His wife's pregnancy bump disappeared, and Mr. Huo was going crazy missing her.

Qiao Mian didn't expect Huo Yanbei to offer to return the bag.

After all, he had told her during the day to pick it up at his office on Monday...

Looking at the time, it's 7:30.

Going out to meet him tonight is not a good idea.

After all, he has a family.

Moreover, the memory of him forcibly kissing her in the elevator still sends chills down her spine every time she recalls it.

In the afternoon, when she faced Song Man at the aquarium, she felt extremely ashamed and angry.

I feel like I've gone back to six years ago, to the time when I was Huo Yanbei's lover...

After thinking for two seconds, Qiao Mian replied, "Mr. Huo, it's too late. I'll go to the office to pick it up on Monday."

After another moment of silence, the other party said calmly, "Attorney Qiao, how long do you think it will take me to unlock your phone?"

"you……"

Qiao Mian panicked a little: "Mr. Huo, it's very impolite to snoop on other people's phones and compromise their privacy."

"We've already kissed, isn't it too late to talk about manners now?"

"..."

Qiao Mian choked so hard her face turned bright red.

Listening to the other person's disordered breathing, Huo Yanbei sat down on the edge of the bed and reached out to stroke the smooth sheets.

I'm thinking about that night, lying next to her, the madness I felt trying to release...

He himself felt he was a pervert, acting like this towards a woman who looked exactly like A Wu...

However, he has never been a gentleman.

He said in a nonchalant tone, "The car is downstairs, it's up to you."

After saying that, he hung up the phone.

Just then, the maid knocked on the door. "Mr. Huo, Young Master Gu and Young Master Xiao have arrived."

……

After hanging up the phone, Qiao Mian scratched her hair in frustration.

She was really afraid that Huo Yanbei would go crazy, unlock her phone, and spy on her.

He said he was returning the bag, but that was clearly a threat.

Although Qiao Mian was annoyed, she had already started changing her clothes in a flurry of activity.

After coming out of the bedroom, the three little ones were watching cartoons.

Qiao Muxin ran over and threw herself into her arms. "Mommy, are you going out? I'm hungry..."

I ate lunch around 2 PM, and it's 7 PM now, which should be dinner time.

And she had to go out again...

Qiao Mian beckoned Mu Cheng and Mu Ye over, "Mom has to go out for a bit now and doesn't have time to make dinner. I'll go downstairs now and buy you some food to bring up, okay?"

Qiao Mucheng: "It's expensive to buy it outside, so I can cook instant noodles for my younger siblings."

Qiao Muyue nodded in agreement, "That's right, Mom, we can just eat instant noodles."

Qiao Muxin raised her hand, "I want to eat instant noodles too."

The three children not only didn't cause any trouble, but also obediently helped her save money.

Qiao Mian felt extremely distressed.

Her eyes suddenly welled up with tears.

She hugged each child tightly, saying, "Be good, we won't eat instant noodles. Mommy will buy you delicious food. But you can't touch the gas stove, okay?"

"good……"

After the three little ones nodded in assurance, Qiao Mian finally felt relieved and went out.

As you walk out of the narrow alley, you can immediately spot a conspicuous Rolls-Royce parked on the side of the road.

Seeing her approach, Chen Ke got out of the car.

"Attorney Joe."

Qiao Mian glanced into the car but didn't see Huo Yanbei. She asked, "Weren't you supposed to get my bag?"

Chen Ke said calmly, "The package is with President Huo. I'm just picking you up to get it."

"..."

Qiao Mian frowned.

If he could send Chen Ke all the way here, why couldn't he just bring the bag over himself?

I don't know where to take her...

This scene reminded her of the past, when Chen Ke had stood in front of the car door in the same way.

Miss Huo Wu, the young master asked me to pick you up and take you to the company...

Miss Huo Wu, the young master asked me to pick you up and take you to the hotel...

Miss Huo Wu, the young master is away on a business trip and asked me to pick you up and take you to the airport...

Fragments of memories flooded back into her mind, and Qiao Mian felt a growing sense of being controlled.

She clenched her fingers. "Where is Mr. Huo?"

"Lan Garden".

"Where is that?"

Chen Ke didn't answer. "Attorney Qiao, you'll find out when you get there."

Qiao Mian paused for two seconds, then compromised: "Wait a moment, I'll buy some food and bring it upstairs to the child."

Chen Ke was slightly taken aback.

He only learned about Qiao Mian having a daughter from President Huo before he arrived.

For some reason, when we investigated Attorney Qiao, we didn't find out that she had a child...

I don't know what went wrong.

At this moment, Qiao Mian entered a soup dumpling shop.

I bought the kids' favorite flavors, along with preserved egg and lean pork congee, and packed them all upstairs.

By the time we got on the bus, about ten minutes had passed.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Chen Ke."

I was running fast just now, and I'm still a little out of breath.

At first, I didn't realize that anything was wrong.

It wasn't until she glanced in the rearview mirror and saw Chen Ke looking at her with a strange expression that she realized she had said too much and made a mistake.

She and Chen Ke were very familiar with each other before, and she habitually called him by his first name.

However, Qiao Mian is not familiar with Chen Ke at the moment.

They addressed him by his first name, as if he were an old friend they had known for a long time.

However, she did not change her mind.

Otherwise, it would seem like you're deliberately trying to cover up a mistake.

However, Chen Ke didn't mind.

However, apart from his relatives and friends, people are used to calling him Assistant Chen.

He felt a little uncomfortable when Qiao Mian suddenly called his name.

"Is the child home alone?"

After the Rolls-Royce drove away, Chen Ke started a conversation.

Qiao Mian hummed in agreement.

Chen Ke's gaze towards the rearview mirror held a hint of sympathy: "Isn't the child afraid to be home alone?"

"We installed security cameras at home, so sometimes when I go out for part-time work at night, I have to leave my child at home..."

"It must be tough for Attorney Qiao to raise her child alone."

Chen Ke sighed.

He was raised by his mother alone, so he can empathize with Qiao Mian on this point.

Qiao Mian smiled slightly but didn't say anything.

In the past, whenever Chen Ke picked her up on the way to meet Huo Yanbei, the two would chat idly like this.

At that time, she had no friends except Huo Yanbei; she was so lonely…

Not long after, the car entered the mountain road.

Looking at the somewhat familiar mountain scenery outside the car window, Qiao Mian realized that Lan Garden was the mansion that Huo Yanbei had brought her to that night.

When she caught sight of a ginkgo tree on the hillside not far away, her heart skipped a beat.

She opened the car window, and a blast of cold wind rushed in.

As I watched the ginkgo tree gradually disappear into the night mist, I couldn't help but ask, "Assistant Chen, is this Arashiyama?"

Chen Ke touched her ear and asked casually, "Yes, it's just an unknown little hill. I didn't expect that Attorney Qiao, a native of Shanghai, would know about this hill. Have you been here before?"

Qiao Mian realized she might have said too much and quickly tried to cover it up, "I've never been here before, I just saw it in a blogger's video before."

Arashiyama is actually a small hill behind Kyoto University.

Back then, she took the blind Huo Yanbei to climb Lanshan Mountain behind the school.

Unexpectedly, the Lan Garden where Huo Yanbei lived was actually located halfway up the mountain behind Peking University...

The ginkgo tree where the two first tasted forbidden fruit is still there...

He built Lan Garden halfway up the mountain to commemorate their past.

No.

Qiao Mian gently shook her head.

Huo Yanbei doesn't love her.

He used to treat her like a pet he kept by his side, with an absolute desire to control her.

Perhaps he didn't even know that Arashiyama, and that ginkgo tree, were the place where the two of them pledged their love...

After all, he was blind at that time.

While lost in thought, Chen Ke drove the car into the park.

"Attorney Qiao, we've arrived."

Chen Ke got out of the car and opened the door for her.

The car stopped in front of the main building. Qiao Mian got out of the car and followed Chen Ke through the corridor and went straight inside.

As soon as I entered the living room, I heard the sounds of people playing cards.

And a familiar, lighthearted male voice.

"Yanbei, your Lan Garden is so boring without any women. How about we order some delicious takeout?"