Chapter 20: Qiao Wan'er Makes Her Move

Lu Yao saw Qiao Wan’er looking down at her, threatening her with an air of superiority, and in that instant, her reverse scale was touched. She wanted nothing more than to rush forward, grab Qiao Wan’er by the hair, and give her a good lesson. Unfortunately...

The impulse to drench Qiao Wan’er with water twice over had barely surfaced before she forcefully suppressed it. The retorts that had welled up in her throat were all swallowed back down. She reminded herself not to act on impulse. Standing before her was the future heir of the second most powerful family in the capital and, more importantly, the prized client whom Xu Wenjie had managed to secure only after drinking himself into a gastric hemorrhage. The law firm’s future operations depended entirely on the Qiao family’s business in the coming years.

If she offended Qiao Wan’er, she could simply pack her bags and start over in another country. But Xu Wenjie’s years of hard work would be destroyed in an instant. She could not gamble with Xu Wenjie’s promising future. Nor did she want his efforts to be wasted—after all, Xu Wenjie had once saved her life when she was new to this world. She could not play out the fable of the farmer and the snake in real life.

“Miss Qiao, you’re absolutely right.” Lu Yao immediately blinked her large eyes, put on a smile, and spoke in a deliberately humble tone, “With your beauty that could topple kingdoms, no one could ever compare. You are not only stunning, but also intelligent and noble in bearing. You move with the grace of a startled swan, the poise of a dragon in flight, your slender waist sways like a breeze in spring, and wherever you go, all eyes follow. Your loveliness eclipses the ages; even the lotus flower would shy away in shame beside you. With such a perfect goddess at Second Master’s side, how could he possibly spare a glance for me?”

!!!

Qiao Wan’er was momentarily taken aback by Lu Yao’s words. She had been ready to slap Lu Yao the moment she dared talk back, using it as an excuse to vent her dissatisfaction over Ye Zehong taking the initiative to put his arm around Lu Yao’s waist. Who would have thought…

“It’s good that you know your place,” Qiao Wan’er said, lifting her chin, though she was doubtful of Lu Yao’s sincerity.

“Please rest assured, I know full well that I am not of the same class as Third Master, and I’ve never once entertained the fantasy of climbing above my station. Once the paper horse is folded and I leave the old house, I will have nothing more to do with Third Master.”

Right now, the most important thing was to find the killer who had so cruelly murdered her mother, not to make enemies and bring herself more trouble. Qiao Wan’er was not someone to cross, but Lu Yao needed her help.

Qiao Wan’er did not reply, only regarded her coldly. Lu Yao dared not make any unnecessary expressions, standing stock-still, her smile nearly frozen on her face.

“How can I be sure you’re telling the truth…” Qiao Wan’er blinked her dark eyes, and a new idea quickly came to her.

She beckoned Lu Yao over and led her to a halt in the botanical garden.

Lu Yao felt uneasy; her instincts told her something unpleasant awaited her.

And indeed…

Qiao Wan’er broke off the Australian white pearl necklace she wore around her neck, gathered the pearls in her palm, and with a wave of her hand, scattered the precious pearls in every corner of the botanical garden.

This garden was planted with golden cherries, crown-of-thorns, cacti, agave, roses, and other thorny plants.

With her hands clasped, Qiao Wan’er smiled with a blade hidden in her voice. “This pearl necklace was a gift from Madam Ye when we first met, and it means a lot to me. There are thirty-two Australian white pearls in total. If you can collect all thirty-two and bring them to me within two hours, I’ll believe you.”

With that, she clenched her fist, deliberately keeping one pearl in her palm.

Lu Yao sneered inwardly—only a notorious villainess like Qiao the Witch would stoop to such cheap tricks. Whether she could swallow this humiliation or not, she had no choice but to endure it.

Seeing Lu Yao standing motionless, Qiao Wan’er’s patience wore thin, and she urged, “Why are you just standing there? Get moving!”