novel
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Chapter 88
Qiao Zongmin didn't let anything leak into his voice. He continued to worm more facts out of him."The two are classmates?"
Naturally, Zhang Zhiyong, hid nothing from the big boss."I heard that they're seatmates even. They get along very well. But they really are quite different in every aspect."
President Qiao remained calm despite having his son criticized like this."Tell me the specifics."
Zhang Zhiyong said, "The outstanding one is named He Shen, and the lacking one is called Qiao Shao. In fact, this Qiao Tongxue isn't so bad. But when held in comparison, he has relatively more problems. Setting aside work-related matters, when it comes to life matters, he waits for people to serve him. He has never poured water for himself. When it comes time to eat, he waits for his seatmate. He Shen even helps him throw out the trash..."
Zhang Zhiyong said a lot and his tone was somewhat indignant. Not for anything else, but mainly because he appreciated He Shen greatly, and thus felt that Qiao Shao was "bullying" He Shen too much.
How could Qiao Zongmin not understand this? He said, "Did Qiao Shao prompt He Shen to do these things?"
Zhang Zhiyong said, "Actually, he hasn't..."
Qiao Zongmin waved his hand and said, "Okay, you can go back."
Zhang Zhiyong left with the head of the personnel department.
Zhang Zhiyong asked his department head nervously, "Boss, I didn't say anything wrong did I?"
Li Chen muttered, "It should be fine."
Zhang Zhiyong let out a breath."Why would President Qiao care about the summer workers?"
Although Li Chen did not know the inside story, he also had his own guess."There must be a kid with a special status."
Zhang Zhiyong nervously said, "Could it be a relative of President Qiao's?"
Li Chen said, "Maybe a friend's. Definitely someone he's familiar with."
Zhang Zhiyong recalled what he said, and experienced some lingering fear."Could it be that Qiao Shao..."
Li Chen made a guess."It doesn't seem like it."
Zhang Zhiyong was struck by a thought."Could it be He Shen?"
Li Chen had also met these two children, and he sized them up."It's quite possible. With just a single glance, you could tell that kid's bearing is out of the ordinary. Not at all like a kid from an ordinary family. It's highly probable that he's the crown prince of some family sent to gain some real-life experience."
"I think so too." Zhang Zhiyong said as well, "That child is really too good. He must have been specially trained since he was young. How could an ordinary high school student know so much? You can really tell it in the way he conducts himself appropriately for every situation. If I hadn't seen his ID, I wouldn't have believed he's only seventeen."
Li Chen summed it up, "Anyway, take good care of those two kids and send me an e-mail if a situation comes up."
Zhang Zhiyong said, "Understood!"
Li Chen deserved to be an executive. His radar was much more sensitive than his subordinate's. He said, "Although He Shen might have a special status, don't treat Qiao Shao unfairly. If you think about it, a kid who could get that crown prince to coax him, must definitely be no ordinary child either."
Zhang Zhiyong was instantly enlightened and agreed, "Okay!"
Of course, Qiao Shao had no idea about these things. He was happily doing his summer job.
Getting to spend every day with He Shen, he was quite happy doing anything.
Coming home that day, Comrade Da Qiao personally cooked them a sumptuous meal.
Qiao Shao asked, "What special occasion do we have today?"
Qiao Zongmin took off his apron and said, "Why, don't you want to eat your dad's cooking?"
Qiao Shao watched him warily, "I'm afraid it's going to be like the Hongmen Banquet."
Qiao Zongmin hit him upside the head."What nonsense are you saying!"
Qiao Shao rubbed his head and said, "Don't hit me like that, or I really might stop growing."
Qiao Zongmin thought about he'd heard that morning, how his son was disliked and seen as short. He felt very uncomfortable."Come here, dad will measure your height." What 'short'? He was obviously a bit taller now.
Qiao Shao stood on the height measuring instrument and it instantly gave the reading.
Qiao Zongmin took a look and he was simply overjoyed."Not bad! 3 centimeters taller!"
Qiao Shao also hurried over to look. He corrected him, "It's 2. 6 centimeters!"
Qiao Zongmin: "Rounding up, it's three."
Qiao Shao said, "I think you added a bit too much there."
Qiao Zongmin: "In any case, you've grown taller and it's only been a little more than three months. You will definitely keep growing!"
"That's true, " Qiao Shao was in a good mood."I'll be sure to eat plenty tonight."
The father and son sat down and the table was full of dishes that they both loved to eat.
There were a lot of dishes, all of which smelled and tasted great. The lighting in the dining room was also very warm; they were lights installed by the designer to match the decor and they had a certain soothing effect. Light, melodious music floated from the corners of the room. It wasn't any kind of special music but the key was that it was randomly played and very seldom repeated.
Everything was perfect. They were just one person short.
There were now only two people in this family of three. That kind of loneliness was one that rooted deeply in the soul.
During his moment of absent-mindedness, it was as though Qiao Shao passed through time and space, returning back to previous times.
It was the same dining table, the same dishes; the difference was the faint fragrance in the air. It was his mother's favorite essential oil. The smell was very light, with the freshness and bitterness of forest and grasslands.
Qiao Shao thought he had forgotten this scent, but he had just been keeping it hidden in the depths of his heart.
Once he remembered, even his sense of smell had changed.
Qiao Shao's heart was filled with the urge to rush up to the third floor.
That was a mother's kingdom, where the person he loved the most once lived.
"Come and have a taste, " Qiao Zongmin urged him."My oil-braised prawns are definitely delicious."
Qiao Shao returned to his senses but he didn't let anything show on his face. He was getting better and better. He could now even think back on his mother with such a calm mood.
"Delicious? You didn't put in two pounds of salt, did you!" Qiao Shao said as he picked up his chopsticks.
Qiao Zongmin: "What kind of joke is that! Don't you know I am General Qiao of the state of Wu?"
Qiao Shao was amused by his clever change of idiom. He smiled and said, "It seems like I should have a whole new level of respect for... oh..." He took a bite, "It's really delicious."
Qiao Zongmin's expression obviously relaxed."Then you should eat some more!"
Qiao Shao knew what Da Qiao was worried about."Lately, my appetite's been pretty good."
It's really was very good, especially since his and He Shen's heart connected, everything he ate seemed delicious. It was as if he was compensating for his poor appetite before.
Qiao Shao knew that he had gotten a lot more than just the return of his appetite from He Shen.
Qiao Zongmin gave him another dish. Qiao Shao didn't want to upset his dad, so he concentrated on eating.
His mother was the source of his suffocating pain, but even more than that, she was also his father's lethal spot.
To speak of her was tantamount to sprinkle salt on a festering wound.
Qiao Shao devoted himself to eating, praising Da Qiao over and over. The atmosphere at the table was very harmonious.
After eating dinner, there was no need to clean up the dishes. Qiao Zongmin poured himself a glass of red wine and Qiao Shao held a glass of freshly squeezed juice. They went to the living room to let the food digest.
Qiao Zongmin remembered what had happened that day and said, "That seatmate of yours is pretty good. The people in his department were praising him."
Qiao Shao wasn't surprised. It would have been strange if his dad hadn't asked around. He said, "I told you, didn't I? He's very good. I was downplaying his abilities when I told you about him before."
Qiao Zongmin sized up his expression and said, "He's really good to you."
Qiao Shao felt a bit guilty."Well, he is my seatmate, after all."
Qiao Zongmin said slowly, "He might be overdoing it, actually. I heard he even brings you tea and water and throws out the trash..."
Qiao Shao was startled. He took a sip of juice to calm down."That seems like a bit of an exaggeration..."
WTF! It seems to be true!
He Shen has always taken good care of him, and before he realized it... He Shen was now handling everything around him.
It's over! It's over! It can't be that he's about to be exposed, right?
Da Qiao won't find out about them, right?
Aah, what to do?
Qiao Shao was not sure what kind of attitude his dad, who came from the Qiao family with three generations of single children, would have towards him liking guys!
It doesn't matter if he gets hit, but what if he beats up He Shen!
Qiao Zongmin took a sip of wine. His eyes were blazing like torches.
His look make Qiao Shao's heart beat like it wanted to jump out from his chest.
Qiao Zongmin said, "You know, I rarely bother you about your matters."
Qiao Shao: "!"
Qiao Zongmin continued, "But I have to explain this to you."
Qiao Shao Shao was so panicked, he almost came out with everything...
Who knew that Qiao Zongmin's next words would be, "I think your seatmate is the scheming sort."
Qiao Shao, who had one foot out of the closet, shrank back into it cautiously, "Ah?"
Qiao Zongmin asked him, "Did he take care of you like this while you were in school?"
How could Qiao Shao dare to admit it? He said, "N-no..."
Qiao Zongmin had on an 'I knew it!' kind of expression. He said sincerely, "You're too inexperienced to see through it, but your dad has to tell you — one who is unaccountably solicitous is hiding evil intentions. This child He Shen is not a good person."
Qiao Shao tried to probe him out."Why do you say that?"
Comrade Da Qiao was astute and circumspect."You really think he treats you well? You must know, there are only the two of you in the summer job program. If he does everything for you, wouldn't that leave you with nothing to do?"
For a moment, Qiao Shao didn't know how to reply.
Qiao Zongmin thought about this thoroughly."You can't do anything very well, he can do everything very well and he even helps you do things. In the eyes of others, wouldn't he appear even more outstanding?"
Qiao Shao could not help speaking out for his sweetheart."But, he really is outstanding..."
Qiao Zongmin sneered."You see? He's got even you talking about him like this. You can just imagine how others would praise him."
When he thought of the report he had heard that morning, he got angry. How could his son be inferior to that scheming ghost? They were blind, the whole lot of them!
The author has something to say:
I've read comments about the surname. Actually, the Shen Hai employees didn't suspect anything despite them having the same last name because they know that the Qiao family only has only had one heir for three generations. If they have the same surname, then it could only be the crown prince, and they know that it's simply impossible for the crown prince to come. So, they never guessed that Qiao Shao has a special identity.
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