No? Can I read the mind of my mortal enemy?

It came to an abrupt end, which was more painful than ever.

Pei Jingnian looked at Shi Qiao sitting on him with displeasure, her attention on her phone.

He stood up and embraced Shi Qiao, his lips tracing the corner of her lips as he tried to seduce her again, but she gently pushed him away.

"Wait a minute, Pei Jingnian, it's my mom sending me a message."

"She told me to call her back when I have time, if I have anything to ask her."

Pei Jingnian snorted lightly, leaning against Shi Qiao's shoulder with a pitiful expression, inhaling the sweet scent of her neck and rubbing his nose back and forth.

"Never mind that for now, we don't..."

Shi Qiao dialed the number directly and pressed it against the earlobe.

【null.】

Pei Jingnian was extremely resentful, his brows furrowed under his eyes, and his thin lips pressed tightly together into a straight line.

Shi Qiao patted Pei Jingnian as a gesture of reassurance.

After all, news about Mom is more important.

I hate cell phones. I should have turned my wife's phone off earlier.

[It was almost in my mouth when it was pulled out.]

Honey, how about we continue after we finish the call?

When the call connected, Shi Qiao gave him a subtle warning look.

Pei Jingnian turned his head away and simply buried himself in her arms, refusing to look at her.

"Hey, Qiaoqiao, have you finished climbing the Wanhong Temple?"

Shi Qiao obediently hummed in agreement, then suddenly realized:

"Mommy, how did you know I wanted to climb the Wanhong Temple?"

Did she talk to her dear mommy about this yesterday?

Bai Shuwen was speechless for a moment, then coughed lightly:

"You told me yesterday, didn't you say you and Xiao Pei were going to Wanhong Temple together?"

Shi Qiao seemed lost in thought, then placed her hand between Pei Jingnian's lips and her neck, "I had..."

"Yes!" Bai Shuwen's voice suddenly rose. "Oh dear, I often forget what I said, it's normal. You just casually mentioned it to me yesterday."

Shi Qiao didn't think much of it and just said, "Oh, okay."

"We're done climbing and back in the car. What's up?"

Immediately afterward, Shi Qiao's phone buzzed several times. "Qiao Qiao, your Aunt Lin and I used your and Jing Nian's birth dates to calculate a few auspicious days."

"You and Jingnian, pick a time and we'll invite some people over for an engagement party."

Shi Qiao fell silent.

She even wondered if there was something wrong with her ears.

Isn't it too early to talk about this now?

Pei Jingnian, with his sharp ears, suddenly looked up, grabbed Shi Qiao's phone, and switched it to speakerphone.

He swiped up and down, his gaze quickly scanning over several dates.

分别是12/31,1/4还有个1/28。

"Mom, I think... "

"I think December 31st is good, Mom," Pei Jingnian said smoothly.

The days are closest.

Shi Qiao immediately reached out and pinched Pei Jingnian's arm.

Bai Shuwen smiled broadly, "Okay, okay, it's settled then, the 31st, I'll go send out the invitations now."

"Today, your dad, your Aunt Lin, Uncle Pei, and I have some business to attend to. We've been invited to some kind of business reception and will be staying there for the night."

"So please, don't leave the door open for us."

"It's such a pity I can't be with you."

"Please be careful when you two are home alone!"

"Then I won't bother you two anymore, bye~"

In just a few words, the words "tens of millions" and "safety" were emphasized.

Just as Shi Qiao was about to say something, she faintly heard a voice from the other end say, "I'm not Aunt Lin, I'm a mom too," and then all that was left in the receiver was a cold dial tone.

Shi Qiao: ?

The call was ended cleanly and decisively, without the slightest hesitation.

Was this phone call really to ask for her opinion?

She poked the man's cheek. "Pei Jingnian?"

"Hmm?" Pei Jingnian responded and put Shi Qiao's phone back in the passenger seat.

"Why do you call me 'Mom' so easily?" Shi Qiao pouted, deliberately arguing, "It's not even close to happening yet."

Pei Jingnian pulled her into his arms, "Does my wife plan to sleep with me and then run away?"

He said matter-of-factly, "Wife, if you've slept with me, you have to take responsibility for me."

Shi Qiao blushed excessively. "How could you say something like that? Aren't you ashamed?"

Pei Jingnian stroked her waist and gently bit Shi Qiao's earlobe. "Wife, Mom said that it's just the two of us at home on Christmas Eve."

"So, we..."

Shi Qiao was startled when she received the words "Christmas Eve".

correct!

I almost forgot!

gift!

"Pei Jingnian, I... I suddenly remembered that I made plans to go shopping with Youyou this afternoon!"

She put Pei Jingnian's belt back on, pulled hard, and carefully fastened the weapon.

Pei Jingnian: ?

With long strides, he jumped back into the passenger seat before Pei Jingnian could react.

She fastened her seatbelt, got ready to sit, and pretended not to see Pei Jingnian's dark expression. "Hurry up, we're going to be late. Take me to the city center."

As she spoke, she placed her phone beside her lap and silently sent Jiang Youran her location.

[Shortcut: Emergency! Meet here in two hours!]

*

"So, you're going to use me as a scapegoat for this?" Jiang Youran asked incredulously. "Do you know I didn't go to sleep until after 4 a.m. last night because I was working on my third playthrough of the game!"

She was wearing an ankle-length down jacket over a thick cotton-padded pajama set, clearly having rushed over in a flurry.

It looks quite out of place in the trendy tea restaurants in the city center where the average spending per person is nearly four figures.

Jiang Youran almost choked with anger. "Qiao, you're such a good sister! Pei Jingnian wouldn't have hired someone to kill me, would he?"

"Oh no, no way."

Shi Qiao timidly handed over Jiang Youran's favorite Tieguanyin milk jelly, with three-point zero-calorie sugar and double servings of milk jelly.

She handed her phone, which had been scanned with the order code, to Jiang Youran. "Youhuang, come on, turn your grief into appetite, eat your fill, it's on me."

"Everything was paid for today, and Xiaoqiaozi paid the bill too."

She was extremely respectful, and even blinked twice, constantly trying to flirt with Jiang Youran.

Jiang Youran took the cup, poked open the rim of the milk tea cup and took a sip. "Get up, Xiao Qiaozi. Who told me to spoil you like this?"

She casually ordered a few items and handed the phone back to Shi Qiao.

After finishing their meal, the two walked out of the tea restaurant hand in hand.

Jiang Youran searched around and said, "If we're looking for Christmas gifts, there probably isn't much to see in this mall. Let's go to the handmade goods street in the back."

Shi Qiao nodded, "I agree. We can just find a craft shop and make gifts while having fun."

"Anyway, when it comes to gifts, the thought behind them is the most important thing."

Jiang Youran's eyes lit up. "Why don't we go play Perler beads?"

"I saw a video yesterday and it made my mouth water, so I impulsively ordered a bunch of tools. It won't be three days until they all arrive."

"Let's go and have some fun with our hands, put together something for two or three hours, and then go browse other shops. I remember they also have some wood carvings over there."

Shi Qiao nodded vigorously, "Let's go, let's go."

"Oh right, wait a minute."

Although when she got off the car, Shi Qiao ignored Pei Jingnian's dark expression and repeatedly told him not to follow her.

If he follows her again, she will never talk to him again.

But she was still a little worried.

She silently turned on the security camera she had installed because the house was too big and could easily hide thieves. She switched between the cameras and scanned the room, finally spotting Pei Jingnian in the study.

He's already home, working on something on his computer.

Shi Qiao looked back warily, like a hyena.

There was no sign of Lu Zhou either.

She opened her phone again.

[Shi Qiao: Pei Jingnian, I'm really serious this time! I'll be watching you closely on the security cameras.]

[Shi Qiao: Reply?]

[Pei Jingnian: Yes, my dear wife.]

[Pei Jingnian: Can I make up for the time you didn't spend with me tonight?]

[Pei Jingnian: =⩌⩊⩌= If I behave well.]

Shi Qiao had no choice but to go all out.

[Shi Qiao: The premise is that you can actually do it.]

[Pei Jingnian: Okay, I'll be a good boy/girl.]

[Pei Jingnian: This time it's for real.]

Pei Jingnian looked at the cat emoji that Shi Qiao had replied to him on the screen, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

He probably guessed what his wife was going to do.

So he really will behave this time.

As for the brakes that my wife suddenly forced me to apply in the car...

Not urgent.

The night is long.