Actually, there was nothing particularly wrong with what Zhao Xinnian had said.
However, he had a guilty conscience. He didn’t dare raise his head and could only force himself to explain, “Well, Yanyan was playing with my phone yesterday and accidentally deleted the number.”
Zhao Leyan jolted and said weakly, “Dad, yesterday I didn’t…”
“Yanyan, did you forget? You still want to eat crispy noodles and sucking jelly, don’t you?” Zhao Xinnian gave her a perfectly standard smile.
The moment Zhao Leyan heard “crispy noodles,” she immediately caught on. She secretly glanced at Qin Chaolu before nodding repeatedly. “Dad’s right!”
Qin Chaolu had already forbidden her from eating snacks. If her mother found out that she had secretly eaten some this morning, there was an 80% chance her little bottom would be spanked red.
Zhao Leyan was a clever little girl!
Zhao Xinnian breathed a sigh of relief.
Qin Fengjiao’s beautiful eyes remained fixed on Zhao Xinnian, carrying a trace of scrutiny.
The car remained silent for several seconds before she snorted. “If you need something, just contact Chaolu. Why do you need my phone number? We’re leaving.”
With that, she gestured for Qin Chaolu to drive.
Qin Chaolu shot Zhao Xinnian a fierce glare, then started the car without saying a word.
After they left, Zhao Xinnian sighed.
‘What the hell is all this? It’s all the system’s fault.’
The system’s faint, lingering voice sounded in his mind.
[Host, your mission still hasn’t been completed.]
“Complete my ass! Didn’t you see what just happened? I tried my best, okay?” Zhao Xinnian complained irritably as he walked back into the convenience store.
‘This system is ridiculous. That’s my mother-in-law! Isn’t this going way too far?’
Even now, Zhao Xinnian’s heart was still pounding.
It took him quite a while to calm down. Once he did, he faced a much more immediate problem.
What was he going to eat for dinner?
He hadn’t eaten lunch, and his stomach was growling with hunger.
After thinking about it, Zhao Xinnian couldn’t be bothered to cook. He grabbed two packets of braised beef instant noodles from the shelf.
That would be tonight’s feast.
Twenty minutes later, waves of delicious aroma drifted through the small convenience store.
He had to admit that after going hungry for so long, instant noodles smelled unbelievably good.
Zhao Xinnian devoured them in huge mouthfuls, feeling immensely satisfied.
After finishing the noodles, he lit a cigarette.
He stared blankly at the ceiling, gradually falling into a daze.
In the past, at this time of day, the housekeeper would already have dinner prepared. The whole family would sit together around the table, eating happily amid warmth and laughter…
As his thoughts wandered, Zhao Xinnian slowly shook his head.
‘That life was never truly mine. It was nothing more than a flower in a mirror, a moon reflected on water. The ridiculous part is that sometimes, I actually had the illusion that she and I would grow old together.’
“Who gave you permission to smoke?”
An icy voice suddenly came from outside.
Zhao Xinnian froze and turned his head. A familiar figure walked into the store.
It was Qin Chaolu, who had unexpectedly returned.
“What are you doing here?” Zhao Xinnian asked instinctively.
Qin Chaolu walked behind the counter, snatched the cigarette straight from his lips, and threw it outside.
Her fingers brushed against Zhao Xinnian’s lips, leaving behind a faint, ticklish sensation.
“What? I’m not allowed to come here?” Qin Chaolu retorted.
Zhao Xinnian took out a tissue and wiped the corner of his mouth. “Where’s Yanyan?”
“She went home. Wanshuang and my mom are looking after her…” Qin Chaolu noticed the leftover instant noodle broth and couldn’t help asking, “You’re eating this for dinner?”
“Instant noodles taste pretty good,” Zhao Xinnian replied.
Qin Chaolu’s heart trembled. She bit her lip and muttered, “You’d rather suffer than swallow your pride!”
Zhao Xinnian said nothing.
The convenience store suddenly became so quiet that even a falling needle could have been heard.
Qin Chaolu stared straight at Zhao Xinnian and demanded, “What did you mean by asking me for my phone number today? And then you asked my mom for hers too… Don’t even think about lying to me. I know how good your memory is, and Yanyan didn’t touch your phone at all last night!”
So this was the real reason she had rushed back here.
Zhao Xinnian remained perfectly composed. “I only asked for a phone number. Do you really need to react this strongly?”
Qin Chaolu gritted her teeth.
‘How could those two things possibly be the same? Doing that to me is one thing, but doing it to my mom is a huge problem!’
“I need an explanation,” Qin Chaolu insisted stubbornly.
Zhao Xinnian frowned. “What is there to explain? We’re already divorced. Whoever I ask for a phone number has nothing to do with you, right? Besides, your mom didn’t even give me hers.”
Just then, a notification sounded.
Ding-dong.
Zhao Xinnian’s phone, which was lying on the counter, suddenly lit up.
Both of them looked toward it at the same time.
Zhao Xinnian’s heart skipped a beat, and he immediately reached for the phone.
But Qin Chaolu was faster this time.
In an instant, she snatched it away and unlocked it.
Then her eyes turned red.
Zhao Xinnian leaned over to look, and his vision nearly went black.
[135XXXXXXXX. You little brat, just try forgetting it again.]
“Zhao Xinnian, tell me. What exactly is going on between you and my mom?” Qin Chaolu’s voice began to tremble.
At the same time, the system’s excited voice rang through Zhao Xinnian’s mind.
[Mission complete! Mission complete! Host, you’re amazing!]
Zhao Xinnian had no time to pay attention to the system. Seeing the murderous look in Qin Chaolu’s eyes, he hurriedly explained, “Hey, this is all a misunderstanding! What kind of relationship could I possibly have with her?”
“We’ve only been divorced for two days!” Qin Chaolu choked out, every word filled with anguish.
Zhao Xinnian could only bite the bullet. “Two days or not, we’re still divorced.”
At that moment, Qin Chaolu’s emotions were impossible to describe.
With reddened eyes, she grabbed Zhao Xinnian by the hand and dragged him upstairs.
“Hey, what are you doing?” Zhao Xinnian asked, half resisting and half going along with her.
Qin Chaolu didn’t answer.
Biting her lip, she pulled Zhao Xinnian into the bedroom.
After turning on the light, she abruptly pulled open the buttons at her collar, revealing a glimpse of her black bra.
“Zhao Xinnian, whatever anger or resentment you have, take it out on me! Do whatever you want. No matter what it is, I can endure it…” Qin Chaolu’s voice trembled. “I only have one request. Please leave my mom alone, okay?”
Hearing that, Zhao Xinnian felt a massive headache coming on.
‘What kind of ridiculous internet meme has suddenly come to life?’
He said, “Calm down. There’s absolutely nothing going on. I don’t even know where you’re getting these ridiculous ideas.”
“I can’t calm down!”
Qin Chaolu choked back a sob. She suddenly pushed Zhao Xinnian onto the bed and began tearing at his clothes without caring about anything else.
At the critical moment, Zhao Xinnian thoughtfully suggested, “Maybe we should use a condom. Otherwise, if he finds out, it’ll be difficult for you to explain.”
He hadn’t expected those words to instantly freeze the atmosphere.
A moment ago, Qin Chaolu’s eyes had been clouded with desire. Now she simply stared blankly at Zhao Xinnian, disbelief written all over her face.
Zhao Xinnian asked in confusion, “What’s wrong now?”
Qin Chaolu took a deep breath and abruptly climbed off him.
“We’re not doing it.”
Her voice was icy as she began putting her clothes back on.
Zhao Xinnian felt utterly frustrated.
Even after living with this woman for seven years, he still couldn’t understand her.
One moment she wanted one thing, and the next she wanted the complete opposite.
Still, when he thought about it, he could somewhat understand.
He had just mentioned Zhuang Ziwei. Perhaps Qin Chaolu had suddenly come to her senses and felt that doing this would be betraying him, so she stopped.
The thought left a bitter taste in Zhao Xinnian’s heart.
He sat up and lit another cigarette.
“Have you two officially gotten together?” Zhao Xinnian asked. “Zhuang Ziwei should be pretty wealthy. He’s a good match for you.”
After getting dressed, Qin Chaolu gave him a mocking smile. “Whether we’re officially together or not, what does it have to do with you? And you’re right. His family background is excellent. He’s far more successful than you! He’s the same age as you, yet Awei already has assets worth several hundred million yuan. Meanwhile, I doubt you could even pull 10,000 yuan out of your pocket.”
Zhao Xinnian immediately protested, “What nonsense! I really do have 10,000 yuan!”