Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Qiao Nan’s heart ached at the defeated look on her father’s face. She almost made the same old mistake.
Qiao Nan gritted her teeth and finally said, “Dad, as long as Mom and Sister do not provoke me, I will still treat my sister as my relative. If she plots against me and doesn’t treat me as her sister, I won’t treat her as siblings either.”
Given what happened in her previous life, she would have treated Qiao Zijin as her enemy if she was strong-willed!
“Alright, I won’t say anything else.” Qiao Dongliang smiled reluctantly. He knew that Qiao Nan had already given in.
Qiao Nan was very gracious to be able to say this given that Qiao Zijin was bent on trampling her.
“You don’t look too well today. Are you uncomfortable? You haven’t gotten up yet even though it’s already eight o’clock.” Qiao Dongliang decided to concentrate on being a good father.
When Qiao Nan said that Qiao Zijin had Qiao Dongliang and Ding Jiayi to pamper and dote on her, but she only had herself, Qiao Dongliang felt as if a knife was stabbed into his heart.
Nan Nan was his daughter as well. How could he not pay attention and not care for her?
“Nothing much, that’s…” Qiao Nan blushed. She felt especially embarrassed to bring up her menses to her father. “I was not careful and stained the blanket.”
Qiao Dongliang understood what she meant. “Did you wash them by yourself?”
Qiao Nan nodded, taking Zhai Sheng’s credit.
“I heard from your mom that during this period of time, it is best not to come into contact with water, especially cold water. Why were you in such a hurry to wash the bed sheets and the blanket? Don’t do that next time. You can put them aside. I will wash them for you.” Indeed, he did not show much concern for Nan Nan, but it did not matter. He would show more concern for her from today onward.
“It’s alright. This would be the only time that I washed it.” Qiao Nan grinned. If she had a choice, she would rather put the dirty clothes aside and wash them by herself when her menses was over.
Qiao Nan, who had been washing her clothes for two lifetimes, did not expect that in this lifetime, her father and Zhai Sheng were willing to wash them for her.
“Alright, I should let you rest. If you are uncomfortable, you should lie down on the bed. I remember that when your sister has a stomachache, she will need to lie down on the bed for a day.” Compared with his elder daughter who was pampered, the younger daughter was not that delicate.
“I am fine.” Qiao Nan stood up and stretched herself. “You must put away the stuff that Brother Zhai brought for us, lest they attracted the rats and wasted.” But did Auntie Miao really ask Brother Zhai to bring the dried food over?
It was true that Auntie Miao had been to their house not long ago.
All of a sudden, Qiao Nan could not tell whether the dried food was from Zhai Sheng or Miao Jing.
“Are you very close to the wife of the chief of the army?” Qiao Dongliang asked curiously.
“Not very close. I have only met Auntie Miao on three occasions, and she chatted a lot with me on two of the occasions.” What she did not understand the most was why Auntie Miao would talk to her about these topics.
“The wife of the chief of the army chatted with you?” Qiao Dongliang was curious. What would the wife of the chief of the army chat with Nan Nan about? “I won’t ask what you chatted about. Don’t tell anyone about that as well. However, it was strange that she had something to talk to you.”
“I still find it very odd. I was very sleepy on the first day of the Lunar New Year, and Auntie Miao suddenly turned up at our house, knocking on the door. She gave me a big fright.” Auntie Miao and Brother Zhai were mother and son after all. One did not go home and stay with her on Lunar New Year’s Eve, while the other one came to her house early in the morning of the Lunar New Year’s Day to ‘greet’ her.
Qiao Nan could not help but flush red at the thought that Miao Jing was, in fact, here to ask her how she should break up Zhai Sheng and the lady he liked.
When the day came for Auntie Miao to realize that she was the lady from the ordinary family who was going out with Brother Zhai, would she kill her?
“Maybe you are linked by ties of fate with the Zhai family. Zhai Sheng treats you as a younger sister, and the wife of the chief of the army treats you as a daughter.” Qiao Dongliang flattered Qiao Nan. “However, you must not let your mom and sister know about this. Maybe… maybe you are right. They are too ambitious and are after material gains. If they know that you have a good relationship with the Zhai family, they may do something ridiculous.” Qiao Dongliang had heard that after Qiao Nan left in anger last time, Ding Jiayi and Qiao Zijin stayed behind, trying to befriend Miao Jing.
Ding Jiayi and Qiao Zijin came up with all means and ways in order to befriend Miao Jing. Qiao Dongliang was fearful of them as well.
He was reminded of the last time when they went to the Zhu family’s residence for a meal. Ding Jiayi and Qiao Zijin got along easily with everyone. It only took a meal’s time before Qiao Zijin and Wang Yang became as close as siblings. At the thought of that, Qiao Dongliang could not help but frown.
“Nan Nan, you told me that Baoguo’s cousin, Wang Yang, is not a good person, didn’t you? Last time, Baoguo almost couldn’t participate in the middle school examination because of him. Is that right?”
“Yes, there is such a thing.”
“Nowadays, your sister always goes out with Wang Yang. Will she stand to lose? I must remind her not to mix with him for the sake of gaining petty advantages. She may stand to lose.” Zijin was no match for a scheming kid like Wang Yang.
“Dad, you can do it yourself.” No matter what, she would not meddle with it. Wang Yang wanted to make use of Qiao Zijin to deal with her so that she would give up on Zhu Baoguo. On the other hand, Qiao Zijin wanted to make use of Wang Yang to stand out among others.
These two were birds of a feather.
Qiao Dongliang could not blame Qiao Nan for her indifferent attitude toward Qiao Zijin.
Today, Qiao Nan had reminded him of what kind of person Qiao Zijin was, so how could he not understand what Qiao Zijin’s intention was by becoming so close to Wang Yang in such a short period of time?
Back then, when Nan Nan gave lessons to Baoguo, Zijin treated Baoguo in the same attitude as she was treating Wang Yang now.
Qiao Dongliang sighed. There was nothing that he could do about Qiao Zijin. She was the kind of person who would flatter whoever could bring her benefits. He was such a failure for not giving her proper guidance. It was no wonder that Nan Nan had that kind of attitude toward Zijin. She had totally given up on her.
Speak of the devil.
“Nan Nan, are you around?” Qiao Zijin raised her voice, pretending to be very close with Nan Nan. “Today’s the first day of the Lunar New Year. We have come to wish you a happy Lunar New Year.”
“We?” Qiao Nan arched her eyebrows. Who else came with Qiao Zijin?
