Chapter 93 Poverty is the most vicious curse
Zhou Qu was actually very nervous when he said this. His heart was about to jump out of his chest, and his eyes were fixed on the ground, afraid of missing any emotion that Pei Ci unintentionally revealed. He admitted that he was despicable and vile, that he had coveted this flower that should have been blooming in heaven, and that he had fantasized about transplanting it into his cramped room, allowing only himself to admire it.
Therefore, he had already anticipated the possibility of being rejected.
What should I do if I get rejected?
Then we'll have to think of other methods.
Zhou Qu's world doesn't give up halfway; if he sets his sights on something, then it's his.
Fortunately, fate was on his side. Although Pei Ci's silence made her heart pound, the girl eventually gave him her hand.
Zhou Qu noticed that the girl was looking at his face. He always knew what he looked like, and he was more approachable when he smiled. Was that the reason?
If he likes smiling, he doesn't mind smiling all the time.
After that, everything became much easier. Zhou Qu used some underhanded methods and finally managed to get the girl out. The moment she was out, he felt a surge of joy. He talked non-stop with the girl about their future life together. They had their first home and started buying things for it. Because the home was so small, and his money was going to be used for Pei Ci's medical treatment, everything was done very frugally. They slept in the same bed. He cooked for her, dressed her, and fed her medicine. For the sake of a longer future, Zhou Qu changed his previous mindset. He would work even harder to earn money to treat his sister's illness so that this happiness could continue.
So he got into university and even got several well-paying jobs.
He works hard, keeps busy, and maintains everything as it is.
*
"You stay here," Zhou Qu said to Pei Ci, who had been chased out of the kitchen, after regaining his senses.
After saying this, Zhou Qu closed the kitchen door. Pei Ci was in poor health, and prolonged exposure to cooking fumes wasn't good for her.
For many years, Zhou Qu has been the one cooking. He's a good cook, and he quickly prepared three dishes and a soup. Once the smoke cleared, he brought them to the table one by one.
"Alright, let's eat together." Zhou said with a smile, taking off his apron.
Pei Ci picked up her bowl and ate, bite by bite, as she had requested. When she was very young, Zhou Qu had always fed her. Zhou Qu never let her do any chores. But as she grew older, Pei Ci became unhappy. So, instead of being fed, she ate while Zhou Qu watched.
Zhou Qu looked at the screen for a while, then took out his phone to reply to a client's message. On the surface, he was an intern doctor, but he also engaged in some shady business of reselling pharmaceuticals. He had just finished processing one order when he suddenly heard Pei Ci say, "I've finished eating."
"Okay." Zhou Qu put down the bowl. "I'll go get you some water."
It's eleven o'clock; his sister should be asleep too.
After Zhou Qu brought hot water and helped Pei Ci wash up, he was about to turn off the light and leave when Pei Ci suddenly grabbed his sleeve.
The room was dimly lit. Zhou Qu stopped and looked down. The girl lying on the bed was looking at him quietly. "Brother, are you very tired?"
Zhou Qu was taken aback, then burst into laughter, "What are you talking about? I don't need you to worry about me."
“You haven’t slept with me in a long time,” Pei Ci said.
"Hmm...is that so?" Zhou Qu took off his shoes, his hair falling loosely over his face, his bright eyes like the warm sunshine of early spring. "Do you still want me to sleep with you?"
As she spoke, she gently patted him through the blanket, saying, "You don't need to think about anything. Thinking too much is bad for your health and will only cause me trouble."
Zhou Qu knew how to dispel Pei Ci's concerns; it was experience he had accumulated over the years. And indeed, Pei Ci closed her eyes, and soon, her breathing became calm.
After confirming that Pei Ci was asleep, Zhou Qu got out of bed and gently turned off the light.
The moment darkness enveloped him, the smile on Zhou Qu's face vanished completely.
He thought about what he had said to that woman that night, and upon reflection, he realized he was no different. He had brought Pei Ci out of that world, he had built a bond with her, and he had been full of hope for the future, yet he could only helplessly watch despair arrive.
Poverty is the most vicious curse.
"Smack—"
Zhou slapped himself.
He felt like he was a terrible person.
*
The next day, Zhou Qu finished making breakfast and went to wake Pei Ci up.
Then something happened.
Pei Ci fell asleep.
He slept for a whole month.
For the past month, Pei Ci has been oblivious and unaware of anything, while Zhou Qu, who has been by his side, has spent his last penny and has been fired.
"I'm sorry, Dr. Zhou. You haven't been to work for over a month. The higher-ups mean we can't afford to take on someone as important as you. You should go to another hospital."
Zhou Qu received the message from HR, and after a few seconds of silence, he asked, "Is that really the reason?"
"..." The HR person sighed, "A month ago, a mother who came to you for treatment of her daughter jumped off a building while holding her daughter."
"She mentioned you in her letter."
"Of course we admire you, but to avoid gossip, the hospital has no choice but to handle it this way."
Besides losing his job, Zhou Qu's dismissal also made it impossible for him to work in other areas. He was already burdened with over two million yuan in high-interest loans, and Pei Ci's medical bills for next month were also due; he had arranged for Pei Ci to stay in the best hospital, which cost two hundred thousand yuan a month.
Once, Zhou Qu, who had taken Pei Ci with him, thought he had grasped happiness. However, his so-called happiness proved to be fragile in the face of cruel reality.
He is too young.
He had nothing.
If he were to go it alone, with his intelligence and wisdom, he could escape his social class after seven or eight years of struggle.
Unfortunately, he wasn't.
Pei Ci was his sister and his lover; he couldn't bear to watch her die.
Is there no other way?
Is there really no other way?
In the darkness, Zhou Qu decided to try one last method.
Leveraging his previously accumulated connections, he successfully stumbled upon a black market industry. This time, he decided to sell his organs.
It was at this time that Zhou Qu encountered Ye Lin again.
Ye Lin was Zhou Qu's college classmate and also a well-known heiress at the university. Her father was a leading figure in the country's pharmaceutical industry, and any ring he casually wore was worth eight or nine hundred thousand yuan. He also drove cars worth two or three million yuan each, and he never drove the same car twice.
And something happened at the university—
Ye Lin confessed her feelings to him.
It wasn't that she liked him, it's just that Miss Ye lost a game of Truth or Dare once and was asked to randomly confess her feelings to a classmate who entered the classroom and date them for a month.
And this boy happens to be Zhou Qu.
Ye Lin, true to her word, went ahead with the bet. Ye Lin was beautiful and from a good family; she excelled in both academics and interpersonal skills, and had countless admirers at school. She thought confessing to a poor student wouldn't be too difficult, and that it would just be a one-month-long, pretentious relationship.
To everyone's surprise, Zhou Qu refused outright.
"I'm sorry, Miss Ye." Zhou Qu smiled.
"It's fake, it's not real." Ye Lin didn't expect to be rejected. She thought the temptation wasn't strong enough. "How about this, I can let you choose a car after it's done."
"One house is not out of the question."
This is a huge temptation for an ordinary person, but Zhou Qu still shook his head, "I'm sorry, Miss Ye."
"I already have a girlfriend."
Ye Lin could no longer laugh.
This was a blatant slap in the face for her, and she was furious. On one hand, she felt that being rejected was nothing, but on the other hand, the more she thought about it, the angrier she became. By the next day, she couldn't hold back any longer and planned to confront Zhou Qu. However, she didn't expect that Zhou Qu had graduated early because of his excellent grades.
No one at the university knew about his whereabouts.
After reviewing Zhou Qu's information, Ye Lin realized how terrifying this person was. Despite having been at the school for three years, Zhou Qu hadn't developed any close relationships with anyone; he was only present at award ceremonies.
If she continued to investigate for such a childish reason, she would only make herself look childish. Ye Lin could only suppress her temper and tell herself that it was not worth arguing with a poor wretch.
However, several months later, just when Ye Lin had almost forgotten about the incident, this person reappeared.
He was a well-known heartthrob in college, but now he's selling his organs at a hospital—the contrast left Ye Lin speechless. Since she was bored lately, Ye Lin approached Zhou Qu.
"Hey, what are you doing here?"
"Selling organs? Seriously? You've fallen this low?"
"Are you short of money? How much do you owe? It can't be millions, can it? It's just the cost of a meal. But you can't afford to pay it back anyway."
"Hey, by the way, don't you have a girlfriend? Your girlfriend—"
Ye Lin's words, seemingly comforting, were actually just a further kick to the curb. She was utterly bored, because she had everything. Now, going to see the school beauty of the person she hated was at least a little more interesting.
However, the man who had been silent only reacted when he heard about his girlfriend. He looked up, his pale skin and gray-black eyes fixed on her, and then suddenly gave her a gentle smile.
"Yes, I'm really short of money."
"Miss, could I have some?"
It has to be said, Zhou Qu does have a handsome face. It seems perfectly normal for him to shamelessly ask for money.
However, Ye Lin could smell the scent of decay emanating from him, even though he was smiling, a clean and gentle smile.
She couldn't help but wonder, was this still the same Zhou Qu? The Zhou Qu who lived entirely in his own world?
Thinking this, Ye Lin took out a bank card from her bag, held it between her slender fingers, waved it in front of Zhou Qu, and then tossed it into the trash can next to her.
"The password is my birthday," Ye Lin said lazily. "If you get it, it's you—"
Before she could finish speaking, Ye Lin's eyes widened. She saw this arrogant and indifferent man walk to the trash can without hesitation and pick up the bank card that had fallen into a pile of mixed food.
"Thank you so much, Miss." Zhou Qu bowed to Ye Lin after receiving the bank card. "I will always remember your kindness."
He left in a hurry after saying that.
Ye Lin stood there stunned for a while before she came to her senses. Everything about Zhou Qu made her curious. What exactly had changed him so drastically? She really wanted to know. At the same time, the anger she felt at being humiliated a few months ago resurfaced in her heart. Was Zhou Qu really that short of money?
How far would he go for money?
Ye Lin was very curious, so she specifically asked someone to investigate Zhou Qu's whereabouts. But the report she received shocked her.
Zhou Qu's current identity is that of someone who has passed away and shares the same name.
He has a younger sister.
She wasn't related to him; he took her from an orphanage. She was seriously ill, and Zhou Qu had been supporting her on his own.
The girl now needs to undergo surgery.
The surgery is extremely expensive.
Zhou needs money.
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