The Xia family villa is located in a high-end villa complex in the city. Xia Guangyu and his wife had already gone to bed, but when the nanny told them that Xia Qing had also returned, the couple quickly put on their clothes and got out of bed.
After the livestreaming cheating scandal broke, the Xia family elders hadn't slept well. But Xia Qing had always been a strong-willed child, and although the elders were anxious, they didn't pry into the matter. Now that Xia Qing had finally returned, the elders were so anxious they even put their slippers on backwards.
The nanny tactfully closed the door and left, leaving only the Xia family of three in the living room.
"Dad, Mom."
Xia Qing also called out "Mom and Dad," then bent her knees and knelt down.
What are you doing?
The elderly couple hurriedly helped her up, saying, "What's wrong with you, child? Qiao Qingchuan's matter isn't your fault, why are you doing this?"
Xia Qing also remained kneeling and refused to get up.
"Don't move yet, let me finish what I have to say."
The two elders of the Xia family looked at each other, their outstretched hands freezing in place. Xia Guangyu helped his wife up and gestured for her to do as Xia Qingye suggested.
Xia Qing also stood ramrod straight, speaking each word clearly and deliberately.
"Mom and Dad, I want to kill Qiao Qingchuan, please grant my wish."
Xia's mother was so frightened by Xia Qingye's words that tears immediately fell down her face. "Daughter, Mom knows you're wronged, but we can't do anything illegal."
Xia Qing realized that her mother had misunderstood her words and explained,
"I won't break the law, I just can't let Qiao Qingchuan off so easily, I can't swallow this insult."
Xia Guangyu sighed and gestured to Xia Qingye as well.
"Stand up first, let's talk this out slowly. Your mother and I didn't say we'd let you swallow this insult, but the Qiao family is powerful and wealthy, and Qiao Qingchuan seems to be heartless. Tell me what you're planning to do?"
Xia Qing also got up and sat down on the sofa with her parents.
“Mom and Dad, you know I’m not a reckless person. If they hadn’t gone so far, I wouldn’t have ended up in this situation. But Qiao Qingchuan is a beast. Not only did he cheat on me, but he even hit Xiangxiang behind my back. And that old hag Jin Xizhen, she thought she could bribe me with a broken necklace. I’m your precious daughter, the daughter of Xia’s Jewelry. She’s really underestimating me.”
Tears welled up in Xia's mother's eyes. She raised her hand to stroke Xia Qing's smooth hair, and asked, choking back sobs,
“Daughter, tell me how you want us to help you? You are our only daughter, we are willing to spend any amount of money, we can’t let our precious baby suffer like this.”
"Mom and Dad, leave the Xia family business to me."
Xia Qing had also figured it out: if she wanted to take action against the Qiao family, she would have to bring out the full strength of the Xia Group.
Xia Guangyu remained silent for a long while before slowly speaking.
“Qingye, you are my only daughter. The Xia family business will be yours sooner or later, but do you think it’s worth it? Dad is reminding you that you and Xiangxiang will still have to rely on the Xia family business for your livelihood in the future.”
Xia Qing smiled too, and the confidence of a wealthy heiress returned to her eyes.
"Dad, do you think I'm going to drag the Xia family down with me? I'm not that stupid. I plan to use the Xia family as a stepping stone to pry open the Qiao family, this huge rock. The Qiao family is already on the edge of a cliff. If someone kicks them now, they won't be far from falling. As for our Xia family, not only will we not suffer any losses, but we will become even stronger."
Xia Guangyu believed half of what Xia Qingye said. The Qiao family was indeed in great danger, otherwise Qiao Qingchuan wouldn't have asked him for a loan in the first place. As for the Jin family behind the Qiao family, Xia Guangyu wasn't so worried. If the Jin family had been willing to help, Qiao Qingchuan wouldn't have needed to borrow a mere 100 million from him in the first place.
However, Xia Qing also said that Xia's Group would become even stronger. Xia Guangyu was skeptical, after all, Xia Qing had never participated in the management of the company before, and Xia Guangyu did not know whether she had the ability.
"Anyway, the Xia family will belong to your daughter sooner or later, so just let her give it a try. Don't you know whether your own daughter is reliable or not? She won't do anything reckless."
Xia's mother chimed in from the side.
Xia Guangyu was recently diagnosed with heart problems and was well past the age where he should be resting. He pondered for a long time, then let out a long sigh.
"Qingye, now that you've made up your mind, you must accept your fate whether you're successful or down on your luck, and you mustn't do anything outrageous. Do you agree?"
Xia Qing's nose tingled, and tears streamed down her face.
"Dad, I promise. I'll accept whatever comes my way, whether it's glory or poverty. For you and Mom, and for Xiangxiang, I will never do anything outrageous."
The transfer of power in the Xia family was no small matter, and Xia Guangyu and Xia Qingye talked for quite a while. In the end, it was decided that Xia Qingye would be in charge on the surface, but Xia Guangyu would still help her behind the scenes. Xia Guangyu would completely let go once Xia Qingye was truly capable of handling things independently.
Xia Guangyu didn't return to his room to rest until the sky was just beginning to lighten.
He took off his coat and lay down in bed, suddenly remembering what Xia Qing had said earlier. He reached out and nudged his wife, who was still awake beside him.
"Hey, who do you think is older, me or Kim Hee-jin?"
Xia's mother muttered impatiently, "You're older, you're two years older than that old geezer from the Jin family."
After saying that, Xia's mother suddenly realized something was wrong and quickly added, "Oh dear, why are you so petty? We didn't mean it that way."
Xia Guangyu waved his hand, "Forget it, go to sleep. Everyone gets old and dies eventually."
When Du Xiaoruo opened her eyes, it was already bright outside. Strangely, there was no familiar rhythm of "one, two, three, hey" coming from outside today.
Is it still early? Du Xiaoruo reached for her phone and checked the time; it was almost nine o'clock.
She sat up and felt the warmth beside her. Then she remembered that Xia Qing had also gone back to her parents' home last night, and she realized that she had slept with her.
Good morning, Aunt Xiaoruo.
Imagine opening your eyes and giving a sweet smile.
Her little face was rosy from sleeping, and when she smiled, her big eyes curved into two little crescents. She wasn't grumpy at all when she woke up, and she looked extremely cute.
Good morning, Think about it.
Imagine hugging Du Xiaoruo's neck, acting cute, and asking for a big hug—it's such a sunny day.
After washing up and going downstairs, Mu Hua and Ni An were already sitting in the restaurant. Mu Hua had a happy expression on his face and was talking to Ni An.
"Xiaoruo, this is fantastic news!"
When Mu Hua saw Xiao Ruo come downstairs, he quickly took out his computer to show her off.
"Xiaoruo, look, Lele just calculated yesterday's accounts. We met the target. Adding yesterday's revenue, it's already over 70,000."
In the live stream room,
Wow, the mission is complete! That's great! I'm so happy for them!
[Mu Hua is making me laugh so hard. Lele settled the accounts this morning when she got back, which means that since Lele went to the family dinner yesterday, no one settled the accounts.]
[Actor Mu, who was it that claimed to be incredibly good at math before? That you'd be a math professor even if you weren't in the entertainment industry? The internet remembers, just waiting for the day you get proven wrong.]
[Lele: This family really can't function without me.]
Du Xiaoruo was also quite happy. Meeting the task target meant she didn't have to work today. Feeling relaxed, she walked to the dining table, sat down, picked up a water glass, poured a glass of cold water for Xiangxiang, and handed it to her.
Mu Hua beamed with joy, "Ni An, go get something good to eat. We have to celebrate today."
“Okay.” Ni An stood up with a gentle smile on her face.
Xiaoruo stood up and followed, "Let me help you."
Since it was a last-minute decision to eat at home, and we didn't buy any groceries specifically, we just cooked whatever we had at home.
Ni An made pancakes filled with lettuce, bacon, and salad dressing. Du Xiaoruo didn't have much to do, so she heated up some milk for the children and brewed a pot of coffee.
When I came out of the kitchen, Joan was already downstairs. The suit she was wearing wasn't the one from yesterday; I guess Secretary Jin had brought it over early that morning.
In the live stream room,
Why is Mr. Ha spending the night here again? He might as well become a regular guest; he could get an extra appearance fee.
【No, the regular guests have to work. Look at him, with that playboy attitude, does he look like someone who would do any work?】
[He's not a playboy at all. I think Mr. Ha is nothing like those idle rich kids. He looks like a serious and hardworking person.]
Ni An and Xiao Ruo put the food on the table, and everyone else took the food themselves, including the children who obediently drank their milk.
Joanne looked like she was seriously ill; she picked up her coffee cup and froze in mid-air.
Just then, Du Xiaoruo picked up the coffee pot to pour coffee into her cup. She remembered that when she first transmigrated, she had breakfast at the Qiao family's house, and Qiao An would also freeze his coffee cup in mid-air, and the maid would refill it for him.
Does he want me to make him more coffee?
Du Xiaoruo thought to herself, "Well, I've already crippled him, so getting him a cup of coffee isn't too much to ask, is it?"
Then she picked up the coffee pot, stood up, and poured coffee into Joan's coffee cup. The rich aroma of coffee wafted from the cup, and Joan looked serene with satisfaction.
Xiao Shu was sitting next to Qiao An when he saw Du Xiaoruo's actions. He probably found it quite amusing, so he immediately stood up and poured the milk from his cup into Qiao An's coffee cup.
Seeing the discolored coffee in Qiao An's cup, Du Xiaoruo smiled awkwardly, "Milk coffee, do you like it?"
Joan, “…”
[Hahaha, you little husky, serves you right for being so cocky! You deserve to drink milk coffee now, don't you?]
[Boss Ha is indeed a hardworking person, but also someone who works so hard that he ends up sabotaging himself.]
[Mr. Ha clearly just wanted to be affectionate with Xiaoruo; he just wanted coffee poured by his wife, but he ended up with a milk coffee instead. Hahaha.]
To be honest, milk coffee tastes much better than black coffee. Mr. Ha, just drink it down, even if you have to swallow your tears.
[Holy crap, have you guys seen the trending topics? It's the latest one, go check it out!]
Almost simultaneously, several major entertainment accounts published the same entertainment news.
# Kim Hee-jin makes a rare appearance at the Qiao family's late-night dinner; the family seems to be enjoying themselves. #
The news report was accompanied by a picture of the family having dinner together last night. Judging from the shooting angle, the camera position must have been arranged in advance. The footage was very clear, and there was even a shot of Xia Qing accepting the necklace.
This news came right after Xia Qing also caught her husband cheating on her husband live on her own, and the sudden reversal sparked a lot of public opinion.
Wow, what a twist! I was still angry, and now they're all happily together.
Xia Qing also disappointed me. When she caught her husband cheating on her live stream, I thought she was a tough character, but I didn't expect that a necklace could bribe her?
Ultimately, it's all because the other party is from the Qiao family. How many women who marry into wealthy families don't grit their teeth and live a miserable life?
Is there any chance this story will take a turn for the better? If it ends like this, I'll be devastated. It feels like I ate a pile of shit; it's utterly disgusting.
[What kind of plot is this? Jinse is tainted for life, Xia Qing is tainted for life, and the Qiao family is tainted for life.]
Now I can't even like Qiao An anymore. He's the most handsome and unpretentious CEO I've ever met, but the thought of his disgusting family and how he just sits by and does nothing makes me sick.
Joan's phone rang on the table. He put down his milk coffee and answered the call.
"Okay, I understand. I'll go back now."
Qiao An put down the phone, her expression quite calm, still with that lazy, "I don't care" attitude, except that she stood up.
"I have something to attend to, so I'll be leaving now. Thank you for the breakfast."
Although Qiao An wasn't a big shot, he did manage a company, so it was normal for him to have some unexpected matters to attend to. No one paid much attention, and they continued eating and drinking.
Qiao An drove back to the Little White Building. As soon as she parked her car in the underground parking lot, Secretary Jin appeared out of nowhere.
His sudden appearance startled Joan, who glared at him with displeasure.
Secretary Jin didn't argue with Qiao An today. She opened the car door, got into the passenger seat, and got straight to the point.
"Mr. Qiao, have you seen today's trending topics?"
Qiao An had been at Beibei Restaurant all morning and hadn't had time to check his phone. Hearing Secretary Jin's words, he instinctively picked up his phone, opened it, and saw the top trending topic.
# Kim Hee-jin makes a rare appearance at the Qiao family's late-night dinner; the family seems to be enjoying themselves. #
With her clear, grey-blue eyes fixed on the screen, Qiao An's lips curled into a cold, ambiguous smile. This was definitely Jin Xizhen's doing. She thought that once the public opinion was quelled, the matter would be over, but...
Qiao An put away her phone; the real show was yet to come.
Seeing that he had put away his phone, Secretary Kim continued,
"Originally, Qiao Qingchuan's affair had nothing to do with us, but because of this trending topic, you have now been implicated as well. Today, celebrities and internet influencers have begun to boycott Yase."
Joanne extended her slender finger, paused it on her lips for a moment, and said calmly, "Make your move."
Secretary Jin understood Qiao An's meaning; they were going to pick up the important person, Han Nianwei, for her appearance.
"Should we go directly to Guicun?" Secretary Kim asked. "What about the public opinion then?"
"Let it ferment for two days first, build up anticipation, and the show will be more interesting later on."
When the trending topic reached the Xia family, Xia Qing was having breakfast at home. The table was covered with bowls and plates, Chinese and Western, southern and northern dishes, as if they wanted to give her all the food she loved.
Xia Qing was already exhausted from the events of the past two days. Seeing the table full of her favorite foods, her eyes welled up with tears.
Xia's mother was also saddened. She affectionately patted Xia Qingye's back and gently comforted her.
"Eat more, you'll have the strength to fight them when you're full."
After Xia Qing finished her breakfast, Xia Guangyu called her to his study and showed her the news that had gone viral that morning.
The comment section was full of insults directed at Xia Qingye, with all sorts of vulgar and offensive language.
Xia Qing was also trembling with anger. She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth, saying...
"Jin Xizhen is certain that I won't dare to resist, so she's trying to pin all the blame on me. Dad, I'm going to hold a press conference to sever all ties with the Qiao family."
Xia Guangyu, on the other hand, thought further ahead than Xia Qing.
"You should hold back for the next couple of days. Public opinion can be hurtful, but you can just ignore it. I'll find a lawyer first. Since we're getting a divorce, we need to catch the Qiao family off guard. Even if we don't get much in the marital property division, we can't let the Qiao family get away with anything, like custody and compensation for your emotional distress."
Xia Qing calmed down after Xia Guangyu's analysis.
Hold back for now, and when Jin Xizhen and Qiao Qingchuan mistakenly believe they have won, go back and slap them hard twice. This move will be more effective than clarifying things now.
"Dad, experience really pays off." Xia Qing said, feeling a little embarrassed as she took Xia Guangyu's arm, regretting her impulsiveness earlier.
Xia Guangyu patted his daughter's head affectionately, "You've just suffered a little these past two days."
"I'm not afraid."
Xia Qingye's tone was relatively relaxed. As long as she thought about the satisfaction of getting revenge later, being scolded for two days now was nothing.
It was getting late, so Xia Qing said goodbye to her parents and went straight back to Beibei Restaurant.
The restaurant was still live-streaming, so no one knew about the trending topic that morning.
Xia Qing returned to the restaurant and saw that Director Kang was also there. Everyone was sitting in a circle around the table, as if they were having a meeting.
Upon seeing her mother, Xiangxiang immediately stood up and ran towards Xia Qing.
"Perfect timing, Qingye is back too. Come quick, something terrible has happened." Mu Hua, holding a thermos, waved to Xia Qingye with a big smile.
Xia Qing has also been going through a period of "major trouble" recently. Now, hearing Mu Hua's words, even though the other party was smiling, she felt a sudden tension in her nerves.
Fortunately, Director Kang then said,
"The production team just checked the bills again. Congratulations everyone, you have successfully completed the first phase of the mission. I will now announce the rewards for the first phase."
Hearing about the reward, everyone got excited, especially the three little ones, who smiled so much their eyes were squinting, urging the director to tell them quickly.
Director Kang cleared his throat.
"I am now announcing that the reward for the first phase of the second season of [BeiBei's Restaurant] is a three-day, two-night vacation for all the guests. Your vacation destination this time is Turtle Village, where you will enjoy incredibly beautiful rural scenery and delicious, healthy farm-style food. I wish you a pleasant trip in advance."
Wow~
After the director announced the awards, cheers erupted from the audience. Although none of them had ever been to Turtle Village, they were happy to hear about a vacation. A vacation is about eating, drinking, sleeping, and exploring everywhere. Who wouldn't enjoy such a wonderful time?
In the live stream room,
Wow, a vacation? That looks amazing! But where is Kame Village?
I've heard that Guicun isn't too far from Wencheng, and that its natural scenery is truly exceptional. Many painters and craftspeople have settled there, and tourism in Guicun has been quite developed in the last two years.
[That sounds really great! The guests have worked so hard for so long, they can finally relax.]
[Please calm down, everyone. This kind of compassion isn't in the style of the show.]
Sure enough, after announcing the awards, Director Kang changed the subject, saying, "I have some less-than-good news to share."
The air fell silent instantly, and an ominous premonition rose in everyone's heart.
"The production team will not provide any funds for this three-day, two-night vacation, and the guests cannot use their own money. You will need to solve your own food and accommodation problems after arriving in Turtle Village. However, you will have transportation and can use the nanny car provided by the production team."
[Hahaha, Mu Hua's face visibly fell.]
[I knew the production team wouldn't be that kind; it means they're going on vacation penniless.]
[This is awful, who would want to go on a vacation like this?]
Mu Hua put down her thermos and asked incredulously, "Director Kang, are you sure this is a vacation and not a tribulation?"
Director Kang said, "Uh... I'm pretty sure this is a vacation, because Turtle Village is really a picturesque place, and there are even covered boats."
Mu Hua said, "Then we won't take this vacation. The production team has worked hard, let's give this great opportunity to them."
Director Kang said, "Thank you, you've all worked so hard."
After saying that, Director Kang turned tail and ran.
After everyone packed their belongings for three days and two nights and boarded the van, the children finally understood their situation from the adults' conversations: they were going to be homeless.
With nowhere to sleep, no money for food, and three more days to go, the thought of it all felt hopeless.
First came soft sobbing, then Xiaoshu started wailing at the top of her lungs.
"I'm so sad. I'll die if you don't let me eat. Why do you have to torture a child like this?"
The thought is even more despairing. How can a little princess who loves beauty endure three days without a bath and have nowhere to stay? Is she supposed to sleep in the park? What if she gets stolen by human traffickers?
The more I think about it, the more miserable my current situation seems.
Xiaoruo turned to look at Lele, who was leaning against the car window looking at the scenery. The wind outside had blown his curly hair into a slicked-back style, making his features look even more delicate and handsome.
He didn't seem to be in a hurry at all.
"Lele." Du Xiaoruo tugged at his sleeve and asked softly, "Aren't you worried that you won't have anything to eat or a place to sleep later?"
Lele shook her head.
"Theoretically speaking, a person can survive for three days without food, and sleeping is even simpler; all you have to do is sleep in the van."
I remain calm. It's true, a person won't die from not eating for three days, but they'll suffer a fate worse than death from hunger.
[My son's ideas are always so strange; he's definitely the kind of person who can write something as dramatic as a torrential downpour.]
[Hahaha, Lezai, this "heavy rain" meme is going to stick.]
Du Xiaoruo didn't know how to respond to him. No wonder Lele's Chinese grades were terrible; his thinking was just different from others.
The car didn't reach the territory of Guicun until evening. Luckily, the car had an ETC card, otherwise we wouldn't have been able to get off the highway.
As they got closer to Turtle Village, anxiety began to rise again.
Everyone's a bit hungry now. We brought some snacks in the car, so we can have dinner for now, but where will we stay tonight? Are we all going to have to squeeze into the van to sleep?
Tourism in Guicun has really taken off in recent years. There are two long lines of cars at the highway exit.
Mu Hua chose a line with relatively few cars and waited in it. After the car in front of him paid the fee and drove away, Mu Hua released the brake and moved forward a few more steps.
Suddenly, a familiar Bentley appeared in the next line of cars, its flashy British green color so distinctive that you probably couldn't find another one like it in the entire city of Wencheng.
Surely I won't have that kind of good luck?
After the car in front left, Mu Hua couldn't wait to drive closer to the Bentley.
Upon seeing the person inside the car, Mu Hua was so excited that tears welled up in her eyes. It turned out that meeting an old friend in a foreign land was truly a great joy in life, especially when she was penniless and her old friend was a wealthy and domineering CEO.
"President Qiao," Mu Hua greeted him in a trembling voice.
Secretary Kim was driving, and Qiao An was dozing off in the passenger seat when he suddenly heard someone call his name. He opened his eyes and looked over in confusion.
In the van next to him, a bunch of people were yelling at him, like a vampire who had been starving for 100 days and was about to die when he met his first human.
Joan, “…” Is it a nightmare?
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