Chapter 94
"Of course not." Stepping across the threshold, Qiao Yu smiled and gently closed the door. Her gaze swept around the room before she looked at Ye Yunjian again, a hint of doubt in her eyes: "But wasn't it Young Master An who called to invite me here?"
"Where is he?"
"You want him here?" Ye Yunjian casually picked up the teapot and poured Qiao Yu a cup of warm tea, raising his eyes with a half-smile.
Qiao Yu quickly shook her head, "No, no, no, Aunt Ye, you are much prettier than him. I would much rather see you than him."
To convince Ye Yunjian, she flashed an exceptionally bright smile, almost dazzling him. Ye Yunjian was stunned for a moment, then his eyelashes suddenly drooped down, concealing his momentary loss of composure. "Is that so?"
"Of course," Qiao Yu assured, patting her chest.
It's a bit of a pity, though; she was hoping to take the opportunity to earn some extra money. With the pocket money that was almost in her mouth gone, Qiao Yu listlessly took a sip of tea. "Aunt Ye, what have you been busy with lately? I haven't heard anything about you."
Ye Yunjian paused her teacup at her lips, and chuckled softly. "If I told you I was preparing a gift for you," she raised an eyebrow slightly, "would you believe me?"
Qiao Yu was taken aback. There hadn't been any holidays or happy occasions lately, so why would the other person think of preparing a gift for her?
After a moment of careful consideration, Qiao Yu nodded, "I believe you, I believe whatever you say."
Ye Yunjian smiled, his cold and sharp eyes softening, and he became breathtakingly beautiful in an instant. Qiao Yu looked at him for a moment before quickly regaining her senses. Ye Yunjian looked at her slightly flushed cheeks, and the smile on his lips deepened. "He won't come."
Qiao Yu didn't ask for the reason, but she guessed it must be related to Ye Yunjian.
Perhaps An Yilin was caught by Ye Yunjian on her way here and sent back, or perhaps Ye Yunjian forced An Yilin to make that phone call. In any case, whether it was the former or the latter, An Yilin had no chance of resisting Ye Yunjian.
Taking a sip of warm tea, Ye Yunjian gently put down the blue-and-white porcelain teacup, his tone carrying a hint of regret, "I didn't expect Lu Shangyi to withdraw his investment at the last minute."
Qiao Yu's little ears twitched. From what she heard... it seemed that Ye Yunjian also knew about An Yilin's fraudulent nature.
"Isn't it good?" Qiao Yu blinked.
Ye Yunjian pondered for a moment, "Out of friendship, I hope she withdraws her investment." Shrugging, Ye Yunjian looked innocent, "After all, she's been working hard lately and has had enough troubles to deal with."
"But out of personal grudge, I also want to see her suffer a bit." Ye Yunjian tilted his head. "Who wouldn't want to see her flustered and confused?"
Qiao Yu was completely puzzled: "???" What kind of peculiar hobby is this?
"Besides," Ye Yunjian leaned slightly closer to the edge of the table, deliberately lowering her voice, "I also want to know where the limits of her acting really are."
Qiao Yu was immediately startled. She had discovered all of this?!
Ye Yunjian casually rested her chin on her hand, "It's no exaggeration to say that Lu Shangyi is cunning and shrewd. She's gotten to where she is today step by step, and I don't know how many people she's fooled with her superb acting skills." She sincerely praised, "All of Song Wanzi's trophies should be awarded to her."
Qiao Yu didn't know what expression to make for a moment.
The girl's expression was incredibly complex and nuanced, which successfully amused Ye Yunjian. "What, you don't know?"
“…This,” she did know, but she had always thought she was the only one who knew, and was secretly pleased about it. Little did she know that this was not a secret known only to her. Qiao Yu’s eyebrows drooped. “Aunt Ye, you’re too amazing.”
Ye Yunjian simply took this as a compliment from Qiao Yu. In a good mood, she casually dropped a bombshell, saying, "An Yilin is my half-brother."
Qiao Yu: "???!"
"He was just a child when we parted ways, and now that he's all grown up, I hardly recognize him." If it weren't for the fact that the other party had set his sights on Qiao Yu and appeared in front of him time and time again, coupled with Lu Shangyi's subtle hints, Ye Yunjian really wouldn't have noticed him at first.
He was such an innocent kid back then, but who would have thought he'd grow up to be a conman and swindler? If he hadn't been the right person to cheat, Ye Yunjian would have kicked him out of the country on the spot.
Since the trap had become increasingly elaborate, Ye Yunjian decided to play along and give the child a big gift.
It's a pity about Lu Shangyi; Ye Yunjian really wanted to take this opportunity to test Lu Shangyi's strength. But on the very same day that Ye Yunjian discovered An Yilin's true identity, Lu Shangyi swiftly withdrew her investment and made a clean getaway, leaving Ye Yunjian's curiosity dashed.
It took Qiao Yu a long time to figure out Ye Yunjian's family relationships. Thinking of the previous rumors, Qiao Yu asked seriously, "Aunt Ye, are you sure he is your real younger brother?"
Ye Yunjian glanced at him, "Otherwise, how could it be fake?"
"Who would dare to openly impersonate my own brother?"
That's true. Anyone who would dare to impersonate Ye Yunjian's younger brother is either mentally unstable or has probably lost all attachment to the world. A normal person would never do something so self-destructive.
Ye Yunjian took a couple of sips of tea, then suddenly stared intently at her, making Qiao Yu tremble with fear and almost lose her composure. After a long while, Ye Yunjian finally opened his mouth mercifully, "You really know nothing about what Lu Shangyi has done?"
At the opportune moment, Qiao Yu feigned a confused expression, pretended to think for a while, and then answered, "I know a little."
Ye Yunjian raised an eyebrow. "Tell me."
“I know that Sister Lu and Jiang Mei had a fight,” Qiao Yu said sincerely. “Jiang Mei even moved out.”
The woman's crimson lips twitched slightly. This matter had become such a big fuss; everyone in the capital with ears should have heard about it by now. Suppressing her slight doubt, Ye Yunjian asked her with a half-smile, "Then why do you think they argued?"
"...I don't know." After thinking it over carefully, she pretended to know nothing.
Ye Yunjian's smile deepened. "I know." She asked, "Do you want to hear it?"
Not to mention that Qiao Yu didn't really want to listen in the first place, Ye Yunjian's dangerous tone made her too scared to listen. Shaking her head like a rattle-drum, Qiao Yu's face was full of rejection.
Ye Yunjian did not force her. He gently stroked the teacup with his fingertips, his expression unreadable.
Qiao Yu started eating, and she was enjoying her meal when Ye Yunjian suddenly said, with a cryptic tone, "There are only two months left until the college entrance exam, right?"
Qiao Yu paused, "?"
"System, I have a feeling that Aunt Ye is already planning how to set a trap for me."
The system immediately replied, "Host, I don't think this is your imagination, so you should prepare yourself mentally beforehand, so you won't be unable to handle it later."
"...So you have absolutely no solution?"
The system is silent.
Qiao Yu rubbed her temples in despair. She must have had the worst luck in eight lifetimes to have met such a cute but useless girl.
However, Ye Yunjian was worried that repeatedly mentioning these things in front of the child would put some psychological pressure on him, so he only brought it up briefly and didn't continue. While Qiao Yu was focused on preparing for her exams, she took the opportunity to deal with the various people and problems in her household.
Not only her, but Lu Shangyi and Song Wanzi were also too busy to spare any time.
Ye Yunjian pondered for a while, and the only person he needed to guard against at the moment was Bai Yiyu.
However, Bai Yiyu is someone who always suppresses and restrains herself. Not to mention at this time, even in ordinary times, she might not necessarily reveal her feelings. Therefore, Bai Yiyu should not pose any threat for the time being.
Everyone got busy, and Qiao Yu had less and less time to see them. Even her parents rarely bothered her on weekdays. Only Bai Yiyu would occasionally bring her some treats on weekends. It was unclear where Bai Yiyu found these snacks, but each one seemed to perfectly suit Qiao Yu's taste.
Over time, this feeding method gradually became a habit.
Every weekend, Bai Yiyu would pay a visit and tutor Qiao Yu. In return, Qiao Yu would invite her to stay for a meal, asking Aunt Zhang to prepare a feast. She was afraid that if she didn't treat her well, Bai Yiyu might get upset and not come again.
Bai Yiyu had to leave early today because of something urgent. She reached out and gently patted the girl's soft head. Her deep eyes were filled with a smile. "Remember to get some rest. I'll come see you again next week."
Qiao Yu nodded obediently, "Okay, I'll finish my exams next week, so I can play all day without restraint."
Bai Yiyu gently flicked her forehead, "After the exam, you can do whatever you want." Seeing Qiao Yu wrinkling her nose, Bai Yiyu sighed silently and changed the subject, saying, "I'll bring ingredients over next week to grill some barbecue for you."
Qiao Yu looked up expectantly. "No need to prepare any ingredients. I'll have Aunt Zhang prepare them." The girl's eyes sparkled, as if filled with stars. "Aunt Bai, you just need to come. You've been feeding me every week lately, how could I let you prepare all this?"
Bai Yiyu smiled softly, "Okay."
Although she longed for more, she was already content with this peaceful and harmonious relationship. She buried all her emotions deep inside; Aunt Bai was simply her Aunt Bai, an elder she could unconditionally trust and rely on, the first person she could think of when she felt wronged.
That's enough.
Watching Bai Yiyu get into the car and leave, Qiao Yu was about to turn around and go upstairs when, in the instant she turned her body, Aunt Zhang's all-knowing face came into view. "My grandmother was right. If you want to win a woman's heart, you have to win her stomach first."
Qiao Yu: An elderly man on the subway looking at his phone.jpg
"So, Aunt Zhang, the reason you're willing to stay in our family without complaint is because you like my mother?"
Aunt Zhang was taken aback, but then, seeing Qiao Yu's slow, leisurely walking figure, she immediately grabbed her slippers and chased after her, yelling, "What nonsense are you spouting, you naughty child?!"
Upon seeing the slippers in the other person's hand, Qiao Yu immediately turned and ran away, saying, "Aunt Zhang, I'm going to study now, so please don't bother me, or I'll tell my mom you scolded me!"
Aunt Zhang: "..." I've never been so speechless in my life.
During the time Qiao Yu was preparing for her exams, many things happened in her family. The most important thing was that the old lady and Qiao Junhao's life savings went down the drain. It's unclear where An Yilin got the ability, but she not only tricked Qiao Junhao into convincing his parents to invest all their money in the project, but she also tricked the old lady into believing it as well. She secretly moved the hard-earned money that she had worked so hard for her whole life and, together with Qiao Junhao, bet everything on An Yilin.
The old lady dotes on her grandson, and Qiao Yu guessed that Qiao Junhao must have contributed a lot to it.
It was only a matter of time before An Yilin ran away. What surprised Qiao Yu was that the original text clearly stated that "An Yilin disappeared quickly after cheating people out of money and sex," but now it has become that the project has run into problems and all investors' money is unrecoverable.
This is so different from the original text that Qiao Yu couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
After thinking it over for a while, Qiao Yu dialed Bai Yiyu's number, "Aunt Bai, could you help me look into An Yilin's project?"
Although An Yilin is Ye Yunjian's half-brother, based on Qiao Yu's understanding of Ye Yunjian, he would disdain doing such a thing. Moreover, even if Ye Yunjian had such a plan, she wouldn't have had enough time to plan it so meticulously.
She didn't doubt Ye Yunjian's abilities, but she always felt that from the moment An Yilin stepped into the capital, someone had already set their sights on him and used him as a pawn to be used.
The other party is cunning and scheming, and is hiding in the shadows. Apart from Bai Yiyu, there should be no one in the capital with enough power to find out their background.
Bai Yiyu agreed. She had already been preparing to send someone to investigate, but after receiving Qiao Yu's call, she raised her chin and said in an unquestionable tone, "Go ahead, give me an answer within a day."
The assistant was very efficient; the results were obtained in just half a day.
Bai Yiyu stared at the name Lu Shangyi without saying a word. After a moment, she put down the paper and said, "Anything else?"
The assistant shook his head. "No, she's all alone."
Bai Yiyu suddenly looked up, and the assistant's heart skipped a beat. He forced himself to speak and said, "Lu Shangyi usually does things so meticulously that we didn't notice anything. If it weren't for your order, President Bai, to conduct a thorough investigation this time, we wouldn't have discovered their tricks so quickly."
"And..." the assistant glanced at her, then lowered his head, his voice almost inaudible, "that flaw also seems like she deliberately let us see it..."
How could an extremely intelligent woman make such a basic mistake?
Over the years, her mind has been honed to an extremely meticulous level through constant vigilance, so unless she chooses to, it is impossible for anyone in the world to see through her disguise.
This is far more terrifying than any other outcome.
When someone who has endured for many years suddenly becomes restless and dissatisfied with the status quo, the only thing she will do is to defeat them one by one until everyone finally submits to her methods and intimidation.
Such a person with both talent and intelligence is terrifying. Even though she is just an EVA, when people mention her name on holidays, they will unconsciously ignore her EVA status and immediately think of the fear she brings.
I just don't know what such a shrewd woman really wants.
If she wants power and influence, Bai Yiyu will be her first target.
Then came Ye Yunjian, the Qiao family, the Song family... until finally everyone became her defeated opponents.
"I understand." Bai Yiyu lowered her eyes. "You may leave."
Others might not know what Lu Shangyi wanted, but she knew it all too well. What she wanted, from beginning to end, was only one thing.
Qiao Yu.
How can someone who has grasped the light tolerate letting that light slip through their fingers?
Ultimately, all members of the Lu family are cut from the same cloth. Whether it's Lu Shenghui, Lu Shangyi, or Jiang Mei, they are practically identical in matters of the heart.
Qiao Yu was shocked when she learned the result. She stood there, speechless for a long time.
The system nudged her, "Host, this kind of Sister Lu is so scary."
"What's so scary about her?" Qiao Yu snapped out of her daze. The system frowned. "Don't you think she's scary?"
"How could that be?" Qiao Yu asked, puzzled. "She's so outstanding, so beautiful, and so good to me. Isn't she my darling?"
System: "………… Damn, I was careless."
Such a big thing happened in the family that the old lady was so shocked that she fainted on the spot. Although she was rushed to the hospital, she did not regain consciousness. Therefore, Qiao Yu had to put down her books and go to the hospital with her parents to visit the old lady.
The ward was spacious, but there was no one at the bedside.
Qiao Junhao was already devastated when his dreams were shattered, and he coughed up blood in anger. His aunt, who had given up all her savings and dowry to support her son, was also struck dumb upon hearing the news.
The house was in complete chaos. Her son's hysterical screams and her husband's unrestrained cursing were almost overwhelming Aunt Qiao.
Even now, she still can't believe that such a good project could just disappear like that.
It's one thing if the promised returns aren't delivered, but how can they suddenly be burdened with so much debt? That's a lot of money; even selling all their assets wouldn't be enough!
She painstakingly married into the Qiao family and endured so much for so many years, how could God treat her like this? How could He treat her like this?!
She knew the old lady was in the hospital, but she was in a precarious situation herself. Forget visiting the old lady; she didn't even want to look at her own son anymore. He was utterly useless and only caused trouble. If he hadn't been so anxious, why would he have dragged her into paying for his mistakes?!
Aunt Qiao's face was gloomy, filled with anger and frustration, but she was helpless. Everyone knew the project had failed, and now there wasn't a single person willing to lend her money; she was utterly exasperated.
Compared to Aunt Qiao the Third, Aunt Qiao the Second didn't know whether to feel regretful or fortunate. She had so eagerly taken the hot potato from Lu Shangyi and happily invested most of her fortune in it. Now, all that money was gone.
However, she was still somewhat glad that she had changed her mind at the last minute and listened to Qiao Yu's advice, instead of handing over all her property to others without reservation. Otherwise, she would be the one crying and lamenting now.
Thinking that the third branch of the family was probably frowning and trying to find someone to borrow money right now, Aunt Qiao almost grinned from ear to ear.
Compared to the third wife, how could she be considered to have lost out? She's practically made a killing!
Let's see if that city woman still dares to ignore me and act arrogantly. Her family suffered such a huge loss this time; she'll definitely have to grovel before me from now on. I can make her wish she were dead with just a flick of my finger.
Aunt Qiao was so happy that she was radiant. She quickly asked someone to prepare a bouquet of flowers, and then she went to the storage room to get a box of good things. After finding out the address, she immediately took a car to the hospital.
The old lady has regained consciousness at the hospital.
First, he made a huge scene, then he cried and screamed that he didn't want to live anymore unless Qiao Jinghuai could pay Qiao Junhao to fill the hole and let the project proceed normally.
Qiao Yu sat there contentedly cracking sunflower seeds, while making a bet with Madam Qiao: "Mom, I bet Grandma doesn't really want to die."
Mrs. Qiao glared at her, but did not refute.
The old lady cried very loudly, and Qiao Yu expressed her understanding. After all, she had lost her entire life savings. If it were her, she would have cried even more heartbreakingly than the old lady.
Qiao Jinghuai was completely overwhelmed by his mother's relentless pressure. Even if he had a way to fix such a huge financial hole, his hard-earned money wasn't meant to be squandered like this!
He has a wife, children, and a family. His daughter is of marriageable age, and he feels he must prepare a generous dowry for her.
Otherwise, your in-laws will look down on you!
He patiently tried to soothe his mother with a few words, but it was clearly no use. The gentler he spoke, the more the old lady cried and screamed, and it was clear that she wouldn't stop anytime soon.
Before Aunt Qiao even reached the ward door, she heard heart-wrenching cries from inside. Shaking her head, she felt an immense sense of satisfaction. "Serves you right for always favoring Qiao Junhao!" she thought. "Now you're finally getting your comeuppance!"
Clearing her throat, Aunt Qiao smiled and walked into the ward carrying flowers in one hand and tonics in the other.
The old lady quickly noticed her and stared at her intently for a long time. "The second son's wife is here?"
The second daughter-in-law hadn't suffered too much loss; perhaps a little coaxing could trick her into giving the remaining money to help her grandson. Thinking this, the old lady adopted the kindest and most gentle demeanor she had ever shown, saying, "You've come all this way, why did you bring so much stuff?"
Aunt Qiao glanced at her indifferently, then turned and stuffed the bouquet and tonics into Qiao Yu's hands as she ate melon seeds. "Yu Yu, thank you so much this time."
"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to cut my losses in time and only lost this little bit." Aunt Qiao patted her shoulder sincerely and said, "Don't worry, even if I have to risk my life, I will definitely make sure you marry Lu Shangyi."
old lady:"???"
She suddenly realized what her second daughter-in-law meant. She was instantly enraged and blurted out, "You ungrateful wretch! My son always treats you and your daughter so well, and now you're teaming up with outsiders to target the Qiao family and swindle our property!"
The old woman became agitated, shouting, "I want to call the police! I want to call the police!"
Qiao Yu looked up expressionlessly. "Grandma, you need to provide evidence before you speak."
Aunt Qiao was known for her fiery temper. Seeing her bullying her little bodhisattva right in front of her, she immediately put her hands on her hips and retorted, "Go ahead and report it if you dare! If there's no evidence, Yu Yu will sue you for defamation and have the police lock you up in jail for the rest of your life."
"Just like that madman from the Lu family!"
The old lady had never been so disobedient before. She couldn't catch her breath on the spot, her eyes rolled back, and she fainted again.
The ward was instantly thrown into chaos. After a while, things finally calmed down, and Qiao Jinghuai rubbed his temples, exhausted. "I'll leave Mom in your care for now."
Mrs. Qiao nodded. "Okay."
After a moment's pause, she stopped Qiao Jinghuai, who was about to leave, and said, "Don't get involved in the Lu family's affairs for now."
Qiao Jinghuai stared at her in confusion. Madam Qiao smiled and said, "If you don't want to be driven crazy by your precious daughter, then listen to me."
Thinking of the image of Qiao Yu running in front of him every day to annoy him, Qiao Jinghuai shuddered and nodded without hesitation, "Okay, okay, I want to live for several more decades."
Mrs. Qiao couldn't help but laugh, and she laughed especially happily.
Qiao Yu: "..." You guys can show off your love, what does it have to do with me, a single dog?
The hospital couldn't be left unattended, but Mrs. Qiao had her own work to attend to. Upon hearing this, Aunt Qiao immediately volunteered, "Sister-in-law, you go ahead and do your work. I'll take care of Mom." She looked at Qiao Yu, "Besides, Yu Yu is currently at the most important stage of her life. How can you manage to both work and take care of her?"
She spoke with such sincerity that Mrs. Qiao thought for a moment and said, "Then I'll trouble you."
"It's not hard work at all," Aunt Qiao said with a smile. How could this be hard work? She would be happy to take care of the bedridden old lady every day if she could get revenge for the past.
An Yilin was still trembling with fear, but after looking at the composed Ye Yunjian, he barely managed to suppress his unease. "Sister, is this really okay?"
"What's wrong?" Ye Yunjian slowly turned his eyes. "I didn't steal or rob. Didn't I earn the money with my own abilities?"
“But…” An Yilin was speechless.
But he still felt uneasy. He felt everything was going too smoothly, as if a pusher was slowly guiding him from behind, helping him. He wasn't the hunter he envisioned, but rather prey that could be hunted down at any moment.
This feeling made him feel like he had a thorn in his side, and he couldn't even eat.
He nervously turned on the TV and happened to see a live broadcast of Lu Shangyi participating in an event. Just as he was about to change the channel, Ye Yunjian stopped him, saying, "This is it."
An Yilin had no choice but to put down the remote control.
Ye Yunjian said, "Lu Shenghui is coming out today, and she still has the mind to do a live broadcast here." A slight smile played on Ye Yunjian's lips; he truly admired Lu Shangyi's composure. If it were anyone else, they would probably have already changed their expression, how could they possibly be as calm as Lu Shangyi, accepting the interview as if nothing had happened?
The host of the event, who was also one of the insiders who knew Lu Shenghui was out today, first asked some trivial questions as a prelude, then glanced at the cue card and said, "We all know that Mr. Lu is a rare genius, and the fact that you were able to stabilize the situation at Lu's Group in such a short time proves that. Everyone is very interested in you, so I would like to ask on behalf of everyone: Have you ever conned anyone from childhood to adulthood?"
A person who can't persuade others is destined to fail at great things, and Lu Shangyi's next answer will confirm many people's suspicions.
Lu Shangyi lowered her eyes, "You fooled me."
The host was somewhat surprised, but more excited: "So, what's the most successful thing you've ever done in your life, from childhood to adulthood?"
Lu Shangyi remained silent for a long time, so long that the host thought she wouldn't answer and was about to change the subject when Lu Shangyi calmly said, "Actually, I'm not EGA."
The host couldn't help but laugh, "Mr. Lu, you really know how to joke."
But as she laughed, she glanced at Lu Shangyi's serious expression and suddenly her smile vanished. "...?!?"
Holy crap, no way?!
The author has something to say: Lu Shenghui wanted to flee back to the police station overnight after hearing this.
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