You Must Have Been Deceived by Tang Ao

Zhou Qiao'er's heart gave a sharp jolt. She quickly corrected herself, "I... I misspoke earlier. I meant I went to borrow some body wash, but accidentally said shampoo."

"Oh, I see."

Tang's mother was momentarily taken aback but then nodded meaningfully. Now she felt more certain: "Qiao'er, you should get some rest."

Seeing Tang's mother leave, Zhou Qiao'er let out a long breath.

That was close.

She almost got caught.

Luckily, Tang's mother didn't think too much of it.

She had no idea that her explanation had perfectly exposed her.

After closing the door, Zhou Qiao'er looked at the time. It was already past ten o'clock at night.

Her father, who was far away abroad, would be in the middle of his day.

Thinking of the crucial information she had gotten from Tang Ao, Zhou Qiao'er took out her phone and made a call.

"Hello? Qiao'er, it should be late at night in Dragon Country, right? Why aren't you asleep? Is someone bullying you? Is the Tang family trying to take advantage of you? Don't worry, I'll immediately..."

Hearing her father's concerned voice, Zhou Qiao'er felt a surge of warmth: "Dad, I'm fine. The Tang family treats me well. I'm calling because there's something very important I need to tell you."

"Oh?" Her father breathed a sigh of relief. "What's more important than your marriage? Sweetheart, I'm all for you finding love on your own, but as someone with more experience, I have to warn you. From what I've investigated, that Tang Ao has a terrible reputation in Dragon Country. Don't let him deceive you!"

"Don't worry, Dad. Look who you're talking to. How could I be deceived?" Zhou Qiao'er smiled as she spoke. "He might be able to fool the entire world, even his parents, but he can't fool me. So, rest easy."

She wasn't planning to reveal that she could hear Tang Ao's inner thoughts.

Such a thing sounded too unbelievable, and her father might not even believe her if she said it.

"That's good, that's good."

Zhou Qiao'er then put on a serious expression and spoke solemnly: "Dad, what I'm about to tell you is extremely important. It concerns the future of our Zhou family and even the Tang family. You must listen carefully."

Hearing the gravity in her voice, her father, on the other end of the line, nodded seriously.

"Dad, our subsidiary, Zhou's Special Ling, is about to be targeted. If nothing changes, the stock will drop thirty percent over the next three days."

Her father was momentarily stunned and turned to his waiting secretary: "Do we have a subsidiary called Zhou's Special Ling? I don't recall."

The secretary quickly replied, "Zhou's Special Ling is our smallest subsidiary. It's normal that you don't remember. It's the least profitable among all our companies, with annual profits of only a few billion, and its market value hasn't even surpassed a hundred billion."

"This company is about to release a new drug, and its stock is expected to rise by at least ten percent." After providing the basic information, the secretary emphasized, "Such a company, even if it goes bankrupt, won't have any significant impact on our entire group."

Hearing this, her father finally relaxed. "Sweetheart, did you hear that? This isn't a big deal..."

"Dad! You must take this seriously. What I'm saying is true. This matter directly impacts the future of our Zhou and Tang families!"

Hearing her father's dismissive attitude, Zhou Qiao'er was so anxious she was almost stomping her feet.

Her father finally perked up and asked, "This concerns both our families' futures? Is someone trying to target us? Who has the guts to take on both our families? Are they tired of living?"

"It's Ye Chen! And his organization!"

"Ye Chen? I've never even heard of him."

Her father looked puzzled and glanced at his secretary, who thought hard for a moment before saying, "During our investigation of Tang Ao, we found that the bodyguard Lin Ruoxue recently hired is named Ye Chen."

"Yes, that's him. That bodyguard Ye Chen!"

Silence.

Zhou Qiao'er listened as the phone remained silent for a full thirty seconds. "Dad, are you okay?"

"Hahahahahahahaha! A bodyguard? Hahahahahahaha! A mere bodyguard influencing the future of the Zhou and Tang families? That's the funniest joke I've ever heard. Qiao'er, I never expected you to develop a sense of humor."

The phone's speaker transmitted her father's wild laughter. Zhou Qiao'er had never heard him laugh so uncontrollably. Seeing that her father didn't believe her, she grew more anxious and insisted:

"Dad! I'm telling the truth!"

"Oh? Sweetheart, tell me, who told you this? Even if Zhou's Special Ling is the weakest subsidiary, a mere bodyguard can't possibly threaten it!"

Her father now seriously doubted Zhou Qiao'er had been deceived.

Zhou Qiao'er didn't hide anything and said directly, "It was Tang Ao who told me. This is real. That Ye Chen is a top-level threat. We must be on guard!"

"Tang Ao?" Her father's voice suddenly rose several octaves: "That useless brat who does nothing but fool around every day? I don't know what's going on between you two, but from the information I have, he's been trying all sorts of ways to win over Lin Ruoxue. He must have hit a wall with that bodyguard and wants to use our family to clear his obstacles!"

"Qiao'er, from what you've said, I believe Tang Ao is completely untrustworthy. He's just a good-for-nothing playboy. Don't let him deceive you. You'd better come back quickly!"

"Father! Tang Ao is not as bad as you think. You don't understand the heavy burden he carries. If you still recognize me as your daughter, prepare in advance!"

With that, Zhou Qiao'er angrily hung up the phone.

She knew her father's character well.

Her father was now filled with misunderstanding and prejudice against Tang Ao. Even if Zhou Qiao'er explained, her father wouldn't believe it. But~

In a few days, when Zhou's Special Ling's stock starts plummeting, her father will naturally believe her words.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, in a luxurious office in a high-rise building abroad, her father stared at his phone with a serious expression.

Though he knew it was impossible, he couldn't help but ask his secretary:

"Do you think what Qiao'er just said could be true?"

"Chairman, with all due respect, from a professional standpoint, it's absolutely impossible. I believe it's clear that Tang Ao has used sweet words to deceive your daughter."