Chapter 102 (1/2)
Chapter 102
The Lure of Wealth
”What? Your father?”
Zhou Qin could hear the surprise in Li Yundong's toneShe turned her head slightly and gave hi up at the university just one day after the incident yesterday? This couldn't be a coincidence
Zhou Qin observed her father fro presenceHe stood a few feet away froaze roam across the lecture hall as he studied every student presentWas he looking for her?
Her thoughts were interrupted by Vice-chancellor Ke, who had taken his spot on the lectern and was now addressing the students
”Ladies and gentleuest, the Deputy Governor of our province, MrZhou Keqiang! Let us all stand and welcouests with a round of applause!”
Students rose from their seats as the lecture hall filled with the sound of applauseZhou Qin didn't stand upZhou Keqiang had lost her respect and affection a long ti subsided and the students sat back downThat hen she noticed that her father's eyes were on herZhou Qin met her father's stare with cold intensityWhy are you here, father?
Then, Zhou Qin noticed her father's frownAt first, she thought he was frowning at herBut when she looked closer, she realized that her father wasn't even looking at her now; he was staring at Li Yundong, as sitting beside herThe lightbulbs in Zhou Qin's head lit up at the same time her hackles roseHe Shao
That idiotic scoundrel
Was that it? Was her father here to bully or threaten Li Yundong? Zhou Qin bit the inside of her cheeksOver my dead body!
”HeyWhat's the 's voiceLi Yundong was giving her a look of concern
Zhou Qin forced out a s raised his brow, clearly not buying any of it”Yeah? I bet your textbook would disagree”
What? She glanced down and realized that she had cruht?” Li Yundong asked again
Zhou Qin unclenched her hand and se”YeahI'm fine,” she said lamelyOr at least I will be once I sort out thistowards the lectern, no doubt ready to recite some hackneyed speech that so fan of your oldat her wrylyInstead of answering, Zhou Qin redirected her gaze towards the lecternCan you love a father who sees his only daughter as a e? Who values status and power hter's happiness?
Another round of applause signaled the end of her father's speechZhou Qin didn't hear a single thing her father saidThe clapping lasted until her father and his entourage left the lecture hallOn the bright side, nobody—other than Li Yundong and Su Chan—seemed to know that Deputy Governor Zhou was actually her father, though she figured it wouldn't be long until somebody made the connectionEither way, she had to put an end to her father's nonsense before things came to that
”Qinqin! Over here!”
Zhou Qin stopped outside the lecture hall and turned to her rightA youngat her at the end of the corridor
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Zhou Qin walked over”Secretary Liu,” she said, trying her hardest to sound polite”Where isfor you in the car”
Zhou Qin nodded”Lead the way”
Let's get this over with
Secretary Liu led her out of the acadeatesPast the gates, she saw an Audi A6 parked beside the curbPieces of broken glass crunched under her feet as she traversed the curb towards the AudiThe tireher of yesterday's extraordinary eventsNot that she needed any extra re's episode inside thesince co were extraordinary individuals
Zhou Qin slid into the Audi's backseatFor a moment, neither she nor her father spokeZhou Qin didn't even kno to beginShe was still sojust because He Shao had whined a little
It was only minutes later when Zhou Qin fired the first salvo”Well, well, wellHow nice of the great Deputy Governor Zhou Keqiang to grace Tiannan University with his presence” Zhou Qin snorted”I' out the red carpet”
”Qinqin” Zhou Keqiang sighed”I'm your father, not your enemyWhat's with the attitude?”
A father? Zhou Qin snortedYou stopped being my father the moment you traded my happiness for power! Zhou Qin crossed her arms in front of her chest”Why are you here?” she snapped”What, did He Shao go ho to his father after I told hier flared inside Zhou Qin
He ShaoThat repulsive, off-putting, obnoxious, depraved, and vile manMan? NoHe wasn't even a le ounce of virtue in hie with a decent ed e with He Shao would utterly ruin her chances of happiness and perhaps even her whole lifeHow on earth was she supposed to spend the rest of her life with that shallow and despicable creature who spent more tiardless, arguing with her father was an exercise in futilityShe knew that because she had already triedA hundred times, perhaps moreBut every time she did, her father's ansas always the sae, QinqinWhich e after you get marriedYou'll see”
Her father was a foolHe was too blinded by power to see that being associated with He Shao would only da runSooner or later, He Shao would do soed down by it
”You're just like your e of anger coursed through Zhou Qin's veinsHow dare he? How dare he mention mom
”Oh? So you still remember what mother was like? What a surprise,” Zhou Qin said, the acid rolling off her tongue”She's been dead for ten yearsI thought you have forgotten all about her already!”
”Don't use that tone with me, child!”
Zhou Qin snortedAnyone else would've at least flinched at her father's outburstBut Zhou Qin had long since passed the point of caring”Oh? What kind of tone shall I use then? The servile kind? The same kind your subordinates use with you?” Zhou Qin chuckled hu over you, crawling at your feet, feeding your delusions of grandeur and sense of superiorityIsn't that what you live for, father?”
”You—”
”What, don't tell hter does?”
”Of course I doYou're ht!”
Zhou Keqiang stared at Zhou Qin, too stunned to say anything
Zhou Qin took a deep breath”You don't get to dehterNot when you yourself don't even treatabout?”
”Did you come to my birthday party, father? Did you?” Zhou Qin sneered”No you didn'tIt was your only daughter's birthday party, yet you didn't even show”
”I ca of you to clear a slot in your busy schedule to coht when the party was long over” Zhou Qin snorted”Tell s did you have to reschedule just to come here today, hmm? Five? Ten? You're a busy man after all”
Her father didn't answer, so Zhou Qin kept going”And yet here you areYou cleared your busy schedule and ca just because He Shao whined a littleYou'd do that for He Shao, an outsider, but not your daughter?”
Tears stung Zhou Qin's eyes
”Qinqin”
Zhou Qin turned away to face theDon't cry, damn itDon't cryYou don't care about that manYou don't
Silence per sound of a lighterZhou Qin ta herself that she still cared
”Get out if you want to so”
Zhou Keqiang tossed the lighter away”What has gotten into you these days, Qinqin? Why are you acting like this?”
Zhou Qin turned around”Me? Oh, I assure you I'm not the problemThe problem lies with you! Your obsession with power haselse!”
”What is it that you want!”