As soon as Xia Zimu stepped inside the house, he immediately felt warmer. “Mom, your beloved son is back!” he shouted, looking around for Qiao Yun. Qiao Yun was still in the kitchen, learning how to make soup from Aunt Chen. Hearing Xia Zimu’s voice, she excitedly ran out, “Mu Mu, you came back at just the right time! Come and try the soup I made, see how it tastes.”

Qiao Yun loved to make food at home, but no matter how good the ingredients were, they always turned into dark cuisine when they passed through her hands. When Xia Zimu was younger, he had been plagued by her cooking, once almost dying after eating undercooked beans, forcing him to be hospitalized overnight. This incident left a significant psychological scar on him, and he would rather eat bread every day than touch anything Qiao Yun made.

Xia Zimu quickly stopped Qiao Yun, who was about to go to the kitchen to serve the soup, “Mom, I’m not really that hungry. Let Dad try it first, he must be starving.”

Xia Zhenyu’s face immediately darkened. He felt like he could disown this son, who was always trying to get one over on him. Qiao Yun didn’t think much of it, “Alright, then let Aunt Chen serve Dad first.”

Xia Zimu narrowly escaped another disaster. He took Qiao Yun’s hand and led her toward the sofa, whispering, “Mom, I have something important to tell you.”

Qiao Yun, confused, asked, “What is it, Mu Mu?”

Xia Zimu sat her down on the sofa and, acting servile, began massaging her shoulders. “Mom, do you think I have a good chance if I confess to Nanxing?”

Qiao Yun almost couldn’t believe her ears. “Mu Mu, did I hear that right? You want to confess to Nanxing?” When had her son woken up to this? Wanting to pursue Nanxing was beyond her imagination.

Xia Zimu calmly nodded, “Mom, you didn’t hear wrong.”

“Isn’t Nanxing already engaged to that kid from the Fu family? You don’t mean to be the third wheel and destroy someone else’s relationship, do you?” Qiao Yun looked at him, puzzled.

Xia Zimu patted her back reassuringly, “Mom, don’t you know? Nanxing already broke off the engagement with Fu Chengyu. I’ve been waiting for this day.”

“So, are you going to support me or not?”

Qiao Yun was shocked, but seeing her son’s serious expression, she suppressed her curiosity. “Of course, I support you. Nanxing is so well-behaved; if I can bring her home as my daughter-in-law, that would be perfect.”

Xia Zimu’s eyes sparkled with triumph upon hearing her promise, and he opened his palm in front of her.

Qiao Yun was a little confused, “Mu Mu, what’s this supposed to mean?”

Xia Zimu looked at her like it was obvious, “You need money to pursue a wife, Mom, I need some money.”

Qiao Yun immediately understood, slapping his hand, “So you came back just to ask for money?”

“I almost forgot to collect this debt from you!” Qiao Yun grabbed his ear and said loudly, “You’re not trying to use Nanxing as an excuse to get money for your motorcycle, are you?”

Every time Qiao Yun mentioned Xia Zimu’s obsession with motorcycles, she got angry. Why did he have to like such a dangerous and thrilling sport? What if he got hurt or disabled one day? It was precisely because it was so dangerous that she was particularly opposed to it.

Xia Zimu quickly begged, “Mom, I’m serious, I’m not lying to you. Dad, please back me up!”

Xia Zhenyu stared at the bowl of chicken soup in front of him, unwilling to take a bite. He ignored his son’s cries for help and nonchalantly said, “Wife, go ahead and give him a good lesson, so he learns his lesson!”

Xia Zimu didn’t get the money he wanted and ended up getting a beating instead. Rubbing his sore ear, he grumbled, “Mom, you’re too heartless. I’m your own son.”

“What does that matter? If you need a beating, you’ll get one,” Qiao Yun shot him a glare.

“Mom, if you’re not going to give me money, at least unfreeze my card. I swear, I’ll never touch a motorcycle again for the rest of my life!”

Xia Zimu had no choice but to settle for second best. That card had a limit of one million per month, which would definitely be enough for him.

Qiao Yun asked him in a low voice, “Really? You’re not lying to me?”

“No, absolutely not. I swear!” Xia Zimu shook his head firmly and even raised his hand to make a swearing gesture.

“Alright then!” In the end, Qiao Yun agreed to his request. However, what Xia Zimu didn’t know was that even if he hadn’t returned tonight, they hadn’t planned to completely cut off his allowance.

After a month, Xia Zimu finally returned to his soft, large bed. He lay in bed and rolled around several times, sighing, “It really is the most comfortable to sleep in my own bed!” Unlike Zhou He, who couldn’t sleep properly and always squeezed into his side. A perfectly good king-size bed was squeezed into a 1.5-meter single bed by him.

(Zhou He: ??? You’re the one who can’t sleep properly every night, trying to snuggle into my arms!)

Thinking about Zhou He, Xia Zimu’s face darkened again. “Tch, so annoying!” Tonight, Zhou He had called him several times, but he had hung up on him. Everyone has a temper, and he wasn’t going to forgive Zhou He so easily! Hmph!

…

Fu Chengyu had first encountered rejection from Shen Nanxing, and then he was mocked by Xia Zimu. He was feeling incredibly frustrated. Without thinking, he called Lin Bai again.

In the dimly lit bar, Lin Bai looked at Fu Chengyu, who was drinking alone, and couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction. It was obvious that Fu Chengyu had been rejected by Shen Nanxing.

Fu Chengyu drank glass after glass of liquor. He looked up at Lin Bai across from him, so angry that he slammed the cup down, grabbing Lin Bai’s collar with a fierce expression, and demanded, “Why? Why are you treating me like this? Why won’t you say a word to me?”

Lin Bai was already used to his occasional outbursts. He tried to soothe him in a gentle tone, “Chengyu, please calm down, alright?” If he didn’t calm him down, it would be Lin Bai who would suffer in the end.

“Nanxing, I really like you, Nanxing…” Fu Chengyu stared blankly at Lin Bai’s side profile, his eyes red. Under the influence of alcohol, he completely mistook Lin Bai for Shen Nanxing and gazed at him with deep affection.

Lin Bai felt nothing but sarcasm as he watched Fu Chengyu. If he truly liked Shen Nanxing, then why had he come to provoke him before? It was simply his pride and ego that had been hurt, unable to endure the contrast of rejection.

For a moment, the atmosphere became heavy with silence.

Fu Chengyu didn’t receive a response, and his frustration grew. He shouted at Lin Bai, “Why aren’t you talking? Why aren’t you answering me?”

Lin Bai, afraid he might do something drastic again, suppressed the fear in his heart, gently cupped his face, and comforted him, “Chengyu, you’re drunk. Let me take you home, alright?”