Return to the City: The Strongest King
Chapter 409 - 410: Xiao Yingying’s Absurd Proposal

Chapter 409: Chapter 410: Xiao Yingying’s Absurd Proposal

Miao Qingqing and the others felt like they were on display like giant pandas, making them somewhat uneasy. So Song Xiaodong decided to take them to the riverside to play once again, which finally gave them some peace and quiet.

Song Xiaoru did not go with Song Xiaodong and the rest, opting instead to stay behind and help out.

In their spare time, Second Uncle, Second Auntie, Third Uncle, and Third Aunt sat down with Song Xiaodong in the room and started chatting.

Third Aunt said with a look of regret, "Xiaoru, didn’t I tell you, since you and Dongzi are not biological siblings, you two should become a couple? Now, how come Dongzi has found himself a girlfriend?"

Song Xiaoru felt somewhat embarrassed and said, "Third Aunt, I think Qingqing and Dongzi are quite good together. As long as Dongzi is happy, that’s all that matters."

Third Uncle said, "That’s right, Qingqing is the CEO of a big corporation after all. Dongzi finding a girlfriend like her is indeed impressive."

Third Aunt gave Third Uncle a look and said, "What do you know? No matter what, Dongzi is not truly one of the Song family by blood. If he finds his own family one day, he will leave. By then, his relationship with Xiaoru, and even with us, will naturally become distant."

"This... that can’t be, Dongzi isn’t that kind of person," Second Uncle said hesitantly.

Third Aunt quickly interjected, "Dongzi is a person who values relationships deeply, but naturally, people have their close and distant relatives. We didn’t take good care of him before, and now that Dongzi has made something of himself, he’ll surely distance himself from us upon finding out that he isn’t our real family member. Therefore, only if Xiaoru stays with him will Dongzi always be a part of our Song family."

Song Xiaoru gave a wry smile and said, "Third Aunt, I know you mean well, but Dongzi and I have always been just siblings. In my heart, I still see him as a brother. It’s more natural this way for both of us. Besides, Dongzi has already found someone he likes. Seeing them together and happy makes me content."

Third Aunt shook her head, showing a tough love attitude, "Xiaoru, you’re completely wasting your opportunity. Don’t you understand how Xiaodong feels about you? If only you told him your relationship, Dongzi would surely choose to be with you. No matter how good the other woman is, he wouldn’t care about her."

Song Xiaoru shook her head and said, "Third Aunt, I can’t do that. In fact, you all are thinking too much. Even if Dongzi learns about his origins, with his character, he will continue to treat me just as well as before. He will still see me as his sister. And I will continue to care for my family just the same."

Third Aunt was a practical person, and Song Xiaoru’s words had embarrassed her, saying, "We’re not looking to get anything out of this, but your parents treated him as their own child when they brought him home. After your parents passed, you raised him too. You’ve suffered so much over the years; we’re really worried for you."

Song Xiaoru nodded and said, "I understand, but I think it’s best for me to find the right time to talk to Dongzi about this. I hope you will keep it a secret for me."

"If you two cannot marry, then I’d actually prefer to keep it a secret forever. That way it wouldn’t be so bad," Third Aunt sighed.

Song Xiaoru said, "That’s impossible. I cannot be so selfish. Perhaps it won’t be long before I tell him."

Seeing Song Xiaoru’s determination, everyone agreed to follow her wishes. Now that Song Xiaoru’s position in the Song family had changed, they could not be as commanding towards her as they used to be.

If nobody mentioned it, Song Xiaoru would not have thought about it, especially as she had been busy with work at the company. She really had almost forgotten about it. But once everyone brought it up, her heart inevitably became somewhat in turmoil—as she had to admit to herself that because there was no blood relation, her feelings for Song Xiaodong as a brother had indeed begun to undergo a subtle change.

On an autumn afternoon, the sun was still quite strong, so Song Xiaodong and the others shrank into the tent. This tent was the kind that was spacious for three people; with four people sitting inside, it was a bit cramped, but there was still room to stretch out arms and legs.

"What are we going to do here? We can’t just sit around and be bored, right?" Xiao Yingying sat to the left of Song Xiaodong, her little feet resting on Song Xiaodong’s thigh, smiling as she asked.

Miao Xuanxuan said, "Let’s play poker then, I brought it on purpose."

Miao Qingqing, fanning herself lightly with a piece of cardboard, suggested, "Let’s just sit and chat for a bit."

Miao Xuanxuan retorted, "You know, Miao Qingqing, can you not be such a killjoy all the time? You have a boyfriend now, don’t you know how to make him happy?"

Miao Qingqing felt somewhat embarrassed by Miao Xuanxuan’s comment and replied, "Fine, let’s play then. Why are you making a big deal out of it?"

Miao Xuanxuan rolled her eyes at Miao Qingqing and continued, "I’m just telling you, you should have the look of someone who’s out to have fun. Don’t always think about the company and all that. Even if the company is making money, it’s nothing compared to what Dongzi can earn. With such a golden mountain to rely on, why bother putting in so much effort?"

Miao Qingqing glared at Miao Xuanxuan and said, "I don’t want to be the kind of woman who depends on a man. I want to have my own life and career. Dongzi, you support me, don’t you?"

Song Xiaodong laughed and said, "It’s up to you, as long as you like it, go ahead. When you want to settle down one day, you can just hire a manager to take care of it."

"Alright, alright, let’s not talk about that anymore, let’s play poker," Xiao Yingying interrupted, then continued, "Come on, tell me, how should we play, what are we going to win?"

Miao Qingqing said, "That’s up to you guys."

Miao Xuanxuan asked, "Win money?"

Xiao Yingying pouted and said, "That’s so boring, money doesn’t really mean anything to us. Why don’t we win something else?

"So what do we win?" This time, even Miao Xuanxuan was out of ideas.

Xiao Yingying blinked and said mischievously, "How about we play strip poker? Whoever loses has to take off a piece of clothing."

"Pfft!" Both Miao Qingqing and Miao Xuanxuan burst out laughing, while Song Xiaodong’s eyes lit up. However, he quickly faced Miao Qingqing’s fierce gaze and chuckled awkwardly, "That won’t do, it’s too absurd."

Xiao Yingying, still giggling, said, "It’s not absurd at all, it’s fun. Besides, Qingqing is your girlfriend, and I’m your fling; you’ve seen what there is to see, so you wouldn’t be afraid of seeing more. Xuanxuan looks exactly like Qingqing, and since you’re with Sister Qingqing all the time, it’s practically like you’ve seen Xuanxuan in the buff too, right?"

Miao Xuanxuan gave Song Xiaodong a sideways glance, her heart fluttering. This guy had been mingling with Miao Qingqing every day lately; she wondered if he ever imagined Miao Qingqing as her when they were getting intimate.