The dog figured it out and was happy again. The large Alaskan Malamute pounced into Su Yanxi's arms, wrapped its arms around her waist, and lifted her up and shook her.
"Oh my, honey, this is wonderful! We're definitely a perfect match! You've chosen me and I've chosen you!"
"Alright, alright, stop, stop shaking me, put me down!" Su Yanxi was dizzy from being jostled around, so she punched the stinky dog's back again before it finally put her down. "What, do you still think I don't love you? Do you still think I'm a greedy, materialistic man who's only with you for your money?"
"Huh? Honey, what did you say?"
"I'm afraid you've never loved me, but I've never thought of you as a greedy or materialistic man."
"oh?"
"If you're greedy, that would be wonderful!"
Bie Yunzong couldn't help but grin foolishly at the thought of his wife being greedy for money.
"Then I'll sell all my assets, I'll definitely raise 5 billion, so that you can lie obediently in bed for the rest of your life and not go anywhere!"
"Ugh..." Su Yanxi shuddered. "How could you have such a filthy thought?"
"How is it dirty? It's all because we love our wives!" Bie Yunzong said matter-of-factly, then smiled and asked his wife, "Now that I've figured out your logic, shouldn't you understand that there aren't that many 'what ifs' in this world?"
Su Yanxi's aura darkened once again.
He bent down, picked up Nubi who was squatting on the ground, and walked out of the dressing room.
"The nature of things is different. In the end, it's just that my situation is too coincidental. The point that affects the development of things is often just a matter of a single thought; the slight difference in choices, which may lead to different results, really terrifies me. I don't even... I don't even dare to make judgments easily anymore."
Chapter 97
The things that Bie Yunzong feared were within Su Yanxi's subjective control, but the things that Su Yanxi feared were entirely influenced by objective factors.
What if the teacher goes overtime on the day they first meet, preventing him from waiting downstairs in the teaching building? What if he wavers after being persuaded by the senior students on the sports field and leaves before the office lights are turned on?
What if he doesn't behave well when talking to his mother-in-law, who hasn't yet revealed her identity, and this makes her unhappy?
There are so many things that can be changed with a single thought, and this is the root of Su Yanxi's fear and anxiety.
After listening, Bie Yunzong pondered for a while, then sat down on the large bed where the two of them slept, with his arm around his wife.
"Honey, I think your worries are unnecessary. Like I said, first, there aren't that many 'what ifs'; second, even if there were, it wouldn't change anything."
"Because think about it, why did you go to the teacher's office, and why did Mom invite Qi Xiang'an to dinner?"
Su Yanxi leaned into her nemesis's spacious and warm embrace, her mind racing: "Because..."
The moment she figured out the answer, Su Yanxi seemed to wake from a dream.
Yes, there are no "what ifs." Even if there were, it wouldn't change anything!
He went to the teacher's office because of a disciplinary matter, which led to his encounter with his unfortunate husband and the beginning of this ill-fated relationship. But even if there hadn't been a disciplinary matter, and he hadn't gone to the teacher's office, he would have still met his unfortunate husband!
“Without punishment, Mom wouldn’t even have thought of Qi Xiang’an. The person Mom initially wanted to introduce you to was me!” Su Yanxi suddenly felt relieved, her tight chest suddenly cleared, and she felt incredibly refreshed.
He hugged the well-behaved, logical dog beside him and showered it with kisses. In such a good mood, he wasn't satisfied after the cheek kisses and quickly returned to Bie Yunzong's lips for a sweet, deep kiss.
When Bie Yunzong was unusually treated proactively by his usually cold and restrained wife, his cheekbones soared to the heavens, and he was so delighted that he even dared to shamelessly ask for more.
"Waaah, honey, give me another slap! Good things come in pairs!"
Su Yanxi generously added another kiss, accompanied by a forceful "pop".
After kissing him and rubbing the stinky dog's face, she regained her usual dignified and confident demeanor: "I was almost misled by Qi Xiang'an! He said he wanted to take back 'what rightfully belonged to him' from me, but clearly everything that's mine is mine—it's been mine from the very beginning!"
“Yeah, right.” Don’t let Nostrils snort, his tone displeased. “But it’s him, he’s taken a lot from you. Your straight A’s, wasn’t it just because you couldn’t get the disciplinary record that it was passed on to him?”
"Wife, now's the perfect time to take it all back from him in one go."
Su Yanxi's disciplinary action was revoked by the school before the end of her first semester. However, the revocation itself didn't change the huge public opinion surrounding the alleged sugar daddy scandal. Some students believed that the evidence Su Yanxi provided was insufficient to prove that he had no intention of taking shortcuts—was he really that stupid to go to a karaoke bar on a whim at eighteen years old?
So even if the punishment is lifted, Su Yanxi's student life will still have a dark mark on it. As for the "all-around excellent student" award, which symbolizes the image of each graduating class, Su Yanxi will be even less eligible to participate in the selection.
In any case, during his three years at university, Su Yanxi had already proven his abilities with excellent grades, so it didn't matter whether he achieved all A's or not. He comforted himself at the time: "A fall into a pit, a gain in your wit; in the future, I shouldn't be so eager for quick success or make hasty judgments."
Looking back now, Su Yanxi realizes that it's not too late.
“My husband is right, it’s time to take back what’s mine.”
Su Yanxi believed that his guess on the way there, along with Bie Yunzong's, was probably pretty accurate. Now he was just waiting for his elder brother to compile the detailed information and provide him with a document of concrete and usable evidence.
Once he has this document, he will systematically begin his revenge plan.
“The chills and fear I felt when we bumped into each other at the elevator entrance are something I have to get back at him for.”
Three days later, it was a dry, hot, and cloudy day.
Two well-dressed, familiar regulars visited the TOPISUES styling studio in the western part of Beicheng District.
"What would you like to do today? A manicure or haircut?" The two gentlemen were dressed almost identically, in long pants, long sleeves, and a light jacket for wind and sun protection. "Would you like a facial? I feel uncomfortable when it gets hot; my face feels rough from the sun."
Their thick clothing clearly indicated that both gentlemen came from prominent families. It was August, and the daytime sun was still quite hot; those who could wear long pants, long sleeves, and jackets when going out must be young masters and ladies chauffeured in private cars.
"Sure, if you want to do it, I'll do it with you. It's a rare trip out, let's get everything done."
Another gentleman answered, pulling the first gentleman to sit down on the sofa in the reception area.
"Doing more projects will help delay my return home."
"I finally got a few days off and was thinking of having a good rest, but Yunzong keeps bothering me at home every day. It's driving me crazy."
"Oh, oh, oh, you're still annoyed?" Cai Yuyan teased Su Yanxi with a click of her tongue. "When we were arguing before, who was it that couldn't sleep all night and started crying and pouring out their heart as soon as they saw me?"
"I wasn't crying!" Su Yanxi slapped Cai Yuyan's leg indignantly. "I was just panicked and didn't know what to do. It's not as exaggerated as you're making it out to be!"
The receptionist asked the two regular customers in a friendly manner, "Mr. Cai, Mr. Su, what kind of service would you like to provide today?"
TOPISSUES is a members-only styling studio with a minimum spend requirement of 100,000. It's highly favored within affluent circles due to its advanced equipment, stylists' excellent aesthetic sense, and comprehensive services. Many families even hire stylists from TOPISSUES to their homes to design looks for their young masters and ladies when hosting small parties.
Chapter 98
Some well-funded celebrity management teams also hire highly skilled makeup artists here to accompany their artists to the red carpet for touch-ups.
Therefore, the staff here are all experienced, discreet, and trustworthy, which is why Su Yanxi and Cai Yuyan both love coming here.
"Shall we get a haircut first? It's been a while since I had one, let's trim it a little. It's getting too long, it'll start interfering with my styling on set." Su Yanxi gestured to Cai Yuyan with her eyes.
Cai Yuyan nodded: "Okay. After the haircut, I'll get a facial, and I'll also get my hands and feet done."
“Okay,” the receptionist nodded, politely gestured for them to proceed, and quickly pressed the elevator button. “Then please follow me to barbershop number one on the third floor. Would both gentlemen like to use the same stylist?”
Su Yanxi and Cai Yuyan nodded in unison.
After the receptionist said "okay," she settled the two people into the shampoo bed, turned around to call someone in to wash their hair, and brought them drinks and a menu of snacks.
The young woman apologized to Su Yanxi, saying, "Mr. Su, I'm sorry, Xiao Chen, who usually does your hair, is away working recently and won't be able to do your hair."
"Oh?" Su Yanxi was taken aback. "Then let's change it? But besides Xiao Chen, I don't know any other stylists. You can choose one for me, someone who is good at everyday styling."
The young lady acknowledged and withdrew.
While getting their hair washed and cut, Su Yanxi and Cai Yuyan chatted the whole way. They had similar personalities and work styles, and were both former or current employees in the entertainment industry, so they could talk about many things. Without their elders or husbands around, they could chat forever.
"You'd better work hard and win the Best Actor award. Once you win it, I'll brag to everyone I meet: My sister-in-law is the Best Actor!"
"Easy for you to say. Why don't you go and get one back?"
"Me? I majored in broadcasting—I'm a host! Why would a host like me go and act in a play?"
"Why not give it a try? It's not illegal to try."
"I can't, I really don't have that talent. Acting is subjective; without a bit of natural talent, no amount of practice will help," Cai Yuyan said frankly. "You have talent, you can give it a try. What, you're hesitant to accept my offer?"
"I won't agree to your offer," Su Yanxi huffed arrogantly. "What if I agree but don't get it in the end? You'd definitely laugh at me."
"Can't get it?" Cai Yuyan chuckled, raising her voice, "If you can't get it, I'll give you a shady deal! My sister-in-law is definitely the best, there's no way she can't get it!"
Cai Yuyan's domineering remarks amused the two shampoo boys, who chuckled as well. One of them, after holding back for a while, picked up a towel and said, "Gentlemen, you're done washing. You can sit up now."
Cai and Su complied. While the deliveryman was busy wiping their heads and wrapping their hair, Su Yanxi didn't stop eating.
"No way, I know you're joking, but let's not talk about any behind-the-scenes manipulation..." Su Yanxi got off the shampoo bed with a towel wrapped around her head. "Because of that perpetually low penis, I feel nauseous whenever I hear those words now."
Like Cheng Zhuo, Qi Xiang'an also had a code name – "Eternal Second Place".
With the coded signals, the Cai and Su brothers could chat about their family gossip without any worries, preventing eavesdroppers from deciphering it.
"Feeling cold?"
"Disgusting, huh?" Su Yanxi snorted and sat down at the barber's counter, guided by the barber. "The more I think about it these past few days, the more nauseous I feel. That person has really done too much behind my back. It's no exaggeration to say that the feud between this person and me can be traced back to my father's generation."
"Even after all this, he still has the nerve to tell me he wants to 'take back what's his'?"
"Don't be angry, don't be angry. Some people are just shameless, thinking the whole world owes them something." Cai Yuyan comforted her sister-in-law. "I'll go back and urge Cong Rui to give you the information as soon as possible. Once you have the information, you can formulate a plan to deal with him."
"Speaking of which, how have things been between you and Yunzong lately? Have you been having any more arguments?"
The hairdryer was blowing hot air, and Su Yanxi stopped and waited a while. Only after her hair was half-dry did she speak.
"Sister-in-law, why have you become just like Mom? You're always interfering in my and Yunzong's lives..."
"That's why I'm the older brother and sister-in-law. I don't pry into my younger brother and sister-in-law's relationship. What else can I ask?"
"Please, just tell me, okay?"
"Okay, very good." Su Yanxi answered through gritted teeth, then rolled her eyes. "Didn't I just say that he's been clinging to me like a leech these past few days at home?"
"He's more clingy than a leech! He follows me around while I eat and sleep, and now he wants to follow me even when I shower or go to the bathroom!"
"Isn't this great?" Cai Yuyan laughed. "Yanxi, why are you so strange? You get annoyed when Yunzong isn't enthusiastic, and you get annoyed when Yunzong is enthusiastic?"
"Is this my problem? This is clearly his problem!" Su Yanxi said angrily. "It's him. He either comes home late and I can't find him, or he's always hanging around in front of me all day long."
"Why can't he just find a middle ground himself? Why does he have to be so extreme? I think the really strange person is him!"
As soon as Su Yanxi finished speaking, his phone on the small table next to him suddenly vibrated. He glanced at the caller ID; it was Z.
He felt a throbbing pain in his temples. Before the stylist could come over to put on the dust cover, he quickly answered the phone: "What did I tell you? He really can't stay still for half an afternoon. He called me again."
"—Hey, what's wrong?"
As soon as the call was answered, Bie Yunzong's pitiful whimpering voice came from the other end: "Waaah, wife..."
"What's wrong? Why are you crying?" Su Yanxi tried her best to remain calm and reason with the big dog. "Honey, I'm getting my hair cut in the salon right now. Can you give me some peace and quiet?"
“I wanted to say yes, but…” Bie Yunzong even sniffed, “Qi Xiang’an came to find me.”