Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

  But after what happened today, her mother’s words had been echoing in her mind like a curse.

  “Mom, you only know to cry and complain, but can your tears bring Dad back to us? Mom, search your conscience. You were the one who asked me to come up with ways to help you reconcile with Dad so that he would go back to sharing a room with you. Mom, you were the one who came to me for ideas. How could you blame me for what happened today? You followed Qiao Nan and found your way to the Zhai family. You were the one who said that Qiao Nan must have stolen or picked up the key from somewhere. Besides, who was the one who mistook someone else for her own daughter? Everyone in the entire quad must be laughing at you for not recognizing your own daughter and lecturing someone else’s daughter instead. Can you blame me for all of these? You cannot blame me for mistaking someone else for Qiao Nan.”

  Qiao Zijin was boiling with anger as well.

  She pretended to be nice in front of Qiao Dongliang, but she dropped all pretenses with Ding Jiayi.

  “Mom, I admit that you are good to me. But you treated Nan Nan badly and that angered Dad. Whose fault is it if Dad wants to settle old scores with you? I did not instruct you to treat Nan Nan badly. Dad moved out with Nan Nan due to the series of things you did in the past. Dad wants to settle the old scores with you!”

  With that, Qiao Zijin pushed all the blame onto Ding Jiayi.

  Ding Jiayi cried, feeling angry and embarrassed. “Yes, I treated Qiao Nan badly, but that’s because I wanted to save everything good for you.”

  “If so, why is that when you were pregnant with Qiao Nan and had the impression that the baby was a boy, you never spared me any good food?” Qiao Zijin asked a burning question that had always been on her mind.

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  “What are you talking about?” Ding Jiayi frowned, not remembering the incident Qiao Zijin was referring to.

  Qiao Zijin sneered. Both she and Qiao Nan were Ding Jiayi’s daughters. Her mother could not remember how badly she treated Qiao Nan and pushed the responsibility of what happened today to her. Of course, her mother would not remember how she had all the good food when she was pregnant with Qiao Nan and how she neglected Qiao Zijin back then.

  Generally, people would not have a clear memory of what had happened when they were young, especially when they were about three or four years old.

  But Qiao Zijin remembered very clearly what happened when she was a child, particularly the ten months when her mother was pregnant with Qiao Nan.

  “Forget it. No matter how much we quarrel, Dad will not come back. Dad has said that he will decide based on our performance. If by pushing all the blame to me, Dad will change his mind and come back home, I will really have to hand it to you. Otherwise, instead of quarreling with me, it is more practical for you to find a way to let Dad know that you have changed for the better. I am going back to the room!”

  Back when she was young, she knew that her mother was not reliable. However, she did not expect that after so many years, her mother, who had doted on her all those years, would remain so unreliable.

  If she had known, she would have found an excuse to leave with her father.

  Qiao Zijin pulled a long face and went back to her room. She opened the door with force, packed her things, and came out with her schoolbag. “Today is the weekend. I am going back to school. Give me some money for my meals!”

  Ding Jiayi was stunned. She could taste bitterness in her mouth. “You…… you are going back to school?”

  Ding Jiayi came back to her senses. Today was the weekend. Qiao Zijin and Qiao Nan had to return to school. In other words, after Qiao Zijin left, she would be left alone in the house.

  “I am obeying what you said: I have to study hard and strive to be successful in the future. After what happened, I can rely on no one but myself.” Qiao Zijin curled the corners of her lips and sneered. “Give me some money, Mom. Now that you have driven Dad away, are you bent on starving me?”

  “No.” Ding Jiayi hurriedly took out the money that she had set aside during this half a month for Qiao Zijin’s meals. She dared not lose her temper at Qiao Zijin anymore. In fact, from the meek and obedient way she behaved, she acted as if she was Qiao Zijin’s grandson. “Use them wisely.”

  Looking at the money in the palm of her hand, Qiao Zijin twitched the corner of her lips. “With this miserly sum of money, I will have to starve if I do not use it wisely. All of you are the same.” If they were incapable of raising two kids, they should be contented with having one child.

  After getting the money, Qiao Zijin had no wish to stay at home for another second. She walked out of the house and took a bus to school.

  After getting on the bus, Qiao Zijin grabbed the bag in her arms, a gloomy look on her face. No one dared to sit next to her.

  After a while, Qiao Zijin let out a long sigh and took out a book from her bag. This book was Qiao Zijin’s diary. Not only did she keep a record of the things that happened after she grew up, but she also wrote down what she remembered from when she was a child.

  After reading through how Ding Jiayi treated her when she was pregnant with Qiao Nan, Qiao Zijin’s face turned cold. She put the diary back into the bag without any emotion on her face.

  “Nan Nan, all the things are here. What else should I help you with?” Old Yang had sent Qiao Nan to the place where Qiao Dongliang had rented. This place was situated very close to the high school that Qiao Nan was studying at. It was very convenient for Qiao Nan.

  Qiao Nan was particularly happy upon seeing the place.

  “Your dad took a long time to find a place that is very near to your school. Your mom is muddleheaded, but your dad is a good father. Nan Nan, don’t be angry with your dad for what your mom did.” Old Yang gave a word of advice to Nan Nan.

  “Uncle Yang, he is my dad. I will not do that. Besides, the other party is my mom. I know what to do.” Qiao Nan sounded happy when she mentioned Qiao Dongliang, but she was emotionless when she talked about Ding Jiayi.

  “Uncle Yang, it is not easy to rent a place like this. Did my dad manage to find it in one day’s time?” Qiao Nan put down her things and asked unbelievably.

  Her father seemed to have made preparations for moving out of their house. Unlike her, she had only made up her mind to move out after what happened in the morning.

  Be it now or in the future, houses in the school districts were highly sought after.

  It was impossible to rent a house in the school district within such short notice.

  “No, your dad has been looking for this house for three months. Your dad started looking for a place to move in after your middle school examination.” Old Yang shook his head. “Your dad has been asking around since ages ago.”