The bad value system is measuring values.

Chapter 189 Game Consoles

Chapter 189 Game Console

Qiao Xiao slowly pushed open the door. Stepping into the living room, she looked around and found the house empty, with even Aunt Shen, who was usually there, nowhere to be seen.

A strange sense of loss welled up inside Qiao Xiao, and she couldn't help but feel a little lonely. She wandered aimlessly around the room and unknowingly walked to Astor's enclosure.

Asdor was lying quietly asleep on the ground when it heard someone approaching. Suddenly, it jerked its head up and looked at Qiao Xiao warily. When it realized that the person was Qiao Xiao, it lazily lay back down and closed its eyes.

Qiao Xiao looked at Asdor's lazy appearance and couldn't help but laugh: "You're so lazy. What kind of dog is like you? All you do is lie there all day, hibernating every day."

Astor seemed completely unconcerned about Qiao Xiao's teasing. It simply glanced at Qiao Xiao with its round eyes and then barked, as if to say, "I'm happy, what's it to you?"

Qiao Xiao wasn't angry. She squatted down and asked, "Asdor, you're so smart, you must be able to understand me, right? I'd like to ask you for a favor, is that alright?"

Astair's ears twitched slightly, as if listening to Qiao Xiao's request.

Qiao Xiao continued, "There's a doll in the upstairs hallway that makes me feel really uncomfortable. Could you help me chew it up? I'm sure you can do it easily with your abilities."

After listening to Qiao Xiao's words, Asdor hesitated for a moment, then slowly turned its head to the other side, as if to indicate that it understood Qiao Xiao's request, but was unwilling to do it.

Qiao Xiao expressed her regret, but she now believes it is still necessary to maintain a good relationship with Astor.

She went up to the second floor alone.

Asdor stared at Qiao Xiao's retreating figure with one eye open, thinking, "These siblings are really strange. They make me bite this and that every day? Can't they just do it themselves?"

Qiao Xiao went up to the second floor, walked straight to the doll, and then took out the earrings she had bought.

"It would look really good on you."

She carefully put the earrings on the doll's little ears, when suddenly, she accidentally dropped the doll to the ground.

"Oh my god, something's wrong!" she exclaimed in surprise, then looked around helplessly.

When Zhang Lingwan returned home, he found that Qiao Xiao's image was not displayed on his computer. He instinctively wanted to call her to confirm, but then stopped himself to avoid being exposed.

He carefully reviewed the previous video and finally understood what had happened. Knowing the whole story, he felt pleased. It turned out that she valued the gift he gave her so much that she put an expensive piece of jewelry on a doll. He figured he could just give her another one next time.

On the other side, Qiao Xiao was verifying the situation. She directly tore open the doll's eyes and confirmed after inspection that they were damaged.

"Where did he get the money to buy such an expensive hidden camera?"

Qiao Xiao shook the little gadget in her hand, then turned to look at Asdor, who was staring at her, and asked, "Who do you think did it?"

Astor glanced at her as if she were a weirdo, gave a disdainful snort, and then lay back down for a nap. Qiao Xiao was not annoyed at all. She looked back at the monitor again and then threw the doll into the trash can outside the door.

Zhong Huanli happened to witness Qiao Xiao discarding the doll. He frowned, and confusion showed on his handsome face. However, he did not realize that the corners of his mouth had already unconsciously turned up.

As soon as Qiao Xiao stepped into her home, her phone beeped with a notification from Zhang Lingwan.

Zhang Lingwan: [Qiao, should I send you my address now?]

By the way, I still don't know when your birthday is.

Zhang Lingwan: [My birthday is the day after tomorrow.]

[Really? Then I need to hurry and send me the address.]

Zhang Lingwan: [Mm.]

He then sent a cute cat emoji in response, followed by his address, phone number, and name to Qiao Xiao.

Okay, I'm going to mail it. Remember to sign for it.

Zhang Lingwan: [Thank you so much, Qiao.]

Looking at the address, Qiao Xiao couldn't help but sigh, "So unguarded? How naive."

She frowned slightly, thinking that Zhang Lingwan was a bit too naive, but that was fine, it saved her from having to say anything more.

Qiao Xiao didn't continue talking to Zhang Lingwan; she felt it was unnecessary, since she had already achieved her goal.

However, Qiao Xiao was still somewhat surprised that Zhang Lingwan was able to remain calm and not ask about the whereabouts of the doll.

Just then, the door was suddenly opened.

Qiao Xiao turned around abruptly, a smile immediately appearing on her face, and said sweetly, "Brother!"

Zhong Huanli's gaze was fixed on her, his eyes filled with complex emotions: longing, helplessness, and a hint of indescribable pain.

He desperately wanted to know everything about her, but in the end he had to swallow the thought. He couldn't, because she wouldn't allow it.

Qiao Xiao noticed that Zhong Huanli's eyes were somewhat unfocused again, which usually meant he was thinking.

"Bro! Do you like video game consoles? I'll get you one."

When Zhong Huanli heard the words "game console," his eyes lit up. His gaze followed Qiao Xiao's figure as she hurriedly ran up to the second floor and then rushed back down, clutching a game console tightly in her arms.

Qiao Xiao approached Zhong Huanli with a bright smile on her face, and without hesitation, shoved the game console into his arms, saying, "Brother, this is your game console."

Zhong Huanli paused for a moment, his thick eyelashes drooping slightly, obscuring part of the emotion in his eyes. He asked in an almost inaudible voice, "Was this bought specifically for me? Or was it just something I bought along with it?"

"Of course I bought it for you."

Qiao Xiao's voice was so calm it was almost frightening. Her eyes were slightly open, and her once gentle gaze now seemed to carry a chilling aura as she stared directly at Zhong Huanli and asked, "Why do you always feel that I don't put you first, brother?"

Zhong Huanli was taken aback by the sudden question. After a moment, she asked, feeling wronged, "When did you start putting me first?"

"Always, always." Her lips were pressed tightly together, as if she was suppressing her emotions.

Zhong Huanli didn't believe Qiao Xiao's words. He shook his head and retorted, "No, you didn't listen to me and went to meet that man again."

"Brother?" Qiao Xiao's body trembled violently, her face showing shock as she looked at Zhong Huanli in disbelief and questioned, "How did you know all this?"

Zhong Huanli sneered, his gaze falling on the game console in his arms, and slowly said, "Do I need to guess? You never go to the fifth floor, and you must know that I never touch game consoles or similar items, so who else could it be!"

After saying that, he placed the game console on the table without hesitation, as if it were something he loathed, and said, "You should give it to your boyfriend. Don't try to fool your older brother with this."

Zhong Huanli sounded somewhat resigned, and absentmindedly climbed to the second floor.

He didn't learn the crucial information from the system screen—the person Qiao Xiao was dating was Zhang Lingwan. The moment he felt uneasy, he shut down the system without hesitation. He had only gone out to clear his head.

Therefore, he believes that the game console Qiao Xiao gave him was originally intended as a gift to someone else, but that person simply didn't want it anymore.