My Identities Were All Exposed After I Was Pampered by Everyone at My Grandfather's House! Chapter 1
Reunion
C-City, Nanshan Village
The early morning air in the countryside was exceptionally crisp. Qiao Yue brought a small stool and a bucket, settling herself by the stream. Her gaze casually fell upon the water, where a plump koi fish was joyfully swimming.
Taking a deep breath, Qiao Yue assumed a fishing posture. Her hesitation wasn't from a lack of desire to catch it, but the water was too frigid in the morning, necessitating a wait.
Suddenly, Qiao Yue's phone vibrated within her pocket, and a message materialized on the screen. More notifications quickly followed.
“Boss, it’s been a month, and you’re still not back! @Qiaoyue”
“Our boss must be having an absolute blast, completely forgetting about us.”
“Is the boss genuinely going to inherit the Qiao family’s business? And for such a modest inheritance? I was just speaking with the top entertainment company in A-Country yesterday; their boss expressed a desire to meet ours. They inquired about securing an appointment, and I had to inform them that our boss is currently out of the country. They agreed to wait. It felt rather awkward.”
“Don't even mention your troubles. It’s the same situation on my end! I’m incredibly stressed!”
Qiao Yue observed their complaints with amusement until a private message arrived.
“Boss, when are you returning? You’re not deceiving us by claiming to visit the Qiao family home for a vacation, are you?”
Qiao Yue’s eyebrows lifted slightly as she typed back, “No.”
“I refuse to believe you! You're doing this intentionally, aren't you? Why do you have such an overwhelming workload? I wish to request leave!”
“Leave denied! You are the one making the decisions at KA now.”
“I object! Boss, you’ve gone too far! Please return promptly!”
After addressing the business matters, Qiao Yue ceased responding to messages and immersed herself in fishing.
KA operated as a multinational conglomerate with interests spanning entertainment, fashion, beauty, food and beverage, electronics, and other lucrative sectors. The identity of the mastermind behind it all had always been a subject of intense curiosity. Little did anyone suspect that the very person they were so eager to uncover was currently nestled in a ravine, engaged in fishing.
“Well now! Xiao Yue is out fishing again? Such an early riser!”
A male voice broke the silence. Qiao Yue turned to see her neighbor approaching.
“Indeed! Uncle Wu, the fish from this stream are exceptionally tasty! I still haven’t tired of them after half a month of eating them.”
“Ha-ha, while the fish are delicious, your aunt finds cooking them too much of a chore. She only prepares them when our child is home on vacation.”
Uncle Wu then placed a couple of pats on Qiao Yue’s shoulder, adopting a mysterious air. “Many young ladies in our village have taken a liking to you. Which one has captured your interest? Do tell Uncle.”
Qiao Yue responded with a sigh, “Uncle, I’m merely eighteen. It’s far too soon for me to consider blind dates and marriage!”
More critically, she was a woman. Was Uncle Wu perhaps guiding her down an unconventional path?
Once she was alone again, the sun had climbed higher, and the temperature had consequently risen. Qiao Yue’s bucket now held two sizable, plump fish.
After testing the water temperature, Qiao Yue prepared to reel in a couple more. She planned to head home and rest in the early afternoon, around one or two o'clock, when the sun became oppressively hot.
Just as Qiao Yue was reveling in her tranquil existence, a significant event unfolded in the village.
A Lexus LM was parked conspicuously at the village entrance, drawing the attention of every passing resident.
The driver lowered the window and inquired from a woman walking by about Qiao Yue’s current lodging.
Initially hesitant, the woman’s demeanor changed upon learning the driver’s identity, and she revealed Qiao Yue’s whereabouts.
As the vehicle began to move, the driver remarked, “Master Jing, are we truly going to escort him back? If he resists or if something untoward has happened to him, I suspect the old master wouldn’t hold us entirely accountable. After all, his mother acted in a similar fashion back then.”
Qiao Jing remained silent. He gazed down at the photograph he had obtained when Grandpa expressed his wish to locate his aunt and her family.
He had been quite young then, only privy to snippets of conversation from his elders.
They had spoken of his aunt as a simple-minded woman who had severed ties with her family to marry a scoundrel.
The old master had recognized the man’s unscrupulous nature even then. He attempted to persuade his daughter to return, offering the man money in exchange for his departure.
Who could have foreseen that Qiao Yue’s mother would be so resolute, refusing to return home even after being abandoned by the man?
Subsequently, the old master decreed that her name be struck from all discussion. It was only now, with the old master’s declining health and his deepening yearning for his daughter, that he permitted his descendants to embark on the search.
“Master Jing, is that him?”
The driver suddenly interjected, gesturing towards the figure by the riverbank, who was currently engrossed in catching fish.
“Shall we…”
Before the driver could complete his query, Qiao Jing cast a sharp, cold glance his way and stated, “I will ensure his safe return.”
With icy words and a colder heart, Qiao Jing disregarded all pleas unless they piqued his interest or were commanded by his grandfather.
Once this master made a decision, he tolerated no dissent. Recalling his earlier chatter, the driver found his shirt drenched in cold sweat. He meekly replied, "Yes, Young Master.".
Qiao Jing then proceeded to stride towards Qiao Yue.
As Qiao Yue neared the river's edge, Qiao Jing halted his advance.
A flicker of disgust crossed Qiao Jing's features as he observed the disheveled young man before him, pants rolled up and body soaked.
"Qiao Yue?" Qiao Jing initiated the conversation.
"Yes," Qiao Yue replied, lifting her head.