In a children's furniture brand store, Lele took a fancy to a bunk bed. The upper bed was a regular bed with small railings on three sides, while the lower bed area had been converted into a small study. The brand store had added a rug and a beanbag chair, making it look very cozy.
"Is this what you want?" Qiao An asked after seeing Lele staring at it for a long time.
Lele nodded, seemingly quite satisfied with the bed.
Qiao An beckoned Secretary Jin over, "I want this set. Go and check if they have it in stock. Also, test its safety."
Secretary Kim reminded her, "This bed is a bit small; it won't be big enough for Lele when she gets a little older."
"It's fine." Qiao An said nonchalantly. "It's just a temporary measure, probably for two or three months. We'll move in once Yinge's villa is finished."
The shop assistant who had been standing nearby heard this and looked at the price tag: 386,000. It would only take two or three months. This is the world of the rich.
As I walked out of the furniture store, it was already dark. The city lights were just coming on, and countless lights from every household illuminated the entire city.
Before getting into the car, Qiao An suddenly turned around and asked Du Xiaoruo, "What do you want for dinner?"
Since they agreed to share a room, Du Xiaoruo and Qiao An haven't spoken to each other. A subtle emotion lingers between them—not exactly awkward, but a little shy and expectant, like someone gently tickling their hearts with a feather duster.
When Qiao An suddenly spoke to her, Du Xiaoruo was slightly taken aback. She wanted to say "whatever," or "anything is fine." But when Du Xiaoruo asked for someone's opinion, she disliked it most when the other person said "whatever," because that was tantamount to throwing the problem back at her.
Do you like French food?
In her previous life, Du Xiaoruo spent 16 years in China and 10 years in France. She was forced to go abroad when she was at her darkest and most helpless. It was the romance and inclusiveness of France that healed her. In a sense, France is her second home, and French cuisine is a familiar taste of home for her.
“I know a French restaurant nearby,” Secretary Kim replied immediately.
A large part of his job involved taking care of Qiao An's daily needs. Qiao An had a bad stomach and was a picky eater. Over time, Secretary Jin became very familiar with the information about all the restaurants in Wencheng.
Secretary Kim was referring to a Michelin-starred restaurant, which wasn't far from here. The restaurant was expensive and had a very elegant ambiance.
The group entered the restaurant, found a seat by the window, and Secretary Jin casually pulled out a chair opposite Qiao An and sat down without changing her expression.
Qiao An gestured to him, indicating that we were having a family dinner, and he should be sensible and leave.
Secretary Jin returned Qiao An's fawning smile, meaning, "This is such a high-class restaurant, I want to eat here too. Let's see if you're still too embarrassed to say we'll split the bill today."
Du Xiaoruo couldn't understand the cryptic conversation between them at all. After ordering the dishes she wanted, she naturally handed the menu to Secretary Jin.
Secretary Kim took the menu, studied it carefully, and then ordered the most expensive dishes: black truffle mushroom soup, pan-fried foie gras, and caviar shrimp sashimi. She seemed determined to bankrupt the boss in one go.
After all the dishes were served, Secretary Kim noticed that Du Xiaoruo had ordered a bouillabaisse. Because the dish was relatively inexpensive, Secretary Kim, who was only interested in eating the boss out of house and home, stared at it for a few more seconds.
Du Xiaoruo felt his gaze and patiently explained.
"The origin of bouillabaisse is that fishermen would stew the leftover fish, shrimp and shellfish of the day together. Although the current version has undergone constant changes, it is very French. Ingredients such as expensive black truffles and caviar are not something that ordinary French families eat often."
Lele's eyes sparkled; my mom knows so much.
Du Xiaoruo, who was usually quiet, suddenly started talking so much, which piqued Secretary Jin's curiosity, so she naturally asked,
"Madam, have you ever lived in France?"
Startled by her words, Du Xiaoruo was extremely nervous. She was the kind of person who was not scheming and did not plan ahead. She spoke whatever came to mind. In Chen Ding's words, she lived a rather muddle-headed life.
This personality trait was alright in her previous life, since Du Xiaoruo was usually quiet and wouldn't say anything carelessly. However, it's a fatal flaw in this world because she would inadvertently reveal a lot of things that didn't match the original owner's experiences.
Secretary Jin was still hesitantly waiting for Du Xiaoruo's answer.
Du Xiaoruo blushed and her heart pounded. She wasn't good at lying, and after a long pause, she stammered, "Guess whether I've been there or not?"
Secretary Kim almost spat out the expensive white wine in her mouth. Why was the boss's wife suddenly acting all coquettish with her?
Feeling the murderous glare that Joan was giving him, Secretary Kim thought to himself, "It's true what they say, birds die for food. He's probably going to ruin his career for a bite to eat."
Fortunately, Joanne only took a sip of wine and glanced at him.
Secretary Kim breathed a sigh of relief and focused intently on savoring the hard-won delicacy, daring not to act recklessly again.
Since both Qiao An and Secretary Jin had drunk wine, Du Xiaoruo drove them home. She politely asked Secretary Jin, "Would you like me to take you home first?"
Secretary Kim was quite startled and quickly opened the car door for them, saying, "I'll just take a taxi home myself. Please drive carefully."
If Du Xiaoruo were to actually take him home, based on Secretary Jin's understanding of Qiao An, this jealous man would probably bury him alive in the newly built Central Park. He'd even chosen the spot—right under that ancient tree.
When I got home, the furniture had already been delivered and assembled, the technician who assembled the cameras for the program had just left, and the housekeeper was cleaning the house.
"I'm going to take a shower first." Qiao An pointed to the master bedroom and said to Du Xiaoruo, "I'll use the guest bathroom. There's a bathtub in the master bedroom, so you can take a bath there."
Du Xiaoruo pushed open the door to the master bathroom. Hot water had already been prepared in the bathtub. On the shelf next to it were new underwear and bathrobes, as well as a small box of very delicate bubble balls in various colors. It seemed that they didn't know what scent she liked, so they prepared all kinds of scents.
Qiao An had been with her all day, and she didn't know when he had someone prepare these things. Du Xiaoruo picked up the underwear and looked at it. It was made of modal material, looked very comfortable, and the size was just right.
Although she knew it wasn't Qiao An who prepared it himself, she still blushed with embarrassment when she thought about how he instructed his subordinates to do these things.
Du Xiaoruo picked up a rose-scented bubble ball and threw it into the bathtub. After the bubble ball came into contact with the water, it went crazy and wandered around in circles in the bathtub, eventually turning into a tub full of pink rose-scented bath bubbles.
She submerged herself in the water, as if she were in a warm sea of roses. Outside, it had started raining, the raindrops pattering softly against the glass.
While the wind and rain raged outside, the house was quiet and warm inside. Du Xiaoruo's heart felt as if she had taken a rose bath, becoming soft and warm. She was so lucky to have met him in this unfamiliar world.
The Jin family's villa is located in the city center. Although called a villa, it's actually an old-style house where the Jin family has lived for generations. It's not small, but both the architecture and the decoration are old, exuding a strong sense of history. The existence of this building is just like the Jin family's character—unassuming and low-key.
The rain grew heavier and heavier, the torrential downpour pounding like beans onto the roof of a stretched Rolls-Royce parked outside the Jin family villa.
Kim Hee-jin had been sitting in the car for a long time. Because of the rain, the car windows couldn't be opened, and the air inside the car suddenly became hot and stuffy.
Looking at Kim Hee-jin's face in the rearview mirror, the driver also felt a sense of impending doom. He quickly started the car and turned on the air conditioning.
About half an hour later, the Jin family's gate opened, and an old butler carrying a black umbrella came out.
Before the old housekeeper even reached the car, Kim Hee-jin impatiently rolled down the window. Her initial annoyance turned into a look of great urgency, and her gray-blue eyes held an almost pleading expectation.
The old butler of the Jin family couldn't bear to look at her. The eldest daughter of the Jin family, who was once pampered by the whole family and had everything she wanted, had now fallen into such a state of destitution.
"What did my brother say?" Kim Hee-jin asked impatiently as the housekeeper approached.
The old butler tilted the black umbrella slightly towards the car window to prevent rain from getting inside. He bent over slightly and spoke to Kim Hee-jin through the half-open window.
"Mr. Jin said that his connection with you ended thirty years ago. Please go back."
Upon hearing this, Kim Hee-jin felt a lump in her throat, and large tears slid down her cheeks.
"Does he really not care about me anymore? I'm his younger sister. How can he bear to see me begging on the streets? At that time, I would not only lose face for the Qiao family, but also for the Jin family."
The old housekeeper, who was about the same age as Kim Hee-jin and had grown up with the siblings, also had tears in his eyes upon hearing this, and he choked up.
“Miss, Mr. Jin said that you are a Buddhist and understand cause and effect. The cause you are experiencing today is the result of the seeds you planted in your early years. He also said that you should let go of your attachments, live peacefully with the assets that Mr. Qiao left for you, and you will still have no worries about food and clothing for the rest of your life.”
Kim Hee-jin stared blankly at the rainy night, tears streaming down her face. The old housekeeper waved to the driver.
"It's damp from the rain, you should take your old lady home quickly."
The Rolls-Royce slowly drove past the Kim family's gate. Kim Hee-jin glanced back at the dilapidated gate, her eyes filled with resolute hatred. Kim Jin remained as dignified as ever; if he disgraced her, then he might as well disgrace her completely.
After taking a shower, Qiao An stayed in Lele's room for a while, chatting with him about the fun things that happened during the recording of Beibei Restaurant, and checking Lele's homework from the past few days before returning to her own bedroom.
Du Xiaoruo is already asleep after playing at the amusement park today.
The only light in the room was a dim Himalayan salt lamp by the bedside, casting a soft, flickering glow. Two rows of pillows were placed in the center of the bed, dividing the large bed in two, with one quilt for each person.
Du Xiaoruo is currently sleeping soundly under her blanket, breathing evenly, and occasionally pouting. It's unclear whether she's dreaming or not.
Qiao An lifted his half of the blanket and lay down on the bed. He rested his elbow behind his head, turned his head, and stared at Du Xiaoruo without restraint.
Her skin was beautiful, like smooth milk pudding. With her eyes closed, her eyelashes cast a thick shadow on her face, giving her a delicate and charming look.
She fell asleep right away; she really trusts me. Qiao An thought to herself, then turned over.
After a while, he turned back, continuing to stare at Du Xiaoruo's face. Who are you? You're definitely not the original Du Xiaoruo anymore. Familiar with France? Can make desserts? Knows Muay Thai? Your attitude towards your family is completely different now. So, who are you?
Joan couldn't sleep any longer, so she got up and went to the living room.
He picked up his phone and dialed Secretary Kim's number. The phone rang for a long time, but it was finally answered. He heard Secretary Kim cursing on the other end.
"Who's looking for your Grandpa Jin?"
Qiao An was stunned for a moment, "Idiot, do you want to die?"
The person on the other end was clearly confused as well, and after a long pause, replied rather perfunctorily, "Mr. Qiao, what did I just say? I was just dreaming, I guess I was talking in my sleep."
Qiao An was too lazy to argue with him and asked directly, "How is the situation with Du Tiancheng?"
"He dragged Qiao Qingchuan into this mess. He's probably waiting for Qiao Qingchuan to get hooked before he starts making money. Based on my experience, I predict the boss's wife will be able to get back that 21 million in less than half a month."
"Hmm," Joanne responded faintly, and hung up the phone. "Go back to sleep, sweet dreams."
Qiao An hadn't expected Du Tiancheng to drag Qiao Qingchuan into this mess, so it was probably a pleasant surprise—killing two birds with one stone and getting rid of two people at once.
But he couldn't feel happy; his chest felt like it was stuffed with cotton, making him irritable and depressed.
According to Qiao An's plan, once Du Xiaoruo received the 21 million, he intended to separate from her, because Du Xiaoruo was too strange, and Qiao An could not keep someone he could not understand by his side.
But why wait until she gets those 21 million? Perhaps it's because of what Du Xiaoruo said on his back that night when she was drunk: she said there was no one behind her.
Qiao An thought that even if they were to separate, she should at least leave her some money, and besides, that money was rightfully hers.
This was originally part of the plan, but as the day drew near, Joan felt inexplicably irritable.
He got up, walked over to the liquor cabinet, and poured himself a glass of whiskey.
Just as she returned to the living room, the doorbell rang. Qiao An instinctively glanced at the wall clock; it was almost one o'clock. Who could it be in the middle of the night?
He walked over with the wine in his hand, and through the peephole, he saw Mu Hua standing at the door, holding a small book and a duffel bag in his hand.
Qiao An opened the door, and Mu Hua's gaze fell on the wine glass in Qiao An's hand.
"Why are you drinking all night instead of sleeping?"
Qiao An didn't answer him, but asked instead, "You know it's late at night, what are you doing?"
Ignoring Qiao An's sarcastic remarks, Mu Hua carried the little book past Qiao An into the room. He put the little book on the sofa, stretched his arms, and chuckled as he scolded her.
"You brat, you're getting heavier and heavier."
Qiao An turned around, leaned against the door frame, lazily sipped her wine, and waited for Mu Hua to speak.
After putting down the small book, Mu Hua explained,
“We didn’t go back today. After we came out to record the show, our housekeeper went back to her hometown. The house wasn’t cleaned up. I thought I’d just stay in the dorm for the day. Then I got a work call in the middle of the night and had to go out temporarily. Can Xiaoshu stay at your place for a while?”
"Okay, put it there. I'll carry it to his bedroom later."
"I can't thank you enough, Mr. Ha. Look, I owe you another favor."
Qiao An waved her hand dismissively, "Why bring this up? It's just a matter of letting him sleep at home."
Mu Hua's eyes clearly showed a hint of guilt. "Well? Work is urgent, I have to go now. Call me if you need anything."
After Mu Hua left, Qiao An closed the door, walked back to the sofa, sat down, poked Xiao Shu's chubby cheeks, and lazily leaned back on the sofa to drink her wine.
The phone rang once.
Qiao An picked it up; it was a text message from Mu Hua.
[Mr. Ha, I didn't dare tell you the truth earlier. I'll be gone for about a week. I'll leave Xiaoshu with you two and bring you some local specialties when I get back.]
The wine slid down her throat, and Qiao An's Adam's apple bobbed beneath her thin skin.
He got up and rushed towards the door.
The phone rang again.
Mu Hua: [No need to chase me anymore. I'm already on the bus; you can't catch me.]
Joan, “…”
After finishing a small glass of whiskey, I carried Xiaoshu into the bedroom and placed her in the middle of the bed. Joan lay down on the other side and fell asleep quickly this time.
Qiao An is not one to sleep in late. No matter what time she goes to bed at night, she will always get up before 7 a.m. the next morning.
Not long after he got up, the crew's cameramen arrived at his house. Everyone else was still asleep, so the cameramen didn't have much to film and had to keep following Qiao An around.
After washing up, Qiao An changed into a set of gym clothes, put on her headphones, and started running on the treadmill.
In the live stream room,
Good morning, Mr. Ha! You're so disciplined, starting your run so early in the morning.
[Ha's physique is truly amazing! The proportions, the muscle definition—I'll have material for my dreams tonight.]
Just as everyone was captivated by President Ha's stunning good looks, they suddenly saw something flash, and then Du Xiaoruo rushed directly in front of Qiao An.
"Ann... there's something in our bedroom."
Because she was in such a hurry, Du Xiaoruo called out "Qiao An" but because the two words were put together, it sounded like the affectionate "An".
Joan paused the treadmill, took off her headphones, and asked, "What?"
Du Xiaoruo gestured with her hand in front of her.
"It was about this big, soft and warm, and felt like a little pig under the blanket. I didn't dare to lift it up to look."
piggy?
Qiao An was stunned for a moment, then remembered that Du Xiaoruo was still sleeping when Xiao Shu came last night, so she didn't wake her up. She didn't expect to scare Du Xiaoruo like this so early in the morning.
Qiao An chuckled, then took Du Xiaoruo's wrist and led her into the bedroom.
Du Xiaoruo squatted down on the ground and refused to leave, saying, "Go and take a look first, I'm scared."
"You coward." Qiao An couldn't resist teasing Du Xiaoruo, half-carrying and half-pushing her into the bedroom.
[Ahhhhhh~~~~ This is so sweet, is this even okay for me to watch?]
[This couple, I hadn't even had breakfast yet and I was already being fed a mouthful of dog food (a Chinese slang term for witnessing public displays of affection).]
I'm so curious what's in their bedroom? Did Joan really bring a pig home?
If he really did bring a pig into his bed and dared to keep it, I believe Xiaoruo would take action.
[I hope Xiaoruo won't be wrong; I'm a big fan of CEO Ha's looks.]
Walking to the big bed in the bedroom, Qiao An let go of Du Xiaoruo, quietly lifted a corner of the quilt to reveal Xiao Shu's rosy face, her little fists clenched next to her head, wrinkling her nose and snoring softly.
Du Xiaoruo covered her mouth, her eyes widening, "Xiaoshu?"
“Hmm.” Joan said in a low voice, “His father brought it over last night, saying he’ll be staying at our house for a week.”
[Hahaha, the legendary little pig is actually Xiao Shu, but it really does look a bit like a miniature pig.]
[What kind of dream collaboration is this? How did Little Book get here?]
[Just now, Mu Hua posted a statement on his social media account, saying that due to an urgent work commitment, he couldn't take Xiao Shu with him and had sent him to his godparents' place overnight.]
[Hahaha, when did they become godparents?]
Qiao An explained what happened last night to Du Xiaoruo. Du Xiaoruo squatted by the bed and asked softly, "Will he cry when he wakes up and sees that his father isn't here?"
Joan sighed with lingering fear. Xiao Shu was only three years old, and children of that age are usually very difficult to handle.
The two were talking by the bedside when Xiao Shu slowly opened her eyes.
He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, yawned widely, blinked, and asked sleepily,
"Xiaoruo's mom, Mr. Ha's dad, where's my dad?"
Du Xiaoruo looked at Qiao An, and Qiao An looked at Du Xiaoruo. Neither of them dared to tell him the truth. After all, their father had abandoned them, which was a sensitive topic for every child.
"Did my dad go to work?" When they didn't answer, Xiao Shu asked another question.
Joan patted his little head and comforted him, "Your dad will be back in a few days, so you can stay here without worry."
Xiao Shu stared at the ceiling without saying a word. He pursed his lips, as if he was gathering his emotions.
Du Xiaoruo clenched her fists in nervousness; what was about to happen was sure to be a battle to coax the baby.
Unexpectedly, after staring at the ceiling for a while, Xiao Shu seemed to have figured it out. She rolled over and sat up abruptly, then solemnly kowtowed to Du Xiaoruo and her husband.
"I would like to express my gratitude to both of you for raising me."
[Haha, as expected of you, Little Book, you'll follow whoever feeds you.]
I'm curious how Mu Hua usually educates Xiao Shu; the kid seems to have incredibly strong survival skills.
[Mu Hua's parenting style was as if he were about to kick the bucket, allowing Xiao Shu to live optimistically even in adversity.]
[Upstairs, quickly spit it out! It's bad luck.]
Du Xiaoruo washed Xiaoshu's face, took out the medicine from the bag Mu Hua had brought, and sat on the sofa to apply the medicine to Xiaoshu's forehead. The wound looked much better now. After the wound had fully healed, it would take some time to recover before it could be repaired.
Lele woke up at this moment, yawning as she pushed open the door and came out. When she saw Xiaoshu sitting on the sofa, Lele froze, looking completely bewildered, as if she were still dreaming.
Xiao Shu greeted him warmly.
"Good morning, Lele. My dad has gone to work. I slept with Ruo's mom and Ha's dad last night."
Lele paused for a moment, then asked uncertainly, "Do you sleep in the big bed with my mom and dad?"
"Yes."
Lele glanced at the little book, then at Du Xiaoruo, her lips trembling with grievance, and tears welled up in her big eyes.
"I have never slept with my mom and dad."
Lele was so upset that she rushed back to her room, climbed onto her bed, pulled the blanket over her head, and thought, "Mom and Dad have gone too far. From now on, let Xiaoshu be their child."
I'm running away from home!
Du Xiaoruo said to Xiaoshu, "I'm going to see Brother Lele. You go play with Daddy Ha." After saying that, she quickly got up, walked to Lele's room, and knocked on the door.
Little Shu wandered around the house with her hands behind her back, and finally found Mr. Ha's father in the walk-in closet.
Joanne had already changed into a suit and was choosing a watch at the jewelry counter.
He took out an Omega watch and compared it to his dark brown suit jacket. The brown leather strap matched the color of his tie perfectly, so he decided to keep this one.
Xiao Shu strolled around the room like a leader on an inspection tour, her gaze finally settling on Qiao An's wrist.
"Dad, Mr. Ha, your watch looks pretty good."
"Uh... thank you for the compliment." Joan put on her watch and tidied her hair in front of the mirror.
Xiao Shu then asked, "After you die, can I have this watch?"
Joan said, "...Okay, if the watch is still around then."
Xiao Shu seemed quite sensible, tilting her head and thinking for a moment, "Then you can't live to see the New Year this year, because I want to wear this watch during the New Year."
Joan, “…”
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
