Chapter 31: When Is The Divorce
Translator:Atlas StudiosEditor:Atlas Studios
Hearing Qiao Nian's words, Teacher Liu nodded in understanding. Although he was getting old, he knew that young people nowadays would typically register their marriage before holding a wedding. It was different from Teacher Liu's era.
In fact, among everyone present, Qiao Xin was the one who was most upset. She looked at Qiao Nian in utter shock. She had never expected Gu Zhou to stand up for Qiao Nian.
Qiao Xin glanced up at Gu Zhou. Sensing the coldness radiating from him, she couldn't help but shiver.
By her side, Su Yan was staring at Gu Zhou in shock, his lips pressed together. He had made a mistake. He had never expected Qiao Nian to marry Gu Zhou.
What should he do now?
Su Yan recalled how he had insulted Qiao Nian over and over again. His father had repeatedly exhorted him to get along well with the Gu family, but now, he had offended Qiao Nian.
If Qiao Nian told Gu Zhou what he had said, he would…
Su Yan's face turned paler and paler. He wanted to seize the opportunity to retreat quietly from the scene, but there were many people standing behind him. He had no choice but to stand still.
"Which of you here said that my wife is mentally ill?" Gu Zhou asked coldly.
Zhou Xue had never seen Gu Zhou before, so she naturally didn't know who Gu Zhou was. She only felt that this man had a foul aura around him. Frowning, she stepped forward.
"Don't be fooled by Qiao Nian. She's not a good person at all!" Zhou Xue spoke firmly, "She was really a patient in the mental hospital!"
"Is that so?" Gu Zhou gave Zhou Xue a cold glance, then spoke to Chen Qing, who was standing not far away. "There seems to be something wrong with this lady. Take her away."
"Yes, sir," Chen Qing responded. He walked forward to take Zhou Xue away.
Zhou Xue's expression changed. She said anxiously, "Who are you? Don't touch me!"
As soon as Zhou Xue finished speaking, Chen Qing knocked her out without hesitation. Swiftly, he carried her out of the banquet hall.
When Teacher Liu saw that the troublemaker had left, he smiled at Qiao Nian and said, "That annoying little girl has finally left. The entire hall has finally quietened down."
Everyone thought to themselves, "Of course it's quiet. No one dares to speak!"
Seeing Gu Zhou walk over, Dr. Wang put on a fawning smile and said, "Second Young Master Gu, how do you do!"
Gu Zhou raised his eyebrows slightly. He did not seem to recognize the man in front of him.
"I am Wang Shuo. I thank the Gu family for investing in this research project." Wang Shuo smiled eagerly and extended a hand to Gu Zhou, wanting to shake his hand.
Gu Zhou didn't shake hands with Wang Shuo. Instead, he turned to gaze at Qiao Nian gently, speaking in a low voice. "If you need anything in the future, just ask for my help directly. It's useless to ask these shady people for help. After all, they clearly can't understand people of high intelligence, like you."
Everyone: Do you think we're all dunces?
Wang Shuo's hand hovered awkwardly in midair. He did not dare to retract it.
Teacher Liu agreed with Gu Zhou. He said approvingly, "Nian Nian, if you want to continue studying Chinese medicine, then…"
"Honey, why didn't you just tell me that you wanted to work in a laboratory? We can just build a laboratory." Gu Zhou gazed at Qiao Nian dotingly, his voice gentle.
Hearing Gu Zhou's words, Qiao Nian gave a sweet smile. "Thank you, Hubby."
Gu Zhou then turned to look at Wang Shuo and continued, "I'm sorry, I want to withdraw my investment."
The color on Wang Shuo's face instantly drained away. He felt as if the sky was collapsing!
Qiao Nian, too, was privately stunned. She didn't know why Gu Zhou had changed so much. In the past, Gu Zhou didn't even want to interact much with her.
After a while, Gu Zhou brought Qiao Nian out of the banquet hall. Seeing that Qiao Nian was still holding her PhD diploma, he said, "Your mentor likes you a lot."
"Teacher Liu is a good person." Qiao Nian looked down as she spoke, her voice impassive.
Actually, Teacher Liu was aware that her family had locked her up in the mental hospital on purpose. He would often send her lesson materials, and meticulously answered any questions she had regarding medicine.
Gu Zhou had asked other people to investigate the relationship between Qiao Nian and Teacher Liu. Seeing that they had nothing to do with the rest of those people, he was relieved.
"Can you treat my illness?" Gu Zhou asked calmly, his arm still around Qiao Nian's waist.
"Yes, I can try." Thinking about Gu Zhou's illness, Qiao Nian said thoughtfully, "Gu Zhou, when do you plan to divorce me?"
The flirtatious atmosphere between the two of them instantly vanished. A gust of wind blew, causing Qiao Nian to feel a little cold.
Qiao Nian did not receive any response from Gu Zhou. She smiled and said to him, "Don't worry, I'll continue to treat your illness after the divorce."
"Divorce?" Gu Zhou gave Qiao Nian a cold look, his eyes filled with ice. "I will never divorce you!"
Qiao Nian stopped in her tracks and turned to look at Gu Zhou, blinking in confusion.
Under the silvery moonlight, her small face looked even fairer.
Qiao Nian's lips parted slightly in confusion. "Why?"
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Qiao Nian felt that something was wrong. Shouldn't Gu Zhou be eager to divorce her?
Just then, Lin Nan walked over with a folder in his hand. He greeted politely, "Second Young Master, Second Young Madam."
"Secretary Lin." Seeing that Lin Nan was hesitating to speak, Qiao Nian prepared to find an excuse to leave.
"Just say it here!" Gu Zhou gave Qiao Nian a meaningful look, then looked toward Lin Nan calmly. "She is not an outsider."
Qiao Nian looked at Gu Zhou with a complicated expression, frowning slightly. She stood there with her head lowered, trying to reduce her presence as much as possible.
"I've withdrawn the investment in Wang Shuo's company. Second Young Master, I've bought that new medical company too. The renovations will start tomorrow," Lin Nan said respectfully.
At Lin Nan's words, Gu Zhou nodded with satisfaction. He turned to Qiao Nian and said, "Would you like to visit the research company tomorrow?"
Qiao Nian nodded blankly. The more she spent time with Gu Zhou, the more she found herself puzzled by him.
When they returned to the house at night, Gu Zhou did not request for Qiao Nian to sleep with him. Qiao Nian privately heaved a sigh of relief and hurriedly ran back to her room.
Qiao Nian lounged lazily on the bed after taking a shower. When she thought of Gu Zhou's strange behavior tonight, she couldn't help but frown. She knew that no matter what she asked, Gu Zhou wouldn't say anything if he didn't want to.
The next day, Qiao Nian was reading a book on medicine at home. When she heard from Butler Zhao that Matriarch Gu had returned, she closed the book and walked downstairs.
"My darling girl, you're finally here." Matriarch Gu smiled at Qiao Nian and said gently, "I have something to tell you."
Qiao Nian smiled and nodded.
"Today is Madam Shen's 70th birthday. Come with me to her birthday banquet. I've already prepared the birthday gift for you!" Matriarch Gu smiled at Qiao Nian. In a tone that left no room for argument, she said, "I'll bring you to select a gown first, then bring you to the stylist. Then, you'll be able to visit the Shen family tonight."
The Shen family?
Qiao Nian lowered her gaze. Could it be Shen Yue's family?
That night five years ago, when she was in a daze, the person supporting her seemed to have met Shen Yue along the way.
Qiao Nian had asked someone to contact Shen Yue in the past, but Shen Yue seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving no trace behind.
How odd.
Both Li Chun and Shen Yue had disappeared after that incident five years ago.
Li Chun came from an ordinary family. The Qiao family would only need to raise a finger, and Li Chun would naturally be unable to fight back.
But Shen Yue was different. Shen Yue was the eldest daughter of the Shen family. The Qiao family did not have the ability to do anything to Shen Yue. If they did, the Qiao family would have easily been ruined five years ago.
What went wrong?
Qiao Nian's brow furrowed slightly.
"My darling?"
"Grandma." Qiao Nian came back to her senses. With a warm smile on her face, she gazed unblinkingly at Matriarch Gu.
Matriarch Gu grasped Qiao Nian's hand and patted it gently. She said softly, "I know you've never attended such an event before. You must be afraid. But don't worry. With Grandma around, no one can bully you!"
"Thank you, Grandma." Qiao Nian smiled.
Qiao Nian left the house with Matriarch Gu. In the car, she secretly sent a text to Old A, asking him to continue investigating Shen Yue.
In the past, Qiao Nian had attended several banquets with Su Xue. At that time, she was still young, and she had grown up in the countryside. Every time Su Xue tossed her a gown, she would change into it, and that would be all!
After that, she was locked up in the mental hospital, and rarely appeared at any social events.
Last night was her first time attending a school banquet. That banquet was mainly a networking event, so it did have high standards for make-up or style.
However, the Shen family's birthday banquet was different.
Matriarch Gu led Qiao Nian to the store and asked the service staff to help Qiao Nian pick a gown.
Qiao Nian had always been the kind of person who preferred staying at home most of the time. After choosing a dress, she would try it on and buy it if there were no problems.
But today, she couldn't.
When Qiao Nian came out of the fitting room wearing the twentieth dress, she was so exhausted she could have collapsed. She stood in front of the fitting room mirror and looked at herself, not understanding the differences between each of the dresses.
"This one looks good!" Matriarch Gu, who was sitting on the sofa, saw that Qiao Nian was wearing a light blue gown that hugged her waist. The back of the dress extended all the way to her ankles and the front to her knees. It was breathtakingly beautiful. Matriarch Gu said to the service staff, "This one will do!"
Qiao Nian secretly heaved a sigh of relief. She had already been picking a dress for two hours. The morning was almost over.
Smiling, the service staff paid Qiao Nian a few compliments, and didn't forget to issue the bill.
Matriarch Gu walked in a circle around Qiao Nian. This gown made her look even more elegant, fitting Qiao Nian's aura perfectly. Matriarch Gu said admiringly, "This gown seems to be tailor-made for you."
Qiao Nian smiled lightly. Lowering her gaze, she said, "Grandma, may I change out of it now?"
"Alright, you may!" Matriarch Gu nodded in satisfaction.
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Qiao Nian heaved a sigh of relief and swiftly changed out of her gown.
Initially, Qiao Nian had thought that that would be the end of it. However, by the time afternoon rolled around, she realized that this morning was just the beginning of her preparations for the banquet. Matriarch Gu had hired a makeup artist to help her with her makeup.
Four hours later, Qiao Nian changed into a gown, her makeup immaculate, and made her appearance at the Gu family villa.
Matriarch Gu's gaze fell on Qiao Nian's face. Qiao Nian's beautiful eyes were clear and bright, like those of a forest deer, making it impossible for one to look away.
When Qiao Nian appeared at the Shen family's banquet, everyone was stunned.
She looked like a fairy maiden from the heavenly realm, pure and flawless. She was so perfect that no one quite dared to touch her.
Qiao Xin stood next to Su Xue, her hands clenched into fists. Her nails dug into her palms as she glared at Qiao Nian with hatred.
She yearned for Qiao Nian to disappear from this world.
Five years ago, she managed to destroy Qiao Nian after much effort. She didn't expect Qiao Nian to bounce back.
However, she was going to make Qiao Nian hit rock bottom tonight. When Qiao Nian got together with other men at Madam Shen's birthday banquet, she wanted to see if Gu Zhou would still want her!
Qiao Xin lowered her gaze, worried that others would see the hatred in her eyes. She initially wanted Zhou Xue to do it, but Gu Zhou had sent Zhou Xue to the mental hospital, so Qiao Xin could only get others to help.
Matriarch Gu had brought Qiao Nian to the banquet today to let everyone know that Qiao Nian was now the Second Young Madam of the Gu family. It was also a show of support for Qiao Nian. Matriarch Gu wanted everyone to forget about Qiao Nian's past!
Zhao Qian was wearing a white gown. When she went to pick out a gown today, she saw her great aunt coming out of the dress shop with Qiao Nian.
Zhao Qian recalled that her great aunt used to go with her to pick out dresses in the past. Today, not only did she not do so, but she also did not bring her along to the banquet.
Seeing Matriarch Gu exchange greetings with Matriarch Shen, Zhao Qian obediently walked up to Old Madam Gu and greeted sweetly, "Great Aunt!"
When Matriarch Gu saw Zhao Qian, the smile on her face widened. She said softly, "Qian Qian, you're getting prettier!"
"Thank you for your compliment, Great Aunt!"
Matriarch Gu turned to look at Qiao Nian, her eyes gentle. Speaking in a soft voice, she said, "Go somewhere else and have fun. Call me if you need anything!"
Qiao Nian had initially wanted to leave to ask the other members of the Shen family about Shen Yue anyway, so she nodded in assent.
Matriarch Gu glanced at Zhao Qian and instructed, "Take your Second Sister-in-law somewhere else to play!"
Zhao Qian led Qiao Nian out of the room sullenly. Her face was expressionless as she said, "I've never been here before either. You can hang out here by yourself!"
With that, Zhao Qian left, betraying no emotions.
After leaving, Zhao Qian bumped into her friends. They stood together, chatting and laughing. Zhao Qian secretly kept an eye on Qiao Nian, who was not far away. In the beginning, Qiao Nian stood where she had left her, scrolling through her cell phone. After a while, she went up to the second floor. Seeing that, Zhao Qian began to sneak after her quietly.
In a room beside the bathroom on the second floor.
Zhao Qian hid herself in the room. She pushed the door slightly ajar. From afar, she saw Qiao Nian talking to a man in the bathroom.
Strange.
How could a woman like Qiao Nian be acquainted with other men?
Zhao Qian wanted to move closer and eavesdrop on Qiao Nian's conversation with the man, but she thought that she might expose her identity if she did so. She could only remain hidden where she was.
In the bathroom.
"Doctor Qiao, you and Matriarch Gu…" Shen Mo lowered his gaze, looking at the young lady in front of him. His words were a little hesitant. The news about Qiao Nian had long since spread in their social circle, but he had never believed that she would marry Gu Zhou.
"Young Master Shen, where has your cousin Shen Yue gone?" Qiao Nian could not find out where Shen Yue was. Her only hope was to get information about Shen Yue from Shen Mo.
At Qiao Nian's words, Shen Mo's heart, which had been in his throat, gradually settled back down. Clearing away his private conjectures, he said in a low voice, "She… she went overseas to study."
"Which country is she in? Do you have her contact information?" Qiao Nian asked eagerly. If the Shen family wanted to hide someone, it would be an easy task.
Shen Mo looked at Qiao Nian in confusion. Softly, he asked, "Miss Qiao, you…"
"I would like to consult Shen Yue regarding some matters. I didn't see Miss Shen Yue downstairs just now, so…" Qiao Nian's expression took on a tinge of disappointment as she spoke.
"As you know, I've been trapped in a mental hospital all this time. In the past, I couldn't sneak out of the hospital in case my family found out. This delay has lasted for five years!"
At Qiao Nian's words, Shen Mo frowned slightly and said, "Miss Qiao, don't worry. I'll help you ask."
"Thank you, Young Master Shen."
Shen Mo looked at Qiao Nian's faint smile and the dimples in her cheeks. He could not help but smile in return.. "Doctor Qiao, you're too polite. I still have to thank Doctor Qiao for saving my life back then!"
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"That was in the past, Young Master Shen. You shouldn't feel obliged," Qiao Nian said as she tucked her hair behind her ear. She saw someone approaching from afar. "Young Master Shen, please excuse me!"
Shen Mo nodded slightly.
Qiao Nian walked towards the stairs in her high heels. Along the way, she passed by Qiao Xin, but left without even turning to look at her.
Qiao Xin gave Qiao Nian a strange look. She had wanted to speak to Qiao Nian, but seeing Qiao Nian ignore her completely, she couldn't be bothered to speak up. She would just be snubbed anyway.
Qiao Xin walked towards the bathroom. When she saw Shen Mo, she smiled and greeted, "Young Master Shen."
Shen Mo nodded elegantly in response. He walked towards the stairs, his expression blank.
Zhao Qian, who had been hiding in the room, saw that Qiao Nian and Shen Mo had left. Only then did she step out of the room, frowning.
Zhao Qian mused to herself. Shen Mo and Qiao Nian had met up privately, without anyone else knowing. Could it be that they were having an affair?
As she thought about this, Zhao Qian's eyes lit up. If Brother Gu Zhou knew that Qiao Nian was together with another man, he would definitely divorce her. When that happened, she could marry Brother Gu Zhou!
Zhao Qian regretted not taking a photo of Shen Mo and Qiao Nian together. If she had, she could have sent it to Brother Gu Zhou. However, she felt that Qiao Nian would definitely meet Shen Mo again.
Qiao Nian went downstairs. Sitting alone, she began to eat quietly. After a while, her phone buzzed. She unlocked her phone and saw that Old A had sent Shen Yue's information over.
The information that Old A had found covered all the same bases, but Shen Yue's information was still only from five years ago. In the end, the words "whereabouts unknown" indicated the time she had disappeared.
Frustrated, Qiao Nian took a sip of her wine, then calmed down. Her only hope was with Shen Mo.
After a while, a maid passed by Qiao Nian with a tray of drinks and said in a low voice, "Young Master Shen is waiting for you by the pool!"
Qiao Nian glanced at the maid's retreating back. She stepped out of the villa.
After leaving the villa, Qiao Nian felt that the whole world had become much quieter. At long last, she no longer needed to listen to the cordial yet wholly insincere conversation of the people inside the house.
The Shen family's garden was quite big. If Qiao Nian hadn't asked the servants beforehand, she might have gotten lost.
She walked over to the pool. Seeing that there was no one around, Qiao Nian grew doubtful.
At this moment, a figure walked over from afar. Qiao Nian turned around and saw a dreadful-looking man walking towards her.
"Hey, gorgeous! Are you waiting for me?" The man looked at Qiao Nian lewdly. His Adam's apple bobbed in his throat as he rubbed his hands together. "Don't be shy. Come with me, we'll have fun together!"
Qiao Nian spun around. She was about to leave when she saw a young lady in a gown standing behind her.
The young lady was holding a bat in her hand. Without hesitation, she brought the bat down on Qiao Nian's head.
Did someone set her up?
Qiao Nian was already holding a coma-inducing drug in her hand. Without hesitation, she threw the drug in the girl's face and was about to leave when the man walked up to the girl, grabbing hold of her.
"Miss, what happened? Are you alright?" The man looked at the young lady anxiously.
Qiao Nian immediately turned to walk towards the villa. From afar, she saw many people walking out of the villa. She had no choice but to hide in a dark corner.
Could someone have set her up?
Qiao Nian looked towards the side of the pool. The young lady had thrown herself into the man's arms. The two of them were entangled together in a fit of passion.
Something was wrong.
The drug she gave the girl would only have made her unconscious.
Qiao Nian suddenly recalled that when she left, she had smelled the fragrance of the girl's perfume. It seemed to be mixed with some other scent.
It was a lust drug!
The powdered drug should have been on the gown that the young lady was wearing. The drug would take effect immediately after touching the skin, and someone standing one meter away would also be aroused by the smell.
If Qiao Nian wasn't wrong, someone must have invited the young lady and the man to the pool at the same time. If Qiao Nian had smelled the scent of love powder, she might be locked in an embrace with the two of them now.
What a vicious scheme!
Qiao Nian's gaze fell on the group of people coming out of the villa. Zhao Qian was at the front, Qiao Xin was at the back, and there were a few socialites in between that Qiao Nian didn't recognize.
Qiao Nian's expression darkened. She took out her cell phone and took a photo of the six of them. It must have been one of them who had planned this.
Qiao Xin, Zhao Qian, and the others walked to the pool, only to glimpse the young lady and the man having sex.
"Ah!"
Zhao Qian's scream rang out, frightening away all the birds in the garden.
"Don't scream!" Qiao Xin covered Zhao Qian's mouth and said softly, "Right now, we should pretend that we didn't see anything. Let's get out of here!"
Zhao Qian nodded, dazed.. Just as she was about to leave, she saw many servants running over towards them. Her expression instantly turned ugly!
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"What should we do? Someone's coming!" Zhao Qian was at her wits' end. Although she had meant no harm, if others found out that Miss Shen Xing was fooling around with a man in public, Shen Xing would definitely bear a grudge against her. So would the entire Shen family.
A trace of panic flashed in Qiao Xin's eyes. She had initially thought that Qiao Nian would also be present, but contrary to her expectations, there was only Shen Xing, together with a wretched man. This was terrible. If Matriarch Shen knew that Qiao Xin had caused Shen Xing to ruin her purity in front of everyone, then the Qiao family…
This wouldn't do.
She could not allow the Qiao family to fall into danger.
Seeing a socialite taking out her phone to record the scene, Qiao Xin seemed to have thought of something. She turned to leave, but saw Qiao Nian looking at her meaningfully from not far away.
Qiao Xin quickly looked away, not daring to meet Qiao Nian's eyes. Slowly, she pressed her slender fingers to her temple and collapsed to the ground weakly, pretending to faint.
Zhao Qian had wanted to ask Qiao Xin for help. Seeing Qiao Xin faint, she hurriedly shouted, "Qiao Xin! Qiao Xin, what's wrong? Wake up!"
When the socialite heard Zhao Qian's words, she turned to look at Qiao Xin, who was now lying on the ground. Just as she was about to speak, a servant hurried over.
"What happened?" Butler Shen looked at Qiao Xin, lying prone on the ground. Just as he finished speaking, he heard the sound of making love from not far away. He looked over and saw his family's Third Young Mistress sitting naked on a man, bouncing up and down.
"Miss!" At this moment, Butler Shen had no time to pay any attention to the person lying on the ground. He quickly ran toward the two people locked in an embrace on the lawn. When he saw that his family's Young Mistress was completely naked, his expression instantly soured. He immediately took off his suit jacket, draping it on Shen Xing's body.
"Go away!" Shen Xing was already wholly under the control of the lust drug. She pushed away Butler Shen, who was trying to pull her off the man, and flung away the suit jacket. She then threw herself onto the man in excitement.
Butler Shen had no choice but to knock Shen Xing out and forcibly take her away.
"What's going on here?" Along with many others, Matriarch Shen rushed to the scene. When she saw Shen Xing in Butler Shen's arms, her gaze landed on Shen Xing's bare legs. In that instant, she understood everything. She shouted sternly, "Butler, what's going on?"
Matriarch Shen was known for being strict with her children. However, on this special day, her granddaughter actually had sex in front of everyone. How could she tolerate this!
Matriarch Shen gripped her walking stick tightly. In order to protect the Shen family's reputation, she could only let Shen Xing suffer.
"Wake her up!" Matriarch Shen pointed at Shen Xing and said furiously, "And that man, bring him over!"
Butler Shen splashed pool water on Shen Xing, waking her up from her coma. He then tied the man up and threw him in front of Matriarch Shen.
"Ah!" When Shen Xing woke up, she discovered that she was only wearing a suit jacket. The suit jacket barely covered her thighs. If she moved slightly, she would be exposed in public.
She clutched at the jacket in a panic, her face red with embarrassment and fear. Shivering, she curled in on herself. Everything that had just happened replayed in her mind.
It was over!
It was all over!
Shen Xing drew a cold breath. How could she be so desperately eager to be with a man like Ah San?
No, she couldn't possibly be so wanton.
Shen Xing suddenly remembered that Qiao Nian had sprinkled some powder on her earlier. Her eyes lit up and she immediately shouted, "Grandma, please save me! I've fallen into someone's trap!"
When the onlookers heard Shen Xing's words, they all expressed their disbelief. One by one, they began to mutter softly.
"I didn't expect Young Mistress Shen to be so uninhibited."
"Who knew? Young Mistress Shen's amorousness has truly broadened my horizons!"
"I heard that it was Young Mistress Shen who pounced on the servant. That poor servant. He might lose his job because of Miss Shen."
…
Matriarch Shen had already thought of how to punish Shen Xing. However, when she heard Shen Xing's words, her eyes flickered.
Ever since she was a child, Shen Xing had grown up by Matriarch Shen's side. Although Shen Xing was arrogant and willful, she would never do such an outrageous thing.
"Tell me, what really happened?" Hearing the discussion of the surrounding onlookers, Matriarch Shen spoke sternly, her eyes as cold as ice.
Qiao Nian stepped in slowly from the other side. She looked at Qiao Xin, who was still lying on the ground, and casually stepped on Qiao Xin's hand. Seeing that Qiao Xin remained unmoving, she stepped again on the back of Qiao Xin's hand, her expression blank. Qiao Nian thought to herself, "Let's see who's better at acting!"
"Grandma, you have to uphold justice for me!" With tears running down her face, Shen Xing pointed at Qiao Nian in the crowd, shouting loudly. "It's Qiao Nian! She's the one who wants to harm me!"
Matriarch Gu was standing beside Matriarch Shen. At Shen Xing's words, her expression immediately soured.. Without waiting for Matriarch Shen to speak, she said, "Miss Shen, you have to take responsibility for your words. My granddaughter-in-law would never do something so despicable!"
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Matriarch Shen and Matriarch Gu had always been close. At Matriarch Gu's words, Matriarch Shen's expression turned ugly as well.
Shen Xing stood rooted to the spot, stunned. Her face was extremely pale, and her lips were trembling. She swallowed nervously.
What was Matriarch Gu trying to say? Was she trying to say that she was framing Qiao Nian?
Shen Xing was about to take a step forward, but sensed that any movement would lead to a wardrobe malfunction. She had no choice but to stand on the spot, glaring at Qiao Nian viciously. She had initially wanted to harm Qiao Nian, but she had never expected that she herself would end up getting into trouble!
She knew very well that if she didn't cast the blame on Qiao Nian, her future would be ruined.
"Qiao Nian, are you the one who drugged me? If you have any courage at all, then step forward!" Shen Xing yelled. She was determined to make sure that Qiao Nian was utterly destroyed. If she couldn't ruin Qiao Nian, then her name wasn't Shen Xing.
Once again, everyone's gaze fell on Qiao Nian's face. There was no one present who didn't know who Qiao Nian was. The moment Qiao Nian made her appearance at the banquet, she immediately became familiar to everyone present.
Qiao Nian stood there calmly, her lips pursed into a straight line. Looking at Shen Xing coldly, Qiao Nian began to walk towards her. Wherever she walked, the crowd parted automatically.
Qiao Nian met Shen Xing's resentful gaze fearlessly, her red lips curving upwards. It was as though she was telling Shen Xing that if she committed any more unjust acts, she would bring about her own destruction!
Shen Xing looked into Qiao Nian's eyes, and a tinge of panic flashed through her mind. She gripped the sleeves of the suit jacket uneasily, her heart beating wildly.
At this moment, Matriarch Shen's eldest son, Shen Ming, arrived at the scene as well. Shen Ming was Shen Xing's biological father.
Shen Ming stood rooted to the ground. Behind his gold-rimmed glasses, his dark eyes were filled with shock. He had no idea how to react.
That was his youngest daughter. She had been pampered and spoiled ever since she was young, but he never expected Shen Xing to do something so shameless in public.
In Shen Ming's pocket, his right hand clenched into a tight fist. He willed himself not to explode.
Shen Xing saw that her father was at the scene as well. She had been on the verge of breaking down, but now her emotions quietened. Her tears fell uncontrollably, glittering strangely under the streetlights.
"Father." Shen Xing gripped the suit tightly, still uneasy. The suit had been given to her by Butler Shen. Without Butler Shen's help, she could only stand there naked.
The socialites who were usually on good terms with Shen Xing silently distanced themselves from her. They were afraid that they would be labeled as Shen Xing's good friend. If their reputations were affected by any gossip related to Shen Xing, it would be difficult for them to get married in the future.
Because of Shen Ming's arrival, the surrounding people no longer dared to gossip carelessly. After all, the status of the Shen family was clear to everyone. Who would dare to challenge the Shen family? If they did, it would be impossible to even remain in An City.
"What on earth did you do?!" Shen Ming's voice trembled with rage. He had never expected Shen Xing to do something so despicable.
Shen Xing looked at her father as though she was looking at her life savior. Tears of grievance fell as she said, "Father… it… it was Qiao Nian who set me up!"
Shen Xing's words were like an explosive bomb, causing everyone to be dazed with shock. All the onlookers turned to look at Qiao Nian.
Qiao Nian's expression was calm. She stood there nonchalantly, as though she were a lotus flower which had sprouted from mud, yet remained wholly untainted. It was as if everything happening around her had nothing to do with her.
Shen Ming and Matriarch Shen turned to look at Qiao Nian, their twin glares like a pair of sharp swords.
Qiao Nian's eyes turned cold. It seemed like the Shen family wanted her to be a scapegoat in order to clear Shen Xing's name.
Following the other gentlemen, Su Yan arrived at the scene and saw Qiao Xin sitting at the side, her face pale. He walked towards her and asked worriedly, "Xin Xin, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Qiao Xin looked up and shook her head gently. She turned to look at Qiao Nian, who was standing in the middle of the crowd some distance away. Adding fuel to the fire, Qiao Xin said, "Sister is in big trouble. Shen Xing doesn't seem to like her at all."
Before Su Yan arrived, he had already seen the comments in the group chat about how Qiao Nian had caused Shen Xing to lose her virginity. Now that he heard Qiao Xin's words, he was even more certain that Qiao Nian was indeed the culprit.
Fortunately for him, he didn't get together with Qiao Nian back then. What a vicious woman!
Su Yan glanced at Qiao Nian. She still looked pure and innocent. Looking at her face, he felt nauseous.
"Father," Shen Xing sobbed. "You have to believe me… It really was Qiao Nian. I…" Shen Xing cried until she was out of breath, but did not forget to direct blame.
Shen Ming looked at Shen Xing, who was sobbing heart-wrenchingly. Shen Xing had been born in her parents' later years, and Shen Ming had always doted on her the most. He looked toward Qiao Nian furiously and shouted, "Qiao Nian!"
Matriarch Gu looked at Qiao Nian worriedly. She stepped forward and said, "I refuse to believe that my granddaughter-in-law could be someone so despicable!"
Shen Xing could no longer care about her status as a socialite.. She took a step forward and pointed at Qiao Nian. "She's escaped from the mental hospital!"
Prev ChapterNext ChapterReport chapterChapter 37: Refutation
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The mental hospital?
The onlookers were stunned.
Even Matriarch Gu was stunned. She would never believe that her darling child had come out of a mental hospital. She quickly said, "Miss Shen, you're clearly in the wrong, yet you still want to drag my granddaughter-in-law into this. When we arrived, Qiao Nian wasn't even here!"
As soon as Matriarch Gu said this, the people who had suspected that Qiao Nian was the culprit instantly fell silent. Indeed, they hadn't seen Qiao Nian.
"No, it's not like that at all!" Shen Xing screamed like a shrew, her hair disheveled. "Qiao Nian drugged me. She's the one who caused me to end up like this!"
Glaring daggers at Qiao Nian, Shen Xing roared hysterically, "You're a lunatic. You killed your good friend Li Chun and caused my sister to disappear off the face of the earth. Now, you're even trying to harm me! You're a demon from hell. You deserve to die and go to the eighteenth level of hell!"
Everyone looked at Qiao Nian doubtfully, narrowing their eyes. Qiao Nian looked like a fairy maiden, innocent and gentle. At the thought that she could have killed someone in the past, they couldn't help but take a step back in fear.
Li Chun was dead?
Shen Yue was missing?
Qiao Nian's face was expressionless, but her heart was already surging with emotions. She had never managed to find Li Chun. Why did Shen Xing say that Li Chun was dead?
Qiao Nian walked gracefully to Shen Xing. Her gaze finally landed on the adulterer. She asked curiously, "Miss Shen, who is this person?"
Hearing Qiao Nian's voice, everyone's gaze landed on the adulterer. Previously, they had only wanted to watch the show, and had completely forgotten about the adulterer.
"Isn't he the Shen family's gardener?" A socialite who was not on good terms with Shen Xing said bluntly.
"Oh, I see. So he's the gardener of the Shen family," Qiao Nian said casually, her beautiful eyes shining with a strange light. There was an aura of power around her. "This is my first time coming to the Shen family. How did I collude with the gardener of the Shen family and let him ruin Miss Shen's innocence?"
She was clearly only a young lady in her twenties, but her aura was not in any way weaker than that of Shen Ming, who had been in the business world for thirty years.
Qiao Nian's casual words easily extricated herself from Shen Xing's accusations. There wasn't a single person present who didn't admire Qiao Nian.
Seeing the challenge in Qiao Nian's eyes, Shen Ming walked in front of her and questioned, "Aren't you a sharp-tongued girl? You've been plotting behind our backs—there's no way you would admit to your deeds out loud!"
Qiao Nian hadn't wanted to continue pursuing the matter, but after hearing Shen Ming's words, she knew that Shen Ming was trying to smear her reputation on purpose.
Her beautiful eyes narrowed slightly as she raised her brows and retorted, "You're spouting nonsense without any evidence. Shen Xing, let me ask you. When did I drug you?"
Before Shen Xing could speak, Qiao Nian continued, "I didn't speak to you the entire night. How could you have fallen into my trap?"
At this moment, a man hurried over from afar. It was none other than Shen Mo.
Shen Mo had been helping Qiao Nian investigate Shen Yue's whereabouts. When he sneaked out of Shen Ming's office, he saw that there was no one left in the hall.
Shen Mo took out his phone and saw that the WeChat group chat was already in an uproar. He could hear Shen Xing accusing Qiao Nian from afar. He could not help but frown.
Shen Mo walked up to Qiao Nian and shielded her behind him. He said, "Uncle, Miss Qiao is not that kind of person!"
With the appearance of Shen Mo, those who initially believed in Qiao Nian's innocence began to doubt her as well. Qiao Nian had said that she wasn't familiar with the Shen family. Wasn't this a direct contradiction?
Shen Ming was already very angry. He looked at Shen Mo with a surly expression and raised his hand to slap Shen Mo. However, Shen Mo dodged the blow.
"Uncle, let's call the police!" Shen Mo said without changing his expression. He had faith that Qiao Nian was not that kind of person.
Shen Ming found himself at a disadvantage. Even though Shen Xing's reputation had been completely ruined, he was still worried that the Shen family's reputation would be ruined as well. He shouted sternly, "Shen Mo, how dare you help an outsider! Get out of my way! I'm going to make this vicious girl suffer the consequences of her own actions!"
"Mr. Shen sure is arrogant!"
Gu Zhou's deep voice resounded from the back of the crowd, his voice rising slightly.
Upon hearing his voice, everyone was stunned for a moment. They turned their heads and looked over. Most people did not recognize Gu Zhou and began whispering to one another.
Gu Zhou had a hand in his pocket. With two bodyguards behind him, he walked elegantly from the crowd to Shen Ming.
There was a faint coldness at the corner of his lips and his eyes were slightly narrowed. He had a natural sense of alienation and indifference, and his entire body emitted a cold aura.
When Shen Ming saw Gu Zhou, a trace of astonishment flashed across his face. Frowning, he silently took a step back.
Su Yan had coincidentally seen a photograph of Gu Zhou in the past.. Seeing Gu Zhou approach, he knew that this farce would definitely end with the defeat of the Shen family.
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Seeing Gu Zhou appear, Qiao Xin shuddered involuntarily.
Su Yan sensed that Qiao Xin wasn't feeling well. He looked at her worriedly and whispered, "Xin Xin, if you're unwell, can I take you to the hospital?"
Su Yan had never been interested in gossip. He felt that he might as well use the time to read more books.
"I… I'm fine," Qiao Xin said gently. How could she leave? She wanted to see Qiao Nian humiliated by Gu Zhou.
Gu Zhou stood next to Qiao Nian. His facial features were well-defined, and he looked extremely distinguished. He raised his chin slightly, like a proud and aloof king.
Someone recognized Gu Zhou and exclaimed, "Isn't this the Second Young Master of the Gu family?"
Everyone gasped and looked at Gu Zhou in disbelief.
"He's not ugly at all!"
"He's so handsome. I want to give birth to his child!"
"Oh dear, if I had known, I would have married into the Gu family!"
…
The socialites present murmured among themselves.
The Gu family was the most powerful family in An City. No aristocratic family dared to go against the Gu family. Even though it was rumored that Second Young Master Gu was ugly and short-lived, many socialites still volunteered to marry into the Gu family. However, the Gu family did not find any of them suitable.
Everyone stared at Gu Zhou. They knew that Gu Zhou was someone they could not afford to offend.
Gu Zhou's tone seemed to indicate that he disapproved strongly of Shen Ming's actions.
Although everyone knew that Qiao Nian was Gu Zhou's bride, they also knew that the two of them hadn't been married for long. Moreover, some people had heard that Gu Zhou didn't seem to like Qiao Nian. Otherwise, Gu Zhou would be the one bringing Qiao Nian to this banquet.
Qiao Nian stood beside Gu Zhou. Lifting her eyes slightly, she glanced at the cold aura surrounding Gu Zhou. She narrowed her eyes. She was curious about what Gu Zhou intended to do.
"Second Young Master, long time no see," Shen Ming said through gritted teeth. He had wanted to make Qiao Nian take the blame while Gu Zhou wasn't around.
But by the looks of it, this plan would no longer work.
Gu Zhou lifted his eyes and looked at Qiao Nian. The coldness in his aura dissipated to a considerable extent as he said gently, "Nian Nian, you're too good-tempered. That's why you get bullied."
Shen Ming felt like he had been slapped in the face. He felt awkward and helpless, but he couldn't say anything because the Shen family still had to rely on the Gu family.
Matriarch Shen looked at Qiao Nian with a complicated expression, then her gaze fell on Matriarch Gu, who looked gratified. Her heart skipped a beat. She did not expect Gu Zhou to stand on Qiao Nian's side.
Matriarch Shen had already sent people to keep an eye on Gu Zhou and Qiao Nian. The information she received was that Gu Zhou didn't like Qiao Nian, but that didn't seem to be the case now.
Qiao Nian lowered her gaze. Obediently, she gave an affirmative response.
Gu Zhou walked up to Matriarch Shen and Matriarch Gu and asked, "Grandma, Madam Shen, how have you been?"
Matriarch Shen's heart was in her throat. She had been living quite well, but her life would take a turn for the worse very soon.
However, Matriarch Shen still had to follow the rules of etiquette. "Thank you for your concern. I'm fine. I just can't believe that such a thing has happened—what will outsiders think!"
Gu Zhou's cold gaze fell on Shen Ming's face. He continued, "The events today have to be investigated thoroughly. We can't let outsiders make fun of us!"
As Gu Zhou spoke, he gave Lin Nan a look.
Wearing a well-tailored suit, Lin Nan looked around at the entire crowd. With a cold expression, he pushed his gold-rimmed glasses up and said loudly, "Everyone, please don't record any videos or take any photographs. If any videos are leaked tonight, I'm afraid none of you will be able to attend banquets of this kind ever again!"
Most of the guests here today were people with money and status in An City. Hearing Lin Nan's words, they weren't too annoyed and deleted the videos on their phones quietly. As for what they were discussing in the group chat, it hardly mattered anymore. After all, everyone in the group was present today, which meant that this incident would not be leaked to anyone else.
Knowing that this matter would not spread further, Shen Ming secretly heaved a sigh of relief. He did not have the ability to openly threaten those people. Only Gu Zhou had the capability to do such a thing.
Shen Ming looked toward the gardener and asked sternly, "Useless thing, what's your name? Tell me the whole story!"
"My… my name is Sun Jiu," Sun Jiu said shakily. He lowered his head even more, his voice trembling. "Tonight… tonight…"
Before Sun Jiu could finish speaking, Shen Xing spoke impatiently, "Sun Jiu, do think this through carefully. Tell us the truth. Otherwise, don't blame me for being rude!"
When Sun Jiu heard Shen Xing's words, he couldn't help but tremble. He looked at Shen Xing with trepidation and pursed his lips slightly before saying, "M-Miss Qiao gave me money to…"
Upon hearing this, the corners of Shen Xing's lips turned up slightly.. She looked at Qiao Nian with a haughty expression. Her eyes were vicious as she snapped, "Qiao Nian, so it really was you!"
Prev ChapterNext ChapterReport chapterChapter 39: Being Taken Advantage Of?
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Lin Nan walked towards Sun Jiu, his expression calm. He gazed at Sun Jiu's face for a long while before he spoke. "Mr. Sun, every word you say will be recorded. Please tell us everything that happened from the beginning. If we find out that you are lying, the consequences…"
Lin Nan paused for a second and pushed his glasses up. He continued, "The last person who lied… his family is already begging on the streets. None of the companies under the Gu family will hire him or any of his family members."
The blood drained from Sun Jiu's face. Most of the companies in Country Z were related to the Gu family. Even those companies who were not would still not hire them out of respect for the Gu family.
Sun Jiu was so frightened that his legs gave way, and he sank to his knees.
Naturally, Shen Xing knew Lin Nan was threatening Sun Jiu. Her heart skipped a beat. If she could not drag Qiao Nian down this time, her reputation would be ruined. However, beyond that, the entire Shen family would definitely become a thorn in the Gu family's side.
If she had known this would happen, she wouldn't have targeted Qiao Nian in the first place.
But it was too late for regrets.
Shen Xing wanted to kick Sun Jiu, who was kneeling beside her, but she was afraid that she would be exposed. She could only stand on the spot and glare at Sun Jiu with a ferocious expression. She said furiously, "I told you to tell the truth. Hurry up!"
Shen Ming glanced at Shen Xing with a peculiar expression before turning his gaze toward Sun Jiu, who was still kneeling. He had initially planned to make use of this opportunity to get Shen Xing and Sun Jiu engaged. However, it appeared that Sun Jiu wasn't someone who could be placed in a position of importance.
Shen Ming only hoped that this matter would end as soon as possible. Then, he could send Shen Xing overseas and never allow her to return. Thus, he said, "Xing Xing, you tell the story. You're not allowed to lie!"
Shen Xing did not understand her father's good intentions. She continued to glare at Qiao Nian angrily and berated loudly, "Qiao Nian, you're so vicious. I didn't expect you to ruin my reputation. I know you're the Second Young Madam of the Gu family now, but I'd rather die than submit to you!"
Qiao Nian looked away with an impatient expression. She was not the least bit interested in what Shen Xing was saying. She glanced at Shen Xing indifferently and said, "Miss Shen, regarding what has happened tonight, I advise you to think carefully before you speak. Don't let anyone with ulterior motives take advantage of you!"
Shen Xing's heart sank.
Ulterior motives?
Shen Xing subconsciously glanced at Qiao Xin, who was sitting not far away. If Qiao Xin had not told her about those things, she would never have thought of going against Qiao Nian. Moreover, she wouldn't have known that Qiao Nian was the person who had hurt her older sister.
Shen Xing saw that Qiao Xin had her head lowered. She glanced back at Qiao Nian. Qiao Nian's indifferent expression seemed to be giving her one last chance.
Was Qiao Xin trying to harm her?
No, she was Young Mistress Shen. She had never interacted with Qiao Xin at all. Why would Qiao Xin do this to her?
"Miss Shen."
When Shen Xing heard Qiao Nian calling her, she looked toward her, still stunned.
"Miss Shen, your gown today is very unique. There's even a strange smell." Qiao Nian felt that with Shen Xing's pig-like brain, she probably wouldn't be able to figure out what was going on. All Qiao Nian could do was help Shen Xing get there.
Strange smell?
Shen Xing's face turned paler and paler. She swallowed nervously and looked at Qiao Nian in panic. Turning to glance at Qiao Xin not far away, she saw that Qiao Xin was about to leave. Shen Xing shouted, "Qiao Xin, stop right there!"
Due to Shen Xing's warning, Gu Zhou's men immediately stopped Qiao Xin and Su Yan from leaving.
A trace of panic flashed in Qiao Xin's eyes before she reverted back to her gentle and weak facade. Su Yan helped her walk back.
Zhao Qian stood at the side with a stunned expression. She glanced at Qiao Xin, then at Shen Xing who was not far away. Her gaze fell on Shen Xing's gown hidden in the grass, and she cried out in surprise.
Everyone looked at Zhao Qian in confusion.
Seeing that Zhao Qian was hesitating to speak, Matriarch Gu waved at her and asked softly, "Qian Qian, what's wrong? What do you have to say?"
Before Zhao Qian could say anything, Shen Xing shouted at Qiao Xin, "Qiao Xin, get over here! Let me smell you!"
Even though Shen Xing was only wearing a suit jacket, the powerful aura radiating from her was still impossible to overlook. Her legs were tense.
Seeing that Qiao Xin was dawdling on purpose, Shen Xing roared angrily, "Qiao Xin, is your leg broken or what? Why are you walking so slowly? Do you need me to carry you over?"
"Young Mistress Shen, Xin Xin has just fainted. She isn't feeling well right now." Su Yan frowned. He didn't understand why Shen Xing had asked Qiao Xin to go over. He didn't want Xin Xin to get hurt.
Shen Xing had no time to waste on Su Yan. She pulled Qiao Xin over and sniffed her. She frowned, looking at Qiao Xin with a complicated expression.
Qiao Xin coughed lightly and glanced at Shen Xing confusedly, looking as if she were in pain.
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Shen Xing glared at Qiao Nian angrily. She was almost misled by Qiao Nian. She thought it was Qiao Xin who wanted to harm her. Now that she thought about it, if Qiao Xin had wanted to harm her, why would she use the same perfume as her?
"Qiao Nian, you're clearly the one who gave me the lust drug, yet you still want to implicate others. You're truly shameless!" Shen Xing yelled in exasperation. Previously, she had heard Qiao Xin mention how awful Qiao Nian was. "You killed your good friend and made my sister disappear. Do you think no one knows what you've done?"
Shen Ming was slightly taken aback by Shen Xing's words. He asked in astonishment, "Xing Xing, what did you say? Are you talking about Shen Yue?"
"Dad, Sister went missing because of Qiao Nian!"
As soon as Shen Xing's words fell, chaos erupted.
Everyone looked at Qiao Nian in disbelief. They never thought that this little-known young girl would have so many tricks up her sleeve.
"Where is Shen Yue?" Shen Ming's eyes had turned red, and he was panting heavily. Shen Yue was his most beloved daughter.
Five years ago, Shen Yue had disappeared. He had been searching everywhere but could not find her!
"Miss Shen, I don't know what you're talking about. I didn't kill anyone, and I didn't kidnap your sister." Qiao Nian paused, took out her cell phone and played a video.
The video was of Sun Jiu and Shen Xing trying to harm her.
Qiao Nian looked at the clothes not far away and continued, "Miss Shen, I've only given you a slight dose of a coma-inducing drug. There's definitely some on the outside of your clothes, but the inside of your gown is stained with a lot of lust powder. As long as the police come, they'll know if I'm right!"
When Butler Shen heard Qiao Nian's words, he immediately walked to the clothes and sniffed. Then, he nodded at Shen Ming.
"Miss Shen, I only gave you the drug in self-defense. The drug I've given you only lasts for a minute, and it will only make you dizzy for a little while," Qiao Nian said expressionlessly. "The thing that really made you lose your mind was the lust drug in your clothes. I don't have any enmity with you, and it's impossible for me to get to your gown before the banquet to add the lust drug. Someone should already have sprinkled it on your gown before you wore it."
The moment her words fell, everyone got excited.
Qiao Nian's rebuke was truly amazing.
Gu Zhou gave Qiao Nian an approving look and nodded slightly.
Shen Xing looked at Qiao Nian in frustration. Her face was flushed red as she said angrily, "Since you knew that there was a lust drug in my clothes, why didn't you tell me?"
Qiao Nian shook her phone and said innocently, "Miss Shen, you wanted to beat me to death with a stick. What should I say to you? I'm not interested in saving someone who wants to kill me!"
Shen Ming was on the verge of collapse. Although his daughter was framed, Shen Xing had already angered the Gu family. He was worried that…
"Enough!" Matriarch Shen snapped. She glared fiercely at Shen Xing. Shen Xing was not as obedient and sensible as Shen Yue. "Miss Qiao, I would like to ask if you know where Shen Yue is?"
When Shen Ming heard Matriarch Shen's question, he looked toward Qiao Nian in anticipation. He said, "We've been looking for Shen Yue for five years, but we couldn't find her. She met you before she disappeared!"
Five years?
Gu Zhou, who had been standing at the side, frowned imperceptibly. He had previously investigated what happened five years ago and found out that Li Chun and Shen Yue had disappeared.
He had thought that what happened five years ago was just between the two of them, but when he found out that the jade pendant was in Qiao Xin's hands, he didn't dare to jump to conclusions.
"I'm sorry, I've not seen her," Qiao Nian said without hesitation.
Just then, everyone heard Qiao Xin's scream of pain.
"Ah!"
"I'm going to strangle you to death!" Shen Xing clutched at Qiao Xin's neck with both hands, glaring at her with a sinister expression. "I'm going to strangle you to death!"
Shen Xing's terrifying appearance gave Shen Ming a shock. He stepped forward, slapped Shen Xing and said in a rage, "What are you doing?"
Shen Xing was bleeding at the corner of her mouth. She pointed at Qiao Nian and said furiously, "Five years ago, Qiao Nian strangled Li Chun to death like this. Then, she strangled my sister like this!"
At first, everyone had thought that this was just a simple incident of Shen Xing falling into someone's trap. However, they did not expect Li Chun and Shen Yue to be involved. Shen Xing even accused Qiao Nian of being a murderer in front of everyone.
Shen Xing knew that everyone thought that she was a dirty rat that had crawled out of the gutter. All they felt towards her now was disgust and detestation.
But even if her reputation was ruined, she had to find her sister and seek justice for her!
Shen Xing stood up in tears and pointed at Qiao Nian as she sobbed. "It's been five years. Sister and Li Chun have already disappeared for five years. Qiao Nian, you're awful. If you didn't kill them, how could they have vanished from the face of the earth?"
"You killed my sister. For that, I won't let you off.. I'm telling you…" Before Shen Xing could finish her sentence, she blacked out and collapsed.
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"Miss Shen, isn't lying on the ground rather cold?" Qiao Nian asked as she walked up to Shen Xing. Reaching out, she pinched Shen Xing's philtrum.
Shen Xing came to in a daze. The moment she opened her eyes, she glimpsed Qiao Nian. It was as if she had seen a ghost. She turned pale in fright and pushed Qiao Nian away.
Qiao Nian fell back uncontrollably and shut her eyes tight. However, the expected pain from the impact did not arrive.
Opening her eyes, she found that Gu Zhou was holding onto her waist, preventing her from falling.
Shen Xing scrambled to her feet and ran to Matriarch Shen's side. With teary eyes, she said, "Grandma, you have to believe me. It really was Qiao Nian who killed my sister!"
"Haven't you embarrassed yourself enough?" Matriarch Shen gripped her walking stick tightly. Glaring at Shen Xing, she roared, "Hurry up and apologize to Miss Qiao!"
Shen Xing looked at Matriarch Shen in disbelief. She had thought that Grandma was on her side.
Matriarch Shen gave Shen Ming a look.
Shen Ming walked up to Shen Xing and said in a voice so low that only the two of them could hear, "Apologize quickly!"
Shen Xing's tears fell even faster. She bit her lip, stubbornly refusing to apologize.
Gu Zhou stood beside Qiao Nian like a protective shield. He said coldly, "Miss Shen, are you really unwilling to apologize?"
Gu Zhou's words shocked everyone present.
In the rumors, the Second Young Master of the Gu family had always been cold and aloof, and rarely interacted much with other people. But now, he was protecting Qiao Nian.
When Shen Xing heard Gu Zhou's words, she trembled in fear. Her gaze fell on Qiao Nian's face, and her eyes filled with hatred.
Shen Ming turned to glance at Shen Xing. Deep down, he couldn't bear to see his beloved daughter in such a state. Putting on a smile, he said, "Second Young Master Gu, Xing Xing is still a young child. Why don't we let this matter rest…"
"Child?" Gu Zhou raised his eyebrows and said mockingly, "If I remember correctly, she's already come of age."
At Gu Zhou's words, Shen Ming's expression froze.
Matriarch Shen glared daggers at Shen Ming, signaling for him to stop talking.
Silently, Shen Ming shut his mouth. He was afraid that if he spoke again, he would lose all his face today.
Gu Zhou's narrow eyes swept across the crowd. His voice wasn't loud, but it was filled with strength. "Qiao Nian is my date. She came with me to congratulate Madam Shen on her birthday. I won't let her suffer."
Hearing this, Su Yan and Qiao Xin turned pale.
At this moment, Shen Ming and Shen Xing didn't look any better either.
Qiao Nian looked up at Gu Zhou. She really hadn't expected Gu Zhou to speak up for her.
Su Yan, who was standing not far away, saw Qiao Nian gazing at Gu Zhou. He felt a little disappointed. He hadn't expected Qiao Nian to be Gu Zhou's date.
Qiao Xin lowered her head slightly, the corners of her lips curving up. She had thought that Gu Zhou really liked Qiao Nian, but it seemed that their relationship as a married couple wasn't that great either. Did that mean that she still had a chance?
Qiao Xin's eyes darted to the side. She pulled Su Yan away from the scene, looking up at him worriedly.
"What's wrong?" Su Yan looked at Qiao Xin with concern.
Qiao Xin pursed her lips, her eyes brimming with worry. "Brother Su Yan, there's something I'm not sure I should tell you."
Su Yan glanced at Qiao Xin's conflicted expression and his heart softened. "What is it?"
"My sister heard from me previously that you would be attending Matriarch Shen's birthday banquet as well. She wanted to come too, but our parents didn't allow her to." Qiao Xin glanced at Su Yan awkwardly. "I don't know how she got here either."
Seeing that Su Yan remained silent, Qiao Xin thought that he didn't understand her. She continued her explanation. "It seems like Sister came here with Second Young Master Gu.. If Second Young Master Gu finds out that he was just being used to get to the party, I'm scared that the Qiao family will suffer!"
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When Su Yan heard Qiao Xin's words, the slightly favorable impression he just formed of Qiao Nian instantly vanished.
He knew it. How could Qiao Nian not like him, Su Yan?
Back then, Qiao Nian had even burned down a school building for him.
"She's still as disgusting as ever," Su Yan sneered.
Qiao Xin flushed. She spoke up for Qiao Nian. "Actually, Sister didn't do anything wrong. Don't keep getting angry at her."
Su Yan frowned, but remained quiet.
Qiao Xin continued to persuade him. "Just by attending the party, Sister was framed. If she wasn't so smart, she might have made a fool of herself. Look, my sister is still as clever as ever!"
"Qiao Xin, you're too kind! Qiao Nian must have been really lucky in her past life to gain a good sister like you," Su Yan said with a serious expression.
Qiao Xin smiled and shook her head. She replied sweetly, "Brother Su Yan, don't say that. She's my sister. In the past, she often used to take care of me."
Hearing Qiao Xin's words, Su Yan felt that Qiao Xin was truly an obedient and sensible girl. She was the complete opposite of Qiao Nian, who only knew how to cause trouble.
Seeing Su Yan's approving expression, Qiao Xin lowered her gaze coquettishly. Her lips curved up a little.
She was determined to make Gu Zhou hate Qiao Nian just like Su Yan did. She would make Gu Zhou fall in love with her but dance out of reach—she would make Gu Zhou pine for her!
"You wretch! Hurry up and apologize!" Matriarch Shen looked at Shen Xing in exasperation and anger, her brow furrowed tightly. "All else aside, just consider the drugging incident tonight. Someone has tampered with your dress. This has nothing to do with Qiao Nian."
Shen Xing's eyes were red-rimmed, and her tears fell uncontrollably.
Shen Xing had initially thought that she would be able to find clues regarding her sister's disappearance this time round, but she did not expect to suffer a double loss.
She understood clearly that if she didn't apologize, tonight's matter would no longer just be between Qiao Nian and herself. Instead, it would be between the Shen family and the Gu family.
And the Shen family could not afford to offend the Gu family.
"I-I'm sorry!" Shen Xing said with extreme reluctance. One by one, her tears fell onto the cobblestones below her feet.
"Miss Qiao, our Xing Xing was in the wrong. Her reputation has been damaged because of you; surely that's enough punishment. I hope that you'll be the bigger person and grant her forgiveness." Smiling, Shen Ming tried to smooth things over.
Qiao Nian's eyes suddenly lit up. She smiled back at Shen Ming and asked, "Mr. Shen, I agree that Miss Shen Xing's reputation has been damaged, but this has nothing to do with me. Instead of investigating who touched her gown, you're pinning the blame on me. Do you think I'm weak and easy to bully?"
Weak?
Easy to bully?
The corner of Shen Ming's mouth spasmed, and several conflicting emotions flashed across his face. He hurriedly left with Shen Xing.
Qiao Nian didn't want to stay any longer either, so she made her goodbyes.
When she arrived at the door of the Shen family's house, a young master who reeked of alcohol strode over. Stopping Qiao Nian in her tracks, he stared unblinkingly at her. "Hey, gorgeous, wanna hang out?"
Suppressing her rage, Qiao Nian said coldly, "Please move aside!"
"Oh, you even smell good!" The man said, sniffing Qiao Nian hard. "Do play with me. I'm rich, you know!"
Brazenly, the man looked Qiao Nian up and down, his eyes full of lasciviousness. "What a figure!"
Pursing her lips, Qiao Xin glared coldly at the man. Her blood was boiling with rage. She turned away and walked around the man, heading outside.
The man continued barring her way with utmost persistence. He yearned to take off his clothes right there and then and spend a whole night with this beauty.
Qiao Nian quickened her pace, her face slightly flushed.
Previously, she had indeed fallen into Shen Xing's trap. She could smell the lust drug on Shen Xing's body, but she had sealed her acupuncture points with a silver needle after she left!
As time passed, the numbing effect of her acupoints began to wear off.. The lust drug was about to take effect.
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If she didn't leave quickly to take a shower, she would probably end up like a cat in heat, just like Shen Xing.
"Hey, gorgeous, why are you leaving so fast?" Breaking into a small jog, the man caught up with Qiao Nian and grabbed her hand. He smiled as he said, "Don't go! Come on, let's have fun!"
Seeing that the man had moved closer again, Qiao Nian's expression darkened. Without hesitation, she gave the man a punch, knocking him to the ground.
The man staggered to his feet. He stumbled twice before managing to stand.
Qiao Nian took out a silver needle. Without hesitation, she inserted it into the man's neck, aiming for his laughter acupoint. She watched as the man sat there like a big fool, laughing non-stop. When she turned to leave, she was stopped by the onlookers who had crowded round.
They wanted to see who had the guts to target Gu Zhou's date. When they saw Zheng He, they were no longer surprised.
Zheng He was a foreigner who had grown up overseas. Within his family, many were mercenaries, and every one of them was a ruffian.
Therefore, even though everyone was displeased with Zheng He, they didn't dare to say anything. They just turned a blind eye.
Zheng He was laughing so hard that he'd wet himself. This was the first time he had been so humiliated. His tears flowed uncontrollably. He clearly wanted to cry, but he couldn't help but laugh.
He glared at Qiao Nian with hatred written all over his face, but there was nothing he could do. Pulling the needle out of his body, he casually tossed it aside.
Gu Zhou had heard from Chen Qing that someone was harassing Qiao Nian. When he hurried over, he saw Zheng He looking humiliated. His gaze fell on Zheng He as he pulled out the needle.
Zheng He raised his sleeve to wipe his tears and glared in the direction Qiao Nian had left in. "If I catch you later and don't manage to kill you, my name won't be Zheng He!"
"Kill who?" Gu Zhou asked coldly. "I'd advise you to stop wetting yourself before you try to throw down any threats!"
Immediately, the onlookers began to laugh.
Zheng He's gaze fell on Gu Zhou's face. He immediately took out his phone and said arrogantly, "Brother, someone's bullying me. Get a few brothers out here, quickly. I'm in the Shen family's courtyard."
Chen Qing frowned slightly and looked at Zheng He with a face full of worry. He moved closer to Gu Zhou and whispered, "Second Young Master, should we escort Madam out?"
Gu Zhou stared unblinkingly at Qiao Nian. Her face seemed to be extraordinarily flushed. "She should be able to handle this."
Chen Qing looked at Gu Zhou in disbelief. He felt that his Second Young Master had to be joking.
Zheng He looked at Qiao Nian and said coldly, "B*tch, just you wait. Even if I don't kill you today, I will kick you out of Country Z. You'll stay in hell forever!"
Matriarch Shen rushed over when she heard the commotion. Seeing that it was Qiao Nian who had caused the trouble, she frowned unhappily. However, she couldn't really let anything happen to Qiao Nian here. Just as she was about to speak, she heard Qiao Nian's voice.
"Don't." Qiao Nian raised her eyebrows slightly and said, "If you can't kill me today, I won't consider you a man. Get out of Country Z and never come back. Stay in hell forever too!"
Wow.
This woman was too arrogant!
How dare she challenge the Zheng family!
She clearly overestimated her own abilities!
Although everyone felt that Qiao Nian was being arrogant, they sincerely hoped that Zheng He would leave Country Z.
At this point, Matriarch Shen shut her mouth. She felt that there was no need to speak anymore. She might as well watch Qiao Nian suffer the consequences.
When Zheng He heard Qiao Nian's words, he laughed out loud in anger. He retorted, "Is there something wrong with your brain, or are you just mentally retarded? What makes you think you can chase me out of Country Z?"
Qiao Nian could feel her body gradually heating up, but she didn't want anyone to see that she was feeling uncomfortable. With a cold expression, she lowered her voice as much as possible. "I'm just repeating what you said."
Zheng He looked at Qiao Nian's gown with disdain. He retorted, "There are tons of people who rely on their bodies to make a living, like you. You're just a piece of trash meant for other people to play with.. How dare you make a scene in front of me? Are you tired of living?"
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Qiao Nian glanced at the public bench beside her and calmly walked over to sit down. Seeing Zheng He approach, she said impassively, "How did all that laughter feel?"
Zheng He stopped in his tracks. His pants were still damp. He had laughed for too long, and now his face felt extremely stiff.
"Hmph, who's afraid of who?" Zheng He stood leaning against a tree, gazing into the distance with a calm expression. Deep down, he was puzzled. How did Qiao Nian have the guts to just sit there?
Chen Qing, who was standing not far away, observed Qiao Nian's composed demeanor. His heart surged with emotion.
His Second Young Madam was indeed something else!
Chen Qing moved closer to Gu Zhou and said in a low voice, "Second Young Madam is truly both beautiful and valiant!"
"Did you bring a gun?"
Chen Qing's good mood dissipated. His Second Young Master was exuding a frigid aura, and looked as cold as ice.
Qiao Xin stood not far away, her eyes red-rimmed. She looked at Qiao Nian worriedly. After a beat, she tugged at Su Yan's arm helplessly. "Brother Su Yan, will my sister be alright?"
Su Yan frowned when he heard Qiao Xin's words. "Qiao Xin, you're too kind!"
Qiao Xin blinked at Su Yan, her expression full of distress. She whispered, "If Second Young Master Gu had been willing to help my sister, surely things wouldn't have turned out this way!"
At Qiao Xin's words, Su Yan glanced at Gu Zhou, who was standing not far away.
Gu Zhou stood there expressionlessly. There was no trace of light in his dark eyes. It was as if he was a mere spectator, and the happenings had nothing to do with him whatsoever.
However, what bothered Su Yan was that Gu Zhou's gaze never left Qiao Nian's face.
He was a little unsure of what Gu Zhou was thinking.
"Qiao Nian has committed so many evils. She deserves to be bullied. Don't feel worried," Su Yan consoled.
When Qiao Xin heard Su Yan's words, she felt more at ease. She knew that Su Yan wouldn't interfere, so she didn't say anything else.
She looked toward Gu Zhou, who was standing not far away. Gu Zhou didn't seem to have any intention of interfering. If that was the case, there would be another good show soon.
Tonight, Qiao Nian's reputation would be ruined.
Just as everyone was filled with anticipation, eight muscular men walked into the Shen residence.
The man at the front was wearing a suit, and had a thick gold chain around his neck. His collar was unbuttoned all the way to his abdomen, so his abs could be seen faintly. He roared, "Who dared to bully my younger brother? Come out right now!"
With one hand in his pocket, Zheng Xiang gave off a ruthless aura.
Qiao Nian looked at him, her expression blank.
Qiao Xin looked at Qiao Nian and said uneasily, "Sister seems to be frightened. What should we do?"
Su Yan didn't reply, merely gazed quietly at Qiao Nian.
The people who attended the banquet today were all people with status and power. None of them liked Zheng He, but what could they do? Zheng He's status made them all afraid to do anything.
"Qiao Nian is definitely going to lose badly this time. Zheng Xiang is a Class C in the Zheng family. Usually, he handles extremely important missions. On every mission he handles, there will be blood!"
"I think Qiao Nian's innocence will be in jeopardy."
"Second Young Master Gu wanted to protect her just now. If she hadn't insisted on leaving, this wouldn't have happened!"
…
"Who is it? Who dared to bully my brother? Show your face! Otherwise, if I catch you, I'll wring your head off and use it as a urinal!" Zheng Xiang roared impatiently.
"It's me." Qiao Nian sat there, her expression unchanged. Her voice was unhurried, and her eyes were slightly narrowed. There was no hint of fear in her voice.
Zheng Xiang was taken aback.
What?
A woman?
Zheng Xiang couldn't quite believe Qiao Nian's words. He turned to look at Zheng He with questioning eyes.
Zheng He had initially wanted his brother to help, but for some reason, he felt embarrassed. He hadn't even managed to handle a woman.
"Brother, tie her up and send her to my bed.. I'll make sure she suffers tonight!"
Prev ChapterNext ChapterReport chapterChapter 45: Counterattack in One Move
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"Alright." Zheng Xiang gave Zheng He a look and said with a smile, "Brother, you have good taste. This chick is hot!"
Zheng He grinned foolishly. He liked beauties. The prettier they were, the better. If he didn't think that this woman was good-looking, why would he have chosen her?
Zheng Xiang's gaze fell on Qiao Nian's face. He said threateningly, "Little girl, as long as you apologize to my brother and serve him well, this matter will be settled. I'm a magnanimous person, and I won't hold it against you!"
Qiao Nian couldn't help but laugh. It was as if she had heard the funniest joke in the world. Slowly, she spat out four syllables. "Impossible!"
Qiao Nian's reply stunned Zheng Xiang.
It had been a long time since he had met such a fascinating chick.
Cracking his knuckles, Zheng Xiang looked at Qiao Nian coldly. "Little girl, your hair may be long, but you're clearly a short-sighted fool. I, Zheng Xiang, draw blood whenever I attack. Don't blame me for being vicious!"
Zheng Xiang chose to first launch a verbal attack because he didn't want to strike a woman, especially a beautiful lady like Qiao Nian.
After all, he had to treat the fairer sex with gentleness!
However, when Zheng Xiang saw the disdain on the woman's face, he could not help but frown. He felt that his dignity had been compromised. He said threateningly, "I've given you an easy way out. Since you've chosen not to take it, I'll make sure you learn your lesson!"
If he didn't beat this woman up till she was ruined, his name wouldn't be Zheng Xiang!
Zheng Xiang flexed his wrist, and the muscles on his arm bulged, bursting out of his suit jacket!
The people around them turned pale with fear and looked at Qiao Nian sympathetically.
"Oh my god, Zheng Xiang is going to hit her. This young lady is in trouble!"
"Isn't that so? This young lady is too much. Couldn't she just take the easy way out?"
"Quick, let's leave. Quick! Remember, we can't ever provoke Zheng He and the Zheng family again. For the sake of our pitiful lives!"
…
At this moment, Qiao Nian stood up elegantly and looked at Zheng Xiang, her gaze steady and calm. "There's no need to show mercy!"
Hearing Qiao Nian's words, the onlookers were all astonished.
Zheng Xiang was stunned for a moment. He gave a wild laugh. "Interesting, very interesting. This is the first time I've seen a woman who wants to die!"
Qiao Nian couldn't be bothered to argue with Zheng Xiang. She narrowed her eyes and looked at him coldly, silver needles in hand.
Zheng Xiang was stupefied, his gaze falling on the silver needles in Qiao Nian's hand. He mocked, "You're indeed a female. All you know how to do is fight with embroidery needles. Here's some advice: you should just have scrammed home earlier today and focused on sewing clothes. Don't embarrass yourself outside!"
Qiao Nian didn't say anything. Instead, she flicked her wrist just a little. As Zheng Xiang rushed towards her, the six silver needles in her hand flew towards Zheng Xiang like beams of cold light, all of them piercing into Zheng Xiang's body.
Zheng Xiang maintained his offensive stance, but his body had fallen out of his control. He had no idea what was happening.
"What did you do to me!" Zheng Xiang glared at Qiao Nian, his eyes filled with rage and resentment. He said in exasperation, "What's so good about playing petty tricks? Let go of me if you dare. Let's have a fair fight!"
"Aren't we fighting fairly?" Qiao Nian walked in a circle around Zheng Xiang, a trace of a smile in the corners of her eyes.
"You're using a dirty trick!" Zheng Xiang absolutely refused to admit that he was weaker than her.
He believed that as long as Qiao Nian let go of him, he would definitely beat her to the ground.
Qiao Nian walked up to Zheng Xiang. Her eyes were cold as she poked Zheng Xiang's chest with her index finger. Zheng Xiang fell backwards, toppling towards the ground uncontrollably.
The people who had arrived with Zheng Xiang hurried to catch him.
Zheng Xiang glanced at the people around him and said angrily, "None of you have any sense at all. Hurry up and remove the silver needles from my body! What are you thinking? Do you want to leave them in for the new year?"
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Only upon hearing Zheng Xiang's words did the men come back to their senses. Hurriedly, they stepped forward and began to pull the silver needles out of Zheng Xiang's body one by one.
After all the silver needles were removed, Zheng Xiang regained control of his body. He sneered at Qiao Nian.
Zheng Xiang's eyes were cold. He raised his fist and swung it viciously towards Qiao Nian's face.
The hearts of the onlookers all began to race in fear. Some were so frightened that they hurriedly shut their eyes, unable to continue watching.
Everyone silently muttered a prayer for Qiao Nian.
However, the scream they had been anticipating did not come.
Everyone opened their eyes in unison to see what was going on, but what they saw stunned them all.
Qiao Nian was a small young lady, slender and almost weak-looking. Yet her thin hand caught hold of Zheng Xiang's fist in an instant.
Zheng Xiang himself was stunned. He wanted to retract his hand, but Qiao Nian didn't release her grip, preventing him from moving.
While everyone was still in a daze, Qiao Nian swiftly dislocated Zheng Xiang's arms and kicked sharply at Zheng Xiang's knee, forcing Zheng Xiang to fall down on his knees in front of her.
"Although it's not the new year yet, I'll take it that you're here to wish me a happy new year." Qiao Nian, who seemed to have gained several inches in height, looked down at Zheng Xiang in contempt. There was no trace of a smile on her face. "If you cause any more trouble, I'll make sure you suffer the consequences!"
At this moment, Zheng Xiang was kneeling on the ground with shock written all over his face. His mind was filled with Qiao Nian. He couldn't believe that Qiao Nian could counter his fist with just one hand.
How was this possible?
Who exactly was this Qiao Nian?
Zheng Xiang looked up at Qiao Nian. For some reason, he felt that Qiao Nian looked like a demon from hell, making him shiver.
Qiao Xin, who was standing in the crowd, gasped as she looked at Qiao Nian in fear. She didn't expect Qiao Nian to be so skilled. How was she able to dodge Zheng Xiang's attack?
Qiao Xin clenched her fists tightly. She yearned to walk towards them and help Zheng Xiang hit Qiao Nian right this instant.
However, she only dared to picture the scene, nothing more. She could only stand there and worry.
Qiao Nian slowly raised her right leg, her ten-centimeter-tall high heel grinding into Zheng Xiang's shoulder. She leaned forward slightly and exerted a little strength with her right leg, causing Zheng Xiang to instantly turn pale.
Cold sweat broke out on Zheng Xiang's forehead, and his veins bulged. He looked up at the woman in front of him, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief.
She was so strong!
Zheng Xiang was starting to doubt himself.
He had always thought that he was a good fighter. Now, it seemed that his skills were just average.
The onlookers almost thought that they were watching a martial arts flick. One had to know that in modern society, few people were this skilled at defense.
They sized Qiao Nian up. Qiao Nian was only 1.65 meters tall. She looked so thin and weak. How could she be so strong?
At this moment, they all had the same thought in mind. No matter who they provoked, they couldn't afford to offend Qiao Nian.
Qiao Xin's face was pale and beads of sweat had appeared on her nose. Her heart was beating faster and faster, as if it would jump out of her mouth at any moment.
She suddenly recalled something. If Qiao Nian had used the same amount of strength to slap her back then, would her head have separated from her body?
Some things didn't bear thinking about. The more she thought about it, the more afraid she became.
Qiao Xin swallowed nervously.
Should she be thanking Qiao Nian for showing mercy back then?
Qiao Xin quickly dismissed the thought.
Hatred flashed in her eyes as she looked at Qiao Nian. Qiao Nian had stolen her shares and her man. How could she thank such a despicable and shameless person?
She had to quickly think of a way to get the shares back. And, she had to win Gu Zhou's heart.
Qiao Xin's gaze gradually shifted to Gu Zhou's face. Looking at his handsome profile, a trace of bashfulness flashed in her eyes..
Prev ChapterNext ChapterReport chapterChapter 47: Get Over Here and Apologize!
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"You." Qiao Nian looked at Zheng He, who was standing not far away. She curled a finger and said coldly, "Get over here and apologize!"
Previously, when Qiao Nian said anything like this, everyone felt that she was just putting on an empty show of strength.
But now, everyone was looking at Zheng He with gloating expressions. None of them liked a little bully like Zheng He.
Zheng He looked at Qiao Nian in shock. He had already been thoroughly humiliated. This young lass still wanted him to apologize.
Pft!
She could dream on!
Zheng He looked at Zheng Xiang, who was not far away. He hadn't expected his cousin to lose to this little girl.
He glanced at the people Zheng Xiang had brought with him. Although they were all of good build, their skills were much weaker than Zheng Xiang's.
However, as the saying went, two fists were no match for four.
Zheng He rolled his eyes and glanced at the seven of them. "What are you waiting for? Hurry up and attack!"
When the onlookers heard Zheng He's words, they looked toward him with contempt. They had never seen such a shameless man.
Then, they turned to look at Qiao Nian worriedly. Even if Qiao Nian was skilled, there were seven of them on the other side. Qiao Nian still didn't have a chance of winning.
However, the battle ended after barely a second. In a flash, the seven men were beaten to the ground, much to everyone's disbelief.
In that instant, many young daughters present, who were from wealthy families, became Qiao Nian's fans.
Each one of them had been pampered and spoiled from a young age. They had always been told to be ladylike, to be educated and polite, etc. They had never seen such a hot-blooded scene. They were so excited that they all began to applaud.
"Qiao Nian is so amazing. How can she be so cool? I want her to teach me martial arts!"
"Oh my god, she's the modern version of the Fairy Sister, Wang Yuyan from Eight Books of the Heavenly Dragon!"
"Hubby Qiao Nian, I want to give birth to your child!"
…
In her high heels, Qiao Nian approached Zheng He step by step. She looked at him expressionlessly and said, "Kneel! Apologize!"
Zheng He belonged to the main branch of the Zheng family. He would inherit the family business in the future. He had already been humiliated when he wet his pants here just now.
If he knelt down and begged Qiao Nian for mercy, he would be even more humiliated. He would lose every shred of his dignity.
Zheng He lifted his chin slightly and stood there unmoving, refusing to kneel. He wanted to run from the scene, but his legs had turned to jelly in fear of Qiao Nian. His legs refused to obey his commands.
Qiao Nian kicked Zheng He's knee sharply, forcing him to kneel.
"Plop."
Zheng He's right leg, which Qiao Nian had kicked, had been dislocated. He fell to his knees uncontrollably.
Zheng He looked down at the cobblestones beneath his feet. His brain was still short-circuiting.
How had he lost?
There was no way he could have lost!
"Apologize!" Qiao Nian said, glaring at Zheng He coldly.
Due to her vigorous exercise, the lust drug in her body was flaring up at an even greater speed. Gradually, her face began to flush red.
She tried hard to suppress her bodily urges. If Zheng He had not come to find fault with her, she would have been able to get rid of the lust drug in her body long ago. She would no longer need to suppress it so bitterly.
Zheng He's mind was in a mess. He looked up at Zheng Xiang, who had already stood up. Zheng Xiang's arms were drooping uncontrollably. Zheng He knew that he could no longer count on Zheng Xiang.
Zheng Xiang gave Zheng He a glance and walked over to Qiao Nian's side. With a cold expression, he said threateningly, "Master Zheng will never forgive you for bullying the Zheng family."
Qiao Nian tucked her hair behind her ear elegantly. Smiling mockingly, she said, "The victor is king, and the loser is a thief. Now that you've lost to me, not only are you unwilling to admit defeat, but you're even using someone else's name to pressure me? Aren't you embarrassed at all?"
The onlookers nodded in agreement. They were very happy to see the Zheng family being bullied.
"You…"
Before Zheng Xiang could finish speaking, Qiao Nian interrupted him.
"What about me? Since the young ones couldn't beat me, you'll call in the old ones? I've already understood how shameless this Zheng family is."
Prev ChapterNext ChapterReport chapterChapter 48: Calling for Reinforcements
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With that, Qiao Nian looked down at Zheng He, who was by her feet, and asked coldly, "Do you want to apologize? Or do you want me to break every single one of your bones?"
Qiao Nian's voice was as gentle as ever, but the words she spoke made one feel as if they were in the dead of winter, chilling to the bone.
Zheng He looked at Qiao Nian in fear. The Zheng family had never apologized, and would never do so.
"In your dreams! Pft! I'm telling you, I'm definitely getting my family's mercenaries to kill you!" Zheng He said viciously, his face livid.
If Zheng He had not been crying, Qiao Nian would have thought that he was still a man. But Zheng He was bawling like a baby in front of her. It was truly disgusting.
"Mercenaries?" Qiao Nian looked at Zheng He with a faint smile on her face. "Do you think I'm afraid of you?"
The onlookers had thought that Qiao Nian would quit while she was ahead. They didn't expect Qiao Nian to continue provoking Zheng He.
Although the spectacle today was satisfying, they couldn't help but worry about Qiao Nian.
The Zheng family's mercenaries carried firearms.
No matter how skilled Qiao Nian was, how could she dodge a bullet?
"Alright, then do you dare to wait here until my father arrives?" Zheng He wiped the tears off his face and said, sniffling.
"Why wouldn't I dare to?" Qiao Nian sneered. She really looked down on Zheng He. Apart from calling for reinforcements, this good-for-nothing had no other abilities. "If your father can't beat me, will you call your grandfather over?"
The people around them couldn't stop smiling. They felt that Qiao Nian had a very good point.
Zheng He and Zheng Xiang looked at Qiao Nian in disbelief. They had never seen such an arrogant and despotic woman in their lives.
Zheng He took out his phone from his pocket shakily. Just as he was about to make a call, he heard a cold voice from afar.
"Are you done fighting?" Gu Zhou stepped past the crowd and walked elegantly towards Qiao Nian.
His gaze toward Qiao Nian was very gentle, so gentle that it wouldn't be surprising if water was flowing from his eyes.
Qiao Nian turned to glance at Gu Zhou. Her red lips curved up slightly. "Not bad. I just started warming up."
"They're quite dirty. Don't dirty your hands," Gu Zhou said gently to Qiao Nian.
Qiao Xin, who was standing not far away, looked at Gu Zhou in disbelief. She had not expected this cold man to be so gentle with Qiao Nian.
Everyone around them was also stunned. The Second Young Master Gu was rumored to be as cold as ice. The word "gentle" simply wasn't in his dictionary.
Qiao Nian smiled and nodded. She seemed to agree with Gu Zhou.
When Gu Zhou and Qiao Nian stood side by side, they looked like the male and female leads in a manga. The man was handsome and suave, while the lady was petite and exquisite.
Gu Zhou gave Zheng He a disdainful glance, as if taking another look would cause his eyes to sting. His voice was as cold and low as ever. "Mr. Zheng, I have a debt to settle with you."
Zheng He's knees were aching terribly. He could only stand up after the people around him helped him up.
However, no one understood why Gu Zhou would say that. The Gu and Zheng families were arch-enemies, and the two families had never had any business dealings with each other.
Zheng He had long since sobered up. He looked up at Gu Zhou, then at Qiao Nian, who was standing beside Gu Zhou. His face was pale.
Oh my god, he had angered Gu Zhou's woman!
Zheng He still remembered what his father had told him. As long as he didn't offend the Gu family, he could do whatever he wanted.
"Chen Qing."
Chen Qing, who had been standing in the crowd, walked over.
"Chop off one of his hands!" Gu Zhou said expressionlessly.
Gu Zhou's words stunned everyone around him. They looked at Gu Zhou in disbelief. At this moment, they realized that Qiao Nian was someone they couldn't afford to offend.
Because Qiao Nian was under Gu Zhou's protection.
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Chen Qing was also momentarily stunned. He hadn't brought a knife with him. As his gaze fell on a nearby rock, he wondered if he should use the rock to smash Zheng He's hand off.
"By the way, cut off his tongue as well. He's too noisy!" Gu Zhou said expressionlessly. "He insulted my date and humiliated me. He should bear the consequences."
Chen Qing gave a murmur of assent.
The people around them trembled in fear.
Qiao Xin, who was standing in the crowd, looked at Gu Zhou in disbelief. Gu Zhou was cold, and treated people so ruthlessly. It seemed that it would not be easy for her to get Gu Zhou's heart.
Zheng He was trembling in fear. His pants were wet again. He had wet himself twice in a row today.
Zheng He took out his phone and called his father with trembling hands. His father was the only one who could save him now.
Fortunately, the call went through very quickly.
Zheng He wiped his tears and sniffled. In a pretentious manner, he said, "Dad, hurry up and save me. Gu Zhou has gone crazy. For the sake of a b*tch named Qiao Nian, he actually wants to cut off my hand and my tongue. You have to kill them!"
The other end of the line seemed to hesitate for a moment before Zheng An's voice came through.
"Did you just say Qiao Nian?"
"Yes, that's right. That little b*tch is called Qiao Nian!" Zheng He said indignantly. "She relied on her good looks and petty means to defeat us utterly. She even forced me to kneel down and apologize to her!"
The more Zheng He spoke, the angrier he became. He yearned to tear Qiao Nian to shreds right now.
"Qiao Nian from An City?"
"Yes, that's her!"
When Zheng An heard Zheng He's words, his chest tightened. His hand, which was holding the phone, began to tremble involuntarily. He yearned to crawl through the phone line to Zheng He and give this unfilial son two hard slaps.
"Bastard! What else can you do but cause trouble?!"
Zheng He was stunned for a moment. He glanced at his phone in disbelief. Was the person speaking really his father?
His father had always doted on him the most. He had always been gentle with him. How could he be so fierce?
Zheng He felt that he must be hallucinating.
"Dad, listen to me. They're the ones who bullied me. They…"
Before Zheng He could finish his sentence, Zheng An interrupted him mercilessly.
"If you say another word of nonsense, I'll cut your tongue off. From what I know of Qiao Nian's cold nature, how could she bother to even speak with you? You must have provoked her!"
Zheng He blinked in confusion. "Dad, do you know her?"
"If she didn't save me back then, our family wouldn't have managed to get where we are today. Indeed, the two of us would have been separated by life and death long ago. She's our family's great benefactor!"
Zheng He was so shocked that he dropped his phone.
He hurriedly picked up his phone again. He couldn't believe—he didn't dare to believe—that the person who had saved his father back then was Qiao Nian.
Zheng An's voice, full of exasperation and anger, came through the phone. "You unfilial son! You're in big trouble. Hurry up and give her the phone!"
The onlookers watched as Zheng He's expression turned uglier and uglier. They couldn't help but feel curious. In the end, they saw Zheng He crawl to Qiao Nian on his knees.
Everyone's expression changed. Zheng An must have wanted to say something vicious to Qiao Nian.
Qiao Nian glanced at the phone. At Zheng He's request, she picked it up.
The lust drug in her body had already flared up, and her entire body was aching terribly. All she wanted to do now was resolve this trivial matter as soon as possible so that she could cure the poison.
Qiao Nian took the phone and turned on the speaker.
Zheng An's respectful voice came through the phone.
"Miss Qiao, thank you for saving me back then. If it weren't for you, I would have been reduced to a pile of bones long ago. I've remembered your kindness till today, but I never would have thought that when I next contacted you, it would be because my unfilial son offended you. I'm truly sorry!"
Zheng He lowered his head even more. He didn't know that Qiao Nian had saved his father's life.. Surely he couldn't be blamed for this!
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There was silence as everyone turned to look at Qiao Nian.
When Gu Zhou heard Zheng An's voice, he turned to glance at Qiao Nian, his expression indecipherable.
Qiao Nian was actually Zheng An's life savior?
When everyone present realized this, they were all stunned.
At this moment, Qiao Xin gritted her teeth and glared at Qiao Nian. If looks could kill, Qiao Nian would have died a million times over.
Qiao Xin really hadn't expected Qiao Nian to be so lucky.
However, this was also the first time Qiao Xin had gotten to know Qiao Nian from a new perspective.
Qiao Nian was highly adept at martial arts and possessed excellent medical skills. What else could she be hiding? Qiao Xin found herself incredibly curious.
Su Yan gazed unblinkingly at Qiao Nian, his eyes filled with admiration. This was the first time he understood Qiao Nian on a deeper level. He felt that he must have misunderstood her in the past.
Su Yan finally realized why Teacher Liu liked Qiao Nian so much. So Qiao Nian was really a medical genius.
Suppressing her resentment, Qiao Xin glanced at Su Yan. Just as she was about to speak, she saw Su Yan gazing at Qiao Nian affectionately.
Qiao Xin's eyes flashed. Carefully, she tugged a little at Su Yan's sleeve and whispered, "Brother Su Yan, if her medical skills are so advanced, why did she set fire to the school building?"
At Qiao Xin's words, Su Yan's good impression of Qiao Nian instantly vanished.
Even if Qiao Nian was a genius, so what? Qiao Nian was clearly just lucky.
If he had been the one who had run into Zheng An back then, then he would have been Zheng An's life savior.
At this moment, Qiao Nian's expression softened and she spoke gently into the phone, forcibly suppressing the rising discomfort in her body. "Uncle Zheng, what happened that year was nothing; it's not a big favor at all. I've already forgotten about it. Don't take it to heart."
On the other end of the call, when Zheng An heard Qiao Nian's words, he sensed that she was no longer willing to settle this matter peacefully. He sighed silently and said, "You have full authority over this matter. Do whatever you want. I'll make no complaints."
When Zheng He heard Zheng An's words, his expression changed in an instant. He hurriedly snatched the phone away and shouted, "Father, you can't do this to me! Save me!"
"That's enough! Shut up!" Zheng An's impatient voice came from the phone. "Apologize properly to Miss Qiao until you've gained Miss Qiao's forgiveness. I'm telling you, if you don't do as I say, you'll no longer be a part of the Zheng family. You are not my only son!"
After the call ended, Zheng He looked at Qiao Nian. All the blood had drained from his face.
"Brother, apologize quickly!" Zheng Xiang said anxiously.
At this moment, the lust drug in Qiao Nian's body had completely flared up. Her eyes gradually glazed over. She forced herself to look at Zheng He and say, "I just want a sincere apology!"
If Zheng An had spoken properly to Zheng He just now, Zheng He would have been willing to apologize to Qiao Nian. However, when Zheng He thought of his father's words—"You are not my only son!"—his mind went blank. In a daze, he pounced toward Qiao Nian.
Even if he had to die, he would drag Qiao Nian down with him.
With nimble reflexes, Gu Zhou sent Zheng He flying with a kick. He called out, "Chen Qing."
Chen Qing immediately stepped forward, holding a knife. Previously, he had gotten someone to bring him a knife from the Shen family's kitchen. Swiftly, he chopped off Zheng He's hand.
Zheng He cried out in agony!
Seeing this, Chen Qing swiftly dislocated Zheng He's jaw and cut off his tongue with the knife. In the end, he even kindly repositioned Zheng He's jaw.
Zheng He was in so much pain that he was on the verge of fainting. He couldn't make a sound right now, either. Suppressing his pain, he had no choice but to agree to wait for Zheng Xiang to call the ambulance.
Today was Matriarch Shen's birthday banquet, and yet, blood was shed. She couldn't even blame the two of them, for she could not afford to offend either of them.
The bloodstains on the cobblestones had all been cleaned up. It was as if the bloody scene from just now had just been an illusion. Everything returned to normal.
Matriarch Shen ushered the other guests into the banquet hall.
The onlookers around her had finally dispersed. Lifting up her skirt, Qiao Nian walked briskly toward the gates.
As she jogged, her gaze began to cloud over, and the door in the distance gradually turned blurry..
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