I'm not the best conversationalist here."

"Yes, I think I will be the one to take that role. But I want to be there when you talk to Father, too."

"Are you sure? It would only make the matter worse if you are there." Li Junjie said. "You don't have the best relationship with Father right now."

historical

"That's true, but I want to see how this goes."

"There is nothing to see. We already have the upper hand with the evidence you have gathered. If you can convince Mother to divorce Father, it will be our complete victory."

"Well yeah, but are you going to be fine alone, Big Brother? Father can do anything when he is angry," Li Caiyi said reluctantly.

"I have seen worse, so you don't have to worry about that."

"I'm still worried."

"If you are so curious, you can wait outside Father's room so you can listen to our conversation."

Li Caiyi couldn't refute anymore. Li Junjie was adamant about not letting Li Caiyi follow him, and his reason was reasonable. If she was there when Li Jirong flipped, she would be the first easy target for him.

"Oh yeah, Brother, didn't you say you already have a hunch about Father's affair? How do you know about that?"

"It's not like I 'know' about it. I'm guessing because Father's treatment towards Mother became colder and colder as time passed. I just thought it wouldn't be weird if a man like him cheated on Mother."

Li Caiyi nodded in understanding. "I guess that's true."

"I didn't expect you to investigate this to such length, though. Did you perhaps hire a private investigator for this? I assume you paid for the service using your prize money from the writing competition?"

Li Caiyi thought her brother could pass as a detective if he weren't determined to go on the medical path. His guess was so accurate that she felt like she was being watched by him all these times.

"You are correct." Li Caiyi admitted.

"I can see your effort and detailed plan in this. Good job."

He praised her, but it didn't sound like praise somehow. "Thank you.."

"No problem. We can start our plan after we arrive home. Your task is to convince Mother to divorce Father. Leave the rest to me."

"O-okay? Aren't you going to talk to Mother with me?"

Li Junjie thought about it for a bit before shaking his head. "No, you should take this chance to talk to Mother, too. Tell her about your plan to move out of the house."

Li Caiyi fidgeted with her fingers under the table, feeling conflicted inside. However, she made up her mind after a few seconds.

"Yes, I will tell her properly this time."