Hidden identities of the AI Heiress
Chapter 593 - Chapter 593 Chapter 593 No Time Left Time to Take Action

Chapter 593: Chapter 593: No Time Left, Time to Take Action Chapter 593: Chapter 593: No Time Left, Time to Take Action Lu Shiran accused Qiao Yun, “My young heart has been hurt, I need comfort. Our family is not nouveau riche, and we never wanted to use you.”

Qiao Yun said in a gentle voice, “I know, don’t be angry.”

She turned her head to look at the three people facing her and said sternly, “If you bully my brother, I will punish you.”

Thinking about the past when the elders in their family left them with Qiao Yun to help guide their studies and then being forced to copy texts as punishment, the three Qiao brothers were speechless: “…”

Nightmare be gone! Nightmare be gone!

Qiao Chu looked at Qiao Yun defending the Lu brothers and for some reason found it very irritating.

He spoke somewhat harshly, “They’re trying to use your status, and you’re still so good to them? Are you stupid?”

Lu Shiran immediately retorted, “That’s just you projecting your thoughts onto others. You’re not my sister. How would you know if we truly care for her or just want to use her? Besides, although the Qiao Family is quite something, our Lu Family is not inferior either.”

Lu Zhanxing raised an eyebrow and praised, “Not bad, you’ve grown up, very logical and reasoned.”

Lu Shiran humphed, “It’s just the truth. Kid, I’m older than you, so I won’t bother arguing with you. Just apologize, and we’ll let it go.”

Qiao Chu choked up and clenched his teeth in frustration, “People trying to use someone else would never admit they’re trying to use her.”

“It’s not about using me.” Qiao Yun’s gaze was bland, but her voice was very firm in rebuttal, “They are good to me. They are my family.”

The three stared at Qiao Yun’s resolute expression, all stunned. Was she serious?

This was the first time they’d seen Qiao Yun defend someone so vigorously; in the past, giving someone a mere glance was considered much.

And now she was actually standing up for outsiders.

Qiao Chu clenched his fist, a lump of grievance rising in his heart, and said indignantly, “You only went back for a little while, and you’re so good to them, treating them like family, even defending them. This doesn’t seem like you at all.”

Qiao Yang immediately followed, “Exactly, you were with the Qiao Family for over a decade and never even looked at us properly, always ignoring us, acting like we don’t exist. You’ve only been with them for just over half a year.”

“Clearly, we are the ones who have lived with you for over a decade. What do they have that we don’t? Why can’t you be as good to us as you are to them?” Qiao Chu’s tone was very agitated, his chest heaving with anger.

Qiao Shen heard his brothers’ accusations and, although he didn’t voice an opinion, his lips were tightly pursed, his expression somewhat complex.

Obviously, he shared the same thoughts as his brothers.

He also couldn’t understand why Qiao Yun would trust the people of the Lu Family so much.

The Qiao brothers had spent over a decade, and still, they hadn’t changed Qiao Yun’s attitude toward them.

But the Lu Family had changed her so much in just half a year.

Qiao Yun was stunned, then the next second, she looked at the three resentful faces before her with a puzzled gaze.

Lu Shiran rubbed his chin, feeling something was off in the conversation.

They were the victims, so why did it seem like they were the bullies?

Lu Zhanxing quickly caught on, chortled meaningfully, “So all this sarcastic babble because it bothers you to see how nicely my sister treats us but not you? Seems like you are just jealous.”

Lu Shiran suddenly realized, “I get it now. You’re just jealous. Turns out you’re jealous of us. How childish.”

“Jealous?” Qiao Yun was even more puzzled.

The three Qiao brothers stiffened their necks to look at the baffled Qiao Yun, their faces red enough to drip blood.

Damn, how embarrassing!

Lu Shiran, adopting a look of having seen through the truth, said, “Because you care about us.”

Qiao Yun shook her head and spoke directly, “They hate me.”

Upon hearing this, Qiao Chu retorted, “When have we ever hated you? Clearly, it’s you who doesn’t like us.”

As he spoke, his voice became even more aggrieved.

Qiao Shen and Qiao Yang also wore expressions of complete bewilderment.

Qiao Yun thought for a moment and looked at Qiao Yang, “You hid the toy grandpa bought for me.”

“That is, that is…”

Qiao Yang hesitated, seeming embarrassed, and muttered softly, “Because I didn’t want you to play with toys, I wanted you to play with us… so I hid your toys.”

Qiao Yun’s eyebrows slightly furrowed, not quite understanding them, so she looked at Qiao Shen again, “You scared me, didn’t listen, and wanted to throw me away.”

Qiao Shen pinched the bridge of his nose, helplessly said, “That was because I was afraid you, being young, might wander off and not know how to come back, especially when there was a serial killer escaping nearby, I feared you would get hurt.”

Qiao Yun, not fully understanding, asked, “You guys don’t hate me?”

Qiao Chu, even more innocent than Qiao Yun, said, “We never said we hated you.”

Qiao Yun’s eyebrows slightly raised, “Your actions did.”

Qiao Family three brothers, “…”

“Isn’t it?” Qiao Yun blinked, innocent in expression.

Lu Zhanxing pursed his lips and smiled, the innocent little sister was truly adorable he looked at the three opposite, “Could it be that you guys are the legendary tsunderes? If you like my sister and want her to play with you, just say it directly, why make it so complicated?”

Qiao Yun didn’t understand the twists and turns of human hearts; she usually judged whether a person was good or bad through their actions.

This led her to always believe that the younger members of the Qiao Family did not like her.

Qiao Chu said with indescribable words, “You didn’t realize, she was cold as ice when she was young; we talked to her, and she wouldn’t even respond.”

Lu Shiran then understood, “It’s like how I liked you, you didn’t like me, so I teased you to attract your attention.”

Qiao Family three brothers, “…” There was no need to spell out their childish thoughts from childhood so clearly.

Lu Shiran expressed dissatisfaction, “Even though your intentions were good, my sister was so young back then, how could she understand your thoughts? She would only think you didn’t like her and that you were mean to her, my sister must have been so upset.”

“Coming into a strange environment, thinking she was being pushed away, no wonder she was so cold.”

Qiao Yun: It seems I wasn’t really upset; I really didn’t care about these people.

But seeing Lu Shiran defending her, she decided to let it go and not say anything.

Qiao Chu and Qiao Yang both looked quite upset.

Qiao Shen sighed and said, “If we had been more straightforward in showing our affection for you, maybe then, you would have looked at us squarely, in fact, we liked you a lot.”

After all, he was older, some things he wasn’t as embarrassed to say out loud as he would have been when he was younger.

He then looked at Lu Zhanxing and explained, “Qiao Chu is just angry you guys took her away, and that’s why he spoke so rashly, Qiao Chu, apologize quickly.”

“That Qiaoqiao would defend them, is enough to show they were good to her; the wrongdoers are us.”

Qiao Chu pursed his lips, looked down at his toes, with a dejected tone, “I’m sorry, it was my fault, I shouldn’t have spoken that way about you.”

“Forget it, I won’t hold it against you, but don’t speak ill of people behind their backs in the future.”

Lu Zhanxing felt relieved knowing these kids’ thoughts; it seemed his sister wasn’t unloved or disliked in her childhood.

It was just the wrong approach that led her to always think these younger relatives did not like her.

He thought so, his sister being so adorable, wherever she went, surely everyone would love the darling of the group.

Qiao Yun suddenly knowing their true thoughts, started feeling a bit uneasy.

Before, thinking they disliked her, she could treat them with a cold attitude.

But now, knowing they did not dislike her, what attitude should she use?

Just at that moment, someone came over and announced that dinner was served.

Already too embarrassed to stay any longer, the Qiao Family three brothers quickly excused themselves.

“Sister, don’t be troubled,” Lu Zhanxing saw what Qiao Yun was thinking, and softly said, “Do what you feel is right.”

Qiao Yun slightly spaced out, “I always thought they didn’t like me.”

Her feelings for the Qiao Family weren’t very strong, the only thing that could keep her there was her grandfather.

After her grandfather passed away, all she had was the Tianqi Research Institute.

Fortunately, in the end, her family kept her.

Lu Zhanxing rubbed her head and said, “Everyone likes you a lot, so you can be a bit willful.”

Qiao Yun pursed her lips and asked, “Can I?”

Lu Zhanxing took the opportunity to advise, “Of course, you can. You should be a bit willful at your age. Don’t just focus on your research all the time. Your brother hopes you can be happy, they like you, and they will tolerate your whims.”

Qiao Yun had probably also wanted to get along well with these people, but she didn’t know how to.

If they had been proactive in letting her sister open up, maybe this time she wouldn’t have chosen to stay with the Lu Family.

Lu Zhanxing inexplicably felt fortunate.

Lu Shiran boasted, “Like me, if you want the stars in the sky, I’ll pluck them for you.”

Qiao Yun explained, “That’s not possible. Most of the stars we see are planets…”

Lu Shiran: Help, just when we were having a tender moment, why turn it into a science lesson?

Qiao Yun’s eyes swiveled. Being willful, huh?

It was a field she had yet to explore.

Maybe she should experiment…

So, when she returned to the spacious living room, everyone had already taken their seats.

Qiao Yun looked around, walked up to Qiao Chu, and said expressionlessly, “I want to sit here.”

Qiao Chu was startled, instinctively stood up, gave up his seat to Qiao Yun, and sat next to Lu Zhanxing instead.

Lu Zhanxing: ?? What are you doing? I want to sit with my sister.

Qiao Chu: ???

Qiao Yun sat down, but within a second, she again said to Qiao Chu, “I want to sit here.”

Confused, Qiao Chu still stood up and continued to give his seat to Qiao Yun.

Finally, Lu Zhanxing sat next to his sister, and his mood immediately improved. He asked Qiao Yun, “Sister, what are you doing?”

Qiao Yun said, “I’m being willful.”

Lu Zhanxing was baffled.

Qiao Yun looked at the even more baffled Qiao Chu, seeing no signs of anger on his face.

She thought to herself, it seems her experiment in willfulness was very successful.

This birthday, because of Qiao Yun’s presence, Qiao Se had an exceptionally happy time.

At the end, he even specifically pulled Qiao Yun aside to whisper a few words.

“I finally understand why you chose to stay with the Lu Family.”

Qiao Yun looked up at the elderly man with silver hair, only to see him chuckling, “They treat you well, and unlike others, they truly treat you like an ordinary person. That’s good. If your grandfather knows this from below, he can rest in peace.”

Qiao Yun softly hummed in agreement and said, “I like them.”

Qiao Se laughed: “Don’t like us anymore?”

“Not at all,” Qiao Yun said softly, “I like both.”

“Not joking with second grandpa, right?”

“Not at all,” Qiao Yun said with unusual seriousness.

Qiao Se was indeed very happy for Qiao Yun. Her achievements destined her not to be treated as a normal person, and wherever she went, she would inevitably be respected.

The Lu family didn’t treat her differently just because she was Professor Qiao, which might be the reason why Qiao Yun’s personality had changed, right?

While they were talking, the Qiao brothers couldn’t help but occasionally let their gazes drift towards Qiao Yun, then quickly move them away as if afraid of being discovered.

Old Mrs. Qiao teased, “Why are you sneaking around? If you want to look, then look; Xiaoqiao isn’t going to eat you.”

Caught sneaking a glance, the three of them looked immensely awkward.

“Grandma, are the brothers reluctant to let go of their sister?” the youngest six-year-old granddaughter of the Qiao Family innocently asked.

Qiao Chu stubbornly said, “You talk too much, shut up.”

“Is brother shy?” the little granddaughter giggled, “Brother’s face is red.”

Old Mrs. Qiao was amused, “Right, your brother is just shy. They didn’t treat your sister well before, now your sister doesn’t want them anymore.”

Qiao brothers: “…” Is this our own grandma?

Seeing her brothers unconvinced, old Mrs. Qiao said, “What? Did I say something wrong? With you young ones’ feelings toward Xiaoqiao, do you think you could escape my perceptive eyes? Regretting it now, aren’t you? Too late, Xiaoqiao has her own family now, she doesn’t need you anymore.”

Qiao brothers: “…” That hurts.

Perhaps spurred by Old Mrs. Qiao’s words, when Qiao Yun and the Lu Family were leaving, they all looked listless and lacked the energy to stand up.

At the door, Qiao Yun waved, very politely bidding farewell to the Qiao Family, “I’m leaving.”

Qiao Xun’s gaze was tender: “Qiaoqiao, come back often.”

Qiao Yun looked at him for a while, her tone faint, “Hmm.”

Just as she was about to get into the car, she paused because a few gazes were too intense to ignore.

After a moment’s thought, she turned back, her face devoid of emotion, and said to the younger Qiao members, “Next time I come back, I’ll teach you how to study.”

Having said that, she got into the car.

The younger members of the Qiao Family paused for a moment.

Lu Zhanxing smiled and asked, “Sister, you seem a bit happy?”

Qiao Yun noncommittally said, “It seems a bit.”

Though she didn’t care about their attitudes.

But knowing she wasn’t disliked, she indeed felt a bit happy.

The younger Qiao members only reacted after the car had driven off.

“Has she forgiven us?”

“Probably.”

Qiao Shen said, “Great-grandfather was right to have sister return to the Lu Family if she had stayed with the Qiao Family… she wouldn’t have been this happy.”

The young Qiao members had complicated expressions.

Perhaps she could be this happy because they hadn’t treated her the right way.

As the Lu family’s car drove away, Qiao Xun was about to head back inside.

At that moment, his phone rang.

He picked it up and his pupils suddenly constricted.

“Time is almost up, when are you going to make your move?”

Qiao Xun clenched his lips tightly, and after a long while, he put the phone back in his pocket.

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