Chapter 156: Mission Failure
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"Interesting offer, but I still have something to ask you." Qiao Yue said as she retreated while holding Trand hostage.
Seeing Qiao Yue waver, Trand's expression relaxed. "What is it?"
"I want to know what's this key you are talking about. How is it related to my mother?" Qiao Yue asked.
"You really don't know?"
Trand still couldn't believe it. It seemed that this thing was truly important.
"It's a document about a few international organizations. It should be with your mother." Trand replied.
They were near a wooded area now. Qiao Yue was confident that if she got Trand into the woods, she could make him disappear forever.
Just as the two sides were standing off, sounds of approaching cars were heard. Qiao Yue frowned and pulled Trand hard, trying to hide in the woods.
However, with strength that came from nowhere, Trand disregarded the wound on his neck and elbowed Qiao Yue suddenly in the chest. Qiao Yue's wound was hit, causing her to spit out a mouthful of blood.
As Trand broke free, Trand's men shot at Qiao Yue despite the dangers of being discovered.
Qiao Yue had no choice but to run into the woods.
There were pursuers behind them and Trand's men didn't want to fight. After Trand got into the car, they sped off quickly.
Qiao Yue leaned against a tree and squatted. She was dizzy due to the excessive blood loss.
A sharp pain came from her chest and Qiao Yue felt her vision go black, and she gradually lost consciousness. However, before she fell unconscious, she didn't know if it was an illusion, but she saw an unexpected person.
Meanwhile, Chu Jia started tracking Qiao Yue after she heard back from YQ. She and the police arrived successively at the site of Qiao Yue and Trand's stand-off.
Chu Jia noticed tire tracks on the ground and quickly got Stone to stop the car.
"What's wrong? We are not giving chase?" Stone asked in confusion.
Chu Jia shook her head. "The tire tracks here are messy, but the police went straight after them. I think they must have stopped here. There is only one reason Trand would stop here."
"You're saying that it might be the boss?" Stone was enlightened.
Chu Jia nodded. "It's very likely. Now that YQ has lost track of boss and the police are in hot pursuit of Trand, we might be discovered if we follow them."
After listening to Chu Jia's analysis, Stone frowned.
"So, we can only wait now?" Stone asked uneasily.
"Sister Chu, Brother Stone, there's blood here. Come and look!"
When Chu Jia and Stone got out of the car just now, the others also got out and looked around.
If one didn't look carefully in the dark, they wouldn't have noticed that there was a blood trail on the ground beside the car.
Chu Jia and Stone looked at each other and quickly walked over. The few of them followed the blood trail until they came to a tree. Chu Jia shone her flashlight up the tree trunk and saw a very clear, bloody handprint.
Stone punched the tree, his face full of regret. He should have read the message their boss sent him just now. It's on him that they didn't know if their boss was dead or alive!
"Boss should be fine." Stone said this but even he didn't believe his own words.
Chu Jia looked around and saw the worry and confusion on everyone's faces. She took a deep breath and said, "Boss should be fine. When has the boss not overcome danger all these years? Besides, you guys know what the boss is capable of. Why are you afraid?"
At times like this, everyone could be confused, but not Chu Jia.
There was once when their boss was seriously injured. Everyone thought that Qiao Yue would not make it, including Chu Jia.
At that time, Qiao Yue had entrusted all her men to Chu Jia before she fell unconscious. Although Qiao Yue had planned to leave the organization to set up her own shop, it was far from where they were now. Hence, she told Chu Jia to stay calm and take things one at a time.
When Qiao Yue was injured then, Zhou Lan, Lu Ying and the senior Dr. Lu treated her non-stop for two whole days before they pulled her back from hell. Chu Jia remembered everything that Qiao Yue told her before she fell unconscious back then.
Stone looked at Chu Jia and then at the people around them. He understood what Chu Jia meant and supplemented, "That's right, why is everyone so dejected? Let's hurry back. Maybe the boss is already waiting for us there."
With that, Stone took the lead and walked back to the car. Chu Jia also herded everyone back to the car.
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Chapter 157: Secret Uncovered
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
On the top floor of Jingsheng Hotel next to the Qiao Corporation in A-City, Qiao Jing looked at the pale-faced person in bed with a troubled expression.
Whether it was from past conversations with Qiao Yue or Qiao Yue's unusual behavior, Qiao Jing was sure that Qiao Yue was no ordinary person. But he did not expect Qiao Yue to be involved with drug dealers wanted by the police. The only saving grace was that based on Qiao Yue's behavior, she wasn't on the same side as drug dealers.
Qiao Jing sighed as he sat by Qiao Yue's bed. With heartache in his eyes, Qiao Jiang moved his hand from Qiao Yue's forehead to her pale lips.
Qiao Yue was out of the woods now, and Qiao Jing had learned from the doctor that his fifth brother was actually his fifth sister.
He didn't think much about it when he took Qiao Yue to the hotel to get a private doctor to treat her. It was just that Qiao Yue had bullet wounds on her and it would be hard to explain if he brought her to a hospital. He didn't expect to uncover such a secret.
Qiao Yue was seriously injured this time. Her ribs hadn't fully recovered, and she had been electrocuted.
But Qiao Yue's injuries weren't limited to these. There was also an eight or nine-centimeter wound on her arm. After the doctor's examination, the cut seemed to have originated from under her skin.
Qiao Jing couldn't imagine what could have caused Qiao Yue such serious injuries. But when he saw Qiao Yue covered in blood, he couldn't breathe.
Qiao Jing studied Qiao Yue for a moment before he took out his phone and dialed a number. "Have you found out anything about Qiao Yue?"
"I'm sorry, Brother Jing. I haven't found any information on Master Yue."
Qiao Jing couldn't help but frown when he heard this over the phone. Not only hadn't they found more information on Qiao Yue, they still thought that Qiao Yue was a boy.
Even so, Qiao Jing did not stop the person and said, "Continue with the investigation. Focus on KA."
"Yes, Brother Jing."
Qiao Jing walked to the floor-to-ceiling window and looked out at the night sky.
He was only suspicious of Qiao Yue's abnormal actions tonight and asked the police to keep a look out. He didn't expect Qiao Yue to go Yayi Club, which the police had been watching.
He knew that Qiao Yue was a conservator-restorer at Yayi. He had his suspicions, but he didn't expect Qiao Yue to be involved in so many things.
...
Without familiar scents around her, Qiao Yue frown in bed and mumbled "Mom".
In her dream, Qiao Yue saw her mother. She could see her mother's figure clearly and it looked exactly like in the photo. She wanted to ask her mother what key Trand was talking about but she could only open her mouth; no sound came out.
She watched her mother walk from the study to the living room. There was a girl playing on the foam mat in the living room. When the little girl saw her mother, she quickly threw herself into her mother's arms.
"Oh my goodness! Did my little Yueyue gain weight again? How much did you eat today?" The mother asked the girl with a smile.
"I didn't gain any weight! Yueyue is very light!" The girl puffed up her cheeks and answered angrily.
The mother smiled and poked the girl's face. "Okay, okay, okay. If my Yueyue says she's not heavy, she's not heavy. Come, let Mom give you a hug."
Hearing her mother's words, the little girl beamed and snuggled into her mother's arms.
"Mom, do you think my painting looks good?" The girl held up a painting of random colors to her mother, as if she was showing off a masterpiece.
The mother pretended to admire the painting for a few seconds before she asked, "Yueyue, what's this blue thing?"
The girl chuckled and pointed at the blue area. "This is Dad! The white one is Mom, and the yellow one is me."
The mother smiled gently and asked the girl why she used these three colors.
The little girl blinked her large eyes and said seriously, "Mom said that Yueyue hasn't seen Dad because Dad's job is to protect many people. Although Yueyue can't see Dad, Dad is always protecting us. So, Dad is the sky. We can see him but can't touch him."
The mother was stunned for a moment, and she looked at the little girl with heartache.
"I'm so sorry, Yueyue. Mom will tell Dad and ask him to come back and see us when he has time."
The little girl nodded obediently. "Mom must also let Dad know that Yueyue misses him very much."
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Chapter 158: Blessed
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
A tear ran down Qiao Yue's face. She had forgotten these things. Looking at her mother's beautiful face, Qiao Yue mouth the word "mom". Coincidentally, her mother turned her head to face her...
When Qiao Yue opened her eyes again, she was in a hospital. Her gaze moved from the snow-white ceiling to the side of her bed. Zhou Lan was sound asleep by her bed.
Massaging her forehead, Qiao Yue try to remember everything that had happened. Wasn't she in the woods? Why was she in a hospital now? Did someone save her?
Feeling Qiao Yue's movements, Zhou Lan fuzzily opened her eyes. Seeing that Qiao Yue was awake, Zhou Lan was stunned for a moment before surprise filled her eyes.
"You're awake!"
Qiao Yue touched her aching ribs and asked, "How did I end up in a hospital?"
"I'm also not sure," Zhou Lan replied with a confused expression.
"What do you mean?" Qiao Yue asked with a frown.
After thinking for a moment, Zhou Lan recounted how she picked up Qiao Yue.
Qiao Yue's brows furrowed even more. "You are saying that an unknown number called you and asked you to pick me up from the hotel?"
"Yes! When I got there, your injuries had already been treated. I was worried, so I brought you to the hospital for re-examination."
Zhou Lan then started to scold Qiao Yue, chiding her for putting herself in danger when she hadn't even fully recover from her previous injuries.
Qiao Yue didn't dare to make a sound.
Suddenly, the figure Qiao Yue saw before she fainted appeared in her mind. She shook her head. She must have been seeing things. How could she have seen Qiao Jing in the woods?
Because of Qiao Yue's repeated injuries, she had no choice but to be hospitalized again. To the outside world, she had accidentally fallen when she was out at night. Among the many visitors, Qiao Jing's gaze made Qiao Yue particularly uneasy.
Speaking of her visitors, Stone had to be mentioned. When Chu Jia, Stone and the rest sneaked into the hospital to see her, Stone, a man over 1.8 meters tall, stared at her with red eyes.
Qiao Yue was also helpless. She cleared her throat and explained, "I'm fine. I'm hospitalized because I aggravated my previous injuries."
Qiao Yue's words were like the opening of floodgates for Stone. His voice was a little choked as he said, "Boss, how could you put yourself at risk like that? There was so much blood at the scene, we thought that..."
Stone stopped halfway through his sentence. Chu Jia stood silently by the side, looking at Qiao Yue with accusing eyes. Of course, there were also other people in the room with them.
With so many pairs of eyes staring at her, Qiao Yue couldn't help but feel guilty.
"I'm sorry! It was an emergency. I was afraid that Trand would escape, so I had to."
Chu Jia's gaze sharpened as she asked, "Boss, then did you catch him?"
Qiao Yue's face froze. Chu Jia really knew how to poke at her sore spot. But the risk-taking did have some effect, didn't it? If it wasn't for her, how could the police have caught up so quickly?
Seeing Qiao Yue being lectured mercilessly, Zhou Lan tried to smooth things over, "Alright now, stop the lecturing! She's still the boss. Let's give her some face."
Qiao Yue was still fine if Zhou Lan hadn't opened her mouth. After she said that, Qiao Yue wished that she could crawl into a hole and die.
Although Qiao Yue had been embarrassed, Zhou Lan's attempt to ease the atmosphere worked. Everyone's expressions got more pleasant, and there was no more talk about the incident.
"Boss, now that Trand has been arrested by the police, should we break him out or just leave him be?" Chu Jia asked.
Qiao Yue had already seen the news about Trand's arrest; she had also vacillated about what to do.
After two encounters, Qiao Yue was also very tired of Trand. If not for the fact that Trand knew about her mother, Qiao Yue wanted to have nothing to do with this man.
"Boss?" Chu Jia called out in a strange tone when she saw Qiao Yue in a daze.
Qiao Yue snapped out of her daze. "Leave things be for now. Let's see if he can escape this time."
Qiao Yue's words were sinister, making some of her team members look at each other.
"By the way, boss, do you have any impression of the person who saved you?" Chu Jia asked.
Qiao Yue shook her head. Although she seemed to have seen Qiao Jing, it was probably just an illusion.
Chu Jia sighed. "Boss, it's a good thing you met a good Samaritan. With the amount of blood you lost, you might not have been able to with until we arrived."
Qiao Yue chuckled. She was very blessed indeed.
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Chapter 159: The Feeling of Guilt
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Qiao Yue's rescue was glossed over. Qiao Yue's people knew how to read her. They knew that she didn't want to talk about it, so they stopped asking.
YQ had investigated the unknown number called Zhou Lan, but it turned out to be a bogus number. They could not find any useful information.
After everyone left, Zhou Lan left a few reminders before she went back to work.
Qiao Yue stared blankly at her phone for a while before she sent a message to YQ, asking him to look into Qiao Jiang. She felt that the way Qiao Jing looked at her was significant.
Qiao Yue's hospitalization this time was for a longer period because of her ribs plus arm injuries. Qiao Jing had also kept a closer eye on her. Two caregivers took turns looking after her every day, and she had to inform them of her whereabouts whenever she left the ward.
Looking at the falling snow outside the window, Qiao Yue sighed and turned her gaze to the caregiver by her bed.
"I say, little miss pretty, you don't have to sit next to me all the time, right? I can't run away."
Qiao Yue looked at the caregiver helplessly.
The caregiver who was peeling an apple looked up and said to Qiao Yue, "Master Yue, Master Jing said that you get into trouble all the time and asked me to keep an eye on you."
The corner of Qiao Yue's mouth twitched. She was bored out of her brains being locked up. She wanted to go out and move around, but why must there be someone tailing her?
"I just want to go out for a walk. I'm just downstairs. You don't have to follow me." Qiao Yue said to the caregiver with a hopeful face.
The caregiver shook her head firmly. Just as she was about to say something, someone pushed the door open and entered.
"No."
The person's short and simple answer instantly dashed Qiao Yue's hopes. Qiao Yue looked at her visitor and called out softly, "Brother."
Qiao Jing walked to her bedside with a cold expression, his eyes sharp. "Are you planning to go out again?"
Qiao Yue gulped. "No, I'm just talking nonsense."
Ever since she was injured that night, Qiao Yue had felt guilty whenever she saw Qiao Jing.
Seeing Qiao Yue's dejected look, the coldness in Qiao Jing's eyes receded a little as he walked to her bedside.
"Your rib injury has been aggravated. If you don't want to be bedridden for the rest of your life, you'd better rest properly," Qiao Jing said.
"Alright," Qiao Yue replied in a muffled voice.
Seeing Qiao Yue's still dejected look, Qiao Jing changed the subject.
"Big brother and Grandpa will come back tomorrow. You can recuperate at home then!" Qiao Jing's tone softened.
But before Qiao Yue could cheer, Qiao Jing continued, "If you run away again, I'll re-admit you."
"Okay!" Qiao Yue replied with her cheeks puffed.
Qiao Yue's face made Qiao Jing want to pat her on the head, but he resisted the urge.
"Help him pack his things." Qiao Jing said to the caregiver before he turned to Qiao Yue and said, "I'll wait for you outside."
Qiao Yue raised her eyebrows slightly when she heard this. Why did her brother suddenly want to wait for her outside today? Didn't he always wait in the ward?
Qiao Yue was stunned only for a few seconds before she nodded. Whether Qiao Jing was in the room or not, she would change in the bathroom.
When Qiao Yue arrived home, she found the rest of the Qiao family there.
Qiao Yu looked Qiao Yue up and down, shook his head, and walked up to her with his walking stick. "You just went to the teacher's house for tuition and you fell down the stairs? How stupid are you?"
Qiao Yu's words were filled with schadenfreude. Qiao Yue rolled her eyes at him and kicked his leg, causing Qiao Yu to grimace in pain.
Qiao Ze did not care that the person who was kicked was his biological brother from the same parents and laughed out loud. "Serves you right! That's what you get for mocking Xiao Yue!"
Qiao Ze then turned to Qiao Yue and said, "Xiao Yue, I'm hardly home. Watch a movie with me tonight?"
Qiao Ze's words reminded Qiao Yue of something painful. She was about to decline when Qiao Ze added, "I don't want to watch a movie like the previous one! We'll watch a nicer movie this time. I guarantee that you won't regret watching it!"
When Qiao Yue was injured for the first time, Qiao Ze flew back immediately to see her. However, his schedule was so tight that he was taken away by his manager in less than two hours.
Qiao Yue gave Qiao Ze a suspicious glance. She was curious about the kind of movie that Qiao Ze said she would never regret watching. She was about to agree when Qiao Jing interjected, "He hasn't recovered from his injuries, so he can't stay up late."
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Chapter 160: Special Treatment
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Qiao Ze looked at Qiao Jing unhappily, but Qiao Jing met his eyes with an indifferent gaze. Qiao Ze tsked and said to Qiao Yue, "Looks like we'll have to watch it another day. Xiao Yue, it's not because I'm listening to him. I'm doing this for you."
Qiao Yue burst into laughter at Qiao Ze's playful banter and nodded. "Yes, I know that third brother treats me the best."
It was clearly a perfunctory remark, but it altered the three men's expressions at the same time.
Qiao Ze was grinning from ear to ear. Qiao Yu snorted to express his dissatisfaction. Qiao Jing, who was standing behind Qiao Yue, stared thoughtfully at the person in the wheelchair.
"I'll take Xiao Yue upstairs first. Qiao Yu, come to my study later." Qiao Jing said as he pushed Qiao Yue toward the second floor.
On the way upstairs, Qiao Yue could sense Qiao Jing's bad mood but she couldn't figure out what she had done to upset him.
After entering Qiao Yue's room, Qiao Jing silently picked her up and put her on the bed. He then picked up a book from her bedside table.
"Brother, you!" Qiao Yue pointed at Qiao Jing with a trembling finger.
Qiao Jing looked up nonchalantly. "What's wrong?"
Qiao Yue cleared her throat. "Brother, are you going to read some more?"
"Bedtime story," Qiao Jing flipped through the book with his smiling eyes lowered.
Qiao Yue scrunched up her face. She really didn't want to listen to it anymore. She had already heard this book twice during her last recuperation. However, her brother said that since she had heard it, she must have learned something and asked her to write it down.
Her brother had thought too highly of her. Even if she had an outstanding memory, she couldn't play this game! She would have fallen asleep while listening!
"Brother, I don't want to hear any bedtime stories. I'm going to sleep now. I'll fall asleep in a second."
Hearing this, Qiao Jing no longer wanted to hide the smile in his eyes and looked straight at Qiao Yue.
"Why don't we try another book?" Qiao Jing picked up another book from the bedside table as he spoke.
Qiao Yue quickly held Qiao Jing's hand and said, "Brother, what's wrong with you? Didn't we agree that there would be no more bedtime stories?"
The sudden soft touch on his hand made Qiao Jing's body freeze, but he quickly recovered. He stared at Qiao Yue and said, "I don't think I treat you well enough. I have to do better."
"Huh?" Qiao Yue didn't know what he meant and stared blankly at Qiao Jing.
Qiao Jing proceeded to grab a book, but Qiao Yue seemed to be suddenly enlightened. She said quickly, "You already treat me well! Very well! In this family, brother is the nicest to me!"
"Oh? Really?" Qiao Jing cocked an eyebrow and leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed.
Qiao Yue nodded quickly and explained, "When I first came, brother reprimanded Qiao Xin because of me. You were worried that I didn't have enough money and gave me a black card. When others thought that I would embarrass the Qiao family by attending Harvey, you believed in me. And then at the club..."
Qiao Yue didn't think that she would remember so many nice things that Qiao Jing had done for her. But when she told him all these things, she suddenly realized that Qiao Jing had always been looking out for her silently.
He attended to her growth but never limited her. He knew that she had other identities, even the special ones. But he never made things difficult for her but getting to the bottom of these identities.
Qiao Yue lowered her eyes and said her last words, "Brother, in the Qiao family, you're really the person who treats me best."
Qiao Jing just wanted to tease Qiao Yue. Although he was a little unhappy when he heard Qiao Yue say that Qiao Ze treated her the best, it would seem petty if he made a fuss over such a small matter.
When Qiao Yue talked about him, he listened with a smile in his eyes. He didn't expect Qiao Yue to remember everything so clearly. What surprised him even more was that he wasn't even aware when he started paying so much attention to Qiao Yue.
Qiao Jing looked at the person sitting on the bed with a complicated expression. When Qiao Yue raised her head to look at him, Qiao Jing clearly felt his heart pound.
Qiao Yue's eyes were so gentle that Qiao Jing felt his heart never calm down again.
Suddenly, a knock on the door interrupted their locked eyes.
"Second brother, are you still in Xiao Yue's room?"
Qiao Yu's voice came from outside the door. Qiao Jing cleared his throat before he said to Qiao Yue, "Have a good rest. I'll take my leave now."
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