Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

  “Whether I wish to do so or not, what has it got to do with you?” Who exactly was this person? How did he know so much about her and even called her at this juncture? It was so coincidental.

  “If you wish to, I can arrange a school for you. However, given your current situation, you will not be able to choose which high school it is. If you don’t wish to, then……” Although Zhai Sheng did not wish for the latter to happen, he needed to consider about it.

  Qiao Zijin was so scared that she turned pale. “You…… Can you really help me find a school and allow me to continue with my studies? I know I can’t choose but I will certainly not attend schools that are too lousy and messy.”

  Qiao Zijin understood herself well. She knew she lacked self-control and discipline.

  If she attended a lousy school and went astray due to the influence of bad company, then she would only waste this opportunity.

  At the very least, with the transfer of school this time, she needed to have a quiet and conducive environment for studying.

  “Sure.” Zhai Sheng agreed. “But I have a request too. Before you graduate from high school, you must not return to Ping Cheng and neither can you look for your next-of-kin in Ping Cheng. Do you understand?”

  “You did all these to help Qiao Nan?” Qiao Zijin could not help but daringly voice out her guess.

  She was not allowed to come back to Ping Cheng to look for her relatives. That meant she could not meet her father or Qiao Nan.

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  The voice of the man at the other end of the phone sounded very young. If her father knew such a capable friend, would she still be expelled from the school? Since he knew about her situation, he must have contacted her school.

  This man was neither her relatives nor friends, but he must be very capable. Otherwise, the teachers in The High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China would not air their dirty linen in public and tell this man about her.

  Hence, there was only one reason why this man would make such arrangements, and that was to help Qiao Nan.

  “You don’t wish to collaborate anymore?” Zhai Sheng’s voice turned cold. He was not pleased that Qiao Zijin did not know her limitations.

  Qiao Zijin did not have a choice now.

  “I agree!” Qiao Zijin was afraid that the man would change his mind and take back the only straw that she could clutch on now. She said anxiously, “I agree. As long as you can let me continue with my studies in senior high school and take the college entrance exams, I agree to your terms. At the very least, I will not return to Ping Cheng before I graduate from senior high school. I will also not look for anyone in Ping Cheng including my family members. However, how will I know whether what you’ve said is true and that you’re not just trying to buy time?”

  Qiao Zijin grabbed the phone tightly, as if she was holding on to her last hope.

  “Someone will come and fetch you all tomorrow to settle all the administrative matters and send you to the high school that you’ll be studying at. I’ve arranged accommodation near the high school for you and even paid three months’ rent. As for the subsequent tuition fees and rental expenses, you have to settle them yourself. Remember. Once you try anything funny, then the school will immediately strike your name off the school roll. Understand?”

  “Understood……”

  When the beeping sound came from the other end of the phone, Qiao Zijin still had not regained her senses.

  She was already facing an impasse, yet another straw appeared for her to clutch on. Did this mean even heaven pitied her and gave her another path of life?

  “Zijin, the person from the other end has hung up. What happened to you? You’ve been acting silly today. Have you been studying too much?” The elder daughter of the Qiao family did not always do well in her studies, whereas the younger daughter’s results had never been poor. Even if the latter did not like to talk, she had never seen her looking so silly and distracted.

  “It’s nothing. Thank you.” Qiao Zijin took a deep breath and hung up. She then returned home at her fastest speed.

  “Zijin, do I really have to do this?” After Qiao Zijin finished her phone call, Ding Jiayi’s pale face did not seem to have returned to its normal state.

  Although Ding Jiayi went to Ping Cheng High School and created a fuss before, not many people were present back then, and she also did not need to kneel and kowtow. Today, she even had to hurt herself. Ding Jiayi had never done such things.

  All this while, although Ding Jiayi was very unreasonable, it was always other people who suffered. She had never done anything that harmed herself.

  When she heard what Qiao Zijin said, how could Ding Jiayi not feel afraid?

  Qiao Zijin took a deep breath and smiled at Ding Jiayi.

  In the past, when she saw Qiao Zijin smiling, Ding Jiayi would happily follow suit and smile. However, today, Ding Jiayi did not feel happy. On the contrary, she shivered in fear as she was afraid of what scary words would come out of Qiao Zijin’s mouth again.

  “Mom, you don’t need to do so anymore. Let’s forget it. My heart will ache if you have to hurt yourself in order to create trouble for Qiao Nan. There’s no such need. Mom, you don’t need to go to Ping Cheng High School anymore. It’s because I received a call from the school, telling me I’m expelled, that I…… I was too confused and affected. I was very saddened by it. But I’m alright now. I’ve already calmed down. Mom, please don’t be angry with me. Everything’s fine. There’s no issue now.”

  “Is it really fine? You don’t want me to go anymore?” Ding Jiayi looked at Qiao Zijin in a cautious and uneasy manner.

  Qiao Zijin smiled sweetly. “Of course it’s true.”

  “That’s great!” Ding Jiayi heaved a sigh of huge relief. She could finally relax that frozen mind of hers. “Then, Zijin, what should we do in the future? You can’t continue to study in senior high school. Don’t tell me you’re going to look for a job?”

  The corners of Qiao Zijin’s mouth turned stiff. “No, I won’t work. I’m still young and at a good age for studying. Mom, don’t worry. I’ve already thought of a way to resolve this problem. A friend will come to pick us up tomorrow and transfer me to another school. Mom, don’t worry. I will not give up no matter what difficulty I face. I will move forward. I will persist until I am successful one day.”

  “Your friend? Wang Yang!” Wang Yang was willing to pick up Zijin’s call and make arrangements for her?

  Qiao Zijin forced a smile. “It has nothing to do with Wang Yang. Mom, do you think I have studied for nothing all this while? Besides Wang Yang, I also have other friends. Wang Yang, this brother, is entirely unreliable in this matter. It’s someone else and you don’t know who they are. This matter has been blown up. Most likely, the other high schools in Ping Cheng will not accept me as well. I am most concerned they will cut short my studies even if I attend other schools once these principals get together and happen to talk about me. In that case, Mom, I can only leave Ping Cheng and go to another high school to study. Mom, you will always keep me company, right?”