Pregnant After Healing the Alpha

Chapter 151: Chapter 144: So Qiao Jing is Professor Qiao (2)

Following behind Xu Hongzu were a dozen or so senior professors.

Soon, Zhan Qipei was surrounded by a group of old men for a session of criticism and education.

“Zhan kid, don’t you know there’s such a thing as proper conduct between men and women?”

Zhan Qipei, with his chin slightly raised, replied, “She’s my wife.”

“You’re only in a contract marriage, which is ending in a few days.”

“She’s my wife,” Zhan Qipei emphasized.

“Even so, you can’t do that sort of thing to Xiao Jing in public!”

“She’s my wife.”

The group of old professors was about to explode with frustration at Zhan Qipei.

Zhan Nanqing watched, wide-eyed and tongue-tied, feeling utterly shocked.

She knew Xu Hongzu was very fond of Qiao Jing, but she didn’t expect all the senior professors in the institute to dote on Qiao Jing so much; it was as if Qiao Jing was their own granddaughter.

Does Qiao Jing really have such great charm?

How had she not noticed it?

With that thought, Zhan Nanqing turned to look and found Qiao Jing had already gone inside.

She didn’t even wait for me!

Zhan Nanqing complained as she hurried after Qiao Jing.

Thoughts raced through her mind: It was her first time here; shouldn’t this veteran employee guide her? How could she be so irresponsible?

Just as Zhan Nanqing was about to catch up to Qiao Jing, she saw two staff members from the institute pass by Qiao Jing and called out, “Professor Qiao, good morning.”

“Mm,” Qiao Jing nodded her head in acknowledgment.

What???

Zhan Nanqing’s steps came to an immediate halt, and she uncaringly dug at her ear.

She must have been hearing things because it had been so long since she last cleaned her ears.

That’s when Zhan Nanqing saw a very renowned agricultural professor approaching them.

“Isn’t that Professor Wang?”

Speaking of which, this Professor Wang had been her mother’s teacher in college.

She also heard it from her mom, who had taken elective courses taught by Professor Wang during her university years.

However, she had never heard Su Manhan mention that Professor Wang had joined Professor Qiao’s institute as well.

She would tell her mom about this when she got back.

“Professor Wang!” Zhan Nanqing greeted Professor Wang as she approached him.

“You are?” Professor Wang watched Zhan Nanqing with a scrutinizing look.

“My mother was your student; her name is Su Manhan, and she has married into the Zhan Family,” Zhan Nanqing hurriedly explained, glancing at Qiao Jing with raised eyebrows while she spoke.

The implication in her eyes was clear: see how wide her network was. Even without Qiao Jing, she could get into the institute through her connection with Professor Wang.

“Oh. I have a vague recollection,” said Professor Wang, purely out of politeness.

With so many students, he couldn’t possibly remember them all.

“That’s great! My mom would be thrilled to know you work here. Professor Wang, when are you free? Come visit our place sometime, I—”

“We can catch up later; I have something to take care of.” Professor Wang interrupted Zhan Nanqing but handed a report to Qiao Jing.

“This is the report you asked me to do a while back; I’ve just finished it. Please take a look and let me know if anything needs to be improved?”

Zhan Nanqing’s mind was thrown into disarray upon hearing Professor Wang’s words, and her thoughts became a mushy mess.

Qiao Jing took the report and started scrutinizing it carefully.

Professor Wang stood there stiffly with tension, resembling a student who has entered the office and is watching the teacher grade papers.

For Zhan Nanqing, Professor Wang’s demeanor was strikingly familiar.

“Whoosh—” Qiao Jing turned a page.

“Hiss—” Professor Wang drew in a breath and waited quietly.

Zhan Nanqing’s mouth slowly opened wider and wider as a look of growing surprise appeared on her face. She mechanically turned her head to look at Qiao Jing.

As soon as she turned her head, she saw Qiao Jing’s frown deepen, her face adopting a stern expression.

“Here.”

The moment Professor Wang heard this, he became fully focused on listening.

“This part is not well written; you should… and there’s a problem here too. Didn’t I mention this during the meeting? Didn’t you take notes…?”

“I did take notes, but there were some parts I didn’t understand. Please guide me through them again.”

“Listen here… this part…”

Zhan Nanqing’s mouth was agape, so shocked that her heart continuously churned with waves of amazement.

At this moment, Gan Lanlan walked over.

“I told you so, if she says your work is not too bad, that means you’re pretty good. Be content with that. Look at Professor Wang, a famous agricultural scientist, even he’s getting criticized by her.”

Zhan Nanqing blinked, then blinked again, sizing up Qiao Jing with eyes full of disbelief.

“She, she really is—”

“Mhm!” Gan Lanlan nodded her head with immense pride.

“Gasp—” Zhan Nanqing took in a sharp breath.

As she was shocked, she also began to understand a few things.

No wonder that time she and Lou Xinrou visited the research institute to see Manager Lou, insisting on getting Qiao Jing fired, only for them to end up with such an outcome.

No wonder Xu Hongzu and that group of old professors were all helping Qiao Jing…

No wonder Qiao Jing had so many connections.

But what puzzled her and her entire family the most was why her Grandpa Zhan Yuanshan had arranged such a marriage for her brother!

Everyone thought Qiao Jing was just a farming bumpkin, but who knew how upscale the field she farmed was!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Professor Qiao, thank you for your hard work. I’ll go back and redo the report right away,” said Professor Wang, who, after being enlightened, happily carried the report and left.

Zhan Nanqing, with stiff steps, approached Qiao Jing and opened her mouth, then opened it again.

Seeing Zhan Nanqing’s expression, Qiao Jing guessed what she was thinking.

“You can’t tell anyone about this. I said the same thing to Grandpa Zhan at the start.”

Hearing what Qiao Jing said, Zhan Nanqing suddenly understood.

No wonder her grandpa never mentioned this matter. If he had, she and her mother would have never opposed the marriage.

What a joke?

They’re talking about the top agricultural magnate of the empire, Professor Qiao! She had just recently won the country’s highest science and technology award. Such a powerful figure is someone even wealthy families would scramble to court, not someone to cast out!

“Why? I don’t understand.”

Zhan Nanqing couldn’t understand why, if it were her with such achievements, she wouldn’t frequently show off to make others envious.

“Because it’s troublesome,” Qiao Jing replied indifferently.

“Ah?” Zhan Nanqing was momentarily taken aback.

Qiao Jing, while observing the vegetables, said, “Because I only want to do research and use my abilities to bring out more things that can benefit the country. As for being famous or such, I don’t care.”

These words from Qiao Jing left Zhan Nanqing feeling both shocked and ashamed.

Qiao Jing wasn’t much older than her, yet Qiao Jing’s achievements were something she couldn’t reach in one lifetime, no! Ten lifetimes.

And it wasn’t just that, Qiao Jing’s attitude and stature were something she could never compare to.

Suddenly, Zhan Nanqing remembered what Qiao Jing had said the day before.

She had asked her why she didn’t like her brother.

Qiao Jing had replied that her brother wasn’t as good as her.

It seemed that was really the case.

At the thought of Qiao Jing not liking her brother, Zhan Nanqing inexplicably became sorrowful.