Chapter 158: The Bulletproof Toolbox
Chapter 158: The Bulletproof Toolbox
Tang Qing ate breakfast and took Li Xiaomei upstairs for lessons. Li Zian asked her to rest, but she said it was unnecessary.
Li Zian could not persuade her otherwise, so he picked up the toolbox she had brought upstairs and returned to his room.
Tang Qing had also specially prepared an instruction manual.
Li Zian first read the instruction manual, then started tinkering with the toolbox.
The toolbox Tang Qing made was about the same size as an ordinary case. Although it was a bulletproof box, it was only slightly heavier than a common one. Its silver titanium alloy surface was polished to a brilliant shine, looking stylish without needing paint. The handle was made of leather, but the part fixed to the box was a clever mechanism.
Li Zian held the toolbox and twisted the handle firmly clockwise.
Click!
A soft sound was heard, and the toolbox suddenly opened from the bottom. In an instant, it transformed into a barrier made of several panels, extending from his chest down below his knees. It was wide enough to fully shield his upper body. If a shooter wanted to hit his head, he only had to lift the Bulletproof Shield a bit higher and crouch down slightly—both his head and feet would be safe.
Each panel was made of titanium alloy steel and Kevlar fiber material, providing both bullet and stab resistance.
Li Zian smiled. He thought Tang Qing must have watched the movie Kingsman: The Secret Service, where the protagonist had a similar case that opened into a bulletproof barrier.
He couldn’t help but admire Tang Qing—she was such a clever and attentive girl.
Following the instructions, Li Zian gave a few pushes and pulls. In just a few seconds, the bulletproof barrier reverted into the shape of a toolbox. It was very easy.
Although the interior space of the toolbox was not large, it was enough to hold all his items. Tang Qing had even prepared a square alloy box and a cylindrical metal canister for him. When he opened the square alloy box, he found it divided into eight small compartments, which could be used to store medicinal plasters. The cylindrical alloy canister could be used to hold soup or other liquids.
Li Zian took everything out of his old wooden toolbox and transferred it into the new one. However, the square box contained only a few types of healing medicinal plasters. He was careful not to mix the Movement-Halting Ointment and the Body-Poisoning Ointment with the healing ones; he carefully wrapped them in a food-grade bag and placed them in a corner of the toolbox.
He did not throw away the empty wooden box. Instead, he used it to store extra ointments and placed it under the bed.
After finishing his work, Li Zian picked up a shopping basket and went out.
The elevator lobby was to the right, but he turned left instead.
The door to Taozi’s house was slightly ajar; with a gentle push, it opened.
Li Zian walked in, passed through the foyer, and immediately saw Mu Chuntao practicing yoga in the living room on a yoga mat.
Mu Chuntao wore a one-piece pink yoga outfit, a color that truly resembled a ripe peach. For some reason today, she had tied her hair into two pigtails. Combined with her fair and rosy peach blossom face, she gave the impression of a teenage girl, about sixteen or seventeen years old.
Of course, one couldn’t look at her body; a glance would give it away.
The one-piece yoga suit fit her like a second skin, outlining curves that no sixteen- or seventeen-year-old girl should have—they were fully mature.
Mu Chuntao was initially in a plank pose. When Li Zian arrived, she pushed forward with force, arching her slender waist backward as if aiming for the back of her head. Her long legs stretched out in front of her face, bending her whole body into an “O” shape.
The sound of camel bells came from the Devialet speaker.
Once again, the image of a camel appeared, with its foot arch sinking into the sand dune.
Three parts prominent, seven parts excellent, ten parts flawless.
Li Zian’s gaze suddenly became fixed, his thoughts clearly slowing down.
This was his reaction to the impact.
Even stranger was that the image of last night’s camel’s foot arch surfaced in his mind, and he privately compared the two.
Whose camel was plump?
Whose camel was slender?
It seemed Mu Chuntao’s was a bit slimmer…
After all, she was a fitness enthusiast, so she had less fat.
“Why didn’t you reply to my message last night?” Mu Chuntao asked, her tone tinged with a hint of resentment.
Li Zian stared blankly for a moment, then smiled and said, “I fell into the sea last night. My phone got waterlogged. I was just about to buy a new one. What messages did you send me? I’ll reply now.”
Mu Chuntao pushed with her hands and waist, transitioning from the “O” shape to a standing “1” in one swift motion. Her face showed curiosity. “How did you fall into the sea? Did you go to the beach?”
“Pan Renlong invited me to dinner, and afterward, we went to the seaside,” Li Zian said.
“You didn’t bring me with you,” Mu Chuntao said, pouting.
Li Zian replied, “That was a Hongmen Banquet—it was very dangerous. If I had taken you along, wouldn’t that have been inviting trouble?”
“If you knew it was a Hongmen Banquet, why did you go?” she asked with concern. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” Li Zian said. “Huang Bo and Pan Renlong were working together. It’s safer for you to stay at home these two days and not go out wandering.”
Mu Chuntao stepped closer, wrapped her arms around Li Zian, and swayed gently. “Then you should come keep me company more often. I get lonely by myself.”
Li Zian gave a soft “Mm.”
“Did you miss me?”
“Yes.” Li Zian suddenly remembered something. “Also, don’t leave the door unlocked for me in the future. I’ll ring the doorbell when I come over. If you leave the door open, what if a bad person comes in?”
“Mm,” Mu Chuntao’s voice was soft. “I miss you right now. What do we do?”
This little monster must have been a peach spirit in a past life, sent specifically to torment handsome men.
Li Zian leaned close to her ear and said, “I still have to go grocery shopping and buy a phone. There’s not enough time.”
Mu Chuntao pouted. “You said you missed me, but it was all lies. You don’t care that I’m hungry.”
Li Zian felt a headache coming on. He casually dropped the shopping basket, took her hand, and started walking with her. As he pulled her along, he said, “How about instant noodles for now?”
“No,” she said, pouting again. “Unless you add two eggs.”
Li Zian: “…”
Half an hour later, the two returned to the living room.
Mu Chuntao’s cheeks were rosy, making her look even more charming.
They say love nourishes a woman and makes her more beautiful—and those words don’t lie.
Mu Chuntao gave Li Zian a coquettish, teasing glare. “What are you staring at? Haven’t you seen enough?”
Somehow without thinking, Li Zian blurted out, “Taozi, I want to be honest with Meilin.”
Mu Chuntao was stunned for a moment. “You… what do you mean?”
Li Zian said, “I want to tell her clearly about our relationship—that we’re together.”
Lately, he had felt uncomfortable being caught between Mu Chuntao and Yu Meilin. Yu Meilin’s attitude had changed, and the nicer she was to him, the guiltier he felt. He didn’t want to continue like this anymore.
Mu Chuntao stared at Li Zian in surprise. “You… want to divorce Yu Meilin?”
Li Zian nodded.
Mu Chuntao suddenly buried her face in his chest. “Is it for me?”
Li Zian said, “Who else would it be for?”
“I’m so touched,” Mu Chuntao’s eyes welled up with tears.
She had never asked Li Zian to divorce Yu Meilin. On the contrary, she had always tried to cover things up for him. She never expected that Li Zian would bring up the subject on his own today. How could she not be moved? How could she not feel happy?
After speaking his mind, Li Zian felt much more relaxed.
Mu Chuntao released him.
Li Zian noticed the tears in her eyes and reached out to wipe them away, speaking gently, “Silly girl, why are you crying?”
Mu Chuntao giggled. “I’m happy.”
Li Zian pulled her close into his arms again.
“Even if you confront her, Yu Meilin won’t agree to divorce you. I can tell, she’s starting to like you,” Mu Chuntao said.
“I know,” Li Zian said softly.
His relationship with Yu Meilin was strange indeed. If she hadn’t started liking him and continued their superficial married life, he wouldn’t have felt so “uncomfortable.” But now that Yu Meilin had started to care for him and treat him well, he couldn’t go back to how things were before.
“Can you bear to leave Xiaomei?” Mu Chuntao asked.
Li Zian paused briefly and then shook his head.
Mu Chuntao whispered softly in his ear, “Silly, since she hasn’t brought it up, why should you? If you do, you might still be able to face her, but how would you face Xiaomei? I know you can’t bear to leave her; she’s your darling. If you give up Xiaomei because of me, you’ll be miserable. I want a happy you. I don’t care about status or titles.”
Li Zian was deeply moved and held her even tighter.
He suddenly felt that he must have saved the Milky Way in his past life to have met such a wonderful Taozi in this one.
“Um…” Mu Chuntao hesitated.
“What?”
“Is Yu Meilin pressuring you to turn in your homework? Do you feel guilty toward me, and that’s why you’re so unhappy?” Mu Chuntao asked.
A woman’s emotional intuition is truly sharp.
Li Zian felt awkward and was too embarrassed to say it out loud, but he nodded.
Mu Chuntao smiled and said, “Silly, just turn it in. She is your legal wife; it’s only natural for her to collect your assignments. If you keep avoiding it, won’t she suspect something is going on between us?”
Li Zian pulled back a little and stared directly into her eyes.
He thought she might be speaking out of anger, but what he saw was sincerity—even a hint of encouragement.
“Why are you staring at me? I’m being serious,” Mu Chuntao said earnestly.
“Wait… If I turn in my homework to Meilin, you won’t be jealous?” Li Zian still couldn’t be sure if she meant it or if this was her genuine attitude.
Mu Chuntao smiled and said, “Before I met you, you were Yu Meilin’s husband, and your daughter is already three years old. I was never jealous back then, so why would I be jealous now? Besides, before I met you, I got along quite well with her. Now that things are like this, I… also feel guilty. If I take all your homework and leave nothing for her, that would be even worse.”
Li Zian’s mind was a tangled mess.
He had come here seeking support for a major decision but found himself being persistently urged by Mu Chuntao to turn in his homework to Yu Meilin.
Her thought process was truly unique.
But then, a woman who could jump out of an airplane with a parachute into the mountains—her thought process couldn’t be measured by that of an average woman.
Mu Chuntao reached out and tapped Li Zian.
Li Zian instinctively bent slightly and asked in surprise, “What are you doing?”
Mu Chuntao said with a smile, “You’re the Master—you can conjure ink out of thin air with your spell. There’s no pressure no matter how much homework you turn in. What are you afraid of?”
Li Zian: “…”
“Alright, hurry and go buy groceries. Grab some for me while you’re at it; my fridge is almost empty.” As if she didn’t want Li Zian to stay longer, she began pushing him toward the door while speaking.
“What would you like? I’ll cook for you at noon. You can come over to eat,” Li Zian said.
“It’s not good to freeload meals often. This afternoon, you can just come over and make me a pack of instant noodles,” Mu Chuntao said.
“Eating instant noodles all the time isn’t good for your health. I’ll come back early to cook and bring the food over to you. I’ll come secretly; no one will notice,” Li Zian said.
Mu Chuntao gave Li Zian a quick kiss, opened the door, and added a reminder, “Remember, don’t confront Yu Meilin about it. If you do, I won’t feel comfortable living here anymore.”
Li Zian nodded.
Mu Chuntao sighed inwardly.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to fight…
She simply couldn’t win.
You might be firm right now, but once Li Xiaomei starts crying, you’ll soften like a sponge.