“What could be wrong?” Shi Qing was puzzled.
Qiao Nan reorganized her thoughts. “How should I put it? It is not without reason that my mom dotes on Qiao Zijin. Qiao Zijin has a sweet tongue but a bitter heart. On the surface, she would treat my mom like a princess. Over time, my mom feels like a princess. She feels that the world should be centered around her. If she is in trouble, everyone must wait on her. Otherwise, it will be our fault. My mom was in a car accident, and she has been hospitalized for half a month. She also has difficulty in walking. Given her condition and her temperament, she would want everyone to put aside whatever they are busy with and to wait on her by her bedside.”
“The reason why my mom would always lose her temper at me was that I did not give her my utmost attention. Back when my dad was hospitalized, I took good care of my dad, giving him nutritious food and tonics. My mom feels that now that she is hospitalized, I have to treat her twice as well. This is what a daughter should do. As a mother, she has the right to be treated as such. But I did not visit her at the hospital, and neither did Qiao Zijin. My dad is the only person who stays by her side. Therefore, how can my mom possibly allow him to go back home and rest?” Her mom had no one by her side. If she acted up in the middle of the night, there would be no one to take care of her.
This was unlike her mother’s usual behavior.
“Then…” It was impossible for that woman to turn kindhearted all of a sudden. She could not possibly have felt that on account they had been married for years and Uncle Qiao was exhausted, thus he should have a good rest at home. “Your mom… What do you think is the reason behind her behavior?”
There was definitely something fishy. The way her mother behaved was unlike her usual self.
“Goodness!” Qiao Nan cursed in a low voice.
“What’s wrong?” Shi Qing jumped in shock.
Qiao Nan looked to check if Qiao Dongliang had been woken up by them. Thankfully, he was sleeping soundly. She then lowered her voice. “If I am not wrong, the reason why my mom allowed my dad to go home is to meet Qiao Zijin!”
As long as her father was around, Qiao Zijin would not dare to appear.
Her mother was willing to be fooled by Qiao Zijin. She would never associate any bad deeds with Qiao Zijin. However, that was not the same for her father.
Qiao Zijin might be crafty, but it was useless in front of her father.
Qiao Zijin must have informed her mother. Therefore, she allowed her father to go back home…
“If we rush over to the hospital, will we be able to catch Qiao Zijin?!” Shi Qing rolled up her sleeves at the mention of the infamous Qiao Zijin. She had decided to go all out to get her.
“What can you do to her after catching her?” There was a moment where Qiao Nan had the impulse to hurry to the hospital to catch Qiao Zijin.
But she dismissed the notion after hearing what Shi Qing said thereafter.
“Give her a beating!” She was her sister, yet she was capable of such things. She deserved a beating!
“Beating her up?”
“You can’t bear to beat her up?”
“How could it be? Shi Qing, I have to remind you that you are already eighteen years old. If you beat Qiao Zijin in public, you will be taken to the police station right away. Our results for the college entrance examination will be out in two days. Do you want to leave a criminal record when you go to the new school? Are you kidding?”
“Uh…” Shi Qing was embarrassed.
“And Qiao Zijin will be alive and kicking days after you beat her. She will never be defeated. Even if you beat her, she will continue with her ways. She will not change. Do you believe me? By then, you will suffer a double loss and implicate yourself.”
Besides, they did not have any evidence to prove that Qiao Zijin was involved. They merely had their doubts about her.
If there was evidence to prove that Qiao Zijin was related to what happened moments before the college entrance examination commenced, Qiao Zijin would be charged for stirring up trouble and disrupting the peace of the society at the very least.
“In that case, does it mean that we should let her off?” Shi Qing was upset. The good should be well rewarded and the bad should be punished.
How could she escape without any punishments after doing bad deeds?!
“Actually… Brother Zhai told me something a few days ago. I think this will have a certain impact on Qiao Zijin.” Qiao Nan cupped her chin. She was still pondering about what Zhai Sheng told her previously.
She did not expect that after dragging on for two years, her father would come to his decision now.
“What is it? Don’t leave me hanging. If not, I will force you to tell me. Hey, Brother Zhai drops by my house often. Why did he tell you everything but did not even give me any heads-up?” Qiao Nan was Brother Zhai’s girlfriend. Since Qiao Nan stayed at her house, it could be said that Brother Zhai left his girlfriend and fiancée at their house.
Brother Zhai was too heartless. He should be worried that he might anger her and she would wash her hands off them!
“My dad wants to divorce my mom. Brother Zhai said that my dad will wait until my mom is better before he brings up divorce. He doesn’t seem to be threatening my mom this time. He isn’t joking as well.” Qiao Zijin and her father had to bear the responsibility that her mother had such a nasty temper.
Once her parents divorced, her mother had no one to rely on and she would no longer be so stubborn to admit to her mistakes.
They had only been apart for two years. Two years ago, her mother still looked to be in her thirties, but she seemed to be in her forties now. Qiao Nan was certain that in the two years that they left Ping Cheng, her mother and Qiao Zijin did not lead an easy life.
Shi Qing’s eyes lit up. “Uncle Qiao intends to divorce your mom?! This is good news. If they divorce, you will be with Uncle Qiao while Qiao Zijin will go with your mom, right?”
“Of course.” Her mother would not want anyone besides Qiao Zijin.
“My mom has a deep-set notion since we were young that Qiao Zijin is smart and she will be successful in the future. My father used to tell me not to harbor grudges for what my mom said because she had led a harsh life when she was young. She sees Qiao Zijin as herself when she was young. Hence, she is particularly good to Qiao Zijin.” Her mother would never give up being with her ‘former self’.
Shi Qing waved her hand. “Regardless of what happened, it is good news that they are thinking of divorce. I don’t care about the rest. By the way, will your mom agree to it?”
“…” Qiao Nan was not sure. If her mother had been repulsed by the idea, she would not have left for two years without coming back. But she was not sure of her mother’s attitude toward her marriage. She felt that her mother would not bear to part with her father no matter what.
Qiao Nan was uncertain, but Ding Jiayi was sure of what was on her mind. “Zijin, you are finally here. Half a month has passed. Where have you been? Why did you wait until now to visit me?”
