Even as a "normie," I'm completely oblivious to it.

Furthermore, there is a concern that if Su Yuzhe knew that Qin Ruoke was Qin Yang's daughter, he might take his anger out on her.

Or rather…did he really not know? Then why did he approach Xiao Ke…?

The more I thought about it, the more something seemed off.

But from any perspective, letting Xiao Ke and Su Yuzhe come into contact was definitely not the right choice.

In Qin Yang's view, prejudice is something that is hard to let go of. The mistakes he made in the past and the anger of the Su family could easily affect Xiao Ke.

His hands trembled, and after a long while, under Qin Ruoke's questioning gaze, he said with difficulty, "Xiao Ke... I have to be honest with you about something. In order not to affect your mindset for the college entrance examination, I originally wanted to tell you after the exam, but... the current situation no longer allows it."

Fire cannot be hidden in paper.

Moreover, this concerns Xiao Ke's safety.

Qin Ruoke remained calm and said indifferently, "Dad, there's no need for this. I'm not the fragile little girl I used to be. No matter what happens, there's always a solution."

On the one hand, Qin Yang was pleased with Xiao Ke's growth; on the other hand, when he recalled the longing in Xiao Ke's eyes when he mentioned Su Yuzhe, he felt a little sorry for him.

With trembling lips, Qin Yang spoke slowly in a slightly hoarse voice.

It tells the story of a fact that was originally intended to be kept hidden for a while longer.

"Actually... well, the main reason I've been in jail for so long isn't because of debt, but because of a more serious mistake."

"Five years ago, your mother left this family and was gone. I was left alone with debts that you can't even imagine."

“You know, back then I thought, even if we sell the house and the car, the debt still seems endless. Seeing you, Xiao Ke, suffering with me, I just couldn’t bear it. I was going through a lot of torment every day.”

"So I had some crooked ideas. It was around that time that a big family in Fenghai City approached me and asked me to do something for them. If I did it, they would not only pay off my debts in one go, but also give me a large sum of money."

"I thought and thought for a long time, but in the end, seeing that you didn't even have enough to eat for dinner and still came over to comfort me, I had no choice... I really had no choice, so I agreed to their request."

Qin Yang still remembers that on a cold night five years ago, Xiao Ke, who hadn't eaten enough, was shivering from the cold and pushed his bowl of noodles in front of him.

"Dad, eat more, don't overwork yourself..."

These words pierced Qin Yang's heart like a sharp sword.

From that moment on, Qin Yang told himself that no matter what the consequences, he had to give Xiao Ke a normal life.

After listening to Qin Yang's story, Qin Ruoke had a vague sense of foreboding: "Dad...you...promised that family something?"

Qin Yang explained the mission clearly, word by word: "Pretend to be drunk driving, wait on the route that Su Yuzhe from the Su family plans to take, and crash into him at full speed after receiving the order."

"But at the very moment of impact... I slowed down. I thought about the child in that car, just like you, Xiao Ke, who was only that age, and I was about to take his life because of my own actions. I just couldn't do it."

"And it was because of that one slam on the brakes that the big family's promise to repay the debt could not be fulfilled, and they ended up in jail... Of course, I don't regret it. If I had really crashed into it at full speed, I think even if I hadn't died, I would have regretted it for the rest of my life."

After Qin Yang finished speaking, he lowered his head, very low.

He has indeed finished speaking.

Qin Ruoke stood there, stunned.

Every word Qin Yang uttered was like a bolt from the blue.

It struck her increasingly chaotic thoughts hard.

What did Dad just say... a crash... drunk driving... an assassination mission...

So, five years ago, his own father almost killed Su Yuzhe...?

It really was just a hair's breadth away; thankfully, Qin Yang's kindness remained.

However, this did not make Qin Ruoke feel any better; her mind was in complete turmoil.

Yu Zhe helped her so much, wanting to take responsibility for everything, but the father she asked Yu Zhe to save was the man who almost killed her five years ago.

How could this happen...?

The light in her eyes faded quickly, and Qin Ruoke's voice became much softer: "Dad... does Su Yuzhe... know about this?"

Qin Yang simply shook his head: "I...don't know..."

"Then...who was the family that gave you the mission back then?"

Qin Yang simply shook his head again: "This... Xiao Ke... it's all in the past. I can't tell you, otherwise it'll cause more trouble. As long as you're alright..."

The Qi family was the one who initially entrusted the task; this must absolutely not be told to Xiao Ke.

He was willing to bear all the sins; all he wanted was for Xiao Ke to have a life of her own.

"So... Xiao Ke," Qin Yang stated his purpose in telling Qin Ruoke this, but his tone lacked any confidence, "So Xiao Ke, you... still need to draw a clear line with Su Yuzhe, he..."

Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Qin Ruoke's faint voice.

"Dad...I...I'm tired. I want to go home and rest...get some sleep. I think I...I might need to think about this some more. You...you need to take care of yourself in there...I'm leaving now."

Without waiting for Qin Yang's response, Qin Ruoke turned around and left.

Even though the stipulated 30-minute time limit has not yet been reached.

She unconsciously quickened her pace, as if she were running away.

No…is it escaping…?

Qin Ruoke, who had hurriedly walked out of the building, looked up at the sky again.

The sky remained terribly overcast, and a light rain began to fall.

Ah... I was planning to run back before it rained. Even if I left a little earlier, I'd still get soaked on the way.

How ironic...

She recalled what Su Yuzhe had said to her when she came over.

"Life is full of unexpected things."

Qin Ruoke bit her lip hard, her lips trembling uncontrollably.

When she wasn't directly involved, she would just listen, but once the matter was right in front of her, Qin Ruoke realized how terribly vulnerable she was.

It's just because the person who was so close to death back then... was Su Yuzhe.

It is because it is you that Qin Ruoke is trembling uncontrollably at this moment.

Not only was it raining, but the temperature also seemed to drop sharply.

Walking home, Qin Ruoke, who was already used to the cold, couldn't help but tuck her hands into her sleeves to warm them.

"It's so cold..."

32. I didn't realize I liked you this much.

The weather forecast was right; it was indeed going to rain lightly.

However, what it didn't mention was that the drizzle continued until sunset without stopping.

Qin Ruoke felt that this journey home was longer than ever before.

When you have too many thoughts in your mind, you can't think of anything at all halfway through, and you empty your mind of all thoughts.

The drizzling rain caused pedestrians to either hold umbrellas, hurry along, or wait for taxis under the eaves.

Only Qin Ruoke, soaked in the rain, walked slowly home as if she had no soul.

Ah, if that dilapidated little house can be considered a home.

Looking up, her eyes, almost devoid of light, stared at the rolling dark clouds in the sky. She felt so weak that she couldn't even clench her fists.

Step by step...and then another...each step was so heavy.

Finally, before it got completely dark, she got home.

I didn't want to turn on the lights, and after closing the door, the room was instantly plunged into darkness.

I had been standing in the rain for over an hour, and rainwater was dripping from my clothes onto the floor.

Qin Ruoke leaned against the door, her back sliding down until she unconsciously sat on the ground.

In the past, she would always clean the house thoroughly first, mopping the floor and wiping the windows, and she would do so very carefully.

But today, she just sat in this narrow entryway, staring blankly at the empty, dark space.

People tend to overthink when they are quiet.

For example, right now, after sitting on the ground for who knows how long, Qin Ruoke suddenly started thinking.

What would Su Yuzhe say if he knew she was Qin Yang's daughter?

The moment this thought arose, it was as if Su Yuzhe's voice appeared in my mind.

"Oh, so you're that guy's daughter. How annoying!"

"I actually wanted to help you back then, what a liar!"

"Why don't you just die?"

"don't want!!!"

Qin Ruoke suddenly hugged herself tightly with both arms and shouted.

Then, trembling uncontrollably, she cried out, "No...no...don't say such things, I didn't...I really didn't..."

She knew that Su Yuzhe would never say such a thing, but the voice in her head just wouldn't stop.

She was afraid. What if Yu Zhe really thought that way? Would she still be able to bear it?

No way... Just thinking about it is enough to make me collapse, let alone if it actually happens.

Qin Ruoke, looking utterly lost, staggered and leaned against the wall as she walked to her room.

The moment I turned on the light, following my memory.

Tears welled up in her eyes.

In front of me was a small, stiff wooden bed, a worn-out small wooden table, and a chair that had been used for many years.

These tears are tears of grievance.

I never noticed... It was so tough, and we finally got to where we are today.

But why did fate choose to play tricks on her once again, pushing her to the brink of collapse once more?

I finally found a possible support, even if I could only watch him from afar, but why did things turn out this way?

Ignoring the fact that the clothes were not yet dry, she knelt down beside the bed, gripping the edge of the sheet tightly. The force she used was so great that the usually perfectly ironed sheet was wrinkled in layers.