"Once you're past this tribulation, your life will be happy and blissful from now on!"
Su Nian replied with a faint smile.
"Alright, there's one last reading for today. We'll do it by a lottery drawing. Whoever wins gets it!"
The atmosphere in the stream was electric. Everyone was rubbing their hands in anticipation, just waiting for the drawing.
Congratulations to "AAA Building Materials - Brother Wang" for being our lucky winner!
[AAA Building Materials - Brother Wang has gifted a Magic Castle]
"Hello, everyone. Hello, Host. Just call me Wang!"
On the video call was a stout, simple-looking man. He had a perfectly round belly and a cheerful expression, looking just like a Maitreya Buddha.
"What do you want to know?"
At her question, the smile on Wang's face slowly faded, and he let out a sigh.
"I want to find my girlfriend. She suddenly disappeared, and I can't contact her at all…"
"And I suspect she might have been murdered, because she had a… uh… love rival…"
[Wait, did I hear that right? A love rival?!]
[Uh, it can't be that bad, can it?]
[I just want to cry. Even Brother Wang has people fighting over him.]
[How am I any worse than Wang?!]
Wang patted his belly, his face full of worry.
"I've also sought out some other masters and some professionals, but there's been no news."
"And she's gentle by nature. She hasn't offended anyone except for that love rival. Most importantly, my girlfriend and her love rival disappeared at the same time."
[Damn, this is so juicy!]
[I still don't get it. What am I lacking?]
[Maybe this guy just has a really magnetic personality.]
[That's true, you can't judge a book by its cover. And what if he's super rich?]
Su Nian looked at the simple-looking Wang and calmly spoke, "The reason you're so anxious to find your girlfriend is that you know she's pregnant, right?"
"Whoa, Master, you're spot on!"
Wang seemed to have a habit of slapping his belly when he got excited, and he gave it another forceful pat.
Su Nian drawled, "Sir, it seems you're hiding something."
At these words, Wang slapped his belly again in excitement and said with astonishment,
"Master, you're truly incredible."
[Hiding something?]
[Let me guess what it is.]
[Maybe he's not actually rich, and his girlfriend found out.]
[My gut tells me it has something to do with the love rival.]
[You women are disgusting. Couldn't it be that his girlfriend was the one who cheated?]
Su Nian tapped on the table.
"Stop hiding it. Speak."
Wang pondered for a moment, then began to speak haltingly.
"It's just that… my girlfriend's love rival and I… we have a bit of a relationship, too. But in my heart, I truly only love my girlfriend."
"And I don't know how my girlfriend found out she even had a love rival. And, and, my girlfriend is pregnant, I'm really worried. I'm begging you, Host, you have to help me find her. If you find her for me, I'll gift you twenty Carnivals."
[Gotta say, the man is seriously rich.]
[Why do I keep feeling like something's a little off?]
[I think so too. There must be a hole in this story that we're missing.]
Su Nian's gaze was placid, but now a hint of playful mockery crept into it.
"Are you sure you're only looking for one person?"
Perhaps due to Su Nian's repeated questioning, Wang was now a bit impatient. "Yes, yes, yes. Host, I've already said it many times."
But Su Nian stared at Wang's face for a moment before saying, "You met your girlfriend last August, so you've been seeing her for a year, right? Her name is Chen Rourou, correct? And she has a small red mole on her forehead."
Wang froze, his belly-patting hand stopping mid-air. The stream's viewers were already puffing up with pride.
[666]
[Watching the Host destroy another scumbag.]
[Every time I see the Host stun the non-believers into silence, I can't help but laugh.]
But Su Nian was still talking.
"And the other woman… you've known her for over twenty years, haven't you? From your youth until now. She started from scratch with you, built a business together. That's correct, isn't it?"
[Is this the legendary simp?]
[Knowing someone for so many years still can't compete with someone you've only known for one.]
[Didn't you hear him? His girlfriend is pregnant.]
[Sigh, humbled again. What do I not have that he does?]
After a long moment, Wang finally spoke, a little embarrassed.
"That's right, but I'm mainly worried about my girlfriend. She's pregnant, after all!"
Su Nian couldn't hold back a laugh.
"Having an empty head isn't the problem. Having it filled with water is."
"You… how can you say that!"
Gone was Wang's previous meekness. Realizing Su Nian must know everything, he dropped the act. Now, he looked completely self-righteous.
"Viewers, you tell me. Your girlfriend, with no official status, is with you. She suddenly gets pregnant, and it might be the only child you'll ever have. You want to marry her, but then you find out she seems to have been harmed and has disappeared. Isn't it normal to be worried?"
The simple-looking Wang was now shouting incessantly.
Some viewers in the stream also agreed with him.
[Yeah, the guy is already this old, and it's his first child. It's normal for him to be anxious.]
[Exactly. Any father would understand.]
[But… the Host has delivered so many face-slaps before. I'm gonna keep my mouth shut for now.]
[^ I'm with the person above. Let the bullets fly for a bit.]
Su Nian was distractedly picking at her nails. Hearing his words, she looked up.
"Then why don't you tell us why this would be the only child you'll ever have? Is it because you can't perform?"
Her eyes were full of mockery, her tone leisurely. It was obvious she looked down on him.
"That… That's my business! Just tell me where my girlfriend went!"
[Letting the bullets fly was the right call!]
[This guy is obviously hiding something!]
[Could there be some hidden story?]
[Don't tell me the Host hit the nail on the head, and he really can't perform.]
[I've seen the Host deliver so many face-slaps, I'm used to it by now!]
"What nonsense are you spouting, you little brat! Who can't perform?!"
He watched the stream comments scroll endlessly across the screen.
Wang panicked. His tone was furious, and he even hitched up his pants, seething with anger.
Su Nian lowered her gaze slightly and smiled.
"Weren't you the one who told your wife you wanted to be DINK?"
[Wife?]
[What wife!?]
[Didn't he say he had a girlfriend? Where did a wife come from?!]
[There's only one truth: the girlfriend is his wife!]
[I have a theory… Don't tell me the 'love rival' is actually his wife.]
As soon as he heard Su Nian say this, a series of expressions flashed across Wang's face: embarrassment, speechlessness, shame, and anger.
Su Nian let out a short, scornful laugh. "You and your wife have been together for so many years. She built the business with you, went through so much hardship. And you were the one who first suggested being DINK, weren't you? Now you've found another girl to date… You've really got some nerve."
Unexpectedly, Wang still looked completely justified. "My wife and I have been married for seven years and have no children. It's not too much to ask to want a child, is it?"
Su Nian shot him a sidelong glance. "Weren't you the one who initiated the idea of being DINK in the first place?"