Chapter 61

The instant their eyes locked, Zhao Lianqiao felt a flicker of unease. Then she reminded herself: Qiao Jian and Qin Jing are already divorced, and Zhao Ying is now openly Qiao Jian’s girlfriend, what reason does she have to feel guilty?
Zhao Lianqiao’s eyelashes fluttered; thinking of something, she smiled and walked toward Qiao Zhenzhen.
The classmates who knew that Zhao Lianqiao’s stepfather was Qiao Zhenzhen’s biological father all tensed up at once. Everyone was curious what kind of train wreck would erupt when the two met.
“If they start fighting, you go break it up and I’ll run get a teacher,” the class monitor whispered to the group secretary.
The group secretary glanced at her own skinny arms and legs, then at the class monitor, over six feet tall and nearly two hundred pounds, and asked incredulously, “Why isn’t it me who goes to get the teacher?”
“I’m a guy; it’s not right for me to butt into girls’ business,” the monitor said, self-righteously.
The group secretary’s mouth twitched; she couldn’t be bothered to argue.
While they were whispering, Zhao Lianqiao had already reached Qiao Zhenzhen and spoke softly, “Zhenzhen, are you okay?”
So sanctimonious, who gives her the right to ask if someone else is okay? That was what the rest of the class was thinking.
Qiao Zhenzhen looked at her cautious approach and couldn’t help laughing. “Do you think I should be okay?”
Zhao Lianqiao bit her lip. “I know you won’t believe me, but I want to say it anyway: my mother and I had nothing to do with your parents’ divorce. They grew apart, that’s why they split. My mom is absolutely not the cause.”
“Is that so? Because I recall you said something different yesterday,” Qiao Zhenzhen raised an eyebrow. “Who was it who claimed her own mother had endured for years and finally reunited with her first love? My parents only divorced yesterday and your mom’s ‘big break’ is already happening, don’t you think that’s awfully convenient?”
She’d been so pleased at Qiao Jian’s divorce that she’d rushed to invent a story; but after thinking it over that night she’d felt uneasy.
Although Zhao Ying really was the other woman, in the story she could never be portrayed that way. The version Zhao Lianqiao had spun had, by implication, confirmed Qiao Jian’s affair. Even if she’d sugarcoated it, it still sounded bad and would damage her reputation, so she’d come to Qiao Zhenzhen in front of everyone to fix the narrative.
And now, just as she’d hoped, Qiao Zhenzhen had asked the question. So she hurried to explain, “My mom has always liked Uncle Qiao, but it was one-sided, and they haven’t been in contact for many years. She quietly kept him in her heart. I only knew she still loved her first love, but I didn’t know her first love was Uncle Qiao, and she didn’t know you were his daughter.”
Every word made it plain: Zhao Ying getting together with Qiao Jian was purely accidental, not some scheme by the mother‑and‑daughter to destroy a classmate's family.
When she finished, she glanced at everyone's faces, realized they might not believe her, and suddenly turned and climbed up onto the platform.
"I know what you're thinking, but I swear my mom really wasn't the other woman. They only ran into each other a short while ago, and by then Uncle Qiao was already set on divorcing. Whether my mom had been there or not, he was going to split up. And anyway, they weren't really together before his divorce."
"But yesterday you treated everyone to snacks and said it was pocket money from your stepdad. Weren't they still married then?" someone challenged.
Zhao Lianqiao looked at him with reddened eyes: "At that time Uncle Qiao had already been to the registry. He'd finally freed himself from a tormenting marriage and sent me a red envelope to celebrate, can't I accept that?"
"Exactly, they're divorced, they've already divided the assets. What's wrong with him using his own money to send Zhao Lianqiao a red envelope?" her deskmate immediately backed her up.
The other two who'd benefited from Zhao Lianqiao also chimed in, and someone even advised Qiao Zhenzhen: "You should let it go. After a divorce people are bound to move on. Your dad finding his long‑time first love can be a different kind of happiness. And he didn't do anything to betray you or your mom, the relationship with Zhao Lianqiao's mother only began after the divorce."
"Yes, the timing is a bit awkward, but think about it, they were forced apart for so many years and suffered so much. Now, after all those twists and turns, they finally have a chance to be together. Of course they don't want to miss it. You should understand."
"Right, right. I heard the name 'Lianqiao' was given by her mother long ago, it's heartbreaking when you think about it," someone added.
With tear‑rimmed eyes and a stubborn expression, Zhao Lianqiao stood on the platform. A small group in the class who'd heard her mother's heartbreaking love story began, without realizing it, to sympathize with her.
Qiao Zhenzhen listened to their jabber, tugged at the corner of her mouth without speaking. A few were about to keep persuading when Chi Shen suddenly walked in and sat down beside her; the others immediately fell silent and sheepishly returned to their seats.
Sensing the unusual atmosphere, Chi Shen glanced wordlessly at Qiao Zhenzhen.
She gave a small twist of her mouth to signal he shouldn't take it to heart.
Zhao Lianqiao's story wasn't particularly clever; if you picked it apart you'd notice all sorts of holes. But not everyone has the time to play Sherlock Holmes, Zhenzhen didn't refute it aloud, so the others didn't bother to press it and gradually accepted her version.
Riding on that tacit acceptance, Zhao Lianqiao gradually grew less guarded, basking daily in the joy of soon becoming a member of the Qiao family. When facing Zhenzhen, she would now and then let slip a long‑hidden sense of superiority.
"Why not explain?" Chi Shen asked.
Zhenzhen smiled: "Because it's more interesting this way."
Chi Shen frowned slightly, not quite understanding what she meant.
Zhenzhen pinched his ear: "In a few days you'll see."
Chi Shen paused, met her sly gaze, realized she wouldn't say more now, and didn't press further.
A week later, Zhao Lianqiao suddenly invited the whole class to dinner at the city's most upscale hotel.
"Why the sudden urge to treat us to dinner, and at such an expensive place?" a classmate asked curiously. Aside from scholarship admits like Chi Shen, most students at this school came from well‑off families and frequented upscale hotels, but no one had ever treated the entire class to a meal at a place like that.
"If I remember correctly, they charge per person, right? How much is it per head?" another classmate frowned.
"Over four thousand!" someone immediately replied.
Zhao Lianqiao smiled demurely: "It doesn't matter how much it costs; it's mainly about celebrating."
"Yes, exactly, celebration," her deskmate quickly added. "You probably didn't know, her mother registered the marriage yesterday, but she's not feeling well so they won't hold a wedding. Lianqiao thought she'd invite everyone out to eat to celebrate."
Registered? The rest of the class pricked up their ears; some, unable to contain their curiosity, looked straight at Zhenzhen.
Zhenzhen calmly tidied her desk, pretending not to feel their stares.
Zhao Lianqiao cleared her throat, ignored their enquiring looks and continued, "If you're coming, let me know, I need to reserve seats."
At that, a few of her usual friends immediately responded; those with family ties to the Qiao household hesitated but then raised their hands to agree. Yet a third of the class remained silent, some even averting their eyes. Whether or not her mother was the other woman, in their social circle the mother‑and‑daughter pair simply didn't carry much status.
The smile on Zhao Lianqiao's face froze for a moment; after a beat she turned to a girl in the third row who hadn't spoken: "Tian Tian, come along. I remember your study‑abroad paperwork had some issues, let's eat together, maybe we can think of a solution."
The girl whose name she called stiffened; thinking of her current relationship with Qiao Jian, she could only give an awkward yes.
Zhao Lianqiao gave a sweet little laugh, noted her name, then looked around at the others and set about persuading them one by one with different reasons.
From the back row, Zhenzhen listened, using her book as cover to whisper to Chi Shen: "She's really good at riding on someone else's authority, my own mother isn't even this ruthless."
Dragging Qiao Jian into it just to force others to attend her party, doesn't she know that's a thankless stunt? Zhenzhen looked disgusted. Chi Shen silently squeezed her hand and was about to speak when Zhao Lianqiao suddenly asked, "Zhenzhen, will you join us?"
At that, everyone's expressions turned awkward. Even though she cleared up the affair rumors, her parents had only divorced a few days ago and her father had already married Lianqiao's mother, surely Zhenzhen wouldn't be in a good mood. Inviting her now was almost like taunting her.
Zhenzhen naturally sensed the ill will and looked up at her: "If I go, will you even be able to eat?"
“...How could I not eat? We're family now, aren't we?” Zhao Lianqiao laughed with easy grace. Now she was Qiao Jian's only daughter, the heiress of the Qiao group.
She was the victor.
Qiao Zhenzhen stared at her face for a moment, then suddenly smiled. “Fine.”
“I'll come too.” Chi Shen spoke up unexpectedly, as if he needed no invitation.
Zhao Lianqiao was momentarily taken aback by his boldness, inwardly muttered that he was a cheapskate, then smiled and agreed, “Sure, come along, more the merrier.”
Qiao Zhenzhen forced a smile. After the time and place were set, she hurried outside and called Chi Cheng. “Grandpa Chi, Grandpa Chi, could you help me with something?”
“Of course, little Zhenzhen. What's the matter?” Chi Cheng's cheerful voice came through the receiver.
“Those videos you prepared, could you air them a day earlier?” she asked immediately.
Chi Cheng paused. “We've already set the schedule with PR; it's not easy to change.”
Qiao Zhenzhen was silent for a moment, sighed, and said, “I didn't want to say this, but you're leaving me no choice.”
Chi Cheng: “?”
“Grandpa Chi, do you know about the time Qiao Jian forced Shen Shen to drop out?” Qiao Zhenzhen reported solemnly. “The reason he did it was because someone was stirring things up behind the scenes…”
She went on and on with the details.
Chi Cheng was silent for a long moment, then said in a deep voice, “Do as you say, change the schedule!” Nobody would stand in the way of him getting revenge on his grandson's behalf.
With her aim achieved, Qiao Zhenzhen lifted the corner of her mouth in thanks. “Thank you, Grandpa.”