Zhao Zhao's family

Upon hearing the question again, Song Zhao's eyelashes trembled slightly, her smile faded, and she lowered her eyes, as if weighing something.

"Mom!" Nanqi frowned and called out somewhat displeased.

"What's wrong? Can't I ask that?" Wu Hua asked Song Zhao.

“No, I can say it, I should say it,” Song Zhao said.

"Zhaozhao, this is your privacy. Don't force yourself if you don't want to talk about it," Nanqi said softly, squeezing her hand tightly.

"No, I should give you and Auntie an explanation." Song Zhao grasped Nan Qi's hands in return, as if encouraging himself.

“My father’s name is Song Hui, and he is the president of Vitoria China. I also have a younger brother named Song Yuanhang, and my stepmother’s name is Xu Jinghao.”

Nanqi stared at Song Zhao in astonishment. Song Hui had a great reputation in the business world, especially for his image as a good man, which was most famous for his harmonious family of three. Nanqi never imagined that Song Zhao was actually his daughter.

"And your mother?" Wu Hua pressed.

“I’ve never met my biological mother.” Song Zhao’s voice softened, carrying a hint of barely perceptible bitterness. “She left after giving birth to me, and I still don’t know the specific reasons. I only heard that my father was just an insignificant clerk at the time, and their relationship wasn’t very good. The woman you met at school was Aunt Fang. She was a nanny my father hired to take care of me. My household registration was originally with my grandmother, but after she passed away, my father used his connections to transfer my household registration to Aunt Fang’s name.”

She paused, her gaze dimming: "My family is just that complicated. My father has never acknowledged me to anyone, and even if I told others, no one would believe me."

Nanqi was both angry and heartbroken. "How could your father do this! You're his own daughter too!"

Wu Hua, who was listening from the side, sighed and said, "If Yueyue's father had the same ability as Zhaozhao's father, he might not have been able to do much better than him."

After divorcing Wu Hua for so-called true love, Nan Yue's father quickly remarried and then neglected Yue Yue. Fortunately, Wu Hua managed to secure this house for Yue Yue, making it easier for him to raise his two daughters alone.

Wu Hua composed himself and looked at Song Zhao again: "Do you still have contact with your father?"

"After I entered the entertainment industry, I never contacted him again, and he never looked for me either."

"So, he didn't know about your relationship with Daqi before?"

Song Zhao said, "He knows that. He knows everything that has happened to me, but he has never interfered in my affairs. So, he neither supports nor opposes me."

"But this time your matter has blown up so much, and your father is a prominent figure. He'll definitely lose face by doing this..."

"Mom, you're overthinking it," Nanqi quickly said. "No one outside knows Zhaozhao is his daughter. What impact could it have on him who Zhaozhao is with?"

Wu Hua still worriedly said, "That's true, but I always feel that a child's life-long decision should be supported by their parents." Wu Hua sighed, "We're connected by blood, how can he really remain indifferent to such a big matter?"

"Auntie, don't worry. Although I'm not sure if my father will support us, I will do everything in my power to protect Nanqi and I will never let my father hurt her."

Looking at the determination in her eyes, Wu Hua nodded: "Zhao Zhao, Auntie believes in you."

"Mom!" Nanqi's eyes lit up, and she quickly leaned over to confirm, "So, you really agree to us?!"

"Hey, I don't understand the affairs of you young people. Besides, what's the use of my objections? Whether you live a sweet and happy life or a bumpy one, it's your own life. Just don't regret it."

Overwhelmed with emotion, Nanqi rushed over, hugged Wu Hua's neck, and planted a loud kiss on her cheek: "Mom! You're amazing! Thank you!"

Song Zhao also squatted down, took Wu Hua's hand, and said with barely suppressed emotion, "Auntie, thank you. Thank you for making our relationship possible, thank you for believing in me."

Wu Hua smiled with satisfaction, glanced at the clock on the wall, and said, "It's getting late, you should go wash up and rest."

Tonight, as usual, Nan Yue gave up her room to the young couple. Nan Qi brought over a few chairs, added blankets, and widened her bed a bit.

"You sleep inside, I'll sleep outside," Nanqi said cheerfully, hands on her hips.

"You've just recovered from a serious illness, you should sleep inside."

"I'm just recovering from a minor illness, so I want to sleep outside!" Nanqi said, quickly throwing off her slippers and lying down on the edge of the bed with her feet on a chair.

Song Zhao said helplessly, "Uh... okay."

She locked the door, took off her red nightgown, turned off the light, and lay naked next to Nanqi. Nanqi turned over, rested her head on her shoulder, draped her arm under her collarbone, and laughed excitedly, "Ah, it feels different."

"What's different?"

“Before, we always had to be sneaky when we were intimate, afraid of this and that, like we were doing something wrong. Now that the whole world knows we're together, I feel much more relaxed.”

Song Zhao stroked her dark hair, smiled indulgently, and asked, "To be honest, do you have any thoughts about my past?"

"What past?"

“You know.”

"You really want to hear it?"

"Um."

"Aren't you afraid I'll say something you won't like to hear?"

I want to hear your honest thoughts.

"Then I'll just say it directly?" Nanqi said, as if keeping someone in suspense.

"Um."

"I just feel like I met you too late. If I had met you sooner, I would have loved you for a longer time, so you would have suffered less."

"Aren't you angry that I had feelings for my teacher?"

"That happened before you met me. If we had met earlier, none of that would have happened."

Song Zhao smiled and relaxed, "Nanqi, you're so nice."

"Hehe, so is there anything in the past that you can't get over?"

“I used to have that feeling towards my father. Since my grandmother passed away, I have developed a strong emotional dependence on him. So, when I first went to that family, I tried my best to be well-behaved and sensible, hoping that he would pay more attention to me. But for some reason, he always spoke very little to me and rarely smiled. Every time I went to him, he would only ask me to talk about things.”

Song Zhao said with a wry smile, "Sometimes, I really feel that our conversations don't sound like those of a father and daughter, but rather like those of a leader and subordinate in his workplace."

“Back then, after the diary was leaked, I had a very bad time at school. Teachers and classmates ostracized me, especially the female classmates…” Song Zhao recalled the past, her eyes slightly red. “Including my former best friends, they looked at me strangely, as if I might do something to them at any time.”

"My dad found out about this not long after. On my way home that day, I actually imagined him getting angry with me, hitting me, and yelling at me, because that would at least prove he still cared about me. But he didn't react at all; it was as if he just knew about it..."

“He didn’t care whether I was doing well at school or whether I was being mistreated. Even when I transferred schools, I had to beg Aunt Fang to help me.”

Song Zhao's voice began to tremble, "The reason I moved out back then was because I simply couldn't stand his indifference and lack of concern..."

“I used to get stuck on things, thinking all night long about whether he loved me or not, and whether I was really his biological daughter.”

She took a deep breath and looked up. The redness in her eyes had faded considerably, leaving only a trace of helpless relief. "Until four years ago, when I left him completely, I figured it out. What does it matter if I love him or not? What does it matter if we're related? He doesn't care about me, so why should I keep him in my heart?"

Nanqi rushed forward and kissed her lips, then gently rubbed her eye: "Zhaozhao, I love you."

"Yes, I know."

Song Zhao kissed Nan Qi, her voice softening slightly: "Do you want to...?"

"Yes, I do!" Nanqi's voice was warmer than usual, as if she wanted to offer her some comfort in this way.

"How about I take my turn this time? I'm not so afraid of pain anymore."

"Are you serious?" Nanqi blinked and asked to confirm.

"Yes, I'm ready."

Seeing Song Zhao's initiative, Nan Qi flipped over and pinned Song Zhao beneath her. He held her wrist, his fingertips unconsciously brushing against the delicate skin of her wrist.

...

After a period of ambiguity, Nanqi gave a final instruction: "If you feel uncomfortable, you can call it a halt at any time."

No, it won't.

In the dim light and shadows, a gun was about to be fired, ready to explode at any moment. The soft noises gradually subsided, and the breathing in the room gradually intertwined, blending with the evening breeze outside the window, forming a gentle pool of water.