Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

  “Mom, the matter has been clarified. You can pass the key back to Nan Nan.” Zhai Hua looked at Miao Jing pleadingly. This was truly her dearest mother. Nothing could escape her eyes.

  “Since this is the case…… You’re Qiao Nan, right? You can continue to keep the key. If there’s a need, you can still come to our house to study.” Miao Jing seemingly agreed to pass the key to Qiao Nan, but she gave Zhai Hua a look of warning, hinting that she would have a private talk with her later.

  If Zhai Hua could not give her a satisfactory explanation, she would deal with her accordingly!

  Qiao Nan, who was frozen to the bones as if she was in an ice house, only began to feel some warmth like an autumn tiger when she had the key in her hands again.

  “You…… you all…… did you all make a mistake?” Qiao Zijin’s face looked pale at one moment and red on another. She could not believe that Qiao Nan had such connections with the most powerful family, the Zhai family, in the quad. Furthermore, she was able to obtain a key from the offspring of the Zhai family.

  That was such a great honor!

  In other words, if Qiao Nan encountered any problems in the future, judging by the relationship, the Zhai family would definitely help her.

  The Zhai family had a chief of the army, which was a very senior government post in China. If her family could be good friends with the Zhai family, there was nothing for her to be worried about or fearful of anymore. She could effortlessly find a rich and powerful man among those who would be queuing to marry her.

  When the time came, she would be the one choosing her partner and not the other way round!

  Wasn’t this the kind of assurance that Qiao Zijin had long been yearning and working hard for?

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  However, the Lee family ignored her. The Zhu family was not within her reach. Why was it that Qiao Nan could have the best of everything? It was so unfair!

  Now, it was not only the Lee family and the Zhu family that Qiao Nan had close connections with but also the Zhai family, the most powerful family in the quad.

  Qiao Zijin could clearly imagine how quick the news of the relationship between Qiao Nan and the Zhai family would be spread in the quad. When the time came, Qiao Nan would be highly regarded, gaining the attention and praise of many without the need for her to do anything!

  “I handed the key to Nan Nan personally. Do you think I will get this wrong? You’re so strange. Aren’t you Nan Nan’s biological sister? You know now that this is a misunderstanding. Nan Nan did not steal the key, and neither did she steal anything else. She has a morally upright character. Instead of being happy for her, you seem very disappointed that she did not do anything wrong!”

  Zhai Hua narrowed her eyes and spoke in an unhappy tone.

  “That’s right. It’s just a misunderstanding. It’s good that this matter has been clarified. Nan Nan, this child. Why didn’t you explain this earlier?” Mrs. Ma walked over to Nan Nan’s side. But at the thought of Ding Jiayi’s behavior, she did not continue to question Nan Nan. “I’ve mentioned before that Nan Nan is such a good child. How can it be possible for her to do such a shameful thing? It must be a misunderstanding.”

  “That’s right, we watched Nan Nan grow up. How can we not know her temperament? Don’t be a busybody and spread false rumors. Nan Nan is such a good kid.”

  With lightning speed, the three women who spoke the loudest earlier changed their stance. They immediately reprimanded those who joined the commotion and emphasized repeatedly that they already knew and said that Nan Nan was a good child. They were full of hindsight.

  Mrs. Ma, particularly, stood beside Qiao Nan and intimately wrapped one of her arms on Qiao Nan’s shoulder, as if she was protecting Qiao Nan. It was as though she was Qiao Nan’s biological mother and Ding Jiayi was the outsider who kicked up such a shameful fuss.

  Qiao Nan moved her shoulders to distance herself from Mrs. Ma. She then sighed and passed the key back to Zhai Hua. “Sister Zhai Hua, help me…… It’s best for me to return this key to your family. It’s not appropriate for me to keep it anymore.”

  “Why?” Zhai Hua understood that Qiao Nan had wanted to seek her help to return this key to Zhai Sheng.

  At the thought of Zhai Sheng’s temper, Zhai Hua could not wait to throw this hot potato back to Qiao Nan. Even if Qiao Nan wanted to return it, she should do it herself. Otherwise, what if Zhai Sheng took revenge on her because he thought that she had bullied Qiao Nan? She was innocent!

  Qiao Nan sneered and stared straight at Ding Jiayi. “Sister Zhai Hua, what do you think?”

  “?” Zhai Hua blinked her eyes as she was momentarily puzzled.

  “If I don’t return the key to you today, I will not be the only person who has the key to your house next time.” Her mother and Qiao Zijin were willing to do anything unscrupulous to achieve their aims. Beside her, many people in the quad had witnessed their behavior today.

  For the sake of three hundred yuan, her mother and Qiao Zijin painstakingly plotted and tailed her to the Zhai’s residence to malign her for being a thief.

  There was now a humongous cake, the Zhai family, before them. Would they not be tempted by it?

  She was able to take good care of the key without any issue for the past one year because her mother and Qiao Zijin did not know the existence of this key.

  Now that they were aware of it, they would definitely find ways and means to obtain it, just like what they did for the three hundred yuan. Even if they could not get a hold of the original key, they would definitely find a chance to steal it and make a duplicate.

  To prevent this matter from becoming more embarrassing such that she would not be able to face Zhai Sheng, the best way to avoid this was to return the key to the Zhai family.

  That stare of Qiao Nan was not a hint. She was being explicit about the reason.

  When Ding Jiayi’s face turned crimson, those who were smarter understood what Qiao Nan meant.

  Zhai Hua took the key without further hesitation and said, “You’re right. I’ll keep the key.” Zhai Sheng should be able to accept this reason without faulting her. However, Qiao Nan, this young lady, was really pitiful.

  “Okay.” Miao Jing nodded her head. If not for the sake of giving her daughter face, she was definitely reluctant to pass her house key to an outsider. Fortunately, this young lady knew what to do and took the initiative to return the key.

  They had gotten the key back. Most likely, they would not have anything to do with this young lady in the future.

  Miao Jing was clear that she would not want to encounter a similar situation in her life again. Moreover, she was not willing to let Zhai Hua be too close to this young lady. If she provoked the young lady’s mother, she would be courting trouble for the Zhai family.

  “Auntie Zhai, Sister Zhai Hua, I have returned the key to you. It’s not appropriate to continue keeping my belongings at the Zhai’s residence. I’ll bring them away.”

  “Sure.” Before Zhai Hua could say a word, Miao Jing replied.

  At this juncture, Miao Jing just hoped that this young lady could move her belongings away from the Zhai’s residence all at once so that she needed not to make a second trip.

  “Mom……” Zhai Hua was having a headache. Her mother now disliked this young lady. But why?