12: Violence

Violence

At the thought, Qiao Xin silently ran up the stairs to her room. She walked to the safe beside the desk, entered the password, and took out a sandalwood box.2

She hurriedly opened the box. Inside it lay a jade pendant. The color and texture of this jade pendant were identical to the one in Gu Zhou's hand.

"Oh my god!" Qiao Xin covered her mouth in shock. If this jade pendant did not belong to Gu Zhou, then it was very likely to belong to the other young masters of the Gu family.

The young masters of the Gu family were all of the same parentage. Since Gu Zhou was so good-looking, the other young masters of the Gu family definitely wouldn't be too ugly!

As she thought, Qiao Xin's eyes shone with a peculiar joy. She hurriedly put the jade pendant around her neck.

Downstairs.

When the servant brought the tea over, Qiao Shan immediately brought a teacup to Gu Zhou and said with a smile, "This tea is from this year's new harvest. It tastes pretty good. Second Young Master, do try it!"

For a long time, Gu Zhou did not take the cup from Qiao Shan. Qiao Shan's hand, which was cradling the teacup, had already turned red from the heat. Still, he did not dare to put the cup down, and could only hope that Gu Zhou would take the cup of tea soon.

Gu Zhou reluctantly moved his right hand away from Qiao Nian's hand and took the teacup. He put it to his nose and sniffed it. It did smell good.

Qiao Nian was thinking about when she could find time to ask Qiao Xin for the jade pendant. Now that Qiao Xin had disappeared, she turned to Su Xue and asked, "Mom, where's Qiao Xin?"

"You…" When Su Xue heard Qiao Nian's voice, her reply instinctively took on a berating tone. As her voice raised in volume, she instantly sensed the coldness in the air. She didn't even need to look at Gu Zhou to know he was glaring at her with a dark expression.

Su Xue couldn't help but shiver. She smiled awkwardly and backtracked, saying, "Qiao Nian, your sister has just gone upstairs. I'll go get her…"

As soon as Su Xue's words fell, footsteps came from afar. She looked up and saw Qiao Xin coming downstairs.

"Oh, here she is!" Su Xue gestured to Qiao Xin, secretly heaving a sigh of relief.

Qiao Xin walked down the stairs step by step with the jade pendant hanging around her neck. There was a smug glint in her eyes. No matter whom in the Gu family the jade pendant belonged to, she would benefit from it.

Qiao Nian, who was sitting on the sofa, saw the jade pendant around Qiao Xin's neck. Her expression instantly turned cold.

Her eyes were like ice as she glared at Qiao Xin, clenching her fists tightly.

Five years ago, she fell into the evil scheme concocted by her mother and sister. That stranger had ignored her pleas and tortured her relentlessly for a night. Four years ago, she was even forced to give birth to a dead child…

Those horrible scenes, which she could not bring herself to speak about, began to surface bit by bit, occupying her entire mind.

Qiao Nian's breathing grew heavy and she gritted her teeth, hatred filling her entire body. She began to tremble.

Being observant, Gu Zhou sensed that something was wrong with Qiao Nian's expression. He followed her gaze and saw Qiao Xin coming down the stairs.

At the same time, he glimpsed the jade pendant around Qiao Xin's neck.

If Gu Zhou had remembered correctly, Qiao Xin didn't have a jade pendant on her neck just now. Qiao Nian's reaction upon seeing her was normal at that time, but now, when Qiao Nian saw the jade pendant, her reaction was a little strange.

Qiao Nian stood up coldlyand pulled her hand out of Gu Zhou's. Seeing Qiao Xin approach, she used all her strength to slap Qiao Xin!

"Pa!"

Qiao Nian was so strong that Qiao Xin staggered back and fell onto the sofa.

In shock, Qiao Xin could only look at Qiao Nian. She didn't expect Qiao Nian to hit her in front of outsiders.

"Sister…" Qiao Xin said pitifully.

The hatred in Qiao Nian's heart surged. She stepped quickly over to Qiao Xin and grabbed her hair, forcing Qiao Xin to look at her.

"You like this jade pendant, don't you? Since you like it so much, swallow it!" Qiao Nian pulled the jade pendant off Qiao Xin's neck in one swift motion and forced it down her throat!

Qiao Nian knew very well that Qiao Xin was wearing the jade pendant to remind Qiao Nian of how Qiao Nian had been forced to follow her parents' intentions; how she had been forced to carry the pregnancy to term. Worst of all, how she had suffered a stillbirth in the end.

"What are you doing!" Su Xue didn't want to lower herself to Qiao Nian's level, but seeing Qiao Nian abuse Qiao Xin so viciously, she quickly walked up to pull Qiao Nian away.

"Go away!" Qiao Nian shook Su Xue off. She glared at Qiao Xin and gave her two more slaps. Only then did she let go of Qiao Xin.

Just like that, Qiao Xin's thick and beautiful hair thinned considerably. Pieces of her long hair were scattered everywhere on the floor. She fell to the ground and coughed hard twice, dislodging the jade pendant in her throat and spitting it out.

Qiao Nian had initially thought that she would be able to maintain her composure, but the moment those humiliating memories were brought to the surface, pain still flooded her heart.

She simply could not stay a moment longer. Qiao Nian walked out of the room.

Gu Zhou looked at Qiao Nian's back as she left. He stood up elegantly and walked over to Qiao Xin in two long strides, asking condescendingly, "Whose is this?"

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