Chapter 22: The Luo Family Begins to Suspect Luo Shiqing

"Wife, how is it? Did the call to Shiqing go through?"

After Luo Xixi's Recognition Banquet ended and the guests were seen off, Luo Zhennian and Bai Fengxia began calling Luo Shiqing, wanting to ask where she was now.

Bai Fengxia looked at the phone that had automatically hung up due to a timeout, shook her head helplessly, and said to her husband, "It won't go through, no one is answering, and I don't know where that child has run off to now."

Upon hearing this, Luo Zhennian frowned deeply and said in a low voice, "Shiqing has always let us know before going anywhere in the past. Running out late at night today, and now the phone won't even go through—what is this child trying to do?"

Bai Fengxia looked at her husband; she actually really wanted to tell him that she seemed to be able to hear the inner voice of their daughter Xixi. Just now at the Recognition Banquet, Xixi had said in her heart that Shiqing had gone to find some "Male Lead" at this hour?

But the fact that she could hear inner voices was too much like a fantasy; even she herself couldn't be sure if she was having auditory hallucinations, so it wasn't easy to bring this up.

After thinking for a moment, she added, "Husband, do you think Shiqing might have someone else in her heart? With Xixi returning this time, she just happened to use this opportunity to break off the engagement, and now she's gone to find her true sweetheart?"

Bai Fengxia's words were exactly what Luo Zhennian was hesitating about whether to say!

While lamenting that he and his wife truly had a meeting of minds, he nodded and analyzed, "Wife, actually I have this feeling a bit too, because her performance at the banquet this time was too suspicious. If she really loved Yan Qi that much, how could she be so determined to push the person she loves to another woman? If you say it was out of consideration for Xixi, she didn't even ask for Xixi's opinion. This was entirely her own arbitrary decision. Moreover, she left too hastily this time, as if she had completed some task and needed to leave the scene immediately."

"Husband, so you have this feeling too?"

Bai Fengxia said in surprise, "I was originally worried that I was overthinking it. If you feel the same way, then I think we should properly investigate where Shiqing went tonight and who she has been in contact with."

"Hmm, but the investigation cannot be made public, otherwise if the child finds out, it will break her heart. I have the number for a detective agency here; let's hire them to investigate. I believe we will have an answer very soon."

"Alright, then hurry and give the detective agency a call."

Luo Zhennian and his wife Bai Fengxia plotted in secret upstairs.

Downstairs.

The two brothers, Luo Xichuan and Luo Xinian, were not idle either.

"Big Brother, have your people found out where Shiqing is now? I've called her, but it won't go through."

Luo Xinian was very worried that his younger sister would run into trouble alone outside at night. He originally wanted to go out and look for her, but he was like a headless fly, not knowing where to go, so he could only entrust his Big Brother to use his connections to investigate.

Luo Xichuan said, "I've already had people go look. Don't worry, there should be news very soon."

"Mm."

Luo Xinian nodded, his gaze sweeping over Luo Xichuan again. He couldn't say that he could hear Luo Xixi's inner voice, so he could only probe, "Big Brother, do you think Shiqing might have someone else she likes outside? Breaking off the engagement tonight—do you think she might not be as heartbroken as we imagined?"

"Why would you think that?"

Luo Xichuan raised his eyes and asked in return.

"This..."

Luo Xinian choked. He couldn't just tell his Big Brother that he could hear Luo Xixi's inner voice, could he? If his Big Brother heard that, he would probably think he had lost his mind.

Thus, Luo Xinian could only find a random excuse to brush it off, "No special reason, just have this feeling. Because Shiqing's performance tonight was a bit strange; regarding the engagement break-off, she didn't seem that heartbroken or sad..."

Luo Xichuan said, "If you have doubts in your heart, just ask her face-to-face when Shiqing returns. Don't we siblings talk about everything? I believe that if Shiqing truly considers us family, she definitely won't hide anything from us."

"That's true."

Luo Xinian nodded slowly.

He convinced himself in his heart that Shiqing was an honest and sincere girl; she would absolutely not do something to intentionally frame Luo Xixi and stir up hatred. Luo Xixi must have been hysterical to think Shiqing was bad in this way or that. When Shiqing returned, he would ask her clearly and completely dispel his doubts!

Between them siblings, there would absolutely not be a rift because of such things!

Luo Xixi stayed in her room; she didn't yet know that her parents and brothers were all trying various ways to verify whether the "spoilers" they heard from her were true.

At this moment, she was still cursing the second male lead, Yan Yu, in her heart.

【That scum of a second male lead, what deep hatred does he have for me? Why does he keep hovering around me? Is he uncomfortable all over just seeing that I haven't died yet? Too vicious!】

The Baby System came online to comfort Luo Xixi, saying: 【Host, don't be so pessimistic. Let's change our way of thinking: the second male lead always appearing by your side—this is a good opportunity for you to woo the second male lead!】

【Heh... woo the second male lead? I can't even open his Attribute Panel, and you want me to woo him?】

Anyone who has frequently bound with a system knows that to woo someone, the most basic requirement is to have the Attribute Panel for the target, because only then can one check the progress of the courtship.

But because the second male lead is a high-level character, there are point requirements to woo him; only after reaching the points can the courtship options be opened. So for Luo Xixi right now, Yan Yu is just a high-level NPC with no bonuses. No matter what you do to him, it won't affect his view of you. This is clearly a futile effort, and Luo Xixi wouldn't do it.

The Baby System encouraged her: 【Host, we only need three points to open the courtship options for the second male lead, and once the Favorability Value is maxed out, one point will be dropped. In the current mission, Bai Fengxia's Favorability Value toward you is 85, Luo Zhennian's Favorability Value toward you is 60, and Luo Xichuan's Favorability Value toward you is 35. If you put in some effort and max out the favorability of these three people, you can open the courtship for the second male lead!】

【Forget it, how could it be that easy?】

Luo Xixi lay down on the bed, rolled over, and said: 【Even if I finally manage to almost win them over, it's very likely that one word from the female lead will make all my previous efforts go to waste. Wouldn't I die of crying then?】

【Host, that won't happen, don't worry.】

The Baby System also didn't understand why its host was always so pessimistic and wanted to give up at every turn, so it comforted her: 【Once the Favorability Value is high to a certain degree, it won't be that easy for it to drop.】

【Then explain to me, why did the third brother suddenly have maxed-out Disgust Value toward me?】

【Ah, this...】

The Baby System choked.

【See? Actually, there are exceptions, aren't there? If it's useless even after trying, then it's better not to try. That's it, I'm going to sleep. Goodnight, Tong'er.】

Saying this, Luo Xixi closed her eyes and began to fall fast asleep.

【Host...】

The Baby System was helpless. It felt that its host's heart must have been wounded, which was why she was so afraid of giving her heart and letting herself be hurt again.

It didn't want to force the host to do things she didn't like. The system's mission was to assist the host with all its might, and keeping them in a good, healthy psychological state was also their job.

Therefore, the Baby System would not force Luo Xixi to do things she didn't want to do.

Discovering that Luo Xixi's sleep state was poor and that her brows would always unconsciously furrow tightly after falling asleep, the Baby System activated sleep mode to help Luo Xixi drive away nightmares.

【Goodnight, Host, I wish you a good dream.】

(End of chapter)