So what if I kicked you?

Li Yi was pulled from his thoughts and opened his phone.

When he saw the messages, a faint smile appeared on his face.

[A loving family]

[Old Wang, registered at the madhouse]: Happy birthday, Yi-Yi~ Throwing flowers! @Thirteenth Young Master of Beicheng Hurry up and cough up some cash!

[Thirteenth Young Master of Beicheng]: [Red packet]

[Thirteenth Young Master's wife]: [Cat scratching a face] Old man, look how stingy you are. Only 200 yuan in one red packet? It's our boy's eighteenth birthday today. He's an adult now!

[Thirteenth Young Master of Beicheng]: [Kneeling and begging for mercy] Ow, honey, stop scratching! I'm sending more, I'm sending more. [Red packet] x10

[Thirteenth Young Master's wife]: [Loving expression] Good grandson, come claim your red packets @Daddy Sheriff

[Ms. Wang, queen of square dancing]: [Head pat] Sweet boy, here's Grandma's red packet too. [Red packet]

[South Mountain Nursing Home's top dog]: [Take it and spend it] And Grandpa's. [Red packet]

[Director Li, poorest of them all]: [Empty pockets] Yi-Yi, your Grandpa Director is the poorest, so I'll just send you my blessings.

Wishing our Yi-Yi happiness every day and good health~

[Man with so much money it makes him nervous]: [I'd like to speak] I'll cover yours. I've got so much money it makes me nervous anyway. [Red packet] x20

[Daddy Sheriff]: [Spinning in circles] Thank you, Grandpas and Grandmas~ I'm very happy today! I'll come visit you in a few days~

That was right. Today was his birthday. In his previous life, the grandpas and grandmas at South Mountain Nursing Home had sent him birthday wishes at this time too.

He had been such a fool!

In his previous life, Qiao Xinyue had forbidden him from staying in touch with the people at the orphanage, saying it would disgrace the Lu Corporation.

He had actually listened, gradually reducing his contact with them and only sneaking over to visit during the holidays.

The grandpas and grandmas had been very understanding. They wouldn't call him casually unless something came up, but every year on his birthday, they sent him birthday wishes and red packets.

The nursing home was right across from the orphanage where he had lived. It was much better equipped than the orphanage and had been his favorite place to play as a child.

Originally, his orphanage hadn't been in Beicheng, but in a very remote rural area. Grandpa Director had been a very poor old man too. Once, an elderly man had collapsed outside their orphanage, and he and Grandpa Director had saved him.

After that, their orphanage had moved across from South Mountain Nursing Home.

The grandpas at the nursing home often invited him and Grandpa Director over, and during every holiday, the orphanage and nursing home celebrated together.

Li Yi truly loved the grandpas and grandmas at the nursing home. They were his real family!

In this life, he wouldn't let them down again.

When they learned that Li Yi would come back to visit them in a few days, the grandpas and grandmas happily set off fireworks in the group chat. In a good mood, Li Yi chatted with them for a while before putting down his phone and going into the bathroom to shower.

He had just come out of the shower when he heard loud banging on the door.

He opened the door while drying his hair. The person outside didn't stop pounding and deliberately brought their fist down toward him.

"Hmph." Li Yi kicked straight out, sending the person crashing into the wall.

"You dared to kick me!" Clutching her stomach, the woman stared at Li Yi in disbelief.

"So what if I kicked you?" Li Yi draped the towel around his neck. "You were about to hit me in the face. It was self-defense. That argument holds up anywhere."

"Li Yi!" Lu Junjia shouted as he ran over from the stairs. He crouched down to help her up and reproached Li Yi. "How could you kick Aunt Liu? She's been with the Lu family for years. You should show her some respect."

"She's just an old servant, not your mother. Why are you so worked up?" A smile appeared on Li Yi's lips as he folded his arms and leaned against the doorframe. "Even if my kick injured her, it would only mean paying a little more money.

"She's a servant. She isn't qualified to demand respect from me, a young master of the Lu family!"

"You!" Looking deeply wronged, Aunt Liu tearfully complained to Lu Junjia, "Young master, look at him! He has no respect for his elders. I've watched you grow up in the Lu household. You have to stand up for me!"

She deliberately called Lu Junjia "young master" because she didn't acknowledge Li Yi as a young master at all.

In the eyes of servants like them, Li Yi ranked even below the household servants. Apart from the butler, none of them treated him as their master.

"Don't worry, Aunt Liu. I'll make sure you get justice. My younger brother is truly immature. Let me apologize to you on his behalf."

"Who the hell are you to speak for me?" Li Yi rolled his eyes and pointed toward the stairs. "If you want to put on a show, do it downstairs. Don't disgust me with it here."

Anger flashed in Lu Junjia's eyes, but he suppressed his temper and said gently to Li Yi, "Dad's back. He's waiting for you downstairs.

"You should take the initiative to apologize to Mom and Dad for what happened today.

"I'm sure..."

Bang!

The door shut in his face.

Li Yi's voice came from inside. "Tell Lu Hongshen to wait. I'll change first."

"All right," Lu Junjia answered through gritted teeth, helping Aunt Liu downstairs.

"Young master, what if he keeps hiding in his room and won't come out?" Aunt Liu asked worriedly.

"He'll definitely come out. If he doesn't, he'll only be punished more severely." A cold smile flickered across Lu Junjia's lips as he leaned close to Aunt Liu's ear. "Aunt Liu, just embellish what happened upstairs when you tell them later."

"All right. I'll make sure to tell it properly." Aunt Liu nodded ingratiatingly.

"Where's that unfilial brat?" Sitting on the sofa with an imposing expression, Lu Hongshen glanced behind Lu Junjia and Aunt Liu.

"Sir, I just went to ask Young Master Li to come downstairs, and he..." Aunt Liu stole a glance at Lu Hongshen and tearfully complained, "He thought I was being noisy, so he opened the door and kicked me. He even said I was only a servant, and even if he kicked me to death, it would only cost the Lu family a little more money."

"He really said that? That unfilial brat is completely out of control!" Lu Hongshen slammed his palm against the sofa's armrest. "Get him down here right now!"

"Dad, my brother just said you should wait a little. He'll come down once he's changed," Lu Junjia said quietly.

"Lu Hongshen, look at that fine son of yours! He's already putting on airs at such a young age!

"He did something wrong, yet he's making us, his parents, sit here waiting forever.

"You must teach him a proper lesson today. If you don't teach him some rules now, he'll think he can do anything he likes!" Qiao Xinyue seethed, wishing she could give Li Yi a beating right then.

"Junjia, go fetch the disciplinary ruler from the study," Lu Hongshen said gravely.

"All right." As Lu Junjia turned, he couldn't hide the smile on his lips.

Lu Hongshen rarely beat anyone with the ruler. He usually punished them by making them kneel. Once he brought out the ruler, it meant he was truly furious.

Li Yi was really going to suffer this time!

That was what he got for daring to hit him today. Now he could spend a few days laid up in bed.

When that happened, he wouldn't let anyone bring him medicine.

He deserved to be left in pain!

Only pain would make him remember his lesson.

When Li Yi came down the stairs, he saw Lu Junjia handing the disciplinary ruler to Lu Hongshen.