Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

  Initially, she thought that Ding Jiayi had simply gone out to get groceries and hadn’t returned. But after an hour of waiting, she finally decided to take a look in Ding Jiayi’s room. The moment she took a look in the room, she realized that something was wrong. There seemed to be fewer of Ding Jiayi’s clothes there.

  Qiao Zijin could not help but ask her neighbors about Ding Jiayi’s situation.

  It was obvious that the neighbors did not like an overbearing mother like Ding Jiayi. As such, they didn’t pay much heed to Qiao Zijin either.

  It was incredulous that Qiao Zijin had to ask outsiders where her own mom had gone.

  After a round of mockery, the neighbor told Qiao Zijin that Ding Jiayi had left the Qiao family’s courtyard with some luggage the previous day and had not returned. She had probably moved away.

  There was no point in asking them if Qiao Zijin really wanted to find her mom.

  Ding Jiayi was Qiao Zijin’s biological mother. Even if Qiao Zijin didn’t know that Ding Jiayi had moved away, didn’t she have any way of contacting her?

  If the relationship between the mother and daughter had deteriorated to that state, why would Qiao Zijin still ask where Ding Jiayi was? What a joke!

  The situation was awkward and Qiao Zijin didn’t know how to salvage it. She dialed Ding Jiayi’s number, but a mechanical voice recording informed her that the phone had been switched off.

  What nonsense!

  It wasn’t as though Qiao Zijin hadn’t done something like that before. Normally, their families’ phones were never switched off unless they ran out of credit on their phone cards.

  Upon hearing the mechanical answer, Qiao Zijin knew that Ding Jiayi was learning from her, just like how she had changed her phone number after going to the capital.

  \r \r \r

  In other words, Qiao Zijin had lost all means of contacting Ding Jiayi. She had no idea where her mom was, and there would be no way of her getting any living allowance from Ding Jiayi, much less take advantage of Ding Jiayi to get some free meals.

  Qiao Zijin felt like she had been punched in the face and sat in a daze in the Qiao family’s house for a long time.

  More than a year ago, Ding Jiayi had faced such an experience after realizing that Qiao Dongliang had moved away after returning from the capital. The difference was that the person being abandoned today was Qiao Zijin.

  Ding Jiayi was Qiao Zijin’s last hope of eating free meals. There was no way she would give up just like that.

  As such, Qiao Zijin made a call to Qiao Nan to provoke her so that Qiao Nan would let her know of Ding Jiayi’s whereabouts.

  Ding Jiayi hadn’t even told her that she was going to move away. Was there even a need to question it? It was obviously the work of Qiao Nan.

  Without Qiao Nan’s help and support, Ding Jiayi would never have the ability or money to move away. Two years ago, Qiao Dongliang had also been able to move away only because of Qiao Nan’s help.

  “Qiao Nan, do you know how annoying you are? Even though we’re sisters, I’ve never met anyone more annoying than you.” Qiao Zijin could no longer hold back her resentment and spat out her true feelings to Qiao Nan for the first time.

  Yes, she hated Qiao Nan. She hated Qiao Nan to death.

  If Qiao Nan had not been born, the Qiao family would have lived comfortably. As a second-generation official, she would never have faced so much stress and pressure.

  If her father had not left the military and had become a battalion commander, she might not even have married Chen Jun and treated him as her savior. Besides, it wouldn’t have mattered even if she had indeed had an affair with someone of an illustrious family background like that. Chen Jun wasn’t entirely innocent either. Would Chen Jun dare to get a divorce from her then? Perhaps, with a family like that, Chen Jun wouldn’t even dare to start an affair.

  Qiao Nan had ruined her life, and yet, she wasn’t even going to give her a chance to live?

  Qiao Nan was already living a comfortable life. Did she have to push her into a corner and watch her die before she would finally be willing to give up?

  How could there be such a cruel and vicious person like Qiao Nan in this world?

  What kind of person was this?!

  Hearing Qiao Zijin’s resentful words, Qiao Nan would have flown into a rage in the past. However, Qiao Nan did not have much of a reaction today. “Why? Have you gone back to your night life and have been drinking and dancing through the night? Or did you eat something you shouldn’t have? Why is your mind so muddled?”

  “You purposely said such cruel words to hurt me and provoke me just to vent your temper. Qiao Zijin, are you still a three-year-old kid? Don’t you think you’re being very childish? Since you’re calling me, it means that you know very well that she’s moved away.”

  “…”

  After that scolding, Qiao Zijin’s mind seemed to have cleared slightly.

  Qiao Nan was spot on. Because her son had returned to her side and she didn’t need to spend any money on raising him, and she had even gotten rid of the burden that was Ding Jiayi, Qiao Zijin had indeed indulged herself by resuming her night life.

  Alcohol truly emboldened people.

  With the help of alcohol, she dared to say everything that she dared not say at all at other times.

  But she had gotten a good night’s sleep and had eaten her breakfast too. As such, the effect of the alcohol from the previous night was not as strong anymore. Because of Qiao Nan’s words, Qiao Zijin’s face flushed red as she panted for breath, but she remained silent.

  “After Dad moved away, she kept asking me for Dad’s contact details and address, but I refused to divulge it to her. This time, I’m sure you understand that it wasn’t my idea for her to move away. She was the one who wanted to do so. You said it as well. She raised me, so I agreed to her request and helped her move to a better environment. I respect Dad, and I respect her as well. She changed her phone number. If she wants to contact you, she’ll send you a message. There’s no use in asking me anything. I’m not telling you anything.”

  It wasn’t just her. Even Ding Jiayi had guessed that Qiao Zijin would return sooner or later as long as there were benefits to be reaped.

  Ding Jiayi had to bear the burden of loneliness alone and was even the subject of Zijin’s schemes. Even a saint wouldn’t be able to tolerate it, much less Ding Jiayi, who was extremely selfish.

  It hadn’t been easy for Ding Jiayi to leave all this behind. It would be strange if Ding Jiayi took the initiative to contact Qiao Zijin.

  Qiao Zijin’s grip on the phone tightened. “You really… You forgave her?”

  Otherwise, why would Qiao Nan care about their mom and treat her so well, allowing her to enjoy the same treatment as their dad?

  If Qiao Nan could forgive someone like their mom, shouldn’t Qiao Nan forgive her sister and treat her well too? After all, it had been her mom who had ill-treated Qiao Nan all these years. She had nothing to do with it.

  Hope surged in Qiao Zijin’s heart. With Qiao Nan around, would she still need to worry about Feng Feng’s future?

  If Feng Feng made a name for himself, she wouldn’t even need to worry about herself and would definitely be able to lead a comfortable and glorious life.