The familiar music started playing again downstairs.
"One, two, three, hey!"
"One, two, three, hey!"
Du Xiaoruo turned over, covered her ears with a pillow, and continued to sleep.
"Xiaoruo, Lele, get up and do your morning exercises! Xiaoruo, Lele, get up and do your morning exercises..."
Du Xiaoruo drifted back to sleep when suddenly a loud voice rang in her ears, as if it were being shouted through a megaphone.
"Xiaoruo, Lele, get up and do your exercises."
She sat up abruptly, her hair a messy tangle, and ran barefoot to the window, pulling back the curtains.
In the courtyard downstairs, Mu Hua waved the megaphone he was holding at her, then put it to his mouth and continued shouting loudly.
"Xiaoruo, Lele, you two lazybones, get up now!"
Du Xiaoruo gestured to Mu Hua through the window to stop, then quickly drew the curtains and changed her clothes and washed up.
With a toothbrush in her mouth, she hurried to knock on Lele's door. The boy was probably fast asleep, because after knocking for a long time, a muffled, coquettish "hmm" came from inside the room.
After washing up, Du Xiaoruo and Lele rushed downstairs. As soon as they stood at the end of the line, Mu Hua turned on the music, and Du Xiaoruo subconsciously started to sway to the music.
That's how people are; things they used to think were shameful become natural after doing them a few times. Now, Du Xiaoruo was familiarly swaying her hips, and she even had the mind to glance at Xia Qingye out of the corner of her eye.
Xia Qing also came home very late last night. The light was dim at night, so Du Xiaoruo didn't have time to take a good look at her. Now that she does, Xia Qing looks even more haggard.
She pursed her lips and looked away.
Du Xiaoruo was single for over twenty years in her previous life, so although she couldn't empathize with this kind of husband cheating drama, she knew that Xia Qing must be in a lot of pain right now.
Lele, standing diagonally behind Du Xiaoruo, was also secretly observing her aunt. The message sent last night must have made her aunt very sad. Thinking about her younger sister, she felt sorry for her.
After finishing the aerobics, Mu Hua invited everyone to drive to a noodle shop for beef noodles.
Because everyone is busy all day, in order to save manpower, everyone eats breakfast outside, which is cheap, affordable, and saves them the trouble of cooking.
Hearing about eating beef noodles, Du Xiaoruo felt a little emo. Beef noodles are indeed delicious, but the noodle shop owner is a social misfit.
The problem is that not only is he a social butterfly, but he's also a fan of Du Xiaoruo. Under his intense gaze and constant chatter, Du Xiaoruo felt like she was sitting on pins and needles.
Although she was reluctant, everyone liked it, so Du Xiaoruo didn't have the courage to say she didn't want to eat beef noodles. Like a piece of duckweed, she drifted along and got on the bus.
When the noodle shop owner saw the production crew's van arrive, he quickly came out to greet them and even made room for them at an empty table.
The boss was a man in his early thirties, lean and capable-looking, who spoke rapidly, like pouring out beans.
"Thanks to you all, business has been booming at my noodle shop ever since you started livestreaming. There are no seats available at this time of day. This table was specially reserved for you."
Mu Hua exchanged pleasantries with the owner, "Not at all, it's also because your noodles are so good."
"Not at all, not at all." The boss was very pleased with the movie star's praise, and his mouth was so wide it almost stretched to his ears.
He tidied up the clutter on the table, his gaze falling on Du Xiaoruo.
Du Xiaoruo immediately became alert and quickly picked up the tea to refill everyone's teacups, hoping that the boss would not talk to her since she was very busy.
But as a die-hard fan of Du Xiaoruo, how could the noodle shop owner easily let go of such an opportunity to get close to his idol? He snatched the teapot from Du Xiaoruo's hand.
"Let me do it, let me do it. You're delicate, it wouldn't be good if you got burned."
Du Xiaoruo had absolutely no idea how to respond to that, and awkwardly lowered her head, feeling extremely embarrassed.
The boss poured tea, glancing shyly at Du Xiaoruo every now and then.
"Are all celebrities as beautiful as you? Wow, you're both beautiful and capable. I watch your live streams every day, and you're my favorite. That cake you made looks really good. Did you learn how to make it before?"
Du Xiaoruo pursed her lips, offering a polite smile on the surface.
My fingers are twisted into a pretzel under the table, what should I do? Should I say something polite in this situation? But what should I say? My throat is so dry, what should I do?
Mu Hua poured milk into the three children's glasses and glanced at Du Xiaoruo with amusement.
"Boss, are you married?" Mu Hua put down the milk bottle, picked up the hot tea and took a sip, chatting slowly like an old gossipy man basking in the sun on the street.
"Huh?" The unexpected topic startled the owner of the beef offal shop, who replied somewhat awkwardly, "No...not yet."
"Oh, you're not young anymore, are you? Why aren't you married yet?" Mu Hua said with a smile.
"No, I haven't met anyone suitable." The shopkeeper put down the teapot.
"I'll go cook noodles for you right now, four adults and three children, plus a serving of cold beef salad, a serving of pickled radish, and a serving of beef offal soup, right?"
After saying that, the boss, who had been rambling on and on, ran away as if his pants were on fire.
Mu Hua laughed and called out from behind him, "Remember that bowl of beef noodles without cilantro?"
"Okay, I remember, don't worry."
Wow, Mu Hua is so doting! Knowing Xiao Ruo is socially awkward, he helps her out of her embarrassment.
[Hahaha, Mu Hua knows how to kill a conversation.]
They really seem like a family. Mu Hua is like the eldest brother, always caring for his younger siblings.
The guests this season are so peaceful, I love that feeling. Watching them eat, drink, and busy themselves every day is so refreshing, unlike last season when it was all about fighting and bickering.
The owner brought out several bowls of beef noodles on a tray, placed the one without cilantro in front of Du Xiaoruo, and this time left without continuing to talk.
Du Xiaoruo breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed to enjoy the food. To be honest, the beef noodles here were really delicious; the noodles were chewy, the broth was rich and flavorful, and even the beef tasted exceptionally good.
Yesterday, the ice cream and cupcakes sold very well, and were all sold out before 8 o'clock. Some customers didn't even come to eat hot pot, but came specifically to buy ice cream and cupcakes.
On the way back, Mu Hua and Du Xiaoruo discussed whether they could do more today, so that they might exceed their target.
"OK."
Du Xiaoruo nodded in agreement. Cupcakes and ice cream could be made in batches, and the time spent making more would be about the same.
"Very good."
Mu Hua, with one hand on the steering wheel, gave Xiao Ruo a thumbs-up.
"Brother Hua."
At this moment, Xia Qing suddenly said, "I want to go out for lunch."
Upon hearing Xia Qingye's words, Lele and Du Xiaoruo, both of whom had something to hide, perked up their ears.
"Okay." Mu Hua didn't pry into her private affairs and readily agreed. "Can you be back before dinner?"
A flicker of pain crossed Xia Qing's eyes, but she forced herself to remain calm and replied, "It should be possible."
Let's leave it at that for now. Anyway, once Mu Hua sees the trending topics, he won't care whether she came back on time or not.
"Extra! Extra!"
Secretary Kim carried several cups of coffee and ran all the way from the general assistant's office to the design department office.
Just minutes before starting work, Yu Pan was frantically stuffing a sandwich into his mouth when Secretary Jin ran in. Yu Pan quickly snatched the coffee from his hand, took out a cup of Americano iced coffee, and gulped down half of it.
He let out a long sigh of relief; he was finally alive again.
Secretary Kim's shout just now startled Yu Pan, causing him to choke on a sandwich and nearly die on the spot.
Otto was applying concealer when he heard Secretary Kim's words. He gracefully pushed off the ground, and his swivel chair slid smoothly to a stop in front of Yu Pan's desk.
Three gossipy heads huddled together.
Secretary Kim took a sip of her mocha, caught her breath, and held up five fingers. "Five hundred each."
"Tch~" Otto rolled his eyes and slid away on his swivel chair.
Yu Pan ate his sandwich and drank his coffee with his head down, seemingly not hearing what Secretary Kim said.
Secretary Kim sipped her coffee leisurely, then uttered through gritted teeth, "A shocking scandal from a high-society family."
"Qiao An finally crashed and burned?" Yu Pan looked up and reached out to adjust the gold-rimmed glasses on his nose.
Secretary Kim held up her index finger and shook it in front of Yu Pan. "No, the other one."
In the company, besides Qiao An, the only other person who can be considered a big shot is... Qiao Qingchuan?
Otto put down the concealer, took out his phone and transferred 500 to Secretary Kim on the spot. Although Yu Pan felt a little pained, he thought of the shocking news, closed his eyes and gritted his teeth to transfer 500 as well.
Secretary Kim raised her wrist to check the time; it was almost 9:30.
"Don't rush, let's talk about it when it's time to start work." Gossip during work hours is paid time, so it's more enjoyable to talk about.
At 9:30 sharp, the three of them huddled together, and Secretary Kim lowered her voice.
"I learned from Xiao Jiang at the gatehouse that Xia Qing also came to the company last night. Apparently, she had a big argument with Qiao Qingchuan, and Qiao Qingchuan called the security guards to kick Xia Qing out of the office as well."
Otto blinked. "And then?"
"And that's it. They've already kicked everyone out, what's next?"
Otto, "What was the argument about?"
How would I know what happened in the chairman's office?
Yu Pan leaped from his seat and grabbed Secretary Jin by the neck, his expression one of life or death.
"Give me my money back!"
Joanne walked into the design studio, took the last iced Americano from the table as if it were nothing out of the ordinary, then stepped back two steps, watching the three people wrestling together as if she were admiring them.
After they had finished fighting, Joan pointed to Secretary Kim, whose hair was disheveled and whose glasses were miserably hanging on her nose.
"I'll give you five minutes. Go out and find out what Xia Qing and Qiao Qingchuan were arguing about last night when she came to the company."
Secretary Kim straightened her glasses and ran off as fast as she could, as if the floor were burning hot.
The man vanished in a flash. Joan sipped her coffee elegantly and asked the question that had been bothering her, "How did he find out so much gossip?"
Yu Pan kept his head down and quickly gathered the sandwich wrappers scattered on the table, while Otto focused on applying makeup. The two of them seemed not to have heard what Qiao An said.
In situations like this, the only option is to pretend you're deaf. What else can you do? Who would dare tell Joan the truth?
Those gossips were all obtained by exchanging gossip about Qiao An. The entire company probably knows Qiao An better than he does himself. Even the security guards know that Qiao An has a small mole on her lower back.
It was almost noon when Xia Qing said goodbye to Mu Hua and went back to her room.
She first covered the bedroom camera with a towel, then opened the wardrobe, picked out a nude pink long dress studded with rhinestones, and put it on. Her long, straight hair, which cascaded down her back, was all pulled up, revealing her smooth neck and back.
Then she opened the heavy suitcase containing the jewelry, took out an exquisitely crafted sandalwood jewelry box, and opened it to reveal a set of antique ruby jewelry.
This set of jewelry was a gift from Xia Qingye's father when she got married. It is an antique jewelry that has been passed down from the Queen of England. The center of the necklace features a crescent-shaped design and is set with a gorgeous oval pigeon blood red jewel weighing more than 6 carats.
Xia Qing also has a striking and flamboyant appearance. Paired with this set of luxurious jewelry, she instantly establishes her queenly demeanor.
After getting dressed, Xia Qing tossed the sapphire necklace that Qiao Qingchuan had given her yesterday into her handbag and left the room.
She gracefully walked down the stairs, lifting the hem of her skirt, and the photographers following her immediately caught up. The live stream audience went wild when they saw her dressed so elegantly.
[Wow, Your Majesty, what is Xia Qing doing? This is quite a grand affair!]
[As expected of the heiress of Xia's Jewelry, she is as beautiful as a gem fallen to earth.]
[I'm guessing she's going on a date with Qiao Qingchuan? Xia Qing retired after getting married, so she probably doesn't need to dress so formally for work occasions.]
Du Xiaoruo stared blankly at Xia Qingye. With her looks and aura, she truly lived up to her title as the female lead.
Xia Qing took Xiangxiang's hand and walked up to Du Xiaoruo. "Xiaoruo, I have to go out for a bit. Could you look after Xiangxiang for me?"
Du Xiaoruo took Xiangxiang's hand.
Xia Qing waved to her daughter and smiled gently, "How about you play with Aunt Xiaoruo for a while? Mom will be back soon."
Xiangxiang waved obediently to Xia Qing, "Goodbye, Mom."
Xia Qing also turned around, her eyes filled with determination.
The cameraman was standing at the entrance of the mansion, unsure whether to continue filming. Although it was live, the guests also had their own privacy, leaving the cameraman in a dilemma.
A black Maybach waiting at the entrance of the mansion saw Xia Qing come out and the driver drove the car over.
After the driver got out of the car, he opened the car door for Xia Qing and respectfully greeted her, "Miss."
This is the Xia family's car. Given the current situation, Xia Qing would never touch a single thing from the Qiao family.
Xia Qing stopped in front of the car, turned around and smiled at the cameraman, "Cameraman, may I sit in the back seat?"
The cameraman then stepped forward, carried his equipment, and got into the back seat of the Maybach.
In the live stream room,
Wow! I thought Xia Qing wouldn't be doing any more live streams after she went out, but it turns out we can still watch! I'm curious where she's going, all dressed up so beautifully.
[Is this the time I'm supposed to be having lunch with someone? Qiao Qingchuan? I'm really looking forward to it.]
[This couple is so romantic! Yesterday Qiao Qingchuan gave her roses and jewelry, and today Xia Qing dressed up for their date. We're practically stuffed with their lovey-dovey antics!]
After getting into the car, Xia Qing also received a message on her phone.
"Miss, the person has gone inside, and all the hotel exits are under control."
It is said that mothers and daughters are connected at heart. Ever since Xia Qing left, the usually well-behaved girl has become restless. She stood up, went out, and then came back, her little face full of worry.
She walked over to Du Xiaoruo and asked softly,
"Auntie, where did my mother go?"
Du Xiaoru shook her head. Seeing Xia Qing's posture, Du Xiaoru could actually guess where she was going, but she couldn't say it.
After thinking for a moment, she pleaded, "Auntie, could you call my mother? I'm very worried about her."
Du Xiaoruo felt that it wasn't a good time to make a phone call. Xia Qing had her own driver and a cameraman with her, so nothing should happen.
She thought for a moment, then said to Xiangxiang,
"Let's go to the kitchen and bake a cake, and give it to Mom when she gets back, okay?"
"Um."
Considering he's still just a little kid, his attention was immediately drawn to the idea of making a cake.
No child dislikes cake, especially the classic combination of soft sponge cake and buttercream flowers. When Du Xiaoruo was making the cake, Xiaoshu and Lele followed her in.
The children were too close to the work surface, and Du Xiaoruo almost splashed milk paste onto Xiaoshu's face several times.
She had no choice but to find a ribbon and stretch it into a warning line about one meter in front of the kitchen counter, instructing the three little ones, "Don't cross this line."
[Waaaaah, Xiaoruo is so gentle. If this happened in my family, my mom would just hit me with a rolling pin and tell me to get out of the kitchen.]
[Xiao Ruo can even make cream cakes? That's amazing!]
[Haha, anyone who bakes knows that the process of making a cream cake is actually the same as making cupcakes—you just spread cream on top after making the sponge cake. But the results from a professional and a non-professional are completely different.]
[Xiaoruo is only an amateur; it's impressive that she was able to do it at all.]
[Oh my god, you guys hurry to Xia Qingye's live stream, something's happened.]
Suddenly someone shouted in the live stream, and everyone in the live stream left.
Mu Hua went into the kitchen and whispered to Du Xiaoruo, "Don't let the children come out, don't let them watch the live broadcast."
Du Xiaoruo's brow twitched, guessing that it was probably related to Xia Qingye.
"Uncle Mu Hua, has something happened to my mother?"
Xiangxiang is a sensitive and perceptive child. Today, she felt that her mother was acting strangely, and now, seeing the expressions on Muhua and Du Xiaoruo's faces, she immediately guessed that it was about her mother.
Mu Hua smiled easily, "Your mother went to have dinner with her good friend, she'll be back soon."
Thinking about it, she shook her head with tears in her eyes, "You're lying, my mother has no friends."
"How could you not have any friends?" Mu Hua walked over, picked up Xiangxiang, and placed her on her lap, gently comforting her, "Everyone has friends."
With a bewildered look in her teary eyes, she thought, "But I've never met my mother's friend."
Mu Hua wiped away Xiangxiang's tears with a tissue. "We are your mother's friends, Uncle Mu Hua, Aunt Xiaoruo, and Uncle Ni An. We are all your mother's friends."
Some viewers in the live stream were currently watching with two accounts simultaneously. Seeing Xia Qing also catching her husband cheating on her, and hearing what Xiangxiang said earlier, they all felt indignant on Xia Qing's behalf.
[Women lose themselves after marriage; I never imagined even wealthy heiresses would be like this, ending up without even their own friends.]
[That scumbag Qiao Qingchuan! I'll never buy anything from Jinse again!]
[Upstairs, please distinguish between the two: Jinse and Ya Jin. Ya Jin belongs to Qiao Qingchuan, while Ya Se is managed by Qiao An. Don't drag President Ha into this.]
When the Xia family's bodyguards kicked open the door to room number 3 at the Yuelai Club, Qiao Qingchuan, the eldest son of the Qiao family, and his mistress Chi Tiaotiao appeared in the live stream. Realizing that their accounts might be banned, the cameraman immediately turned the camera around, and the live stream went blank for a moment.
"What are you doing? What the hell are you doing?"
Qiao Qingchuan froze for a few seconds, then quickly grabbed the bathrobe next to him, wrapped it around himself, jumped off the bed, and rushed over, trying to snatch the camera away.
The Xia family's bodyguards stepped forward and blocked the camera.
"You're fucking breaking the law! Turn off the cameras right now! Do you know who I am? I'll fuck your mother!"
A torrent of vulgar and offensive profanities poured from Qiao Qingchuan's mouth, while the mistress cowered in the corner, trembling with fear, her body completely naked under the blanket.
Xia Qing sat leisurely on a European-style tiger chair in the club, watching the clumsy and disgusting scene in front of her, her arrogant eyes full of contempt.
Qiao Qingchuan snapped out of his shock and realized that a large group of bodyguards in black suits were standing in the corridor. He knew that he was going to be defeated by Xia Qingye today.
"Wife, Qingye, please forgive me this time. It's my first time, really. I was bewitched. I promise it won't happen again."
As he spoke, he knelt down in front of Xia Qingye, hugging her legs and pleading incessantly.
Xia Qing also raised her leg, and her pointed high heels kicked Qiao Qingchuan hard in the knee, causing Qiao Qingchuan to roll to the side in pain.
"Even now you still can't tell the truth? First time? Then what happened to the hotel records I checked before?"
[Holy crap, so this happened before. Then why did Qiao Qingchuan send roses and jewelry yesterday? It really was all a show.]
[That guy Joe is disgusting. He's lying even now. I used to be attracted to his looks, but now he's worse than someone who's swallowed a fly.]
Xia Qingye's gaze swept over the mess of clothes scattered on the carpet, passing over the coats, shirts, underwear, and lace women's lingerie on the floor, and finally found a familiar piece of jewelry at her feet.
She looked down in confusion, then nudged the diamond necklace with her toe. Once she was sure of it, she suddenly burst out laughing.
"Hahahaha, Qiao Qingchuan, you're truly trash! You're having an affair, and you even stole my necklace to give to her? Hahahaha, I've never heard of such a thing before! The chairman of the Qiao Group steals his wife's jewelry to give to his mistress?"
She looked up at the camera and said to the viewers in the live stream, "You've all learned something new today, haven't you?"
[It's not just broadening my horizons, it completely shattered my worldview.]
Has the Qiao family really fallen to such a deplorable state? Has Qiao Qingchuan even started stealing?
Jinse is bankrupt. Qiao Qingchuan stole things and stole women. Spread the word.
Jinse is bankrupt. It turns out Qiao Qingchuan isn't human. Spread the word.
What? Qiao Qingchuan is dead? When did this happen? Shouldn't such a big event be a cause for national celebration?
Xia Qing had achieved her goal and didn't want to stay in this filthy place for another second. She took out the sapphire necklace and threw it directly at Qiao Qingchuan's face.
"You think you can fool me with this cheap stuff?"
Then he took out his phone and dialed the police, "Hello, I want to report a crime. My necklace worth over a million yuan has been stolen."
In front of the computers in the Yaser Design Department,
Otto and the others stared wide-eyed. Wow, they were looking for gossip all morning, and now this earth-shattering gossip has been delivered right to their doorstep.
Joanne stood up, walked out of the design studio, took out her phone, and made a call.
"We need to act ahead of schedule; Qiao Qingchuan has messed up."
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