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After Li Qian returned from his mountain visit, no one had seen or heard from him in over two months. At the very least, Ling Xue knew he had returned alone, so she figured he was licking his wounds and burying his head in the tremendous task of running the Li Group. He stayed tight-lipped about what had happened in the mountains and had obviously been avoiding Yuan Ming and Ling Xue so he didn't have to admit that the trip was a failure.

In fact, Ling Xue had been harboring a secret fear that this little girl was the face of Li Qian's dreams. Especially since she'd appeared out of nowhere and Li Qian seemed closer to her than any other female she'd seen.

It turned out to be all her wild imagination, though. Ling Xue took in Jiao Jiao's girlish figure wrapped in layers of soft lavender tulle. A pretty necklace glimmered at her neck while her fresh face held hints of color on her soft cheeks and rosy lips.

'Sure enough, Li Qian wouldn't be interested in such an ordinary girl as this,' she thought with a satisfied smirk. While she was smart enough to win the BrightSmart scholarship, her youth and looks wouldn't be enough to match up to Li Qian's obviously high standards for a partner.

She couldn't help but mock a little as she said, "You must be quite the little bookworm then, hmm? Just don't forget to take care of yourself; after all, too much studying will cause your hair to fall out!"

Jiao Jiao unconsciously pulled a few strands of her soft hair into her palm as Ling Xue smirked inwardly.

"I guess Mr. Kang studied a little too much when he was in school then, huh, Li Qian?" Yuan Ming guffawed at his own joke. Li Qian gazed at them all in silence, then finally quirked a small smile.

"You'd better not let him hear you, A'Ming. The last time Mr. Kang caught you joking about his hair, I seem to recall he landed a fairly powerful kick to your ass."

The two men chuckled in remembrance while Jiao Jiao covered her mouth in delight.

She asked innocently, "Is that why your hair is so thick, Brother Ming? Because you didn't spend much time studying in school?"

All faces turned to her in amazement before Yuan Ming laughed. "Oh, well done, Jiao Jiao! I think we'll have a lot of fun getting to know each other!"

Many eyes were drawn to the merry party and wondered what had caused their laughter. Only Ling Xue remained quite dour, shocked at the quick wit Jiao Jiao had displayed.

"Jiao Jiao," she purred, smoothing her tight red dress over her hips. "It's amazing that you won the scholarship just when your mom was discovered. Quite a twist of fate, I'd say!"

Li Qian stepped forward to interrupt and said, "Come, Jiao Jiao. Let's go find your mom, shall we?" He gave Ling Xue a scrutinizing look before ushering Jiao Jiao away.

Just before leaving, Jiao Jiao dipped into a small curtsey. "Then Sister Xue, Brother Ming, I'll be off. Goodbye!" She nodded, then trailed off behind Li Qian like a little kitten following its master.

"Well, well, she's quite the cute little thing, isn't she?" Yuan Ming stepped up to Ling Xue's side and continued, "So you've decided you like her now?"

Ling Xue sneered and let out a soft laugh. "She's just a little girl, A'Ming. If I keep an eye on her, what can she do?"

"Actually," she continued scheming, "BrightSmart is looking for a new spokesperson. She'd do quite well, don't you think?"

Yuan Ming heaved a sigh and turned to face Ling Xue, uncharacteristic seriousness coloring his features. "Ling Xue, jealousy will poison your heart. I'm only warning you because I've known you for twenty-four years. Don't try to use that little girl. You'll end up ruining yourself and your foundation."

"Shut up, Yuan Ming," she replied defiantly. "BrightSmart is doing just fine, thank you very much."

"Then act like the founder and not a bitter onlooker." Yuan Ming pulled his vibrating phone from his pocket and walked away, Ling Xue staring after him in disbelief.

'The fucking nerve of him,' she seethed.