If she misunderstood that she had called regarding Qiao Zijin, causing the Zhai family to misunderstand as well and hang up on her, she would truly have no other way out.
“Qiao Zijin?” Qiao Nan laughed. That was rare. This was the first time Ding Jiayi was calling Qiao Zijin by her full name, and in such a cold tone, no less. Ding Jiayi had always addressed her as ‘Zijin’ or ‘my Zijin’. “Why? Have you guys gotten into a fight again?”
Well, this wouldn’t be their first. But every time they fought, they would soon reconcile and it would be as though nothing had even happened. Then, they would work together to scheme against her again. Ding Jiayi and Qiao Zijin were the mother-and-daughter pair who worked the best together.
Qiao Zijin was Ding Jiayi’s drug!
Ding Jiayi didn’t blame Qiao Nan for talking about her fight with Qiao Zijin in such a tone. If she were in Qiao Nan’s place, she wouldn’t believe it either. After all, she had had too many similar experiences. Zijin was always the one at fault and she always said that she would let Zijin understand her mistakes to correct them.
The problem was that every time Zijin apologized and tried to coax her in tears, she would immediately soften her heart and feel that Zijin had not meant what she had said. Then, she wouldn’t hold it against Zijin anymore.
She knew that Qiao Nan would probably not believe her. Even if Qiao Dongliang had been the one on the call, he would probably have the same reaction as Qiao Nan.
“Qiao Nan, I was wrong. I was really wrong about you in the past. You-you’re not a bad child, and neither is Qiao Zijin a good child. I want nothing more at my age but to spend my remaining time peacefully with your dad in Ping Cheng. I won’t visit the capital in the future and I really won’t cause any trouble for you. Qiao Nan, you have to help me. I was the one who gave birth to you!”
“…” Qiao Nan pursed her lips, resisting the urge to hang up. She hated Ding Jiayi’s last words that she had given birth to Qiao Nan. So what if she had? She felt like she had already returned her life to Ding Jiayi through that car accident two years ago. As for filial piety, she was already sending enough money to Ding Jiayi and her dad every month as a monthly allowance because they could no longer work.
If Ding Jiayi still thought that that was insufficient and that she owed it to her, she would simply regard today’s call as self-abuse.
Qiao Nan took a few deep breaths. “I’m not paying for Qiao Zijin’s hospitalization bills. Neither will I ever agree to whatever you want regarding the Zhu family’s inheritance. There’s no use begging me.”
“No, don’t hang up. It has nothing to do with that….” Feeling that Qiao Nan was on the verge of hanging up, Ding Jiayi’s tears fell uncontrollably and she shouted in a panic. Ding Jiayi’s grief and desperation stunned Qiao Nan. “You… What happened?” What was going on?
Ding Jiayi had cried? She cried?! Qiao Nan felt like digging her ears to see if she had too much dirt stuck in there. It was not uncommon for Ding Jiayi to cry. After all, Ding Jiayi had used this trick quite often in the past.
But this time, it seemed a little different. It was probably the most sincere and serious cry that Qiao Nan had ever heard. “Alright. Stop crying. Tell me about it.” Anyway, she was not going to make any promises.
After making sure that Qiao Nan had not hung up on her, Ding Jiayi quickly put forward her request. “Qiao Zijin stole my money and identity card. I-I want to return to Ping Cheng to your dad. I don’t want to stay in the capital for another day, but…” How was she supposed to get a bus ticket to return home without any money or an identity card?
The problem of money would be relatively easily solved. She thought that Qiao Dongliang wouldn’t be too stingy about giving her some money to purchase a bus ticket. But what should she do about her lost identity card?
“Is it that simple?”
“Yes, I want to return to Ping Cheng.” Ding Jiayi was almost out of breath from crying. There was no way she was going to ask for help from Qiao Nan on Qiao Zijin’s behalf. The mention of Qiao Zijin scared her. Ding Jiayi knew that this was nothing to Qiao Nan. If she had asked anyone else, the matter might not have been so easily resolved. “I don’t have an identity card, so I can’t buy a ticket.”
Qiao Nan hesitated for a long while. It was not her first being tricked by Ding Jiayi. The moment she heard Ding Jiayi crying, Qiao Nan couldn’t help but wonder what Ding Jiayi was up to this time. Qiao Nan didn’t believe that Qiao Zijin would have gotten into such a heated argument with Ding Jiayi. In fact, she had always thought that Ding Jiayi would selflessly remain as Qiao Zijin’s guardian angel without any complaints.
“Let me ask you again. Do you want to return to Ping Cheng, or are you after something else?” There was a huge difference between these two things.
“I just want to return to Ping Cheng. I hope you can send me back. It doesn’t matter what it takes.” Ding Jiayi wasn’t highly educated and didn’t know about the story of ‘The Boy Who Cried Wolf’. Although Ding Jiayi wasn’t surprised that Qiao Nan didn’t believe her, she was a little sad, to say the least.
She was already in such a miserable state. She had placed all of her hopes and dreams on Qiao Zijin only to realize that Qiao Zijin was even more unfilial than Qiao Nan. Not only had she stolen her identity card, but she had even threatened and bullied her!
Ding Jiayi wondered what terrible sins she had committed that she had landed up with a mother like that and had even given birth to two heartless and unfilial daughters. Others gave birth to children too. But why were her children both so heartless?
“Alright, I understand. Are you leaving today or tomorrow?”
“Can I leave today?” Having endured an entire night of torture, Ding Jiayi had no desire of staying in the capital for another hour. She had thought that Qiao Nan would be able to help her, but it would still take some time. But it turned out that she would be able to return today!
“Where are you?”
“In Qiao Zijin’s rented apartment.”
Qiao Nan replied, “Alright. Someone will call you in half an hour. Pick up that call and follow him back to Ping Cheng.” Buying a bus or plane ticket required an identity card. As long as Qiao Zijin held on to Ding Jiayi’s identity card, she was going nowhere.
