The car turned into Villa Number 68 at Langzhu Manor and stopped steadily without hitting any other vehicles in the garage. By that time it was already 9:30 at night. Lian Shaozi had been on a phone conference call the entire drive, while Long Qi had never driven such a steady car in her life—she practically wanted to gild her driver’s license with gold foil. Even when parking, she treated Jin Yiken’s Koenigsegg parked in the garage like an ancestor to be worshipped, maintaining a safe distance. Perfect technique.

The villa’s first floor was brightly lit. An auntie in her forties wearing helper’s clothes walked from the front yard’s flower bed path through to the garage. It wasn’t the previous Donna. Lian Shaozi was still communicating in French on the phone. She took her bag and got out of the car, walking directly toward another BMW in the garage. The auntie hesitated to speak. Lian Shaozi asked the person on the phone to wait a moment. The auntie said: “Madam, I thought you weren’t leaving again this time when you came back. I made dinner—it’s still hot. Why not eat a bit before you go?”

“I won’t eat, Auntie Wu. Is Old Gu here today?”

“Old Gu is here. Sir has been abroad these past few days and doesn’t need the car. Old Gu is eating dinner right now. Madam, if you need the car, should I call him right away?”

“Alright, let Old Gu finish his dinner first. Tell him I’ll wait for him in the car.”

“Okay, Madam.”

Long Qi got out of the car. Just then Lian Shaozi added: “Auntie Wu, help move the luggage from the trunk to Yiken’s room. Also take out and cut those mangoes that came from Australia last time. Did you make that fish maw that Manager Jiang sent over this morning?”

“I made that fish maw, made soup with it. Manager Jiang said he got white flower fish maw from Indonesia and insisted I must have Madam drink it today. How would I dare not make it?” Auntie Wu paused, looking at Long Qi. Long Qi was tilting her body sideways, secretly checking if the tires had crossed the line. Auntie Wu looked back at Lian Shaozi. “Madam, there are still guest rooms, clean ones.”

Lian Shaozi had just opened the BMW’s rear door: “Hasn’t Yiken’s room been cleaned?”

“Oh, Xiao Lin cleans it every day. It’s also very clean.”

“Then it can be used. Long Qi,” Lian Shaozi looked at her. “Have Auntie Wu help you with the luggage. Go inside and eat dinner, rest early. Drink more fish soup for me.”

Then, speaking to Auntie Wu again: “Don’t need to save food for me. I won’t be back before midnight tonight. You should also rest early—don’t stay up waiting for me.”

Her chin gestured toward Long Qi: “Take good care of this young lady.”

“Ah, yes, Madam.”

Auntie Wu responded.

“Thank you, Auntie.” Long Qi managed to say before the car door closed. Lian Shaozi always had the phone at her ear. She nodded her forehead toward her in acknowledgment.

Tonight’s fourth unplanned lodging, stumbled upon so accidentally yet successfully.

Although she was familiar with the route, she still obediently followed behind Auntie Wu. Auntie Wu didn’t know her, and she didn’t know Auntie Wu, but she knew the Old Gu that Lian Shaozi just mentioned was Gu Mingdong’s father. When entering the door, she brushed shoulders with Gu Mingdong’s father. Auntie Wu called him back, quickly pulling tissue from her pocket to wipe his chin: “How old are you, still dribbling when you eat? What would we say if Madam saw you like this?”

“That’s enough.”

“Alright, alright, good. Go quickly—Madam is waiting for you.”

Seeing this, Long Qi had some idea in her heart. After Old Gu left, she followed Auntie Wu into the living room. The suitcase wheels rolled across the marble floor. The lights were bright, the fragrance of food and rice hit her face-on. The villa’s furniture and decorations, the large wool carpet spread on the floor, the swimming pool outside rippling with water patterns—everything was just like when she’d first come. It was truly magical. Previously she’d stayed here at most two weeks combined, but coming back now gave her a feeling of returning home. However, Jin Shaogao didn’t seem to be here. Long Qi asked: “Where’s little brother?”

“Oh, little brother went to an international summer camp. He’ll be back in another week.”

Auntie Wu answered following her form of address, carrying the luggage upstairs. Long Qi helped: “I’ll do it myself, Auntie.”

“No no no no. You sit. I’ll do it. Go eat quickly while it’s hot.”

Still declining, when suddenly there were thunderous footsteps from the third floor—boom boom boom boom—like some huge creature rushing down the stairs. The sound was very familiar. Long Qi raised her forehead to listen. But in less than two seconds she reacted. Before she could even let go of the suitcase, she was completely pounced on by Long’er charging down from the stairway corner! This crazy dog was extremely excited! Eyes shining, two front paws pressing on her shoulders, panting heavily—ha chi ha chi—like seeing a bride. That tail wagging, slapping bang bang bang against Auntie Wu behind her, nearly knocking Auntie Wu down the stairs. Later, after finally restraining it, Long Qi almost punched its head. Auntie Wu stopped her: “You mustn’t, you mustn’t! Our family’s older brother treasures this dog very much.”

Her hand stopped in midair. Held back.

After shutting Long’er in the front yard to let it go wild, Auntie Wu carried the luggage to Jin Yiken’s room, turned on lights, drew curtains, made the bed, saying: “This family’s older brother went to England to study. He only comes back once every six months. We clean this room every day, change flowers and air.”

Jin Yiken’s bedroom was two or three times larger than the living room at Long Xinyi’s home. The room’s overall color scheme was wood tones and gray. The balcony area reflected the water light from the pool below. She’d passionately made love with Jin Yiken on that balcony before.

She remembered that every time she entered his room during their school days, a “hatred of the rich” feeling would rise up. One look and you could tell he’d been cared for from childhood in a particularly privileged environment—naturally superior, growing up carefree, that type of person. Jealous to death. So every time she stayed here, her desire to hit him was three or four times higher than usual. Now the feeling was different again—comfortable, at ease, not restless.

Entering the bathroom, the setup basically hadn’t changed, just missing some cosmetics she’d left before. It seemed during their breakup period that ancestor really was quite ruthless. Long Qi felt her heart ache. After wandering around by the bed for a while, she opened the nightstand drawer, wanting to see if the jewelry she’d left before was still there. Auntie Wu coughed once. She turned her head.

“Young lady, are you… a relative of our Madam?”

Auntie Wu, at her age, normally didn’t read magazines or go online, completely didn’t recognize her. She replied: “No.”

Lian Shaozi hadn’t formally introduced her before leaving, feeling there was no need to explain the relationship to Auntie Wu too clearly. She said: “I suppose… I’m her son’s classmate.”

“Oh, classmate.”

Auntie Wu continued putting on pillowcases. After finishing one, she said: “If you’re not particularly close friends, Auntie should tell you first—this family’s older son has an unpredictable temper. Usually he’s very nice, very polite, but last time Madam also brought a friend back to stay, stayed in a guest room. That friend accidentally broke a box in this room, and this family’s older son threw a big temper tantrum. Very fierce. That girl even cried.”

Oh, so Jin Yiken would be fierce to girls.

Long Qi knew Auntie Wu was reminding her not to randomly look through things in this room, but she got so absorbed in speaking that in the last sentence she exposed the gender of that so-called “Madam’s friend.” She closed the drawer: “Auntie, was that box white, rectangular, wooden?”

“Ah,” Auntie Wu looked up. “…Yes.”

That was the box she’d used before to store earrings and necklaces.

“Was Madam’s friend surnamed Bai?”

Auntie Wu’s hand movements slowly paused.

Alright, this matched up with what Gu Mingdong had told her when they’d run into each other before—that Bai Aiting had stayed at the Jin home for a few days. Back then she and Jin Yiken had just gone through a big blazing argument. Back then Lian Shaozi hadn’t given up on Bai Aiting yet. Back then Bai Aiting also hadn’t stopped hating her.

“That girl was my former classmate. We’re from the same school.”

After hearing this, Auntie Wu nodded. Her work efficiency picked up: “…So you’re from the same school.”

“Ah,” Auntie Wu immediately looked up again. “Then you also know Mingdong, right? Mingdong used to play with Madam’s older son all the time.”

As expected.

“I know him.”

But Auntie Wu was an enthusiastic person. With this layer of connection, she immediately treated Long Qi as one of their own. She seemed to also know what kind of character her son was. When leaving the room she said: “But you definitely don’t like him. Our Mingdong hasn’t learned anything good, doesn’t know how to make girls like him. Not like Madam’s older son. If our Mingdong had a quarter of his ability, I’d burn incense in gratitude.”

Long Qi smiled. On the point of praising Gu Mingdong, she really couldn’t come up with any polite words. She just listened, didn’t speak. Walking to the stairway, she suddenly heard a baby’s milky voice from another room in the southwest corner. She looked over. Auntie Wu said: “Madam’s little daughter. The wet nurse is feeding her.”

She nodded slightly.

She didn’t walk toward there.

Arriving at the dining table downstairs, she saw a table of prepared dishes. Auntie Wu lifted the warming covers from the dishes one by one, pulled out a chair for Long Qi—the main seat directly facing the yard, also the position Jin Yiken always sat in when she’d stayed here before. But she’d just gone through a skin-peeling, bone-scraping storm earlier, then been consecutively angered by Long Xinyi, frightened by Lian Shaozi and Yan Wenjing. Her appetite really wasn’t great. She stood by the table, hands hanging in her pockets, wanting to find an excuse to say she’d already eaten or something like that. But seeing her not moving, Auntie Wu directly pulled her: “Young lady, try everything. My cooking is pretty good. Both sons in this family really like it.”

Very enthusiastic.

A total of seven dishes—three meat, three vegetable, one soup—plating particular, colors coordinated to make one’s mouth water just looking. She really did get a bit of appetite. Auntie Wu waited beside her like waiting for a food critic to comment. She picked up chopsticks: “Aren’t you eating, Auntie?”

“At this hour, Auntie ate long ago. This was originally made for Madam to eat, but Madam is so busy, comes back very late every day.”

“Every day?”

“Every day indeed. Sir is even more amazing—can’t come home once in one or two months. Just when Madam’s little daughter was born recently, the house was lively for a bit. Now older brother has also gone abroad to study. Usually at this table it’s just me, the wet nurse, and little brother. Can’t even finish it all. Eat more, don’t be shy.”

Poor Jin Shaogao.

But thinking again, this brat probably wished no one at all was home. He coveted his brother’s games and belongings to death. He’d been constantly hoping Jin Yiken would give him that Lamborghini that Long Qi had crashed before. Who knew that after the Lamborghini was wrecked, Jin Yiken directly switched to a Koenigsegg. Jin Yiken said the night he drove the new car home, Jin Shaogao locked himself in his room depressed for an entire weekend.

Now that older brother was finally gone, younger brother should be thrilled.

Not pitiful at all.

She tasted a chopstick of vegetables.

Stir-fried fresh mushrooms—very good with rice. After a few bites, her appetite completely opened. She called: “Auntie.”

“Mm?”

“You just said both sons in this family especially like the food you make?”

“Yes. When Madam and Sir used to be busy, Old Gu would directly bring the older son to my house to eat lunch. Oh, Old Gu is Sir’s driver—he’s my husband.”

She nodded: “What dishes does older brother like to eat most?”

Jin Yiken had a crystal-clear grasp of her preferences, while she hadn’t carefully studied what he liked to eat. Casually asking like this, Auntie Wu got energized: “Young lady, you asked the right person. If you ask Madam, Madam only knows he loves eating mangoes.”

“Mangoes?”

“Right. When he was studying, every day he’d take two or three Australian mangoes to school. Now the house permanently purchases mangoes from Australia.”

So she finally knew where those mangoes that always appeared on her desk during school came from.

But back then she’d thought Bai Aiting was preparing to poison her and had given them all to Long Xinyi to eat. She propped her cheek: “What about actually?”

“Seafood. He especially loves seafood dishes. Also egg custard—just drizzled with a bit of soy sauce, that kind. You know that silken tofu they sell at supermarkets? White block, whole thing on a plate, drizzle some soy sauce, drizzle some sesame oil—that child can love eating it.”

“Seafood, egg custard, soy sauce tofu.”

“Right. Oh, also red-braised lion’s head meatballs. Actually that child doesn’t really love eating big meat dishes, but once he specifically called me to ask how to make red-braised lion’s head meatballs well. I figure he also loves eating that.”

Red-braised lion’s head meatballs were what Long Qi loved to eat. She ordered them at every restaurant she went to.

In a good mood, leaning back against the chair, Auntie Wu picked up on some clues, pouring tea for her: “Young lady, are you our Madam’s older son’s classmate? What kind of classmate relationship? How did you end up staying here?”

“I encountered some issues. Madam took me in.”

“Oh, Madam’s older son doesn’t know?”

“He doesn’t know.”

Auntie Wu nodded, pointing upward with her index finger: “Then you really need to be a bit careful, young lady. This family’s older son is a bit of a clean freak about his room. His temper is unpredictable.”

“He even has a clean freak issue?”

“It’s okay actually. Just be careful.”

After eating a few bites of food and rice, drinking tea, watching Auntie Wu cutting fruit with her head down, Long Qi called again: “Auntie.”

“Mm?”

“This family’s older son—does he have many female friends?”

“This Auntie can’t say much about.”

“How do you braise this pork? It’s especially flavorful, so tender.”

This made Auntie Wu laugh with understanding, adding tea for her: “Taken a liking?”

Long Qi didn’t answer, propping her cheek, eyes bright and shining.

“But this child seems to have a girlfriend. I heard Madam say going abroad to study was also for that girl. That girl hasn’t come to visit the house.”

“Oh, I see.”

Feeling Auntie Wu really didn’t know much, she didn’t ask further. Auntie Wu probably thought she was disappointed. She immediately added: “But you’re the only guest Madam has arranged to sleep in the master bedroom, so that’s why Auntie is curious what kind of classmate relationship you two have.”

A classmate relationship that’s slept together.

However, the phone rang, interrupting the conversation about to burst forth. It was Lao Ping. The heart that had relaxed suddenly tightened again. She felt Lao Ping’s calls were never good news. The big fight with Ge Yinling from four hours ago was vivid in her mind. Those exposed wounds began to ache faintly again. She sat in the chair, put down the chopsticks in her hand, and took a breath.

Auntie Wu ladled soup: “You eat first. I’ll go upstairs to bring soup to the wet nurse.”

“Mm.”

…

After Auntie Wu left, she answered the phone to her ear. Lao Ping opened with: “Where are you?”

“What happened.”

Because Lao Ping heard the sense of fatalism in her tone, he took a breath, paused two seconds, and asked: “Qiqi, have your blood test results come back yet?”

“I haven’t done it yet.”

“You still…” That was a mouthful of frustration from Lao Ping—hating that iron won’t become steel. He held it back, immediately following with: “Do your university roommates know about this?”

“They’ve made it big, haven’t they.” A flat response.

“There is such news. Around 8 PM tonight a few accounts mentioned it, but I acted fast and blocked it.” Lao Ping said, sighing. “Since you haven’t done the blood test before, it’s best not to go to hospitals these days, to avoid people seeing and getting suspicious. Then go to sleep early tonight, don’t answer calls. If anything happens I’ll watch it for you. And that… disconnect from the internet too.”

Based on Lao Ping’s last sentence “disconnect from the internet,” Long Qi interrupted him: “Lao Ping.”

“What?”

“Actually you didn’t successfully block it, right?”

“…”

“If you don’t tell me, I’ll go online myself.”

“It was blocked,” Lao Ping immediately continued. “At first it was blocked. Not many people saw it. But who knew Xi Jing’s team would get involved now—crazy as hell, buying trending searches about you more fiercely than for themselves. Can’t stop it. Right now it’s heading toward the top ten trending topics.”

Xi Jing—Director Shao Guo’an’s person, Wu Jiakui’s number one rival in the industry. Long Qi still remembered the intense power struggle that emerged from the Asia-America Awards battle a few months ago. Her completely dispirited spirit was struck by this, actually perking up slightly. Her tone raised: “Her? My well water doesn’t violate her river water. She makes movies, I model. Our interests don’t even connect. Why is her team provoking me? I haven’t even settled accounts with her for using me as a weapon when she went after Wu Jiakui before.”

“My silly big sister,” Lao Ping sighed. “Speaking of which, you really have no guile. When she went after Wu Jiakui, was that accidentally hurting you? She wanted to kill two birds with one stone! Her team is famous in the industry for being cutthroat. Back then we didn’t have the popularity base or financial power to fight her, so I didn’t warn you to avoid making you depressed. As a result, you really thought she was purely innocent. Xi Jing’s crew has been targeting you since you picked up the Fire&Gun endorsement, you know? Hidden arrows—who knows how many times they’ve come. Every one of your negative news items trending immediately has her team’s contribution!”

“Wait,” Long Qi said. “What’s the reason? I can understand her fighting Wu Jiakui, but where’s my connection with her? One endorsement? She wasn’t even on the list of endorsement candidates competing with me before.”

“Wu Jiakui and her have the same positioning, same acting path—that’s a blood feud. The two have fought for years without either losing ground. Territory has also gradually been clearly divided. Wu Jiakui attacks movies, Xi Jing eats up endorsements. Haven’t you noticed Wu Jiakui’s movie resources are stepping up one by one? She even landed Director Shao Guo’an’s ‘Border.’ And Xi Jing? The endorsements in her hands are increasingly moving in an international direction. You didn’t provoke her, but the endorsement she wants to get this time is Valango.”

Valango—an international top luxury brand. Its consumer positioning was high-level elite women like Lian Shaozi, also the endorsement long held by deity-level celebrities like Yan Wenjing. Long Qi didn’t even dare to think about it. She replied: “Are they sick? What does Valango have to do with me?”

“Fire&Gun is a subsidiary brand under Valango.”

She paused.

“Its previous spokesperson Yan Wenjing has always been in a semi-retired state. This time there’s internal news saying she won’t renew, and Valango this season plans to inject more youthful elements, so they’re picking among several major flowers in the country whose image fits. Xi Jing has debuted for many years, has stable works, fitting temperament—she’s been attacking this territory, biting very tightly. You, although you have a lot of scandal news, your model identity adds gold, you’ve been on covers of several major fashion magazines domestically, plus you have the Fire&Gun endorsement in hand—that’s one more shortcut than Xi Jing, making it easier for you to be noticed by Valango headquarters. This brand has always emphasized quality over popularity. I’m not being biased, but although Xi Jing has a high-class face, the evidence of her being kept by Director Shao Guo’an has always been hanging at her neck like a hammer. Would a major brand promoting female independence let a mistress be their spokesperson? That’s not as good as your heroic, spirited, killing-in-all-directions, leaving-no-survivors image.”

Lao Ping used idioms quite smoothly. You could also tell he had absolutely no idea about Yan Wenjing’s situation.

“So she plans to ruin my reputation?”

“This move is vicious. The industry generally fears AIDS like the plague. Xi Jing has grabbed your weak point. I’m not worried about Valango’s opinion—we never had those ambitions anyway. What I’m worried about now is that Fire&Gun still in our hands might have problems, plus several other endorsements. Sigh,” Lao Ping temporarily couldn’t think of a response to Xi Jing’s fierce hidden arrows. “How about, with that ancestor of yours…”

“No. He’s still in class time now. He won’t look at his phone during class. You’re not allowed to call him.”

“This can’t be delayed much longer. Once it hits the top ten, even if he doesn’t look at his phone, people in his circle look at phones. If he knows now, at least we can think of ways to maneuver before the whole country knows.”

“Just no!”

She still refused. Then the call was suddenly cut off. Ban Wei’s incoming call came through. After hanging up, another call came from a reporter’s number she’d saved before. Cutting it off again, she saw a message Fang Xuan had sent: “Are you okay??????”

Seems it had already hit the top ten.

Switching back to the call, after throwing Lao Ping one sentence “anyway don’t look for him,” she hung up. The phone tapped down on the table surface with a thud. A thin layer of hand sweat on the screen. But incoming calls kept ringing. Liao Si Peng’s call came. Shu Meng’s call came. There were also many calls from unfamiliar numbers she hadn’t saved. The overwhelming question marks made her chest feel stuffy, couldn’t catch her breath. Her thumb pressed the button on the side of the device.

Powered off.

She really hadn’t thought things could develop this fast, catching her completely off guard.

Later she sat on the carpet at the foot of the bed in Jin Yiken’s room, lights off. Because she could imagine what a lively scene online was at this moment—people watching her, copying her, reposting her, the walls built up with language crushing her. The more she thought, the stiffer her neck became, the colder her skin felt.

She also thought of Ge Yinling, thought of Bai Aiting, thought of Jian Yizhen, thought of Yu Jingli, thought of those people from distant memories who’d formed grudges with her. Were they laughing? She remembered those three years of facing schoolwide rumors alone and lonely. Would she be beaten back to her original form? Three months of fear and trepidation reached a climax, nearing collapse.

Couldn’t sleep.

After sitting dazed for who knows how long, she vaguely heard a ringing sound.

She instinctively looked at her phone. The phone was still powered off. The ringing came from downstairs, like a landline, but also like a doorbell. Not knowing what time it was now, perhaps Auntie Wu had already gone to rest. It rang for a long time without anyone answering.

Her stomach hurt a bit.

That dinner had been interrupted by Lao Ping. She’d only eaten a few bites. She got up from the corner of the bed, rubbing her numb calves, remembering Lian Shaozi’s instruction to Auntie Wu before leaving not to wait up for her.

She followed the ringing sound toward outside the room.

…

The living room lights weren’t on.

Like a walking corpse, she came to the sofa edge and discovered the ringing was the landline. She called for Auntie Wu once. No one responded. She sat dejectedly against the sofa armrest, wanting to answer. Her fingers suspended in the air for two or three seconds, then withdrew.

She’d almost forgotten this wasn’t her home.

The landline ringing also quieted down at this point.

The living room fell into complete silence. She rubbed her arms, swept the hair hanging at her forehead back, and prepared to go upstairs. Just then she heard the sound of glasses clinking.

Glass touching glass, like the base of a wine glass touching a glass tabletop. She turned her head and only then discovered in the villa’s backyard, by the tea table seats facing the pool, someone was sitting.

No lights were on inside the villa, but the lights by the pool in the yard were all on. Water light shining, waves glittering. Lian Shaozi had returned at some point. Her silhouette sitting in the rattan chair was very quiet, which is why Long Qi hadn’t noticed all along. On the round tea table beside her sat a bottle of red wine, a wine glass, several documents—all immersed in water patterns.

Looking at the grandfather clock by the sofa, it was now 1 AM.

She walked that direction.

The glass door slid open with a click. Early autumn night, wisps of cool breeze. Long Qi wore a t-shirt and shorts. As she approached and was preparing to greet her, she inadvertently glanced at the tea table and saw the topmost document—black text on white paper reading “Divorce Agreement” in five characters.

The “Auntie” about to be called out stuck in her throat.

Lian Shaozi still wore the same outfit from daytime, only the red-soled high heels had been changed to slippers. She looked to have some rare homey feeling. She was currently holding her forehead, legs crossed, facing the pool with eyes closed, resting.

Her first reaction was that now wasn’t suitable for any conversation. She wanted to retreat before being noticed, but as her body had just turned halfway, Lian Shaozi spoke: “Can’t sleep?”

Without turning her head.

Long Qi’s body paused for a moment, then slowly turned back: “Auntie… haven’t gone to sleep yet?”

“Is the bed uncomfortable? Or did the phone wake you?”

“The bed is very comfortable. I,” Long Qi said, “sleep rather lightly. Heard the ringing and came down to check.”

Lian Shaozi slowly opened her eyes, tilted her forehead, and her gaze met Long Qi’s.

“Want to drink some?”

…

…

A blanket wrapped around her shoulders, sitting on the other side of the tea table, looking at the grape wine liquid swaying in the wine glass. The “Divorce Agreement” document still lay unabashedly spread on the table surface, even existing like a coaster. Perhaps because Long Qi had looked at it a few more times, Lian Shaozi finished pouring the wine and leaned back against the chair in a posture of stealing half a day’s leisure from life: “Once he returns to the country to sign, the procedures will be pretty much complete.”

Long Qi withdrew her gaze.

After a while, she asked: “…Does Jin Yiken know?”

“He knows. He supports it.”

But Jin Yiken hadn’t told her.

Not a single sentence, hadn’t shown even a bit of emotion, acting like nothing happened. Add to that previously sending gifts in her name to Lian Shaozi, the matter of the little daughter, Yan Wenjing’s matter, and so on and so forth. She felt Jin Yiken was too good at self-digestion—sparing her from having to use her brain, or perhaps he didn’t think she’d have the mind to care about these things at all, so he never disclosed anything to her.

“Auntie, you were busy on the road. I never found a chance to tell you—I’m truly very sorry. Your meeting with Yan,” she paused, still saying the full name, “Yan Wenjing was interrupted by me.”

“It’s fine. We’d already talked through most of it. It was just to have her persuade Old Jin to return to the country. Whether the agreement is signed early or late, it’s still signed.”

Long Qi inhaled sharply internally.

This move of Lian Shaozi’s sounded both soft and compromising, but in the eyes of the parties involved, it was absolutely dignity steadily winning. After her mind processed it, she admired it so much she practically wanted to applaud. But Lian Shaozi didn’t give her time. She immediately continued: “Actually I quite liked the cigarettes you sent.”

Stunned for three seconds.

“Actually Auntie, I really didn’t expect he’d give them to you. I was joking at the time.”

Lian Shaozi smiled: “Yiken smokes fiercely. Normally talk to him more about it. He doesn’t listen when I talk.”

“But in my impression, from his verbal expressions, he listens to you very much.”

“Surface listening only. Being a mother and being a girlfriend are different. You have no idea how active this child’s mind is. If he wants to do something, he’ll never go against us. He puts us in a sweet jar, still does what he’s going to do. Then without anyone noticing, he’s accomplished it.”

Right. Long Qi felt this description was so accurate.

“But only on this matter of you,” Lian Shaozi slowly added, “he let out all that rebellious energy in his body. Even his father has no way to handle it.”

…

Silence for a while.

“Auntie, I’m sor…”

“Don’t apologize.” Lian Shaozi took a sip of red wine, her tone even. “I know between my son and you, he wants you more. He clings to you and won’t let go. You’re a girl—what can you do about it?”

After being speechless for a while, she nodded.

If only Long Ziyi were this enlightened and logical.

This also let her know where the difference between her and Jin Yiken lay—truly a world of difference in upbringing since childhood. A breeze blew, stirring the hair she’d gathered behind her head. Lian Shaozi put down the wine glass: “My negotiations with the Yu family are also reaching their end. That compensation money for you will be transferred to your name in the form of property another day. I’ll help you work it to a good price. You don’t need to worry about it.”

Speaking of this, Long Qi turned her head: “The bowl and chopsticks from dinner tonight, I put them separately on the second level of the cupboard.”

“I saw them. I put them back.”

“…Auntie, I still haven’t done a blood test. I’m still not sure if I’m negative or positive.”

“I have common sense, Long Qi. I’m just worried about Yiken’s contact with you being too intimate, but I won’t mind interacting with you myself. Simply put, what I want to control is only my son’s lower body.”

Truly direct.

Then Lian Shaozi’s forehead tilted again slightly: “Also thank you for helping me preserve my dignity.”

By the red wine bottle on the tea table, at the position she indicated, lay a blue zoisite ring removed from a finger.

Long Qi said nothing else.

Didn’t ask more either. After sitting quietly for a while, she took a sip of red wine. Once the wine went down, in her already empty stomach there was another pulling pain. She didn’t make a sound on her face, just pressed her hand against her stomach once.

“Did you try the fish maw soup Auntie Wu made?” Lian Shaozi asked.

Long Qi turned her head.

“Mm. Very good to drink.”

Lian Shaozi’s fingers held her temple: “Since my little daughter was born, Old Jin’s friends send things here every day. This kitchen is about to have a fishy smell.”

“What Auntie Wu made doesn’t have even a bit of fishiness. Very fresh.”

“Is that so?”

Asking like this, Lian Shaozi put down the wine glass and swept aside the blanket on her knees: “Then I’m going to try it now.”

Long Qi watched her enter the house, also putting down her wine glass and standing. The living room and kitchen lights successively turned on—a stretch of brightness illuminating her face. When Lian Shaozi walked to the kitchen doorway, she left more words: “You have a bowl too, Long Qi. Auntie Wu made half a pot remaining. I’ll heat it all up together.”

“Okay…”

She responded.

The soup was rich, very fragrant.

Not sitting at the dining table, Lian Shaozi ladled soup into small bowls and handed one to Long Qi. She leaned against the kitchen counter, warming her hands with the warm bowl. Lian Shaozi also leaned against the counter. After tasting a sip, she said: “Auntie Wu’s taste is heavy—she made it too salty. Next time I’ll make it for you. My cooking is better than Auntie Wu’s.”

Long Qi smiled.

Also following with a sip. The warm soup going down finally made her empty stomach a bit more comfortable. Lian Shaozi watched her drink, slowly saying: “My phone was pushed news about you.”

The soup spoon raised halfway paused in midair. A drop of soup fell into the bowl.

One or two seconds later, she continued drinking soup. No emotion in her eyes. She didn’t respond. Lian Shaozi also continued ladling soup, saying: “When I first entered the workplace, I encountered some unpleasant things. The difficulty level was no less than yours now. Child, do you know how I got through it at the time?”

“Drinking red wine?”

Lian Shaozi smiled: “Compared to back then, my life now is so much better.”

Long Qi looked at her.

“At that time I only did one thing and sorted through all my emotions completely,” she also looked at Long Qi, her forehead pointing upstairs. “In the room of the person I like, I took a nice, comfortable hot bath.”