In the restaurant on the first floor of the hotel, Qiao Chu and Qiao Li sat opposite each other in silence. Fu Zhen and Chen Ziang sat at another table not far away, leaving space for the two sisters who had not seen each other for a long time.

Qiao Chu and her sister Qiao Li haven't seen each other for more than a year. They didn't know what to say for a moment. Although they are sisters, grew up together, and are only one year apart in age, they are not close. The elder sister has been lively and beautiful since she was a child. She is the focus of everyone wherever she goes. She has a domineering personality and likes to stand out and gain the upper hand everywhere. She also likes to snatch the little favors that Qiao Chu has at home. In comparison, Qiao Chu seems more ordinary and dull. She always lives under the shadow of her elder sister. No matter where she goes, she is inevitably compared with her elder sister. As she grows older, she becomes more inferior and taciturn, just like in her previous life.

Qiao Li looked at her sister opposite her with a complicated expression. She couldn't understand why this sister who was ordinary and inferior to her in every way had changed so much after just one year of not seeing her? Not only does she have stunning beauty now, she has also become an excellent student and has been invited to participate in "The Brain" where geniuses gather. Even her conceited boyfriend praises her highly and has even become Fu Zhen's girlfriend! Who is Fu Zhen? He is a man of extraordinary talent and superiority. Even her boyfriend, who has an extraordinary family background, dares not offend him. Unexpectedly, he is so easily captured by the sister whom she has always looked down upon.

Why is it Fu Zhen! This boy whom she once had a crush on but was afraid to approach!

Qiao Li is very similar to her mother Wu Yue. She is clear-headed, likes the feeling of being sought after by everyone, and is fascinated by luxurious material life. She is with Chen Ziang entirely because of his family background, which allows her to enter the upper class and live a life of luxury. The first time she heard Fu Zhen's name was from Chen Ziyan. Chen Ziyan's obsession with Fu Zhen was simply abnormal, and she talked about Fu Zhen all the time. At that time, she smiled and pretended to listen, but she was actually sneering in her heart, thinking how could there be such an outstanding person? Is it because the filter on this Chen Ziyan is too thick? Who knew that there really was such a perfect person in this world, someone who even amazed her at first sight. However, she also knew clearly that this flower on the mountain was not something she could pick. If she was not careful, she might lose the benefits that were within her grasp. She could only suppress the throbbing in her heart and occasionally steal a glance at him from behind the crowd to relieve her lovesickness. However, she was fortunate that Fu Zhen was very polite to all girls, even the beloved rich girl Chen Ziyan.

Such a good boy doesn't belong to her, but he doesn't belong to anyone either. This is her only comfort.

I didn't expect that he now belongs to her sister, and maybe one day in the future, he will become her brother-in-law...

Qiao Li looked at Qiao Chu's beautiful face and for the first time in her life, she felt an intense jealousy towards her sister. The flames of jealousy burned all the organs in her body, and she had to work hard to maintain her apparent calm.

Qiao Chu was silent for a while, and finally spoke, "Sister, I didn't expect you to be Chen Ziang's girlfriend. It's really... what a coincidence."

"Really?" Qiao Li smiled with an ambiguous smile, "I didn't expect you to be Fu Zhen's girlfriend."

Qiao Chu felt that there was something wrong with her smile and tone, but she couldn't tell what was wrong.

"Um……"

Before Qiao Chu could speak, Qiao Li interrupted her and asked, "How did you and Fu Zhen know each other?"

Qiao Chu answered truthfully: "We are from the same school, he is my senior."

They are from the same school? Fu Zhen is also studying at Haishi No. 1 Middle School? Qiao Li's eyes were a little dazed, and she felt mixed emotions. She was also a student of Haishi No. 1 Middle School. If she hadn't gone to Beijing with her mother, she should still be studying there now. She would also be in the same grade as Fu Zhen, and maybe even in the same class. So, would she also have a chance...

"So... who of you chased who? Were you the one who chased him first?"

Speaking of this, Qiao Chu looked a little shy, "He was the one who pursued me."

It turned out that it was Qiao Chu that Fu Zhen pursued first!

Qiao Li clenched her hands on her knees tightly in an instant, and the beautifully shaped nails dug deeply into her palms. The pain brought back her sanity that was about to be lost, but the flame of jealousy burned more and more fiercely, burning her so much that she wanted to overturn the table in front of her and destroy everything here, especially the shy and pretty face opposite her.

Qiao Chu didn't notice the turmoil in Qiao Li's heart. She looked at Qiao Li who had fallen silent, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "Sister, are you and mom... okay?"

"Yes, of course."

Qiao Chu's heart tightened, "Then... where have you been for more than a year? Why haven't you sent any news at all, and mom hasn't come back either. Does she completely... don't want me anymore?"

In her previous life, Qiao Chu went to look for her mother and sister, especially during the time when Qiao Weimin was seriously ill. The powerlessness and despair were about to overwhelm her. She remembered that she still had two relatives in this world and wanted to go to them for help. After all, they were once a family, mom and dad were once husband and wife, and they have an unbreakable blood relationship with her. No matter what, they should not ignore it. Who would have thought that she didn't even see the two of them, they just disappeared like that, and she didn't see them again until she was reborn.

Qiao Li looked at Qiao Chu's hurt expression, and suddenly a malicious feeling emerged in her heart. She smiled sweetly and asked, "Chu Chu, do you really want to know where mom took me? Do you want to know why mom left dad in the first place?"

"I..." Qiao Chu thought for a moment and said firmly, "I want to know."

Although knowing it may make you sad, the doubts between two lifetimes must be resolved.

"Well, since you want to know, I, as your elder sister, will tell you. Mom asked me to keep it a secret, but I really can't bear to keep you and dad in the dark." Qiao Li's eyes flashed with ill intentions, and then she continued, "It all started with our uncle. You know, my uncle has been doing some small business in Beijing. Later, his business was a little better, and he met many rich people. He accidentally met a rich man who started his career in coal mining. The rich man had quite a lot of property, and he lost his wife in middle age and had no children. So my uncle introduced our mother to the rich man and lied that she was a widow. The rich man saw the beautiful and gentle My mother was very satisfied. With the help of my uncle, my mother quickly captured the heart of the rich man, and the rich man even agreed to marry my mother. That’s why my mother divorced my father. As for me, it was my mother who insisted on bringing me along. She lied to the rich man and said that I was the only blood of her deceased husband and she couldn’t abandon me. Unexpectedly, the rich man not only didn’t dislike her, but also felt that my mother was affectionate and righteous. He loved her even more, took good care of me, and treated me like his own daughter. "She said while staring at Qiao Chu's expression, "That's all. We have been in Beijing for more than a year, and my mother has married the rich man."

Qiao Churu was struck by lightning and his face turned pale instantly, but his mind was clearer than ever before, and many doubts were now resolved.

No wonder… No wonder she couldn’t find them in her previous life. It turned out that their disappearance was premeditated. Their traces were erased so that they could package themselves into a new identity and start a new life.

In order to live a rich life, her mother abandoned her father and her...

Looking at Qiao Chu's pale face, Qiao Li felt better.

That's right! From childhood to adulthood, Qiao Chu was always the abandoned one, and she was the beloved one!

She seemed to think Qiao Chu had not been hit hard enough, and continued, "Mom told me not to ever mention you and Dad again, just as if nothing had happened before."

Seeing Qiao Chu's face turn even paler, she felt a surge of pleasure in her heart.

Qiao Chu was indeed deeply shocked. She didn't understand how a mother could abandon her daughter so easily. She had seen mothers like Yin Xiaoyu, who was heartbroken because her son was missing, and mothers like Wang Xiufen, who suffered because of her infertility. But she had never seen a mother like her own, so cold and heartless...

She felt cold all over, her hands were shaking slightly, and she couldn't even speak...

Fu Zhen and Chen Ziang were also talking at another table.

Chen Ziang glanced at Qiao Chu who was not far away and asked Fu Zhen: "What's going on with you? Shouldn't you be in Hai City now? On the fourth day of the New Year, Zi Yan and I went to your house to look for you. Aunt Ren said that you had gone back a long time ago. It seemed that you had something urgent in Hai City?"

Fu Zhen answered very frankly: "I came here with my girlfriend to participate in the competition."

Although he had already guessed it, Chen Ziang still felt nervous, "Girlfriend? Is it... Xiao Qiao?" Seeing Fu Zhen nod affirmatively, he asked again, "When did you start? Why haven't I heard you mention it before?"

Recalling the little things that happened since he met Qiao Chu, Fu Zhen's eyes sparkled, "We have known each other for a long time. I only realized my feelings during the Chinese New Year, so I rushed back to Hai City to pursue her. It took a lot of effort to get her."

Chen Ziang looked at Fu Zhen's expression and knew that he was serious. They had known each other since childhood, and this was the first time he saw such a soft expression on Fu Zhen's face. His heart sank immediately.

Fu Zhen is an excellent person, and such a person is hard to come by in a century. In his heart, he still hopes that he can be together with his sister Chen Ziyan. Not to mention that Chen Ziyan was deeply in love with Fu Zhen, just considering Fu Zhen's conditions and the help that the forces behind him would bring to their family in the future, it would be a win-win situation to have him become her brother-in-law. Although he has always been cold towards Zi Yan, he and his family have always been optimistic about them. After all, Zi Yan is so good that it is difficult for Fu Zhen to find a girl who is more outstanding than her. Besides, Fu Zhen has never been in contact with other girls. When he gets smarter, he will naturally see the good in Chen Zi Yan. They have always thought that he and Chen Zi Yan will become a couple one day, and even Chen Zi Yan herself thinks so.

I didn't expect... Fu Zhen would actually fall in love with someone else and become someone else's boyfriend...

Qiao Chu, that girl is indeed very outstanding. Although Chen Ziang has not had much contact with her, it is enough for him to realize how outstanding she is. She is not only talented, but also outstanding in appearance. Even the biased Chen Ziang has to admit that Chen Ziyan is far inferior to Qiao Chu in both appearance and connotation. Her only advantage is her family background. However, what Fu Zhen cares least about is family background. Even the entire Fu family does not value family background. From this point of view, Chen Ziyan has almost no chance of winning.

Perhaps he was unwilling to give up, so Chen Ziang asked Fu Zhen: "What about Zi Yan?"

Fu Zhen frowned tightly, his face immediately darkened, and his voice became a little colder, "What is the relationship between Chen Ziyan and me?"

"But... after all, she grew up with you. Her feelings for you have remained the same for more than ten years. Aren't you moved?"

Fu Zhen sneered and said coldly: "Moved? What's the point? Does she keep pestering me day after day?"

"You... Fu Zhen..." Chen Ziang saw the disgust in Fu Zhen's eyes and came to his senses. It turned out that it had always been their wishful thinking. They originally thought that even if Fu Zhen didn't like Chen Ziyan, Chen Ziyan was still special to him. After all, from childhood to adulthood, she was the only girl who could appear by Fu Zhen's side. What they didn't expect was that all of this was Chen Ziyan's initiative to stick to him, and even caused Fu Zhen's annoyance. Chen Ziang finally saw the truth at this time. In order not to offend Fu Zhen, he had to give up and sighed helplessly, "Alas - since you said so, then I have nothing to say. I wish you and Xiao Qiao happiness."

Afterwards, the four of them had a simple dinner in the restaurant. The dinner table was unusually silent. Except for Fu Zhen, the other three were preoccupied with their own thoughts and had no intention of speaking. Fu Zhen was busy taking care of Qiao Chu, serving tea, water and picking up dishes. He was very busy, which made Chen Ziang stunned. At the same time, it also pushed Qiao Li's jealousy value to the highest point.

After dinner, Fu Zhen could see that Qiao Chu was in a bad mood, so he said goodbye and sent Qiao Chu back to his room to rest. Qiao Li looked at the backs of the two people, countless emotions churning in her heart, and the expression on her face was unpredictable. Finally, she raised a smile——

If the infatuated Chen Ziyan knew Fu Zhen had a girlfriend, she would probably go crazy, right?

Fu Zhen looked at Qiao Chu who had been walking silently with his head down, and asked, "Xiao Qiao, what's wrong?"

Qiao Chu looked up at Fu Zhen's worried eyes. Not wanting to hide anything from him, she told him everything about her conversation with her sister Qiao Li. After that, she finally took off her disguise and looked vulnerable. "I didn't expect the truth to be so cruel. My biological mother actually abandoned me for fame and fortune..."

Vain women like Qiao Chu's mother are not uncommon. Fu Zhen was born into a wealthy and prominent family and has been in the upper class since he was a child. This class is a typical world of fame and fortune, and there is no shortage of such women. He is already accustomed to such comparisons. However, looking at Qiao Chu's tearful eyes, he felt hatred for this kind of woman for the first time. He reached out and gently embraced Qiao Chu in his arms, resting his beautiful chin on the top of her head, and said with pity: "Xiao Qiao, don't be sad, you still have me, I will always be with you."

His love and affection were conveyed to Qiao Chu's heart through his words and their bodies touching each other. Her eyes were sore and she couldn't help but shed two lines of tears. She buried her face in Fu Zhen's arms, listening to his steady heartbeat, crying silently...

Fu Zhen tightened his arms and felt the wetness on his chest. This was the second time Qiao Chu cried in his arms. Every drop of her tears seemed to flow into his heart, constantly corroding his flesh and blood. He secretly swore that this was the second and last time, he would never let the girl he loved cry again...

After crying for a while, Qiao Chu felt much better. Fu Zhen sent her back to her room and told her to have a good rest. She tossed and turned in the soft big bed, unable to sleep. Her mind was in a mess and her heart could not calm down. She sat up from the bed, thought about it, and finally decided to call Qiao Weimin and tell him what she had just learned. After all, he was also a victim and he had the right to know the truth.

The call was quickly connected, and a familiar voice came from the other end of the phone. Qiao Weimin asked with concern: "Chu Chu, have you arrived? Is everything going well? Have you had dinner?"

Hearing his father's voice, Qiao Chu's nose began to sour again, and his voice became hoarse, "Well, it went smoothly. I'm already in the hotel and just had dinner."

Qiao Weimin heard something wrong in her tone and asked quickly, "What's wrong? Why do you seem unhappy? Did something happen?"

"I..." Qiao Chu hesitated for a moment, then gritted her teeth and told Qiao Weimin everything about her encounter with Qiao Li and their conversation. After she finished speaking, the other end of the phone fell into silence.

Qiao Chu felt very uncomfortable, "Dad, don't be sad, you still have me. Mom...she really went too far, I will never forgive her!"

Who would have thought that after hearing her words, there was actually a chuckle from the other end of the phone, and then Qiao Weimin's voice sounded again: "Chu Chu, only at this moment does Dad feel that you are really still a child who has not grown up."

"..." Qiao Chu was speechless. She was so sad here, but Qiao Weimin was actually smiling over there? Besides, she is not a child. She is almost 30 years old in her two lifetimes, okay?

"Chuchu, do you know how old dad is this year?" Qiao Weimin suddenly asked, but before Qiao Chu could answer, he continued, "Forty years old, dad is exactly forty this year. If I can live to be eighty, half of my life has passed. Half a lifetime of ups and downs, love and hate, what is there to be seen, what is there to let go? Chuchu, don't say that you will never forgive. Even if you and your mother never meet again in the future, don't live with resentment. In that case, you will suffer. Everyone is an independent individual. Your mother pursues the life she wants, and we live our own lives. If one day you accidentally meet on the street, dad hopes that you can give her a graceful smile, and then go your separate ways. That's good... I wish she can get what she wants, and get what she wants. It is your filial piety and our kindness, and from now on, we have nothing to do with each other, and forgetting each other in the world is our edge. Chuchu, dad hopes that you can live with kindness and a little edge, and live your own wonderful life, instead of being confined to a little hatred."

"Dad..." Qiao Weimin's words were like a ray of sunshine shining into Qiao Chu's heart, making her suddenly enlightened and clear-headed.

"Chu Chu, guess what daddy is doing now?"

"Uh..." Qiao Chu didn't react for a moment when Qiao Weimin jumped to the topic.

"Dad is having dinner with your Aunt Wang now. Your Aunt Wang made your favorite sweet and sour pork ribs. It's a pity that you don't have the chance to enjoy it."

Sweet and sour spare ribs... Qiao Chu couldn't help swallowing her saliva. She hadn't eaten enough just now, and now she was hungry again...

Dad is so abominable that he actually covets her!

She shouted angrily into the phone: "Dad!"

Qiao Weimin finally felt relieved when he could hear that his daughter's tone no longer contained the loss she had just felt. He said gently, "Chuchu, don't be sad. Daddy is very happy now. I have a good daughter like you and your Aunt Wang by my side. I am already very satisfied. Chuchu, you are still young. You don't understand the feelings between adults. Some people are not happy together. Forcing them to be together will only make each other suffer. Breaking up can bring relief to everyone. This is how your mother and I are. So, think positively, kid..."

Dad is very happy now...

This sentence, just seven simple words, drove away the haze that had been in Qiao Chu's mind for two lifetimes. Yes, she was reborn and could see her father living a healthy and happy life. She had also shed her ordinary shell and become more and more outstanding. Moreover, her father had Aunt Wang by his side, and she also had Fu Zhen by her side... Isn't this enough?

After hanging up the phone, Qiao Chu was completely relieved. She jumped onto the big bed with joy, covered herself with the quilt, and fell into a sweet dream with ease...