Dead Ball

"Since you said you can leave immediately, then please leave this place. If there's anything to discuss, we can find somewhere to sit down."

Ye Shuang couldn't afford to drag this out too long. If the people inside grew suspicious and opened the door, Chen Hai would be done for.

He wasn’t deliberately covering for Chen Hai, but until the child’s true parentage was confirmed, Ye Shuang didn’t want to see any conflict erupt between Chen Hai and his wife—especially if it would affect their daughter, Chen Qiaoqiao.

If the child was indeed Chen Hai’s, then he would have to take responsibility—at the very least, he’d need to address the issue of raising the child.

"I’ll leave, but I just want to see Ah Hai. Is that too much to ask?" Zhou Min frowned when she saw Ye Shuang refusing to let her in.

"Right now, I’m carrying his baby."

Ye Shuang remained calm. "Have you done a paternity test?"

[Character: Zhou Min

Pregnant, craving sour foods.]

Nothing useful here…

Ye Shuang knew that if this ability were truly reliable, he’d probably be gambling on jade stones by now.

Just then, the door suddenly clicked open. Ye Shuang cursed inwardly and quickly threw his weight against it.

"Huh? The hell are you doing?!" Chen Hai, nearly smacked in the face by the door on the other side, blinked in confusion before snapping, "You almost crushed my hand!"

"Don’t come out!" Ye Shuang’s voice rang out.

Chen Hai made a face like the "confused black guy" meme, then teased, "Oh? Did you piss off another girl and now you’re too scared to let me see?"

"Ah Hai…" Zhou Min seized the moment to call out from outside.

Chen Hai’s face instantly drained of color, his chubby cheeks trembling.

"What’s wrong? You look like a mouse that just saw a cat—acting all jumpy." Chen Hai’s wife walked over, puzzled by his sudden pallor.

"Sweetheart, sweetheart—hold on, can you go upstairs and grab something for me?" Chen Hai blurted, now in full panic mode.

"What? Your underwear?"

"Yeah, yeah! I forgot to wear any today. Help me find a pair." Chen Hai forced a laugh.

His wife narrowed her eyes. "What’s wrong with you? Acting all shifty. Who’s out there?"

"No one! There’s no one," Chen Hai insisted. "It’s just a friend of Ye Shuang’s."

"Yeah, yeah!" Ye Shuang chimed in from outside. "Just go grab him some underwear."

Chen Hai’s wife grew even more suspicious but didn’t press further. As she turned to head back inside, another voice suddenly called out—

"Ah Hai!"

"What the—?" Chen Hai’s wife shoved him aside and reached for the door. "Ye Shuang, open this damn door right now!"

Outside, Ye Shuang felt his soul leave his body. With a few loud bangs, the door slammed into his back—the sheer force of the Sichuan-Chongqing "Tyrannosaurus" was terrifying. The door was forced open, sending Ye Shuang stumbling forward.

It’s over.

"And who the hell are—?" Chen Hai’s wife glared at Zhou Min, then froze when she noticed the visible baby bump. In an instant, everything clicked.

"CHEN HAI!"

Chen Hai, now a broken man, clutched his head in agony. "Agh…"

"You damn idiot, have you lost your mind?!" His wife pointed at Zhou Min, her gaze burning into Chen Hai. "Your kid?!"

"Well… maybe?" Chen Hai stammered.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean? You like playing around? Am I not good enough for you? Fine, I’m taking our child and leaving!"

Zhou Min stayed silent, hanging her head like a guilty child.

At that moment, Aunt Li emerged, gasping dramatically as she cupped her cheek. "Oh dear, how could this happen…"

"Fugui, take them to another room first," Ye Shuang sighed. With no other choice, he hurried to Chen Qiaoqiao’s side and took her small hand.

"Qiaoqiao, how about Uncle takes you to play in another room?"

"What’s wrong with Mommy and Daddy? Did Daddy do something bad?"

"……"

As Ye Shuang led Chen Qiaoqiao upstairs, Bai Yuyou and Tang Keke followed—while An Shiyu planted herself on the frontlines, sipping tea (literally) like this was the most entertaining show ever.

Outside, chaos reigned. Meanwhile, Chen Qiaoqiao sat on the bed, swinging her little legs, her mood clearly dampened. Though too young to understand what had happened, she could sense her mother’s fury.

"Yuyou-jie, what’s wrong with Daddy and Mommy?" Qiaoqiao asked.

Bai Yuyou tilted her head. "Are they hungry?"

She had no clue either. Tang Keke, who’d witnessed everything, stayed silent, unwilling to explain.

Suddenly, Chen Qiaoqiao climbed onto Ye Shuang’s lap. "Uncle, can Mommy and Daddy stop fighting?"

"It’s okay. They’ll stop soon." Ye Shuang wasn’t entirely confident but softened his voice to reassure her.

He was genuinely worried Qiaoqiao might be traumatized—parents’ conflicts could leave scars that lasted a lifetime.

Just then, the door burst open. Chen Hai’s wife stormed in, scooping up Chen Qiaoqiao in one swift motion!

"Mommy, where’s Daddy?"

"Dead!"

Ye Shuang moved to intervene, but Aunt Li stopped him. "Let me handle this. You go check on Chen Hai."

"Alright."

Seeing Fugui follow them, Ye Shuang relaxed slightly. He turned and headed to Chen Hai’s room, where the man sat slumped in a chair, a cigarette dangling from his lips as he stared blankly into space.

Zhou Min stood nearby, fidgeting nervously.

And leaning against the doorframe—was the short-haired ninja herself.

"What are you doing?" Ye Shuang asked, eyeing the girl.

An Shiyu magically produced a cup of milk tea and took a loud sip. "Tasting some green tea."

"……"

Ye Shuang stepped inside and shut the door. He glanced at Zhou Min before speaking calmly, "Got what you wanted?"

"What do you mean?"

He sat beside Chen Hai, giving his shoulder a reassuring pat before addressing Zhou Min again. "Just say what you’re after. We’re all adults—no need to beat around the bush."

"I just want Ah Hai. I didn’t know… it’d turn out like this," Zhou murmured.

Ye Shuang’s gaze flicked to her belly. Not wanting to be too harsh, he asked, "Can you do a prenatal paternity test now?"

"I don’t know…"

"Let’s get the test done first. We’ll talk after the results." Ye Shuang then turned to Chen Hai. "For now, go find Qiaoqiao and the others."

"Damn it." Chen Hai suddenly pressed his cigarette into his own crotch!

"Are you insane?!" Ye Shuang grabbed his wrist and yanked it away.