Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Before I could even finish my sentence, the bedroom door was kicked open with a loud bang.
“What a sin! The whole family is waiting to eat, and you have the nerve to hide in here on the phone? My son is out there working himself to death to earn money, so how did he end up marrying such a brainless woman?”
My mother-in-law stood at the door with her hands on her hips, her face twisted with spite.
I quickly hung up the phone and forced a submissive smile.
“Mom, don’t be angry. Just give me another half hour, and dinner will definitely be ready.”
Returning to the kitchen, I dumped every ingredient I could find-thawed or otherwise-into a pot, added water, and let it all stew together in a chaotic mess.
Then, I brought out the strongest liquor we had in the house.
To be honest, I also wanted to know exactly where Zhou Chen was at this moment.
“This… what is this?”
My sister-in-law stared at the hodgepodge on the table, her jaw dropping.
“It’s a specialty from my hometown-a ‘mixed stew.'”
I kept a straight face. “It looks a bit rustic, but all the flavors have simmered together. It’s quite fresh.”
The group took a skeptical bite, only to spit it out immediately.
“What the hell? Is this even fit for human consumption?”
I calmly filled everyone’s glasses with liquor and brought out a pre-cut fruit platter.
“Everyone has different tastes. If you can’t stomach the stew, try the seafood; it’s all steamed. The mangoes are imported, too.”
As a result, the only things on the table that were actually edible were the few plates of seafood and the mangoes.
My daughter had already filled up on snacks and was off to the side watching TV.
After a few drinks, my father-in-law was soon passed out drunk.
My sister-in-law and her boyfriend were young, after all, and had strong constitutions.
It wasn’t until the middle of the night that Mother Zhou pounded urgently on my bedroom door.
“I… my chest feels tight, and I’m itching all over… Quick, take me to the hospital!”
She kept scratching at her arms, her voice thick with agitation.
I feigned shock. “Mom, why is your face so swollen? I’ll go wake up Xiao Yu to help!”
Mother Zhou shot me a displeased look. “You have no common sense. The young people just fell asleep, don’t disturb them. You take me.”
I nodded and grabbed the car keys.
I glanced at my phone before heading out.
Two in the morning.
Zhou Chen hadn’t replied to a single message.
The hospital emergency room was packed, mostly crowded around the gastroenterology department.
It seemed we weren’t the only family suffering from New Year’s Eve food poisoning.
Soon, the doctor informed us that a gastric lavage was necessary.
By now, Mother Zhou’s vision was blurred, and she could do nothing but shove her handbag into my hands.
My best friend’s warning suddenly echoed in my ears: “If a man really wants to hide something from you, he’ll wipe every trace. But there’s one person he’ll never guard against. So, you must find a way to get that phone.”
At this moment, that very phone was lying in the palm of my hand.
But I didn’t know the passcode.
A second later, I caught a nurse by the sleeve.
“Miss, I left in such a hurry that I didn’t bring my wallet or a power bank, and my phone is dead. Could I trouble you to take this elderly lady’s phone inside and have her unlock it? I need to hurry and pay the fees.”
The nurse frowned but took the phone.
A moment later, she handed it back to me.
“The code is 980602. Go pay the fees quickly.”
I thanked her and turned toward the payment counter.
My finger swiped across the screen, and I went straight to the chat logs with Zhou Chen.
What I saw was like a bolt of lightning striking me right in the brain.