RNP Chapter 1623 The Strongest Mouth Double
Chapter 1623 The Strongest Mouth Double
The TopQ Network Annual Ceremony is scheduled for Friday.
The location was the Hyatt Hotel in the city center, on the third floor banquet hall. Uncle Fan started posting on his WeChat Moments three days in advance—showing the venue setup, guest list, and rehearsal of the program, posting four or five times a day, wanting the whole industry to know how grand Dingqi.com's event was this year.
At seven o'clock in the morning on the day of the ceremony, Qin Hao was still asleep.
The hotel curtains were drawn tightly, making the room dark. Zhou Mei had one leg resting on his stomach, her breathing even, her hair loose on his shoulder, fast asleep.
My phone on the bedside table vibrated.
Qin Hao didn't move.
It shook again.
He opened one eye, picked up his phone, and squinted at it.
The message from Uncle Fan:
"Teacher Qin Hao, are you up yet? I'm in the hotel lobby, may I come up and sit for a while?"
Qin Hao stared at the screen for two seconds, then flipped his phone over and closed his eyes again.
About five minutes later, the phone started vibrating again.
This time it was a phone call.
Qin Hao sighed, pulled his arm out from under Zhou Mei's head, quietly got out of bed, walked barefoot to the window, and answered the phone.
"Mr. Fan, isn't this a bit too early?"
"Haha, Mr. Qin Hao, I know I've disturbed your rest. But I was just thinking of you, and the grand ceremony is about to begin. If you could come—"
"President Fan."
Qin Hao interrupted him directly: "I already said last time, I'm not going."
There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone.
“I know you said that. But I’m just not giving up.” Uncle Fan’s tone softened a bit: “Just give me ten minutes. I’ll sit in the lobby coffee shop. Can you come down and we’ll talk for a bit?”
Qin Hao rubbed his temples.
"...Alright then."
He hung up the phone, glanced back at Zhou Mei who was still asleep on the bed, picked up a T-shirt from the sofa, put it on, and went out.
The lobby coffee shop is located on the west side of the first floor of the hotel.
As Qin Hao walked over, he saw Uncle Fan sitting by the window, a glass of Americano in front of him, dressed in a suit and tie, his hair neatly combed. Seeing Qin Hao approach, he immediately stood up, his face beaming with a wide smile.
"Teacher Qin Hao, please have a seat."
Qin Hao sat down opposite him and waved to the waiter: "A glass of ice water."
Uncle Fan rubbed his hands together, smiling somewhat obsequiously: "Teacher Qin Hao, look how nice the weather is today, so sunny and bright, perfect for old friends like us to get together—"
"President Fan."
Qin Hao leaned back in his chair and looked at him: "You called me at seven in the morning just to tell me the weather was nice?"
Uncle Fan's smile froze for a moment, then he adjusted it again.
“Alright, then I won’t beat around the bush.” He picked up his coffee, took a sip, put it down, and his expression became more serious. “Mr. Qin Hao, today’s ceremony is very important to me. Dingqi.com is under a lot of pressure to meet its performance targets this year, and the higher-ups are keeping a close eye on us. If you could come and sit down, even just to show your face, it would greatly enhance our platform’s brand image—”
"President Fan."
Qin Hao's tone was flat: "I understand your difficulties. But as I've told you before, I'm not writing anymore, and I don't want to have anything to do with this industry anymore."
"But--"
"No buts."
Qin Hao took the ice water handed to him by the waiter, took a sip, and put it down.
"You have Guyan, He Han, and so many new authors. Dingqi.com won't go bankrupt just because I show up less often."
Uncle Fan opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something, but seeing Qin Hao's expression, he swallowed his words back.
He sighed, took an invitation from his pocket, placed it on the table, and pushed it in front of Qin Hao.
"I've kept your invitation. The ceremony doesn't end until 10 p.m. If you change your mind, you can come anytime."
Qin Hao glanced at the gold-embossed invitation but didn't accept it. He stood up, patted his trouser leg, and said, "Mr. Fan, take care."
Uncle Fan sat in his seat, watching Qin Hao's figure disappear into the elevator, and let out a long sigh.
He took the invitation from the table, put it back in his pocket, picked up his coffee, drank it in one gulp, and shook his head with a wry smile.
-
When Qin Hao returned to the room, Zhou Mei was already awake.
She leaned against the headboard, her hair loose, the neckline of her pajamas slipped below her shoulders, and she was holding her phone, looking at something.
"Who is it, so early in the morning?"
"Uncle Fan."
"You're here to invite me again?" Zhou Mei raised her eyebrows.
"Ah."
"You agreed?"
"No."
Zhou Mei put down her phone and watched Qin Hao walk over and sit down on the bed.
"Actually, there's no harm in going, right? It's just for a meal anyway."
Qin Hao lay down, rested his head on her lap, and closed his eyes.
"I don't want to go. It's too much trouble."
Zhou Mei reached out and brushed his hair aside, then said nothing more.
About twenty minutes later, Zhou Mei got up, washed up, changed into a business outfit—a white shirt with a black pencil skirt, put her hair up, and applied light makeup.
I'm going to work.
She walked to the bedside, bent down, and kissed Qin Hao on the forehead.
What are you doing today?
"Go out for a walk and get some exercise."
"Then remember to eat lunch."
"Ah."
Zhou Mei picked up her bag and left the house. The sound of her high heels faded into the distance in the corridor, finally disappearing in the direction of the elevator.
Qin Hao lay in bed for another ten minutes, then got up, washed up, and changed into casual clothes—a black T-shirt, dark gray sweatpants, and white sneakers. He prepared to go downstairs for a stroll around the neighborhood.
He took the room key and left the room.
The elevator went down to the first floor.
The door opened, and he stepped out—
My steps faltered.
In the lobby lounge area, near the revolving door, sat a woman.
She was in her fifties, with short hair, and wore a dark brown coat that looked somewhat dated. She clutched a black handbag, the edges of which were worn. She sat very upright, legs together, toes barely touching the ground, her posture stiff as if she were being held down.
Her gaze remained fixed on the direction of the elevator.
Seeing Qin Hao come out, she immediately stood up.
Qin Hao recognized her.
Zhou Mei's mother.
He paused for a moment, then continued walking.
"If you're here to see Zhou Mei, unfortunately she's at work."
Zhou's mother stood still, her eyes fixed on him.
"I find you."
"Find me?"
Qin Hao stopped in front of her, hands in his pockets, and said casually, "It seems like we don't have much to talk about, do we?"
“If you break up with my daughter, we really don’t have much to talk about.”
Zhou's mother's face darkened, her voice carrying a suppressed anger.
Qin Hao shrugged, his tone nonchalant: "Even if I were dating your daughter, or even married her, it wouldn't be anything to talk about with you. Your daughter is already an adult, and your status as her guardian has long since expired."
Zhou's mother's expression changed immediately.
The suppressed anger seemed to have been punctured and burst out all at once.
"You have absolutely no respect for your elders!" Her voice rose, drawing the attention of several passing guests in the hotel lobby. "My daughter has been corrupted by you! I absolutely will not allow her to continue being with you, and I will absolutely not allow you to get married!"
Qin Hao looked at her, his expression unchanged.
"You've lived to such an old age, how come you don't even understand such a simple principle?"
His voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear.
"Respect is never given by others. When you have good character, you will naturally earn respect. On the contrary, no one will respect an old man who only acts arrogantly because of his age."
Zhou's mother's face turned bright red.
She pointed a trembling finger at Qin Hao: "Who are you calling an old man who's taking advantage of his age? I've lived my whole life obeying the law, and I raised my daughter with great difficulty despite my husband's infidelity. How is my morality lacking? If you don't explain yourself clearly today, I'm not done with you!"
Qin Hao reached out and pried her fingers apart.
"Okay, if you want to explain clearly, then I will explain clearly to you."
Qin Hao's voice was neither hurried nor slow.
"If your husband cheated on you, you could have brought all your relatives and friends to his door to confront him; that would have shown you some backbone. But what did you do?"
He paused.
"You took Zhou Mei, who is only a few years old, to find that mistress."
Zhou's mother's lips moved, as if she wanted to say something.
Qin Hao didn't give her a chance.
"Do you know how much psychological trauma this causes to a child who is only a few years old? How old was she then? You made a little girl watch her mother fight with another woman, etching that image into her mind—"
"I...I just wanted to show her that vixen!" Zhou's mother's voice became shrill: "Let her see what that kind of woman is like, so she won't go astray in the future!"
Qin Hao sneered.
"A young girl in the prime of her life, you don't let her grow her hair long, you don't let her wear skirts, you don't let her wear high heels, and you don't even allow her to use cosmetics—all of this is to prevent her from going astray?"
His voice turned colder.
"What a high-sounding excuse."
"All of this is just an excuse for you to impose your own failed marriage and failed life on Zhou Mei."
Zhou's mother seemed to have been struck by something.
Her body swayed slightly, and her fingers tightened around the strap of her handbag.
"No, that's not it... I want to raise her to be a well-bred lady..."
"A lady from a respectable family?"
Qin Hao's tone was laced with undisguised sarcasm.
"Did you teach her music, chess, calligraphy, and painting? Or did you cultivate her knowledge of poetry and literature? Everything you've done is just an excuse for your own dullness, lack of interest, and inability to understand romance."
Zhou's mother opened her mouth, but the sound got stuck in her throat and she couldn't make it out.
"Oh, right."
Qin Hao added slowly, "Is this why Zhou Mei's father wants to divorce you?"
This sentence was like the last straw.
Zhou's mother's eyes widened instantly, her eyes reddening, and her voice almost screamed: "You're talking nonsense! He's a scumbag! He's the one who cheated, how is it my fault?!"
People in the hotel lobby started looking this way.
The receptionist had her head down, but her ears were clearly perked up. The security guard stood at the door, hesitating whether to come over.
Qin Hao ignored those stares.
His voice remained calm.
"He is indeed a scumbag."
He took a step forward, getting a little closer to Zhou's mother.
"But I want to ask you a question."
"You can just divorce him. Why keep dragging it out?"
Zhou's mother's lips moved, as if she had recited a prepared line for decades: "I did this to give Zhou Mei a complete family—"
"Stop talking."
Qin Hao interrupted her.
"You know very well that a scumbag like him won't bring Zhou Mei any warmth as a father. The reason you've been dragging your feet on getting a divorce is simply to disgust him and his mistress."
His voice turned somber.
"But have you considered how much psychological trauma this will cause Zhou Mei?"
Or perhaps—
He paused.
“You don’t care about Zhou Mei at all. She’s just a tool you use to complain about your husband to everyone around you.”
Zhou's mother felt as if all support had been removed from her body.
She took a step back, her calf bumped into the sofa behind her, and she plopped down on it.
She sat there, her eyes fixed straight ahead, her lips trembling.
"No...that's not how it is..."
"How could I, as a mother, not love my own daughter..."
Qin Hao looked at her.
"Love is not something you can just say."
"Ask yourself honestly, from childhood to adulthood, how many things have you done that genuinely made Zhou Mei happy?"
Zhou's mother's lips twitched slightly.
She wanted to say something. She opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.
Qin Hao waited for five seconds.
"What? You can't even say one thing?"
Zhou's mother gripped the sofa armrests tightly. Her eyes were red and swollen, but no tears fell.
Qin Hao lowered his voice slightly, but the weight of his tone remained unchanged.
"The beloved son of his parents has far-reaching plans."
"Parents like you, who only use the guise of 'for your own good' to exercise their twisted desire for control—"
"I have no right to say I love children."
Zhou's mother's pupils suddenly contracted.
She felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over her from head to toe, and her body began to tremble.
She opened her mouth, her finger trembling as she pointed at Qin Hao, as if she wanted to say something, but her throat seemed to be blocked by something, and she couldn't squeeze out a single word.
Qin Hao glanced at her but didn't say another word.
He turned and walked towards the hotel entrance.
The revolving door spun around once, and his figure disappeared into the sunlight outside.
Zhou's mother was still sitting on the sofa.
Her hand was still raised in mid-air, her fingers trembling. After a long time, she slowly lowered her hand and placed it on her knees.
-
When Qin Hao walked out of the hotel, the sun was already high in the sky.
He stood on the steps by the door, squinted at the sky for a while, then took a deep breath, stretched his neck and shoulders, and prepared to walk along the road.
He had just taken a step—
A woman's voice came from behind me.
"Hey, um—"
He turned his head.
A woman in her early twenties ran out of the hotel lobby, clutching her phone, her face showing a mixture of excitement and nervousness. She was wearing a floral dress and carrying a canvas bag, looking like a tourist.
"Sir, wait a moment—"
Qin Hao watched her run over, stop in front of him, and catch her breath.
"Um... I accidentally saw you and that lady in the lobby just now... I didn't mean to eavesdrop, I just happened to be sitting next to them—"
As she spoke, she waved her phone in her hand.
"I recorded that part."
Qin Hao looked at her, his expression unchanged.
What do you want to do?
The girl quickly waved her hand: "I didn't mean any harm! I just felt... what you just said really touched my heart. I also have a mother like that, and I've been suffocated by her control since I was a child... I've never heard anyone say what you just said before, but after hearing it, I felt—yes, that's exactly it."
Her eyes were a little red.
"I want to post this video online so that more children who are overwhelmed by their parents can see it, is that okay?"
Qin Hao remained silent for two seconds.
"up to you."
After he finished speaking, he turned around and left.
The girl stood there, stunned for a moment, then looked down at the video on her phone.
In the footage, Qin Hao is facing away from the camera, talking to Zhou's mother. The audio is clearly recorded.
She hesitated for a few seconds, then opened the short video app and clicked upload.
She thought about the title for a long time, and finally typed a line:
"The world's best mouth double!"
-
three days later.
This video has already surpassed one million views.
The comments section exploded.
"This guy is amazing, he's the best verbal stuntman, it's so satisfying to see him yell at people."
"Haha, serves her right. That's how you should scold an old witch who relies on her age and seniority."
"It's so unfortunate that this girl named Zhou Mei has such parents. Fortunately, God has taken pity on her and let her meet such a boyfriend."
“I cried when I heard that. My mom is the same way, always using the excuse of ‘it’s for my own good’ to arrange my life so meticulously.”
"This man speaks with such strong logic; every sentence hits the nail on the head."
"I recommend that all Chinese parents watch this video."
"I've forwarded this to the family group chat; I'm ready to go to war with my mom."
However, there were also dissenting voices in the comments section.
"That man's words were too harsh! He's an elder, after all."
"The reasoning is correct, but the attitude is too impulsive."
"I think being a mother is not easy. Her husband cheated on her, and she raised the child alone. What's wrong with her being a little controlling?"
These comments were quickly refuted.
"Just because it's not easy, does that mean you can treat your daughter as a tool? Just because it's not easy, does that mean you can hurt your child?"
"It's not a reason for you to hurt others."
"I suggest you watch the whole video before you speak."
The number of likes in the comments section is still rising.
Zhou Mei hadn't seen the video at first; it was Lin Zhanqiao who saw it and forwarded it to her.
"Is this Qin Hao?"
Zhou Mei clicked on the link.
The video begins with her mother's voice.
She was stunned.
She plugged in her headphones and watched it from beginning to end.
Halfway through, she stopped holding the mouse.
When she had read two-thirds of the way through, her eyes began to redden.
When she saw the end—Qin Hao said, "I have no right to say I love children," and turned to leave—her tears finally fell.
She took off her headphones, leaned back in her chair, and stared at the ceiling for a long time.
The computer screen on my desk is black. A slight hum is coming from the air conditioner vent. My colleague at the next desk is on the phone, but his voice is muffled.
She picked up her phone and called Qin Hao.
It rang twice before the other end answered.
"Hey?"
Qin Hao's voice came through the receiver, sounding somewhat lazy.
When did my mom come to see you?
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.
"How did you know?"
"The video has gone viral. Sister Lin sent it to me."
"……Oh."
Why didn't you tell me?
"It's okay. Didn't I tell you already—"
Qin Hao's voice carried a hint of amusement.
"I could take on ten of your parents."
Zhou Mei gripped her phone, her fingers tightening.
She took a deep breath.
"Darling, let's get married?"
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.
"Have you made up your mind?"
Qin Hao's voice lost its laughter and became more serious.
"Ah."
Zhou Mei's voice was soft, but firm.
"I can sign a prenuptial agreement—"
"Don't you think it's a bit of a mood killer to bring this up at this time?"
Qin Hao's voice returned to its usual irreverent tone.
Zhou Mei was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter through her tears.
"You—"
"Alright, stop crying. We'll talk about it when we get back tonight."
How did you know I was crying?
"I could tell from listening to it."
Zhou Mei held her phone without saying a word.
"Alright, I'm hanging up now."
"and many more--"
"Ok?"
Zhou Mei was silent for two seconds.
"...It's nothing. We'll talk about it tonight."
She hung up the phone.
She placed her phone on the table and glanced down at the lock screen—it was a photo of her and Qin Hao. The two were standing in front of a night market stall; Qin Hao held a skewer of grilled squid, and she leaned on his shoulder, her eyes crinkling with laughter.
She flipped her phone over and placed it face down on the table.
But the curve of her lips just wouldn't go down.
-
At the same time, the battlefield in the online literature circle has been completely ignited.
The incident was triggered when He Han was asked a question during an interview with reporters on the afternoon of the Dingqi.com annual gala.
"Mr. He Han, many readers have been discussing Guyan's new book lately. What are your thoughts on it?"
He Han was sitting in the lounge with an untouched cup of coffee in front of him, his legs crossed, and his expression was unreadable.
"pretty good."
He paused after saying those two words.
Just as the reporter was about to ask the next question, He Han spoke up again.
"but--"
The reporter immediately held the microphone back up.
He Han looked at the camera with a faint smile on his lips.
"Gu Yan's 'It Seems Like an Old Friend is Drunk' has some pacing issues. The plot lines in the middle and later stages are too scattered. If it continues to be written like this, it is very likely to have a bad ending."
This statement caused an uproar throughout the online literature community.
That evening, all the major forums, online communities, and book clubs were discussing the matter.
"Is He Han's move considered a public diss of Guyan?"
"He's right, the recent plot of Lone Smoke's book has indeed been a bit weak."
"He Han himself has been on hiatus for a month, and he still has the nerve to criticize others?"
"He was at the top of the charts before he stopped updating, so why isn't he qualified to comment on a newcomer's work?"
"I think it's very likely that He Han said it would end badly. The setting of Guyan's book was too big, so it's normal that it couldn't be brought back."
"Guyan fans, stop trying to defend your idol. The data for your new book is indeed declining."
"He Han's fans, don't be so arrogant. Your idol hasn't updated for a month. What right do you have to criticize others?"
"Upstairs, He Han will be resuming updates soon. Let the data speak for itself then."
He Han's one-month hiatus ended right after midnight.
Uncle Fan, of course, wouldn't miss out on this wave of attention.
The night after the grand event, the Dingqi.com operations team began to fan the flames behind the scenes. He Han resumed updating the countdown posters, hashtags, and featured placements—everything was ready, just waiting to be rolled out fully as soon as midnight struck.
11:59 PM.
Countless readers stayed in front of their computers, refreshing He Han's author page.
Midnight.
The page has been refreshed.
He Han has updated.
One chapter, six thousand words.
In less than three minutes, the number of comments in the comment section had exceeded one thousand.
Within ten minutes, it surged into the top ten of the donation rankings.
In just half an hour, the monthly ticket ranking jumped from fifth to second.
Within an hour, it surpassed Guyan's "It Seems Like an Old Friend is Drunk" in all metrics and regained the top spot.
The sentiment in the book review section has also changed.
"He Han is back; this is the level that online novels should be at."
"This chapter gave me goosebumps. He Han is still the same He Han."
"Gu Yan's skill level is still a level below He Han's."
"He Han is so yyds!"
"Where are the people who said He Han was no good before? Come out and show yourselves?"
Lone Smoke's side was not to be outdone.
His fan group exploded from the early hours of the morning. Some people posted screenshots of He Han's updated data in the group, while others posted a long analysis post saying that He Han's comeback data was inflated and that the platform was pushing it behind the scenes, making it unrealistic.
"He Han stopped updating for a month, and then came back with so much data? Who would believe that?"
"Gu Yan's data comes from genuine reader support, while He Han's data is built up by platform resources."
Guyan himself also posted an update in the early hours of the morning:
"It's okay, take your time, it's only a matter of time before we surpass him."
He Han saw the post less than half an hour after it was published.
He was in his study, and the computer screen in front of him displayed Guyan's update.
He stared at that sentence for a long time.
Only one desk lamp was on in the study. The light shone on his face, illuminating the mocking smile on his lips.
He picked up his phone, typed a line, and deleted it. He typed another line and deleted it again.
In the end, he only sent five words:
"Wait until you surpass me."
After sending the message, he put down his phone, stretched his fingers, and continued typing. (End of Chapter)