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  Atlas Studios

  Xiang Wan felt very comfortable when her mom was with her.

  Maybe it was because she had not been together with her mom for a long time, but she really liked the feeling of having her mom around her. There were a couple of occasions that she wanted to tell her not to work for Youngest Aunt anymore and live with her instead……

  But after dinner, Tan Yunchun was in a hurry to leave.

  Xiang Wan knew that her mom was worried about Tiantian and did not open her mouth to keep her.

  Before she left, Tan Yunchun dragged Xiang Wan to the bedroom and instructed Xiang Wan many things that girls must know when they fall in love……

  There were items that must not be scrimped on—for example, condoms.

  Xiang Wan had to squeeze a “bashful” smile and tried her best to maintain her posture to finish listening to everything her mom said. She almost facepalmed before her mom.

  Originally, Bai Muchuan wanted to send her mom back, but Xiang Wan rejected his offer firmly.

  Even though he wanted to earn more good points before his future mother-in-law, he shouldn’t drive in his current state—he was exhausted after all.

  Hence, Fang Yuanyuan was ordered to drive her mom back to Youngest Aunt’s place, with Xiang Wan together as well.

  For this favor, Xiang Wan owed Yuanyuan another meal of hotpot.

  Fang Yuanyuan was unwilling to go to Youngest Aunt’s place.

  Recently, Youngest Aunt had turned her attention to Yuanyuan. She was now the key focus of Youngest Aunt and was about to be forced to go for a blind date. During the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, she had been lectured by Youngest Aunt. When she went back home with her parents, her mom—Xiang Wan’s Eldest Aunt—also gave Yuanyuan an earful. Now, she had enough of their nagging, and she did not want to listen to that anymore.

  However, while on the way to Youngest Aunt’s house, she suffered another round of nagging from Tan Yunchun.

  The two younger ones exchanged helpless glances at each other. They could only bear with it and treat it as wind passing by the ear.

  In the night, from afar, the lightings at Youngest Aunt’s house were as though the light of the fireflies, warm and harmonious.

  Since Xiang Wan and Fang Yuanyuan had already arrived, it was not nice to just leave without saying hello. They had to go inside to greet their Youngest Aunt.

  In the living room, Tiantian was crying.

  The whole family was trying to coax Tiantian desperately; they were at a loss.

  But no matter what they said, Tiantian refused to eat his dinner and kept crying for his aunt—Xiang Wan’s mom……

  When the door opened, Little Tiantian saw Tan Yunchun and immediately stopped crying and laughed happily instead. His little adorable face, although full of tears, had lit up at the sight of his favorite aunt.

  “Ahnn…… Ahnn…… Aunt……”


  He called for his aunt in his childlike voice, pushing his mom, who was carrying him, in an attempt to go down. After which, the little one ran toward Tan Yunchun and hugged her legs.

  “Aunt…… Tiantian miss you……”


  “Tiantian’s very obedient, why didn’t you eat your dinner?”


  Tan Yunchun carried Tiantian dotingly, as though treating him like her own son as she squeezed his little cheeks and placed him on the toddler seat. Then she took the food bowl from the nanny and put it in front of Tiantian, teaching him how to take the spoon to feed himself.

  As she was now around, Tiantian sobbed a little as he ate his food obediently.

  Youngest Aunt was relieved to see that sight. Youngest Uncle saw Xiang Wan and Fang Yuanyuan, and both parties greeted each other before the former went up the stairs to his study.

  “Take a seat.” Youngest Aunt asked Xiang Wan and Fang Yuanyuan to sit down. After remaining quiet for a moment, her gaze fell on Xiang Wan’s face. “I’ve misunderstood you.” ”


  Xiang Wan had originally lowered her head. When she heard that, she looked up instantly.

  For so many years, Youngest Aunt had always been the one who was right. It was the first time she admitted her mistake in their presence.

  “Little Cheng has told me everything.” Youngest Aunt had a very elegant posture. Whenever she talks, she would maintain a straight back and proper posture. Even when she was admitting her own mistake, her aura was still as imposing as ever.

  “You couldn’t be blamed for this matter. It’s Cheng Zheng’s mom who tried to pick on you. You’ve suffered.”


  “.……”


  So Cheng Zheng was the one who told her Youngest Aunt about it?

  Xiang Wan was not someone who liked to hold grudges. With that sentence, all her previous unhappiness with Cheng Zheng had dissipated.

  “It was not that serious,” Xiang Wan smiled. “I did not really mind that. It was Mrs. Cheng who got quite unhappy in the matter.”


  Frankly, she really did not take that matter to heart.

  To her, they were unrelated people. It was true that she was angry at that point in time, but once it was over, it was over.

  “Hmph! You have a good heart indeed.” Young Aunt gave her a slightly unhappy look. “What are you busy with lately? I hardly see you nowadays.”


  It was like a routine check.

  Somehow, it felt like Youngest Aunt was complaining.

  But Xiang Wan knew that whenever Youngest Aunt said that, she would be nagging at her very soon.

  Her scalp felt numb and she answered seriously, “There’s a case that’s quite complicated to handle recently. I’ve been busy with this case.”


  Obviously, Youngest Aunt was not interested in Xiang Wan’s work. Her point of view had always been very clear. She felt that women should change their social status through marriage and change their fate—just like herself. Her marriage was her career for life, and that was the correct choice.

  “I’m referring to your private life,” added Youngest Aunt.

  Xiang Wan’s mom, who was guiding Tiantian to eat, turned to look at Xiang Wan out of reflex.

  Xiang Wan felt tense as she received her mother’s gaze. “It’s…… as usual.”


  “As usual? That’s an excuse for a weakling, also known as procrastination.” Youngest Aunt was very dissatisfied with her reply.

  “You should focus more on your own life. If you drag on like this, you’re going to find that you’ll be 30 years old in no time. How many years of prime would a woman get? It’s going to pass by before you know it. When that happens, what are you going to do?”


  Xiang Wan: “.……”


  Besides, she already had a boyfriend.

  By now, Xiang Wan had totally accepted this fact.

  “Many young women don’t understand this point of view. They focused on love and create unnecessary trouble for themselves. When they went past their prime and looked back, their youth have gone and they will realize that all the good men have been taken. They could no longer get someone they wanted. Finally, they would end up with a down and out man and remain poor for the rest of their lives, too late for regrets.”


  A down and out man.

  Poor for the rest of their lives.

  Xiang Wan felt her cheeks burning as though they were on fire.

  Firstly, Bai Muchuan was certainly not a down and out man.

  Secondly, even if she was single, she could swear to the heavens that she would never be poor all her life……

  Xiang Wan returned her mom’s gaze, her chest heaving up and down as she was feeling nervous as well as having a strange impulse—she wanted to tell her Youngest Aunt about her relationship with Bai Muchuan.

  If Youngest Aunt accepted Bai Muchuan, that would be really great and everyone would be happy.

  But if Youngest Aunt objected to her relationship with Bai Muchuan, she would leave the place and tell Youngest Aunt that from then onward, she would take charge of her own life. Even if she ended up being poor, she would bear the consequences of her own decision and would never trouble Youngest Aunt……

  However, before she could say that, she got interrupted by her mom.

  “Just listen to your Youngest Aunt!”


  Tan Yunchun seemed to have seen through her daughter’s thoughts as she revealed an agitated look and blinked at Xiang Wan repeatedly.

  “The time is quite late,” said Xiang Wan’s mom, “you two better hurry up and go back. It might not be safe if you drag on.”


  Xiang Wan had to swallow what she had wanted to say.

  Since her mom felt that this was not a good time to tell Youngest Aunt about her dating Bai Muchuan, then she shall heed her advice.

  “I’ll get going then. Mom, Youngest Aunt, do rest early, too……”


  “Sure, be careful on the roads, call when you reached home.”


  “Alright.” Xiang Wan nodded her head obediently and bid goodbye to her Youngest Aunt, and then gave her mom a hug before leaving with Fang Yuanyuan……

  At Youngest Aunt’s place, besides the initial greeting, Fang Yuanyuan behaved like a mute throughout the entire session.

  On their return journey back, however, she spoke a lot.

  Her mouth couldn’t stop blabbering on about how Xiang Wan was brave and more.

  “You did something that I never dared to do. You’re a heroine……”


  “!” Xiang Wan gave her a sidelong glance. “Are you trying to say that in the future, I’ll be the shield that blocks bullets for you, right?”


  “What? I’m not that kind of person.”


  “You’re right! You’re not that kind of person but that kind of animal!”


  “Are you my dear sis?” Fang Yuanyuan gave her a glare. “To think that I was actually thinking to go back home for the night to let you and Captain Bai have the whole house to yourselves……”


  “Hurhur! I thank you then.” Xiang Wan snorted a laugh. “You don’t need to do that. We’re as pure as can be.”


  Fang Yuanyuan rolled her eyes. “A man and a woman living together can be pure? Even the pigs on Earth are laughing.”


  “.…… Believe it or not.”


  “Don’t blame me for saying this. Men are all the same. If he don’t think about that when you both are dating, maybe he doesn’t like women but men instead……”


  “What are you talking about?”


  “He could be liking men, instead?”


  “.…… Haha, maybe, perhaps, probably…… there’s a possibility?”


  The two of them laughed as they chatted with each other. Xiang Wan’s ears were a little burning—one shouldn’t speak ill of others behind their backs; it was bad karma!

  She rubbed her ears and suddenly felt a little uneasy.

  When they reached home, their first reaction was their joke had come true……

  They did not know when Cheng Zheng came over. He and Bai Muchuan were sitting side by side on the sofa, and their heads were close to each other…… they were talking softly to each other and were looking at Cheng Zheng’s mobile phone.

  At that moment, Xiang Wan was caught up by what she saw and almost forgot about the fact that Bai Muchuan was her boyfriend. She was thinking about how good he and Cheng Zheng looked when they were side by side. The BL scene was strong and beautiful as well as warm……

  Her brain was actively adding story plots; there were pink bubbles everywhere. Fang Yuanyuan also remained silent, her expression was as though she had “suffered” the same impact as Xiang Wan.

  Well, she was braver than Xiang Wan.

  “Oh my goodness! Captain Bai, Captain Cheng…… you two look so good together.”


  “!” Oh my, she said what Xiang Wan remarked in her head.

  Bai Muchuan looked away from the mobile phone. He stretched out his pair of long legs and looked at Fang Yuanyuan with a half-smile. “Cousin Yuanyuan sure has good taste.”


  He even treated Yuanyuan as his own cousin now!

  Well, Young Master Bai totally did not mind what Fang Yuanyuan had said and even accepted it.

  The same could not apply for Cheng Zheng, though.

  He was not that type who was used to cracking or being joked upon. After seeing Xiang Wan and Fang Yuanyuan, he furrowed his brows slightly but did not attempt to refute. The next instant, he got up from the sofa instead.

  “I’ll go back first, see you tomorrow.”


  “Hm.” Bai Muchuan nodded his head and smiled as though he was in a good mood. “See ya.”


  Cheng Zheng swept a glance at him and did not say a word. When he passed by Xiang Wan, his speed slowed down a little as though those slow motion scenes frequently seen in dramas. Yet he did not say anything nor gave Xiang Wan a look but directly went out of the door.

  The door closed.

  Xiang Wan turned to Bai Muchuan.

  “What are you two talking about so mysteriously?”


  Bai Muchuan gave a yawn and seemed to be tired. “He was talking about an overseas case that was recently solved. There was an involvement of an advanced forensic material evidence instrument that Cheng Zheng wanted me to apply and bring in to use in our country……”


  “I see.”


  Xiang Wan did not ask anymore.

  In the Criminal Investigation Unit, everyone knew about Cheng Zheng’s personality.

  He was a loner and did not really like to socialize with others, but he was very enthusiastic toward forensic technology.

  “Hurhur, just someone having a motive……” Not sure who Bai Muchuan was referring to as he mumbled and stretched himself. “I’m going to rest now.”


  “Okay, go rest.”


  Actually, Xiang Wan had thought that he would already be sleeping.

  By continuously staying up awake, who would be able to take it?

  With Fang Yuanyuan looking on, the two of them looked at each other and smiled—they already had a tacit understanding. After that, Bai Muchuan turned away.

  When Fang Yuanyuan saw that, she knew there was nothing to see and went back to her room.

  Only Xiang Wan felt a little bitter. She changed to her casual clothes and went to the kitchen to clean and wash up all the pots, bowls, and cutlery.

  However……

  Everything was clean in the kitchen.

  The bowls and cutlery were clean and placed in the sterilizer. The stove was shiny and clean; even the kitchen vent had been so well-scrubbed that there was no stains on it.

  Xiang Wan was dumbstruck.

  When they went out, the dishes were still in the sink, and the kitchen had not been cleaned up yet……

  So did that mean, Bai Muchuan had done all of those?

  A tough man like him doing housework was totally as though the sun had risen from the west.

  Xiang Wan walked out of the kitchen feeling sweet.

  Looking at Bai Muchuan’s closed bedroom door, she smiled and returned to her room when she received a message.

  The corners of her mouth turned upward. She rushed to pick up her phone and hopped onto her bed, lying on her stomach……

  It was actually Cheng Zheng who sent her a message from WeChat.

  “Are you asleep?”


  Xiang Wan was shocked to receive his message. She considered for a while before replying: “Am preparing to sleep.”


  After that, she stared at the screen as she thought Cheng Zheng had something to tell her.

  But she waited for a long time. There was no reply from him at all……

  Xiang Wan yawned; she couldn’t take it anymore and sent a message over: “Captain Cheng, is there anything the matter?”


  Almost at the same time when she sent the message, Cheng Zheng also sent a message.

  “If there’s anything urgent, please call my number. My phone is on 24 hours, all day.”


  Xiang Wan felt that his message was really weird, but it was not appropriate to ask further.

  It was not nice to chat with other men in the middle of the night, no matter the content. It was easy to cause a misunderstanding.

  “Thank you!”


  She used two words to settle the problem. Then she put down her phone and went to take a bath.

  As for Cheng Zheng, he did not message anymore. Xiang Wan thought that she could finally rest and sleep. Never did she expect that this was just the beginning……

  After walking out from the bathroom, she heard some soft noises outside the door.

  Xiang Wan pricked her ears to listen carefully as she thought there might be a rat. In the end, it was actually Bai Muchuan.

  “Little Xiang Wan, open the door.”