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

"But...this is too cruel...they're not even ten years old...do they have to suffer the pain of losing their mother? The children don't have many close relatives to begin with, what will happen to them in the future?"

"And Zixiao too."

"?"

Yang Qiuyun abruptly said something, mentioning a name.

Su Zhenfeng knew this name, of course. The child was currently living in the mansion and was brought back from the orphanage by Qiu Yun a few months ago.

In the months since Zixiao came to the Su family, Yu Zhe and Yu Che have not liked her at all. She has been quite marginalized. Although she is said to be an adopted child, she actually lives in the room next to Yu Zhe and Yu Che, just like their little maid. Every day, apart from taking care of Yu Zhe and Yu Che's daily life, she does nothing special.

Qiu Yun suddenly mentioned her, this is...

"Zixiao can do it."

When Yang Qiuyun looked up again, there was a light in her eyes—a light that conveyed both entrustment and hope.

"There is light in the darkness. Perhaps Yu Zhe and Yu Che will be sad for a while... but thankfully Zi Xiao is here. She is trying to integrate into the family, and it should only take a year at most... The children will still be able to smile even without me."

"Autumn Charm... I don't quite understand."

"No need to understand." Yang Qiuyun took Su Zhenfeng's hand and smiled. "Trust me, leave the children's affairs to Zixiao from now on. Zhenfeng, you should also treat Zixiao as our own child from now on, and try your best to let her get along well with Yuzhe and Yuche, and give her a chance."

"Zixiao is a good child, I admit... but trying to get into the hearts of those two children is really..."

"Trust me, okay?"

It has nothing to do with anything else.

Qiu Yun said she believed her.

Every time Qiu Yun said this, it brought Su Zhenfeng a great sense of security, and each time, things would turn out well, just as Qiu Yun had predicted.

“Okay...I understand, Su Zixiao, she is our second daughter, Yu Zhe and Yu Che’s younger sister.”

"Mmm, he's such a reliable husband, I feel so relieved now~"

This was the first time in the past two days that Yang Qiuyun had shown a genuine smile.

She tiptoed and touched Su Zhenfeng's head, as if to encourage him, or as if to say a temporary goodbye.

Of course, Su Zhenfeng was also smiling. He didn't know why, but despite the worrying situation, hearing Qiu Yun's voice made him feel at ease.

My second uncle, at his age, was suddenly fed a mouthful of dog food (a Chinese slang term for witnessing public displays of affection), and even he, his eyebrows twitched violently.

"Sigh! You juniors are really... What can I say? What time is it and you're still babbling on and on? Yang Qiuyun, time is of the essence. I think you should understand everything by now. Set off immediately, don't linger, leave Fenghai, go to your new living environment, and never return."

He said so.

But Su Zhenfeng still whispered something in Yang Qiuyun's ear.

"There's no such thing as never coming back... One day I'll welcome you home. Even if I can't, Yu Zhe and Yu Che definitely can. Then we can treat today's events as a lighthearted topic of conversation..."

21. The Little Tower's Past

The plan was successfully implemented after that.

It can only be said that we were fortunate to have received a reminder from my second uncle, as well as Yang Qiuyun's decisiveness and Su Zhenfeng's understanding.

In short, due to these three factors, Yang Qiuyun did not return to the villa that day.

Not to mention returning to the villa, even after leaving the conference room, they were immediately covered by people arranged by their second uncle and arrived at the airport that afternoon, flying directly to Northern Europe.

In fact, many members of the branch family were lying in ambush outside the Su family's main villa that day to observe.

They were waiting for Yang Qiuyun to return. If she came home, it would mean the negotiations had failed, and they would have to "uphold justice," become the last line of defense, eliminate Yang Qiuyun, and secretly uproot the family members who currently lacked real power.

Unfortunately, they didn't find an opportunity.

Because Yang Qiuyun really didn't come back.

That same evening, they received news that Yang Qiuyun had been hospitalized due to some kind of sudden illness.

All of this was unexpected by these radicals, forcing them to change all their previous plans accordingly.

Even if you want to be radical, you can't be. It's like punching cotton; there's no rationale for taking action.

Depend on.

Skeptical but hopeful, they gathered at the city's central hospital that evening and indeed found "Yang Qiuyun" lying in a hospital bed.

Her complexion was terrible; she was pale, weak, and on the verge of death. She couldn't even speak. In just one afternoon, she seemed to have lost half her life.

According to her second uncle's explanation, the illness she was diagnosed with suddenly was like that; it was very strange, but very urgent. Once the illness took hold, a person would become haggard within an afternoon.

This is very confusing... but they can't say anything because Yang Qiuyun is in the hospital.

The case file, the people, and the doctor's explanation were all provided, leaving no room for doubt.

The doctor bluntly stated that she would die in about twenty days.

Upon hearing this, all the representatives of the branch family fell silent.

No one can fight against a dying person; it's pointless and inhumane.

Although their original plan was hardly humane, once their ultimate goal, excluding Yang Qiuyun, was confirmed to be achievable, they began to consider humanity.

So... during the last days of Yang Qiuyun's hospitalization, high-ranking members of the family who had branched out from the main branch came every day to bring gifts and fruit. The hospital also provided her with exceptionally special treatment, taking meticulous care of her and fulfilling all her requests.

Yang Qiuyun truly experienced what it's like to be a lady from a prominent family.

Being the center of attention and feeling unique—although Yang Qiuyun had long been tired of this feeling, she found it refreshing and delightful.

She wasn't pursuing material things; she just wanted to experience being the center of attention, that feeling of being in the spotlight.

If it were Yang Qiuyun herself, she would definitely say, "Your pursuit is so boring!"

But Yang Qiuyun would definitely reply, "How could it be boring? Everyone has their own ambitions. I'm not as carefree as you. I can feel comfortable sometimes and experience different joys and sorrows. That's life."

After all, "Yang Qiuyun" is not Yang Qiuyun.

She is Carlotta, a poor girl who never quite understood what it meant to be noticed by others.

From the moment Xiaota received Yang Qiuyun's text message, she flew from Northern Europe to Fenghai City with Elisa's help. Although she was hospitalized here, just like she was there, her trip here was meaningful.

That would help Qiuyun overcome her difficulties.

This is something Xiaota has always dreamed of.

Qiuyun and Sasha, also known as Elisa, are her best friends in this life.

Including her deceased husband, these were the people she trusted most in the world.

When she was a child, she was found by Qiuyun and Shasha. They not only did not bully her, but also helped her take a bath, gave her food and drink, and even gave her a place to live so that she would no longer be exposed to the wind and rain, and would no longer suffer from hunger and cold every day.

They even found her a doctor. She wasn't sure if her condition had improved, but she knew that painkillers were truly a miraculous drug, which relieved her pain for a considerable period of time.

She had asked the two of them more than once about the cost of accommodation, meals, and the doctor they had hired—it must have been very expensive… Please don't put her under pressure. If you feel pressured, you can just throw her back into that haystack. Just let her take a box of painkillers, and she'll be able to live for several more days…

Hearing these words, young Yang Qiuyun and Elisa felt incredibly heartbroken.

They said that their families were very wealthy and taking care of a little tower was no problem at all.

Just stay here and don't feel pressured. If it really doesn't work out, you can always go out and earn money when you grow up and get better, and then pay us back the money we spent.

Xiaota knew that her saviors had said this on purpose so that she wouldn't feel guilty.

Even knowing it was intentional, Xiaota slowly developed a desire to survive.

I really want to grow up... then make lots of money and cook lots of delicious food to repay you all.

Instead of being bedridden and becoming a useless person who can only be cared for.

Xiao Ta believes that everyone's birth must have a meaning; encounters and meetings are all part of the meaning of life.

My encounter with Qiuyun Sasha must have been the same.

As they grew older, the two of them visited Xiaota's residence less and less often, especially Qiuyun. It was said that she was not a local and could only come during holidays. Sasha was busy with school and learning family etiquette, so she could only come to visit when she had time.

Even so, Xiaota was already very content.

It feels so good to be remembered... Even when they're busy, they still find time to come and see her.

Compared to freezing to death alone on that cold haystack, it's truly a blessing...

But even greater happiness was yet to come.

Once, when everyone happened to be together, Qiuyun flew over during her high school break, and Sasha also happened to be free. They gathered at this small base and talked about love.

Qiuyun said that she has recently become a little interested in a boy named Su at her school because he is upright, kind, courageous, and does not flinch when facing delinquents.

Little Tower listened very attentively to these words; she was fascinated by these things that she knew nothing about.

Seeing her excitement, Yang Qiuyun and Elisa both told Xiaota something at the same time.

That means that one day, you will meet a boy who captivates you and find your own love.

Xiaota nodded with a wry smile. It was impossible for her not to have some expectations; who wouldn't want to experience that dreamlike feeling?

But she felt this was unrealistic... She had been suffering from this strange illness since she was around seven years old.

He was in so much pain all over his body that he could hardly walk. He had been bedridden for many years and was about to turn 18 this year, but his strange illness still hadn't improved.

Especially recently, she has been experiencing increasingly unbearable pain, and even painkillers seem to be ineffective. Not to mention, she feels that she may not be able to hold on for more than a few years.

Even if someone manages to survive, who would want to be with a bedridden, disabled person who can barely move?

She had no hope, but fate still gave her a chance.

Just as Qiuyun Shasha said.

Love is something that comes suddenly, catching people off guard.

By the time you realize it has arrived, it has already taken root and sprouted in your heart, and the seeds of happiness will begin to emerge.

The person Xiaota ultimately falls for is the young man Elisa brought to treat her; he is a very famous doctor in the city.

22. Fate is inherently unfair.

Perhaps the reason why Xiaota fell in love with him was not for any other reason than the personal charm of this young doctor.

He differed fundamentally from the doctors who had come before him in one key aspect.

In the past, doctors, regardless of their qualifications or abilities, all came to treat Xiaota with great confidence. However, after witnessing the difficulties of this strange disease, without exception, they all shook their heads, apologized to Elisa, and left, saying they were powerless to help.

Although the young doctor also felt somewhat powerless, he did not shake his head.

He said he would first use the most effective pain-relieving medication to temporarily alleviate Xiaota's pain.