"I'm… not sick!"
Pain trailed on Qin Qiao's chin, but she didn't dare to cry out from the pain.
"You're not sick and you haven't been going to school. Qin Qiao, you're becoming more daring!"
Qin Qiao finally realized that what Zhan Qing was asking her about wasn't what she had been thinking about.
'Qin Qiao, wake up. Stop thinking about what happened that night.'
"And you failed four subjects in your monthly examinations. You've made me really proud."
At the thought of Qin Qiao's embarrassing report card, his grasp on her chin grew tighter.
"Ninth Uncle, I'm sorry. I'll do them properly the next time… and try not to embarrass you…"
Qin Qiao's eyes turned red as moisture welled in her eyes. Every word she said was uttered cautiously.
Seeing that Qin Qiao looked like she was about to cry all because he had mildly scolded her, Zhan Qing was extremely furious.
He let go of Qin Qiao's chin and was frustrated as he bellowed, "Try? You're good-for-nothing."
A hint of a sly smile appeared on Qin Qiao's lips. If she proved herself to be useful, how else would she be able to make others ignore her presence?
Zhan Qing turned around and sat back on the bed. Looking at how Qin Qiao was holding herself back from crying, he felt even more frustrated.
His anger came bubbling over from seeing how soft she was. What was wrong with a boy always biting his lip?
"Don't bite your lip. Did you forget that? You're a boy. Why are you acting like a girl?" Zhan Qing ordered. He then stood up again and pulled a cold expression on his face.
"I—I got it, Ninth Uncle!" Qin Qiao was almost crying now.
"That night when you went to my room, did you see anyone else?" Zhan Qing spoke really slowly, but his voice was filled with force.
Zhan Qing was known for not being able to hold his liquor well. Because he had really drunk too much that night, he didn't even know who he had slept with.
However, it was really interesting for a clean woman to not want him to take responsibility and even ran away after sleeping with him.
In Y City, so many women wanted to get onto his bed, but that one particular woman dared to run away so quietly.
Qin Qiao instantly tightened her hold on her t-shirt. Her fingers were starting to turn a little numb from how much force she was using.
The moment she looked down, memories from that night appeared in her head again. She couldn't kick them out even if she wanted to.
"N—No. When I went over, Ninth Uncle… was just sleeping there. There was no one else…"
Qin Qiao was really regretting her decision now to bring Zhan Qing his clothes to the hotel that night.
She had even sent herself over.
It probably would not cross Ninth Uncle's mind that he had slept with her and that she was a woman.
Zhan Qing remained quiet. Apart from Qin Qiao, the CCTV never captured any woman entering or leaving his hotel suite.
Could it be that he had slept with a ghost…?
He had really f*cking seen a ghost.
At Zhan family's old manor.
Qin Qiao, who had just left school, received a call from the Zhan family's old manor.
The butler had called saying that Old Madam Zhan wanted her to come over immediately.
Qin Qiao had to take three buses and two trains before she arrived.
After Zhang Qing had bought Qin Qiao to the Zhan family, her life hadn't been very good.
Even if she kept putting up an act that she was weak and an easy target to bully, or that she was foolish for trying to keep her presence at bay, many still didn't accept her and bullied her around.
Every time she visited the old manor, she would feel extremely stressed. She really didn't like anyone there.
"The Qi family is a well-known and established family of physicians. They only have a daughter, Qi Meiwei. It's not a loss if you marry her." Old Madam Zhan took a sip of tea and furrowed her eyebrows slightly. The butler behind her instantly refilled her a new cup of tea.
Qin Qiao adjusted her spectacles a little. Her head remained bowed as she stayed quiet. How did such a good marriage opportunity become hers?