Chapter 176: My Childhood Sweetheart Can't Possibly Be an Idiot! (12)

Qi Ye was driving. Glancing at Bai Yao, who was sitting there lazily, he took a moment to reach out one hand and tuck the jacket draped over her more tightly.

Bai Yao was afraid of the cold, but he was not; his only fear right now was that she might get chilled.

Bai Yao had made it clear: since it was about dividing the inheritance, of course they had to go!

She had heard that a few years ago, Qi Yuan had married a pampered young bride about the same age as Qi Ye, and later she had given birth to a pair of fraternal twins. By now, the children should be four or five years old. The daughter was spoiled by Qi Yuan into a little princess every day, while the son spent every day trying to snatch his father's wife away.

The family was truly full of warmth and harmony.

Bai Yao still remembered how Qi Yuan had treated Qi Ye back then. She had no intention of currying favor with that ungenerous father-in-law, but the property that rightfully belonged to Qi Ye had to be secured.

Otherwise, were they supposed to leave all that money to the two children born to the stepmother?

Unable to help feeling a fresh wave of heartache for Qi Ye, Bai Yao took hold of one of his hands. "Let's rest by the side of the road for a bit."

After leaving the service area, he had been driving continuously for two hours; it was time for a break, otherwise, it would count as fatigued driving.

Obediently, Qi Ye pulled the car over to the roadside. Not a single second car was in sight for miles around. Their vehicle stood on a highway bordered on both sides by withered grass, looking rather abrupt and solitary.

Qi Ye unbuckled his seatbelt, leaned over, and wrapped his arms around her. Lowering his head, he rubbed his cheek against hers, transferring his body heat to her.

In this chilly environment, his presence was simply like a small stove.

Bai Yao leaned comfortably into his embrace, letting him massage and pat her until her body gradually warmed up. She raised her flushed face and smiled brightly at him.

Qi Ye was smiling too, lowering his head from time to time to kiss the corners of her lips.

She had told him she wanted to appear in front of his snobbish relatives with her absolute best look, forbidding him from ruining her lip makeup. Therefore, he did not dare kiss her too fiercely, only daring to brush the corners of her lips lightly to satisfy his craving.

They had registered their marriage the moment they reached the legal age. When people saw such a beautiful girl getting married so early, they naturally wondered if the man must be very wealthy.

Later, upon discovering that the man could not even speak and was different from ordinary people, they looked upon the newlywed couple with even stranger eyes.

Yet no matter what the outside world said, their relationship had always remained wonderful.

Qi Ye loved playing video games and competing against others, so Bai Yao supported him in entering tournaments. Eventually, his skills caught someone's attention, and he was recruited into a professional e-sports team.

Because he never spoke to anyone and rarely coordinated with his teammates—always farming and developing in secret before emerging to turn the tide—he earned the nickname "Little Mute Wolf."

Before his retirement, he skipped every single team activity, always leaving work precisely on time. He certainly had the talent; he did not need high-intensity training to stay ahead of the pack. However, skipping all social gatherings made him seem far too reclusive.

The coach advised him that he could at least attend a team dinner once or twice.

Qi Ye typed on his phone: [I have to go home and cook for my wife.]

At the time, the entire group was shocked.

Their circle was relatively chaotic, with rumors of sleeping with fans circulating from time to time. Someone had once claimed that after winning the championship, he would go home and marry his girlfriend, only for the marriage to fall through after he was exposed for cheating during the relationship, causing a massive uproar online.

They were all young people who loved to play, so someone like Qi Ye getting married at such a young age was an absolute rarity!

Having won several championships, Qi Ye had indeed earned a considerable amount of money.

His teammates guessed which woman had such incredible luck to pick up such a wealthy catch.

Later, before a match, they saw a vibrant, stunning woman draped in designer brands arrive at the backstage to deliver freshly picked strawberries to Qi Ye. When Qi Ye grabbed her hand and refused to let go, they realized they had been wrong.

It was clearly this kid Qi Ye who had the incredible luck to find a wealthy, high-society beauty for a wife!

Shortly after, Qi Ye retired. Word had it that he felt he spent too little time with his wife, wanted to quit working, and intended to become a househusband.

Envious, jealous, and resentful, his teammates replied: "You certainly have ambition!"

If a beautiful, wealthy wife was supporting you, who wouldn't want to be a kept man?

Bai Yao glanced at the distance displayed on her phone's map—about three more hours of driving. She hugged Qi Ye tighter and told him, "When we see the Qi family later, we must not lose our nerve. We need to have presence, understand?"

Qi Ye nodded vigorously.

Bai Yao reached out to stroke his bangs and added, "Anyway, whatever belongs to you, we won't let anyone else snatch away. Don't be afraid; I will always stand by your side."

She spoke with such fierce determination that the task they were about to undertake sounded less like dividing an estate and more like going to a battlefield.

Mimicking her, Qi Ye put on a fierce expression, nodded solemnly, and then—with a distinct *tap*—bitten her cheek.

This was a habit he simply couldn't break.

Fearing that he might actually bite her and leave marks, Bai Yao hardly used foundation or similar products when doing her makeup anymore. Fortunately, she was naturally blessed with good skin, so wearing less makeup did not diminish her beauty in the least.

As he continued to nibble playfully on her, Bai Yao found herself pressed against the car door between his body and the frame. Unable to withstand this puppy-like biting method, she deliberately went to tickle the sensitive spot at his waist.

Qi Ye let out a burst of crisp laughter, rubbing against her even more intensely.

Right at that moment, a sudden tapping sound came from the car window.

Bai Yao was startled.

Qi Ye pulled her into his