Chapter 31

After reading a section of the introduction, Qiao Chuchu stopped and stared intently at Xu Shanshan. Her appearance was stunning, with smooth, moisturized skin—a perfect example of a young girl’s beauty.

Qiao Chuchu simply couldn’t connect this image with the 53-year-old woman in front of her.

【Let me see how Xu Shanshan turned young, this is too ridiculous.】

Xu Shanshan’s face alternated between pale and flushed, she never expected Qiao Chuchu would discover her secret. When she saw that Qiao Chuchu was about to say something else, she quickly moved to stop her.

“Qiao Chuchu, shut up, you—beep (sound muted).”

Xu Shanshan: “!!”

What was going on? Why couldn’t she say what she had just heard? How was she supposed to argue now?

Qiao Chuchu shrugged. “I didn’t say anything.”

【Wait, Xu Shanshan must be crazy. Why is she suddenly throwing a tantrum? I’m the one who should be upset here. I’m sitting here just fine, she comes over to provoke me, and I haven’t said anything yet. What does she have to complain about?】

It was only then that Xu Shanshan realized Qiao Chuchu had never even opened her mouth when speaking. How did her voice get out? Could she be a monster?

Xu Shanshan: “!!!”

But in her shock, she didn’t notice that everyone around them had stopped what they were doing to look at them, especially the gazes directed at her, full of deep shock and scrutiny. It seemed like they were trying to see through her youthful appearance and into her actual 53-year-old self.

If Qiao Chuchu knew what Xu Shanshan was thinking, she would have a hundred things to say back, “You’re the monster.”

But right now, she was too focused on continuing to dig into Xu Shanshan’s background and enjoying the drama.

【So this is how she turned into a young girl. She’s been way too ruthless with herself.】

The surrounding crowd: “What’s going on? What’s happening? Tell us more? Are you curious?”

Qiao Chuchu didn’t disappoint the crowd and kept flipping through.

【So Xu Shanshan got so young because she had full-body cosmetic surgery. Not only did she undergo full-body liposuction and breast augmentation to get a slim figure, but her face also had a facelift, facial fillers, a nose job, double eyelid surgery, and full facial bone restructuring. To make her face look smaller, she even had all her molars pulled out. She’s really harsh on herself. She also gets regular skin treatments like hydrating injections, hyaluronic acid, and anti-wrinkle shots just to keep up her youthful appearance, all to attract men.】

【Oh no, Xu Shanshan actually has twenty-two boyfriends and is also the mistress of three rich bosses, earning up to millions every month, all used to maintain her youthful look and continue hunting for new prey.】

【In reality, she’s already married with a daughter, but her family was too poor to provide the life she wanted, so she abandoned her husband and child to live recklessly. In just a few years, she’s deceived a lot of people, and among the unlucky ones she conned, there’s actually—】

【Holy crap! It’s Tian Ka!】

When Qiao Chuchu saw this name, she couldn’t help but think of Tian Ka from the variety show. Could it really be him?

As she continued reading, she found that it was indeed the same Tian Ka she knew from the variety show.

Tsk tsk, his taste was really heavy, wasn’t it? According to the story, Tian Ka treated his girlfriend like royalty, indulging her every request, even performing stripteases for her… cough cough…

【I’ve always been curious about which girlfriend Tian Ka would do a striptease for, and it turns out to be Xu Shanshan, this badass woman. I finally got to see it.】

The others also got a glimpse of her amazing cosmetic work.

—

Tian Ka’s older sister, Ye Yu, also came today. She arrived with Qiao Chuchu to visit Jiang Manwen at the new house.

She didn’t say much and had a calm demeanor. After greeting Jiang Manwen, she found a corner to sit in, listening to the gossip about Xu Shanshan, just like the others.

By coincidence, she ended up hearing a big revelation about her younger brother.

Cough cough—

It turned out that the beautiful and gentle girlfriend her younger brother had always talked about was actually a 53-year-old woman, who was standing right in front of them—Xu Shanshan, the cosmetic surgery freak!

If her younger brother found out that the online girlfriend he had been in love with for so long and had never met in person turned out to be someone like this, would he go crazy?

Ye Yu quickly sent her brother a message: “Big news, come to the bride’s room immediately!”

Tian Ka was still outside chatting with others and didn’t notice his sister’s message right away, missing out on the drama.

Meanwhile, Qiao Chuchu continued to read through the storyline.

【Today, Xu Shanshan came as the girlfriend of Jiang Manwen’s cousin to attend the wedding.】

【By the way, the men Xu Shanshan has latched onto are all wealthy big bosses or rich young heirs. Isn’t she afraid of running into them in such a public setting and getting exposed?】

【Hmm, there’s more… turns out she is afraid, but she’s been using her gentle nature to soothe them… no wonder she walks strangely.】

“Qiao Chuchu, you—”

Once again, Xu Shanshan couldn’t finish her sentence. She could only angrily point at Qiao Chuchu, hoping she would be quiet.

But it was too late for her to stay quiet now. Her secrets had all been revealed by Qiao Chuchu, and the people around her were looking at her with expressions full of shock and mockery, as if their gazes were sharp swords piercing through her.

Qiao Chuchu, “What about me?”

【Why does Xu Shanshan always leave her sentences unfinished? What kind of problem is that?】

Xu Shanshan’s entire face turned red with anger, her neck bulging. Was it her fault that she couldn’t finish her sentence? It wasn’t! She couldn’t get the words out!

Why was this happening?

It was as if the heavens were favoring Qiao Chuchu!

At that moment, Qiao Chuchu noticed something was off with the wedding room. Everyone seemed to be looking their way, but when their eyes met hers, they quickly looked away and resumed what they were doing, acting as if nothing had happened.

However, Jiang Manwen had typed something on her phone that recorded the big event that had just occurred.

“Second cousin, you need to come over right now and take Xu Shanshan away!”

Not long after, she received a reply from her second cousin, “What’s wrong, cousin? What did Shanshan do?”

“Yes, it’s something serious. As your cousin, I’m reminding you to investigate your girlfriend Xu Shanshan’s background. There are things you can’t even imagine.”

Jiang Manwen didn’t directly explain. First, she didn’t have any proof. Second, her cousin had recently fallen deeply for Xu Shanshan. It was better for him to figure this out on his own.

Her second cousin didn’t understand what she meant, so Jiang Manwen didn’t say anything more and urged him to come quickly and take her away.

When her second cousin arrived, he was puzzled to find that all the women in the room were looking at him with ambiguous expressions.

He thought it was his handsome appearance that had attracted their attention. Unconsciously, he ran a hand through his hair, trying to look even more handsome.

“Hello, everyone! I’m Jiang Qi, Manwen’s second cousin. Welcome to my cousin’s wedding. Please enjoy the food and drinks, and don’t hold back.”

A few of the women nodded in response, and then a familiar voice echoed.

【Oh haha! Jiang Qi, Xu Shanshan’s number six boyfriend has arrived. He’s quite handsome, but his taste is terrible.】

Jiang Qi: “???”

What number six boyfriend?

Jiang Qi didn’t understand and didn’t care much. He was about to compliment the person who had spoken, when he heard the next line, and his smile instantly faltered.

He turned around to see who had said that.

When Xu Shanshan saw him, her already unpleasant expression turned even paler. She hurried over and linked her arm with his. “Jiang Qi, what are you doing here?”

“I came to see you.” Jiang Qi looked her up and down, noticing she didn’t look well. “Are you okay?”

Since Jiang Manwen had mentioned something serious earlier, he had thought Xu Shanshan had caused some trouble, but now he saw the atmosphere in the room seemed fine.

Xu Shanshan quickly shook her head. “What could happen to me? Let’s go out. This is the bride’s room, and it’s inappropriate for a man like you to be here.”

She was afraid that Qiao Chuchu would say something shocking again, and Jiang Qi would discover her secret. If that happened, it would be the end for her.

Her current life depended on keeping this secret. If it were exposed, she’d be finished.

“It doesn’t matter,” Jiang Qi said. “I’m Manwen’s cousin. It’s only right for me to come see her. Don’t worry, she won’t mind.” Thinking that he was already here, he went over to congratulate Jiang Manwen.

Jiang Manwen accepted his congratulations and reminded him, “Second cousin, don’t forget what I said.”

Jiang Qi was momentarily stunned, remembering the message she had sent him on WeChat. “I haven’t forgotten, but what exactly do you mean, cousin?”

Jiang Manwen smiled, “Isn’t it more fun for you to find out on your own?”

Xu Shanshan had a strong intuition that their conversation was about her, which made her feel uneasy.

“Jiang Qi, let’s go out. Don’t disturb Manwen here.”

But Jiang Qi shook his head and didn’t leave. “Not yet. As Manwen’s family, I need to stay and block the door. I can’t let that kid Tong Zichen easily marry my cousin.”

Xu Shanshan: “…”

If he wasn’t leaving, then she would.

Unfortunately, Jiang Qi grabbed her arm. “Don’t leave either. Come help block the door. Didn’t you want to be Manwen’s bridesmaid?”

Jiang Manwen already knew the truth, so she certainly didn’t want Xu Shanshan as her bridesmaid anymore.

“Cousin, I’ve already chosen my bridesmaids. I can’t add anyone else.”

Jiang Qi didn’t insist. “So coincidental? Fine then.”

Xu Shanshan: “…”

At this moment, she just wanted to crawl into a hole and hide.

—

At 10 o’clock, the groom, Tong Zichen, arrived on time with eight groomsmen to pick up the bride, Jiang Manwen. Some of the groomsmen were variety show guests, and Qiao Cen was among them, with the others being friends and brothers of Tong Zichen.

They were stopped outside the door and had to compete with the bridesmaids in a battle of wits and courage. The atmosphere was very lively.

Qiao Chuchu had nothing to do, so she flipped through the story plot and discovered something major.

【Oh my god, three of the eight groomsmen of Tong Zichen have had affairs with Xu Shanshan. Xu Shanshan is really amazing at getting boyfriends.】

As soon as she exclaimed, everyone inside and outside the door froze. Some people who were in the know realized that Qiao Chuchu was spilling more gossip, while those who didn’t know the situation were wondering which brave soul dared to expose others’ secrets so publicly. Didn’t they fear getting punched?

Jiang Qi instinctively looked at Xu Shanshan beside him. “You…”

“I didn’t!” Xu Shanshan immediately denied.

Jiang Qi’s expression changed, but then he realized that her reaction was overly agitated. “I just wanted to say, the person I love the most is you. I wasn’t looking at the groom. You shouldn’t be looking at other women either, okay?”

She put her arm around Jiang Qi’s shoulder, stood on tiptoe, and planted a kiss on his cheek.

Jiang Qi, taken aback by the sudden kiss, felt confused but happy in his heart. “Don’t think too much. I won’t. The person I like most is also you.”

Xu Shanshan smiled sweetly. “That’s more like it.”

Just as she relaxed, her gaze unexpectedly met Qiao Chuchu’s. Realizing that it was too late to look away, she suddenly felt uneasy.

【Tsk—Xu Shanshan really knows how to flirt. She can even make the heartthrob of the dating scene blush. No wonder she’s a seasoned auntie with over thirty years of experience.】

【You can tell right away if an auntie knows how to handle things.】

Xu Shanshan: “!!!”

Shut up! Stop talking! She was wrong! She really shouldn’t have provoked Qiao Chuchu!

She didn’t like hearing these things, but that didn’t mean others didn’t enjoy it.

Jiang Qi was confused about who was saying these things. How could someone dare to speak so boldly in front of so many people? Didn’t they fear offending others?

But more importantly, what did those words even mean?

Outside, the groomsmen, hearing there was a good show inside, started to make an even bigger scene to break through the door. The unanswered questions would be met with either drinking or red envelopes. Ten minutes later, they finally managed to get in.

Tong Zichen was busy going to fetch the bride, Jiang Manwen, while the others were looking for more gossip.

Qiao Cen was also among them. He was dressed in a black suit, his hair neatly styled, looking much more mature.

He immediately spotted Qiao Chuchu in the crowd and happily ran over to her.

“Sis!”

“Here’s a red envelope for you.”

He handed her two big red envelopes. As the one giving out red envelopes, he had made sure to keep two big ones for his sister.

Qiao Chuchu felt they were quite thick as she touched them. “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.” Qiao Cen was about to say something else when the sound of applause and cheers came from the other side.

It turned out they were playing a game, and by sheer coincidence, Tian Ka and Xu Shanshan were chosen to perform a couple’s dance.

Tian Ka had an outgoing personality and was willing to play along. “Alright, no problem. After I finish dancing, remember to bring the wedding shoes back to Xiao Tong.”

Tong Zichen patted him gratefully. “Thank you for your hard work.”

Tian Ka didn’t know Xu Shanshan, but Xu Shanshan knew Tian Ka very well. Many nights, she and Tian Ka would connect and watch him perform striptease dances on video calls. She never expected they would meet under such circumstances…

Xu Shanshan felt a little panicked, because besides Tian Ka, the other two groomsmen were also her online boyfriends, and the only one she had met in person was Jiang Qi.

Qiao Cen was quite interested. “Sis, look over there! Tian Ka’s dancing with the girl!”

Qiao Chuchu crossed her arms and watched with great interest.

【Tian Ka and Xu Shanshan are really destined to meet like this, under such circumstances, and even dance together. They’re even performing the striptease dance they often do during their video calls.】

【Every time they video chat, Xu Shanshan’s beauty filter is at full blast. I wonder if Tian Ka can recognize the girl in front of him? No, it should be “aunt”—his online girlfriend.】

Qiao Cen, “Ah—”

An aunt? So how old is Tian Ka’s online girlfriend, Xu Shanshan?

Tian Ka wasn’t paying attention to Xu Shanshan’s age. He was just surprised to meet his online girlfriend under such circumstances.

“Shanshan, is it really you, the one who came late? I’m the little Ka God, the one who video calls you often,” Tian Ka said in surprise. “You’re so beautiful, even more beautiful than in the videos.”

He didn’t need his fans to support his relationship rankings, so he was free to date openly. Many fans knew he was in a relationship.

Qiao Chuchu: 【Hmm, Tian Ka actually recognized her. He’s got a pretty good eye.】

Jiang Qi’s gaze swept back and forth between the two.

Xu Shanshan’s smile was forced. “Sorry, you must be mistaken. I’m not her.”

“No, you are,” one of the tall groomsmen suddenly spoke up. “You’re the one who came late. Your gemstone bracelet is exactly the same as the one I gave her.”

“This is mine,” Xu Shanshan quickly covered her wrist.

“Is that so?” The young man’s gaze fixed directly on her. “Then take the bracelet off and let’s see if there’s an engraving on the gemstone—‘I love Shanshan.’“

Xu Shanshan, “…”

“Why do I feel like you look familiar too?” Another chubby young man also said, “You look a lot like my online girlfriend, the one who came late. You wouldn’t be her, would you?”

He had only seen photos of her that were edited, so there was only a slight resemblance between the edited pictures and Xu Shanshan’s real appearance.

The series of questions made everyone in the room realize the seriousness of the situation, especially Jiang Qi.

He vaguely sensed something. “Shanshan, what do they mean by all this?”

Xu Shanshan’s face turned a rainbow of colors. She couldn’t admit that the person they were talking about was her, admitting it would be the end of her.

“I don’t know what they’re talking about. I don’t know them.”

“Jiang Qi, my stomach doesn’t feel well. Could you accompany me to the bathroom?”

She hooked her arm around Jiang Qi’s, trying to lead him away.

But the other online boyfriends in the room would never let her leave so easily. The tall young man took advantage of Xu Shanshan’s distraction and snatched her bracelet from her wrist. After examining it closely, a look of surprise appeared on his face.

“The engraving on the gemstone says ‘I love Shanshan.’ You’re the one who came late, my online girlfriend!”

“I’m Xu Luo. Don’t you remember me? We video-called last night.”

It was clear that he had strong feelings for Xu Shanshan.

“What nonsense is this?” Tian Ka couldn’t take it anymore. “You’re her online boyfriend, but I’m the one!”

“I’m the one!” another slightly chubby young man said. “She even promised to stay with me forever!”

The three men began arguing about who was Xu Shanshan’s boyfriend, until Jiang Qi asked, “So, you’re all her boyfriends? Then what am I?”

Xu Shanshan, “…”

Xu Shanshan had already tried to slip away, but these people wouldn’t let her go.

“Xu Shanshan, explain yourself! Who exactly are you dating?”

Now Xu Shanshan was the center of attention, but she just wanted to find a hole to hide in.

Qiao Chuchu: 【Wow, Xu Shanshan’s skill at managing her boyfriends is amazing! She’s been caught wearing several ‘^[1]“green hat” (戴绿帽子, dài lǜ mào zi) is a metaphor used to describe a man whose partner is cheating on him. The term comes from an old custom where men who were cuckolded were … Continue readinggreen hats’ and none of the boyfriends even mind, still fighting over who’s the legitimate boyfriend.】

【If they knew, they’d realize the girl they’re fighting over isn’t some young thing, but…】

Xu Shanshan, afraid that Qiao Chuchu would expose her biggest secret, quickly spoke up, “Aren’t we all friends? Why care about those little details? Isn’t it enough that we’re having fun together?”

“You, you, you—”

“So, you really are dating four boyfriends at the same time!”

Tian Ka’s eyes widened in disbelief, and then he heard Qiao Chuchu’s voice.

【Tian Ka underestimated Xu Shanshan. She doesn’t just have four boyfriends, she’s had a total of twenty-two, and she even has three big bosses as lovers.】

“Damn—”

Tian Ka couldn’t accept it. His online girlfriend, whom he had been dating for half a year, turned out to be someone like this. How could she deceive him like this?

“Xu Shanshan, how dare you?!”

“Xu Shanshan, you’re no longer my favorite online goddess!”

The other two groomsmen also looked as if they had received a huge blow.

Jiang Qi still couldn’t believe it. He grabbed Xu Shanshan by the shoulders and asked, “Xu Shanshan, is what they’re saying true?”