Since she needed to create a brand name, Qiao Wanqing had to come up with a new name for her Taobao store.

Naming things was challenging, and after much deliberation, she ended up with a name that Gu Yanqing casually suggested: “Kaiduocui” (Crispy Opening).

Unexpectedly, Gu Yanqing liked it and said that a simple and memorable name is better for a Taobao store.

Unless the store has high visibility, a straightforward and catchy name is easier for people to remember.

So, the store was named “Kaiduocui.”

Qiao Wanqing designed the logo, packaging bands, and boxes herself.

She ordered a batch of packaging bags and boxes, bought a small drying machine, and used it to dry some products herself.

She then took photos to create the main product image and details for the store.

This process wasn’t easy, and Qiao Wanqing estimated it would take about a month, so she planned to take it slow.

One sunny day, while it was pleasantly warm, Gu Yanqing took the two kids for a hike to exercise.

Qiao Wanqing was in the yard editing pictures when she heard someone knocking at the door.

She opened it to find Gu Yanqing’s cousin, Gu Yanze, and an unfamiliar man who seemed like an assistant or driver.

Gu Yanze said with a smile, “I’m here to pick up Yuanyuan. He’s been staying here for a few days, and I feel bad about it. Is Yuanyuan here?”

“Yuanyuan went out to play with Yanqing,” Qiao Wanqing replied.

“Oh, that’s okay. I’ll wait for them to come back. You call Yanqing and tell him to come back quickly.”

“……”

Qiao Wanqing felt like the other person’s intentions were not so simple, but since he was someone from her in-laws’ side, she couldn’t refuse them entry.

She had to let them in and then called Gu Yanqing.

Gu Yanqing said he would come back right away.

With one adult and two children, they didn’t go far hiking and returned soon.

When Yuanyuan saw Gu Yanze, he happily ran over and exclaimed, “Dad!”

Gu Yanze picked him up and smiled, saying, “Hey, did you miss Daddy?”

“Yes!” Yuanyuan gave him a big kiss on the cheek, saying, “I missed you so, so, so much.”

To show how much he missed his father, Yuanyuan repeated “so” several times, as if saying it more made his feelings stronger.

Seeing this, Qiao Wanqing felt a pang of sadness.

Yuanyuan was still young and didn’t understand his father’s infidelity.

The adults wouldn’t tell him that his parents were separating and that his father would find a new mother.

So, Yuanyuan only thought his parents were having a fight, without harboring any resentment.

His first reaction upon seeing his father was pure joy.

She remembered that Kou Kou used to be the same way.

He didn’t care about the state of his parents’ relationship; he just loved both his mom and dad.

Gu Yanqing watched the father-son affection for a while with a serious face.

Qiao Wanqing took a look, and she then said to Yuanyuan, “Yuanyuan, Kou Kou and I are going to Grandma Li’s to pick persimmons for your dad. Do you want to come with us?”

Even though it’s December, there are still some late-ripening persimmons hanging on the trees.

They are bright orange, plump, and rich, and there are several trees on the back hill of Aunt Li’s house.

Yuan Yuan was nestled in his father’s arms and seemed a bit tempted but still shook his head, saying, “No.”

When Koukou heard they could pick persimmons, she pulled Yuan Yuan and said, “Big brother, let’s go, persimmons!”

Yuan Yuan initially didn’t want to go, but he couldn’t resist Kouko’s persistent pulling.

In the end, he had to get down from his father’s arms and go with Qiao Wanqing and the others to pick persimmons.

After they left, Gu Yanze, who had been quietly sipping tea, felt a bit uneasy despite being theolder brother.

Seeing that Gu Yanqing didn’t speak, he had to muster the courage to say, “Well, I’m here to take Yuanyuan back. I’m sorry for the trouble these days.”

Gu Yanqing raised an eyebrow and asked, “Take him where?”

“To X City, of course. I’m done with my business here and will head back tomorrow.”

As Gu Yanze spoke, he felt quite guilty.

He often used work as an excuse to come to C City, but in reality, he was here for his lover.

Besides the romantic escapades, he didn’t have any real business.

But he couldn’t say that to Gu Yanqing; he would definitely be angry.

“Whoever leaves the child with me should be the one to take him back,” Gu Yanqing said in a calm but firm tone.

Gu Yanze continued to smile apologetically, “I’m not a stranger. I’m Yuan Yuan’s father. Am I supposed to sell him? Shi Shi has been busy lately and can’t come to pick him up.

Yuan Yuan still has school, and he hasn’t been to kindergarten for days. The teacher has been calling me to send him, so I’m just trying to handle things.”

Gu Yanqing looked at him and said, “Isn’t the truth that you saw your wife move out of the house and decided to act first by coming over to take Yuanyuan?”

“……” Gu Yanze was caught out and awkwardly rubbed his nose.

He had indeed been ready for a divorce the moment Chu Shishi caught him, but Chu Shishi didn’t seem to want a divorce.

Instead, she moved her things into the house her father had given them when they married.

Not only that, she took Yuanyuan’s belongings with her, clearly intending to take the child away.

When it comes to children, they might seem like a burden in daily life, but when it comes to a situation like this, they become a key point of contention.

Whoever ends up with the child wins, and the other side loses.

Gu Yanze, hearing that the child was still in C City with Gu Yanqing, rushed over urgently, wanting to take Yuanyuan back first.

If Yuanyuan was with him, Chu Shishi couldn’t take him away.

After a moment, Gu Yanze added, “Yanqing, you and I share the surname Gu, and Yuanyuan does too. You can’t let him be taken away by someone with a different surname. He needs to inherit the family business in the future.”

Gu Yanqing heard this and coldly smiled, “Funny, I didn’t see you care about his surname when he was being mistreated by the nanny.”

“……”

Gu Yanqing knew that letting Chu Shishi take Yuanyuan was definitely more reliable than letting Gu Yanze take him.

Gu Yanze was currently focused on his lover, and if Yuanyuan went back with him, there was a high chance he’d just be handed over to a nanny.

When Yuan Yuan was young, he suffered abuse from a nanny, which left him with a significant psychological trauma and a deep fear of non-relatives.

Last year, when Gu Yanqing came to visit Qiao Wanqing for the third time and Kouko fell ill with a fever, Gu Yanqing had left Yuan Yuan with a nanny in C City.

As a result, Yuan Yuan didn’t sleep well all night and developed a fever the next day, mumbling incoherently in his sleep.

Gu Yanqing had to rush back urgently.

Because of this, Gu Yanqing would never allow Gu Yanze to take Yuan Yuan away.

Gu Yanze was about to say more, but Gu Yanqing was not interested in continuing the discussion.

He stood up, coldly saying, “No matter how much you argue, it’s not going to change. It’s not happening.”

As he walked out, he stopped at the door and added, “By the way, don’t leave so soon. Stay and keep Yuan Yuan company. Find a convincing excuse before you leave.”

Gu Yanze: “……”

Yuan Yuan came back happily with a bag of persimmons.

When he heard that his father couldn’t take him back due to work, he was shocked and his little face fell immediately.

“Wait a few days; Mom will come to pick you up, and then you can go home with her,” Gu Yanqing’s coercion made Gu Yanze hide his real intentions, and he comforted Yuan Yuan insincerely, “Dad is busy with work.”

Although Yuan Yuan was small, he was understanding.

Hearing that his father was busy, he looked up and comforted Gu Yanze, “Dad, you go ahead and work. I’ll be good and listen to Uncle and Auntie. I’ll wait for Mom to come and get me.”

Yuan Yuan’s maturity seemed to touch Gu Yanze’s conscience.

He kissed Yuan Yuan’s face and didn’t say anything more.

Qiao Wanqing watched them coldly and finally understood why Gu Yanqing would adopt Yuanyuan.

According to the book, after Gu Yanze and Chu Shishi divorced, Yuanyuan went with Gu Yanze.

But someone like Gu Yanze doesn’t deserve to be a father.

Fortunately, the story took a turn, and now Yuanyuan has a mother who truly cares for him.

He’s just as well off with his mother and doesn’t need any of this fake fatherly love.

Before bed, Qiao Wanqing searched online for information about Jiang Yi.

She has a Weibo account, but with very few followers.

Her latest post mentioned she joined a new film crew.

Based on her previous posts, she must have landed a second female lead role.

For a low-tier model just starting in the acting industry, getting a second female lead role is a big deal, and it’s clear who helped her achieve that.

Qiao Wanqing, after getting into bed while Gu Yanqing slept beside Yuanyuan and Kou Kou, asked him, “Do you have any connections in the entertainment industry?”

“No,” Gu Yanqing replied.

He had never cared about the entertainment industry and had no interest or connections there.

“However…” He playfully rubbed her face and said, “With your looks, if you wanted to go into acting, it would be easy to make you famous.”

Qiao Wanqing brushed his hand away and turned to face him. “Seriously, if you could find some connections, how about we get Jiang Yi a publicity boost?”

Making someone famous nowadays isn’t that hard—just throw money at trending topics, create buzz, and attend big events.

Even without many works, she could become a well-known figure with a large, dedicated fan base.

If they participated in a reality show or another variety show, they could quickly become hot stars, earn high pay, and make poor-quality films without fear of repercussions.

In the current entertainment industry, popularity equals money, and making money means everything.

Of course, people like this are bound to be disliked.

So, if a scandal involving a mistress broke out, it would cause a huge commotion, with everyone attacking them, giving Jiang Yi and Gu Yanze an unforgettable lesson.

Gu Yanqing thought for a moment and said, “I’ll find someone to look into it.

This kind of thing is hard to say.”

Qiao Wanqing knew that such matters are hard to come by, so she replied, “Yes, no rush.”

“Have you finished talking about it?”

“Ah, yes. Why?” Qiao Wanqing was still thinking about Jiang Yi, so she was a bit slow to respond.

“Can we go to bed now?”

“……”