Seeing his wife emerge with her friends, Xu Lai and Liu Beiming both turned to look, and their faces darkened instantly—everyone's but Xu Yaoyao's.

Ruan Tang and Luo Chu were both staggering. They had clearly had a lot to drink, but their faces were brimming with smiles.

"Xu Lai," Ruan Tang said, her intoxicated face flushed with an attractive blush. "Luo Chu, Xu Yaoyao, and I are going to go shopping and take a walk. Are you taking the kids home first, or are you coming with us?"

"I want to stay with Mommy!" Xu Yiyi shouted sweetly.

"Okay," Ruan Tang said with a gentle smile.

Qian Xiao said the same thing, so the group of drinkers decided against driving and began their slow walk toward the pedestrian street.

Liu Beiming held Xu Yaoyao's hand, and Luo Chu held her son Qian Xiao's hand. Xu Lai, in turn, held Ruan Tang's and Xu Yiyi's small hands, one on each side.

But then Ruan Tang reached back and clung to Xu Lai's arm, as if needing it for support. As they walked, they had moments of intimate contact.

Is she hinting at something? Xu Lai wondered. Why else would she keep pressing herself against my arm like that?

After all, Ruan Tang had a history of this, and not just once.

Xu Lai extended a sliver of his Divine Sense. Ruan Tang's intoxication vanished in an instant, her mind becoming perfectly clear. When she realized she was actively clinging to Xu Lai's arm, her once-faded cheeks turned red once again.

I really can't handle my liquor!

Ruan Tang snuck a glance at Xu Lai but didn't let go of his arm. It's better to keep playing dumb for now, she thought. Otherwise, this would be so awkward!

Yet Xu Lai looked at his wife with confusion several times.

Did my Divine Sense fail? That can't be right… How could I, the magnificent Supreme Emperor, fail to dispel something as trivial as drunkenness? Could it be that the alcohol on Earth is just that potent?

Soon, Xu Lai noticed that although Ruan Tang's face was still red, her steps were much steadier than before.

He instantly understood.

Ruan Tang... she must be pretending to be drunk to save face!

The urge to tease her arose in his mind. He leaned in and whispered in her ear with a chuckle, "Honey, what if we don't go home tonight?"

"Go... go where?" Ruan Tang did her best to make her voice sound drunk.

"To a hotel."

In your dreams! Ruan Tang clenched her small fists. This scoundrel, trying to take advantage of me while I'm supposedly drunk! She was tempted to stomp on his foot but managed to hold back. Instead, she stared straight ahead, pretending she hadn't understood.

Still keeping up the act, huh?

Xu Lai smiled and didn't call her out on it. Then, a sudden feeling came over him—he'd forgotten something.

Oh well, it probably wasn't important.

Xu Lai shook his head and thought no more of it.

「Haitang Court.」

Lying on the living room couch, Ruan Lan picked up her phone to check the time. It was nearly nine o'clock!

"My brother-in-law and my sister aren't coming back, and Yiyi isn't either… Who's going to care for this lonely, empty-nester!"

Ruan Lan rubbed her stomach, which was growling with hunger, and felt so wronged she was on the verge of tears.

That blasted brother-in-law! What about the big meal he promised? Liar!

Finally unable to bear her hunger, Ruan Lan took out her phone to call her sister, only to find Ruan Tang's phone was turned off. When she called Xu Lai, the line was out of service.

Those two... they must have forgotten all about me.

Ultimately, Ruan Lan succumbed to her hunger and ordered some takeout on her phone.

After walking for half an hour, the group reached Yuhua Alley.

Even for a weeknight, the alley was packed with people, almost shoulder-to-shoulder. So, Xu Lai let Yiyi sit on his shoulders and took the opportunity to brazenly wrap an arm around Ruan Tang. Her face turned even redder, but she didn't dare struggle.

Spotting a milk tea shop, Xu Yaoyao pointed and said, "Liu Beiming, I want one of those."

"You're pregnant, you should drink less of these..."

Liu Beiming was about to reason with her when his girlfriend touched her belly and said forlornly, "Beiming, you've changed."

...

Buy it, buy it, buy it!

Dark lines of frustration appeared on Liu Beiming's forehead.

While they waited for the milk tea, Qian Xiao suddenly saw a large crowd gathered across the street. A lover of commotion, he immediately ran over.

Luo Chu followed closely behind, slightly annoyed. "Qian Xiao, don't run off like that!"

In the end, everyone except Liu Beiming followed him.

They saw a simple stage that had been set up, with all sorts of gifts displayed beside it. A moderately attractive hostess smiled and announced, "The third Yuhua Alley Couples Contest has begun! Any tourists who want to sign up should hurry."

"The grand prize is the latest model Huawei laptop, plus mobile phones, cash, and various other rewards... Quick, bring your boyfriends and girlfriends to participate!" At the hostess's announcement, many couples rushed to sign up.

"Should we enter?" Xu Lai asked, his interest piqued.

On a public stage like this? It's too embarrassing.

So Ruan Tang flatly refused. "No way."

"Wow, it's a limited-edition Xiao Mai figurine!" Xu Yiyi's eyes were glued to the prize area, her little face expressing immense delight.

She looked at Xu Lai, her eyes bright. "Daddy, Yiyi wants to enter the contest."

Xu Lai squatted down and said seriously, "That's not allowed, Yiyi. Only couples can enter, like Mommy and me."

"Oh." Xu Yiyi looked disappointed, her eyes still fixed longingly on the limited-edition figurine set.

"Boss Lady, I can..."

Qian Xiao was just about to raise his hand when Xu Lai flicked his forehead. "Could you maybe go help your Uncle Beiming get the milk tea?"

Wow! Qian Xiao was so mad. I was just about to help the Boss Lady get her wish, but that heartless Xu Lai stopped me.

Qian Xiao glared. "Uncle Xu, have you ever heard the saying, *'The river flows east for thirty years, and west for thirty years—never bully a young man for being poor!'*"

Xu Lai: "..."

Luo Chu mercilessly kicked her son and scolded, "Speak properly to your Uncle Xu."

Qian Xiao, who had been so full of righteous spirit just a moment ago, drooped his head and muttered, "I'm sorry, Uncle Xu."

Ruan Tang couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Mommy." Xu Yiyi tugged at Ruan Tang's hand, her small, upturned face filled with pleading. "Yiyi really wants the limited-edition Xiao Mai figurine set..."

"Mommy will buy it for you, no matter how expensive it is!" Ruan Tang declared earnestly.

"You can't buy it," Yiyi explained. "It was a limited run of one hundred sets. It's out of production."

"This..."

Ruan Tang hesitated for a moment, then went to speak with the hostess, saying she was willing to buy the figurine set for any price.

"Ma'am, I'm terribly sorry, but this is a prize, and I can't dispose of it on my own authority. If your child likes it, you and your husband should enter the contest," the hostess said with a smile before continuing to hype up the crowd.

"Never mind, Yiyi. Life can't always be perfect. Sometimes, the things you can't have are for the best," Xu Lai comforted her. "Besides, Mommy and I are too 'drunk' to compete."

"Okay, I understand, Daddy." Xu Yiyi didn't cry or make a fuss but simply nodded obediently.

Her daughter's maturity made Ruan Tang feel an inexplicable ache in her heart. Because of her tragic childhood, Xu Yiyi was far more mature than other children her age.

Ruan Tang couldn't help but declare, "Xu Lai, go sign us up!"

"Mommy, you don't have to. I suddenly don't like that figurine set anymore," Xu Yiyi said, blinking her big eyes.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.