Hidden identities of the AI Heiress
Chapter 543 - Chapter 543 Chapter 543 Testing from Elder Zhou

Chapter 543: Chapter 543: Testing from Elder Zhou Chapter 543: Chapter 543: Testing from Elder Zhou Qiao Yun lifted her eyes, looking at him expressionlessly.

The principal shuddered and quickly corrected himself, “Miss Qiao, welcome, welcome. I’ve long admired your reputation. It is my fortune from a past life to meet you today.”

Su Mian: ??? The principal of Hill Music Academy is really polite.

Qiao Yun nodded lightly, acknowledging him.

The principal sighed in relief.

It seemed that Professor Qiao’s identity had not been exposed yet, fortunately. He had reacted quickly; otherwise, he didn’t know if he would have been punished to copy something a hundred thousand times.

It was said that the crazy bunch at Tianqi Research Institute had been inexplicably punished to copy a hundred thousand times, crying in misery every day.

Pitiable sight indeed.

The principal invited Su Mian to sit, then said, “Mrs. Lu, our academy is sincerely interested in inviting you to join us. May I know what your thoughts are?”

“I want to ask why you sought me out?” This was what puzzled Su Mian the most because the offer had come so suddenly.

Using his peripheral vision, the principal sneakily glanced at the quiet Qiao Yun and said with a smile to Su Mian, “Of course, it’s because your skills meet our requirements. Mrs. Lu should not doubt her own abilities.”

Su Mian, suddenly complimented, felt a bit embarrassed.

She felt that the principal was being overly polite to her.

The two talked for a while, and Su Mian finally decided to accept the job. However, she and the principal agreed on a probation period. If she felt unable to perform at any time, she could leave freely.

The principal gladly agreed.

Afterward, Su Mian signed the employment contract. She wasn’t considered a full-time teacher, so she only needed to teach one class per week, a setup Su Mian was happy with.

In this way, she could not only do what she loved but also take care of her family, achieving the best of both worlds.

Upon concluding her business, Su Mian bid farewell to the principal.

Then she noticed that the principal’s glance towards Qiao Yun was full of reluctance; she was baffled.

She must have seen it wrong. The principal didn’t even know Qiaoqiao, so why would he feel reluctant about her?

As they walked along the woodland path of the academy, Qiao Yun lifted her delicate, pale face and seeing Su Mian’s face brimming with smiles, asked her, “Are you very happy?”

“Of course, I am delighted. This has always been the school of my dreams when I was young,” Su Mian said, feeling so elated she could run eight hundred kilometers.

“As long as you are happy,” Qiao Yun was satisfied.

Her gift was not misplaced; the recipient liked the gift, and the giver was happy too.

Just as they reached the school gate, Qiao Yun’s phone rang. She took it out and saw it was a message from Li Hanzhou.

[Little friend, where are you?]

Qiao Yun replied: [Outside.]

[Have dinner together?] Li Hanzhou’s message came back very quickly, as if he were watching his phone all the time.

[Okay.]

Qiao Yun didn’t refuse him.

Lately, her close friend had been quite busy, and it had been a while since they last maintained their friendship properly.

Qiao Yun sent Li Hanzhou the address, looked up at Su Mian, and said, “I’m not going home. I’m meeting a friend.”

Su Mian didn’t overthink it: “Then Mom will go home first. Have a good time with your friend. It’s rare to have a winter break, so don’t always stay cooped up at home, okay?”

“Yes,” Qiao Yun obediently replied.

She wasn’t staying cooped up at home; she was dealing with some data.

About fifteen minutes after Su Mian left, a car horn sounded behind Qiao Yun.

She turned around to see a sports car stopped behind her, the window rolled down to reveal the breathtakingly handsome face of Li Hanzhou.

“Get in.”

Qiao Yun didn’t move, her indifferent gaze sweeping across Li Hanzhou’s face, she slowly began, “You didn’t sleep well?”

Li Hanzhou raised an eyebrow, a faint smile appearing in his peach blossom eyes, he asked with interest, “Why do you say that?”

Qiao Yun lifted her finger, pointing to the area under his eyes, “There are dark circles.”

Furthermore, Li Hanzhou seemed more tired than the last time she saw him, as if he hadn’t slept well.

Li Hanzhou was slightly taken aback, a bit surprised by how closely Qiao Yun was observing, feeling as if there was a feather teasing his heart, he smiled, lips curling slightly, “I’ve been dealing with a lot recently and haven’t rested well.”

“Do you need help?” Qiao Yun asked him, her voice tinged with eager anticipation. She had never helped Li Hanzhou before, and thinking about this made her feel slightly guilty for not caring more about her close friend.

“They were just some useless fleas, but it’s already resolved.”

What troubled Li Hanzhou was not the fleas from the Li family, but instead, the frequency of his dreams had increased lately, sometimes even though he felt aware and conscious, he just couldn’t wake up, as if trapped in a dream, and it seemed like something was gradually returning to his memory.

“Get in the car first.” Li Hanzhou didn’t discuss these matters with Qiao Yun.

Qiao Yun hummed a response, obediently opening the car door and getting in.

“Are you wearing the watch?” Li Hanzhou’s gaze swept over Qiao Yun’s wrist, which was covered by her sweater.

The sweater was a bit too long, its cuffs covering her hands, leaving only her delicate fingertips exposed.

Qiao Yun rolled up her sleeve, revealing the elegant and delicate women’s watch that Li Hanzhou had given her before, “Yes.”

Li Hanzhou chuckled softly, “Very good.”

The gift being worn on her, made his mood brighten significantly.

Li Hanzhou had reserved a table at a restaurant in advance, and upon arrival, he directly led Qiao Yun to a private room.

In front of Li Hanzhou, Qiao Yun didn’t hold back at all, naturally picking up the menu to start ordering, then passing the menu to Li Hanzhou for him to choose.

Li Hanzhou casually ordered a few dishes, all of them sweeter foods that Qiao Yun liked.

Actually, Qiao Yun didn’t have a particular fondness for any food, but she herself hadn’t realized that sometimes she tended to favor certain foods, reaching for them an extra time or two.

All these little details were observed and remembered by Li Hanzhou.

After ordering, Qiao Yun held her water glass, took a sip, and relaxed a lot, possibly because the person in front of her knew all her secrets, and also because he was the first human she met in this world, which made her subconsciously let her guard down.

Li Hanzhou looked at Qiao Yun across from him and casually asked, “Where are you going for the New Year?”

“Going back home,” Qiao Yun honestly told Li Hanzhou.

To her, the Tianqi Research Institute was home.

Li Hanzhou felt a bit regretful, knowing he would not see this friend for a while, he said jokingly, “You’re going to miss me.”

Qiao Yun blinked, earnestly asking, “How should I miss you?”

Li Hanzhou choked, confirming that Qiao Yun really did not know how to miss someone, he silently touched his forehead.

“It’s probably something that will happen naturally.”

“Oh,” Qiao Yun nodded, not quite understanding.

Li Hanzhou’s mouth twitched slightly, really wanting to knock some sense into Qiao Yun’s dense head.

Taking a deep breath to avoid self-frustration, Li Hanzhou tactfully changed the subject. He rolled up his sleeve to reveal a watch similar in style to Qiao Yun’s, except his was a men’s model.

He took Qiao Yun’s hand to look at her watch, pressing a button, and a holographic screen appeared before them.

After entering a code, the signals of their two watches were linked together.

Qiao Yun did not stop him nor did she ask what he was doing, just quietly watched him operate it.

Li Hanzhou explained to her, “Now, I am your only emergency contact. Unless you lose your watch, even if you get lost in the Arctic, you can still contact me.”

Qiao Yun gently asked him, “Are you worried about my safety?”

“Somewhat.”

In reality, that wasn’t it. He just wanted to use this method to rightfully have a matching watch with Qiao Yun.

Which basically made them couple watches.

Li, the humble lord, was also racking his brains today to secretly charm the children.

Qiao Yun pursed her lips, fastened her watch again, and felt strangely uneasy inside, a feeling that was somewhat indescribable.

Li Hanzhou was indeed a very good friend, so considerate towards her.

Just then, the waiter brought their dishes, and the two stopped talking and quietly began to eat.

After finishing their meal, they did not linger.

Just as they reached the restaurant’s entrance, they coincidentally bumped into Zhou Xinyu and Old Master Zhou coming in from outside.

Zhou Xinyu had not expected such a coincidence, which caused him, a person in such an unfortunate state, to run into them head on.

He had arranged to dine at this restaurant to welcome his grandfather, knowing he would have chosen another location if he knew he would encounter Qiao Yun.

He certainly wouldn’t give Qiao Yun a chance to mock his downfall.

Old Master Zhou narrowed his sharp eyes and inconspicuously scanned the rumored Professor Qiao.

This was his first encounter with Professor Qiao in person.

Yet she appeared even weaker than he had imagined?

She was very beautiful, with a slightly aloof demeanor, very much like a well-behaved girl.

If Zhou Xinyu had not been ruined, Old Master Zhou might have truly considered her harmless.

“Li Lord, I didn’t expect to see you here,” Old Master Zhou said, not wanting to startle him; he greeted Li Hanzhou first.

Li Hanzhou furrowed his brows slightly, feeling mildly displeased at being disturbed during his private time with the child, “Old Master Zhou, coincidentally, I was just leaving, enjoy your meal.”

Saying so, he began to move away.

Old Master Zhou spoke up, “This must be Miss Lu, right?”

Only then did Qiao Yun seriously look at Old Master Zhou, her eyes devoid of emotion.

Old Master Zhou could not discern what she was thinking and, wanting to test her character, said, “Previously, my grandson acted improperly and should not have offended you in that manner. I apologize on his behalf. I wonder if Miss Lu might forgive his unabashed rudeness considering this old man’s sake?”

Zhou Xinyu looked at his grandfather in surprise, his face expressing ‘are you alright?’ Why was he suddenly apologizing to Qiao Yun?

Given what he knew of his grandfather’s temperament, such an occurrence was simply impossible.

Li Hanzhou watched Old Master Zhou with a meaningful glance, his brows slightly knitted.

Qiao Yun gave just three words, “Got it.”

Old Master Zhou, uncertain of her meaning, with a face full of wrinkles, revealed a hint of a smile: “It seems, Miss Lu is willing to forgive him?”

“Your apology is your matter; to forgive or not is my matter,” Qiao Yun told the rather imposing Old Master Zhou, undaunted and steady, “You’re blocking my way.”

Old Master Zhou’s expression stiffened, feeling a flicker of annoyance at Qiao Yun’s disrespect.

“Shall we go?” Qiao Yun looked up at Li Hanzhou.

“Yes, let’s go.”

Li Hanzhou smiled and, disregarding the Zhou duo, left with Qiao Yun.

Old Master Zhou watched Qiao Yun’s retreating figure, his expression darkening. A brief test made it clear to him that Professor Qiao was not an easy person to deal with.

She wasn’t someone who could be bought with benefits or wealth.

It seemed he only had…

“Grandfather, why did you suddenly apologize to her? Although she is adopted by the Qiao Family, what status are you, and what right does she have that you should apologize to her?” Zhou Xinyu muttered.

Old Master Zhou did not want to elaborate, “Be quiet, what do you know, she is not a simple character, you will see in the future.”

Zhou Xinyu was puzzled; had his grandfather lost his mind? How powerful could a young girl be? If it weren’t for the Qiao Family backing her, she would have been squashed by now.

“For the upcoming charity art sale, don’t use the Zhou Family’s name,” Old Master Zhou instructed.

“Why?”

“Why the questions, just do as you are told.”

“I understand, Grandpa.”

…

“What did the Zhou Family do to you?”

After getting into the car, Li Hanzhou couldn’t resist asking Qiao Yun.

“It’s resolved.” Qiao Yun didn’t tell Li Hanzhou about the stupid things Zhou Xinyu had done to her before.

Seeing that Qiao Yun’s expression was normal, Li Hanzhou did not continue to ask.

“If they bully you, tell me.”

Qiao Yun turned her head, her beautiful eyes gazing at him.

Li Hanzhou smiled faintly, “Grandpa will help you beat them up.”

Qiao Yun with a serious face, “Fighting is not good, you can get hurt.”

Li Hanzhou laughed again. The kid, always so literal.

“They can’t beat me.”

“Oh, alright then.”

Qiao Yun thought to herself that if Li Hanzhou couldn’t handle them, she could help.

Li Hanzhou drove Qiao Yun back home.

“I’m going in now, goodbye.” Qiao Yun said her farewells obediently.

Li Hanzhou hummed in acknowledgment, just about to start the car when he suddenly seemed to remember something, he turned his head again, his eyes somewhat deep as he said, “I don’t know why, but lately I’ve had this feeling, like I’ve met you long before the age of three.”

Upon hearing this, Qiao Yun’s expression slightly stiffened, then confusion blossomed on her face.

Li Hanzhou’s memory had issues.

This was the situation Qiao Yun had come to understand; he had mentioned something about dreams to her before, though it was just in passing.

But Qiao Yun had taken note of it and was quietly observing the changes in Li Hanzhou.

Thinking this, she stared intently at Li Hanzhou’s head.

Li Hanzhou: “…” Why does his head feel a bit chilly?

He gathered his thoughts and said, “Go inside.”

“Okay.”

Qiao Yun nodded, pondering as she entered the house.

A moment later, her face showed a determined expression, she had a plan in mind.

“Sis, what are you thinking about?” Lu Zhanxing saw that Qiao Yun was somewhat distracted after coming home and couldn’t help but ask curiously.

Qiao Yun shook her head, “Nothing.”

Thinking about how to kidnap someone.

“Oh.” Lu Zhanxing elongated the tone, squinting his eyes as he sized up his sister.

It’s good that she left the house one way, and came back the same way, it seems Li the brute didn’t enlighten my sister today.

Thinking this, he cheered up.

It’s not that he doesn’t let his sister date, just not so early.

Lu Zhanxing thought of how happy their mother was when she returned and his eyes curved up, he earnestly said to Qiao Yun, “Sister, thank you for what you do for this family, but don’t do this anymore, I just want you carefree, I don’t want you to worry so much.”

Qiao Yun pursed her lips, somewhat unaccustomed, and said slowly, “Because it’s family, it’s what I should do.”

Lu Zhanxing was stunned, then he laughed a few times, and used both hands to ruffle Qiao Yun’s soft face, “How can you be so adorable.”

Qiao Yun: (p_p)