"Last time in Peach Blossom Village, Mengmeng and I filmed some evidence of the Village Chief's crimes. The misunderstanding has since been cleared up, so I think you should just erase that footage; it’s quite frightening to watch late at night."

Xiao Chuchu's expression was peculiar. "I can't bear to. That's criminal evidence; I need to keep it for leverage."

"Don't, Chuchu. The Village Chief is on our side now. He was only killing mutated monkeys and similar creatures, not real people. If you release the footage, you'll cause him enormous trouble."

"I can erase the first part, but what about the latter? I never imagined Mengmeng was so bold—she actually… actually did that with you. It's all my DV camera's fault; the night vision was too good, recording every single moment of your romantic escapade without missing a beat."

Boom! It felt like a clap of thunder sounded directly above my head. My face instantly turned deathly pale, then flushed crimson like a monkey's behind. Sweat poured down me like a small river.

"You mean the DV camera was never turned off that night?" My voice trembled slightly.

Xiao Chuchu’s face was even redder than mine, suggesting she had watched the entire recording.

"Didn't you film it intentionally as a keepsake? I almost gave it back to Mengmeng."

My goodness! Who films that for fun? Isn't that creating one's own evidence? I adjusted my composure and spoke to Xiao Chuchu in a negotiating tone, "Chuchu, could you possibly return that DV tape to me? And please, don't tell anyone about this, okay?"

"Fine," Xiao Chuchu agreed with surprising alacrity. I expected her to extort some money from me, but she clearly had plenty, and my meager funds probably wouldn't even catch her eye. "But I need to keep a backup copy. Just in case you disobey me one day, or make me angry, I'll post it online."

"This is the end of me!" "Chuchu, please, just give it all back, considering I saved your life. I will repay you by being your ox and horse in the next life."

Xiao Chuchu's tone suddenly became light. "You yourself said saving us was a small effort, hardly worth mentioning. Trading it for the DV tape isn't appropriate, is it?"

It's over. I've completely boxed myself into a corner. This DV tape staying in her hands will inevitably lead to disaster sooner or later. No, I must find an opportunity to get it back. If necessary, I’ll have Taozi steal it.

Seeing my silence, Xiao Chuchu thought I was angry and reproached me a little. "Are you even a man? I'm keeping this tape precisely so you’ll treat me better in the future. Otherwise, given your relationship with Mengmeng and Fenfen, I’d surely lose out. But with this tape, you must treat all three of us equally; no playing favorites. Otherwise, hmph…"

"Alright, I give up." I couldn't afford to offend Xiao Chuchu right now. I had to pacify her first, then sneak in under the cover of darkness tonight to steal it back.

Xiao Chuchu’s face brightened, but just as she was about to speak, her phone rang. She made a shushing gesture towards me and pressed the speaker button to answer, "Mengmeng? What is it?"

"Sister Chuchu, where are you? Tell me, did you sneak over to Zhao Qian’s house? That's not fair! We all agreed to compete fairly, no pulling sneaky moves behind our backs."

Xiao Chuchu glanced at me, blushing slightly. "Who’s at Zhao Qian’s house? I’m at work. Hurry up and say what you need, or I’ll hang up—I have a meeting waiting outside."

"No, no, my dear Sister Chuchu, I need your help. I know your Xiao family has deep connections with the government; getting paperwork approved is super easy. Your little sister currently needs to establish three companies, and it’s your duty as an older sister to help."

Xiao Chuchu looked puzzled. "Aren't your family's companies big enough already? What other companies are you setting up? If you can't explain clearly, I won't get involved."

Fang Yanmeng readily admitted, "Alright, I can't hide it from you. One is Red Dragon Security Company, one is Huanyu Communications Company, and the last is Dadi Energy Company. I was just thinking, as the saying goes, 'great trees attract the wind.' These three companies will be involved in too many major activities in the future, which might inevitably arouse fear among certain people domestically. So, I plan to register some offshore companies in the Caribbean and then bring the investment into the country separately."

Xiao Chuchu covered the mouthpiece and turned to me, "Zhao Qian, tell me honestly, did Mengmeng leave suddenly this morning because she came to your house? Are these three companies yours too? I know Mengmeng; she’s never this enthusiastic even about her own family matters."

Even if I wanted to hide it, I couldn't, so I just nodded. Xiao Chuchu moved her hand away from the phone and said, "I can help you, but first, I need to see some sincerity from you."

There was silence from the other end for a moment, then Fang Yanmeng spoke, "Alright, Sister Chuchu, I admit I was wrong. I did sneak over to Zhao Qian’s house this morning. These three companies are his; I was just helping him with the paperwork and some preparatory work."

Xiao Chuchu let out a triumphant laugh. "This little girl sneaks out for a secret rendezvous and then dares to turn the tables on me! Fine, I’ll let you off this once. Tell me where you are, and I'll come over later to discuss the details…"

Xiao Chuchu hung up the phone and said to me, "I didn't expect Mengmeng to move so fast. I need to keep a close eye on you, you hot commodity, or you’ll be stolen by someone the moment I turn my back."

I sweat profusely. It seems my first twenty-two years were lived in vain. I don't know what shift in fortune has happened this year, but I've suddenly become very popular with beautiful women. However, having too many beauties isn't always a good thing. Who knows when they might all get upset and toss me into the gutter.

Xiao Chuchu stood up to leave. "I'm going out to handle some things. Be good while I'm gone, and give my regards to Auntie and the others." As she spoke, Xiao Chuchu patted the DV bag she was carrying. To an outsider, her tone sounded like a mother’s instruction to a child before leaving, but to me, it was a distinct threat.

Xiao Chuchu didn't ask me to walk her downstairs; she elegantly departed on her own. I returned to the living room, sat down, and thought and thought, until my head felt a size larger, and I still had no idea what to do next.

My parents’ room had a perfect view of everything downstairs. They watched as Xiao Chuchu got into a luxurious BMW and sped away, carving a path through the snow, and they stood stunned for a long time afterward.

"Old Zhao, what is wrong with our son? We never saw him attract so many girls before. Two young women came today, both claiming to be his girlfriend, and both driving high-end luxury cars. And they both looked at him with such affection. Ah, I feel bad for him having to choose."

"Don't overthink it. I think there's something amiss here, something big. If our son was this attractive before, why did no girls ever come home with him? Two girlfriends—I don't see that as a good thing. Think about it: both girls are beautiful as fairies and possess wealth and status. If they find out Zhao Qian kept other girlfriends hidden from them, things are going to blow up."

"Yes, Old Zhao, your worries are valid, but I disagree with you about our son changing. He just got handsomer than before. He’s my flesh and blood; how could I not know if he’d changed? I’m his mother!"

"What do you know, woman? I can feel the change in our son. He has a new aura about him—a commanding dominance that makes people feel both afraid and compelled to submit. This is actually a good thing for him. He always lacked confidence in what he did, missing the decisiveness and toughness a real man should have. But returning this time, I am genuinely happy; my son has truly grown up, and as his father, I can finally rest easy."

"I don't know what you're implying, but as long as it's good for our son, that's all that matters. Oh, Old Zhao, look! Another luxury sedan! Look, it’s stopping downstairs again! Oh my, another beautiful girl—don't tell me she’s here to see our son too?"

"You wish! Don't get carried away just because you praised our son a few words ago."

Bang, bang, bang! came the sound of knocking on the door.

"He's here, Old Zhao. Do you think this girl is also one of our son's girlfriends?"

"Who knows? I think we should just stay put in the bedroom and not interfere. If we accidentally let something slip and cause trouble for our son, that would be terrible. Let the young people sort out their own affairs."