Qiao Mingzhu looked at her: "You really don't blame him at all?"

"It seemed strange at first, but then I thought about it. Meng Qingyue set up such a grand scheme to get revenge on you and my mother, and wasn't my third uncle just a pawn in her revenge? Why should we do something that hurts our loved ones and pleases our enemies?"

Qiao Mingzhu lowered her head, not daring to look into her beautiful eyes.

Tears fell drop by drop, and no matter what, I couldn't control them.

“Third Aunt, I know you feel guilty, but what Meng Qingyue said before she died, including what she wanted to do, wasn’t it all to prevent you and my mother from going back to the way things were and to break our relationship? You are now walking into her trap step by step.”

Qiao Mingzhu's body stiffened slightly.

How could she not know that this was Meng Qingyue's brilliance?

Even though she knew it, she still walked into the trap.

“My abduction was premeditated from the beginning, and it was impossible to guard against. I can’t blame my third uncle. He made you mistake Liao Mengyao for your cousin... because he thought I was already dead. At that time, it was indeed a win-win solution for him.”

After saying that, Tang Yaoyao reached out and cupped her face, then gently wiped away her tears: "Third Uncle is also in pain. The punishment over the years has been enough. Mom can't bear to part with you, her sister, and I can't bear to part with you, my family member. And Grandpa, he also has regrets."

As she spoke, she became somewhat emotional, her voice choked for a moment, and then asked, "After the truth was revealed, Grandpa was also filled with guilt and pain. Third Aunt, only you can make our family better again."

Qiao Mingzhu never imagined that such comforting words would come from Tang Yaoyao, a twenty-year-old girl.

She used to hate her father, but now she realizes that he was also acting out of love. Wasn't the subsequent falling out just the result of Meng Qingyue's plan?

A slight tremor ran through her heart: "How is your grandfather?"

Tang Yaoyao didn't answer directly, but said softly, "He's waiting for you to call him 'Dad' again."

Upon hearing this, Qiao Mingzhu finally couldn't hold back her tears and burst into sobs.

She understood all too well the pain of losing a beloved daughter; it was like a knife piercing the heart, stirring and leaving it scarred and broken.

She is the child's mother and the father's daughter.

Tang Yaoyao reached out and hugged her: "It's okay to cry, Third Aunt. Actually, neither Third Uncle nor Grandpa did anything too wrong. It's just a matter of perspective. Meng Qingyue has been punished, so we should be happy."

Qiao Mingzhu hugged her tightly, and even when she cried, she tried to keep her voice down.

Finally, in a hoarse voice, he said, "Qiao Yong is dead, isn't he?"

Tang Yaoyao was slightly taken aback, not expecting her to say that.

Qiao Mingzhu slowly looked at her, her gaze unwavering: "Coming over so late, is something wrong with your hair?"

At that moment, she marveled at her aunt's intelligence.

That's right. Auntie San had already driven Meng Qingyue and Liao Mengyao to their deaths with just two simple sentences. Now, it's not hard to guess what her purpose was in coming here late at night.

Qiao Mingzhu saw the subtle emotions in her eyes, and tears streamed down her face. Her breathing was heavy as she murmured, "Meng Qingyue and Liao Mengyao died from poisoning, so why should Qiao Yong be an exception?"

"Third Aunt..."

Her voice trembled: "These days, I've been hiding in my room, not seeing anyone. Besides feeling guilty towards you and the Fu family, I also don't want to face Qiao Yong who has been poisoned. Tell me, should I hate him for deceiving me like that, or pity him for bearing everything alone, or perhaps, I just don't want to bear the devastating news of this man's death?"

After speaking her mind, she calmed down and gradually stopped crying: "No one wants to lose their child or their husband, but these things just happened."

Tang Yaoyao listened, her heart also moved: "Third Aunt, do you still love him?"

This time, she wasn't asking about hatred.

This question is too cruel for my third aunt.

Qiao Mingzhu looked at her and said softly, "We've been through so much together. To not love you would be self-deception. It's precisely because I love you so much that I feel guilty and don't know how to face you."

Upon hearing this, Tang Yaoyao reached out and hugged her again, whispering in her ear in a calm and gentle voice, "Since it's love, then don't hate. Neither Mom nor I hate anymore. The person who should be hated is gone. Cherish the person who remains, okay?"

Before she could answer, he continued, "Would you like to see him one last time?"

In this life, if you can avoid leaving any regrets, then try your best to avoid them.

"Okay, sure."

Tang Yaoyao smiled through her tears because she always felt that receiving a critical condition notice didn't necessarily mean she would die.

Perhaps, my third aunt's husband, who has no will to live, will wake up when he hears my third aunt's voice?

After that, she took Qiao Mingzhu downstairs.

When Qin Song saw Qiao Mingzhu, his heart, which had been pounding with anxiety, finally settled down.

The two got into the car.

Qin Song rushed to the hospital as quickly as possible.

At this moment, Qiao Mingzhu was no longer the delicate girl she used to be. She walked quickly, her brows furrowed with determination.

She thought, how could Qiao Yong, who had cared for her for most of his life out of love and concern, bear to leave her in the last second of his life?

We have to meet eventually.

He endured a full month of suffering in the hospital, yet he lingered there for a long time.

Just so I could have one last breath and see her one last time.

After climbing the stairs and walking down the long corridor, we finally arrived at the intensive care unit.

Qiao Yanzhi, Fu Sinan, and Qiao Yuzhou were all standing at the door. Hearing footsteps, they all turned around.

When Qiao Yanzhi saw her younger sister hurrying towards her, her eyes reddened. She rushed forward and hugged her tightly, saying, "Mingzhu."

Qiao Mingzhu's voice trembled: "I'm sorry, sister, I made you worry."

Afterwards, she let go of her sister, all her emotions welling up in her eyes, and choked out, "Go and see him quickly."

Qiao Mingzhu nodded: "Mm."

Looking at her haggard yet determined appearance, Qiao Yuzhou felt a mix of excitement and unease. He rarely saw his mother like this: "Mom."

Qiao Mingzhu reached out and gently touched her son's cheek, her eyes filled with reluctance: "I'm sorry."

Qiao Yuzhou shook her head: "Mom, Dad will pull through."

She simply nodded slightly, without saying much.

Then I changed into a sterile gown and followed the doctor inside.

Tang Yaoyao looked at her back, and at that moment, she suddenly felt that beneath the surface of tenderness lay a kind of resolute determination that could not be described in words.

Looking through the glass window at my third aunt walking inside, I could clearly sense that the curve of her lips was a calm and composed smile, even though it wasn't very pronounced.

About ten minutes later, she slowly began to understand the meaning of that smile, and her heart pounded wildly.