Plunder-Chapter 173: One Step Away from the Truth
Qiao En could tell Zhou Jin’an was determined to have a talk with her.
But now, she was somewhat evasive.
The hardest thing for a person isn’t facing others, but confronting their own heart.
"Mr. Zhou, I already have plans for the morning, and I need to leave now."
Carrying her small bag, Qiao En still headed towards the door.
However, Zhou Jin’an grabbed her arm, "It’s still early, it won’t take long. Qiao En, sit down, we really need to talk."
He was very assertive, with that same powerful aura as before, leaving Qiao En with no chance to say no.
Knowing she couldn’t resist, Qiao En tactfully went into the kitchen and began to leisurely prepare breakfast.
It was still the tomato and egg noodle soup.
The tomato was peeled and chopped into small dices, oil was heated in a pan, and the tomatoes were fried until the juice came out, then water was added to simmer. In another pot, noodles were cooked.
There was only one egg left in the fridge, which she cracked into a bowl, beat, and slowly poured into the tomato soup.
By now, the noodles were ready, so she scooped them out and filled two bowls.
Afterward, she ladled the tomato and egg soup into the bowls.
"The noodles are on the stove, you can serve yourself."
Qiao En carried one bowl to the dining room.
One must eat even if the sky falls, that was her principle.
She ate her noodles with her head down, large mouthfuls at a time, as a layer of fine sweat formed on the tip of her nose.
That bowl of tomato and egg noodles, so ordinary and homely, yet it brought up many memories for Zhou Jin’an.
He remembered how Qiao En had also made this noodle soup in Aunt Rong’s courtyard.
"I’m sorry."
He sincerely uttered these three words.
Qiao En had just stuffed a mouthful of noodles when Zhou Jin’an’s voice entered her ears, startling her slightly.
"I stayed outside your door all night long, thinking about how I could keep you, not just physically, but your heart as well. Qiao En, I’m sorry for all the pain I caused you before."
This was the second time Zhou Jin’an had apologized so formally.
But if apologies were useful, what would be the point of having the police?
"Mr. Zhou, the past is in the past. You don’t need to apologize to me anymore. Shouldn’t we both move forward?"
This logic was once taught to her by Zhou Jin’an.
Zhou Jin’an never expected that one day Qiao En would use these words against him.
"I met with Detective Wu."
He had originally intended to keep this a secret, but after sitting outside for so long last night, he realized something important—the lack of trust between him and Qiao En stemmed from his lack of honesty.
Having recognized the problem, he had to address it.
Therefore, he decided to tell the truth.
Qiao En paused in her actions, silent.
Zhou Jin’an was very adept, and he could surely get Detective Wu to talk.
"Maybe, I can help you."
"How can you help me?"
Qiao En looked up at him.
His expression was somber, his gaze sharp as a hawk’s.
"May I see that photo?" Zhou Jin’an asked.
Qiao En hesitated. Now that Zhou Jin’an was aware of these matters, if he interfered, it would be impossible for her alone to investigate further.
She stood up, found the photo, and handed it to Zhou Jin’an.
"Have you seen this photo before?"
Zhou Jin’an squinted and inspected the photo carefully for a while, "I haven’t."
He flipped it over and immediately noticed the address on the back.
"Is this your home address?"
Qiao En nodded, "I also find it strange why my home address would be on this photo." 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖
Zhou Jin’an’s eyes darkened, "Keep the photo with me, and don’t look into this matter any further—I will."
"How will you investigate?"
"I have my ways."
After saying that, Zhou Jin’an dialed Qiao En’s mother’s number in front of Qiao En.
Qiao De was still detained, and Qiao En’s mother had sought him out many times privately, but she never had the chance to get close.
The call connected quickly, and Qiao En’s mother’s voice came through, "Director Zhou, have you decided to help save our Ah De?"
With Qiao En nearby, she heard her mother’s voice as well.
A sourness spread unconsciously in her heart.
"Someone will come to pick you up shortly, and we’ll talk face to face."
Soon after, he hung up the call and instructed Cheng Lu to pick up Qiao En’s mother.
"Would you like to go together?"
Zhou Jin’an extended the invitation.
Qiao En hesitated, hugging her arms, her head hanging low.
As long as Qiao’s mother spoke up, the truth would quickly be exposed in front of her.
Yet, as the truth was about to be unveiled, she began to hesitate.
People yearn for the truth but are also afraid of it.
"Let’s face it together, regardless of whether it’s good or bad, you should know, shouldn’t you?"
Jin’an said this and stood up, extending a hand towards Qiao En.
Half an hour later, Qiao’s mother arrived at Nanchen.
Qiao En stayed in Jin’an’s lounge; she was not mentally prepared to face Qiao’s mother, and it could even be said that she was not ready to accept the truth.
The door was slightly ajar, and she could clearly see everything in the office.
"Director Zhou, please, I beg of you, Ah De already knows he was wrong, he’s been locked up for nearly half a month now, can you please speak a word for him to get him out?"
As soon as they met, Qiao’s mother began to cry and plead with Jin’an.
He sat upright in the executive chair with a stern face and did not soften his heart.
"It’s not impossible to save him."
Jin’an slightly loosened his stance.
Upon hearing this, Qiao’s mother was overjoyed.
"Director Zhou, you really are a good man. Once Ah De comes out, I’ll bring him to kowtow to you. As long as you’re willing to give him a chance, he will definitely reform and be a good person."
Jin’an did not respond.
He just stared coldly at Qiao’s mother.
"I’m going to ask you something, you have to tell me the truth."
"Go ahead, as long as I know, I will tell you the truth,"
Qiao’s mother made a promise.
"Is Qiao En your biological daughter?"
Jin’an frowned, asking sternly.
Qiao’s mother was taken aback; she hadn’t expected Jin’an to ask this.
"Director... Director Zhou..."
"Is she or isn’t she?"
With a cold shout from Jin’an, Qiao’s mother immediately caved in.
"No."
Her answer was very quiet.
But Jin’an’s heart was shocked.
At this moment, he felt an immense pity for Qiao En.
Once, he had envied her harmonious family, but now Jin’an realized that Qiao En was just trying her utmost to maintain this harmony, while her heart was lonelier than anyone’s.
"Since she’s not your biological daughter, then where did she come from?"
"I..."
Qiao’s mother wanted to speak, but seemed afraid to.
"Picked her up."
She hung her head low, her hands clenched tightly.
"Where did you pick her up from?"
Jin’an continued to press.
Qiao’s mother kept shaking her head, "I... I don’t remember."
Through a crack in the door, Qiao En stared at the scene outside, her heart clenching up to her throat.
About her own origins, it was when she was ten years old that she overheard a nighttime conversation between Qiao’s father and Qiao’s mother, mentioning she was not their biological child, which shocked her immensely and she even disbelieved it.
Latter, when Qiao’s father was in trouble, Qiao’s mother told her the truth.
She said, "Qiao En, your father worked himself into illness to support you and pay for your college; you need to know how to repay this kindness."
They raised her, and in turn, she had to take care of them in their old age.
Repaying kindness was her only goal.
"Do you recognize the person in this photo?"
Jin’an showed the photo, and Qiao’s mother leaned in to look; her eyesight wasn’t great, and she squinted carefully at it.
All of a sudden, her pupils dilated, and her face turned deathly pale.
"No... I don’t recognize them."
Her hands, clutching the photo, began to tremble uncontrollably.
"Look carefully."
Jin’an shouted sternly; he was putting pressure on Qiao’s mother.
But her head shook like a rattle-drum, "I don’t recognize them, I really don’t."
"If you don’t know them, why does the photo have your home address on it?"
Jin’an pressed again.
Qiao’s mother covered her ears with her hands, shaking her head even more vigorously, "I don’t know, I really don’t know,"
She mumbled to herself, as though she had fallen under a spell.
The more abnormal she became, the more Jin’an felt there was something fishy about the situation.
But just when he was about to keep pressing Qiao’s mother for the truth, she suddenly blacked out and collapsed to the ground.
