Zhou Qiao'er, I Hope You Won't Be Foolish Again

With just one look, Tang Ao immediately understood his mother's intentions.

This is a misunderstanding!

His mother was definitely misunderstanding the situation!

[Mom, you can't be thinking like this. If you keep this up, it's going to cause big problems!]

[Except for Zhou Qiao'er, the other three women are all part of Ye Chen's future harem. They are women the protagonist is determined to have! I can't get involved with any of them!]

Tang Ao's thoughts left the four women stunned.

Zhou Qiao'er beamed with joy. As she had suspected, in Tang Ao's heart, she was the most special and important one!

Zhou Ling'er's face visibly fell, and her eyes were filled with envy as she looked at Zhou Qiao'er.

Lin Ruoxue and Li Shiyun both showed cold expressions, and Tang Ao could vaguely feel a chill creeping down his spine.

Tang Ao forced a smile and pointed to Zhou Qiao'er. "Mom, are you confused? Don't you remember Zhou Qiao'er?"

Tang's mother's expression turned icy as she grabbed Tang Ao's ear. "Don't play dumb with me! Now tell me honestly, who are these three girls, and what's your relationship with them?"

Tang's mother's question made Lin Ruoxue, Li Shiyun, and Zhou Ling'er all look up at Tang Ao, their eyes filled with a mix of curiosity and expectation.

Zhou Qiao'er, still smiling, chimed in, "Auntie, they're all Tang Ao's good friends. When they heard he was in trouble, they were even more worried than I was."

[Whoa, Zhou Qiao'er, what are you doing!?]

[You're basically hinting to my mom that my relationship with these three women isn't simple!]

[Words can't be thrown around carelessly—this could turn into a big mess! Lin Ruoxue, for example—I wouldn't want her even if she paid me. As for Zhou Ling'er... she's still just a naive university student. I'm not as shameless as Ye Chen! And Li Shiyun... why is she even here? According to the script, she should already have a deep connection with Ye Chen!]

Hearing that Tang Ao wouldn't want her even if she paid him, Lin Ruoxue's icy aura intensified, enough to scare off stray dogs from fifty meters away.

Zhou Ling'er hung her head, clutching her chest, her eyes filled with sorrow and regret. For the first time in her life, she felt inferior because she was still a young, inexperienced college student.

As for Li Shiyun...

She was already contemplating how to twist Tang Ao's foot into his armpit.

How dare he say she was part of Ye Chen's harem and had a deep connection with him!?

What nonsense!

Having witnessed firsthand how Ye Chen was twice escorted out of the police station with the utmost respect despite damning evidence, Li Shiyun was now more eager than ever to see Ye Chen brought to justice, if not torn apart!

"Qiao'er, why are you being so formal?" Tang's mother suddenly brightened, taking Zhou Qiao'er's hand while shooting a sharp glare at Tang Ao. "Why are you still calling me Auntie? From now on, don't call me Auntie—call me Mom, got it?"

Tang Ao's heart skipped a beat, while Lin Ruoxue, Li Shiyun, and Zhou Ling'er stared at Tang's mother and Zhou Qiao'er in shock. Tang's mother's simple words were like a bomb that blew their minds to pieces.

[No wonder she's my mom—those words really pack a punch!]

[With just a simple address change, she's made it clear to these three women that only Zhou Qiao'er is the approved daughter-in-law, and no one else stands a chance!]

[This is practically a direct rejection! My mom's doing a great job getting things back on track!]

Amidst Tang Ao's delighted expression, Zhou Qiao'er shyly nodded.

Tang's mother frowned slightly, pretending to be stern. "A nod isn't enough. Come on, let's hear you say it."

Blushing deeply, Zhou Qiao'er glanced shyly at Tang's mother, took a deep breath, and softly said, "Mom~"

"Yes!!!"

Tang's mother's face lit up with joy, and she couldn't stop smiling, her gaze filled with approval and affection for Zhou Qiao'er.

Seeing the three other women's shocked expressions, Tang Ao couldn't help but feel elated:

[This is perfect—it's a real heartbreaker!]

[I might as well take this opportunity to reinforce my role as the villain!]

"Mom, even if Zhou Qiao'er is the best and most suitable person for me in the world, I still won't be with her!"

Tang Ao puffed out his chest and pointed directly at Lin Ruoxue. "Mom, I've made up my mind! See her? She's Lin Ruoxue, the only woman I'll ever love and the one I love the most in my entire life!!!"

"Aside from Lin Ruoxue, I won't marry anyone. Even if you force me to be with Zhou Qiao'er, she might get my body, but she'll never have my heart!"

"You... ungrateful child!!!"

Seeing his mother trembling with anger at his words, Tang Ao couldn't help but sigh inwardly:

[Mom, just bear with it for now. Zhou Qiao'er is great, but she can't be too involved with our family. Otherwise, if she becomes Ye Chen's enemy in the future, things will end badly for her.]

[As for Lin Ruoxue, even though I don't like her, I have to pursue her and play the role of her sycophant for the plot to move forward. I'm just biding my time, playing my part, so we can all reach a happy ending!]

"Tang Ao! You jerk!!!"

Lin Ruoxue stomped her foot hard on the ground, threw one last angry remark, and stormed off. She had actually felt devastated when she heard about Tang Ao's suicide, but now she realized that, in his heart, she was just a pawn with no real value.

Tang Ao frowned as he watched Lin Ruoxue leave:

[Exactly, that's the reaction I wanted. I'm such a great actor. Lin Ruoxue must be really disgusted with me now!]

[But Zhou Qiao'er... wait, why is she smiling so happily? Didn't I make myself clear enough?]

"Zhou Qiao'er! Just give up already. I can never like you. I hope you have some dignity—get a ticket and fly home now. If you keep clinging to my family, no one will want to marry you after this gets out."

"If you don't marry me..." Zhou Qiao'er stepped closer to Tang Ao, took his right hand, and placed it over her heart, saying with deep affection, "Then I, Zhou Qiao'er, will remain unmarried for life."

Tang Ao's jaw nearly dropped, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "Zhou Qiao'er, are you deaf? Do I need to be more blunt? I hate you. Seeing you makes me sick, makes me want to throw up. Even if every other woman in the world died, I, Tang Ao, still wouldn't be interested in you. Even if you were lying naked in my bed, I wouldn't have any reaction!"

[This feels good in the moment, but Zhou Qiao'er, I hope you won't be foolish again. Otherwise, you and your Zhou family will face utter ruin!]

Tang Ao closed his eyes tightly, bracing himself for the slap he expected.

But, to Tang Ao's great surprise, Zhou Qiao'er didn't get angry. Instead, she hugged him tightly and whispered softly in his ear, so only they could hear: