KEIGHTY: Special thanks to Gofa for the ko-fi donations! (Extra Chapter 3/3)
The Ma Tian family has a one-year-old daughter. Since it’s a formal visit, it’s only natural to prepare gifts. What’s more, Qiao Mudong insisted on going with He Yu.
Seeing that it was still early, He Yu asked Qiao Mudong to drive to a nearby shopping mall, intending to check out the children’s products counter.
Qiao Mudong didn’t have any objections and drove directly to the pedestrian street, not far from Renxin Street. There were many large shopping malls there, so He Yu could choose leisurely.
Driving into the underground parking lot, Qiao Mudong slowly backed the car into the parking space. Just as the two of them were about to get out of the car, they suddenly saw two people walking one after another from the elevator.
Qiao Mudong and He Yu both fell silent and stopped moving.
The parking lot was dimly lit, and the two of them were still sitting inside the car. It was difficult for people outside to see them clearly, but from their angles, they could see the appearance of the man and woman walking over.
The reason Qiao Mudong didn’t move was because he recognized the woman. She was over fifty years old, but she’s still well-maintained and has a slender figure. That woman was Ling Qiang’s wife and Ling Zhilu’s biological mother, Zhou Xuelan.
He Yu didn’t know Zhou Xuelan. What shocked him was the man walking towards the same car as Zhou Xuelan. If he saw it correctly, he could be sure it was that person! The person who abandoned his wife and children and left Chongfeng City for almost twenty years—now, he suddenly appeared!
Watching the two of them get into a car on the opposite side, Qiao Mudong was lost in thought. After a moment, he turned his head and found that He Yu’s fingers were tightly clasping the car door, and his knuckles were a little white.
“What’s wrong?” Qiao Mudong asked.
He Yu came back to his senses, turned to look at him, and shook his head. “It’s nothing.”
Qiao Mudong said, “Do you know that woman?”
“Which woman?” He Yu was stunned for a moment, then shook his head and said, “I don’t know her. Why?”
Qiao Mudong answered, “That is the old man’s wife, Mrs. Ling.”
He Yu’s eyes widened in astonishment. “Then, the two of them…?”
Qiao Mudong shrugged. “Who knows?”
He Yu couldn’t help but start thinking wildly: How could that man know Mrs. Ling, and how could the two of them appear in this place together?
The car on the opposite side drove away. Qiao Mudong pulled He Yu’s arm. “Let’s go; get out of the car.”
“Oh, okay.” He Yu opened the door and got out of the car.
In the mall, He Yu had been a little absent-minded. Qiao Mudong also noticed it, so he put his arms around his shoulders and asked, “What? Are you still thinking about Li Tang?”
He Yu nodded perfunctorily.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Qiao Mudong offered, “How about I handle over Shiyouwei?”
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Qiao Mudong said, “You are choosing a gift for the child, not for her parents.”
He Yu thought for a while, then took the teddy bear and held it in his arms. It felt very comfortable, and the price was not cheap. It may not be a toy that parents will like, but kids will probably like it.
“Okay,” He Yu said, “I think what you said makes sense.”
He bought the toy bear and then went to the supermarket on the ground floor to buy some food and fruit for infants and young children. It was almost time for dinner.
Ma Tian’s house is on the roadside of the Third Ring Road, and there is a bit of a traffic jam on the road. As a result, when Qiao Mudong drove up, He Yu had already received an urging call from Ma Tian: “Didn’t you say that you would come over and sit here for a while?”
He Yu said quickly, “We’re coming; don’t worry, we’ll be up right away.”
He Yu walked in front, carrying two bags. Behind He Yu was Qiao Mudong whose face was completely blocked as he hugged the teddy bear.
When the door opened, Ma Tian greeted him at the door with enthusiasm. He was startled when he saw a bear following He Yu and asked in surprise, “What’s that?”
He Yu couldn’t help laughing as he took the big bear from Qiao Mudong and handed it to Ma Tian. “A gift for my little niece.”
The fine hair of the teddy bear rubbed against Qiao Mudong’s nose, and he couldn’t help himself from sneezing. He looked up and saw Ma Tian standing at the door, looking at him. The smile on his face froze.
Qiao Mudong had a serious expression on his face as he stretched out a hand. “Hello, I am Qiao Mudong.”
Ma Tian was stunned. He Yu had to bump his arm before he finally reacted. He quickly held Qiao Mudong’s hand and said, “Mr. Qiao, I recognize you. I am also an employee of Lingyun. My name is Ma Tian.”
Qiao Mudong said, “Well, Senior Brother Ma, thank you for taking care of He Yu.”
Ma Tian couldn’t react for a while and simply said, “You’re welcome.”
Ma Tian’s wife, Yan Xiaoshan, came over in an apron and saw several people still standing at the door. She quickly said, “Please invite the guests to come in and sit down. What are you doing standing at the door for?”
Only then did Ma Tian react and invite He Yu and Qiao Mudong to sit in the living room.
Qiao Mudong walked in front. He Yu had just entered the door when he was pulled by Ma Tian and was asked in a low voice, “Why did you come here with Qiao Mudong? What are you doing?”
In fact, Ma Tian had already seen Qiao Mudong and He Yu leaving together last time at the KTV. It wasn’t that he didn’t feel something was wrong, but no matter how much he speculated in private, he just thought that the two were friends who had an unusual relationship. There was nothing he could do about it. However, in today’s situation, it would be perfect if He Yu brought his wife or girlfriend with him, but bringing a same-sex friend would be wrong no matter what he thought!
Since He Yu agreed to let Qiao Mudong come with him, he had no intention of hiding anything from Ma Tian. Ma Tian was like an elder brother and a friend to him. In this difficult situation, he took the initiative to appear by his side to help him. He Yu felt that he had nothing to hide from Ma Tian, so he said generously, “Shixiong, I’m telling you, don’t be anxious around him; Qiao Mudong and I are together now.”
Ma Tian was confused. “What do you mean together?”
He Yu smiled. He saw that Qiao Mudong was not polite at other people’s homes and was already sitting down on the sofa. Ma Tian’s one-year-old daughter had just learned to walk. When she came out of the room and saw the tall Qiao Mudong, she was startled. She frowned and shrank to find her mother.
He Yu said, “Just as you and sister-in-law are together.”
Ma Tian’s mind went blank for a moment. “What do you mean? Isn’t he a man?”
He Yu grabbed Ma Tian’s arm. “Shixiong, don’t you still understand? He is a man, and I am a man; that’s it.”
Ma Tian finally understood this time. He was still in a daze, and he didn’t know what to say. He stretched out his hand and said, “Sit down. You sit down first. I’ll pour you tea.”
He Yu came over and sat next to Qiao Mudong. He saw Ma Tian’s daughter standing by the kitchen door with half of her head exposed, peeking at them. He smiled at the little girl, who quickly retracted her head.
He Yu grabbed Qiao Mudong’s hand and said, “Don’t talk nonsense in front of my shixiong and sister-in-law.”
Qiao Mudong snorted as he held back his hand.
Ma Tian brought out two teacups, placed them on the coffee table, and then sat down on the sofa next to them. He rubbed his palms on his thighs awkwardly, not knowing what to say.
He Yu said, “Shixiong, your daughter is so cute; what’s her name?”
Ma Tian said, “Oh, her name is Ma Xin, and her nickname is Tongtong.” After saying that, Ma Tian waved to his daughter, “Come here, Tongtong.”
The little girl walked up to her father and yelled “Papa” inarticulately.
Ma Tian picked up his daughter and told her, “Tongtong, this is Uncle He, and this is Uncle Qiao.”
The girl was shy, hid in Ma Tian’s arms, and refused to call them.
He Yu reached out and brought the big white bear over to tease her. “Tongtong, I’ll give you a bear; do you like it?”
The girl stared at the big bear with her eyes wide open, still refusing to reach out to hold it. Moreover, she could not carry the bear with both hands.
Qiao Mudong took the big white bear from He Yu’s arms, pretended to be a scary monster, and waved his claws at the little girl with a “woo” sound. He was tall and a stranger to her. The child was already afraid of him, so she threw herself into Ma Tian’s arms, almost crying in fear.
He Yu smiled and pushed Qiao Mudong. “That’s enough. Do you always play with children like this?”
Seeing their intimate expressions, Ma Tian’s smile became a little stiff. Suddenly, he remembered that he had to remind his wife not to ask any strange questions, so he quickly carried his daughter to He Yu. “Tongtong, you play with your uncle first—just for a while, ba.” Then he hurried to the kitchen.
The little girl looked up, and she saw Qiao Mudong looking back at her. She was so frightened that she trembled slightly and immediately started crying.
Qiao Mudong reached out and gently grabbed her cheek. “Cry your fart!”
He Yu grabbed Qiao Mudong’s arm and pushed him away. “Get lost!” Then he picked up the girl and coaxed softly, “Tongtong, be good. Tongtong, don’t cry. Uncle Qiao is a bad guy; I’ll help you beat him.”
While eating, it could be seen that Ma Tian and his wife were trying their best to ease the atmosphere, but they still couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed.
Ma Tian originally prepared a bottle of liquor and wanted to have a good drink with He Yu, but now that Qiao Mudong is here, they definitely can’t stay the night. Ma Tian had to ask, “Would you all like to drink some?”
He Yu looked at Qiao Mudong and said to Ma Tian, ”Shixiong, let me drink with you. Mudong will drive later.”
“Oh, okay, okay,” Ma Tian said.
Ma Tian filled up the two wine glasses. He Yu picked up his own glass and said, “Shixiong, let me toast you first.”
Ma Tian quickly clinked glasses with him, and the two drank the first glass of wine.
After drinking, Ma Tian asked, “Have you contacted Ou-shixiong?”
He Yu answered, “I haven’t had time to call him yet.”
Ma Tian replied, “It’s not urgent. I’ll call him first and ask him to call you and set an official time for work.”
“How could I have the face for this?” He Yu said.
Ma Tian waved his hand. “He and I have been brothers for so many years, so there’s nothing to say.”
He Yu lowered his head slightly. “Shixiong, you have helped me so much. I really don’t know how to thank you.”
Ma Tian said “Ai“. “What are you talking about? Don’t say such things; we are all brothers!”
The two of them drank one glass each, and before they knew it, half the bottle of liquor had been consumed.
Yan Xiaoshan called Qiao Mudong to eat vegetables from time to time, and Qiao Mudong responded politely. This time, he gave He Yu enough face and didn’t say any unnecessary gossip.
But later, Ma Tian drank too much, pointed at Qiao Mudong, and said, “Mr. Qiao, Master Qiao, no, The Prince!” Ma Tian nodded with satisfaction at this title, “How did you get together with our He Yu? This is wrong!”
Yan Xiaoshan quickly hit Ma Tian. ”What nonsense are you talking about?!”
Qiao Mudong didn’t care and smiled. “I’m also surprised; who doesn’t have the eyes to throw He Yu to me?”
He Yu also drank a lot. After hearing what he said, his cheeks turned red, and his eyes were moist as he looked at Qiao Mudong with a smile.
“Throw him?” Ma Tian said. “Who dares to throw him away? Where did you pick him up?”
Qiao Mudong didn’t say anything. He didn’t care about others knowing that he had been in prison, but he was afraid that Ling Qiang would find out about it and arrest him and punish him again.
Ma Tian was really confused at this time. He couldn’t figure out why He Yu came in with a man—even perfectly together with him? Could it be that it was because of those three years in prison? Yes, what kind of people were not in the cell? He Yu may have suffered some kind of grievance or trauma that led him to his current situation. For a moment, Ma Tian felt sad for He Yu. He slammed the table. “It’s all because of Fu Chenshan. If it hadn’t been for him, would He Yu be like this?”
Qiao Mudong’s expression suddenly changed. “What did Fu Chenshan do for He Yu to become like this now?”
Regarding He Yu’s imprisonment, Ma Tian always felt that it wasn’t easy to know the inside story. It was obviously just a suspicion that was not very well-founded. As he dealt with Chenshan in the past two years, his dissatisfaction grew more and more in his heart. At this time, he was drunk and in his own home, so Ma Tian said loudly and without restraint, “Why, didn’t He Yu help Fu Chenshan collect the payments from those customers? How could he meet with a mishap? Embezzling company properties? I think someone is scheming in secret along the way, ba!”
He Yu suddenly woke up from his words. He grabbed Ma Tian’s arm and said, “Shixiong, shixiong! You’re drunk; stop talking nonsense!”
Uh oh…the secret’s out. That must have sobered He Yu instantly.
And who was it with Ling Qiang’s wife? Was it He Yu’s father? 🙄 come to think of it…did the author ever write about him?
The plot keeps twisting! 😍🤩