Novel Full Chapter 395
【Oh, dual SIM, dual system, quite the setup. You’ve really got it figured out.】
Qin Jing was feeling utterly dispirited as he listened to the repeated ringing that never got answered. After all, this was the norm. Out of ten calls, he’d be lucky to get through one or two. It was almost as if there was only a specific window of time when messages and calls could go through.
Qin Xian suddenly interjected, “Give me the number. I’ll have our tech team trace it.”
In an instant, Wen Bai’s wine glass trembled, spilling its contents directly onto Qin Xiaoyu, who was startled but more alarmed by Qin Xian’s suggestion.
Qin Jing froze, “Huh?”
Qin Xian, serious and cool, replied, “I’m suspicious that you’ve been scammed. I want to help you find out who this person really is.”
Qin Jing’s face immediately darkened. Anyone would feel offended being doubted about their online romance.
Of course, there was someone else whose face darkened even more. Wen Bai certainly didn’t doubt the prowess of the Qin family. If they wanted to trace him, it would be a piece of cake. Previously, he had relied on understanding Qin Jing’s personality to keep up this charade, but now, he was in real danger.
“Ah? That doesn’t seem right,” Qin Jing said.
Qin Xian, however, analyzed, “She’s been resistant to meeting you. It’s either because she has something she can’t talk about, or she’s been lying to you. Either way, taking the initiative isn’t a bad thing. A guy should be proactive when pursuing a girl.”
Qin Zhao immediately chimed in, “Right! If she has some kind of situation, you could secretly step in like a prince and help her out, and everyone would be happy. But if she’s a scammer, like maybe she’s not good-looking…”
“I don’t care!” Qin Jing quickly retorted.
Qin Zhao smirked, “What if she’s married? What if… heh… she’s actually a man?”
There was no hiding the panic on Wen Bai’s face, though the dim lighting made it hard to notice.
Qin Jing rushed to defend, “That’s impossible!”
It was clear he was more resistant to the idea of his online love being a man than being married.
“So, just try it. We’ll do it secretly. If she gets mad, blame it on us. We’ll help you apologize,” Qin Zhao continued to egg him on.
Even though Wen Bai weakly objected, “That’s not respectful to her,” even Qin Xiaoyu got caught up in the excitement, urging her brother to give in. After all, she was super curious about what kind of person this mysterious online lover was, never imagining that person was right next to her.
Ji Fei could already imagine how worried Wen Bai must be feeling.
But in the end, Qin Jing was soft-hearted and didn’t directly give the number to let Qin Xian’s team trace it. Instead, he said, “I’ll try contacting her again. If I can’t reach her, then we’ll talk.”
With that, he tried calling again.
Seeing his panic, Wen Bai quickly found an excuse to step out and head to the restroom.
Watching him dash off in a fluster, Ji Fei and the others couldn’t hold back their laughter.
Soon, Qin Jing’s call connected, and he excitedly turned on the speaker. A feminine voice came through from the other end.
【That’s a pretty advanced voice changer. Totally can’t tell.】
Ji Fei was impressed, and so were Qin Zhao and Qin Rong. Watching Qin Jing get carried away by the voice and coos from the other side was just too much to bear.
Wen Bai, however, was truly skillful. In just a few words, he almost had Qin Jing about to hang up the phone.
Qin Xian knocked on the table, reminding Qin Jing of the main point.
Qin Jing then brought up the matter of the birthday banquet, and there was a brief silence on the other end, likely because Wen Bai was too rushed to think of an excuse.
In the end, he came up with, “Actually… I’ve been in a bad mood lately because… my mother’s hospitalized. I have to go to the hospital every day after work to take care of her. I don’t have the time or the heart to meet you. I want our first meeting to be when I’m at my best. This is just bad timing. Let’s reschedule after my mom gets out of the hospital, okay?”
【Wow, does your mother know you’re using her health as an excuse like this?】
Qin Zhao and Qin Rong were speechless. What kind of person would do that? And guess what, his mother was right there!
Qin Jing, however, immediately started worrying and asked about the situation, not suspecting a thing. He was completely taken in, which explained why he’d been scammed for so long.
After a round of reassurances and a few attempts to offer help, which were ultimately refused, the call finally ended.
“Hey, come on, you can’t believe that. It’s clearly just a last-minute excuse!” Qin Zhao couldn’t hold back.
“Well, no one would joke about their mother’s health, right?” Qin Jing reasoned, especially given his own mother’s early passing, making him even more sensitive to such things.
Ji Fei chimed in, “Don’t doubt it, people do that. You should be wondering, if it’s a lie, why would she go that far rather than just meeting you? What exactly is she hiding?”
Qin Jing was dumbfounded. Qin Xiaoyu had initially agreed with her brother but, after hearing everyone else’s reasoning, she couldn’t help but say, “Brother, I think everyone’s got a point.”
Just then, Wen Bai rushed back in, sweating from the run, clearly worried about the situation here. Ji Fei couldn’t help but laugh, knowing he’d be even more tense now.
Sure enough, as soon as he sat down, he heard the discussion about whether the story was a lie, and he was visibly uneasy, squirming in his seat.
Then Qin Xian added, “Qin Jing, contact her again. You didn’t mention earlier that we have the best medical resources. If her mother is really sick, I’m sure she wouldn’t object to providing the best care for her.”
Wen Bai’s cold sweat was practically dripping down.
Qin Jing slapped his forehead, “Right, I’ll call her now.”
Seeing his desperation, Wen Bai quickly pretended to have left something behind and rushed out again.
Qin Xiaoyu watched Wen Bai’s restless exit and murmured, “Why does it feel like he’s been off tonight?”
Meanwhile, Ji Fei and the others were practically dying of laughter.
Especially Ji Fei, who didn’t know Qin Xian was deliberately teasing but thought it was just a hilarious coincidence.
【Serves you right for trying to get cozy by pouring drinks. Now you’re kept on your toes, haha!】
Qin Zhao and Qin Rong couldn’t help but secretly give their brother a thumbs up.
Back at it, Qin Jing called twice before the other end finally picked up.
As soon as it connected, they could hear the other person panting heavily.
Qin Jing asked curiously, “What are you doing?”
“I… I was in a hurry to pick up your call.”
Qin Jing’s heart softened, and he immediately brought up Qin Xian’s suggestion.
There was a brief pause, and just as everyone wondered what excuse Wen Bai would come up with to avoid this, he suddenly exploded on the other end, angrily questioning whether Qin Jing didn’t trust her. He accused Qin Jing of inventing all these reasons just to see her, complaining that she didn’t want to and found his behavior controlling and unpleasant. Then, in a fit, he declared, “Let’s stop contacting each other for a while. Cooling off is good for both of us!”
It sounded like he was breaking up with Qin Jing.
Qin Jing was scared and quickly apologized, but the other side was resolute and hung up, leaving the line dead after that.
Qin Jing was left dumbfounded, looking at Qin Xian with aggrievement.
Qin Xian: ……
Looks like they’ve been one-upped.