Chapter 425: Chapter 425: Caught in the Act
Ji Xiuyuan narrowed his eyes, skeptical: “Really?”
Momo immediately pulled out her phone to look it up.
It seemed…
Indeed…
It was true.
Lin Qi said: “I just wanted to eat a bite of ice cream, is that so wrong!”
Ji Xiuyuan immediately raised both hands in surrender: “Okay, okay! If my sister-in-law wants ice cream, I’ll take you to eat it, how about that?”
DQ recently released a new flavor.
Ji Xiuyuan said: “I think DQ’s ice cream is really good. Should I take you there, or buy it back for you?”
Lin Qi cautiously replied: “No way! The living room has surveillance cameras. If you buy it back for me, it’ll be too easy to get caught.”
Then, she smiled: “Take me to eat it secretly!”
Is she really that much of a foodie?
Initially, Ji Xiuyuan was a little hesitant, but Lin Qi smiled at him. When she smiles, he can’t bear to refuse. He immediately said: “Alright then! I’ll take you secretly! Momo and Han won’t snitch to the boss, right?”
Lin Qi cast a glance at Momo and Han.
Han immediately made a zipper motion over his lips and held up an “OK” sign.
Momo frowned slightly but said nothing.
Only then did Ji Xiuyuan relax and take Lin Qi out!
Just as the two had left, Huo Tingdong came back home.
Realizing Lin Qi wasn’t home, he grew suspicious: “Where’s Mommy?”
Han immediately jumped up to report: “Daddy, Daddy! Uncle Ji secretly took Mommy out to eat ice cream!”
…
Mall.
Ji Xiuyuan and Lin Qi entered DQ one after the other.
Lin Qi stared at the menu showcasing various new items, her mouth watering.
She loved strawberry flavor, mango flavor, and even the original flavor!
But she couldn’t eat too much—she could only try a little—so she started struggling to decide!
She needed to pick the one she wanted most.
Ji Xiuyuan said: “Sister-in-law, whatever flavor you want, just pick it.”
Lin Qi: “I’m afraid I can’t finish it.”
Ji Xiuyuan: “If you can’t finish it, just throw it away.”
Lin Qi: “Wouldn’t that be way too wasteful?”
Ji Xiuyuan: “It’s a rare occasion! You’ve been holding back for so long during pregnancy. You must be craving ice cream like crazy. If you want, pick a few flavors and take a bite of each—it’s fine!”
Lin Qi said: “Alright! I’ll have original, strawberry, and mango then…”
After placing the order, there was a small table by the window in the store.
Ji Xiuyuan and Lin Qi sat down face-to-face.
Soon, the ice cream was ready.
Ji Xiuyuan brought it over and placed it in front of her.
“Try this first—the strawberry flavor.” He handed her a spoon.
Lin Qi picked up the spoon, scooped up a bit of ice cream, and tasted it lightly. Her eyes instantly lit up: “So delicious!”
Ji Xiuyuan smiled, but suddenly felt something was off.
Lin Qi was sitting with her back to the window. Outside the window, a tall, imposing figure was steadily approaching.
Ji Xiuyuan frowned slightly. When the man stepped up to the window and stopped, staring at him coldly through the glass, Ji Xiuyuan immediately felt his heart skip a beat in fear!
Lin Qi had just tasted a mouthful of ice cream when she looked up and noticed Ji Xiuyuan’s pale expression, one that seemed as if he’d seen a ghost. Curiously, she asked: “What’s wrong with you?”
Terrified, he stammered, raised a hand, and pointed behind Lin Qi at the window, fumbling over his words: “He… he… he followed us here…”
Lin Qi turned around nervously. Outside, Huo Tingdong stood expressionless, his gaze directed at Ji Xiuyuan carrying an aura of deadly menace!
As soon as Ji Xiuyuan took Lin Qi out, Huo Tingdong had returned home. After Han ratted them out, he came straight to the mall.
There was only one large mall near the house with a DQ, so Ji Xiuyuan undoubtedly brought Lin Qi here!
Lin Qi felt a wave of panic; realizing she had been caught red-handed sneaking ice cream, she instinctively pushed the ice cream in her hand toward Ji Xiuyuan.
Huo Tingdong turned and pushed open the door to enter.
Ji Xiuyuan nervously swallowed hard and chuckled awkwardly: “Tingdong, what brings you here?”
He forced a smile while silently griping—how on earth did he manage to track them down?
Could it be… they had a tracker on them?
While he was pondering, Huo Tingdong smirked coldly: “You don’t have a tracker on you.”
“Then did you hire a private investigator to follow us?” Ji Xiuyuan blurted out, but the next second, he hastily covered his mouth, embarrassed.
He actually said that out loud!
Wait!
How did this man manage to figure out what he was thinking!? Could it be… he has a mind-reading technique?
As Ji Xiuyuan’s imagination ran wild, Huo Tingdong coolly said, “I don’t have mind-reading technique either.”
Ji Xiuyuan became even more embarrassed, squirming in his seat as he stammered, “Then how do you know what I’m thinking?”
“Because you’re an idiot.” Huo Tingdong paused, his gaze dropping to the multi-flavored ice cream in front of Ji Xiuyuan, his expression turning even frostier. “Do you know that pregnant women aren’t supposed to eat ice cream?”
Ji Xiuyuan swallowed hard again: “I know… a little… but not a lot.”
Huo Tingdong: “Pregnant women can’t eat ice cream.”
Ji Xiuyuan admitted, thoroughly regretful: “Yeah, I know…”
Huo Tingdong: “You know, yet you still brought my wife here to secretly eat ice cream?”
With that, his gaze carried a dangerous edge, scrutinizing Ji Xiuyuan with icy indifference—truly terrifying.
Ji Xiuyuan felt more and more unnerved under his piercing stare!
Just as he was about to explain, Lin Qi sat up properly with an innocent smile and said, “Ji Xiuyuan said he suddenly had a craving for ice cream, so I came along to keep him company.”
Ji Xiuyuan: “…???”
My dear sister-in-law, how could you throw your teammate under the bus like this?
Huo Tingdong’s meaningful gaze shifted to Ji Xiuyuan. Freaking out, Ji Xiuyuan wanted to proclaim his innocence.
Unexpectedly, Lin Qi seemed to know what he was going to say. Her foot stomped down hard on his.
Ji Xiuyuan shuddered, his eyes stinging with pain, and reflexively blurted out: “Right, sister-in-law’s absolutely correct!”
From Huo Tingdong’s vantage point, all of Lin Qi’s sneaky little gestures were in full view, but he purposefully didn’t expose her. His eyes were enigmatic as he curled his lips slightly: “Oh?”
Ji Xiuyuan managed a smile: “No idea why, but all of a sudden… I felt like I had morning sickness or something and just craved ice cream. But eating alone would’ve been boring, so I brought my sister-in-law along.”
“So,” Huo Tingdong said coolly, casting him a glance, “you’re pregnant too?!”
Ji Xiuyuan laughed nervously: “Hahaha! Tingdong, are you joking with me? I’m a grown man, how could I possibly be pregnant!”
Laughing, he tried to keep up his act.
Huo Tingdong stared him down coldly.
Ji Xiuyuan’s forced laughter gradually faded.
Lin Qi chimed in teasingly: “He’s just joking! Honey, don’t be so serious—you’re scaring us! Haha…”
Huo Tingdong mimicked her cold laughter: “Haha.”
Lin Qi: “…”
Huo Tingdong casually pulled over a chair and sat down beside Ji Xiuyuan. Calm and collected, he said with an undertone of menace: “Didn’t you say you were suddenly nauseous and wanted ice cream?”