Chapter 069

The next few days were calm.

Zhou Qingyu's filming with the "Crazy" crew went smoothly, and Zhou Yanci was also doing well while recuperating in the hospital.

During this time, because of the needs of the "Crazy" crew, Yan Xi invited Chi Wei to be the crew's music consultant. Zhou Qingyu's role as a cellist requires an orchestra to play with her. Normal crews usually invite extras to play the role and then add music later, but Director Wei wanted the filming effect to be more realistic, so he simply invited Chi Wei's orchestra to guest star.

Therefore, in addition to learning performance, Zhou Qingyu also practices with the orchestra from time to time.

Chi Wei became more and more appreciative of Zhou Qingyu's skills. In her opinion, it was a waste of Zhou Qingyu's musical talent to use her only for acting in movies.

She took the initiative to give Zhou Qingyu two tickets and invited her to the theater to attend a concert on the weekend.

Zhou Qingyu is only the third female lead and doesn't have many scenes. She hasn't participated in a concert for a while, but she actually agreed this time.

On Friday night, Yan Xi came to pick up Zhou Qingyu from get off work and asked for leave for her and Producer Xu.

Yan Xi mentioned the matter of asking for leave to Producer Xu a few days ago, and asked the executive producer of the crew to coordinate and plan the shooting schedule.

Producer Xu: "The eldest lady has been in good condition recently. Director Wei and I have discussed that we should shoot all her scenes in one go!" When filming, the emotions were consistent, which was very helpful for the actors to get into the role.

It’s not that producer Xu doesn’t allow artists to take leave, but he feels that Zhou Qingyu is in such a good condition, and if she suddenly takes leave, her mood might be ruined, which is a pity.

Moreover, Zhou Qingyu took a whole day off on Saturday, and Chi Wei's concert was on Saturday. Giving up filming in order to attend the concert was not a good idea in Producer Xu's opinion.

Yan Xi was silent for a while, but decided to tell the truth.

"The concert is not the main reason. Tomorrow is the anniversary of Qingqing's mother's death."

——

On this day every year, Zhou Qingyu would empty herself.

This has almost become her habit. When she was in school, she would skip classes and not go to school for a whole day. After working, she would also ask Qiao Yan to cancel all her announcements for the day.

On Saturday, Zhou Qingyu got up early at dawn.

A few thunderbolts flashed across the dark sky, and a heavy rain suddenly fell in the dull summer. In August, the scorching heat had not yet faded, and the sultry heat and humidity swept in, washing over this dry world.

Zhou Qingyu had no makeup on, her little face was bare.

Her beauty has always been offensive, so gorgeous that people can't take their eyes off it, but when she is without makeup, her fair skin is almost transparent, and her lips are a light pink, which makes her bright and generous face look childish.

She was only 23 years old, just out of college. She changed into a simple C-brand dress, with her slightly curly long hair casually draped down to her waist.

The servant came to ask Zhou Qingyu if she wanted to prepare breakfast, but Zhou Qingyu had no appetite. She drank a cup of black coffee to reduce edema and left the Zhou residence.

In the first two years after her mother passed away, Zhou Qingyu would force Zhou's father and Zhou Yanci to go with her to worship her mother. She even asked all the servants in the old house to go together.

It seemed that if enough people went there, it would prove that her mother still existed and had never left her.

But when he was thirteen years old, Zhou Yanci was busy with competition interviews, and his father held a celebration party for him. In the end, only Zhou Qingyu went to the cemetery alone.

From then on, Zhou Qingyu understood that everyone had gradually forgotten his mother, his wife, the stepmother who had taken care of him, and even the hostess of this old house.

She's the only one who remembers.

Originally, it was her mother, and that was enough for her to remember.

So on the anniversary of her death afterwards, Zhou Qingyu did not ask for anyone to accompany her, not even Yan Xi. She did not even ask the driver to drive, but went to the cemetery alone.

The Zhou residence was rebuilt from a classical private garden, emphasizing ancient charm and antique flavor. Naturally, there is no driveway to accommodate a car. Zhou's father built an underground garage outside the house, and all the Zhou family's cars are stored in the underground garage.

Zhou Qingyu walked outside the Zhou residence and instinctively wanted to go to the underground garage to choose a car. Suddenly, she saw a Mercedes-Benz that had been waiting outside.

Yan Xi sat in the Mercedes-Benz. She felt a little sleepy and drank a large cup of coffee.

Hearing the noise, she looked towards the door and saw Zhou Qingyu coming out. She put the coffee on the cup holder, held up a dark umbrella, and trotted to Zhou Qingyu's side.

Zhou Qingyu asked her, "Why are you up too?"

She thought Yan Xi was sleeping. She glanced at her and saw that Yan Xi was wearing the same black dress as her. "You don't know my mother, I can go by myself."

Yan Xi held Zhou Qingyu's arm, with the umbrella slightly tilted towards her, "I'll accompany you! Anyway, Xingyao has Lin Zhi and the others! Nothing will happen!"

Zhou Qingyu curled her lips and said, "I don't have anything to do here."

"Let's go! We're all up now!"

Yan Xi didn't wait for Zhou Qingyu to refuse and pulled her into the Mercedes-Benz.

This was Zhou Qingyu's first time riding in Yan Xi's Mercedes-Benz. Usually when they went out together, Yan Xi would ride in Zhou Qingyu's nanny car.

Speaking of a nanny car, Yan Xi remembered that Zhou Qingyu's nanny car was a Lexus four-seater World Champion Edition, which cost 1.58 million. Yan Xi's Mercedes-Benz, which cost 400,000, could not be compared with her car.

After getting in the car, Zhou Qingyu indeed showed disgust on her face.

"Is this the grade of car the company provides you?"

Yan Xi scratched her head and said, "More than 400,000, not bad, right?"

Zhou Qingyu said disdainfully, "It's only over 400,000...why don't you go to my garage and choose one?"

Yan Xi had been to the Zhou family's garage, where dozens of cars were parked, including Zhou Qingyu's, Zhou Yanci's, and Zhou's father's...the cheapest one cost over a million.

Yan Xi shrank her neck and said, "Forget it then!"

If Master Zhao accidentally scratches this Mercedes-Benz, Yan Xi can still afford to pay for it. A car worth millions of dollars will cost a lot of money even if it is scratched!

Master Zhao in the front row felt sympathetic.

He had heard Zhou Yanci’s driver say before that he never dared to be distracted while driving. After all, he was driving a Rolls-Royce, and he couldn’t afford to pay for even a slight bump!

Master Zhao doesn't want to be so nervous. A car worth four hundred thousand is pretty good!

Hearing Yan Xi's refusal, Zhou Qingyu did not force it. In her eyes, the Mercedes-Benz was not high-end, but sitting in the back seat was not bad. She drank two sips of Yan Xi's coffee, but still could not resist the drowsiness caused by her biological clock, and fell asleep leaning on Yan Xi's shoulder.

When Zhou Qingyu woke up, the Mercedes-Benz had already arrived at Songhe Cemetery on the outskirts of the city.

The rain that had washed over Haicheng all night stopped, and the air was filled with the fresh fragrance of earth and vegetation.

Zhou Qingyu slowly opened her eyes, and the solemn gate of the cemetery came into view, with tall and straight pine and cypress trees on both sides. The air after the rain was particularly fresh, and the sun shone through the gaps in the clouds.

It's all familiar yet strange.

It was familiar because she came here every year, but it was strange because she saw people at the gate of the cemetery who would never be here.

Father Zhou, and also Zhou Yanci.

Zhou Qingyu was stunned.

Zhou's father was wearing a white Tang suit, just like he looked after his daily morning exercise; Zhou Yanci next to him was wearing a black shirt and trousers. His ankle injury had not healed yet, and he had just been discharged from the hospital and was sitting in an electric wheelchair.

"What are you standing there for?" Zhou's father said, "It's time to go in and see your mother."

Zhou Qingyu suddenly felt awkward, "Why are you here too?"

I haven't been here for so many years. Why are you suddenly coming here to pay homage this year? It's quite sentimental.

Zhou's father argued, "The one lying inside is my wife, why can't I come?"

Zhou Qingyu could only look at Zhou Yanci, "What about you? You are a patient, why don't you stay in the hospital and come out?"

"Don't say you're here to worship your mother. She's my mom!"

Zhou Yanci nodded, "Well, I'm here to pay my respects to your mother."

Zhou Qingyu choked.

You said Zhou Yanci was swearing, but he wasn't. But there was always something strange about Zhou Qingyu that was hard to describe.

It was probably because of the last time she visited Zhou Yanci in the hospital! Zhou Qingyu thought that Zhou Yanci might be doing this to show his courtesy.

"Alright, alright!" Yan Xi tried to smooth things over, "It's time to go in! Otherwise, your aunt will get anxious waiting!"

Zhou Qingyu hummed vaguely, and Zhou's father walked in front, and the group slowly walked into the cemetery.

It was still the same path I had walked for many years, but there were more people around me.

Zhou Qingyu remembered that when her mother was alive, the family was harmonious. She was young at that time and liked to go out with her family. Her father was mostly busy, but he would occasionally accompany them.

Zhou Yanci is a student, so Zhou Qingyu would force him to come out with her. What are you studying? Of course, it's fun to go out and play together!

At that time, the Zhou family still looked like a home.

After my mother died, it all fell apart.

Zhou Qingyu and Zhou Yanci gradually drifted apart. Not only did Meng Yingrong dislike her, but Zhou Yanci also disliked her family. She and Zhou Yanci quarreled more and more, and they had less and less common topics, and eventually they became tit-for-tat.

In the past two years, for Pei Yubai, Zhou Qingyu joined the entertainment industry regardless of everything, and had many arguments with Zhou's father about this.

The family members who once stayed with her suddenly dispersed. She and Zhou Yanci moved to the city and had not returned to their old house for a long time.

But today, they are together again.

Although Zhou Qingyu still disliked Zhou Yanci and still wanted to compete with him, she felt that the feeling of a family acting together was not bad.

——

After paying respects to Qu Ying, everyone left one by one.

Zhou Qingyu stayed last.

This is the most luxurious cemetery in Haicheng. It is cleaned every day. Zhou Qingyu sat beside the tombstone, fiddling with the flowers at her feet.

She had so many things to say to Qu Ying. Last year, when she came to the cemetery, she was still crying and complaining about the many things that were not going well in her life: Pei Yubai didn't care about her enough, her father valued Zhou Yanci more, her management of Xingyao was a mess, she was always ridiculed by netizens in the entertainment circle, and was outshined by Ye Luoyi...

But what about this year?

Zhou Qingyu thought for a moment and said, "Mom, this year hasn't been very good, but I've been doing pretty well in the past month."

"I'm going to the Weibo Gala in a few days! I used to sit in the back row, but this time, the organizer put me in the second row, which means I'm already a top-tier artist!"

"I went online secretly recently and there was no one scolding me anymore. They were all praising me for my good looks!"

"Yan Xi helps me manage Xingyao. I think she is more powerful than Yu Xiao. She can turn Xingyao from loss to profit. Dad has been doing well recently and is in good health. I guess he won't come to see you so early..."

"Oh, and Zhou Yanci. Zhou Yanci is still annoying, but his last physical examination found a tumor. Yan Xi said that he would die if it wasn't discovered in time. I suddenly felt that he was not so annoying. I didn't want him to die, I just didn't like him..."

Zhou Qingyu chattered on and on, talking about what had happened recently.

"As for Pei Yubai..."

When this name was mentioned, Zhou Qingyu's eyelids trembled slightly.

Two years of feelings couldn't just disappear, but Zhou Qingyu felt that she could no longer find the excitement she had in the past when she saw Pei Yubai.

"Let's talk about it later!" Zhou Qingyu said, "Everything will work out. I'm still young, who knows what will happen in the future? If you want to see your son-in-law, wait a little longer!"

Zhou Qingyu gently wiped the rain off her mother's photo, and her mother's extremely beautiful face appeared in front of her.

"Mom, I've had a good year."

"I missed you, too."

Her tears fell, drop by drop, hitting the tombstone in the cemetery.

For Zhou Qingyu, family affection comes more from her mother. Even though she has blood relatives like Zhou's father and Zhou Yanci, the times have changed, things have changed, and her relationship with them is no longer as good as before.

While I was talking to my mother, the cemetery keeper passed by.

Seeing the bunches of flowers in front of the tombstone, the gravekeeper was slightly surprised, "What a coincidence, your family came together to pay tribute to Mrs. Zhou this year!"

The grave manager of Songhe Cemetery has worked here for many years, and Zhou Qingyu also knows him.

Zhou Qingyu wiped away the tears from her eyes and said, "Well, the old man is about to retire, so he has time to come and pay his respects. He was too busy with work before and didn't come!"

As for Zhou Yanci, it is just a matter of reciprocity, nothing much to mention.

The gravekeeper touched his chin and said, "No way, I remember Jay Chou and his son came here every year."

Zhou Qingyu shook her head in disbelief, "Did you remember it wrongly?"

The cemetery manager laughed, "How could I have misremembered people like Jay Chou and Master Zhou? Look, aren't they the old man and the young man outside the cemetery? They come here every year on this day, but their time of coming is not fixed, sometimes late, sometimes early, which is different from your time."

"I pick up your bouquets every year, I can't be wrong."

Zhou Qingyu was stunned and stood stupidly in front of the tombstone for a long time.

——

Outside the cemetery

The system squatted on Yan Xi's shoulder, and the small light ball looked in the direction of Zhou Qingyu. Through the cemetery's surveillance, it saw the tomb keeper leave, and then returned to Yan Xi.

[Host, how do you know that Father Zhou and his brother also worship Qu Ying every year? I haven't seen this plot in the novel! ]

"Of course I can't write a novel,"

Yan Xi also looked in Zhou Qingyu's direction, "Qingqing is a supporting actress, not the heroine, so her life story won't be very detailed."

But maybe there really is such a thing as fate, as this day is also the anniversary of Lin Ranran’s biological mother’s death.

Before the matter of the real and fake daughter was exposed, Yan Xi would come to the cemetery every year to pay tribute to her "nominal" mother.

It was because of this opportunity that she was able to give Zhou Qingyu a bouquet of lilies.

"I have met my uncle and Zhou Yanci before," Yan Xi said truthfully, "I came to pay respect to my mother that night and happened to meet them."

But at that time, Yan Xi was not familiar with Zhou Qingyu, let alone Zhou's father and others. She just glanced at the two of them from a distance, treating them as strangers who came to worship together.

Everyone felt that Zhou's father was indifferent and didn't care about his wife, who was in a business marriage.

But even if it was a business marriage, she was still his deceased wife. She died in her best years. When Zhou's father thought of her, unlike Meng Yingrong who had lost all her former tenderness, Zhou's father still missed Qu Ying.

He was just too busy and couldn't come to worship early in the morning like Zhou Qingyu, but he still remembered her, the woman who gave birth to a daughter for him.

The tomb keeper passed by Zhou Qingyu at this time because Yan Xi did it on purpose.

But it is a fact that Zhou's father and Zhou Yanci also came to worship every year.

If you do something but don't say it out loud, how will others know about it?

——

Outside the cemetery, everyone was waiting for Zhou Qingyu.

Father Zhou looked at Zhou Yanci's ankles. He was the elder among the group of people, but it was Zhou Yanci who was sitting leisurely.

Father Zhou raised his chin and asked, "How is the wound?"

Zhou Yanci: "The stitches have been removed and I have completed the discharge procedures. I can go home tonight."

Zhou's father nodded. He had never thought that his son would be the first to get cancer even though he was still healthy at his old age.

Fortunately, it was discovered in time, in the early stages, and can be saved.

Because of this incident, Zhou's father was very grateful to Yan Xi, and he liked her more and more recently. Zhou Qingyu had promoted Yan Xi to be the VP of Xingyao before, but Zhou's father thought Yan Xi was too young to be competent for the job. However, now he is more and more satisfied with her as he sees how she behaves.

He knew that Meng Yingrong had arranged a marriage for Zhou Yanci who was good in terms of family background, appearance, and ability. Zhou's father also took this into consideration and had not intervened in Zhou Yanci's marriage before, but now he felt that Yan Xi was not bad either.

The Zhou family is already very rich, and Zhou's father's two marriages were both business marriages. A marriage without love is like a mission, and he doesn't want his children to be like this.

Father Zhou glanced at Yan Xi who was in a daze, and then looked at Zhou Yanci who was discussing work with Special Assistant Sun.

Actually, it’s not bad for Yan Xi to be his daughter-in-law?

But this cannot be forced.

The key is Zhou Yanci, who is devoted to work and has no idea about emotional matters.

Father Zhou rubbed his temple helplessly. Blame him, Zhou Yanci followed him and threw himself into work. In the past, many beauties threw themselves at him, but he remained unmoved. There were people in the group saying that he was not good enough.

Maybe he doesn't have the brain for love, and all his IQ is focused on work.

If only his daughter's love brain could be shared by half!

"You!" Zhou's father suddenly patted Zhou Yanci's shoulder, and said angrily, "How can you be so stupid? You have to open your mind sometimes!"

Yan Xi is such a pretty girl, and she is right next to him, how could he not be moved?

Zhou Yanci didn't understand why his father suddenly did this, and a question mark popped up in his mind.

Suddenly, there was a sound of brakes coming from behind, and the pink Lamborghini did a tailspin and stopped between two parking spaces.

In the dark cemetery, this fan's car is extremely dazzling and out of place with the surrounding environment.

Yan Xi raised her head and squinted her eyes slightly.

She remembered this Lamborghini, it was Zhou Qingyu's car.

Zhou Qingyu is a good driver, but the second time she went on the road, a delivery driver ran a red light and scratched her car. Zhou Qingyu did not ask the other party to pay for it and sent the Lamborghini to a 4S store for repair.

When I saw the car again, it had a new owner.

Qu Yan got off the Lamborghini. Like the pink Lamborghini, she was also wearing a black suit, which was totally out of place in the cemetery.

The black skirt had a waistline that highlighted Qu Yan's graceful figure. She put on full makeup that was so delicate even to her pores.

She walked towards Zhou's father and took the initiative to greet him.

Zhou's father's response was neither salty nor bland. He knew the limits of interpersonal relationships very well and would not become overly familiar with his deceased wife's sister.

Qu Yan also knew her limits. After greeting Zhou's father politely, she turned to Zhou Yanci.

She scolded, "Boss Zhou, this is too much! I just asked a few artists to drink with me, why did you fire me?" She glanced at Yan Xi, "We are a family!"

Zhou Yanci had a cold face and ignored Qu Yan's questions.

Zhou's father said, "It would have been better if this matter hadn't been exposed. If it had been exposed, do you know how big of an impact it would have had on Xingyao? Even the group would have been implicated! Fortunately, Yan Xi handled it well and didn't let the situation escalate further! Otherwise, firing you would have been the least of my worries!"

Qu Yan pouted unhappily, "Brother-in-law, I know I was wrong, but didn't my sister ask you to take care of me before she died? I just made a small mistake... Now that things have calmed down, please let me go back!"

"No." Before Zhou's father could respond, Zhou Yanci had already rejected Qu Yan. "If it weren't for your mother, Qu Yan, do you think you could stay in Xingyao? You have enjoyed the benefits she brought you for long enough. It's time to return."

Zhou Yanci was clearly sitting in a wheelchair and was a bit shorter than Qu Yan, but his aura of two meters and eight still shocked Qu Yan.

Qu Yan's expression twisted for a moment.

It's not like she hasn't made mistakes before. Zhou Yanci wouldn't be like this. It must be because of something Yan Xi said!

Thinking of this, Qu Yan glared at Yan Xi angrily.

"Okay," Zhou's father said, "Aren't we going to pay tribute to your sister? Hurry up and go in."

Zhou's father's words seemed to be a way to expel him. He didn't want to talk to Qu Yan about the matter of Xingyao CEO anymore. Qu Yan also knew that there was probably no hope, so she could only twist her hips and walk into the cemetery to pay tribute to Qu Ying.

Behind her, Butler Yu and Aunt Zhang looked at Qu Yan's back, feeling particularly unhappy.

——Butler Yu came with Zhou’s father. Aunt Zhang has been taking care of Zhou Yanci in the hospital these days. When Zhou Yanci was discharged from the hospital to pay his respects, Aunt Zhang also accompanied him.

The two of them were some distance away from Zhou's father, and they were whispering about Qu Yan's appearance, "She is clearly here for worship, but she is still dressed up, isn't she just trying to seduce me?"

"Girls nowadays will do anything to get promoted and marry into a wealthy family! She doesn't even think about the fact that she is 20 years older than her husband!"

Yan Xi asked the two curiously, "Did Aunt Qu often appear in front of Uncle like this before?"

"Isn't it!" Aunt Zhang said unhappily, "For a while, Qu Yan has been living in Zhou's house. She is only 20 years old, but she dresses up like a flower every day!"

"The old master had no choice but to let her live here because she was his late wife's sister. She has been living here for several years. The young master also knew about this and was so angry that he moved to live on campus!"

The system popped up and cracked open a melon seed: [There is still this melon! Keep going! ]

"What happened next?" Yan Xi asked.

"Later, during a summer vacation, the young master returned to the old house and saw that this woman seduced his father, so he drove Qu Yan away!" Aunt Zhang said this with a tone full of encouragement, thinking that Zhou Yanci did the right thing.

"Think about it, a young girl in her early twenties walking around the house wearing revealing clothes every day, what else can that be but seduction?"

We are all women, how could Aunt Zhang not understand Qu Yan's thoughts? "For example, Xixi, you dress more normally, all cartoon pajamas! The clothes are serious and solid, you don't have so many evil thoughts!"

Yan Xi: “…”

She said to the system, "Why do I feel like Aunt Zhang is trying to beg me for being unsophisticated?"

【Hahahahahahahaha! 】

【Don't doubt it, she is it! 】

Yan Xi asked Aunt Zhang, "Zhou Yanci chased Aunt Qu away, so Qingqing must be unhappy, right?"

"That's right!" Aunt Zhang said angrily, "The eldest lady and the young master were very angry! Their relationship has been getting worse and worse since then."

Housekeeper Yu sighed, "Young lady, you are too young, you don't understand! When an elder sister dies, it is very common for the younger sister to marry and become the successor. Otherwise, why would the Qu family send Qu Yan there? The Qu family is also a wealthy family, and they have real estate under their names. Why would they let Qu Yan live in the residence of Zhou?"

"You said you were accompanying the young lady, but you've been staying here for several years. That's too long."

"Yes, yes, yes!" Aunt Zhang agreed, "Besides, Qu Yan is young. They probably think Qu Yan has the advantage! If it weren't for the young master, Qu Yan would have been Mrs. Zhou long ago!"

While they were talking, Zhou Qingyu had already paid respects to her mother and came out with Qu Yan.

Qu Yan held Zhou Qingyu's arm, and the two had a close relationship.

"Let's get in the car!" Zhou's father said, "It's getting late, go home and have dinner."

"Okay~"

Zhou Qingyu didn't respond yet, but Qu Yan smiled brightly.

Yan Xi didn't take Aunt Zhang and Butler Yu's words seriously at first, but when Qu Yan and Zhou Qingyu walked out of the cemetery just now, Zhou Qingyu was immersed in the loss of separation from her mother, but Qu Yan was already looking at her seductively, with the rest of her eyes always glancing at Zhou's father.

The system squatted on Yan Xi's shoulder and muttered: [Host, based on my many years of experience reading melodramatic romance novels, what Aunt Zhang and Butler Yu said is not wrong! ]