Pregnant After Healing the Alpha

Chapter 288: Chapter 278: Treating Qiao Jing Like a Poor Ghost
 

Qiao Jing’s heart leapt into her throat when she saw the soccer ball heading straight for Lin Xiuxiang.

She quickened her pace toward Lin Xiuxiang, but the ball was too fast and she couldn’t stop it in time; fortunately, Lin Xiuxiang was not seriously hurt.

However, apart from touching her head where the ball had struck, Lin Xiuxiang had no other reaction. Lin Xiuxiang decided not to leave.

Qiao Jing hurried over to Lin Xiuxiang and gently rubbed the spot where she had been hit.

As a result, Lin Xiuxiang was like a block of wood, not reacting at all, her face still looking blank.

“Hit by the ball and knocked silly? How could you be so out of it?”

Upon hearing Qiao Jing’s voice, Lin Xiuxiang’s unfocused eyes finally lit up, and she slowly turned her head to look at the person standing by her side.

“You’re the silly one.”

Lin Xiuxiang rolled her eyes in exasperation before asking,

“How come you’re here?”

Qiao Jing took Lin Xiuxiang’s broom to help her sweep up the rubbish in the area and then sat down beside her on the steps.

“The kids missed me, so I came to see them.”

Lin Xiuxiang blinked her eyes in confusion, but the kids were in class right now, unable to come out and meet with her.

Why would Qiao Jing come at this time?

Of course, Qiao Jing knew this too. Her main reason for coming was for Lin Xiuxiang.

“I know, I came to see you. What were you thinking about just now?”

When the children in physical education class saw Qiao Jing, they stopped what they were doing and thought about heading toward them, but when they saw the two of them talking, they stepped back.

Another teacher remembered that there were test papers yet to be distributed, so after consulting with the children, he brought them back to the classroom.

Lin Xiuxiang casually patted her shoes clean of dirt.

“Nothing, just thinking about some stuff.”

Qiao Jing handed her a tissue and said bluntly, “Thinking about your family matters?”

Lin Xiuxiang was taken aback and furrowed her brow.

“Did Tang Yan tell you? Didn’t I tell him not to tell you? How did he go behind my back to tell you?”

Qiao Jing picked up the tissue Lin Xiuxiang had dropped on the ground and threw it into the trash can.

“Don’t blame Tang Yan, it was me who pressed him for it. You know what I’m like, I have to know what I want to know, and I won’t stop until I do. He had no choice but to tell me.”

Qiao Jing paused for a moment, then playfully flicked Lin Xiuxiang’s nose.

“Also, you can blame yourself for zoning out yesterday and letting me notice. Your acting can’t fool me.”

Lin Xiuxiang finally laughed, slightly irritated, “Is my acting really that bad?”

Qiao Jing hummed softly, revealing a faint smile as well.

Lin Xiuxiang showed a troubled expression, chin in hand, giving Qiao Jing a pitiful look.

“They want to take me away, but I really don’t want to leave you all, I can’t bear to.”

Ripples formed in Qiao Jing’s phoenix eyes as she gave a fair response.

“Then follow your own wishes.”

She wanted Lin Xiuxiang to stay, but the final decision was still in Lin Xiuxiang’s hands.

Just at that moment.

A car stopped at the entrance of the welfare institute.

A man and a woman got out of the car and headed straight for Lin Xiuxiang after arriving at the institute.

Lin Xiuxiang also saw the two individuals and quietly explained to Qiao Jing.

“That’s my sister, Jiang Ning, and the man next to her is my brother-in-law, Chen Jingling.”

Qiao Jing looked up at the two of them and nodded gently, if they treated Xiangxiang well, she too would hope that Xiangxiang could go home.

The two stood up.

There was a resemblance between Jiang Ning’s eyes and brows and Lin Xiuxiang’s, obviously family.

“Have you packed your things? We’re leaving right now.”

Lin Xiuxiang was still hesitating and had not packed, so she answered truthfully.

“I haven’t packed yet.”

Jiang Ning’s face immediately darkened, and her tone was filled with impatience as she began to urge.

“Didn’t I give you a heads-up yesterday to pack your things? Why haven’t you packed yet? Go back and pack now, quick!”

“If it weren’t for the fact that mom and dad told me I must take you back, I really couldn’t be bothered to wait here for you, wasting so much time.”

Chen Jingling followed behind Jiang Ning without speaking, his eyes surreptitiously glancing at Qiao Jing.

After hearing Jiang Ning’s words, Qiao Jing furrowed her brows, pursed her lips, and scrutinized the other party with an assessing look.

Sister Xiangxiang’s tone was far from courteous and lacked any joy one might expect from someone about to take a long-lost sister back home.

And from the last statement, she could tell that she merely treated it as a task.

If Xiangxiang returned to such a family, would she be happy?

Lin Xiuxiang stood still, her brows tightly furrowed, still hesitating and unable to make a decision.

She longed for a complete family, but she couldn’t bear to part with everyone here.

Seeing Lin Xiuxiang standing still, Jiang Ning’s tone grew even more impatient.

“Why are you still standing there? Hurry up and pack your things. I really don’t have the time, okay? What were mom and dad thinking, insisting on taking you back?”

After all, she was the young lady of the household, and for this abruptly found sister, she felt a certain degree of discontent in her heart.

Qiao Jing’s frown deepened, but she remained silent, as this was Lin Xiuxiang’s own affair, and she had to make her own decisions.

Though she was Lin Xiuxiang’s best friend and treated her like a younger sister, she had no right to interfere with her choices.

If Lin Xiuxiang decided not to go, she would definitely not allow anyone to forcibly take her away.

Seeing Lin Xiuxiang still unresponsive, Jiang Ning could no longer bear it and directly started dragging her out.

After being pulled for a couple of steps, Lin Xiuxiang clenched her teeth, suddenly stopped, and her gaze became resolute.

“I’m not going back, I want to stay here.”

Jiang Ning, incredulous, widened her eyes, turned to look at her so-called sister, and couldn’t help but laugh with anger.

“If you don’t go back, you’ll just stay in this lousy welfare institute? There’s nothing here. Haven’t I told you? Our family does business and we have money.”

“Isn’t it better for you to come back and be the second young lady? Whatever you want, you will have it. Why insist on staying in this broken place and suffer? What on earth are you thinking? Is your brain just for show?”

Lin Xiuxiang still didn’t budge; she had made up her mind to stay in the welfare institute. She couldn’t let go of her feelings for the children or leave Qiao Jing behind.

Jiang Ning, muttering complaints, continued to drag and pull Lin Xiuxiang towards the door.

“Hurry up, once you come with me, don’t come back to this broken place. What’s here that’s worth your nostalgia? This poor and shabby place, even dogs wouldn’t stay!”

Qiao Jing quickly stepped beside Lin Xiuxiang, shielding her behind herself, her phoenix eyes dark as deep pools, her cool voice breaking the silence.

“She said she doesn’t want to go, did you not hear her?”

If Lin Xiuxiang had made her decision, she wouldn’t let someone forcibly take her away.

Jiang Ning sized up this person who had suddenly appeared; upon seeing Qiao Jing’s extraordinary face and her transcendent aura, she was taken aback.

As she wondered about Qiao Jing’s identity, she noticed that Qiao Jing’s clothes were ordinary, clearly cheap wholesale market stuff, and internally, Jiang Ning lumped her in with the poor.

Jiang Ning looked at Qiao Jing disdainfully and asked in a scornful tone, “Who are you?”