At that time, he was also living in the quad but he never knew that there was a little girl there living such a childhood. As he thought about how the little Qiao Nan had to take on so many household chores, Zhai Sheng was laden with heartache. He resented Ding Jiayi, this mother-in-law, even more.

  She could not even take good care of her child, so why did she still give birth to her?

  The two of them were already plastered together. When she heard Zhai Sheng’s question, Qiao Nan could not help wriggling in Zhai Sheng’s arms. “There was no chance for me to think about playing. When I first took on the chores, I wasn’t familiar with them. I was very slow in completing them and even had to redo them if I didn’t do well enough. If I didn’t sweep the floor clean, I had to sweep it again. If I didn’t wash the bowls and clothes clean, I had to wash them again. After I finally completed the chores, Qiao Zijin was playing hard with other children but she completely didn’t bring me along.”

  At that time, Qiao Zijin was famous for being an obedient child in the southern quad. If Qiao Zijin was the sun, she could not even be the moon. At most, she could only be a dimmed star in a dark corner.

  The elders liked to praise Qiao Zijin, and the children would copy them. They felt that Qiao Zijin was a good kid and loved to play with her. Qiao Zijin was not willing to bring Qiao Nan along. Those children cleverly boycotted Qiao Nan and disagreed letting Qiao Nan join them as playmates.

  If not for this situation, how could Qiao Nan not have any good friends after living in the quad for more than a decade? When she was married, she did not invite anyone in the quad to be her bridesmaid.

  When she recalled the past, Qiao Nan’s face turned slightly pale. She first reached out to touch San Bao’s warm and stubby hands. She then said, “Brother Zhai, do you know why I loved to study so much in the past? Because the kids in the southern quad were on very good terms with Qiao Zijin and ignored me. After I finished my chores, no one was willing to talk to me. It was different after going to school. Even though I could not find a true friend, everyone treated me fine on the surface.”

  Qiao Nan was a good student in the school. The teachers valued her and the classmates envied that.

  This kind of gaze and attention were something that Qiao Nan had never experienced in the Qiao family.

  \r \r \r

  Qiao Nan felt that going to school was the only saving grace in her childhood. “If I even lost the chance to go to school then, I feel that I would have long become a pervert.”

  Zhai Sheng hugged Qiao Nan tightly, giving her a bite on the back of her neck. “Don’t talk nonsense. Not chatting anymore. Let’s sleep. You still have to go to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs tomorrow. Since Peng Yu looks up to Deng Wenchang, he should have some capability. Don’t fail an easy task or capsize a boat in a sewer.”

  Zhai Sheng did not want to hear about the Qiao family’s situation when Qiao Nan was young anymore. He realized that he very much felt like shooting Ding Jiayi dead in one shot after hearing it. Otherwise, he wished to use the knife and chop Ding Jiayi up into eight or ten pieces. She could anger such a calm person to this extent. Zhai Sheng really wanted to praise Ding Jiayi with one word: talent!

  Qiao Nan understood Zhai Sheng’s good intention. She no longer thought about these matters of the Qiao family. Hence, she adhered to Zhai Sheng’s wish. She turned her body, giving a bite on Zhai Sheng’s throat. “Deng Wenchang believes that he is the bright moon. If he knows that you refer to him as a sewer, he will definitely kick up a ruckus.”

  Zhai Sheng’s eyes dimmed, and he tightened his hold on Qiao Nan’s waist. “Initially, I intend to let you have a good rest tonight. Nan Nan, you’re the one who provoked me. You should extinguish the fire that you started.” Was a man’s throat a place that one could bite casually?

  Zhai Sheng already felt tempted when holding Qiao Nan. Once Qiao Nan bit him, Zhai Sheng’s entire body and bones were itching.

  Qiao Nan was not fearful of death as she attached herself closely to Zhai Sheng. Although she felt the change in his body, she did not attempt any slightest retreat. “I did provoke you. So what? It’s quite good to do some exercise, in case I keep thinking of those unhappy matters.”

  “Are you sure?” Zhai Sheng confirmed.

  Qiao Nan gnashed her teeth. “Yes, I am!”

  “You won’t yell for me to stop half-way?”

  “.……” Qiao Nan rolled her eyes. “Brother Zhai, I feel that an appropriate amount of exercise is good for health, but if it is overdone, it’s bad for our bodies. I think that when I say stop, that is a reasonable request.” She was the one who was right!

  “Fine, as long as you don’t change your mind.” Zhai Sheng felt that he would be an idiot to discuss the problem of ‘want or not’. Given his physique, Nan Nan could not keep up with him even if she were to train up. He would be a son-of-a-bitch to not take advantage of a bargain. Furthermore, the one in his arms was his wife. They were ‘driving with a license’ and legally playing rogue. Why would he bother so much?

  Hence, Zhai Sheng immediately sprang into action and kidnapped his wife from this bed to the other huge bed.

  The three children could sleep while the adults did something that they ‘loved’ to do.

  “Hmmph!” When Qiao Nan sat down, smiling, in her workplace the next day, Deng Wenchang, who was seated opposite her, started ‘acting up’ again. He simply snorted at Qiao Nan.

  Initially, Qiao Nan was in a good mood but she was holding her head now. What to do? Ever since she saw Deng Wenchang as her enemy, she especially wanted to beat up Deng Wenchang each time she saw his bizarre behavior.

  At this age, she had only seen women who were coyer than Deng Wenchang, but no man who was coyer than Deng Wenchang. Hence, Deng Wenchang was also considered a ‘champion’ amongst men.

  Not bothering with Deng Wenchang’s eccentric ways, Qiao Nan concentrated on fulfilling her duties and responsibilities, in case Deng Wenchang, who had been watching her like a hawk, were to find any fault with her and say ugly things.

  Deng Wenchang’s unfriendly attitude was already very obvious. However, he was not pleased with Qiao Nan’s attitude. She was nonchalant to his behavior. Deng Wenchang would feel a little better even if she were to reveal the slightest revulsion.

  At this moment, Deng Wenchang’s tolerance had reached its limit.

  He had asked his father. Given Qiao Nan’s situation, what kind of method should he use to evict her? Perhaps he could find evidence of He Yi and Qiao Nan having an affair to force Qiao Nan to leave the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then threaten He Yi with to hand over his minister position to others who were more capable.

  Father Deng also had such thoughts. Since he heard from Deng Wenchang that He Yi seemed to give special treatment to Qiao Nan, he had already gotten someone to investigate their relationship.

  The problem was that Father Deng did not find any evidence against Qiao Nan and He Yi. Besides going to work and socializing with his colleagues, He Yi was always home to keep his wife and children company.

  Father Deng deduced that, given He Yi’s routine, he did not have any time to mess around, have any extramarital affair, or be lovey-dovey with a mistress at all.