Chapter 28: Unveiling the Past

When Qin Li entered the house, dripping wet, she was met with Thomas's exaggerated gasp.

"Oh, my God! What happened to you two? Did you fall into the river?"

Still chilled to the bone and thoroughly annoyed, Qin Li snapped, "We ran into a lunatic at the river."

Thomas raised an eyebrow at Yan Sen, his face lighting up with mischievous speculation. "Don't tell me you're the lunatic! Wait, wait—" His expression turned sly, and he leaned in conspiratorially. "Were you two… uh… river wrestling?"

River wrestling? Qin Li's forehead broke out in metaphorical black lines. What kind of scientist has thoughts like these in their head?

"Stop making stuff up," Yan Sen said curtly, brushing past his brother. "We ran into Janie."

Thomas blinked, processing this, before asking in confusion, "Which Janie?"

Qin Li interjected dryly, "Your ex-sister-in-law."

"Ohhh," Thomas drawled, suddenly connecting the dots. "What was she doing at the river?"

Yan Sen answered simply, "We ran into her at the supermarket yesterday. She works there now."

Thomas clicked his tongue. "She's back? I thought she'd disappeared for good."

"She's trying to start over," Yan Sen replied without much interest.

Thomas snorted, unconvinced. "Her? Turning over a new leaf? You believe that?"

Yan Sen shrugged. "Doesn't matter."

"It doesn't?" Thomas sounded skeptical. "You two were childhood sweethearts! If she hadn't gone off the rails, you'd still be together."

Qin Li's ears perked up. Childhood sweethearts? Divorced? This sounds juicy.

Thomas pressed on, "But seriously, what happened? Why are you both soaking wet?"

Yan Sen, growing impatient, tossed out a quick, "You talk too much," before heading upstairs, leaving Thomas hanging.

Thomas turned to Qin Li, his curiosity undimmed.

Qin Li, still shivering, sneezed and promised, "Hold that thought. Let me warm up first, and we'll exchange stories."

After soaking in a hot bath to chase away the chill, Qin Li came downstairs in fresh clothes. She fixed herself a cup of tea in the kitchen, and Thomas was on her like a hungry cat.

"Well? Spill the beans! Don't leave me hanging!"

Qin Li took a deliberate sip of tea, then smirked. "Is Janie always this unhinged?"

Thomas sighed dramatically. "It's not entirely her fault. She fried her brain on drugs."

Qin Li nearly choked on her tea. "Drugs?"

"Yeah," Thomas said with a grim nod. "She spent a month in Amsterdam, came back addicted, and it all went downhill from there. She even stole Yan Sen's savings to buy more. The police arrested her a few times before we finally had to put her in rehab. It was bad, Qin Li. Real bad. At her worst, she'd bang her head against the wall until she passed out. The doctors warned us she'd probably have permanent brain damage."

Qin Li felt a shiver that had nothing to do with the cold river. Pushing me into the water wasn't just a jealous outburst—it could've been much worse.

"When did your brother divorce her?" she asked.

"Before the drugs," Thomas said, shaking his head in disgust. "She cheated on him—twice. If I hadn't walked in on her and those guys, who knows how long she would've kept it up?"

Qin Li gasped. "She cheated while they were married?"

"Yep. And not just with one guy—she had two at the same time! My brother was good to her, and that's how she repaid him."

Qin Li exhaled sharply. So much for my bad luck. Compared to Yan Sen, my problems are nothing.

"Even after the divorce, she came crawling back, crying about how lonely she was while he was away for months on end with the livestock. She claimed she only cheated because she was bored and needed company."

"What did Yan Sen say?"

"He ignored her," Thomas replied, "which was the right move. But she spiraled into addiction and had the gall to blame him for it. And now that she's clean, she's trying to weasel her way back in. My brother's too kind; he still feels guilty about her downward spiral."

Qin Li nodded, piecing it all together. "No wonder she's still hanging around. She probably thinks she can rekindle their relationship."

Thomas made a dismissive noise. "Not a chance. My brother's got you now, and you're a million times better."

"Let's not jump to conclusions," Qin Li muttered.

"At least you wouldn't cheat or have threesomes," Thomas quipped.

"True," Qin Li admitted under her breath.

Thomas suddenly pointed at her, his eyes lighting up with realization. "Wait a second—you promised we'd exchange information! So far, it's been all me talking. What happened at the river?"

Qin Li sighed. "Isn't it obvious?"

"Nope. Fill me in."

"Janie couldn't stand seeing me with your brother, so she pushed me into the river. I can't swim. Your brother jumped in to save me."

Thomas swore under his breath. "She's out of her mind! Did you call the police?"

"We did."

"Good. Sue her for everything she's got!"

"She probably hates me now," Qin Li mused.

"Who cares?" Thomas snorted. "She deserves it."

Qin Li shrugged. "The real tragedy is your brother's three fish. Gone."

"Three?" a voice corrected from behind.

Both turned to see Yan Sen leaning in the doorway, arms crossed.

Thomas groaned, clutching his chest dramatically. "Those poor fish. Lost forever."

Yan Sen ignored him and looked directly at Qin Li. "Are you alright?"

Qin Li nodded. "I'm fine now."

"Munich?" Yansen asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Why not!" Qin Li replied eagerly.

"I'm coming too!" Thomas chimed in with zero hesitation.

As if on cue, Dani appeared in the doorway. "Where are you guys heading?"

"Munich," Thomas answered.

"Perfect! I need to swing by my office to grab some things. Count me in," Dani declared, already making herself part of the plan.

Thomas, ever the practical one, asked, "What's for dinner?"

Dani smirked. "You think you'll starve in Munich? Relax, we'll hit up an authentic Chinese restaurant. One that'll blow your mind."

Thomas eyed her suspiciously. "Better than Li's cooking?"

Dani threw an arm around his shoulders. "Oh, Thomas, let me educate you. Chinese cuisine isn't just 'Chinese food.' There are four major cuisines and eight regional ones. The big four are Shandong, Sichuan, Guangdong, and Huaiyang. The others add Fujian, Zhejiang, Hunan, and Anhui. Each region has its own flavor profile—spicy, sour, sweet, salty—it's a whole world to explore."

Thomas blinked, thoroughly confused. "You lost me at four."

Dani laughed, patting his shoulder as if he were a child. "Don't worry. Today, we'll introduce you to Sichuan cuisine. Trust me, your taste buds are in for a treat!"

"What's Sichuan all about?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Spice. Lots of it."

"Spicier than Mexican food?" Thomas challenged, clearly skeptical.

"Try it and see," Dani replied with a mischievous grin.

And with that, their lively group set off for Munich.

Their first stop was the Asian supermarket. Qin Li loaded up her cart with an assortment of sauces, spices, and ingredients, filling the cart to the brim with an impressive display of culinary ambition.

Thomas, wide-eyed at the haul, asked, "All this just for cooking?"

"Yep," Qin Li answered cheerfully. "Back in China, chefs mix their own sauces, but I'm taking a shortcut with these pre-made ones."

The supermarket had everything—from shrimp to crabs, clams to frogs. Although the seafood wasn't fresh, Qin Li figured it was good enough for someone like Thomas, whose culinary experience didn't go beyond schnitzel and potatoes.

Walking out of the store, Thomas let out a theatrical sigh. "I had no idea the animal kingdom had so much more to offer than pigs, cows, and sheep!"

Feeling generous, Qin Li decided to call her old friend Shu Shu for a mini reunion. When Shu Shu arrived at the Sichuan restaurant where they'd planned to meet, it was clear she'd dressed to impress. Her eyes lit up the moment she spotted Yansen.

"Hi, I'm Shu Shu," she introduced herself with a warm smile, extending a hand. "You must be Yansen. Qin Li's mentioned you before."

Yansen shook her hand but glanced at Qin Li with a raised brow, his expression full of unspoken questions.

"I have not!" Qin Li hissed in Mandarin, pinching Shu Shu's arm.

Ignoring her protests, Shu Shu's gaze remained fixed on Yansen. "Wow. He's even more handsome in person. How did you get so lucky?"

"Lucky? He's the reason I nearly drowned this morning!" Qin Li shot back, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

That caught Shu Shu's attention. "What happened?" she asked, her curiosity in overdrive.

Qin Li gave her a quick rundown of the morning's fiasco, but Shu Shu only seemed interested in one detail. "Wait, wait. Are you telling me he gave you mouth-to-mouth? How was it?"

"Shu Shu!" Qin Li groaned, her cheeks flaming.

"Oh, come on! A man like him? That's a fantasy come to life," Shu Shu teased.

Before Qin Li could retort, Thomas returned, fresh from the restroom, looking like he'd just discovered a new planet. "They have a live aquarium in here!" he exclaimed.

Shu Shu gave him a once-over and smirked. "Who's this?"

"This is Thomas, Yansen's twin brother," Qin Li explained.

Shu Shu blinked in surprise. "They're twins?"

"It's a long story," Qin Li replied with a shrug.

After everyone settled in, Shu Shu grabbed the menu and took charge, ordering dishes with the confidence of someone who'd mastered the art of indulgence. "We'll have water-boiled beef, spicy blood curd soup, chili chicken, fish-flavored pork, and mapo tofu."

Thomas's stomach growled in anticipation. "Order extra. I'm starving!"

The dishes arrived one after another, each more colorful and aromatic than the last. The table soon became a kaleidoscope of red chilies and fragrant spices, the kind of feast that made everyone forget the world outside.