Why is the system taking my request to photograph a cosplayer seriously?

Chapter 239 Catching the Adulterer (Part 1)

The National Day holiday is over, and life is returning to its normal routine.

Hua Qing flew back to the capital to continue her postgraduate studies and theater troupe rehearsals.

Wenjing's daily routine consisted of teaching, cooking, and managing the accounts. She also drove Zhao Yanxi to and from school every day and occasionally visited Wenshu at the villa. Her life was peaceful and fulfilling.

Lin Man continued to shuttle between Singapore and Hong Kong, and prepared her own internship certificate.

As for Baima—

More than a month into her college year, her initial excitement had largely worn off.

Her major was "Tourism Management," which, to put it nicely, trains talent for the tourism industry; to put it bluntly, in a school of this caliber, it's basically a get-rich-quick, all-purpose major.

Bai Ma didn't care, since her purpose in coming to university wasn't entirely pure anyway.

It was Friday, and after the last class in the afternoon, Baima returned to the dormitory with her three roommates.

People come and go on campus. In mid-October, Changsha finally has a touch of autumn. The ginkgo trees on both sides of the road are beginning to turn yellow, and the setting sun shines through the branches and leaves, casting dappled light and shadow.

The four returned to their dormitory and pushed open the door.

The newly built dormitory building has four-person rooms with bunk beds and desks, private bathrooms, air conditioning, and water heaters.

Although she complained to Ding Heng about the school every day, it was still only 30,000 yuan a year in tuition, so it couldn't be too bad.

Each floor also has a communal laundry room and activity room, decorated like a hotel apartment.

Sun Yao threw her textbook on the table: "I'm just not in the right mindset for class after the holiday. My mind is still on National Day."

Zhou Ling sighed, "Me too—by the way, Baima, why are you so late, you've been back for several days?"

Baima gave a perfunctory reply: "Oh, something happened back home."

"Hometown?"

Zhou Ling leaned closer and continued, "Bai Ma, you're from Tibet, right?"

"right."

Baima nodded, and everyone immediately found a new topic to talk about.

Sun Yao leaned closer and asked, "So, did you grow up on the plateau?"

"Yes, my hometown is in the Qiangtang area, at an altitude of over 4,700 meters."

"Holy crap—"

Sun Yao exclaimed in surprise, "Then you must be seeing snow-capped mountains and grasslands every day, riding horses and herding cattle?"

Baima couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Pretty much, I did ride horses every day when I was a kid."

Several people started asking a barrage of questions, such as "Is it very cold in Tibet?", "What do you usually eat?", and "Can you speak Tibetan?"

Baima answered each question naturally and calmly, but avoided questions about his family's financial situation as much as possible.

After listening, Sun Yao clicked her tongue twice: "So your family are herders? The kind who herd livestock?"

I guess so.

Pema smiled wryly: "My mother used to be a herdsman, and later she went into business."

"Do you have a lot of cattle at home?"

"It's alright, I guess."

Bai Ma scratched her face sheepishly.

Zhou Ling tilted her head and said, "Your family herds livestock, yet they're willing to spend 30,000 yuan a year on your vocational college education?"

Baima:

Wu Siyu continued, "Also, Baima, why did you come all the way to Changsha to study at a junior college?"

"Hmm... I wanted to come out and take a look."

"It's not because of your 'good brother,' is it?"

Sun Yao's tone was ambiguous, and she even emphasized the words "good brother".

"That's part of the reason—but not entirely."

Baima neither denied it nor offered much explanation.

The roommates exchanged glances, their faces showing a knowing look.

Just as Zhou Ling was about to make another joke, Bai Ma's phone suddenly rang.

She took it out of her pocket, glanced at it, and then got up and ran outside.

"My brother's here to pick me up, bye-bye!"

Before he finished speaking, he had already disappeared through the doorway.

Baima jogged out of the school gate, glanced around, and soon spotted the familiar black Mercedes in a temporary parking space by the roadside.

"Brother!"

She excitedly ran over, and just as she was about to open the car door, she glanced up and saw Wenjing in the passenger seat.

Left with no other choice, Baima obediently sat in the back seat, only to discover that Zhao Yanxi was also there.

Zhao Yan looked out the window and joked, "Bai Ma, your university gate is quite impressive, isn't it?"

"Embroidered pillow".

Baima started complaining: "How can we charge 30,000 yuan a year for tuition if we don't make it look nicer?"

Zhao Yanxi laughed out loud: "How's university life—?"

"Not very good."

Baima sighed, "I'll just muddle through for three years."

Zhao Yanxi then asked, "Are there any boys pursuing you?"

Baima was taken aback: "Huh?"

"You're so cute, surely someone would like your type?"

"Sister-in-law Yan Xi, stop fooling around—"

Baima waved her hand, her expression unnatural.

Zhao Yanxi continued, "But you'd better be careful—those who like your type, well—it's hard to say, right, Brother Ding Heng?"

Ding Heng, who was drinking water in front of him, choked a little and coughed twice when he heard this, but did not reply.

Bai Ma's expression became even more unnatural.

She wondered if it was just her imagination—but lately, Zhao Yanxi's gaze towards her seemed a little strange.

Pema quickly changed the subject: "Brother, where are we going today?"

"Sister Wenjing is having her engagement banquet in Zhuzhou today."

Ding Heng slowly drove out of the parking space: "Didn't you always complain about being bored? Let me take you to join in the fun."

Baima blinked, recalling that Wenshu had mentioned it a few days ago.

Her older sister, Wenwan, and her boyfriend plan to get engaged in Asia first, and then hold their wedding in Shenzhen in December.

"Should I go too?"

"If you don't want to go, I can take you back to the villa, or you can go back to school and find Lin Man."

Ding Heng glanced at her through the rearview mirror: "You choose."

Back to the villa?

With Wen Shu gone, he was all alone in the empty house, playing video games until he was completely exhausted.

It's pathetic to even think about it.

Study abroad?

Baima's relationship with her roommates wasn't bad, but it wasn't particularly close either.

They chat and eat together in the dorm normally, but deep conversations are practically nonexistent. She's not interested in the celebrity gossip they talk about, they don't understand the games she plays, and their spending habits are worlds apart.

As for going to find Lin Man—

Whenever Lin Man has free time, she either works out, gets beauty treatments, does yoga, goes to spas, or occasionally goes shopping.

Last time, she accompanied Lin Man shopping out of boredom, acting as her bag carrier the whole time. She was exhausted and even teased for having "short legs".

"Me and my brother!"

Baima made a decisive choice, adding, "I promise not to cause any trouble."

Ding Heng gave a soft "hmm" and didn't say anything more.

The car entered the highway and headed towards Chuzhou.

More than an hour later, the four arrived at a high-end hotel in Chuzhou.

Wenwan's engagement banquet was held in the Chinese restaurant on the third floor.

Although it was called an engagement banquet, it was actually just a gathering of the bride's relatives. It was essentially a wedding ceremony split into two parts, held separately in the hometowns of both the bride and groom.

Wenjing's parents felt that their daughter's engagement was a big deal and that they should hold a ceremony in their hometown so they could collect some money as gifts.

The four got out of the car, and Zhao Yanxi suddenly stopped.

Wenjing turned to look at her: "Yan hope? What's wrong?"

Zhao Yanxi didn't speak, her gaze fixed on a silver Buick.

"That's my mom's car. Did your family invite my mom?"

"I—I don't know either."

Wenjing glanced at Ding Heng instinctively, her eyes filled with panic.

If the two families got together and accidentally let something slip—the consequences would be unimaginable. Ding Heng, however, remained calm, glancing at Zhao Yanxi and then at Wen Jing.

He reassured her, "Don't worry about it, let's go up there and talk about it."

After going upstairs, Wenjing went to Wenwan's dressing room first, while Zhao Yanxi and Ding Heng walked towards the banquet hall.

Baima followed behind, trying to minimize her presence.

The banquet hall was small, with about ten round tables.

The guests hadn't all arrived yet; they were sitting in twos and threes chatting.

Zhao Yanxi scanned the room and quickly located Zhou Rongmei, then softly called out, "Mom."

Zhou Rongmei turned around and saw her daughter, startled at first, then asked curiously, "Why are you here?"

"Wenjing's sister is getting engaged, so I came with her."

Zhao Yanxi sat down next to Zhou Rongmei, speaking as naturally as possible.

Zhou Rongmei said "Oh," and her gaze naturally fell on Zhao Yanxi's back.

Ding Heng walked over and nodded to her: "Hello, Auntie."

"Little Ding is here too?"

Zhou Rongmei smiled and greeted, "Sit down, sit down. This young lady is—"

Hello, Auntie.

Baima greeted him politely and introduced herself: "My name is Baima Yangjin, and I am Ding Heng's younger sister."

"younger sister?"

Zhou Rongmei knew that Ding Heng had lost his mother, so she didn't press him for details, simply smiling politely and asking, "How old are you? In junior high?"

Bai Ma's lips twitched: "Auntie, I'm a freshman in college."

Zhou Rong quickly tried to smooth things over: "Oh, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry—where do you go to university?"

'

"7

Baima was too ashamed to answer.

Zhao Yanxi chimed in at the opportune moment, her tone displeased: "Mom, are you trying to investigate criminals like Dad?"

Zhou Rongmei glared at her daughter, annoyed. "You brat, how dare you talk to your mother like that? I was just asking!"

From Zhou Rongmei's perspective, Ding Heng seems like a good future son-in-law, and she should get to know his family better.

Zhao Yanxi asked again, "Mom, where's Dad?"

Zhou Rongmei waved her hand: "Don't you know your dad? How could he possibly have time to come to a wedding? Something came up at work, and he disappeared early this morning."

Just as Zhao Yanxi was about to say something more, she suddenly caught a glimpse of a figure out of the corner of her eye.

Wen Shu.

Ding Heng also noticed Wen Shu at the same time, and their eyes met, immediately understanding each other.

"Auntie, I'm going out to answer a phone call."

Ding Heng made an excuse to get up and leave, walking out of the banquet hall one after the other with Wen Shu.

Zhao Yanxi watched Ding Heng's figure disappear, her fingers unconsciously stroking the teacup.

Zhou Rongmei noticed her daughter's state and asked with concern, "Yan hope, what are you daydreaming about?"

"It's nothing."

Zhao Yanxi looked away, picked up her teacup and took a sip, her heart racing.

I hope nothing bad happens today.

Outside the banquet hall, Wen Shu looked up and smiled at Ding Heng.

"Brother-in-law."

"Um."

"My older sister and my parents would like to invite you over."

Wen Shu was a little embarrassed: "Do you think this is convenient for you?"

"It's convenient, let's go."

""

Ding Heng readily agreed.

Out of respect for the monk, he didn't intend to put on airs since he had come with Wenjing.

"Thank you, brother-in-law!"

Wen Shu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

What she, or rather her whole family, fears most now is that Ding Heng will not give her face.

You should know that the car her father drove to the engagement banquet today to make an appearance was the Volkswagen that Ding Heng bought for Wenjing.

At the end of the banquet hall corridor is a lounge specially prepared by the hotel for newlyweds.

Wen Wan was sitting in front of the dressing table, touching up her makeup in front of the mirror.

Judging solely by facial features, Wenwan is not as refined as Wenjing—her bone structure is too high, her chin is too pointed, and she lacks the soft, rounded lines of Wenjing.

But there are some resemblances, and with the help of makeup skills, she can be considered a pretty girl.

A knock came at the door.

Wen Shu pushed the door open and stepped aside.

"Dad, Mom, my brother-in-law is here."

The three people in the room stood up at the same time.

Luo Guihua moved the fastest, almost springing up.

She hurried to greet him, her face beaming with smiles, her tone both attentive and cautious: "Little Ding's here? Come in, come in, don't just stand there."

Ding Heng walked in confidently: "Hello, Auntie. Hello, Uncle."

Wen Dahai smiled awkwardly: "Xiao Ding, hello, hello."

"You're too kind, Uncle."

Ding Heng turned his gaze to Wen Wan and said proactively, "Congratulations, sister! Brother-in-law!"

I gave them face, but that was all.

"Thank you."

Wen Wan responded in a stutter, standing upright.

She was still replaying the phone call between Ding Heng and her more than a year ago in her mind, and her nervousness was visibly palpable.

Previously, she only knew that Wenjing had found a boyfriend with a very powerful background, but she didn't really understand at first. However, after hearing Wenshu mention it to her parents these past few days, she started to feel uneasy.

If Ding Heng were to hold a grudge against her, even her parents might not help her.

The group chatted for a few more minutes, exchanging nothing more than polite pleasantries, before preparing to return to their seats.

On the way back, Wenjing gently put her arm around Ding Heng's and asked in a low voice, "Is Yan hope alright?"

Ding Heng patted the back of her hand: "Don't worry, I can handle it."

For Ding Heng, the worst outcome would be either to confess or to use his hypnotic abilities; in any case, it would be within his control.

Back in the banquet hall, Ding Heng returned to his usual seat, and Wen Jing followed him.

Hello, Auntie.

She sat down and greeted everyone politely.

Zhou Rongmei couldn't help but ask curiously, "Wenjing?! Your sister's engagement, aren't you supposed to sit at the head table?"

Wenjing said nervously, "I'll stay with Yanxi—"

"You two have a really good relationship."

Zhou Rongmei remarked with emotion, "We've been inseparable since we were little, and we're still inseparable now that we're in college."

"Of course."

Zhao Yan took Wen Jing's arm and leaned closer, temporarily ignoring the man beside her.

Baima silently watched the scene before her, her admiration for Zhao Yanxi growing stronger.

What a heartless traitor! He's completely siding with outsiders!

For a man, she even lied to her own mother?

Without even blushing or skipping a beat!

What if it were her? Zhou Rongmei replaced by Qu Zhen?

Baima shook her head, not daring to think any further—

Zhou Rongmei suddenly asked jokingly, "Wenjing, your sister's engagement was quite a grand affair. Have you thought about what kind of wedding you'll have in the future?"

Wenjing almost dropped her chopsticks.

Zhao Yanxi came to her rescue: "Mom, why are you asking this? She's only a sophomore, you're thinking too far ahead."

"Ask what's wrong?"

Zhou Rongmei dismissed it: "These days, young people don't date with marriage in mind?"

"I—I—"

Wenjing stammered, then subconsciously replied, "I—will follow Yan Xi's arrangements!"

"Should we follow Yan Xi's arrangements?"

Zhou Rongmei was taken aback, not understanding why.

Zhao Yanxi quickly chimed in, "Mom, Wenjing means she plans to have the same kind of wedding as me."

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

Zhou Rongmei was both amused and exasperated: "Can weddings be the same? Are you getting married or is she getting married?"

"Maybe together."

Zhao Yanxi chuckled and hugged Wenjing tighter again.

"We're closer than sisters, aren't we, Jingjing?"