Night Rose

Liao Yun looked to her husband for help, but Zhou Ruian didn't care at all about his youngest son who was almost knocked unconscious, and wouldn't even spare them a glance.

A smile finally appeared on Zhou Ruian's dignified face as he looked at Zhou Zheng with approval.

"This is my son."

Zhou Zheng thought he had heard something completely unbelievable.

Completely baffled by the mindset of these wealthy people, he gritted his teeth and said, "You're absolutely insane!"

Liao Yun trembled as she hugged Zhou Chengzhuo. Upon hearing Zhou Ruian's words, her heart stopped, and she couldn't even cry anymore.

She finally understood her and her son's situation at home. They had become Zhou Zheng's punching bags, and Zhou Zheng could kill them with his own hands if he wanted to, and Zhou Ruian would even help collect the bodies and cover it up.

The cacophony of voices and blurry images before him kept churning Zhou Zheng's senses. In a daze, he stepped across the chaos and walked straight out the door.

He was walking slowly, thinking that someone would come out to arrest him and bring him back to justice, but no bodyguards came out of the door. So he walked faster and faster until he stopped looking where he was going and tripped over a water pipe by the roadside.

Zhou Zheng sat on the ground somewhat disheveled, his fingers digging deep into the grass. He grabbed a handful of grass and threw it onto the clean road.

He shouldn't have come back, he shouldn't have come back!

Everyone here is crazy. Zhou Ruian is crazy, and Zhou Chengzhuo and his mother Liao Yun are even crazier!

Zhou Ruian's smile was still imprinted in Zhou Zheng's mind; it was an almost perverted smile that showed no regard for human life.

When his mother passed away, he stood by indifferently, directing the servants to tidy up the room and telling them not to dirty the hallway carpet he had bought from France.

Zhou Zheng had long seen through Zhou Ruian's scumbag nature; this meal... was disgusting.

He slumped his head onto his knees, breathing in the fresh air, trying to clear his mind.

The phone in his pocket rang; it was the special ringtone he had set for Su Jin.

He suppressed his breathing, his fingers tracing the name on the screen, reluctant to hang up, yet unable to bear not answering.

"Feed".

Su Jin's voice came softly from the other end of the phone, "Zhou Zheng, guess what I ate for dinner tonight?"

Zhou Zheng propped his head up with one hand and casually named a few dishes: "Braised pork ribs, braised pork knuckle with soybean paste, hot and sour shredded potatoes, and spicy chicken feet?"

"Why are you only listing your specialty dishes? None of them. Tonight I had osmanthus cake made by my grandma. It was sweet and soft," Su Jin said with a smile.

Zhou Zheng chuckled, but the laughter stopped abruptly. He couldn't laugh anymore; his throat was dry, and even speaking felt like a knife scraping his throat.

"What's wrong? Are you unhappy? Did you have a fight with someone?" Su Jin noticed that something was wrong with his mood.

Zhou Zheng opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a word.

What should he say to Su Jin?

Should we talk about his terrible family, or should we say he just blew someone's head off?

"How about we make a video call? If you're unhappy, I'll show you my little fat cat, okay?" Su Jin coaxed.

Zhou Zheng was completely taken in by this. He responded, and the call switched to video. He answered the video call, but the camera wasn't pointed at him; instead, it was pointed at a tree not far away.

"Where are you? This place looks so unfamiliar, but the greenery is really nice. The property prices must be very high, right?" Su Jin appeared in the camera's view, resting her chin on her hand. She was very close to the camera, and her face was flawless under the lens. She looked even cuter up close.

She showed half her face, awkwardly gripping her phone, while her other hand was scooping up a kitten.

"In the park," Zhou Zheng replied.

The property prices must be very high; this is probably a location he can't afford no matter what.

"Are you watching Grandpa play chess in the park? It's so quiet around here, not even the cicadas are chirping. You two shouldn't stay outside for too long, be careful not to get heatstroke," Su Jin reminded her. She followed the cat around the house for a while before finally managing to scoop it into her arms.

Suddenly, the screen was filled with a round, silver gradient face. Zhou Zheng stared intently as the lively cat licked the cat treat from the corner of its mouth.

"Quite cute."

Su Jin also squeezed into the frame, occupying one-fifth of the space, revealing one eye and her smooth forehead.

"My mom's cat is very shiny and smooth, but it sheds a lot. I've only been back for a day, and I'm already covered in cat hair."

The silver shaded cat seemed to understand that the human was talking bad about it, and it bit down on her chin.

Su Jin was already used to the cat's attacks. She easily grabbed it, pinched its chin, and showed Zhou Zheng its sharp teeth. "Look, how white and sharp the child's teeth are."

The silver gradient dog breathed on the camera, and Zhou Zheng reached out and flicked his hand at the rear camera, "Keep breathing on it."

"It's angry. I just scooped it up from its snacks." Su Jin patted the silver shaded cat's bottom, and it jumped off the sofa with a whoosh, happily wagging its tail as it went to eat its cat food.

Zhou Zheng remained silent, but his mood had calmed down considerably.

Su Jin is his remedy. Seeing her speaking on the other side of the camera, seeing her vying for the spotlight with the kitten, his heart softens.

"It has a great personality, you can pet it as much as you want. If you really annoy it, it will just walk away furry." Su Jin's voice was tinged with an upward tone, and you could tell that she was really happy at home.

Not wanting to upset her further, Zhou Zheng echoed her words, "I want to touch it."

"You can pet it when you come to my house. It's not afraid of strangers, and anyone can pet it." Su Jin lay down on the sofa, raised her phone, held it up with both hands, and her face looked very small in the camera lens. She was still looking for the best angle.

"Brother Zhou, let me see you. You sound so unhappy. Is it because I left? Are you angry that you won't let me see your face?"

The next second, Zhou Zheng flipped the camera, and a striking face appeared in the frame. The setting sun was overhead, casting a red glow through the dense foliage onto his prominent nose, like a unique mark.

The setting sun was also a bit dazzling, so he squinted and used his long eyelashes to block out the excess light.

"Ouch!" Su Jin cried out in pain.

Zhou Zheng watched the camera flip and flip until it suddenly went dark, and then she heard the phone hit her with a dull thud.

"Are you alright?" He gripped his phone nervously.

Su Jin picked up her phone, rubbed her collarbone, and giggled, "I'm fine. You're so handsome, Brother Zhou! How come you look so handsome today? I've only been gone for a day."

"What you're wearing..."

Su Jin's voice gradually faded. She sat up abruptly, staring at the man in the suit on the screen. One button of his black shirt was undone, revealing the skin of his neck. His dark charcoal gray coat covered the black shirt, making him look abstinent and serious.

Having seen Zhou Zheng's casual attire, Su Jin couldn't help but stare at him when she saw this contrasting, meticulously dressed look.

"Zhou Zheng, are you really in the park? Or are you on a blind date?" Su Jin asked, staring at the screen suspiciously.