The chauffeur laughed heartily. “We’re parents in a new era now. We have to respect our children’s interests and hobbies. As long as their idol promotes positive values, they’re free to like whoever they want!”
Mm.
She really did need to be a positive role model.
Qiuyun said, “I feel the same way. For example, if your daughter sees Qiu Ze work hard and successfully improve his ranking, she’ll believe that her own hard work will pay off too.”
“Oh, girl, you’ve really hit the nail on the head!” The aunt made up her mind. “My daughter said before that she wanted to watch the finals. When I get home, I’ll tell her that if she can make it into the top three in her midterm ranking, I’ll take her!”
“That’s wonderful! Maybe I’ll go watch it too if I get the chance.”
They arrived at the driving school while chatting. Qiuyun practiced driving twice and also went through a practice session in the simulated test area. After confirming that there would be no problems, she asked Coach Huang to register her for the exam.
After having lunch at the driving school, Qiuyun returned to the estate. Sure enough, Sun Assistant Manager had clearly received instructions from his employer and was waiting outside the Bright Moon Pavilion.
“Assistant Qiu, have you had lunch? Our head chef roasted some squab today. Would you like to try some?”
“I’ve eaten.” Qiuyun didn’t waste time on pleasantries. “Sun Assistant Manager, make me a list of everyone in the main house who can be persuaded or bribed.”
Sun Assistant Manager instantly put on a serious expression. “All right. I’ll get right on it.”
While he was doing that, Qiuyun called Miss Jiang and told her everything she had learned that morning.
Jiang Chuling clicked her tongue in amazement. “As expected of Sister Xiaoqiu! I can’t believe you even came up with a way to make them turn on each other!”
“If we can tear away Mr. Jiang’s mask of gentleness, we’ll at least be rescuing a poor girl.”
Hu Yin was barely in her twenties. The man she loved had manipulated things so that she was sent to the Old Master’s side as a masseuse and personal attendant. She probably still thought she was looking after her future father-in-law, never realizing that she had already been served up as a dish.
After ending the call, Qiuyun suddenly remembered that she had forgotten to tell Sun Assistant Manager to include the people around the Fourth Branch and Mrs. Ge as well.
He didn’t answer when she called. Just then, a sightseeing shuttle arrived, so she took it to the secondary first floor, planning to tell him in person.
Unexpectedly, as soon as she entered the courtyard of the secondary first floor, she saw Madam watering the flowers.
Ever since Madam had moved back to the secondary first floor, the daily household affairs briefings that should have been compiled by Qiuyun had been handed over to Sister Zhou. It had been quite some time since Qiuyun had last reported her work to Madam.
“Madam?” Qiuyun hurried over. “I remember you have a class on Monday mornings. Did something happen?”
Yu Xiang smiled faintly. “There was a problem at the university, so I took leave.”
“I see.” Qiuyun didn’t ask further. She simply said, “Are you feeling unwell? Would you like me to accompany you to the hospital for a checkup?”
Yu Xiang shook her head, then looked at Xiaoqiu. “This is a little complicated. Don’t tell your employer.”
Qiuyun’s expression turned solemn. “All right. Please tell me.”
“I was anonymously reported for academic misconduct. I’m currently suspended from teaching while the matter is investigated and rectified.”
“What?”
Yu Xiang sighed. “There was a national-level special research project at the university. I wrote the application proposal, and it was selected. I spent nearly half a year working painstakingly on every detail. It was about to be sent out for external blind review when someone reported me anonymously, claiming that I had used my family’s connections to pressure the college into giving me the project.”
Her face was full of worry. “Only the university and department leaders knew that I was Mrs. Jiang. But now it’s been written in the report, and quite a few students know about it. Everyone is discussing it in their group chats. To calm the public outcry, the university temporarily suspended my classes.”
Qiuyun frowned. “Do you know who reported you?”
Yu Xiang shook her head. “The report was printed on an A4 sheet of paper and placed in a teacher’s drawer in the academic affairs office. It was dated March twentieth, which was the annual deadline for submitting materials for the professional-title evaluation. A lot of teachers went to the academic affairs office that day to sign and submit documents, and the place was chaotic. We examined the surveillance footage carefully, but we couldn’t identify the person.”
Qiuyun thought briefly before immediately pointing out the key issue. “The fact that the report was dated March twentieth doesn’t mean it was placed there on March twentieth.”
Yu Xiang froze.
“In fact, that person may have deliberately dated it March twentieth after noticing that the academic affairs office would be crowded and chaotic that day,” Qiuyun analyzed.
At once, Yu Xiang called the university leaders and asked them to obtain copies of all the surveillance footage from the time of the incident until now.
Qiuyun reminded her, “If you’re going to have someone review the footage, Madam, I suggest starting on the day the report was discovered and working backward.”
“All right.” Yu Xiang let out a long breath. “It’s a good thing I have you, Xiaoqiu.”
Qiuyun replied considerately, “I’m glad I could help. If you need anything from me, just let me know.”
“All right.” Yu Xiang felt reassured. “I’ll have someone review the surveillance footage from the past ten-odd days first and see whether we can identify the author of the report.”
Qiuyun nodded. “I’ll wait for your instructions.”
After saying goodbye to Madam, Qiuyun found Sun Assistant Manager in the back sitting room, organizing information on a computer.
“Oh, what brings Assistant Qiu here? Is something the matter?”
Qiuyun sat down beside him. “I called you, but you didn’t answer, so I had to come over and tell you in person.”
“What is it?” Sun Assistant Manager took out his phone and realized that he had accidentally put it on silent.
“When you compile the list of people in the main house, make one for the people around Mr. Jiang and Mrs. Ge as well.”
Qiuyun remembered overhearing at the head chef’s kitchen that a Mr. Ge had arranged for two cases of wine to be airfreighted from France.
“By the way, does Mrs. Ge have a younger brother or an older brother?”
Sun Assistant Manager nodded. “Yes. Mrs. Ge has a younger brother. He works in the purchasing department and is responsible for buying all the estate’s food, supplies, landscaping plants, and flowers.”
As expected, all the lucrative positions went to family members.
Qiuyun told him to pay special attention to the man. “Look closely into his connections within the estate.”
As for his connections outside the estate, she would call Assistant Qian to investigate.
They would cover both sides.
Sun Assistant Manager said, “Understood.”
That evening.
After school, Miss Jiang came running back and went straight to Sister Xiaoqiu to ask for an update.
Qiuyun had just obtained all the information on the main house personnel except for Ge Wenguan, so she invited Miss Jiang to look it over with her and come up with ideas.
Jiang Chuling stared at the long list of personnel in the main house and exclaimed, “I always knew there were a lot of people looking after Grandpa, but I never realized there were this many!”
There were more than twenty resident private doctors and nurses, a rehabilitation and medical support team of over ten people, more than thirty staff members handling daily life and personal care, ten people responsible for clothing and image management, and another ten handling entertainment and social activities.
And that didn’t even include the private bodyguards or the team of chefs specially assigned to prepare nutritious meals for the Old Master.
“There’s even a dedicated position for cutting his hair, and people to look after his fish and birds.” Jiang Chuling read through the list line by line, utterly stunned. “There are even people whose job is to play chess with him and grind ink for him!”
Although she lived in the same estate as her grandfather, she usually only went to the main house’s dining room and study.
She had always assumed that because her grandfather’s legs were weak, he could only stay at home like a lonely old man who was unable to go anywhere.
But now that she thought about it, how could he possibly be lonely?
Nearly a hundred people were serving him from top to bottom!
