After Qin Yiyang left, she went to a milk tea shop to wash her hands.
The System was curious, [How dare you pick up a toad with your bare hands?]
Although it was just a string of data, it could imagine the slimy, bumpy texture of the toad.
So gross!
【Toads are so cute.】 Qin Yiyang defended the toad.
When she was little, An Rou always made her do chores and would scold or hit her at the slightest provocation.
She also forbade her from playing with the other kids in the village. Whenever she felt bored, she would hide in the fields.
Back then, the village environment was good, and there were plenty of toads croaking away.
Toads were her friends.
【I think toads are much cuter than An Rou!】
【They might be annoying, but they don’t hit people! And don’t you think their eyes are full of wisdom?】
The System had initially felt quite sympathetic.
But it couldn’t hold back after hearing the last sentence.
…This aesthetic is indeed a bit ahead of its time.
Qin Yiyang ordered a cup of milk tea and sipped it slowly. Just then, a group of children took over the milk tea shop after school.
A chubby little boy put down his backpack and pulled out a large pile of spicy strips from a stack of tattered test papers.
Then, he generously shared them with everyone.
Several kids pooled their money to buy one cup of milk tea, taking sips of milk tea and bites of spicy strips in turns.
Qin Yiyang swallowed her saliva.
Where could she buy these unlicensed spicy strips?
She couldn’t find them anywhere!
Qin Yiyang leaned over and pitifully stretched out her hand, “Little brother, I’m a college student. Can you give me a spicy strip?”
The little boy nodded and boldly gave Qin Yiyang an entire pack of spicy strips.
Another little girl blinked her big eyes, “I have candy. Do you want some?”
Qin Yiyang nodded frantically, “Thank you, little sister!”
Her motto: When a stranger offers candy, she’ll stretch her neck out eagerly!
Outside the milk tea shop window, Madam Lu, who witnessed this scene: “…”
The assistant cleared his throat, “It’s a good thing the young mistress still has a childlike heart.”
Madam Lu took a deep breath.
She walked into the milk tea shop and patted Qin Yiyang on the shoulder.
“Miss Qin, I am Jiang Yulan, Lu Yanzhi’s mother. Let’s talk.”
Qin Yiyang slurped up a spicy strip and was about to say, “Who is Lu Yanzhi?”
[Ahhh!]
The System let out a dramatic scream, [Lu Yanzhi is Lu Wu, also your “boyfriend”!]
[Of course, he’s also the major villain in the later part of this book, the kind who wouldn’t blink an eye while severing someone’s tendons!]
Instantly, the spicy strip in Qin Yiyang’s hand lost its flavor.
Her gaze swept past Lu Yanzhi’s mother and landed on a man in sunglasses behind her. His muscles bulged so much they seemed about to burst out of his suit.
The last time she saw someone dressed like this was in a Japanese yakuza movie.
Could he be a thug sent to beat her up because of her careless words?!
She panicked.
“Auntie, you’ve misunderstood. I’m not Lu Yanzhi’s girlfriend.”
Jiang Yulan smiled, as if she had expected this answer, and pointed to the café across the street. “Let’s talk inside.”
“…Okay. But please wait a moment.”
Qin Yiyang walked to the counter, lowered her head to take out her wallet, and wanted to buy milk tea for the table of children.
【Although my life may be over, I still have to return the favor. That’s the code of the jianghu!】
But Jiang Yulan smiled and placed a hundred-yuan bill on the counter first.
“My treat.”
Qin Yiyang was stunned!
How did she know what she was about to do?
Wuwu, as expected of a villain’s mother—it’s like she can read minds!
After they were seated, Jiang Yulan ordered two lattes.
She handed one of them to Qin Yiyang.
But in Qin Yiyang’s eyes, this wasn’t coffee—it was poison meant to end her life.
[Is the villain’s mother trying to silence me?]
Jiang Yulan smiled. “There’s no need to be nervous. I’m not one of those old-fashioned, overbearing parents. I’m actually quite happy that Yanzhi likes you.”
“Ah, no…” Qin Yiyang hurriedly tried to explain.
But Jiang Yulan didn’t give her the chance.
“Yanyang, as a woman myself, I understand how unfair it must feel to keep this relationship a secret. But don’t blame him. When Yanzhi was little, he had a kitten he adored, but someone poisoned it. Ever since then, he’s been careful not to show what he likes too openly.”
Qin Yiyang trembled.
[Was it the villain who killed that cat?]
[That’s how it always goes in novels—to highlight a villain’s dark, twisted nature, innocent pets like cats and dogs always end up suffering!]
[Help! Once the villain returns, will I end up like that cat?]
Qin Yiyang was on the verge of tears. “I really don’t know your son.”
“There’s no need to deny it.” Jiang Yulan chuckled softly. “You two may have hidden it well, but I’ve noticed the signs.”
As she spoke, she took out two phones. “On the left is Yanzhi’s social media feed, and on the right is your Weibo homepage. Take a look for yourself—”
Confused, Qin Yiyang glanced at the phones.
On February 14th, Valentine’s Day, she had posted, “Real men wear pink.”
That same day, Lu Yanzhi had shared a photo where, reflected in the glass, he could be seen wearing a grayish-pink hoodie.
Qin Yiyang: What a coincidence…
On Qixi Festival, she had posted, “Game of Thrones actually had a terrible ending! How awful!”
That same day, Lu Yanzhi had shared the English original novel of the series.
Qin Yiyang: Probably still a coincidence…
On January 1st, New Year’s Day, she had posted a photo of a Harry Potter Lego set.
A few days before New Year’s, Lu Yanzhi’s online shopping history showed a purchase record for the exact same set.
Qin Yiyang: “……”
There were many more coincidences like these.
Faced with such undeniable evidence, Qin Yiyang was starting to doubt herself.
If she kept looking, she might even start shipping herself with the villain!
Had she lost her memory, forgetting a deeply passionate, heart-wrenching, and beautiful love story?
“Auntie, do you have a photo of Lu Yanzhi?”
“Yes, I do.” Jiang Yulan took out a photo and said with a smile, “My son is quite handsome, isn’t he?”
Qin Yiyang took the photo, her eyes flickering with surprise.
“Oh, this…”
Holding the photo, Qin Yiyang was momentarily at a loss for words.
She had once watched a tragic Republican-era drama where the female lead was the “child bride” of a young master, and there was only a nine-year age gap between them.
Looking at the child in the photo wearing split pants, Qin Yiyang felt like she could have given birth to him herself.
She forced herself to speak. “He is handsome, but… is your son even three years old?”
Jiang Yulan also seemed a bit embarrassed. “Yanzhi has never liked taking photos since he was little. He’s 24 this year, actually a bit older than you.”
Qin Yiyang nodded. “How tall is your son?”
“One meter eighty-eight.” Jiang Yulan’s voice was cheerful, and she seemed quite proud.
Qin Yiyang felt relieved.
This person was too tall—not her ideal type. She preferred shorter men, so there probably wasn’t any melodramatic amnesia plot between her and the villain.
All those “proofs of love” were just coincidences.
Qin Yiyang bowed slightly. “Auntie, I think you might have misunderstood. I really don’t know your son. It’s getting late, so I’ll be going now.”
“I heard you’re participating in a reality show about observing wealthy families and need a wealthy boyfriend,” Jiang Yulan’s voice came from behind her.
“If you breach the contract, you’ll face a penalty of 500 million, right?”
Qin Yiyang paused in her steps.
“Don’t worry, I mean no harm.” Jiang Yulan leisurely took a sip of coffee.
Then, she took out a document. “As long as you sign this contract, I can cooperate with you in recording the show and help you avoid the astronomical penalty.”
After seeing the terms, Qin Yiyang was stunned.
This wasn’t a contract—it was practically charity!