Panda Novel
Chapter 32 - Su Bai: “Wenjie's Secret... You Don’t Want It Exposed, Right?”
Chapter 32: Su Bai: “Wenjie’s Secret… You Don’t Want It Exposed, Right?”
“System update: new sign-in available. Host, would you like to sign in?”
“Sign in!”
“Ding! Host successfully signed in and received ¥1,000,000.”
Su Bai barely batted an eye at the announcement. He had grown accustomed to these windfalls, so he calmly got out of bed and began getting ready for the day.
At the dining table, Qiao Yingzi was already seated, staring down at a plate of wowo tou (窝窝头, coarse-grain steamed buns) with a less-than-enthusiastic expression. Song Qian had prepared them for breakfast, showing her trademark dedication to health.
[Wowo Tou (窝窝头, wōwō tóu): A traditional Chinese steamed bun made from coarse grains like cornmeal, millet, or wheat. It’s known for its earthy taste and association with simple, rural lifestyles.]
“Xiaobai, Yingzi, eat your breakfast and head to school. I’m heading out to buy groceries—early mornings have the freshest produce,” Song Qian announced as she grabbed her bag and headed out.
Once the door closed, Qiao Yingzi immediately set her steamed bun down.
“Su Bai, don’t eat that. My dad’s bringing us breakfast, so let’s wait for him.”
“You should’ve told me earlier. We could’ve just gone out to eat,” Su Bai replied, amused.
“Well, I already promised my dad, so we might as well wait,” Qiao Yingzi said, sighing at her own indecisiveness.
’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’
“Ding-dong!”
“That’s him!” Qiao Yingzi dashed to the door and opened it.
“Look, Yingzi, I brought all your favourites!” Qiao Weidong beamed as he handed her the bags.
“Thanks, Dad!” she chirped, immediately bringing the food to Su Bai.
Standing at the door, Qiao Weidong felt a pang of annoyance watching his daughter fawn over Su Bai while ignoring him completely.
Su Bai, however, didn’t mind. Grateful for the hot breakfast, he began eating enthusiastically, leaving the less appealing steamed buns behind.
’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’
Meanwhile, Qiao Weidong wandered into Song Qian’s room, casually flopping onto her bed.
“Dad, get up! If Mum comes back and sees you, she’ll flip out—and I’ll be the one who suffers!” Qiao Yingzi warned, pulling him out of his thoughts.
Her words spurred Qiao Weidong to his feet. As he hastily tidied the bed, he noticed a short strand of hair on Song Qian’s pillow.
It wasn’t hers—Song Qian’s hair was longer. And it certainly wasn’t his own.
Turning to the living room, his eyes fell on Su Bai.
Could it be Su Bai’s? he wondered, holding up the hair.
But as he thought about it further, he realised it must have been a coincidence. Su Bai likely shed the hair while lounging on the couch, which Song Qian often used for naps.
Feeling reassured, he discarded the hair. Still, he decided he needed to have a word with Song Qian later—just to ensure nothing inappropriate happened between Su Bai and Qiao Yingzi.
Just then, the door opened, and Song Qian walked in, startling him.
Her sharp eyes immediately noticed him in the house. “What are you doing here, Qiao Weidong?”n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om
Sensing trouble, Su Bai quickly grabbed his bag.
“Yingzi, we should head to school now.”
“Right behind you!” Qiao Yingzi agreed, seizing the opportunity to escape.
As the elevator doors closed, Song Qian’s angry shout echoed from the apartment.
“Qiao Weidong, get out of my house!”
Qiao Yingzi sighed in relief. “Good call, Su Bai. If we’d stayed any longer, we’d have been dragged into that mess.”
At the gate, Su Bai and Yingzi bumped into Tong Wenjie and Fang Yuan.
Tong Wenjie’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment as soon as she saw Su Bai.
“Xiaobai, I owe you an apology for last night. I shouldn’t have gotten so drunk. I’ll make it up to you with dinner sometime soon,” she said, avoiding his gaze.
Fang Yuan, unaware of the full story, chimed in.
“Su Bai, I heard about what happened. Wenjie shouldn’t have left you to cover the bill. How much was it? I’ll transfer the money to you.”
Su Bai smiled politely, fully aware that Tong Wenjie hadn’t disclosed the full extent of her behaviour. He had no intention of exposing her, but the memory of last night still lingered.