She was definitely not to be blamed. She wasn’t the one who had raised Qiao Zijin to be this way. It was Ding Jiayi.

  She had survived several years living in a much worse environment. Ding Jiayi and Qiao Zijin had stayed in a better environment for just a few days. Were they really pitiful? It was only because they had been living too comfortably in the past that they were so ungrateful. Although they were clearly in the wrong, they were shameless enough to push the blame to others!

  Ding Jiayi had clearly chased her own husband around. If Qiao Nan were to pity Ding Jiayi after that lecture, she would be shooting herself in the foot. As such, Qiao Nan unhesitatingly hung up the call. So what if Ding Jiayi was calling her about Qiao Dongliang? Her tone and words had been just as nasty and exasperating.

  “…” Because Qiao Nan had hung up on her, Ding Jiayi sobered up significantly. Now, she had no right to throw a tantrum at Qiao Nan. She would even have to depend on Qiao Nan to bring Qiao Dongliang back. Qiao Nan was no longer the same Qiao Nan whom she could easily manipulate and bully. Qiao Nan was now the chief’s wife and had her in-laws backing her up. She couldn’t be more confident now!

  With no other choice, Ding Jiayi dialed Qiao Nan’s number again even after that insult. Unless she no longer wanted her husband, Qiao Dongliang, not only would she have to listen to Qiao Nan no matter how horrible it would be, but she would even have to accept whatever Qiao Nan said without rebuking her.

  \r \r \r

  “Qiao Nan, can we have a chat?”

  “…” Qiao Nan rolled her eyes uncontrollably. Hadn’t she been having a good chat earlier on? It was Ding Jiayi who had flared up and lost her temper. “I’ve already explained my dad’s situation clearly. If you’re really concerned about his safety, I can tell you that you don’t have to worry about that. My dad’s doing well and he’s not in danger at all. My dad contacted me to say that he may have fewer connections and friends in that new environment, but he feels much better. It’s only been two days but he’s already made new friends. Recently, he’s even started to learn to play chess, and he’s gotten himself a chess buddy too. So, if you still have anything you’re worried about, tell me about it and I’ll explain it to you.”

  Marrying Zhai Sheng had been a really good decision.

  Ping Cheng was the Zhai family’s hometown too. Besides, Zhai Hua and Jiajia were still living in Ping Cheng. Even though Qiao Nan was in the capital, she could settle Qiao Dongliang down without any trouble or even returning to Ping Cheng.

  “…” Ding Jiayi bit on her lip and sniffled. “Can-can you send me to your dad?”

  Of course, she knew that Old Qiao would definitely be living comfortably with Qiao Nan taking care of him. Qiao Nan didn’t treat her very well, but she did treat her father pretty well. With Qiao Nan around, she would definitely not need to worry about Old Qiao getting into any danger. In fact, Old Qiao would probably be more carefree than any of them.

  She couldn’t deny that Qiao Nan was not only more outstanding than Qiao Zijin, but she was much more filial than Qiao Zijin too. The person whom she and Qiao Dongliang would have to rely on in their old age wasn’t Qiao Zijin but Qiao Nan. Although she understood that, Ding Jiayi was equally upset and displeased with the situation.

  She didn’t understand why Qiao Zijin had turned out to be such a mess even though she had devoted her whole life to Qiao Zijin. On the other hand, Qiao Nan had only graduated from junior high school, and yet, she had made a mark for herself and had the ability to support her parents in their old age. Why had nothing gone to plan?

  Ding Jiayi dared not think too much about anything else. She had finally returned to Ping Cheng with much difficulty, only to find Qiao Dongliang missing from the Qiao family’s courtyard in Ping Cheng. Because of that, Ding Jiayi no longer had any desire to live here anymore. To a woman, home was wherever her husband and children were.

  Ding Jiayi didn’t have a good relationship with Qiao Nan, and neither did she want to rely on Qiao Zijin ever again. In that case, Ding Jiayi’s home was naturally where Qiao Dongliang was. She wanted nothing more than to be by Qiao Dongliang’s side. She would live however Old Qiao lived. Qiao Nan wouldn’t shortchange Old Qiao, so that meant that she wouldn’t be shortchanged either if she lived with Old Qiao.

  Qiao Nan had already guessed Ding Jiayi’s thoughts. “I can’t make a decision on whether you can live with my dad. I’ll have to ask him about it. Once I contact him tomorrow and ask him about it, I’ll get someone to send you over if he agrees. If he refuses, I won’t be able to do anything about it. Actually, I’m sure you and I both know the answer to this even without calling him. But I know that I’ll be at fault if I don’t make that call, and neither will you ever give up. Alright, let’s talk again tomorrow.”

  “Don’t-don’t hang up.” Ding Jiayi panicked. “Since you already know the answer, why do you still have to ask your dad about it? Do you really want me to… Forget it. Your dad’s still angry at me. Besides, why do I need his approval? Do you mean that I can’t move over without his approval? Then, I’ll just not live with him. Help me arrange for an apartment next to your dad’s. I’ll just be his neighbor. That should be fine, right?”

  As long as she lived nearby, the end result would be similar whether they shared an apartment or were just neighbors.

  “Hehehe…” Qiao Nan was all too familiar with Ding Jiayi’s conceit. “My dad had already expected you to say that, so he left you a message. He said that he didn’t want you to bother with Qiao Zijin anymore, but you did it anyway. He can’t stop you from doing what you want, and neither do you have to get his approval. This still stands. He doesn’t care if you agree, but he doesn’t want to live near you. Between you and my dad, I’ll definitely choose to stand on my dad’s side. As long as my dad disagrees, I won’t accede to any of your requests. If you have nothing else, the only thing I can help you out with is conveying your message to my dad tomorrow. After that, it’ll depend entirely on my dad’s attitude.”

  Qiao Nan had no intention of picking up the phone again after hanging up this time.

  Of course, unplugging the landline was the easiest way to avoid Ding Jiayi. Anyway, she contacted her dad through her mobile phone, not the landline.

  “Yee ya.” Sensing her mom’s unhappiness, San Bao tried her best to pounce into Qiao Nan’s embrace, grinning as she drooled on Qiao Nan.