Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

  “Dad!”

  “Old Qiao.”

  Just as Wang Yang finished his words, Ding Jiayi and Qiao Zijin’s voices could be heard from behind the main door.

  As Wang Yang opened the door, Qiao Dongliang and Qiao Nan saw the happy and excited look on the faces of Ding Jiayi and Qiao Zijin. “Why are the two of you here?” Didn’t Nan Nan say that the Zhu family only invited Nan Nan and him?

  “Uncle Qiao, what are you saying? It’s all thanks to Qiao Nan that Brother Baoguo changed so much. The relationship between the Zhu family and the Qiao family is so good. When we invite you for dinner, of course we’ll invite the whole family. We know that Auntie Ding stays in the quad, so I directly invited Auntie Ding and Sister Qiao Zijin to save you the trouble. Qiao Nan helped us so much. No matter what, I should ‘thank’ Qiao Nan on behalf of the Zhu family. Qiao Nan, don’t you think so? I heard that you all have not gotten together as a family for a long time. I’m so good to you, but don’t be too touched. This is my ‘repayment’ to you. I’ve always been reciprocal in my life. How is it? Are you happy?”

  The smile on Wang Yang’s face looked pure, but his words made Qiao Nan lose all her appetite.

  Qiao Dongliang only sensed that Wang Yang’s words were odd, but Qiao Nan had fully understood the meaning behind his words.

  Wang Yang was most reluctant to see Zhu Baoguo changed for the better. Nevertheless, under Qiao Nan’s influence, Zhu Baoguo turned better day by day. From the annoying little bully in the quad, Zhu Baoguo had become one of the typical ‘other people’s child’. The Zhu family could now proudly flash his academic report during Lunar New Year and festive occasions.

  Hence, Wang Yang said he was ‘repaying’ Qiao Nan.

  When Wang Yang said that he valued reciprocity, he was telling Qiao Nan not to interfere in Zhu Baoguo’s matters. If she agreed to do so, he would then not poke his nose into the matters of the Qiao family.

  Wang Yang would not bother to spend his effort on small flies like Ding Jiayi and Qiao Zijin in the past.

  However, if Qiao Nan continued to be at odds with him and change Zhu Baoguo for the better, given Qiao Zijin and Ding Jiayi’s characters, he could easily make use of them to stand in Qiao Nan’s way.

  \r \r \r

  In other words, Wang Yang was making a deal with Qiao Nan in front of many others.

  “You’ve put in great effort and care.” Qiao Nan smiled. This smile was purer than that of Wang Yang, but the gaze beneath was colder.

  “Don’t mention it.” Wang Yang leaned against the door and looked at Qiao Nan interestingly. “No wonder Elder Uncle and Grandpa always praised you for your intelligence and asked me to learn from you more. You’re truly quite sharp, really different from other girls.”

  The girls that he knew only had a head on top of their bodies, but no brains.

  Qiao Nan was certainly smart. However, he had always hated girls who were too smart!

  “I’ve just chatted for a very, very long time with Sister Qiao Zijin. I discovered that Sister Qiao Zijin and I can get along extremely well. We’ve so much to talk about. Sister Qiao Zijin is really very interesting. She always strives for excellence. I quite like her.”

  “Wang Yang, I also wish to have a younger brother like you. Anyway, we’re all staying in the quad. You can look for me to have fun when you have time.” When she heard her name, Qiao Zijin moved forward and made her presence known.

  Qiao Zijin had many failed attempts on Zhu Baoguo. This simply made her doubt her own drive and vigor.

  She did not manage to gain any benefit from Zhu Baoguo. Don’t even mention having a romantic relationship with him, Zhu Baoguo did not even spare any time to talk nicely to her.

  If the male students at school had not continued to treat her well, Qiao Zijin would have held a mirror every day, doubting herself and suspecting if she had really become ugly.

  It was only until today that Qiao Zijin regained her confidence through Wang Yang.

  The status of the Wang family was not as high as the Zhu family, but these two families were relatives.

  Although they stayed in the quad, Wang Yang was the real resident of the quad while Qiao Nan and she were not. They only occupied a small corner of the quad out of the goodwill of the Lee family. However, their status did not rise because of this address.

  Qiao Zijin had been trying to make use of the fact that she stayed in the quad to get herself associated with someone truly of status, but she had unfortunately failed repeatedly. Wang Yang’s appearance finally allowed Qiao Zijin to see some light at the end of the tunnel.

  Qiao Zijin was like an understanding big sister who had known Wang Yang for a long time, as if they were childhood friends. She stood intimately beside Wang Yang. Even both their arms were side by side.

  At the sight of such dangerously close distance, Qiao Nan knitted her brows immediately. Was Qiao Zijin acting dumb? Wasn’t she afraid of being taken advantage and letting others misunderstand when she leaned so close to Wang Yang?

  In her impression, Qiao Zijin was not even that intimate with her father.

  “Of course I’m happy to have another elder sister to look after me. Qiao Nan, don’t you think so?” Wang Yang did not reject Qiao Zijin’s initiative to be close. He even cooperated by standing together with her as if the pair had a relationship as deep and close as childhood friends. However, he was staring at Qiao Nan with a deep and sinister look in his eyes, shimmering with ghostly green light akin to that of a venomous snake.

  Qiao Nan turned her face and shut her eyes. She then took a deep breath.

  Wang Yang was so scheming that she suspected whether he had the same experience as her—that both of them were fortunate enough to be given a second life.

  After all, compared to Wang Yang, the ways she used to deal with Qiao Zijin and her mother was as childish as child’s play in the kindergarten. It was not even one-tenth of Wang Yang’s maliciousness.

  Qiao Zijin was full of dishonest thoughts. She was willing to do anything for the sake of having a good life.

  In the previous life, Qiao Zijin double-crossed Qiao Nan and snatched her future brother-in-law, Chen Jun, from the latter. In this life, the people she met were more prosperous than those in the previous life, but unfortunately, she was not their cup of tea.

  Without thinking, Qiao Nan was certain that Qiao Zijin yearned more for success in this life than the previous one. She wished to live the life of the upper social class.

  Seeing Qiao Zijin together with Wang Yang, the sight reflected the truth of the saying that birds of the same feather flock together.

  Qiao Zijin was scheming, but Wang Yang was worse.

  If the two of them turned against each other, Qiao Nan would write her name the other way round if Qiao Zijin could make Wang Yang suffer.

  Clearly, Wang Yang staged such a full-scale drama today to threaten her not to continue to mix around with Zhu Baoguo. Otherwise, he would definitely make use of Qiao Zijin to deal with her and not let her lead a day of good life!

  Probably, when that day truly came, not only Qiao Zijin but also her mother would become pawns held tightly in Wang Yang’s hands to deal with her.

  Qiao Nan did not need to soften her heart or approach when dealing with Wang Yang. However, when facing Qiao Zijin and Ding Jiayi, she might not soften her heart or stance, but her hands would be ‘weaker’ undoubtedly.

  Wang Yang accurately got a hold of her weakness and used it against her.

  At the sight of the changes in Qiao Nan’s expression, Wang Yang smiled.

  A smart woman was certainly annoying. Nevertheless, it was good that Qiao Nan’s intelligence had some use and merits, just as what happened at this moment.