As a second-year student, she would have the chance to be selected as a committee member of a club based on her performance in her first year.

  Unfortunately, there were not many such available positions in the class as well as in the club, and there were many students in the school.

  In short, there were too many boats chasing too few fish.

  Even if there were a few more vacancies, the students in the school would still have to go through many rounds of harsh competitions to secure the positions. It was the hard truth.

  As the specially privileged persons to be able to study at Peking University-one of the most excellent schools in the country-everyone hoped that they could continue to be the one and only top student in the school.

  While the freshmen in the same batch as Qiao Nan had been thinking to make use of their first year in school to perform well so that they could strive to become a committee member next year, Qiao Nan had already secured the position of the vice president. Faced with such a fierce competition and comparison, those who were ambitious to be a committee member felt as if hundreds of arrows had pierced through their bodies, aching from the pain and loss.

  As for the second-year students who were older than Qiao Nan, they no longer harbored much hope.

  Vice President Xu had already selected Qiao Nan to be the future vice president. Nobody would dare or had the ability to compete with Qiao Nan to be the next vice president of the new English club.

  As Qiao Nan’s seniors, it was upsetting to be surpassed by their juniors in the running for the next batch of committee members.

  It was devastating.

  “She was too lucky.” Tang Jiayun was jealous of Qiao Nan.

  The reason why she sucked up to Senior Zou was to become a committee member in the club. She did not harbor any hopes of becoming the vice president after Senior Zou stepped down from her position. She only wanted to be a committee member.

  She had no hopes of becoming a committee member while Qiao Nan had already secured her position as the vice president.

  \r \r \r

  Everyone had a different life. They were classmates from the same class and faculty. No one would understand the anguish and grievances that Tang Jiayun felt right now.

  Ever since school started, she had been working hard to be a committee member.

  She had yet to see the fruits of her labor while Qiao Nan was already doing well in her position as the secretary. It was unfair!

  “Do you intend to stay here to watch the event organized by the new English club? I won’t join you. The person that I support is Senior Zou. I will leave you to watch the event by yourself.” Lü Yan stomped her feet. She had no wish to watch as Qiao Nan took the limelight for the show today and outshone everyone.

  Since everyone was freshmen, it made the contrast stronger.

  In particular, Lü Yan had once thought of becoming good friends with Qiao Nan after the kept woman scandal was cleared up.

  Today, Qiao Nan was in the limelight. She would outshine others in the future.

  However, Qiao Nan was unwilling to be her good friend. Regardless of how capable or famous Qiao Nan was, she would not be able to bask in her light.

  Since this was the case, there was no need for her to stay behind to suffer and be upset as Qiao Nan was in the limelight.

  11.

  “Humph, what a revolting behavior!” Tang Jiayun did not agree with Lü Yan. Since she had been sucking up to Zou Wenxuan, Tang Jiayun knew of all the details of the established English club’s event. She had grown sick and tired of it. In fact, the event that was organized by the established English club was slightly more successful than the new English club’s.

  However, after this semester was over, Senior Zou still had to step down from the position as the vice president and someone else would take over her position. Tang Jiaxuan knew that even if Zou Wenxuan really stepped down, it was impossible for her to leave the position of the vice president to her. She had to thank her lucky stars if Zou Wenxuan was willing to help her become a committee member.

  Besides, Tang Jiayun felt that Zou Wenxuan would not help her become a committee member while she was still the vice president.

  Since Tang Jiayun knew that Zou Wenxuan would not help her, she could not be bothered to keep up with her pretenses.

  Instead of wasting her effort on Zou Wenxuan, she would rather spend more time on the new English club and to know the situation in the club.

  In the event that Qiao Nan really became the vice president of the new English club next year and Tang Jiayun joined the new English club, the latter might have a higher chance of becoming a committee member since they were classmates.

  Tang Jiayun was not foolish and she would not make herself suffer in order to maintain her pride. She understood the situation more than anyone.

  Before she knew about Qiao Nan’s background, judging from her family situation and the high school that Qiao Nan studied in, she thought that there was nothing spectacular about Qiao Nan. Therefore, she bullied her in order to set off herself.

  However, she found out later that Qiao Nan might not have the ability but she knew a lot of influential people. She was able to put aside all her prejudices of Qiao Nan and try ways to please her.

  People like her were very annoying. But no one could deny that most of the time, such people were able to do well in society as people liked pleasantries.

  Take for instance right now. Tang Jiayun used to suck up to Zou Wenxuan. However, she was able to cast her aside and work on pleasing Qiao Nan since it was more favorable to her.

  This was a gamble. In a gamble, there were bound to be wins and losses.

  The reason why Qiao Nan was a better choice than Zou Wenxuan was that after this semester, Zou Wenxuan would have to step down from her position and leave the club.

  Qiao Nan was different. Qiao Nan was a freshman. Once Xu Shengnan stepped down and passed her position to Qiao Nan, Qiao Nan would be the vice president for a few more years before she had to step down.

  Tang Jiayun only knew Qiao Nan for less than two months, but they had some contact with each other.

  Tang Jiaxuan had figured out Qiao Nan’s personality and temper in the two months: as long as other people did not provoke her, Qiao Nan would not provoke them as well.

  Lü Yan created the kept woman scandal and Qiao Nan almost ended up being cursed by other people as a slut.

  Even though Qiao Nan had the power for Lü Yan to leave the school, she did not do so. Lü Yan was able to continue to study at Peking University. Qiao Nan might not have done it out of goodwill, but Tang Jiayun could tell from this incident that Qiao Nan was not heartless or evil-natured.

  If she joined the new English club, striving to be a committee member, and as long as she did not go overboard or make use of Qiao Nan to get the position-even if she benefited from being with Qiao Nan-Qiao Nan would not be bothered with it or rid her of her position of a committee member.

  Tang Jiaxuan was thankful that she did not go overboard when she targeted Qiao Nan in the past. What she had done to Qiao Nan paled in comparison to what Lü Yan had done.

  Otherwise, it would be impossible for her to make such plans for herself now.

  983 As Expected, She Had Discerning Sense of Judgmen

  Lü Yan, who had left, was a clear example.

  Yu Xiaoxiao stared at Tang Jiayun silently. Tang Jiayun used to be arrogant and looked down on Qiao Nan. Now, gone was her arrogance. Instead, she was cautious and focused on flattering and pleasing Qiao Nan.

  Yu Xiaoxiao sighed after a long while.

  It was useless to say anything now.

  Qiao Nan might have a good temper, but it did not mean that she would be friends with people who used to bully her.

  Instead, Qiao Nan treated them with indifference.

  Tang Jiayun was brazen and shameless to fawn on Qiao Nan, but Qiao Nan treated her with nonchalance.

  Yu Xiaoxiao was reminded of her former self who was upright and honest. After she entered university, she seemed to have changed into another person. She was no longer simple and innocent.

  She made careful planning but made the wrong bet, and she ended up missing the golden opportunity.

  Looking at her former roommate who was dazzling on the stage and was already so much more successful than her, Yu Xiaoxiao felt bitter and she could not help but miss her former innocent self.

  If she was still her former self, given her temper, she would not collude with Tang Jiayun when the latter wanted to target Qiao Nan. She also would not mix with Lü Yan.

  However, it was too late to say anything now.

  Yu Xiaoxiao turned and left silently. She was not Lü Yan. She would not be able to fawn on Senior Zou even when she had made it clear that she disliked Lü Yan.

  Neither was she Tang Jiayun. The atmosphere was very stiff and embarrassing between Tang Jiayun and Qiao Nan, but she stood by Qiao Nan’s side shamelessly to bask in her light so as to achieve her goal.

  “You are merely pretending to be above material pursuits.” Tang Jiayun smirked as she watched a dejected Yu Xiaoxiao leave the scene.

  What her cousin taught her was right.

  It was not easy to survive and make a living in society. College students nowadays did not understand the harsh reality of life. They had a bad temper and were thin-skinned.

  \r \r \r

  After they joined the society, they would realize how difficult it was to earn money and that it was run of the mill to bear with other people’s temper. By then, they would regret not making use of the countless opportunities in school and being short-tempered and prideful.

  Tang Jiaxuan closed her eyes, trying to suppress her anger. She composed herself and plastered a stiff smile on her distorted face.

  She had been through a lot to study at Peking University. Her cousin lent her money to study there.

  She must succeed and graduate with excellent results. She had to find a great job and to earn lots of money.

  Only then would she be able to support herself, return the money to her cousin, and take care of her.

  After sorting out her thoughts and focusing on her goals, Tang Jiayun’s smile was not as stiff as before.

  Qiao Nan was busy on the stage and did not witness the scene. Otherwise, she would suggest Tang Jiayun join the entertainment industry in the future instead of joining the workforce.

  “The show is starting!”

  After completing the basic preparation, the new and established English clubs officially started their events for this year respectively.

  The events organized by the clubs were roughly the same. Apart from the props and backdrops, what mattered now was the performances—whether they were perfect, smooth, and engaging.

  “Wow, it makes a lot of difference to spend a lot of money on it.”

  “That’s right. It is good to have money.”

  “You are wrong. It is good to have a secretary who can get sponsors.”

  “.……”

  “In fact, the new English club is not so bad. The members are doing quite well and their English standard is quite high. Why did we not notice it in the past? We used to hear that the new English club was terrible. I thought that apart from being poor and not being able to secure the sponsors, they were simply as lousy as dung.”

  “Haha, what a bad analogy. Stop your nonsense.”

  They had no interest in boring and simple performances.

  If the club was short on money, there were a lot of restrictions on the performances that they were able to come up with.

  For other clubs, members who joined the clubs would have to pay a membership fee, contributing to the activity fund.

  However, the new English club was too poor.

  They did not have enough members and they could not get any sponsors. Even if the members paid the membership fees, they might not be able to have the money to rent the costumes for the performance. There was no need to think about other aspects.

  “Looking at this year’s performance, the new English club seems to have a change of fate.”

  “With Senior Gao and Junior Qiao around, they are bound to succeed.”

  “.……”

  The performances on stage were very interesting, and the audience was engaged in their discussions.

  At this time, many people attributed the successful performance of the new English club today to Qiao Nan and forgot about the hard work and contribution made by the performers and Xu Shengnan.

  In other circumstances, the seniors who had toiled their guts out and put in a lot of effort in the performances would have found Qiao Nan to be an eyesore.

  They were the main performers and they worked the hardest. Why was it that a freshman who entered Peking University for a month took all the credit for their success?

  However, the situation was different for the new English club.

  Without a doubt, the seniors who were in charge of the performances were uncomfortable when they heard the discussion among the audience.

  However, they would never vent their frustrations on Qiao Nan. They would not hate Qiao Nan or stack the deck against her and target her.

  On the contrary, they were relieved and glad that after putting in so much effort into the performances, they finally had the chance to perform in front of the students and gain their recognition. The seniors were very grateful to Qiao Nan.

  Everyone knew that the performances were made possible because of Qiao Nan.

  Money was not everything, but one could not do without money.

  If Qiao Nan did not secure the sponsorship for the club, giving them a chance to put up their best performances, other students would sneer at them regardless of how much they practiced.

  With this in mind, even though most of the people present credited Qiao Nan for the successful performance, the performers were not angry or upset with Qiao Nan.

  Xu Shengnan stood next to Qiao Nan. She handed a bottle of mineral water to Qiao Nan. “Qiao Nan, you are not simple.”

  As the vice chairman, Xu Shengnan was well aware of that.

  All of the members who were in their second year were not upset with Qiao Nan. Instead, they respected her and were grateful to her. Xu Shengnan let out a long sigh. True enough, she had a discerning sense of judgment. She could tell that Qiao Nan was a prodigy.

  984 Be Entrusted With a Mission at a Critical Momen

  When she stepped down from the position of the vice president and Qiao Nan took over the position, she was not the least worried that the senior members and committee members in the club would bully and create trouble for Qiao Nan since she was a newcomer.

  Qiao Nan was gulping down water while Xu Shengnan spoke to her. Moreover, the performances on the stage were very loud. She could not hear what Xu Shengnan was talking about. “Vice President Xu, I didn’t hear what you said just now.”

  “I said that you are not simple!” Xu Shengnan shouted at the top of her voice.

  Qiao Nan paused momentarily. “How am I not simple?” She made her sound as if she was very scheming.

  “You are not simple in all aspects!” Qiao Nan was on friendly terms with Senior Gao who was beyond their reach. Until now, Xu Shengnan still felt surreal. She had a feeling that everything seemed to be a dream.

  Perhaps, when she opened her eyes and woke up from her dreams, her success would turn into bubbles and disintegrate.

  Success came too sudden for them!

  Qiao Nan knitted her eyebrows. “Vice President Xu, are you praising me or digging at me?”

  Xu Shengnan felt that she had discerning eyes as she had chosen Qiao Nan. However, Qiao Nan’s impression of Xu Shengnan was that she wanted to kick her out of the new English club during their first club meeting. She was being very fierce to her!

  Thereafter, Xu Shengnan ordered her around to do all sorts of tasks. Qiao Nan felt that Xu Shengnan was a tomboy.

  At this moment, the performance went very smoothly and it was a great success. To Qiao Nan, Xu Shengnan seemed like a successful career woman.

  Qiao Nan must be on her guard against Xu Shengnan. She had high expectations and would not give praise easily.

  Could it be that among all the orders that Vice President Xu gave today, there were some tasks that she had not performed well and thus was lecturing her?

  “What a fool.” Xu Shengnan berated Qiao Nan jokingly. She was annoyed and amused at the puzzled look on Qiao Nan’s face.

  \r \r \r

  The performances on stage were amazing and wonderful. Even though Qiao Nan had never once been on the stage, everyone’s attention was on Qiao Nan, who had been working backstage today.

  If it was someone else, the person would be very arrogant and smug right now.

  What was puzzling was that as the party concerned, Qiao Nan seemed unaware of the impact and recognition today’s performance had on her. She was only focused on doing her job well.

  Qiao Nan was such a cute, capable, and yet at times, foolish junior. Xu Shengnan liked her junior very much.

  Xu Shengnan could not help but pat Qiao Nan on the head as if she was petting her cat that she raised at home. “Qiao Nan, are you really a fool? Back when you talked to Senior Gao, you were smart and sly like a fox, and Senior Gao had to obey your words. That day, I had the impression that you are the one at the top of the food chain!”

  Senior Gao was able to subdue her, while she subdued Qiao Nan, and Qiao Nan, in turn, subdued Senior Gao.

  Xu Shengnan did not know how to react to the thought of the food chain.

  Senior Gao was a tough nut to crack, but Qiao Nan managed to get him to provide sponsorship for them. However, Qiao Nan who stood before her right now seemed to be foolish and simple. She posed no threat to other people and was easily bullied by them.

  “Vice President Xu, you must not go overboard.” Qiao Nan slapped Xu Shengnan’s hands away. “I am quite small-minded.”

  “Hahaha. How small is it?” Xu Shengnan gestured with her hands. “Is it as small as a pinhole?”

  Qiao Nan curled her lips. Xu Shengnan seemed to lose her control and kept teasing her. Could it be that she had lost her wits?

  The president of the new English club witnessed the scene and revealed a rare and relaxed smile. Qiao Nan was indeed at the top of the food chain.

  Xu Shengnan might act as if she was the senior in front of Qiao Nan. However, if one thought carefully about it, everything that Xu Shengnan did today was for Qiao Nan’s sake. She did everything so that Qiao Nan would have a smooth transition when she took over the position of the vice president from her next year.

  Xu Shengnan always seemed to be eager to win. The president found it rare that she had a gentle and considerate side to her. He almost could not recognize Xu Shengnan whom he had worked with for two years. She took great care of her junior today.

  Xu Shengnan might seem strong-minded and competitive, but she was willing to do so much for Qiao Nan. Even if she had benefited from today’s performance as well, she was, in fact, subdued by Qiao Nan.

  He remembered that a year ago, Zou Wenxuan knew that Xu Shengnan was capable and wanted her to join the established English club and work for her. However, Xu Shengnan was reluctant to admit defeat or work under her. She would rather be a committee member of the new English club, which was not doing well, than join the established English club and be Zou Wenxuan’s assistant.

  And right now, not only was Xu Shengnan willing to help Qiao Nan, but she even paved the way for her to become her successor and to have a smooth transition. She removed the obstacles and created a good environment for Qiao Nan to take over.

  The president stared at Qiao Nan incredulously. He was already applying for his internship. It was true that he was the one who insisted that Qiao Nan stayed in the new English club and for her to be the secretary.

  However, it was just a random decision. He did not make any plans.

  What was so charming about Qiao Nan that a competitive and aggressive Xu Shengnan was willing to listen to her?

  Regardless, as the president of the new English club, he was very pleased with the current situation.

  At the very least, he did not let his seniors down and the new English club did not disband under him.

  Qiao Nan, his junior, had to take credit for all these!

  Everything was going well for the English club. Every senior member and committee member of the club was grateful for the change and success brought about by Qiao Nan. She had brought the new English club to new heights and taken them down a new path.

  “Qianqian, what’s wrong? Don’t give me a fright……” Just when everyone was joyous over their success, there was a small commotion among the people who were preparing for their performances backstage.

  Xu Shengnan looked solemn. All of the activities went smoothly. She would not allow anything to go wrong at this juncture. “What happened?”

  “Vice President Xu, Feng Qianqian, the performer who is up next, has fainted.”

  “She seems to be running a fever!”

  “This won’t do. She must be sent to the hospital.”

  “What about the program? It’s going to be her turn soon.”

  The performances today were going smoothly. Everyone was flustered over the incident and they looked worried.

  “Qiao Nan, you will go in her stead!”


  985 I Am Not Dong Cunrui

  “What?!” Qiao Nan, who helped support Feng Qianqian, was thinking of sending her to the sick bay or to the hospital. Instead, Xu Shengnan ordered Qiao Nan to stand in for Feng Qianqian out of the blue. Qiao Nan was totally caught off guard and was dumbstruck. “Vice President Xu, what did you say just now? I didn’t hear you clearly. A-are you kidding?”

  Crap! In order to do better than the established English club and to hold their heads high, all the performers of the new English club had practiced for a long time.

  They did not dare to relax or be lax with their rehearsals even during summer breaks.

  Her intention from the start was to be responsible for backstage and do a good job. In the end, she was entrusted with more and more responsibilities.

  Feng Qianqian had a fever and could not perform on stage. It was too much of Vice President Xu to want her to perform in her stead. “Vice President Xu, you had better find someone else. I don’t have any experience in performing, and neither have I prepared any program or have any talent. Since it is a performance, one must need music and props. I did not prepare anything. Please stop teasing me.”

  Vice President Xu seemed to have the habit of delegating every single task to her. Did she take her for a superwoman?

  “Vice President Xu.” The president’s expression darkened. Of course, his anger was not directed at Qiao Nan. He was upset that such an incident happened at this juncture.

  They had clearly……

  But for something like this to happen now, it was too frustrating.

  The president did not blame Feng Qianqian. It might be wrong of her to keep quiet that she was sick, but that was because she really wanted to participate in the event and do her best.

  She had good intentions, but what she did was wrong.

  Since she valued the event, all the more she must report any unforeseen circumstances to them.

  There were not many members in the new English club. The president and Xu Shengnan had already mobilized everyone that they possibly could during the summer break.

  \r \r \r

  Therefore, now that this happened, the new English club did not have any backup program.

  Otherwise, Xu Shengnan would not assign multiple tasks to Qiao Nan and treat her as a know-all.

  “President, vice president, Feng Qianqian is running a fever. We are done with our performances and we are not needed anymore. How about we send her to the hospital first?” Several students who were the first to perform today said anxiously.

  “Okay. There is no time to delay.” The president nodded and made way so that they could send Feng Qianqian to the hospital.

  The programs had all been arranged beforehand. Now that Feng Qianqian could not perform, there would be changes to the original timing.

  They could change the program lists. However, it would be a big problem if the number of performances and the total duration of the whole program was reduced.

  Nobody wanted to lose out to others.

  It was especially so for Xu Shengnan. She knew the total duration of the entire program of the established English club.

  Even though there were not as many members in her club, she had told her members that they must not lose out to the established English club.

  In short, since they could not compete with the established English club in terms of their props or quality of the performances, they must not lose out to them in terms of program duration.

  If they could not compete against the established English club, there was no need for the new English club to organize the event. They should admit defeat directly.

  Because of Xu Shengnan’s temper, even if they had better props and just as good performances as the established English Club today, she was unwilling to lose to them in terms of program duration.

  It was not easy for the new English club to defeat the established English club. However, Xu Shengnan wanted to put up a strong fight. She was unwilling to give up or be slipshod in her work. As long as it was within their means to put in extra effort to make it happen, she would make sure that they did it.

  Xu Shengnan pranced around like a ferocious lion with a sullen expression on her face. “Qiao Nan, I know that this will put you in a difficult position, but you do not need to be burdened. You can simply go on stage to sing a song. As for the accompaniment music…… It does not matter even if there is no accompaniment music. Do any of you over here know how to play the instrument? Can you play the accompaniment music for Qiao Nan? If not, Qiao Nan, you can sing an unaccompanied song. You are the new star in the school. It will be an added bonus to have you sing on stage. Qiao Nan, we have worked hard for so long. We must not give up at the last moment. We must persist until the end. No matter how difficult it is for you, you have to do it for the club!”

  “.……” Qiao Nan felt like weeping but had no tears. “Vice President Xu, how am I supposed to do it?”

  “Don’t be like this. Like I have said, this is an emergency. It has nothing to do with you. You are entrusted with a mission at a critical moment. Regardless of the results, you do not have to take responsibility for it. You can just go ahead to sing an unaccompanied song on the stage.” There were not enough members. Xu Shengnan had no other choice.

  Since they changed the programs at the last minute, they had no time to find accompaniment music. Everything was too rushed.

  Xu Shengnan heard that the current program on stage was half-way done. She could not help but turn teary. “The program before you is about to end. Qiao Nan, you have to do it.”

  Qiao Nan had a bitter smile on her face. How could it be easy for her to stand on the stage?

  “Senior Zou, let me tell you a piece of good news.” Even though Lü Yan was watching the performance at the established English club, she had sharp ears. She heard that there was some trouble at the new English club. “A student for one of the performances of the new English club is sick but kept quiet about it. However, she is too sick and has to be sent to the hospital. The new English club did not have any alternative program. It seems like they are in deep trouble.”

  The new English club was down on its luck. But this was definitely a piece of good news to the established English club.

  As long as the new English club did not do well, it was pointless that Qiao Nan was the secretary. Even if Qiao Nan became the vice president, she would end up like Senior Xu. It was meaningless to be in the position and she would be bullied.

  Lü Yan felt like singing and dancing to celebrate the big crisis that Qiao Nan faced.

  “Really?” Zou Wenxuan’s eyes lit up. “In the past, given Xu Shengnan’s temper, even if she did not have any alternative program or had to come up with something right away, she would make sure that the program duration was as long as ours. Take another look to see how Xu Shengnan is dealing with it.”

  Zou Wenxuan was elated that the new English club was in trouble.

  However, back then, nobody believed that the new English club would be able to secure funds, yet they managed to organize fabulous events and heat up the atmosphere.

  Zou Wenxuan had been through similar situations before. Therefore, she dared not rejoice too early. She was patient, wanting to know how Xu Shengnan was going to deal with it.

  Qiao Nan had already given a harsh blow by securing the sponsors.

  Qiao Nan should not have the capability of helping the new English club to avert the crisis and putting the club back on its feet, did she?

  [0] He was a Chinese communist soldier in the People’s Liberation Army during the Chinese Civil War.

  986 Force Someone to Put a Square Peg in a Round Hole

  Zou Wenxuan bit nervously on the straw in her cup until it was flattened.

  Like Xu Shengnan, Zou Wenxuan was the producer of the entire event and she preferred to stay quietly backstage instead of on stage.

  In this way, Zou Wenxuan did not need to worry that other people would notice that she was biting on the straw, waiting nervously for Lü Yan’s latest updates.

  “Senior Zou, there are some rumors that Vice President Xu wants Qiao Nan to take the stage and perform.” Lü Yan panted, her clothes drenched in perspiration. “Senior Zou, do you think Vice President Xu is too anxious and desperate times call for desperate measures? Qiao Nan is not prepared at all, and she hasn’t been on the stage. Could it be Vice President Xu wants Qiao Nan to go on stage and to tell a few jokes so as to extend the performance?”

  If this were the case, their methods were neither brilliant nor sincere.

  “It is Qiao Nan again?” Whatever that she feared turned out to be true. Zou Wenxuan sucked in her breath. “D-do you understand Qiao Nan?”

  What Zou Wenxuan wanted to ask was whether Qiao Nan had any talents to perform on stage. “I want to know if Qiao Nan is good at singing and dancing. Or does she have other talents?”

  Regardless, she was forced to go on stage at the last minute. The whole school knew about the program lists that were handed out long ago.

  By then, even if Qiao Nan’s performance was unsatisfactory, nobody would really blame her for being insincere or feel that the new English club did not put in efforts to organize the event.

  In Zou Wenxuan’s opinion, now that Xu Shengnan made Qiao Nan go on stage at the last minute, she could only be able to perform the few talents that she could think of just now.

  “.……” Lü Yan did not feel like answering the question.

  Zou Wenxuan was angry at Lü Yan, who grew silent. She slammed her cup on the table, making a loud sound. “You have no answers to my questions. Get out!”

  She could only relay to her whatever she heard. She was useless.

  \r \r \r

  Apart from ratting on people, Lü Yan could not provide her with any useful and significant information. Zou Wenxuan was sick and tired of Lü Yan.

  “Senior Zou, I……” Lü Yan’s eyes turned red. She had done so many things for Senior Zou. How could the senior lose her temper at her?

  Qiao Nan thought deep and considered far, and she hid her real talents. Other than her, Tang Jiayun and Yu Xiaoxiao did not know anything about her as well. How could she be blamed for it?

  “Leave!”

  “Senior Zou, I will go out first. If there’s anything, you can call for me.” Zou Wenxuan seemed to be really furious. Even though Lü Yan felt that she was wronged and innocent, she had to leave abidingly.

  She walked to the front of the stage and looked toward the area where the new English club was organizing its events. She snorted. “You won’t be smug for long.”

  She might not know what talents Qiao Nan had.

  But in her opinion, if Qiao Nan had the talents, why did she not make use of her position as the secretary of the new English club to earn a chance to perform? In that case, she could be well-known to all the teachers and students at the beginning of the school year.

  Qiao Nan could make use of her position for her personal gains, but she did not. It proved that Qiao Nan did not have any talents.

  After learning her lessons, Lü Yan had grown smarter. She knew that it was better to keep her speculations to herself, and in particular, not to tell people like Zou Wenxuan.

  It would be alright if her guesses were correct. However, if her guesses were wrong, Zou Wenxuan, whom she had to suck up to, would dislike her even more and keep a distance from her.

  Lü Yan had no other connections in the school. Up until now, no one was willing to be close to her because of the kept woman scandal.

  Lü Yan was very upset at being ostracized by the students.

  There was no way that she could be close to other freshmen in the same batch. She had given up hope on them and decided to work on pleasing her seniors.

  Perhaps, she would fare better with this new plan.

  She had offended every student in the same batch as her. Since Zou Wenxuan was the only senior who could help her, Lü Yan must not do anything to irritate her or be on bad terms with her.

  If Qiao Nan performed in Feng Qianqian’s stead and failed to put up a good performance, the new English club would flop its events like what happened in the previous years.

  In that case, Senior Zou would be elated and would treat her better. She might even take the position of Tang Jiayun to be her able assistant. By the time she was in her second year, she might become a committee member.

  Compared to being a committee member of the new English club, she would rather be a committee member of the established English club.

  There was a glitter in Lü Yan’s eyes. She stopped watching the performances put up by the established English club. Instead, she went over to watch the performances by the new English club.

  She wanted to see for herself how Qiao Nan made a fool of herself in front of everyone. If Senior Zou asked her about it, she could then describe the situation vividly to Senior Zou, pleasing her.

  Other than the people from the established English club, those who were watching the performances also heard that something had cropped up with the programs of the new English club.

  Everyone thought that the new English club would be given a new lease of life with Qiao Nan’s help. The new English club must have been down on its luck for such an incident to happen right now.

  Everyone was curious to know how the new English club was going to resolve the crisis. Would Xu Shengnan go on stage to perform and get everything under control?

  It was Feng Qianqian’s turn to go on stage to perform.

  Many people who had the new English club’s program list with them stared at Feng Qianqian’s name on the list and looked toward the empty stage. They were curious to see who would be performing.

  The sound of hurried and heavy footsteps was amplified through the microphone. The sound was piercing. Many students who were watching the show could not help but frown and cover their ears. It was too deafening.

  Qiao Nan, who wore a white T-shirt and a pair of straight long pants, appeared hurriedly on stage. A baseball cap was worn slanted on her head.

  Qiao Nan smiled at the attention that was focused on her. “Embarrassing, it’s so embarrassing. I am being forced on stage. This is dominance, oppression, and ill-treatment! I want democracy and freedom to fight for my own rights!”

  Qiao Nan raised her hands to her chest, adopting the stance of an activist.

  “Hahahaha……”

  The audience broke into a big laugh.

  Everyone knew that Qiao Nan did not go on stage voluntarily. She was being forced to put a square peg in a round hole.

  987 The ‘Cups’ Song

  However, Qiao Nan dared to speak candidly about this matter in front of so many people. She even criticized Xu Shengnan and aired her grievances. Everyone was amused.

  “This wretched Qiao Nan, let’s see how I should deal with her later!” Xu Shengnan, who was at the backstage, was both amused and angry. She rolled up her sleeves viciously. “After she said that, everyone in the school would think that I am a tigress, a slave driver!”

  Damn, this junior was ruining her reputation!

  The president covered his mouth and laughed silently.

  Tigress? Slave driver?

  Wasn’t that already the Xu Shengnan in everyone’s eyes?

  “Don’t laugh, everyone. It’s not that you don’t know how fierce Vice President Xu is. I don’t want to be up here but my voice is not as loud as hers. I also don’t have as much strength as her. I…… I can’t beat her in either an argument or a fight……” Qiao Nan sounded as if she had some difficulty swallowing. There was also a tinge of pity in her tone which everyone did not know how to describe.

  “Sigh. As an ordinary member of the club, I can’t refuse to obey Vice President Xu’s orders. I can only blame it on myself for being weaker than her in physical strength. So, my schoolmates and seniors, please do me a favor and take a look at my performance. If you think that I did not perform well, laugh. Laugh loudly. Don’t ‘boo’ at me. If you think my performance is good, applaud loudly for me. At the very least, I won’t mess up the program and event. Under the sharp claws of Vice President Xu, I have to guard my own life. Thank you for your cooperation.”

  After Qiao Nan finished her speech, the audience gave Qiao Nan face and cheered for her. There were also many people who simply applauded loudly and gave her encouragement.

  “Thank you, thank you.” At the sight of the response, Qiao Nan, who appeared very composed but was, in fact, very nervous at heart, finally felt calmer. “No matter what, I have been *** out by Vice President Xu. At this moment, I don’t have any elaborate preparations. I certainly don’t have the equipment or set up either. Since I don’t have anything, let’s focus on environment and sustainability as the two main objectives of this performance.”

  Qiao Nan took a deep breath silently. It was indeed true when she said that she was unprepared.

  Vice President Xu insisted that she sing a song. Qiao Nan had to cram at the eleventh hour and fill the time slot for the show. Singing this song was the easiest way to complete this.

  There was neither accompanying background music nor musicians. Qiao Nan would have to rely on herself.

  \r \r \r

  After prepping herself, someone moved a huge and painted piece of wooden plank onto the stage. He also placed a rather hard plastic cup on the wooden plank.

  Once the student placed the props properly, he left the stage. At the sight of this, the audience was puzzled.

  These props were so simple and crude. They really could not guess what Qiao Nan would be performing in this segment of the program.

  Could she be performing a magic show?

  Just as everyone was trying to guess in vain what Qiao Nan’s performance was, Qiao Nan put her legs together, squatted down, and sat casually on the stage. Everyone below the stage was taken aback at the sight of this.

  What tricks were Qiao Nan and the new English club up to?

  “.……” Lü Yan sneered continuously. “Make-believe? Regardless of how much show she puts on, she will still be laughed at if her performance doesn’t have any substance.” Did she think that she could control the atmosphere of the performance with that short opening speech of hers? How could Qiao Nan be so naive?

  If the quality of the show was not up to the mark, regardless of how good-looking Qiao Nan was or how highly-regarded she was in the new English club, the audience would definitely not give Qiao Nan any face. They would not hold back in their criticisms.

  Lü Yan saw that the students from the news club were all holding on to their pens, narrowing their eyes and staring at Qiao Nan, who was on the stage. Those sharp looks of them seemed to be waiting to identify and record down any minor hiccups in Qiao Nan’s performance at any moment. Lü Yan crossed her arms and laughed smugly.

  This should be considered great happiness ending in sorrow.

  Moving forward, she wanted to see whether Qiao Nan dared to be so proud like before and continue to look down on her.

  After taking a glance at the props, Qiao Nan, who was totally oblivious to Lü Yan’s thoughts, placed one of the microphones on the wooden plank. It was facing directly at the plastic cup that was on the wooden plank.

  As for the other microphone on a stand, Qiao Nan adjusted its position such that it was close to her mouth when she sat down on the stage.

  After all the preparation, Qiao Nan suddenly raised her hands. They looked so fair and translucent under the lights. She lifted the plastic cup with one hand, inverted it, and slapped it onto the wooden plank with might. At the same time, her other hand was knocking lightly on the wooden plank.

  The two hands were carrying out separate tasks. The props were very simple, and her actions were also very simple. Following that crisp and clear sound of cupping and knocks, the audience was surprised at the discovery of a lively and pleasing rhythmic tune.

  Qiao Nan came up with this tune with the simplest props. There was no accompanying music. The props were so crude and primitive that it made others feel like shedding tears for her. Expectedly, the more that was the case, the more Qiao Nan’s rhythm and music moved the audience’s hearts. It made all those who were listening could not help but feel more relax with this simple and lively tune. They began to hum softly along with it.

  Initially, the situation was a little chaotic. With Qiao Nan’s stunning move, the whole place turned quiet. There was only the sound of people gently humming.

  The quieter the audience was, the clearer they could hear the tune performed by Qiao Nan.

  “I got my ticket for the long way round.

  Two bottles of whiskey for the way. ……

  Oh, you’re gonna miss me when I’m gone.”

  Qiao Nan had not learned singing or playing any musical instruments before. She only relied on her pure passion for music and English to sing her once favorite song, ‘Cups’.

  When she sang, Qiao Nan’s voice was as crisp and pure as the music props that she was currently using.

  This kind of simple and pure performance made people feel different about the song. With the absence of all the glorious decors, there was a reversion to the most primitive beginning.

  A performance that brought one back to one’s original roots might seem crude and frivolous. Nevertheless, it could strike a chord in people’s hearts very well.

  As for the rest of the people, those who could calm down and listen to this song all had their eyes closed as they moved their bodies along with Qiao Nan’s rhythm. They were conscientiously listening to the crisp and pure voice and music that were hard to come by.

  When Qiao Nan finished the last verse of the song, she inverted the cup on the wooden plank. With a hard and swift slap of the wooden plank, she ended the entire performance.

  After she finished singing, Qiao Nan secretly covered her face behind the microphone and heaved a huge sigh of relief.

  Damn, certainly, she did not wish for another round of such an experience again.

  In her two lifetimes, this was the first time that she was standing under the spotlight and dominating the entire stage. In addition, the audience, who looked so dark and dimmed under the stage, was only staring at her.

  988 An Amazing Feat that Wowed Everyone

  Qiao Nan did not really enjoy such a novel experience. One occurrence was enough. It had better not happen again.

  If it were to happen again, she did not have anything else that she could bring out to bluff others.

  The moment Xu Shengnan forced her up the stage, when the spotlights shone on her face and pierced her eyes such that she could not open them, no one would be able to understand how blank Qiao Nan’s mind was and how lost she felt.

  Fortunately, as Qiao Nan’s twenty-over years of life experience was more than that of the people in front of her, she eventually managed this matter.

  In her previous life, under Ding Jiayi and Qiao Zijin’s oppression, Qiao Zijin did not have much personal time or hobbies.

  However, although Qiao Nan lacked social life, she still had something of her liking. In the past, when she heard the ‘Cups’ song, she felt very moved at heart. At the very least, she was rather struck by that song.

  Qiao Nan, who was already feeling very exhausted, could not accept those songs with fast rhythm or those that expressed eternal love or life and death.

  Qiao Nan had been very frugal all this while. Nevertheless, it was because of this song that for the first time in her life, she spent a sum of money to buy a cell phone that could let her listen to music.

  This was the only song that was stored in that cell phone. She had been listening to this one and only song repeatedly.

  As she had listened to this song for too many times, although Qiao Nan did not purposely learn how to sing the song, she was able to come up with the rhythm and sing it a cappella.

  Xu Shengnan insisted that she replace Feng Qianqian to perform on stage. At that instance, Qiao Nan’s mind was in whirlwind and she could not come to her senses after a long time.

  It was only when Xu Shengnan wanted her to confirm what she needed for the performance, besides the microphone, did Qiao Nan open her mouth and ask for a cup and a big piece of wooden plank before she could even think.

  After saying that, Qiao Nan finally regained her senses.

  She then realized that she wanted to perform the ‘Cups’ song.

  \r \r \r

  Xu Shengnan was the action-oriented type. In addition, the chips were down on the situation before them.

  Xu Shengnan could not care less. Once Qiao Nan opened her mouth and made her request, without a word, Xu Shengnan instructed someone to find all the things that Qiao Nan wanted.

  Qiao Nan’s requirements were too low, not high at all. Hence, the things that she requested for were easy to find.

  Before the previous performance ended, the club member had already found and brought back, one by one, what Qiao Nan had requested for.

  The club member did not spend more than one minute to find and place the items in front of Qiao Nan.

  Looking at the speed of the preparation, Qiao Nan almost cried.

  The items had already been prepared. Coupled with Vice President Xu’s attitude, regardless of whether she felt like performing, she had to. She could not push away this request anymore. She also did not have any chance to do so.

  Qiao Nan took a few deep breaths. She was secretly thinking whether she would have been able to escape from that performance had her requests been higher or more difficult.

  Unfortunately, there was no cure for regrets in this world. Qiao Nan also did not have another chance.

  No matter how Qiao Nan thought about it, she had to go ahead with the performance.

  When she recalled in a daze how she had been forced up the stage to perform the entire song, Qiao Nan broke out in a cold sweat for herself.

  When Qiao Nan stood up, she then realized that her legs felt a little numb.

  The scariest thing to Qiao Nan was why there wasn’t a single reaction from the audience, although she had already finished singing the song.

  She did not care anymore. As long as they did not jeer at her, it was fine even if there was no reaction.

  At the thought of this, Qiao Nan shuffled her slightly numb feet and came down from the stage, stumbling a little.

  Tsk, tsk, tsk. a was only reaching twenty-one years old. Why was her health so poor? She felt so numb after sitting down for just three to four minutes.

  After coming down from the stage, Qiao Nan patted Xu Shengnan’s shoulders sullenly. “Vice President Xu, I have already done my best. You have said it before. No matter the outcome, the responsibility doesn’t lie with me. Also, please don’t ask me to do such things again in the future.”

  She had obviously been forced up the stage today. It was so embarrassing.

  “No, it’s not true.” When she heard Qiao Nan’s words, Xu Shengnan regained her senses. “Just now, you…… you sang extremely well. Although I don’t study music and I don’t know what constitutes good music, I know that…… I feel that you sang really well. After listening to you, I feel very at ease. Your voice is very crisp and pure.”

  Right, crisp and pure. Very crisp and pure.

  Due to that, although she might not have sensed the charisma of music arts through Qiao Nan’s voice, she could feel a sense of spiritual cleansing in it.

  “Spiritual cleansing?” Upon hearing what Xu Shengnan had unknowingly said from her heart, Qiao Nan immediately laughed out loud. “Vice President Xu, even if you wish to encourage me, there has to be a limit. Do you take me for a washing detergent?” There were no boundaries in the exaggeration.

  Xu Shengnan’s face turned red for a while. “It certainly sounds a little exaggerating, but I really feel that way. Qiao Nan, don’t belittle yourself. You really sang very well just now. If you don’t believe me, see for yourself.”

  Xu Shengnan pushed Qiao Nan and asked her to look at the situation outside.

  True enough, the audience, who were extremely silent earlier, had started to applaud loudly now. Obviously, the affirmation level for Qiao Nan’s performance of this song was very high.

  Feng Qianqian of the new English club could not perform as she was unwell and sent to the hospital. Qiao Nan had been asked to fill her place at the eleventh hour. Everyone was aware of this situation.

  When they saw that Qiao Nan only had a piece of wood plank and a plastic cup as props for her performance, everyone felt that Qiao Nan was too pitiful.

  In the past, everyone was used to the new English club using such cheap props during their events.

  However, this year, Qiao Nan clearly had secured a substantial sponsorship for the new English club. On the contrary, Qiao Nan, this last-minute substitute, used the least resources. Was the new English club completely giving up on this segment of the program?

  It was only when they saw that Qiao Nan could create such a touching tune with the crude and ludicrous props, and when they heard the voice that was as crisp and clear as the mountain streams that everyone was taken back.

  So, one could really perform with just a big piece of wooden plank and a plastic cup!

  The most amazing thing was that the quality of the performance was actually quite good despite the two props that were easily attainable. That was completely different then.

  Everyone knew that Feng Qianqian, the original performer, was sent to the hospital as she was having a fever and the school’s sick bay could not attend to her situation.

  Otherwise, as Qiao Nan’s last-minute substitute performance did not fare worse than the rest of the performances that were prepared since a few months ago, they almost suspected if all these were deliberately arranged by the new English club to create a publicity stunt.

  989 Could No Longer Compete and Win

  “What’s the matter? Aren’t you going to report the latest situation to Senior Zou?” Tang Jiayun put down her hands, which had turned red due to her applause, and looked coldly at Lü Yan. The latter had been waiting to watch Qiao Nan embarrass herself. “Qiao Nan has already finished her performance. If you don’t go now, you should worry that someone will take over your job.”

  Sigh, it was no wonder that Lü Yan was wholeheartedly looking forward to Qiao Nan embarrassing herself.

  When Tang Jiayun saw that Qiao Nan only had a piece of wooden plank and a cup as props, she nearly doubted if her recent decision had been wrong, whether she had placed the wrong bets again.

  Fortunately, she had placed the correct bets this time.

  She had finally won this round. Of course, Tang Jiayun felt happy.

  When she looked at Lü Yan, who had placed the wrong bets and lost again without a choice, Tang Jiayun felt even more pleased. “Why do you have to pretend to be a boss even though you don’t have the brains? When you have a chance next time, learn more from Yu Xiaoxiao. It’s not a good thing for someone who is not capable to be so ambitious.”

  “You……” Lü Yan gritted her teeth. “The one who has the last laugh will be the victor. Don’t you think that you are feeling smug too soon?”

  She only sang a song with a piece of wooden plank and a cup. She did not even think that this kind of shabby performance was shameful. Only a group of fools would like such a disrespectful performance by Qiao Nan.

  “At the very least, I manage to find pleasure in this performance. No one knows what will happen for sure in the future. I have already worked hard to find a way. What do you have? I don’t deny that the one who has the last laugh will be the victor. However, I just wish to say that you may not be the one that has the last laugh.”

  Lü Yan was too lost in her self-confidence. She even dared to openly boast to her. Lü Yan was foolish beyond hopes.

  “Alright, I can’t be bothered with you. You can go wherever you think is cool. Senior did not feel positive toward both of us. If you don’t fulfill your tasks quickly, many people will be able to squeeze you away from her side.”

  Vice President Xu’s behavior today had already given the first-year and second-year students a reminder.

  The seniors who would be handing over the club duties to the next batch of committee members must have already started to identify possible candidates and nurture talents.

  It would be better for this kind of matter to be done sooner than later.

  \r \r \r

  If Lü Yan really had plans, she should understand that her priority task on hand was not to find opportunities to see Qiao Nan embarrass herself but to spend more time to plan for herself and put in more effort.

  Lü Yan pursed her lips. “Are you so kind as to remind me? What is your motive?”

  “You guess?” Tang Jiayun laughed viciously. Kindhearted?

  How could she be so kindhearted?

  Lü Yan was not Qiao Nan. Although Lü Yan normally did not utter a sound, she was very vicious at heart. She was indeed reflective of the saying of ‘a barking dog never bites’.

  No one would provoke Lü Yan. However, when her personal interests were at stake, Lü Yan would quietly run out and take the initiative to bite the other party, not to mention that Tang Jiayun had schemed against Lü Yan before.

  She was willing to ‘remind’ Lü Yan because she knew that no matter how hard Lü Yan tried, Senior Zou would not bother about Lü Yan.

  Lü Yan could work very hard but her efforts would all be in vain.

  At the thought of this, Tang Jiayun felt extremely happy.

  Of course, Lü Yan could not figure out Tang Jiayun’s mind. However, Tang Jiayun said something that was right. She had to follow Senior Zou closer by the side.

  Otherwise, someone else, and not her, would be standing beside Senior Zou and talking to the latter tomorrow.

  Lü Yan’s face turned black. She could no longer bother about Qiao Nan’s situation. She ran in Zou Wenxuan’s direction lest someone else snatch away her job and cause her to lose her usefulness.

  Furthermore, Qiao Nan’s performance had ended. There was no longer any ‘good show’ for Lü Yan to watch. Even if Tang Jiayun did not say anything, Lü Yan would not dawdle any longer either. Moreover, at this moment, many people were discussing Qiao Nan’s earlier performance. They felt that it was truly not bad and did not fare any less than the programs that had been prepared by others for a few months beforehand.

  If they had given Qiao Nan enough time, perhaps Qiao Nan would become the most outstanding one in the new English club’s event today.

  Nevertheless, although she was not the most outstanding one now, she was the most spectacular one. It was a performance that one could hardly ignore or forget.

  When Lü Yan ran to Zou Wenxuan’s side, she discovered that Zou Wenxuan was extremely quiet. “Senior Zou?”

  “You’re back?” Zou Wenxuan seemed a little gloomy. “That’s right. You should be back. Here’s some money. Help me buy a packet of cigarettes.”

  “Senior Zou, do you smoke?” It did not seem so. In the past, she had never smelled any cigarette odor on Senior Zou.

  “I don’t.” Zou Wenxuan gave a long sigh. “However, I have a strong urge to smoke today. Hurry up. If you don’t wish to run the errand, I will look for someone else.” It was just the task of buying a packet of cigarettes. Anyone could make the trip. It was not as if she had to ask Lü Yan to do so. It was just a coincidence that Lü Yan appeared when she wanted to smoke and find someone to buy cigarettes.

  “Senior Zou, rest assured. I can run very fast. I will buy the cigarettes back for you immediately.” Lü Yan was shocked. She used her fastest speed to buy the cigarettes and lighter and brought them before Zou Wenxuan.

  Without a word, Zou Wenxuan lit a cigarette and took a deep smoke.

  It was true that she did not smoke previously. She was not used to it and choked immediately. “Cough, cough, cough……”

  “Senior Zou, do you want some water?” Senior Zou really did not know how to smoke. Why did she insist on smoking then? Wasn’t she looking to suffer?

  Zou Wenxuan patted Lü Yan’s hands away. She took over the cup of water and gulped down a mouthful. “No issue. I’ll be fine after a few more smokes.”

  Having said that, true enough, Zou Wenxuan faced the cigarette and took another deep smoke. Unlike her first time, she did not choke that badly. “There’s nothing much to do now. You can go back.”

  Although the events of the two English clubs had not ended and there were a few more programs to go before they did, Zou Wenxuan no longer wished to care about all these.

  Qiao Nan had been pushed up the stage at the eleventh hour. However, the outcome of her performance was not any worse than those of her own club. At the thought of this, Zou Wenxuan really did not feel confident about this round of events anymore.

  Feng Qianqian hid her illness from others and wanted to perform despite being unwell. However, she ultimately succumbed to her illness, fainted, and was sent to the hospital. When Zou Wenxuan heard this, she had thought that heaven was on her side.

  There were few members in the new English club. Anyone who could perform for them had already done so. Hence, they did not even have any relief performers.

  Otherwise, Feng Qianqian would not have ignored her own health and insisted to perform despite being unwell.

  Once Feng Qianqian left, the time slot for her performance would become empty.

  This should have been a major disaster for the new English club. However, under one person, Qiao Nan’s best effort to save the dying situation, the performance had become the highlight of the new English club’s events.

  Yes, the highlight.

  The new English club was no longer poor. However, Qiao Nan used such a ‘cheap’ performance and improved the reputation of the new English club in the school.

  990 I Am Already Engaged

  Xu Shengnan was so lucky to have met Qiao Nan this year and accepted the latter to become a member of the new English club.

  At the thought of this, Zou Wenxuan smoked deeply again. She had simply finished smoking the first cigarette of her lifetime.

  When the cigarette butt was burning, Zou Wenxuan’s hand was scorched for a moment.

  Zou Wenxuan snuffed out the fire. It was impossible for more hiccups to occur for the new English club.

  In that case, the events of the old English club would certainly not fare better than that of the new English club. Fortunately, the gap in performance was not that huge.

  After throwing the stuffed out cigarette into the trash can, Zou Wenxuan was very upset, thinking, ‘From now onward, the new English club is really going to turn the tides and become on par with the old English club.’

  “Damn, to hell with it.”

  Although she was rational, Zou Wenxuan could not come to terms with it. She lost her temper and even kicked and overturned the trash can.

  When Zou Wenxuan finished venting her frustration silently, she tidied up her clothes, combed her slightly tousled hair, and rinsed her mouth with water. After confirming that the cigarette smell in her mouth was not as obvious, Zou Wenxuan then gracefully appeared before others and continued to focus on the remaining programs of her club.

  So what if she had lost?

  Xu Shengnan had lost to her twice but she had only lost to Xu Shengnan once. Moreover, her loss this time did not have much to do with Xu Shengnan. It was because of Qiao Nan.

  She was still young and had only lost once. Xu Shengnan was also able to endure two losses. She was able to overcome just one loss.

  “It has been tough on everyone today. You have worked hard.” When the events of the new English club ended well, Xu Shengnan was overjoyed. “Everyone has worked hard together for so long. Why don’t I be the host and treat everyone to supper today?”

  “Thank you, Vice President Xu.”

  “Vice President Xu is so generous!”

  \r \r \r

  Xu Shengnan was not the only one who was happy. Some of the new English club members who had never given up and the long-time club members who had persisted until today felt even happier.

  Even if Xu Shengnan did not treat them to supper, they also wished to go for a feast today to reward themselves and celebrate.

  They did not need to pay out of their own pocket now as someone else was going to treat them. Of course, everyone was elated.

  “Hahaha, it’s seldom that everyone feels so happy. It’s a must.” Xu Shengnan looked bright and cheery. She had to treat so many people to supper. It was destined that Xu Shengnan had to spend a bomb today. Nevertheless, her happiness was not something that money could buy.

  Qiao Nan yawned as she patted on her swollen and tired shoulders. “Vice President Xu, it’s late. Also, I don’t live in school, so I have to go home now. All of you should enjoy the supper. I’m not going.”

  It was already so late. Qiao Nan had no wish for supper. She was afraid that she would be too full and have a sleepless night.

  Most importantly, she had been forced up the stage to perform today. Until now, Qiao Nan still felt a little unsettled at heart. She only wanted to go home, bathe, and sleep comfortably to replenish her energy so that she could continue with her studies tomorrow.

  In short, she was not interested in having supper. What she needed most was the ‘nerve-calming tea’.

  “Please don’t. I will find someone to send you home after supper. See, we have so many people in the club. Which one of you is going to send Qiao Nan back to her house later?” Xu Shengnan was pleased. She raised her eyebrow as she hinted with a look toward the male club members.

  One did not allow benefits created by one’s own work to accrue to others.

  Qiao Nan was a good lady. She was smart and pretty. Both her character and temper were not bad.

  It was hard to find such a good lady. If the male members in her club were interested, they had to express themselves sooner lest ‘outsiders’ become a step ahead of them.

  Having been hinted at by Xu Shengnan, the male seniors of Qiao Nan in the club were quite tempted.

  Although the school term had just commenced for a month, most had already done a round of assessment on the looks of each college freshman.

  Qiao Nan was good-looking. She was the fresh-faced and sweet-looking type. She was not high-profile but no one could ignore her as well.

  The beauty and charisma that she exuded were not stifling. It was very gentle and it made people feel extremely comfortable.

  Very few men would not like or not be tempted by a lady with such a temper and charisma.

  Within a short time span of one month, although Qiao Nan had not taken over the role of the school belle, she had already been labeled as the faculty belle.

  In such a short time, Qiao Nan had already pushed Zou Wenxuan down and taken over the position of the faculty belle. She was also a capable one.

  They already had good feelings toward Qiao Nan. In addition, Qiao Nan was the belle of the foreign language faculty and she gave such an outstanding performance today. Only a fool would not take a liking to Qiao Nan.

  One could say that Qiao Nan was a little dim-witted. Nevertheless, sometimes, Qiao Nan was quite agile in such matters.

  Just as Xu Shengnan had just spoken, a few seniors in the club, especially the male ones, had already turned red in the face. As for the female seniors, they looked slightly unhappy. At the sight of this, Qiao Nan blinked. She stretched out her hands, pulling out the engagement ring that she had been wearing as a necklace. “Vice President Xu, look at this ring. Is it beautiful?”

  “.……” Xu Shengnan raised her eyebrows, looking a little puzzled. “Since this is a ring, why don’t you wear it on your finger? You’re wearing it as a pendant of a necklace. It looks good. There are also engravings on it?”

  “Of course, this is a gift from my fiancé.” Qiao Nan immediately expressed that she already belonged to someone else. College romance did not have anything to do with her. She was not prepared to be involved.

  Xu Shengnan was taken back. “F-fiancé? Do girls from where you came from usually address their boyfriend as ‘fiancé’?”

  “He’s not my boyfriend. He’s my fiancé. We are already engaged. This is the engagement ring that he gave me.” Qiao Nan clarified.

  Xu Shengnan flung her head. “It’s not strange for your beau to give you this. However, Qiao Nan, you have to know. Engagement is not something that is finalized when both of you have spoken about and agreed on this.”

  Damn, Qiao Nan had a man!!

  At the thought that she did not even have a boyfriend and had never held anyone’s hands or kissed anyone before despite being in her third year in college, Xu Shengnan felt that she had been shortchanged. She seemed to be outdated.

  It was good that Xu Shengnan was willing to ask. Qiao Nan was only afraid that Xu Shengnan was not willing to clarify. “Of course, the engagement between my fiancé and me has been agreed upon by our respective families.”

  Qiao Nan was embarrassed to say that the ‘old man’ in the photo of the kept woman scandal was not the man that kept her as a woman but her future father-in-law.

  The reason she boarded her future father-in-law’s car was that she was going to take care of her future mother-in-law, who was having a cold and fever at that time.

  Xu Shengnan was instantly dumbfounded. “What kind of practice is this in your hometown? How could youngsters settle their lifetime happiness at such a young age? What if you meet someone that you like more in the future? What will happen then?”

  According to Qiao Nan’s words, she was already engaged before she entered college, no?

  It was obviously puppy love!

  After confirming that the looks on the senior’s eyes were not as enthusiastic anymore, Qiao Nan then tucked the ring back into her clothes. “There is no ‘what if’. The one in my family is very outstanding and wonderful. It is impossible to find anyone who is more outstanding than him in this world. I only love him. The irresponsible ‘what if’—only those unfaithful and frivolous people will find such excuses for themselves.”


  991 Public Display of Affection

  Was there anyone else who would be better than Brother Zhai in this world?

  She did not believe so.

  There was a saying that humans were, in fact, not afraid of losing something. They were only afraid that they could not find anything better thereafter.

  If the best thing in the world already belonged to her, why would there be a ‘what if’?

  The few male seniors who had just made up their mind to woo Qiao Nan had fallen out of love before they could even strike. Before they could experience the first feelings of being out of love, Qiao Nan had ‘force-fed’ them with so much public display of affection that they almost died of choking.

  What an outstanding girlfriend who was so faithful to her boyfriend. In her eyes, her boyfriend was the best Prince Charming in the world. They wished to have such a girlfriend too.

  When Qiao Nan was still a high school student, he had forcefully plucked away this small and tender flower. No matter what, that man was shameless!!

  Xu Shengnan was also stunned by the public display of affection. “You…… Well, as long as you’re happy.”

  “Vice President Xu, take your time to have your supper then. I will make my way home first.” It seemed that Tang Jiayun was not that much of a big-mouth. Of course, it was also possible that there were too many students in Peking University and Tang Jiayun’s publicizing skills were limited. That was why this kind of embarrassing situation today would occur.

  “Does the one in your family keep a very tight rein on you?” Xu Shengnan asked as this suddenly came to her mind.

  Everyone was youngsters. At this young age, Qiao Nan’s temperament could not be clear-minded to this extent.

  The only explanation was that Qiao Nan’s fiancé kept a very strict rein on Qiao Nan. He disliked Qiao Nan for being too close to other people, especially other men. “Qiao Nan, you have to remember. You can’t pamper a man. In particular, when a man makes unreasonable requests, you have to decline him in a very serious manner. Otherwise, you will suffer a lot in the future!”

  The outcome of a woman’s good temper was that she would spoil her man rotten. He would become as pampered as a big boss. This would downgrade the woman’s status to that of a nanny.

  As she was aware that Xu Shengnan had her interests at heart, Qiao Nan did not blame Xu Shengnan for what she said. “Vice President Xu, you have misunderstood. Nevertheless, it is normal for men to be a little petty and jealous. It’s normal. I am not joining the celebration party because I never have the habit of having supper. I’m afraid that I will feel too full and uncomfortable. Moreover, I really feel a little tired recently.”

  \r \r \r

  She was a new member of the new English club. However, her responsibilities were not any less than others.

  Compared to most of the freshmen, Qiao Nan was the busiest one.

  In the past, when she was in junior and senior high school, Qiao Nan had not come into contact with such matters. She had not worked so hard before. This was the first time. Hence, Qiao Nan’s fatigue was certainly more than that of Xu Shengnan and the rest.

  “Alright.” She could tell that Qiao Nan really did not wish to go. It was also obvious that she looked tired. Xu Shengnan did not continue to make things difficult for Qiao Nan then. “Why don’t I send you back first? You all can order the food first. I will come back soon.”

  It was quite late now. Xu Shengnan was a little worried letting Qiao Nan go home alone.

  “No need, Vice President Xu. Go ahead and have fun with them. It is quite bustling along the way to my home. It is quite safe.” Her master’s house wasn’t located in those bad areas with complex characters.

  The location was too good. That was why Qiao Nan did not want Xu Shengnan to send her home. She was afraid that she would not be able to explain thereafter.

  Although there were no rumors, Qiao Nan could guess that some people had misunderstood that she had been staying at a place provided by Shi Qing, that she was enjoying free lodging and food.

  Of course, the first few people who would have such a misunderstanding were the three former dormitory mates of Qiao Nan.

  Qiao Nan did not have any relatives or good friends in the capital. Shi Qing had the Feng family as relatives and they were officials and businessmen. In the eyes of a normal person, she was the one who basked in Shi Qing’s glory, and in no way would Shi Qing benefit from her.

  “Okay then.” Xu Shengnan was not overly courteous with Qiao Nan either. After knowing Qiao Nan for some time, Xu Shengnan knew that Qiao Nan was not the type of person who liked to put on a strong front for the sake of face. “Alright. When you have arrived home, remember to send me a text message.”

  Since Qiao Nan picked up the Feng family’s call in front of Xu Shengnan and Zou Wenxuan, regardless of Xu Shengnan or Zou Wenxuan, both requested for her contact number immediately.

  “Okay, Vice President Xu.” Qiao Nan nodded. She left the school together with the members of the new English club.

  The others were running toward supper while Qiao Nan was heading back home.

  It was ‘fated’ that the two batches of people were heading in the same initial direction.

  Xu Shengnan blinked in disbelief. “Qiao Nan, you…… you stay in that area?”

  “.……” Qiao Nan felt her teeth hurt a little. Could she not admit it?

  Qiao Nan did not open her mouth to admit, but neither did she deny it. That meant that she had quietly admitted it.

  Xu Shengnan let out a breath of cold air. “Qiao Nan, don’t tell me that you are an outstanding beauty with looks, money, and background!” That line of houses—could any Tom, Dick, or Harry live in one of them?

  Not to mention Xu Shengnan, all of the club members were shocked. The gentle and nice junior standing before them had such a strong family background.

  Qiao Nan smiled wryly. “Vice President Xu, you are overthinking. I’m not an outstanding beauty with looks, money, and background. I’m just a poor suspender. What kind of place is the capital? The property prices are shockingly expensive. That house doesn’t belong to me. It belongs to my master. He doesn’t stay in the capital. After knowing that I became a student of Peking University, he passed the house keys to me, lending it to me for four years.”

  At this time, although the property prices in the capital were not that ridiculous yet, it was still much pricier than the other places in general.

  She did not even have a place that belonged to her in Ping Cheng. Wrong, she had one. However, she did not earn it herself. That was a gift.

  In short, she could not even afford a house in Ping Cheng. How could she yearn to have a place of her own at a place like this?

  If she really had so many houses, she could become an outstanding lady with looks, money, and background.

  “.……” Qiao Nan’s explanation did not alleviate Xu Shengnan’s concern. Instead, it aggravated them further. “Where did your master come from? Is the other party a male or female? How old are they?”

  As Xu Shengnan listened, her thoughts went astray.

  This person even had an unoccupied house in the capital. He must be the wealthier of the wealthy ones.

  Qiao Nan tugged the corners of her lips. “Vice President Xu, you are overthinking. If you see my master in the future, don’t say this kind of thing. My master is very old and he has become pettier.” Master was master. Could Vice President Xu be mixing up master with ‘sugar daddy’?

  Xu Shengnan laughed in embarrassment. “Don’t mind me. I’m just afraid that you are too young. You have to remember. Society is very complex. You don’t have such thoughts but that doesn’t mean that others don’t. Does your fiancé know that you are staying in the house of your master?”

  Master?

  He had let someone who was unrelated by blood stay in his unoccupied house. Damn, he was better than a biological father.

  Qiao Nan refuted Xu Shengnan. “My master is quite capable. There are many people who wish to acknowledge him as their master. As you can imagine, my master is quite classy.”


  992 You Can Join the Party

  “Without my fiancé, how would a small fly like me get to know that kind of classy character like my master?”

  Brother Zhai was aware. Without Brother Zhai, how could she possibly have a master?

  “Oh…… I feel more assured then.” Xu Shengnan heaved a sigh of relief. She was afraid that her junior was too young and did not know that people nowadays were not as honest as they used to be. She was fearful that she would be cheated by others.

  Although Xu Shengnan was aware that the kept woman scandal previously was completely untrue, she had to take precautions for some matters.

  She could tell that Qiao Nan, her junior, was a very abiding person who was not very ambitious.

  Clearly, her junior could take the opportunity of this event to gather power in the club. The problem was that the party concerned completely did not harbor such a wish or intention.

  If she had not forced Qiao Nan to work and pull her along to familiarize herself with various events and its contents, Qiao Nan would have been happier to stay by the side and slack.

  This was such a simple and unambitious person. Xu Shengnan felt that it was unnecessary for Qiao Nan to come into contact with high-status individuals. She could lead a simple and honest life on her own. Someone who was easily contented would definitely be much happier than the average person.

  At the thought of this, Xu Shengnan felt very sullen. Was she treating Qiao Nan as her own daughter? She was worried about so many things and even wanted to help her take precautions.

  “Sure, quickly go home. See you at school tomorrow.”

  “Okay. Goodbye, everyone.” Qiao Nan sensibly waved goodbye to everyone. She then walked toward her own home, leaving behind a group of seniors who were stunned.

  At that moment, someone said softly, “Is there any more of such masters around? I don’t need a dozen. Give me half a dozen. That will do.”

  Xu Shengnan turned back and rolled her eyes. “You are thinking too much. It’s faster if you dream of such matters.” Damn, it had gone haywire. Initially, she wanted to ask Qiao Nan the name of the English song that the latter sang on stage today and who was the original singer.

  \r \r \r

  Forget it. She could ask about it tomorrow.

  After Qiao Nan arrived home, she quickly did a combat bath.

  She had been forced up the stage to perform today. As there was not enough time, sadly, Xu Shengnan had forced some makeup on Qiao Nan before she went on stage.

  This was because one’s features, without makeup, would look unflattering under the strong spotlights.

  Qiao Nan had been arranged to perform at the last minute. Xu Shengnan did not have any expectations on the quality of the performance. However, Xu Shengnan also said that they would do their best on the things within their control. They would not slack and would do everything to the best of their ability.

  Qiao Nan, who had not done any makeup in two lifetimes, had her first makeup done in such a chaotic manner. She did not feel that it was a beautiful experience.

  As such, Qiao Nan, who was not used to having so many things applied on her face, had been tolerating for a long time. When the show ended, she had already dabbed the tissue paper with water and continuously rubbed the makeup off her face. However, she still did not feel comfortable.

  Qiao Nan could not care if it would hurt her skin. She simply used the sulfur soap to wash her face.

  It was only when she confirmed that her face felt fresh and comfortable that she felt more at ease.

  After she finished bathing and washing her face, her skin felt dry. She took out a big bottle of moisturizer. She did not mind the trouble as she started applying the cream, starting from her face to her legs.

  After finishing all these, Qiao Nan yawned and lay on the bed. She fell asleep soundly thereafter.

  The next day, when Qiao Nan was carrying her schoolbag and running to her classroom, she felt some schoolmates whom she did not know smiling at her from time to time. The smiles made Qiao Nan have goose bumps all over.

  The good thing was that Qiao Nan was quite big-hearted. Since people were willing to look at her, she would let them do so. She would not lose a piece of flesh anyway. It would not affect her much.

  Putting aside this matter, Qiao Nan followed her usual routine and returned to her previous life. She continued to focus on three areas.

  Initially, after the event of the new English club had ended, Qiao Nan simply cast this matter aside and ignored it. However, very soon, Qiao Nan began to understand that after she became the secretary of the new English club, she benefited more than she could imagine. It was not as if she could wash her hands off everything after the event had ended and after she had done her part.

  “The club has given me this place?” When she received the news, Qiao Nan was quite surprised. She had thought that she would be eligible for this only when she was in her second year and had made some achievements.

  As a student, Qiao Nan was very clear about a certain process. One would join the communist youth league in junior high school and the party in college.

  When she was in junior high school, Qiao Nan’s results were good and she was also a class committee member. As such, she was the first batch of students to join the league. However, when she attended Peking University that was filled with talents, Qiao Nan did not think much about this. She intended to do well for a couple of semesters before she would look for a chance to join the party.

  Unexpectedly, Qiao Nan was given the opportunity when she was in her first year of college studies.

  “Right, it has been given to you.” Xu Shengnan smiled. “Of course, it is also your luck. It is a situation of reciprocity and mutual benefit. We have very few club members. If we did not secure sponsorships and receive the school’s approval to take in a group of new members, you would be the only new member in the club. Also, everyone can see your contribution to this round of events. In addition, the other members just joined us. As such, you can say that I am giving this place to you. You can also say that no one is qualified to compete with you for this place.”

  “Woo……” Qiao Nan was overjoyed. Her efforts were not wasted. She had been associated with this good matter.

  To Qiao Nan, who preferred soldier attire to feminine one, besides her liking for soldiers, she was also passionate about joining the party.

  In her previous life, Qiao Nan did not graduate from high school. She was only a league member until her death. She did not even have a chance to become a party member.

  The other passion that she had in her two lifetimes had been gifted to her at no cost by Xu Shengnan today, so how could Qiao Nan not feel elated? “When are the classes starting?” This was only the first year of her college studies and she could already join the class. She would then write to apply to join the party thereafter.

  Hahaha, perhaps she could become a party member before she graduated.

  “There is no hurry in this. If there are really classes starting, the school will notify everyone together. You just have to keep a lookout during normal times.” Qiao Nan was not affected by many things. Even at the major event yesterday, Qiao Nan was so nonchalant that she did not even have the self-awareness of a famous personality in the school. At the sight of Qiao Nan being so emotional and elated, Xu Shengnan felt that it was hard to come by. “You’re so happy? You really wish to join the party?”

  “Happy!” Qiao Nan nodded with might. “I wish to join the party very much!”

  Xu Shengnan felt that this was getting interesting. “Why do you wish to join the party?”

  She was aware that people from the 1950s and 1960s wished to join the party very much. They especially respected Chairman Mao. However, people of Qiao Nan’s age were not so enthusiastic about joining the party. This was rare.

  “When my dad was young, he was a soldier. My grandpa carried guns and went to the battlefield to fight with the Japanese before.” Qiao Nan’s eyes were shimmering brightly. Although she had never seen her own grandfather before, her father would often carry her and tell her stories of her grandfather when the latter was alive.

  993 Flesh Only Grew on One Area

  She heard that her grandfather told the stories to her father, and her father told her.

  Of course, as Qiao Dongliang’s daughter, Qiao Zijin also heard about the stories that Qiao Nan had heard of.

  The difference was that Qiao Nan had listened to Qiao Dongliang’s words and took them to heart. On the contrary, Qiao Zijin’s character resembled more of that of Ding Jiayi. She was very realistic.

  Xu Shengnan was very shocked. “The situation of your family…… can it be considered having a very long history?” Her grandfather had fought with the Japanese before. He could be considered one of the heroes of the war then. “Qiao Nan, are you considered as the offspring of veteran revolutionaries? Actually, you are a rich and wealthy woman with a good family background, right?”

  “Vice President Xu, you have been thinking too much. It’s not that complicated. There are a lot of people from my grandfather’s generation who had been to the battlefield and fought with the Japanese.”

  Offspring of veteran revolutionaries?

  She was considered as one.

  However, there were also differences among the offspring of veteran revolutionaries.

  In her previous life, she was the offspring of veteran revolutionaries, and so was Brother Zhai. Hence, they lived in the same quad. She then had the opportunity to become Brother Zhai’s neighbor.

  However, the relationship between the offspring of veteran revolutionaries was only as such.

  Sometimes, Qiao Nan would think back. If she had not been cornered to her edge, escaped from her house, coincidentally bumped into Zhai Sheng whereby he brought her home and fed her some fever medicine that day, would she and Zhai Sheng be like her previous life? In her previous life, when she was almost forty years old, she barely heard of Zhai Sheng’s news. Naturally, they did not even see each other.

  At the thought of this, unknowingly, Qiao Nan felt guilty in her heart.

  Given Brother Zhai’s status and family background, it was impossible for him to be like her, unmarried when he was already old and still childless.

  In this lifetime, she made a sudden appearance. She was not only engaged with Brother Zhai but also going to collect their marriage certificate next year. Would she have snatched away the happy life that originally belonged to another woman?

  \r \r \r

  If Brother Zhai actually loved that woman more than her, the only thing was that that woman had not appeared.

  When that woman appeared but she and Brother Zhai were already married, would Brother Zhai feel that that woman was whom he truly loved? Would she then become his responsibility?

  Qiao Nan’s heart ached and she felt jealous at the thought of it.

  She certainly believed that Zhai Sheng would not be like other scum, who would dump their wife and children and focus on chasing romance, when they discovered after getting married that their soulmate was, in fact, someone else and not their wife.

  The problem was that when that woman really appeared, would she be able to accept a man that did not love her and whose heart was not with her anymore?

  Qiao Nan was never a hard-hearted woman. On the contrary, she had a very soft heart. It was not any harder than a ball of flour.

  At the thought that her current happiness was the result of her possibly taking away an innocent woman’s happiness, she did not feel at ease no matter how she thought about it.

  If she had known that such a day would come, she should have been more concerned about the rest of the people of her age in the quad in her previous life.

  In that case, she would be able to know whom Brother Zhai had married in her previous life and whether the couple’s marriage life was happy, blissful.

  “Qiao Nan, what are you thinking about? I have been talking to you for so long but you don’t have any reaction.” Xu Shengnan gave Qiao Nan a push. “You don’t seem to look well. Are you feeling unwell?”

  Just a while ago, Qiao Nan was overjoyed when she told her that she could join the party. Why was it that in the blink of an eye, that pinkish face of Qiao Nan had immediately turned as white as a sheet?

  “I’m fine. Perhaps I have been too busy. I have a weak body constitution since I was a child. I have been malnourished before when I was young. I only started to nourish my health in the recent few years. Recently, my life has been very dynamic. I’ve not experienced this before. I am probably a little not used to it.”

  Qiao Nan was not lying. She had been standing on one’s heels because of the club events.

  Besides Xu Shengnan, Qiao Nan was the other one who had been the busiest in the club.

  Xu Shengnan had two years of experience but Qiao Nan was a complete newbie.

  “Your health was so poor when you were young? No wonder you’re so skinny. I really suspect if the typhoon will simply blow you away one day.” Xu Shengnan had a look of concern on her face.

  As women, one would hope that they could be slimmer. The problem was that Qiao Nan was a little too thin. “Do you only have bones and no meat on your body?”

  Qiao Nan slapped away the hands that Xu Shengnan placed on her body and even started to move toward her breast. “Vice President Xu, you don’t have to worry. No matter whether I have more meat or bones, it’s fine as long as the one in my family likes it.”

  After saying that, Qiao Nan’s face turned red.

  It was Brother Zhai’s fault for leading her astray previously. Now, she actually said something like that in front of Vice President Xu.

  Xu Shengnan was first stunned, and then she laughed out loud. “Right, right, right. Whether you have more bones or meat on your body, I’m not the one hugging you to sleep in the future. It’ll be fine as long as the one in your family likes it. Judging from your reaction, he seems to be quite satisfied with your figure. That’s right. Both of you are already engaged. Junior, would you mind telling your senior whether the two of you have done the evilest thing? Is my junior not pure anymore?”

  Xu Shengnan was not blind. Qiao Nan’s face was very attractive. Not to mention a man, she also liked it when she saw it.

  As for Qiao Nan’s figure, her arms and legs were thin but they were proportionate and slender.

  Besides her limbs, Xu Shengnan could not see anywhere else. Nevertheless, the curvaceous figure before Qiao Nan’s chest could not lie. “Qiao Nan, I really want to ask you. What did you eat when you grow up? Clearly, your arms and legs are so slim that women are jealous, envious, and hateful of you. Why is there so much meat on the two lumps in front of your chest? It should be C cup or above, no?”

  Damn, that partner of Qiao Nan would be so fortunate in the future.

  Qiao Nan’s face turned red. “Vice President Xu, although yours is A cup, I won’t look down on you.”

  Qiao Nan also did not know how she grew to become like that.

  Clearly, when she was in junior high school, she was very skinny and shriveled. There was not much difference between her front and back.

  However, after she attended senior high school, she had been eating and drinking well. She was also in a good mood. She not only grew in height, but the two lumps on her breast became increasingly heavier as well.

  When she was in high school, Tang Mengran often teased Qiao Nan. “Qiao Nan, we have been eating, drinking, and sleeping together every day. You eat quite a lot. Why don’t I see flesh growing on other parts of your body? Why did all the flesh go to this part?”

  The body part that Tang Mengran was referring to was Qiao Nan’s chest.

  “Ugh……” Xu Shengnan felt like vomiting blood. As a senior, she was flat-chested. “Your words deeply pierced my lungs. I won’t bother with you anymore.”

  After leaving behind these words, Xu Shengnan ran off, lest Qiao Nan say something else that would drive her to her grave.

  994 Not Owing It to Anyone

  “Hahaha……” At the sight of Xu Shengnan fleeing, Qiao Nan was pleased and smiling. Everyone had a time whereby they went rogue. As long as she was more rogue than the other party, she would not be the one running away.

  Of course, most of the time, this method would only work well on the members of the same gender. If you were to use it on the opposite gender, you would be playing with fire.

  After settling the paperwork, Qiao Nan’s excited mood did not subside immediately.

  Vice President Xu had mentioned that the first class for joining the party was most likely going to start soon!

  Qiao Nan pinched her thigh with all her might. It was so painful that she continuously gasped for cold air thereafter. “I’m really the first of my cohort to become a party member?”

  After confirming that it was real and not a dream, looking up at the sky, Qiao Nan laughed loudly three times.

  After she let out the steam, Qiao Nan tidied up her slightly messy hair. She even straightened her shirt and held her head up and chest high before heading to the library.

  After Qiao Nan left, Feng Meng walked out from behind a big tree with a bizarre expression. He was staring straight at the back of Qiao Nan, who was leaving.

  At the thought of what he just saw, the look in Feng Meng’s eyes kept changing.

  Although he had not interacted much with Qiao Nan, that comical, ridiculous, and slightly moronic behavior surprised him. Nevertheless, he felt that it was very…… refreshing and special.

  Each time the Feng family requested Shi Qing to invite Qiao Nan to the house of the Feng family, Qiao Nan never appeared. She declined the invitations flatly.

  Every time he thought of this behavior of Qiao Nan, Feng Meng had always believed that Qiao Nan would have a very haughty and snobbish image.

  In Feng Meng’s social circle, he had seen many rich men’s daughters with such character. To Feng Meng, this sort was the most annoying.

  He was very clear that they were not truly high and mighty. They deliberately raised their own worth as they felt that the people that they came into contact with could not give them what they wanted at all.

  However, if they were to meet someone that had what they wanted, no matter how haughty they were, they would become gentle and accommodating little women who would restrain their tempers.

  \r \r \r

  This kind of high and mighty behavior was not only pretentious but also disgusting.

  Feng Meng had seen too many of such pretentious women.

  Feng Meng had never met or interacted with a woman like Qiao Nan, who cared little about her own image. She was so ‘genuine’ that she was a little ‘ugly’.

  As he thought about his observation of Qiao Nan from the past few days and also other people’s opinions of Qiao Nan, the look in Feng Meng’s eyes as he glanced in Qiao Nan’s direction became very strange and complex.

  So as to speak, Qiao Nan’s bad, cold, and aloof temper was purely targeted at the Feng family.

  In front of other ordinary people, Qiao Nan was, in fact, an ordinary young lady who was very easy-going albeit rather chatty.

  What was the reason?

  Feng Meng could not figure this out. Qiao Nan was considered quite easy-going when she was with others. Why did her attitude become so stubborn when it came to the Feng family? There was no room for negotiations at all.

  Could it be that Qiao Nan’s disregard of other people’s faces was specially used to deal with and boycott the Feng family?

  After a long time, Feng Meng, who placed great importance on both business and interests, still could not figure out why Qiao Nan was so friendly to these students who would not be of any help to her future. On the other hand, she treated the Feng family so coldly. What would Qiao Nan gain from doing this?

  What was Qiao Nan’s reason for doing such a ridiculous thing?

  This was the first time that Feng Meng, whose brains were currently in knots, discovered that understanding a woman’s thoughts was more difficult than negotiating for a major business project and earning a big sum of money.

  “Hello.” Feng Meng’s cell phone rang and he picked it up.

  “It’s me.”

  “Uncle.”

  “Yes. How’s your interaction with Qiao Nan? Do you know where Qing Qing is?” Feng Liang was looking impatiently at the files in front of him. He was pulling an extremely long face.

  The Zhai family of three had left but the impact that they had brought did not completely disappear.

  Feng Liang, who had already received the Zhai family’s warning, was in a very bad mood. The Zhai family was really so protective of their calf.

  The Feng family had not even done anything to Qiao Nan, yet the Zhai family was so domineering. They were settling scores with them without giving any reason.

  If the Zhai family were to do that openly, Feng Liang still had a chance to resolve the trouble that the Zhai family caused to him. Unfortunately, Zhai Sheng was very subtle in this.

  Feng Liang, who could not avoid the problem, could only find ways to minimize the harm and losses.

  The Feng family had been completely stuck in the problem that Zhai Sheng had created for them. When they finally had the time and mood to think of other things, Feng Cheng could no longer reach Shi Qing when she wanted to do so.

  When Shi Qing finally picked up the phone call, without further ado, Shi Qing’s opening speech was, “Mom, you don’t need to keep calling the small courtyard of Elder Lin anymore. I am no longer staying there.”

  “Where are you staying then? Qiao Nan actually chased you out!” Feng Cheng raised her voice. That annoying tone seemed as if she could not wait to look for Qiao Nan and fight with her so that she could help her daughter deal with Qiao Nan.

  “How is that possible? Qiao Nan is very good to me. Why would she chase me away?”

  “Then, why are you no longer staying at the small courtyard of Elder Lin? Regardless of whether Qiao Nan chased you away, you should stay put in the house with ease. That is the small courtyard of Elder Lin. It doesn’t belong to Qiao Nan alone. If you can no longer stay there, why don’t you come back and stay here?”

  She did not believe that Qing Qing would move out of the Elder Lin’s courtyard if she did not have any conflict with Qiao Nan.

  “Mom, aren’t you amusing? That is Elder Lin’s small courtyard, not mine. On what basis should I stay there with ease? Not to mention that right from the beginning, Elder Lin only wanted to lend the small courtyard to Qiao Nan, his little disciple. It’s all thanks to Qiao Nan that I could stay there.” Her mother had been taking it for granted.

  “You don’t need to rely on her. Come back and stay at the house of the Feng family. It’s not as if our house doesn’t have a car or chauffeur. Next time, I can get our family chauffeur to send you to and from school every day.” It was fine if Qing Qing did not stay there. It was just a small courtyard. She did not care. “Qing Qing, listen to Mom. Quickly move back home. That small courtyard of Elder Lin is located near Peking University but our family has a chauffeur. It is not an issue if our house is located further. If you are afraid that you need to wake up early, you can sleep in the car after you board it when the chauffeur is driving. You will be able to make up for some sleep.”

  Feng Cheng knew a little about that small courtyard of Elder Lin.

  Before Elder Lin had retired completely, he had once been engaged by Peking University. He had been the university’s lecturer for a few years.

  As such, many disciples of Elder Lin graduated from Peking University.

  Regarding that house, instead of saying that the country had given it to Elder Lin, it should be said that Peking University had also contributed much.

  In order to make it convenient for Elder Lin to teach at Peking University from time to time, the location of the house was certainly very close to Peking University. It was most suitable for students such as Qiao Nan and Shi Qing.

  The Feng family always felt that they had some status in the capital. However, they did not have the capability to get a house located in that area, such as the small courtyard of the Lin family.

  Naturally, neither the Feng family nor the Zhai family had such a house. Only this master of Qiao Nan did.

  995 Resolve One’s Own Family Matters

  “Qing Qing, listen to me.” Feng Cheng was well aware of this. That was why she felt even more annoyed with Qiao Nan.

  It was no wonder that Qiao Nan dared to fight with Qing Qing for man. She had such a formidable master.

  She was young but she had a lot of means. She not only seduced a young one but also made Elder Lin acknowledge her as his last disciple. No matter how Feng Cheng thought about it, she felt that Qiao Nan, this young lady, was too scary.

  Her own daughter was so pure and simple. If she were to mix around with such a scheming woman, she would certainly suffer badly.

  Earlier on, Feng Cheng had been persuading Shi Qing to move out and return to the house of the Feng family to stay.

  The small courtyard of the Lin family was lent to Qiao Nan by Elder Lin. If Shi Qing went over to stay, she would certainly not feel as carefree as staying at the house of the Feng family.

  At that time, Shi Qing refused to agree.

  Today, when Feng Cheng heard that her daughter had moved out of the small courtyard of the Lin family, Feng Cheng spoke about this matter again as the idea surfaced once more.

  “Mom, if I really stay at the house of the Feng family, let alone having a car send me, I will be late every day unless I board a plane!” Shi Qing was amused. “Mom, I have moved out of the small courtyard of the Lin family. Moreover, I am no longer a student of Peking University. I have changed my school.”

  “Changed your school? Which school do you attend now?!” Feng Cheng was taken aback. “You’re such a stubborn child. You are so daring. Why didn’t you mention changing school to me before? Does your dad know? Which school do you attend exactly?! Do you know how good Peking University is? Why are you so foolish to change school? If you change your school at this point in time, no matter how good your results are, will you still be able to go to a better school? Silly child!”

  Feng Cheng was enraged. “Tell Mom. Who was the one who gave you this lame idea? If no one had been talking to you, you wouldn’t have done such a foolish thing. Tell me, did Qiao Nan teach you to do this?”

  After being bombarded by Feng Cheng, Shi Qing moved the phone further away from her. When she heard that the noise in the phone receiver was not so loud anymore, she then placed it back on her ears. “Mom, you are overthinking. This matter did not have anything to do with Qiao Nan. I’m not a three-year-old child who will listen to anything that other people tell me. As to where I am studying, I won’t tell you now. I have just arrived at the school and have to settle the paperwork. Don’t worry about Dad. I can settle that on my own. Mom, you have been asking me where I am studying now. I would like you to guess. Where am I studying?”

  \r \r \r

  Would her mother understand and know her well? Did she know that she had always dreamed about being a soldier all this while?

  “This wretched child. How will I know?!” Without thinking, Feng Cheng declined to answer. “I don’t care which school you attend now. If I had long known that you had such thoughts, would I have let you run away?!”

  Peking University was one of the top schools in China. Unless Qing Qing switched to Tsinghua University, she would be shortchanged regardless of which school she went to.

  She still claimed that she was not a three-year-old child. She was truly a silly child!

  After being reprimanded by Feng Cheng over the phone, Shi Qing sighed in disappointment. “Mom, I have already grown up. I’m an adult now. You should trust me. Alright, I just wanted to inform you about my whereabouts. This is in case you call the small courtyard of the Lin family and discover that I am not around. You would then misunderstand that Qiao Nan had sold me out. Besides, I have just arrived at my new school. My studies load is heavier. After I make the call today, I most likely won’t be able to contact you for a long time. Mom, please don’t worry about me. I am not missing.”

  After finishing her words, Shi Qing hung up the phone before Feng Cheng could say anything else.

  Due to this notification phone call of Shi Qing with neither head nor tail, Feng Cheng and the Feng family felt especially nervous.

  Why was Shi Qing no longer studying at Peking University without an apparent reason?

  To be honest, the changing of school was not something that was extremely grave.

  Furthermore, even if it was a very serious matter, Shi Qing had already changed to another school. The Feng family could not change this even if they wanted to do so.

  However, what Feng Cheng was most concerned about was that aside from Shi Qing not studying at Peking University and changing school, she also said that she would be busy with studies and would not able to contact Feng Cheng for a long time. This made Feng Cheng feel especially worried.

  Because of this phone call, Feng Cheng did not feel more at ease. Instead, she became more worried. She was worried that her own foolish daughter would be cheated or betrayed by others.

  Shi Qing had used a public phone to contact Feng Cheng. Even if Feng Cheng dialed back the number, Shi Qing would not be the one picking up the call. Hence, she could not rely on this phone number to find Shi Qing.

  In short, if Shi Qing did not contact Feng Cheng, Feng Cheng completely did not have a way to find her daughter.

  This was her only biological daughter. Regardless of how strong-tempered and muddleheaded she was, Feng Cheng cared very much about her. She was also very anxious about her.

  Left with no alternative, Feng Cheng could only request the Feng family to spend more time and effort to find Shi Qing’s whereabouts quickly and confirm whether Shi Qing was really safe.

  Shi Qing left so suddenly. She did not even notify the Feng family. Although the Feng family wanted to look for Shi Qing, they did not have an avenue to do so.

  The Feng family was thus compelled to set their eyes on Qiao Nan again.

  If that was not the case, Feng Meng would not have left his big company and major contract to his biological father and came to Peking University to keep a watch on Qiao Nan.

  The Feng family was not clear about Shi Qing’s whereabouts but he did not believe that Qiao Nan did not know.

  As long as Qiao Nan contacted or met Shi Qing, they would eventually be able to find Shi Qing if Feng Meng or the Feng family was able to tail Qiao Nan closely.

  After observing Qiao Nan for two to three days, Feng Meng did not find out any news of Shi Qing from Qiao Nan. On the contrary, he had seen a Qiao Nan who was completely different from his impression—or rather, his perceived impression of her.

  The quiet Qiao Nan seemed to be the common weed seen by the roadside, which did not have any sense of presence. Nevertheless, once she performed, she was like the most inconspicuous weed that quietly bloomed into a beautiful, small, and pure white flower. She even exuded a faint and alluring fragrance that was refreshing to one’s mind.

  Feng Meng observed that he had become a little strange upon this discovery.

  At the very least, when he saw Qiao Nan now, his despise and revulsion to her was obviously not as strong as before.

  At this moment, Qiao Nan’s situation was not important. The most important matters were which Shi Qing had transferred to and whether she was safe.

  “Uncle, I still think that auntie should give a call to uncle-in-law. Qing Qing refused to tell auntie which school she attends. I feel that uncle-in-law would know.”

  Qing Qing was not an extremely stubborn child. Although she had done something so willful, she must have her reasons for doing so.

  “Uncle, it has been such a long time. What are Qing Qing’s hobbies? When she was a child, did she ever mention her ambitions? Auntie really can’t recall that?” Both Qing Qing’s grades and family background were good.

  Regardless of Qing Qing’s childhood dream, Qing Qing could choose a university that was aligned with her dream and progress from there.

  996 Under Huge Pressure

  As long as they could clarify this, he believed that they could definitely find out which school Qing Qing had been transferred to.

  Feng Liang was so furious that he smashed the teacup. “Don’t talk about your auntie anymore. She has been spoiled by the maternal family. After her marriage, she has also been spoiled by your uncle-in-law.”

  All this while, Feng Liang was aware of why Old Master Feng raised up Feng Cheng to be so naive. It was nonetheless because Feng Cheng would be akin to spilled water after she was married. He did not want Feng Cheng to spare too much thought for her husband’s family and then prod all the benefits to the Shi family.

  If Feng Cheng was not that clear-minded to focus on her immediate family, she would definitely take care of the Feng family, which was her maternal family.

  Feng Liang felt angriest about one matter. Twenty years had passed. Given Shi Peng’s intelligence, he must have seen through this arrangement and intention of the Feng family.

  As a husband, he had not caused any change in his wife’s temperament during the past twenty years. What was Shi Peng thinking? Only Shi Peng would know.

  Feng Liang was furious because the Feng family had raised Feng Cheng to be like that. After she was married into the Shi family, Shi Peng did not change her character at all. As a result, despite the fact that she could almost be a grandmother soon, Feng Cheng’s character and intellect remained exactly the same as when she was a lady in her maternal home. She was of no help to the Shi family. Similarly, she was unable to help the Feng family either. Feng Liang was very upset and worried about this.

  At this point in time, if Feng Cheng was able to help even a little, Feng Liang would not have felt so depressed and angry.

  During the National Day central authorities meeting this year, although Shi Peng did not come to the capital to participate, the chairman mentioned and praised him during the meeting.

  Judging from this situation, Feng Liang knew that Shi Peng could definitely rise in the ranks.

  Many years ago, Shi Peng had done very well in the army. He was even the strongest opponent of Zhai Yaohui at the time when the latter was promoted to chief.

  Unexpectedly, Shi Peng’s performance would still be so eye-catching and outstanding after he left the army and fully took on a political role.

  The Feng family definitely did not find a wrong uncle-in-law.

  The problem was how could the Feng family make Shi Peng, this uncle-in-law, side with and help them more?

  \r \r \r

  “Are we going to ask auntie now so that she can check with uncle-in-law? I feel that Qing Qing is quite close with uncle-in-law. Although auntie doesn’t know, it doesn’t mean that uncle-in-law doesn’t.”

  Feng Meng felt that his family’s actions were too strange. Clearly, this was a family matter. Why did he have to tail Qiao Nan and observe her in order to find out Shi Qing’s whereabouts?

  The sequence had been reversed, hadn’t it?

  “Fine.” Feng Liang could not help but admit that Feng Meng’s words made sense. “I have also been muddled by your auntie to have made such a huge mistake.”

  They were the initiators of this. They told Feng Cheng that Qiao Nan might be a very scheming young lady and Qing Qing was completely not Qiao Nan’s match.

  It was true that they had spoken about this too much. They caused Feng Cheng to believe them. Even they, themselves, had forgotten that they actually had not interacted much with Qiao Nan. As such, they were not certain whether Qiao Nan was really so evil.

  As Feng Cheng was muddled by the Feng family, her most immediate reaction when her daughter went missing was to blame it on Qiao Nan, thinking that Qiao Nan must have been the one who had hidden her daughter and wanted to harm her.

  “Uncle, since that is the case, I shall return to the office directly. There are more projects that are under discussion recently. My dad will not be able to cope alone.”

  “Fine, go back then.” If Feng Liang wished to progress further, he still had to rely on his second brother to give him financial support.

  Qiao Nan gradually calmed down from the excitement of being the first one of her cohort to join the party. She was oblivious to what had happened. She also did not know that Feng Meng’s impression of her was quietly changing.

  She only knew that this opportunity was hard to come by. Now, step by step and bit by bit, she had the chance to fulfill the wish of her previous life. At this time, what she needed to do most was to study well and use actions to prove her capability.

  Qiao Nan took out the textbooks for the college entrance examination and studied continuously. She had been immersed in the library every day. Besides being missing in action during weekends and participating in some club activities from Monday to Friday, Qiao Nan was attending classes, in the library, or on the way to the library.

  To those who knew her, Qiao Nan’s motivation to learn was extremely pressurizing.

  “Damn, Qiao Nan is already a famous personality in the school. Look at the way she studies. I feel so ashamed for slacking.”

  “Where is the promised happy college life?”

  “I attended a social event yesterday. I feel so guilty.”

  “I went clubbing yesterday. I feel so guilty.”

  “I had lots of fun. Now, I’m so guilty. I totally agree.”

  In the school, a good student that abided by the rules was always the teachers’ favorite.

  Most importantly, after the kept woman scandal, the teachers did not know who Qiao Nan was but the principal did!

  At the thought that Chief Zhai’s future daughter-in-law was currently a student of his school, the principal of Peking University felt quite stressed as well.

  It was not that he wanted to provide Qiao Nan with special treatment to curry favor with the Zhai family and Chief Zhai.

  If the principal of Peking University really did that, Qiao Nan would have long become the class committee member, student union member, or been nominated by the class to join the party.

  The principal did not do any of these things.

  There were so many teachers and students in Peking University. The principal really could not say for sure that no problems existed in the school, that everyone had a good character, proper outlook, and value in life and morals and was honest and fair in managing matters.

  The kept woman scandal involving Qiao Nan was untrue. It was a misunderstanding. However, no one could guarantee that this kind of problem completely did not exist in Peking University.

  It was probable that Qiao Nan might see one or two more of such scandals occurring again in the school.

  If Qiao Nan told Chief Zhai about this, how would Chief Zhai view Peking University in the future?

  Qiao Nan was supposed to be a student of the school. However, in the eyes of the principal, she was akin to a prosecutor. He was under great pressure.

  He could only blame it on the fact that Zhai Yaohui was a very formidable figure. However, he was not based in the capital. If anything were to happen, the principal could not contact him to clear the misunderstanding even if he wanted to. It would be very difficult to do so.

  The principal of Peking University had considered this matter for a long time. No matter what, he would not bestow special care or favor to Qiao Nan. He disliked this kind of behavior.

  Naturally, the school would treat every student fairly and give them equal opportunities. Qiao Nan would thus have to depend on her own capability.

  Nevertheless, aside from this, the principal felt that it was not a serious problem to request the teachers to pay more attention to Qiao Nan’s studies.

  Qiao Nan had thus received care from the top figures. True enough, the few teachers and professors who were teaching Qiao Nan paid a little more attention and care to her.

  997 Something Terrible Had Happened

  Take for instance the probability of calling a different person each time to answer a question in a big class like this was quite high.

  Under such circumstances, the probability of calling upon Qiao Nan to answer the question was as high as fifty percent.

  Actually, everyone wanted to avoid being called upon to answer questions. But the interesting thing was, whenever Qiao Nan was called by the professors, she would get the question correct and the professors were very satisfied with her answers.

  Many professors felt that Qiao Nan was a good student who was very serious in classes and paid attention to the lessons. They thought that the reason why the principal thought highly of her and wanted the professors to pay more attention to her studies was that she was smart and studious.

  They never managed to clear up the misunderstanding.

  School had started for half a semester. Qiao Nan was the student that all the teachers wanted to call to answer questions. Other students also regarded her as a good classmate.

  After all, as long as Qiao Nan was around, there was a higher probability that she would be called to answer a question as compared to other students.

  It was hard to find such a good classmate in China.

  Qiao Nan never thought of becoming a famous star on campus. However, without her knowing, she had become fairly well-known in Peking University.

  Qiao Nan could not help but sneeze. It was December. Qiao Nan caught a slight cold because of the drizzle yesterday. Her voice had turned hoarse.

  Seeing that she had yet to recover from her cold, Qiao Nan gulped down lots of water so as to recover quickly.

  Qiao Nan glanced at the box in the living room that was full of letters. She could not help but sigh. “Wei De is really determined.”

  Since the start of the summer break until now, Wei De had not given up sending letters to Zhai Hua in the past half a year.

  Sister Zhai Hua never met up with Wei De, talked to him, or contacted him during the past six months.

  Despite being ignored by Zhai Hua, Wei De still persisted in writing her letters and sending photos to her for half a year. As a woman, Qiao Nan had to admit that Wei De was not totally without any positive traits.

  Could it be that her sixth sense was wrong and Wei De was serious about Sister Zhai Hua?

  It was such a pity that despite having true feelings for Sister Zhai Hua, Wei De had other hidden agendas as well.

  \r \r \r

  Qiao Nan was in a difficult position as to what to do with the box of letters.

  In his letters to Sister Zhai Hua, Wei De only talked about three topics: him missing Zhai Hua, Wei Wei being very adorable and sensible, and when Zhai Hua intended to go back and contact him, implying that he would never give up on her.

  These were the only three topics that he talked about in his letters. Even though Qiao Nan was careful and sensitive, she was not able to spot any flaws in his letters.

  The letters were written by Wei De to Zhai Hua. It could fill up an entire box. It was inconvenient for Qiao Nan to keep them. She wondered if she should call Zhai Hua to ask her what she intended to do with the letters.

  Unfortunately, it was not common to send things through courier these days. Otherwise, she could send the letters to Zhai Hua by courier.

  While Qiao Nan was pondering about the letters, the phone at her house rang. “Hello, I am Qiao Nan.”

  “Qiao Nan, it’s me.”

  “Sister Zhai Hua!” Speak of the devil. “Sister Zhai Hua……”

  “Qiao Nan, burn all those letters and photos for me and throw them away!”

  “.……” Sister Zhai Hua broached the topic of the letters before she had a chance to talk about it.

  There was something odd about Zhai Hua’s tone. Qiao Nan asked lightly, “Sister Zhai Hua, what’s wrong?”

  “I feel like killing someone!” The voice from the other side of the phone was ominous and stifling. It made her very uncomfortable.

  Qiao Nan’s heart skipped a beat. “Sister Zhai Hua, stop scaring me. This is a lawful society. If you kill someone, you have to pay a life for a life. It’s not worth it. You must remember that your own life is more important than anyone else’s life. What is wrong? Do you want to talk about it?”

  She had known Zhai Hua for a very long time. Regardless of whether she was happy or angry, she had never spoken of killing someone in that tone of hers. Qiao Nan knew that she was serious about it and she had the intention of doing it.

  Since she knew her well, she was particularly worried and scared.

  Something terrible must have happened to Sister Zhai Hua for her to have such radical thoughts.

  Zhai Hua was overcome by rage and had lost her senses. She broke into tears at Qiao Nan’s gentle words of comfort.

  Thereafter, she burst into loud sobs.

  Even though she was on the other end of the phone, Qiao Nan could tell that Zhai Hua must be heartbroken and had given up all hopes.

  For a moment, Qiao Nan opened her mouth but no words came out. She held the phone to her ear and listened to Zhai Hua’s heart-wrenching sobs on the other end of the phone.

  “I…… I am so stupid. He lied to me. I hate him to the core. I want him dead!” Since a young age, nobody dared to deceive her or bully her.

  She always thought that Wei De could give her the love that she could not get from her family. She thought that in this world, he was the one person most suited for her, that he treated her best.

  But it turned out that she was wrong. She was terribly wrong.

  Everyone could tell the truth except for her.

  Qiao Nan was worried sick. “Did the entire information end up with you?!”

  Qiao Nan remembered that she asked Zhai Sheng to get someone to investigate Wei De three months ago.

  A season had passed, but this matter had to be taken slowly. Qiao Nan was not in a hurry to know the results. She did not hurry Zhai Sheng but waited for the person that he hired to get to the bottom of the matter. She would not allow Wei De to hide anything from Zhai Hua and she would not accuse him of anything as well.

  Since she wanted to investigate Wei De, she had to make sure that she was fair and objective. She would not be subjective or mix truths with lies.

  Qiao Nan might not be anxious. However, she did not expect that the information would be handed to Zhai Hua directly.

  This was taboo and could result in serious trouble.

  Right now, something serious had indeed happened.

  If the results of the investigation were not something that Zhai Hua could accept, there would be two possible scenarios when Zhai Hua saw the results.

  One of the scenarios was that she refused to believe the results.

  Zhai Hua would feel that the results were fabricated so that she would break up with Wei De.

  The other scenario was exactly like how Zhai Hua behaved right now— she lost her sanity and acted irrationally, having radical thoughts.

  Qiao Nan rubbed her stomach. Why did the person that Brother Zhai hired turn out to be such a greenhorn? He did not even know such basic rules.

  It was alright if he did not know.

  Brother Zhai ordered him to do the investigation. After completing the investigation, he should have reported to Brother Zhai right away and handed the results to him.

  998 Full of Hatred That She Felt Like Killing Him

  Even if Brother Zhai was busy and could not get back to him right away, he should have kept the information with him and waited until a later time to pass them to him.

  They should have hired a private investigator to do the job. They would be much more professional.

  “Yes, I have them with me.” Zhai Hua wiped her face with her hand. Wei De was such a scumbag. Shedding tears over him was not worth it. But she felt sorry for herself and hated herself for being so foolish and retarded. “Qiao Nan, I have to thank you for being there for me all this while. If not for you, I might have done more foolish deeds which would make me despise myself even further.”

  Qiao Nan was worried stiff. What did she mean by thanking her for being with her all this while? This sounded ominous. “Sister Zhai Hua, don’t say that. We are one family. Your parents, Brother Zhai, and all of us are very concerned about you. If there is anything, we can sit down and have a discussion. Don’t blame yourself for everything that has happened. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Things are not as serious as you think. Everyone is bound to run into one or two scumbags in one’s life. It is not a big deal.”

  Qiao Nan did not know what the final results of the investigation were. She had no idea what Wei De had done to make Zhai Hua lose her sanity and hate him so much that she felt like killing him.

  Qiao Nan was worried that she might further agitate Zhai Hua, so she dared not make guesses or sound her out.

  “No, I know my temper.” Zhai Hua seemed to have stopped crying, but her voice sounded even more gloomy and depressed. “I never have a good temper. You are right. The elders at home treat me much better than Zhai Sheng. Since young, he has a harder time than me, but I always feel that that is because the elders think highly of him. The reason why I am not given the same treatment is that I am a girl while he is a boy.”

  “I am very obstinate. Once I have such an idea, regardless of what grandpa and the rest tell me, I will not listen to them. Among everyone around me, you are the only one who is objective and different from them, and that is why I will listen to what you say. If my parents keep persuading me to leave Wei De—even if I really feel that there is something wrong with him—I will not leave him and I will marry him in a fit of pique. They did not care about me when I was young. Now that I have grown up, I have my own judgment and I will prove them wrong and lead a good life with Wei De.”

  If that had been the case, her life would have been ruined.

  Zhai Hua did not say it but Qiao Nan could tell what she was going to say. “Sister Zhai Hua, I am not trying to scare you. Right now, you must calm down. You have just stopped yourself from making a huge mistake, so you must not go down another wrong path. We will definitely stand on your side. There is no doubt about it. Since you cherish your life, you must not do anything rash. Remember, your life is precious. You must not be rash!”

  Did Sister Zhai Hua believe that Wei De was a scumbag and want to finish him off?

  \r \r \r

  Even though her father was the chief, it was a crime to kill someone. Even if Sister Zhai Hua could escape the death penalty, she would have to be punished for her crime.

  It was not worth it for Sister Zhai Hua to spend the rest of her life behind bars all because of Wei De.

  “But if I don’t do this, I can’t take it lying down. Even if I won’t have to pay a life for a life, I will still die out of frustration!” Why was it that Wei De could lead his life as usual after he deceived and toyed with her while she had to suffer in pain?

  Since Wei De dared to do this to her, she would do anything to make sure that he suffered even if it might cost her life.

  “Sister Zhai Hua……”

  Beep! Beep! Beep!

  “Sister Zhai Hua! Sister Zhai Hua! Hello? Hello?!”

  Qiao Nan turned pale in fright at the dial tone on the other end of the phone.

  Qiao Nan was about to make a phone call to the Zhai family when the phone rang. “Is this Sister Zhai Hua? Sister Zhai Hua, listen to me……”

  “Nan Nan, it’s me.”

  “Brother Zhai!” Qiao Nan burst into tears upon hearing Zhai Sheng’s voice. Tears rolled down her cheeks. “Brother Zhai, something terrible has happened. Sister Zhai Hua seems to be after Wei De.”

  “Your phone had been engaged all this while. Were you talking to Zhai Hua just now?” Zhai Sheng drove the car while talking on the phone. He kept a check on the road with half-lidded eyes and used the fastest speed to overtake other cars, speeding to his destination.

  “Yes.” Qiao Nan sniffed. “Why would Sister Zhai Hua have a hold on the information regarding Wei De?” Who was so retarded to do such foolish things!?

  “This is not important anymore.” Zhai Sheng looked slightly better after getting an affirmative answer from Qiao Nan. “The information was sent to the camp, to my office precisely. The information ended up in Zhai Hua’s hand out of coincidence. She was supposed to bring it back for me. However, she opened the package out of curiosity.”

  When he knew that the investigation results were sent through postal service to the camp, Zhai Sheng, who had completed his mission and was finally contactable, knew that something was wrong. He made a phone call immediately to the reception room in the army camp to ask about the package.

  Zhai Sheng had thought that as long as he made it clear that the package must be sent to his office and that no one was to open it, particularly Zhai Hua, things would not be too serious.

  However, Zhai Sheng was too late.

  The soldier from the guardhouse told Zhai Sheng that the camp had indeed received a package.

  Zhai Hua happened to pass by and saw that it was for Zhai Sheng.

  Everyone in the camp knew that Zhai Sheng and Zhai Hua were siblings. Since Zhai Hua offered to take it on Zhai Sheng’s behalf, the other party agreed right away and passed the package to Zhai Hua.

  If not for Zhai Sheng’s phone call, no one would have taken extra notice.

  “Don’t panic and don’t be afraid. At least for now, things are not beyond our control. The package was sent to me. Zhai Hua would only read it after she reached my office. Nan Nan, listen to me. I want you to check from where Zhai Hua made a phone call to you.”

  Qiao Nan recollected. “It seems to be the telephone from your office!”

  It had been ages since she talked to Zhai Sheng on the phone. She was busy with her school work and other activities.

  When the phone rang, Qiao Nan took a glance at the caller ID display. Seeing that it was a familiar number, she picked it up to answer the call.

  Now that Qiao Nan thought about it, the familiar number was the number from Zhai Sheng’s office.

  “Very good.” Zhai Sheng could not help but heave a sigh of relief upon knowing this. “Nan Nan, you have done a good job. Don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to Zhai Hua. I will end the call.” Hopefully, they could stall her for as long as possible.

  999 Teacher, I Want to Apply for Leave

  Zhai Hua was at Zhai Sheng’s office when she found out about Wei De. She also used the telephone at Zhai Sheng’s office to make a phone call to Qiao Nan.

  Since the information might be with Zhai Hua, Zhai Sheng had to think of the worst-case scenario—Zhai Hua had read the information.

  He was not worried that Zhai Hua might not believe the information. On the contrary, he was worried that she believed it and would act rashly.

  Zhai Sheng kept calling Qiao Nan along the way, trying to contact her.

  With regard to Wei De, Zhai Hua refused to listen to anyone except Qiao Nan.

  Therefore, Zhai Sheng wanted to contact Qiao Nan to remind her to stall for time.

  In the event that Zhai Hua contacted Qiao Nan, Qiao Nan must take the opportunity to persuade Zhai Hua. It did not matter that she did not manage to make Zhai Hua listen to her. What was important was that Qiao Nan stalled for time and talked to Zhai Hua so that Zhai Sheng could make his way back to Ping Cheng as soon as possible and bring Wei De to another place before Zhai Hua got to him.

  That was why Zhai Sheng kept trying to call Qiao Nan just now. However, he could not get through.

  But from his judgment, Zhai Hua was still at the camp; at least she was until she finished talking to Qiao Nan.

  “Okay.” Qiao Nan shivered slightly and hung up the phone.

  She knew that this was a race against time. They had to have the situation in control before Zhai Hua acted rashly.

  After ending the phone call with Qiao Nan, Zhai Sheng made another call to the camp. “It’s me. Is Zhai Hua still at the camp? Remember, no matter what, you must not allow Zhai Hua to leave the camp!”

  The soldier almost broke out in tears at Zhai Sheng’s phone call.

  In his first phone call to the camp, Zhai Sheng wanted to know whether Zhai Hua was at the camp.

  Everyone in the army knew that Madam Zhai was unwell these few days and Zhai Hua, the deputy battalion commander, wanted to go back home to check on her.

  \r \r \r

  It was such a coincidence that she chose to go back today.

  The soldier was dumbfounded and did not know how to answer Zhai Sheng’s question. “The deputy battalion commander is going back to visit her mother today. The dispatch delivery car has just come back. There were several cars that entered and left the camp. Deputy Battalion Commander Zhai might have left.”

  The soldier had the impression that Zhai Hua had left the camp.

  It was not until five seconds ago that he realized that she was still at the camp.

  The soldier felt like weeping but had no tears. He watched as Zhai Hua drove off, leaving a gust of exhaust fumes in her trail. “Reporting to regiment commander, Deputy Battalion Commander Zhai drove a car and left the camp by force.”

  “.……” Zhai Sheng felt like swearing.

  His first phone call was for the people in the camp to stop Zhai Hua from leaving.

  As long as Zhai Hua stayed in the camp, regardless of how furious she was, at the very least, she would not do anything to Wei De.

  Wei De had let Zhai Hua down. Even if the Zhai family did not take his life, they would not let him off.

  But that did not mean that the Zhai family would behave rashly because of a scumbag like Wei De or go against the law then go into hiding for the rest of one’s life.

  “I understand!” Zhai Sheng threw the cell phone to a side after hanging up the phone. He stepped on the accelerator and sped on.

  The camp was known for its discipline, yet they made a blunder today.

  After ending the phone call with Zhai Sheng, Qiao Nan could not be rest assured.

  She thought hard about it and could not feel reassured. She ran toward the school. She wanted to apply for ten days of leave.

  Qiao Nan’s teacher was shocked upon hearing that she wanted to apply for ten days of leave. “Qiao Nan, do you know that it is already mid-December? By the time you come back from your ten-day leave, New Year’s Day would have passed. By then, the school would have completed the revision. Are you sure you want to take such a long break at this time?”

  New Year’s Day was coming. In other words, by the time Qiao Nan came back from her leave, it would not be long before the final term exams started.

  “Qiao Nan, as far as I know, you have been studious and conscientious in your lessons. Although you are not the only student to maintain a positive learning attitude after advancing from high school to college, you are one of the few to do that. You have been doing well in your studies, and the teachers recognized your efforts. You have done very well for your social practice as well. You should know that you are among the few possible students who might be awarded a scholarship. Qiao Nan, as long as you do well in the final term exam, you have a high possibility of getting the first-prize scholarship.”

  The teacher felt that it was a pity to miss out on this scholarship.

  “Teacher, thank you. I understand. But something has cropped up at home. Something very serious has happened.” Qiao Nan was very touched by the teacher’s words and affirmation.

  Yes, she also wanted to compete for the first-prize scholarship. She hoped to get the level-based scholarship as well as the school-based scholarship.

  But she had to prioritize. Sister Zhai Hua was in serious trouble. If they did not handle it well, it might cost a life.

  Wei De was an adult and had spent years at the camp. Qiao Nan was not worried that something would happen to him. Instead, she was worried that Wei Wei would be injured.

  The person whom Wei De hurt deeply was Sister Zhai Hua, and Sister Zhai Hua would not let Wei De off.

  What if Wei Wei ended up getting injured and the culprit, Wei De, escaped unscathed, while Sister Zhai Hua had to go behind bars for it? It would be downright unfortunate.

  Since Zhai Hua would listen to her advice, she felt that she had to make a trip to Ping Cheng.

  “Teacher, I know my learning progress very well. You can rest assured that I will not put my results at stake. I will definitely work hard. However, there are many important matters and people in one’s life. One’s results are not the only thing that matters, right? Teacher, can you make a phone call to the principal to ask for advice?”

  Qiao Nan was left with no choice.

  The teacher refused to approve her leave as the teacher was worried about her studies. Qiao Nan understood the teacher’s kind intentions. It was impossible for her to lose her temper at her teacher. Furthermore, she did not have the habit of losing temper at others.

  The teacher would not accept her reasons.

  She had no other choice but to use other means to apply for leave.

  The teacher was reluctant to make the phone call.

  Their principal was very busy and there were so many students in the school. If other students applied for a long leave, their leaves would not be approved as well. There was no need to check with the principal.

  However, the teacher remembered that among all the freshmen this year, Qiao Nan was the only student whom the principal had taken special note of. Therefore, the teacher called the principal in the end.

  The teacher spoke to the principal for a while before passing the phone to Qiao Nan. “The principal wants to speak to you.”

  “Okay, thank you, teacher.” Qiao Nan took the phone with gratitude.

  1000 Rushed Back to Ping Cheng

  “Yes, principal, it is me. Yes, it is very important…… Yes, it is their family’s business. Principal, I can assure you that I will never fall behind in my studies. In fact, I have already started my revision.”

  The principal knew about Qiao Nan’s family situation.

  Unless someone passed away, the adults in the Qiao family could settle anything that happened in the family. There was no need for Qiao Nan, who was still a child, to help out.

  The principal thought about it and asked Qiao Nan over the phone whether it had to do with the Zhai family.

  The principal hesitated slightly after Qiao Nan’s affirmative answer. He could not decide if he should approve Qiao Nan’s long leave or not.

  If something happened to the Zhai family and Qiao Nan was needed, Chief Zhai should have given him a call to notify him.

  But the principal was reminded of Qiao Nan’s good performance at school. He believed that she would not misbehave and she had assured him that she would not fall behind in her studies, and that she had already started her revision.

  After careful consideration, the principal nodded. “Alright, pass the phone to your teacher.”

  “Sure, thank you, principal.”

  Qiao Nan quickly returned the phone to the teacher. The teacher kept nodding and agreed with the principal. Seeing that her leave was approved, Qiao Nan heaved a sigh of relief.

  Qiao Nan’s ten-day leave was finally approved in three minutes’ time. “Qiao Nan, as a teacher, I still have to remind you that even if you are a good student, you must be serious in your studies. I won’t remind you to be hardworking or studious. You are an adult. You should know to plan for your future and take it seriously.”

  Peking University was full of talented students.

  There were many other good students like Qiao Nan.

  Studying was akin to sailing against the currents. If one did not improve, one would fall behind.

  Even if Qiao Nan did not fall behind, it was likely that someone would overtake her and her rankings would drop.

  “Teacher, thank you. I will remember your words. I will definitely work hard.” Qiao Nan bowed to the teacher.

  \r \r \r

  Qiao Nan was full of respect for teachers who were responsible and guided the students selflessly.

  Initially, the teacher felt quite angry. Even though the principal approved the leave personally, he was unhappy that Qiao Nan applied for a long leave just when exams were coming. Even if she had good results, it would affect her performance regardless.

  However, Qiao Nan had a very good attitude. The teacher could not stay angry with her for long.

  If Qiao Nan was arrogant and full of herself, thinking that since she had good results, it would not affect her performance to take leave, it would definitely leave a bad impression on the teacher who used to think highly of her.

  The teacher had seen many such cases and therefore did not like such students.

  One thing that the teacher felt odd was that Qiao Nan kept saying that she had important family matters to deal with. However, she refused to say what exactly it was.

  Now that the leave was approved, Qiao Nan did not seem the least bit happy at all. In fact, she seemed apologetic and was grateful to the teacher.

  The teacher could tell that Qiao Nan was sincere. “Alright, didn’t you say that you are in a rush? You should hurry along. Remember, even though you have applied for a ten-day leave, you must come back as early as possible.”

  “Sure. Thank you, teacher, I will definitely do so. Once the matters are resolved, I will come back as soon as possible.” Qiao Nan had no idea how long it would take for things between Zhai Hua and Wei De to be under control. Therefore, she applied for ten days of leave first.

  If it was solved within ten days, Qiao Nan would not waste her time at Ping Cheng but rushed back to Peking University as soon as possible to prepare for her revision. This was the first major exam since she entered college.

  After leaving school, Qiao Nan hailed a taxi and asked the driver to send her to the airport.

  Qiao Nan took out her identity card and went to collect her boarding pass.

  “Hello, master. Yes, I have already collected the plane ticket.” Qiao Nan panted while she checked the time. “I have to go through the security check now. The plane will take off in twenty minutes. Don’t worry. The queue is quite short. I will make it in time. I won’t miss the flight.”

  If she wanted to reach Ping Cheng as soon as possible, her only option was to take the plane.

  As a poor student, Qiao Nan might have thought of taking the plane, but she did not have the money. At this time, the only person she could think of was her master, Lin Yuankang.

  Lin Yuankang did not have any children, but he had many disciples.

  Qiao Nan was his favorite and smartest disciple. However, among all his disciples, she was the only one who did not like to trouble him as she had very high self-esteem.

  No one in the world would like others to take their help for granted. Qiao Nan had no wish to trouble Lin Yuankang, but she was grateful that he took great care of her.

  Lin Yuankang knew Qiao Nan’s intentions and he doted on her even more.

  Since Qiao Nan rarely asked him for help, there was no way that he would refuse to help her. It was an easy feat for him to get a plane ticket for her.

  Besides, Qiao Nan went back to Ping Cheng because of the Zhai family.

  Lin Yuankang was on close terms with the Zhai family. It was because of the Zhai family that Lin Yuankang was willing to talk to Qiao Nan and test her ability when Zhai Sheng brought her with him to Lin Yuankang’s house back then.

  Taking the plane was indeed the fastest route. One would need to take more than ten hours to reach Ping Cheng by train, but it would only take three to four hours by plane.

  Once Qiao Nan reached Ping Cheng, she switched on her phone to make a call back home, telling Qiao Dongliang that she was back at Ping Cheng.

  However, the phone rang for a long while and nobody answered the call.

  Qiao Nan had no other choice but to call Zhai Sheng. “Hello, Brother Zhai. I am in Ping Cheng. Where are you? I will take a taxi to go there.”

  “I am at home. You can come over right away.” Zhai Sheng sounded different and it was very noisy on the other end of the phone.

  “Okay, I will be there shortly.” After confirming the location, Qiao Nan took a taxi and arrived at the Zhai family’s residence.

  Qiao Nan felt upset that there was a huge crowd outside the Zhai family’s residence.

  “Nan Nan, you are back!”

  “Old Qiao, Nan Nan is back!”

  After all, Qiao Nan lived in the quad for more than ten years. She only left to stay elsewhere for two to three years. Furthermore, Qiao Nan and Zhai Sheng held their engagement ceremony in the quad. Apart from Zhai Sheng, she was the most capable child in the quad. Everyone knew her.

  “Nan Nan, you are back!?” Initially, Qiao Dongliang thought that he had heard it wrongly. Nan Nan was studying in the capital. How could she be in the quad right now?

  Qiao Dongliang was surprised and happy upon seeing his daughter standing at the doorway. “Why did you come back at this time? Forget it. It’s good that you are back. There is no harm for you to know about this.”

  Qiao Dongliang did not expect that such things would happen to the Zhai family.

  At the same time, he was amazed by his daughter’s ability.

  1001 As She Had Guessed

  It might not be right to think in this way. However, Qiao Dongliang was very conscious that the Zhai family was much more well-to-do than the Qiao family. He was also worried that he would affect the relationship between Qiao Nan and Zhai Sheng.

  Qiao Dongliang had heard of what happened between Zhai Hua and Wei De.

  His daughter did not come from a well-to-do family as well. Qiao Dongliang would not crack wise, saying that even though Wei De did not have a good family background, it was fine as long as he was true to Zhai Hua.

  Qiao Dongliang did not express his opinion on this matter. It was up to the Zhai family to decide if they should break up.

  However, Qiao Dongliang did not expect that his daughter played such an important role in this matter.

  Zhai Hua refused to listen to anyone except for his daughter. Thankfully for that, otherwise, even if Zhai Hua had a good family background and was the only daughter in the Zhai family, once she married such a man, her life would be ruined.

  If she married Wei De, she would have a terrible life ahead.

  “Dad, how is it?” Qiao Nan, who was worried sick, calmed down slightly upon seeing her father.

  Judging from her father’s expression, Qiao Nan was certain that Zhai Hua had yet to do anything rash to Wei De.

  Qiao Dongliang’s expression changed. He pulled his daughter with him into the house while he motioned for others to close the door, lest the onlookers see what was going on inside. He lowered his voice and said to Qiao Nan, “Zhai Sheng has put aside Zhai Hua’s gun.”

  Fortunately, he put it aside in time. Otherwise, Wei De would be lying on the floor now.

  Qiao Nan turned ashen. Sure enough, Sister Zhai Hua was seriously thinking of getting rid of Wei De, that scumbag. “What exactly happened?” Why was Sister Zhai Hua so furious that she disregarded that she was a soldier, took her gun, and left the camp with the single thought of killing Wei De?

  “Didn’t you know?” Qiao Dongliang was surprised. He heard that Nan Nan was the first person to find out something amiss about Wei De.

  Qiao Nan was at a loss for words. “I felt that there’s something amiss about him, so I asked Brother Zhai to investigate him. Is there really something wrong between Wei Wei and Wei De?”

  In the Wei family, there were the two elders, their son, Wei De, and their adopted daughter.

  \r \r \r

  The adopted daughter had a son that was born out of wedlock. Wei De did not mind and brought his nephew with him and asked his girlfriend to find a good school for him and to make sure that he grew up into a useful person.

  It was said that children would be small-minded after they had their own family.

  Wei De was not a giving and generous man. On the contrary, he was very selfish.

  Someone so selfish would not be willing to raise someone else’s son and give him the best of everything.

  It was true that Qiao Nan had a lot of Wei Wei’s and Wei De’s photos.

  However, even if Qiao Nan had her doubts, after failing to spot any similarities between Wei Wei and Wei De, she dared not tell anyone of her suspicions.

  “Ssss…… You knew about it indeed.” Qiao Dongliang sucked in his breath, amazed at his daughter’s intelligence. “That child does not resemble Wei De. How did you find out?”

  Qiao Nan smiled reluctantly. “The Wei family is not complicated and the family is not big. Moreover, since there is something wrong with Wei De’s personality, I made a bold guess.”

  Wei Wei was not Wei De’s nephew but his son!

  Since Wei De’s so-called sister was adopted, she was not related to Wei De at all.

  When Qiao Nan heard that the Wei family adopted a daughter when the country was going through such a tumultuous time, she could not help but think of the idea of a child bride.

  But they were in modern society, not ancient times. The idea of a child bride seemed to be a thing of the past and would only be seen in books.

  Therefore, even though Qiao Nan had thought of such a possibility, she had never shared her thoughts with anyone in the Zhai family, including Zhai Sheng.

  She might dislike Wei De, but she would not speak badly of him.

  “Just because of this?” Qiao Dongliang refused to believe.

  Qiao Nan sighed. “Wei Wei may not resemble Wei De, but after careful observation, I notice that when Wei Wei smiles, he looks very much like Wei De.”

  That was purely her gut feeling.

  Whenever she had time, she would stare at the photos that Zhai Hua sent her. It was through this that she came to this realization.

  Now that it had been determined that Wei Wei was the son of Wei De, Qiao Nan felt that Wei De was indeed daring.

  Clearly, he wanted to marry Sister Zhai Hua, yet he dared to bring the son that he had with another woman around and he even wanted Sister Zhai Hua to educate him. Wei De was too much……

  Qiao Nan felt a sharp pain in her heart. It was no wonder that Sister Zhai Hua was full of hatred and was bent on killing Wei De.

  If not for her, would Sister Zhai Hua have married Wei De and listened to what he said, putting all her effort and attention on educating Wei Wei, her stepson?

  The more Qiao Nan thought about it, the more flustered she was.

  In her previous life, she was not on close terms with the Zhai family.

  It was her mother who would bring up Zhai Sheng occasionally, saying that he was very capable and lived in the same quad as them. He followed his father’s footsteps and brought the Zhai family to greater heights. If not for her mother, she would not have known that Zhai Sheng had been promoted to chief.

  Qiao Nan was not clear of Zhai Sheng’s situation in the previous life.

  Even though she was in her late thirties when she passed away in the previous life, she had no idea what happened between Zhai Hua and Wei De.

  What Qiao Nan was most concerned about was that Wei De might have deceived everyone in the Zhai family and married Sister Zhai Hua, becoming the Zhai family’s son-in-law.

  Qiao Nan was in a terrible mood at the thought of this.

  Apart from Sister Zhai Hua, she also had the impulse of killing Wei De.

  Chen Jun might have betrayed her in the previous life, but Qiao Nan felt that Wei De was much worse than him. He killed by subtle means.

  “Sister Zhai Hua.” As soon as she entered the room, Qiao Nan saw that two persons were in a confrontation. Zhai Hua’s eyes had turned so red that she might shed red tears. Qiao Nan’s heart ached for her.

  Qiao Nan hurried forward without another word. She hugged Zhai Hua tightly, patting her back lightly. “Sister Zhai Hua, it is okay. Everything will pass. Don’t be angry. Don’t be upset. Don’t be hard on yourself. It is not worth it.”

  Qiao Nan spoke to Zhai Hua in a soft, gentle, and reassuring voice. She was like a mother who was coaxing her child to sleep, singing a lullaby to the child.

  Qiao Nan, who hugged Zhai Hua tightly, could feel that Zhai Hua was all tensed up.

  1002 Life Was Too Good

  Zhai Hua felt stiff all over. Hate and despair emanated from within her. Without the need to communicate through any word or action, Qiao Nan could empathize very well with her.

  “Sister Zhai Hua, you still have Mom and Dad. You still have grandpa, Brother Zhai and us—so many kins. It’s not worth it. Our hearts will ache if you do this.”

  Perhaps Qiao Nan’s last sentence brought out Zhai Hua’s sanity that had earlier been completely deceived by resentment and hate. The tears in Zhai Hua’s eyes dropped down one by one. One, two, and three.

  Heartache?

  “Yes.”

  Hadn’t she been constantly longing and searching for someone whose heart would truly ache for her?

  Her mother only had her father in her heart. Same as her grandfather, Zhai Sheng had the whole Zhai family in his heart. Qiao Nan had also gone in.

  She was the only one who did not have someone that truly doted on and protected her. When she found Wei De, she believed that she had found her Mr. Right.

  However, the truth of the matter……

  “Qiao Nan, Wei Wei is his child, his biological son. He lied to me. He is shameless!” When she thought of the fact that Wei Wei’s age was older than the duration that she and Wei De dated, Zhai Hua felt despaired.

  The so-called true love and doting was a lie right from the beginning. Wei De had never been truthful or genuine to her before.

  Once Zhai Hua cried, Qiao Nan and the Zhai family felt more at ease.

  They were most worried that Zhai Hua would continue to keep her anger all to herself and then viciously want to take Wei De’s life.

  After encountering such a worrisome matter, Zhai Hua’s crying was also considered an avenue for her frustration.

  \r \r \r

  All this while, Zhai Sheng dared not release his hands that were holding on to Zhai Hua.

  In the past, when the siblings exchanged blows with each other, Zhai Hua had never won against Zhai Sheng before.

  However, it was different today. Zhai Hua was enraged. Zhai Sheng also had to show her some mercy. Zhai Hua was behaving like a bull that had seen a red cloth. As such, Zhai Sheng almost failed to hold her back.

  It was true that Zhai Hua’s gun had been snatched away by Zhai Sheng and passed to someone else to take care of.

  However, under Zhai Hua’s fury, even a grown-up man like Wei De could not endure her iron-fist punches. He would definitely be beaten to death alive by Zhai Hua.

  Besides Zhai Sheng, Zhai Yaohui also had to intervene to restrain Zhai Hua to prevent her from beating Wei De to death.

  There was only Zhai Hua, yet both her biological brother and father had to intervene to stop her. One could just imagine how much hate Zhai Hua felt to make her strength become so great.

  Zhai Sheng and Zhai Yaohui managed to hold her back, while Miao Jing was wiping her tears by the side. Given this, Qiao Nan then released her hands that were earlier hugging Zhai Hua. “Sister Zhai Hua, fortunately, you are not my daughter. You encountered such a matter. Brother Zhai and Dad tried ways and means to stop you from making mistakes. Mom’s heart ached so much that she has been crying nonstop, feeling aggrieved for you. Guess, when Brother Zhai and I have a daughter in the future and she encounters a similar matter, what will I do?”

  Unlike the gentleness that consoled Zhai Hua earlier, Qiao Nan’s tone, that was neither loud nor soft, sounded a little sharp.

  Qiao Nan glanced coldly at Wei De, who had been given a round of beating by Zhai Hua. He was still slumping on the floor with blood on the corner of his mouth. She felt her eyes hurt badly.

  After she turned back, she certainly had to find a way to cleanse her eyes.

  Zhai Sheng did not quite like Qiao Nan’s analogy. The daughter of Zhai Sheng had to be a pampered darling.

  Whoever dared to kidnap his daughter, Zhai Sheng would definitely break his limbs so that he would not have any chance to appear in front of his daughter again, let alone any scum who dared to lie to her.

  Zhai Sheng narrowed his eyes and glared at Wei De harshly. Wei De was so terrified that he shivered.

  Of course, Zhai Sheng and Zhai Yaohui would not let Zhai Hua commit any wrongdoing by beating Wei De to death.

  However, it was impossible for them to let Wei De go so easily. Initially, when Zhai Hua punched and kicked Wei De, the father and son were pretending to stop her.

  After confirming that the injuries on Wei De’s bodies would certainly make him suffer, the father-and-son pair then seriously pulled Zhai Hua away from Wei De, this scum.

  Zhai Hua’s voice was low and hoarse. “Do you mean that I am to be blamed for this?”

  “If you are not to be blamed, then who is?!” Qiao Nan was angry. “You are the one who is not sharp at judging people. You were blind to take a liking to such a thing. You were even fooled around by the other party and nearly raised a son for someone. We are one family. After we see this nonsensical thing, none of us like him. We persuaded you to open your eyes so that you wouldn’t be taken in and would break up quickly. Did you listen? He is evil. But what about you? You were taken in by his sweet words again and again. You almost fell out with your closest kin. Am I too much to say that you are stupid?”

  “You have so much hate in your heart now that you want to kill him. You will feel great and happy doing so. When you are in jail, the reputation of the Zhai family will be ruined and they will become a joke in the social circle. Did you spare a thought for the Zhai family? You are not taking revenge. You are clearly doing this to aggrieve your own kin and gladden your enemy.”

  “Nan Nan.” Qiao Dongliang was stunned. Didn’t Nan Nan come back to persuade someone? Why was she giving a scolding?

  Qiao Dongliang was feeling a little guilty. This was also the first time that he witnessed the tough side of his younger daughter, who was normally refined and quiet.

  He was afraid that this side of Qiao Nan would shock the Zhai family or make the Zhai family develop negative opinions of her. Qiao Dongliang could only remind Qiao Nan not to go overboard.

  Regarding Wei De’s matter, Zhai Hua was certainly quite foolish but that was the Zhai family’s matter. Qiao Nan was not in the position to speak about this. She had not even been married into the Zhai family. This was an arduous but thankless matter.

  Qiao Nan replied to Qiao Dongliang, “Dad, I know what you mean. I consider myself restrained in my words to Sister Zhai Hua. Because I address her as my sister, I have to be more objective and frank. Not to mention my daughter, if she were my biological sister, no matter how much older she was, I would also bash her up before I said anything. Her life has been so good that she is flying to the sky. She is looking for trouble as she has nothing better to do. She even attracted such a good-for-nothing back. She is asking for a beating!”

  It was so embarrassing and shameful for Qiao Zijin to compete with her biological sister for man.

  Nevertheless, who could deny that Chen Jun had a good family background? Most people would perceive Chen Jun as a good son-in-law. The Qiao family had good taste and was so blessed and capable to be able to find such a son-in-law.

  Both of them were scum.

  Qiao Zijin married a scum. The Qiao family received ten-over baskets of good words.

  When one turned around and looked at Zhai Hua, damn, she had caused the Zhai family to become a huge laughingstock.

  In comparison, Zhai Hua did not even have Qiao Zijin’s intelligence and capability.

  Unfortunately, Qiao Nan could not talk about what happened in her previous life. Otherwise, she would definitely tell Zhai Hua clearly that she did not need to worry about food and daily necessities as she was the Zhai family’s daughter. As long as she was not too muddleheaded, she could secure a great future that was bright and boundless.

  If Zhai Hua was like Qiao Zijin, whose standard of living would reduce tremendously and social status would downgrade greatly if she were to slack in devising ploys, Zhai Hua would only spend all her time pondering over how to become more successful.

  Zhai Hua would never take a second look at a man like Wei De then.