Yu Minglang suddenly felt like squeezing Qiao Zhen’s balls. This was just too infuriating! His wife was hitting on his wife!

After stirring Yu Minglang’s emotions, Qian kicked him out, "Go, go, make some late-night snacks. We will sleep in the guest room tonight, you can sleep in the master bedroom alone."

Boxers!

Another bolt from the blue!

Not only are they taking a bath together, but also sleeping in the same bed?

"Wife, are you serious?" He was holding onto a small glimmer of hope; his wife couldn’t be this heartless, right?

"More serious than ever! You should grow up a bit! It’s been so long since us sisters slept together; we have a lot of secrets to share. Stop interfering like a kid!"

"Get lost!" Qian blushed after being stared at by him and pushed him towards the kitchen.

Xiaoqiang felt a pang in his heart as his status in this family sank to such a level. His wife let Shi Touyu take her away, and he, the legitimate husband, has to pathetically make late-night snacks for them. Is there even any justice?

Holding her small hand, he reluctantly said, "Wife! Promise me, after you guys finish chatting tonight, you’ll come back to our room. I can’t sleep without you, really can’t! I have work tomorrow, and if I don’t get enough sleep, what if I collapse at the office?"

To win her back, he found even this shameless excuse.

"Alright, I’ll consider it. Go make some late-night snacks now."

Resignedly, Xiaoqiang put on an apron and went to prepare the snacks. Meanwhile, Qian accompanied Shi Tou to take a bath, and the two of them applied facial masks in the bathroom. If there weren’t a resentful husband cooking outside, it would feel just like being in the dormitory, with the two standing side by side in front of the mirror applying masks.

"Did running out in the rain clear your mind a bit?" Qian asked while applying the mask.

"Yes, I know what I should do now." Shi Touyu kept the same posture as Qian, gently pressing the mask mud on her face.

After four years of living together as close friends, even their facial mask routines were the same.

"Qian." Shi Touyu called out to Qian.

"What’s up?"

"Would you forgive me no matter what I did to you, even if it was betrayal or deceit?"

Yu Minglang held up the cooked little wontons, listening to the laughter coming from the bathroom, suppressing the urge to stir Shi Touyu’s bowl with his hand.

This is outrageous, coming over to steal his wife! He has to quickly sort this out and send her away, or Mei won’t love him anymore!

The bathroom door opened, and Xiaoqiang’s expression changed from that of a resentful husband to one of pride in an instant, "Wife, look, I made fresh meat wontons for you two—uh!"

What’s going on with these two green-faced faces! Xiaoqiang was almost scared.

How many colors of facial masks does his wife have? It’s terrifying!

Among the two nearly identical green faces, he recognized his wife but didn’t get a chance to brag before being dismissed by Qian.

"Go away, we’ll eat—what are you looking at, do you want to stay and wash the dishes?"

You little girl, just wait... Xiaoqiang gritted his teeth, once Shi Touyu leaves, he’ll roll the yoga ball around the house, teach her who’s the boss here!

After eating and washing up, the two women lay side by side in the small bedroom, while Yu Minglang sulkily hugged a quilt in the empty room, trying to listen carefully to what was being said next door. Unfortunately, his wife soundproofed the rooms at home, so with the door closed, it was hard to hear clearly.

"Qian, I miss home." Shi Touyu stared at the ceiling, wondering if her mother was surrounded by workers at home, and thinking about her father who was nowhere to be found, feeling deeply troubled.

"Home is just a label; what kind of house you’re living in, where it is, whether you’re together or not, all of it doesn’t matter. The important thing is that if your heart is with them, then you are with them."

Qian held her hand; they didn’t talk about the Shi Family’s current crisis, but Qian understood Shi Tou’s feelings at this moment.

"If one day I changed, and I turned into another version of me, standing on the opposite side of you, would you greet me if we met on the street?"

"No."

...yes, Qian was always clear about love and hate. Whoever dares to hurt her heart will never see her again in their lifetime. What kind of response was she hoping to get?

"I’d walk over and slap you twice hard, then pull you back to the way you are now."

"Didn’t you say there’s no forgiveness after hurt?"

"You guys are different."

In Qian’s heart, the bottom lines for certain people were always higher than for others.

The two women chatted for most of the night, and only when Shi Tou fell asleep did Qian yawn and think about going to the bathroom.

"Little girl, not sleeping at night, where are you going?" he said mischievously, mimicking a villain’s voice.

"I’m going back to sleep."

"Sleeping is a good thing, what a coincidence, I think so too. Come!"

Qian went out and didn’t come back, and after a while, Shi Yu opened her tightly shut eyes. The curtain couldn’t block the lightning outside; in that instant, her face appeared somewhat pale.

On her wrist was a bracelet, small and exquisite, exuding a light fragrance, it seemed to be authentic little-leaf red sandalwood.

Qian had placed it on her wrist after she fell asleep, one of Xiaoqiang’s treasures originally scooped from his uncle.

The oil-polished beads were comfortable to wear, with four loops, suggesting there were 108 beads.

Qian was an atheist, but she knew Shi Touyu especially believed in these things, considering the Shi Family’s situation, giving her these beads hoping to calm her distress.

Just like when Shi Touyu once gave Qian a crystal marigold bracelet.

Those carefree yet exquisitely deep-rooted friendships of the past, could they ever be revisited?

In her mind, the image of her father overlapped with Qian; if the balance of friendship breaks, there might never be a chance to return to how it was.

Shi Touyu touched the beads, counting them one by one, not knowing how long she counted, but the unrest in her heart didn’t settle.

Thinking about the moments spent with Qian, reminiscing about the simplicity and beauty of school days, those were the best memories of her life.

As dawn broke, realizing Qian should be asleep with Yu Minglang, Shi Touyu got up.

She quietly opened the door, saw the tightly shut bedroom door, and smiled slightly.