Chapter 80: Chapter 74: Making Zhan Qipei and Qiao Jing Divorce (Extra, Vote~)
She was trending on the hot search.
However, it wasn’t because of the miraculous physician or Professor Qiao’s identity exposure but because she was being criticized all over the hot search.
The reason was that she had been on a police car, accompanied by text.
#Zhan Corporation CEO’s newlywed wife allegedly involved in illegal activities, taken away by police car.
Qiao Jing clicked on the image, which showed several frames of her getting into a police car.
“What’s going on?” A deep voice resonated from behind Qiao Jing.
Qiao Jing turned around to face Zhan Qipei, “Do you also think I was involved in illegal activities?”
“Do you think I’m an idiot? If you were involved in illegal activities, would you still be sitting here chatting with me?” Even if it wasn’t , Zhan Qipei wouldn’t believe that Qiao Jing could do such a thing.
“Actually, I was helping Captain Zhao catch a few child traffickers,” Qiao Jing honestly said.
Hearing this, Zhan Qipei remembered the words Captain Zhao had said when he and Qiao Jing visited the police station on their wedding day.
He had mentioned that Qiao Jing had helped him solve cases before.
At that time, Zhan Nanqing had scornfully said that Qiao Jing was just lucky, merely a witness who provided crucial clues to the case.
He hadn’t thought much of it then; however, now he figured the situation wasn’t as simple.
About the recent widely publicized series of child abduction cases, he had also heard, but he hadn’t expected that Qiao Jing was also involved in this case.
“Sort of,” Qiao Jing replied with a furrowed brow.
“Sort of? What do you mean?”
“Xu Moqian and I were working together, one in the light, the other in shadows. I deliberately let one criminal escape, intending to use him to find their hideout by following the trail,” she explained.
“Didn’t find them?” Zhan Qipei guessed.
“We found it, but several managed to escape, including the ringleader among those who got away.”
This aspect gave Qiao Jing a headache because those caught were merely hired to do the job, paid to carry out tasks without knowing the real purpose of their leader. After this scare, she feared they wouldn’t act again anytime soon.
Just as Qiao Jing was inwardly troubled, Zhan Qipei analyzed, “Those two who tried to hurt you just now, could they be among those who were caught and escaped because you disrupted their plan, so they targeted you for revenge?”
“If only it were so.” Qiao Jing would have preferred if those people had come to her, so there wouldn’t be a need to spend resources on an investigation or to worry about when they might strike.
Zhan Qipei’s expression darkened, “If only it were so, you seem quite confident about yourself.”
Had this woman never considered her own safety from the beginning? Facing such fierce criminals, wasn’t she afraid for her life? What if something unforeseen happened, and she was killed?
The more Zhan Qipei thought, the more anxious and angry he became, while Qiao Jing’s face remained calm and untroubled.
Just then, Zhan Qipei received a call from Su Manhan.
“Qipei, you’ve seen the hot search, right? This Qiao Jing, always idling about is one thing, but now she’s caused such a scandal, seen being taken away by the police, even got photographed. This completely disgraces our Zhan Family. You need to file for divorce immediately. Regarding your grandfather, I’ll have your father talk to him. After such a serious incident, I can’t believe your grandfather would still protect her!”
Su Manhan was quite upset, and Zhan Yao’s face also looked very grim.
This incident was causing a stir not only on the internet but also on the television drama currently being broadcast in their living room.
“She hasn’t committed any crime,” Zhan Qipei explained.
“What? Even now, you’re still speaking for her? Qipei, what has gotten into you? Or did she feed you some sort of love potion?” Su Manhan yelled, her voice filled with disbelief.
What has gotten into her son? Could he really have been bewitched by Qiao Jing?
“What I said is true, Qiao Jing was helping Captain Zhao solve a case, not committing a crime.”
“Solve a case? Ha!” Su Manhan scoffed, “She can solve cases? If she could, I’d take her family name!”
Zhan Nanqing intervened, “Mom, it’s hard to explain on the phone. Should we go to my brother’s place instead?”
“You’re right.” Su Manhan’s face turned shades of red and purple in anger, subsequently the family made their way toward Nantai Apartment in grand fashion.
Zhan Qipei was on the phone with Tang Yan.
“Find out who is spreading this news.”
Qiao Jing was looking at her phone, where almost every major online platform was filled with curses directed at her.
[The Zhan Family really is unlucky, having married such a country bumpkin as a daughter-in-law.]
[Speaking of a country bumpkin, her standards must be low.]
[Low standards are fine, but who would have thought she’d engage in illegal activities?]
[Don’t say that; she is fair-skinned and pleasant-looking.]
[Being pretty can’t fill you up! If I married someone like her, I’d beat her up and chase her out of the house!]
“What are you looking at?” Zhan Qipei asked as he approached Qiao Jing and saw the unsavory comments on her phone.
Was she actually reading these? How could she bear it? How strong must her mental fortitude be to do so?
Qiao Jing slightly arched her delicate eyebrows and said indifferently, “I don’t know these people; why should what they say affect me? All I need to do is focus on my own tasks.”
Whether people criticized her or praised her achievements, it didn’t much affect Qiao Jing. She remained herself, focusing on her research on new varieties of corn and then on vegetable grafting, driven by both interest and work.
She was neither complacent with praise nor discouraged by criticism.
Zhan Qipei looked at Qiao Jing in this light, sensing in her a serenity like that of an orchid or a lotus, admirable from a distance but not to be profaned.
Such detachment from worldly concerns, such independent existence, made him feel increasingly drawn to her.
“Ding ding ding—” Hurried knocking broke the tranquility.
Zhan Qipei frowned toward the door, knowing without guessing that it must be Su Manhan and the others arriving with such urgency.
To be honest, Zhan Qipei didn’t really want to open the door.
But he couldn’t just leave it closed.
Zhan Qipei approached the door, turning back to look at Qiao Jing, “Don’t worry, I will protect you.”
Huh? Qiao Jing raised a skeptical eyebrow as she looked at Zhan Qipei; something about his words sounded strange coming from him.
Zhan Qipei opened the door, and upon seeing Qiao Jing, Su Manhan unleashed the anger she had been holding back all the way there.
“Qiao Jing, you are the jinx of our family. From the first day you stepped inside, my instincts told me you would bring trouble to the Zhan Family, and sure enough, you’ve caused a huge disaster. Do you know, because of you, our Zhan Family has become the laughingstock of the entire capital, not just the capital, but the whole empire is laughing at us because of you! Everyone is laughing at the Zhan Family!”