“So be it. I’m angry at him too. There have been so many accidents. Isn’t it obvious that the heavens don’t want him to come to the capital either? Why doesn’t he realize that? He can get angry for all I care.” Qiao Zijin had already understood that her dad would never agree to her marrying Zhai Sheng to become the stepmother to Qiao Nan’s three children once Qiao Nan died.

  Her dad had not helped her when she needed help and was even trying to drag her down. She didn’t care for a father like that. Who was angry at whom? What a joke!

  What bothered Qiao Zijin most now was the Zhai family’s attitude. She had already tried twice but she had not managed to see Qiao Nan. Even when she had visited the hospital and said that she was Qiao Nan’s sister and that she was there to visit Qiao Nan, the staff had refused to tell her which ward Qiao Nan was in.

  Qiao Zijin was determined to find out which ward Qiao Nan was in, but the hospital was too large and Qiao Zijin was not familiar with the internal structure of the hospital. She had almost gotten lost the previous two times she tried. Afterward, she had even heard that visitors didn’t have access to every floor.

  Upon hearing that, Qiao Zijin immediately realized that Qiao Nan was either not in this hospital or staying on a floor that was inaccessible to ordinary people. Even if she managed to guess where Qiao Nan was staying, she would never be allowed in.

  Thinking about how Qiao Nan was already eight months pregnant, she knew that Qiao Nan did not have much time left. Qiao Zijin could not help but wonder if she would have to wait until the very last minute to get close to Qiao Nan and let Qiao Nan know of her plan.

  \r \r \r

  That wouldn’t do. It would be too much of a rush and Qiao Zijin felt anxious just thinking about it. If Qiao Nan spoke too late and didn’t manage to let Zhai Sheng or the Zhai family know about such a plan before she passed on, implementing it would be difficult no matter how flawless her plan was.

  Qiao Zijin felt that there was no way Zhai Sheng’s next wife would treat Qiao Nan’s three children well. She had never seen a kind stepmother in her life. She had heard of it but that didn’t mean that the Zhai Sheng thought so as well. Perhaps, the Zhai family would want to preserve their dignity. After all, it was not as though their entire family had died. If Zhai Sheng were to remarry, they would never let his next wife bully the three children.

  It was not strange at all for such a respected and powerful family to think in this manner.

  As such, Qiao Nan’s attitude would determine the rest of her life. That was why she could not afford to make any mistakes in her next step.

  “Alright, I’ve already let you know what’s going on with your dad. If you have a plan in mind, I won’t worry about it anymore.” Ding Jiayi had no idea what Qiao Zijin was planning to do after reaching the capital. She was in Ping Cheng while Qiao Zijin was in the capital. Even if she was anxious and wanted to do something, there was nothing she could do. Qiao Zijin could only rely on herself. “But the Zhai family arranged for your dad’s accommodation, so he probably doesn’t need to spend any more money. Didn’t you say that it’s expensive staying in a hotel? Why don’t you stay with him?”

  The Zhai family was already paying for the accommodation. There would be no difference whether it was one or two people staying there. It was not as though the Zhai family would have to pay twice the amount of money. So, there should probably be no problem if Zijin went to look for Old Qiao.

  No matter how angry Old Qiao was, he should know his limits. Neither she nor Zijin had committed arson or murder. Zijin was Old Qiao’s daughter, after all. Old Qiao could not leave his daughter in the lurch in a place like the capital, right?

  “Fathers and daughters don’t develop enmity overnight. Once you find your dad, coax him a little. If that doesn’t work, push all the blame for the loss of his identity card to me. Do whatever you need to get him to forgive you. Tell him that you had no idea about it and that I was the one behind all that. Anyway, your dad has already brought up divorce. It doesn’t matter if he scolds me even more.”

  As long as he did not go through with the divorce, she would just treat Old Qiao’s words as harmless threats.

  Zijin could push the blame to her, and once Zijin and Old Qiao returned, she would simply deny it. That would be the end of the matter. He had no evidence, anyway. There was no need to be so anxious over the matter. No one could pin the blame on her with mere suspicions.

  Qiao Zijin gave it some thought and realized that that plan would work. “Alright, I’ll tell my dad that I don’t know anything in case I let something slip in front of him. My dad is quite stupid in front of outsiders, but his mind is somehow clear in front of the two of us. It’s better if I just remain mum.”

  If she could stay with her dad, she would be able to save a huge sum of money. It was not that she could not bear to spend money. It was just a waste to spend it all on her accommodation. So what if she had spent three thousand six hundred on eighteen bus tickets? Her dad had got on the bus and arrived in the capital all the same.

  She could spend money but only on the right things.

  Since Qiao Nan was in the hospital, she could afford to spend money on Qiao Nan. Instead of spending money on her accommodation, it would naturally be better for her to spend that money on Qiao Nan and her children to gain some favor.

  “Give me a minute. Let me call my dad and ask him where he’s staying. I’ll move over too.” She believed that her dad would not chase her out as long as she moved in. Thinking about the money she would be able to save, Qiao Zijin’s pounding heart calmed down.

  The moment she ended the call with Ding Jiayi, Qiao Zijin immediately made a call to Qiao Dongliang. At this moment, Qiao Dongliang had already had his dinner and was preparing to go to bed. That was his routine in Ping Cheng too. Even in the unfamiliar capital, Qiao Dongliang stuck to that routine since he did not have anything else to do. He could not possibly be like Ding Jiayi and watch the television while munching on melon seeds.

  “Hello. Who’s that?” Qiao Dongliang had not paid attention to the caller ID and had simply picked up the phone.

  “Dad, it’s me.”

  “Zijin?” Qiao Dongliang frowned and his drowsiness dissipated immediately. He sat up in his bed and switched on the bedside lamp. “Why are you suddenly calling me?”

  Could it be that Ding Jiayi had not told Zijin about his words earlier?