Chapter 178: Returning to W Country

“Especially since Country W is different from ours, some of her methods simply wouldn’t be tolerated here,” Lu Qian said.

This was the real reason Lu Qian didn’t want Qin Miaoyu to have much contact with Julia—he feared Julia might use those tactics against Qin Miaoyu.

Fortunately, judging by the past few days, Julia had shown some restraint, proving Lu Qian had underestimated her before.

There was no need to worry about Julia, but Gao Qingqing’s situation was far more troublesome.

He unlocked his phone and sent Qin Miaoyu a recent photo of Gao Qingqing that Gu Feng had forwarded to him.

“Look closely. This is Gao Qingqing’s photo. Don’t mistake her for someone else if you run into her.”

Qin Miaoyu’s curiosity was piqued.

She opened the chat and discovered that Gao Qingqing was now fond of heavy smoky eye makeup, making her look completely different from a bare-faced photo among the pictures.

“Did Julia provide you with these photos so you could find her?” Qin Miaoyu guessed.

Lu Qian nodded helplessly.

When Gu Feng realized Gao Qingqing might be missing, he sent people to search, but they only had old photos of her without heavy makeup, making her difficult to identify quickly.

It was only after Julia provided recent photos of Gao Qingqing that Gu Feng’s team managed to locate her, confirming from overseas contacts that she had returned to the country.

“So you must be careful. If you find her, inform me immediately.”

Meanwhile, Gao Qingqing began sensing Julia’s growing distance, even though Julia said nothing openly.

Previously, if Gao Qingqing called Julia ten times, she would answer at least eight; now, if she called ten times, Julia might only answer four or five.

Moreover, Julia’s schedule abroad had become busier, yet she used to spend a lot of time with Gao Qingqing. Now, even when Julia had no apparent engagements and often stayed in the hotel, she responded less frequently.

Something was definitely wrong.

Gao Qingqing felt uneasy.

She went to the hotel to find Julia but saw an unfamiliar woman beside her.

Gao Qingqing quickly composed herself and smiled as she approached Julia.

“Julia, who is this?”

Julia’s smile was bright and genuine. “Qiong, this is my childhood friend, Flora. She works for my brother and was sent here by him to ‘supervise’ me!”

Flora extended her hand to Gao Qingqing. “Hello, you must be Qiong. I’m Flora.”

After shaking hands, Flora turned to Julia and said, “It’s not about supervision. Louis mentioned we haven’t seen each other in a long time. We thought we’d stroll around Jing City together and wait for him to arrive from South City. Then we’ll all fly back to Country W.”

Gao Qingqing’s smile was forced. “When do you plan to return to Country W?”

Flora replied, “Louis should wrap things up in the next couple of days. We probably won’t stay here long.”

The timeline made Gao Qingqing anxious.

She pulled Julia aside. “Aren’t you staying longer in Jing City?”

Julia’s cheerful demeanor quickly faded.

“Not much longer. There’s nothing interesting here. It’s better to return to Country W sooner.”

“Julia, you promised to help me chase away the woman trying to seduce my boyfriend. Have you forgotten? Without your support, I wouldn’t have had the courage to confront her.”

Gao Qingqing lowered her head, feigning disappointment.

She missed the flicker of hostility that flashed in Julia’s eyes at that moment.

Gao Qingqing’s mention of why she came to Jing City reminded Julia of her own foolishness.

But recalling Lu Qian’s warning, Julia didn’t confront the matter directly. Instead, she used Flora as an excuse.

“No worries. You’re in the right; why fear her? Besides, Flora just arrived in Jing City. I want to take her around a bit!”

With that, Julia happily headed toward Flora. Rather than wasting time on Gao Qingqing, shopping and strolling with Flora was far more appealing.

After all, among her friends, Flora’s taste matched hers the closest.

Watching them leave the hotel, Gao Qingqing clenched her fists, irritated that Flora had immediately stolen her friend.

By the time their figures disappeared from view, Gao Qingqing suddenly remembered she had wanted to clear things up with Julia today.

She hurried to the hotel entrance but saw only the silhouette of a sleek sports car.

Gao Qingqing had to wait for another opportunity to talk to Julia. Yet Julia was busy shopping with Flora and had no time for her.

Flora hadn’t lied. A few days later, Louis arrived in Jing City, stayed half a day, and then boarded a private plane with Julia and Flora to return to Country W.

Gao Qingqing received only a brief, hurried message from Julia, saying her brother personally fetched her back and allowed her to send a few messages before departure.

No matter how angry Gao Qingqing was, there was nothing she could do. The matter she had hoped Julia would help with would have to be handled anew.

Her face darkened at the thought.

Stepping out of her bedroom into the living room, she saw a familiar figure.

Excited, she rushed over. “Lu Qian, what are you doing here?”

For a moment, many thoughts flashed through her mind—except the realization that this was not Lu Qian.

“Miss, you have the wrong person,” said the man calmly.

Gao Qingqing looked up sharply and saw a completely unfamiliar face.

Her voice turned sharp and piercing. “Who are you?”

The man replied smoothly, “My name is Li Qixiao. Madam Gao invited me here.”

Then, noticing someone behind Gao Qingqing, he called out, “Madam Gao.”

Madam Gao approached and patted Gao Qingqing on the shoulder, then told Li Qixiao to follow her to the study.

Li Qixiao’s back resembled Lu Qian’s strikingly, and Gao Qingqing suddenly remembered she once hired someone like this before. However, this man looked different, and his name was entirely different as well.

Once inside the study, Madam Gao’s expression darkened immediately.

“What are you doing here so early? Don’t let Qingqing see you again!”

Li Qixiao’s smile was tinged with disdain. “Oh? Wasn’t Gao Qingqing supposed to stay away for five years? That was supposed to last until December. Why is she back now?”

Madam Gao’s face grew even grimmer and she let the subject drop.

“How’s everything on your end?”

Li Qixiao lounged lazily in a chair. “Pretty good. Old Master Lu treats me well.”

Madam Gao sneered coldly. “Our goal isn’t just to make Old Master Lu like you!”