Zhou Che remained completely oblivious to the underlying tension from the earlier exchange.
After lunch, he planned to take Jiang Liuyue and the others to explore the old hutongs of City B.
The other three had no objections.
The summer heat was still rather scorching, especially in the afternoon, with the incessant drone of cicadas filling the air.
Zhou Che thoughtfully handed Jiang Liuyue a sun hat and a small portable fan he had prepared in advance.
Feng Xiaoman watched this scene and praised,
"You're so considerate, Weimian."
Zhou Che chuckled, scratching his head. "It's nothing much."
Feng Xiaoman turned to Huo Yaochuan, who simply shrugged.
"I didn't expect we'd be doing outdoor sightseeing."
Feng Xiaoman offered a considerate smile. "It's fine, I can share an umbrella with Liuyue."
She then looked at Jiang Liuyue.
"Right?"
Jiang Liuyue also curved her lips into a smile.
"Of course, Xiaoman, we're good friends."
Being tall, she opened the sun umbrella and beckoned to Feng Xiaoman.
Feng Xiaoman smiled and ducked under the shade of her umbrella.
The oblivious Zhou Che noticed nothing amiss, even adding cheerfully, "Yueyue, you and Sister-in-law Xiaoman really are close."
Feng Xiaoman seized the opportunity to continue,
"Naturally. We were roommates all four years of university. We even lived together for a year after graduation. Our bond is very deep."
"Liuyue, isn't that right?"
Jiang Liuyue met Feng Xiaoman's seemingly smiling eyes, which held a veiled mockery, her own expression unchanged.
Her tone was unhurried as she said slowly,
"Xiaoman has truly been very good to me."
"Last week when my grandmother fell ill, she got worried as soon as she heard and insisted on going back with me to visit her."
"She even said my grandmother was her grandmother too."
"You have no idea how touched I was at the time, right, Xiaoman?" She raised an eyebrow.
Did they really think she was a fool?
Why did Feng Xiaoman insist on following her back to her hometown to visit her grandmother back then? And how did she 'accidentally' take that photo of the grandmother in the hospital bed?
It was all just to send it to Huo Yaochuan.
And the reason?
Nothing more than an excuse to postpone their meeting.
Her words hung in the air.
The two people present were stunned.
Zhou Che, being the most guileless, blurted out immediately,
"Huh? So Sister-in-law Xiaoman's grandmother wasn't sick?"
"It was Yueyue's grandmother who was ill?"
Huo Yaochuan's gaze darkened as it swept over Feng Xiaoman.
He had thought it was already outrageous enough that she used Liuyue's photos, pretending they were her own, for online dating!
He never imagined she would be so unscrupulous as to take photos of Liuyue's sick grandmother and send them to him.
Lying that it was her own sick grandmother.
All just for an excuse to delay their meeting!
This had crossed a moral line, a truly despicable act!
If Huo Yaochuan had known about this earlier, he probably wouldn't have chased after her on the rooftop last night.
Who knew what other lies Feng Xiaoman had told him.
Feng Xiaoman panicked, shooting an incredulous glance at Jiang Liuyue.
How... how did she figure it out?
She hurriedly tried to salvage the situation. "...Yes, I must have misspoken, I didn't explain it clearly to Yaochuan."
"It was Liuyue's grandmother, but she's a wonderful person, just like my own grandmother."
Such a lame excuse.
Even Zhou Che sensed something was off.
For a moment, the atmosphere grew heavy.
Yet, the four of them continued walking through the hutong alleyways without stopping.
Jiang Liuyue suddenly let out a light laugh.
The sound broke the silence.
Feng Xiaoman shot her an annoyed and embarrassed look.
Her eyes warning her not to say anything more.
Jiang Liuyue paid no heed.
Continuing on her own, she said,
"And it's not just that."
"Xiaoman has been so good to me, she even noticed my running shoes were worn out."
"So she took me to the mall and bought me a pair of running shoes costing over ten thousand."
"Xiaoman, you really are my good friend."
Zhou Che couldn't detect any contradiction in these words.
But Huo Yaochuan understood immediately.
So, Feng Xiaoman really was a fraud.
That picture of the running figure from that day was also a stolen shot of Jiang Liuyue, which she then sent to him.
Huo Yaochuan, feeling sorry for his 'girlfriend' at the time, had transferred fifty thousand for her to buy sports gear.
And yet, the money she obtained by using someone else's photo, she only spent a little over ten thousand on a pair of running shoes for Jiang Liuyue.
Should he call her generous?
Or stingy.
But at this moment, Huo Yaochuan only felt like a fool.
Completely duped by Feng Xiaoman.
He used to say Zhou Che would get scammed by a live-streamer, but he himself was the real, genuine idiot!
"Yaochuan, I..."
Seeing Huo Yaochuan's expression shift, Feng Xiaoman, forgetting about the blazing sun, stepped out from under the umbrella.
She moved closer to Huo Yaochuan.
He, however, shook his head with cold indifference and disgust.
Taking a step back, he said coldly,
"I don't want to hear your explanations."
Watching their exchange, Zhou Che grew curious.
With a gossipy air, he leaned in closer to Jiang Liuyue and whispered,
"Huh. What's going on?"
"What kind of riddle are you three talking about? Why don't I understand?"
Jiang Liuyue turned a smiling face to him, raised her hand, and gently ruffled his sticking-up cowlick. Her tone was warm as she said,
"Good boy."
"This doesn't concern you."
Boom—
Zhou Che froze.
His whole body turned as red as a boiled lobster.
From his cheeks to the tips of his ears, he seemed petrified.
Yet, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl upwards.
Ah!
Yueyue touched his head.
And called him a good boy.
Ahhh!
He decided, tonight, no, tomorrow night as well, he wouldn't wash his hair.
There must be a lingering sweet fragrance on it.
Zhou Che was practically hopping with joy inside.
But mindful of the others and his image, he forced himself to stay still.
For the rest of the hutong stroll, it was Zhou Che who chattered away with introductions, lively and cheerful.
And Jiang Liuyue was like a kindergarten teacher, listening and nodding along with praise.
Feng Xiaoman remained silent.
Huo Yaochuan kept a stern face.
The afternoon passed like this.
Zhou Che suggested, "Shall we have dinner together tonight too?"
Huo Yaochuan, feeling weary, shook his head.
"I have some matters to attend to at the company."
Feng Xiaoman didn't dare say much, afraid of angering him further.
"Then I'll go back to the hotel to rest."
Truthfully, Zhou Che didn't really care about the other two; he just wanted to have dinner with Yueyue.
His eyes sparkled as he looked at Jiang Liuyue.
"What about you?"
Huo Yaochuan suddenly also looked up, his gaze settling on her face.
Jiang Liuyue checked the time on her phone and said,
"Take me to the airport. I have a flight tonight."
Zhou Che was instantly crestfallen, letting out a mournful cry.
"Ah, what?! You're leaving so soon? We've barely spent a day together."
Jiang Liuyue gave a helpless, wry smile and sighed.
"Yeah, the round-trip tickets were booked by the 'Jianghu Tianxia 3' official event. Next time."
"Next time I come to City B, you can show me around properly, okay?"
Zhou Che nodded vigorously.
"Deal!"
Huo Yaochuan first drove the group back to the hotel.
As Jiang Liuyue was about to get into Zhou Che's car with her luggage for the airport, he quickly stepped forward and stopped her.
"What's up, Brother Huo?" Her voice was still sweet and crisp, her eyes smiling.
Huo Yaochuan said, "I'm heading that way."
