"What younger brother? You must have gotten your head stuck in a door." Shen Meiyan curled her lip in disdain, her voice sharp and sarcastic.
Shen Yanshan, who was standing to the side, suddenly changed his expression. He stared at Shen Zhi Qiu with wide eyes, as if he had heard something unbelievable. He immediately changed the subject, trying to cover up his embarrassment.
"It's nothing, just think of it as me being a little out of it." Shen Zhi Qiu smiled faintly, a hint of slyness in her eyes. "I just suddenly thought, if you had a younger brother, who would he look like?"
Shen Yanshan's expression darkened further. He glared at Shen Zhiqiu but remained silent. He knew that Shen Zhiqiu was deliberately provoking him, trying to anger him. However, he couldn't fall for it; he had to stay calm.
"Zhiqiu, how can you still have the mind to joke about your sister at a time like this?" Shen Yanshan said to Shen Meiyan with a stern face, "Go and call your mother to rest for a while, I'll be there soon."
After hearing Shen Yanshan's words, Shen Meiyan glared fiercely at Shen Zhiqi, then turned and left. Her retreating figure exuded anger and resentment.
Lin Yueshan glanced at Shen Zhi Qiu without showing any emotion, and didn't react. She knew it was best not to cause trouble at this time. So, she pretended not to have heard anything, turned around, and left with Shen Meiyan.
Once they were all gone, Shen Yanshan gritted his teeth and said, "What exactly do you know?" His voice was full of threat and warning, as if he wanted to kill Shen Zhi Qiu.
"I don't know anything. But isn't Haihua Apartment a bit too far from home? Driving back and forth must be tiring," Shen Zhi Qiu said casually, a hint of provocation and mockery in her eyes. "If you want your family to be reunited, I don't mind helping you out."
Shen Yanshan's expression changed drastically. He stared wide-eyed at Shen Zhiqiu, as if he had heard something unbelievable. He knew that Shen Zhiqiu was implying that he knew some unspeakable secrets. A sense of fear and unease welled up in his heart; he didn't know just how much Shen Zhiqiu knew.
"You!" Shen Yanshan's face turned ashen, his lips twitching. "You're getting more and more ambitious, aren't you?! Aren't you afraid...?"
“Hey, I don’t like hearing threats. I might just spill the beans right now.” Shen Zhi Qiu chuckled and leaned closer, saying, “So, are you satisfied?” A hint of provocation flashed in her eyes.
Shen Yanshan's expression turned even uglier. He glared at Shen Zhi Qiu, then turned and left.
After Shen Yanshan left, Shen Zhiqi told Rong Mo about his affair with a mistress and the child he had conceived.
Rong Mo was stunned. "How did you know?"
“I hired a private investigator to look into him,” Shen Zhi Qiu said calmly. “I was hoping to get some leverage over him. Although he tried to be discreet, the people I hired still managed to get some photos and videos. I have both photos and videos. If he pushes me too far, I’ll release them.”
As they were talking, Wei Qiao reminded him, "President Rong, the memorial service is about to end."
Shen Zhi Qiu's expression turned serious. She took Rong Mo's hand and whispered, "Brother, let's go over there. I want to go and keep Mom and Grandpa company. I'm afraid they won't be able to hold on."
The funeral home was filled with suppressed sobs. As the coffin was nailed shut, Mu Ziqi could no longer control her emotions. She rushed over, touched the coffin, and wailed loudly.
Shen Zhi Qiu held back her tears and gently helped Mu Zi Qi up. The incident happened too suddenly. A perfectly healthy person was gone without any warning. No one could bear it, let alone someone who had been respectful to each other for half their lives.
Gu Qingyan, unusually, did not let his grandfather down and stood beside him, keeping a close eye on his condition. The attending doctor was also waiting nearby, in case of any unexpected situation.
In the afternoon, at the cemetery.
As an only son, Gu Qingyan held Gu Suian's urn, his heart filled with uncontrollable regret, and his hands trembled involuntarily.
Most of the people present were close relatives and friends, so they all looked sad.
Especially the Shen family, perhaps wanting future benefits, Shen Yanshan repeatedly sobbed. Those who didn't know the situation might think the two families were particularly close, which was why Shen Yanshan was acting this way. Only Shen Zhi Qiu understood his thoughts clearly, and looked at him with disgust.
hypocritical.
Gu Qingyan remained kneeling before the tombstone, watching as handfuls of soil were placed on the coffin. He straightened his back and watched quietly.
So much has happened during this time that Gu Qingyan feels like he's gone mad, and it seems like only his body is here now.
But at that moment, until his father was buried, his soul seemed to return to its rightful place in an instant.
He could not forgive himself for causing his father's death.
Unfilial piety.
For a moment, he began to doubt his recent madness.
His life has been disrupted ever since Xiao Wanqing returned to China.
He once had a fairly warm home, and he once loved Shen Zhi Qiu, which is why he insisted on marrying her at the beginning.
But why did everything change later?
He didn't know.
I can't figure it out either.
That period of memory seems to have been filled entirely with Xiao Wanqing.
All he knew was that he had to protect his sister Wanqing, and that he had to love and pamper her.
It wasn't until the last handful of soil was compacted that Gu Qingyan's thoughts were brought back to the present.
The bodyguard stepped forward, trying to help him up, but he shook his head and pushed him away.
He was too ashamed to stand up, and even less able to face himself.
Kneeling here seems to alleviate some of the guilt in my heart.
After everyone had dispersed, Shen Zhi Qiu saw her grandfather off to his car. Her grandfather looked at her, suppressing his grief, and said kindly, "Zhi Qiu, if you have the chance, please come and visit Grandpa again. There are many gardenias in Grandpa's greenhouse that you like, and they have started to bloom recently."
"Okay, Grandpa, I will definitely go." Shen Zhi Qiu's voice choked with emotion as she recalled a casual remark she had made, which her grandfather still remembered.
Watching the car drive away, Shen Zhi Qiu walked over, wanting to take Mu Zi Qi home. Mu Zi Qi had fainted twice from crying during the burial, and Shen Zhi Qiu was really worried about her, also concerned that she might overthink things and cause trouble if she was home alone.
Gu Qingyan remained kneeling, as if time had frozen, making him forget to get up. Mu Ziqi stood beside him, her body trembling slightly, her grief overflowing. Several times, she was so overwhelmed with sorrow that she almost lost her footing and needed to be supported by those around her.
A pang of sorrow gripped Shen Zhi Qiu's heart. She walked over slowly and comforted her, "Mom, let's go home, okay?" she said softly, reaching out to gently embrace Mu Zi Qi.
Just as Shen Zhi Qiu was gently comforting Mu Zi Qi, Gu Qing Yan slowly stood up. His legs were numb from kneeling for so long, and he swayed slightly as he stood before managing to steady himself. He turned around and met Shen Zhi Qiu's gaze.
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