Chapter 299: Chapter 272: Deceived...
After leaving Chu Zhengran’s teahouse, Qiao Yuxian and Gu Yanjing first took Qiao Lech and Qiao Zhiang home.
As soon as they arrived at the Qiao Family’s house, Qiao Yuxian and Qiao Lech went upstairs.
Thinking that it was impolite to go upstairs directly with Gu Yanjing present, Qiao Lech hesitated for a moment but was pulled upstairs by Qiao Yuxian.
Seeing that Qiao Lech didn’t look well, Chen Hui glanced at Qiao Yuxian. Qiao Yuxian indicated that everything was fine, and Chen Hui felt a bit relieved.
The two went straight to Qiao Lech’s room.
Once in the room, Qiao Yuxian locked the door and looked at Qiao Lech.
Qiao Lech had been absent-minded all the way, looking quite unwell. Now that she was in her own room, the façade of composure she had been holding up disappeared, and she looked even worse.
She suddenly sat on her bed, her gaze blank, her hands gently trembling.
Qiao Yuxian pulled up a chair in front of her, looked at her, and said, "What’s wrong?"
Qiao Lech slowly raised her eyes to look at her.
Qiao Yuxian looked at her and said, "Lin Huai Shu..."
As soon as she said these three words, Qiao Lech suddenly shed a tear, which fell without warning from her eyes.
Qiao Yuxian panicked, frowning, and said, "What’s wrong?"
"Sister." Qiao Lech called out to her.
"Hmm." Qiao Yuxian responded softly.
"Sister, I, I, I..." Qiao Lech raised her hand to cover her face, emitting a faint sobbing sound.
Qiao Yuxian placed her hand on her arm and squeezed gently, saying, "Is it because of the scar on Lin Huai Shu’s arm?"
Qiao Lech was silent for a moment, then nodded.
"Is it related to you?" Qiao Yuxian asked again.
Qiao Lech couldn’t speak, only nodded.
Qiao Yuxian handed her a few tissues.
Qiao Lech took them and pressed them against her eyes. After a while, she wiped her tears and gently exhaled, "I, I seem to have mistaken someone."
"Hmm?" Qiao Yuxian asked.
"Jiang, Jiang Shouzhuo..." Qiao Lech said this name with difficulty.
Upon hearing these three words, Qiao Yuxian’s gaze suddenly turned colder.
Qiao Lech said, "There’s also a scar on Jiang Shouzhuo’s right arm. I thought, I thought it was..."
"You thought he was the person you met abroad during your childhood?" Qiao Yuxian finished the sentence for her as she couldn’t continue.
Qiao Lech nodded.
Qiao Yuxian took a deep breath: "It was Lin Huai Shu."
Qiao Lech nodded again, "I always thought the scar on Jiang Shouzhuo’s arm might have changed as he grew. I told him about what happened abroad, and he said it was him. He lied to me, deceived me."
At the time of Qiao Lech’s new school entrance, Jiang Shouzhuo helped her with the admission procedures.
The weather was hot back then, and Jiang Shouzhuo was wearing short sleeves. Qiao Lech immediately saw the scar on his arm.
It didn’t quite match her memory, but she felt it was similar and in about the same position.
Later, Qiao Lech joined their school’s student council. During a council newcomer’s gathering, Jiang Shouzhuo was also there.
During dinner, he even sat next to Qiao Lech.
While chatting, Qiao Lech casually joked, "Senior, what a coincidence, a big brother who saved me in childhood also had a similar scar on his arm."
Jiang Shouzhuo seemed very surprised back then and asked for details.
Qiao Lech briefly mentioned it.
Then Jiang Shouzhuo suddenly said, "So that little girl was you."
So, Qiao Lech had always thought Jiang Shouzhuo was the boy from abroad.
Even though the scar wasn’t quite like the vague image in her memory, she assumed it had changed as he grew after Jiang Shouzhuo acknowledged it.
But now she saw the scar on Lin Huai Shu’s arm.
At a glance, she immediately recognized it as the one she had left when anxiously searching for Chen Hui, grasping his arm as a child.
An exact match.
In fact, because of that scar, many blurry memories became much clearer.
For instance, she only remembered scratching someone, leaving a red scratch on that boy’s hand. She didn’t remember what the boy looked like at all.
Now, after seeing the scar, she vaguely remembered his appearance.
Qiao Yuxian listened to Qiao Lech recounting these things intermittently.
She thought: At the time, Jiang Shouzhuo had taken a liking to Qiao Lech, so he went along with her words and deceived her.
Qiao Yuxian clenched her fingertips, then touched Qiao Lech’s head, saying, "Don’t cry anymore. In a way, it’s a good thing. At least... the big brother from childhood didn’t turn bad."
She didn’t know how to comfort Qiao Lech.
Jiang Shouzhuo not only deceived her but also caused her so much pain.
"Sister, I’m so stupid." Qiao Lech said.
"No." Qiao Yuxian said, "They are simply too bad. Never punish your kindness by questioning yourself because of others’ malice. You are good; they are the bad ones."
Qiao Yuxian stayed in the room with Qiao Lech for a long time. She only left after her mood stabilized.
In the living room, she told Chen Hui about Qiao Lech’s bad mood but couldn’t reveal specific details.
Chen Hui understood. She had previously raised Qiao Lech alone, and despite her best efforts to provide a good life and education, Lech’s personality had inevitably become somewhat withdrawn.
Since a young age, Qiao Lech knew it was not easy for Chen Hui to raise her alone, so she never liked to talk about her troubles and solved whatever she could on her own.
Qiao Yuxian didn’t feel it was right to speak for Qiao Lech, and Chen Hui didn’t ask further.
They were invited to stay for dinner, but Gu Yanjing had another engagement later that evening, so they didn’t stay long.
As they were leaving, Qiao Yuxian noticed Qiao Zhiang pulling a suitcase and carrying his backpack, getting up to leave with them.
She looked at Qiao Zhiang.
Qiao Zhiang had a sad little face, almost about to cry.
Gu Yanjing said, "He’s coming back with us."
Qiao Yuxian looked at him in surprise.
This person was serious.
Her father and her aunt had even agreed to it.
Weren’t they afraid Gu Yanjing would get annoyed and hit him?
Qiao Yuxian looked at Qiao Zhiang again.
Qiao Zhiang indeed looked like he was about to cry.
Qiao Yuxian couldn’t help but laugh at his expression and said, "What’s wrong? Not happy to go back with sister?"
"Happy." Qiao Zhiang uttered "Happy" with a tone as if the sky was falling.
The smile on Qiao Yuxian’s face deepened. She patted Qiao Zhiang’s little head and then looked at Chen Hui, saying, "Auntie, don’t worry, no need to be concerned about him."
"I’m not worried about him," Chen Hui said. "I’m worried about you two getting so annoyed that you have a complex about kids."
Gu Yanjing said nothing.
Qiao Yuxian said, "No way. Zhiang is very obedient."
Qiao Yu hummed in disagreement.
Little Zhiang whispered, "I’m very well-behaved."
Neither Qiao Yu nor Chen Hui commented further. Chen Hui just said, "Behave yourself, no causing trouble."
"Got it." Qiao Zhiang tilted his head up to look at his parents.
His little expression seemed to say: How could parents be so heartless, confidently handing over their little treasure to be raised by a big demon.
Qiao Yu looked at his expression and said coldly, "Go ahead, it’ll give me a few days of peace."
Qiao Zhiang: "......"
Qiao Yuxian chuckled, took the backpack he was holding, then quickly handed it to Gu Yanjing to hold. She took Qiao Zhiang’s little hand and said, "Let’s go, sister will take you out for fun."