Chapter 42

Chapter 42: Boss, We... Lin Meiyan murmured, "Mom." Gu Qiuyuan sat by the window in the reception room, holding Zhou Song's hand. When she heard those two words, her fingers suddenly tightened. Zhou Song winced from the pinch and looked up at her, his pretty face showing a hint of confusion. Only then did Gu Qiuyuan seem to snap back to reality, slowly releasing her grip. She didn't dare raise her head, nor did she dare meet Lin Meiyan's gaze. She wouldn't look up, but Lin Meiyan stared at her without blinking. In truth, it had been many years since she'd seen Gu Qiuyuan this close. The mother in her memory had aged—fine lines at the corners of her eyes, a few more white strands at her temples—yet she was still beautiful, her shoulders straight, her clothes crisply ironed, her hair pinned up at the back of her head. Even just sitting there, she carried herself with dignity. Still the same as in Lin Meiyan's memory. Except in her memory, her mother would reach out to her, would call her Yanyan, would lift her onto her lap when she was little and wipe the sugar crumbs from the corner of her mouth. Now, Gu Qiuyuan only glanced at her once. After a moment, she lowered her eyes and said in a flat voice, "Comrade, you've mistaken me for someone else." Lin Meiyan froze, as if she hadn't understood. She called out again, "Mom." Gu Qiuyuan didn't look up, but her voice came through. "I don't know you." It was crisp and resolute. Don't know you. Don't know you. Those words fell, and the reception room went quiet. Other victims' family members nearby, who had been murmuring softly, stopped mid-sentence. Qiaoqiao had been watching Zhou Song, but at those words, the expression on her little face slowly shifted. She looked at Lin Meiyan, then at Gu Qiuyuan. She didn't understand. Or rather, she understood all too well, and didn't know what to say. This woman was her mother's mother? Her grandmother? Lin Meiyan heard those words. Her fingers slowly curled, and her whole body swayed as if she could barely hold herself up. Yu Jianghai stood at her side and caught her arm at once. Lin Meiyan didn't fall. She just stood there, her face deathly pale. She looked at Gu Qiuyuan for a long time, a faint glimmer of tears in her eyes. Then she gave a small nod. "Okay." Her voice was soft, and steady. "Then I must have been mistaken." Gu Qiuyuan's eyelashes trembled. Yu Jianghai shot her a glance. That glance wasn't heavy, but it made Gu Qiuyuan's shoulders stiffen. "Sorry," Yu Jianghai said flatly. "My wife mistook you for someone else." Gu Qiuyuan hummed in acknowledgment. "It's fine." She then looked down at Zhou Song. "Sit properly." Zhou Song did not sit properly. He kept staring at Qiaoqiao. Qiaoqiao stared back at him. The two children stood a few steps apart—one holding Lin Meiyan's hand, the other held by Gu Qiuyuan—neither speaking first. Fortunately, Officer Qian soon came out from the back, holding a stack of name lists. He noticed the tense atmosphere in the reception room but didn't ask, merely clearing his throat. "Almost everyone's here." "Today is just to let the victims' family members have one final meeting and ask whatever questions remain unanswered." At that, he shifted his tone. "Once you go in, don't start anything, don't get near the iron bars. If there's any problem, our officers will be standing by." One family member, visibly agitated with red-rimmed eyes, asked, "Officer Qian, will the traffickers really be executed?" Officer Qian nodded. "The verdict has been handed down." The woman immediately covered her mouth and burst into tears, cursing over and over, "Traffickers deserve to be shot." "They deserve to be shot!" Officer Qian read through the list—Wu Xiuli, Yu Feng, and several names Lin Meiyan had never heard before. With each name, someone in the reception room muttered a curse. After reading the list, he let people in one by one. Lin Meiyan held Qiaoqiao's hand and didn't rush forward. Yu Jianghai said nothing either. They stood by the wall, waiting as those ahead of them went in one by one and came out one by one. Some came out crying so hard they could barely stand. Others had eyes red and terrifying. One person clutched rotten vegetable leaves, probably prepared before coming, but was stopped at the door by the officers and not allowed to bring them in. Qiaoqiao watched the adults and said nothing. Lin Meiyan looked down and patted her head. "Scared?" Qiaoqiao shook her head. She just gripped Lin Meiyan's hand a little tighter. When their turn came, Officer Qian walked over. "Comrade Lin, President Yu, Qiaoqiao—you can go in now." Lin Meiyan nodded and led Qiaoqiao inside. Yu Jianghai followed a step behind them, his pace unhurried, yet he kept both mother and daughter shielded in front of him. The interrogation room was dim and cold—white walls, iron doors, wooden tables piled together, a grim and forbidding atmosphere that made one's chest tighten the moment they entered. Wu Xiuli was held behind the iron bars. She had lost a lot of weight since the last time they saw her, her hair plastered messily against her face, and her clothes still bore traces of rotten eggs. But those triangular eyes of hers were still dark and venomous. The moment she saw Qiaoqiao, hatred flashed through them first. Then, when she saw Yu Jianghai, that hatred turned into fear. "So you really are the daughter of the owner of Jianghai Dicai." Wu Xiuli's voice was hoarse, tinged with regret. Qiaoqiao wasn't afraid of her. She tilted her head slightly. "If I weren't, would you have sold me?" Lin Meiyan's heart tightened. Instinctively, she wanted to cover Qiaoqiao's ears. But Qiaoqiao looked up at her. "Mom, I want to hear what she has to say." Lin Meiyan pressed her lips together and didn't stop her. Wu Xiuli grinned, her messy hair covering half her face as she said darkly, "You little girl are lucky." "If I'd known your father was Yu Jianghai, I wouldn't have touched you at all." There was no regret in her words—only frustration at having chosen the wrong target. She had been watching Lin Meiyan for a long time. A single mother, a widow with no husband, no in-laws, only a child and a small shop. When business got busy, there was no time to watch over the child. People like that were the easiest to target. But she never expected Lin Meiyan to have such a powerful figure behind her. Hearing Wu Xiuli's words, Lin Meiyan's hands went cold. Yu Jianghai raised his hand, his palm resting on her back, shielding most of her view. In moments like this, Qiaoqiao was braver than Lin Meiyan. She looked at Wu Xiuli and suddenly asked, "What about other kids?" Wu Xiuli frowned. "What?" "Other kids don't have a dad as powerful as mine. Can they be sold?" The smile slowly faded from Wu Xiuli's face. She said impatiently, "What does a child know? I just want to survive." Qiaoqiao let out an "oh." "Then go die." Just because someone wants to survive, does that mean others have to die! Wu Xiuli's expression changed instantly. "You—" Officer Qian immediately knocked on the table. "Wu Xiuli, behave yourself." Wu Xiuli was pressed back into her seat, but she kept staring at Qiaoqiao. "I've hunted birds all my life, never thought I'd get pecked in the eye." Qiaoqiao didn't respond. Lin Meiyan no longer wanted her to look at this woman, so she took her hand and led her out. As Wu Xiuli was being taken away, she kept turning back. Lin Meiyan stood in front of Qiaoqiao. Yu Jianghai also stepped forward, directly cutting off Wu Xiuli's line of sight. He looked at her as if she were already dead. Wu Xiuli shuddered in fear, turned, and stumbled away. Before long, Yu Feng was brought up. He was different from Wu Xiuli. After spending more than three months inside, he had actually gained some weight. But his eyes were off. The moment he saw Qiaoqiao, he lunged forward, the shackles on his feet clattering loudly. Lin Meiyan stepped back in fright. Yu Jianghai immediately scooped Qiaoqiao up, shielding her in his arms. But Yu Feng seemed not to see them at all. He only stared at Qiaoqiao. "Where's my son?" "You said you knew my son." "Where is my son?" Qiaoqiao lay on Yu Jianghai's shoulder, watching him quietly. She suddenly said, "Dad, I want to say a few words to him." Lin Meiyan frowned immediately. "Qiaoqiao." "I won't get close." Qiaoqiao extended her small hand, pointing at the ground outside the iron railing. "I'll just stand here and talk." Yu Jianghai looked down at her. "Not scared?" "Not scared." She answered quickly. Yu Jianghai didn't agree right away but looked at Officer Qian instead. Officer Qian said, "She can talk, but the adults can't go too far." Only then did Yu Jianghai set Qiaoqiao down. He and Lin Meiyan stepped back two paces but didn't leave. Qiaoqiao stood outside the iron railing, looking up at Yu Feng. Yu Feng was panting heavily, his eyes bloodshot and haggard. "Where's my son?" Qiaoqiao didn't answer his question. Instead, she asked innocently, "Yu Feng, when you were looking for your son, did it hurt?" Yu Feng froze. Qiaoqiao continued. "You couldn't find him. Did you lie awake every night?" "Whenever you saw other kids, did you think of him?" "Did you also ask other people, where is my son?" Yu Feng's face slowly turned pale. Qiaoqiao looked at him, her voice still that of a child, but it suddenly became distant and airy. "Then why did you make other people's kids disappear?" Yu Feng's lips trembled. "I... I just..." "Yu Jiangjiang waited for his dad too," Qiaoqiao said. Yu Feng's head snapped up. "What did you say?" "He waited for you." "He kept waiting." "But he never got to see you." "Because he never imagined that his dad would become the kind of trafficker he hated most." Yu Feng looked as if he'd been struck by a club. His whole body went rigid. The next moment, he suddenly clutched his head. "Jiangjiang." "Jiangjiang." Each call grew lower, until finally it turned into wailing. The cries came from behind the iron railing, sending chills down one's spine. Qiaoqiao didn't look at him again. She turned and ran back to Lin Meiyan's side. "Mom." Lin Meiyan wrapped her arms around her. Yu Jianghai watched Yu Feng with no trace of pity in his eyes. Officer Qian ordered someone to take Yu Feng away. As Yu Feng was dragged off, he was still crying, his voice cracking as he called out Jiangjiang's name over and over. Qiaoqiao buried her face in Lin Meiyan's arms. Lin Meiyan stroked her back. "No more looking. Let's go home." When the three of them came out of the interrogation room, half the people in the reception area were gone. Gu Qiuyuan was still there. Zhou Song was still there too. When he saw Qiaoqiao come out, his eyes brightened slightly, his fingers twitching a little, as if he wanted to wave. Qiaoqiao saw him too. She climbed down from Lin Meiyan's arms and walked over slowly. Gu Qiuyuan instinctively pulled Zhou Song closer to her side, the movement very subtle. But Lin Meiyan saw it. She stopped in her tracks, and Qiaoqiao stopped too. Zhou Song looked up at Gu Qiuyuan. Gu Qiuyuan seemed to realize her reaction had been too obvious. Her fingers stiffened, then slowly relaxed. Qiaoqiao reached into her little schoolbag and fished out a fruit candy—one she had secretly packed when she left the house that morning. She walked over and held the candy out to Zhou Song. "Here, for you." Zhou Song really wanted to take it. His eyes showed a hint of fondness, but he didn't reach out. Not until Gu Qiuyuan said softly, "You can take it." Only then did Zhou Song reach out and accept it. His fingers were very pale, and very thin. Qiaoqiao asked in a small voice, "Are you unhappy today too?" Zhou Song looked at her. After a long moment, he gave a slight nod. Qiaoqiao let out a sigh. "I'm unhappy too." At those words, all the adults froze. Gu Qiuyuan's eyes reddened instantly. She looked down at Qiaoqiao. Qiaoqiao resembled Lin Meiyan as a child—but not entirely. Her features were like Lin Meiyan's—fair-skinned, soft and round. But those eyes were too bright. So bright that people couldn't bear to look at them for long. Lin Meiyan walked over and took Qiaoqiao's hand. She didn't call out "Mom." She just looked at Gu Qiuyuan and said in a calm voice, "This is my daughter, Lin Qiaoqiao." Gu Qiuyuan's throat felt blocked by something. She looked at Qiaoqiao, and it took her a long while before she said, "This child is wonderful." Lin Meiyan nodded. "Yes." "She is wonderful." "My daughter is naturally the best in the world." Lin Meiyan said that last sentence with great seriousness. As if she wasn't saying it for Gu Qiuyuan to hear, but for herself—the version of herself who had returned to the city pregnant, unable to find a place to stay anywhere. The redness in Gu Qiuyuan's eyes deepened. She almost reached out to pat Qiaoqiao's head, but in the end, she only tucked her hands into her sleeves. "Song Song," she called softly. "We should go." Zhou Song held the candy in his hand, not moving. He looked at Qiaoqiao, his eyes carrying a trace of reluctance. "Thank you for last time," Qiaoqiao said. At that, Zhou Song's eyes suddenly lit up. He wanted to say something, but Qiaoqiao waved at him. "Goodbye." Zhou Song's lips moved. After a long moment, he let out a very faint sound. "Bye." Just one word. Gu Qiuyuan froze. Qiaoqiao immediately broke into a smile. "You can talk!" Zhou Song lowered his head. Gu Qiuyuan took his hand and led him toward the door. When they reached the entrance, she couldn't help herself—she turned back to look at Lin Meiyan. Lin Meiyan was looking at her too. Mother and daughter, separated by the people coming and going in the reception room, exchanged a brief glance. Gu Qiuyuan looked away first. Lin Meiyan lowered her eyes too. That was her daughter. Yu Jianghai steadied her shoulder. "Let's go." Lin Meiyan hummed in acknowledgment. When they stepped out of the police station, the sun outside was a bit harsh. Lin Meiyan stood on the steps, not moving for a moment. Qiaoqiao looked up at her and asked in a small voice, "Mom?" "Hm?" "Is that pretty grandma... my grandmother?" Lin Meiyan's hand trembled. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Yu Jianghai bent down and picked Qiaoqiao up. "Your mom is tired today." Qiaoqiao looked at him. Yu Jianghai's voice was low. "We'll talk about it when we get home." Qiaoqiao made a soft "oh" sound. She didn't ask again. Instead, she reached out her little hand and patted the back of Lin Meiyan's hand. "Mom, you still have me." Lin Meiyan's eyes reddened instantly. She hummed in acknowledgment. "I have you and your father." She was no longer the sixteen-year-old Lin Meiyan who had gone to the countryside alone. The twenty-nine-year-old Lin Meiyan now had family of her own. Yu Jianghai didn't say anything. He just carried Qiaoqiao with one arm and wrapped the other around Lin Meiyan's shoulder, walking her to the car. He opened the door and let her get in first. After Lin Meiyan sat down in the car, her hands were still trembling. Yu Jianghai noticed and took her hand into his palm. She didn't pull away. As the car drove off, Gu Qiuyuan hadn't gone far. She was standing with Zhou Song at the entrance of a narrow alley beside the police station. Lin Meiyan saw her. Gu Qiuyuan saw her in the car too. The window glass separated them, and neither of them spoke. The car quickly drove into the distance. Gu Qiuyuan stood there the whole time. Only when the rear of the car had completely disappeared from view did she slowly lower her head. Zhou Song tugged at her hand. Gu Qiuyuan's hand was trembling badly. It was only then that she realized she had been gripping Zhou Song's hand too tightly the whole way. "Does it hurt?" Zhou Song shook his head. Gu Qiuyuan crouched down and gently rubbed his palm. As she rubbed, her tears suddenly fell, landing on the back of Zhou Song's hand. Zhou Song froze. Gu Qiuyuan quickly raised her hand to wipe the tears away. "Song Song," she said, her voice so low it was barely audible. "That's my daughter." Zhou Song looked at her. Gu Qiuyuan tried to curl the corner of her mouth, but the smile didn't come. "I didn't acknowledge her just now." Zhou Song held the candy in his hand, still saying nothing. Gu Qiuyuan patted his head. "I have no face to claim her." With that, she stood up. Outside the police station, people came and went, and no one noticed them. Gu Qiuyuan wiped her tears clean and smoothed the hem of her clothes. She was still the respectable Mrs. Zhou, but only Zhou Song saw that her hands were trembling the whole time she wiped her tears. When Lin Meiyan and the others returned to Linji, it was the busiest time of midday. Gu Kaihua was greeting customers in the front hall, his voice so loud it could be heard from a street away. "Reganmian's ready, Table Three!" "Mung bean soup, serve yourselves—don't fill it too full, if you spill it I'll have to mop the floor!" Ye Qiuju was slicing braised meats in the kitchen when she looked up and saw Lin Meiyan come in. The knife in her hand paused. "You're back?" Lin Meiyan hummed in acknowledgment. She rolled up her sleeves and headed to wash her hands. "I'll help." Ye Qiuju looked at her face. "Help with what? Sit down first." "It's fine." Lin Meiyan lowered her head to wash her hands, the water rushing loudly. Ye Qiuju frowned. She set down the knife, walked over, and turned off the faucet. "Yanyan." Lin Meiyan looked up. Ye Qiuju met her red-rimmed eyes. "What happened?" Lin Meiyan said nothing. Gu Kaihua came in from the front. "Qiuju, Table Five wants a plate of braised lotus root—" He stopped mid-sentence, stunned. "Yanyan, what's wrong with you?" Yu Jianghai walked in, holding Qiaoqiao's hand. The moment Qiaoqiao entered, she ran to Ye Qiuju's side and whispered, "Grandauntie, Mama saw the pretty grandma." Ye Qiuju was taken aback, and Gu Kaihua froze too. "What pretty grandma?" Qiaoqiao looked at Lin Meiyan, then at Yu Jianghai. She wasn't sure if she should say more. Lin Meiyan spoke up herself. "Uncle." Gu Kaihua's heart suddenly lurched. Lin Meiyan's voice was very soft. "I saw my mother today." Gu Kaihua's rag slipped from his hand and hit the floor with a wet slap. "Who?" "Gu Qiuyuan." The color drained from Gu Kaihua's face. He stood rooted to the spot, unable to utter a single word for a long moment. Ye Qiuju fell silent as well. Lin Meiyan looked down at her own hands. "She said she doesn't know me." The kitchen went quiet except for the bubbling of soup on the stove. When Gu Kaihua snapped out of it, his face flushed red with anger. He bellowed, "She's full of shit!" He snatched up the rag from the floor, then was so furious he didn't know where to throw it. "Gu Qiuyuan's got some nerve now, huh? Her own daughter standing right in front of her, and she says she doesn't know her?" "Who does she think died?" "Does she think her own brother is dead, is that it?" Someone in the front hall heard the commotion and poked their head in to look. Ye Qiuju immediately slapped Gu Kaihua's arm. "Louder! Scare all the customers away!" Gu Kaihua was still breathing heavily, but his voice dropped a few notches. "No. I'm going to find her." "Uncle." Lin Meiyan stopped him. Gu Kaihua turned around. Lin Meiyan looked at him, her eyes very red, but her tone was calm. "Don't go." "She said she doesn't know me. Then let it be." Gu Kaihua felt his chest tighten. He would rather Lin Meiyan break down crying, would rather she curse Gu Qiuyuan out, than hear her speak so calmly like this. He felt like his heart was about to shatter. Ye Qiuju was silent for a moment, then took off her apron and shoved it into Gu Kaihua's hands. "Go watch the front." Gu Kaihua was too angry to move. Ye Qiuju glared at him. "What can you do standing here? Will cursing a few words comfort Gu Qiuyuan, or comfort Yanyan?" Gu Kaihua's lips moved, but in the end he took the apron and went to the front hall. Only as he walked out, his steps were so heavy they seemed ready to stomp through the floor—viciously! He was stomping on his sister—Gu Qiuyuan! Stomp her dead, stomp her dead! Ye Qiuju turned around, ladled a bowl of bone broth from the stove, and grabbed two handfuls of alkaline noodles to drop into the pot. Lin Meiyan said quietly, "Auntie, I'm not hungry." "Eat even if you're not hungry." Ye Qiuju moved with brisk efficiency. "People are iron, food is steel—no matter how big the matter is, you eat first." She cooked the noodles, scooped them into a bowl, poured the broth over them, and fried a sunny-side-up egg to lay on top. The edges of the egg were fried to a golden crisp, the aroma rising immediately. Ye Qiuju set the bowl in front of Lin Meiyan. "Eat." Lin Meiyan sat on the small stool in the kitchen, chopsticks in hand, but she didn't move. Ye Qiuju didn't urge her. She just sat down beside her, picked up a handful of edamame, and slowly began trimming them. After a long while, Lin Meiyan finally lowered her head and took a bite. The noodles were piping hot, scalding. She chewed twice, and tears fell into the bowl. Qiaoqiao grew anxious at once. "Mama." Lin Meiyan quickly raised her hand to wipe her eyes. "It's fine. Too hot." Ye Qiuju glanced at her but didn't call her out. "If it's hot, eat slower." Lin Meiyan nodded. She took another bite, and the tears fell again. This time, she didn't wipe them away as quickly. Ye Qiuju stopped trimming the edamame. She sighed, her voice low. "If you want to cry, cry. If you don't, eat your noodles." Lin Meiyan's shoulders trembled slightly. Yu Jianghai stood at the doorway, watching her. He wanted to go to her. Ye Qiuju looked up at him and gave a slight shake of her head. Yu Jianghai's steps halted. At this moment, Lin Meiyan didn't necessarily need him to say anything. She needed to swallow that breath first. Qiaoqiao pulled up a small stool and sat down beside Lin Meiyan, placing her little hand on her knee. "Mommy, I'll eat with you." Lin Meiyan looked down at her. Qiaoqiao said, "You take a bite, then I take a bite." Lin Meiyan broke into a smile through her tears. "This is my noodles." "I'll just have a tiny bit." She gestured with her hand. "This much." Lin Meiyan picked up a small strand of noodles for her. Qiaoqiao slurped it down in one go, then said with a serious look, "Mommy, your turn." Lin Meiyan had no choice but to take another bite. Ye Qiuju watched the mother and daughter, her gaze softening along with them. By the time Lin Meiyan had eaten half a bowl of noodles and her emotions had somewhat steadied, Gu Kaihua came in from the front hall. He was holding that rag in his hand, already crumpled into a ball. "I've been thinking it over for a long time, and I still can't swallow this." Ye Qiuju shot him a glare. "Can't swallow it? What are you going to do about it?" Gu Kaihua said angrily, "I'm calling her to give her a piece of my mind." Lin Meiyan looked up. "Uncle, let it go." "It can't be let go." Gu Kaihua's eyes were red. "Yanyan, back then when she wanted to remarry, I didn't stop her. Of course, I had no right to stop her either—your mother was having a hard time then too. Later, when you came back, things were hard for you as well. But by that time, she was doing well. She didn't show her face, just sent some money and asked me to look after you. But back then, what good was money alone?" "Now that your life has finally gotten better, she stands in front of you today and says she doesn't know you. I don't accept that." "I, as your younger brother, don't accept it." "I want to ask her—has she been living the good life for so long that she's abandoned her own flesh and blood?" Lin Meiyan said nothing upon hearing this, her throat tightening with emotion. Ye Qiuju let out a sigh. "If you're going to call, then call. Just don't argue out front. If you disturb the customers, is Linji still going to do business?" Gu Kaihua immediately went to the counter to get the phone book. Lin Meiyan wanted to stop him, but Ye Qiuju pressed down on her hand. "Let him call." "If he doesn't make this call, he won't be able to sleep tonight from anger." Lin Meiyan didn't stop him anymore. As Gu Kaihua flipped through the phone book, his hands were trembling. He actually hadn't called Gu Qiuyuan in a few months. The last time he'd called was to tell her that Linji was going to reopen. Gu Qiuyuan hadn't shown much reaction on the phone, but later she'd secretly shown up at the scene. Thinking of this, Gu Kaihua took a deep breath. After he dialed, the phone rang several times before someone picked up. "Hello." It was Gu Qiuyuan's voice. She had just arrived home with Songsong from outside, covered in a light sweat. Before she'd had a chance to freshen up, she heard the phone ring. She picked it up casually. The moment Gu Kaihua heard her voice, his anger flared up. "Gu Qiuyuan, you still have the nerve to answer the phone?" He didn't even call her "big sister" anymore. There was a brief silence on the other end. Gu Qiuyuan knew that Lin Meiyan had gone back and had told her younger brother everything. Thinking of this, she let out a low sigh and called out helplessly, "Kaihua." "Don't call my name!" Gu Kaihua's eyes were bloodshot. "You saw Meiyan at the police station today?" Gu Qiuyuan gripped the receiver, her eyes reddening, unable to utter a single word in response. Gu Kaihua had a hot temper. When he didn't get an answer, his voice rose a few notches. "I'm asking you—did you see her?" "I saw her." "And you said you didn't know her?" Gu Qiuyuan held the phone, standing in the corner of the Zhou family's living room. Zhou Song sat on the sofa, still holding the candy Qiaoqiao had given him. He hadn't eaten it, just curiously turning it over and over in his hand. Perhaps disturbed by the phone call, he looked over with concern, his black-and-white clear eyes wide open. Gu Qiuyuan closed her eyes. She answered, "Yes." Gu Kaihua was so angry he nearly threw the phone. "Are you even human?" "She's your own daughter! Your own! Your own daughter!!" "How many times did you hold her when she was little? How many times did you comb her hair? When she called you 'Mommy,' didn't you feel any pain in your heart for her?" Gu Qiuyuan's eyes suddenly reddened. She turned around so Zhou Song couldn't see her face. "It hurts, Kaihua." Her voice was very soft. Gu Kaihua was stunned for a moment, then grew even angrier. "It hurts, and you still said you didn't know her?" Gu Qiuyuan's fingers tightened around the phone cord. "Then what do you want me to do? Gu Kaihua, what do you want me to do? Her life is good now—should I go and acknowledge her?" "I'm sorry, I can't do that." When her daughter's life was going badly, she hadn't been able to help in any significant way. Now that her daughter's life was going well, she had even less face to go and claim her. Gu Kaihua had been about to keep cursing, but upon hearing this, his anger faltered for a moment. "What do you mean?" Gu Qiuyuan glanced around the house. Father Zhou had gone to teach, Zhou Mingwei was at work, and the housekeeper hadn't arrived yet. It was just her and Songsong at home. So she didn't hide anything and said directly, "Zhou Liguo has set his sights on her. He's not trying to claim her as a stepdaughter." "He's trying to claim the boss lady of Jianghai Dicai." Gu Kaihua's expression changed. Ye Qiuju also set down the edamame in her hand. Lin Meiyan was sitting in the back kitchen, not too far away. She couldn't hear clearly what was being said on the other end of the phone, but she could see Gu Kaihua's expression gradually sink. Gu Kaihua lowered his voice, almost roaring, "Say that again." Gu Qiuyuan said, "That day when Yanyan and Yu Jianghai appeared on TV for the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Zhou Liguo had already brought it up, asking me to have Yanyan come back to the Zhou family for a meal." "He said Yanyan is my daughter, and also his daughter." Gu Kaihua gritted his teeth. "He's full of shit!" "Yes." This time Gu Qiuyuan didn't refute him. "So I said, I don't know her." "Kaihua, I don't know her!!" Gu Kaihua's chest heaved as he listened. "Now you know to protect her?" The line was silent for a long time before Gu Qiuyuan spoke, her voice low. "How could I have the face to protect her?" "Kaihua, I'm not worthy." Gu Kaihua fell silent at once. Gu Qiuyuan seemed not to notice, her voice hoarse as she continued, "So the only thing I can do is not acknowledge her." "If I acknowledged her today, tomorrow someone from the Zhou family would go to Linji. If she stepped through the Zhou family's door, she'd become a tool for Zhou Liguo to climb the social ladder." "And then he'd go after the Yu family, Yu Jianghai, Jianghai Dicai—he'd chase after all of them." At that, the line went quiet. Gu Kaihua couldn't help but curse, "I told you not to marry him, but you insisted. Look at what kind of piece of trash you married!" Gu Qiuyuan suddenly gripped the phone receiver tightly. She didn't try to explain what had happened back then, only murmured, "Kaihua, I know you hate me." "You should hate me." "Yanyan should hate me too." Gu Kaihua held the phone, his eyes reddening fiercely. He couldn't bring himself to curse anymore. Gu Qiuyuan took a deep breath, steadying her emotions. "Don't tell Yanyan about these dirty things." Gu Kaihua sneered. "Why should I?" "Why should you get to decide not to acknowledge her whenever you want, and hide things whenever you want?" "Don't you already owe her enough?" Gu Qiuyuan's breathing quickened slightly. Gu Kaihua gritted his teeth. "I'll tell Yanyan about this myself." "She's not the little girl she was back then. She doesn't need you making decisions for her." "Gu Qiuyuan, don't you dare make another decision for her in the name of 'what's best for her.'" On the other end of the line, Gu Qiuyuan's breath softened. "Fine." That was all she said—just that single word. Gu Kaihua was stunned. Gu Qiuyuan said, "Then you tell her." "It's fine if you tell her." "Just make sure she doesn't come to the Zhou family." Gu Kaihua wanted to say more, but over the phone came the sound of Father Zhou returning from work. "Qiuyuan, who are you on the phone with?" Gu Qiuyuan started, turning her head with tears still glistening at the corners of her eyes. She hesitated for a moment before answering, "It's Kaihua." Father Zhou seemed to approach, a courteous smile on his face. "Perfect timing. Ask him when Meiyan will be free. I'd like to invite her and President Yu over for a casual meal at home." "It'll also be a good chance for me to have a drink with my brother-in-law." Gu Kaihua heard every word through the phone, his face turning grim. Gu Qiuyuan looked at Zhou Liguo approaching and covered the receiver. "No need to ask." Father Zhou frowned. "What do you mean?" "She won't come." "You're her biological mother." Gu Qiuyuan suddenly looked up at him, her voice sharp. "Am I? Old Zhou, do you really think I'm her biological mother?" Father Zhou's face slowly darkened. "Gu Qiuyuan, what are you trying to say?" "Which biological mother is like me? My daughter came back from the countryside pregnant, and I, as her mother, didn't even go to comfort her? My daughter gave birth to a child, and I didn't go to see her? My daughter lost her child, and I wanted to help but couldn't?" "Zhou Liguo, if your own mother had treated you like that, would you still acknowledge her?" The air went silent instantly. Zhou Liguo couldn't answer. Of course, Gu Qiuyuan didn't look at him. She only spoke into the phone, "Kaihua, that's all." She hung up directly. On the other end, Gu Kaihua held the receiver, not moving for a long time. Ye Qiuju walked over. "What did she say?" Gu Kaihua turned around. Lin Meiyan was looking at him too. Gu Kaihua opened his mouth, suddenly feeling his throat dry as sand. He put the phone down, sat on the stool, and wiped his face. "The Zhou family has their eyes on you and Jiang Hai." Lin Meiyan wasn't surprised. In fact, she'd already suspected as much. The Zhou family was opportunistic. Back when Gu Qiuyuan married into the family, if she so much as exchanged a few extra words with her brother Gu Kaihua, Father Zhou would suspect her of secretly funneling the Zhou family's money to her poor relatives. Gu Kaihua was a proud man. He didn't want to make things difficult for his sister, nor did he want the reputation of being the poor relative, so he eventually cut ties with Gu Qiuyuan. Ye Qiuju realized the gravity of the situation and suddenly asked, "What did your sister say? What's her stance?" Gu Kaihua was silent for a moment. "She told us not to let Yanyan go to the Zhou family." "She also said not to let Yanyan acknowledge her." Lin Meiyan looked down at the noodles in her bowl. They had already gone mushy. She poked at them with her chopsticks, unable to eat. After a long while, she said, "Why didn't she tell me herself?" No one could answer that question. The kitchen was quiet for a long time, until finally Ye Qiuju spoke. "She has no face to. She's not worthy." A mother understands a mother. Gu Qiuyuan wasn't an irredeemable villain. She couldn't harden her heart completely either, which was why she remained so conflicted with herself. She secretly subsidized them with money but told them not to tell Lin Meiyan. She had always been like this. Lin Meiyan's eyelashes fluttered. Ye Qiuju didn't say anything in Gu Qiuyuan's defense—she only stated the facts. "If she had actually acknowledged you today, I would have scolded her instead." Gu Kaihua suddenly looked up. "Qiuju?" "You shut up." Ye Qiuju shot him a glare, then looked back at Lin Meiyan. "Back then, when you were at your lowest, she never really looked after you. Now that your life has improved, if she came up and called you 'daughter' right away, asking you to go back to the Zhou family for dinner—that would be the truly shameless move." "But saying she doesn't know you today—that hurts too." "Those two things aren't mutually exclusive." Lin Meiyan slowly nodded. She understood. How could she not understand? She said in a low voice, "Aunt, I've thought about it many times before." Ye Qiuju looked at her. "I thought—maybe she didn't know I was doing badly." "Then later, I thought—maybe she knew, but there was nothing she could do." Lin Meiyan smiled, though her eyes were red. "Today, when I saw her, I realized—she must have known all along." "She just never came." Those words were like a thin needle, pricking straight into the heart—not heavy, but it made Gu Kaihua lower his head at once. Ye Qiuju fell silent too. Yu Jianghai had been standing at the door the whole time. Now he walked in, stood beside Lin Meiyan, and said in a calm voice, "I can handle the Zhou family." Such a simple sentence, yet it made Lin Meiyan's tears fall at once. She shook her head. "No need." "As long as I don't acknowledge her, the Zhou family can't latch onto that connection." Lin Meiyan never thought that one day, she herself would become a connection others wanted to latch onto. How ridiculous. She remembered that when she first returned from the island, everyone despised her—even speaking a single word to her was considered dirty. If not for her uncle and aunt taking her in, she and Qiaoqiao might have been gone long ago. Yu Jianghai chose to stay silent. He didn't actually agree with Lin Meiyan's approach, but Lin Meiyan was his beloved, and he chose to respect her. However, after he coaxed Lin Meiyan to sleep that night, Yu Jianghai summoned Secretary Shen. Within twenty minutes, Secretary Shen appeared downstairs at Linji. It had to be said—when it came to dedication, no one could match Secretary Shen. "Boss, where are we going?" At ten-thirty at night, Secretary Shen's demeanor was respectful, with no trace of complaint. Of course, that was also because Yu Jianghai paid him well enough. Yu Jianghai stood downstairs, his tone indifferent. "Back to the family compound." "Yes." Secretary Shen immediately opened the car door. Yu Jianghai bent down and got in, and Secretary Shen trotted around to the driver's seat. "Boss, are we going back to the Yu residence?" Yu Jianghai shook his head. "To the Zhou family." "Huh?" Secretary Shen's eyes widened a few sizes. Ten-thirty at night—what were they going to the Zhou family for? Could it be that the boss had grown tired of Youth Lin and was going to get together with that Zhou Mingwei from the Zhou family? The moment that thought crossed his mind, Secretary Shen's scalp went numb. His professional ethics told him not to say anything. But!! But if he didn't speak up, what if the boss went down the wrong path? Secretary Shen's brain spun wildly. "Boss." He spoke cautiously. "I think Youth Lin is just fine." Sure, Zhou Mingwei was fine too, but how should he put it—she was one of those high-and-mighty types who'd studied in America, looking down on everyone equally. Except the boss. But Youth Lin wasn't like that. Youth Lin was great—she knew how to care for him, warm and attentive! Yu Jianghai frowned slightly. He lifted his gaze and met Secretary Shen's eyes in the rearview mirror. "What are you trying to say?" "Boss." Secretary Shen squeezed his eyes shut and steeled himself. "Having an affair is bad—ahhhh!" "Boss, we can't do something like having an affair!!" Author's note: Brother Jianghai: You really dare to think.