Yang Qizhou didn’t particularly care.
In any case, according to the predestined course of events, Little Dou Ding would definitely co again soon. If there was sothing important, it would naturally be clarified then.
And indeed, that was exactly the case.
In less than two hours, Ding Xiaolan ca running over all giddy and energetic.
The mont she entered the room, she started yelling:
"Brother Qizhou! What are you doing? I have sothing super important to tell you!"
As expected, here she cos.
Yang Qizhou pinched her cheek hard and said, "You’re a girl. If you keep shouting all the ti, no guy will like you. Be a bit more reserved, will you?"
"Ouch..."
Ding Xiaolan slapped his hand away with determination and said, "Nope! This is how I like to be. Acting all prim and proper is so boring... Anyway, Brother Qizhou, stop trying to sidetrack ! I really have sothing important to say!"
"Oh really? What’s so important that our adorable Little Dou Ding is in such a rush?"
Yang Qizhou couldn’t help but feel a bit curious—he couldn’t recall seeing her in such a state before.
Ding Xiaolan leapt onto the sofa, then suddenly drooped her head, looking dejected.
"Brother Qizhou, your chances are gone."
"Huh..."
What on earth—Yang Qizhou was utterly baffled.
"Brother Qizhou, you don’t know, do you? Yesterday, Mom took to an ani convention. The building caught fire, and smoke was everywhere. Amidst the haze, there was this big brother wearing a mask—so cool, so mysterious. I don’t even know what he did, but I just *knew* in my heart that he saved us."
The "big brother wearing a mask, so cool, so mysterious" you’re talking about—uh, isn’t he sitting right here in front of you?
Yang Qizhou nearly floated into the air from the complints, every pore of his being feeling utterly satisfied.
"And then? What’s this ’your chances are gone’ nonsense? Stop being cryptic and spell it out."
"Brother Qizhou, how are you so dense? The ’hero saves the damsel in distress’ trope might be cliché, but it works! Ever since yesterday, my mom keeps mumbling about wanting to find that big brother to express her gratitude face-to-face. This is a really dangerous sign!"
Ding Xiaolan’s face held both disdain and a look of soone lanting over a fool. Where on earth does this little kid get so much expressiveness from?
But, well, heh heh, little girl, bet you didn’t see it coming—the hero is literally sitting right in front of you.
Yang Qizhou chuckled smugly to himself.
Sothing started to dawn on him as well.
"So... what does this have to do with ?"
"You—sigh..."
Ding Xiaolan let out a long sigh. "Brother Qizhou, my mom’s beautiful, right? And she owns several properties. She’s totally a rich lady! I’ve been trying so hard to create opportunities for you, but you never seized them. And now look what’s happened—Mom’s probably moved on. Even when handed a chance, you’re completely useless!"
"???"
Wow. Just... wow.
Yang Qizhou finally understood—this little girl, despite her age, had sohow already mastered the art of playing matchmaker. Seriously, the phrase "like mother, like daughter" couldn’t be more apt.
"Wait, Little Dou Ding, I’m utterly baffled here. How did you even co up with this idea?"
Ding Xiaolan answered with complete conviction, "Because I get along with you. If you beca my new dad, I’d be fine with it. As for other weird uncles? No way!"
What the... are kids’ imaginations these days really this wild?
Yang Qizhou felt a chill shoot down his spine.
Setting everything else aside, the girl might not understand the severity of her words, but as an experienced adult, he was well past the age of dreaming aimlessly. Clear-headed as ever, he knew very well where he stood. Ding Xiaolan’s mom, Sister Xin, was not only stunning but lived a life of comfort in the Capital City, with no shortage of suitors, many of whom were objectively outstanding.
As a player in the **Deceit World**,
Yang Qizhou was well aware of his own unique qualities.
But the problem was that Sister Xin didn’t know about them! Her kind treatnt toward him was purely out of sympathy for soone struggling to make it alone in the Capital City. Nothing more. If he were to confess inappropriate feelings to her, he’d likely be kicked out imdiately.
Besides, though Sister Xin was undeniably beautiful and captivating—so much so that even Yang Qizhou occasionally found her srizing—she was, after all, a mother. There was a ntal hurdle he couldn’t quite overco.
*"Little Dou Ding’s still just a kid. She’s immature, which is why she thinks whoever she shes with should be with Sister Xin."*
"You little rascal! You didn’t share your wild ideas with Sister Xin, did you?"
Yang Qizhou asked, suddenly nervous. If Sister Xin caught wind of this, it would be the end—at best, he’d get kicked out, and at worst, he might even face a "hello, is this the police?" situation.
Little Dou Ding shook her head, "Of course not! Otherwise, wouldn’t I have blown my cover? How else would I create opportunities for you and Mom?"
Then, she let out a long sigh and said, "But now it’s too late. Mom has a new crush. That big brother’s more handso than you, has better presence, exudes way more charisma, and is full of mystery. Compared to him, you’re just trash. Sorry, Brother Qizhou, but there’s no hope left for you."
Yang Qizhou: "..."
Hey, hey, hey, I was wearing a mask at the ti! Little rascal, did you activate X-ray vision or sothing? How could you see through to this stunningly handso face of mine?
Not to ntion, it’s the exact sa person—how does one co across as classy, charismatic, and mysterious while the other amounts to nothing but "trash"?
And for the record:
I *never* had improper thoughts about Sister Xin! Little rascal, stop tarnishing my reputation!
...
...
After sending off the imaginative, matchmaking-obsessed Ding Xiaolan, Yang Qizhou collapsed onto the sofa like a limp rag.
The kid might be young, but her ability to spin scenarios was off the charts.
Sister Xin wasn’t so naïve girl in the springti of her youth. The idea of "love at first sight" clearly didn’t apply here. Any lingering thoughts about the mysterious figure she kept ntioning were likely born of curiosity, perhaps mixed with a dash of gratitude.
But to say that a re fleeting encounter had sealed her fate for eternity? Even ghosts wouldn’t buy such a tale.
Still...
Suddenly, Yang Qizhou’s lips curled into a wicked grin. "If Sister Xin ever found out that the masked stranger at the Diamond Building was actually , what kind of expression would she make? Hehe, that’d be priceless."
"Uh,"
"Actually, scratch that. Thanks to the effects of the **Hidden God’s Clothes**, I was able to evade the Deceit Bureau’s investigation. If Sister Xin discovered my identity, the authorities’ terrifying intel capabilities would probably bring them knocking on my door within two or three days."
"Revealing myself in front of Sister Xin? Well... seems like there won’t be a chance for that."
...
...
Ti passed quickly, and soon it was 8:58 PM.
This evening might have been just another ordinary night for most people, but for the mbers of the **Secret Cultivation Society**, it was a highly significant occasion.
The society’s online gathering was scheduled to take place at 9 PM that night.
mber "Fox" was in an e-sports hotel in the Capital City. His slightly overweight body creaked the gaming chair beneath him, and his chubby, fair face was alight with anticipation.
mber "Cheetah" looked grave and focused, muttering to himself incessantly, "Cling to Lord Honey Pot’s coattails. Cling to Lord Honey Pot’s coattails."
The group leader, "Cultivator," was twitching her eyelids ever so slightly. It was nearly impossible to imagine that this enigmatic woman, shrouded in mystery, could also have monts of trepidation.
"An S-rank lamp holder, soone even unborn ’gods’ would fear."
"Truly extraordinary."
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