After the divorce, my ex-husband's cousin tricked me into getting a marriage certificate.

Shen Qingzhu glanced at Su Wenshan's reply, tossed her phone onto the bedside table, and sat down on the edge of the bed.

After thinking for a moment, she picked up her phone again and sent a message to her son.

Shen Qingzhu: Son, are you asleep?

Lin Mengchuan was playing a game when he saw his mother's message and was somewhat surprised.

Lin Mengchuan: Not yet, Mom, why are you still awake so late?

Shen Qingzhu stared at Lin Mengchuan's reply for a moment, then typed a line on her phone screen and sent it.

Shen Qingzhu: I can't sleep. Ever since your father passed away, I've been suffering from insomnia every night. I still can't accept that he's gone.

Lin Mengchuan was moved by his mother's words and comforted her:

Lin Mengchuan: Mom, don't think too much. Dad definitely wouldn't want to see you like this. He'll only feel at ease if you're happy. Why don't you go to the hospital and get some sleeping pills, or ask Sister Ju to make you some soup?

Shen Qingzhu: It's a good thing you're here with me, otherwise, I really don't know how I would go on living like this.

After sending this text, Shen Qingzhu composed another one and sent it out:

Shen Qingzhu: By the way, how was your time at the resort with Ya Ni? Did you two spend the night together?

Lin Mengchuan: Mom, she's a rich young lady, how could I possibly do anything inappropriate? She lives in the next room.

Shen Qingzhu: Please, since her dad let you take her out to play, it means he's tacitly agreeing that you can have something happen between you. Anyway, your marriage is a done deal, so it's good that you get together sooner so we can hold our grandchildren sooner.

Lin Mengchuan felt inexplicably irritated after reading the message from his mother.

Holding his grandson, holding his grandson, it's as if he's just a tool for carrying on the family line.

He was hesitating about how to reply when another message arrived.

Xu Ying: Meng Chuan, are you asleep?

The old lady knew her grandson liked to play games and often played until the middle of the night, so she tried sending him a message.

Lin Mengchuan was puzzled when he saw his grandmother's message. Both of them were having trouble sleeping tonight?

He replied to Xu Ying: Grandma, I'm not asleep yet, why aren't you asleep yet?

Xu Ying: I woke up from a nap. I was woken up by your mother. She went out to play with her friends last night and only just came back. She still smelled of cigarettes and men's cologne on her.

Lin Mengchuan asked in surprise: Grandma, you mean, my mom just got home?

Xu Ying: Yes, I just greeted her at her door, and she said I walk so quietly that I almost scared her to death.

Lin Mengchuan's brows furrowed involuntarily.

Xu Ying's next message came through.

Xu Ying: In the past, when your dad was away on business trips or came home late, your mom would also go out to play. It was not surprising. Every time she came back, she would smell of cigarettes and men's cologne.

Lin Mengchuan: Grandma, women might smoke too. Besides, the scent of a man's perfume might be from her sister's boyfriend.

Xu Ying: Those are gatherings of wealthy wives, how could they possibly bring men?

Lin Mengchuan knew, of course, that wealthy wives usually didn't bring men to their gatherings.

But he couldn't say that, for fear the old lady would overthink it.

Lin Mengchuan: Grandma, that might be the perfume of other customers in the store, or the perfume of the store staff.

Xu Ying: I know, and I didn't say anything. Of course, your mother would never betray your father. Okay, I'm not talking to you anymore. I've disturbed your game. It's getting late, go to sleep.

When Lin Mengchuan saw the word "betrayal," his heart skipped a beat, and he felt inexplicably uneasy.

He patiently replied, "Okay, Grandma, I'm sleepy too. Why don't you take another nap? We'll talk when I get back."

Xu Ying: Okay, go to sleep.

The phone went silent.

Lin Mengchuan tossed his phone onto the bedside table, turned and lay down, staring at the ceiling as he pondered the message his grandmother had sent.

My mother often went out when my father was away on business or came home late.

Every time I come back from going out, I smell the same cigarette smoke and perfume.

There are many suspicious points here.

Why did the mother choose to go out and meet with her sisters only when the father was not at home?

Which girlfriends does she meet with, and where do they meet?

Also, she clearly went out to a party tonight, so why did she say she had insomnia and couldn't sleep?

It's already 1 a.m., why are you playing so late before going home?

Lin Mengchuan felt a vague unease.

Recalling her father's death, her mother did not show much sadness.

Moreover, less than a month after her father's death, her mother went out to play and didn't come back until midnight.

It was his mother who suggested that he bring Su Yani to the suburbs for a vacation this time.

His objections were ineffective.

Filled with questions, Lin Mengchuan didn't sleep a wink all night...

In the villa on the other side.

Qiao Ran and the other three were sleeping soundly.

Since it was a rare opportunity to go on vacation, Qiao Ran had told Qi Muci the night before that she would sleep in until she naturally woke up.

But the next morning, Zhao Mengmeng banged on her door repeatedly.

Qi Muci had already gotten up and was sitting on the bed watching over Qiao Ran, reading a book on his tablet.

Upon hearing the knock, he immediately got out of bed to open the door.

Holding her phone, Zhao Mengmeng asked him, "Brother Qi, is Ranran awake yet?"

Qi Muci: "Not yet."

"Excuse me, could you please step out for a moment? I have something to say to Ranran," Zhao Mengmeng said, pushing Qi Muci out.

Ignoring Qi Muci's puzzled expression, he closed the door.

Qiao Ran was shaken awake by Zhao Mengmeng, and yawned, "Mengmeng, what's up?"

Zhao Mengmeng raised her phone and said to the person on the other end of the video call, "Okay, Dingding, repeat what you just told me."

Ding Ding, with her messy hair and flushed face, looked a little embarrassed.

Zhao Mengmeng: "Grandma, we've already done it, what's there to be embarrassed about? Besides, you're both single."

Qiao Ran was puzzled: "What did Ding Ding do?"

Zhao Mengmeng winked at her and said with a meaningful smile, "Last night, that rich second-generation guy named Xu Qing stayed overnight at her place. What do you think they did? Look at Dingding's rosy cheeks, she's been pampered so much."

Ding Ding looked guilty; she also felt that her complexion had changed since waking up today.

Qiao Ran suddenly came to her senses and looked at Ding Ding: "Wow, Ding Ding, congratulations on opening the door to a new world for you."

Ding Ding frowned and pouted, "Stop talking. I drank too much last night, and I'm really regretting it now. Why did I go out drinking with his friends? A bunch of guys took turns toasting me."

Zhao Mengmeng chuckled, "Come on, Ding Ding. Others may not know your drinking capacity, but we two certainly do. However, if you insist on finding a reason, it's the alcohol's fault, not yours."

Qiao Ran: "What's wrong? Ding Ding, Xu Qing is ignoring us now that he's done with his pants up?"

Zhao Mengmeng: "No, it's because Dingding didn't recognize anyone after sleeping with her, which made Xu Qing cry."

Qiao Ran was speechless: "...Ding Ding, you're such a jerk."

Zhao Mengmeng agreed, "She's really awful. I never expected my manager to be such a scumbag."

"Please, I didn't force him. Besides, it was his first time, and it was mine too," Ding Ding shouted on the other end of the video call. "Isn't this even? Do you really expect me to take responsibility?"

"What era are we living in? Does sleeping together mean you have to take responsibility?"

Zhao Mengmeng's mouth dropped open: "Oh my god, this is Xu Qing's first time? He's not young anymore."

Qiao Ran: "Yeah, looking at his carefree attitude, I thought he was a real womanizer, but it turns out he's just a fake one."

Zhao Mengmeng winked at Ding Ding, "Quickly tell me, how did Xu Qing perform?"