Lu Shao is cunning; Miss Nan has fallen for his tricks again.

Chapter 66 My lover died in front of me!
Zhou Qi lowered his gaze, and despite Zhou Zan's struggles, pulled her into the study. Zhou Qi closed the door with his foot and locked it from the inside.

Standing at the bottom of the stairs, listening to the sounds coming from above, the servants looked at each other in bewilderment, none of them daring to go up and stop them.

In the study, Zhou Zan stared fiercely at Zhou Qi.

She didn't understand why Zhou Qi was being so petty, since she had only had a little to drink and was now dragging her into the study. Was he going to scold her?
Zhou Zan sneered, completely disregarding Zhou Qi.

Zhou Qi turned to meet Zhou Zan's gaze, his eyes indifferent, but his mind was in turmoil. Zhou Zan was already twenty-two years old; it was time to tell her the whole truth.

"Didn't you want to know about your mother? I can tell you everything now." Zhou Qi's voice was filled with endless sorrow, which he himself did not realize.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Zan was taken aback.

Mother?

She hadn't thought about it for a long time.

Zhou Qi walked to the bookshelf, picked up a decorative item from it, and the bookshelf split in the middle, creating a space just big enough for one person to pass through.

Zhou Qi glanced back at Zhou Zan and went inside first.

Zhou Zan hesitated for a moment. She had never met her mother, not even a photograph of her. Her mother had left no trace of her.

She asked Zhou Qi many times, but Zhou Qi just brushed her off.
She was eager to know about her mother's past, so she followed her.

The space inside is not large, only about ten square meters. There is a dressing table from the 1990s, and the walls are covered with black and white photos and some small ornaments from that era.

In addition, there is a very common porcelain jar on the table.

Looking at the photo hanging on the wall, Zhou Zan stepped forward. This was the first time she had seen her mother.

In the black and white photo, the woman, with exquisite makeup and wearing a wedding dress, gazes tenderly into the distance.

Although she doesn't know who is in the distance, the person she looks at with such affection must be someone she loves.

The woman had curved eyebrows and a radiant smile, exuding a gentle and tender aura.

The woman in the photo bears a striking resemblance to Zhou Zan.

"You don't know her name yet. Her name is Qin He, the gentlest of women. She is also an orphan."

Zhou Qi recalled the summer of 1986 when he first entered university; it was the first year he met his lover.

“I knew about your mother even before I met her. She was a star student at school, the best in both looks and grades,” Zhou Qi’s deep voice rang out, filled with longing.

"She's kind and gentle, like a little sun that brings warmth to others." As she said this, Zhou Qi chuckled twice, a tenderness in her eyes that Zhou Zan had never seen before.

“My grades in college weren’t as good as hers, and I was always one step behind her. I was not convinced and always wanted to compete with her. Over time, we became more and more familiar with each other. Eventually, I developed feelings for her.”

"I kept it a secret, afraid that we wouldn't even be able to remain friends. I never expected that she had already fallen deeply in love with me, and we plan to get married after graduation."

"After graduation, I took your mother home to meet your grandparents. Your grandparents liked her very much, and your grandmother even gave your mother the family heirloom jade bracelet."

As Zhou Qi looked at the photos on the wall, the fierceness that used to fill his eyes was now being replaced by gentleness.

“During college, we worked part-time and saved up a lot of money. I bought her the dressing table she liked and also took the wedding photos she had always wanted to take.”

The next second, tears streamed down Zhou Qi's face. "I thought we would be happy forever, but not long after we got married, Qin He's biological parents came knocking on our door." At this point, Zhou Qi could no longer hide his resentment.

"Your mother's biological parents abandoned her when she was young because she was a daughter. She made a living by doing odd jobs and sewing and washing, and saved money in every way to support her education."

"Later, your mother had a younger brother. That brother was a good-for-nothing, a petty hoodlum, and even committed robbery. They found your mother by following the place where she was abandoned and by asking around along the way."

Zhou Qi suddenly stopped. Zhou Zan looked at Zhou Qi, who took out a cigarette from his pants pocket, lit it, took a deep drag, and exhaled a white ring.

“At that time, your mother was already pregnant with you. I opened a car repair shop with the money I had saved up back then and the dowry your grandparents gave to your mother. Life got better and better, and soon it was time for your mother to give birth.”

Zhou Qi took a deep drag on his cigarette. "That day I went out of town, and your grandparents were at the hospital with you during your delivery. While your grandfather went to buy food, that family came looking for us again."

"They threatened your mother, demanding money, a lot of money. Your mother had no choice but to give all the money I left her before I left to that family, but they weren't satisfied and wanted more. Your mother refused, and in the end, they threatened her with you. They said they would throw you off the fourth floor if she didn't give them the money!"

“Your mother had endured that family for a long time and didn’t want to be entangled with them anymore. Your mother jumped from the fourth floor with you in her arms and died on the spot. You were wrapped in a thick quilt and were unharmed, but your mother suffered fractures all over her body.” Zhou Qi’s voice was choked with sobs, and tears streamed uncontrollably down his face.

Zhou Zan's face was also covered in tears.

“But she died right in front of me!” Zhou Qi cried out in anguish.

The greatest pain is when you go back to see your loved ones and children with a joyful expression, only to find that they have jumped to their deaths right in front of you.

“Your grandmother called me the day your mother gave birth, and I immediately bought a train ticket and rushed home. I didn’t dare to stop for a moment and rushed all the way to the hospital, but what I saw was her body!”

"I saw my lover die right in front of me; her blood was everywhere on the lawn and the ground!"

Although more than 20 years have passed, that scene is still deeply etched in his mind.

"Do you know, Zhou Zan, I can still picture the expression on your mother's face when she jumped off the building—how sad and helpless she looked." Zhou Qi became increasingly agitated as he spoke.

Looking at Zhou Qi in front of him, Zhou Zan felt sorry for him.

She couldn't even utter a single word of comfort.

"You blame me for always being too controlling. I'm afraid of losing you, losing my only family member."

Zhou Zan wiped away her tears with her sleeve, wanting to speak, but couldn't utter a complete sentence for a long time.

My grandparents felt guilty and died young.

Zhou Qi was the only one who had to take care of the company and Zhou Zan at the same time.

At this moment, Zhou Zan was filled with regret and guilt.

Seeing Zhou Zan's tearful face, Zhou Qi took out a handkerchief from his pocket and skillfully wiped away Zhou Zan's tears, just like when they were children.

“I kept some of your mother’s ashes and didn’t bury them.” Hearing this, Zhou Zan looked at him with red eyes. “In that porcelain jar.” Zhou Qi pointed to the porcelain jar on the table.

With trembling hands, Zhou Zan carefully picked up the porcelain jar and hugged it tightly in his arms, as if he had embraced his mother who had carried him for ten months and given birth to him.

The father and daughter hugged the porcelain jar and cried loudly together.

The family of three, who had been separated for 22 years, embraced each other, and at this moment, their happiness was fulfilled.

(End of this chapter)