“Brother Huai, all you see is Lingling being angry? So the rest of us are just air in your eyes?” Yu Wanli shot him a glare, then glanced at Zhou Jinyue and let out a sarcastic snort. “It’s been three years apart, and Brother Jinyue’s face has become even more bewitching. Seems like life abroad has been quite comfortable.”
“The kind of comfort that’s cut off from the world?” Chi Nian held a cigarette between his lips, spinning a silver lighter in his hand, his words carrying a deeper meaning.
Just as Xie Songting was about to add a few mocking remarks, his phone rang. Reluctantly, he answered the call but stood firmly by Yu Wanli’s side without hesitation.
Clearly, they were united in their stance.
Zhou Jinyue leisurely put on his jacket, facing the cold, sarcastic, and unfriendly gazes of his friends with complete composure. “Leaving without saying goodbye was a last resort. When the time is right, I’ll explain everything to you.”
“Oh, it’s rare for Master Jin to take the initiative to explain anything to us.” Yu Wanli opened her phone, typing while speaking in a sharp tone. “I’d better write this down and see when Master Jin’s ‘right time’ will come.”
In the past, Yu Wanli would never have dared to speak to him like this. Without exaggeration, Zhou Jinyue was the person she feared the most.
But the thought of how Zhou Jinyue’s sudden departure had hurt Qiao Ling’s heart filled her with anger.
Yet, the moment the words left her mouth, she couldn’t help but feel a lingering fear.
Yu Wanli didn’t dare to look up and see what expression Zhou Jinyue wore now, only feeling the chill in his gaze as it lingered on her.
Swallowing hard, she mustered her courage and said, “Anyway, I’ve taken note of Master Jin’s words. I have things to do, so I’ll catch up with you all another day. I’m leaving now.”
With that, she turned and walked away briskly without looking back.
Yu Huairan chuckled softly, watching Yu Wanli’s retreating figure, a hint of mockery appearing on his stern face. “Young Master, you’d better work hard to earn forgiveness soon. Otherwise, your days won’t be easy.”
“Thanks for the kind reminder, Captain Yu.” Zhou Jinyue took out a cigarette case, pulled out a cigarette, and placed it between his lips. After lighting it, he glanced sideways, his tone suddenly shifting. “But you look better when you’re not smiling.”
Yu Huairan, “…”
“When will this intermittent sharp tongue of yours ever be directed at Lingling?”
The smoke from his lips drifted away with the wind. Zhou Jinyue raised an eyebrow and chuckled softly. “Never towards Lingling.”
Yu Huairan shot him a glare. “I have matters to attend to at the station. I’ll head out first. See you another day.”
Beside them, Chi Nian, who was so tired he kept yawning, leaned against him and said weakly, “Brother Huai, give me a ride.”
Now wasn’t the time for catching up. As they grew older and pursued their own careers, everyone had become busier. After their brief encounter at the memorial ceremony, it would be another half a month before they could gather again.
Qiao Ling left the funeral home and drove to an art gallery to pick up a painting.
On her way back, the gloomy sky suddenly rumbled with thunder, and a fierce wind swept up. In an instant, the sky darkened even further.
Torrential rain fell alongside flashes of lightning. Pedestrians on the street scrambled for cover, and the transparent windshield was instantly covered in a layer of mist, rendering the windshield wipers useless.
Just then, her phone chimed. Qiao Ling pulled over to the side of the road and picked up her phone.
On the screen was a text message that had just arrived—”Lingling, Grandpa Qiao is gone. Shouldn’t you come home now?”
Qiao Ling’s eyes dimmed slightly. Her fingertip hovered over the input box, and after a long while, she slowly typed three words:
“Wait a bit longer.”
After sending the message, she deleted the text, adjusted her seat, and reclined with her eyes closed to rest.
With Grandpa gone, there really was no need for her to stay with the Qiao Family anymore. But if she wanted to cut ties completely, she still needed a little more time.
The sound of raindrops hitting the car roof was somewhat muffled, yet oddly pleasant.
Qiao Ling hadn’t slept well the night before, her mind preoccupied with thoughts. Unconsciously, she drifted off to sleep.
She didn’t know when the rain stopped. By the time she woke up, it was already five in the evening. Rubbing her sore neck, she grabbed her umbrella, got out of the car, and went to a nearby restaurant for a meal.
This street wasn’t far from the Qiao Family. After leaving the restaurant, Qiao Ling walked toward the Qiao residence on foot.
It seemed like it had rained all day. A thin layer of water had accumulated on the ground, and the air was thick with damp moisture.
Before six o’clock, the sky had already darkened completely. Towering, lush banyan trees lined both sides of the street, their branches arching over the road. Streetlights cast an orange glow onto the water-slicked ground.
There were few vehicles or pedestrians on the street.
Qiao Ling, dressed in a black gown and holding a black umbrella, walked slowly through the rain.
She was tall and slender, with an ethereal, aloof aura about her, untouched by worldly concerns—like a magnolia standing alone atop a snowy mountain, sacred, noble, and breathtakingly beautiful.
In this scenery as dark as an ink-wash painting, she was the most eye-catching sight. Even though her face couldn’t be seen clearly, she drew frequent glances from passersby.
…
It took about ten minutes to reach the Qiao Family. The butler stood at the entrance of the living room with a worried expression. Upon seeing her, he hurried forward. “Miss, both Madams are in a bad mood. Please be careful when you go in.”
“I understand.” Qiao Ling placed her umbrella in the stand by the door, pushed it open, and walked into the living room.
The living room was brightly lit, but the atmosphere was unusually tense.
Qiao Ling glanced at the four people sitting stiffly on the sofa. The next moment, she saw Madam Qiao suddenly stand up, holding a bamboo rod. As she walked toward Qiao Ling, she pointed the rod at her and snarled viciously:
“You bastard! How much of the Qiao Family’s wealth have you swallowed? How much money did you take from that old man? If I hadn’t seen the funeral home bill today, I wouldn’t have known—you dared to buy a cemetery plot at five hundred thousand per square meter?”
“That old man is dead and gone. Burying him anywhere would’ve been fine. But you, you just throw away my Qiao Family’s money like it’s nothing, don’t you?”
“Qiao Ling! I’m telling you, you bastard, don’t you dare touch a single cent of my Qiao Family’s money! Today, you’d better hand over all the money and things you took from that old man, or else what you’ll get won’t just be a single strike from this rod!”
With that, Madam Qiao, now standing before Qiao Ling, raised the bamboo rod and swung it at her.
“For Grandpa, even five million per square meter would be worth it.” Qiao Ling unhurriedly raised her hand and caught the swinging rod. Her almond-shaped eyes lifted slightly, a bone-chilling coldness in her gaze as it fell on Madam Qiao’s contorted face. She sneered, “But for you, Aunt, even burying you anywhere would be considered an insult to the land.”
“I advise you to watch your mouth, Aunt. Talk recklessly, and you might get slapped.”
With that, she flung the rod aside, sending Madam Qiao sprawling to the ground.”Ping, are you alright?” Qiao Kangcheng hurriedly stood up, carefully helping Madam Qiao to her feet. Then, he turned to Qiao Ling and scolded her disapprovingly, “Lingling, how could you treat your Eldest Aunt like that?”
Madam Qiao shoved him away, fuming with rage as she cursed, “Get lost, you useless thing! That old man died without leaving us a single penny—all the Qiao family assets went to this little bastard! Are you really clueless or just pretending?”
“This little bastard treats me like this right in front of you, and you still speak to her so gently? How did I, He Ping, end up married to such a spineless coward, a hopeless lump of mud!”
Qiao Kangcheng was used to hearing such words and didn’t feel angry, but with everyone present, he found it utterly humiliating.
So, he retorted softly, “Ping, didn’t the lawyer say he’s still sorting out the Qiao family’s assets? You—”
His words were cut off by Madam Qiao’s furious shouting.
“Qiao Kangcheng! You’re actually defending this little bastard of unknown origin? Your father only saw her before he died! A fifty-thousand-yuan burial plot!”
“If that old man hadn’t left her his wealth, where would she get the money?”
At that moment, Madam Qiao the Second, who had been silently observing, stood up and said gently, “Sister-in-law makes a good point, Eldest Brother. Over the years, The Old Master held sole control of the Qiao family’s assets—none of us know exactly how much there is. It’s entirely possible he secretly gave half to this girl.”
As she spoke, she offered Qiao Ling an apologetic smile. “Lingling, don’t blame your Second Aunt for doubting you. It’s just that… you’re not a child of the Qiao family. If you were in our shoes, you wouldn’t want your family’s possessions to fall into an outsider’s hands either, right?”
Lu Yinhua was far more cunning than He Ping—she never offended anyone outright, but her heart was ruthless, a classic white lotus.
“Since Second Aunt has put it that way, I suppose I should clarify,” Qiao Ling said expressionlessly, glancing at her while tapping her bamboo cane with her fingertips, her tone indifferent. “Grandfather didn’t leave me anything, and I have no interest in the Qiao family’s assets.”
“Over these twenty-two years, I haven’t spent a single cent of the Qiao family’s money. My aunt knows this well—I owe nothing to the Qiao family, only a debt of gratitude for Grandfather’s upbringing.”
“Now that he’s gone, there’s no reason for me to stay here. As for the division of the Qiao family’s assets, a lawyer will contact you later.”
She lowered her gaze, the chilling low pressure around her palpable.
He Ping, standing before her, involuntarily took two steps back before suddenly realizing it, unable to believe she had actually been afraid of Qiao Ling.
This realization infuriated He Ping with shame. How could she possibly believe Qiao Ling’s words? She opened her mouth to curse, “You little—”
Slap!
The crisp sound of the slap and the burning pain on her cheek cut He Ping’s words short.
She froze in place, dumbfounded, clutching her face.
Not just her—Qiao Kangcheng, Lu Yinhua, the servants in the living room, and the butler hiding in the shadows were all stunned.
The young miss… actually hit Madam Qiao?
For a moment, the living room fell into dead silence.
Qiao Ling gave her a cool glance, weighed the bamboo cane in her hand, stepped past her, and walked toward her room.
The moment the door closed, a woman’s sharp, furious scream erupted—
“Qiao Ling! How dare you hit me!”
Qiao Ling curled her lips slightly, picked up the black backpack on the bed, and turned to leave the bedroom.She had only taken a couple of steps out the door when she saw He Ping storming toward her, Qiao Kangcheng following behind with a cold expression.
Before they could get close, He Ping lunged at her like a madwoman.
Qiao Ling easily sidestepped, grabbed her shoulder, and flung her into Qiao Kangcheng.
Watching He Ping grimace in pain, Qiao Ling let out a mocking laugh. “Eldest Aunt, I’ve said all I need to say. Don’t bring trouble upon yourself.”