After spending some tender moments together, Li Che took Shen An’an’s suitcase and escorted her to the boarding gate.
“While I’m gone, remember to look after my sister.”
“Alright, alright, I know.”
From the second floor all the way to the boarding gate, Shen An’an had mentioned her sister more than once.
What a total Siscon.
Her boyfriend would never be more important than her sister!
A hint of jealousy surfaced in his heart, and it showed on his face.
Shen An’an couldn’t help laughing at how childish he was.
The boarding announcement sounded.
Taking her luggage from him, a mischievous gleam flashed through Shen An’an’s eyes.
“I’m leaving now. Bend down—I have one more thing to tell you.”
Puzzled, Li Che lowered his head and leaned an ear toward her.
Suddenly, Shen An’an rose onto her tiptoes and planted a kiss on his cheek.
“And take good care of yourself too. Wait for me to come back.”
Li Che froze for a second.
By the time he recovered, Shen An’an had already dragged her suitcase to the boarding gate.
She waved at him, the smile on her face brighter than the dazzling white lights of the airport itself.
Only after her figure disappeared through the gate did Li Che raise a hand to touch the cheek she had kissed.
His heart seemed to float into the clouds once more.
With a satisfied smile, he stared at the boarding gate for a long time before finally turning around and leaving.
After Zhou Yushen returned to the Zhou residence, Old Master Zhou looked even more exhausted than before.
The events of recent weeks had added several years to his already aged appearance.
The old man looked at Zhou Yushen with concern.
“Ah Shen, how are your injuries?”
“I’m fine now.”
Zhou Yushen accepted a glass of water from the butler, handed it to his grandfather, and sat down beside him.
Although he had already called and assured the old man that his injuries were nothing serious, Old Master Zhou had continued worrying about him.
“That’s good. That’s good.”
After that, the old man chatted with him about ordinary family matters, never once mentioning the events of the past few days.
Zhou Yushen cooperated, answering each question patiently.
Eventually, however, he looked at his grandfather and asked, “Grandpa, don’t you blame me for sending Han Ping to prison?”
Old Master Zhou had always felt that the Zhou family owed Han Ping a debt.
Moreover, Han Ping still carried the title of Mrs. Zhou.
Her downfall had inevitably affected the reputation of the entire Zhou family.
The old man valued the Zhou Corporation more than anything else.
Zhou Yushen found it hard to believe that he felt no resentment at all.
The old man sighed deeply.
“Back then, I insisted on having things my way. Even knowing that your father didn’t love Han Ping, I still forced the marriage alliance between the Zhou and Han families. In the end, you, your mother, Han Ping, and your father all ended up where you are now. Perhaps… this is fate.”
After speaking, he looked at Zhou Yushen.
His drooping eyelids made him seem especially weary.
“Ah Shen, your goal all along has been to destroy the Zhou Corporation, hasn’t it?”
Zhou Yushen did not answer.
His silence was answer enough.
Back then, for the sake of the Zhou Corporation, Old Master Zhou had forced Zhou Sinian to divorce Han Ping.
Han Ping lost the man she loved, and Chen An subsequently went down a dark path.
Meanwhile, Tan Miaoyi spent the best years of her life trapped in suffering because of Zhou Sinian’s obsessive and twisted love.
Even in death, she had remained like a bird imprisoned in a cage.
All of it stemmed from arranged marriages among wealthy families.
One of Zhou Yushen’s plans for revenge had always been to destroy the Zhou Corporation.
Old Master Zhou let out another long sigh.
“It’s all destiny.”
He raised a hand and summoned the butler.
The butler wheeled him back to his room.
A short while later, the butler came out again.
He seemed hesitant but forced himself to speak.
“Young Master, the old master has known he was wrong for a long time. In his heart, you’re the most important thing to him.”
After the butler left, Zhou Yushen leaned back on the sofa.
Tilting his head upward, he stared silently at the ceiling with his dark eyes.
His goal had been achieved.
So why wasn’t he happier?
Shen Nanyue’s smile flashed through his mind.
He frowned slightly, rose to his feet, and left the Zhou residence.
By the time he drove to the outskirts of the city, night had fallen.
His car wound its way toward a mountaintop north of the capital.
The city’s night sky hid the stars, but from the summit, countless stars stretched across the heavens.
Beneath their light, Zhou Yushen placed a bouquet of delicate daisies before Tan Miaoyi’s grave.
He crouched down, his gaze resting on the photograph engraved on the tombstone.
Tan Miaoyi’s smile seemed eternal.
Warm.
Comforting.
For the first time that day, Zhou Yushen felt his heart settle.
Without caring about appearances, he sat cross-legged on the ground.
“Mom, I almost became just like Zhou Sinian.”
His voice was calm.
Turning his head, he looked beyond the darkness toward the glittering skyline of the capital.
His eyes were filled with sorrow.
With lingering fear.
With emotions too complicated to name.
Yet beneath it all was an overwhelming sadness.
“When I heard her say that we would never see each other again, for a moment… I actually wanted to lock her away too. To keep her whole and complete, belonging only to me.”
He lowered his eyes.
“How terrifying is that?”
The wind howled across the mountaintop, rattling the branches of nearby trees that were already beginning to wither.
Yellowed leaves drifted through the darkness, spiraling in the night air.
Compared to the height of summer, the stars above shone much more dimly.
The fallen leaves descended through the gloomy landscape.
Some landed on his head.
Some settled on his shoulders.
Some came to rest before the tombstone.
He received no response.
Only the faint comfort of those drifting leaves.
As though frozen in place, he remained seated before the grave for the entire night.
By dawn, his body had gone numb from the cold.
The sun rose over the neighboring mountain peak.
Zhou Yushen slowly turned his stiff neck and looked toward the newborn sunlight.
His pale, bloodless lips were pressed into a straight line.
Only after a long while did he finally stand up.
He staggered briefly before managing to steady himself.
The bouquet of daisies had been scattered by the wind.
Zhou Yushen gently rearranged the delicate petals before speaking softly, “I’ll come visit you again.”
Then he turned and walked toward his car.
After a sleepless night, his complexion looked terrible.
Yet it seemed that he had finally found his answer.
…..
One month later.
Shen Nanyue and Li Che went to the airport to pick up Shen An’an.
The moment Shen An’an emerged from the terminal, she threw herself into Shen Nanyue’s arms.
Li Che stood off to the side, waiting helplessly as his expression grew darker and darker.
“Sister, I missed you so much!”
“I missed you too. Let me have a look at you.”
Holding Shen An’an by the shoulders, Shen Nanyue examined her from every angle.
Finally, she reached her conclusion.
“You’ve gained weight.”
Shen An’an’s face was visibly rounder than before.
“Sister!”
Shen An’an immediately protested.
At last, Li Che found an opportunity to insert himself into the sisters’ conversation.
“Not fat at all. Even if you gained more weight, I’d still think you’re beautiful.”
Taking the chance, he grabbed Shen An’an’s hand and smiled as he praised her.
In return, he received a dramatic eye roll from her.
Shen Nanyue watched their interaction with amusement.
“Let’s go home. We’ve prepared a welcome-back banquet for you.”
“Really? Sister, you’re the best!”
Li Che immediately objected.
“That banquet was my idea, and I prepared everything!”
“Fine, fine. You’re great too, okay?”
Shen An’an wrapped her arm around his.
Only then did Li Che finally smile in satisfaction.
Shen Nanyue looked at them with mock disgust.
“You two are ridiculously lovey-dovey.”
“Then find someone to be lovey-dovey with too. When that happens, we’ll come be the third wheels.”
Li Che replied casually.
Shen An’an pinched him, signaling him to stop talking nonsense.
Unexpectedly, Shen Nanyue didn’t seem bothered in the slightest.
Instead, she replied calmly, “Sure. I’ll find someone in a while.”
The moment those words left her mouth, both Shen An’an and Li Che froze.
After all, for the longest time, Shen Nanyue had shown absolutely no interest in romance.
The fact that she could say something like that so casually was enough to leave them both stunned.
— The end of the Chapter–
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