Back to the 1980s: Becoming the Villain's Lucky Wife

”We’re out of cilantro. I need to go buy some.”

”I can go.”

”Okay.” Qin Jiao nodded, then said to Gu Xu, ”I’m serious, you should come have dinner with us. You’ve been teaching Xiao Shi Sanda and boxing for so long, and we haven’t had a chance to properly thank you.”

Gu Xu said awkwardly, ”Sister Qin, I was just kidding.”

”But I’m serious. How about this: you can go with Xiao Shi to buy the cilantro, and I’ll head back first.”

After Qin Jiao finished speaking, she turned and left. Gu Xu thought for a moment, then turned and followed Xiao Shi.

He whispered, ”Your sister isn’t just being polite with me, is she?”

”My sister isn’t the type to be falsely polite.”

”Well then... I shouldn’t just show up empty-handed. Is there a place that sells liquor around here?”

Meanwhile, Qin Jiao returned home. Seeing her empty-handed, Su Yun asked about it, and Qin Jiao explained what had happened with Gu Xu.

Su Yun was so shocked she almost dropped the kitchen knife.

But Qin Jiao, with her quick eyes and fast hands, caught it.

Exasperated, she said, ”Oh, Mom, for heaven’s sake! Please be careful.”

”Wait, no, Xiao Jiao! Xiao Lan will be here any minute. You’re inviting Gu Xu over now—are you trying to set them up?”

”Mom, where is your mind going? It’s just dinner. Let me make this clear: don’t say a word about this to either of them later. If they’re both single and happen to like each other, then let things take their natural course. If one of them isn’t single, or if they’re simply not interested in each other, then it’s even easier for you. Just don’t bring it up, so you don’t make things awkward for them.”

Su Yun had one great virtue: she was always willing to listen to her daughter. She and Qin Zhonghui had concluded, after many years of experience, that whatever Xiao Jiao said was right.

’Anyway, if there’s something I don’t understand, I just have to listen to Xiao Jiao.’

So she nodded. ”Then we’ll do as you say.”

A short while later, Qin Xiaolan arrived. She went to see the children, having bought them some tasty snacks, and then said to Qin Jiao, ”Sis, do you know Meng Lanlan? She mentioned you to me.”

”Yeah, we were high school classmates.”

”Ah, she’s so strange. I heard she had a very unhappy marriage, and now she refuses to ever get married again. She even adopted a child and cut ties with her family. All my colleagues whisper about it, wondering if maybe she still can’t get over that man.”

Qin Jiao said softly, ”She was horribly deceived by that man. If she can’t forget him out of love and not hatred, then I’d have to say I’m truly impressed by her.”

’If, after everything that’s happened, Meng Lanlan is still in love with Lu Jiuan, then all I can say is she’s completely blinded by love.’

’Lu Jiuan scammed her out of all her family’s money, never had any intention of marrying her, and even got involved with Lin Nian.’

’What Qin Jiao really couldn’t understand was why Meng Lanlan would adopt Lin Nian’s child.’

’But, in the end, it’s someone else’s life.’

’As an adult, you choose your own path in life. Whatever flavors it brings—bitter, spicy, sour, sweet, or salty—you have to taste them for yourself.’

Since the topic had come up, Qin Jiao lowered her voice and asked Qin Xiaolan, ”Xiao Lan, what about you? Are there any decent, single young men at your workplace?”

”What for? Sis, are you trying to set me up with someone?” Qin Xiaolan froze for a second, then saw the smile playing on Qin Jiao’s lips and suddenly understood.

She stammered, ”It’s... whatever.”

”So you really do have something going on! And it’s with a colleague?”

Qin Xiaolan was shocked. ”I didn’t say anything! Sis, how could you tell? Let me warn you, you absolutely, positively cannot tell Mom!”