Chapter 29
Qiao Yu panicked and reflexively shook her head twice. As Ye Yunjian approached with an imposing expression, her mind went blank. Forced by the dangerous aura emanating from him, she instinctively tried to turn around. However, after turning around decisively, her knee slammed into the car door with a "thud."
Her face contorted in pain, Qiao Yu clutched her knee. When she looked up again, Ye Yunjian's long legs were already standing in front of her.
Following the graceful curves upwards, Ye Yunjian smiled faintly, his imposing presence enveloping her. A low voice, tinged with confusion, escaped from deep within his throat: "Why are you running?"
She raised an eyebrow at Qiao Yu: "Would I eat people?"
Qiao Yu shook her head again. "You don't eat people. But you're far more terrifying than a cannibalistic demon, okay?"
Qiao Yu closed her eyes briefly, rubbed her knees discreetly, and tried to appear calm and composed. She straightened her back and looked directly into Ye Yunjian's deep eyes, then solemnly fabricated a story: "I just suddenly remembered that I left something in the car."
Ye Yunjian followed her gaze and looked over. The back seat was completely empty; there wasn't a single hair, let alone the items she had mentioned that had been left behind. A soft laugh escaped her lips as she leaned closer to Qiao Yu and asked, "Take another good look. Is there anything in the car?"
The other person leaned closer, and Qiao Yu unconsciously held her breath, looking at her with a hint of wariness. Hearing this, the wariness in Qiao Yu's eyes instantly turned into guilt, her ears unconsciously turning bright red, her throat bobbing. Qiao Yu smelled the increasingly intense dangerous aura emanating from Ye Yunjian. Qiao Yu was so frightened that her legs almost went weak. With nowhere to run, Qiao Yu couldn't help but turn around, her gaze shifting between Lu Shangyi and Song Wanzi. After a moment's thought, Qiao Yu kicked off her heels and quickly limped behind Lu Shangyi, hiding silently.
Ye Yunjian's intrigued gaze fell on Lu Shangyi. Even with Lu Shangyi in between, Qiao Yu could almost imagine Ye Yunjian's deep eyes, which seemed to see through her little thoughts and lies with a half-smile.
Unable to resist moving closer to Lu Shangyi, Qiao Yu whispered, "Sister Lu, you must protect me."
She stared expectantly at Lu Shangyi's calm face with her bright eyes, clearly seeing her as a lifeline. A slight smile played on Lu Shangyi's lips as she asked, "Didn't you say you were the number one Alpha in the capital? I'm just a delicate, helpless EVA. How can I protect you in front of two Alphas?"
Song Wanzi was initially annoyed that Qiao Yu was hiding behind Lu Shangyi, but after hearing Lu Shangyi's words, her attention was instantly diverted, and she asked with some surprise, "The number one fierce Alpha in the capital?"
A bad feeling immediately rose in Qiao Yu's heart. Ye Yunjian followed Qiao Yu and strode back. Seeing this, he also raised his eyebrows slightly, his gaze fixed on the child who was cautiously peeking out from behind Lu Shangyi with only one eye. "Who?"
Song Wanzi was puzzled, "Who gave her the title of 'Number One Fierce A in the Capital'?"
Does it mean these people don't exist?
Qiao Yu immediately opened her eyes wide and pleaded with Lu Shangyi. Lu Shangyi stared at her for a long time without blinking, seemingly unmoved. In her anxiety, Qiao Yu quickly and secretly reached out from another direction and hooked Lu Shangyi's finger, her pleading eyes becoming even stronger.
Soft, slightly cool fingers approached gently and carefully. Lu Shangyi's fingertips moved slightly, and the other person immediately took advantage, like a kitten opening its claws, then softly and bonelessly pressing her down. It carried a hint of pleading, and also a hint of threat.
Song Wanzi and Ye Yunjian were both waiting for her answer. Lu Shangyi chuckled inwardly and said casually, "It must be some unscrupulous media outlet that has unrealistic fantasies about her."
She said uncertainly, "It's been too long, I've forgotten where I saw it."
Qiao Yu breathed a sigh of relief, but unexpectedly, Lu Shangyi suddenly lowered his head and deliberately asked her, "What do you think?"
Qiao Yu's relieved expression stiffened slightly. Under the gaze of the three people, Qiao Yu had no choice but to pretend to be angry and condemn the unscrupulous media that Lu Shangyi had mentioned, "Exactly! Aunt Ye and Sister Song are both better than me! They are just meddling in other people's business all day long, deliberately stirring up trouble and driving a wedge between us!"
"I'm calling my dad right now to buy them out! Let's see how they dare to spout nonsense and slander me now!" she said emotionally, her words filled with righteous indignation: "They have absolutely no morals, no bottom line! They're unworthy of being socialist media professionals!"
The system's eye twitched. "Wild, baby."
She's another woman who, when she gets crazy, even curses herself.
Qiao Yu remained completely unmoved, even wanting to return home immediately to differentiate. What else could she do? As a high school student, without the world's most powerful pheromones, how could she possibly fight two… no, three? Although Sister Lu was only an EVA, her fighting power was in no way inferior to an Alpha.
Qiao Yu couldn't help but cover her mouth, almost bursting into tears. She must have blown up someone else's ancestral grave in her past life to be this unlucky.
Seeing that the child was about to cry, Song Wanzi pretended to believe her and didn't expose her. Ye Yunjian put one hand in his pocket, his tone tinged with doubt, "Why are they all older sisters, and I'm the only one who's called 'auntie'?"
The way Song Wanzi and Lu Shangyi looked at her suddenly became complicated.
You're even bothered by this?
Even we have to politely call you "sister," do you really expect a high school student to call you "sister" like we do?
Qiao Yu's heart skipped a beat when she heard Ye Yunjian's voice. Realizing the resentment in her words, Qiao Yu quickly said, "Then I'll call you Sister Ye from now on." Not to mention "sister," as long as Ye Yunjian didn't stare at her with such an oppressive gaze, she would call her "old baby" all the time.
Upon hearing this, Ye Yunjian thought about it carefully and said, "Let's forget about it."
She glanced at Ye Yunjian and Song Wanzi with a cryptic smile, "If you also call me 'sister,' then the hierarchy among us will be messed up."
Seniority can be a powerful factor in competition, and it can be an effective form of competition.
Qiao Yu was speechless. "You're the one who said I should call you 'sister,' and you're the one who forbids me from doing so." Just as she was starting to feel a little resentful, Ye Yunjian saw right through her thoughts. "What's wrong, getting impatient?"
"No, I wouldn't dare." Qiao Yu sensed the dangerous aura in her eyes and quickly shook her head.
Fearing that Ye Yunjian might say something that would endanger her safety, Qiao Yu quickly pointed to the door behind her. "Aunt Ye, sisters, I need to go home and do my homework." She desperately hinted, "I have a lot of homework this week, a full ten test papers, and I also need to prepare for next month's exam..."
She kept rambling on, but Ye Yunjian didn't listen to a word she said. He simply interrupted her, saying, "It just so happens that Lu Shangyi is a top student at Harvard University. If you don't understand anything, you can ask her later."
Qiao Yu unconsciously fell silent, then suddenly realized Ye Yunjian's unspoken meaning: were they going to visit her at home?!
After scrutinizing the three people, Qiao Yu couldn't help but say to the system, "Is this how a visit should be? If the three of them go into a hotel now, people who don't know the situation will think they're going to catch someone cheating! Even other people's teams catching cheaters don't have this intimidating presence!"
If she were the one caught cheating by Ye Yunjian, Lu Shangyi, and Song Wanzi, she would be so terrified that she would rather crawl into a pig cage and roll into the pond herself!
No matter how unwilling Qiao Yu was to believe it, the nanny, who had heard the commotion, had already run out wearing an apron. "Yu Yu, you're back?" Her gaze swept over Lu Shangyi and Song Wanzi. After recognizing the two, she warmly invited them, "Miss Lu and Miss Song, please come in and sit down. We're just preparing dinner at home."
The nanny hesitated and looked at Qiao Yu, waiting for Qiao Yu to introduce Ye Yunjian's identity. Ye Yunjian, however, took the initiative to introduce himself, saying, "I'm a new resident who moved in from across the street. My surname is Ye."
Surname Ye? The nanny couldn't help but sized her up. People who could live in this community were either rich or noble. The woman in front of her had a distinguished air and a commanding presence, and her age and gender matched those of the Ye family in the east. The nanny's attitude immediately became more respectful, "Hello, hello."
She made way, saying, "Everyone, please come in and sit down. Don't keep standing outside."
Qiao Yu stood reluctantly at the back. After the three of them had walked a distance, Qiao Yu grabbed the nanny who was about to follow them and asked, "Aunt Zhang, what are you planning to do to entertain them?"
Aunt Zhang thought for a moment and was about to speak when Qiao Yu looked at her seriously and said, "How about we just turn them away tonight?"
Qiao Yu tried her best to refuse, but it was no use. Lu Shangyi and Song Wanzi had been to Qiao Yu's place several times before, and they easily found their favorite seats, leaving Ye Yunjian standing alone in the middle of the living room, surveying the surroundings. To be honest, the couple treated Qiao Yu very well; the house, its decorations, and furnishings were all top-notch, understated yet luxurious, elegant yet tasteful.
Ye Yunjian turned around upon hearing footsteps behind him. "All the money your parents took from us ended up with you, didn't it?"
The recent actions of Qiao Jinghuai and his wife were unexpected and swift. If it weren't for this sudden turn of events, they wouldn't have known that the Qiao family had been hiding their true strength all these years. But upon closer reflection, it makes sense. Back when Qiao Jinghuai was in business, he was known for being ruthless. It was only after getting married that he suddenly became indifferent to worldly affairs and lost all ambition.
At that time, everyone thought it was because Qiao Jinghuai had gotten married and had children, so he had settled down and returned to his family, and no one regarded him as a competitor. In addition, Qiao Jinghuai later always greeted people with a smile and was polite to everyone. More than ten years have passed, and everyone has almost forgotten the ruthless nature that Qiao Jinghuai had before he gained a foothold in the capital.
However, it seems that Qiao Jinghuai and his wife are nothing compared to him.
These two, each more capable and cunning than the other, have all come together.
Qiao Yu felt a chill run down her spine when she heard Ye Yunjian bring up old grievances. She quickly took two steps back and said righteously, "My parents are responsible for their own actions. As the saying goes, every wrong has its perpetrator and every debt its debtor. Aunt Ye, if you have any complaints, just take them out on my parents." She crossed her arms in front of her chest and made a no sign. "I'm still a child. Your adult grudges have nothing to do with me."
Worried that Ye Yunjian would still not let her off the hook, Qiao Yu quickly ran behind Lu Shangyi and argued, "Parents should be held accountable for their parents' actions."
After she finished speaking, her voice suddenly softened, and she asked hesitantly, "You agree, right?"
Ye Yunjian watched her smile, a playful glint in his eyes. "Yes." Qiao Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief, but before she could fully exhale, Ye Yunjian continued unhurriedly, "However..."
She drew out her words, deliberately stirring up all of Qiao Yu's tension, before abruptly changing the subject, "What are those?"
Her well-maintained fingers casually pointed to a pile of cardboard boxes in the corner. "Nutritional supplements?"
She observed Qiao Yu's frozen expression and noticed the interested looks from Song Wanzi and Lu Shangyi, and roughly guessed what was going on. Her smile widened, and Ye Yunjian sat down on the nearest sofa. "I've never seen you open it and drink it."
Qiao Yu really wants to leave this home and wander far away.
Feeling flustered and her scalp tingling under the scrutinizing gazes of Song Wanzi and Lu Shangyi, she unconsciously clenched her hands, trying to come up with an explanation: "It's because these things are too precious to me, so I can't bear to drink them."
Seeing that the two men's expressions had improved, Qiao Yu pressed on: "I originally planned to buy a big cabinet to store them all." As she looked at the three men's expressions, Qiao Yu said, "But I've been busy with my studies lately, so I haven't had time yet."
Song Wanzi was appeased by her words and said with great satisfaction, "Your studies are more important, there's no need to rush this."
Lu Shangyi glanced lightly at Qiao Yu's nervously clasped hands, but said nothing. Seeing that she didn't seem to care, Qiao Yu quickly gave her a touched look. As expected, an EVA was gentle, considerate, and virtuous, unlike the other two Alphas who were so aggressive.
Qiao Yu couldn't help but reaffirm her criteria for choosing a partner: she must marry someone like Sister Lu, who is pure, harmless, and non-aggressive.
Although Sister Lu is an EVA, her occasional domineering nature isn't scary at all; instead, it adds a touch of fun. She's practically made for her, and she loves her so much!
Because Qiao Yu kept talking about studying, the others didn't make things difficult for her and generously let her go back to her room to do her homework. As soon as Qiao Yu closed the door, she collapsed to the floor, repeatedly saying, "That was terrible, that was absolutely terrible!"
Lu Shangyi and Song Wanzi were already a headache enough, but now even Ye Yunjian has moved in. She pinched the bridge of her nose. Did this neighborhood suddenly produce a Forbes billionaire, or did it suddenly produce a stunningly beautiful omega? Otherwise, why would everyone be here to join in the fun?
Qiao Yu looked pale and had a terrible headache. The thought of having to go downstairs for dinner later made her feel even worse.
Qiao Yu took out her homework and placed it on her desk, but hesitated to start writing because a person's image suddenly flashed through her mind. Picking up her phone, Qiao Yu opened Tang Shu's chat window. "Are you there? Come to my house today, I'll treat you to a big meal."
Good sisters should share joys and sorrows. As her best friend, it would be a real shame if I weren't there for her in this situation.
Tang Shu wasn't stupid, especially not someone as cunning and unpredictable as Qiao Yu. After cautiously replying "Not here," Tang Shu tentatively asked, "Why did you suddenly decide to invite me to your house?"
"I just suddenly missed you." Qiao Yu tapped the screen earnestly. "Do I need a reason to miss you?"
Missing me? Tang Shu sneered, holding her phone. How strange! From childhood to adulthood, nothing good ever happened whenever Qiao Yu thought of her. Shifting to a more comfortable position, Tang Shu mercilessly exposed her, "You're not trying to trick me into coming to your place to attract her hatred again, are you?"
Qiao Yu frowned. Had they guessed all along? After a moment of silence, Qiao Yu threw out another bait, saying, "How could that be? What kind of relationship do we have? Why would I lie to you? Besides, Jiang Mei and Meng E are both here with me."
Meng E? Tang Shu glanced at the girl opposite her, becoming even more certain that Qiao Yu was lying. "Stop trying to fool me."
The more she disbelieved, the more persistent Qiao Yu became. "If you don't believe me, you can text Meng E and ask her." After sending the message, Qiao Yu immediately dialed Meng E's number. "Hey E'e, if Tang Shu calls you later, just tell her you're here with me right now..."
Before she could finish speaking, Qiao Yu heard a noise coming from the phone, followed by Tang Shu's familiar voice with a cold laugh, "Playing games, my foot! Meng E is sitting right across from me right now, how could she possibly be at your house?"
"..." I was careless.
With a blank expression, Qiao Yu hung up the phone and began to fidget nervously. What should she do?
With her phone screen lit up in front of her, the group chat messages of her loving family were scrolling rapidly. Qiao Yu's eyes lit up. If she couldn't fool Tang Shu, tricking her parents into coming over and facing the storm in her place was a brilliant idea!
Qiao Yu quickly picked up her phone, only to find that her second and third aunts were discussing her in the group chat again.
Second Aunt: "Why hasn't Yuyu differentiated yet? She's almost eighteen, isn't she? She's practically an old maid."
Today, the third aunt was still at odds with the second aunt. "What's the rush? Delaying the differentiation won't affect Yu Yu's status or position at all. What's rightfully hers in the family will still be hers; she won't become someone else's, right, eldest brother?"
Hearing this, the second aunt said sourly, "That's right, Yuyu was born into a good family, others can only envy her."
But then she changed the subject, returning to the topic of differentiation. "Although I'm not worried about anything going wrong with Yu Yu's differentiation, what if the results of her previous tests were inaccurate?" She tried to think it over with her not-so-bright brain. "What if Yu Yu's test results were wrong, just like the one from the Lu family?"
"If Yu Yu were to differentiate into a beta or an ega, how could she possibly support the entire Qiao family and the entire company?"
Ultimately, it all comes down to their own interests.
Qiao Yu, having nowhere to vent her emotions, held her phone with both hands and immediately bombarded the group chat with messages: "Second Aunt, you're overthinking it. How could such a large testing agency be inaccurate?" Although she had her doubts, hearing these words from someone else made Qiao Yu very unhappy.
"My ability to differentiate into an alpha has been scientifically proven. My parents aren't worried about me, so you shouldn't worry about it either." Qiao Yu was very unhappy. "Even if all the men in the world differentiated into ega, I still couldn't differentiate into ega, you know?"
Qiao Yu briefly imagined that she might differentiate into an ega, but quickly shook her head to get rid of the unrealistic thought in less than a second.
If she were to differentiate into an EVA, she probably wouldn't even have a bone left.
Which of the following Aunt Ye and Sister Song isn't a ruthless character who can eat people?
Startled, Qiao Yu couldn't help but emphasize again in the group chat, "I'm so touched that you're so worried about me, Second Aunt and Third Aunt. How about I try to pursue Sister Jingjing and Brother Junhao to repay you?" She smiled slightly, "Anyway, we're all family now. If we end up together, wouldn't that be like family doubling down, keeping the good stuff in the family?"
The middle-aged woman behind the screen immediately spat and said, "Who said you and Qiao Yu are related by marriage? You may be shameless, but I still have my pride."
The two finally stopped talking, but although they no longer discussed her differentiation, they started urging her to get married again. "Brother and sister-in-law, have you started looking for a partner for Yuyu yet? As the saying goes, you have to start blind dates early, so it won't be hard to find someone when you get older."
"Although Yuyu is still young, it's a big problem that she hasn't been in a relationship at eighteen. Back when I was her age, I was already several months pregnant."
Qiao Yu rolled her eyes twice, feeling annoyed. She wanted to talk, but she didn't have the means.
She angrily threw her phone aside, just in time to miss Mrs. Qiao's rare reply in the group chat: "We've already found someone, and Yu Yu is in contact with them."
After hiding in her room for more than half an hour, Aunt Zhang came up and gently knocked on her door, "Yuyu, dinner is ready."
She tiptoed over and opened the door. Qiao Yu glanced outside to make sure only Aunt Zhang was there, then lowered her voice and asked nervously, "Aunt Zhang, was everything alright downstairs while I was gone?"
Aunt Zhang blinked blankly, "It's very good, very good indeed."
Her gaze towards Qiao Yu was full of admiration. "Those three are all so kind. Although their families are very wealthy, they are all very approachable and respectful to me, unlike your friend surnamed Tang." Mentioning Tang Shu, the nanny frowned, then shook her head and said, "It's right that you're not associating with her now."
“You should associate more with people like President Ye, Miss Lu, and Miss Song. They have more experience and knowledge than you, and they can help you if you encounter any difficulties in the future.” She repeated, “As for that Miss Tang… try to have as little contact with her as possible.”
"That won't do." Qiao Yu firmly objected. Without Tang Shu's help, who would share the burden?
Although she failed to fool Tang Shu this time, she figured she could fool her once, and she wouldn't lose anything.
Seeing her resolute attitude, Aunt Zhang didn't say anything more. "The food is ready. I'll go downstairs and set the table. You should also hurry up and finish your homework and come down."
Qiao Yu nodded in agreement.
After lingering in the room for a while, Qiao Yu slowly came downstairs. Just then, Aunt Zhang brought up the last dish and greeted her warmly, saying, "Everyone must be hungry, right? It's all my fault for being old and slow; I'm not as neat and efficient as before." She smiled as she set out the bowls and chopsticks, "This was specially made for Yu Yu to make. My cooking isn't very good, so please don't mind."
A cold shoulder?
Lu Shangyi and Song Wanzi simultaneously looked up at Ye Yunjian.
Ye Yunjian paused, then looked expressionlessly at Qiao Yu walking up the stairs.
Qiao Yu nearly lost her footing. She stared at Aunt Zhang in disbelief: You did that on purpose!
The other person smiled upon receiving her gaze, quickly packed their things, and left the scene of the crime. Qiao Yu stood there, one foot dangling in the air, unsure whether to put it down or not. Forcing a smile, she met Ye Yunjian's gaze with a stiff upper lip. "Did I say such a thing?"
She smiled sheepishly, showing eight teeth, "I don't quite remember."
She was determined to play dumb, and Ye Yunjian couldn't do anything about it, so he could only let the matter drop. Qiao Yu sighed imperceptibly, but then saw Aunt Zhang, who had left, turn back and point to the boxes of nutrient solutions in the corner, asking, "Yu Yu, where did you say you were going to throw these away last time?"
Qiao Yu: "!!!"
Before Lu Shangyi and Song Wanzi could speak, Qiao Yu suddenly sat up as if she were dying and knelt down on the chair decisively, "I'm sorry, I was wrong!"
At the same time, she didn't forget to call out to Aunt Zhang, "Aunt Zhang, quickly go and bring the durian from the refrigerator and kneel down for me!"
Author's Note: A second bloom.
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