During the restaurant's live stream, Joanne moved between tables like a social butterfly, watched horror movies with middle school students, took photos with fans, and even directed the children at the water bar to add honey to their lemonade as if it were free.
Du Xiaoruo hadn't seen him idle at all when she went out to deliver cakes several times; he was definitely a social butterfly. Du Xiaoruo shook her head in envy.
As most of the customers in the restaurant left, Mu Hua urged them to leave quickly if they had family matters to attend to, saying that Mu Hua and Ni An would take care of the rest.
Du Xiaoruo went to her room to change her clothes, and when she walked out of the mansion, she saw that Qiao An's Bentley was already parked by the roadside.
She reached up and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, then quickly walked towards the car.
Qiao An rested one hand loosely on the steering wheel, his clear eyes looking out the car window as Du Xiaoruo jogged towards him with small, quick steps.
She wore a custom-made silk suit. Although it was a suit, it didn't look stiff at all. Instead, it had a relaxed and casual oversized design, and the light fabric of the suit flowed with her steps.
Du Xiaoruo is tall and slender, and this androgynous, lazy style suits her very well, giving her a kind of ascetic intellectual beauty.
She approached the Bentley and reached out to open the back door.
"Sit in the front," Qiao An suddenly said, her lazy voice sounding less like an order and more like a coquettish plea.
Du Xiaoruo hesitated for a moment, closed the back door, took two steps forward and opened the passenger door.
She got into the car and awkwardly reached up to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear, her black pearl earring gleaming softly in the darkness.
These pearl earrings look ordinary on their own, but they suit Du Xiaoruo's small, fair earlobes perfectly. It's as if pearls, these understated yet elegant creatures, were made for her.
The car drove forward, and no one spoke much along the way. Du Xiaoruo was naturally quiet, and Lele was so tired that she collapsed in the back seat and soon started snoring.
Perhaps afraid of disturbing Lele, She Niu Qiao An also became much quieter.
The lamplight outside the car window cast dappled shadows across the room. Strangely, Du Xiaoruo didn't feel awkward in this quiet and cramped space. She leaned back comfortably in her seat, the faint scent of woody men's cologne lingering around her nose, making her feel very at ease.
How strange. This morning, a huge, embarrassing stampede happened, but now I don't feel uncomfortable at all sitting in the passenger seat of Qiao An's car. It's weird.
Du Xiaoruo thought about it quietly for a moment, and perhaps it was the relaxed feeling of not caring about anything that made Qiao An feel at ease.
Behind the Bentley followed a black Maybach, which belonged to the Xia family. Xia Qing and Xiang Xiang were sitting in the back seat.
Xia Qing also received a call about a family dinner today. She has already made up her mind to divorce Qiao Qingchuan, so she was indifferent to the dinner and only got up to go after finishing her live broadcast.
On the way to the dinner party, Xia Qing could already guess the purpose of the evening's dinner party; it was nothing more than the usual advice to reconcile rather than break up.
Thinking of this, Xia Qing took Xiangxiang's hand, turned her head, and looked at her daughter with pity. Her Xiangxiang was about to lose her father.
"Think about it, Mom has something to tell you," she said softly.
Xiangxiang turned her head, and the lamplight from the window fell into her dark eyes. "Okay, Mom, what do you want to say?"
"Hmm..." Xia Qing thought about her words, "Mom may have to separate from your dad."
"Will I stay with my mom?" Xiangxiang asked.
"Of course," Xia Qing assured her. "No matter what method Mom uses, she will definitely be with you, Mom promises."
"Then you two should separate." Xiangxiang leaned back in her chair, her face calm.
Xiangxiang's answer stumped Xia Qing. She remained silent for a long while, then, fearing her daughter hadn't understood, repeated herself.
"What Mom means is that Mom will divorce your dad, and you will have to live with Mom alone from now on."
"I understand." He nodded knowingly.
"Brother Lele has already told me all these things. It's better for Mom and Dad to separate than to live together unhappily. After you separate, you can find someone who loves you more."
"What did Lele say?"
Xia Qing was still in a state of shock. She hadn't expected that the children had already discussed these topics on their own, and that their thoughts were even more mature than those of adults.
"Yes, Lele said that his father raised him alone for so many years and it's been fine. He said he's been very happy, so Mom, I'm really okay."
Xia Qing also pulled Xiangxiang's head into her arms and sighed with relief, still feeling that the child would be a little wronged if they got divorced.
Imagine hugging your mother and whispering,
"Mom, don't be sad. I'm not sad at all about you and Dad separating."
"Why? He is, after all, your father." Xia Qing looked into her daughter's eyes, feeling that Xiangxiang's thoughts were a bit strange.
"Hmm..." Xiangxiang bit her lower lip and said very softly, "Because I don't like my dad. He always, no, sometimes he hits me."
Xia Qing was also startled. She held Xiangxiang's shoulders and stared intently into her eyes.
"Think about it, what did you say? Qiao Qingchuan hit you? When did that happen?"
Xiangxiang was a little startled by Xia Qingye's actions. She shrank her shoulders and whispered,
"Sometimes when I'm alone with him, he'll push my head hard and slap my back with his hand."
Hearing Xiangxiang's description, Xia Qing felt like she was going crazy. She hadn't even noticed. Xiangxiang and Qiao Qingchuan weren't very close before, but she always thought it was because Qiao Qingchuan was busy with work and often didn't come home.
Why didn't you tell your mother?
Xia Qing's heart was breaking too. Her precious daughter, whom she cherished, had been abused by that scumbag Qiao Qingchuan.
"Because my dad told me not to tell him. He said if I told you, he would beat me too."
Xia Qing also turned Xiangxiang over and checked her daughter's clothes. Fortunately, Qiao Qingchuan was afraid that Xia Qing would notice, so he didn't hit her too hard and didn't leave any marks on Xiangxiang's body.
But Xia Qing was now so heartbroken she could hardly breathe. She hugged Xiangxiang tightly and said, word by word.
"You must tell your mother if anything happens in the future. You must trust your mother. She has the ability to protect you and also the ability to protect herself."
The Bentley and Maybach stopped one after the other in front of a large Chinese restaurant. The restaurant was designed in the style of a Chinese garden. The group walked through the brightly lit Suzhou-style garden and, guided by the waiter, entered the 888 private room.
The enormous Chinese-style revolving table was filled with all sorts of expensive dishes. Almost three hours had passed since the dishes were served, and by now they were all cold, blending seamlessly with the icy faces of Jin Xizhen and Qiao Qingchuan.
As Qiao An and his group stepped into the private room, Qiao Qingchuan could no longer contain his frustration. He was about to vent when Jin Xizhen stopped him with a look.
Qiao Qingchuan didn't dare to act rashly. He glared at Qiao An timidly, then looked at Xia Qingye behind Qiao An with an unfriendly expression. After meeting Xia Qingye's murderous gaze, Qiao Qingchuan awkwardly turned his head away.
"Everyone's here? Then please take your seats." Kim Hee-jin calmly instructed the waiter to change the dishes, her exquisitely made-up face revealing neither joy nor anger.
Du Xiaoruo hid behind Qiao An and followed everyone to the table to sit down.
The waiter cleared all the cold plates off the table, and Kim Hee-jin took out a Ming-style box made of Phoebe zhennan wood from a brown vintage crocodile leather bag next to her.
She placed the small, exquisite box on the dining table, and the electric rotating table spun around and stopped in front of Xia Qingye.
Kim Hee-jin had a faint smile on her lips.
"Qingye, this is a gift from your mother. Open it and take a look."
Xia Qing remained expressionless as she took the box and opened it, revealing a shimmering blue glass antique necklace.
Xia Qing also knew about this necklace; it was a top-quality collector's item from 1982. She had seen it in a jewelry catalog before, but she never expected it to be in Jin Xizhen's collection.
"Qingchuan is immature. You didn't like the junk he gave you before, but what do you think of this one?"
Xia Qing put the necklace back in the box, placed it on the rotating table, and spun it back to Jin Xizhen, her tone cold.
"This necklace is too valuable, I dare not accept it."
The necklace was moved to Kim Hee-jin's face, but she didn't move, her lips still curved into an elegant smile.
"Since it's from your mother, you should accept it. Even though you're from a jewelry family, this necklace is one of a kind in the whole world, so it's very precious."
The necklace sat alone on the huge rotating dining table, then spun back to Xia Qingye.
She stared at the necklace box for a long time, as if she had figured something out, then reached out and picked up the necklace, her tone still indifferent.
"Then I shall respectfully comply."
Seeing that Xia Qing had also accepted the necklace, a smile finally appeared in Jin Xizhen's cold eyes. She casually mentioned it as if they were chatting about everyday matters.
“Life still goes on. Although Qingchuan is facing some difficulties now, we are still family after all. His uncle called today to ask about it and said that if anyone wants to see the Qiao family doing well, he will not stand idly by. I managed to persuade him to stay. Qingye, you are Qingchuan's lawfully wedded wife, so of course I hope your Xia family will be well.”
Jin Xizhen's meaning was clear: if everyone lives a good life, they can still be a family. But if they don't know their place, even though the Qiao family is on the verge of decline under Qiao Qingchuan's leadership, Jin Xizhen's family will take action against the Xia family. This is clearly a threat, a combination of kindness and coercion. It all depends on whether you know your place.
Xia Qing appeared calm on the surface, but her hand, which was under the table, was clenched into a fist, and her knuckles had turned slightly white from the force.
Upon seeing this, Du Xiaoruo secretly took out her phone and checked Jin Xizhen's family background.
The Jinchan Group, the richest man in Wencheng, has businesses in construction, department stores, medical care, and education. The current head of the group is Jin Jin, the brother of Jin Xizhen.
There is also a photo of Kim Jin on the webpage. He doesn't look much like Kim Hee-jin, mainly because his pupils are black. Compared to Kim Hee-jin's luxurious and glamorous temperament, Kim Jin gives people a more calm and reserved feeling.
Du Xiaoruo was looking down at the characters' backgrounds when she suddenly heard Jin Xizhen call out, "Qiao An."
Within the Qiao family community, Du Xiaoruo had subconsciously categorized herself as a member of the "Qiao An Party," so when she heard Qiao An being mentioned, she acted as if she herself had been mentioned, hurriedly putting away her phone.
When Kim Hee-jin looked at Joan, she didn't even bother to pretend; her face clearly showed her disgust.
“Jinse is in some trouble right now. Your brother is already working on resolving these issues. You should also be discerning and not try to take over someone else’s place at this time. You must remember that if you take something that is not yours, you will pay the price.”
Kim Hee-jin's words were very blunt; she made no attempt to hide her disgust for Joan.
Du Xiaoruo was shocked. How could a mother have such drastically different attitudes when facing two children at the same time?
Or is it that Joan isn't her biological child?
However, Qiao An clearly has the same bright blue eyes as Jin Xizhen, and compared to Qiao Qingchuan's dark brown eyes, Qiao An looks more like Jin Xizhen's biological son.
Why is this so strange?
What exactly is the rift between Joan and Kim Hee-jin?
Du Xiaoruo kept her eyes down. Her gaze swept under the table and fell on Qiao An's clenched fist. For a moment, she felt a pang of sympathy for Qiao An. On the surface, he was cheerful and easygoing, but he was actually hated so much by his own mother.
While Kim Hee-jin was scolding Jo-an, the waiter came in to serve the dishes.
Once the conversation was interrupted, there was no further interest in continuing. Kim Hee-jin simply said something understated.
"Eat."
The meal was unpleasant. Du Xiaoruo casually drank a couple of sips of pigeon and bird's nest soup to get by. Finally, when everyone said goodbye, she quickly followed Qiao An and left.
The Bentley drove out of the restaurant's parking lot, and not far from the parking lot, the Maybach was temporarily parked on the side of the road with its hazard lights on, as if it was waiting for them.
Joan pulled the car over.
Xia Qing also got out of the car. She walked over and leaned over to Du Xiaoruo, saying, "Xiaoruo, could you take care of Xiangxiang for me tonight? I want to go back to my parents' home."
"good."
Du Xiaoruo quickly got out of the car, opened the back door, and let Xiangxiang and Lele sit side by side.
As night deepened, the once bustling avenues saw far fewer vehicles, but the Bentley drove slowly. Joan wished the road could stretch on; he didn't want to return alone to the empty Qiao family manor, especially not on a night like today.
Qiao An used to be quite used to being alone, but he doesn't know if it's because he's been spending more time with Du Xiaoruo these past few days, but now he's a bit fascinated by the feeling of having someone and a home.
Qiao An was used to Jin Xizhen's insulting words, but today, in front of Du Xiaoruo, he suddenly felt a little wronged.
"Mom, I'm not full." Lele leaned lazily against the back of the chair and suddenly started to whine and act coquettishly towards Du Xiaoruo.
"Would you like some more?" Du Xiaoruo asked immediately. "Is barbecue okay?" She remembered that Lele seemed to like barbecue.
Lele leaned forward, resting her chin on the back of Du Xiaoruo's chair, her big, watery eyes sparkling.
"Mom, I saw a picture online today of cheese chips on top of turkey noodles. It looks so delicious! Can I have some?"
"Okay, do you want to cook it yourself? Let's go buy the ingredients."
Qiao An glanced over, wondering if Du Xiaoruo was spoiling the child a bit too much.
But Lele cheered from the back seat and shouted in Qiao An's ear.
"Dad, let's go to the supermarket together, and then we'll eat cheese noodles together when we get back. Wow, Mom and Dad, I love you."
Qiao An immediately swallowed the words that were about to come out of her mouth, and unconsciously stepped on the gas, driving towards the nearest 24-hour supermarket.
Everyone pushed a small cart. Lele and Xiangxiang seemed completely unaffected by what happened tonight. The two little madwomen wandered around the empty supermarket, constantly picking out their favorite foods.
It was too late, and there were very few people in the supermarket. Qiao An pushed the shopping cart, while Du Xiaoruo walked two steps behind him.
She secretly sized up Qiao An. After looking at him for so long, she still thought he was incredibly handsome. His narrow and muscular waist and his impossibly long, straight legs encased in bespoke trousers looked absolutely perfect.
Du Xiaoruo thought to herself, such a perfect body, even just admiring it is good. Let's enjoy it to our hearts' content before the marriage agreement expires.
She peered around furtively and suddenly realized something was amiss.
Joan's trousers were the kind that were slightly fitted, and at the top of his thighs, a ring-shaped outline could be faintly seen through the fabric, as if it were tied around his thighs.
What could this be?
Du Xiaoruo, whose curiosity killed the cat, seemed to have discovered a new continent. Her gaze kept wandering to that strange place, and she frowned, racking her brains to figure out what it could be.
Suddenly, she thought of something: the stampede! Could it be that someone was really injured and that Qiao An had to wear a brace or protective gear?
In that instant, Qiao An's image in Du Xiaoruo's mind grew taller. This man had silently endured such deep pain without showing the slightest sign of it. After that, with every step Qiao An took, Du Xiaoruo's heart skipped a beat; she hoped he wouldn't cause any trouble.
The two children bought a whole cart full of snacks, and after loading the cart, everyone returned to the little villa.
Lele opened the cheese noodle tutorial she found online, placed her phone on the kitchen counter, and leaned over the counter, watching her mother cook with admiration.
Du Xiaoruo glanced at it; the tutorial was ridiculously simple.
First, soak the turkey noodles, then drain them. Next, mix the cheese and potato chips, pour in boiling water and let it simmer for a while. Once the cheese has completely melted, pour it over the turkey noodles to cover them, and you're done.
She initially looked down on such a simple dish, but after taking a bite, she was amazed by how delicious it was. The aroma of cheese and potato chips blended perfectly, and the spicy ramen coated in stretchy cheese had such a rich and complex texture.
Afraid of disturbing those who were sleeping, Du Xiaoruo did not bring the noodles to the dining room, so everyone gathered around the kitchen counter to eat.
Lele picked up a mouthful of cheese noodles with her chopsticks, and the smooth cheese strands stretched out long.
He took a big sip, gave it a huge thumbs up, and showered it with compliments.
"Mom, you are amazing, you are my god."
"It's so delicious! Aunt Xiaoruo, you're amazing!" Xiangxiang praised Du Xiaoruo in a sweet and adorable way while eating.
Joanne looked at the crude-looking contraption, took a bite with some skepticism, and nodded. "Not bad."
Du Xiaoruo gradually lost herself amidst the praise, feeling that if she hadn't entered the dessert industry, she would probably be a chef at the level of state banquets.
After eating and drinking their fill, Lele and Xiangxiang volunteered to wash the dishes.
Qiao An should have left by now, but he dawdled on the bar stool playing on his phone, showing no sign of leaving.
After Lele finished washing the dishes, she looked at the dark sky outside and suggested,
"Dad, you should sleep here tonight. It's too late, and it's not safe for you to drive yourself."
Qiao An raised her eyelids and glanced at Du Xiaoruo.
Du Xiaoruo quickly said, "Yes, yes, Lele is right." She shouldn't drive for so long while she was still injured.
Lele then said, "Daddy, can you sleep with me, and Mommy and Xiangxiang sleep together?"
Du Xiaoruo quickly said, "Yes, yes, Lele is right. If you sleep with him, I promise I won't touch you today." She couldn't touch him again; another kick might kill him.
Joan, “…”
Since Qiao An didn't want to go back to the Qiao family anyway, they readily agreed. Lele happily took Qiao An's arm and went back to their room. Before closing the door, Du Xiaoruo specifically instructed...
"Lele, take good care of Daddy." Then she whispered to Qiao An, "Be careful...be safe."
Joan, “…”
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