After Divorce, Hidden Marriage Husband Became Addicted to Me
Chapter 366 - 256: Why Me?

Chapter 366: Chapter 256: Why Me?

There were many people gathered here.

Fu Tingzhou’s explanation was to no avail.

Just like that, the police arrived, and he was mistaken for a ’human trafficker’ and taken away in a police car, then brought to the local police station.

After some explanation, the police checked his identification and finally cleared up the misunderstanding.

Shen Duan drove over to pick up Fu Tingzhou. He couldn’t help but laugh at the farcical situation.

He also hadn’t anticipated that Third Master Fu would be taken to the police station because... he was mistaken for a human trafficker.

Fu Tingzhou raised his hand to rub his brow, finding the situation absurd as well.

But the memory of that girl’s face brought a smile to his lips.

A very clever girl.

This face...

Fu Tingzhou felt it strangely familiar, wondering how there could be a face so similar to his own.

"Shen Duan, help me look into a girl living in the Xingfu Wutong District."

Upon hearing the name of this district, Shen Duan was slightly taken aback. He glanced at Fu Tingzhou through the rearview mirror. Isn’t that... the place where Miss Tang Xi lives?

So, it turns out that Sir visited the Xingfu Wutong District tonight because of Miss Tang Xi.

Otherwise, why would he go there?

Xingfu Wutong is nothing more than an ordinary residential district.

The living environment is average, and it’s mostly populated by middle-aged and senior residents.

The district is old, its only advantage being its convenience to the bus line.

"Sir, there are many little girls around four or five years old in that district. Investigating it won’t be easy. Does the girl have any distinctive physical features? Or do you know her exact address?"

Fu Tingzhou gave him a look that said if he knew that information, he wouldn’t need to ask Shen Duan to investigate.

After a few seconds, Fu Tingzhou said, "Very pretty."

Shen Duan, "Uh..."

It was the first time Fu Tingzhou felt such strong curiosity and familiarity toward a strange little girl.

If it weren’t for his self-awareness.

He would have suspected that she is the result of seeds he sowed these past four years.

-

Tangtang returned home and did not utter a word about encountering a human trafficker outside.

She dared not tell Tang Xi, fearing that Tang Xi would worry about her.

Moreover, if she told her mother that she encountered a human trafficker outside, right in their district,

her mother would surely become very anxious about her and wouldn’t let her go out alone anymore.

And she still wanted to go out and play.

That uncle looked so handsome, yet he was actually a human trafficker, how scary!

Tang Xi noticed Tangtang was distracted while eating and reminded her, "What’s on your mind?"

Tangtang had no choice but to say, "Today when I went out to buy ketchup, I ran into Grandpa An’s big black dog. It was so scary."

Tang Xi had also encountered it several times in the district.

Grandpa An, living alone here without a spouse, his children work in Qichuan City, only returning home once a week.

The old man liked to keep a dog, especially that black one, a local breed but a large one, and the old man disliked using a leash.

Once, that dog lunged at Tang Xi.

But not to harm her; it was just enthusiastically trying to play with Tang Xi.

Tang Xi was speechless.

That black dog was both big and dumb.

But its lunging was frightening. Even if it did not bite, lunging at people, especially children, could scare them.

-

The next morning, Tang Xi was off in the afternoon and returned to the district, only to see Grandpa An holding a leash, currently watching a group of old men play chess under a tree.

The big black dog was lying on one side, panting with its tongue out.

Tang Xi approached and couldn’t help but remind him, "Grandpa An, could you please tie up Big Black when you take it for walks?"

Grandpa An glanced at Tang Xi and stroked his beard, "Big Black doesn’t bite, and we’re all neighbors here, we’ve watched Big Black grow up. It’s just that it looks big, but it’s very gentle." Saying this, Grandpa An called out Big Black’s name.

The big black dog immediately ran over happily and licked Tang Xi’s trouser legs at her feet.

Tang Xi also felt somewhat helpless.

There was no point in discussing with these old folks, okay, she’d go home and tell Tangtang to stay away from Big Black when she sees him.

As she was about to leave, Grandpa An called out to her, "Mother Tang Xi, keep an eye on your child, accompany her more often despite your busy work schedule. The child is what’s most important, after all. Although last night’s incident was a misunderstanding, what if there’s a real encounter with a human trafficker? Our district isn’t high-end, and the security guards are all old, they wouldn’t be able to handle actual traffickers."

The other old men playing chess also spoke up.

"That’s right, our district has mostly middle-aged and elderly people, we don’t have much strength."

"We really need to remind the young people renting here to watch their children closely. I heard that not long ago, a human trafficker sneaked into a district."

"Recently, many strangers have been coming to our district, Mother Tangtang, you must watch your child closely."

Tang Xi was bewildered.

Human trafficker?

What happened last night?

She anxiously asked Grandpa An for the details of the incident.

A few elders were talking back and forth, and Tang Xi finally understood what had happened last night. Learning that it was all a misunderstanding, she breathed a sigh of relief.

But these last few days, indeed, there had been strangers coming and going in the neighborhood, which made Tang Xi feel apprehensive afterward.

She wouldn’t let her daughter go out alone anymore.

She returned home and discussed with Su Wenhe that from now on, they couldn’t let Tangtang go out alone. Even playing in the neighborhood was out of the question without an adult accompanying her.

In the afternoon, when Tangtang finished school, Tang Xi went to pick her up and asked about the incident from the previous night.

Tangtang nervously lowered her head, "Mommy, I... I know I was wrong."

She held her hands tightly, "I was just, just scared that Mommy wouldn’t let me go out alone anymore, and... and Grandpa An had chased the person away, and the police uncle came too. Tangtang wasn’t harmed at all."

"If you want to go out to play with other kids in the neighborhood, just tell Mommy or Auntie Su, so we can accompany you. Lately, there are many unfamiliar uncles and aunties in our area; they could be bad people. Tangtang, let’s not go out and play for now, okay?"

Tangtang nodded her head. She hugged Tang Xi.

"Mhm, Tangtang will listen to Mommy."

Tang Xi hugged her daughter tightly, feeling extremely scared inside.

Tangtang said, "Last night, that uncle also saved me. Big Black was pouncing towards me, but the uncle picked me up." She ate the ice cream that Tang Xi had bought for her, "Mommy, was that uncle a bad guy? He looks so handsome, even more than the stars on TV."

Tang Xi put her daughter down and held her hand as they walked towards the bus stop, "Oh, was that uncle very handsome?"

Grandpa An said that what happened last night was a misunderstanding, and the police said that the individual wasn’t a child trafficker, so Tang Xi told Tangtang, "That uncle is not a bad person; he must have been visiting friends in the neighborhood and happened to save you."

"Ah, so he’s not a bad person after all. Then Tangtang misunderstood him, and he was even taken away by the police uncle." Tangtang was quite happy—after all, such a handsome uncle not being a bad person was great!

"Mommy, if I see that uncle again in the future, I want to thank him for saving me."

Tang Xi simply stroked her daughter’s head, "Tangtang is really good, but he is still a stranger, so it’s better not to have too much contact with him."

"But the uncle really does look very handsome."

Tang Xi looked at her daughter’s infatuated expression and couldn’t help but laugh with a sigh; just how handsome was this man to make her own daughter so unforgettable.

Even more handsome than stars on TV?

For a moment, Tang Xi questioned whether her daughter’s sense of aesthetics might be flawed.

-

The preliminary round spots for the jewelry design competition held by Shangguan Group had all been filled.

Aside from individual emails, the information couldn’t be found on the official website.

Tang Xi logged into the official website and saw her own name as well.

Soon after the preliminary round, the first round of assessments began.

This time, there were no groups. All 80 designers who entered the preliminary round were given the same theme.

The next round would eliminate half of the participants directly.

The same theme would better reveal the differences and artistic value in each designer’s work.

Everyone’s aesthetics were different as were their design styles.

This time, the theme was an ancient poem.

"In the deep woods, no one knows; the bright moon comes to shine together."

Tang Xi immediately sent a WeChat message to Si Ruoli.

They talked about the theme of this design competition.

It was very abstract and quite complex.

There were many possible angles to design from.

The two of them also laughed, saying it was like a college entrance examination essay, where they give you some materials, a few sentences, and let the vast number of students play it by ear.

It seemed to be one theme, but there were too many things that could be designed.

The most conservative approach would be to design jewelry with moon motifs.

Strictly sticking to the theme.

Being too unorthodox often had the opposite effect.

Tang Xi sketched a draft on a piece of paper, but ultimately, it ended up in the trash can.

She was worrying about what to do.

Suddenly her phone chimed.

It was a WeChat message.

It was sent by Song Yanchu, "Miss Tang, may I have a contact number? I have something I need to discuss with you."

Tang Xi hesitated but sent her mobile number to the person.

Her phone rang almost immediately.

"Miss Tang, I apologize for disturbing you at this time. What I’m about to say is indeed somewhat presumptuous, but I hope you can help me. My family has arranged a blind date for me, but currently, I don’t have any intention to get married. However, I can’t withstand my grandmother’s arrangements. She has set up a blind date for me, which is scheduled for tomorrow, and I hope you can pretend to be my girlfriend. Of course, it would only be an act."

"Don’t reject it just yet. If you agree to play the part of being my girlfriend, any request you have, feel free to ask me."

Tang Xi was puzzled.

She glanced at her phone.

She was certain it was Song Yanchu without a doubt.

But she had only met this Mr. Song twice...

And from the looks of it, Song Yanchu seemed well-off.

She was bewildered and shocked.

"Um... Mr. Song, are you sure you didn’t dial the wrong number? Or perhaps, you... I’m Tang Xi, Tangtang’s mother. Are you sure it’s..."

"Miss Tang, I’m sure these words are meant for you, I haven’t dialed incorrectly," Song Yanchu knew himself how absurd his request was.

"Um, may I then ask, why me?"