Rebirth: A Cinderella's Counterattack

Chapter 437: Chapter 417: Meeting Xu Xiaoxiao Again

Luo Qianqian wanted to leave as soon as dinner was over, but Chang Xi was already looking drowsy. Luo Qianqian thought for a moment and said, ”Big Brother Ye, it wouldn’t be good for Sister Xi to return to the Wei Family in her drunken state. You guys should find a place to rest up before heading back.”

Find a place to rest, where? A place for rest, just for the two of them. Luo Qianqian felt like her hint was pretty obvious, right?

”Am I the kind of person who takes advantage of someone in their hour of need?” Ye Liang, holding Chang Xi, indeed had some ideas, but he didn’t dare act on them. He had the desire but not the nerve, just as they say.

Who knew Chang Xi would open her eyes in his arms, lean on his shoulder, and softly bite his earlobe, saying, ”I’m awake.”

Luo Qianqian touched her nose and hopped into a cab to escape. She had no intention of being a third wheel.

Seeing Chang Xi’s behavior, she knew that Chang Xi was clearly pretending to be drunk. She wasn’t going to stick around there anymore. If she stayed any longer, she’d get sore eyes.

Then she checked her phone, and it was clear that Qin Nuan was also out on a date. Now she really didn’t know where to go, but her problem was soon resolved.

Qin Wen drove by, saw the girl drinking a cold beverage outside the cafe, and slightly raised an eyebrow. He parked the car to the side, walked up to Luo Qianqian, and took a seat: ”What’s the matter? You look like you’ve been ditched?”

Luo Qianqian was initially on alert as someone approached, but the next second, she relaxed upon hearing the voice. It was an acquaintance.

”Your sister ditches friends for love, my brother ditches his sister for love. The world is full of the sour stench of romance.” Luo Qianqian sipped her drink and glanced at the well-dressed Qin Wen: ”How come Second Brother Qin isn’t out with a girl, talking about love?”

”Where do I have the time?” Qin Wen didn’t mind Luo Qianqian’s teasing and said leisurely, ”Your brother stole away my sister, which has made my home a lot less joyful recently.”

??? So Qin Nuan is used for comic relief at home?

”It’s so hot, is Second Brother Qin just back from work? Still working?” Luo Qianqian, looking at her melted drink, was overwhelmed with the heat. Why was it so hot?

”No,” Qin Wen shook his head: ”I’m on my way to play hooky.”

??? Play hooky? This doesn’t match Qin Wen’s image. Could it be that the earnest-faced Second Brother Qin is actually a man who is not what he seems?

Luo Qianqian was imagining all this, but Qin Wen interrupted her: ”How about going for a swim? I have to attend an auction tonight, and it’s not far from the swimming pool.”

Luo Qianqian’s attention was completely captured by the latter part of the sentence. An auction???

She nodded immediately, her face full of excitement: ”Can I join the auction?”

Qin Wen looked at Luo Qianqian skeptically, but he couldn’t find anything amiss on her excited face and nodded: ”Going is no problem, but it ends really late, are you up for it?”

”No problem, I just need to tell my family, and grandpa is definitely at ease when I go out with Second Brother Qin,” Luo Qianqian blurted out without thinking, her excitement palpable.

However, Qin Wen looked at Luo Qianqian in surprise. Why would they be at ease with her going out with him? After all, he’d only been to the Luo Family once.

Thinking it was probably just polite talk, he didn’t probe further. After all, the relationship between Qin Nuan and the fourth young master of the Luo Family was out there, having received approval for their relationship from both families.

At this moment, Luo Qianqian promptly took out her wallet, flipped through it, and asked, ”Do I need to wear a gown to the auction?”

”Just wear something... casual,” I almost said, but looking at Luo Qianqian’s outfit, I swallowed the words. How could this oversized cat-head tee look anything like formal attire?

”Lucky I brought my bank card. It’s the perfect time to buy a swimsuit, hehe, Second Brother Qin going shopping?” Luo Qianqian said excitedly, clutching her small wallet—not a designer brand, but it was cute, shaped like a big KT cat.

Qin Wen nodded. He had nothing else to do anyway, and this way he wouldn’t have to go home to get his swimwear. Just buying a new set would do.

”Don’t worry, I shop really quickly. I definitely won’t make you walk till you can’t move anymore,” Luo Qianqian declared with a solemn promise.

Qin Wen couldn’t help but chuckle and nod, ”Let’s go, my car is parked over there.”

Luo Qianqian took a couple of sips of her not-so-cold drink and caught up with Qin Wen’s pace. The two headed straight to the mall. As for formal attire, Luo Qianqian didn’t bother trying to jump through hoops; she just picked a style on a whim, tried it on, and if it fit, she bought it. Thankfully, Qin Wen’s taste wasn’t too bad.

The swimsuit was also chosen by Qin Wen rather casually. In his view, flat-chested kids were just like his little sister when she was young; there was no need for modesty as the age difference was obvious, so there was no chance of a misunderstanding.

Coincidentally, Luo Qianqian felt the same way, so their shopping trip went very pleasantly. For Qin Wen, it revived the delightful feeling of spending time with his younger sister, Qin Nuan, back in his childhood.

Luo Qianqian cheerfully followed Qin Liang into the swimming hall with her new clothes. Since it was a weekday, the place wasn’t crowded. After changing into her new two-piece swimsuit with frills, Luo Qianqian remembered her childhood for a moment, hesitated, but then donned the swimsuit and locked up her clothes before leaving the changing room. As for her wallet and formal wear, she left them in the car.

She joyfully grabbed her swimming goggles and cap, and upon seeing Qin Wen just coming out of the changing room next to hers, she waved at him with a smile.

Then they went their separate ways—Comrade Luo Qianqian to the 1.2-meter-deep children’s pool, and Qin Wen to the 3-meter-deep adult pool, where diving in would make you invisible. Luo Qianqian didn’t dare take the risk.

Unexpectedly, she spotted a familiar face: the flamboyant red bikini, the big wavy long curls, and that slightly scornful look. Luo Qianqian stopped in her tracks—Xu Xiaoxiao.

Just as she thought to avoid her, Xu Xiaoxiao called out to her, ”Where have you hidden our little bastard?” she said, striding forward, followed by a young man in his twenties.

Luo Qianqian frowned slightly and turned around, but Qin Wen was nowhere in sight. Indifferently, she answered, ”How would I know where he is? You lose track of your own people and come looking for me? Do I look like a cop to you? Or maybe I’ve eaten too much salt and I’m just looking for something to do, managing heaven and earth, and your bowels and farts too?”

Knowing she was outmatched but still unwilling to yield, Luo Qianqian never had a favorable encounter with this person, and the rumors she’d spread made it certain—without Xu Tianyi in the picture, Luo Qianqian wouldn’t befriends with Xu Xiaoxiao, she was sure of it.

”Ouch, so fierce? Dare you race me?” Xu Xiaoxiao challenged with her chin up.

Luo Qianqian looked at her disdainfully, ”So I have to compete just because you say so? Wouldn’t that make me look bad?” Besides, this was a swimming hall—what else could they possibly compete in? Luo Qianqian wouldn’t go for a sure loss.

”Qianqian,” Qin Wen approached, noticing the commotion, and asked the two opposite him, ”What’s going on?”

”Looking for trouble,” Luo Qianqian bluntly stated, her expression clearly wishing to keep a wide distance from the two.

In Qin Wen’s eyes, Luo Qianqian was family, and anyone who bullied her would have to answer to him.

”My child is still underage. If there’s an issue, you should discuss it with me, her acting guardian,” Qin Wen removed his goggles and looked at the two coldly.

The statement wasn’t wrong, but Mr. Qin Wen, although Luo Qianqian’s real mother may be far away, her real grandparents are still around. You, an outsider, what are you doing pretending to be a guardian?

And an acting one at that? Luo Qianqian truly didn’t know how to react to that.