Chapter 34: Once upon a Time

Chapter 34

Qiao Qianrong's face, which normally looked rather stern, softened when she spoke of her daughter.

Mother and daughter had likely not seen each other for a long time, as they spoke only of the time they had spent together when Qiao Lin was just a child.

Qin Zhao couldn't help but admire herself for only guessing that Qiao Lin was Qiao Qianrong's daughter and daring to dangle such uncertain bait.

Yet she had truly managed to strike Qiao Qianrong's soft spot.

"But I haven't seen her for a very long time. If we were to meet again now, I'm afraid I wouldn't even recognize her.

I'm a useless woman, couldn't even keep my own daughter by my side."

"You'd recognize her. She looks a lot like you," Qin Zhao said.

Qiao Qianrong suddenly grabbed Qin Zhao by the collar and glared at her threateningly. "Did he send you?!"

Qin Zhao looked bewildered but remained calm under Qiao Qianrong's gaze.

Qiao Qianrong glowered at Qin Zhao for a moment before letting her go.

"Why can't he just let me be? I've been in hiding, staying far away so as not to cause him any more trouble. Why can't he just leave me alone?"

She pointed at her own face. "Look at me, I used to be so beautiful, even prettier than you.

He said I had to keep a low profile if I wanted to stay alive, so I disfigured myself like this.

I did everything he asked, so why can't he stop tormenting me?"

She sounded more and more despondent.

Qin Zhao wanted to glean more information from her ramblings, so she refrained from interrupting.

"A day as husband and wife means a hundred days of grace, so why does he treat me worse than his enemy?"

Husband and wife?

So Qiao Qianrong had been married to Nan Chenghui!

This was undoubtedly the most shocking revelation yet!

Did that mean Qiao Lin was Nan Chenghui's daughter!

Things were becoming more and more interesting.

Qiao Qianrong then began to recount her past with Nan Chenghui.

As she spoke, her expression turned as girlishly shy as a young maiden's before shifting to resentment.

"We were the best looking couple in our village, so we naturally came together.

Though we were poor in those years, they were the happiest days of my life.

Because I have those memories, when Nan Chenghui held a knife to me, I couldn't believe it.

Thinking he must have lost his mind, I tried to take the knife from him but he slashed me.

Yet the physical pain was nothing compared to the mental anguish I endured.

If not for my sister, I'm afraid I would have lost myself in memories and lived a crazy life."

Tears streamed down Qiao Qianrong's face like a broken faucet. "But my sister, my sister...

Waaah, it's my fault that she died."

She hugged Qin Zhao tightly and wept. "Sister is gone. There's no one left in this world who loves me."

Qiao Qianrong's eyes shifted about evasively. "I had my reasons. I couldn't provide her a good life so leaving her with her father was the better choice for her."

"Is that so?"

Qiao Qianrong nodded hesitantly.

"If you really understood, you wouldn't say that.

She may be by Nan Chenghui's side but not as his daughter.

She just trails behind the child Nan Chenghui claims, like an overworked servant."

Qin Zhao intentionally exaggerated things a bit. Judging from Qiao Lin's clothes, Nan Chenghui or Nan Yue seemed to provide her with a decent allowance.

If being a bodyguard was considered a job, it would be a pretty good one.

She embellished things a little in hopes of prodding Qiao Qianrong into action.

But Qiao Qianrong remained unmoved. She shook her head. "My hopes for her were never wealth or status. This is enough."

Qin Zhao frowned. "What's enough? Her life doesn't resemble anything good in the slightest."

"I only wish for her to live her life in peace and safety. As her father, Nan Chenghui would at least not make her do dangerous things. What's a little hardship or toil?"

Qin Zhao immediately seized on this point. "Hah! Then you think far too highly of Nan Chenghui. For your daughter, the most dangerous person is him!"

Panic flashed across Qiao Qianrong's face and she urgently asked, "What do you mean by that?!"

"He's holding her captive somewhere. One reason I came to find you is to rescue her."

Qiao Qianrong stared steadily at Qin Zhao, seeming not to fully trust her words.

Qin Zhao also felt a little uneasy, having improvised this plan on the spot.

She had originally intended Qiao Lin merely as a lead-in but it was clear now that Qiao Qianrong cared only about her daughter.

So she had no choice but to focus the discussion on Qiao Lin.

After a moment, Qiao Qianrong asked, "How can I trust you?"

Qin Zhao took out a photo from her backpack. "You recognize Chen Xiao, right? He gave me this photo."

Seeing the photo, Qiao Qianrong fell silent briefly before asking, "What happened to Chen Xiao?"

"He's dead. He had wanted to take Nan Chenghui down with him but unfortunately Nan Chenghui escaped while he met a regretful end alone."

Qin Zhao then gave a simple summary of the grievances between Chen Xiao and Nan Chenghui.

"He must have given me that information hoping you could accomplish what he did not.

I don't know what your relationship was but he seemed to trust you a great deal."

Qiao Qianrong shook her head. "He pursued me once but we didn't really have any other relationship, I wouldn't say he trusted me."

Seeing she did not react much, Qin Zhao took out another item - a watch. "Do you recognize this watch? I don't know why he gave it to me."

Qiao Qianrong snatched the watch and stared fixedly at it, her expression gradually becoming deranged.

She seemed to be going through an emotional storm.

"Why show me this token again when I've finally forgotten? When I was ready to let go of the past...

She said this, and her eyes cleared.

Getting up and walking forward without looking back, she said, "Follow me."