Chapter 96
Seeing that 555 didn’t respond for a long time, Zuo Bian said, ‘I’ll ask Little Frog when I get home.’
555: …
【Then ask Little Frog.】
It wasn’t that 555 was useless. It was still a rookie among systems, having completed only a few missions. It lacked experience and imagination and couldn’t fathom how someone could harm Zuo Bian with the protection of the super plug-in.
Why didn’t it consider the possibility that the person trying to harm Zuo Bian might be able to overcome the plug-in? Because plug-ins weren’t foolproof, they could be exploited.
The true power that could be considered a cheat code was the Heavenly Dao. It could destroy countless worlds with a wave of its hand and create countless worlds with a single thought. But the Heavenly Dao was busy and wouldn’t intervene unless someone tried to forcefully defy fate.
However, Zuo Bian wasn’t as worried about her safety as 555 thought. She was an optimist, believing that things would work out in the end.
Excessive worry wouldn’t solve anything, it would only cloud her judgment.
That was why she was able to put aside her emotions and label Meng Zhen as dangerous.
She still didn’t know what her master’s goal was or why she was doing this. The only thing she was certain of was that most of what she had believed in might be fake, fabricated lies by Meng Zhen.
Others might be devastated to learn that someone they had trusted might be trying to harm them, but Zuo Bian wasn’t.
Perhaps it was because she had already suspected this for a long time, she just hadn’t had any proof.
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On her way back, Zuo Bian bought fried rice for dinner. Cooking was out of the question, she could only survive on takeout.
In fact, the tiny kitchen in her apartment couldn’t handle her cooking. One attempt at cooking, and it might be unusable.
Carrying the bag of fried rice, she climbed the stairs, talking to 555 as she walked.
‘555, don’t you think that car parked in the neighborhood looks familiar?’
【Familiar? I don’t remember seeing it.】
Zuo Bian thought for a moment. ‘It looks like Qin Ai’s car.’
【Hahaha, Host, you must be mistaken. Doesn’t Qin Ai only drive white cars? And if she was coming to see you, she would have called you beforehand.】
As soon as 555 finished speaking, it froze. It suddenly remembered its passive skill: 100% chance of being slapped in the face. Whenever it said something with certainty, it would be proven wrong in a short amount of time.
【Host, you’re secretly cunning, aren’t you? How can you reverse jinx like this? It’s cheating!】
‘Hmm? What’s wrong with me?’ Zuo Bian didn’t understand what 555 was talking about.
While she was talking to 555 in her mind, she reached the seventh floor. She stood in front of her door, took out her keys, and unlocked it.
Click. She pushed the door open. Bang! A shower of colorful confetti rained down on her.
“Long time no see, Sister Zuo Bian!” Qin Tian’s cheerful voice rang out.
Zuo Bian looked up and saw Qin Tian, beaming, Qin Ai behind him with a gentle smile, and Zuo Yuan and Tao Zi peeking out from behind them.
As expected, 555 had been slapped in the face.
“Qin Ai, Xiao Tian, Brother, Sao Sao, what are you doing here? Why didn’t you call me?” Zuo Bian took off her shoes and entered the apartment.
Qin Tian, the little chatterbox, immediately betrayed his sister. “Because Sister wanted to surprise you! So we came to make you a feast! And Brother and Sao Sao are here too, Sao Sao is an amazing cook. Don’t worry, Sister Zuo Bian, I didn’t help with the cooking, I just watched. You can eat these delicious dishes without worry.”
After Qin Tian’s explanation, Zuo Bian understood. Then she realized she was still holding the bag of fried rice.
“What should I do? I bought fried rice, it seems like it’s going to be wasted.” She hated wasting food.
Qin Tian’s eyes lit up. “Don’t worry, Sister Zuo Bian, I’m still growing, I can eat more. Leave it to me.”
Qin Ai ruffled his hair, then said to Zuo Bian, “Come in, don’t just stand by the door, you’ll get tired.”
“Mm-hmm.” Zuo Bian took a few steps inside.
Zuo Yuan said, “Is it uncomfortable living here, Xiao Bian? This apartment is too small. I should have protested to the director and asked for a bigger one.”
Tao Zi said, “I also feel bad for Zuo Zuo, but it’s for the sake of filming. Ah, no, I can’t talk about this, it makes me sad.”
Zuo Bian quickly comforted them. “Brother, Sao Sao, don’t worry about me, I’m fine. And the filming will start soon, I won’t be living here for much longer.”
The apartment wasn’t exactly cramped, it was just small and filled with furniture, making it seem crowded.
Since they were having dinner here, they had pushed the furniture against the walls, creating enough space for them to eat.
As for the table, Zuo Yuan had brought a folding table. The small table Zuo Bian and Qin Ai had used before could only accommodate two people, it wouldn’t be big enough for everyone.
The new table was already set with bowls, chopsticks, and a feast of delicious dishes. The aroma alone was mouthwatering.
The food had been prepared before Zuo Bian arrived. Everyone was waiting for her.
They all sat down. Zuo Bian and Qin Ai naturally sat together, and Zuo Yuan and Tao Zi, being a couple, sat together as well. Only Qin Tian was single, forced to endure not only the PDA but also the task of finishing Zuo Bian’s fried rice. He was truly pitiful.
But Qin Tian didn’t care. He was excited, glancing at Zuo Bian and Qin Ai from time to time. If they weren’t eating, he would be taking notes in his little notebook.
Halfway through the meal, Tao Zi took out a few bottles of wine. “Want some wine?”
Zuo Bian: “I…”
Qin Tian: “Yes, yes, yes!”
Qin Ai: “No.”
Zuo Yuan: “Absolutely not!”
Tao Zi, still holding the bottles: “…”
She silently put the wine away. “Maybe not.”
Zuo Bian’s eyes followed the bottles, her gaze lingering on them. After tasting wine twice, she was craving it. Red wine was good, but what about beer? Was it also good?
Qin Ai had two troublesome companions on either side of her, both craving alcohol.
“Have you forgotten what happened last time you got drunk? And you, do you even remember how old you are? You’re asking for alcohol right under my nose. What do you do when I’m not around?”
Qin Ai’s words made Zuo Bian look away immediately. She stared intently at the food on her plate, as if trying to find hidden patterns.
Qin Tian froze. He chuckled nervously. “Sister, you misunderstood. You know I talk a big game, but I’m actually a coward. I wouldn’t dare do anything.”
The awkward moment passed, and the “harmonious” atmosphere returned.
It seemed harmonious, but there was an invisible tension in the air. Zuo Yuan kept trying to start conversations with Qin Ai, asking questions about Zuo Bian.
It was a fact that his sister would marry Qin Ai in the future, but as her brother, he wanted to make sure that Qin Ai could truly make his sister happy.
Qin Ai, of course, could handle Zuo Yuan’s questions. She answered them patiently, her expression concerned.
Zuo Bian, however, was oblivious to the subtle battle between her brother and Qin Ai. She was talking to Tao Zi.
She felt that her brother and Tao Zi’s wedding might be approaching and wanted to make some preparations. So she told Tao Zi about Zuo Yuan’s habits, his hard work, and even conveyed his love for her.
Zuo Bian’s family all wanted her to be happy, and she wanted the same for them. She wanted her brother and Tao Zi to be happy together.
After dinner, they still had plenty of time. Qin Tian took out two decks of cards, saying he had learned a new card game and wanted to practice.
Zuo Yuan, seeing that they had time, agreed to be his sparring partner. Qin Ai raised an eyebrow. “Sounds interesting, I’ll join too.”
Qin Tian shuddered. He knew he was going to be crushed!
Tao Zi wasn’t interested in playing cards. She preferred to promote Zuo Bian online, so she declined.
Zuo Bian said, “I don’t know how to play cards, I’ll just watch. Qin Ai, are you good at playing cards?”
Qin Ai opened the plastic wrapping of the deck, the cards falling neatly into her palm. Her slender fingers shuffled the cards gracefully. Even a simple action like this looked elegant when she did it.
“I’m okay.”
“It seems like there’s no competition today. How boring.” Zuo Yuan was already feeling confident.
Qin Tian, opening the other deck of cards, didn’t share his brother’s confidence. His sister wasn’t an ordinary person. Before, she had been almost perfect, except for her lack of gentleness. It seemed like there was nothing she couldn’t do. Now that she was in love, she had become gentle, but only towards one person.
He didn’t believe Qin Ai’s claim that she was “okay” at playing cards. It must be her strategy!
Her heart must be black with all those strategies! Ugh, he wished he was also cunning, then he wouldn’t be so easily defeated.
Tao Zi shuffled the cards and dealt them. The first round began.
Three minutes later…
As expected, Qin Ai won.
She tossed the cards onto the table, a smirk on her lips. “It seems like there’s no competition today. How boring.”
Zuo Yuan: “…”
“One more round.” His competitive spirit was ignited. He gathered the cards and shuffled them.
The second round, the third round, Qin Ai still won.
Qin Tian was numb, while Zuo Yuan, refusing to accept defeat, demanded another round.
At this moment, someone tapped Zuo Bian’s shoulder. She turned around and met Tao Zi’s gaze.
“Zuo Zuo, I need to talk to you alone.”
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