WBSGVS Chapter 263 Part 1

Chapter 263

Qingli’s little stunt had left Shao Mingxuan somewhat on guard. After that, to avoid putting himself in danger of wearing a “green hat” again, he stopped going on dates with Su Qiu.

Her intention was simply to keep Wei Xuwei from being cheated on.

Although Shao Mingxuan had already strayed emotionally, things hadn’t gone far enough to make Wei Xuwei lose face.

With Shao Mingxuan behaving himself and Qingli not stirring up trouble, the two of them kept busy helping Wei Xuwei get her restaurant ready.

The restaurant’s menu included staple dishes, light meals, pizza, snacks, desserts, and fruit teas. The target customers were young people, mostly women and children.

The décor followed an Insta-style aesthetic. The chair cushions had fresh, cute cartoon designs. There were small round tables, square tables, and four-tops. The kitchen was split into two: an open one in the center for milk tea and desserts, and a large back kitchen for entrées, snacks, and light meals.

The menu was made up of real food photos mixed with Qingli’s hand-drawn, handwritten illustrations—playful and childlike.

Before opening, they hired a manager, servers, and back-of-the-house staff. Even though Wei Xuwei was skilled at cooking, she couldn’t stay in the kitchen all the time.

So, for half a month before opening, the new kitchen staff trained until they were proficient—just in time for launch day.

On opening day, there weren’t many relatives or friends, but two of Wei Xuwei’s close friends in the capital came to support her. As for the Shao family, given their strict family rules, they hadn’t been told. All the congratulatory flower baskets had been arranged by Qingli.

The first day’s promotion was a 50% discount, then 40% off on the second day, 20% off on the third. Business ran at a loss at first, but the deals drew crowds.

As expected, the grand opening was packed.

Even after the initial rush, plenty of customers stuck around.

Before opening, Qingli had helped with taste-testing and giving feedback, and the flavors had only improved. Combined with the cozy environment, many people liked coming by for snacks, and office workers would bring laptops and sit for hours.

With a bit of extra marketing, foot traffic stayed consistently high, and the restaurant soon ran at full capacity.

Business took off.

Of course, it would be difficult to recover a million-plus investment overnight, but by the tenth day of opening, daily earnings were already outpacing costs. It was clear the restaurant could break even within a year.

And Wei Xuwei still had plenty of liquid assets on hand for emergencies.

Half a month later, when the restaurant had settled into a steady rhythm, Wei Xuwei’s stress visibly lifted.

She could hardly believe it herself—she had actually managed to open a restaurant in just three months.

What once seemed so out of reach now didn’t feel far at all. All it took was a little effort. Thinking that way, she deeply regretted all those wasted years in the Shao family.

If she’d started her own business earlier, she might already have opened multiple branches—earning money while lying back!

But regret was useless. What she could do was keep moving forward now.

Meanwhile…

After much hesitation, Shao Mingxuan finally decided to seek answers.

But instead of asking outright, he tried dropping hints—then waited for a response.

To his surprise, Su Qiu actually responded!

That threw him into an even harder dilemma. To be with Su Qiu meant divorcing Wei Xuwei. In his daughter’s eyes, he’d become an irresponsible father.

But if he hadn’t divorce, every day would have felt like torture.

First love is unforgettable. He couldn’t let go. Back when he thought it was impossible, his heart had been resigned, deadened. But now, with just one more step forward, he could grasp what he had longed for in his youth. How could he make himself stop now?

As he wrestled with the choice, Qingli’s tenth birthday arrived.

Her tenth birthday was a big deal. Although she’d already turned ten earlier, this milestone had to be celebrated properly. Since they hadn’t found the time before, the party was set for the first Saturday of summer vacation.

That day, guests included business associates of the Shao family as well as relatives and friends with children. The Shaos were well-off, so plenty of people came. The lively atmosphere rivaled that of a formal business banquet.

The venue was the Shao family’s old estate—a villa in the suburbs, quiet and spacious, perfect for kids to run around and play.

At Qingli’s request, the banquet was a barbecue party. Professional staff grilled in the garden, and guests could help themselves.

When Qingli came out with Wei Xuwei, wearing a pink princess dress, she immediately spotted Su Qiu and her son Xuanxuan in the crowd.

Everyone who needed to be there was there. Perfect.

But before stirring trouble, Qingli turned to her mother and asked, “Mom, if people found out Dad was cheating, would you feel embarrassed?”

She herself didn’t feel embarrassed—after all, she wasn’t the one in the wrong.

But many women considered this a private shame, not something to air in public. So she asked carefully: if her mom said no, she’d drop it.

Wei Xuwei froze at the question, instantly alert. “What are you planning?!”

It’s said that when kids go unusually quiet, they’re up to something.

In recent weeks, she’d been so busy with the restaurant that even though she still slept beside her daughter, most nights she’d fall asleep right after her skincare routine, without heart-to-heart talks.

Now that business had settled and she had a moment to breathe, she suddenly realized—her daughter had been uncharacteristically quiet and obedient for too long.

The thought made her break out in cold sweat. She had been planning to take a day off after the birthday party to spend with her daughter, to make sure the girl didn’t bottle things up and unleash a “big move.”

But it seemed she didn’t have to wait until after the party. The chill running down her spine told her—trouble was already here.

Qingli grinned, looking sweet and innocent as she shook Wei Xuwei’s arm and cooed, “Mom, answer my question first!”