Chapter 87 Live for Yourself

This was his second attempt, and it was rejected once again.

He didn't want to pressure her, but he also couldn't bear to let go completely.

"Well, I still want to try my best on my own."

Zhou Shufen nodded seriously.

She doesn't want to depend on anyone.

Even if it's help made out of good intentions.

"Alright, I won't insist then."

Guo Zhenyi sighed, his tone tinged with helplessness.

He knew people like her.

Once a decision is made, nothing can change it.

Having said that, there was no way I could stay any longer.

Staying any longer might only put her in a more difficult position.

"Then I'll be going now, I won't bother you any longer."

He walked out the door alone, his steps very light.

His back view looked particularly desolate, even a little lonely.

The last rays of the setting sun slanted in through the windows of the stairwell.

Zhou Shufen bit her lip, her fingertips trembling slightly.

She desperately resisted the urge to call out to him, her throat feeling as if something was blocking it.

She knew that as long as she spoke...

He might stop, or he might turn back.

But she couldn't.

She was afraid that once she gave in, she wouldn't be able to resist accepting it.

Then she walked step by step down the road she dared not take.

Silence returned to the stairwell only after his figure had completely disappeared from sight.

She slowly breathed a sigh of relief, her shoulders slumping limply.

She leaned back on the sofa, and suddenly felt a void in her body.

The room was eerily quiet; even the air seemed to have frozen.

He was just sitting here.

But in the blink of an eye, everything returned to square one.

She stared at the ceiling, the conversation from earlier replaying in her mind.

"Mom, are you alright?"

Zhou Liya and the others hadn't gone far; they were just downstairs.

The mother and daughter had originally planned to go to the supermarket together.

The three of them immediately turned around and came back.

As soon as I went upstairs, I saw Zhou Shufen standing at the door, her expression exactly the same as before.

Her gaze was fixed straight ahead, her face slightly pale.

Zhou Liya immediately asked, "Mom, what happened?"

Her voice was filled with concern, and her brows were slightly furrowed.

Zhou Shufen quickly forced a smile, her lips slightly upturned, but it looked extremely forced.

“It’s nothing. He just came to visit, and when he saw that I was alright, he went back.”

She only said half of what she meant; the crucial part remained hidden in her heart.

She didn't say what he said when he came, nor did she mention the past events he brought up.

But how could she keep it a secret from her own family?

The three of them understood about 70-80% of it at a glance.

Zhou Liya sat down next to her and gently took her hand.

"Mom, we're all grown up now. You don't have to shoulder everything alone. Tell us, and we'll figure something out together."

Zhou Shufen was stunned for a moment, feeling both warm and bittersweet.

How could she not be moved by her child's thoughtfulness?

After hesitating for a few seconds, his fingertips trembling slightly, he finally told her what had just happened.

After hearing this, all three of them felt it was a great pity.

The room was silent for a few seconds.

Zhou Liya sighed, her tone tinged with regret.

"Mom, this kind of happiness is right there in your hands, why don't you give it a try? Maybe this time it really will be different."

“Yes, he’s completely different from Dad. He knows how to be respectful and has patience, unlike Dad who was short-tempered and neglectful of his family back then.”

"You really should consider this. Don't let the past prevent you from moving forward. You can't live in the past forever."

The children all felt it was a pity.

They just hoped their mother would seize this opportunity.

Don't let one failure make you hide in your shell for the rest of your life and miss out on the days that should have been yours.

They felt sorry for her, having shouldered all the housework alone for so many years.

Now that someone is finally willing to hold her hand, she is backing away.

Is that really the case?

Zhou Shufen muttered to herself.

She was just subconsciously afraid of the feeling of being hurt.

The children nodded in unison, their movements synchronized and their expressions earnest.

"Of course! You should live for yourself for once. After working so hard for so many years, you deserve a good life of your own."

Zhou Shufen didn't say anything more, just kept her head down, her fingers unconsciously rubbing the hem of her clothes.

The children stopped trying to persuade her, afraid that saying anything more would only make her feel worse.

They knew that this was a decision she had to make herself.

No matter how much outsiders support her, they can't take that step for her.

The day passed quietly like that.

As night fell and the lights dimmed, the family sat in the living room watching TV, but no one was really watching.

The next day, the sunlight had just streamed into the window.

Zhou Shufen hesitated for a moment when she heard the knock on the door.

His hand hovered in mid-air, as if deciding whether to open the door.

The person outside the door immediately spoke up.

"It's me."

"Shufen, are you home? It's me, Yao Mingzhu!"

Upon hearing that it was her, Zhou Shufen quickly stood up from the sofa and hurried to the door.

As she reached out to open the door, she couldn't help but smile.

This girl, she just showed up like that, it was really unexpected.

"Oh my, I really didn't expect it to be you!"

She smiled and welcomed them into the house, then took the thin coat draped over Yao Mingzhu's shoulder and hung it on the coat hook by the door.

The room suddenly felt more lively and warm.

She turned and went to the kitchen, picked out a few fresh apples and oranges from the fruit bowl, carefully rinsed them with clean water, dried them with paper towels, cut them into small pieces, and arranged them neatly in the glass fruit bowl.

"I just happened to be passing by today and didn't have anything to do, so I thought I'd drop by and see you."

Yao Mingzhu plopped down on the sofa, crossed her legs, and said in a light tone, "The weather is so nice, and it's just a short walk away. I wouldn't feel at ease if I didn't come and see you."

She grinned, her eyes curving into crescent moons.

"Same as always, I haven't been to design class lately."

Zhou Shufen sat on the single sofa opposite her, holding a glass of freshly poured warm water in both hands.

She paused, then added, "The courses are quite intensive, and I've been busy with other things lately, so I really can't find the time."

"Didn't you tell me before that you wanted to open a shop in a department store?"

Yao Mingzhu seemed to suddenly remember something, her eyes lit up, she leaned forward slightly, and her tone became more serious.

"Have you looked at any shops? How did the negotiations go? Are there any suitable ones?"

"I looked at one or two places, but the rent was too expensive."

Mentioning this, Zhou Shufen's smile faded slightly.

She looked down at the water in the glass, her voice softening.

“There was a place in a pretty good location, close to the main entrance, with a lot of foot traffic, but as soon as the rent was quoted, I immediately backed out.”

She gave a wry smile. "It's not that I don't want to work hard, it's that I really can't afford it. If I reluctantly sign the contract, what about the subsequent costs of purchasing goods, renovations, and staff? Doesn't that all cost money?"

She is confident that she can make the business successful as long as she can secure the store.

Her design concepts are innovative, her aesthetic sense is on point, and she has several years of experience in the clothing industry.

Given a chance, she's not worried about not being able to build a good reputation.

But now we're stuck on the first step.

"Are you short on cash? Just tell me how much you're short, and I'll cover it for you."

After listening, Yao Mingzhu did not hesitate for a moment. She took out her phone from her bag, opened the transfer page, and typed as she spoke.