33

Xu Xiao said she wanted to help Chen Bei. She was busy outside for a few days. When she returned home and saw Chen Bei's resentful look, she remembered this matter.

She paused, glanced at the cheerful courtyard and Chen Bei, who seemed to be standing out from the crowd and didn't quite fit in. She said, "Long time no see?"

Chen Bei said with a forced smile: "Not long, only five days and six hours, how can it be long? Oh, right..."

Before he could finish his words, Chen's father, who was sitting next to him, slapped him. Chen Bei suppressed his sorrow and resentment, like a stone statue without any sorrow or joy.

Father Chen coughed twice and looked at Xu Xiao: "Ah Xiao, your brother's brain has been broken recently, don't pay attention to him."

If a mute suddenly becomes talkative, it's either like the sun rising from the west or he's really crazy.

He lowered his voice and said to Chen Bei: "You can't find anyone, why are you going crazy at home? Even if you go crazy again, I won't go to Ji's house."

No one knows a son better than his father. Chen Bei's father knew exactly what was going on. He happened to be on vacation these days, so he wanted to have some time with this unruly son.

Don’t think that just because he is no longer mute, his father should be grateful to him. That’s impossible!

Even if he is a mute, you still have to talk to him nicely.

Father Chen was still waiting for his rebellious son to give in to him, but unexpectedly, the rebellious son just stood up and walked out without saying anything.

"Hey!" Father Chen finally got angry. He looked at Mother Chen who was teasing the child and said, "Look, this is your good son!"

Mother Chen said indifferently: "Your son." She took a candy and coaxed her son to act coquettishly with her.

"Isn't he your son?"

As soon as Mr. Chen said this, Mrs. Chen pushed her baby towards Chen Nan and turned around to face Mr. Chen.

"Mr. Chen, what do you mean by this? Am I wrong to raise a son for you?!" Chen's mother's tone was soft, and even though she said these words, she was not very angry. Therefore, she kept a straight face as much as possible and stared at the person opposite.

"Let's go, auntie will take you out to buy some food." Chen Nan was already tired of reading, so he simply put the book aside and walked outside with the child beside him.

Xu Xiao sat in Chen Nan's seat. A couple was arguing next to her. She just took Chen Nan's book and read it with fascination.

After just a few words, Chen's mother felt bored. Chen's father used to think he was a civilized man, not even able to use vulgar words, let alone quarrel.

For a long time, Chen's mother used Chen's father as a counterexample to teach her three children not to be tongue-tied. Even Chen Bei, under her request, learned to be sharp-tongued.

It was only after he joined the army that Chen's father gave up his so-called gentlemanly demeanor. But even after giving it up, he still respected his first wife.

Rather than a quarrel, it seemed more like he was acting as a double act with Chen's mother.

As soon as the double act was finished, Xu Xiao looked up: "When is Brother Bei leaving?"

Chen Bei is still in the army, and even if he comes back he won't stay long.

Both Chen's father and mother were stunned. They looked at each other and Chen's mother said, "Ah Xiao, did Xiao Bei provoke you?"

Xu Xiao put down the book and shook his head: "No, ask."

She has almost finished her investigation. If Chen Bei is in a hurry, she will help him first.

Father Chen thought faster. He snorted and said in a low voice, "Ah Xiao, you don't have to help him. Just let him get confused!"

In the end, it didn't get clamped.

Mother Chen hit Father Chen and said, "Ah Xiao, I heard from Nan Nan that you are planning to take the college entrance examination?"

The college entrance examination has been resumed, and there are still a few months left. Chen's mother is not worried about Xu Xiao, she is worried about Chen Nan.

The two children have liked to rely on each other since they were young. What if Chen Nan fails the exam, or Xu Xiao feels depressed for Chen Nan, this is not acceptable.

The Chen family really treated Xu Xiao as their own daughter, and treated both girls equally, except for the only son who was raised a little roughly.

Xu Xiao nodded: "I will participate."

She was unable to participate in her previous life because Ji Hong felt it was not good for her to show off in public after she got married.

But after taking the college entrance examination, she was confused about what to do next.

Chen's father and mother caught the confusion in Xu Xiao's eyes. Chen's father turned his head to glance at Chen's mother, who then stood up and left.

Chen's father asked, "Ah Xiao, do you not know what to do next? Or do you still want to leave the Chen family?"

Before going to the countryside, Xu Xiao wrote to them, saying that if she came back, she would move out.

Xu Xiao still nodded: "Although this place is nice, I can't live here for long."

Father Chen didn't say anything, he just listened quietly.

Xu Xiao said, "You and my godmother took me in before, but now that I'm this old, it's not right for me to stay at home doing nothing."

She wanted to do something, but she didn't know what to do. She took the college entrance exam, and then what? She went to college. What happened after that?

In the end, it all comes down to the same question - what exactly does she want to do?

Father Chen understood and offered a suggestion: "Since you can't find the meaning, why not just go back to your previous job?"

Xu Xiao once served in a special forces unit, specializing in doing some shameful but necessary things.

This is not the same as that. The so-called shameful thing cannot be known to others, and even family members must keep it secret.

At that time, Xu Xiao was poisoned and could not stay in the yard, so Chen's father sent her to the special forces, where the poison in Xu Xiao's body was gradually suppressed.

Only Chen's father and Xu Xiao knew about this matter. She didn't get out of there until two years ago.

Chen's mother and the others thought that Xu Xiao left Beijing because she couldn't get used to it and wanted to study in the county. In fact, Xu Xiao had only stayed in the school for a short period of time before going to the countryside.

Father Chen continued, "The eldest brother told me that you did a great job. He has been waiting for you to come back."

Boss is the code name of the person in charge there. Even Chen's father only knows that person's code name.

This is so shameful that I can't even tell others my real name.

It’s not that Father Chen doesn’t love Xu Xiao. He knows the poison in Xu Xiao’s body and he has no other way.

Xu Xiao lowered her eyes, looking at her hands, which were not delicate at all. She asked, "Do you think I should go back?"

If Chen's father hadn't mentioned it, Xu Xiao would have almost forgotten how special he was.

The poison in her body is very special. Perhaps those absurd things in her previous life were not caused by the so-called hypnosis, or had nothing to do with the Xu family. In fact, it was just her own lack of self-control.

If she had been able to keep herself steady, none of that would have happened.

Ultimately, she was the one who ruined her life. She couldn't blame anyone else.

Father Chen pretended to be serious and shook his head slightly: "How can you ask that? You should ask, do you want to go back?"

After all, that place is sparsely populated, and if Xu Xiao went back there, her only pleasure would be reading.

Of the three children, Xu Xiao was the only one who could calm down. Neither Chen Bei nor Chen Nan liked reading. But in the end, they felt the most sorry for Xu Xiao.

Xu Xiao fell silent, she didn't know the answer.

Father Chen handed her a book beside him and said, "If you haven't thought it through, then take your time. Your godmother and I can still support you. As for... Chen Bei, you two are fine. No matter what happens, don't worry about us."

Chen's father's words did wake Xu Xiao up. After careful consideration, she decided to take the college entrance examination and then go to university. This was a regret in her life, and no matter whether it was useful or not, she just wanted to make up for it.

After graduation, if she didn't find anything she wanted to do, she would go back.

At night, lying in bed, looking at the white ceiling, Xu Xiao asked softly: "Nannan, do you think I am hypocritical?"

There were clearly better options, but she chose to waste her time. She already had the best of everything, but she chose to push it away.

The Chen family treated her very well. Even if she achieved nothing in the end, she could rely on them and not have to worry about life.

As long as she said nothing, as long as she played dumb, she would never be driven away.

But what is the meaning of her rebirth?

She had witnessed the sadness of her youth gradually passing away, she had seen people having to give up themselves in middle age, and she had also seen the time when no one could hear her voice before she died.

She was not much different from her in her previous life at this moment. They were one person, with the same soul and cognition.

So, will her final destination be the same as in her previous life?

When she thought of that possibility, Xu Xiao's unfocused eyes gradually became colorful. She sat up suddenly and said to Chen Nan, who was about to persuade her, "I must take the college entrance examination!"

This is a way to make amends for herself and a farewell to the past. She is different now, so she will not go down the same path as in her previous life.

She is not the previous Xu Xiao, and Chen Bei is not Ji Hong.

He will be responsible for himself and will not do anything out of line. She will not make things difficult for her parents-in-law, or even say anything that she does not deserve.

Chen Nan opened her mouth and shouted, "Then I want to take the college entrance examination too!" She rubbed over and stuck to Xu Xiao: "I don't want to be separated from you."

Coming back to her senses, Xu Xiao looked at the room, which had become noticeably quieter. She turned to Chen Nan and asked, "Where's the little one?"

The child had been sleeping in their room for the past few days. They were worried about a seven or eight-year-old sleeping alone.

In the end, they slept on the floor in the two sisters' room.

Chen Nan said vaguely: "He must be having fun outside..."

Xu Xiao looked at the darkness outside and raised his eyebrows slightly: "Are you sure?"

"...He was taken away by Chen Bei." Chen Nan stopped Xu Xiao. "He said it wasn't a good idea for the baby to stay at home all the time, so he wanted to help find his parents."

Xu Xiao was speechless: "Don't you know what he's doing? Let him find someone? He still has to find someone!"

Chen Nan felt wronged: "He is threatening me... You know I can't beat him."

The people were taken away, and Xu Xiao had no choice. She nodded and said, "Forget it. Remember to ask Chen Bei to send them back tomorrow."

"You're going out tomorrow?" Chen Nan was puzzled. Xu Xiao had been out for several days in a row. When she came back this time, she thought she had solved the problem.

It turns out that it has not been resolved yet.

"It's almost done." Xu Xiao curled his lips into a smile, "The person has almost been found."

She went there just to finish the job. Once she was done with this, she would help Chen Bei with the investigation.

Seeing Xu Xiao's confident look, Chen Nan felt relieved: "That's good. Sister Xiao, let's go to bed."

"good."

The lights in the room were off, and all that could be seen from the window was darkness.

Chen Bei glanced at the little kid in his arms: "Your mother is asleep." I can't save you.

The boy was angry and turned his face away, not wanting to pay any attention to Chen Bei.

Chen Bei didn't want to pay any attention to him and just walked forward with the person in his arms. When he reached the door, he lowered his head and said, "Say goodbye to your mother."

"Do you mind me?" the boy looked up.

"What do you think?"

"That's what you mind." The boy said proudly, "But I am my mother's child."

Chen Bei: “…”