CHAPTER 230: CHAPTER 230: AN ABNORMAL DAY

"Yes, what’s up?"

Lisa gave a smug smile, her face radiating pride as she caressed the hood of the Aston Martin. "Jealous?"

Looking at that punchable face, Xia Liang couldn’t help but sigh. Why did she have to come over?

His hand silently slipped into his pocket. He then pulled out the car key and pressed the button.

BEEP! BEEP!

The car unlocked, and the Aston Martin’s headlights flashed.

Lisa, who was sitting on the hood, was startled. She lost her footing and tumbled to the ground, looking utterly pathetic.

The car owner?

"You... that key?"

Xia Liang feigned surprise and patted his chest. "You scared me! For a second, I thought I’d parked my car somewhere else. Didn’t you say your dad gave you this car?"

Upon hearing this, Lisa felt her face burn crimson. "This... this car..."

She stuttered, at a loss for words. Xia Liang suddenly found the whole situation pointless.

He got into the car and said coolly, "I’m not your dad. Next time you claim someone is, make sure you know who you’re talking to."

VROOM!

With that, Xia Liang started the Aston Martin and drove away.

"This... this..." How could that damn delivery boy afford such a luxury car?

Watching the sports car gradually disappear, Lisa wore a look of utter disbelief.

「」

Meanwhile, Xia Liang received a new food delivery order and rushed to an old residential complex. Because the building was old, there was no elevator. Fortunately, Xia Liang was physically fit and didn’t mind. Anyone else would have been dead tired. While climbing a few flights of stairs wasn’t exhausting, an eight-story building without an elevator was rather uncommon.

He glanced at the order. It was for braised pork rice, totaling 13 Yuan, with a note: "Extra rice, meat, and vegetables."

Jeez, at that point, they might as well have ordered two meals.

He arrived at the apartment door to find a man and a woman standing there. The woman was in her twenties and quite attractive—an 8 out of 10—with long hair and a white blouse that gave her a pure, lovely look. The other person was a middle-aged man in his thirties or forties, carrying an old-fashioned messenger bag.

The woman in the white blouse was clutching the man’s backpack, her face full of grievance, looking like a newlywed wife being abandoned.

Taking in the scene, Xia Liang blinked. He shrewdly stepped to the side, remaining silent.

The woman in the blouse looked at the middle-aged man, her eyes pleading. "Can’t you stay?"

The middle-aged man was unmoved by her plea. "Sorry, my wife’s waiting for me for dinner."

The woman, however, completely ignored him, appearing extremely distressed. "What am I supposed to do if you leave?"

The middle-aged man sighed, sounding helpless. "After I leave, you can find someone else."

Hearing his words, the woman’s eyes reddened. "But you leaving makes me feel so insecure! Right now, you’re all I want. Don’t you understand?"

The middle-aged man glanced at Xia Liang, looking a bit embarrassed, but he still shook his head. "Sorry, I’m a man of principle."

Standing off to the side, Xia Liang was tempted to pull out the delivery order and start eating while he watched the show. He could already imagine the drama playing out in his head. The classic trope: the mistress desperately trying to keep the man while the wife waits alone at home. It was obvious the mistress wouldn’t let the man go home for dinner. Xia Liang didn’t want to get involved in this kind of affair, especially since the System hadn’t given him a mission for it.

Still, while it was wrong for the woman to seduce a married man, you had to remember that it takes two to tango. It was clear this middle-aged guy was also at fault. But then again, if you’re going to mess around, you have to appease the woman properly—just like I do. Otherwise, things could escalate, she could show up at your house, your family finds out, and then you’re really screwed.

Feeling a certain kinship with a fellow scoundrel, Xia Liang couldn’t help but speak up. "Mister, I’ve got to say something here. A man has to be responsible. Since you’re already here, you should finish what you started before you go. At the very least, you should satisfy this pretty lady’s needs!"

Seeing that someone was speaking up for her, the woman in the blouse couldn’t help but smile. In contrast, the middle-aged man’s brow furrowed, as if he were in a difficult position. After a moment, he sighed helplessly and looked at Xia Liang. "Ah, brother, I have my troubles. You wouldn’t understand!"

The middle-aged man refused to back down and turned back to the woman. "Please, just let me go. I’m a man of principle. If I don’t get back soon, my wife will start to worry."

Xia Liang chuckled internally. He has a mistress but still calls himself a man of principle? Tsk, what fine, upstanding principles! Hearing the man’s words, the woman’s expression grew serious. She bit her lip, looking as though she’d made a momentous decision.

Taking two steps forward, she stared into the man’s eyes and took a deep breath. "If you stay... I can add more money."

At these words, the middle-aged man’s face broke into a grin. He clapped his hands together, his excitement causing him to slip into a regional dialect. "Look, lady, why didn’t you just say so earlier? I told ya, this lock costs fifty at a minimum. Thirty just ain’t gonna cut it. If you’d just added the money sooner, this all would’ve been over. Wasted a whole half-hour haggling."

Xia Liang’s mouth twitched.

Changing a lock? This wasn’t right! Can someone please tell me what’s going on? Wasn’t this supposed to be about a mistress tearfully begging her man to stay? So the scene I’d been watching from the sidelines wasn’t some tragic urban soap opera, but a high-stakes commercial negotiation! Turning a simple haggle over a lock change into such a heart-wrenching performance... it’s a real shame you two aren’t actors. If you entered the entertainment industry, you could easily win an Oscar! Maybe I should sign them both?

Shaking his head, Xia Liang dismissed the thoughts. "Are you Miss Liu? Your delivery is here."

"Ah! That’s me. Thank you for the trouble!" the woman said, nodding. Her voice was still tinged with sadness, as if she were mourning the extra twenty Yuan. Xia Liang handed her the food and quickly turned to leave.

He realized that, besides being frugal, the woman was a drama queen through and through. She would launch into a performance at the slightest opportunity. He wasn’t against her being thrifty; he just didn’t want to watch her theatrics anymore.

Reaching the ground floor, he let out a long breath. Day in and day out, why can’t I meet anyone normal? Well, so much for a hidden mission.

"Ding! You have a new delivery order. Please check!"

The order was from ’Nine-Times-a-Night Spicy Hotpot.’ You have to admit, that’s a powerful name.

Grabbing the food, Xia Liang continued on his delivery route. He hit the gas and headed straight for his destination: apartment 2302.

DING-DONG!

After ringing the bell, he took a step back. That was just common courtesy. In reality, he was just afraid of getting hit by the door.

A minute passed with no response. He pressed the doorbell again.

DING-DONG! DING-DONG!

After a short wait, the door finally opened. A woman with a pale complexion peered out. She had a pained expression on her face, and her voice trembled as she spoke.

"Please, can you take me to the hospital?"

To the hospital?

The request puzzled Xia Liang. He instinctively glanced down, and what he saw made his blood run cold. The woman was heavily pregnant, and the hem of her white dress was stained red with blood.