When it came to acting,
Li Ran might just deserve a oscar.
His quick thinking and impromptu performance managed to fool Su Bingyao.
They say a man’s secrets are all hidden in his phone, and that couldn’t be more true.
In fact, before even entering the house, Li Ran had already considered the possibility that his wife might want to check his phone.
If they were a loving couple, it wouldn’t have been a big deal.
But they were in a broken relationship, barely hanging on by a thread.
He didn’t know what the original owner had done or why they’d gotten divorced. When he entered the eerie world, he hadn’t inherited any memories.
So he thought through all the mistakes a man might typically make.
A divorce usually came down to one of three things: values, emotions, or finances.
Finances could be ruled out—there didn’t seem to be any money issues in this household.
As for values, after observing for a day, Su Bingyao didn’t seem to hold any particularly extreme views.
Which left emotional problems.
Emotions were more complicated.
Li Ran had never even been in a relationship before, so he wasn’t in a position to judge. Still, he figured that cheating had to be the number one cause of marital collapse.
He had to proceed with extreme caution at every step.
The mission to repair a broken family tested the finest of details.
Especially now, during this sensitive period for Su Bingyao—
any small detail could widen the emotional rift.
So Li Ran worked hard on all the areas where a man might plausibly screw up.
First, he changed the six-digit lock screen password to something romantic: 131420.
It meant “a lifetime of love for you.”
A set of numbers that symbolized romance and loyalty—no woman could resist.
It’s the little things that reveal character, after all.
Next, he deleted all the bizarre chat logs on the original owner’s phone, including group messages.
He even erased contacts with names that sounded suggestive.
As for what kind of person the original owner really was, he couldn’t judge based on just chat logs.
Let’s be real: men have desires.
A man without even a little secret would be abnormal.
At the door, he’d already scrubbed a ton of “dirt” from the phone, and still, Su Bingyao found a thread to tug at.
“Cherry Blossom Elephant in the Forest”?
What the hell?
The hidden group name only clicked for Li Ran after Su Bingyao brought it up.
In his past life, he’d circled around a certain street corner three times, too nervous to go in.
So, he did have some academic understanding of this stuff.
As expected, all the group avatars were luxury brand logos.
He told the truth—no lies.
As for that A-something-plus-a-number contact?
Any man would instantly get the gist.
He wasn’t lying; the person really was hawking new products.
And why didn’t his Doushou feed show attractive women?
Hah—
Don’t you people know how to set your content preferences?
But Su Bingyao’s final question stunned Li Ran:
“Did you cheat on me?”
Cheat?
With who?
His brain glitched.
[Hint: That day, she received a text from an unknown sender: “I’m pregnant with his child. The position of Mrs. Li is mine now.”]
[Hint: The message wasn’t from a woman, but a prank by one of Li Ziyang’s classmates.]
[Warning: If you reveal the truth now, she won’t believe you, and you may be in mortal danger. Suggestion: stall her, then bring out the prankster as proof. Only then can your name be cleared.]
What the hell?!
One of Li Ziyang’s classmates?!
That “prank” could’ve destroyed a whole family.
Li Ran was utterly shocked. He couldn’t believe such a small child could be so deviously calculated.
He suddenly recalled the drawings Li Ziyang had made, showing himself being bullied at school.
This was a serious problem—
it had even led to a marital crisis.
Looks like he’d need to find time to deal with those little brats.
But for now, he had to defuse the situation.
Li Ran kept his expression steady, like a man possessed, and muttered, “I didn’t cheat.”
“Hah.”
Su Bingyao let out a cold laugh, her voice full of fury.
“I’ll ask you one more time. Did you cheat? With who? Tell me the truth!”
By the end, she was practically screaming.
Scales appeared across her face, and her pupils became terrifying snake eyes.
Faced with this sudden transformation into a monstrous version of Su Bingyao,
Li Ran wasn’t afraid.
That one prank text message—
had tortured her for countless sleepless nights and days of anxiety.
She’d questioned her husband, only to be met with denials or evasion.
He even accused her of being unreasonable.
Eventually, all love was worn away.
The divorce was the only option.
No one was truly at fault.
The culprit was that damned prank text.
Li Ran vowed to find that brat and make them pay.
But right now, he had to soothe Su Bingyao and ease her pain.
“I didn’t cheat. I’ve never betrayed my wife,” He said again, his tone blank and hypnotic.
Scales rippled up her smooth forehead; her body began to shift, taking on a serpentine form.
Even her facial features started resembling a terrifying white serpent.
In moments, she had fully transformed into a massive, ghostly white snake!
It was Li Ran’s first time seeing this version of her.
“Say it again!”
The snake’s gaping maw loomed inches from his face.
Li Ran could even see the twitching throat and razor-sharp fangs.
If not for the system’s warning, if not for the fact that his conscience was clear, he’d probably be scared witless by now.
“I didn’t cheat. I never betrayed my wife,” He repeated, with genuine sincerity. Even though he looked like he was under hypnosis, the honesty was real.
Three questions about cheating.
Three honest answers.
No matter the threats, he didn’t waver.
“Could I really have misunderstood him?”
Su Bingyao slowly reverted to human form. Her husband’s sincere answers made her question herself.
Under hypnosis, he couldn’t lie.
But that text message—
What was going on with it?
Could someone have really sent it as a prank?
She had always imagined a smug, tea-drinking mistress lurking in the shadows.
But now, she was totally confused.
She seemed to have gotten an answer, yet, at the same time, gotten nothing at all.
“Forget it. I won’t ask about this again.”
With that, Su Bingyao snapped her fingers.
Light slowly returned to Li Ran’s eyes. He blinked, puzzled.
“Huh? Weren’t I supposed to be making dinner?”
She looked at his goofy, clueless face—scratching his head like a big dummy, and felt both frustrated and amused.
“Go cook already,” she said.
“Tonight I’m making pickled fish stew,” Li Ran grinned, “Guaranteed to be your favorite.”
He headed to the kitchen, but halfway there, he suddenly turned back and handed her something.
“This is for our son.”
It was a wooden toy horse—hand-carved and lively, with a goofy grin and a tongue sticking out.
“A wooden donkey, more like...”
Su Bingyao smiled for real, gazing at her husband’s back.
“Maybe... I should trust him.”
A man who worked to support the family, cooked meals, loved his wife, and cared about his son—
would a man like that really cheat?
She questioned herself again.
And that damn message.
If it was a prank...
“Oh my god!”
She covered her mouth, eyes wide.
If it really was a prank, then her husband had been branded with false guilt and never even complained.
He just silently endured it all.
Would someone really go that far for a joke?
She couldn’t understand it. That message had tormented her for days.
But if he really had a mistress, and she was pregnant...
No, something didn’t add up.
“We were already divorced, if there was a mistress, she would’ve seized the chance to step in by now. So why hasn’t she?”
The more she thought about it, the more suspicious the message became.
Back then, she had replied to the message, even tried calling, but nothing. No response.
It was she who initiated the divorce.
Her husband had only agreed after being pushed past his breaking point.
Looking back now, he had been overwhelmed.
Even his job had been affected.
But now, despite his job not going well, he still came home with a smile and spent time with her and their son.
No complaints at all.
“Su Bingyao, calm down. Under hypnosis, he had no lies.
The problem is that damn message. Until you find the truth, don’t doubt him again, and don’t make his work harder either.”
“He’s clearly struggling, but never once has he complained. He just keeps thinking about me and our son.”
She took a deep breath.
Through this hypnosis session and his reactions, she’d come to understand many things.
Thinking of this, Su Bingyao got up and walked toward Li Ziyang’s room.
Li Ziyang was sitting there with a sullen face, working on his homework.
“This is from your dad,” she said.
She handed him the wooden rocking horse toy.
“Dad bought this for me?”
Li Ziyang was genuinely surprised. He took the wooden toy, turned it over in his hands for a bit, and then couldn’t help but laugh at the amusing little horse. “Dad bought me a wooden donkey, didn’t he?”
“Finish your homework first. Your dad is making dinner.”
“Alright! I want to get it done before dinner.”
Su Bingyao rarely saw such a smile on her son’s face. She felt a rare sense of comfort as she gently closed the door behind her, then walked to her own room.
From the second drawer of the right bedside table, she took out a delicate little box and pulled out a bank card.
(End of Chapter)