Sending you a little peach heart.

Chapter 03: Qiao He is the Most, Most, Most Adorable Person in the World

16)

Unable to sleep due to her frustration with Cheng Jingchuan, Qiao He stormed into the workshop in the middle of the night to grind beads. Yun Lin, who got up for a midnight snack, saw the light on in the workshop and almost fainted in shock. Stammering, he asked, "Qiao He, are you sleepwalking?"

Qiao He picked up a piece of red and white scrap material and threw it at him. "Call me 'Senior Sister'! Show some respect!"

Yun Lin quickly ducked and hummed, "Women down the mountain are like tigers; better stay far away..."

Qiao He stayed in the workshop until late, and even after that, she woke up early the next day, her dark circles deeper than ever. After freshening up, she scattered some fish food into the small pond in front of the courtyard's shadow wall. Not feeling hungry, she brought some breakfast to her neighbor Grandma Zou. Zou Xiaodao was squatting under the grape trellis in the courtyard, brushing his teeth. When he saw Qiao He coming in, he didn't say a word. Qiao He, carrying buns and soy milk, knocked on his head and said, "See someone and not greet them? Has politeness been eaten by your breakfast?"

With a mouthful of toothpaste foam, Zou Xiaodao mumbled, "Morning!"

Qiao He took two steps forward, then paused and came back, tilting his chin up. "What happened to your face?" she asked, noticing a bruise on the corner of his mouth.

Zou Xiaodao shook off her hand with a toss of his head and replied, "Man's business. Little girls shouldn't pry!"

Qiao He gave a mocking laugh, poked him in the head, and said, "Fine, tough guy. Next time anyone asks me, a 'little girl,' to come help at parent-teacher meetings, they'll be a little pup! A mutt!"

After dropping off the breakfast, Qiao He drove straight to her shop. Halfway there, she received a call from Fang Keqi, who asked how things went with Cheng Jingchuan yesterday. Candlelight dinner? Starry night stroll? Must've been romantic.

Qiao He snorted, hung up, and just hearing the name "Cheng Jingchuan" made her fume!

On weekdays, business was slow at Ruyi Xuan. The jade carving trade was always like this—no sales for days, but each sale could cover you for half a year. Qiao He had sold a "Year of Abundance" flower vase a few days ago, followed by two jade bangles and a jade mountain carving at the end of last month. Her accounts looked great, so she could afford a few days of rest.

After finishing a pot of tea and munching through two bowls of pistachios, Qiao He noticed one of her assistants sneaking glances at her for the fourth time, so she called him over and tapped on the glass counter. "Spit it out," she said.

The assistant handed her a link to a Weibo post and whispered, "Boss Qiao, is this you?"

Qiao He clicked the link, which opened a video. It was shot on a phone, a bit blurry, with the camera weaving through a crowd until it focused on a girl in a white dress. The girl seemed to be throwing a fit, her voice clear and ringing through each sentence—

"Why don't you just date a mummy? They're all slim beauties!"

"People have dignity, and trees have bark. Are you a plant? No dignity, no bark!"

"I should've splashed you with hot water instead of throwing a sundae at you. That sundae cost over ten bucks, and I didn't even get a taste!"

...

"It's that girl, right?" Zhao Lisen's voice came through her earpiece, laughing as he spoke. "The one we saw at the exhibition. Her outfit and figure are exactly the same. I don't think I'm mistaken. This little lady has some serious fight in her—arguing wherever she goes!"