[Urban] Hidden Sins (Complete) - 13-15

Chapter Sixty: Unhappy.

Lian Yu moved back into that apartment.

At first, everything was bleak. She hated her life, missed Brother Cheng, and often felt inexplicably inferior and self-pitying. She frequently daydreamed in class, which attracted the teachers' attention. Often, she was called on by different teachers several times a day, making the already upset girl even more irritable. But what could she do besides be irritable? So she slowly learned to comfort herself, trying not to think about unhappy things. But how could she remain calm when she saw that man almost every day? One day after school, Lian Yu was kept behind by her homeroom teacher. For several minutes after the bell rang, Lian Yu sat in her chair,

lost in thought . Her deskmate had already packed her bag and was standing there waiting for her to get up—the school didn't have single desks, but double desks, arranged vertically in three sets. The two on the left and right were single sets, while the middle set consisted of two single sets combined into one large set. Lian Yu happened to be sitting on the outside near the aisle, while her deskmate sat on the inside. "Lian Yu?" Since the class reshuffle, most of the students were new faces, so there was no longer any past discrimination or grudges. The girl sitting next to her had a good personality, and the two usually got along well. Hearing the murmur in her ear, Lian Yu reflexively turned around to look at her. "..." Then she immediately realized something and stood up. "What's wrong?" Her deskmate, Xiao Li, came out of her seat, turned around, and stood to the side looking at her. "..." Lian Yu pursed her lips, her smile was faint, and it was obvious that she was unhappy: "Nothing." "..." Xiao Li obviously didn't believe her answer. After a few seconds of silence, she continued, "Why aren't you packing your bag? Everyone's almost gone." As she spoke, Xiao Li turned her head and looked around the classroom: only they and a few students on duty remained. "I..." Hearing her say this, Lian Yu slowly picked up her textbooks from the desk, neatly stacked them together, but didn't put them in her bag. Instead, she tapped them on the desk. Just as Lian Yu was wondering how to explain, Xiao Li seemed to suddenly realize something and whispered to her for confirmation, "I know, did the homeroom teacher talk to you?" Lian Yu was startled, pursed her lips, and didn't know what to say. During the break between the second and third periods in the afternoon, the two of them went to the restroom together. Lian Yu quickly came out after urinating and then saw the homeroom teacher carrying textbooks and walking towards her. Lian Yu was very flustered: the new homeroom teacher was very strict. According to her classmates, her previous students all thought she was a stubborn old lady with a dark tongue. During class, she noticed even the slightest movement from the students and would often stop to give them a lecture, which caused a lot of dissatisfaction. Classes were only 45 minutes long, and if she rambled on for several minutes, it would be difficult to finish the rest of the lesson, often resulting in overtime. While others were strolling outside during breaks, she had to continue enduring the old lady's cramming of knowledge. Who could stand that? Therefore, her classmates generally didn't think highly of her, but since she was the only special-grade teacher in the middle school, the school left her teaching methods to her. Lian Yu was naturally still shaken. Normally, she would avoid her when she saw her approaching from a distance, but today the corridor was full of people, and she was getting closer and closer; hiding would be very impolite. "Hello, teacher," Lian Yu greeted nervously, thinking the teacher would just nod and walk past, but unexpectedly, she stopped. She adjusted her glasses and said calmly, "Lian Yu, your recent performance has been very poor. Come to my office after school." Lian Yu was startled by her words. She felt like she hadn't done anything, just stared blankly at the teacher, and then the old lady turned and left. Her deskmate, Xiao Li, came out of the restroom and happened to see this scene. She quickly came over and asked her, "Did the teacher just talk to her?" Lian Yu's head was buzzing, and she shook her head listlessly. Actually, she knew in her heart what the teacher wanted to talk to her about. Seeing that she had tacitly agreed, Xiaoli could only look at her with pity: the teacher had a sharp tongue; once, a girl had been brought to tears by her words, and even her parents had been alerted. "Lianyu, you've been acting a bit strange lately. I've been watching you for days," Xiaoli said quietly. "...Really? What's wrong with me?" Lianyu tried her best to hide her unease; in reality, she felt very guilty. "You're always daydreaming in class, the teacher glares at you, I poke you, and sometimes you don't even react. What's wrong with you?" Xiaoli spoke the truth. Lianyu lowered her head in shame, feeling utterly useless. Why couldn't she control herself? The monthly exam was coming up soon, and her grades were sure to be terrible. "..." Seeing her remain silent, Xiaoli didn't press further, but gently tugged at her hand, saying, "No matter what happens, it will pass." Lian Yu looked up and forced a smile, "I'm fine, I'll be alright in a few days." "Since the teacher is looking for you, go ahead. I'll wait for you to go home together," Xiaoli continued with concern. Although they weren't going the same way, she was happy to keep her classmate company since she was upset. "No, you go ahead first. My uncle will pick me up later," Lian Yu shook her head, declining her offer. "Okay, then I'll go home first!" Xiaoli and the other classmates had all seen Lian Yu's uncle's car, but they hadn't actually met him. Watching her leave, Lian Yu's pace in packing her books noticeably quickened. After slinging her backpack over her shoulder, Lian Yu heard the sound of desks and chairs moving behind her, knowing it was the students on duty cleaning. She turned around to look, but their eyes met suddenly, and the boy's face turned as red as an apple. Guo Jia hurriedly lowered his eyes. The broom in his hand felt light, but awkward in his grasp, and he unconsciously increased the force of his sweeping—dust billowed up from the brick floor. "Cough cough..." Lian Yu choked, frowning and fanning his mouth with his hand. "Sorry." Guo Jia straightened up, quite embarrassed. He had specifically chosen Lian Yu's row to clean, even though there was more trash, he didn't care. "It's nothing." Lian Yu wasn't tall and sat in the front, while Guo Jia was in the second-to-last row. They used to hardly talk, but recently he seemed to be quite close to two boys in his row, always coming over to chat after class. Occasionally, he would exchange a few words with her and Xiao Li, but overall, their relationship was just so-so. "You're leaving?" Just as Lian Yu was about to leave, Guo Jia spoke again. He had seen them chattering, but their voices were very soft, and he hadn't heard them clearly. "Yeah." Lian Yu nodded. "By myself?" Guo Jia mustered her courage, then immediately regretted her words, feeling there was something wrong with them. Lian Yu, preoccupied, didn't notice anything amiss. "No, Uncle's picking me up," Lian Yu said, walking away. "I'm leaving now." "Bye-bye~" Guo Jia said mechanically, disappointed. Lately, he didn't know why, but his gaze kept following Lian Yu—in class, during morning exercises, during lunch break… The homeroom teacher's office was empty. Lian Yu went in and didn't come out for ten minutes. She pursed her lips tightly, walking silently, feeling incredibly depressed. The old lady said several teachers had complained to her that she didn't pay attention in class and her homework was sloppy. When pressed for reasons, she couldn't explain, only remaining silent. This infuriated the somewhat hot-tempered homeroom teacher, who said that if her grades weren't good, she would drag the whole class down, and if she really didn't want to study anymore, she should drop out. Lian Yu was very angry. She believed that whether or not to drop out of school was her own business, and whether or not to study was also her own business. Clearly, the old lady's extremism had provoked her rebellion.

So throughout, she didn't say a word, not even a nod or shake of her head; those 10 minutes were entirely a monologue by the homeroom teacher.

Finally, the old lady, at her wit's end, took a sip of tea and said, "If her monthly exam results are very poor, call her parents."

Upon hearing this, Lian Yu, whose head had been bowed, suddenly jerked up: Parents? She didn't have any parents! She wanted to say that to the teacher, but ultimately remained silent.

Seeing that she finally showed some reaction, the teacher thought she had made the right move and spoke to her for several minutes about family education. Finally, feeling she had said enough, she stopped and adopted a slightly gentler tone: "You're a very smart child. It would be a waste if you didn't study hard. I'm doing this for your own good. I hope you'll work harder in the future so that your parents' hard work won't be in vain."

Lian Yu's heart softened at the first few sentences, but the following words almost instantly enraged her: Parents? Who told you I have parents?

The little girl mentally cursed the teacher mercilessly: she named all her relatives.

This teacher was definitely nearsighted, but she couldn't even grasp the basic information about her students—how could she teach according to their aptitude? And she even used her parents to pressure her? It was truly ridiculous.

At this moment, Lian Yu was truly disappointed in this school.

Her parents had also become a source of pain in her heart. If they hadn't left so early, she and her brother wouldn't be suffering so much. The hardships of life made her, in this instant, blame too much resentment on others…

The campus wasn't large, with only a few scattered people.

The school gate was open. Xue Jin parked his car directly opposite, took out a cigarette, and leisurely lit it, looking into the campus while lost in thought.

Why hadn't Xiao Yu come out yet? School was clearly over! Had she gone home? But he had told her he would pick her up this morning—was she on duty?

Xue Jin felt this was possible, so he calmed down and decided to wait, while focusing his attention on other things: the handover ceremony had already been held, but he still needed to stay at his original unit for a few more days to help the newly appointed director familiarize himself with the work.

His subordinates, knowing of his promotion, enthusiastically offered to treat him to a celebratory meal. He had entertained a group of people yesterday, and was supposed to be dragged away today, but after three days of drinking, he was really exhausted and had to cancel all his dinner invitations for today, finally having time to pick up his mistress.

He would officially start work at his new unit next Monday, so his father-in-law planned to host a dinner this weekend to pave the way for him; naturally, this dinner was very important.

Xue Jin considered the people he was to invite, thinking they were all big shots, and he had to try his best to curry favor with each of them…

especially the director-general, that guy was a seasoned veteran, and he would need to rely on him for many things in the future. Perhaps he should pay him a visit before the weekend dinner to show his respect.

Xue Jin meticulously considered the implications, turning the phone over and over in his mind, and decided it was essential. He flicked off the long cigarette ash, took out his business card holder, and found the director's phone number.

"Okay, okay, Director Fan, it's settled then..." Xue Jin had just finished speaking and put away his phone when he looked up and saw Lian Yu slowly walking out of a classroom.

The little girl glanced in his direction, then lowered her head and continued walking.

Two minutes later, Lian Yu finally reached the jeep. Xue Jin had already unlocked it, and after she got in, he stepped on the gas, and the car steadily drove onto the asphalt road. As

Xue Jin drove, he observed the little girl's expression: her face was tense, and she seemed very unhappy. He rarely saw her smile, but today she was clearly preoccupied.

"Why are you so late?" Xue Jin asked casually.

"Nothing," Lian Yu replied simply, not wanting to talk to him.

"..." Xue Jin glanced sideways slightly, showing no reaction, then asked, "What do you want to eat today?"

Lately, Xue Jin had been eating out mostly, entertaining clients until late at night. Bai Sisi didn't dare say anything, and Xue Jin didn't take her seriously. But Lian Yu was different. He hadn't eaten with her for several days, so he had to spend some quality time with her today!

Although Xue Jin was busy, he usually went to Lian Yu's place after his dinners, regardless of the time. Once, he even knocked on the little girl's door at midnight, startling Lian Yu who was sleeping.

Lian Yu had complained before, but Xue Jin ignored her, coming and going as he pleased. Clearly, he considered himself the head of the household, free to come and go as he pleased.

Of course, he also enjoyed the little girl's body quite a bit. Usually, every Friday, his desire would surge, and he would torment Lian Yu repeatedly. Since the next day was the weekend, he wasn't worried about her not being able to get out of bed.

Despite this, he often felt unsatisfied, and every now and then he would act crazy regardless of the time, which Lian Yu found extremely distressing, but she was helpless.

To make himself more comfortable in his small apartment, Xue Jin bought a computer and placed it in the small living room. Sometimes he would bring work home and stay until very late, not wanting to go home, but even then, he had no reason to stay overnight…

Because of her previous mistake, Bai Sisi had left Xue Jin with leverage, so she had been very well-behaved lately: leaving work early and diligently managing the household chores. As for Xue Jin's work-related social engagements, she unconditionally supported them.

“Anything is fine, just something light.” Lian Yu leaned her head against the car window, her eyes fixed on the passing scenery.

“Can you make the lotus root porridge I taught you last time?” Xue Jin intentionally wanted to train her cooking skills; he preferred his little one to serve him, both physically and practically.

“It’s awful.” Lian Yu pouted and muttered.

“What?” Xue Jin didn’t quite understand.

"That porridge wasn't very good. Teach me something better next time." Lian Yu didn't like lotus root, but Xue Jin's cooking was quite good. However, when she cooked it herself, the taste was completely different. Lian Yu blamed the lotus root: she never thought it was delicious, so she felt it was only natural that she couldn't make it taste good.

Xue Jin stared at her for a few seconds, then chuckled, "So what do you think is delicious?"

"Shark fin..." Lian Yu replied without thinking. She hadn't heard of anything else, but she knew shark fin was a good thing.

"Oh~" Xue Jin smiled even more broadly. He knew the little girl had just said it casually, but he was rich, and since she mentioned it, that would be it for today.

Xue Jin nodded and teased, "Since you want to eat, your husband will definitely satisfy you. Shark fin, right? Let's go! To a seafood restaurant~"

Lian Yu turned to look at him, seeing his serious expression, and opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end, she didn't make a sound, only secretly rolling her eyes at Xue Jin.

She was unhappy today, so she should eat something good.

The sixty-first auspicious money

car drove for more than twenty minutes and stopped at a hotel. The valet jogged over, just as Xue Jin got out of the car.

"Sir, this way please." The valet enthusiastically stretched out his hand, as if a golden road lay ahead. Xue Jin straightened his back and nodded.

"Quite a few people." Xue Jin said casually.

"Yes, our business is always good. You haven't been here for a while, have you?" The valet said with a grin, while his eyes glanced at the little girl standing to the side.

He was very surprised: What kind of place was their Jingtao Tower? The people who came were all powerful and wealthy, but most of them were there to discuss business. Why did this man bring a young girl today?

Was it a family dinner? This occasion seemed a bit inappropriate. And if this man was having an affair, the age difference seemed incongruous...

The younger brother rolled his eyes, lost in his own thoughts.

Xue Jin forced a smile, took out a tip from his pocket and handed it to him: "Hehe, who would come here to spend money if there's nothing wrong? When it comes to ripping people off, you're second to none in City A."

The underling still smiled, but inwardly thought the customer's words were quite true: that's how the catering industry is; high-end customers pay for the environment and class. Their average spending is generally 3000 per person, which is indeed quite expensive.

"Thank you, boss. You can tell you're rich. I'll go park your car for you right now." The underling flattered him for a couple of words, took the tip, picked up the car keys, and got into the Jeep.

Parking at Jingtao Tower is tiered. There's a self-service parking lot in front of the building, which has security guards, but they're not responsible if anything is stolen. Then there's the paid underground parking lot, where the hotel is fully responsible if there's any problem with the car.

Lian Yu stood to the side, his eyes wide, taking in the vast space clearly. It was huge, and the towering building in front of him was also very impressive.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Xue Jin leaned forward, pointing to the two yellow dragons circling on the rooftop.

Lian Yu nodded. Actually, she didn't care much for dragons; no matter how well they were carved, they were still lifeless objects. But in the eyes of some wealthy people, these two were definitely symbols of riches.

Xue Jin naturally placed his hand on the little girl's shoulder, and the two walked forward side by side. "They have everything here. Didn't you want to eat something good? This is the best place."

Lian Yu felt the weight on her shoulder, and without thinking, she shrugged and took a few quick steps. Xue Jin's large hand slid down.

Xue Jin suddenly seemed greatly insulted, standing there motionless, his eyes fixed on the small figure in front of him, as if he wanted to pounce on her...

Lian Yu noticed the silence behind her and was startled. She knew her behavior had definitely angered him. She was both afraid and angry: afraid that he would get angry—although her uncle rarely argued with her, he could be terrifying when he did; angry that he hadn't respected her in public—it was too much.

Lian Yu gritted her teeth and quickly walked to the door. The greeter said "Welcome" and opened the glass door, waiting for her to enter.

Lian Yu's face flushed red. She didn't know whether to go in or not, so she could only glance at Xue Jin: a gentle breeze ruffled Xue Jin's neatly styled hair, making it slightly disheveled, but his gait was very dashing.

The little girl secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that no matter what, he still came over.

When Xue Jin reached her, he didn't even look at her and strode straight into the store, while Lian Yu obediently followed behind him.

The waiter at the front desk asked him some questions and then arranged for the two of them to sit in the waterside hall. Although it was called a hall, it was not very large, with only a few tables, and there were artificial streams on both sides.

Xue Jin and Lian Yu chose a table near the stream and sat down. Then the waiter handed them the menu and began to describe the dishes with great enthusiasm.

Xue Jin casually flipped through the menu, while Lian Yu sat quietly to the side, watching the goldfish in the stream with interest: white, red, and spotted.

Watching them freely blowing bubbles in the water, Lian Yu felt quite content.

"Hmm, this, this, and another two ounces and four ounces of fragrant rice, please." After a moment, Xue Jin ordered two dishes.

"Anything else? Drinks?" The waiters, earning commissions, knew that the customers were wealthy, so they generally didn't care whether you could eat it or not; they just strongly recommended dishes. The more you ordered, the higher their wages.

"Nothing else, just a bottle of beer." Xue Jin said, habitually taking out his cigarette case. The waiter immediately stopped him.

"Sir, I'm sorry, smoking is prohibited in this establishment." He pointed to the sign on the wall.

Xue Jin nodded, quickly putting the cigarette case back in his pocket: "Go prepare it quickly, we're all hungry."

The waiter bowed slightly, tucked the menu under his arm, and turned to take the order.

Seeing the little girl engrossed in watching, Xue Jin bent down to examine the fish in the stream. The pebbles were irregularly shaped, but mostly quite cute, and the goldfish were lively.

"You like goldfish?" Xue Jin glanced at the little girl, a gentle smile playing on his lips, making him happy as well.

"Yes, I like them. These fish are so pretty. Back home, they're all big, black loaches, so ugly!" Lian Yu giggled twice. Looking

at her still-childlike face, Xue Jin thought, "She's such a child. She can't hide anything. She's happy when she's happy, and angry when she's angry—so innocent."

Admittedly, the cutthroat competition in his future work was inevitable. As the saying goes, "The higher you climb, the colder it gets," and everything has its advantages and disadvantages.

But this little flower, white as paper, required no effort from him. Watching her joys and sorrows, he could remain calm, simply adding to the enjoyment of life.

Xue Jin had underestimated the little gadget's importance to him. Perhaps it was intentional, or perhaps the temporary comfort had misled him, but Xue Jin felt that everything was under his control.

The sense of superiority from controlling someone made him feel great, and he no longer cared about the small scuffle in the parking lot. After all, he was so much older than her; he wouldn't be so childish as to argue with a child over such a trivial matter.

The man was about to say something when, coincidentally, a waiter came over and placed the beer on the table: "Sir, would you like to open it?"

Xue Jin nodded. Nothing else had arrived yet, but the beer was the first thing that came, and it was indeed the most convenient.

The waiter gently moved the bottle opener, and the cap came off. He took the cap, looked at it, and then smiled slightly at the customer: "Sir, you're very lucky; you've won a prize."

Xue Jin also felt happy and smiled back: "Really? What prize? What prize?"

"Uh, second prize, 100 yuan." The waiter handed over the bottle cap, and Xue Jin looked at it, still smiling.

"Would you like to come with me to the front desk to collect your prize?"

Xue Jin placed the bottle cap on the table, turned around, and saw that Lian Yu was also paying attention. He raised an eyebrow and said to her, "Xiao Yu, you go collect it."

Lian Yu was taken aback, then immediately shook her head, looking shy.

"It's okay, you go with him. You won't get lost with him leading the way." Xue Jin said, glancing at the waiter. The young man was quick-witted and immediately chimed in.

"Little sister, come with your brother, it's not far ahead." The waiter smiled brightly, but Xue Jin was a little unhappy. No matter how he looked at it, he felt that this young man looked cunning, as if he was trying to abduct an innocent girl.

But even so, Xue Jin didn't get angry. Who was he? He still had basic manners and upbringing.

Lian Yu hesitated and looked at Xue Jin again. After he gave her an encouraging look, she carefully got off the chair and followed the waiter towards the bar.

Old Song indulged himself again today. He drank quite a bit, but wasn't drunk. His friends at the table tried to get him drunk again, and the old man, realizing things were going badly, quickly made an excuse to pee and escaped.

After going to the restroom, he didn't immediately return to the private room, but instead strolled along the stream. When he reached the waterside pavilion, he suddenly looked up and saw a familiar face.

Old Song narrowed his eyes slightly and saw Xue Jin sitting there by himself, presumably having just left with his friends. He slowly approached, and Xue Jin immediately recognized him and stood up from his seat.

"Oh, Director Song, long time no see." Xue Jin took a few steps forward, extended his hand to shake his, and couldn't help but be polite in this atmosphere.

"Yes, what have you been up to lately, brother? I heard you got promoted? Congratulations!" Old Song greeted him in a very official tone.

"Sigh~ Just getting by, next week I'll be at the Construction Department, where you'll be the big boss, haha..." Xue Jin also flattered him.

"Hehe..." Old Song waved his hand, "You still have a bright future."

"Likewise, let's not be modest, please have a seat." Xue Jin said, leading Old Song to the seat next to Lian Yu: this table was for four people.

"Who are you having dinner with?" Old Song looked at the two sets of bowls and chopsticks and asked casually.

To be honest, Old Song didn't take Xue Jin seriously before. A director? What's so great about him? But now, he couldn't underestimate this man anymore. But then again, no matter how capable Xue Jin was, wasn't he still relying on his father-in-law? Thinking of this, Old Song felt very resentful. If he had won Bai Sisi's heart back then, he would definitely be more successful now, even more successful than Xue Jin.

Despite thinking this, Old Song's face showed no disappointment or jealousy, only warmth and gentleness.

"A little niece." Xue Jin was also very surprised when he saw Old Song: Jingtao Pavilion was very large, and his place was quite remote. He really didn't expect to run into an acquaintance.

But thinking about it, it wasn't surprising, since most corrupt government officials came here; Xue Jin hadn't lied to Lao Song, and if Lian Yu came back later and saw them, there would be no way to explain.

"Really?" Lao Song was quite surprised, then immediately changed his expression: "Uh, a niece? Your uncle is really nice, willing to spend so much money on her."

A niece eating alone? If she was a close relative, why didn't Bai Sisi and his son come? Lao Song had some ideas, so he originally planned to chat and leave, but now he had the idea of finding out the girl's true colors.

Xue Jin chatted with him, but the more they talked, the more he felt something was wrong. This guy didn't seem to have any intention of leaving! Xue Jin felt anxious: he felt a little guilty.

Jingtao Pavilion was large, and the checkout counter was a bit far from the waterside hall. Several groups of customers were checking out, so Lian Yu waited there for a while, occasionally feeling strange looks from others. This made the little girl uncomfortable, so she stood a little further away from the counter, waiting for a shorter time before going over.

Lian Yu clutched a hundred yuan note in her hand. Turning a corner, she saw Xue Jin, and also noticed other people at the table. This made her pause, carefully examining the man's back.

Xue Jin also saw her, and Old Song sensed something. Turning around, he saw the little girl standing there: she was indeed very young, his niece.

But Old Song had tried everything, and had been infatuated with prostitutes for a time. Now he was even more interested, leaning over to Xue Jin and saying, "How old is your little niece? Why don't you come over?"

Xue Jin really wanted to slap this fly: he was so clueless, playing with his own wife, and now he was 'coveting' his little wife—deserving of death, utterly deserving of death.

"Hehe, she's shy." Xue Jin remained expressionless, beckoning Lian Yu over.

Upon closer inspection, Old Song was delighted to see the little girl's large, watery eyes: "Your niece is very pretty! Why are her eyes a bit blue? Is she mixed race?"

Xue Jin gestured for Lian Yu to sit next to him. The little girl kept her head down, seemingly embarrassed.

"Yes, I guess so." Xue Jin had asked Lian Yu the same question, but the little girl couldn't answer.

Old Song waited for Xue Jin to introduce them further, but seeing that the other man didn't seem interested and instead engaged him in small talk, he felt bored. He also harbored doubts about the uncle-niece relationship, but since the parties involved were tight-lipped, it wouldn't be appropriate for him to ask directly.

Old Song was inherently shameless and highly sensitive to sordid matters; he could detect even the slightest anomaly. However, he wasn't entirely confident about these two.

Bai Sisi has been ignoring him lately. Forget about sleeping together, even her tone on the phone has become colder. He wondered what was wrong.

Thinking about this, Lao Song suddenly had a sudden realization: could Xue Jin have discovered something? But he immediately dismissed the thought. If he had really exposed himself, would Xue Jin still be able to chat and laugh with him so easily?

He stroked his chin, pondering this question. Just then, the first dish Xue Jin ordered arrived. Lao Song immediately stood up. No matter how curious he was, he couldn't just stand there watching them eat!

After seeing Lao Song off, Lian Yu immediately sat back down opposite Xue Jin, pursed her lips, and continued watching her goldfish, not even glancing at the dishes on the table.

"After dinner, shall we go to the flower, bird, and fish market and buy you some goldfish to play with?" Xue Jin said, pouring out two glasses of beer.

"..." Lian Yu's expressionless face softened slightly with anger. She turned to look at the dishes on the table, then immediately remembered something.

She placed the 100 yuan in front of Xue Jin.

"This money is yours," Xue Jin said, pushing it back.

"I don't want it," Lian Yu insisted.

"How about it be your errand fee? It was an unexpected windfall, consider it a lucky money, and all this kind of money will be yours from now on." Without further ado, Xue Jin grabbed the little girl's hand and stuffed the RMB into her hand.

Lian Yu thought for a moment, then looked at Xue Jin's resolute expression, and had no choice but to accept it: taking it for free is fine, no one hates money.

But as soon as she picked up her chopsticks, she noticed a problem: the half-empty glass of beer in front of her.

Chapter Sixty-Two: Alcohol

"I don't drink," Lian Yu said, biting her chopsticks, her eyes filled with a childlike innocence, and a hint of reproach—how old was she? Besides, she was still a girl.

In Lian Yu's impression, rural people were all very proper. It wasn't unusual for grown men to drink, but young wives usually didn't drink heavily. Only some elderly women would have a couple of drinks, and adults certainly didn't encourage minors like her.

So Lian Yu was somewhat puzzled and even more dissatisfied with men.

"It's okay to drink a little," Xue Jin said happily today, in fact, he had been in a good mood these past few days.

"..." Lian Yu took her chopsticks out of her mouth and placed them on the table, her mind filled with unhappy thoughts. People say to drown your sorrows in alcohol, but she wondered if it would work.

Then she glanced at Xue Jin, who had already raised his full glass to his chest.

"Drink as much as you can, the rest is for me." Xue Jin gave her an encouraging look, his face beaming.

Hearing this, the little girl hesitated, picked up her glass, and lightly clinked it against his. She didn't drink immediately, but watched Xue Jin take a big gulp.

The man drank with a sense of enjoyment and boldness, and Lian Yu was also eager to try: this beer smelled a bit pungent, she wondered what it would taste like.

Thinking this, the little girl lowered her eyes, took a small sip, and ah! The beer was ice-cold, slightly cool as it went down her throat, and tasted a little bitter, a little spicy, and a little...

Lian Yu didn't want to savor it anymore; just those two flavors made her feel uncomfortable. She breathed out with her mouth half-open, frowning and glaring at Xue Jin.

"What's wrong? Is it hard to drink?" Xue Jin chuckled, taking another sip himself; he'd downed more than half the glass.

"..." Lian Yu touched her cheeks, which were slightly flushed, and pouted, "What do you think?"

"I said? I said it's delicious! You only had one sip and didn't taste its goodness. A few more sips and you'll understand," Xue Jin said earnestly. Lian

Yu was skeptical, glancing down at the glass again before taking another small sip.

"You're lying! This stuff is awful, spicy, bitter, and has a strange smell..." This time, Lian Yu truly tasted the peculiarity; the beer had a strange, indescribable smell.

Xue Jin, who had almost finished his drink, heard her evaluation and immediately sprayed the small amount of beer into the glass. For some reason, he coughed.

Lian Yu realized she'd misspoke; who says beer has a strange smell? But she really did think... well...

Xue Jin looked around, thankfully there weren't many people nearby. The little girl's opinion on beer was quite unique. He picked up a wet wipe from the table, wiped the beer stains from the corner of his mouth, and his eyes narrowed into slits with laughter.

Lian Yu blushed under his gaze and couldn't lift his head.

"Sexy? I like sexy. If you don't like it, give it all to me." Looking at the girl's shy appearance, Xue Jin recalled how she looked in bed, and his blood boiled. His words carried a hint of lewdness.

The little girl sensed the inappropriateness in his words and gave him a look.

Lian Yu froze, quickly lowered his head, picked up his chopsticks, and randomly poked at the food in the dish. He couldn't taste anything.

Xue Jin realized the little guy was frightened by him, so he didn't tease him any further. He calmed himself down, called the waiter for a new glass, and then sipped his beer.

Lian Yu was somewhat restless. He sipped the awful beer little by little. What it tasted like didn't matter anymore; he just drank it, mechanically eating his meal.

When she put down her chopsticks, she realized that she had almost finished the half-glass of beer.

Xue Jin picked up a toothpick, his eyes a little cloudy. He had drunk a little over a bottle and wasn't drunk, but the little girl was different; her cheeks were flushed, and her beautiful eyes were starting to glaze over.

When they called for the bill, the waiter brought it over. It came to 5600. Lian Yu's eyes widened in surprise. Just two dishes cost so much?

Although the money was Xue Jin's, she still felt it wasn't worth it. But seeing that her uncle didn't even frown, quickly glanced at the bill, and took out a bank card from his wallet,

she thought, "Xiao Yu, go swipe the card for him. The PIN is 770802." Xue Jin's was a Bank of Communications credit card. He didn't usually carry much cash; he usually used his card for large transactions.

As for the PIN, it was obviously his birthdate.

Lian Yu subconsciously took the card, but her expression was blank, then she became a little flustered. The alcohol made her reaction a beat slower: she had never used such a thing before.

"Miss, please follow me." The waiter said, already walking ahead. Xue Jin, toothpick in his mouth, gestured with his chin, signaling her to follow.

"Go on, don't forget the receipt."

Lian Yu hesitated for a moment, but still got off the chair and walked lightly forward. Whether it was psychological or the effect of the alcohol itself, Lian Yu felt light on her feet and in a good mood.

When they got to the counter to pay, they found that swiping the card was actually very simple. Just do what they are told. After getting the receipt, Xue Jin scratched it open with the tip of his chopsticks and laughed.

He had won 50 yuan, which was an unexpected bonus and went into Lian Yu's wallet.

When the two got into the car, Xue Jin was still smiling. He didn't rush to start the car but turned to look at the little girl: his eyes were bright.

Lian Yu was probably a bit drunk, and she also stared at him blankly without looking away. When Xue Jin leaned in, Lian Yu opened her mouth without thinking.

The next moment, two tongues, one big and one small, intertwined.

Lian Yu felt her heart pounding, so hot. Her uncle's tongue, carrying a hint of alcohol, invaded her senses, his hot breath almost setting her ablaze.

Just as the two were deeply entangled in their intimacy, a piercing horn blared in their ears.

They quickly separated, glancing to the side. Inside the other car were several men. Upon closer inspection, Xue Jin's heart sank slightly: it was Lao Song!

Xue Jin's car and Lao Song's group's car were parked side-by-side, very close together. Because the driver's handrails were weak, there was only a 1cm gap, making it difficult for him to avoid accidentally scratching the other car. That's why he honked his horn, signaling for them to move.

They had already drunk quite a bit, and seeing the other man kissing someone in his car, they wanted to tease him, but they hadn't expected it to be an acquaintance.

Seeing this, Old Song perked up and quickly jumped out of his car. Xue Jin, sensing trouble, started the car rapidly, steering and accelerating almost instinctively, not caring if he scratched the other car.

While the others were praising Xue Jin's driving skills, Old Song only saw billowing black smoke from behind the car. He felt indignant, thinking, "He's really fast! Do you think I'm going to eat you?"

Actually, most people who are out there have affairs, but he hadn't expected that even Bai Sisi's supposedly perfect husband was into this. It seems all men are the same. Old Song was initially resentful; Bai Sisi had portrayed her husband as perfect, but now he'd finally seen something fishy. He couldn't help but want to make a sarcastic remark about Xue Jin, but the man, feeling guilty, slipped away quickly.

Old Song was very disappointed, but beyond disappointment, he didn't think much of it. After all, he was a man; there was no need to gossip about something so unseemly. He wasn't exactly a saint either.

"Do you recognize him?" Back in the car, the guys noticed Lao Song's unusual behavior and asked.

"He looks kind of familiar," Lao Song muttered. The guys didn't ask anything more and started the car to continue: the nightlife was just beginning, next destination was a karaoke bar.

Lian Yu, though drunk on beer and quick-witted, also sensed something was off about the atmosphere earlier.

That uncle from the restaurant had seen them kissing in the car—how embarrassing! What was wrong with her? How could she have been with Uncle Xue…

Lian Yu felt a pang of regret thinking about what had just happened, and her face turned even redder.

Xue Jin, driving, calmed himself down: it wasn't a big deal, just picking up a girl. All men are womanizers; he'd just been too good at pretending. Now that his true colors were revealed, he felt a little lost. So

what if Lao Song saw it? If he really spread rumors and it reached Bai Sisi's ears, he wasn't afraid. What could he do without evidence? Besides, Bai Sisi's shameful deeds were now undeniable; she wouldn't dare to be arrogant towards him.

Xue Jin, his mood calming down, reached out and grabbed the little girl's soft hand, kneading it repeatedly.

"Xiaoyu, your hands are so small and soft, you can hardly feel the bones, like a ball of cotton," Xue Jin said in a light tone, showering her with sweet words.

Cotton? The little girl rolled her eyes.

"What's wrong? Did I say something wrong? My mother said that girls with hands like this will have good fortune in the future," Xue Jin continued.

Lian Yu turned to look at him, unsure if he was telling the truth.

"I'm not lying to you," Xue Jin smiled gently, "and I looked closely at your face; it's very auspicious for marriage."

"Hmph, you're lying! You can read faces?" Lian Yu felt he was making fun of her; the alcohol raging in her blood made her exceptionally bold.

"Of course I can! You just won so many prizes, isn't that proof? You have good fortune in unexpected wealth; you'll have benefactors to help you in the future, and you'll definitely have a happy life," Xue Jin said, trying to win the little girl over.

Benefactors? The benefactor was him, wasn't he? Thinking of Xue Jin, a smug smile crept across his face.

Everyone loves to hear compliments, and Lian Yu, being naive, felt a surge of joy upon hearing his words.

"So stay with your uncle, and I won't mistreat you. When you're older, I'll give you an apartment, and after you graduate from university, I'll help you get a good job. You won't have to worry for the rest of your life!" Xue Jin was fully capable of providing all of this. If Lian Yu was still with him by then, he would accept it.

The apartment and the job were worth the investment, he felt, and this was completely different from how he had previously deceived her with these benefits. Now he was serious.

Of course, it would be at least seven or eight years after she graduated, and by then his career would be much bigger. This small sum of money would be nothing compared to what she had received. After being with him for so long, everything he had promised was what she deserved.

Xue Jin was playful, but he never truly wanted to take responsibility. One reason he changed women so frequently was to avoid emotional entanglements; over time, women become greedy.

Lian Yu felt that the future Xue Jin painted for her was beautiful, yet somewhat disharmonious. After all, they were so far apart in age, he had a family, and besides, did she really like him?

The little girl's innocent first love was Cheng Chaoyang. Thinking of him, Lian Yu's eyes dimmed. She had moved out for so long, and he hadn't come to visit her at school.

(Haven't he come? Lian Yu just hadn't noticed.)

"Uncle, didn't you say you'd buy me goldfish?" Lian Yu composed herself, trying to cheer herself up.

"Oh~~, I almost forgot. Let's go now." Xue Jin said, turning the car around and driving towards the flower, bird, and fish market. The

flower, bird, and fish market was huge, with four floors.

As soon as they entered the first floor, Lian Yu was captivated by the flowers and plants. She looked at this and touched that, finding them novel and interesting, especially the blooming flowers, which she would linger over.

Xue Jin, carrying her handbag, followed behind her, patiently watching her browse.

"Is this pretty?" Lian Yu was soon drawn to a large spider plant, tugged at its petals, and asked Xue Jin with a grin.

The man nodded: "Not bad, buy it if you like it." "

How much is this, sir?" Lian Yu quickly asked the price. After

visiting a few more shops, Xue Jin felt this wouldn't work. If he let the little girl have her way, he didn't know how long he'd be able to keep up with her whims.

"Xiao Yu, let's go to the second floor. We're here to buy goldfish; we can come back another day." Xue Jin glanced at his watch; time was tight, and he wanted to go back and hold the little girl a little longer.

Lian Yu nodded and led the way to the stairs.

The counters on the second floor were more organized than those on the first floor. Rows of large fish tanks swam with all sorts of fish, each one lively and spirited.

Although they said they were buying goldfish, the shopkeeper was shrewd and also introduced several other, more expensive varieties. The little girl's mind raced, unsure which to choose.

Finally, Xue Jin made the decision: "Shopkeeper, which fish is the easiest to keep alive?"

In the end, Xue Jin ordered several goldfish and a pleco, arranging for delivery on the weekend, and also bought an aquarium.

When the two left the market, the stars were already twinkling outside. Lian Yu had mixed feelings. She sat in the back of the car, holding a large flowerpot, thinking for a while.

Seeing that Xue Jin seemed to be in a good mood today, Lian Yu decided it was time to speak: "Uncle, I want to see my brother!"

Xue Jin glanced at her in the rearview mirror, expressionless, and didn't reply.

"You promised me you'd take me after you finished this busy period!" Lian Yu's face immediately fell, and she said hastily.

Xue Jin's eyes shone brightly, a strange glint in them, as if he were lost in thought.

"How could you go back on your word?" Lian Yu was furious, her voice sharp. This was the thing she cared about most, and it was what Xue Jin had promised her.

Chapter Sixty-Three:

Promises Will Always Come. Xue Jin had considered Lian Jun's situation, and now that the little girl had made a request, it seemed he couldn't refuse any longer.

Xue Jin gripped the steering wheel, his gaze fixed intently on the road ahead.

"I didn't go back on my word," he said calmly. Although he didn't look at the little girl's expression, he imagined that her angry face had softened somewhat.

"..." After a few minutes of silence, Lian Yu, who was almost in tears from not receiving a response, was clearly startled by his words.

She took a deep breath, suppressing the rising sadness.

"What do you mean? Are you going to take me?" Lian Yu tried her best to control her intense emotions, and although her face remained calm, the slight upturn of her lips betrayed her true feelings.

Xue Jin fell silent and brought the car to a firm stop at the red light.

Lian Yu waited for more than ten seconds, but the man remained silent. Her heart pounded with anxiety, and she almost wanted to loudly question his intentions, but ultimately dared not be presumptuous.

"Are you taking me or not? What time is it? Aren't you taking me?" Lian Yu's little face was all scrunched up, looking rather pitiful.

Xue Jin remained unmoved, continuing to remain silent, his face expressionless.

Lian Yu was now truly losing her temper. She threw the flowerpot she was carrying aside, got up from her seat, and leaned forward, placing her small hand on the man's shoulder and shaking it vigorously.

"Say something!" At this moment, Lian Yu was anxious for her brother, and taking advantage of having drunk a little alcohol, she first shook him, then began punching Xue Jin's shoulder with her small fists to vent her anger.

"You lied to me, you're a liar, you always lie to me."

Seeing her red-rimmed eyes, Xue Jin's heart softened. He grabbed the little girl's arm. "Stop it, I'm driving."

"Mmm~~" Lian Yu realized her behavior was inappropriate and could be dangerous, but she was still defiant, glaring at Xue Jin with her beautiful eyes and whining.

"Can't you talk to me properly? How do you talk to your husband like that?" Xue Jin frowned and began to lecture her as she quieted down.

Lian Yu, thinking he was just making a false accusation, blurted out, "Who's my husband? You're not! I'm not married yet!"

Xue Jin's face immediately darkened, and he pulled over to the side of the road and stopped.

"What did you say?" He turned around, staring fiercely at the little girl and asked coldly.

Lian Yu was terrified, but thinking of Xue Jin's despicable behavior, she immediately mustered her courage and met his gaze with feigned bravery: "It's clearly your fault, why should I be afraid of you?"

Looking at her huffy little face, Xue Jin's anger inexplicably dissipated, and he smiled helplessly: "What's he doing, arguing with a little girl?"

Xue Jin felt a pang of unease. He had been serious about so many things with Lian Yu; this was unlike him. But he cared—damnly cared about her opinion of him, damnably cared about his place in her heart.

Lian Yu was somewhat confused by his smile, but her tension had lessened. She muttered, "What kind of husband are you? Going back on your promises! I don't want a husband like that."

The girl spoke softly, but Xue Jin heard her clearly, and the effect was obvious; her beautiful smiling face instantly tensed.

"Are you still not done? Don't you really want to see your brother?" Xue Jin shouted at the little girl.

Lian Yu gasped, almost simultaneously regretting her words: had she angered him again? Lian Yu knew that only Xue Jin could help her now; his anger wouldn't do her any good, but at the same time, she felt utterly helpless and frustrated.

Pouting, Lian Yu felt a bellyful of grievances with nowhere to vent, and tears streamed down her face. She didn't want to talk to him anymore. She turned around, and the little girl sat back in the back seat.

Xue Jin said nothing, started the car, and drove off, only occasionally catching glimpses of the little girl's slightly trembling shoulders in the rearview mirror.

By the end of October in City A, there were already signs of autumn. Although it was hot during the day, the temperature dropped significantly at night. People strolled in groups on the streets, and gusts of autumn wind rustled the leaves. Various ancient buildings appeared more solemn and dignified under the lights, while the towering skyscrapers made people feel small and desolate.

Looking at the dazzling world outside the window, Lian Yu felt like a bird trapped in a cage, unable to escape, unable to run away, and unable to see the road ahead…

The little girl was lost in thought the whole way. Before she knew it, they arrived at her home. Xue Jin opened the car door, took the flowerpot from her, and the two went upstairs together.

After entering the room, Xue Jin placed the flower on the windowsill, drew the curtains, and then climbed into bed, watching the little girl going in and out of the room, seemingly busy with something.

Xue Jin frantically pressed buttons on the remote control, and finally noticed that Lian Yu had found some clothes somewhere.

“What are you doing?” Xue Jin glanced at her.

“I’m washing clothes,” Lian Yu replied sullenly, her tone not very pleasant.

“What clothes are you washing tonight? Come here and lie down with me for a while,” Xue Jin said gently, knowing she was unhappy.

“…” Lian Yu was reluctant and stood in the middle of the room, stunned and unmoving.

“I’ll be back soon, come on, be good… lie down with me for a while.” Xue Jin continued to coax her, patting the spot next to him.

Lian Yu put her clothes back in the storage box, slipped on her slippers and walked over, placing her feet on the edge of the bed and leaning to one side.

“Take off your shoes, I’ll hug you.”

The little girl lifted her leg, and her two slippers landed with a clatter. Lian Yu had originally thought of swinging them, hoping they would hit the ceiling and then fall on Xue Jin’s face… but in the end, it was just a thought; she didn’t have that kind of courage.

Xue Jin frowned, stretched out his long arm, and pulled her into his arms, but the little girl was stiff all over, like a piece of wood, and even turned her back to him.

Xue Jin turned her little face and tried to kiss her, but the little thing’s eyes were glancing sideways at the TV, clearly not wanting to be intimate with him. Xue Jin didn’t give up and leaned forward to kiss her little mouth again, but it was tightly closed, without even a gap.

Xue Jin got angry, determined not to lose control of her tongue. His thick tongue powerfully roamed between her lips, and just as he was about to succeed, Lian Yu suddenly shoved him hard, letting out a muffled groan, and then looked at him with accusing eyes.

Xue Jin pursed his lips, met her gaze for a few seconds, and then realized that the little thing was really defying him, and very resolutely resisting his intimate actions.

Xue Jin sighed, lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling, seemingly lost in thought.

"I'll take you to xx farm next weekend."

Lian Yu paused for a second, then quickly got out of bed. She stared blankly at Xue Jin, seemingly unsure of what she had heard: she had almost given up hope.

"Why are you looking at me?" Xue Jin smiled slightly, with a hint of teasing.

"Are you serious?" Lian Yu tilted her head, biting her lip, even though she knew she looked ridiculous, she still wanted to be sure.

Seeing the little girl's shy expression, wanting to laugh but not daring to, Xue Jin raised the corners of his mouth and nodded.

This time, Lian Yu could finally smile with relief. She lowered her head shyly, her small hands on her cheeks, tilting her neck – she looked adorable.

"You're getting more and more spoiled these days, even giving me attitude..." Xue Jin said, feigning displeasure, one hand behind his head.

"I...I didn't!" Lian Yu blushed, glared at him, and quickly changed the subject: "Do you want some tea? I'll go boil some water for you?"

Xue Jin smiled and glanced at his watch; there was still more than an hour until 11 o'clock, so he agreed. Lian Yu happily jumped out of bed and ran into the kitchen.

Xue Jin stared blankly at the door for a while, then took out his phone and dialed a number for an acquaintance at the farm. The call connected, but no one answered. After a few seconds, a voice came through: "Hello, who is it?"

Xue Jin was startled; it was a woman's voice. He immediately recognized her voice: "Hello, this is Xue Jin, the warden of XX Prison. I need to speak with Xiao Dong."

There was silence on the other end, but soon a man spoke: "Ah, sorry, my wife answered the phone just now. Hello, hello."

Xue Jin remained noncommittal, knowing perfectly well that this man was henpecked.

"Uh, it's alright. I'm the one who should be apologizing. It's so late, and I'm bothering you." Xue Jin said politely. He did have something on his mind, something he couldn't let go of, otherwise he wouldn't have disturbed their rest.

"It's alright, we just turned off the lights too. Hehe, if there's anything you need, please let me know." Xiao Dong said respectfully.

"I have a small matter I wanted to ask you about. How are Lian Jun and Chen Lin, who came from our prison, doing lately?" Xue Jin didn't want to waste any more words and went straight to the point.

"..." The other party hesitated slightly: "Chen Lin is alright, but Lian Jun has come to me several times, saying he wants to be transferred, even if it means going back to prison. I've been following your instructions and haven't agreed."

"Oh..." Xue Jin responded insincerely: "Is that all?"

"From what I understand, it's more than that. It seems there's some conflict between Chen Lin and Lian Jun. They've fought several times, and once Lian Jun was even beaten so badly he ended up in the clinic." "

Hmm, is it a minor issue?" Xue Jin glanced at Lian Yu as she entered.

"It's fine, he's all better now, but I gave him a major demerit." Xiao Dong said smugly, with a hint of self-satisfaction.

"Really? Well done. His sister wants to visit him next week, could you give her five minutes for a visit?" Xue Jin said this deliberately for Lian Yu to hear.

The little girl, who had been watching TV by the door, immediately turned to look at them upon hearing this.

"No problem, any other instructions?" Xiao Dong had received a favor from Xue Jin, and now he would do whatever the other party said, as long as it wasn't too outrageous.

"That's all, that's all for now, thank you." Xue Jin hung up the phone, and the little girl quickly came to his side. Xue Jin sat up from the bed and hugged her tightly.

"Did you hear everything? I didn't lie to you, did I?" Xue Jin kissed her cheek.

"Yes, you didn't lie to me, I'm very happy, thank you." Lian Yu let him kiss her, her mind completely elsewhere, drifting to the farm where her brother was.

Xue Jin noticed that she seemed overly excited and not focused, so he let her go and continued, "The farm is relatively free, but the food and lodging are very tough. What do you want to bring your brother? We'll go buy it this weekend."

Lian Yu smiled broadly, her little face flushed, and nodded repeatedly.

"I wonder how my brother is doing?" she seemed to be talking to herself.

Suddenly, a piercing buzzing sound came from the kitchen, indicating that the water had boiled. Lian Yu immediately put on her slippers and ran to the kitchen. A moment later, Lian Yu brought back a small table and placed the tea set on it.

Xue Jin couldn't live without two things: tea and cigarettes. Smoking was an old habit, while tea was a recent pastime, especially when he came to Lian Yu's place. He almost always asked her to brew him tea, which was a personal little pleasure.

Nowadays, drinking tea is fashionable in both official and business circles. Of course, the art of tea is very particular, and the young girl couldn't fully understand it, but she still brewed tea quite skillfully.

The tea that Xue Jin brought was a gift from someone, a green tea worth several thousand yuan per ounce, which could be considered top-grade.

Lian Yu put the tea leaves into a special glass teapot, poured in hot water, and watched the dry leaves slowly unfurl and expand, like a baby stretching its limbs. The water almost instantly turned a clear yellow...

The young girl's movements were already very skilled, and she was very serious about each step. Finally, a cup of fragrant tea was placed in front of the man.

"Xiaoyu, you're so skillful. I'm so lucky." Xue Jin was already sitting on the edge of the bed, looking at the light mist, and unconsciously praising her.

The little girl was in a good mood, and his praise made her even more proud.

After finishing their tea, the two snuggled in the blankets to watch TV. After a while, the phone suddenly rang, and Xue Jin quickly grabbed the remote and muted it.

"Hello!" Xue Jin looked at the number; it was a call from home.

"Honey, are you done with your work?" Bai Sisi's voice was gentle. It was already late, and Xue Jin hadn't come home yet. She couldn't help but worry. Hearing the silence on the other end, she suddenly felt restless.

Something felt off.

"Yeah, almost. You should go to sleep." Xue Jin replied indifferently.

"Where are you?" Bai Sisi asked seriously.

"At the teahouse, talking business with some friends. I have to leave soon." Xue Jin said casually.

"Oh~~." Bai Sisi had some doubts, but she didn't dare to confirm them. She was afraid that if she guessed wrong, she would anger Xue Jin.

"Then come back early, be careful on the road." Bai Sisi was still uneasy when she hung up the phone. She had always thought Xue Jin was a proper man, but recently he seemed too busy, so busy that he neglected her. In fact, it seemed that he had never cared about her at all. Was it because they were both too independent and too focused on their careers?

Bai Sisi lay on the bed anxiously, wondering to herself, why didn't she ask him which teahouse he was at?

Xue Jin put his phone on the bedside table and lit a cigarette. Bai Sisi rarely checked up on him, but coming home late for several days in a row, a woman would inevitably have complaints, so he should be careful.

"I'll leave after I finish this cigarette." Xue Jin turned to the little girl and said.

Lian Yu nodded, feeling a little guilty: Uncle has a wife and children, what am I? A mistress? A vixen?

Lian Yu never wanted to be categorized like that. She was confused, and she hoped to get rid of it as soon as possible... 06-04 Chapter Sixty-Four Chaos

Xue Jin drove home after midnight.

Entering the dark living room, he put down his handbag and car keys, took off his clothes, and went to the bathroom to shower before going into the bedroom.

Only a dim nightlight illuminated the room. Using the faint light, Xue Jin opened the wardrobe, picked out a nightgown, put it on, climbed into bed, and pulled back the covers.

Bai Sisi had been awake the whole time; she had been watching his movements ever since he entered.

The bed trembled slightly, and Xue Jin settled comfortably beside her. Bai Sisi, preoccupied with something, turned over restlessly, facing Xue Jin.

She opened her eyes, looking at the man's profile: a high, straight nose, long eyelashes, sharply defined features, and a sensual masculinity.

Bai Sisi had to admit she had found a handsome man, but why wasn't she satisfied? The man's busy schedule these past few days, their lack of conversation, and their infrequent sex life all made her uneasy. Especially the time he caught her red-handed, his shrewdness and ruthlessness made her suddenly realize that she didn't seem to fully understand this man.

Xue Jin felt the intense gaze from beside him. He muttered with his eyes closed, "Why aren't you asleep yet?"

"I can't sleep," Bai Sisi said, moving closer to him.

Xue Jin didn't like her closeness. In the dead of night, a woman saying this was usually an implication: she wanted it, she needed to have sex.

Xue Jin and she had long since passed the seven-year itch; now, there was more of a bland calm. But at this moment, he didn't even want to fulfill his duties as a husband, so he simply turned over, choosing to face away from her.

Bai Sisi's heart sank, filled with anger. She pulled back the man's blanket and crawled inside.

When the woman's hand touched the man's waist, Xue Jin stiffened, almost instinctively feeling disgust. He couldn't forgive the woman's infidelity, but that was just an excuse.

He had known all along that Bai Sisi was unfaithful, but he had kept it to himself. Now that he had evidence, he could finally use this legitimate reason to neglect her. Xue Jin's behavior was quite obvious at this moment.

Bai Sisi also sensed his rejection, but she didn't want to give up. Their marriage hadn't had that kind of intimacy in a long time; it was the lubricant for their harmonious relationship. If Xue Jin didn't take the initiative, how long would she have to wait?

So, the woman confidently reached into his pajama bottoms. The heavy mass made her body heat up. Thinking of the wonderful sensations they had shared in the past, she eagerly stroked his manhood.

Xue Jin was very agitated, feeling no desire whatsoever, and his lower body was lifeless. He thought: "Let him touch me. If he can't get it up, she'll give up."

Several minutes passed, and Xue Jin's penis was still half-erect, completely unable to perform. Bai Sisi was furious. When did her man become impotent?

They hadn't done it in so long, and now he wouldn't get an erection even when she touched him. Had she given all her essence to other women?

Bai Sisi wouldn't let him off the hook. Since she couldn't get it up by touch, she'd try using her mouth. So she sat up halfway and began to move her hips against his lower body.

Xue Jin couldn't take it anymore. The moment the woman's mouth came close, he forcefully pushed her away.

"What are you doing? I'm tired, I want to sleep." Xue Jin still had his back to her, his voice icy.

"..." Bai Sisi's eyes widened as she stared intently at Xue Jin's indifferent back, wishing she could stare a hole through him. Being rejected so roughly by the man had 'trampled' her self-esteem.

"Tired? When aren't you tired?" Bai Sisi said angrily.

"It's just normal work and socializing. You know how busy I've been lately." Xue Jin sensed that the woman seemed aggrieved and thought it was better to avoid trouble, so he explained to her.

"Busy? Even if you're busy, you should think of me." Bai Sisi's tone was higher this time. "It hasn't been long, and you won't even touch me. Do you have someone else outside?"

Hearing her question, Xue Jin immediately became furious and sat bolt upright in bed.

"Do you take me for someone else? Don't be unreasonable! What do you want in the middle of the night?" Xue Jin's face was ashen, quite frightening in the dim light.

Bai Sisi gasped. This was her sore spot: she had cheated on him.

Seeing her embarrassed, her face red and pale, Xue Jin didn't want to press the matter further and lay back down.

"Go to sleep, I have a lot to do tomorrow."

Bai Sisi touched her forehead, feeling a slight pain. Xue Jin's current behavior, ignoring her, made her anxious and angry, but mostly helpless.

"I only made that one mistake, why are you treating me like this?" Bai Sisi, a pampered young lady, was unwilling to tolerate such humiliation.

Xue Jin's anger, which had just subsided, instantly flared up again. He turned around, coldly glaring at her.

"One time? You fucking say only once? When I didn't catch you, only you knew how many times you'd cheated on me. You could probably open a cuckold's shop!"

Bai Sisi's heart pounded wildly. She felt guilty, but even more so, she was furious.

"You're slandering me, you're not human, sob... Do you have any evidence? It was just that one time!" Women always cry; it's their forte. Bai Sisi wanted to gain sympathy while simultaneously emphasizing her innocence.

"Stop acting in front of me. I'm not buying it. I've tolerated you for a long time." Xue Jin's words were resolute, as if he truly possessed some secret about her.

"You're framing me, and you won't let me talk?" Bai Sisi was still suspicious, but her demeanor remained arrogant.

Xue Jin frowned, his expression somewhat ferocious. He pointed at her nose and shouted, "Shut the hell up! If you keep making a scene, we'll go to your parents and have a good talk with them!"

Bai Sisi immediately stopped crying, looking at Xue Jin with a terrified expression.

Seeing that she had finally quieted down, the man grabbed a pillow, rolled up the blanket, and walked out: he didn't want to share a bed with her anymore.

"Where are you going?" Bai Sisi reacted, her voice pleading, but she couldn't stop the man from leaving. The door slammed shut, making her heart tremble.

That night, Xue Jin slept in the living room. Bai Sisi called him twice, but couldn't get him back to the bedroom: from then on, their cold war officially began.

Two days later, on the weekend, Bai Sisi, trying to present a good image to Xue Jin, unusually made breakfast before going to work. Xue Jin looked at the food on the table but said nothing.

His son came out of the bathroom after washing his face, saw his father reading the newspaper, opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately remained silent.

Xue Jin found his hesitant expression strange, put down his newspaper, and sat down at the table with him: "Son, is there something you want to tell me?"

The little boy slowly picked up his chopsticks, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Dad, did you two have a fight that night?"

Xue Jin was speechless for a moment, unsure what to say, and simply nodded, peeling an egg for his son. After a while, he placed the smooth, white egg into his son's bowl and said, "What did you hear?"

The little boy looked up at him: "I didn't hear anything, but it's not good for you to always sleep in the living room."

Xue Jin fell silent again; he didn't know how to answer his son: he didn't want to go back to his bedroom.

Seeing that he didn't respond, the little boy thought for a moment and continued, "Dad, you've been acting strange lately."

"What's wrong?" Xue Jin was a little confused.

"You used to care a lot about my studies, but now you don't check my homework as often." Seeing that his father didn't seem to be acting strangely, the little boy continued, "Are you that busy?"

The man was speechless at this question. If Bai Sisi had asked him this, he would have been very impatient. But now it was his son's dissatisfaction, and he couldn't pretend he hadn't heard.

"I'm sorry, son, Dad has been a bit busy lately. I'll definitely make time to help you with your homework in a while." Xue Jin felt guilty at this moment.

The man understood that the little guy was about to enter puberty and was very sensitive to everything. He secretly reflected on himself: Had he been too concerned about Lian Yu and neglected his family for too long?

Just as Xue Jin's heart softened, something happened with Bai Sisi.

That day, Bai Sisi went to work as usual, but because of a quarrel with Xue Jin, she was in a bad mood and made several mistakes at work: either she messed up a customer's haircut, or she spaced out while doing a beauty treatment, washing a customer's face repeatedly until it was almost peeling off a layer of skin.

After repeatedly apologizing, she finally decided to let her assistants take over and rest to avoid making mistakes.

In the afternoon, someone came into the shop. At first, she didn't pay attention, but when he got close, she realized it was Lao Song. Bai Sisi looked at him with a slight smile.

"Oh~~, what brings you here today?" the woman said, her voice tinged with teasing.

"What? Aren't you welcome? I've missed you." Lao Song grinned mischievously at her, the last sentence spoken very softly, only Bai Sisi could hear it.

Lao Song had called the woman many times, but she hadn't agreed to go out on a date, so he had no choice but to visit her in person. After all, he had been 'missing' her these past few days.

"What are you saying? I could invite you anywhere, my dear Director. What's the meaning of this today?" Bai Sisi's eyes were alluring as she flirtatiously hooked her arm around Lao Song.

This man had a decent physique, and his manhood was also quite impressive. Just seeing a man made Bai Sisi a little itchy.

At home, Xue Jin wouldn't sleep with her, and Bai Sisi wasn't exactly a saint. She was also in a bad mood right now. After considering the matter, she figured it was safer to do it in the shop, so she decided to have an affair.

"Find a private room and give me a hair wash. I haven't enjoyed your services in a long time," Lao Song said, feigning righteousness, but the way he spoke about the two of them sounded a little suggestive.

Bai Sisi chuckled, raised an eyebrow, and got off the high-legged chair. "Then come with me."

The two went upstairs to the second floor and found a secluded empty room. As soon as they entered, Lao Song locked the door and hugged Bai Sisi from behind.

The woman was startled, but immediately relaxed, letting him caress her breasts through her clothes.

…(omitted)

“Baby, I’m just worried about you. Tell me what’s wrong, don’t make me worry.” Old Song feigned affection, his face somewhat disgusting.

“Give me a cigarette, Brother Song, I’m really troubled lately.” Bai Sisi rarely smoked, but hearing her words, Old Song realized the situation might be serious and quickly lit her a cigarette.

“Sisi, don’t keep it to yourself, tell your brother, and I’ll help you share the burden,” Old Song continued considerately.

Bai Sisi took two puffs of her Zhonghua cigarette, considering whether she should tell Lao Song. Finally, she spoke up: "My Xue Jin knows I've been messing around outside."

Lao Song's hand holding the cigarette paused, his heart skipped a beat, then he calmly took the lighter: "What happened? What has he got on you?"

Bai Sisi glared at Lao Song: "It's all your doing. After we went to a hotel last time, he found out when I got home."

Lao Song was startled: "Found out? Found out what? Did you confess?"

Bai Sisi nodded.

Lao Song panicked, almost jumping out of bed: "You told him we have something to do with you?"

"Look at you, so scared..." Bai Sisi wanted to explain that she hadn't confessed to them, but Lao Song interrupted her halfway through.

"Damn it, Xue Jin isn't a good guy either, and he's trying to control you." Lao Song was a little scared, but immediately realized Xue Jin wasn't exactly clean either.

"What did you say?" Bai Sisi was stunned.

"Let me tell you, a few days ago I went to Jingtao Pavilion with a friend for dinner, and we happened to run into Xue Jin there with a little girl..." Old Song vividly recounted the events of that day, embellishing the story with exaggerated descriptions of their wanton behavior.

Bai Sisi's eyes widened, hardly believing what she was hearing: Xue Jin was cheating on her? And with a young girl?

"Are you telling the truth?" After Old Song finished speaking, Bai Sisi's face turned pale, and it took her a long time to manage to squeeze out these words: Actually, she wasn't surprised that Xue Jin was having an affair, but she just couldn't accept it.

Old Song patted his chest and said, "Absolutely true, sister, didn't you notice any clues?"

Bai Sisi closed her eyes tightly, not wanting to answer his question. Her headache worsened, and she felt like everything was in chaos.

"What should I do? I don't have any evidence right now," Bai Sisi turned to ask Old Song.

"It's simple. If you don't have evidence, go find it. Every action he takes will leave traces. Then, I'll support your decision to divorce him." Old Song, always eager to stir up trouble, was completely on Bai Sisi's side.

Bai Sisi thought about Xue Jin's recent behavior, a chill running through her. Although she had cheated first, she still wanted to maintain her marriage, so she had to be careful…

But no matter what, she couldn't let Xue Jin and that little bitch get away with it…

Bai Sisi took a few deep drags on her cigarette, trying to sort out her chaotic thoughts, but the more she thought about it, the more anxious she became. She had no choice but to give up, stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray, turned back to give Lao Song a seductive smile, and grabbed his crotch with her small hand…

Chapter Sixty-Five: Arrested

. The Construction Bureau of City A was located opposite a square. The entire building was brown, with a five-star red flag flying high in front. Of course, the entrance was guarded by the People's Army, its outward appearance unmistakably displaying the power of the state.

Xue Jin got up early, first exercising, then buying breakfast outside and eating with his son before taking him to school.

Looking at his watch, it was only 7:10, plenty of time to get to work, so he drove his Jeep—no, now his Audi—with a smug sense of satisfaction down the avenue.

Xue Jin was promoted. His old Jeep remained at his original unit, and his new rank meant a new car—an Audi A6 1.8T. The driver was still the same, though he received a salary, Xue Jin rarely used him anymore, giving the driver a break. The driver only served Xue Jin on specific occasions.

At 7:40 AM, Xue Jin arrived at the Construction Department entrance. The guards on either side glanced at his pass for the directly subordinate agency displayed on his windshield, gave a polite salute, and let him through.

Xue Jin found an empty space in the parking lot, parked his car, and immediately saw the car of Director Liang approaching. Xue Jin couldn't avoid it, as the director pulled up beside him.

Xue Jin waited for him to get out, then greeted him with a smile, "Director Liang, good morning."

"Good morning," Liang glanced at him and nodded stiffly.

Xue Jin was slightly taken aback, somewhat puzzled: a few days ago, his father-in-law had invited the department head to dinner, and they had chatted amiably during the meal. Why did he seem like a completely different person today?

Liang walked ahead, and Xue Jin took out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and stared blankly at his retreating figure.

This department head was fifty-eight years old today, and would retire in two more years. His father-in-law had said that Liang was quite capable at work, but a bit self-centered, and it seemed he was right.

Xue Jin couldn't help but smile, thinking that there were all kinds of people these days, everyone wearing a mask. It seemed that the Construction Department was not a good place to get by; it was full of hidden talents.

Xue Jin smiled self-deprecatingly: he knew the darkness of officialdom. In fact, not only did ordinary people hate nepotism, but officials also both loved and hated it. He had heard that this department head's brother-in-law, Yang, had also coveted the deputy department head position, but had been squeezed out by him in the end. It seemed that the two of them held a considerable grudge against him.

Xue Jin finished his cigarette, glanced at his watch, and then strode towards the office building.

Throughout the morning, Xue Jin, with the assistance of his secretary, familiarized himself with his work. Being intelligent and having previous experience in other organizations, he adapted quickly.

During his lunch break, he went to the cafeteria and found the food quite good. After a satisfying meal, Xue Jin resumed his afternoon work. However, shortly after entering his office, his secretary rushed in, flustered.

"Director Xue, I just received a notification that there will be a meeting at 1:00 PM in conference room number 3." The secretary, a young man, spoke with a nervous expression.

Xue Jin was taken aback. 1:00 PM? It was already five minutes past.

"Okay, I understand. I'll be right there." Xue Jin remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was very displeased.

"These are the meeting materials. I'm sorry, Director." The secretary handed him a folder.

Xue Jin stood up and nodded. Just as his secretary was about to leave, he suddenly said, "Xiao Liu, don't call me Director Xue anymore. I'm still a deputy. Make sure to include that title to avoid misunderstandings." The secretary

sighed inwardly but still nodded in agreement. Xue Jin, seeing that the young man was a decent and honest person, smiled at him.

Xue Jin arrived at the door of Conference Room 3, straightened his back, gently knocked, and then strode in with an air of authority.

The people who had been speaking in the conference room fell silent. The director, sitting in the main seat, glanced at him indifferently, while a man of about 40 years old sat to his left, looking at him with a hint of disdain.

"Sorry I'm late," Xue Jin said with a faint smile, noticing the empty seat to the director's right, and sat down.

"Director Xue, everyone has seen you this morning," Liang said, his face grim. "Being late for your first meeting is a bit unprofessional; I hope you'll be more careful in the future."

The director's words were directed at Xue Jin, and everyone else stared at him. The man to Liang's left seemed to be gloating.

Xue Jin immediately understood; this was probably Liang's brother-in-law.

It seemed they had planned this whole thing, and he was the victim: the secretary's panic and their slight smugness all pointed to a conspiracy.

He was probably the last to know about the meeting, and they had intentionally delayed in informing him.

Xue Jin stood up, bowed slightly, and offered no explanation, knowing it would be pointless and might even invite ridicule. So, he apologized again, his attitude sincere.

Liang didn't say anything more, and the meeting proceeded as normal. However, after a short while, the director wanted to hear Xue Jin's opinion: "Xiao Xue, everyone has said a lot. As the deputy director, why don't you share your thoughts?"

The topic of this meeting was the reinforcement of primary and secondary school buildings—due to the frequent earthquakes in China in recent years, which have killed many people, the central government attaches great importance to local building construction.

Experience from multiple earthquakes shows that school buildings are often the worst quality and cannot withstand earthquakes, so the central leadership has instructed that this matter be given priority supervision.

Xue Jin's original position was prison director. Liang assumed he knew nothing about the construction industry, which was why he was angry: "Yes, the position of deputy director of the Construction Department is a lucrative one, but you should also consider whether you're capable of it. You don't know anything, what are you doing in my department? You're

clearly not cut out for this position, yet you insist on occupying it!"

Therefore, Liang wanted to make things difficult for Xue Jin, preferably by ousting him, so that his brother-in-law could take over, and then the entire Construction Department would be filled with his insiders, making things much easier.

Knowing his intentions, Xue Jin smiled humbly and said, "The organization sent me to work in the Construction Department, partly because of their trust and affirmation of me, and partly to give me another opportunity to learn and improve. Our Director Liang is capable and decisive. Under his leadership, everyone has achieved great success in all aspects. As the saying goes, experience is the best teacher, so I still have much to learn from Director Liang..."

Xue Jin showered him with compliments, making Liang feel very proud, so his expression softened, and he even nodded slightly after Xue Jin finished speaking.

But Yang, standing nearby, quickly gave him a wink, preventing Liang from being overwhelmed by Xue Jin's flattery. He then regained his composure and said, "Little Xue, there's no need for so much politeness. Serving the people is our responsibility. Let's talk about your opinions first."

Everyone quietly waited for Xue Jin to make a fool of himself, thinking that as an outsider, he was sure to fail today.

Seeing that he might be looked down upon if he didn't offer something, Xue Jin said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Alright, since the old leader has said so, I'll say a few words..."

Xue Jin had been listening attentively to everyone's comments and quickly reviewed the materials in his hand. Coupled with his background in architectural knowledge, discussing reinforcement was not difficult for him.

What is reinforcement? It refers to the need for professionals to correct structural or layout problems in buildings, such as adding a large beam to enhance the stability of the structure.

Xue Jin's profession, architectural decoration, is similar to this industry, both involving interior work and sometimes structural aspects. Therefore, Xue Jin began by discussing building structures, speaking eloquently…

For ten minutes, everyone listened in astonishment. Despite being officials from the Construction Bureau, nominally graduates of architecture departments from various universities, they lacked practical experience, possessing only dry theory. When the discussion expanded, their knowledge became somewhat weak. Therefore, they were all impressed and surprised by Xue Jin's extensive knowledge.

"Okay, that's all I have to say, thank you," Xue Jin said, calmly taking a sip of water.

Liang and Yang exchanged bewildered glances, seemingly taken aback. However, being seasoned veterans of the officialdom, they quickly recovered. Liang's opinion of Xue Jin improved somewhat, his hostility lessening, and he even offered a few sincere compliments: "Director Xue, although you only arrived today, you're clearly a talented individual. Your transition has been excellent. I hope you'll continue to perform exceptionally well..."

After the meeting, Liang suggested holding a welcome party for Xue Jin that evening. This flattered Xue Jin, but also put his mind at ease, realizing he had truly established himself in the Construction Department.

Xue Jin's work went smoothly, and upon returning home, he moved back into the master bedroom. However, Bai Sisi had lost her usual attentiveness and enthusiasm, reverting to her previous busy schedule.

Xue Jin was somewhat puzzled by her drastic change—one moment she was all smiles, the next all talk—but he didn't dwell on it, thinking that women were just fickle.

That day, he returned home from work, cooked dinner for his son, and then went out.

Bai Sisi entered the house at 8 PM, but didn't see Xue Jin. She pushed open the door to her son's room and saw the little guy doing his homework.

"Sweetie, Daddy's not home yet?" Bai Sisi went closer to her son and saw him writing carefully in his notebook.

"He came back to make me dinner and then went out again," the little guy said without looking up.

"Oh~~" Bai Sisi rolled her eyes, didn't say anything, and then prepared to go back to her room to rest: she had made love with her lover that afternoon, it was very intense, three times in a row, so she was a little tired and wanted to come home early to rest.

Xue Jin went back to bed, but as usual, he came home late. Although it wasn't too late, the woman knew in her heart that he was definitely out looking for other women.

As she passed through the living room, Bai Sisi wanted to pour herself a glass of water, but she inadvertently saw the phone on the sofa. The woman's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly picked it up.

The phone belonged to Xue Jin; he must have forgotten to take it with him when he left.

Bai Sisi turned on the screen and found the keypad locked, with two missed calls displayed. She wanted to see if the man's phone held any secrets, so she tried entering the password several times, but to no avail. Finally, she could only sigh and put the phone back in its place, utterly frustrated.

These past few days, her mood had been increasingly worse, so she had gone on a wild party. Returning home to find Xue Jin with a cold expression, she calmed down and thought carefully. Her decadent and resentful behavior wasn't a solution; even her fun couldn't be truly enjoyable, and she kept thinking about Xue Jin and that little vixen.

Bai Sisi decided it was time to take action. She picked up her phone and dialed a number: one of her friends, surnamed Tao, had once hired a detective agency to investigate her husband. She had even laughed at her then—her friend's husband didn't have much money and wasn't handsome; she couldn't understand what kind of woman would have an affair with him, and why her friend was so worried about him.

But now that she's faced this situation herself, it's impossible for her not to care. It's like a thorn stuck in her throat, impossible to swallow or spit out, truly suffocating her. So Bai Sisi decided to catch them

in the act. She arranged to meet her friends for lunch the next day to talk things over the phone. After hanging up, Bai Sisi lay in bed, her mind preoccupied, not even wanting to take a shower. She worried about what would happen when the truth came out. She would definitely go crazy, but she absolutely didn't want a divorce.

But how would she get along with Xue Jin afterward? Bai Sisi couldn't figure it out, but she felt that things couldn't get too bad now that they were in this situation.

At 10 PM, Xue Jin came home. He washed up, lay in bed, and quickly fell asleep. Bai Sisi, however, was unusually awake. She turned to look at the man beside her, unable to close her eyes for a long time. It wasn't until late at night that she finally drifted off to sleep, but it was another discordant night, with their sleeping in the same bed but dreaming different dreams.

The next day at noon, Bai Sisi had lunch with her friend Tao, then went to the detective agency. She explained Xue Jin's basic situation, paid her fee, and waited for news.

Around 5 PM, just before closing time, Bai Sisi called Xue Jin to ask what time he'd be home, only to be told he wasn't sure—he had a social engagement that evening.

Bai Sisi suppressed her anger, inwardly sneering: A social engagement? With whom? Probably with some sluts!

She told the agency, then took a taxi to meet her friend Tao at a department store, buying a bunch of pretty clothes. They then arranged to go to a bar that evening.

Bai Sisi dressed herself up beautifully and alluringly. The two sat in a quiet bar for a while, several men approaching her, but she rejected them all. Bai Sisi was very confused, instinctively feeling that Xue Jin was out fooling around. So she drank a few drinks, then took a taxi to send her friend Tao home. She

then took a taxi back herself, calling Xue Jin on the way, but it took a long time for him to answer.

Bai Sisi asked him where he was, and Xue Jin's answer was very official: he was drinking tea. Bai Sisi then asked which teahouse. The place Xue Jin mentioned was far away.

After hanging up the phone, Bai Sisi thought about going there, but looking at her watch, it seemed too late, and it wouldn't be safe for her to go alone, so she gave up.

At this moment, the driver's car turned into an alley. Bai Sisi was a little confused: "Why are you going this way, driver?"

The driver was driving very slowly and replied, "Miss, didn't you see the main road is under construction?"

Bai Sisi was preoccupied with her own business and hadn't really paid attention to the road conditions. She turned her head to look out the car window, and the more she looked, the more familiar it seemed.

When she saw the moon gate, she suddenly remembered: she used to live here, and it seemed there was still a vacant house here.

Inadvertently, she saw a car, a very beautiful black Audi. Normally, this wouldn't be anything special, but just as she was about to miss it, she suddenly remembered that Xue Jin was driving the same car now, so she turned back to take a second look. It would have been better if she hadn't looked, because at that moment, she was stunned by a person who suddenly appeared.

She blinked, staring at the man in disbelief: it was indeed her husband—Xue Jin.

For a moment, Bai Sisi was both excited and furious. To run into him here! He'd just said he was at a teahouse; his lie was immediately exposed.

In a moment of impulsiveness, Bai Sisi shouted, "Driver, stop the car!" She tossed him fifty yuan, saying, "Keep the change."

The woman quickly got out of the taxi and ran to the Audi. She opened the door and sat in the passenger seat.

Since Bai Sisi had come from the back, Xue Jin, who was lighting a cigarette, hadn't noticed and was startled to see her.

He stared blankly at Bai Sisi, the blue flame of his lighter flickering between them: everything was too bizarre.

Bai Sisi's expression held a mixture of contempt, smugness, and the shame of being deceived. She coldly glared at Xue Jin, as if saying: "Finally caught you!

" Xue Jin

's first reaction was that Bai Sisi had been following him.

The atmosphere inside the car was tense. The two men stared at each other, neither wanting to speak first, but the air was thick with tension.

Xue Jin was the first to look away; there was no point in resolving the issue here. He started the engine, and the Audi slowly rolled out of the alley and onto the main road.

Seeing him focused on driving and showing no intention of speaking, Bai Sisi finally couldn't hold back any longer.

"Didn't you say you were at the teahouse? How did you suddenly appear here? Can you fly? Or can your car fly?" Bai Sisi's tone was extremely unpleasant.

She felt that Xue Jin should say something, at least take the initiative to explain, and try to gain her forgiveness, but he didn't!

After a period of calm, Xue Jin had now completely calmed down, and he had some guesses that he needed to confirm.

"Sisi, why did you go there too? Were you meeting your lover?"

Upon hearing his question, Bai Sisi's anger flared even more. The man hadn't even explained his own problems clearly, yet he was trying to frame her. Bai Sisi frowned and shouted, "You're talking nonsense, I was just passing by."

Xue Jin secretly breathed a sigh of relief, glad that he had remained calm in the face of trouble: if the woman really was following him, then she should have been waiting for him at the entrance, not by his car.

"Watch your words." Xue Jin didn't even look at her, coldly throwing out a sentence at her.

Bai Sisi was taken aback by his words, then her anger flared even more, and she retorted, "What are you being careful about? Haven't you lied to me enough? Tell me, were you meeting your lover there?"

Xue Jin frowned, remaining silent and continuing to drive.

"What? Did I hit the nail on the head?" Bai Sisi was furious, her heart pounding, her eyes red-rimmed.

The light turned red, and Xue Jin braked just in time, turning to the woman and saying, "Aren't you too idle? Mind your own business."

These words ignited Bai Sisi's overwhelming rage. Without thinking, she slapped Xue Jin, startling him. As the second slap landed, Xue Jin grabbed Bai Sisi's wrist without hesitation.

"Have you fucking had enough?!" he said, each word distinct, his grip slowly tightening as he watched the woman's face turn pale.

"Ah... let go... Xue Jin... let go..." Bai Sisi was in excruciating pain, using her other hand to forcefully pry Xue Jin's hand away.

Seeing her in such agony, tears streaming down her face, Xue Jin finally let her go.

Bai Sisi's wrist was bruised; her hand trembled as she stared at Xue Jin in disbelief, wishing she could bite him to death. She was utterly heartbroken; she never expected him to be so ruthless.

Xue Jin pulled the car over to the side of the road, lit a cigarette, and tilted his head to look at the scenery beside the street.

"Xue Jin, you fucking hit me, you hit me again!" Bai Sisi said, feeling incredibly wronged, tears streaming down her cheeks. Last time, he only hit her because she cheated on him; this time, he was the one who started the trouble.

Xue Jin irritably flicked away the cigarette he'd only taken a few puffs of, turning back to look at her coldly: "You asked for it. You hit me? Look at yourself, you little punk."

Bai Sisi was speechless with anger. He hit her and you call that polite? Even if she had struck first, did he have to be so brutal?

"Xue Jin, you have to give me an explanation for what happened today. Where did you go so late?" Bai Sisi's eyes flashed with a fierce light, like a jackal eyeing its prey.

She was hot-headed, her wrist ached, and she desperately wanted an answer.

Xue Jin gave a contemptuous sneer: "What did I go to do? What could I do? Just stroll around."

Bai Sisi narrowed her eyes, about to explode again. Xue Jin looked at her coldly, his eyes unblinking, his demeanor arrogant, as if to say, "What can you do to me?"

The woman hadn't seen which building he came from, so she couldn't refute his words, but Bai Sisi was absolutely certain he had gone there to meet his lover.

The more she thought about it, the more resentful she became. Such a golden opportunity had been wasted. Seeing Xue Jin's completely unrepentant face, Bai Sisi couldn't hold back any longer. Her expression changed, becoming somewhat sarcastic: "Don't be so smug, Xue Jin. You won't tell, huh? I have plenty of ways to find out.

" The man's heart skipped a beat, a bad premonition rising within him. Xue Jin raised an eyebrow at her: "What do you want?"

Bai Sisi stared at him with a forced smile: "What do I want? If you don't want anyone to know, don't do it in the first place."

Xue Jin knew he needed to be cautious these next few days. His paranoia had intensified. After work, he wanted to see Lian Yu, but after looking around, he felt someone was following him.

Bai Sisi's words had indeed had a scare effect, and after repeatedly observing his surroundings, Xue Jin came to a conclusion that infuriated him: he was indeed being followed.

Xue Jin called Lian Yu, telling her he couldn't come over that night. Several days later, it was almost the weekend, a very important day for Lian Yu: to visit her brother at the XX farm.

On Friday evening, Xue Jin still couldn't find the time: a suspicious van was following his car. Due to the heavy traffic and slow speeds in the city, it was difficult to shake them off quickly. Xue Jin had no choice but to call Lian Yu, tell her he couldn't make it again, and then obediently went home.

Bai Sisi didn't know whether to be happy or disappointed about this situation. She was happy that the detective agency hadn't found anything and Xue Jin was home on time, but disappointed that even though she knew it was a ruse, she was helpless.

Bai Sisi regretted her impulsive actions. Xue Jin had become alert; it seemed unlikely she would make any progress in the short term.

The next day was the weekend, and Xue Jin had to fulfill his promise to Lian Yu. He drove out in the morning, circling the city several times but still couldn't shake off the person following him. Finally, he reluctantly arranged to meet Ding Bu for tea.

Lian Yu waited and waited at home. It was almost noon, but Xue Jin still hadn't appeared. She was getting anxious, hesitating whether to call and urge him. Finally, at one o'clock in the afternoon, she couldn't hold back any longer.

When the phone rang, Xue Jin was already home, tutoring his son in his room. The ringing interrupted his explanation of a math problem.

Seeing the caller ID, Xue Jin glanced at his son instinctively.

"Dad's going out to answer this call. Go back and review the problem I just explained." He turned and left the room, then went to the living room, but then, feeling uneasy, went back to the master bedroom before answering.

"Hello, Xiaoyu, I'm home." Xue Jin sat on the edge of the bed, his gaze fixed on a corner of the room.

"..." Lian Yu, hearing that he wasn't ready to leave, became anxious: "Home? What time is it? Are we still going today?"

"I'm sorry, I can't go today. Let's do it another day, okay?" Xue Jin had to break his promise.

"Why? You promised! How can you go back on your word? You liar!" Lian Yu seemed deeply hurt, and began to sob on the phone.

Xue Jin was already annoyed, and her crying only made him more impatient: "I really have something to do. I'll definitely do what I said I would. It's not too late to come later."

Lian Yu wouldn't listen to any of this, thinking it was just an excuse, and slammed the phone down.

Xue Jin heard a busy tone on the other end and didn't know what to do. He understood the little girl's feelings, but he really couldn't get away right now, and he didn't want to explain too much to her.

Xue Jin tossed his phone onto the bed and lay down straight: he was tired. Bai Sisi's nagging, Lian Yu's lack of understanding—all these troublesome issues were laid out before him.

November arrived quickly. Xue Jin spent two weeks peacefully, but finally, he couldn't hold back any longer: he missed Lian Yu, he wanted to see her.

So one day, he called the little girl and asked her to meet him at the Divine Water Palace.

Lian Yu had also had a very difficult two weeks. She couldn't see her brother, and her uncle was nowhere to be seen. She sensed something was wrong with him, like any little girl would think. But when she tentatively asked Xue Jin, she didn't get a clear answer, and Lian Yu started to feel anxious.

After receiving the call, Lian Yu took some pocket money from her wallet and hailed a taxi straight to her destination.

Upon entering the lobby, a receptionist gave her a number and led her to the bathing area: it was a large place, with dozens of showerheads under which stood scantily clad women.

Lian Yu was a little shy, but she still took off her clothes, showered, changed into a bathrobe, and took the elevator to the private room upstairs.

Xue Jin had come with some colleagues to relax today. No strangers followed them upstairs. Their rooms were originally next to each other, but Xue Jin secretly changed floors and rooms later.

This was to make it easier to meet Lian Yu. When he heard a knock on the door, Xue Jin's heart pounded. He jumped out of bed, slipped on his slippers, and went to the door.

"Sir, this girl is looking for you." The waiter brought Lian Yu over.

"Okay, thank you." After letting Lian Yu in, Xue Jin locked the door behind him. Before the girl could even reach the bed, he suddenly picked her up from behind. Lian

Yu was startled and cried out for him to put her down.

Xue Jin said okay, then threw her onto the bed and pounced on her.

"So heavy, so incredibly heavy." Lian Yu felt half-dead from being crushed by him, and her voice changed.

"I'm sorry, baby, I got too excited." Xue Jin realized his rashness and rolled her over, putting her on top of him.

Lian Yu, panting, glared at him with her beautiful eyes, thinking he was a savage, a beast, and incredibly lecherous.

Just as she finished cursing him in her mind, Xue Jin began impatiently removing the little girl's bathrobe. Lian Yu panicked: "You, you mustn't do this, I have something to tell you."

Xue Jin's hands didn't stop: "Say..."

Lian Yu was furious, grabbing his hand and shrilly, "How can I say anything like this?"

Xue Jin pulled her hand away and began stripping her lower body: "Tell me, I'm listening, hehe."

Lian Yu wanted to know what had happened, but unfortunately, Xue Jin didn't want to communicate with her properly. In a few quick movements, he had her completely naked.

"..." Lian Yu was completely defenseless: "Don't, don't do this, umm..."

Lian Yu felt a heat on her chest, her pink cherry touching the warm mouth, being sucked and licked by the man, and she immediately lost the strength to resist.

"Baby, your husband misses you, misses you so much, it's been half a month." Xue Jin counted the days on his fingers, and half a month without sex was miserable for him.

Chapter Sixty-Seven

An hour later, Xue Jin came out of the bathroom with a towel tied around his waist and his hair wet. He saw Lian Yu lying motionless on the bed, not knowing if she was pretending to sleep or already asleep.

Xue Jin was in a good mood after his desire was satisfied. Just as he was about to get back into bed and hug the girl, his phone rang.

"Hello!" Xue Jin picked up the phone from the bedside table. His colleague's voice came from the other end: they had all booked private rooms and were busy with their own things. The girls were charged by the hour, so the brothers must have finished having fun.

"Yeah, I know, I'll be right down." Xue Jin put down the phone and saw that Lian Yu had opened her eyes and was staring at him without blinking.

"I'm tired!" Xue Jin climbed onto the bed and sat cross-legged beside the girl.

Lian Yu felt weak all over; if Xue Jin's phone call hadn't woken her, she probably would have already fallen asleep.

"Hmm, are you leaving?" Lian Yu sat up as well. Seeing him nod, she hesitated before asking, "What have you been busy with these days?"

Xue Jin took her small hand, knowing her unease, and said softly, "Something happened at home, and I'm worried too, but there's nothing I can do. I'm sorry for neglecting you."

Lian Yu pursed her lips. Since Xue Jin had already apologized, she didn't press him further; there was no point in asking if he wouldn't tell her.

"Xiao Yu, hang in there for a few more days, okay? Uncle has been too busy lately, but I know what's going on with your brother, and I won't let you down." Xue Jin knew what to say to comfort the little girl.

Lian Yu nodded helplessly: everything was in Xue Jin's hands; she could only let things take their course.

"Good girl, I know you're a good girl." Xue Jin smiled, turned around, took his handbag from the bedside table, unzipped it, and took out his wallet.

Xue Jin's wallet contained many cards, but only a few thousand in cash. He took out a stack of hundred-yuan bills and counted out 20.

"You don't have much pocket money left, right? Here's two thousand for you. Buy whatever you want. If you don't want to cook, eat out. Don't go out at night, it's not safe." Xue Jin handed the money to the little girl.

Lian Yu listlessly took it, gave a soft reply, and then looked up at Xue Jin, as if she had something to say, but felt it wasn't appropriate: she was still thinking about her brother and wanted to ask when Xue Jin would finally fulfill his promise to her.

Xue Jin understood her thoughts, patted her cheek, and got out of bed. "Xiao Yu, what's your wristband number?"

Lian Yu held out her hand for him to see, and Xue Jin noted it down. "I'll pay for your bill too. There's a buffet in the lobby on the third floor. Go down and get something to eat after you shower."

"Okay, I know. I'll go down in a bit."

Hearing her words, Xue Jin lowered his head and kissed her gently. "Okay, baby, don't be upset. After you eat, take a taxi home early and send me a text message when you get home."

When Xue Jin got dressed and came downstairs, his colleagues were all sitting on the sofa chatting.

"Sorry, I'm a little late. I'll pay today." Xue Jin greeted them with a smile, but everyone pretended to decline. In the end, Xue Jin went to the front desk to pay the bill.

As the group emerged from the Divine Water Palace, their gazes towards Xue Jin were quite suggestive. One of them remarked, "You're in great shape, taking so long to get down here. We've all been waiting."

Xue Jin simply smiled and remained silent. The other two joined in the teasing, "Are the girls here really that good? What number are they? I'll have to try them sometime!"

Xue Jin was now forced to explain. He said with a serious expression, "You guys are funny. I was just getting a massage; I didn't receive any special services."

Upon hearing this, the group exchanged glances, then grinned mischievously. "You're not being honest... What's the point of just a massage? We don't believe you."

Xue Jin was at a loss. He shook his head with a wry smile and said nothing more, quickly changing the subject: "Never mind me. It's so late; you must all be hungry. I'll treat you to seafood to replenish your energy today, how about it?"

His colleagues readily agreed to his offer, thanking him profusely. The group then got into two separate cars and drove off from the parking lot.

Upon arriving at the restaurant, the group chatted and drank. Xue Jin appeared engrossed in conversation, but secretly he was worried about Lian Yu. He regretted leaving her there alone.

During the meal, he occasionally received text messages, and he would excuse himself to the restroom to check, only to be disappointed each time. They were either spam messages from mobile carriers or junk messages about obtaining certificates, selling houses, or investing in stocks.

Finally, Xue Jin couldn't bear it any longer and called the girl himself. It rang many times, but no one answered. Xue Jin's heart tightened. He checked the time; it was almost nine o'clock. The little one should have come out of the bathhouse by now. Why wasn't she answering the phone? Had something happened?

Xue Jin was furious. He apologized to everyone, lying that his son had a fever, paid the bill, and left.

After Lian Yu finished her bath, she went to the third floor for dinner. The bathhouse was crowded, with people in bathrobes moving around the large restaurant, each carrying a plate with a sumptuous spread of food.

Lian Yu handed his card to the waiter for registration, then entered the restaurant to eat. He found a table first, then went to the food area: there were many dishes and plenty of porridge; Lian Yu was almost overwhelmed.

He ate his meal to his heart's content. Going down to the second floor, he was attracted by a poster on the wall: a program schedule for the performance hall.

A few people nearby discussed, "Today's program looks pretty good. They've invited XX stunt master; I heard he's very famous. Let's check it out."

The others nodded in agreement, watching them walk through an entrance. Lian Yu stood there, thinking that since there were no tickets, she might as well go in and take a look.

Despite the small, unremarkable entrance, the space inside was spacious. The stage lights shone brightly in the center, and a person who looked like a host stood there announcing the program.

The front rows of the performance hall required payment, but seats further back were optional: you could sit and enjoy the show without a drink.

Lian Yu followed the people in front to a discreet corner. The view was slightly off-center, so she couldn't see the faces of the performers. The entire hall was dimly lit, except for the stage area, which was brightly lit. Only the first two rows could probably make out the performers' general appearances; the rest could only vaguely make out their shapes and movements.

After the host left, the music started, and several young girls from Xinjiang quickly appeared. They were all young, but their movements were light and agile, and their dance was quite beautiful.

Lian Yu had never seen anything like it before and was quickly captivated by the exciting performances…

Xue Jin kept dialing the little girl's cell phone along the way, but there was no answer. Cold sweat rolled down his temples without him realizing it. The man instinctively slammed on the gas pedal, accelerating forward: the speedometer numbers soared.

Fortunately, Xue Jin arrived at Shenshui Palace at 10:30 PM. He stepped out of the car and strode forward, oblivious to everything else, his only concern being the little girl's safety. He didn't even notice the furtive figure behind him.

Xue Jin figured Lian Yu definitely hadn't gone home, otherwise he wouldn't have missed the phone ringing. So he went back to Shenshui Palace to look for her. After speaking with the front desk manager, he received a reply: the little girl's wristband hadn't been returned, meaning she was still there.

Xue Jin breathed a sigh of relief and rushed upstairs to look. He knew she wouldn't be in the restaurant, as it was past lunchtime and the buffet was closed.

What about the lounge? That was a movie theater, which turned into a quiet accommodation late at night. Xue Jin found the announcer there and asked her to make several announcements to find someone, but to no avail.

Xue Jin thought for a moment and figured Lian Yu was probably in the second-floor performance hall. When he went there, he saw a sea of people and thought that finding him would be quite difficult.

Xue Jin started searching from the edge and quickly found Lian Yu in a corner. He walked behind the little girl and gently patted her shoulder. Lian Yu subconsciously turned around.

"Uncle!" The little girl was startled at first, then showed a surprised expression.

Xue Jin was angry, but because it was too dark, Lian Yu didn't notice anything unusual.

"Come with me." Xue Jin said, grabbing the little girl's arm. The two of them left the performance hall one after the other. When they reached a bright spot, Xue Jin stopped.

His face was gloomy as he looked at Lian Yu, his eyes gleaming with anger.

"What did I tell you? I told you to go home early. What time is it now?" Xue Jin raised his wristwatch and showed the little girl the time: a little past 11 PM.

Lian Yu was startled and secretly stuck out her tongue, knowing she was in the wrong.

"I'm sorry, I got too engrossed in watching." She muttered softly.

"Are you planning to skip class tomorrow? If you stay up so late tonight, how will you have the energy for school tomorrow?" Xue Jin's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a stern tone.

"I... I know I was wrong. Can I go home now?" Lian Yu regretted her impulsive decision. It was just a show, after all.

Seeing her sincere apology, Xue Jin didn't want to scold her further, but he was still angry: she didn't know how worried he was about her. It was so late; what if something happened?

"Alright, I won't say anything to you today, but I don't want it to happen again." Xue Jin warned coldly. These were extraordinary times, and logically he shouldn't risk taking her home, but it was too late…

Xue Jin looked around, saw no one, hesitated for a moment, and decided to take her home himself.

"Go change your clothes, then wait for me in the lobby, hurry." Xue Jin was in such a rush that he hadn't changed out of his bathrobe, still wearing his casual clothes, which inevitably drew glances from passersby.

Lian Yu nodded, turned, and went down the stairs. Watching the little girl's figure disappear around the corner, Xue Jin breathed a deep sigh of relief, his eyes fixed intently on some unknown corner, lost in thought.

In mid-November, the weather turned cool, and a chilly autumn wind blew, making Lian Yu feel cold all over. Xue Jin was smoking with the car window open, as was his habit.

"Cold?!" Xue Jin saw the little girl shivering, quickly threw away his cigarette, and then rapidly rolled up the car window.

"Can you listen to me next time? It's so late, look around, is anyone even on the street? Everyone's gone home to sleep." Xue Jin tried to soften his tone.

Isolated streetlights lined both sides of the street, leaves swirling in the autumn wind, the surrounding scenery shrouded in night, exuding endless desolation.

Lian Yu imagined herself walking alone on such a night, and a chill ran down her spine: "I'm sorry, I'll be more careful next time."

Lian Yu knew the difference: Xue Jin cared about her, and she had indeed lost her composure today.

Xue Jin pursed his lips, looking at the road ahead. Suddenly, a stray cat appeared out of nowhere and rushed onto the main road. Xue Jin instinctively slammed on the brakes.

"Ah..." Lian Yu screamed, covering her eyes, thinking she was going to be hit.

Xue Jin reacted quickly, stopping the car in time; the stray cat escaped unharmed. Xue Jin's breathing became slightly erratic. He turned back to comfort Lian Yu, when he suddenly noticed a Jetta turning from a side road.

Xue Jin had a keen eye; he clearly noticed the car slowing down, and his sixth sense quickly kicked in: there was something wrong with the Jetta.

Xue Jin knew today might be the beginning of trouble, but things had come to this point, and he didn't want to run away. Some things can be hidden for a while, but not forever. Hiding like this was too passive and too pathetic.

Once Xue Jin had a clear mind, he became less hesitant. He'd deal with whatever came his way. Even if Bai Sisi knew something, what could she do?

Everything required evidence. Unless he caught her in the act, nothing she said mattered. Besides, if Bai Sisi kept having people follow him, would he never be able to see Lian Yu normally again?

No secrets stay hidden forever. If he wanted to be with Lian Yu freely, then Bai Sisi, even if she didn't explicitly agree, would at least have to tacitly approve of the relationship…

Many women would turn a blind eye if they didn't want their families to break up. He wondered if Bai Sisi was smart enough. Most importantly, Xue Jin still had a trump card. June 4th, Chapter Sixty-Eight: The Harvest.

Around noon, Xue Jin drove to Ding Bu's company. Upon entering, he saw a lively scene in the office area: several people were gathered around a girl delivering lunchboxes, talking about something.

Xue Jin thought the girl looked familiar; upon closer inspection, he realized it was Xiao Yun: a waitress at the Sichuan stone pot fish restaurant.

Xue Jin's lips curled into a smile; he understood. It seemed Ding Bu had cast the bait perfectly, at least drawing her to his side so he could see her every day.

Cheng Chaoyang was also among them. He looked up and his eyes met Xue Jin's. Cheng Chaoyang's previously gentle face instantly darkened. There was some distance between them, and they were in a hurry, so Xue Jin simply nodded, not noticing his unusual expression.

"Xiao Cheng, what's wrong?" Xiao Yun walked over with two lunchboxes in her hands, just in time to see him lost in thought.

"Oh, it's nothing." Cheng Chaoyang watched Xue Jin enter Ding Bu's office before turning his gaze away. Seeing Xiao Yun's smiling face, his expression returned to normal. "Thank you."

He looked at the lunchbox Xiao Yun handed him and took it.

"Don't mention it, don't be so polite." Xiaoyun blushed slightly, but couldn't help asking as Cheng Chaoyang opened the lunchbox, "How is it? Do you like it? It's all your favorites."

Cheng Chaoyang stared at the braised pork, ribs, and green beans in the lunchbox, then looked up at Xiaoyun, "This is too much! How did you know what I like to eat?"

The girl smiled, her cheeks slightly flushed, then said mysteriously, "It's a secret. Do you like it?"

Cheng Chaoyang didn't know what to say. Being cared for by such a lovely girl was a kind of happiness, but many people don't appreciate their blessings. At this moment, he couldn't help but think of Lian Yu, and his heart ached.

"I like it, thank you." He thanked her again, his voice a little muffled, then lowered his head to start eating his lunch.

Xiaoyun watched him eat quickly, his appetite seemingly in high spirits, and her face lit up with a smile: "I'm glad you like it. I'll have the chef make it for you again tomorrow."

Cheng Chaoyang looked at her, somewhat amused and exasperated: Was eating like this every day too extravagant? Besides, it wouldn't be good if his brother found out.

"Xiaoyun, you don't need to give me any special treatment. I'm perfectly fine with the usual dishes." Ever since the girl started delivering meals to the company, his lunches had become increasingly lavish.

"Really?" Xiaoyun gave him a playful glare, muttering coquettishly: Girls are easily embarrassed; some things are best left unsaid.

"Yes, of course." At some point, Xiao Wang from the company approached with his lunchbox, his eyes glued to Cheng Chaoyang's food, his mouth practically watering.

"Wow, all meat dishes! Are you kidding me? We work at the same company, why is my treatment so much worse?" He deliberately widened his eyes to express his dissatisfaction.

"Go on, just eat yours properly." Xiaoyun was a little embarrassed by his words, but seeing Xiaowang's chopsticks heading straight for a piece of braised pork, she couldn't help but tease him.

The girl was young, and her little crush was quite obvious.

Xiaowang ate his meat with relish, a satisfied look on his face, then turned to Xiaoyun and teased, "Hey little sister, Chaoyang and I aren't that much different in age, why didn't you like me? What do I lack compared to him?"

Xiaowang felt a little resentful, thinking he hadn't gotten the best of both worlds.

"What are you saying?" The two of them scolded him in unison, then exchanged a glance and fell silent. The unspoken understanding between them had been exposed, and they were both a little embarrassed.

Xiaowang chewed his meat, looking at the girl's shy expression and the boy's displeasure, unsure what to do. Finally, he wiped the grease from his mouth and slunk away.

If both parties were interested, everything would fall into place naturally. But it was clear that Cheng Chaoyang had other ideas, and it was best for him to stay out of this mess.

Xue Jin closed the door, pulled over a swivel chair, and sat comfortably. Ding Bu noticed that he didn't even greet him, his eyes fixed on the only window in the office.

"What are you looking at?" Xue Jin followed his gaze and, after a moment, noticed something interesting, then a smile crept onto his face.

"Xiao Yun is quite a girl. It seems your employees all like her." Xue Jin crossed his legs and looked through the glass at Xiao Yun and Cheng Chaoyang chatting and laughing happily.

Ding Bu was in a bad mood, glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, and then looked away.

"Hehe!" Xue Jin chuckled, finding Ding Bu's envious expression quite amusing.

"Hey, Old Ding, did you remember what I told you last time?" Xue Jin reached into his pocket and pulled out two cigarettes, casually offering one to Ding Bu.

"What's up? I don't smoke." Ding Bu waved his hand, only then looking at him properly.

"It's about finding Cheng Chaoyang a girlfriend. I've been talking to you about it for a long time." Xue Jin lit his cigarette, took a drag, and exhaled two smoke rings.

"Damn, what are you doing here? Are you trying to put me down?" Ding Bu was a little annoyed: why bring up something he shouldn't have? Xiao Yun, whom he had his eye on, was clearly interested in the Cheng guy.

Xue Jin chuckled, resting one elbow on the armrest of the chair: "No, it's nothing. I was just asking casually. If there's really no one suitable, then forget it."

Ding Bu gave him a dirty look: "Do you have something to say or not?"

"Don't be angry, it's no big deal. Aren't women hard to find? There are plenty of women prettier than Xiao Yun. How about I introduce you to one sometime? I guarantee she'll be obedient and cute." As Xue Jin spoke, he mentally reviewed the women he knew: of course, none of them were women he had touched. It wouldn't be polite for his buddy to wear his old clothes.

His words were half-true, half-false, and Ding Bu didn't take them to heart. He just couldn't figure out what the man was really up to: was he really just here to amuse himself?

Ding Bu was a little narrow-minded at the moment, but anyone would be annoyed when something upsetting happened.

"Dude, am I letting a wolf into the house?" Ding Bu stared at the two people in the office area, wishing he could rush over and separate them.

"Haha, you haven't even succeeded yet, and you already think Xiao Yun is yours? You're being too presumptuous." Xue Jin laughed, exhaling a puff of smoke.

Ding Bu thought about it and realized he was right, but men are all perverse; the more unattainable something is, the more they care.

Xue Jin looked at his gloomy face and glanced at the untouched lunchbox on the desk: "Alright, Lao Ding, don't be sad. I'll treat you to dinner."

Ding Bu was hungry too, and didn't want to stay here watching them 'couples,' so he readily agreed.

The two drove to a nearby Western restaurant, ordered two steak set meals, and sat down to drink coffee. The atmosphere was great, and the food was good, so it was crowded at lunchtime.

"The construction company is opening soon, you need to hurry up and find some staff, otherwise it will be very difficult." With elegant piano music playing in the background, Xue Jin slowly got to the point.

"Yeah, I know, I'll go to the provincial talent market this weekend." Ding Bu nodded.

The new company had a registered capital of five million, and its office space was spacious in a high-end area of City A. Although the rent was expensive, the interior decoration was quite nice, stylish yet simple, giving a grand impression: it had potential.

"If things don't work out here, find a capable general manager and dedicate more time to the new company. After all, it's just starting out, and there are many things to worry about." Xue Jin clearly distinguished between the big fish and the small fry; the construction industry was a big pie, and interior design was just a small part of it.

"I've had that idea too. How about we find a headhunting firm to help us find someone?" Ding Bu knew that if things got really busy, he probably wouldn't be able to handle it.

“Hmm, I can consider it.” Xue Jin thought this suggestion was valuable. If there weren't suitable candidates available, a headhunting firm was a viable option.

The two then discussed the operation of the new company, a complex and crucial matter, the core of which was how to cultivate connections and get powerful officials to work for them.

Xue Jin's current position was quite good, but he couldn't be all-encompassing; sometimes a single case required collaboration from various departments.

Their conversation came to an end as the dishes were served.

Xue Jin tucked a napkin into his shirt, held a knife in his right hand and a fork in his left, cutting the steak on his plate into small pieces before eating it with his fork, chewing slowly.

“Old Ding, how many houses do you own?” Xue Jin asked casually.

“Three, oh, no, four,” Ding Bu quickly corrected himself: he owned three residential properties, and his wife had recently bought a shop.

“Any spare?”

Ding Bu was taken aback, but immediately understood: “Yes, would you like to use them?”

Xue Jin nodded: "I'll borrow it for a while, my friend's child is coming to stay."

"Really? Okay, but you'll have to tidy it up, the house hasn't been lived in for a while, it's filthy." Ding Bu readily agreed, without asking any further questions.

"I understand, do you have the key?" Xue Jin seemed a little anxious.

"..." Ding Bu thought for a moment, then shook his head: "I think it's with my wife, can I get it for you tomorrow?"

Xue Jin pondered, somewhat hesitant, afraid of trouble: Bai Sisi might already know about Lian Yu's existence, if he let the little girl stay in his house, it might be difficult to explain, and it might not be safe—he was afraid Bai Sisi would come knocking and cause trouble, how could Lian Yu, such a young child, handle that!

"Today, I'll come to your house to pick it up after work." Xue Jin felt that the sooner the better.

Bai Sisi received a call from the detective agency at her beauty salon, asking her to come over if she had time. Without thinking, Bai Sisi immediately took a taxi and rushed over.

Upon entering the office, a man stood up from behind his desk. "Hello, Ms. Bai, my surname is Li, and I'm the general manager's assistant."

They shook hands politely. Bai Sisi sat down in the chair opposite the man, her anxiety palpable. "Hello, did you call me here because you've discovered something?"

The man nodded, picked out a file from a pile on the desk, and placed it in front of her. "Please don't panic, take a look at this."

Bai Sisi quickly took it, opened it, and took out some photos. As she flipped through them, the man noticed her expression growing increasingly agitated.

"Ms. Bai, this is the only thing we've obtained so far. I wonder if it will be of any use to you?" The man carefully chose his words, because there was nothing substantial, just photos. He wasn't sure if this was what the woman wanted: the young girl with her husband seemed too naive—a third party? Was it possible?

Bai Sisi ignored his words and looked up to ask, "Is that all?"

"That's all for now. If you're not satisfied, we'll continue to follow up… Do you have any other requests?" The man was very polite to her; after all, they were all clients.

"If I need concrete evidence, can you get it?" Bai Sisi's thoughts were somewhat crazy. She had initially harbored a sliver of doubt about Lao Song's words, but now it seemed there was no smoke without fire.

But what was Xue Jin thinking, actually going after a young girl who wasn't fully developed? Bai Sisi couldn't accept it, emotionally or rationally—her once exemplary husband had turned into a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Although she usually didn't take Lao Song's philandering to heart, treating it as mere amusement, the fact that Xue Jin had a child fetish instantly doubled her mind.

"Well, that depends on luck. We don't do illegal things." The man knew his profession was somewhat sensitive, but he couldn't bring himself to break into a private residence to take evidence—especially since it was very difficult unless the person was soliciting in a hotel or other public place, making on-site evidence collection impossible.

Hearing this, Bai Sisi felt a chill in her heart. Was there really no way to deal with Xue Jin?

Seeing her dejected appearance, the man was also helpless and could only offer some gentle advice: "Ms. Bai, these photos don't prove anything right now. Try to relax and have a good talk with your husband; perhaps you'll get some unexpected results."

Bai Sisi lowered her eyes, utterly dejected. She stood there blankly, lost in thought.

"Ms. Bai, do you still need our services?" The man had seen many such scenes and had no sympathy for these women, speaking in a very official tone.

Bai Sisi looked up, weakly waving her hand and saying, "No need, thank you."

She took the file folder with her, locking it in her drawer when she got home that evening. She went to bed without eating dinner, staring blankly at the ceiling for a while, then turned to look out the window, but no matter which position she adopted, she couldn't calm down.

Finally, she sat up, wanting to look at the photos again—she had been too nervous then and hadn't been able to control her emotions, only looking at a few.

She got out of bed, found her keys, took the file folder from the drawer, and carefully examined each photo. To her surprise, out of nearly a hundred photos, only five were of Xue Jin and the little girl together, and the backgrounds of two of them looked familiar.

Bai Sisi frowned, racking her brains to identify the scene in the photos. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck her, and she remembered. Her face flushed with anger: the last time she caught Xue Jin lying was in this very neighborhood.

Bai Sisi realized then that she seemed to have overlooked something: she knew nothing about the little girl, which was supposed to be the detective agency's service.

She quickly took out her business card and dialed their number, soon receiving a reply: there was another page in the file folder, containing the information she wanted to know.

Chapter Sixty-Nine: Unsuccessful.

After getting the key that evening, Xue Jin invited Lian Yu to a bathhouse.

He carefully observed his surroundings upon entering, finding no suspicious people—at this time, the situation was unclear, so caution was advised. He took a shower in the bath area and then went to a private room.

Hearing a knock, Xue Jin, who was watching TV, quickly got up to open the door for Lian Yu.

The little girl, wearing an oversized bathrobe, walked in and sat directly on a chair by the window. Xue Jin naturally walked to the bed opposite the chair, grabbed her small hand, and stared intently at her.

Lian Yu was startled by his blatant gaze and tried to pull her hand away, but the man held it tightly. She struggled, but realizing she couldn't escape, she resigned herself to it.

"Xiaoyu, have you missed me these past few days?" Xue Jin's words made the little girl a little embarrassed. Although she was young, she seemed to sense something in her naiveté.

She nodded slightly: when she had nothing to do, she would think of Xue Jin, and she would feel restless, not understanding what had happened recently.

Xue Jin smiled happily, his handsome face with its sharp features looking even more dashing.

"You haven't eaten yet, have you? I'll order something so we can eat in the room." Saying this, Xue Jin let go of her little hand, got up, picked up the landline on the bedside table, and dialed a number to the dining room.

Lian Yu watched him talk on the other end. Xue Jin turned around and asked her, "What do you want to eat?"

The little girl thought for a moment and ordered a vegetarian dish. Xue Jin told her to order another one, but Lian Yu shook her head, leaving the rest to him. In the end, Xue Jin ordered two meat dishes.

After hanging up the phone, Xue Jin returned to the bedside and sat down, taking her little hand again. This time, he seemed preoccupied, as if he had something to say to her.

Lian Yu looked at him, puzzled, her face full of questions.

After a moment, Xue Jin still didn't speak, but pulled her onto the bed, covered her with the blanket, and watched TV together: "Xiaoyu, the weather is getting cooler, I'll take you to the mall when I have time to buy some clothes for autumn."

Lian Yu lay quietly in his arms, not paying much attention to the TV program, her mind focused on the man. When she heard him say this, she turned her head and blinked her big eyes at him.

"Uncle, you haven't been very happy lately, have you? Is something wrong? Can you tell me? I'm worried." Lian Yu couldn't stand Xue Jin's mystery.

Her worries contained very little affection for the man, mostly stemming from instinctive selfishness: something might happen, and it might be related to her, while she was kept in the dark...

Women are naturally suspicious and insecure, so they are not good at handling things and often exaggerate the severity of situations. And Lian Yu, this young and helpless girl, was very sensitive to everything around her at this moment.

Hearing her words, Xue Jin felt a surge of warmth in his heart. Although he somewhat understood her thoughts, he was still very happy and couldn't help but kiss her fair and tender face.

"Don't worry, I'll handle it." Xue Jin wasn't entirely confident either, but one thing was certain: things would eventually pass.

Lian Yu knew he was just being perfunctory, but there was nothing she could do, so she turned her head back to watch TV.

A moment later, the doorbell rang, and a waiter pushed in a food cart. Xue Jin glanced at the bill, signed it—the bill would be settled when they left the bathhouse.

"Sir, enjoy your meal. Is there anything else you need?" The waiter was very polite.

"No, thank you." Xue Jin handed the bill back, and the waiter bowed slightly before turning and leaving the private room.

Xue Jin pulled up two chairs and placed them next to the food cart. The two sat down and began to eat. Xue Jin ate slowly, and his appetite wasn't very good.

"I'm finished." Xue Jin took a napkin from the side and wiped his mouth, then sat there quietly watching Lian Yu eat.

The little girl felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze. After eating a few bites, she put down her chopsticks.

"Are you full?" Xue Jin noticed there was still some rice left in her bowl.

Lian Yu nodded, pulled out a chair, turned around, and went back to the bed. She sat cross-legged there, choosing a TV program. Xue Jin followed, took a cigarette, lit it, and smoked casually.

He sat on the edge of the bed, staring absently at the TV. After a while, he finally spoke: "Go back and pack tonight. We're moving tomorrow. We'll move to a different place."

Lian Yu was slightly taken aback: "What's wrong? Weren't we living here just fine? Where are we moving to?"

Xue Jin had already had the housekeeper clean Ding Bu's house, just waiting for the little girl to move in: "It's on XX Road, a one-bedroom apartment, about 90 square meters. The conditions are better than here."

Lian Yu thought for a moment: she didn't know where XX Road was.

Seeing her blank expression, Xue Jin said to her: "Do you remember the TV tower we passed? The neighborhood is nearby."

Lian Yu had some impression of the TV tower, but it was quite far from the school. How was she going to get to school? " Won't it take a long time to take the bus?"

the little girl couldn't help but ask again, "Why are we moving?"

Xue Jin reached out and touched her smooth hair, took a puff of his cigarette, and without answering, changed the subject, saying, "The moving company will be there tomorrow. Just go with them. I'll leave you the house keys when I leave."

Lian Yu was a little angry. What was all this about? There was no reason at all; she was completely at their mercy.

Seeing that she seemed unhappy, Xue Jin exhaled a puff of smoke, looking at the hazy smoke, and said, "You're still young; there are many things you'd better not know."

After he said that, Lian Yu stopped asking, but she became even more confused.

When Bai Sisi went to check on her own house, Lian Yu had already moved out. She was furious at finding no one there and considered whether to go to the school to find the little girl, but after some deliberation, she gave up.

She had no evidence, and besides, the backbone of everything was Xue Jin—as the saying goes, it takes two to tango; if her man didn't have that intention, the two of them wouldn't have gotten together.

So Bai Sisi stormed home, waiting for Xue Jin to return that evening.

Around 8 PM, after eating out, Xue Jin called Lian Yu. He explained that although he hadn't noticed anything unusual lately, it was better to be cautious, so he hadn't visited the little girl's place these past few days, only communicating briefly via phone.

The little girl was very happy with her new home; it was fully furnished and equipped with appliances. The only downside was that it was a 90-square-meter house, and just mopping the floor once a day took half an hour.

Lian Yu also complained about the long commute to school. Xue Jin listened attentively, nodding occasionally, then said a few more comforting words before hanging up.

He felt an overwhelming urge to rush to Lian Yu's side. His own home was a mess, a veritable icebox. His son had gone to his father-in-law's, and Bai Sisi's face was as cold as ice; he didn't even want to see her, let alone sleep with her that night.

Xue Jin drove slowly, arriving home late at night. He turned on the living room light and was startled to see Bai Sisi sitting on the sofa, staring at him without moving.

Xue Jin was startled, but quickly realized that tonight might not be peaceful.

"Coming home so late? What were you doing?" Bai Sisi crossed her arms, looking accusatory. Without the detective agency's help, she didn't know Xue Jin's exact whereabouts, but she didn't trust him—perhaps he was meeting his mistress.

Xue Jin was changing into slippers when he heard her words and was annoyed, but he held back his anger: "Going out with colleagues."

"Really? So late? You weren't like this before." Bai Sisi wasn't going to let him off the hook; she wasn't satisfied with this answer, whether it was true or not.

"Now is now, before is before," Xue Jin retorted firmly.

Bai Sisi glared angrily, "You... fine, now that my father has gotten you a high-ranking position, you're all high and mighty, not taking us Bai people seriously anymore."

Xue Jin's suppressed anger immediately flared up, "What do you mean?"

Bai Sisi snorted coldly, "What do I mean? You know what I mean. You, Xue Jin, owe your success to my father's promotion. How can you treat me like this? How can you face him?"

Xue Jin strode up to her, frowning, and said expressionlessly, "Your father is your father, and you are you. I remember your father's kindness to me and am trying my best to repay him, but the shameful things you've done can never be erased."

Bai Sisi narrowed her eyes slightly, her face flushed with anger, "Are the shameful things I've done cleaner than mine?"

Hearing her question, Xue Jin fell silent, turned and walked towards the bedroom, Bai Sisi following closely behind: Today, he sent his son to his parents' house because he wanted to have a good fight with Xue Jin, preferably to get a clear result.

"How come you're in the wrong? You're using our house to support a young girl, that's outrageous! Do you think I'm dead?" Bai Sisi was so angry she was almost spitting out words.

Xue Jin took off his suit jacket and opened the closet to put it away. Hearing her words, a thought struck him: the inevitable had finally come to pass.

He turned and glanced at her, making a perfunctory comment that he was bored, then walked out of the bedroom to the living room to pour himself a glass of water; perhaps it was from the alcohol, but he was a little thirsty.

Seeing that he ignored her, Bai Sisi reached for a file folder beside her and handed it to him: "Am I bored? No, I'm not. I have evidence."

Xue Jin glanced at the thing in her hand with disdain: "What's this?"

Bai Sisi raised the corners of her mouth mockingly: "What, you're afraid to look?"

Xue Jin sneered indifferently: "I'm busy, I don't have time to play games with you. Show me your evidence yourself."

The woman was speechless with anger. She pulled out three photos from the folder and waved them in front of him: "Who is this girl? Where did you drive her?"

Xue Jin took the photos casually. He was already prepared: "Who is this girl? I think you know better than I do. As for where I drove her, I can't remember right now."

The man refused to answer anything. If they could interrogate him now, Xue Jin would be skinned alive. Bai Sisi wanted to tear him apart.

"How long have you been seeing her?"

Xue Jin looked at her coldly: "You're boring."

"How did you two meet?"

Xue Jin remained indifferent: "How boring, don't waste my time, okay?"

...

After asking five questions in a row, Xue Jin avoided answering each one. Almost instantly, bloodshot veins appeared in the woman's eyes. Her mind went blank for a moment; she hadn't expected Xue Jin to be so shameless and cunning, his words so perfectly veiled.

She bit her lip tightly, her eyes blazing as she glared at Xue Jin: she was furious, but there was nothing she could do but be angry: Xue Jin wasn't just a womanizer, he was utterly shameless.

The man returned the photos to her, a hint of mockery in his eyes: "Sisi, maybe you're too tired from work and tend to overthink things. Shouldn't you take a vacation?"

Bai Sisi, her plan backfired, and was instead ridiculed. Her head spun, and she flung a handful of photos at the man's head: "Xue Jin, don't be so smug. This isn't over."

Xue Jin dodged in time, unharmed, but his face turned ashen. Without thinking, he swung his hand, catching Bai Sisi off guard, causing her to fall onto the sofa.

...That day, the two slept in separate rooms: Bai Sisi in the master bedroom, while Xue Jin slept in their son's room.

The Seventieth Blessing?

After work, Bai Qi entered the house and saw his daughter sitting on the sofa watching TV.

"Dad, you're back." Bai Sisi glanced at her father, then looked away.

Bai Qi frowned, sat down on a nearby sofa, and didn't say much: his daughter had been staying there for almost a week, not going to work, and not wanting to come home—all of this was unusual.

Hearing the noise in the living room, the old lady who was helping with cooking in the kitchen came over.

"Old man, is work busy today?" The old lady approached him, holding a kettle of warm water, and carefully poured him a glass.

"Not bad, what's for dinner?" Bai Qi unbuttoned the collar of his white shirt—he was usually very meticulous at work, and his shirt was always impeccably neat—and took a sip of water.

"Chicken, stir-fried vegetables, and bone broth." After pouring him the water, the old lady sat down as well: they had a housekeeper, so he usually didn't have to cook for himself, but she was used to being diligent and liked to help the maid.

The old man didn't say anything, picked up his glass, and took a couple more sips.

"Sisi!" Bai Qi put down his glass and turned to look at his daughter beside him.

"What's wrong, Dad?" Bai Sisi had been feeling down these past few days, her bones felt light, and she seemed unwilling to move.

"Look at you! Your hair's unkempt, and your clothes are a mess. What if someone comes over?" Bai Qi found his daughter increasingly displeasing: messy hair, thin pajamas, and a generally slovenly appearance.

"Oh, who would come? I'll go back to my room and change if they do," Bai Sisi replied nonchalantly, glancing down at her appearance and finding nothing wrong with it: one should dress comfortably at home.

The old man's temper flared when he heard her talk back. He glared at her and shouted, "You're still not convinced? I feel uncomfortable looking at you like that!"

Bai Sisi realized her words were inappropriate. It was such a small matter. She turned to her father, puzzled, and asked, "Dad, what do you mean? Do you think I've been staying here too long?"

Her father hadn't given her a kind look these past few days. Yesterday, when her son asked when she was coming home, she casually replied, "I'm not going back. We'll just stay here, mother and son." She immediately noticed her father giving her a sidelong glance.

"Oh dear, Sisi, what are you saying? Would your dad dislike you? He's only saying it for your own good. You're such a grown-up, and you still don't know how to dress yourself properly." The old lady quickly tried to smooth things over when she saw the old man straightening his back even more.

Bai Sisi rolled her eyes: She suffered at home at Xue Jin's hands, and even at her parents' house, she couldn't find peace. Why was her life so miserable

? Bai Qi raised an eyebrow, speaking with absolute confidence: "You're right, I do think you've been staying too long. A married daughter is like water spilled from a cup; what's the point of you always staying here?"

Bai Sisi slammed the TV off and turned to her father, shouting, "What's wrong with me staying here? Aren't I your daughter?"

The old man sensed something was amiss and asked the old lady if his daughter had argued with Xue Jin. But the old lady remained silent, saying he was overthinking it.

The old man grew increasingly uneasy, feeling that his wife wasn't telling him the truth. His daughter, however, had never been very close to him, and even if she had something to say, he wasn't sure he could get it out of her.

"She's my daughter, but you can't keep doing this. Not going to work, not coming home—what's going on?" Bai Qi finally spoke his mind. Bai

Sisi felt guilty and turned away, sulking to herself.

"Your daughter's all grown up now. She tells her mother everything. You get angry at me for saying a few words to her father? You think you're all grown up now, that I can't control you anymore?" Seeing his daughter remain silent, Bai Qi's words became even more forceful. Bai

Sisi understood his tone and, steeling herself, said softly, "I haven't been hiding anything from you. I've just been feeling down these past few days and wanted to stay here for a while."

The old man sensed her reassurance and waited with wide eyes for her next words.

"Dad, Xue Jin and I had a fight." Bai Sisi looked dejected, a hint of grievance in her voice as she looked at her father.

"Just this little thing, and you're not going home?" Bai Qi's tone was slightly accusatory. Bai

Sisi nodded, pouting, "Xue Jin won't admit his mistake, he won't come to pick me up, how can I go back! I have my pride too."

The old man sat there quietly, calming himself down, "What did you two argue about? If it's something trivial, just go home yourself, Xue Jin is quite busy."

"..." Bai Sisi lowered her eyes, staring at the buttons she had put on.

Seeing that she didn't respond, Bai Qi continued, "Sisi, you're all grown up now, don't be so willful. I'll call Xue Jin and ask him to come over for dinner tonight."

"Whatever." Bai Sisi replied indifferently, then picked up the remote and frantically pressed buttons.

At 5 PM, Xue Jin left work on time, driving straight to the girl's place: He had been very carefree these past few days, no phone calls, no time restrictions, as long as he came home to spend the night, everything made him feel good.

The little girl was busy in the kitchen, the clatter of pots and pans filling the room with the aroma of food. Xue Jin, sitting at his computer, was immediately tempted, his stomach growling.

He glanced at the contract in his hand; only a third of it was complete, so he decided to put it down.

The man emerged from the bedroom and silently entered the kitchen. He leaned against the doorframe, a smile on his face, and peered inside. The little girl wore an apron, her small hands gripping a kitchen knife, chopping scallions with some clumsiness on the cutting board.

Xue Jin noticed that Lian Yu's hair seemed to have grown quite a bit. Her jet-black hair was tied into a ponytail with a black hair tie, falling neatly and elegantly down her back, quite eye-catching. He instinctively reached out to tug at it.

"Ah..." Lian Yu, startled by his sudden touch, lost her balance and cut her finger.

"What happened? Let me see." Xue Jin quickly pulled her hand, his eyes filled with pity as he looked at the bloody line on her delicate fingertip.

"No, it's nothing, I'll just find a cloth to wrap it up." Lian Yu often got minor injuries before, so she didn't think much of it.

"How can that be? It'll get infected. I'll go downstairs and buy you some bandages." With that, Xue Jin turned and walked out.

"Uncle, no need, it'll be fine in a few days." Lian Yu watched him rummage through his briefcase to get his wallet, thinking he was making a fuss over nothing.

“No, it’ll be troublesome if it gets infected. Use an O-bandage, it’ll heal faster.” Xue Jin took twenty yuan and went to the entryway to change his slippers.

“…” Lian Yu looked at him helplessly, supporting her injured finger with one hand.

“Don’t move, wait for me inside. I’ll cook the groceries when I get back, be good.” Xue Jin said, opening the door as he left, not forgetting to instruct the little girl before leaving.

Lian Yu nodded, and after the door closed, she turned back to lift the lid of the cooking pot: the braised crucian carp was almost done; just add some chopped green onions and garlic sprouts for seasoning, and it would be ready to serve.

The little girl, with her injured left hand raised, gripped the knife with her uninjured right hand. Although her knife skills weren’t very precise, she chopped the green onions fairly smoothly, and in no time, she had cut half a green onion into countless pieces…

Ding Bu’s apartment was in an upscale neighborhood; a large supermarket was just a few steps away. Xue Jin quickly bought what he needed, and upon returning, carefully bandaged the little girl’s wound.

"Okay, does it still hurt?" Xue Jin looked at Lian Yu's small fingers, tightly wrapped in a white bandage, and felt an indescribable guilt.

"It's okay, much better." Lian Yu was a little embarrassed. His small hand was held tightly in the man's palm: it was a little warm and a little numb, but he couldn't feel any pain.

"That's good. It's all my fault today. Uncle will be more careful in the future. If I hurt your little hand, who will cook for me?" Xue Jin smiled, his eyes full of tenderness.

Lian Yu tilted her head, looking at him with some resentment: "Who cares to cook for you?"

Xue Jin raised an eyebrow, feigning indignation: "Don't say you don't care. You've learned my skills. If you don't cook for me, who will you cook for? I'd like to see who dares to eat it."

Lian Yu wrinkled her nose: "Stop being so conceited. I'll cook for my brother from now on."

A slight awkwardness immediately appeared on Xue Jin's face, but it only lasted a few seconds before the little girl could catch it and it disappeared: "Xiao Yu, are you missing your brother again?"

The moment Lian Yu blurted out those words, her mood had already plummeted. Now, with Xue Jin's question, her face immediately turned ugly, as if she was about to cry.

It had been so long, and she still hadn't seen her brother. She was anxious, she was sad, she was wronged.

"Alright, alright, don't be like that. Uncle, I promise I'll make time to take you as soon as possible, okay?" Xue Jin pulled her into his arms and gently patted her back.

Lian Yu didn't dare to have too much hope for his words, fearing the greater the disappointment, but she still couldn't suppress her inner excitement. She looked up at him with longing in her small face.

Xue Jin was touched by her pitiful little appearance, and his heart ached: this was the little girl's weakness, and he had only been able to force himself on her because he had grasped this fatal flaw. But seeing her in pain, he still couldn't bear it.

"How much longer?" Lian Yu's eyes were red-rimmed. Lately, she had been dreaming about her brother.

"Within a month, Uncle has been too busy lately. I promise I'll take you to see your brother within a month, okay?" Xue Jin estimated that by then, his messy affairs would be over.

Lian Yu nodded, tears still sliding down her cheeks, soaking a large area of the man's shirt. The coolness seeped through the fabric and touched Xue Jin's skin, making him feel a little uncomfortable.

"Alright, don't cry. Go inside and wait. We'll set the table for dinner." As he spoke, the man put his hand on the girl's shoulder, pushing her away from him while wiping away her tears.

"I just chopped the scallions and garlic sprouts, and the dishes are all ready. Just bring them out." Lian Yu composed herself, telling herself not to be sad: it's time to eat.

"..." Xue Jin looked at her, his eyes unreadable: "Xiao Yu, what can I say about you? Can't you just listen to your uncle? You're so annoying, it makes me both love and hate you."

Lian Yu blinked her beautiful eyes, opened her mouth as if to say something, but ultimately pursed her lips into a straight line: she wanted a man to cherish her more, to think more about her; she needed a brother.

Today, the little girl made two dishes and a soup: purple orchid beef, braised crucian carp, and a winter melon and pork rib soup.

Lian Yu had only recently learned to cook, so it was still very new to her, and she loved the skill. Of course, she was also quite talented: Xue Jin would cook once or twice, and then she could cook quite well, and most importantly, the taste was pretty good.

Both of them were a little hungry, so they sat down to eat quietly. Occasionally, Xue Jin would put food on the little girl's plate. At first, Lian Yu was resistant to his actions, but eventually she got used to it.

"Have you been studying hard lately?" When the man came, Lian Yu had to cook and sometimes deal with his desires, leaving her with little time to study, but it was enough.

However, recently, her grades had dropped. Her homeroom teacher had spoken to her several times, warning her that if she didn't improve next time, her parents would have to come in.

Although the little girl had clearly told her that her parents weren't around, the teacher said that a relative would be fine, as long as they were guardians. Lian Yu said she didn't even have a guardian.

This time, the teacher didn't believe her. She had a feeling that Lian Yu was lying. It would be difficult for a little girl in this city to survive without anyone to rely on.

Their last conversation had been unpleasant, and the homeroom teacher knew that Lian Yu was becoming resistant, so she was even more certain that she was lying. And this was soon confirmed by the teacher: the woman learned indirectly that Lian Yu seemed to have an uncle around, and she had even seen Xue Jin pick up the little girl by chance...

"It's alright." Mentioning school made Lian Yu anxious; she was convinced her homeroom teacher disliked her and was prejudiced against her.

"How were your monthly exam results?" Xue Jin treated her like both a child and a lover; after all, Lian Yu was too young, and he wanted to take care of everything.

"It's alright." Lian Yu's voice was even softer, almost weak.

Xue Jin took a bite of his food and looked up at her: "Can I see your test paper and report card?"

"..." Lian Yu was startled, looking up at him strangely: the meaning was obvious—what did this have to do with him?

Xue Jin was somewhat annoyed by her gaze. She was his woman, and he had to be responsible for her life: if she didn't study hard, she might regret it later.

"Xiao Yu, what's wrong with you lately? Have you become lax since you started the accelerated class? Those are all high-achieving students; if you don't work hard, you'll easily fall behind." Xue Jin reasoned with her calmly.

"..." Lian Yu ate her rice in small bites, feeling that what he said made a lot of sense, but she was just in a bad mood and felt somewhat powerless in her studies, which made her a little frustrated. In addition, she disliked her homeroom teacher and disliked the subject she was taught, resulting in particularly poor grades.

Sensing that the girl seemed to have taken his words to heart, the man continued, "Don't you want to go to university? Uncle thinks you have a good chance. If you don't work harder now, you might miss a good opportunity."

Lian Yu's heart stirred, and she looked up at the man: "Maybe the courses are a bit difficult, and I'm a little unable to keep up!"

Xue Jin also knew that Lian Yu's foundation was a bit weak. He had helped her cram at the last minute a few days ago, which was how she got into the advanced class, but that didn't matter. As long as she had the will to improve, everything would be fine.

"I'm sorry, I've been so busy lately, I haven't had time to tutor you. How about this, starting this week, I'll set aside two hours every weekend to tutor you specifically. What do you think?" As Xue Jin said this, he also thought about his son: he was too busy, even tutoring his son after school was a problem, and now he had to take care of Lian Yu too. He was truly overwhelmed.

He needed to think of a solution. Maybe he should hire a tutor for his son, give him extra help every day, and check on his progress periodically; that should be effective.

Lian Yu nodded in agreement, greatly encouraged. She liked her uncle's lessons; she understood them easily. She even thought that if her uncle were her teacher, her grades would definitely be excellent.

"Okay, it's settled then. If Uncle forgets, remember to remind me." Xue Jin smiled. Being with Lian Yu always made him happy.

*Beep beep beep*

"Hello!" The phone rang. Xue Jin put down his chopsticks, left the table, went to the bedside table, and answered the call.

"Xue Jin, it's me. Are you off work?" The old man's voice on the other end was deep and strong. Xue Jin immediately recognized him and became extremely cautious.

"Dad, it's you. Yes, I'm off work. I'm out now. Is there anything I can help you with?" Xue Jin was anxious, wondering what had happened to Bai Sisi during the week she stayed at home.

"You haven't been here for a while. Baby and Sisi are with me. When are you coming over?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Dad. I've been too busy lately. I wanted to come, but I haven't been able to find the time. I'm sorry, I'll come see you tomorrow." Xue Jin answered carefully.

"Hmm... don't wait until tomorrow, let's do it now. Your mom made a whole table of dishes, come and eat too."

"..." Xue Jin hesitated for a moment, then turned to look at Lian Yu, the little girl staring at him blankly.

"Dad, I really can't find the time today, I'm having dinner with friends outside. How about tomorrow?" Xue Jin made a decision in an instant.

"Okay, then." Bai Qi was a reasonable person and didn't press him further.

After hanging up the phone, Xue Jin stood by the window, his gaze drifting into the distance, thinking: Will tomorrow be a blessing or a curse?

Seventy-first Father-in-Law's House

Walking out of the office building, Xue Jin looked preoccupied. His car was already parked at the gate of the agency, and the driver was unusually on duty today.

"Chief, this car is really good, much better than the old one." The driver was a little excited. Although it wasn't the first time he had driven this car, the only two times he had driven it still made him very excited.

Xue Jin snorted in response, and the driver, seeing his expression, composed himself and turned to ask, "Where are we going?"

Xue Jin had been driving himself for some time, leaving the driver practically idle; being called over today meant something was up.

"To my father-in-law's house," Xue Jin replied listlessly.

The driver, sensing the man's displeasure, nodded, and the car quickly started moving. It was rush hour, and Xue Jin's car wasn't particularly conspicuous in the traffic, but his license plate drew attention—it was a government license plate, not something ordinary people could use.

The driver was in a good mood, so he put in a CD, instantly filling the car with beautiful music.

Xue Jin, deep in thought, found the music surprisingly noisy. He glanced at the driver, who was also looking at him in the rearview mirror—the director, oh no, now he should be called the department head, seemed really annoying.

While he was still in a daze, Xue Jin spoke, his tone stern: "Turn off the stereo."

The driver was startled, but quickly realized that Xue Jin was now like a tiger, an angry beast, and even the slightest displeasure would provoke his roar.

"I'm sorry, Director." The driver pressed the off button, forcing a smile, while simultaneously accelerating. He had no interest in enjoying the comfort of the luxury car; he only wanted to get the man to his destination and escape as soon as possible.

The Military Commission compound was still as grand as ever, and the small buildings inside were still magnificent, but in Xue Jin's eyes, none of this seemed worth looking forward to.

What did his father-in-law want with him? He had already prepared for the worst. He had tossed and turned all night, filled with anxiety. Xue Jin realized with frustration that his career was ultimately his Achilles' heel. If things really got out of control, he would have no choice but to bow his head and admit his mistake.

Bai Sisi is no simple woman. She's cheated on him with so many people behind his back. Who knows, in a moment of passion, she might expose his affairs. If that happens, should he expose her too? When Xue Jin seriously considered this question, he hesitated. After all, Sisi was his father-in-law's daughter. No matter how well he, as her son-in-law, did, he couldn't surpass her position.

"The director has arrived." The driver parked the car in front of Bai Qi's house. After waiting a moment and seeing Xue Jin still hadn't gotten out, he called out.

"Oh, I know. You go eat too. I'll call you when I get back." Xue Jin lowered his head and straightened his cuffs, trying to hide his unease.

Stepping out of the car, Xue Jin stood there. Through the clean glass window, he could see a corner of the living room: empty and deserted. This wasn't surprising, as it was just a blind spot.

He looked at the gift box in his hand: fresh abalone from Zhuhai and several boxes of bird's nest, all top-quality tonics. Xue Jin licked his lips and pressed the doorbell.

"Who is it?" a maid's voice came through the receiver.

"It's me, Aunt Pei," Xue Jin replied. The door opened, and a servant in her forties greeted him with a smile, taking the gift he offered and calling out loudly, "The son-in-law is here!"

Bai Qi put down his newspaper and stood up from the sofa. As Xue Jin approached, he gestured to the armchair next to him and said, "Sit down!"

Xue Jin sat down with a smile. "Dad, I'm a little late today. The traffic was terrible."

Bai Qi nodded. "Hmm, what have you been busy with lately?"

"Mostly things in the hall. There are many unfamiliar aspects to my new job, and I'm trying to adapt," Xue Jin said modestly. In fact, he knew in his heart that his movements would not escape his father-in-law's watchful eye.

"Really? How are you adapting?" Bai Qi pressed. At this moment, his mother-in-law came over with a bowl of clean fruit.

"I'm adapting quite well; everyone's been very kind to me. Uh, Mom, thank you." Xue Jin was answering his father-in-law's question while accepting the fruit offered by the old lady.

"Xue Jin, you two sit and chat; I'll go check on things in the kitchen." His mother-in-law knew they were talking about men's matters, so it wasn't appropriate for her to stay.

"Mom, I brought you some gifts; I wonder if you like them?" Xue Jin said casually.

"I like them, I like them. Actually, you shouldn't have brought gifts; we're all family, it's too polite." Although the old lady said this, she was very happy inside; this son-in-law was much better than her daughter.

"Hehe, if you like them, I'll ask a friend to bring more next time." Xue Jin's face was sincere, and his words were earnest, making him sound very warm and friendly.

"Oh dear, you child, really, haha." The old lady still smiled, "If you don't find it troublesome, then take him."

"Haha, no trouble at all, no trouble at all." Xue Jin now had neither parents, and his feelings for the two elderly people were complicated, but he had largely fulfilled his duties as a son.

After saying a few more words, the old lady finally left, and Xue Jin put the apple in his hand aside without eating it.

Originally, the old man wanted to praise Xue Jin a few words, because this son-in-law had earned him a lot of face, and almost everyone in the hall approved of him, but the old lady's interruption...

"Xue Jin, look, your mother and I both like you very much. You are a very sensible person, and our Sisi is really lucky to be with you." At first, when the two were dating, the old man was very opposed, but now he was coaxing them with these words, which showed that Xue Jin's efforts over the years had not been in vain, and had yielded considerable results.

"Not at all, Dad, I'm doing you a disservice." Xue Jin was very self-aware. Although he had let go of the past, he still felt the hardship of raising his wife alone without a house.

"..." The old man picked up the now-cold tea on the table and took a sip. Xue Jin also had a cup in front of him, so he picked it up as well.

Xue Jin understood that the old man had something to say.

Bai Qi swallowed his tea, straightened his back even more, and leaned back on the sofa, relaxed. He looked his son-in-law up and down, feeling that Xue Jin seemed to have changed again. His position was higher, and his inherent superiority was stronger, his every move exuding confidence.

"Xue Jin, I treat you like my own son now. You know I only have one daughter, Sisi. She's been spoiled since she was little, and sometimes she's not well-liked. You have to be more tolerant of her; she's a woman after all." Bai Qi began to get to the point, his voice gentle, but carrying an invisible pressure.

Xue Jin remained silent, only nodding repeatedly.

"No matter how high your status becomes in the future, you must not forget the fundamentals of being a person. A harmonious family is the foundation of everything. I hope that while you are busy with your career, you will also pay more attention to Sisi. She needs you very much." Bai Qi stared at him, his gaze sharp, clearly hoping his son-in-law would take his words to heart.

"I understand, Dad. It was my negligence." Xue Jin lowered his posture considerably, and at the same time, he felt much relieved. It seemed that Bai Sisi hadn't made things too bad.

"My daughter has always been stubborn. As her father, I understand her very well. I see her joys and sorrows, and they are all on my mind. This time she has been staying here for several days, unwilling to go to work or come home. I am very worried about her." Bai Qi frowned at this point.

"Dad, it's all my fault. I will correct myself in the future." Xue Jin reiterated his stance at the opportune moment.

"Well, I don't care what happened between you two, but I hope this matter is over and done with, and you can live a good life together." Bai Qi knew that the two of them must have had a disagreement, but since they were both tight-lipped, he didn't want to ask any more questions. After all, it was a matter between a young couple, and as an elder, he could only offer his advice and leave it at that.

"I won't let you down. I'm here today to apologize and to take Sisi back." Xue Jin clasped his hands together and looked up at his father-in-law with a firm expression.

"Well, that's good." Bai Qi smiled. With Xue Jin's assurances, he felt much more at ease. After all, it's normal for couples to have some friction; who can live a life without any bumps along the way?

Seeing the smile on the old man's face, Xue Jin smiled back: he was completely relieved; it was a false alarm.

While feeling relieved, he was also secretly pleased, thinking, "I, Xue Jin, am not that unlucky. My career is just going well, and now my family is having problems. It seems that God is still very kind to me."

"Sisi and your grandson are upstairs. Go and call them down for dinner." Bai Qi felt the conversation was over and it was time for the young couple to have some private time.

"Okay, Dad, I'll go upstairs first. See you later." Xue Jin understood his father's meaning, stood up, turned around, and went upstairs to the second floor. He walked through the not-too-long corridor to his wife's door.

Bai Qi's villa wasn't big or small, just average, but it could easily accommodate about ten people. There were five guest rooms, none of which were large, but they were still quite spacious. Bai Sisi had moved frequently from elementary school to junior high, following Bai Qi wherever he was transferred. It wasn't until she was in the second year of junior high that Bai Qi's job finally stabilized, and he rose steadily to his current position.

Xue Jin knocked on the door. There was the sound of a television whirring inside, but the woman didn't answer. Xue Jin pushed the door open and went in, immediately seeing his wife half-lying on the edge of the bed watching TV.

Bai Qi's living room had a new LCD TV, while Si Si's room had an old 29-inch Konka color TV. Although it was a bit old, the picture quality was still quite clear.

Bai Si Si turned her head and saw it was him, but didn't say anything, staring at the screen on her own. Even when Xue Jin approached and plopped down on the bed, she still ignored him.

Today, the woman knew he was coming. She was watching the LCD TV in the living room, but she was being coy and didn't want to see him, so she came up to watch the old flat-screen TV in a huff.

"Si Si, are you still angry with me?" Xue Jin softened his voice, staring at her unmade-up face, which seemed somewhat unfamiliar.

Bai Si Si pouted and didn't speak, but her expression was clear—of course, was there any need to ask? I am angry with you, and very angry.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have hit you that day, I was wrong." Seeing that she showed no sign of backing down, Xue Jin gritted his teeth and admitted his mistake.

"You know you're wrong? Too late." Bai Si Si had been quite comfortable at home these past few days, and had even gained some weight.

Anger flashed in Xue Jin's eyes, but he quickly calmed down. He reached out to grab the woman's hand, but she forcefully shook him off: "Don't touch me, I'm watching TV."

Xue Jin's temper flared up, and he had almost no patience left for her: Pretending? She's overdoing it. I've already come to apologize, what more do you want?

Seeing his expression change, Bai Sisi remained fearless, tilting her head to glare at him. They were at her parents' house, so she was acting arrogantly, feeling wronged, and how could she so easily forgive this man? After

a while of staring at each other, Xue Jin got bored and turned his gaze away, saying, "Let's go downstairs for dinner."

Bai Sisi returned her gaze to the TV, saying firmly, "This is my house, I know when I can go downstairs."

Xue Jin's brow twitched slightly. He really wanted to turn around and leave, but he suppressed his temper: women really can't be spoiled; give them one, and they want two. But he couldn't get angry, especially here; he had just spoken with his father-in-law.

"Weren't you not coming?" Bai Sisi blurted out abruptly.

"What?" Xue Jin looked at her, somewhat confused.

"Where were you yesterday? Dad called you, why didn't you come?" Bai Sisi questioned him loudly.

"I had something to do yesterday, work-related things, I really couldn't get away," Xue Jin explained, but in fact, he was with a girl last night.

"Tch!" Bai Sisi scoffed, "Besides work, you're always hanging out with young girls, aren't you? Where do you put me? Have you been having a good time these past few days, hoping I won't come back?"

Xue Jin felt a moment of unease as she hit the nail on the head, but his face remained calm.

"What nonsense are you talking about? It's all baseless. Can you stop being so unreasonable?" Xue Jin scolded her, his tone righteous.

"Whether I'm lying or not, you know best in your heart. No man is any good." Bai Sisi was very dissatisfied with her husband, and thinking of the men she had been with, these words slipped out of her mouth.

"Really? Looks like you know all too well?" Xue Jin said sarcastically.

Bai Sisi's face paled, realizing she'd said the wrong thing, and she quickly changed the subject: "Don't be so smug. Getting a divorce isn't that easy. Now that you're a high-ranking official, you look down on me and want to find a mistress? No way! I've worked so hard with you all these years, and now that we're doing well, I can't just give that up."

Xue Jin was somewhat amused: he hadn't said he wanted a divorce, had he?

"Sisi, you're really overthinking it. I already have your son, what's the point of divorce? I have feelings for you, you're just worrying unnecessarily," Xue Jin said, feigning innocence.

Bai Sisi wasn't stupid. Although Xue Jin wouldn't admit it, she was convinced of the facts. Women are incredibly smart at times, and incredibly stupid at others.

She snorted coldly, "Just keep saying nice things. In any case, don't let me get any solid evidence, or I'm really capable of doing anything."

Xue Jin's face turned ashen. Men hate being threatened the most, and this wasn't the first time Bai Sisi had done this. He was extremely disgusted, which made him completely disregard the consequences. He said, "I'm too lazy to waste my breath on you. You're such a shrew."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xue Jin turned and left. Bai Sisi was furious, her lungs practically bursting. She grabbed a pillow and hurled it at Xue Jin, yelling, "You bastard, stop right there!"

Xue Jin ignored her, opened the door, and strode out. Bai Sisi, panting heavily on the bed, roared, "Who the hell are you calling a shrew?!"

Xue Jin outwardly enjoyed dinner, but inwardly he was very unhappy, and Bai Sisi didn't say a word to him the entire night.

As he was leaving, Xue Jin smiled at Bai Sisi and said, "Sisi, you and our son come back with me." Bai

Sisi gave him a cold look and said, "I'm not going back. I haven't had enough of staying. You take our son and go back first."

She wanted to leave the child with Xue Jin so he wouldn't stay out too late. After all, Xue Jin wasn't comfortable leaving their son alone at home.

Seeing his daughter's attitude, Bai Qi couldn't help but want to lash out, but Xue Jin pretended to be a good person and quickly stopped him: "Dad, Sisi is probably still upset with me. Please let her stay for a couple more days. I'll be coming over these next few days."

Bai Qi suppressed his anger and didn't say anything more. As the night grew darker, Xue Jin took his son and drove back home.

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