Qiao Qiqi smiled and said, "No, I'm just glad you don't blame me for keeping it from you before."

"I'm so grateful to you for bringing Chenchen and Xinxin back safely, how could I possibly blame you?" The old lady patted her hand. "But you, child, knew perfectly well that he was the one who harmed Chenchen and Xinxin, yet you deliberately kept it from me. Were you afraid I wouldn't believe you?"

Qiao Qiqi was silent for a moment.

There was indeed a reason why she didn't say it.

But more than anything, I felt that since Chenchen was coming back, it would be better for Chenchen to say these things to the old lady, as it would be more credible.

The old lady knew what she was thinking and felt even more helpless. "No matter what others say, I won't believe them. I only know that you brought my grandson and granddaughter back, and that's the best proof."

The old lady turned her gaze to the others, "I have already sent out notices for the banquet to welcome Chenchen and Xinxin home. It is scheduled for tomorrow night. I will personally announce at the banquet that I have recognized Qiqi as my goddaughter. From now on, she will be your aunt."

Chenchen and Xinxin were naturally delighted to see this outcome. Although they had always called her "sister" before, calling her "aunt" now felt much more intimate, so the two of them immediately and cheerfully called out, "Auntie!"

It was Qin Baoguo's turn...

Qin Baoguo looked at the girl in front of him, who was a few years younger than him, and immediately felt embarrassed. His lips moved, but he couldn't bring himself to call out to her.

Seeing the old lady's displeased frown, he braced himself and whispered, "Auntie."

The old lady was satisfied!

But Qiao Qiqi was embarrassed.

She felt a little uncomfortable being called "aunt" by someone older than her because her seniority had increased so quickly.

Seeing that the old lady was determined, and that it would be ungrateful of her to refuse again, Qiao Qiqi didn't say anything.

The old lady was a little tired. After she finished speaking, she asked Aunt Zhou to help her upstairs to rest.

Qiao Qiqi winked at Chenchen, who immediately followed, saying, "Grandma, I'll go with you to rest."

The old lady smiled immediately when she saw her grandson's ingratiating face. "Alright, alright, Chenchen, stay with Grandma for a nap."

Watching the three figures disappear at the top of the stairs, Qiao Qiqi turned her gaze to Qin Baoguo and asked, "Has the old lady said how to deal with Xiao Tanghai's matter?"

"No." Qin Baoguo shook his head. "The bearing factory is still in his hands. If we take action directly, the bearing factory will definitely be affected. And it's not just him alone; there are many of his people in the bearing factory. If we're going to make a move, we'll have to take them all down with us. So, Grandma will definitely have to make some careful arrangements before making a decision."

"Hmm." Qiao Qiqi understood.

The next day in the blink of an eye—

The banquet was held as scheduled. Because there were too many people at home, the banquet was held at a hotel.

The Qin family has a deep and intricate network of connections in Beijing. Although Old Madam Qin has been retired for more than 20 years, she still receives a great many visitors, whether from the bearing factory or from Qin Baoguo's position in the military.

The Fang family was also invited. When Fang Ke saw Qiao Qiqi in her white dress, her eyes lit up. "Qiqi, you look just like someone from Beijing! You're absolutely gorgeous!"

Of course, what's really attractive about Qiao Qiqi is her face; she's the center of attention wherever she goes.

"You look great today too. This light blue dress is so pretty." Qiao Qiqi's compliment was genuine. Fang Ke had a great figure, and she looked especially beautiful in this fitted dress, which showed off her great figure perfectly.

"I bought this especially for today's banquet, isn't it beautiful?" Fang Ke immediately twirled around, looking quite pleased with herself.

"It's really beautiful!"

Fang Ke's parents were both very good-looking, and with Fang Jingru around, Fang Ke's appearance was naturally excellent. She was gentle and elegant, with the air of a lady from a prominent family in ancient times.

Of course, it would be even more like it if they didn't speak.

Qiao Qiqi only dared to think these words in her heart.

As more and more people gathered at the banquet, Fang realized that Qiao Qiqi was the main character of the event, so he decided not to disturb her. He let her go with Qin Baoguo to entertain the guests, while he went with his mother to chat with people he knew.

The banquet officially began an hour later.

The old lady hadn't appeared yet. When Qin Baoguo saw Qiao Qiqi twisting her ankle, he whispered in her ear, "Find a place to rest first. Grandma will be here in a while. You can come over when she arrives."

Qiao Qiqi thought about it and decided that it would work, so she nodded and left.

She took a glass of water and sipped it slowly to moisten her slightly dry throat.

She had only drunk half of her drink when Fang Ke came to her side again. "From now on, you'll be a young lady of the Qin family. Does that mean you can stay in Beijing and not go back?"

Qiao Qiqi took a sip of water. "I haven't decided yet, but even if I go back, I will still come to Beijing in the future. Now that I have the Qin family's connection, it will be much more convenient for me to come to Beijing in the future, and I will definitely come often."

Fang Ke agreed. She had been worried about the inconvenience of Qiao Qiqi coming to Beijing, but now that the problem was solved, she was no longer so resistant to Qiao Qiqi going back.

After finishing that, Fang Ke remembered something else: "I suddenly realized that your man looks a lot like the young master of the Qin family. Could they be brothers?"

Qiao Qiqi's gaze fell on Qin Baoguo, while Qin Huai... knowing that his face was too eye-catching, he always stood relatively far away from Qin Baoguo.

Thinking that Qin Huai was someone her father-in-law had brought back from the battlefield...

Although Qiao Qiqi thought it was possible, she hadn't figured it out yet, so she explained it as a coincidence.

As soon as she finished speaking, the old lady arrived at the banquet venue, supported by Aunt Zhou and Xiao Jinyu.

Seeing that it was her turn to go over, Qiao Qiqi put down her water glass and stood behind the old lady with Qin Baoguo.

When Xin Xin saw her coming, she immediately took her hand and called out happily, "Auntie."

Qiao Qiqi pinched her cheek. "Good girl!"

"Madam, it's been a long time! You're still as spry as ever!"

"Madam, you look so healthy, even better than us younger generation."

"May you enjoy boundless blessings and live to be a hundred years old."

...

A group of people gathered around and began to congratulate the old lady.

When the old lady reaches this age, the most common thing people say is that she should live to be a hundred years old.

"Very well, thank you for your kind words!" The old lady responded to everyone's blessings with a smile. Today, she was in high spirits, wearing a Zhongshan suit and holding a dragon-headed cane. She looked energetic and radiant.

Supported by Aunt Zhou and Xiao Jinyu, the old lady walked to the microphone at the front. Seeing everyone's attention focused on her, she immediately smiled and said, "Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to give this old lady face and attend this banquet hosted by the Qin family."

"I have three things to announce at this banquet today."