Feng Miwan looked at Xiong Yibai. “Ah? There’s such a thing?”
Xiong Yibai merely hummed in response.
Ren Queyue sat up and stared at Xiong Yibai.
“So, Xiong Yibai, come clean! Starting from that day, you’d already set your sights on Little Wan, hadn’t you? You were so afraid I’d beat you to it that you didn’t even give me her WeChat?”
Xiong Yibai remained unflappable. “At that time, I was just interested.”
“Just interested?!”
Ren Queyue’s voice rose.
“Just interested, and you were already so possessive? You didn’t even give me a chance to get to know her?”
Feng Miwan listened from the side, her cheeks burning.
So it had been that early…
Zhao Shutong fanned the flames from nearby.
“Wow, who would’ve thought? Dr. Xiong looks so cool and aloof, but you strike fast, accurate, and ruthless?”
Faced with the two-pronged attack, Xiong Yibai stayed as steady as a rock.
Taking advantage of the smooth road ahead, she glanced sideways at Feng Miwan beside her.
“Facts prove my judgment was correct. Eliminating the interference early improved efficiency.”
This statement was tantamount to directly admitting she’d had ulterior motives from the start.
Ren Queyue was left speechless for a moment before pointing at Xiong Yibai and saying to Feng Miwan,
“Little Wan, you see this? How terrifying this person is! So scheming, always plotting ahead! You’d better watch out from now on!”
But Feng Miwan just pursed her lips and smiled.
“I think… it’s pretty good.”
Ren Queyue & Zhao Shutong: “…………………………”
Well, worry for nothing.
One willing to strike, the other willing to take the hit.
Ren Queyue clutched her forehead, feigning heartbreak. “It’s over. This kid’s totally under her thumb.”
Zhao Shutong patted Ren Queyue’s shoulder with gleeful schadenfreude.
“Face reality, ex-wife sis. In front of a true master, your tricks don’t cut it.”
Ren Queyue irritably swatted her hand away.
“Shut up!”
The car merged onto the highway, and the urban scenery outside the window gradually gave way to vast fields and distant mountains.
Feng Miwan looked at the words “Longevity Town” on the navigation and asked curiously,
“Yibai, Longevity Town? The name alone sounds so healthy! Your grandma must be in incredible shape, right?”
Xiong Yibai replied, “Mm, over eighty, and she still tends her own vegetable garden.”
Feng Miwan sighed in genuine admiration.
“Wow! Amazing! Is it the town’s water that’s special? Or some longevity secret? Like… having to drink three bowls of green plum wine every day?”
Xiong Yibai’s lips curved up at her words. “No. She just has a good mindset and can’t sit still.”
Zhao Shutong leaned over the front seatback.
“A good mindset is key. Unlike some people who, despite being young, have a menopausal temper—explode at the slightest thing.”
Ren Queyue was about to fire back.
Feng Miwan quickly smoothed things over and continued asking Xiong Yibai,
“Yibai, do you go to Longevity Town often? Is it fun there?”
Xiong Yibai said, “I went every summer vacation as a kid. You can climb mountains, catch fish in the river, and there’s a huge loquat tree in the yard—pick them fresh when they’re ripe.”
Feng Miwan looked wistful. “Sounds awesome! I want to go catch fish too!”
Xiong Yibai replied, “Sure, as long as you don’t scare them all away.”
Feng Miwan protested, “I’m not that clumsy!”
Zhao Shutong interjected, “Wanwan, don’t you have a bit of a skewed self-image? Remember last time you came to my shop and nearly plucked my prized phoenix tail plant bald?”
Feng Miwan said, “…It looked too much like feathers—I couldn’t resist!”
Ren Queyue finally couldn’t hold back her commentary. “Some plants really shouldn’t be kept indoors, like phoenix tails. The pollen can easily cause allergies. Zhao, as a shop owner, you should keep up with the professional knowledge too.”
Zhao Shutong shot back, “Oh? Dr. Ren’s expertise is pretty broad—going from human health to botany now?”
Ren Queyue frowned. “I’m talking serious business with you!”
Zhao Shutong said, “Me too! Just reminding you not to meddle so much—it ages you.”
Ren Queyue turned away, refusing to look at her. “Hmph, why bother talking to a heartless woman like you?”
She fell silent for two seconds, then sat up straight to complain to Xiong Yibai and Feng Miwan.
“You have no idea how ruthless she is. After we broke up, she hired eight cleaners to come over and deep-clean from morning till night!”
“They practically scraped a layer off the walls! Even the used soap bars—she scraped off a layer with a knife!”
“Good grief, not a single strand of her hair was left! Anyone who didn’t know would think a major crime scene investigation was underway and she was destroying evidence!”
“The worst part? The old man next door got spooked by the commotion and came over to ask what was going on.”
“I was racking my brain for an excuse when guess what the old man said to me?”
Ren Queyue mimicked the old man’s world-weary, all-knowing tone.
“He said, ‘Cleanup crew, huh? No worries, I get it, I get it.’”
Feng Miwan couldn’t hold back her laughter.
“Cleanup crew?! Pfft—hahaha! This grandpa must’ve watched too many gangster movies! Hahahaha…”
Even Xiong Yibai couldn’t help but curve her lips and shake her head.
Zhao Shutong tossed her hair.
“What’s wrong with liking things clean and hygienic? When you break, break clean—that’s basic respect for the next one. Got it?”
Ren Queyue sneered. “Heh, thanks a lot then.”
Zhao Shutong said, “You’re welcome. My pleasure.”
The car drove on for a while longer. Zhao Shutong spotted a roadside farmstay sign flashing by and suddenly clapped her hands.
“Hey! After we get off the highway, let’s stop somewhere. We need to buy some gifts, right? Showing up empty-handed is rude.”
Only then did Feng Miwan react.
“Right! How did I forget the most important thing!”
Ren Queyue joined in.
“Should we order a cake? For an elderly person, we might need to control the sugar…”
Xiong Yibai shook her head.
“My parents already ordered the cake—it’ll be delivered straight to the house. Really no need for gifts. Grandma doesn’t care about that.”
Zhao Shutong disagreed.
“You can’t decline this, Dr. Xiong. Basic etiquette. Especially Wanwan’s—she needs to pick something thoughtful.”
Feng Miwan grew a bit nervous at her words. “I’m going as a friend this time…”
Zhao Shutong gave her a look of exasperation.
“My silly Wanwan! You’ll have to formally visit as a girlfriend someday, right?”
“Lay the groundwork now, build some goodwill—then next time it’ll be smooth sailing?”
Feng Miwan had a realization. “Right! That makes sense! Shu Tong, you think of everything!”
Ren Queyue added from the side,
“And what if Yibai’s family has aunts or cousins there? Bringing something shuts down the gossip and keeps nosy comments at bay.”
About two hours later, the car finally exited the highway and entered Longevity Town.
The town was more bustling than expected, with clean streets lined with shops on both sides.
Xiong Yibai skillfully pulled into the parking lot of a large chain supermarket.
