The Female CEO Falls in Love with Me

(The fan ranking changes daily. Besides the existing Guardian-Level members like "Eternal Long," "Nether Emperor Demon Emperor," "Lucyfel," "Absolute Arrogance," "Fisherman Cook C," "a133841752," "Merman Takes His Time," and other Squad Leader-Level red diamond friends, the top 100 are at least Apprentices! Old Lai is very grateful for everyone's support! This month, I will strive to update up to 300,000! Let all subscribed brothers be at least Apprentice-Level blue diamonds.)

Huang Ying and Little Liu looked at their mother, then at Li Yan, and bowed their heads as they left.

When the hospital room door closed, only two people remained. Li Yan pulled a chair over, sat down in front of the hospital bed, and looked at Huang Ying's mother, "Auntie, say whatever you want to say; I'm listening."

"Mr. Li…"

Li Yan thought to himself that since he wasn't familiar with her, it's better not to become too familiar, so he didn't ask her to call him something like Little Li.

"...I really want to thank you this time."

"You've already thanked me just now."

"I'm not referring to the fact that I got a chance for treatment. I mean Xiaoying...she has told me everything. I know she's under a lot of pressure, and I know she pretends to be happy for me...I'm really afraid she'll collapse, and even more afraid she'll do something foolish. I'm already halfway to the grave, and if they do something foolish for me, I wouldn't rest in peace even while alive."

Li Yan nodded, "Indeed."

"So...thank you very much for guiding her. Even though she didn't fall for anything bad, without your guidance, it's hard to say what might happen in the future. The reason there is a chance now is because of you..."

"You're too kind. Actually, you don't need to think about anything now. They've grown up and can take care of themselves. What you need to do is focus on cooperating with the treatment and striving for a speedy recovery."

Huang Ying's mother was still very weak, and after a while, she felt a bit tired. She took a rest before continuing, "I know...good people like you...surely have girlfriends. I haven't misunderstood your relationship, and you don't need to feel pressured...I just want to say, in the future, if you have the opportunity to look out for Xiaoying in any area, please do so. She keeps everything to herself and silently endures it all..."

Li Yan sighed in relief. If it really ran the course of asking him to take care of her for a lifetime, he didn't know how to handle that. "Don't worry, we work in the same department, and actually, she teaches me a lot at work. If there's anything in life where I can help, I definitely will."

Hearing his words, Huang Ying's mother nodded with relief.

At this time, it seemed a bit long, and Hai Fu called in.

"It's okay, you go ahead with your work. It was really inconvenient for you to come to the hospital."

"Then, Auntie, you take good care and rest well. I'll come to see you again when I have time."

Li Yan hung up the phone, and after coming out, he let Little Liu go in first to say goodbye to Huang Ying, then left the hospital. To save time, he had already texted Hai Fu the hospital's name and address when he came.

As expected, after coming out, Hai Fu was already waiting for him.

"Where are we going? I can't stay out too late; I have to get back later." After getting in the car, Li Yan casually said, setting the stage for leaving later.

"To my brother's home."

"Huh?"

"Going to a restaurant outside is not sincere enough. For them, you have a great kindness, so they spent the entire afternoon preparing personally." Hai Fu was somewhat excited too, having her brother and sister-in-law so involved was an issue that had troubled her for years. She didn't expect Li Yan to resolve it just like that! It truly felt like finding what you've been seeking at no effort at all.

"That really is very sincere."

Li Yan didn't see it as simply as she did. For Hai Fu, this was the outcome she'd been longing for, so naturally, she looked on the bright side. As a spectator, he clearly understood Shishan Yao's intentions. Expressing gratitude and appreciation were part of it, but more importantly, it was about using this chance to build relationships with everyone and learn some gambling skills from him!—Ultimately, Shishan Yao's current repentance was only temporary; if quitting gambling was that easy, there wouldn't be so many families broken and lives ruined because of gamblers in this world.

He didn't want to dampen Hai Fu's enthusiasm. At work, known as Master Extinction, she probably didn't have many genuine friends, subordinates feared her, and colleagues were wary of her. This time, coming from her heart's excitement, dousing her excitement too quickly would be cruel.

...

The place where Shishan Yao lived was an ordinary residential area, a not very large two-bedroom apartment. When Hai Fu brought Li Yan up, they had already prepared everything, waiting inside for him to enter.

Seeing Li Yan arrive, Shishan Yao was both excited and a bit uneasy. Hai Fu was also not good at hosting, but luckily his wife was very enthusiastic, preventing any awkward silences, and his son was very polite.

During the meal, Shishan Yao solemnly thanked Li Yan, "Mr. Li, you are a benefactor to our family. If it weren't for meeting you last time, I might still be lost in my confusion. I won't say much, I'll drink this first as a gesture of respect!"

He raised a cup of white liquor and drank it directly. Li Yan didn't follow suit, just casually took a sip. Zhang Yurong had considered that there might be drinking, which is why she insisted he go and pick him up; even if he could drive, she definitely wouldn't be at ease or happy if he reeked of alcohol.

Seeing Shishan Yao, this prodigal who loved gambling, turn over a new leaf, both his wife and sister had tears in their eyes, happy for this moment today.

Li Yan looked at Shishan Yao, his false identity unrevealed, known only to himself. At this moment, he still held some influence.

"Mr. Shi, it's clear you truly enjoy the feeling of a family now. Without a doubt, the happiness of a family life far surpasses the thrill of gambling."

"Yes, yes. From now on, I won't gamble anymore. I'll make up to the family for what I owe them. Even if I gamble again, it'll just be for fun, nothing like before." Shishan Yao said excitedly, pouring himself another glass of wine.

His wife seemed a bit worried, fearing he was merely saying this now and might relapse into gambling later. Hai Fu wasn't overthinking it, feeling that for someone like him, quitting entirely at once might be difficult, but if he could practice moderation in the future, that would be good enough.

Li Yan was ready to be more forceful.

"Mr. Shi, if you have any gratitude or respect for me, I hope you'll make a vow in front of everyone to absolutely never gamble again! Don't think of it as casual gambling for entertainment; that is just the starting point for your next fall."

Seeing Li Yan put down his chopsticks and get serious, everyone quieted down. Hai Fu felt that pushing too hard might backfire, so she reached under the table to touch Li Yan's thigh, signaling for him to be more tactful.

Li Yan didn't move, looking at Shishan Yao intently and speaking bluntly: "It was a lucky coincidence that I could help you once, but I can't help you every time. I also don't want to ever have to rescue a gambler again. Yes, my teacher and I are professional players, but you, you're just a gambler, a junkie! My teacher, Johnny Chan, wins hundreds of thousands, even millions, annually from poker tournaments. Note, he earns this through skill and prize winnings, not by gambling his own hard-earned money. Besides participating in professional tournaments, in Las Vegas, he also owns a fast-food restaurant and provides consultancy for hotel casinos and Texas Hold'em games.

Do you understand? When you gamble away your hard-earned money, your mindset has already lost, and it's extremely difficult to win. Just like my teacher, whose mindset, skill, aura, and reputation are flawless, yet he can't guarantee winning every time. He often loses too. There's an old saying in Yun Country: 'There's always someone better,' meaning no one can win forever, not even at the level of a gambling king. How far are you from being a gambling king?"

Shishan Yao was stunned, just as Li Yan had anticipated. Although deeply grateful, he harbored a glimmer of hope, wishing to forge a good relationship with Li Yan and learn a few tips to conquer the casinos, thinking that would bring him success. But Li Yan's words shattered his dreams!

A gambling king? Jiang Niqian (Johnny Chan)? Even the person in front of me, who knows when or if I'll ever reach even half his level, right? Even these professionals are so cautious, why would I need to keep gambling? Do I have any luck left to squander?

Actually, similar words have been said to him countless times, but none were as impactful as coming from a "disciple of the gambling king" like Li Yan. Shishan Yao had never felt such a satisfying win as he did on that Saturday, convinced it was due to Li Yan, and thus believed Li Yan was Johnny Chan's disciple. He never imagined he could become a student of the gambling king, satisfied just learning a few tricks from Li Yan. But upon hearing that even this gambling king doesn't earn from gambling, instead through winnings and investments, working just like anyone else, he finally started returning to reality.

Shishan Yao's wife and Hai Fu were extremely nervous, watching him closely, afraid that if he couldn't figure things out, he might flip the table and leave, sinking back into the gambling abyss from which he could never be pulled out!

After contemplating for several minutes, Shishan Yao nodded heavily: "Mr. Li, the distance between me and you is vast. Without your help, I wouldn't even have had the chance to win back a penny. I've decided to heed your words! I swear, from today onwards, I will never gamble again!"

Li Yan casually added, "If you gamble, you'll lose every time, and the losses will get worse."

Shishan Yao gritted his teeth and added, "If I gamble, I'll lose every time, and the losses will get worse!"

In this era, vows don't carry much weight; no one really believes in the consequences of breaking them. However, a gambler's mentality can be exploited. Generally, gamblers rely on luck, and luck is a mysterious thing. Since they believe in luck, they can accept its consequences too. For instance, the curse of losing every gamble is dreaded by gamblers, even Johnny Chen.

After making such a solemn vow that could be considered a gambler's last stand, Shishan Yao felt liberated, free of expectations, delusions, and hopeful fantasies. Seeing the expressions of his wife, child, and sister, he felt ashamed and sincerely said, "Believe me, this time I'm serious!"

Seeing Hai Fu and the others become emotional and tear up, Li Yan patted her hand — not to comfort her, but to remind her, Master, it's time to let go!

Earlier, Hai Fu saw Li Yan being very severe, reached under the table to pat Li Yan's thigh, signaling him not to be so extreme. Later, worried about Shishan Yao's reaction, she didn't withdraw her hand and, during the tense moment, even unknowingly gripped Li Yan's thigh tight.

Now feeling his hand, she awkwardly withdrew hers. (To be continued, to see what happens next, please visit www.qidian.com, more chapters available, support the author and genuine reading!)