Chapter 157: The Truth Back Then

Qin Miaoyu feigned ignorance, asking, “Why would it be hard? As long as I marry into the Lu family, I’ll have no worries about food or clothing; the rest of my life will be secure. What’s there to be concerned about?”

“Miss Qin, you’re still too young to understand! When a man wants to give you things, he will gladly offer them with both hands. But the day he decides not to, he can just take them back. So, Miss Qin, think carefully for yourself. I have matters to attend to, so I must leave now.”

With that, Mrs. Gao handed Qin Miaoyu a business card. “Miss Qin, if you ever want to know more or need help, please feel free to ask me. I will do my utmost to assist you!”

Mrs. Gao left cautiously, avoiding contact with the edge of the table, then calmly gathered her bag and walked away with composure.

Watching her retreating figure, Qin Miaoyu pondered deeply on Mrs. Gao’s true intentions.

From what she said, it didn’t seem like she was here to intimidate her on behalf of her daughter.

Mentioning that Lu Qian might have gone to jail and adding the subsequent words, it felt more like she wanted to frighten her about Lu Qian, to make her afraid that Lu Qian might treat her badly in the future.

If Qin Miaoyu truly worried about a bad outcome and began planning for herself, she might take some action—and if Lu Qian hadn’t done anything, a rift would naturally form between them.

But what benefit would that bring to Mrs. Gao?

Gao Qingqing wouldn’t return until December, and it was still far from December now. So what exactly was Mrs. Gao trying to achieve?

Qin Miaoyu mulled over these questions as she ate but found no clues.

After the meal, she slowly walked back to the studio. Passing through the corridor, she overheard some employees gossiping nearby. Standing close, she easily caught their words.

It was that snippet of gossip that sparked a sudden realization.

Mrs. Gao’s true target might not be her but Lu Qian!

Perhaps she intended to use Qin Miaoyu to vex Lu Qian, to make his life miserable and restless.

The more she thought about it, the more convinced Qin Miaoyu became.

Mrs. Gao’s resentment toward the Lu family was obvious; her tone towards Qin Miaoyu was polite but carried a condescending air.

Returning to her office, Qin Miaoyu dialed Lu Qian’s number.

At the company, Lu Qian saw the incoming call and was momentarily surprised.

He had thought that until the day of the divorce, Qin Miaoyu wouldn’t contact him.

He answered quickly, sensing something was wrong.

“Miaoyu, what’s going on?”

“Earlier, Mrs. Gao came to see me.”

Lu Qian tensed instantly. “Did she say anything? Do you believe her?”

Lu Qian had withheld some truths from Qin Miaoyu, fearing she might misunderstand him.

“Mrs. Gao told me that you nearly went to jail back then and that there was even surveillance footage, but because the Lu family had connections everywhere, you got off.”

“That’s not true!” Lu Qian’s voice was unusually urgent and agitated.

“Then what really happened?”

Hearing the question, Lu Qian paused.

The atmosphere between them grew tense.

But in the end, he explained.

“I almost did go to jail back then, but not because the Lu family pulled strings to clear me. I was innocent. The person in the footage wasn’t me—it was just a very similar silhouette.”

Qin Miaoyu immediately recalled the person she had seen recently, whose back resembled Lu Qian’s.

“Was that the same person from the footage?”

“No. The back was similar, but the face was different, and he seemed to have some mysterious background. I tried to investigate but found little information.”

Qin Miaoyu considered this and said, “If the face is different, could it be plastic surgery? It must have been hard to find someone who resembled your silhouette.”

That person’s stature and aura were quite similar, which was why Qin Miaoyu had initially thought it was Lu Qian.

Lu Qian pondered for a moment. “That’s possible. I’ll have someone focus on that angle and see what they can find.”

“Hmm,” Qin Miaoyu agreed, then returned to her earlier topic. “Why did someone with a similar build happen to appear there at that exact time?”

Lu Qian smiled bitterly. “I don’t know where Gao Qingqing found that person. She used my name to carry out her schemes. She even had that lookalike say ambiguous things while the victim was still semi-conscious, making them mistakenly believe I was responsible.”

A chill ran down Qin Miaoyu’s spine. Gao Qingqing—if she couldn’t have him, she wanted to destroy him?

“What happened next?”

“I arrived just in time to save the three victims. One went straight to the police while still in the hospital to file a report. Then I was taken to the station and almost convicted because of the footage and Gao Qingqing’s false testimony.”

Gao Qingqing must have planned this for a long time, choosing a perfect spot and having the person resembling Lu Qian appear on the video. The timing of Lu Qian’s rescue was unlucky; the surveillance seemed to provide near-irrefutable evidence against him.

“How was it resolved?” Qin Miaoyu asked, her voice tense.

“Another victim recognized the lookalike’s face clearly and was familiar with the conflict between Gao Qingqing and me. With her testimony and other evidence Gao Qingqing hadn’t yet destroyed, my innocence was proven, and Gao Qingqing was taken to the police.”

“Did Gao Qingqing get off without serious punishment?” Qin Miaoyu asked angrily.

“Not quite. The Gao family also has their ways. In the end, she was sentenced to a few months. Before she was released, I confronted the Gao family, demanding they send her abroad for five years without any financial support so she could truly learn to fend for herself. So, those first two years were very hard for her.”

Qin Miaoyu pressed, “What about the following three years?”

“I don’t know. After two years of surveillance, I stopped the investigation. I’m not sure what happened to her afterward. I had Gu Feng look into it, but there’s been no news yet.”

Now with Mrs. Gao coming to see Qin Miaoyu, Lu Qian worried Gao Qingqing might have secretly returned. If that were true, it would be better to prepare in advance to avoid involving Qin Miaoyu.

Gao Qingqing was undeniably insane, and Mrs. Gao was no less dangerous. If they targeted Miaoyu, who knew what dangers awaited?

Thinking this over, Lu Qian wanted to speak but found it hard to express. In the end, he still hesitated to take things this far.