Translator: Atlas StudiosEditor: Atlas Studios
Inside a large supermarket in Nanjiang
Yan Wangchuan was pushing a shopping cart and following closely behind Song Fengwan. She was holding diapers and comparing them. The diapers they had used before were bought at the supermarket near the hospital, and there were fewer brands.
âUncle Yan, do you think domestic products or foreign ones are better? The reviews online are all good,â Song Fengwan asked.
âLetâs go with domestic.â
The Yan familyâs style was traditional and old-fashioned, and they basically used domestic products. Up until now, Old Madam Yan still used a domestic face cream that came in a traditional tin box.
âOkay, letâs get some first.â Song Fengwan threw a few packets of diapers into the shopping cart. She sized up Yan Wangchuan from time to time and kept feeling that he was strange too.
Not happy with a son?
He keeps a straight face all day and looks distracted. Is he unhappy, or didnât sleep well last night?
ee
âAt this moment, the hospital ward was full of the strong fragrance of baby milk.
The little fellow lay on his bed, innocent and unaware of sorrow. But the three people from the Qiao family each had their own thoughts, and the atmosphere was stifling.
âWhy arenât you two saying anything?â Qiao Aiyun said after a long time, but the other two people remained silent. âDo you feel surprised too?
âLknow Yan Wangchuan. He wonât lie. Moreover, considering the circumstances, that bastard is definitely close.
âremember when it was almost Lunar New Year, Wanwan said that her high school classmates had come to Nanjiang to play, and she spent the night outside. When she came back, not only was her voice hoarse, but she even slept for the whole day. She also kept going out for the next few days.
âNow that I think about it, that man must have looked for her. Say, sheâs still so young. How far have they progressed?â
This kind of thing was hard to discover. But once it was exposed, all kinds of clues would become traceable.
Now that Qiao Aiyun thought about it, there were too many things wrong with Song Fengwan. Since she had fallen in love in high school, her motive for going to the capital to study became extremely doubtful.
âThis person is definitely not from Yuncheng or Nanjiang. Heâs most likely in the capital.
âyan Wangchuan is really too much. Say, how could he not tell me that Wanwan is in a relationship?!â
Qiao Wangbei looked at his son and coughed, signaling him to speak.
Qiao Xiyan wasnât stupid. He definitely wouldnât rush forward at this moment and say something that would anger his aunt to death.
âTm a junior. I canât comment on Uncle-Masterâs actions. Dad, what do you think?â Qiao Xiyanâs expression was normal as he threw the hot potato over.
It was a typical case of screwing someone over without blinking.
Qiao Wangbei took a deep breath. Just you wait.
He cleared his throat and said in a low voice, âAiyun, didnât you ask Senior Brother properly about what happened?â
âI canât even be bothered to talk to him now. Wanwan was still underage in high school. Do you think itâs normal to fall in love with a middle-aged man?
âThe truth is very clear. What else do I need to ask?â
âYou just gave birth. This matter still has to be taken slowly. Thereâs no hurry. Itâs more important for you to recover.â Qiao Wangbei was also nervous.
âknow. Thatâs why I asked you to investigate that person. I want to see which wild man didnât even let a child off.â Qiao Aiyun took a deep breath. âBrother, you have to help me with this.â
âWhat else could Qiao Wangbei say?
Qiao Aiyun glanced at the time. âErm⦠Give the baby to me.â
Qiao Wangbei carefully passed the little fellow to her. It was probably to breastfeed him or something, so he called Qiao Xiyan out.
As soon as the door of the ward closed, Qiao Wangbei was so angry that he almost kicked him. âQiao Xiyan, good job. You screwed over your biological father!â
âDad, I really didnât know what to do. Youâre experienced, so you have to make the decision. Iâll listen to you,â Qiao Xiyan said seriously.
âGet lost. When have you ever listened to what I said?â
Qiao Xiyan had been independent since he was young. He had chosen his high school subjects, chosen university, and applied for his major by himself. He had always been very independent and self-willed, so why was he letting him make the decision now.
He was clearly spouting nonsense.
âDad, we canât keep hiding this from Aunt. Sheâll find out sooner or later. Why donât we tell her directly?â
âOf course I know we have to tell her. But the pit this brat Fu Chen dug is too deep.â Qiao Wangbei sighed. âThink about it carefully. Even if your aunt knows, she might not do anything to him. We will be the unlucky ones.â
âDidnât you say that Fu Chen is a good person and that Aunt likes him? Sheâll definitely be able to accept him soon.â
âSheâll accept Fu Chen, and weâll leave Nanjiang sooner or later. But what about your uncle-masterâ¦â
Qiao Xiyan lowered his head and fiddled with the lighter in his hand without saying anything.
âMost importantly, now that the matter has been exposed, your aunt will definitely think that weâre all accomplices.â Qiao Wangbei shook his head helplessly.
He had never done anything wicked or unconscionable in his life. Moreover, when he found out about this matter, the atmosphere had also been depressing. Why had he inexplicably become an accomplice?
After thinking about it carefully, he found that the whole thing was an unsolvable loop.
As long as someone knows, they will definitely become an accomplice.
The Fu family is indeed smart and scheming.
ee
âThe two of them stood at the door for a while before seeing Yan Wangchuan return with two large shopping bags.
âThe three men exchanged glances and seemed to instantly understand something.
âWhereâs Wanwan?â Qiao Wangbei looked behind him.
âShe said she wanted to eat pancakes. Sheâs lining up at a small stall at the entrance of the hospital.â
âSenior Brother, letâs talkâ¦â Qiao Wangbei said bluntly.
At this moment, Yan Wangchuan still had no idea that the Qiao father and son were insiders. He was still wondering if these two would stab him with a knife. But the current situation didnât allow him to retreat. âOkay.â
He didnât even put the items down before following the two of them to the end of the corridor.
At this moment, Qiao Aiyun had already breastfed the little fellow. He had eaten his fill and was already asleep. When Song Fengwan came in, she saw Qiao Aiyun getting out of bed.
âMom, why are you getting down?â
âItâs uncomfortable to sit. Iâll walk a little.â She could get off the bed in the morning. Although she felt unwell, and it still hurt to walk, it was more comfortable than lying down and sitting all the time.
âTl help you.â Song Fengwan put down the pancakes and hurriedly bent down to help her put on her slippers.
Qiao Aiyun lowered her head and looked at her docile and well-behaved daughter. She felt increasingly emotional. That man must be a glib-tongued person who deceived my daughter.
After all, in the eyes of parents, their children were the most innocent and pure.
âShould I accompany you out?â
âNo need. Iâm just taking a few steps casually.â Qiao Aiyun hadnât ascertained the other partyâs details and didnât know how to talk to Song Fengwan.
After all, Qiao Aiyun was smart and knew that Song Fengwan was in the honeymoon phase. If she directly said that the man wasnât good or forcefully broke the two of them up, the childâs rebellious resistance would only put a strain on their mother and daughter relationship.
She had to find strong evidence to prove that the two of them were not suitable before expressing her feelings.
âOkay.â Song Fengwan had no idea what was going through her motherâs mind. âWalk slowly.â
âYour Uncle Yan didnât come back with you?â
âHe should have arrived earlier.â Song Fengwan helped her brother pull off the small blanket on him.
âReally? Then, you didnât see your uncle and cousin at the door either?â
âNo,â Song Fengwan answered truthfully without any doubts.
Qiao Aiyun knew that the three of them were definitely discussing that man in private. She had to go and take a look.
âMom, are you going out?â Song Fengwan thought that she would only move around in the ward.
âTm just walking around the door. You keep an eye on your brother. Donât walk around randomly.â
Song Fengwan wanted to follow him, but she couldnât leave her brother alone, so she could only remind her to be careful.
Qiao Aiyun supported herself on the handrail set up in the corridor and reached out to rub her stomach. She slowly moved forward. One side of the corridor led to the elevator. If they wanted to talk, it could only be on the other side of this floor.
She walked a few steps, and sure enough, she heard Qiao Wangbeiâs voice.
His voice was rough, and he didnât lower his voice.
â.. Senior Brother, should I praise you? Aiyun was having a tough time giving birth in the delivery room. It was a life-threatening matter. You actually stimulated her at this time?
âShe was running out of strength at the time, and the child was halfway out. If she underwent surgery, she would have suffered a lot,â Yan Wangchuan said bluntly.
âEven so, you shouldnât have done that. It was a coincidence this time. What if she had fainted from anger?â
âWhat did Aiyun tell you? She asked you to interrogate me?â Yan Wangchuan asked.
Qiao Wangbei snorted lightly. âAsk what? Ask about that person?
âSenior Brother, Iâve always thought that youâre the most upright person among all us senior and junior brothers. I didnât expect you to collude with him and deceive my sister together.
âAnd you even reached some damn consensus. Youâre not the kind of person whoâs good at scheming at all. He was obviously digging a hole for you to jump into and getting you to help cover for him.â
Yan Wangchuanâs expression was cold. âDo you know who he is?â
âWhy wouldnât I know? I found out in the capital. At the time, I really wanted to kill that guy.â Qiao Wangbei sighed. âAiyun still expects me to help. How do you think I should talk to her?â
Even though he knew that they were insiders, Yan Wangchuan still appeared very calm. His expression was as sparse and indifferent as usual as he said in a hoarse voice, âSo⦠it turns out that youâre fellow sufferers.â
The Qiao father and son were both stunned. They had long known that Yan Wangchuan was clumsy with his words and could choke people to death with them. But the truth was too cruel. Couldnât he be more tactful?
Qiao Aiyun originally wanted to hear how her elder brother would interrogate Yan Wangchuan to find out some inside information.
Upon hearing their heated discussion, she felt dizzy.
The three of them stood by the window with cold and solemn expressions. They couldnât think of a good countermeasure for a moment, but then they suddenly heard a familiar hoarse voice behind them.
âCongratulations on your alliance forming.â
Qiao Xiyan was fine. After all, he had elders to bear the brunt for him. The senior and junior brothers beside him instantly stiffened.
âAiyun, why are you out?â Qiao Wangbei smiled and turned around.
âBrother, you know about it too?â Qiao Aiyun suddenly felt betrayed by everyone. So the entire world knows about it, but theyâre hiding it from me?
âThis matter is a little complicated. You were pregnant, and we were worried about agitating you,â Qiao Wangbei explained.
âSom who is that person?â Qiao Aiyun asked. âHe could make the few people closest to me help him hide it.â
At this moment, she felt that the entire world was helping that wild man, and she was like a fool.
âAunt, you got hit by a car and then became pregnant. We really didnât dare to tell you. We wanted to wait for the child to be born before telling you.â Qiao Xiyan walked over and supported her.
Qiao Aiyun was also a little tired. Qiao Xiyan spoke softly. She couldnât vent her anger on the child and let her support her.
âSo, you all know this person?â Qiao Aiyun was suspicious. âI⦠I know him too?â
She searched her mind. There were very few unmarried men around forty years old who didnât have a family, but there were some divorced ones. This made her even more terrified.
Yan Wangchuan took a deep breath. âItâs Fu Chen.â
The middle-aged greasy man in Qiao Aiyunâs mind was instantly replaced by a gentle and elegant image. âFu⦠Chen?â
Qiao Wangbei nodded.
Qiao Aiyunâs mind was even more confused. âXiyan, help me back to my room. Iâma little dizzy.â
ee
At this moment, in the capital, Fu Chen was accompanying Old Madam Fu in the Pear Garden to watch opera. Today was the first show after the new year, and it was packed. They were sitting in a private room on the second floor, and even Jing Hanchuan was here.
On the stage, an older actor was singing. âHei San, the kingâs hat, the red pythonâ¦â His singing voice was stable and clear. It was obvious that he had a deep foundation.
âIs this the new actor your garden recruited?â Old Madam Fu tilted her head and asked Jing Hanchuan.
âYes, sheâs almost forty. Sheâs a woman. Her skills arenât bad.â Jing Hanchuan nodded.
Fu Chen looked down at the stage and frowned slightly.
Itâs the new year, and there are so many festive plays. Why is âThe Feast of the Hongmenâ being performed? He kept feeling that it sounded unpleasant.
He was about to get a piece of dried fruit from the tea tray when he found that Jing Hanchuan had already eaten most of them.
âYou want to eat it?â Jing Hanchuan raised his eyebrows.
He had returned to the capital on the eighth day of the first lar month. He had been extremely unhappy about those brats pestering him.
Fu Chen lifted his eyelids. âIâll drink tea.â
He just felt that it was boring. His wife was busy coaxing her younger brother and ignoring him. He just wanted to have a taste of it, but.
He would never do something like snatching food from a tigerâs mouth.