Jiang Nanshu suddenly felt nauseous.
She didn’t even know what expression to face Uncle Qi with.
When Zhou Yanxu had just brought her back, the person who spent the most time with her, besides Zhou Yanxu, was Uncle Qi. He was a very kind person, and he had managed her life from childhood, taking very good care of her.
In her life, Uncle Qi was akin to a “grandfather.”
She had already considered him family in her heart.
After coming out of the psychiatric hospital, her first action was to return and report her safety, afraid that Uncle Qi would worry about her, wanting to reassure him.
But now it seemed she had been overly sentimental.
Seeing her silent, Uncle Qi continued, “Second Young Master Lu had a truly pitiful childhood. His parents divorced when he was young, and as the eldest son, Zhou Yanxu, who was in poor health, stayed with the Zhou Family. Second Young Master Lu was only two years old when his mother took him away, and she immediately remarried another tycoon after that… That tycoon had some peculiarities, a fondness for young children.”
Uncle Qi found it difficult to continue at this point.
Tears glimmered in his eyes.
“It was Young Master who brought him home when he was tortured nearly to death. The Family Head was furious and had people treat the tycoon in the same manner. The tycoon was tortured until he eventually jumped from a building to his death. Grappling with the Family Head’s vengeful gaze shifting towards her, his mother fled overseas with another lover and never returned.”
“Therefore, as a child Second Young Master Lu was tortured until diagnosed with mania. His behaviors were violent and destructive, his temper dreadful. Aside from the Young Master, no one could touch him. At best, they would end up with injuries and broken skin; at worst, with disabilities and fractures. Later, the Family Head entrusted Second Young Master Lu to the care of the eldest son. Second Young Master Lu started to behave, and when the eldest son turned eighteen, on a sudden whim to see snow in the mountains, he encountered you being punished and saved your life.”
“Four years passed, and the eldest son took his career towards Beijing, then went to that same snow mountain again, and brought you back. To take care of you, he focused his efforts on developing in Beijing, rarely returning to Port City. Maybe it was around this time that Second Young Master Lu, who was always reliant on the eldest son, began to harbor resentment towards him.”
Jiang Nanshu couldn’t help but laugh.
Under Uncle Qi’s astonished gaze, she bent over laughing, covering her stomach.
Her laughter shed tears, which she gently wiped away with her index finger.
What was true, what was false.
Zhou Yanxu, you’re certainly busy.
Busy saving me, setting traps to harm me.
What’s this about a dying wish?
Could she interpret it as her knowing she would be killed by Zhou Yanbai, yet still dying in that fire in accordance with his wishes?
Pitifully crying, begging him not to leave, not to go.
She had rushed into that blaze to find his body, and even now, her back bore burn scars, ugly and painful, that would never disappear.
But everyone knew about all this, except for her.
And she had come running back for revenge.
Did she even care about the inheritance? She was simply outraged on his behalf.
And yet they expected her to be the good person.
In such an environment, her not going mad was a stroke of luck.
How dare they still ask her to be good.
Should Zhou Yanbai’s pity for her lead to his forgiveness?
Does a violent aggressor deserve everyone’s sympathy just because of a tragic past?
Jiang Nanshu finally stopped laughing and straightened up, “Exactly right. The two young masters of the Zhou Family are the most pitiful in the whole world; we’re just the punchlines, the jokes. I used to respect Zhou Yanxu a great deal because he saved me. I owe him my gratitude for life, and I appreciate that he considered my future, leaving me so much money. But has he ever wondered if I, at only fifteen, could manage such a vast inheritance from a ’stranger’? I am now questioning his motives. Did he truly want to help me, or did he want to use me to provoke Zhou Yanbai’s hatred, as a tool to cultivate his own growth?”
Uncle Qi was shocked, “How can you think this of the eldest son? You should know in your heart how good he has been to you. He wouldn’t harm you. You have always been the heir, not even his biological brother.”
Jiang Nanshu let out a sigh, “Yes, he’s been good to me, I know, and so have you. But in the end, my surname isn’t Zhou, and the blood running through my veins isn’t that of the Zhou Family. Compared to me, Zhou Yanbai has a more legitimate claim. Uncle Qi, people are selfish; I understand that.”
Uncle Qi opened his mouth, his body hunched, “Let bygones be bygones. Don’t fight for it anymore, Miss. There’s no benefit for you, and it might even put you in danger. The company you run now is quite profitable. That inheritance… just leave it to Second Young Master Lu.”
Jiang Nanshu looked at Uncle Qi with a smile, “I can do without the inheritance.”
Uncle Qi hadn’t had the chance to breathe a sigh of relief when he heard Jiang Nanshu continue, “But he doesn’t deserve it either.”
Jiang Nanshu didn’t plan to say anything more to Uncle Qi.
Talk about her past suffering?
That was just a weak person laying their scars bare in front of the enemy. She couldn’t harvest sympathy, and it might even turn into ridicule.
Zhou Yanbai could only get in here if Uncle Qi had opened the door for him.
Was he going to nibble away at the company she had worked so hard to manage next?
Jiang Nanshu turned and walked towards the exit, “From now on, I’ll pretend I don’t know you all.”
“Miss…” Uncle Qi took a few steps towards her.
Jiang Nanshu didn’t turn back.
She just missed Xu Xi a little.
She missed Sister Yan a little.
She missed Mrs. Ji, who would cook little crispy meats for her.
She missed her always smiling father Mr. Ji, who would get anxious about her feelings.
She missed Ji Ze, her silly younger brother who was so bent on making big money to spend on her.
She missed Yang Jiashu, the everlasting good man who was still tirelessly happy to help.
The emotions clamouring inside Jiang Nanshu couldn’t be released. At that moment, she really should have stabbed Zhou Yanbai to death.
To die with him and end it all.
But the other rational half of her remembered the family and friendships she couldn’t bear to leave behind.
They would definitely not want to see her commit a crime.
Scum like Zhou Yanbai dying would be just death. She hadn’t done anything wrong; she hadn’t wronged anyone.
They all said she was bad.
But she had only hurt those who had hurt her.
She had never harmed a good person.
Oh, that’s not right…
She had hurt one.
His name was Lu Qingyan.
Jiang Nanshu booked a private room in the bar all by herself.
When Xun Wu found out, Jiang Nanshu had drunk an entire case by herself.
The fury on his face couldn’t be concealed, “Boss! Don’t you know the state of your health! If you drink like this, do you even care about your stomach anymore?”
Her stomach?
Jiang Nanshu sobered up for a brief second amidst the grogginess.
Right, this body was now her original, broken one.
She had been forced by Zhou Yanbai to ingest pesticide, which injured her throat and her stomach.
When she was rushed to the hospital, the doctors said she wouldn’t have made it if they were any later.
But she had already lost her health.
She was only seventeen that year when Zhou Yanbai beat her half to death; she ran away as punishment for being disobedient.