CEO's Ugly Flash-Marriage Wife Hides So Many Identities
Chapter 160: Alive Without a Trace, Dead Without a Corpse

Chapter 160: Chapter 160: Alive Without a Trace, Dead Without a Corpse

Elder Pei snapped, "Shut up."

Qiao Rui shrugged, "If you apologize to me, I’ll shut up. If you don’t apologize, then I’ll say whatever I want."

"You’re doing this on purpose!"

"Exactly, I am doing this on purpose. When people don’t let me live peacefully, I definitely return the favor double. Tit for tat is the norm in life."

"Hmph, you’re still too green to fight me," Elder Pei snorted, still not taking Qiao Rui seriously.

Qiao Rui was not angry but smiled and said, "That’s true, I won’t fight you. I’ll just outlast you since you’re so seriously ill."

"Well, then I’ll just live a long life and see how you outlast me." Elder Pei huffed and went to the hospital.

Qiao Rui sat down on the couch and let out a sigh of relief.

Talking with old people is really exhausting.

She was almost out of patience.

At this moment, Pei Liyan stood at the top of the stairs, looking down at the girl who had just sat down on the couch. Her side profile was gentle, her eyebrows calm, appearing very peaceful.

It was hard to associate this tranquil girl with the one who had fiercely confronted her grandmother earlier.

As he observed Qiao Rui, she suddenly turned her head and saw him.

Their eyes met across a distance.

Qiao Rui raised her eyebrows but said nothing.

Pei Liyan then spoke, "Come upstairs."

Qiao Rui stood up and walked up the stairs.

Pei Liyan was waiting for her.

When Qiao Rui reached him, he had not yet turned around and seemed to be assessing himself.

She looked up at the handsome face of the man and asked, "What’s up?"

"Thank you," Pei Liyan said.

Qiao Rui paused, "Thank me for what?"

"For using reverse psychology to make Elder Pei go to the hospital," Pei Liyan replied gravely.

Qiao Rui was surprised, so he knew her intentions after all.

Qiao Rui nonchalantly waved her hand, "Don’t thank me. It’d be awkward if your grandma died because of my confrontation. But a troublesome old woman like her usually lives long; she won’t die that easily."

Pei Liyan frowned, this girl really had a sharp tongue.

"Elder Pei said that although your action was a bit reckless, it was well-intentioned. But he still hopes that I can cure your sharp tongue," Pei Liyan’s deep voice was mature and magnetic, causing Qiao Rui’s heart to unexpectedly start racing.

"Heh, cure me?" Qiao Rui chuckled as if she had heard a funny joke. "You better take care of yourself first."

Pei Liyan’s lips curved up as he looked at her seriously.

She blushed momentarily and, not wanting the man to see her discomfort, quickly asked, "By the way, why did you ask me to come upstairs?"

"Elder Pei opened the safe and took out some old photos. If you want to see them, come now," Pei Liyan said.

Qiao Rui was startled, a mix of surprise and excitement, "Really?"

Could it really be that easy to see them?

She could hardly believe it.

"Let’s go!" Pei Liyan turned and went upstairs.

Qiao Rui followed behind him, focusing on the tall figure walking in front of her. She took a deep breath, filled with expectation.

Upon entering the study, she saw the spacious room, one wall lined with rosewood bookcases from floor to ceiling, filled with countless books, organized neatly.

In front of the bookcase was Elder Pei’s large rosewood desk, the Four Treasures of the Study displayed on top, and a smaller room behind closed doors, presumably for confidential files, like the safe.

On another side, there was another rosewood desk and a sofa by the window. The room also featured a bay window with tea sets, complete for brewing Gongfu tea.

The space was divided neatly and was very clean.

However, Qiao Rui did not see Elder Pei.

"Is your grandfather not here?" Qiao Rui asked in a low voice.

"He went upstairs." Pei Liyan approached the mahogany desk, pointing to a stack of photo albums, "All the old photos are here, come take a look."

Qiao Rui walked over and at first glance saw the albums, aged by the years.

She carefully picked up one, opened it, and saw an old black-and-white photograph inside.

The main figures in the photo were Elder Pei and his grandfather.

This must have been a photo from thirty years ago.

Qiao Rui continued to look through it, searching further back, and surprisingly found a photo of her father.

There were very few photos of her father, she almost had none.

Now, seeing the photo in the old man’s album, she immediately took out her phone, wanting to take a snapshot.

But the moment she took out her phone, she looked towards Pei Liyan.

Pei Liyan noticed her phone and then the photo, and spoke, "If you want to take a snapshot, go ahead, take it out of the album, that way there won’t be any glare."

He even turned on the light, finding the best lighting for her to facilitate the snapshot.

Qiao Rui was momentarily stunned, feeling an inexplicable stir in her heart.

She carefully took out the photo and photographed it with her phone.

The photo was of her father in his twenties, in the prime of his youth, handsome and talented, and it was a group photo.

The other person bore some resemblance to Pei Liyan.

Qiao Rui casually asked, "Is this your dad?"

Pei Liyan faintly responded, "Hmm."

"I haven’t met your dad. Where is he?" Qiao Rui looked at him.

Pei Liyan’s expression darkened, and he coldly said, "Just take the picture!"

Qiao Rui detected the displeasure in his tone and felt a bit skeptical.

Was his father a forbidden topic, not to be mentioned?

Qiao Rui lowered her head to take the photo.

Pei Liyan brought over the desk lamp for her, she turned to find the right angle, got it set, and immediately took the picture.

Neither of them spoke, but they cooperated tacitly.

Qiao Rui continued searching for more photos and discovered that after taking that photo of her father, there were no others left, just a few of the grandfather and Elder Pei, and the rest were of some young people.

She didn’t recognize them.

She couldn’t find a single photo of her brother.

It seemed, after her father and mother got together, there were no more photos, and even less so of her brother.

When she finished the last photo, she closed the album, her eyes and eyebrows drooping, her emotions quite low.

Seeing her with her head down and not in high spirits, Pei Liyan spoke, "About your brother, the Qiao Family never speaks of him, they avoid the topic like the plague."

"Have you asked your grandfather?" Qiao Rui looked up at him.

The man’s gaze grew slightly deeper as he looked at her fair face, meeting the girl’s expectant eyes, then suddenly shifted his gaze, saying, "Grandfather doesn’t mention it."

Pei Liyan avoided her gaze, and Qiao Rui didn’t understand why he would look away.

After a brief moment of thought, she suddenly realized. "You’ve asked already, but the answer your grandfather gave wasn’t good, was it?"

Pei Liyan knew he couldn’t keep anything from her, as she was too smart and too sharp.

He slightly nodded.

"Tell me!" Qiao Rui, excited, reached out and grabbed his arms.

The man’s eyes fell on her hands.

Her face turned red, and she quickly pulled back her hands.

Pei Liyan’s eyes flickered, and he spoke, "Your brother vanished into thin air."

"What do you mean?" Qiao Rui asked in return.

Pei Liyan: "Alive, he was seen by none; dead, his body was found by none."