“Wait for the results, but with no surprises, this should be a success.” Qiao Jing’s face was alight with confidence, even though she had failed many times before, she was very confident in this new variety.
“That would be truly wonderful! If it really succeeds, it will directly push our country’s agriculture—”
“Ahem!” Qiao Jing coughed lightly, interrupting Zhan Yuanshan’s words, “Grandpa Zhan, if you want to drink the corn porridge I make, just say so, no need to exaggerate.”
Zhan Yuanshan caught on and stroked his beard, “You, girl, have a special knack, especially for making corn porridge—it’s just delicious. Next time you come, you must bring me some corn porridge.”
“Alright, noted.”
Zhan Qipei was intently watching Qiao Jing and Zhan Yuanshan, his eagle-like, dark eyes not stopping their scrutiny.
As clever as he was, he could tell that the two were hiding something from him.
Corn…
Speaking of which, he had gone to Autumn Water Village a few days ago, precisely because he had heard that the agricultural magnate Professor Qiao was in that village.
LastName Qiao?
At this thought, Zhan Qipei’s gaze once again fixed on Qiao Jing.
Could there be some relationship between Qiao Jing and Professor Qiao?
Zhan Qipei meticulously analyzed the words his grandfather had started to say but were cut off by Qiao Jing, and the more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed.
After leaving the hospital, Zhan Qipei had intended to ask Qiao Jing directly, but he felt that she wouldn’t tell him. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have interrupted his grandfather in the hospital room, clearly not wanting him to know.
“Tang Yan.”
“Boss, you called me?”
“Check everything about Qiao Jing, I want to know everything,” Zhan Qipei said, watching the silhouette of Qiao Jing as she left.
“Yes, I’ll get on it.”
That evening, Zhan Qipei received all the information about Qiao Jing.
It wasn’t far off from what Qiao Jing had said; she had contracted a severe contagious disease at birth. The Qiao Family didn’t want to care for her, and she was always tended by her biological mother. Her mother died because she took care of her, and the Qiao Family labeled her a “jinx,” throwing her out into the countryside on a winter night.
Latter, she was found and raised by Zhang Ruicheng, who was Grandpa Zhan’s lieutenant and the one who adopted Qiao Jing.
Being frail and sickly, Qiao Jing was sent to an old traditional Chinese doctor early on to learn some basic knowledge about nurturing her health.
Reading this, Zhan Qipei put down the information, leaned back, closed his eyes, and let out a long, stifled breath, his lips curling up in self-mockery.
He had been so anxious to find that girl that he almost lost his sanity, to think that he could have mistaken Qiao Jing for her.
That girl, with such combat skills and extraordinary medical expertise, Qiao Jing couldn’t match one in ten thousand of her.
As for the matter between Qiao Jing and Professor Qiao, although the information did not mention it, his intuition told him that there was definitely an unknown connection between Qiao Jing and Professor Qiao.
Thinking this, Zhan Qipei turned his head to look, and next door lived Qiao Jing.
Raising his hand to his chin, what exactly was their relationship?
Next door.
Qiao Jing was on the phone.
“Sister Jing, how is it living at the Zhan Family’s place?” The fourth was quite curious about Qiao Jing’s marital life.
“About the same as staying in a hotel,” Qiao Jing replied.
“Uh…” This answer was as good as no answer, and he had hoped to get some gossip to boast about with the people at the research institution.
That plan was now dashed, but it wasn’t unexpected; anyone looked upon by his Sister Jing was probably not born yet.
“By the way, Sister Jing, you’re already in the capital, don’t you plan to come to the research institute and take charge for a bit? It’s been a long while since your last visit. If those old stubborn guys like my grandfather know you’re coming, they’d surely be overjoyed.”
Qiao Jing thought for a moment, she had been immersed in research in the cornfields in the countryside and taking care of the elderly, indeed it had been a long time since she last visited the institute.
“The day after tomorrow.”
“Why not tomorrow?” asked the fourth.
“I’ve been in the capital for several days now. I want to visit the welfare institute first.”
“That’s fine, speaking of which, I haven’t visited the welfare institute and those kids in a long time either. I’ll go tomorrow too.”
“Good, let’s meet there at 2 PM tomorrow. I plan to buy them some clothes in the morning.”
“Then I’ll pick you up at Purple Garden tomorrow morning.”
“Hmm.”
The next day.
Qiao Jing wore a simple white T-shirt and a pair of light-colored jeans as she stepped out of the house.
Just as she was leaving the villa, she saw Zhan Nanqing walking towards her, leading a girl.
“Xinrou, you didn’t attend my brother’s wedding last time and didn’t meet her. She is that country bumpkin, Qiao Jing.” Zhan Nanqing pointed at Qiao Jing and said to the girl beside her, her words dripping with barely concealed sarcasm, and her gaze toward Qiao Jing was filled with utmost disdain.
“Look at her outdated outfit, it’s everywhere on the streets.”
Lou Xinrou agreed with Zhan Nanqing; Qiao Jing’s attire was indeed ubiquitous. But peculiarly, these ordinary clothes on Qiao Jing seemed remarkably unique, lending her an ethereal aura.
Like a piece of uncarved fine jade, simple and clean.
Lou Xinrou only knew that Zhan Qipei’s wife was from the countryside, but she hadn’t expected her to be so beautiful, making her envious to the point of seeing red, and even more so, a strong sense of crisis emerged in her.
Qiao Jing received a message from Old Four; he would arrive in two minutes.
It would take about two or three minutes to walk to the main gate of the courtyard, so she hurried over.
Just as Qiao Jing was preparing to bypass Zhan Nanqing, Zhan Nanqing reached out a hand to stop her.
“Hey! How can you be so rude? We are standing right here, and you don’t even greet us before passing by?” Zhan Nanqing said irritably.
Qiao Jing narrowed her eyes slightly, her furrowed brows showing a hint of impatience.
“My silence doesn’t mean I’m easy to bully, you can try if you don’t believe me.”
Zhan Nanqing winced at Qiao Jing’s words. Her gaze shifted downward, landing on Qiao Jing’s tender and fair hands.
It must be said, Qiao Jing’s hands looked as soft as tofu; hitting someone would really hurt.
The slap she received from her that day still hurt a bit even now.
“Who’s bullying you? You shamelessly married my brother! You think you’re even worthy of being with my brother? Xinrou and my brother are childhood sweethearts, they grew up together, they are truly meant to be!”
“Oh.” Qiao Jing responded indifferently, her gaze coolly sweeping over Lou Xinrou, “Childhood sweethearts, had the advantage yet still couldn’t end up with the person they liked, that’s pretty useless.”
Upon hearing this, Lou Xinrou felt as if her heart was pierced by arrows, even on the brink of bleeding out.
“You’re the useless one!” Zhan Nanqing retorted.
“Not useless? Then that means they are fated but not destined,” Qiao Jing said.
Lou Xinrou was struck by arrows again, bleeding out.
Zhan Nanqing, seeing Lou Xinrou’s ashen face, hurriedly comforted her, “Xinrou, don’t listen to her nonsense; you and my brother are made for each other. Wait 100 days, and once she leaves, my brother will be yours.”
Zhan Nanqing had barely finished speaking when Qiao Jing’s voice followed immediately.
“You’re not comforting her, you’re deceiving her. For Zhan Qipei, I’m just a passerby in his life; my coming or going won’t affect who he loves. Dislike is dislike, and no amount of coercion will change it, just like a person who doesn’t like durian; forcing him is useless.”
Lou Xinrou felt her heart pierced with a thousand arrows, and staggered back a few steps, shocked.
“Xinrou, are you okay? You’re fine, right? Don’t listen to her. She is just saying that to eliminate you, her love rival, without a trace.”
Zhan Nanqing’s words somewhat comforted Lou Xinrou.
“Thank you, Nanqing, I won’t give up,” Lou Xinrou said, regaining her composure, then stared resolutely at Qiao Jing.
“I have liked Brother Pei since I was a child, and I was determined to marry him as his wife. I hope that within these 100 days, you won’t harbor any unnecessary intentions. Here is one million, take it, and this bag, it’s last year’s limited edition from CN, also for you.”
Qiao Jing glanced casually at the card in Lou Xinrou’s hand; one million—she didn’t care for it. The unassuming clothes she wore were far more expensive than that amount.
Not to mention the bag she carried, which was custom-designed for her by CN’s chief designer according to her tastes.
“Buzz, buzz, buzz—” The vibration of the phone rang out.
The call was from Old Four.
“You’ve arrived? Great, I see your car, I’m coming out now.”
After hanging up the phone, Qiao Jing didn’t give Zhan Nanqing and Lou Xinrou another glance, and directly bypassed the two.
Lou Xinrou remained in the gesture of offering the card, standing there dry, her mind temporarily unable to react.
She just left?
This is a million dollars! Even though the Lou family is a powerhouse in the capital, her monthly allowance is limited. She had saved up for quite some time for that million! And this country girl just didn’t care for it.
“Xinrou, there’s something you still don’t know; it seems Grandpa Zhan has given her quite a bit of money,” Zhan Nanqing said.
So that was it.
Lou Xinrou suddenly realized.
“Don’t just stand there; let’s go and see who came to pick up Qiao Jing,”
Zhan Nanqing pulled Lou Xinrou and walked outside, and upon stepping out, they saw a rather flashy luxury car.
“It’s a Bugatti! How does she know someone who drives such an expensive car?” Zhan Nanqing stared, puzzled, then upon seeing the man getting out of the car, her eyes widened in shock!
How could it be him?!
Lou Xinrou’s expression was a mirror to Zhan Nanqing’s, equally unexpected at the man who came to pick up Qiao Jing.