Du Xiaoruo followed Qiao Andong around and finally saw Xia Qingye and Fan Yue by the pool.
Xia Qing hadn't seen Du Xiaoruo for a while, and was especially excited to see her, waving frantically at her.
"Xiaoruo, come quick! I've been looking for you for ages."
Du Xiaoruo lifted her skirt and ran towards Xia Qingye and the others. Qiao An was about to follow when she was stopped by an editor from a fashion magazine.
Just as they sat down on the booth sofa by the pool, Mu Hua, like a social butterfly, turned around and stood in front of them, carrying a very exquisite fruit platter.
He placed the fruit platter on the table, looked at Du Xiaoruo, and asked,
"Xiaoruo, why didn't you talk to me in the car just now?"
Du Xiaoruo is not good at social skills; all her emotions are simple and straightforward. Although she said she was a little nervous, her face clearly showed that she was unhappy.
Mu Hua was about to say something when Director Kang came and called her away with several other directors.
Fan Yue and Xia Qing had been listening intently to their interaction and clearly sensed something was amiss. As soon as Mu Hua left, the two of them immediately attacked Du Xiaoruo.
In front of the two of them, Du Xiaoruo was as transparent as a crystal ball, and they easily tricked her into telling the truth.
Then the three of them gathered together and started discussing the matter animatedly.
Xia Qing also said, "I think it's impossible. Even if it's a second marriage, it's impossible for her not to want Xiao Shu. It's too absurd."
Fan Yue immediately retorted,
"Don't you know that men are all driven by their lower instincts? There are plenty of men who abandon their parents and children for women."
After Fan Yue said that, Xia Qing's tone also became hesitant.
"But I haven't heard of Mu Hua having any dealings with any woman."
Fan Yue snorted coldly, "Aren't all celebrities good at keeping their marriages secret?"
Du Xiaoruo was completely bewildered, feeling that the two of them were speaking so convincingly, as if she had witnessed it herself.
After talking for a while, we finally got to the solution.
Xia Qing also stated her position first, "As friends, we can't ignore this. Everyone agrees that he's remarried, but he can't say he doesn't want children, right?"
Du Xiaoruo nodded in agreement.
Fan Yue chimed in, "Let's find him in person and ask him what's going on, then we can all address the problem accordingly."
Du Xiaoruo nodded frantically. Yes, they should ask in person to find out.
Just then, Mu Hua came over to deliver ice cream, and the three of them surrounded her and questioned her.
Mu Hua was at her wit's end, but finally managed to extract the key question from their words.
"Who said I was going to remarry?"
Du Xiaoruo, Fan Yue, and Xia Qing all said in unison, "Qiao An."
Mu Hua, “…”
Five minutes later, Mu Hua, holding an inflatable balloon hammer, chased Qiao An all over the place, smashing her mercilessly whenever he caught up.
The cameramen were originally live-streaming the performance at the main venue, but knowing the audience loved this, they stopped broadcasting the performance and had over a dozen cameras filming the two of them. The viewers in the live stream were laughing hysterically.
[How did CEO Ha offend Mu Hua again? Hahaha, whatever the reason, I'll laugh first.]
I love watching these kinds of chases, where you run and he chases, and once he catches you, you beat him half to death, hahaha.
[I was already super bored watching the live performance, but seeing Mu Hua beat up Ha Zong immediately perked me up.]
After learning that Mu Hua's second marriage was just a misunderstanding, Du Xiaoruo and the other two women had a new topic to talk about. The three women chatted enthusiastically, completely ignoring Qiao An's life or death.
Fan Yue frowned and said,
"Although President Ha is indeed unreliable, there's a 50% truth to this matter. It's true that Mu Hua gave the old dean 10 million yuan and even intended to entrust his son to him, right?"
Du Xiaoruo nodded quickly, "This is what the former dean said himself; I was there at the time."
Fan Yue snapped her fingers.
"Then it's safe. Unless the old dean was possessed by President Ha at the time, this matter is reliable."
Fan Yue waved to the two of them, signaling them to come closer.
“I think this matter is related to Liu Zhi, who is Xiao Shu’s mother. She committed suicide three years ago due to postpartum depression. When Liu Zhi died, Mu Hua had suicidal thoughts. I heard from classmates who knew about this that Mu Hua saw a psychologist for a long time before barely surviving. I think it’s because of this matter. I guess she barely survived for three years and felt that she still couldn’t go on.”
After chatting all night, Du Xiaoruo and Xia Qing both felt that this analysis was the most reliable, and Mu Hua seemed to be a very affectionate man.
Xia Qing also gave Fan Yue a thumbs up and asked,
"What should we do then? As a friend, we can't just ignore this, can we?"
Fan Yue pondered for a moment, then pointed out incisively,
"The one who tied the knot must untie it. We need to find a breakthrough by looking at Liu Zhi. It's more important to figure out why Liu Zhi died first."
Du Xiaoru blinked. "Isn't it postpartum depression?"
At that moment, two splashes interrupted their conversation.
The three turned to look. Qiao An, having been chased to the point of having nowhere to run, jumped directly into the pool. Mu Hua didn't hesitate either, and with a splash, he jumped in after her. The two wrestled and struggled in the pool.
The three women on the shore watched for a while, then calmly looked away and continued their conversation.
Fan Yue said, "Postpartum depression has its reasons. Is it due to the husband's neglect, or are there other unpleasant things? If it's just hormonal changes, it wouldn't be enough to lead to suicide."
Du Xiaoruo nodded, agreeing with Fan Yue's point.
Xia Qing immediately created a small group chat, saying, "As friends, we can't ignore this. Let everyone know in the group if there's any news."
The celebration banquet ended after midnight. Qiao An's clothes were completely soaked. Secretary Jin rushed over in the middle of the night to save the day, brought him clothes to change into, and then drove them home.
Secretary Kim was fed up with having such a shrewish boss. If it weren't for the fact that he paid her so much, she would have resigned right now.
Once in the car, Joan's phone rang.
Who would be making a phone call this late?
Qiao An took out his phone and saw that it was Han Nianwei calling. Since there was no one else in the car, he answered the call and put it on speakerphone.
Han Nianwei's soft, gentle voice came through the receiver.
"Qiao An?"
"Okay," Qiao An responded. "What is it? Please tell me."
Han Nianwei's calm voice betrayed an barely concealed excitement.
"Jin Xizhen has turned herself in. The police just contacted me and said she confessed to everything. She admitted that Qiao Qingchuan had done something wrong, and that she bribed people involved in the case to help him cover it up. The police didn't disclose the amount of the bribes, only that it was a huge sum."
Han Nianwei paused for a moment, then said,
"I'm just curious, why did she suddenly turn herself in?"
Qiao An guessed it was either Jin Jin or Zhang Yanshu. He felt a bit conflicted. He finally had someone to back him up, but then he thought about how Jin Jin and the others were so old and still had to suffer this kind of mental torment.
"Qiao An, are you listening?" Han Nianwei urged, not waiting for a reply.
"Yes, I'm listening. Whatever the reason, it's not a bad thing for her to confess. Congratulations on finally being exonerated."
"Okay, I just wanted to let you know as soon as possible, so I won't disturb your rest any longer."
After Qiao An hung up the phone, Du Xiaoruo and Secretary Jin's moods brightened.
Back home, Joan's phone vibrated again.
He took out his phone; it was a message from Zhang Yanshu.
Are you asleep?
Joan walked over to the sofa and sat down, replying with a message: "Not yet."
Zhang Yanshu: [I just wanted to let you know that Jin Xizhen has turned herself in. Legally, her crime is bribery, but we all know her actual crime is more serious. I just received inside information that she will probably only get three years in prison, but Mom will make sure she never gets out once she's in.]
Qiao An stared at the words for a long time. When she saw the word "Mom" on the phone, a strange and warm feeling welled up in her heart.
Zhang Yanshu sent another message.
The past is the past. From now on, I only have one requirement for you: eat well, sleep well, and win Xiaoruo over as soon as possible.
Joan, [Hmm?]
Zhang Yanshu, [You might fool the whole world about the arranged marriage, but you can't fool me. You'd better hurry up and go after her, or don't come back crying to me if she runs away.]
Qiao An raised her hand to rub her nose, smiled again, and didn't reply to Zhang Yanshu's message.
After a while, Zhang Yanshu sent another message.
Goodnight, baby.
After enduring grievances for over 20 years, I finally broke down upon seeing this message.
Joan grabbed a cushion and hugged it to her chest, burying her head in the soft, fluffy down pillow.
He cried quietly for a while, then looked up and rubbed the corners of his eyes.
My feelings are incredibly complicated; I want to cry and laugh at the same time, feeling both satisfied and empty.
He stood up awkwardly, walked around the house twice, and walked to Du Xiaoruo's room. He raised his hand, wanting to knock, but was afraid of disturbing her.
What should I say if I wake someone up?
Can I give her a gentle hug?
Will Du Xiaoruo think he's too arrogant?
Is a light hug appropriate for this kind of relationship?
While Joan was feeling lost and hesitant,
Du Xiaoruo was lying on the soft bed, staring at the ceiling with her eyes open.
After witnessing Qiao An rescue her from dire straits tonight, Du Xiaoruo decided that she would stay by Qiao An's side from now on, as she felt most at ease only when she was with him.
But now their relationship, to put it nicely, is ambiguous; to put it bluntly, it's just a roommate relationship, teetering on the brink of collapse.
Du Xiaoruo thought about it seriously for a while.
Decide,
Sleep with Qiao An first, and the relationship will be stable!
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