Chapter 311: Qiao Ying's Background
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Qiao Xin grabbed Qiao Ying's collar and pulled her up from the ground. "Seventh sister, you know that we're family, right?"
She loosened her grip and helped Qiao Ying adjust her collar. Qiao Ying kept trembling.
"We don't need to explain too much to her. Now that we have the account books, we'll just alter them."
The third madam took the account books and threatened Qiao Ying, "Don't tell Qiao Yue about us altering the accounts. Do you keep a softcopy on your computer? Give me your flash drive, I'll change that too."
Qiao Ying shook her head violently, but Qiao Xin was one step ahead of her. She had already taken the USB flash drive from Qiao Ying's pocket.
Qiao Ying tried to snatch it back but was smacked to the ground by Qiao Xin.
"That's enough, Qiao Ying. You should prepare for tomorrow's exam. I've overseen the accounts for so many years, so I know them better than you. You should have a good rest." The third madam left the room with Qiao Xin.
As soon as the two of them left, Qiao Ying rushed to the toilet and continued to retch.
But she had already thrown up all the food she had eaten. She lay next to the toilet bowl, feeling sick.
Why? Qiao Xin and her were both the third madam's children. Why was she treated so unfairly?
Her second and fifth brothers were the people who treated her the best in this family.
Qiao Ying curled up in a corner of her bathroom and started crying.
Meanwhile, Qiao Yue was still awake. She was in the shower.
Suddenly, a few dialog boxes popped up on her computer screen. They were all documents from her account folder.
To ease management of the household accounts, Qiao Yue had uploaded all the accounts on her computer and even designed her own accounting software.
The dialog boxes showed that someone was altering the accounts.
Qiao Yue walked out of the bathroom and looked at the dialog boxes on her computer screen with narrowed eyes.
She typed a command on her computer and pulled up the IP address of the dialog boxes.
It was Qiao Ying's IP address. The dialog boxes were invoked from Qiao Ying's computer. Qiao Yue frowned. Was Qiao Ying altering the accounts in the middle of the night?
Qiao Yue typed a few more commands on her computer.
These forcibly turned on the camera on Qiao Ying's laptop, and the third madam's face appeared on her computer screen.
The third madam was cursing as she altered the accounts.
Qiao Yue plugged in her headphones to hear what the third madam was complaining about.
"This little b*tch Qiao Ying only knows how to cause trouble with Qiao Yue every day. If I had known this earlier, I would have let her die in the hospital that year."
"We can't let Qiao Yue find out that these accounts have been altered. If he tells the old master, our family will be finished."
Qiao Xin sat beside her mother and watched impatiently. "Mom, when can we kick Qiao Ying out of the family? I can't take it anymore. How can someone like her be a young miss of the Qiao family? And that Qiao Yue, he's a b*stard too."
Wasn't Qiao Ying the third madam's biological daughter? What did the third madam mean by that?
Qiao Yue was a little confused. Could Qiao Ying be like her, and had a mysterious background?
Qiao Yue continued to wear her headphones while she stared at her screen to see what the mother and daughter were up to.
The third madam was not very proficient in accounting. All she did was to make up a few line items to account for the deficit and alter a few lines of expenses. If the accounts were audited, the amendments she made would be considered illegal.
Qiao Yue wasn't in a hurry to correct things. She just clicked a button to start recording her screen.
"If your brother hadn't died back then, why would I randomly buy a baby?" The third madam said through gritted teeth. "This little b*tch! All I wanted to do then was to fool the old master. Who knew that she would cause so much trouble?"
"Mom, when push comes to shove, let's just reveal the mystery surrounding her birth. I don't think anyone in the family would accept her."
"Why not? Look at Qiao Yue. His mother is just the old master's adopted daughter, yet he can interfere in our family matters! Even if the old master found out about Qiao Ying's identity, he won't kick her out."
Qiao Yue was shocked when she heard this.
As expected, Qiao Ying was not the third madam's biological daughter. No mother would treat her two children so differently.
Qiao Yue only felt sad for Qiao Ying.
Qiao Ying was a very good girl. Regardless of whether they were related by blood, she had always considered Qiao Ying her sister.
At this moment, Qiao Yue suddenly thought of something terrible. If Qiao Ying's laptop was with the third madam, where was Qiao Ying?
Did they snatch Qiao Ying's laptop?
____________________
Chapter 312: Treatment
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Qiao Yue rushed to Qiao Ying's room on the third floor.
Qiao Ying's room had the worst lighting in the entire Qiao residence. It was cold all year round and no sunlight could enter.
Qiao Yue found it a little strange at first, but now she understood.
Qiao Ying's avoidance from talking about the incident from back then was probably the third madam's doing.
The door to her room was wide open, and Qiao Yue could see the mess inside.
Torn books and papers were scattered all over. Qiao Yue recognized the cover from Qiao Ying's notebook.
Qiao Yue's heart skipped a beat. She looked in every corner of the room for Qiao Ying and finally found her shaking inside the bathroom.
"Fifth brother..." Qiao Ying saw Qiao Yue and burst into tears.
Qiao Yue's heart ached as she rushed over to hug Qiao Ying. "It's alright, I know. You don't have to say anything."
Just by looking at the situation in her room, Qiao Yue could tell what Qiao Ying had been through. The mother and daughter were really cruel.
"I didn't lose it on purpose. They destroyed the account book. I'm sorry, fifth brother." Qiao Ying said while sobbing.
Probably because Qiao Ying recalled what just happened, she leaned over the toilet and retched in pain again.
"It's going to be fine." Qiao Yue patted Qiao Ying's back.
After Qiao Ying's condition stabilized, Qiao Yue pressed on a few acupoints on her hand.
Qiao Ying quickly became a little tired.
Qiao Yue helped Qiao Ying back to her bed and then went back to her room to get her acupuncture kit.
She took Qiao Ying's hands out of the blanket and pulled up her sleeves. Qiao Yue was fuming mad in the next second.
What kind of animal would do such a thing!
There were all sorts of bruises on Qiao Ying's arms. The new and old wounds were stacked, and there were signs of scabs being reinjured.
Qiao Yue clenched her teeth, took out some medical ointment from the first aid kit and applied it on Qiao Ying's arm.
Qiao Ying wasn't sleeping peacefully either. She kept shaking her head as if she was having a nightmare.
After Qiao Yue treated the wounds on Qiao Ying's arms, she treated her again with acupuncture.
The moment the needle pierced her skin, dark blood flowed out. Qiao Yue tested it with a silver needle and found that it was not poison, but a result of long-term depression.
Qiao Yue's heart was heavy as she watched Qiao Ying frown in pain.
The Qiao family had too many secrets and too many children had suffered because of these secrets.
Qiao Yue reached out and stroked Qiao Ying's brows, trying to calm her down.
After the acupuncture treatment, Qiao Ying's brows relaxed a lot.
Qiao Yue checked Qiao Ying's pulse again. Qiao Ying's illness was probably caused by prolonged depression.
Coupled with her post-traumatic stress symptoms, Qiao Ying hadn't been well all these years and she fainted easily.
Qiao Yue felt sad as she looked at Qiao Ying.
She didn't know who else knew about Qiao Ying's background. It seemed that no one knew this secret except for the third madam's family.
Qiao Ying herself probably didn't even know. She only felt that she had done something to upset her mother and therefore the third madam punished her.
Qiao Yue dialed Chu Jia's number. "Help me find out what Qiao Xin has been up to lately. Qiao Li too."
"Alright," Chu Jia replied quickly.
Qiao Xin was probably worried that she would never return to Harvey Academy. Therefore, she had applied to a few music schools abroad. She might be studying overseas later.
It was school application season, so Qiao Xin should receive an offer soon.
The Qiao's were wealthy. Although Qiao Xin hadn't behaved quite appropriately, she still had some musical talent. She should be able to get an offer.
Qiao Li had been busy transferring his assets abroad.
"Check if they had done any child trafficking in the past." Qiao Yue said.
"Child trafficking? From how long ago?" Chu Jia furrowed her brows. This Qiao Li really had his fingers in all kinds of bad.
"Eighteen to twenty years ago. Check if there was any medical record of the third madam giving birth to Qiao Ying." Qiao Yue said.
"Noted," Chu Jia replied.
This kind of investigation would take some time, so Qiao Yue didn't rush Chu Jia. As she looked at Qiao Ying's pained expression, she had already thought of a better solution.
Qiao Li would definitely make things difficult for her going forward; she wouldn't let them off when time came.
____________________
Chapter 313: Assault
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Although Qiao Ying had a torturous night, she didn't feel too bad when she woke up.
She tried to drink a little warm milk from the thermos by her bed and she didn't feel like retching. She patted her chest in confusion, that stuffy feeling was gone.
Her last memory was Qiao Yue bringing her back to bed and then falling asleep.
She stood up and felt much more relaxed.
How could this be?
She turned to look at the bedside table and saw a note. "Pack your bad and get dressed when you wake up. I'll take you out for breakfast. Qiao Yue."
Qiao Ying's heart felt warm when she read the note.
Who knew that the person who cared most about her in the family was her fifth brother who was not even related to her by blood?
She quickly packed her bag and went downstairs, but she stopped at the foot of the stairs.
Qiao Xin and the third madam were sitting in the dining room, flanking Tao Xi like her left and right guardians.
Qiao Ying shrank back a little as she thought about the account book, but the sharp-eyed Tao Xi saw it.
"Qiao Ying, why are you hiding?" Tao Xi said with a smile. "Come and have breakfast."
Qiao Ying had goosebumps all over her body. Since when did the first madam speak to her so nicely?
She was like the third madam and Qiao Xin in the past, ignoring her. It's probably because of the account book.
As Qiao Ying moved back, a familiar nauseating feeling rose from her stomach.
"Alright, come and eat. Wasn't it just a fight with your sister last night? You have an exam today, so hurry up and eat. Don't be late." The third madam walked up and pulled Qiao Ying towards the dining table.
Qiao Ying was in pain, but she couldn't shake off her mother's hand.
The third madam held her arm tightly. Qiao Ying could feel a small wound on her arm being torn apart.
Blood quickly seeped through her white shirt.
"Why are you so delicate now?" The third madam looked at the blood stain and violently rolled up Qiao Ying's sleeve.
The original wound on her arm was applied with ointment. Some of the wounds that hadn't scabbed over were wrapped in gauze, and there were needle marks on her acupoints. She must have received acupuncture treatment.
However, when the third madam saw the needle marks, she screamed. "Oh my God, Qiao Ying, when have you become a degenerate?"
Tao Xi also stood up and saw the needle marks on Qiao Ying.
No doctor had been called to the house yesterday, so it was impossible for Qiao Ying to have received acupuncture treatment. These needle marks... Could she have taken drugs?
Tao Xi grabbed Qiao Ying's shoulder. "How could you do such a thing? Come, let's go for a drug test."
Qiao Ying pulled down her sleeve and looked at the two women in front of her.
They did not care about her feelings at all, even if they were family.
"What are you waiting for? Qiao Xin, quickly tie her up. Drug addicts might act crazy!" The third madam instructed.
The third madam even called over a few servants and ordered them to pin Qiao Ying down on the floor.
Tao Xi stood rooted to the ground as she watched the men assault Qiao Ying.
"What are you doing?"
A youth's clear voice and a sharp pain in her scalp came together.
The third wife was grabbed by the hair and fell to the ground.
The third madam could feel the strength of the other person. It felt as if her scalp was being pulled off. The back of her head hit the floor and she felt like she was seeing stars despite the carpet.
"Who is it?" The third madam shouted.
Qiao Yue and Qiao Jing appeared in her field of vision.
Qiao Ren was behind them.
Tao Xi was stunned.
"Mom, I've already booked you a ticket. You can go to the Maldives this afternoon."
Qiao Jing's voice was so cold that Tao Xi was stunned.
"Mom is doing this for you and for the Qiao family."
"That's enough, Mom. This is not a reason for you and third aunt to bully Qiao Ying together." Qiao Jing's eyes were filled with disappointment as he looked at his mother.
Qiao Ren only looked at the injured Qiao Ying and did not look at Tao Xi even for a second.
"Qiao Ying, are you alright?" Qiao Yue helped Qiao Ying up.
Qiao Ying looked well. Qiao Yue heaved a sigh of relief. It seemed that the treatment last night worked.
"Fifth brother, second brother, let's go. We still have an exam today." Qiao Ying picked up her things from the floor and said to Qiao Yue.
Qiao Yue's cold eyes swept over the third madam. "Third madam, you might want to watch your step."
_____________________
Chapter 314: Continuing with the Exams
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The third madam was startled by Qiao Yue's gaze and her whole body trembled.
How dare this little brat threaten her?
"Who do you think you are? You think you can call the shots in the Qiao family?" The third madam said fiercely, completely incongruent with her gentle image.
"That doesn't mean third sister-in-law can call the shots." Qiao Ren shot the third madam a look.
The third madam shut up.
Although Qiao Ren was a good-for-nothing, he had two good sons.
Qiao Jing was now in control of their finances, and she could not afford to offend him.
"Third sister-in-law, please don't discipline your child like this in future. She's still young, and this type of disciplining may cause more harm than good." Qiao Ren looked at Qiao Xin again and said, "I heard from fifth young master that you were suspended from school for bullying. You should reflect on your actions."
"First uncle! I was clearly wronged." Qiao Xin felt extremely aggrieved.
"If the punishment of cleaning the ancestral hall for six months isn't enough, you can go there and copy sutras starting today." Qiao Ren was a Buddhist and had copied many sutras for Old Master Qiao's illness. "How about this? Copy a sutra every day to calm your heart."
"Second brother!" Qiao Xin turned to Qiao Jing.
"Two sutras," Qiao Jing said sternly.
Qiao Xin's heart sank.
If she copied two sutras a day, she probably wouldn't have time to do anything else.
"Come. Let's go to school." Qiao Yue held Qiao Ying's arm as they walked out the door.
Tao Xi was stunned on the spot as she looked at her husband and son, who were acting against her.
"You two, are you defying me because of these two b*stards?" Tao Xi looked at the father and son with an expression of disbelief.
"Yes." Qiao Ren sneered, "Tao Xi, you've been managing the household for years. Don't think that I don't know how much you've profited from it."
Tao Xi looked at her husband and almost went berserk. "You know that I've birthed you two sons and must still manage the Qiao household. Instead of asking me if it's been hard on me, you colluded with outsiders to defy me?"
Qiao Ren turned his face away from Tao Xi.
Their marriage was a business transaction; there was no love at all.
Qiao Ren only found Tao Xi detestable as he looked at her livid expression.
"That's enough, Mom. Qiao Yue is the fifth young master of the Qiao family, acknowledged by the old master. He's not an outsider." Qiao Jing sighed. "Since things have been so hard on Mom, you should go to the Maldives and have a good rest. I've arranged for my secretary to accompany you. Mom, you must enjoy your vacation this time."
Tao Xi sat on the ground and felt nothing but bone-chilling cold.
She had sacrificed her youth and her marriage for the Qiao family. She only skimmed a little money off the top. Why did they have to hold it against her?
Her failed marriage and her lost youth... What was so wrong with trading them for a little cash?
Qiao Jing walked out of the house after he said that.
He would personally drive Qiao Ying and Qiao Yue to school this morning.
Although Qiao Ying looked a little shaken up, she was no longer as anxious as before. She seemed fine.
"If you really can't take it, take a break and take a make-up test next time." Qiao Yue said.
Qiao Ying shook her head. "Fifth brother, I can do it."
Qiao Yue nodded and passed the breakfast she had bought to Qiao Ying. She also gave Qiao Ying a few tips for the exam.
Qiao Ying's learning was similar to theirs, so Qiao Yue was able to help her a little.
The car pulled to a steady stop at the entrance of Harvey Academy.
Qiao Ying went into school first.
Qiao Yue was in no hurry to go in. Instead, she took out a plastic bag from her pocket and handed it to Qiao Jing.
"Not taking the exam?" Qiao Jing asked.
"I can join them later." Qiao Yue placed the bag in Qiao Jing's hand.
Only then did Qiao Jing realize that there were two strands of hair inside.
"What is this?"
"I have something that I need second brother to investigate. But no matter what the result is, can second brother keep it a secret?"
Qiao Jing looked at Qiao Yue and slowly nodded. "Sure."
"This is the third madam and Qiao Ying's hair."
...
In the computer science exam hall, Sun Bin was holding a pen and looking around sneakily.
Today was the first day of the final exams. If he didn't do as well as Qiao Yue, he would have to drop out of Harvey as promised.
He didn't want to use such a method at first.
He didn't know what kind of injury Qiao Yue had suffered, but he had taken long leave until two days ago. Sun Bin thought that Qiao Yue wouldn't turn up for the exams, which would void their bet.
However, Qiao Yue actually came to school the past two days and was continuing with the exams.
Sun Bin spun his pen slowly as he thought to himself, "Qiao Yue, you forced me to do this."
__________________
Chapter 315: Cheating
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The exam bell rang, and Sun Bin carefully turned his pen in the direction of the question.
The voice that announced the answer came through his earpiece.
Sun Bin covered his ear as he wrote the answers while peeking at Qiao Yue's seat.
Qiao Yue's seat was empty. Sun Bin laughed in his heart.
So, this Qiao Yue didn't turn up for the exams in the end. It was just an exam, what's there to be afraid of?
"What's wrong? Did your friend miss the exam?" The person who was helping him cheat was someone he had found on the internet. He was very cold but very easy to talk to.
That person seemed to be standing on a rooftop because Sun Bin could hear the sound of wind as he spoke.
"Mind your own business." Sun Bin wrote on his notepad.
That person chuckled and the wind made his laughter sound other-worldly.
Even if Qiao Yue didn't turn up for the paper today, Sun Bin must still get into the top ten so he could slap Qiao Yue in the face.
That person's voice rang out again, and Sun Bin buried his head to write the answers.
Fifteen minutes had passed. If Qiao Yue didn't arrive in the next fifteen minutes, he would be disqualified.
Sun Bin was secretly happy. As long as Qiao Yue didn't turn up, he would make it into top ten and it would be a big slap to Qiao Yue's face.
As he thought of this, his hands moved faster, and his handwriting became more arrogant and confident.
"Sir!" A young man's voice called out from outside the exam hall. Qiao Yue was standing at the door.
Sun Bin clenched his pen and looked up at the clock on the wall. 9:58 a.m... Two minutes before the half-hour mark.
Was Qiao Yue doing this just to embarrass him?
Sun Bin stared daggers at Qiao Yue as he walked into the exam hall.
Qiao Yue ignored him and went straight to his seat, not nervous at all.
This was the advanced mathematics paper. Logically, if a student was half an hour late, he might not even be able to finish the paper. Why was Qiao Yue so calm and composed?
Sun Bin glared at Qiao Yue.
"What's wrong? Is your enemy here?" The man's voice sounded in Sun Bin's earpiece and Sun Bin could feel the teasing tone in his voice.
"She's a very pretty girl."
"Shut up. He's a guy. Are you blind?" Sun Bin wrote on his notepad.
That person laughed again and began to give another answer to Sun Bin.
By the time Sun Bin finished half the paper and looked up at Qiao Yue, Qiao Yue had already finished most of the questions and was napping at his desk.
Sun Bin wanted to stab Qiao Yue with his pen.
What was Qiao Yue doing? Was he insulting him?
Sun Bin gripped his pen tightly.
"Don't get too excited. If you hold the pen too tightly, you may damage the camera inside." The man in Sun Bin's earpiece yawned and sounded a little impatient. "Just continue answering the questions."
Sun Bin continued to answer the questions under the man's guidance.
Qiao Yue fell asleep with her head on the desk. She was so tired today because she treated Qiao Ying last night.
She thought that she could handle it, but after she finished answering the exam questions, she felt tired.
When she woke up, the exam bell had already rung and the teachers were collecting the papers.
Qiao Yue pandiculated as she stood up. The questions were rather simple this time. It took her about ten minutes to answer them, and she used the remaining time to catch up on her sleep.
"Qiao Yue, what are doing?" Sun Bin's voice rang out behind Qiao Yue as she was about to leave carrying her pencil case.
"I was late because I overslept. Why?" Qiao Yue yawned lazily.
"Can't you respect our bet a little more?" Sun Bin's eyes were like raging fire.
Qiao Yue shrugged. "I've already answered all the questions. That's respecting our bet."
She didn't even hand in her paper early like she usually did. She felt that she had given Sun Bin enough face.
"You are taking a nap during exam means what?" Sun Bin asked.
Qiao Yue suddenly saw the pen Sun Bin was holding.
If she remembered correctly, this was a special pen used by special agents in the organization.
In the past when the Godfather sent people to spy on politicians, they would use such pens to steal information.
Seeing Qiao Yue's gaze on his pen, Sun Bin guiltily hid the pen behind his back. "I studied hard for so many days just to honor our bet..."
_________________
Chapter 316: A Young Man in Bed
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"Then honor it seriously. Don't use any underhanded tactics." Qiao Yue said coldly.
The man in Sun Bin's earpiece chuckled.
Sun Bin had goosebumps all over his body. Did Qiao Yue know how to read minds or predict the future? How did he know that he was cheating?
"Young man, this girl said it very well."
I already told you he's a boy!
Sun Bin wished he could crush the pen he was holding.
But he still needed the man's help to cheat in a few more papers, so he didn't dare to cross him.
For some reason, Sun Bin felt a sense of oppression coming from this man.
Qiao Yue yawned as she walked out of the exam hall. She found a corner and dialed Chu Jia's number.
"Boss, you finally called." Chu Jia said. "We've been so bored lately. The Godfather doesn't assign us any task, and neither do you. We've really become a club."
Qiao Yue hadn't been in contact with the Godfather recently too.
"Can you help me check the inventory of 7-13's special agent pens and the whereabouts of each?"
Chu Jia broke out in cold sweat when she heard the code name.
"Boss, isn't this pen..." Chu Jia hesitated. "This would be in the secret files."
"Have YQ investigate it. If the Godfather asks, tell him that I saw someone using the pen at Harvey."
Chu Jia nodded.
In the organization, 7-13 was a special number.
It was the code name of one of the members of the organization. This person seemed to be inextricably linked to the Godfather.
She was an amazing inventor. She was the one who basically invented the early mechanical equipment in the Godfather's organization.
But she had passed away more than a decade ago.
Although all the things she invented were put to use, they must be returned intact after every use, or the users would have to cut off their fingers as apology.
Qiao Yue had once used a gun modified by 7-13.
Although the gun parts were decades old, the mechanics of the gun was sophisticated and it felt good to the touch. When Qiao Yue used the gun, she felt that it had a soul.
Qiao Yue asked about the organization as she walked downstairs.
After the first paper, it was time for lunch. She walked towards the school cafeteria.
A boy in a red sweater walked past her. Among the students' black, white, and gray clothes, his presence seemed a little out of place, like a rose blooming through the cracks of a city building.
It was blinding, but with a strange beauty.
Qiao Yue noticed the boy.
He was wearing a large hoodie with most of his face covered; only his beautiful jawline was seen.
He seemed to be wearing a microphone on his collar.
Qiao Yue immediately became on guard.
She turned around and chased after him.
Unfortunately, there were too many people. She pushed her way through the crowd and went upstairs but did not see the man.
It was not until she reached the stairwell to the rooftop when she saw him. Just as she was about to give chase, she heard a helicopter watched the man skillfully ascend its rope-ladder.
Qiao Yue turned around and hid behind the door.
She didn't know if it was an illusion, but she felt the man glancing at her.
The feeling of a venomous snake slithering up her throat returned.
Who was he?
By the time she turned around, the helicopter was long gone.
The helicopter had no special paint or customizations. It was just an ordinary helicopter.
Who was this man? Could this have something to do with Sun Bin?
Qiao Yue walked back downstairs, thinking hard.
No matter what, she had to fill her stomach before she thought about this again.
She arrived at the cafeteria and met Sun Bin, who had just finished his lunch.
Sun Bin was walking out with a few of his good friends. He looked at Qiao Yue and mocked from afar.
"I thought he was a child prodigy but he handed in his test paper so late!"
"Yeah, what a fake!"
One of the boys was Chang Yin. He was one of Hong Ning's suitors who had become jealous when he saw Hong Ning hanging out with Qiao Yue.
He couldn't believe that his goddess actually liked a country bumpkin.
Although Qiao Yue was different from the typical country bumpkins, Chang Ying still couldn't accept it.
"Yeah, why pretend to be a child prodigy? Who knows what's wrong with him?" Sun Bin sneered.
_____________________
Chapter 317: Flaw
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Qiao Yue didn't look at them and walked straight into the cafeteria.
But Sun Bin stood in front of her.
"What are you doing?" Qiao Yue asked coldly.
"You just insulted me. Am I not qualified to say anything?" Sun Bin laughed.
"I'm taking the exam and doing my own thing. What does it have to do with you?" Qiao Yue was baffled.
"You can't sleep during exams. You must respect your opponent, right?"
Qiao Yue almost laughed out loud.
What kind of childish request was this? He actually forbade her from sleeping during exams?
He should look at the results to know what it meant to be disrespectful to the opponent.
"I don't plan on attending school anymore, is that not okay?" Qiao Yue crossed her arms and laughed.
"What do you mean by that?" Sun Bin was a little annoyed.
Cheating at Harvey was punishable by expulsion. He was taking the risk of being expelled, but Qiao Yue's attitude was like this!
"What I mean is I don't want to go to school anymore. You do whatever you want with this bet, okay?" Qiao Yue didn't want to argue with Sun Bin, but Sun Bin started it to teach Qiao Yue a lesson.
Chang Yin pulled Sun Bin back. "Brother Bin, don't bother with a country bumpkin like him. He was just lucky to get good grades the last time. We don't know what will happen this time."
At the thought of the person who helped him, Sun Bin's heart calmed. He spun the pen in his hand, snorted, and left.
Three days of exams passed by quickly.
The teachers marked the papers quite quickly this time. In less than three days, they finished marking all the exam papers. The student who came up tops was Qiao Yue again!
Chang Yuan couldn't believe it.
Qiao Yue had never liked to take part in any competition, but his exam results were so outstanding.
With his results, Qiao Yue could easily secure a place at C-Country's Institute of Science and Technology, where the top scientists were. It would be a pity if a talent like him couldn't make the country proud.
"This Qiao Yue is really good at programming. His answers to the programming questions were more than enough to win international competitions." The Dean, Lu Yuan, sighed.
Who would have thought that such a talented young man came from a mountain village?
"Many students have done well this time, especially Qiao Ying. She moved up by more than 50 places. I think she has adjusted her mentality." Lu Yuan said as he looked at the results.
Other than Qiao Yu moving down by a rank, all the other students in their class had improved.
"How about Sun Bin? He's a transfer student, I wonder if he's settled into the class?"
"Sun Bin, let me find his name." Lu Yuan knew about the bet between Sun Bin and Qiao Yue.
He found Sun Bin's name very quickly. "Sun Bin has improved a lot too. He's ranked fifth in class and tenth in the entire grade this time."
Chang Yuan sighed. "These students have really surprised me. Sun Bin's progress is so great, and so is Qiao Ying's. I feel like they're all influenced by Qiao Yue."
"Yes. I think Qiao Yue should go on a class tour. This way, Harvey's standard will rise to another level." Lu Yuan said with a smile.
He didn't expect Qiao Yue to be able to bring about such a strong catfish effect.
"But I still feel that there's a problem." Chang Yuan sighed. Although Sun Bin had been working hard, his results seemed a little strange. He did not lose points in advanced mathematics and programming, which were his weaker subjects. Instead, he lost points in general literature.
Based on Chang Yuan's observation, Sun Bin wasn't as outstanding in mathematics and programming compared to general literature.
"What's there to doubt? It's possible that the boy suddenly understands as he learns." Lu Yuan replied with a smile.
"I just feel that something's not right, but I can't put a finger on it." Chang Yuan stroked his chin as he pondered.
He would test Sun Bin. If Sun Bin really did well in these two subjects, he would send him to the competition and let him win the prize with Qiao Yue.
It was soon back-to-school day, and everyone was waiting for Chang Yuan to announce their results.
Sun Bin's hands were sweating.
After all, he didn't want to lose the bet and leave Harvey in disgrace.
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Chapter 318: Accusation
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Chang Yuan walked onto the podium and looked at the class.
Everyone looked at Chang Yuan with anticipation.
Qiao Yue was oblivious and just dozed off.
Since the holidays started, Qiao Yu and Qiao Ying had asked her to play games every night all night.
If Qiao Jing hadn't remembered that today was back-to-school day and had forced them to go to bed at 3 a.m., they would still be fighting for the top spots in Glory.
Qiao Yu was also dozing off. He looked at Qiao Yue and mouthed, "Let's do another 1-on-1 tonight. I'm definitely going to beat you today."
"Let's wait and see," Qiao Yue mouthed back.
"Qiao Yu, Qiao Yue, stand up. What are you whispering about?" Chang Yuan slammed the table.
Although his tone was stern, he was smiling. "Even if the two of you did well, you can't be complacent and arrogant, understand?"
Chang Yuan pursed his lips. "Qiao Yue ranked first in class. GPA 4.70."
Harvey's highest possible GPA was five points. A GPA of 4.70 meant that Qiao Yue had scored full marks on most papers, with only a few assignment marks deducted.
"Pay attention to the competitions next semester and don't lose unnecessary assignment marks."
Qiao Yue yawned, took her report card and said with a smile, "Teacher, I still have to spend my free time playing games with my brother. We'll talk about the competition later."
Everyone burst into laughter. Chang Yuan too. "Such a rascal."
Although he said that, his eyes were hopeful as he looked at Qiao Yue.
Sun Bin held the thing in his hand tightly.
How did Qiao Yue get such good results after taking long leave?
He had been studying hard for so long, yet he couldn't be at Qiao Yue's level!
The rest of the report cards were given out. Sun Bin's GPA was 4.47. Although it couldn't be compared to Qiao Yue and Qiao Yu's, it was still very high.
When Sun Bin's results were announced, the classroom fell into dead silence.
Everyone knew about the grudge between Sun Bin and Qiao Yue.
"What's wrong? Sun Bin's results are so good this time, shouldn't everyone encourage him?"
There was sparse applause from the class.
Li Guang, who had had run-ins with Sun Bin, shouted, "But Sun Bin still didn't do as well as Qiao Yue. Sun Bin's going to drop out next semester!"
He took the lead and laughed, not noticing Sun Bin's darkened face.
"What? I'm just telling the truth. Everyone in our class knows about their bet." Li Guang laughed.
"Sit down, what bet, don't do this in class! Qiao Yue, you're not allowed to do this in future." Chang Yuan said.
"Yes, teacher." Qiao Yue stood up and stuck out her tongue.
Sun Bin was infuriated by everyone's laughter.
What did they mean? Could it be that because he lost the bet, both him and the bet had become a joke?
Qiao Yue didn't think that at all. She only wanted this chapter to be over as soon as possible.
It wasn't easy for Sun Bin to attend Harvey. She would feel bad if he really dropped out.
Sun Bin was already laughed at for losing the bet, which was punishment enough.
"Teacher, I want to report Qiao Yue for cheating." Sun Bin said as he looked at Chang Yuan.
The entire class fell silent.
Qiao Yue's past results were also very good. He even won first place in the competition against St. Faustina's Institution. How could he have cheated?
"Do you have any evidence?" Hong Ning stood up and asked.
Hong Ning had been grateful for Qiao Yue's help and she had always wanted to repay him.
Now that Qiao Yue was being wronged, she naturally wouldn't let it go.
"That's right. We've all seen how good Qiao Yue is. Why would he cheat?"
Sun Bin looked at the people who spoke against him, and his eyes like raging fire.
These people only knew how to curry favor with Qiao Yue, they didn't care about what he said at all.
"You've also improved a lot and the teacher didn't say anything about you!" Someone said.
Sun Bin's anger rose when he heard this.
How could these people have double standards? Both of them could have cheated, so why was he the only deserving suspect?
"Tell us about the evidence, Sun Bin. I also want to know how I have cheated."
__________________________
Chapter 319: Investigation
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"Teacher, you can check out Qiao Yue's pen. I discovered that he cheated using that pen at our exams!"
Chang Yuan frowned. Cheated using a pen? That sounded like a rather common cheating method.
To prevent this kind of cheating, the school had long installed a signal blocker so that no message could be transmitted.
Qiao Yue looked at Sun Bin, and Sun Bin looked away guiltily.
Qiao Yue had already figured it out. Sun Bin had probably slip the pen he used to cheat into her bag when she wasn't paying attention.
Sun Bin's next step would be to search her bag.
It was a rather rudimentary move.
Qiao Yue shrugged. "Are you going to search my bag next?"
Sun Bin's face was flushed as he looked at Chang Yuan. "Teacher, I think cheating is a very serious offence. Please investigate this seriously."
Qiao Yue, who had gotten full marks in both exams, shouldn't need to cheat. Chang Yuan couldn't understand why Sun Bin was so sure that Qiao Yue had cheated.
"Alright, since Sun Bin said so, let's investigate." Chang Yuan said.
"However, randomly searching through other people's belongings is not something that a teacher should do. Qiao Yue, how do you want to handle this?"
Qiao Yue smiled, picked up her bag from the table and poured its contents on the floor.
Since Sun Bin reported her, he must have made sure that the cheating device was in her bag. There was no need for her to hide it anymore.
The pen fell to the ground.
Qiao Yue picked it up and gave it a few gentle twists.
A signal receiver and a camera appeared in front of everyone.
"Qiao Yue, did you really cheat?" Chang Yuan turned pale with shock.
He had seen many students cheat, but Qiao Yue?
Who just took out the cheating device in public and showed it to everyone?
Oh my God, what was going on?
Sun Bin looked at Qiao Yue and smiled confidently. "What did I say? Qiao Yue has cheated. He knew that he's been caught and showed everyone how he did it. He is really shameless! Teacher, you must punish him!" Sun Bin said to the teacher.
Chang Yuan was also perplexed at the situation. He didn't expect Qiao Yue to show everyone the cheating device.
"Qiao Yue, you need to give me an explanation."
Qiao Yue was staring at the pen. There was a small Chinese character engraved on the back of it.
Qiao Yue's hand stopped at the engraved character.
"Yin"?
The androgenous young man whom Qiao Yue met the other day popped up in her mind.
Could the Yin family be connected to the organization?
The crowd's commentary interrupted her train of thought.
"I didn't expect the genius to be a cheat. How disappointing."
"Yeah, I thought Qiao Yue was really talented. I didn't expect him to rely on such underhanded methods."
"If Qiao Yue lost the bet, won't he have to drop out of school?"
According to the bet, Qiao Yue's results would be nullified if he cheated. With that, his GPA would definitely be lower than Sun Bin's.
Sun Bin was a little excited at the thought.
His feud with Qiao Yue would finally come to an end.
As long as he insisted on his accusation, Qiao Yue would definitely be expelled from Harvey for cheating.
Qiao Yue's reputation would be ruined, and he wouldn't be able to attend other schools.
Sun Bin was thrilled.
"Qiao Yue, you need to give everyone an explanation." Sun Bin smiled like he was already the winner.
"Qiao Yue would never cheat. Are you saying that his results in the competition with St. Faustina's was also faked?" Qiao Yu stood up and said.
The crowd wavered a little when they heard Qiao Yu's words.
Qiao Yue had saved Harvey from danger back then. If anything, he was a hero. How could he have cheated?
Chang Yuan was also frowning. Qiao Yue's behavior was too unexpected.
He really couldn't tell if Qiao Yue had cheated or if he was thinking about something else.
"Qiao Yue, aren't you going to say anything?"
He walked up to Qiao Yue's desk and looked straight at him.
___________________
Chapter 320: Proof
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Qiao Yue sighed. "I can't prove that this pen isn't mine."
Qiao Yue's classmates all gasped. Was he confessing?
"Qiao Yue, are you saying that you cheated with this pen?" Chang Yuan was a little surprised. Why was this student so strange?
"Qiao Yue, what do you mean?" Qiao Yu asked nervously.
Given the Qiao family influence, there was no problem keeping Qiao Yue safe, but her cheating would be reported, and she would be formally reprimanded.
If she admitted to cheating, even if she didn't get an indefinite suspension, she would still be punished.
Was Qiao Yue going to destroy her own student life?
"This pen is mine but I didn't use it to cheat." Qiao Yue's voice rang out again, and the entire classroom burst into an even louder discussion.
"Is Qiao Yue crazy? He admitted that the pen is his but not to cheating. What is he doing? I don't get it."
"Is this the logic of a genius? I have the cheating device, but I didn't cheat?"
"Even murderers won't hold a knife and say that they didn't kill anyone. This is too funny."
Sun Bin stared at Qiao Yue.
He had spent almost 50,000 yuan to rent this pen, and he must return it to the mysterious man later. If he couldn't get the pen back, he would lose his huge deposit.
Sun Bin felt cold sweat breaking out on his head as he thought about it.
"Qiao Yue, what do you mean by that? I may be bald but I'm not stupid. Are you making fun of your teacher?"
"No, I've always kept this pen in my bag. I didn't take it out during exams." Qiao Yue continued, "You can check the surveillance footage if you don't believe me."
Sun Bin didn't say anything more. He sat down slowly. It wouldn't matter if they checked the surveillance footage.
Chang Yuan thought for a while before he said, "Okay, I'll go to the security office now to ask for the surveillance footage. Everyone, self-study time."
The class quieted down, but there were still people who looked at Qiao Yue from time to time.
There was confusion, disdain, and indifference in their eyes.
Only Qiao Yu silently handed a piece of paper to Qiao Yue.
She unfolded the piece of paper and saw the words "I believe you."
Qiao Yue smiled. Qiao Yu had seen her take part in the programming competition, so how could he not believe in her ability?
Shortly after, Qiao Yue handed the note back to Qiao Yu.
Qiao Yu unfolded the note and found the words "Don't worry."
Qiao Yu stared at the back of Qiao Yue's head with complicated feelings.
He knew that this sister of his wasn't related to him by blood, but he had always treated her as family.
But now, he seemed to be no longer satisfied with just being her family.
Xu Hao nudged Qiao Yue's arm. "I believe you too. Don't worry, you're my boss."
Qiao Yue smiled. Friendships in school were all like this, forged in passion and unconditional trust.
Shortly after, Chang Yuan returned.
Chang Yuan's expression was solemn; his eyes darted between Qiao Yue and Sun Bin.
"I have bad news. A security guard told me that he accidentally deleted the surveillance video from last week's exams."
Sun Bin heaved a sigh of relief. After all, he had bribed the security guard to delete the surveillance footage or he would be exposed.
Just as Sun Bin was feeling pleased with himself, thinking that his plan had worked, Chang Yuan slowly opened his mouth, "But since that's the case, I have a better way to help Qiao Yue prove his innocence."
Sun Bin's heart thumped.
"We have papers A and B for this exam. I specially brought over paper B. Qiao Yue can take the exam in front of the whole class to prove his innocence."
To prevent vicious incidents from happening, Harvey always had a set of backup questions for their final exams.
However, since Harvey's paper B was rarely used, the teachers who set the backup questions would often show off their skills by setting questions that were beyond the students' capabilities.
If Qiao Yue scored well answering this set of questions, it would prove that he didn't cheat.
Sun Bin panicked. He knew Qiao Yue's ability.
Qiao Yue looked at Sun Bin and said calmly, "Sure, but I have a request. I need someone to take the exam with me. I doubt the authenticity of Sun Bin's results. Is it okay if he takes the exam with me?"
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