At this moment, Ning Hao had an impulse. He wanted to take Jiang Qiao away from here, to hide far away, where they wouldn't have to worry about or think about anything. Just the two of them together. He felt that even in the most difficult place, with Jiang Qiao there, that home would be warm and cozy.

After packing her luggage, Jiang Qiao sat opposite Ning Hao and asked calmly, "Tell me, what's troubling you so much?"

Ning Hao gave a bitter smile, but Jiang Qiao felt a pang of sadness and heartache seeing that smile.

"Ning Hao, we're probably the closest of friends, right? Putting aside everything that's happened between us, given our current situation, what can't you tell me?"

Ning Hao looked into Jiang Qiao's eyes and said, "Then tell me first, is your godfather actually your biological father?"

Jiang Qiao laughed. "I didn't expect you to think of that. That's right, he is indeed my biological father. However, I've only been vague about it to outsiders because of my grandfather's background. They don't want to implicate me, so they've been giving everyone the runaround on the surface."

How did you figure out this relationship?

Ning Hao smiled and looked at Jiang Qiao with a playful expression. "Do you think I don't know you? You call Grandpa Qiao 'Grandpa Qiao,' so why do you call that old man 'Grandpa'? When my grandfather told me, I was puzzled. It seems that it's really as I thought. A godparent wouldn't make you disregard the old man's feelings. The only explanation is that the person is your biological grandfather."

Jiang Qiao smiled and gave Ning Hao a thumbs up. "Not bad, you're quite impressive. You can figure this out, so it's clear you didn't read the book in vain."

Let me guess why you're so confused. When someone says their father is a bastard, it's not just because he wronged his wife and children; there's probably more to it than that.

"Let me think... In the past, you and your father were at most indifferent to each other, rarely even seeing each other. But now, for you to be so angry, the problem probably stems from the cause of your mother's death, right?"

This time, Ning Hao's eyes widened in disbelief, looking like he'd seen a ghost, which amused Jiang Qiao.

"You pretend to not care about anything on the surface, but you actually keep everything hidden in your heart."

"Tell me, was your mother murdered because of your father? As far as I know, although your mother wasn't in good health, she shouldn't have died so young. The only explanation is that she was poisoned. Your father might have been involved, or he might have been unaware. And the person who did it is probably your stepmother, isn't it?"

Ning Hao sighed deeply and remained silent for a long time. Jiang Qiao also sighed, "That's why I said it. Your family's affairs are a mess, but your aunt's matter is easy to resolve. I'm sure you've already resolved it."

Because of your grandparents' relationship with your father and stepmother, you don't know what to do.

One is the debt of gratitude for raising you, another is the giver of your life, and the third is the hatred for killing your mother. You don't know how to choose to minimize the harm, so you must be very troubled right now, right?

Ning Hao looked up again, and Jiang Qiao could already see the tears in his eyes.

"Qiao'er, what do you think I should do?"

Jiang Qiao also felt quite helpless about the problem Ning Hao was facing. "What can you do? After avenging your mother's death, your future will be very troublesome, not only in terms of your family, but also in terms of your future."

If you don't avenge your mother, you probably won't be able to get over this hurdle in your own heart.

Ning Hao, may I ask when you learned that your mother had been murdered?

“During the Lunar New Year, my mother left me her belongings, instructing my grandmother that they could only be given to me after I came of age. My mother’s diary describes this.”

Jiang Qiao sighed softly, "Then you should thank your grandmother properly. If it were someone else, they probably would have opened it already."

Ning Hao nodded. "That's why I'm worried. Once this matter comes to light, my father probably won't be able to stay in the army any longer. You know, a woman like that will inevitably ruin this family, and my grandparents will be in big trouble."

Although I have no emotional connection with my younger siblings and even dislike them quite a bit, they still have a mother like me, and it will affect them in the future.

Jiang Qiao scoffed, "I really didn't expect you to be so kind-hearted. Have you ever thought about why your mother had your grandmother hand over the things to you when you came of age? It was because she didn't want you to ruin yourself."

Ning Hao nodded. "I know. It's precisely because I know that I'm in pain. Jiang Qiao, if you were in my shoes, what would you do?"

Jiang Qiao snorted, "The hatred of killing one's mother is irreconcilable. I don't care about father or son. His mother is gone, and his father is not even as good as a stepfather. I will spoil him."

However, this assumption is invalid. I can't possibly replace you. I have no feelings for them. It's natural for me to say this without feeling guilty.

"But Ning Hao, you usually think you're pretty quick-witted, so why do you go crazy when it comes to your own business?"

Jiang Qiao crossed her legs, crossed her arms, and stared directly at Ning Hao, but what she said was truly impolite.

Seeing that Ning Hao remained silent, Jiang Qiao continued, "After all, so many years have passed, and the evidence you have based solely on the information left by your mother is not very convincing."

Ning Hao, if you need help, I can ask my friend to help you investigate the truth of what happened back then. As for how to handle it afterward, that's up to you.

Actually, I think there are many ways to get revenge, just like how you tried to deal with your uncle back then—”

Ning Hao looked up in surprise, blinked, and his expression made Jiang Qiao unable to help but laugh.

"You should stop making that silly, innocent face—"

Jiang Qiao almost couldn't resist pinching Ning Hao's cheeks when he looked like that; it was rare to see Ning Hao like this.

"knew?"

Jiang Qiao coughed. "I guessed it. You must have used some unconventional methods. Otherwise, normal methods wouldn't work at all against that scoundrel."

Don't tell me you've linked Wang Zhongquan to his sister.

Ning Hao's reaction pleased Jiang Qiao again. Ning Hao sighed and said, "Jiang Qiao, to be honest, only the two of us are suitable. If you try someone else, you can figure them out at a glance. In the long run, it's not a good thing. But I feel the opposite. I'm very happy. As expected of the girl I've chosen, she's just right for me."

Jiang Qiao gave him a playful glare and said, "Look at you, you had to turn a perfectly good conversation into something else entirely."

Let's talk things out. Yes, I admit we're probably similar, but it's too early to say whether we're compatible or not. Besides, I haven't even considered that question yet.

So, I'll say it again: you have a long way to go, so if you find someone suitable, hurry up and find one. Waiting for me is a different story. My standards are high, but also not low; you should know me well.”