Su Ding was listening to music when she was poked. She took off her headphones, frowned, and said speechlessly, "What do you want?"
Her gaze immediately fell on Zhao Qin's phone screen.
It was the same GIF from yesterday.
Su Ding's expression was somewhat numb. She attended a friend's concert with her man, and what was wrong with a kiss?
"Say something, don't play dumb, what's going on?"
Zhao Qin was so angry she didn't know what to say. What kind of miraculous creature was this Su Ding? How could she be constantly thinking of someone else when she had such a good man for a son?
Su Ding said speechlessly, "Xue Zhiqiao and I are friends, and I was invited to the concert..."
Before she could finish, Zhao Qin pointed at the blurry figure of a man in the photo and angrily asked, "Who is this man? You and him... what are you doing with him! This is outrageous!"
"Mrs. Jin, this man, take another look, who is he?"
Su Ding was truly speechless. Zhao Qin, can't you even recognize your own son?
Hearing this, Zhao Qin frowned and observed the photo again. The more she looked, the more familiar it became. Suddenly, her face showed a bewildered expression.
This, isn't this Xiao Ye?
For a moment, she felt awkward, having not even recognized her own son.
"This, this really is Xiao Ye. You attended the concert together, this photo is really blurry."
Zhao Qin said with a slightly unnatural expression, took back her phone, and continued to look at the comments below with a frown.
The more she read, the more absurd it seemed. The comments all said Su Ding had found a new sugar daddy.
They even stated it so convincingly, as if it were true. If the man in the photo wasn't her son, she would have believed it.
Su Ding put her headphones back on and said nothing more.
Zhao Qin did not bother her further, only sighing with emotion.
Su Ding sat right beside her, looking so peaceful and detached from the world, while in the phone and online, the netizens described Su Ding with a completely different feeling.
Beep beep beep!
Arriving at the meeting point with her friends, Zhao Qin saw her two sisters from afar.
The taller, thinner one was named Zhang Lan.
Beside Zhang Lan was her daughter-in-law, Xiaoxiao, wearing a dress and looking petite.
The woman with a fuller figure and a smiling face was named Huang Guifang.
Standing beside Huang Guifang was her daughter-in-law, Yueyue, a tall, young pregnant woman with a slightly protruding belly, about five months along.
"Qin, we've been waiting for you, it's so hot."
Huang Guifang's somewhat robust arm linked with Zhao Qin's. Although there was a hint of reproach, her eyes were still smiling.
Huang Guifang glanced at Su Ding and said with a smile, "This is your daughter-in-law, Dingding, right?"
Su Ding nodded and said, "Hello."
Huang Guifang covered her mouth and chuckled, "Hello, your mother-in-law often mentions you."
As she spoke, she exchanged a knowing glance with her taller sister, Zhang Lan, a knowing smile playing on her lips.
Zhao Qin had often complained about Su Ding among her friends.
"Everyone, get in the car quickly. Yueyue, be careful. Guifang, stop talking and help your daughter-in-law."
Zhao Qin smilingly called everyone into the car.
Su Ding proactively chose not to sit with them, instead taking a seat in the front passenger seat.
The back seats were spacious, and it wasn't crowded at all.
Su Ding's deliberately distant action, however, made Zhao Qin a little displeased. She hadn't even spoken yet, and Su Ding had already gone to the front. What did that mean?
"Sister Su Ding, aren't you sitting here?" asked Xiaoxiao, Zhang Lan's daughter-in-law, with concern.
"No, I'll sit in the front so everyone can be more comfortable."
Su Ding said, "It's a two-and-a-half-hour drive to Qingfeng Temple, we should leave soon."
Zhao Qin glanced at her phone and instructed the driver to start the car.
Soon, the car began to move.
Qingfeng Temple was located on a mountain in a small county east of Jiangcheng. It required driving on a highway for a stretch, then a dirt road, and then returning to the highway, making the journey a bit winding.
However, Qingfeng Temple was known for its efficacy in granting wishes, so many people were willing to make the trip.
In the car, a refreshing breeze blew in, and Su Ding slightly narrowed her eyes.
In the back seat, Zhao Qin and her friends also started chatting, mostly about everyday matters.
"This time when we go to the temple, I have to pray for a son for our Xiaoxiao," said Zhang Lan.
"I'll pray that our Yueyue can safely give birth to a healthy baby boy. The last time I went to the hospital for a check-up, they found out it's a boy," Huang Guifang said with a smile.
"I hope my mother-in-law lives a long life," said Xiaoxiao, Zhang Lan's daughter-in-law.
"I also hope my parents-in-law and my husband can be healthy and safe," said Yueyue, Huang Guifang's daughter-in-law, gently touching her belly.
Listening to them, Zhao Qin was filled with envy and resentment towards Su Ding.
Look at how close and harmonious other mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationships were. Their family, alas, was truly troublesome.
Suddenly, the car, which had been driving smoothly, lurched violently.
The car body swayed heavily, and the tires fell into a pit. The engine roared, but couldn't get out.
The driver frowned and stepped on the accelerator again.
Chiss...
The car jolted again. Just as it seemed about to escape the pit, it plunged back in.