Hidden identities of the AI Heiress

Chapter 286: Chapter 286: Investigating Gu Ming and Qin Huan
 

“That money, I gave it all to Huang Hui to pay off debts.”

When Qin Huan intentionally abandoned Qiao Yun years ago, Mrs. Lin was also involved. Qin Huan, wanting to keep her quiet, hadn’t treated Mrs. Lin poorly over the years.

However, Mrs. Lin’s biological son was a good-for-nothing, never missing an opportunity to gamble or fight. To pay off her son’s gambling debts, Mrs. Lin had drained all her funds.

“That’s your son, not mine. You can’t expect me to always pay off his gambling debts, right? He can’t keep going on like this.” Qin Huan was very reluctant; she wasn’t an ATM.

Mrs. Lin hurriedly explained, “This time it’s not about paying debts; it’s for a business deal. He’s recently met some influential people, and they are going to help him make a fortune.”

If her son was trying to turn over a new leaf, of course she would support him.

“What kind of influential person would take an interest in him? He barely has an education and is knee-deep in gambling. Without my help, he wouldn’t even have a job. I think he’s been scammed.”

“Madam, it’s not a scam. Once I make some money, I will definitely pay you back.”

Her own son being devalued upset Mrs. Lin, but she felt powerless.

“Alright, alright, how much do you want to borrow?”

Qin Huan didn’t want to push her too hard. If the Lu family ever found out what she had done to Qiao Yun, she would face more than just a divorce.

“Thank you, madam. Just two hundred thousand will be enough.”

Upon hearing it was only two hundred thousand, Qin Huan decided not to complain further and transferred the money to Mrs. Lin directly.

When Mrs. Lin saw the transaction complete, she quickly said, “Don’t worry, madam. I will definitely keep our secret safe; I absolutely won’t leak it.”

“It better be that way. I have treated you well over these years. I’ve handled so many of your son’s messes; you need to know your boundaries,” Qin Huan warned.

Mrs. Lin nodded hurriedly to show she understood.

“You may leave now.”

“Yes, madam.”

Seeing Mrs. Lin always irritated Qin Huan. Over the years, she had given Mrs. Lin well over a million, all from her personal savings.

She truly didn’t want to be an ATM forever.

Frustrated, Qin Huan threw her phone onto the bed, complaining, “Gu Ming, oh Gu Ming, you die, and all is solved. You have left me constantly anxious, and now I even have to act like an ATM. If not for fear of exposing our deeds… Tsk.”

Someone was listening in with a bug, recording the conversation between Qin Huan and Mrs. Lin verbatim, and sent it directly to Li Hanzhou’s phone.

Li Hanzhou opened the recording and listened while working on documents.

When the recording ended, he put down his pen, leaned back, and sent a message.

[Check, Gu Ming.]

[Yes.]

As Li Hanzhou thought of Qiao Yun, his lips curled slightly, and the frost in his eyes briefly turned to tenderness.

*

Mrs. Lin, after receiving the money, quickly transferred it to her son.

Huang Hui was drinking with Zhou You, a recently met influential person. Seeing the money come in, he exclaimed excitedly, “Zhou Brother, I’ve got the money now. Count me in on the investment.”

“You got the money so quickly?” Zhou You poured Huang Hui a glass of baijiu, jokingly saying, “It wasn’t stolen, was it?”

“How could that be! I just borrowed it urgently from someone who promised to help me earn money. You can’t go back on your word.”

“Don’t worry about that. Although we haven’t known each other for long, I already consider you a brother.”

“Hahaha, good, brother, cheers.”

“Cheers! By the way, who was so generous to lend you money?”

With a drink taken, and his head feeling woozy, Huang Hui said, “Generous? It’s just a woman involved in shady deals, scared my mom might expose her, so she had to cough up the money. Not to boast, brother, but most of my expenses these years have been covered by this woman.”

“If she runs out of money, she won’t be able to help you anymore.”

“How could she run out of money? She’s loaded.”

Huang Hui lowered his voice, “That woman is the wife of Lu Group’s Chairman Lu’s oldest son. Tell me she isn’t rich!”

Zhou You paused, his smile deepening, “She treats you so well; you guys aren’t involved in something, are you?”

“I wouldn’t dare think about her like that,” Huang Hui scoffed. “But, she’s got skeletons in her closet that my mom holds over her.”

“What kind of skeletons?”

“I really don’t know that, my mom is incredibly tight-lipped.”

Huang Hui’s head began to spin, and after saying this, he slumped onto the table.

Zhou You pushed him a bit, and seeing no response, he then went to the back door of the restaurant, scoped out the area, and seeing nobody around, made a call.

“Pei Ya, the fish has bitten.”

Pei Ya raised an eyebrow, “That was quick, Zhou You sure lives up to his name.”

Zhou You… Zhou You honestly reported, “This guy is easy to fool. A few drinks, promises of big money, and he believes anything.”

Zhou You then conveyed to Pei Ya what Huang Hui had told him.

Pei Ya was silent for a while, then said, “What do you think it is, that could make Qin Huan willing to pay so much money?”

Zhou You replied, “It’s something that could ruin her.”

“Look into it, check Qin Huan’s financial transactions over the past dozen years, and her network of connections as well. And he wants to make money, right? Then let him make some.” Pei Ya smirked dismissively.

That smirk was somewhat sinister.

Zhou You immediately understood what Pei Ya intended to do.

After hanging up the phone, Pei Ya sorted through the clues he had gathered in his mind.

Qin Huan, Sister Lin, these two surely have secrets that the Lu Family must not discover.

Regardless of whether the hold Sister Lin has over Qin Huan is related to Professor Qiao being kidnapped, he was determined to look into it.

Better to err on the side of action than to miss an opportunity.

*

On Sunday noon, Old Master Lu, along with Qiao Yun, went to the art enthusiast gathering, even bringing along a masterpiece he had recently acquired, ready to show off to the group of old men.

Despite being nearly eighty years old, the old man still had a competitive spirit.

“If you get bored, just tell me,” Old Master Lu, worried that Qiao Yun was only agreeable to appease him, mentioned before they attended the event.

“I won’t be bored, I like it,” Qiao Yun assured her grandfather.

She used to grind ink for her grandfather when he painted, so she had a good understanding of art.

Old Master Lu was slightly reassured, then turned to Lu Shiran and said, “You, boy, why follow along? Aren’t you disinterested?”

“I’m interested now,” Lu Shiran clung to the car door, determined not to be left behind.

Old Master Lu jested, “I think you’re here for other reasons than the wine.”

Lu Shiran played dumb, “Grandpa, what are you talking about? I don’t understand.”

Old Master Lu looked at Qiao Yun’s confused face and chuckled heartily.

It made Lu Shiran’s face turn red.

At the gathering, many brought their paintings, and some their acquisitions of masterpieces.

The hall was filled with displays.

Old Master Lu led Qiao Yun around to view the paintings, chatting with her about them from time to time.

Qiao Yun listened intently, without a hint of complaint.

Seeing this, Old Master Lu’s mood lifted significantly, and he explained with even more zeal.

Meanwhile, Lu Shiran was visibly bored, yawning multiple times, much to Old Master Lu’s disapproval.

“Told you not to come, you insisted, and now you’re bored.”

“Yawning doesn’t mean I’m bored.”

Lu Shiran forced himself to perk up, not wanting to embarrass himself in front of Qiao Yun.

Old Master Lu didn’t push him, “Take your sister to the resting area, grab some snacks and drinks. I’ll go meet with old friends; we old men have our chats and you youngsters can hardly get a word in.”

Hearing this, Lu Shiran didn’t wish to stay back.

“I’ll buy you a drink.”

Qiao Yun didn’t refuse, knowing that Lu Shiran had come just to keep her company, and now seeing him bored, she didn’t mind accompanying him.