Hidden identities of the AI Heiress

Chapter 280: Chapter 280: Su Mian is Stunned

Lin Si pressed down her excitement and asked Su Mian, “Do you know about Qiaose Research Institute?”

Su Mian nodded, “Are you talking about that medical research institute? Didn’t they just release a new cancer drug that won an award recently?”

“Exactly, actually they don’t just research drugs. Last year they started a project on skin, and at the beginning of this year, they developed a special anti-wrinkle Nourishing Face Cream.”

“You know my family is in the cosmetics business, and my brother also works as a researcher at Qiaose Research Institute, so it was easy for us to connect with them. Originally, my family wanted to collaborate with them, but the cooperation has been on hold because some ingredients needed to be cultivated.”

Su Mian was even more perplexed. What did this have to do with her?

Lin Si didn’t keep her in suspense but spoke slowly, “I was fortunate enough to try it first, and it’s exactly the same as the one you have in your hand! Your cream must be the new product developed by Qiaose Research Institute.”

...

After listening to her, Su Mian was completely dumbfounded.

“Are, are you, kidding, kidding me?”

Upon hearing this, Qin Huan’s hand trembled as she held the Nourishing Face Cream.

What?

A no-brand product, developed by Qiaose Research Institute?

Lin Si said, “How could I possibly joke about something like this with you, where did your Nourishing Face Cream come from?”

Su Mian was utterly shocked.

Wasn’t the Nourishing Face Cream just a local remedy from Qiaoqiao’s hometown? How could it be developed by Qiaose Research Institute?

This doesn’t make sense.

Su Mian’s mind buzzed, and she shook her head repeatedly, “Impossible, the Nourishing Face Cream was brought to me by my daughter from the countryside, it’s a local formula from her village, you must be mistaken.”

Lin Si looked stunned.

She knew Su Mian’s biological daughter had come back from the countryside. If the Nourishing Face Cream was from her hands, then it definitely couldn’t be the version from Qiaose Research Institute.

How could a girl from the countryside have access to Qiaose Research Institute, let alone obtain so much of it?

“But the texture, it’s really the same.” Lin Si wondered if she had made a mistake.

“Maybe it just looks similar, but it definitely can’t be from Qiaose Research Institute,” Su Mian asserted.

The ladies, initially shocked by Lin Si’s statement, now felt reassured by Su Mian’s firm denial and doubted if Lin Si was mistaken.

However, they dared not use a local remedy from the countryside anyway.

Because of this, Su Mian’s Nourishing Face Cream wasn’t successfully recommended.

However, Lin Si expressed a desire to take a pack of the Nourishing Face Cream.

Su Mian generously gave her two small packs.

“Mrs. Lu,” Ya Man called out to Su Mian, “if you have time, come out for tea again.”

“No problem,” Su Mian had heard of Ya Man.

She was once a mistress of the He Family head. After the legitimate wife passed away, she entered the He Family.

Because of this, Su Mian’s impression of her was really bad, but as they both had lost a daughter once, Su Mian did empathize with her.

Ya Man also invited Qin Huan.

Qin Huan was more than willing.

Ya Man contacting the Lu Family was partly because of Lu Ting, and partly because she wanted to foster collaboration between the Lu Family and the He Family.

Another reason was that she feared Qiao Yun might remember something and thus implicate herself, so she had to keep a close watch on Qiao Yun.

*

After leaving the gathering, Lin Si called her younger brother Lin Lu.

“I’m sending you a sample, help me check it,” she said.

“What sample?” Lin Lu asked.

After Lin Si explained what had happened today, indeed he laughed and said, “You must have mistaken, outsiders couldn’t possibly get it.”

“Oh, I remember now, so far only Professor Qiao has taken two bottles away, and it pained my teacher so much he couldn’t even eat.”

“My friend doesn’t know Professor Qiao, she couldn’t have gotten it from her. Anyway, just help me check it,” Lin Si insisted.

“Okay, send it over, and once I’m done with my work, I’ll help you test it.”

Lin Si finally hung up the phone.

She trusted her judgment but also believed that Qiao Yun, coming from a rural area, couldn’t possibly have obtained the unreleased Nourishing Face Cream.

That’s why she wanted her younger brother to test it because she couldn’t stop thinking about it.

The courier was expedited and arrived the next day.

Unfortunately, Lin Lu was out on business with his teacher and wouldn’t be back for a few days, so the package was temporarily stored in the security room.

Meanwhile, a truck was parked at the entrance of the Lu Family’s house.

Lu Shiran jumped down from the passenger side.

Su Mian curiously asked, “Shiran, what’s this all about?”

“Auntie, I’ve come to deliver some things,” Lu Shiran directed the workers to open the truck.

A truck full of fluffy toys was revealed to everyone.

Lu Shiran lifted his chin at a 45° angle and generously said to Qiao Yun, “Look, these are the toys I’ve got for you. Are you happy, excited, and pleased?”

“Now that I’ve admitted you’re my sister, don’t think it’s just because of Rolly that I acknowledged you. I’ll look out for you from now on.”

“That’s too much.”

Qiao Yun looked at the toys sufficient to fill an entire room, and the corner of her mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.

“This is too much?” Lu Shiran was surprised. If not for the lack of space, he would have dragged an entire pool of toys over.

As a brother, how could he let his sister think he was stingy.

“All right, I know you’re very happy, no need to be polite, they’re all yours, just little trinkets.”

After babbling on, Lu Shiran didn’t wait for Su Mian to detain him and waved his hand, “I’m leaving now.”

“This kid, he really likes you a lot,” Su Mian said to Qiao Yun with a wry smile. “When he was little, every time he got a new toy, he’d always let you play with it first, even waiting for you to finish drinking milk before he would drink.”

Qiao Yun unexpectedly raised her eyebrows, shaking her head, “I don’t remember that.”

“You were only a few months old back then. If it weren’t for…” Su Mian’s voice suddenly stopped, not wanting to bring up Qin Huan again.

Undeniably, because of Qin Huan, her attitude towards Lu Shiran had not been as warm as before, which resulted in Lu Shiran not visiting for several years.

The return of Qiao Yun did much to smooth things over.

Lu Shiran giving Qiao Yun the toys was because their grandmother had said last time not to let her sister hate him, just to coax her a bit.

He hadn’t really coaxed anyone before, just assumed girls love fluffy things, which is why he gifted them to Qiao Yun.

In the end, Qiao Yun accepted the toys and placed them in a room Su Mian had specially cleared for her.

Seeing the room full of gifts, Qiao Yun realized that since her return, she had indeed received quite a lot of things.

She would preserve these gifts carefully.

One day, when she leaves the Lu Family, she could still take them out for reminiscing.

After arranging the toys, Qiao Yun put on a light jacket and headed out.

She was going to the old house to pick up the presents for the grandparents of Lu Family.

After all, she had promised to bring gifts, and she wasn’t one to go back on her word.

Qiao Yun sent a message to Zhou You to meet her at the bus station and then quietly waited.

Just then,

a sanitation worker approached from afar. When she got to Qiao Yun, she suddenly exclaimed.

Then very theatrically, she fell right in front of Qiao Yun.

Qiao Yun: …

She looked at the aunt lying at her feet, who was obviously alright but still pretending not to be able to get up.

An idea flashed through her mind.

She had been scammed!