The next day, Xia Chengcheng got up early.

In the dining room, Auntie Liu had prepared over a dozen breakfast dishes. Unsure of Xia Chengcheng’s preferences, she had made a little of everything.

Xia Chengcheng ate contentedly. As she was leaving, Auntie Liu sweetly asked her which car she wanted to drive.

Xia Chengcheng thought to herself, Isn’t it just my Beetle?  But when she followed Auntie Liu down to the underground garage and saw two neat rows of luxury cars, ranging from BMW and Mercedes-Benz to Bentley, Porsche, and Ferrari— all kinds of luxury brands imaginable— she was completely stunned.

Auntie Liu beamed as she said, “Sir didn’t stay at Yulin Garden last night, but he gave instructions that everything that should be here must not be lacking. Madam, which car would you like to take today?”

In the end, a pink limited-edition Ferrari stole the spotlight among all the luxury cars.

Xia Chengcheng didn’t let the driver take the wheel. Instead, she drove the Ferrari herself. With a handsome drift, she nearly slammed into a pillar in the garage before charging out of Yulin Garden in style!

“Oh yeah! So awesome!!!”

The system, exhilarated by the rush of wind, exclaimed, 〖Host, where are we going?〗

“Of course, to enjoy the life of a widowed rich wife— husband’s loaded but never home! Let’s go shopping!”

All day long, Xia Chengcheng was immersed in a sea of money. She bought handbags, clothes, jewelry…… every kind of luxury item until the Ferrari was bursting with shopping bags. By the end of it, she even stopped by a pet shop and bought a cat and a dog!

A life with both a cat and a dog— and money— is the happiest kind of life!

Xia Chengcheng looked at the Corgi and the Munchkin in the passenger seat, deeply satisfied.

As evening fell, she returned to the villa, brimming with spoils of her conquest.

Before heading home, she had even dug out Xie Zhixing’s WeChat and sincerely invited him to come home for dinner, saying she had a major announcement to make.

Xie Zhixing was baffled when he saw the message.

He immediately turned to Assistant Zhou. “What has Xia Chengcheng been up to today?”

After their failed divorce attempt yesterday, Xie Zhixing had instructed Auntie Liu to treat Xia Chengcheng according to the standards of the Xie family’s madam, and he had also told Assistant Zhou to hire a private investigator to follow her.

Assistant Zhou flipped through the investigation log. “Madam went shopping all day, had French cuisine for lunch, got a spa treatment in the afternoon, saw the latest movie, and then stopped by a pet shop where she bought two pets.”

Xie Zhixing frowned. “That’s it?”

“Mm.” Assistant Zhou closed the folder. “A rich lady’s life with both a cat and a dog, it’s kind of enviable.”

……

Half an hour later, Xie Zhixing arrived at Villa No. 18.

The sky was gradually darkening. Crimson clouds stretched across the horizon like fire, meeting the oncoming night with breathtaking beauty.

Xia Chengcheng had chosen to host dinner in the garden outside the house.

A small, low table had been set on the lawn, surrounded by fairy lights like stars, with carefully arranged flowerbeds adding charm to the garden’s ambiance.

Dressed in a flowing white dress, Xia Chengcheng sat by the table. The entire garden’s atmosphere made her look serene and beautiful.

The system scanned the surroundings, full of worry.

〖Host, this setup…… you’re not planning to fabricate a candlelight dinner scandal with Xie Zhixing, are you?〗

Xia Chengcheng smiled faintly, a smile that seemed directed both at the system and at Xie Zhixing, who was arriving.

Xie Zhixing wasn’t sure how to react to the scene before him. He certainly didn’t believe Xia Chengcheng was trying to have a romantic dinner with him, but he also couldn’t think of any other reason.

He caught sight of the Corgi and the Munchkin playing on the grass and casually brought them up, “You bought pets?”

Xia Chengcheng raised an eyebrow. “You have a problem with the animals I bought?”

Xie Zhixing sat down across from her at the low table, his tone flat, “No.”

“Then allow me to formally introduce them. After all, they’re family members now.”

Xia Chengcheng scooped the Corgi and the Munchkin off the grass and shoved them into Xie Zhixing’s arms. Then she straightened her dress, her expression solemn. “This short-legged Munchkin is your son, his name is Guangzong. This tailless Corgi is your daughter, her name is Yaozu. Together, they are Guangzong Yaozu^[1]a Chinese idiom meaning ‘to bring honor and glory to one’s ancestors’.”

Xie Zhixing: “?”

Auntie Liu: “??”

〖System: ???〗

What the hell kind of ‘glorify the ancestors’ was this?!

Xie Zhixing was silent for a moment. “So this is the ‘big announcement’ you mentioned?”

Xia Chengcheng looked serious and spoke firmly, “Two new family members— isn’t that a big deal?”

“……” Xie Zhixing thought for a moment. “I guess it is.”

And so, this strange little family of four ended up sharing a starlit dinner, oddly harmonious.

After dinner, instead of returning to his usual residence, Zijin Villa, Xie Zhixing had Auntie Liu prepare the study and guest room. He would stay the night at Yulin Garden.

Xia Chengcheng’s heart skipped a beat.

But after thinking it over, she relaxed.

Her husband staying in his own villa was perfectly reasonable.

After exchanging a few perfunctory words with Xie Zhixing, she quickly returned to her room.

She imported the photos from her camera, capturing the exact moment Xie Zhixing held Guangzong and Yaozu in his arms.

In the garden, under the sunset’s glow, his usually aloof face showed traces of surprise and tenderness toward the little animals. The scene looked especially warm and peaceful.

〖Aaaahhh! Host, you made Xie Zhixing look so handsome!〗 The system had stars in its eyes. 〖If I were a woman, I’d fall for him too!〗

Xia Chengcheng smirked slyly and opened Weibo.

────ρя

This translation is by Pocketrobbin at S h a n g h a i f a n t a s y . c o m

On the internet, gossip-hungry netizens were still speculating on what bombshell Lie Crusher would drop about Xie Zhixing.

Xie Zhixing’s massive fan base insisted he was squeaky clean— no scandals, no dirt!

Even if something came out, it had to be fake!

Paparazzi and marketing accounts remained noncommittal.

Xie Zhixing had become the CEO of Xie Group six months ago. It was a well-known fact in elite and financial circles.

But Xie Group’s PR had warned everyone, and paparazzi who still wanted to work in this industry didn’t dare expose anything about his private life.

Beyond that, they couldn’t imagine what other news Lie Crusher might have.

Ten minutes later, Lie Crusher posted a single photo and tagged Xie Zhixing.

The comment section exploded instantly.

【!!!】

【Is that…… Xie Zhixing?】

【He’s also a pet owner? I finally found some common ground with my idol!】

【I thought he was the cold and aloof type, but look at this gentle side! That gaze is killing me!】

【LMAO, a 6’2″ man raising two tiny stumpy-legged animals!】

【Xie Zhixing: The only one in the family with long legs】

【So the hot gossip was just about his cat and dog? Still adorable!】

【Props to Lie Crusher’s photography skills. The vibe in this photo is incredible, as good as a pro’s work!】

【I might have to stan him. That look wasn’t for the pets, it was for us moths flocking to the flame!】

Within minutes, Xie Zhixing shot up the trending topics with just one candid photo.

#XieZhixingCorgiMunchkin

#PoopScooperXieZhixing

#XieZhixingLongestLegsInTheFamily

As a top celebrity, Xie Zhixing proved that even a photo of him spending time with pets could stir up waves in the entertainment industry.

Paparazzi and marketing accounts flooded their group chat in frustration.

【What kind of news is owning two pets?!】

【Depends on who the owner is. If it’s Xie Zhixing…… yeah, that’s news.】

【The background’s blurred, but it looks like his home. Lie Crusher actually got inside to snap this?!】

【Yeah, his driver is insane behind the wheel. I always lose him! And with so many villas under his name, getting this shot really is a miracle!】

【With a photo like this, Lie Crusher clearly has skills.】

【With Xie Zhixing’s popularity, a photo of him with pets is more than enough to get fans worked up.】

【If Lie Crusher can get into Xie Zhixing’s house, I wouldn’t doubt for a second he/she got an even bigger scoop!】