Shanghai, Fudan University.

Even at 10 p.m., the library is still brightly lit and crowded with students, a testament to the thirst for knowledge of Fudan University students.

"Phew..."

Zhou Qiong closed the book and rubbed her temples. "I could easily understand the knowledge in high school, but it became more difficult in college. Fudan University is indeed full of strong people."

"I need to work harder, learn more knowledge, and enhance my abilities so that I can not only better integrate into society, but also help my brother."

Zhou Qiong studied diligently, eagerly hoping to grow and have the opportunity to repay Chu Fang's kindness in the future.

She knew that Chu Fang didn't need those rewards, but as his 'sister,' she wanted to help him.

Zhou Qiong scrolled through the chat history, a slight smile on her face.

Most of the messages were from Chu Yi. They treated their chat space like a personal social media feed, sharing all sorts of things, such as:

She bought a milk tea, it was so delicious; she duo-queueed with someone to rank up, and that teammate was incredibly skilled, so she had to speak in a cutesy, high-pitched voice, hoping he would continue to carry her. Little did she know, her teammate turned out to be a total kid...

As night deepened, Zhou Qiong put the books back in her backpack and then left the library.

She had just stepped out of the library when she received a call from an unknown number. When she answered, a voice, both unfamiliar and familiar, came through the phone: "Hello, Qiongqiong, this is your father."

Zhou Qiong's expression changed in an instant.

I never expected my long-lost father to call...

Suppressing her turbulent emotions, Zhou Qiong said in a deep voice, "How did you get my phone number?"

"Grandma Li told me."

Zhou Mingqiang replied, and then continued, "Qiongqiong, where are you now? Dad wants to see you."

"Huff huff huff..." She breathed heavily, trying hard to suppress her emotions. "Never mind, it's not necessary."

Zhou Mingqiang's voice was filled with apology: "Qiongqiong, I know it's my fault that Dad disappeared for so many years without a trace. I'm really sorry."

He paused, as if organizing his thoughts: "Your grandparents have passed away. In this world, you are my only family. I want to see you."

"Perhaps, this is the only time in this lifetime."

Zhou Qiong remained silent for a long time before replying, "I'm at Fudan University in Shanghai."

After saying that, she hung up the phone, squatted down in a dark corner, and started crying.

It took her a long time to stop crying and slowly walk back to her dormitory.

Back in the dorm, a roommate said, "Qiongqiong is back."

"Um."

"Hey Qiongqiong, can I borrow your computer? My computer can't handle demanding games," another roommate asked.

Zhou Qiong and Chu Yi's computers were bought by Chu Fang. They were expensive, with all parameters set to the top, making them the best laptops available.

Zhou Qiong replied, "Okay."

The two roommates immediately opened their laptops and exclaimed in amazement, "Wow, this is a six-figure computer! It's so smooth, Minesweeper won't lag anymore!"

"It's such a waste to just leave such a good computer sitting there," my roommate said regretfully. "Qiongqiong, you should use the computer more often and make up for the depreciation cost."

Zhou Qiong rarely uses the computer; it's mostly just sitting there.

Zhou Qiong kept quiet, climbed onto the bed, and pulled the blanket over herself to sleep.

Lu Linhong noticed her unusual behavior and asked, "Qiongqiong, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, just a little tired."

... ...

As the night wore on until dawn, Zhou Qiong opened her eyes and suddenly sat up in bed, covered in sweat.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh..."

She was panting heavily.

She had a nightmare, a real nightmare.

My father was a gambler and racked up huge debts from loan sharks. He went to another city to hide from his creditors, but when they came to his door, my mother couldn't bear it and left, leaving her to live with her grandparents.

She dreamt of creditors coming to her door to collect debts, and her grandparents looking helpless.

That kind of pain...

Zhou Qiong got up, poured herself a glass of water, drank it, and looked at the night view outside the window.

Lu Linhong, wearing a coat, asked with concern, "Qiongqiong, are you alright?"

Zhou Qiong pursed her lips and forced a smile: "I'm fine, you go to sleep."

... ...

The next day, Zhou Qiong got up early in the morning, dressed in casual clothes, and ran on the playground until she was drenched in sweat.

After breakfast, I went to class with my roommate.

In the afternoon, she received another call from that unfamiliar number. She replied, "I understand. Wait for me outside."

When get out of class ended, Zhou Qiong apologized to her three roommates, saying that she had something important to do and couldn't have dinner with them.

Lu Linhong asked again, "Qiongqiong, what are you doing? Should the three of us keep you company?"

"It's nothing serious," Zhou Qiong shook her head.

Seeing this, the others didn't ask any more questions. After Zhou Qiong left, Lu Linhong stroked her chin and said, "Qiongqiong must have encountered something?"

"What could possibly happen to her?" one of her roommates said dismissively.

“Yes, yes, yes.” Another person nodded. “Qiongqiong has good grades and her family is so wealthy, what could possibly be difficult for her?”

"If she just says a word to that rich brother, she'll have endless money. What can't money solve? Waaah... I'm so envious of Qiongqiong."

“... ..."

Zhou Qiong walked out of the school with her schoolbag on her back and immediately saw her biological father. He seemed to have aged a lot after many years.

Zhou Mingqiang spotted her immediately and quickly approached, calling out, "Qiongqiong."

Wanting to take her biological daughter in her arms, she took a step back and asked, "Is there something you need?"

“I want to see you. I’ve been thinking about you all these years,” Zhou Mingqiang said.

Have you thought about your grandparents?

"I've thought about it."

"Do you know that your grandparents died with their eyes wide open in disbelief?" Zhou Qiong's eyes reddened.

Zhou Mingqiang lowered his head: "I'm sorry."

"Tell your grandparents after you go downstairs."

Zhou Qiong took a deep breath, trying hard to calm herself down. "Now that you've seen me, let's end things here."

After saying that, Zhou Qiong returned to the campus. Zhou Mingqiang wanted to follow her, but was stopped by security guards. He could only shout loudly from behind:

"Qiongqiong, I, as your father, am so sorry. It's all my fault, I deserve to die. Please forgive me..."

Her voice attracted the attention of the people around her, who cast strange glances at her. Zhou Qiong, however, seemed not to hear it and strode into the depths of the school.

In a corner, Lu Linhong watched as the man who appeared to be Zhou Qiong's biological father sat on the ground, looking utterly dejected and filled with remorse.

She knew that Zhou Qiong was not Chu Fang's biological sister, but an adopted sister with parents.

Lu Linhong thought her life had been miserable enough, but compared to Zhou Qiong, she felt that she had done alright.

Lu Linhong pursed her lips.