After returning to Huanxi Spring, Qiao Zhen considered whether or not to tell Mingyan about what had happened that day.
Seeing her hesitant expression, Mingyan raised an eyebrow. "Miss Qiao?"
Qiao Zhen patted Mingli on the back, "Go do your homework first, I'll come over in a bit."
After Mingli left, Mingyan pressed on, "Miss Qiao, please speak frankly."
Qiao Zhen's face showed an expression of guilt. "This is what happened. Today I went to pick up Mingli and found that he was in a bad mood, so I asked him a few questions. I found out that because of what I did before, some teachers in the office... Mingli happened to hear this when he was pouring water, and I suspect that they did it on purpose."
Mingyan put down his pen. "Do you suspect they deliberately let Mingli overhear?"
“Yes.” Qiao Zhen nodded. “Ming Li has never hidden her feelings for me, but there were no rumors in the office before. It’s hard for me not to be suspicious when Ming Li overheard them.”
Mingyan nodded. "I will have someone investigate this matter. Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Miss Qiao."
Qiao Zhen turned to find Ming Li, and helped him with his homework, built blocks with him, played games with him, swung on the swings with him, read novels with him, and told him stories. Ming Li occupied almost all her evenings, and with the daily pick-up and drop-off, she earned 20,000 yuan too easily.
Moreover, the Ming family responded quickly, inviting Qiao Zhen to an interview. Qiao Zhen was a seasoned professional who could handle all kinds of things in the workplace, but she lost because she had no works and no work experience.
Later, Mingyan gave Qiao Zhen a back door, which allowed her to enter the design department.
Qiao was a newcomer who was parachuted in, so naturally some veteran employees wanted to bully her. But she was a shameless person who would cling to powerful figures, so how could she be so weak and let them bully her?
So many people in the office looked down on Qiao Zhen, but Qiao Zhen was a shameless person. She did what she was supposed to do and didn't ask anyone to do anything for her. She would even take pictures of some of the original manuscripts and post them on Weibo as evidence that they were her original works.
One should not have the heart to harm others, but one should not be without the heart to guard against others. This saying still makes a lot of sense.
Just as Qiao Zhen was preparing all the manuscripts to submit, a plagiarism scandal broke out.
Qiao Zhen felt a headache coming on. This kind of plot, which usually involves a tragic female protagonist, had actually happened to her; it was just too melodramatic. She simply handed the matter over to the company to investigate and find the surveillance footage.
Mingli still needed her care. Mingyan's subordinates were very efficient; in just a few days, they discovered that some of the kindergarten teachers had a personal grudge against Mingyan. They probably wanted to take revenge on Mingyan by ruining little Mingli. The only word to describe such people is "mentally challenged."
There are a few teachers in the office who are also a bunch of indecisive idiots. With just a little encouragement, they'll stupidly join in gossiping behind people's backs. Following the crowd is a bad habit!
"What did you learn today?" Qiao Zhen asked Ming Li, still taking care of her without a care in the world.
In comparison, Mingyan was more concerned about the plagiarism incident than Qiaozhen. He even devoted a lot of attention to this matter, to the point that his assistant would answer questions without asking.
Mingli counted on his fingers as he reported to Qiao Zhen what he had done at kindergarten in great detail. "This morning we had an art class, and I cut out a little rabbit out of pink paper for you." He took the paper rabbit out of his bag and handed it to Qiao Zhen. "I ate glutinous rice balls, a piece of chocolate, a wing, and a leg for lunch today."
Qiao Zhen would bet that if all boyfriends in the world were in Ming Li's current state, then there would probably be no such thing as an ex-boyfriend. Little Ming Li was considerate and self-aware. She happily accepted the little rabbit, "I really like it, thank you. Today is Friday, and I'm going to meet my parents tomorrow, are you nervous?"
She had intended to tease Mingli, but he put on a serious face and said, "I'm nervous, but I won't make any mistakes because I'm nervous."
Qiao Zhen looked at Ming Li with a smile, "Okay, then we'll see how you perform tomorrow."
Mingli pulled Qiao Zhen to pack his small luggage. When they finished packing, Qiao Zhen looked at the bulging bag in surprise and asked, "Why did you prepare so much?"
It didn't feel like a two-day stay; it felt like a one-way trip. Qiao Zhen rummaged through her bag. "You'll need the toiletries tonight and tomorrow morning, so put them back." She held a stack of clothes in her hand. "Why did you bring so many clothes?"
Mingli wrung her little hands, "Because I want to live in your house long-term."
Qiao Zhen looked at him, both amused and exasperated, "You really are a scheming boy."
Mingli panicked for a moment, "No, I didn't! I just want to stay with you!"
Qiao Zhen rubbed his head to comfort him, "Alright, alright, I won't blame you. We're just going to stay for two days, and we'll be back on Monday."
Mingli looked up at Qiao Zhen with pleading eyes, "Will you still come and spend time with me?"
Qiao Zhen was even more dumbfounded. "Yes, I am. I'm here to work now. I can earn 20,000 yuan a month by taking care of you. That's fantastic!"
To her surprise, upon hearing this, Mingli sat listlessly on the edge of the bed, tears welling in her eyes but refusing to fall. Qiao Zhen found it a bit cringe-worthy; wasn't this the standard expression of a strong female protagonist in a brainless novel? She asked, "What's wrong?"
Mingli sniffed and questioned, "You're only with me for the money. Do you love my money or me as a person?"
Qiao Zhen was instantly helpless. "I love your uncle's money. There's something else I must remind you: money is a vulgar thing, but it can express love in a very direct way. Do you understand what I mean?"
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