Helping My Ex-Wife Find Love Every Day - Chapter 21

Qiu Fu-gui didn’t come alone; he brought a little Golden Retriever puppy, a three-month-old fluffy little creature that looked like a golden snowball.

The moment it saw Qiu Qing-shi, it became strangely enthusiastic. It gave a “Woof,” stuck out its pink-white tongue, panted softly, and clumsily jumped up to hug Qiu Qing-shi’s leg.

At the same time, Qiu Fu-gui was right in front of Qiu Qing-shi, threatening her with the rolling pin.

He was burly and barrel-chested. With middle-aged weight gain, he had gotten a full circle bigger, and his shadow completely enveloped Qiu Qing-shi’s slender frame.

Qiu Qing-shi wasn’t afraid of him at all. She knew her father too well—he was just a raging Hello Kitty, silly and harmless, nothing to fear.

Besides, at home, her mother was always the one in charge.

“Oh, Dad,” she complained half-jokingly, bending down to scoop the little Golden Retriever into her arms, “Don’t cause a scene so early in the morning.”

Qiu Fu-gui, after having his eyes blazing, now had his hair standing on end with fury. He bellowed: “No smirking!”

Yao Xiang-yi’s mind had been heavy lately, and she had recently begun to suffer from insomnia. Last night was the worst; she tossed and turned in bed, not feeling the slightest bit sleepy. Afraid of waking Qiu Qing-shi, she quietly went to the bar and drank two glasses of red wine.

Wine could help her fall asleep, but it compromised her sleep quality. As soon as it hit her stomach, she felt hazy. She took advantage of the buzz to return to bed, but she remained fatigued and half-awake the entire time.

The door was suddenly pushed open.

A slight breeze swept in.

The door hinge let out a faint creaking sound.

Yao Xiang-yi took off her eye mask and saw it was Aunt Mi.

She briefly frowned. Her dim eyes gradually focused, gaining clarity. Her gaze swept over the bedside clock, and she said in a dry voice: “It’s still early.”

Aunt Mi looked worried, the fine lines around her eyes deepening. She made an effort to lower her voice: “Your father-in-law is here.”

Yao Xiang-yi’s mind hadn’t fully booted up yet: “?”

Aunt Mi: “Qiu Fu-gui.”

Yao Xiang-yi: “!”

Yao Xiang-yi couldn’t process the news. The frown that had just eased returned to an expression of distress.

“Why is he here?”

Aunt Mi spread her hands, indicating she didn’t know.

Yao Xiang-yi grabbed her arm, anxiously asking: “Did my mother-in-law… come too?”

“…That’s good.”

Yao Xiang-yi was visibly relieved, collapsing back onto the pillow. She looked as though she had just walked off the execution block, her face pale, having lost most of her soul.

Qiu Qing-shi’s mother, Du Song-zhi, loved to pick flaws whenever she visited, especially with Yao Xiang-yi. She was always hyper-critical.

She was the typical example of someone looking for trouble.

In truth, she held a grudge, secretly resenting the old man for looking down on the Qiu family.

When she first started dating Qiu Qing-shi, the old man always loved to mock and criticize Qiu Qing-shi with his harsh words whenever he saw her. Du Song-zhi saw this and felt hurt, but since she couldn’t vent her frustration at the old man, Yao Xiang-yi naturally became her primary target.

Aunt Mi, who looked after Yao Xiang-yi’s daily life, knew she feared no one except Du Song-zhi. She teased her for being childish, walked over, and pulled open the curtains, letting in the faint morning light.

“I’ll go greet Mr. Qiu first. You get up quickly, don’t dawdle.”

Yao Xiang-yi hummed a perfunctory reply. After Aunt Mi left, she turned over in bed, lingered for a few minutes, then finally went to the washroom to freshen up.

After tidying herself up, she didn’t dare walk out directly. She opened the door just a finger-width, hiding behind it to survey the living room situation.

The first thing that caught her eye was a massive Pleasant Goat. Yao Xiang-yi was completely unprepared for the sight that offended her eyes.

Pleasant Goat had his hands behind his back, holding the rolling pin, pacing back and forth in the large living room, with a torrent of suppressed fury beneath his calm demeanor.

Qiu Qing-shi, wearing a beige plaid apron tied around her waist, was squatting on the floor, playing with the little Golden Retriever, coaxing it to roll around.

Yao Xiang-yi looked uneasy.

She… was afraid of dogs.

Taking into account the reactions of the Qiu father and daughter, she had a rough idea of the situation. She guessed Qiu Fu-gui was so blinded by anger that he rushed to Haishi overnight to stand up for her.

My father-in-law truly has the heart of a Bodhisattva.

Yao Xiang-yi sized up the situation and confidently stepped out, flashing a polite smile.

Qiu Qing-shi had already learned about Yao Xiang-yi filing a complaint from her father and was subtly displeased. She didn’t even lift her head, focusing instead on friendly interaction with the puppy.

The little Golden Retriever was named Pang Tou Tuo (Fat Head陀), a character from Jin Yong’s final novel, The Deer and the Cauldron. Qiu Fu-gui longed for the martial arts world and was very pleased with the name.

Pang Tou Tuo was friendly and eager, bouncing towards Yao Xiang-yi.

Qiu Qing-shi also knew Yao Xiang-yi was afraid of dogs, and immediately scooped Pang Tou Tuo back into her arms.

Pang Tou Tuo, thwarted in its goal, lifted its head and gave a small “Awoo.”

Qiu Fu-gui was surprised that after more than half a year, Yao Xiang-yi’s appearance had completely changed. Her lips were red, her teeth white, and her features were exquisite, like a painting. Yet, her aura remained distant, cold, and noble.

In any case, she was incredibly beautiful.

More dazzling and outstanding than any female celebrity on TV.

He was lost in admiration. He took a sip of the lemon-mint tea Aunt Mi had made to clear his head.

Yao Xiang-yi didn’t seem to care. She routinely asked him to sit down, launching into the formal exchange of pleasantries.

She asked about everything from “Are the two elders well” to “Does the national GDP affect the company.”

Qiu Qing-shi was so embarrassed she almost suffered a spasm. She handed the soft, fluffy Pang Tou Tuo to Aunt Mi and went to the kitchen to watch over the “Ten-Ingredient Tonic Soup” herself.

Soon, the sky was bright, and the formal pleasantries were over. Yao Xiang-yi looked like a high school student who had finally finished a required set of exercises, her eyes sparkling with the joy of being “relieved.”

Just as the “Ten-Ingredient Tonic Soup” finished simmering, Qiu Qing-shi used a damp cloth to carry the steaming ceramic pot to the dining table.

“Xiang-yi, come and have some soup.”

She tucked a few stray strands of hair behind her ear.

As she spoke, she returned to the kitchen and retrieved a set of tableware.

That’s right, one set.

Qiu Fu-gui’s shoulders unconsciously slumped: Took a wife and forgot his father. There’s none for me.

He thickened his skin and followed Yao Xiang-yi to the dining table. He watched Qiu Qing-shi personally ladle out a bowl of soup for Yao Xiang-yi.

She even used a small spoon to skim off the thin layer of grease floating on the surface of the soup.

She was enveloped in the holy light of a loving wife and good mother.

Qiu Qing-shi explained to her father: “Xiang-yi has a light palate. She’s sensitive to grease.”

What beautiful love that makes others green with envy!

Qiu Fu-gui was consumed by envy and jealousy.

Qiu Qing-shi warned Yao Xiang-yi against burning her mouth: “Try it first to see if you like the taste. Drink slowly.”

The soup was delicious and inviting, milky white, with fine chopped green onions floating at the edges.

Yao Xiang-yi took a small sip. It was perfectly seasoned and tasted refreshing: “It’s quite good.”

Praise from her lover always carried deeper meaning. Qiu Qing-shi was delighted. She bantered affectionately, pinching Yao Xiang-yi’s rosy earlobe and touching her soft cheek: “Then drink it all.”

Qiu Fu-gui: I shouldn’t be under the car; I should be in the car.

Qiu Fu-gui blurted out: “You two should have a baby.”

Pfft—

Yao Xiang-yi choked on the soup she had just drunk.

Qiu Qing-shi felt very embarrassed: “Dad, stop being so impulsive.”

Qiu Fu-gui straightened his back, resting his hands on his knees, and said earnestly: “You two aren’t young anymore. It’s time to have a grandchild for me to hold.”

He paused to catch his breath, then continued: “You grew up together, dated for four years in college, and have been married for four years. Your love, family, and career are all wonderful. You can consider taking the next step.”

“Also, also,” he edged forward on his chair, “From planning conception, to pregnancy, to the child’s birth—at the fastest, one year, at the slowest, two or three years—”

Qiu Qing-shi averted her gaze awkwardly: “Dad, stop!”

Yao Xiang-yi suddenly realized that her father-in-law hadn’t come to stand up for her at all—he had come to pressure them to have a baby!

Listen to his lines… they were well-reasoned and logical.

He must have prepared this beforehand.

Yao Xiang-yi became wary. She lowered her head and quietly drank her soup.

Qiu Fu-gui was too lazy to argue with Qiu Qing-shi and shifted his target: “Yi-yi, what about you? Do you have plans to have a child?”

Yao Xiang-yi played deaf and dumb.

Silence, silence, and more silence.

Qiu Fu-gui naturally decided to stay at the riverside mansion.

He didn’t try to hide his intentions. He confessed frankly: “I’m here this time with the mission given to me by Ms. Du Song-zhi. You must agree to have a child.”

Secondly, he also had to attend the wedding of an old friend’s daughter.

This wedding was a huge affair, and both Yao Xiang-yi and Qiu Qing-shi were invited. It had been trending on Weibo for two days under the simple and clear title—Meng Guangsheng Proposes to Xiao Lili [red heart]

Meng Guangsheng was once a hugely popular young star, but now, in his early thirties, he had become a washed-up celebrity.

Xiao Lili’s acting was cringe-worthy, and her starring works consistently flopped. However, she was famously known for having the “Second Female Lead’s Success Body,” having launched the careers of four subsequent post-’95 generation starlets.

She was an industry legend.

This woman was two-faced, an infamous ‘green tea bitch’ known to everyone in the industry. She was Qiu Qing-shi’s college classmate and spent their student days constantly vying with Qiu Qing-shi for the title of department beauty, even mocking Qiu Qing-shi’s girlfriend, Yao Xiang-yi, for being incredibly ugly.

Qiu Qing-shi, the wife-protecting demon, still held a grudge over this. She frequently sabotaged Xiao Lili’s resources, having snatched four endorsements from her.

A few days ago, when Qiu Qing-shi and Yao Xiang-yi were exchanging insults on Moments, Xiao Lili was the most enthusiastic cheerleader, sounding like she was celebrating with gongs and drums.

What a pity for Meng Guangsheng, whose eyes went blind at such a young age.

Qiu Fu-gui revealed the reason: “They’re getting married because she’s pregnant.”

It was precisely because of this that Qiu Fu-gui and Du Song-zhi’s desire for a grandchild became irresistible.

They had actually mentioned it last year, but Yao Xiang-yi and Qiu Qing-shi thought they were just casually talking and didn’t take it too seriously.

If you can’t fight, you run.

To avoid a direct confrontation with her father-in-law, Yao Xiang-yi worked late every night until dawn, with Qiu Qing-shi accompanying her every night.

This Friday, Qiu Qing-shi came to the company to deliver dinner and insisted on going to the movies.

For ordinary people, watching a movie is a simple date.

For Qiu Qing-shi, it carried a danger rating of five stars.

Yao Xiang-yi disagreed.

Qiu Qing-shi gave her pitiful puppy-dog eyes, dragging out her final syllable: “Let’s go late. We can watch the midnight showing.”

A beautiful woman’s pleading is always extremely lethal. Yao Xiang-yi surrendered after a couple of struggles, kissing Qiu Qing-shi’s face as she leaned in: “Fine.”

Ding-dong.

A notification sound came from the computer.

The bottom right corner of the screen showed a new email had been received.

It was from Qin Chun… a Divorce Agreement.