Chapter 92 You've softened your heart?
Zhou Haiqing knew that behind her mother's indifference lay a deep disappointment.
But it is precisely because they are biological children.
That pain is all the more profound.
The ideal outcome, of course, is not a perpetual cold war.
Rather, it's about the mother and son being able to let go of the past and return to how they were before.
The family lived a peaceful and harmonious life.
This is what he most hoped for.
"You've softened your heart?"
"Did you feel sorry for him because he looked so lost and dejected? Did you think he deserved to be forgiven?"
She saw right through Zhou Haiqing's thoughts.
This child is too soft-hearted and too sentimental.
He was not valued at home from a young age, unlike Zhou Hairong who was flamboyant.
He lived a down-to-earth life, was honest in his work, and never competed or fought for anything.
Seeing Zhou Hairong bowing his head in remorse and looking haggard now.
"But...but we're brothers."
Zhou Haiqing's voice trembled slightly, and his eyes were pleading.
“Although my second brother has made mistakes, he is still the son you raised with your love and care, the son you carried for ten months. This blood tie cannot be severed no matter what happens. No matter how wrong he is, he is still your child.”
He finished speaking and let out a heavy sigh.
The room fell silent for a moment, and even the sound of the wind outside the window seemed exceptionally clear.
Zhou Shufen did not respond immediately, but lowered her head.
After a long while, she finally raised her head, looked calmly at Zhou Haiqing, and nodded gently.
"Alright, since you've asked, I'll agree."
Zhou Haiqing was stunned for a moment.
His eyes welled up slightly, and he nodded quickly.
"Thank you, Mom. I understand. I'll be going now. Don't worry too much, get some rest."
After saying that, he turned and walked towards the door, turned the handle, and walked out with light steps.
The door closed gently, leaving Zhou Shufen alone in the room once again.
She stared at the closed door, remaining motionless for a long time.
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Zhou Hairong quietly got out of bed.
He made sure to change into his cleanest clothes and tiptoed into the kitchen to start preparing breakfast.
Before long, a table of steaming hot food was neatly set on the table.
The porridge was steaming, the side dishes were neatly arranged, the fried egg was golden and crispy, and the pickled vegetables were finely and evenly chopped.
Zhou Hairong himself was still standing by the stove, looking down to check if the soup in the pot was hot enough.
Just then, Zhou Shufen came out of the room.
She was wearing a plain-colored loungewear dress and walked slowly to the table.
Her gaze swept over the sumptuous breakfast on the table, then fell upon the cautious man standing before the stove.
She didn't speak, but stood there quietly, her eyes filled with complex emotions, for a long time.
This attitude left Zhou Shufen completely bewildered.
Is he genuinely repentant, or does he have ulterior motives?
This feeling of not being able to see through her made her feel uneasy.
She frowned, her fingertips unconsciously tightening around the hem of her clothes.
How come my son, who used to be so carefree, has suddenly become so diligent?
The house was kept clean inside and out.
He wiped the dusty farm tools in the corner one by one and polished the kitchen stove until it shone.
Even the old boxes under the bed were dragged out and sorted.
He was bent over sweeping the floor, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
This was completely different from his previous lazy demeanor; it was as if he had become a different person altogether.
Zhou Shufen stared at his back for a long time before finally frowning.
"Hai Rong, why didn't you continue to study for the college entrance exam back then?"
Her heart skipped a beat as soon as she asked the question.
He had walked this road countless times.
In this life and the last, I've repeated my studies and prepared for the exams year after year.
Since we've already tried so many times...
Why are you suddenly saying you won't be taking the exam anymore?
The more she thought about it, the more she felt something was wrong.
Hearing the sound, Zhou Hairong turned around, his eyes flashing, and he subconsciously avoided her gaze.
His fingers were still gripping the broom handle, and he paused slightly.
But he quickly realized he couldn't avoid it, so he coughed twice and said in a dry voice, "There's no particular reason, I just don't want to take the exam anymore."
"Don't want to take the exam anymore?"
Zhou Shufen stared at him, her tone filled with disbelief.
“I remember you used to be very determined, no matter what, you had to pass the exam.”
She slowly stood up and took a step forward.
“You said that even if you had to repeat a grade for ten years, you would still go to university. I still remember the look in your eyes at that time very clearly.”
Zhou Hairong's fingers curled up unconsciously, his fingertips feeling cold.
He looked down at the tips of his shoes, then quickly glanced up at his mother.
"I really... have no intention of doing that anymore."
Zhou Hairong's eyes darted around, but his mind was blank; he couldn't come up with a better reason.
He wanted to find an excuse, but those once-familiar words now sounded pale and laughable.
He cannot tell the truth.
In his past life, he was admitted to university, but was tricked into joining a pyramid scheme, which led to the destruction of his family and his eventual suicide by jumping off a building.
In this life, he must never walk that path again.
But he couldn't utter a single word of these words.
"So that's how it is."
Zhou Shufen lowered her voice, a hint of disappointment in it.
She slowly sat back down in her chair, placed her hands on her knees, stared at the floor for a while, and then spoke again.
"That would be such a shame. Isn't getting into university your lifelong dream?"
"Put down what you're doing first, let's sit down and have a good talk."
She was determined to get to the bottom of it.
Whatever is hidden behind it, Zhou Hairong must be keeping something from her.
She could feel that sense of unease growing stronger.
Now that things have been made clear, she no longer wants to pretend to be confused.
She, as a mother, could not ignore his unusual behavior these days.
She needs to know what happened.
What triggered it?
Or did I encounter someone special?
She couldn't bear to see her son go astray.
"Huh? What else is there to talk about?"
Zhou Hairong was a little dazed, and forced an unnatural smile onto his face.
He scratched the back of his head, his fingers trembling slightly, his eyes darting around, not daring to look at Zhou Shufen at all.
"Didn't you come to me wanting my forgiveness?"
Zhou Shufen waved to him.
"That's perfect, let's get this straight now."
She gently patted the chair next to her, gesturing for him to sit down.
"Sit here, don't stand. Let's have a good chat, mother and daughter."
Before anyone knew it, a fine layer of sweat had appeared on Zhou Hairong's forehead.
The beads of sweat slid down his forehead, past his temples, and finally stopped on his cheek, feeling slightly cool.
He knew he couldn't avoid this hurdle.
“Um… I need to go check if the clothes are washed yet,” Zhou Hairong’s throat was dry. “If they are, I need to take them out and hang them up to dry quickly, otherwise they will get wrinkled and that will be difficult to clean.”
Before he could finish speaking, he turned around in a panic and hurried toward the restroom.
Zhou Shufen opened her mouth, her lips moving slightly.
But she ultimately didn't say it, swallowing the words back down her throat.
She knew perfectly well that this guy was definitely hiding something.
Otherwise, why would he hide so thoroughly?
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