"My sister says I have a strong personality and that I always wanted everything I asked for growing up. But that's not true. I've given up a lot, and what I've gained is only relative to my current status; those things really don't mean much. But now I have you. No matter what we go through in the future, no matter how difficult or painful it is, I don't want to give up. And please don't abandon me, okay?"

"I keep thinking about what Grandma said: If I really let go, what will you do?"

“I will follow you until you remember me and pick me up again.”

“Zhou Xing, you don’t have to be so humble.”

"I can't do this for others, but for you, this is all I can do."

"What's so great about me?" Qin Xiaoyu already felt guilty.

"You don't know, but the way you're obsessed with money and desperately trying to make it is quite captivating." Zhou Xing leaned down and looked at her, his gaze unfocused, while Qin Xiaoyu felt a constant urge to be warned.

Only after the rain subsided did Qin Xiaoyu allow Zhou Xing to seek help nearby. He found two workers to help, and they finally managed to push the car out.

"Should we give them some money?" Qin Xiaoyu asked softly.

"What are you talking about? If you're going to give anything, it should be a letter of commendation or a banner." Zhou Xing gave her a reproachful look.

"Where should the letter of commendation be sent?" Qin Xiaoyu shut up after she finished speaking. The two workers were wearing work clothes with the words "ceramics factory" written on them.

In those magical times, everyone wanted to be a living god.

It was already midnight when we got back to the city.

Zhou Xing dropped Qin Xiaoyu off at the school gate. Qin Xiaoyu was worried when she got out of the car, so she went around to tell him to drink ginger water when he got back, even though she knew he wouldn't do it.

Watching his car drive away, Qin Xiaoyu felt extremely reluctant to let him go.

"Little Fish, you're finally back." Master Wang said anxiously.

"What's up?"

"Zhou Yue suddenly came over last night and said she wanted to sleep in your bed. I didn't dare to ask too many questions, and it seemed like she was crying all night."

Qin Xiaoyu's heart skipped a beat; she roughly understood. Zhou Yue had been wronged at her in-laws' house and was too afraid to go back to her parents' home, so she had come to find her. But she was absent precisely when Zhou Yue needed her most.

Where is she now?

"They left early this morning, I didn't even see them."

Qin Xiaoyu rushed to the office and dialed the phone number of Zhou Yue's mother-in-law's house. The orderly answered the phone.

As she expected, Zhou Yue was not there.

It was too late; going to the Zhou family's house now wasn't appropriate, and it wasn't convenient to call them either. She had no choice but to bite the bullet and go to her dormitory.

The next morning, she got up and ran to the Zhou family home. It was the first time Zhou Xing's mother had seen her arrive so early, and she was a little surprised.

"I had a dream last night that I wanted to see the two children." Qin Xiaoyu smiled shyly. She wasn't lying. She was probably too tired during the day and had a lot of nightmares at night. She even dreamed that Hanhan's mother wanted to take them away.

“That’s how all mothers are, Xiaoyu, come and see the dress I prepared for my little sister.” Zhou Xing’s mother called her over affectionately.

"Is Sister Xiaoyue back?"

"No, what's wrong? A married daughter is like water spilled from a cup; she's evaporated." Zhou Xing's mother's words were quite forceful, and Qin Xiaoyu almost burst out laughing.

"I miss her so much. She hasn't come to my place these past few days. I want to call her." Qin Xiaoyu wanted to try calling from the Zhou family to see if Zhou Yue's husband's family would dare to refuse the call.

"Little Fish, you're being too polite. Just make the call yourself. Why are you asking? This is just like your own home." Commander Zhou, who was about to go upstairs with his newspaper, was a little displeased when he heard this.

This time, the soldiers serving Zhou Yue's husband's family were much nicer, and soon Zhou Yue's voice came from the other side.

"Sister Xiaoyue, when are you coming back? I miss you."

"Xiaoyu, let's talk in a few days. I'm going out. I have a bit of a cold, I'm going to bed." Zhou Yue quickly hung up the phone. Her voice sounded nasal, like she had a cold, but Qin Xiaoyu had a gut feeling that this wasn't so simple.

My younger sister's new dress is custom-made. Unlike the elegant and sophisticated style last time, this one is more childlike, with the entire skirt covered in tulle and tiny flowers. Wearing it makes her look like a little flower fairy who could take flight at any moment.

During this time, my little sister has grown taller and lost some weight, but her cheeks are still chubby and baby-faced, making everyone who sees her want to take a bite. Zhou Xing's mother's love for her has reached the point of obsession, and the two are inseparable.

August 1st is just around the corner, and with the performance imminent, Xiaomei is under a lot of pressure. Qin Xiaoyu, as her biological mother, can't ignore her, so she goes to the Zhou family almost every day.

Zhou Xing's mother found it too troublesome for her to go through the guard post every day, so she simply issued her an access pass. The guards were all familiar with her, so she only needed to nod to them when she came in and out.

That afternoon, after finishing her school business, she went to the Zhou family's house. Just after passing the guard post, she heard someone calling her. When she turned around, she saw that it was Commander Wang.

Commander Wang needed to register before entering, so Qin Xiaoyu stood aside and waited.

"Look at you, I've been with Xiaomin for so many years and I still haven't gotten an access pass," Commander Wang sighed.

"That's because Aunt Wang doesn't come very often. If she came every day like I do, I would also get one for you, but it's just too much trouble," Qin Xiaoyu said with a smile.

"The branch school project has been abandoned again?" Commander Wang was preoccupied with the site selection.

“I’ve been there, the place is nice. I’ll get started on it as soon as my little sister’s performance is over.”

"That's great, there are only a few days left."

The two chatted and laughed as they arrived at Zhou Xing's door. Qin Xiaoyu noticed a Hongqi car parked not far away, which looked somewhat familiar.

Sure enough, an uninvited guest arrived at Zhou Xing's house. Bai Weiwei stood up with a smile and called out to Aunt Wang. The elegant middle-aged woman beside her should be her mother, Qing Xiaoxu, whom she had heard of before.

The three middle-aged women in the room were outstanding figures of that era. Zhou Xing's mother possessed the elegance and grace of a well-bred lady, while Commander Wang was as vibrant as a peony in full bloom, exuding a touch of domineering power. Qing Xiaoxu, on the other hand, was a typical intellectual woman, with a scholarly air about her very being.

Qin Xiaoyu heard that she worked in the government and held a high position, but she didn't have the slightest air of officialdom. Her every move exuded an elegance that was imbued with the spirit of ink, making her far superior to Bai Weiwei.

"Sister-in-law is here." Bai Weiwei smiled meaningfully.

"You two know each other?" Zhou Xing's mother asked, somewhat surprised.

"I've seen him."

Commander Wang felt a bit uneasy as soon as she entered the room. She had no luck whatsoever to stumble upon this occasion, and she sensed that Bai Weiwei's visit was not well-intentioned.

If it were anyone else, she would have run away. Not meddling in other people's business is her principle. But this "other person" is Qin Xiaoyu, so how can she hide? She can only bite the bullet and stay. How to smooth things over depends entirely on her skills.

Qin Xiaoyu realized she had fallen into a trap and could only try to escape. She was afraid that Bai Weiwei was prepared and would not let her go easily.

"Wow, this dress is so beautiful!" Commander Wang steered the conversation back on track. Zhou Xing's mother was feeling quite pleased with herself, and she picked up the dress to show it to her.

"Who is this child?" Qing Xiaoxu was still a little confused.