Translator: Cheese
Gone home
In the car, He Qingwan sat in the driver’s seat, with a group of half-grown children squeezed in the back.
Everyone seemed to feel a certain stifling and ambiguous atmosphere and silently did their own things, not saying a word. Only He Qingwan didn’t notice.
Ji Shaoheng glanced through the rear-view mirror at Xi Yun and asked, “How did your case go?”
He Qingwan was an adult, so naturally she answered, “Almost all the evidence has been collected and can be handed over to the Luocheng police.”
Ji Shaoheng pretended to be surprised. “Your accent sounds like a local’s ah?”
He Qingwan smiled in embarrassment. “I used to live in the capital. I moved to Luocheng some time ago.”
Ji Shaoheng naturally knew why. He glanced at Su Tian. “Is your registration1 still in the capital? These kids seem to be taking the college entrance exams soon ba?”
He Qingwan: “Yes, a second year this year. Next year, we’ll have her come back for the test.”
Upon hearing herself being mentioned, Su Tian raised her head and shot the two a smile.
Ji Shaoheng: “Have you thought about which school to apply for?”
The University of Public Safety’s2 not bad. Why not consider it?
Unfortunately, he didn’t dare to say these words to her.
As of now, even if he was dead set on getting Su Tian into the police bureau, the Su family would agree but He Qingwan would not. When the time came and he messed things up, the household wouldn’t be peaceful3…
Emmmm, his thoughts strayed a bit far.
Su Tian: “Maybe Imperial4 National University.”
Imperial National University was in the capital. Ji Shaoheng quietly breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. So long as she came to the capital for school, there would be more opportunities in the future.
He laughed. “It seems the young lady’s scores are pretty good.”
Seeing Ji Shaoheng praising Su Tian, He Qingwan smiled, her eyes curving into crescents. She said modestly, “No, no, it’s just that she’s a bit more clever and thoughtful than other children.”
Ji Shaoheng tutted in his heart. He didn’t think there’d be a day when he talked about the little brat in such a proud tone. So long as he didn’t harm his fish anymore, he would thank the heavens.
The time passed quickly as they chatted casually about random things. In the blink of an eye, the Gongfu Hotel was in sight, and the rain had quietly stopped at some point in time.
Ji Shaoheng parked the car at the entrance of the hotel, smiling. “It’s like the rain fell just for me to bring you all here.”
He spoke as though they were a match made in heaven.
Su Tian silently looked away. This surnamed Ji sure could chase after women ah, hah.
He Qingwan blushed, feeling that she’d thought too much into it.
Ji Shaoheng smoothly added, “Where are you going to play tomorrow?”
He Qingwan: “We’re going back tomorrow.”
!?
Ji Shaoheng remained patient. “Not playing a few more days?”
He Qingwan: “We have something to do at home.”
They’d already been here for three days. If they stayed any longer, she was afraid they would run into the Su and He families.
Ji Shaoheng, sounding unshaken: “Okay, if you come to the capital and run into any trouble, you can come find me at the police station. My name is Ji Shaoheng. You can ask any policeman, and they’ll know.”
It’s okay, it’s okay. She’d come back sooner or later.
What was more, Luocheng wasn’t far from the capital. It wasn’t difficult for him to make an occasional trip there.
He Qingwan smiled and agreed.
Ji Shaoheng watched them enter the hotel. Only then did he jerk the steering wheel and speed off in the opposite direction.
His fish!
Ji Shaoheng raced all the way down and parked his car down below. Grabbing the umbrella He Qingwan had given him, he sprinted up the stairs and opened the door. The youth was standing in front of the fish tank, feeding the coral and anemones.
He quickly scanned through the entire fish tank. “Where’s my peppermint angelfish5?”
The youth remained silent. He looked at the umbrella in Ji Shaoheng’s hand, then pointed at the bathroom nearby with the feeder in his hand.
Ji Shaoheng promptly put down the umbrella and flung open the door. He saw that the bag containing the fish had been casually tossed onto the toilet, without even a temperature-control item.
He cursed the little brat before quickly and carefully picking up the bag and looking at the fish inside.
Thank goodness, thank goodness, the angelfish was still alive and kicking6.
Fish from the aquarium didn’t need to be quarantined7. Ji Shaoheng simply came out with the bag and placed it in the fish tank. He then painstakingly began to acclimatize it8.
He had sharp eyes, and he immediately caught sight of another clownfish in the tank.
This little brat put a clownfish in the tank again!
No, the bastard’s clownfish was transferred and was happily swimming around grabbing food in the tank, while his peppermint angelfish was left pitifully on the toilet. Could you not give such differential treatment?
Ji Shaoheng ground his teeth. “Can’t you keep your clownfish and octopus in the lab?”
The teen leisurely fed his octopus a piece of shrimp before giving him a glance. “The ones in the lab are for research.”
Ji Shaoheng: “…”
“Then when will you hurry up and go back to the lab?”
The teen: “Working during the National Day holiday9 is three times the salary. The lab can’t afford to pay.”
In other words, he was staying here until the end of the holiday.
Ji Shaoheng: “…”
Hah hah, laozi10 worked overtime all day, but he’d never seen the Ministry of Public Security give him three times the salary.
He decided to wait for the National Day holiday to end and this little bastard to leave, then change his passcode.
Finished transferring the peppermint angelfish, he watched it for a moment, making sure that his precious fish had no issues, before picking up the umbrella he bought back and leaving it open on the balcony to dry.
The teen looked at the umbrella for a moment and asked, “Where’d you get the umbrella?”
Ji Shaoheng, smug: “From a beauty.”
The teen: “…Congratulations, the thirty-three-year-old man is finally getting married.”
Ji Shaoheng, furious: “Isn’t it all because of you.”
Having to raise a stinky brat at such a young age, where would he have the mind to look for a woman ah.
The teen: “…”
Ji Shaoheng coughed. “Don’t worry, I won’t get married before you become an adult. The beauty’s already gone home.”
“Gone home?” The youth glanced over.
Ji Shaoheng took off his drenched clothes and responded, “She lives in Luocheng, but she’s coming back to the capital next year.”
The youth stopped talking. He picked up the feeder and gently poked the newly arrived clownfish.
He commented, “Poor Nemo.”
You won’t be able to see your mama for now.
When Su Tian and the others returned to Luocheng, they were in the same car as when they left, but it was stuffed full of so many things they almost couldn’t fit. They were all things He Qingwan bought.
As soon as she got off, He Qingwan was stopped by the wife of the owner of the shop next door.
She cleared her throat and said mysteriously, “Meizhi11, you and Tiantian should be careful the next few days.”
Su Tian blinked and asked, “Auntie Wang, why?”
The woman replied, “The few days you weren’t here and the shop wasn’t open, some woman popped out of nowhere and waited outside your shop all day long, asking when you’d be back.”
“We all saw she was eccentric and not to be messed with–how could we dare to tell her ah? I said I don’t know, whatever she asked I said I don’t know, but I think she’ll come tomorrow. You should be careful ah.”
He Qingwan didn’t quite understand what had happened, but the woman had told her with kind intentions, so she thanked her and gave her some of the specialty products she’d bought from the capital.
The owner’s wife happily accepted the things and left.
After listening to the entirety of Auntie Wang’s words, Liu Kaiyan suddenly spoke up. “Auntie He, I’m sorry.”
He Qingwan was confused by his sudden apology. She hurriedly asked, “Why? Why are you saying this so suddenly?”
Liu Kaiyan hung his head, an expression of either resentment or shame on his face. “It’s… it’s… it’s because of me, she came to look for me…”
“Let’s talk about it at home ba,” Su Tian interrupted. “I’m so tired carrying so many things. Aren’t you all tired?”
Liu Kaiyan silently closed his mouth.
The group of people helped Su Tian carry the things upstairs. He Qingwan gave out some of the specialty products to share and asked Xi Yun to take them home and coax Xi Zhiqiang so that he wouldn’t suffer a beating the next few days.
You Pinyan wasn’t tactless. It was clear that Liu Kaiyan had something to say, so she went back after bringing up the things.
There were only the three of them left in the house. He Qingwan poured some tea, and the three people sat on the sofa. She then asked, “What’s the matter?”
Su Tian looked at Liu Kaiyan. “Should I say it ba?”
Liu Kaiyan lowered his head, not refusing.
So Su Tian briefly spoke about the matter of Liu Kaiyan leaving his home.
Liu Kaiyan noticed that Su Tian hadn’t mentioned the matter of Lin Xiuping coming to school to look for her, so he gritted his teeth and joined in.
He trembled with hate. Su Tian brought him warmth and hope, but he offered her darkness and humiliation.
He Qingwan’s eyes were red after listening. She was nearly crying as she pulled in Su Tian.
Her precious Tiantian was actually humiliated by another woman.
Back then, she had decided to divorce Su Yuhe because that woman had cursed Tiantian.
Su Tian helplessly took out a tissue and helped wipe He Qingwan’s tears. She said comfortingly, “Mom, I didn’t suffer a loss. You should feel sorry for the other person.”
Liu Kaiyan’s voice was slightly choked up. “Auntie He, I’m sorry. She might come looking for you12 again.”
He Qingwan clenched her teeth and cried hatefully, “Let her come!”
Even if that woman didn’t come, she would go to her.
[1] 户口: registered residence. It logs information regarding your family background, residence, marital status, etc.
[2] 公安大学: Public security / public safety + university
[3] Context-wise, it sounds like he’s already planning ahead of their family life LOL
[4] 帝大国大: emperor + large/great + abbreviation for national university
[5] 薄荷仙: I believe the previous translator called it a coral reef fish, but more specifically it’s probably the peppermint angelfish (Centropyge boylei), considering that the name in the raws is literally “peppermint immortal.” Also, it’s pretty expensive (the one at Waikiki Aquarium is worth $30,000), which is in line with how much Ji Shaoheng seems willing to spend on his hobby.
[6] 活蹦乱跳: to leap and frisk about; lively
[7] It’s highly recommended to quarantine any new fish for 2 weeks before introducing them to your tank at home. This allows you to observe the fish for any diseases, parasites, or other issues without putting the other fish in your main tank in danger.
[8] Refers to the process of allowing the fish to acclimatize to the tank’s salinity, pH, etc., and prevent excessive stress and, potentially, death
[9] October 1 is a national holiday
[10] 老子: “I, your father,” sometimes used in arrogance, sometimes used in anger
[11] 妹子: dialect for younger sister (not always blood-related); the most commonly seen term is meimei
[12] Liu Kaiyan uses the formal you (您) here
Cheese: Because I decided I didn’t have enough on my plate already, here we are :’) Merry early Christmas??
As is the case with my other solo project MSTP, chapter numbering will follow the raws format, rather than the previous translators’ formats! It’s just easier for me to keep track of where I am when posting and titling the chapters.
Cheese Translations 
Thanks for picking this up! Your translation is of great quality and the notes are very helpful, so I am really happy ☺
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Thanks for the compliment! I adore this story so I’m glad that other people are enjoying it too 🙂
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Stripey boy! Poor Liu Kaiyan, I’m kind of sorry he isn’t the ML but I wouldn’t wish those in-laws on anyone.
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Honestly same :’) We will have to settle for Liu Kaiyan taking on a brother or BFF figure
The real ML better be worth it!
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Thank you for picking this up!!! I love this novel!!
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Thanks for the chapter
Haha
They meet for the first time and ml call mc his nemo’s mama🤣
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Thanks for picking this!!!!
These two are really family!!
Thanks for the chapter!!!!
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