The sound was faint and distant.
Zhou Zhengchu thought it was his imagination or a fantasy in his dream. His eyelids were so heavy that he could hardly lift them.
Two hands seemed to gently land on his forehead, and a muffled voice gradually approached from afar: "I can't feel it. Do you have a thermometer? Let me see what temperature it is now. Should we take him to the hospital?"
A gentle, soft voice.
There was also a hint of worry in it.
He felt it was both familiar and strange.
The sound was intermittent and never really stopped.
“I told you not to assign him so much work. Look, you’ve made him sick. This is your own son. Can’t you have a little conscience? Stop acting like a heartless capitalist who exploits everyone.”
Zhou Zhengchu felt so tired. He slowly, slowly lifted his heavy eyelids, and his blurry vision gradually became clear. He gradually saw the person sitting by his bed. He opened his mouth, only to find that his voice was hoarse and his tone was uncertain: "Mother?"
Jiang Yue hadn't heard her son call her that in a long time. She was stunned for a moment before laughing. The princess patted his head and said, "You're really delirious from the fever."
Her Highness thinks that since the person has woken up, everything should be alright!
She was almost scared to death when she couldn't wake up.
Zhou Zhengchu sat up in bed, looked at the person in front of him, and slowly frowned. Then he heard her say, "Alright, you're not allowed to go to the company today. There are fever reducers on the bedside table. Take one if you feel unwell. If you really feel unwell, call me and I'll take you to the hospital."
After finishing this long speech in one breath, the princess looked at her son, who seemed stunned, and continued, "However, I have to record a program later, and I might not be free until the afternoon. Anyway, don't force yourself, okay?"
Zhou Zhengchu looked at her, and after a while, nodded.
Princess looked at his somewhat dazed expression, not having seen her little ice prince with such a look on his face for a long time. She couldn't help but pinch his cheek. "Mommy's going to work now, be good! Bye-bye."
The door opened and closed again.
After everyone left.
Zhou Zhengchu finally had time to look around the room in front of him. It was indeed his bedroom, and the layout and furnishings were almost the same.
However, there weren't many photos of him with his mother on his desk.
There won't be so many childish toys on the bedside table.
He went downstairs, and everything here was both the same and different.
Zhou Zhengchu thought he was dreaming, but when the scalding tea splashed onto his skin, he still felt pain and didn't wake up from the dream.
Some of the servants in the house are familiar, while others are strangers.
Everything in this world is similar in some ways and different in others.
He took some time to calm himself down, then went to the living room, turned on the TV, and instinctively tuned the channel to the station his mother had quit many years ago.
The TV is replaying last night's program.
He saw a familiar face on the screen, stared at it for a while, and then turned off the TV.
Zhou Zhengchu seemed to understand something.
He was very calm and composed.
The mothers in this world seem normal, and it seems... they care about him too.
"Young master, breakfast is ready."
"Madam instructed us to watch you eat breakfast before she left."
Zhou Zhengchu hummed in agreement and went into the restaurant. On the table were his usual favorite dishes, and he ate his breakfast in silence.
He said, "Get the car ready and take me to the TV station."
Everything in this world is both false and real.
Zhou Zhengchu, who had just received a moment of warmth, was not as happy as he had imagined. He did not know what he was sad about.
The maid noticed that the young master was acting differently than usual.
But I can't quite put my finger on what's different.
Maybe it's because people look colder? That makes them more frightening.
Although they didn't know why the young master suddenly wanted to go to the TV station, they didn't dare to ask and immediately called the driver.
Zhou Zhengchu got into the car, and the scenery outside the window was familiar to him.
This is the road from the old house to the TV station.
My mother only stays at the old house for two days at most each month.
But the world is quite different; they seem to have always lived here.
Zhou Zhengchu felt a throbbing pain in his head. He couldn't tell if he was still half asleep or if it was all a dream.
He raised his hand, his thin, pale fingers pressing against his brow. After a while, as he gradually calmed down, he opened the car window, the wind hitting his face was cold.
It's chilly.
The realistic touch told him that he wasn't dreaming.
This world is more like a dream come true for him.
My phone suddenly vibrated in my pocket, and two words popped up on the screen—Father.
The notes are clean and simple.
Zhou Zhengchu answered the phone and heard his father's voice: "Are you feeling any better?"
Zhou Zhengchu's throat tightened: "Mmm."
Zhou Ji continued, "Rest well at home. I'll give you a few days off. You don't need to worry about anything at the company for now."
Zhou Zhengchu agreed.
His father's voice sounded more human, and even through the phone, he could tell that he was in a good mood.
It's like the dark, heavy clouds that used to weigh on your head are gone.
The haze dissipated, revealing a clear, cloudless sky.
Zhou Zhengchu gripped his phone so tightly that his fingers turned white, and he remained tense until he arrived at the TV station.
He arrived early; her work wasn't finished yet.
The TV station staff all seemed to recognize him, greeting him with smiles: "Are you here to pick up our Teacher Jiang? Why isn't it Mr. Zhou picking her up today?"
They were all smiles, as if they knew him very well.
It's easy to tell from their conversation that their father usually picks their mother up from get off work.
Zhou Zhengchu swallowed hard, his acting skills were superb when necessary: "Father has something to do today."
The staff member exclaimed in surprise, finding it strange: "I heard from my colleagues that Mr. Zhou would come to pick up Teacher Jiang from get off work even if he had something really important to do."
She laughed as she spoke. Everyone knew that Ms. Jiang was spoiled rotten by her husband. If he didn't come to pick her up from get off work, she would throw a tantrum when she got home.
However, Mr. Zhou was quite happy with it.
To outsiders, they would only appear to have a good relationship.
Zhou Zhengchu lowered his eyelids and listened silently.
He quietly went to the studio, found a corner, and just quietly watched the person shining on stage.
Her eyes shone with a light, a light as bright as the sun.
Instead of appearing empty, lost, and helpless.
She was smiling brightly, and seemed to be doing very well and happily. Even if he didn't understand hosting, he knew that her abilities on stage surpassed those of most hosts.
Successful career and happy family.
Everything looks fine.
Before we knew it, the show was over.
Jiang Yue only found out that her son had come when she heard her colleague say it.
Jiang Yue found him in the corner. He seemed absent-minded. She pulled him out of the dim corner and looked at him with a frown: "What's wrong with you?"
Zhou Zhengchu groggily came back to his senses upon hearing the voice. His hand was protected by a warm palm. Not knowing what to say, he remained silent.
Seeing that he wasn't feeling well, Jiang Yue asked her assistant to pour him a cup of hot water. Then she touched his forehead and muttered, "It doesn't seem so hot anymore. He should be better now."
She cupped his face in her hands, looking into his dark eyes with worry in her gaze: "Is there anything else that's bothering you?"
Without waiting for his reply, she grabbed his hand and said, "I'll take you to the hospital."
However, adult men are stronger.
She couldn't pull him.
Zhou Zhengchu snapped out of his daze, his eyelashes fluttering, his voice hoarse, "It's nothing."
The warmth I once dreamed of is now within my reach.
But he still felt heavy-hearted.
Zhou Zhengchu's eyes welled up with tears. So... so this is what his mother was like when she was normal, shining brightly like she was on stage just now when she was happy.
He hoped she would love him, and he also hoped she could find true happiness.
His obsession, though greedy, was not extensive.
Zhou Zhengchu still had many things he wanted to figure out. If parallel worlds really existed, would they be like this now?
He didn't have much time to dwell on his thoughts. Jiang Yue reached out and touched his face: "What's wrong? You look so down. Did your dad bully you again? I really..."
She said angrily, "I'm telling you, I won't let him get away with this! What kind of skill is it to bully a child?"
Zhou Zhengchu pursed his lips: "No."
He said stiffly, "Mom."
He rarely uttered the last two words in his life.
It always felt awkward, especially this time.
Jiang Yue didn't notice anything wrong with her son. She just assumed he was sick and had a fever, so she touched his face affectionately and then asked curiously, "Why did you come to the TV station today when you're sick?"
Zhou Zhengchu's body stiffened slightly. "I had nothing to do, so I thought I'd come and take a look."
Jiang Yue was muttering to herself, her voice very soft and hard to hear, when her phone suddenly rang.
Answer the phone.
Zhou Ji said he was already on his way to pick her up from get off work, and she exclaimed, "I don't need you today."
Zhou Ji raised an eyebrow. "Why doesn't Madam need me as her driver today? Did I do something wrong?"
He put on airs, and his tone really sounded like an honest and law-abiding driver.
Jiang Yue said, "My son came to pick me up, so you've become superfluous. I'll give you another chance to pick me up from get off work tomorrow."
Zhou Ji asked, "Isn't he still running a fever? I thought he was at home."
Jiang Yue became more talkative: "Yes, yes, I don't know what's wrong with this child today, she seems to be in a bad mood, she's been talking less."
Her tone turned fierce: "Tell me the truth! Did you discipline him behind my back?"
Zhou Ji felt wronged, "No."
She paused, then used her favorite childish vow to assure herself: "I'd be a dog if I lied to you."
Then Zhou Ji added, "I'm almost there."
Since that's the case, Jiang Yue wouldn't stop him from coming.
After hanging up the phone, she noticed that her son seemed a little absent-minded, or perhaps it was just her imagination.
Think about it carefully, everyone has times when they feel down.
Jiang Yue touched his hair without saying anything.
Zhou Zhengchu was quiet and unassuming; no one could tell what he was thinking.
He remained quiet all the way until he got home.
I ate very little for dinner, barely touching my chopsticks.
Jiang Yue stared at him for a long time before belatedly realizing how strange it was. He wasn't usually like this, was he? His brows and eyes seemed to be shrouded in an inescapable gloom, and he looked preoccupied and unusually mature.
He's not much different from his mature and steady father.
However strange it may be, she won't take the initiative to ask. She doesn't like people asking her questions when she's in a bad mood.
Jiang Yue very considerately gave the child some space.
At night, after taking a shower, she sat lazily in her nightgown, applying skincare products in front of the vanity mirror. Her skin looked great now, smooth and delicate, and she was still a beautiful woman with fair skin.
Sometimes when I go out with my son, people mistake us for siblings.
Zhou Ji came out of the bathroom and unknowingly walked up behind her. He casually wrapped his arm around her wrist, leaned down and kissed her ear, the warm breath making her ear burn.
The skin behind her ear felt tingly and numb, like she'd been electrocuted. She turned around, and the soft light illuminated her fair, rosy face.
Her eyes were dark and watery, and very beautiful.
She asked, "Don't you think something's wrong with your son?"
In fact, Zhou Ji didn't notice. "He's an adult, what could be wrong with him?"
Jiang Yue said, "He's in a bad mood."
Zhou Ji nodded nonchalantly, "That's normal." Then the man said casually, "He's not a three-year-old anymore. He doesn't need to be coaxed when he's in a bad mood. You don't need to worry about him."
That being said.
Before going to bed that night, Jiang Yue went to her son's room, knocked on the door, and heard someone say "come in."
She slowly pushed open the door, and he seemed normal again.
She placed the water glass on the bedside table and, seeing the opened pills on the bedside table, felt slightly relieved. She asked, "Are you feeling better?"
Zhou Zhengchu hesitated for two seconds, then nodded: "It's done."
She hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped.
The concern in his eyes was something he had rarely seen or received before.
"Are you unhappy today?" The soft, gentle voice seemed to have the power to soothe the soul.
Zhou Zhengchu's throat tightened, making it difficult for him to speak. He said, "No."
He paused, lowered his eyes, and uttered a few words: "I'm very happy."
I'm genuinely happy.
The faint sadness was real.
Jiang Yue said, "You don't look very happy."
However, she didn't press him for details. Instead, she pinched his cheek like she did when he was a child and said, "Don't keep things to yourself."
Zhou Zhengchu was stunned for a moment, not quite used to this gentleness. He looked at her as if she were looking at his mother, who had never seen him in her eyes, across time and space.
He choked slightly and said, "Mmm."
After a while, he was the only one left in the bedroom.
In a quiet, dark environment.
His eyes held a serene stillness, as he glanced at the mother-son photo on the table.
The person in the photo also has a slight smile on their face.
He must have been very happy at that moment.
Or rather, he is a perfect being in this world.
Zhou Zhengchu closed his eyes in the darkness; this beautiful dream was enough.
He hoped he would wake up and open his eyes.
Then you can go back.
Go back to her side.
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