I got home too late today, and Wanqiu hasn't done her homework yet.
There wasn't time to make the little house either.
For reasons unknown, Wan Qiu closed the door to her room.
In his small bedroom, Wanqiu focused intently on his homework, working diligently until he neatly wrote down the last word.
But the moment he stopped writing, a feeling of emptiness still washed over him, giving Wanqiu no chance to catch his breath.
Wan Qiu sat curled up on the bed, the only sound in the small bedroom being the air conditioner.
For some reason, Wanqiu suddenly found the sound of the air conditioner very noisy.
Even the intense presence of the cold wind it blew out resonated in Wanqiu's ears.
Wanqiu turned off the air conditioner and sat in the cool room, feeling the temperature gradually rise.
I opened the window, and a cacophony of sounds came from outside, a transition from silence to clamor.
It felt as if something heavy was constantly pressing down on him.
Even breathing became difficult.
Wan Qiu took out his phone, then hesitated.
It's already quite late; perhaps it's not the right time to make a phone call.
Finally, Wan Qiu found a phone number in his contacts.
He dialed the number of the shop owner who used to rent an apartment in the same neighborhood as him.
"Wanqiu? Why are you calling me so late?" The shop owner's voice was very loud, carried by the hot, noisy wind blowing in.
"Boss." Wan Qiu unconsciously curled up, all her attention focused on the small receiver of the phone, "Do you know where my mom and dad went?"
"Huh? Your parents aren't..."
The first people the boss thought of were Chu Jianshu and Yang Xiaoyu.
However, since the question was directed at him, the boss realized that Wan Qiu might be referring to Ning Hai and Ning Qiaozhen.
The boss's voice rose slightly at the end, sounding puzzled: "Are you asking about your parents from before?"
Wan Qiu remained silent.
Even Wan Qiu himself didn't know why he had to ask about someone he thought he would never see again after almost a year.
The background noise on the other end of the phone was a bit loud, as if a TV was playing.
Then came the sound of footsteps; the boss seemed to have moved to a quieter place.
"Wanqiu, why are you asking them? Aren't you doing just fine? Why are you thinking about those two... scumbags?" The boss tried his best to correct him.
Wan Qiu remained silent.
The boss was silent for about ten seconds before continuing, "Those two people have no right to be parents. Although they raised you for three years, you had to rely on yourself for most of those three years, and you were even abused by them."
Wan Qiu gripped her ankle tightly: "I know."
"Ah, right, you know that too, so you should cut ties with them now and never have anything to do with them again," the boss said immediately.
Since Wanqiu came to understand the abnormality of the past, he also gradually came to understand the contempt that others had for Ning Hai and Ning Qiaozhen.
"I just... wanted to know."
But Wanqiu himself doesn't even know what kind of answer he wants to get when he asks this question.
The shop owner seemed hesitant for a moment before saying, "Why don't you ask your friend, the one named Huang Hu?"
Wan Qiu was taken aback.
Huang Hu...
In Wan Qiu's hazy memory, Huang Hu's friends Lu Qinghe and Ning Qiaozhen had appeared together.
He asked Huang Hu, but Huang Hu gave a very ambiguous answer.
Wan Qiu felt his mind was in a state of confusion, and he couldn't remember what Huang Hu had said to him.
Wan Qiu asked, "Why are you asking Uncle Huang Hu?"
"Isn't Huang Hu and his friend the people your parents hired? Isn't it because of them that your parents found you?"
The boss's unintentional words directly impacted Wan Qiu.
Wan Qiu had no idea that such a thing existed.
Some details of his past interactions with Huang Hu and Lu Qinghe resurfaced in Wan Qiu's mind.
Gradually, a network of relationships was formed that was completely unfamiliar to Wan Qiu.
"Wanqiu?" the shop owner asked from across the street.
It took Wan Qiu a long time to find his voice. The room was very hot after the window was opened, but Wan Qiu was completely unaware of it.
"I...I'll call Uncle Huang Hu and see..."
Even after Wanqiu hung up the phone with his boss, he still hadn't fully grasped what had happened.
If Huang Hu and Lu Qinghe were hired...
Then why deny the relationship with Ning Hai and Ning Qiaozhen?
For the first time, Wanqiu felt incredibly stupid, so stupid that he was completely incapable of handling anything.
But a bad feeling, like thin piano strings tangling around his fingers, prevented him from dialing any more numbers and asking further questions.
Wan Qiu looked at the phone in front of him.
Wanting to find out the truth and not knowing how to conceal anything, Wanqiu finally gave in to his desire to explore and dialed Huang Hu's number.
Huang Hu's phone rang for a long time.
The ringing of the telephone was like a drumstick pounding on Wanqiu's heart.
Until the phone went dead.
Huang Hu didn't answer the phone in the end.
Wan Qiu watched longingly when suddenly his phone vibrated.
Huang Hu's caller ID was right in front of Wan Qiu's eyes, as glaring as the light of a cell phone suddenly turning on in the middle of the night.
Wan Qiu answered the phone, and Huang Hu's voice came from the other end: "Wan Qiu, what's wrong? Why are you calling your uncle so late? Did you have a nightmare last night?"
In Wanqiu's memory, Huang Hu always had such a cheerful voice.
Sometimes, Wan Qiu felt that Huang Hu might be a bit like Chu Zhang.
But this time, when Wan Qiu heard Huang Hu's voice, he didn't feel happy as he always had.
Wan Qiu held the phone to his ear, and the phone gradually heated up.
"Wanqiu? What happened? Did you accidentally press it?"
Huang Hu asked several times in a row, and even when he was about to hang up the phone, Wan Qiu finally spoke.
"Uncle Huang Hu, do you know where my mom and dad are?"
"I don't know? What's wrong? Are you lost?" Huang Hu asked instinctively.
Wan Qiu added, "I mean, my former parents."
Huang Hu's voice was followed by a brief silence.
Wan Qiu didn't give Huang Hu a chance to explain, saying, "The shop owner just told me that my current parents hired you to come find me."
Huang Hu gripped his phone, covered it, and gasped.
Looking at Lu Qinghe, whose gaze was also subtly ambiguous in the driver's seat, she instantly felt tense.
"Um, Wanqiu, I'm currently working outside with your Uncle Lu, so we might not have much time to chat. How about next time, Wanqiu..."
Huang Hu immediately instructed Lu Qinghe to secretly send a message to Yang Xiaoyu, explaining the situation.
"I just want to know where Mom and Dad are." Wan Qiu's voice was lower and slower than usual.
It's more like they're suppressing something.
Huang Hu was very worried.
Is this how they should put it?
"Is it something you can't tell me?" Wan Qiu asked tentatively and cautiously.
"Um, Wanqiu, our work is confidential." Huang Hu felt a chill run down his spine and couldn't find a better excuse for a moment.
Or rather, his intuition told him that any excuse was now useless.
"I'm sorry, Uncle Huang Hu, I'm sorry to have disturbed your work."
Wan Qiu's increasingly faint voice on the other end of the phone made Huang Hu feel as if he could see Wan Qiu himself gradually losing his way.
Huang Hu immediately said, "It's okay, it's okay, but I'm still working now, so I have to hang up now. Let's find some time to talk properly next time."
After hanging up the phone, Huang Hu immediately asked, "Did Boss Yang reply?"
"No." Lu Qinghe frowned as well, and simply dialed the number directly.
Huang Hu immediately covered his forehead: "I'm having a really bad day."
Even if Wan Qiu was incredibly stupid, he realized at this point that everyone was hiding something from him.
This has become something that is almost beyond doubt.
Wan Qiu remembers Li Shuo saying that if he did something bad, he definitely wouldn't want others to know.
So, did Mom and Dad really take revenge on Ning Hai and Ning Qiaozhen?
What else?
How much does he not know?
For some reason, Wan Qiu kept replaying the scene in his mind of the day Lu Qinghe abandoned him on a strange roadside with Ning Qiaozhen.
It was much hotter back then than it is now.
The sunlight stung his skin and his eyes.
Even now, in the dead of night, Wan Qiu seems to be able to recall the feelings of that time.
Finally, Wan Qiu put down his phone.
He got off the soft bed and opened the closed door.
He didn't notice the phone that suddenly started vibrating again behind him.
Wan Qiu went to visit Chu Yigui's room.
The door was still open, and bright light shone through it.
In a daze, Wan Qiu seemed to recall that Chu Yigui had never closed this door since they started living together.
Wan Qiu could always find out what Chu Yigui was doing if he wanted to.
This time, Chu Yigui wasn't reading a book; instead, she was using the computer.
Wan Qiu could see from afar the complex, completely incomprehensible text being displayed on the computer screen.
Wan Qiu stood at Chu Yigui's door, unsure whether he should go in.
Suddenly, Chu Yigui's phone vibrated, catching her attention. When she took off her earphones, she noticed Wan Qiu standing at the door.
Chu Yigui, who had intended to answer the phone, did not answer it and did not even look at the caller ID.
"Brother." Just by looking at Wan Qiu's expression, Chu Yigui could tell whether Wan Qiu needed him.
And now, Wanqiu needs him very much.
Now nothing else matters.
"Little brother." Wan Qiu stood at the door, gazing at Chu Yigui. "Where are my mom and dad now?"
Unlike others who needed to react, Chu Yigui understood almost immediately who Wan Qiu was referring to.
Now, Chu Yigui finally understands the reason behind the intense, strange feeling that had been lingering over Wan Qiu ever since she returned from the hospital.
Chu Yigui lowered her eyes, then raised them again: "I will tell you, brother."
Wan Qiu nervously clenched her fingers, awaiting the answer.
"But brother, may I know why you suddenly asked such a question?"
Wan Qiu slowly began to speak: "Li Shuo said that my current parents will definitely take revenge on my previous parents because they treated me badly."
Chu Yigui understood the context in which these words had suddenly appeared.
Chu Yigui said, "Then do you think it's wrong for Mom and Dad to do this?"
Wan Qiu thought for a moment.
In the end, he shook his head.
Chu Yigui knew that Wan Qiu was always growing up gradually without anyone noticing.
And now Wanqiu is gradually developing the ability to discern.
Wanqiu will eventually find out about this.
And it's not true that the longer it drags on, the less damage it will cause to Wanqiu.
If Wanqiu asked.
Then he could only answer.
"Ning Hai and Ning Qiaozhen are currently in jail," Chu Yigui's cool voice came through the night.
The sounds were accompanied by the air conditioner, the computer, and the constantly vibrating phone.
"He is serving time in prison for multiple crimes, including child abuse, fraud, gambling, illegal imprisonment, and intentional injury."
Wan Qiu had no idea what Ning Hai and Ning Qiaozhen's jobs were.
However, Wan Qiu was shocked to hear a series of unfamiliar charges that would land him in prison, charges he didn't even understand.
“Mom and Dad did retaliate against them,” Chu Yigui said to Wan Qiu. “But they deserved it. The longer they stay in jail, the safer it will be for my brother.”
Wan Qiu opened his mouth, then lowered his head, but didn't know what to say.
He knew these must be bad things.
Ning Hai and Ning Qiaozhen must have hurt many, many people, just like they hurt him.
This is normal.
This is only natural.
Everyone must take responsibility for their actions.
For some reason, Wanqiu was never able to let it go.
If their parents had known about Ning Hai and Ning Qiaozhen's crimes earlier, they would have sent them to prison long ago.
When was that?
Was it when he... was abandoned?
Wan Qiu always believed that his two sets of parents had no connection whatsoever...
Wanqiu, however, had been feeling a sense of unease, but he didn't know what it was.
Countless fine threads were tightly intertwined, and Wan Qiu saw them relentlessly wrapping around his body.
"Anything else, little brother?" Wan Qiu looked up and asked earnestly, "Anything else I don't know?"
Chu Yigui could see the absolute trust in Wan Qiu's gaze.
Absolute trust, pure white and without any interference.
Chu Yigui also knew that if he concealed it now, some things might remain hidden forever.
But Chu Yigui doesn't want to do that now.
Perhaps there's a chance to keep everything a secret for a lifetime.
But he didn't want to betray the purity and clarity in those eyes that looked at him.
“Once, Ning Hai and Ning Qiaozhen abandoned their brother.”
Chu Yigui is rarely nervous.
But at this moment, he was so nervous that his throat was dry and his heart ached.
This was an unfamiliar yet intense emotion for him.
It triggered an irresistible instinct in him to want to escape, procrastinate, and turn a blind eye.
Chu Yigui didn't know what was controlling him; he couldn't tell if it was emotion or something else.
but……
"Mom and Dad got involved in this, and they fueled the flames so that my brother would be abandoned."
Chu Yigui was looking at Wan Qiu.
Wan Qiu slowly opened his eyes, filled with disbelief.
Chu Yigui then heard Wan Qiu ask again, "What about my younger brother?"
Where is Chu Yigui?
For the first time, Chu Yigui's mind went blank, and she instinctively blurted out the truth: "I didn't do anything, I just... let things take their course."
At that moment, Chu Yigui seemed to see something.
He seemed to see the light reflected from the broken glass, entering his pupils.
The glass, which had always tried its best to withstand the wind, sand, and rain with its fragile body, shattered on the ground because of his voice, revealing its sharpness and piercing nature towards others.
Wanqiu took a step back.
Chu Yigui stepped forward, wanting to hold Wanqiu's hand as she always had.
They continued to connect and share their feelings, just like before.
As he had done countless times before, he would guide Wanqiu to understand.
But Chu Yigui found that he was far less calm than he had imagined.
Wanqiu was in even greater chaos than he had anticipated.
Without saying a word, Wan Qiu turned and went back to his bedroom after taking only one step.
When that door closed in front of Chu Yigui, Chu Yigui felt as if her heart had almost stopped beating.
Standing before this closed door, Chu Yigui tried to calm herself down as always.
Just as he realized, he couldn't maintain his own identity when it came to Wanqiu's affairs.
He didn't want to upset Wanqiu, nor did he want Wanqiu to get hurt.
But this is the only thing...
There is no way to avoid it.
His fingers gripped the fabric of his shirt, but he couldn't alleviate the pain and choking that was threatening to take his breath away.
This time...
He tasted the bitterness of regret.
Chu Yigui did not knock on Wanqiu's door, but instead leaned against the corridor connecting Wanqiu's room.
He finally noticed the cell phone that had been vibrating in his room.
Chu Yigui turned and went into his room, and sure enough, it was Yang Xiaoyu calling.
Chu Yigui dialed again, and Yang Xiaoyu answered almost immediately: "Yigui, my baby hasn't been answering the phone. Is he still in his room?"
"Yes," Chu Yigui replied.
"Is there anything unusual about the baby's condition?" Yang Xiaoyu asked immediately.
Chu Yigui said calmly, "My brother is in his room now."
Chu Yigui's answer was rather ambiguous, but it was enough for Yang Xiaoyu to know Wan Qiu's current situation.
“I’m already in the past, Yi Gui. We’ll talk when we meet,” Yang Xiaoyu said.
"good."
Chu Yigui hung up the phone and looked at the time on his phone. Had he been in a daze for so long?
Standing up, Chu Yigui sat on the sofa in the living room.
It was very quiet around.
Their house has always been well soundproofed, making it difficult for sound to travel.
The room was very clean, filled with memories of Wan Qiu's time, but there were no traces of Wan Qiu's presence.
The self-discipline and tidying habits that Wanqiu developed from a young age make her more willing to pay attention to trivial matters than her peers.
But this also proves that this is something Wanqiu cares about.
Regardless of...
Even the most trivial things.
The key was inserted into the lock, followed by the sound of the door being roughly opened.
Chu Yigui looked up and saw Chu Jianshu and Yang Xiaoyu, who had arrived together.
This time, however, Yang Xiaoyu was not so irritable. She even took the initiative to change into slippers and sit on the sofa in the living room.
"Yi Gui, tell me what exactly happened first," Chu Jianshu said.
Yang Xiaoyu was not without impatience; at least from Chu Yigui's perspective, he could see that Yang Xiaoyu had gripped the sofa cover tightly due to her anxiety.
The excessive force caused unnatural wrinkles to appear on the soft sofa cover, but she still endured it.
Chu Yigui said, "My brother asked me about the whereabouts of Ning Hai and Ning Qiaozhen, and I told him."
Yang Xiaoyu was also watching Chu Yigui.
The exceptionally talented young man's voice remained calm.
“I also told my brother that my parents and I were involved in the process of him being abandoned.”
In that instant, something exploded in Yang Xiaoyu's mind, and she immediately heard her own angry voice: "Why...?"
However, Yang Xiaoyu's voice suddenly stopped. She tried to relax and pressed her temples to relieve her headache. She couldn't let her impatience affect innocent people.
"Why tell Wanqiu, Yigui? You are clearly a very opinionated child. You should know that this is not the right thing to do to tell him."
“I know,” Chu Yigui said. “Sooner or later, my brother will find out, no matter the reason or the details.”
Chu Jianshu also admitted that perhaps Chu Yigui was telling the truth.
"Yi Gui's decision was made after careful consideration, wasn't it?" Chu Jianshu said.
Chu Yigui lowered her eyes and said, "I also have my own selfish reasons. I don't want to hide it from my brother."
"Didn't you think about what would happen if Wan Qiu found out the truth so quickly?" Yang Xiaoyu suppressed her emotions and her voice, but she still couldn't hide her temper.
“My brother is a very opinionated person. He has his own way of thinking and he can understand things he doesn’t understand,” Chu Yigui said.
“What if he gets angry?” Yang Xiaoyu suddenly retorted.
"I will comfort my brother and apologize to him..."
Chu Yigui's voice suddenly trembled slightly, as if to cover it up, and she continued.
“My brother is a good listener. He will listen to our explanations and try to understand. I will keep comforting him until he forgives me.”
A standard answer.
This aligns with their understanding of Chu Yigui, which is the consequence that Chu Yigui always considers after doing things.
He knows what the best course of action is and how to achieve the desired results.
He also knew how to communicate with Wanqiu.
But the slight tremor in her voice that was accidentally revealed was not overlooked by the other two people present.
Chu Yigui shifted her gaze and said again, "I don't want to deprive my brother of the right to be angry."
At that moment, Yang Xiaoyu was unable to refute.
Yang Xiaoyu looked at her child.
Children who are outstanding, excellent, calm and composed, and even almost geniuses and perfect, are more likely to accept the value they bring.
Chu Yigui's performance has always been commendable; they have almost never seen him flustered or at a loss.
Even now, it's the same...
He was clear-headed, calm, and still adept at analyzing the current situation.
Even from his expression, Yang Xiaoyu still couldn't see any flaw in him.
However, they sensed a subtle, unsettling atmosphere emanating from Chu Yigui.
It was just that one small mistake.
It was as if a tiny hole had suddenly appeared in a flawless wall, and if they bent down and looked into the small, bright hole, they could see a chaotic world filled with emotions on the other side of the wall.
Is Chu Yigui also afraid that Wan Qiu will be angry?
Was Chu Yigui, who had always been closest to Wan Qiu, even more worried about Wan Qiu's feelings than they were? Yang Xiaoyu suddenly wondered.
Chu Jianshu sighed calmly: "Yi Gui is right. Hiding things is not a long-term solution. Even if it's just an opportunity, perhaps telling Wan Qiu about this now is not a bad thing."
Yang Xiaoyu remained silent this time.
She knew that every word she said would put pressure on Chu Yigui.
"Yi Gui, you've worked very hard," Yang Xiaoyu acknowledged.
Chu Jianshu asked, "Did Wan Qiu show any unusual behavior after hearing about these things?"
Chu Yigui shook her head: "My brother has locked himself up, and I haven't had a chance to explain to him yet."
Chu Jianshu was somewhat surprised that Chu Yigui, who was always very proactive, did not immediately offer an explanation.
"Wanqiu doesn't want to come out?" Chu Jianshu asked.
Chu Yigui said, "I didn't knock."
Chu Jianshu did not ask any further questions.
If Chu Yigui is also confused, she will need time to calm down.
They cannot give a child too much of a burden.
“I’ll go over there…” Yang Xiaoyu stood up, “to see if Wan Qiu is willing to come out and listen to our explanation.”
Watching Yang Xiaoyu's departing figure as she went upstairs, Chu Jianshu fixed his gaze on Chu Yigui.
It looks no different from before.
But beneath the calm surface, the undercurrents are turbulent.
"Yi Gui, you've always done very well, extremely well," Chu Jianshu said to Chu Yi Gui. "Even if you made some mistakes, they're nothing serious, and you don't need to blame yourself too much."
“I know, Dad.” Chu Yigui looked up and answered respectfully, “Don’t worry.”
"Dad is very worried about you."
However, unlike before, Chu Jianshu did not truly feel reassured by Chu Yigui's words that there was no need to worry.
"Can Daddy know how you're feeling right now?"
Chu Jianshu rarely referred to himself as "Dad" in the past.
It's more like "I" than such an intimate term.
Now, when Chu Jianshu faces Chu Yigui, he truly treats Chu Yigui as a child.
Chu Yigui fell silent. His unintentional unease did not escape the notice of his astute parents.
However, contrary to his expectations, Chu Jianshu and Yang Xiaoyu were different from before; they would no longer turn a blind eye.
Even now, Chu Yigui is still pondering this.
What kind of answer would be better...?
"If my brother were standing in front of me now, listening to me speak and to my apology, things might be better."
Finally, Chu Yigui revealed the confusion and panic that were deep in his heart.
Even though his tone was calm, it masked his deepest repression.
Chu Yigui was very uneasy, simply because Wan Qiu was not by his side.
“You two have a good relationship, and Dad is very reassured about your interactions,” Chu Jianshu said to Chu Yigui, as if to comfort her. “Just as you said, Wanqiu will listen to you.”
"Hmm." Chu Yigui ultimately simply looked away. "Thank you for your comfort, Dad."
Chu Jianshu sighed silently.
But it wasn't disappointment or loss; instead, it was relief.
How can a person be perfect?
They are gradually revealing their own desires and expressing their own emotions, which is not necessarily a bad thing.
And perhaps even if Wanqiu really wanted to be angry and blame them, it would be something he couldn't do.
Just as Chu Yigui said, Wan Qiu has the right to be alive.
They bear an unshirkable responsibility for harming Wanqiu.
——
As Wan Qiu closed the door, the way Chu Yigui had looked at him back then still vaguely appeared before his eyes.
This was the first time he had ever seen Chu Yigui look at him like that.
Wan Qiu couldn't tell what kind of expression that was; it was unfamiliar, like a fragile piece of paper.
When Wanqiu first started making the handmade house, she was unfamiliar with it, and even her wet fingertips would wrinkle the thin paper.
Chu Yigui, who had always been steadfast to Wan Qiu, revealed a sensitivity and fragility as thin as paper.
However, Wanqiu is currently in a state of confusion.
Chu Yigui told him something that was enough to confuse him greatly.
Wan Qiu needs time to process this. If he keeps looking at Chu Yigui, he will always pay attention to Chu Yigui.
Wanqiu sat on the bed, deep in thought.
Ning Hai and Ning Qiaozhen did terrible things; the prison will punish them.
Chu Yigui said that he deserved it.
If Ning Hai and Ning Qiaozhen both go to prison, won't he be taken away by his parents too?
Why abandon him?
Is it because you want to abandon him?
Wanqiu lowered his head, shocked by his own thoughts, yet deep down he struggled to accept that it was true.
Even if he is abandoned by his parents one day in the future, it has nothing to do with Ning Hai and Ning Qiaozhen abandoning him, right?
Do parents have a strange habit of abandoning their children?
"Impossible, impossible," Wan Qiu denied the possibility.
His father was very good to him, and so was his mother.
This home is truly wonderful; it's a place I could never have imagined being with Ninghai and Ning Qiaozhen.
Wanqiu's memories of the past are not actually very clear.
Those arduous days, day after day, only become clear when you suddenly recall them at some point.
Wanqiu couldn't understand it.
Wanqiu couldn't find a way to understand this matter.
But Wanqiu knew that he must have been terrified of being abandoned at the time.
When Wan Qiu knew nothing, leaving Ning Qiaozhen was like losing her entire world.
Even if Wanqiu were to go back to that time now, she would not want to be abandoned by Ning Qiaozhen.
Wanqiu hesitated, feeling utterly powerless.
I curled up in bed, thinking about things I couldn't possibly understand, and I felt very sad.
On one hand, she was torn between fear and the desire to understand her parents' actions, but in the end, she could only feel powerless against this strange behavior.
When Wanqiu's door was knocked, he suddenly opened his eyes and realized that he had almost fallen asleep without realizing it.
Wan Qiu was about to open the door when he suddenly heard Yang Xiaoyu's voice.
"Sweetie, Mommy wants to say sorry to you."
"Mom also thought about whether it would be better not to do it, but she still did it."
"Mom wants you to stay out of trouble, but I've decided to disappoint you completely this time."
"Thinking back now, was it possible that your mother at that time just wanted to get you back to her side as completely as possible, and she resorted to any means necessary?"
Wan Qiu stood bewildered in front of the door. Because the soundproofing was so good, Yang Xiaoyu's voice didn't seem very clear.
But Wanqiu understood every single word.
"Can I hear what Mom has to say?" Yang Xiaoyu's voice came from the other side of the door, as if she were pressed against it. "Not to hear Mom explain, but to have Mom apologize to you, okay?"
Wan Qiu suddenly opened the door.
Yang Xiaoyu, who had been pressed against the door, almost stumbled and fell inside, but luckily she managed to brace herself against the door frame.
Wan Qiu and Yang Xiaoyu locked eyes.
Yang Xiaoyu probably didn't think Wan Qiu would open the door.
Putting herself in her shoes, Yang Xiaoyu felt that if she encountered such a situation, even if she could understand, she would definitely have a conflict, or at least throw a huge tantrum.
Therefore, Yang Xiaoyu was prepared to endure Wan Qiu's anger from the beginning.
But Wanqiu opened the door.
Yang Xiaoyu was clinging to the door frame, looking bewildered.
Wan Qiu looked up at Yang Xiaoyu with pleading eyes.
Yang Xiaoyu was so surprised that she got stuck.
Wanqiu said, "I came out to listen to my mother."
For the first time, Yang Xiaoyu couldn't even muster her usual impatience. She just stared blankly, unsure of how to react.
Seeing that Yang Xiaoyu was not speaking, Wan Qiu guessed that it was because they were at the door and it was inconvenient to talk.
"Would you like to come in, Mom?" Wan Qiu made way for Yang Xiaoyu to enter his room.
Looking at Wan Qiu's bedroom, Yang Xiaoyu suddenly felt timid.
It's hard for people not to feel guilty when they face their mistakes, and Yang Xiaoyu is no exception.
When Yang Xiaoyu apologized to Yang Ze, she was incredibly nervous.
"Can we go to the living room? Dad and Yigui are waiting for you."
Yang Xiaoyu despised herself, and couldn't even maintain her assertive personality in front of Wan Qiu.
Wan Qiu nodded: "Then let's go to the living room."
Yang Xiaoyu felt that her steps were uneven, as if she were walking on soft, freshly turned soil.
She led Wanqiu downstairs, turning back every few steps, as if the Wanqiu she saw now was just her delusion.
But Wanqiu remained there, showing no sign of disappearing.
When Chu Yigui saw Wan Qiu, a look of astonishment flashed deep in his eyes.
He originally thought that Wanqiu would dislike him because of this and would be unwilling to have contact with them.
However, when Chu Yigui met Wan Qiu's eyes, she realized she was wrong.
There was none of the anger, disgust, rejection, or even revenge he had imagined.
It's exactly the same as before... There's no difference.
Chu Yigui realized that she would never be able to understand Wan Qiu.
Wanqiu was always beyond his expectations.
Wanqiu sat on the only single sofa in front of her parents and younger brother.
Butler Bai once said that this is usually the main seat, representing the most important position.
Now that Wan Qiu was sitting in the main seat, he realized that he was about to hear something very serious.
Chu Jianshu spoke first: "Wanqiu, first of all, I am very sorry. It was my idea that led Ning Hai and Ning Qiaozhen to abandon you."
Wan Qiu asked, "Why?"
"Because you weren't willing to accept us at that time."
Chu Jianshu's words brought Wan Qiu back to that unclear memory.
I recalled my initial reluctance and lack of curiosity when I first met Chu Jianshu.
I recalled the rejection and fear I felt when I first met Yang Xiaoyu.
I also remembered the first time I met Chu Yigui...
Wan Qiu glanced at Chu Yigui, whose younger brother was sitting in the seat furthest away from him.
They were so far apart that it seemed impossible for them to touch each other.
“You were unwilling to leave Ninghai and Ning Qiaozhen at the time, and based on my understanding, given Ninghai and Ning Qiaozhen’s character and way of doing things, once they found out you were from a wealthy family, they would definitely try every means to control you.”
In the hazy memories of the past, it's as if I'm recalling those feelings.
At that time, he did not want to follow anyone other than Ning Hai and Ning Qiaozhen.
Wan Qiu also knew that there were far too many people in this world who were doing better than him, but for him, only Ning Hai and Ning Qiaozhen were the best.
If only...
If one didn't know that he was being neglected and abused in that cramped rented room...
Wan Qiu still believes that having Ning Hai and Ning Qiaozhen is the happiest thing in the world.
Wanqiu suddenly felt that he could understand some of it.
Having been abandoned before, I am now better able to embrace a new life.
Is it possible that he wouldn't have been willing to face his real parents if he hadn't been abandoned?
"If we allow you to remain entangled with those two people, even if we forcibly bring you back, we can't protect you completely. Those two people will try every means to contact you, and we will be powerless to stop them."
"Even if they're sent to prison, they'll come out eventually, Wanqiu. Do you still have hope and expectations for those two people?"
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