Time passed minute by minute.
It was sunset.
Xu Zhi raised her wrist to look at her watch. It was already past five o’clock, but she still hadn’t seen her mother emerge.
But at a time like this, she couldn’t rush. She had to be patient. If she went back inside, she might accidentally run into her mother head-on. Even if she wasn’t recognized, she would certainly leave an impression, making it difficult to follow her later.
Today was such a special day; perhaps her mother was taking extra time to get ready…
Thinking this, Xu Zhi crouched behind the landscaping shrubs, shifted her numb foot, and continued her stakeout.
…
The Qi family’s birthday banquet was in full swing.
Glasses were raised, and wine flowed freely.
As soon as Qi Nan stepped off the stage, she was surrounded by business and political magnates who had come to the banquet, all taking turns to toast and congratulate her.
Qi Yaoyao wanted to go over, but she was cornered by several young ladies and gentlemen her age.
She was the host, and they were the guests. Although she didn’t know them, everyone attending tonight was wealthy and influential. She couldn’t simply say, “Excuse me,” rudely.
Fortunately, Qi Yaoyao was quite adept at “socializing.” She patiently chatted with them, periodically checking on her mother’s situation.
Her mother’s side was never empty.
Time quietly slipped away.
Finally, the guests surrounding her mother seemed to have drifted away one by one. Qi Yaoyao immediately seized the opportunity, excused herself from the people still trying to talk to her, and quickly retreated to the back kitchen and bar area, dragging her dress.
From afar, Qi Yaoyao saw the eight handsome, sharp-featured “waiters” in suits arguing.
As she got closer, she heard:
“Your school’s national ranking isn’t as good as mine. Why are you ranked ahead of me?”
“Your education isn’t even as high as mine. What makes you so special?”
“What are you arguing about? You skinny little things, trying to compete with me?”
“Let’s rank by height.”
“Get lost!”
Qi Yaoyao: “…”
Qi Yaoyao was furious!
They had signed non-disclosure agreements long ago, yet these people were openly discussing this here, clearly afraid that others wouldn’t know they weren’t real waiters?
Qi Yaoyao stiffened her face, her heels clicking loudly.
The arguing men instantly silenced when they saw her approach. The two leading youths stared at her, their eyes wide.
“What are you still arguing about order for? By the time you figure it out, the party will be over!” Qi Yaoyao burst out in anger. The event was almost underway, and she was nervous, but these people had time to argue.
Too much time had been wasted. The banquet was almost half over.
It was definitely too late for all eight to take turns.
Qi Yaoyao immediately adjusted her plan. She said, “The few of you go together. Find a corner to wait in, and I’ll bring Mom over later.”
Qi Yaoyao looked at them and sternly instructed, “I don’t care how you behave. As long as my mother looks at you for a second time, you have a chance to skyrocket. I will immediately have someone take you upstairs.”
When they heard they would all go at once, they adjusted their ties and fixed their cuffs, all showing some tension and eagerness.
Everyone had seen the woman on the banquet’s screen earlier.
That woman showed no sign of being thirty-seven or thirty-eight. She was so stunning, charming, and, especially, she was the Chairwoman of the Junzhou Group.
A true powerful woman!
If they were chosen, skyrocketing wasn’t an exaggeration. They wouldn’t have to worry about their future career or finances for the rest of their lives!
They had to use every ounce of charm.
The eight men were eager to try and ready to go.
Qi Yaoyao returned to the banquet hall and watched them disperse to various corners of the hall, carrying trays of drinks.
She suddenly regretted not planning this way earlier.
Although bringing these “gifts” to her mother was easier than dragging her mother around the entire banquet hall.
But this was efficient!
Qi Yaoyao began secretly searching for her mother’s whereabouts.
However, amidst the glamorous crowd, her mother seemed to have suddenly vanished!!
Qi Yaoyao politely smiled and nodded at guests, clinking glasses with them, while threading through the bustling banquet hall, dragging her sweeping gown. She scoured the hall two times over, yet still couldn’t find her.
Where is Mom?!!
“My, my, Yaoyao has become even more beautiful after a few days!”
Someone else approached.
Qi Yaoyao immediately put on a smile, politely looked at the person, and greeted him with a smile, “Uncle Qiu.”
“Yaoyao, you truly are growing more striking and becoming more and more like your mother, ha ha ha. Right, Yaoyao, this is my son, Qiu Sixian. He just graduated from MIT. Sixian, say hello to Yaoyao. You two are close in age; you’ll certainly have a lot to talk about.”
Qi Yaoyao held her wine glass, her smile unchanged, but she mentally scoffed—
A university graduate, how dare he say he’s “close in age” to me, someone who hasn’t taken the college entrance exam yet!
The man’s intentions were obvious. After the introduction, he immediately went to chat warmly with other guests.
Qiu Sixian, having lived abroad for a long time, looked directly at Qi Yaoyao and complimented her, “You are truly beautiful. I’ve never seen a girl as pretty as you. Your name is Yaoyao, that yao?”
Qi Yaoyao wasn’t shy. She met his gaze openly and responded, “Thank you. It’s the yao from yaotiao shunu (gentle and graceful lady).”
“Yaotiao shunu, junzi haoqiu (A gentle and graceful lady is the fair object of a gentleman’s suit).”
Qi Yaoyao gave a polite, tight-lipped smile.
“Yaoyao, you’re in your last year of high school, right?” Qiu Sixian immediately said, “I majored in finance at MIT…”
Although Qi Yaoyao was smiling, her eyes were constantly searching for her mother’s figure. She occasionally praised, “Brother Sixian, you’re so amazing,” but finally couldn’t resist interrupting. “Brother Sixian, have you seen my mother? I’m looking for her, but she suddenly disappeared.”
“Chairwoman Qi? She went upstairs a while ago. It’s been some time now.”
“Oh, okay. Then, Brother Sixian, please excuse me. Feel free to treat this place like your own home; don’t be shy~ Enjoy the food and drinks.” Qi Yaoyao gave him a single wink, then lifted her skirt and ran.
Qiu Sixian remained in place, his heart pounding, replaying the captivating wink.
She must like me too… he thought.
…
Qi Yaoyao ditched her pursuer and sped up the stairs in her seven or eight-centimeter high heels.
She pushed open the door to the dressing room.
The several makeup artists chatting inside immediately looked over.
Qi Yaoyao asked, confused, “Is my mom not here?”
“No, it’s not time for Chairwoman Qi to change her dress yet.”
“Oh.” Qi Yaoyao immediately slipped out and continued running upstairs. She felt a little panicky. Time was genuinely running out. She even wondered: Should I just wait until the banquet is over and bring the eight students directly to my mother for her to choose?
But that would eliminate the surprise, and besides, she might get her legs broken…
If she went upstairs and wasn’t in the dressing room, it meant she wasn’t in this building where the banquet was held, so she had likely gone to another building or returned to the master bedroom.
Guests attending the banquet would not go up here.
Qi Yaoyao found her heels cumbersome. She took them off and carried them in one hand, while using the other to lift her sweeping gown. She ran and searched breathlessly along several long corridors.
The villas in the Qi complex were connected by long corridors.
All the Qi family servants were in the banquet hall. The corridor lights were bright, yet it was unusually quiet.
Could Mom not be in the main building at all…?
I don’t see anyone.
The guests were all in the banquet hall. The birthday banquet was only halfway through. Her mother loved using banquets to exchange market or international trends with big industry magnates. It was impossible for her to suddenly disappear.
The more she thought about it, the more right she felt.
Qi Yaoyao stopped running. She saw that her mother’s bedroom door was slightly ajar, the light inside was dim, and there was no sound of people. Clearly, she wasn’t inside.
She turned to go back to the banquet hall to search again.
But the moment she turned around, she suddenly heard an unfamiliar, slightly raised voice shout—”Don’t!”
Qi Yaoyao was completely startled!
She immediately turned back. Who is it??
Is there someone else in Mom’s bedroom???
The house she had grown up in suddenly felt a little scary.
Qi Yaoyao carried her high heels, barefoot, and cautiously approached through the quiet corridor. The closer she got, the more obvious the fragmented noises inside became.
Mom?
Stopping at the bedroom door, Qi Yaoyao heard the sound of kissing.
Kissing?!
Was Mom already… with someone else?
Qi Yaoyao’s eyes widened, thinking of something. I worried about Mom being alone for too long… but what divorced adult actually remains celibate for over a decade??
She left me to handle a crowd of guests at the banquet while she came here…
Thinking this, Qi Yaoyao blushed and wanted to quietly back away.
“No…”
A sound came from inside again.
Wait.
Qi Yaoyao paused and frowned. That voice… was that Mom’s??
Was her mother’s voice ever that soft?
Definitely not!!
Qi Yaoyao looked back suspiciously. The next moment, she heard a familiar voice ring out—”Why not? Xiangxiang, look how enthusiastic you clearly are…”
Qi Yaoyao: “!!!”
Qi Yaoyao’s eyes widened in shock. She immediately covered her mouth to stifle a cry, feeling like she had been struck by lightning, frozen on the spot!!!
The master bed was still quite far from the door, winding around some furniture. Yet, in the quiet room, the rustling of clothes, the sound of intimate moistness, the suppressed, rapid breathing…
They amplified clearly in Qi Yaoyao’s ears.
The soft female voice, which had initially been restrained and quietly refusing, became increasingly fragmented and unclear as if being crushed. Finally, she seemed to sound slightly tearful, “Qi Nan!”
It’s over!!!
The name snapped Qi Yaoyao back to reality. In a panicked move, she leaned back and knocked the nearby curio cabinet. A Tang Dynasty antique inside wobbled, about to fall.
Frightened, Qi Yaoyao immediately dropped her shoes to steady it.
She managed to catch it before it fell.
The noise inside the room was intense, completely oblivious to the sound of Qi Yaoyao dropping her shoes outside.
The two voices intertwined again, quickly followed by the wet, intimate sounds of fervent kissing.
Qi Yaoyao carefully replaced the antique, picked up her shoes, and fled in panic!!
The night wind blew against her face through the corridor.
Qi Yaoyao let down her skirt and walked slowly, step by step. She ultimately did not return to the banquet hall but went to the sunroom in the side building.
The room was filled with potted plants and flowers, brightly illuminated, blossoming vividly.
Qi Yaoyao dropped her shoes and walked step by step, sitting down on the swing seat.
Her eyes were unfocused. She lightly pushed off with her bare feet, and her expensive dress swung back and forth with the motion of the swing.
Qi Yaoyao leaned on the armrest of the swing, her gaze filled with confusion, blankness, surprise, sudden realization, but also chaos and disbelief. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more she felt it must have been her hallucination.
How could Mom be with a woman…
No.
Could it have been a man with a very feminine voice?
No, no, no.
Qi Yaoyao covered her head, trying to untangle her chaotic thoughts.
However, all that surfaced in her mind was the heart-pounding sound of water, the intimate, lingering kisses, the woman’s faint, mosquito-like refusal, and the choked, tearful sound of her calling her mother’s name.
It’s over…
Qi Yaoyao lowered her hands. She couldn’t deceive herself.
The person her mother was intimately kissing and engaging in even more explicit activities with in the bedroom was indeed a woman!
Did Mom’s sexual orientation change?
Or was Mom originally bisexual…?
Qi Yaoyao had never dated, so she had only heard about this from Julie.
Homosexuals can only date and have sex with the same sex, while bisexuals can date both men and women.
But Qi Yaoyao was still completely confused, feeling like her worldview had been shattered and reassembled.
Mom likes women?!
A woman!!
Then was there another reason for the divorce from Dad? The arranged marriage was to secure control of Junzhou, and the divorce was because the group’s power was already secured, and she had an heir, so Mom didn’t bother to pretend anymore?
Who was that woman inside…?
Is she Mom’s bedmate?
Xiangxiang (Fragrance).
That name didn’t sound like a real name.
But would a bedmate or a professional call her mother by her name directly? Shouldn’t she at least call her Chairwoman Qi?
And, it sounded like they had done this more than once…
Ah, ah, ah, ah!
Qi Yaoyao felt like her brain was overloaded and about to explode!!!
…
8:00 PM.
Xu Zhi held onto the bike, slowly using it for support to stand up. Her legs were completely numb. For the past few hours, she had been staring intently.
Many people entered and exited the complex.
But her mother was not among them.
Xu Zhi rode the bike back downstairs.
She wheeled her old bike out from under a nearby building, took the bag that was clipped to the back seat, unzipped it, pulled out her school uniform and put on her school pants, took off the skirt, and put it back in the bag.
She went upstairs and opened the door.
No one, as expected. The house was cold and empty.
Xu Zhi opened the cover of the table. The table was bare, with only some fruit, no cooked food.
Xu Zhi raised her hand and wiped her face, then found her phone in her bag and opened it. Sure enough, there were two unread WeChat messages from her mother.
Mom: [Zhizhi, I don’t have time to cook dinner tonight. Order takeout yourself, okay?]
Mom: [Transfer 50]
Xu Zhi looked at the time.
The message was sent at 5:30 PM. At that time, she was already waiting on the mandatory road exiting the complex.
Qi Yaoyao’s skirt didn’t have pockets, and she couldn’t carry a bag, as she risked being recognized, so she hadn’t brought her phone…
Xu Zhi collapsed onto the living room sofa, placing the back of her hand on her forehead. She didn’t know where her mother was or what she was doing.
She hadn’t accepted the transfer, and her mother hadn’t even noticed.
After lying on the sofa for a while, Xu Zhi sat up and went into the kitchen to cook herself a bowl of egg noodles.
Because she was distraught, a small piece of eggshell broke off into the mix.
She tried to fish it out a few times with her chopsticks but failed. She simply pinched it out with her hand, beat the egg again, and poured it into the boiling noodle pot, adding soy sauce, salt, vinegar, and a bit of dried shrimp.
The noodles were undercooked and tasted terrible.
Xu Zhi sat in the bedroom and ate it bite by bite. She didn’t know why, but her vision blurred.
Xu Zhi raised her hand and wiped her eyes, but the inexplicable sense of grievance still rushed into her eye sockets, making her eyes feel hot and making her want to cry.
She hadn’t felt this way in a long time.
She didn’t know why.
Xu Zhi finished the noodles, lay on the table for a while to calm down, and then got up to wash the dishes.
Xu Zhi returned to the bedroom and took out her test papers to work on.
She did a few questions, checked the time, finished half a page, and checked the time again.
Until 9:20 PM.
The sound of a key unlocking the door was heard.
Zhou Weixiang opened the door and was surprised to find the house lights off. Her daughter’s bedroom light was also off, pitch black. She turned on the light and called out, “Zhizhi?”
No one answered.
Where did she go?
Zhou Weixiang immediately found her phone. Opening WeChat, she realized her daughter hadn’t accepted the money transfer or replied to her messages. Her heart sank immediately, and she called her directly.
The ringtone came from her daughter’s room.
Zhou Weixiang was surprised. She immediately hung up and walked to her daughter’s bedroom. Afraid she was sleeping, she gently pushed the door open.
The room was dark.
Zhou Weixiang turned on the light, fearing her daughter was unwell again, or sick.
But when she turned on the light, she found no one on the bed.
“Zhizhi?” Zhou Weixiang called.
—”Mom.”
Zhou Weixiang was startled by the voice behind her!
She turned around and saw her daughter appear out of nowhere. She immediately patted her chest. “You startled me, where did you appear from?”
“The kitchen.”
“The kitchen didn’t have the light on.” The house was completely dark when she walked in.
Xu Zhi looked at her silently and said, “I didn’t turn the light on.”
Zhou Weixiang was stunned.
Xu Zhi walked past her mother, sat down on her own bed, and said, “Mom, what brand was the car that brought you back just now?”
“What?”
Xu Zhi pursed her lips and looked at her mother. “It was a BMW. Different from the Bentley last time.”
Zhou Weixiang’s pupils contracted. She never expected her daughter had seen it. She became flustered and guilty. “Zhizhi…”
Xu Zhi couldn’t bear to see such a flustered, helpless, and remorseful look on her mother’s face.
The next moment, she smiled slightly, offering an out. “It was a student’s parent, right? You were too busy to cook tonight, so the student’s parent kindly drove you back?”
Zhou Weixiang immediately nodded, twisting her hands nervously. “Yes, it was a student’s parent.”
“The one who called last time?”
Zhou Weixiang paused, her eyes slightly evasive, but she nodded again.
Xu Zhi carefully watched her mother’s face and suddenly said, “Mom, did you not put on makeup when you went to work this morning?”
Zhou Weixiang was stunned again. She had just showered. She nervously tucked her hair behind her ear, first confirming yes, and then quickly asked, “Zhizhi, have you eaten? I’ll go make you dinner.”
“No need, Mom. I’ve already eaten. I cooked myself some noodles.”
“Did you eat enough?”
“Yes, I’m full. I made a lot.”
“Mm, that’s good…”
Silence fell in the bedroom for a long time.
Xu Zhi’s emotions churned inside. She suddenly spoke, “I…”
Zhou Weixiang spoke almost simultaneously, “Zhizhi.”
“You go first.”
“You go first, Mom.”
They spoke at the same time again.
Zhou Weixiang lowered her gaze, struggling and hesitating for a long time.
If her daughter was pressing her directly like this, she must know a lot already.
Any further defense would only hurt her feelings more.
Finally, Zhou Weixiang sighed and said, “Zhizhi, do you remember what I told you before, ‘if you encounter love, you must seize it’?”
Xu Zhi’s heart gave a heavy thump.
She knew her mother was about to confess.
“I remember.”
“She is…” Zhou Weixiang lowered her eyes, clutching her fingers tightly again. Her fingers were slender, and her nails were clean and round, but the pressure in her palm still left red marks.
Xu Zhi saw it, took her hand, and said sadly, “Mom, it’s my fault. If you don’t want to say it, don’t say it. I won’t ask anymore.”
“No, there’s nothing I don’t want to say,” Zhou Weixiang took a deep breath, gathered her courage, and looked up at her daughter. “She is someone Mom liked during her student days. We met two months ago.”
Xu Zhi understood immediately, but she immediately asked about the thing she cared about most. “Is she unmarried?”
Zhou Weixiang paused, surprised by the focus of her daughter’s concern, but still answered, “Divorced.”
“Did you see the divorce certificate?”
“She is indeed divorced. Many people know,” Zhou Weixiang said, nervously gripping her daughter’s hand tighter. “Zhizhi, if you’re uncomfortable and can’t accept it, Mom will break it off with her immediately.”
“No, no, don’t.” Xu Zhi’s inner turmoil had dissipated when her mother explained it this way. She smiled and said, “I was just worried you’d be fooled. What if he was a rich, married scumbag who lied to you and broke your heart? Don’t let your age deceive you; you’re too naive and easily tricked.”
Scumbag?
Zhou Weixiang froze. She looked at her daughter. “Why would you say that?”
“There are many such cases online. Plus, you need to pay attention. If he changes cars every few days, maybe the car is rented, and he’s actually broke. It could be a pig butchering scam trying to trick you out of money.”
“What else could I be tricked out of…”
“Oh, plenty! Tricking you into getting a loan, borrowing money—scammers have all sorts of tricks, whether you’re rich or poor, alive or dead.” Although she said this, Xu Zhi’s tone was more relaxed than before. After speaking, she asked, “Mom, when you say student days, what time period was that?”
“University.”
“Were you classmates?”
Zhou Weixiang shook her head. “Different colleges, different majors. We just joined the same club.”
“I see.” Xu Zhi nodded seriously, then looked at her mother and gossiped, “So, Mom, did you go on a date with her today? Was today a special day?”
Zhou Weixiang’s expression instantly became uneasy. She lowered her gaze, but then saw something and suddenly pulled her hand away, standing up. “Little kids shouldn’t ask so many questions.”
Xu Zhi smiled and said, “Oh~ okay, I won’t ask. You two can keep dating for now.”
Then, remembering something, Xu Zhi added, “But you still need to find out the reason for her divorce. You never know a person’s true nature. What if she’s abusive? Or has other bad habits?”
Zhou Weixiang said, “Zhizhi, don’t worry. Mom won’t be with her.”
Xu Zhi was stunned, thinking she had sounded too scary. She quickly corrected herself. “Mom, I didn’t mean that. Of course, divorce isn’t always the man’s fault; sometimes it’s the woman’s, right? So she might not be a scumbag. Anyway, just spend time together and try it out if you have the chance. Don’t say that just because of what I said!”
Zhou Weixiang stopped talking. “Mom knows what she’s doing.”
“Okay~” Xu Zhi got up and went to her desk, opening the test paper she couldn’t focus on all evening. She deliberately said, “We kids won’t ask anything or interfere. We just need to study hard for the college entrance exam. Mom, when I get into a good university and find a good job, I’ll earn lots of money to support you, and we won’t need to rely on any man!!”
Zhou Weixiang, who had been serious, couldn’t help but smile now. “Alright, alright. I’ll rely on Zhizhi to support me from now on. Mom will go heat up some milk for you.”
“Aww. Thank you, Mom!”
As soon as Zhou Weixiang walked out of the bedroom, the smile on her face disappeared. She let out a silent sigh of relief, looked down at the hand her daughter had just held, and saw the faint semi-circle of a bite mark on her wrist.
Does Qi Nan belong to the dog zodiac?!
She pulled her sleeve down to cover the bite mark completely.
It seems Zhizhi only saw the car.
That makes sense. Qi Nan drove her back two or three times, and never once got out of the car…
Xu Zhi was actually just angry and hurt that her mother had been hiding things from her. Now that they had cleared the air, she was in a better mood, and her speed on the test paper was fast.
She had just turned the page when her phone vibrated on the desk.
Xu Zhi glanced at it.
It was from Qi Yaoyao.