Hidden identities of the AI Heiress
Chapter 639 - Chapter 639 Chapter 639 Old Master Qins Ambition; Li Hanzhous

Chapter 639: Chapter 639: Old Master Qin’s Ambition; Li Hanzhou’s Tactics Chapter 639: Chapter 639: Old Master Qin’s Ambition; Li Hanzhou’s Tactics Qin Xuan was already in a bad mood because of Li Hanzhou, and when she saw her grandfather scold her like that, she couldn’t help but retort, “I did this for the Qin family, Grandpa. It’s fine if you don’t help me, but why would you blame me?”

The old Qin patriarch was also fond of his granddaughter; otherwise, he wouldn’t have gone to the Li Family Patriarch, thick-skinned, to ask for a matchmaking opportunity after finding out Qin Xuan was infatuated with Li Hanzhou.

Now, with Qin Xuan still appearing unrepentant, he deeply reflected on whether he had spoiled her too much.

The old Qin patriarch said with stern brows and cold eyes, “How do you expect me to help? You should be grateful that Li Hanzhou wasn’t actually drugged by you. Right now, those people outside still have no idea about the tricks you’ve pulled! Otherwise, do you think the Li Family would turn a blind eye?”

He understood Qin Xuan’s character all too well. After grasping the whole story, he quickly surmised that Qin Xuan must have wanted to make a move on Li Hanzhou but ended up being framed instead.

Given the scandal she had caused, the old Qin patriarch, despite his resentment towards Li Hanzhou’s heartless tactics, had no face to seek justice.

The most pressing issue was to quell this matter to prevent others from gossiping behind their backs.

Moreover, the old Qin patriarch also worried the Li Family would seek retribution in the fall. Although he was furious with Qin Xuan’s actions, he couldn’t just watch his beloved granddaughter suffer.

After much thought, the old Qin patriarch decided, “You immediately roll back to the US, and don’t even think of returning without my permission!”

“I won’t go back. It’s fine if you all don’t understand me, but now you even want to drive me away. I also wanted the Qin and Li families to successfully form an alliance through marriage,” Qin Xuan suddenly stood up, her complexion sallow, looking extremely wretched.

“If only Brother Li hadn’t been rejecting me all along, I wouldn’t have resorted to this method.”

The old Qin patriarch pointed angrily at Qin Xuan, “Impressive! You want to defy my order?”

Mrs. Qin hurried out to mediate, “Dad, don’t be angry, it’s tough on Xuanxuan having just gone through this. Give her some time to recover.”

“She brought this upon herself!”

Despite everything, when the old Qin patriarch became angry, he radiated imposing authority. Qin Xuan’s rationality was instantly pulled back, and she didn’t dare to talk back anymore.

She could only look at her mother with a pitiable expression, hoping she could persuade her grandfather not to cast her out.

While patting the old patriarch’s back to soothe him, Mrs. Qin said, “Dad, even if Xuanxuan is at fault, is Li Hanzhou completely blameless? Xuanxuan did drug him, but that’s no reason for him to ruin her reputation and good name so thoroughly.”

Old Qin’s expression grew grimmer as he saw the Li Family’s young man as excessive. Surely, there were other ways he could have dealt with the matter. Instead, he chose to crush someone’s spirit ruthlessly, embarrassing the entire Qin Family.

Had he known the Li Family was so scheming, he would never have hoped to strengthen the Qin Family through a marital alliance with them.

The old Qin patriarch softened his tone slightly, “From now on, you are not to provoke Li Hanzhou.”

Thinking of Li Hanzhou’s ruthless treatment, Qin Xuan felt as if her heart was ripped apart. She had no inclination to dwell on romantic feelings now.

Her emotions towards Li Hanzhou were incredibly complex. She hated and couldn’t let go, thinking that if Qiao Yun hadn’t appeared, perhaps Li Hanzhou wouldn’t have been so merciless towards her.

In conclusion, Qiao Yun was the real culprit.

Qin Xuan couldn’t accept the reality, so she had to find someone to bear the brunt of her rage, and Qiao Yun, who had embarrassed her, was simply the perfect target.

“Go back to your room and reflect on your actions,” ordered the old Qin patriarch, who did not want to see Qin Xuan’s face anymore and added sternly, “Regardless, you going back to the US is non-negotiable.”

Full of grievances, Qin Xuan dared not defy the old Qin patriarch and finally turned away with a face full of reluctance and ran upstairs.

The old Qin patriarch barked angrily, “Look at that, what a fine child you’ve raised!”

“Dad, it’s my fault. Let your anger out on me, but please don’t upset yourself.” Mrs. Qin was internally frustrated. Initially, she brought Qin Xuan back to Shangjing City to be her support, but now everything had turned into a mess.

She hastily gestured to Qin Yuan, hoping he would persuade the old patriarch.

Qin Yuan took the hint and spoke up, “Grandpa, Qin Xuan’s issue is just a minor one. Give it some time, and nobody will mention it again. As for the Li Family, you don’t have to worry. They don’t have evidence proving Qin Xuan intended to drug Li Hanzhou.”

After all, the wine laced with drugs was drunk by Qin Xuan.

Old Master Qin was somewhat appeased by this sentence, and his gaze towards Qin Yuan was full of approval, “You are the sensible one, with you here, I can worry less.”

It seems that Old Master Qin harbored some traditional views of favoring sons over daughters.

If it weren’t for the existence of his illegitimate son, then Qin Yuan would have been the perfect heir.

Qin Yuan smiled, “Grandfather, how long do you plan to stay? Shall I arrange for someone to take you out for some relaxation?”

“No need,” Old Master Qin said, “I’m not leaving this time until we find that child.”

Mrs. Qin’s eyes flickered with a touch of sarcasm upon hearing this.

Qin Yuan frowned subtly, not revealing his thoughts. Did his grandfather mean that he would take matters into his own hands? Then, wouldn’t it be difficult for him to make a move?

He was annoyed that Qin Xuan caused more trouble than she resolved.

Qin Xuan’s stealing of the drugs was known to him, and one might even say he had purposefully placed the drugs in a conspicuous spot.

He had thought that if Qin Xuan could get her hands on Li Hanzhou, then it would also be easier for him to pursue Qiao Yun.

Who could have expected such a miscalculation to alarm the grandfather.

“Of course, that’s not my only purpose,” Old Master Qin spoke again, pondering, “I heard some news that Professor Qiao from Tianqi Research Institute is now in Shangjing City. If we could collaborate with her, it would be hugely beneficial for our company’s domestic development.”

In recent years, the Qin Family had expanded into the technology sector and was doing very well in the States. Old Master Qin spoke ambitiously, “To surpass Shengqiao Group and become a leader in the tech industry, Tianqi Research Institute is our best choice.”

Qin Yuan nodded, “That’s true. Tianqi Research Institute has the most mature and advanced technology in the world.”

Old Master Qin mused, “But Professor Qiao is quite a mystery, even I don’t know what she looks like. To get close to her, we have to start with Pei Yao from Shengqiao Group. I’m entrusting you with this task. You must secure a collaboration with Tianqi Research Institute.”

He looked at Qin Yuan, his words heavy with implication, “Your grandfather trusts in your abilities that’s why I’m handing this matter to you. I hope you won’t disappoint me. The future of Qin Group relies on you.”

Mrs. Qin was delighted inside and hastily assured, “Dad, don’t you know your grandson’s abilities? He will certainly manage it. Don’t worry at all, in the meantime, I will keep you company to look for your younger son.”

The “younger son” she referred to was Old Master Qin’s illegitimate child.

She was originally completely against the idea; who would want another contender for the family fortune? However, given today’s events, it seemed the old man was also fond of Qin Yuan.

“It would be for the best,” he said.

Old Master Qin’s visit this time had two purposes: to find his illegitimate son and to facilitate a cooperation with Tianqi Research Institute, to get their hands on the patents for their products.

…

The next day, Qin Yuan had his secretary contact Pei Yao’s assistant to express their wish for a meeting.

The secretary quickly replied with an odd expression, “President Qin, they said they’re not available to meet at any time soon.”

Qin Yuan was surprised, “Refusing to meet?”

“Yes,” the secretary replied with an awkward smile. Actually, what she had conveyed was a softened version of the response. Shengqiao Group’s reply was more offensive–it consisted of just two words, “Won’t see.”

What arrogance!

Qin Yuan’s fingertips tapped lightly on the desk, his face darkening.

Logically, with the Qin Family’s status and the sincere request for a meeting, even if Pei Yao was reluctant to collaborate, he shouldn’t have refused to meet with them.

Where did things go wrong?

Qin Yuan was troubled and confused, feeling that ever since the Qin Family arrived in Shangjing City, nothing had gone smoothly.

As Qin Yuan pondered what Pei Ya meant, when he returned to the Qin family villa, he was chased down by the Qin patriarch to report on the progress of matters.

Of course, Qin Yuan couldn’t tell the truth, so he smiled and said, “Director Pei has been a bit busy lately, but we have agreed to meet in a few days.”

“That’s good.” The Qin patriarch said with satisfaction, “Compared to your sister, you are more reliable.”

Qin Yuan’s smile turned stiff as he calculated in his mind how exactly he could get Pei Ya to back down.

No matter how hard he racked his brain, he couldn’t figure out why Pei Ya refused to meet; the Qin Family had no enmity with him.

Qin Yuan would never have guessed that the reason Pei Ya refused to see him was simple. Since Qin Xuan had previously framed Qiao Yun as a thief, the protective Pei Ya found the entire Qin Family displeasing and naturally was reluctant to cooperate with them.

Besides, Professor Qiao had money to burn. What was the Qin Family to him?

Seeing that things were going smoothly, the Qin patriarch’s face also brightened, “There’s a technology exhibition in a couple of days, come with me to take a look. It’s mainly to understand the domestic market situation.”

Qin Yuan replied, “Okay.”

While they were talking, a servant came to report suddenly, “Master, the Xu Family wants to see you to discuss the young master’s matter with the Miss.”

The Qin patriarch didn’t react at first, “Which Xu Family? What does their young master have to do with Xuanxuan?”

Qin Yuan immediately realized and cleared his throat, “Grandfather, it’s the same Xu Family that caused trouble with my younger sister…”

The Xu Family had thick skins. As soon as they knew their son had slept with the younger Miss Qin, they came joyfully to discuss an arranged marriage.

After all, Miss Qin was a woman, and now everyone knew about her affair with the young Xu master. Any normal person, for the sake of face, would choose to let them marry to stop the rumors.

That’s why they came with such confidence to cozy up to them.

The rage that the Qin patriarch had finally calmed flared up again, and he yelled, “Tell them to get lost!”

The servant was startled and hurried out to send them away.

When the Xu Family learned they weren’t being seen, they didn’t just leave. Instead, they made a scene at the gate, insisting on seeing the Qin Family and even clamoring that they were at fault and willing to take responsibility for Miss Qin, fearing that others wouldn’t know that Qin Xuan and the young Xu master had slept together.

Coming from a respectable background, the Qin patriarch had never seen such shrew-like behavior before. He was taken aback, and his anger nearly caused a stroke.

It just so happened that Lady Qin returned from afternoon tea with the socialites and was immediately surrounded by the ravenous Xu Family as she alighted from the car.

From the barrage of words spewed by the Xu Family, she understood their purpose.

All of Lady Qin’s good mood for the day was ruined. She felt humiliated and couldn’t possibly marry Qin Xuan off to the young Xu master.

Now being harassed by them at the front gate was a public disgrace, leaving her complexion changing from pale to flushed in a dramatic display.

In the end, it was Qin Yuan who intervened, implicitly offering some business benefits to the Xu Family, which sent them away happy and satisfied once again.

However, the Qin Family’s reputation was thoroughly tarnished.

When Qin Xuan learned of this, her rage had nowhere to vent, and she smashed everything she could in her room!

Qiao Yun only found out after school when she heard Su Mian gleefully discussing the Xu Family’s outrageous maneuvers.

The young Xu master being this lucky might not have been an accident, but something Li Hanzhou deliberately facilitated.

Given the Xu Family’s nature, they would cause a bigger spectacle, ensuring Qin Xuan became notoriously known.

Considering this, Qiao Yun felt a touch conflicted.

Who was Li Hanzhou, after all? He had no need to waste time on Qin Xuan, so did he go to all this trouble just for her sake?

Well, she felt a bit happy about it.

So, Qiao Yun decided to continue viewing Li Hanzhou in a favorable light.

…

The fuss over Qin Xuan had been raging for several days without any sign of abating, but thanks to the Qin patriarch, she hadn’t appeared in public during that time.

Qiao Yun didn’t pay much attention. As long as Qin Xuan didn’t provoke her again, she had no intention of targeting Qin Xuan.

Soon, it was time for her scheduled visit to the technology exhibition with Lu Shiran.

Lu Zhanxing also wanted to go, but his fame was too great. He reckoned he would be unable to proceed peacefully once he showed up at the exhibition, and had to reluctantly watch Qiao Yun leave.

This outing included not only Qiao Yun and Lu Shiran, but also the long unseen Yu Fan and Cheng Yi.

The group met up at the entrance of the venue.

“Little Sister Lu, long time no see. Have you missed us?”

As soon as Yu Fan and Cheng Yi arrived, they started clinging to Qiao Yun.

“Off, off you go,” Lu Shiran pulled one with each hand, separating them, then stood in front of Qiao Yun to block their approach.

Yu Fan said exasperatedly, “Lu, come on. Are we some kind of dangerous beasts?”

Cheng Yi clicked his tongue, “You’re going to lose friends like this.”

Lu Shiran gave them a sidelong glance, “Don’t think I don’t know what you two are scheming. I’m telling you, my sister is still young.”

Yu Fan and Cheng Yi: ????? What scheme are they supposedly hatching; they had no idea?

Although they rarely met, they were in the same chat group, where they’d ask questions they didn’t understand, and Qiao Yun was the one responsible for answering.

Therefore, over time, Yu Fan and Cheng Yi had come to regard Qiao Yun as a goddess.

It just so happened that Lu Shiran misunderstood their enthusiasm in the group for an affection toward Qiao Yun, trying every way possible to prevent them from meeting her.

Had it not been for their overwhelming warmth toward Qiao Yun in the chat group, Lu Shiran wouldn’t have overthought it.

Qiao Yun tugged on Lu Shiran’s sleeve, “Let’s go in.”

“Alright, let’s go in,” Lu Shiran said, guarding Qiao Yun.

Qiao Yun felt a mixture of amusement and embarrassment as she apologetically nodded to Yu Fan and Cheng Yi.

Yu Fan and Cheng Yi didn’t take it to heart and hurriedly followed.

They had just scanned their tickets and entered when another luxurious car pulled up behind them.

Qin Yuan got out of the passenger side, walked to the back seat and opened the door, and the Qin patriarch stepped out with the support of Lady Qin.