Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

  As Qi Minlan said that, she looked at Qiao Nan since her ‘perfect plan’ required Qiao Nan’s agreement and cooperation. If Qiao Nan disagreed, Zhai Sheng would not agree to it either given how much he cared about her.

  Thinking about her daughter’s frail look and frequency of crying these days, Qi Minlan gritted her teeth and kneeled down before Qiao Nan. “Miss Qiao, I know that it’s very shameless of me to be saying this, but I have no other choice. Chenxi is my daughter. I have no other wishes but for her to be Zhai Sheng’s wife in name. You guys can do whatever you want in private. Miss Qiao, I hope that you can fulfill the wish of someone who has one foot in the grave.”

  What Qi Minlan meant was that the person who married Zhai Sheng had to be Qiu Chenxi and that Qiu Chenxi would be Zhai Sheng’s legal wife and the chief’s wife. It did not matter if Zhai Sheng gave all of his love and affection to Qiao Nan in private.

  At the very least, Qiu Chenxi would not be alone. If Qiao Nan were to give birth to Zhai Sheng’s child, this child would simply have to address Qiu Chenxi as ‘mom’. Apart from that, Qi Minlan did not care about how that child would interact with Qiao Nan, and neither would she make any other requests, much less ask that child to stay by Qiu Chenxi and be raised by Qiu Chenxi.

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  In reality, before kneeling down, and even before Qiao Nan had called Zhai Sheng over, Qi Minlan had already thought of such a plan. She did not believe that Qiao Nan would not feel inferior getting married to Zhai Sheng with a background like hers.

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  Qiu Chenxi had already said that she could not give birth to children but wanted to have a child by her side, and this child had to be Zhai Sheng’s, no less. If she were to adopt a child that had no relation to Zhai Sheng, Qiu Chenxi thought that it would be meaningless to raise that child. On the other hand, it would be different if she were to raise Zhai Sheng’s biological child.

  The one who raised a child was more important than the one who gave birth to the child, after all. As long as she held this child within her grasp and shared the same ideas as the child, she would still be able to live as the matriarch of the Zhai family and the mother of that child even if Zhai Sheng did not like her and did not have feelings for her.

  Because of Qiu Chenxi’s desires, Qi Minlan had finally come up with this solution after a long while. This child had to be Zhai Sheng’s, but Zhai Sheng loved Qiao Nan. Thus, she could give Qiao Nan a sum of money. That way, Zhai Sheng could fulfill his wishes of being with Qiao Nan and she could make Qiao Nan have Zhai Sheng’s child.

  Chenxi might have such a plan but Qiao Nan did not. The way ordinary women thought was that as long as a man had only one son, all of the man’s assets would immediately be his son’s. Then, whatever belonged to her son would belong to her too. There was no difference in that.

  She allowed Qiao Nan to have Zhai Sheng’s child and promised that everything in the Zhai family would belong to that child. In that way, Qiao Nan would have no reason to refuse. Moreover, she would even give Qiao Nan a huge sum of money. After giving birth to the child, Qiao Nan could then take the money and move to a better place.

  Yes, after Qiao Nan gave birth, she would have to leave. If Qiao Nan wanted her money, her requirement would be for Qiao Nan to never see the child again before he came of age.

  Qi Minlan was worried that the child would no longer be on Qiu Chenxi’s side if Qiao Nan were to meet the child often.

  But Qi Minlan did not dare to say anything of that manner. She was begging Qiao Nan to leave Zhai Sheng so as to let her daughter take that place. Besides, looking at how much Zhai Sheng cared about Qiao Nan, Zhai Sheng might just get angry if Qiao Nan were to leave after giving birth to the child. Then, he might decide to only raise the child and not marry Qiu Chenxi, blaming Qiao Nan’s departure on Qiu Chenxi. What would happen then?

  Qi Minlan had no other choice and could only humble herself even more. Apart from being the chief’s wife in name, Zhai Sheng could give everything else to Qiao Nan. Neither she nor Qiu Chenxi would care or try to stop him as long as Qiao Nan agreed to it and was willing to let them have their way.

  Of course, Qiao Nan could not accept Qi Minlan kneeling before her. As such, the moment she saw Qi Minlan kneel down, Qiao Nan could not stop her, but she could at least move away from the direction Qi Minlan was facing. “Brother Zhai is right. Qiu Chenxi is indeed your daughter. Without a mother like this, there would never be a daughter like her.”

  Qiao Nan had already felt that what had happened in the Qiao family had been ridiculous enough. Who would have known that she had encountered an even more ridiculous thing today? What Qiao Nan could not understand was how her chances of encountering such bizarre situations were so high when others did not encounter these situations even once in their lives! “Brother Zhai is willing to marry me and the Zhai family has already accepted me. I can be the Zhai family’s wife legally and publicly. Why should I become a mistress just because of your request?”

  “Do you really think that only getting your daughter to be Mrs. Zhai in name is the biggest concession you’re making? You seem to be forgetting that I can have everything that you’re asking for. Why would I choose to give up being Mrs. Zhai to be a lowly mistress? How did you even come up with such an idea? How could you even bear to bring it up? Do you really think I’m retarded?”

  What Qiao Nan wanted to say was that Qiu Chenxi and Qi Minlan were probably mentally unsound. Only a fool would agree to such a request.

  Qi Minlan felt as though she had exhausted all of her remaining dignity by kneeling. She already had once step in the grave, but she had never knelt down before anyone but her parents and her ancestors. Today, however, she had kneeled down before a caretaker who was even younger than her own daughter. This was the greatest shame in Qi Minlan’s life.

  But she had no other choice since her daughter could not fight for herself. For the sake of her daughter’s happiness, it did not matter even if she had to sacrifice a little of her own dignity. But who would have known that Qiao Nan wouldn’t make way for her and had even said such humiliating words? Qi Minlan could no longer hold it in.

  Qi Minlan looked at Qiao Nan sharply. “Miss Qiao, don’t forget that you’re only a caretaker. You should treat me with respect. Be careful that you’re struck by lightning because of that attitude of yours!” Even without Qiu Qin’s help, it would be easy for her to deal with Qiao Nan.

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  She had wanted to have a discussion with Qiao Nan not because she was afraid of Qiao Nan, but because she did not want Zhai Sheng’s impression of her daughter to get any worse, turning something that was almost impossible into truly impossible.