05

 You Xingxiu finished speaking and regained his original elegance. He gently exhaled and calmly looked at Jiang Nian, saying, "I came here today not to make you unhappy, but just to ask you, from now on, are you still willing to stay with me?"

Jiang Nian didn't expect You Xingxiu to be so persistent. He shook his head and said, "Just like you said, it's too late, You Xingxiu. I can't separate from Zhou Gebai anymore."

"You've fallen in love with him?" You Xingxiu asked.

"You don't love me anymore?" You Xingxiu asked again.

The answer to both questions was actually the same, but Jiang Nian didn't want to cause any more trouble. He put down the exquisitely carved spoon, which landed on the glass with a crisp sound. He said, "You Xingxiu, let go of the past feelings. There's nothing more to say between us."

"You don't love me anymore," You Xingxiu said firmly.

Surprisingly, You Xingxiu wasn't angry like before. Instead, he seemed to have made his own decision and didn't care about this. At this moment, the waiter came over with a tray, placed a delicate matcha cherry blossom pastry on the table, and then left.

You Xingxiu was delighted. He pushed the cutely patterned plate in front of Jiang Nian with his fingertip and said, "I specially ordered your favorite matcha flavor as a gift for our long-awaited reunion."

Jiang Nian's pampered and smooth cheeks showed a slight hint of displeasure. He always had a touch of coquettishness about those who liked him, which he himself was unaware of, and this always gave others a firm grip on him. He said, "I don't like matcha. You're mistaken."

"...Has your taste changed?" You Xingxiu asked cautiously.

"No, I've never liked it from the beginning." Jiang Nian didn't pay attention to You Xingxiu's expression, pushed the pastry back, and twirled his fingers on the glass, the cold ice cream freezing on his fingertips through the glass.

"Okay, I was wrong." You Xingxiu didn't argue further. He picked up a knife and fork and slashed at the pastry, then put it in his mouth and chewed it, as if he were eating not sweet pastry, but bloody and unpalatable flesh.

Disturbed by his interruption, Jiang Nian lost her will to continue. She wiped her mouth with a tissue, got up, and prepared to leave. You Xingxiu didn't stop her, saying, "Nian Nian, see you next time."

Jiang Nian looked at him coldly and replied, "We won't meet again next time. Don't bother me."

You Xingxiu stopped smiling.

But seeing You Xingxiu like this, Jiang Nian knew he wouldn't give up. Afraid that the mission would fail because of him, she reluctantly tried to appease him, saying, "You Xingxiu, don't do anything bad behind my back... Five years. In five years, I will choose between you and Zhou Gebai again."

Five years later, the male lead, Jiang Qiu Nian, would be an adult, and his business empire would begin to be established. At that time, Jiang Nian would leave this world. During these crucial five years, Jiang Nian wouldn't allow anyone to disturb her, not even characters from the original plot.

"Five years? Isn't that too long?" You Xingxiu didn't understand why it was five years. Did it have any special meaning?

You Xingxiu vaguely grasped this point; he could sense that it was crucial.

"There is no other choice." Jiang Nian wouldn't budge, and You Xingxiu had no choice.

Jiang Nian took a few steps and saw the bodyguard being held down. Seeing that their employer, You Xingxiu, had given the order, the men released the bodyguard. The bodyguard, looking remorseful, caught up with Jiang Nian, who didn't blame him.

However, Jiang Nian knew that everything that had happened today would likely be reported to Zhou Gebai.

Sure enough, as soon as Jiang Nian arrived home, she saw Zhou Gebai, who should have been at the company.

Zhou Gebai was angry, angry at himself, and annoyed with his brother. He went over and picked Jiang Nian up, and the two sat on the sofa together. Zhou Gebai said in a deep voice, "For now, go to another city to lay low. I'll come back to see you as soon as I have time. It won't be long; you can come back after I've settled these matters."

"No need," Jiang Nian felt it was unnecessary. You Xingxiu had always listened to him, although he had become somewhat unpredictable now, but Jiang Nian's impression of him remained the same.

"I won't go with You Xingxiu, don't worry," Jiang Nian said calmly.

"It's not because of you; I'm afraid he'll take you away," Zhou Gebai explained.

“就像你以前一样？”姜念讽刺道：“都是一样的，没什么区别。”

“你还记得这个，你还是忘不了我哥哥！”周戈白知道自己做事不地道，他接触到姜念的时候已经太晚了，那个时候姜念已经在孕期，他的二哥游兴修被父母揍了个半死，也要和姜念结婚。

那个时候，他的大哥游兴文也还没有出国，而是站在一旁，永远冷静的脸上像是破了一道裂痕，和他说道：“真好啊是吧，他只需要被打一顿，就可以和自己心爱的人在一起。”

周戈白当时看姜念看的眼睛都直了，没有注意到自己大哥的不对劲，听见这句话，以为是大哥羡慕二哥拥有自己选择婚姻的权利——身为长子他的婚姻早就被固定了，一定是娶一个门当户对的千金，虽然都被游兴文推掉，单身至今，然而要是游兴文想要娶一个男人，就不只是单单被打一顿那么简单。

后面他大哥说了什么，周戈白没怎么听，就只有一句，他记忆深刻。

He heard his older brother say, "No matter how much I begged Niannian, he said he only wanted You Xingxiu, he would only be with You Xingxiu."

"He doesn't love anyone else."

"Why?"

Zhou Gebai couldn't forget that if it weren't for him, his Niannian would be with the person she loved, and his Niannian would definitely hate him.

But why did she only love his second brother?

What was so good about his second brother? They had been together for thirteen years, had a child, and yet the moment his second brother appeared, Jiang Nian mocked him! She wanted to abandon him.

"I'm telling you, don't even think about being with him, I won't allow it, even if you love him... I won't let go." Zhou Gebai held Jiang Nian tightly, afraid that if he let go, Jiang Nian would throw herself into You Xingxiu's arms without hesitation.

He was wrong, the problem from the beginning wasn't with his second brother, but with Jiang Nian.

"You must leave B City, and you can forget about ever seeing my second brother again."

Zhou Gebai finally held the reins, he hardened his heart, and he was truly heartless, ignoring Jiang Nian's punches and kicks, and letting Jiang Nian bite his shoulder. He instructed the maid to pack his things, planning to send Jiang Nian away that very night.

Jiang Qiu Nian, who had just finished class, returned home to find the maid packing large and small bags.

Confused, Jiang Qiu Nian looked towards Jiang Nian in the center of the living room, tears welling in her eyes, furious at Zhou Ge Bai's arbitrary and domineering attitude. Was

Mom crying?

Jiang Qiu Nian walked over blankly, tossing his schoolbag onto the carpet, ignoring her. His eyes were only on his mother. Even after being treated coldly by her for so long, the warmth in his heart hadn't melted in the slightest. Although it hurt, Jiang Qiu Nian always felt that he had done something wrong that caused his mother to stop loving him. He believed that if he behaved well, his mother would love him again.

He almost prayed fervently that his mother would love him again.

His hand gently touched Jiang Nian's fingertips. This time, Jiang Nian didn't push him away. Jiang Qiu Nian was overjoyed and quickly and accurately took his mother's hand, following her fingers.

His voice was soft, careful not to disturb Jiang Nian, "Mom, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

Jiang Nian only then noticed that Jiang Qiu Nian had come home from school. Tears welled in his eyes, his drooping eyes were red, and he looked incredibly pitiful, making Jiang Qiu Nian feel a pang of sympathy and a strange urge to lick his wounds.

His mother, even when crying, was still so beautiful.

Jiang Nian, still angry, didn't forget his mission. He shook off Jiang Qiu Nian's hand, his brows furrowed slightly, and said in a harsh tone, "It's none of your business. Go back to your room."

"I'm not going back. Mom, tell me, who bullied you?"

The answer was already obvious; in this family, besides Zhou Gebai, who dared to anger Jiang Nian?

"What good would it do you to tell me?" Jiang Nian genuinely didn't understand, and his question was particularly sincere.

While this stung Jiang Qiu Nian, a vague thought quietly rose within him: to create his own power. Only in this way… only in this way could he, like his father, disregard his mother's wishes and lock her in a cage like a canary.

Jiang Qiunian's face was pale, but his eyes shone with an eerie light. Seeing that his mother ignored him, he asked the maid standing nearby what had happened.

Even at such a young age, Jiang Qiunian possessed a certain imposing presence when expressionless.

The maid glanced at Jiang Nian, and seeing that Jiang Nian didn't object, she briefly explained

, "Mom's going on vacation to another city for a while." Jiang Qiunian understood, because Jiang Nian had previously traveled outside B City, so he assumed it was just a simple trip.

Although reluctant, Jiang Qiunian decided to wait patiently for his mother's return.

He then asked, "When will Mom be back?"

He didn't want to wait too long.

Jiang Nian rarely answered Jiang Qiu Nian, saying, "I don't know. Who knows what Zhou Gebai is thinking? He's really annoying."

Zhou Gebai had just finished packing Jiang Nian's things. Carrying his suitcase, he walked down the stairs. Hearing Jiang Nian's words, his brow furrowed even deeper. He said, "Don't hate me. You'll stay for six months. Six months is enough. Nian Nian, listen to me this once."

Jiang Nian had no objections, but Jiang Qiu Nian disagreed first. "Six months?! How can that be so long?"

After her initial surprise, Jiang Qiu Nian urgently said to her mother, "It's too long, Mom. Let me go with you."

This reminded Jiang Nian that neither she nor Zhou Gebai planned to take Jiang Qiu Nian with them, nor did they intend to take Jiang Ke Hong.

But the situation in the control group…

this was also an opportunity.

So Jiang Nian wiped away her tears and said coldly, "You still have studies, I won't take you."

"However, Ke Hong is still young and can't be left unattended. Zhou Gebai, take Ke Hong with you."

Zhou Gebai thought that Jiang Nian had remembered their good times, including their fake child, and had come to her senses. She wouldn't object, so she had the maid take Jiang Ke Hong and the nanny follow.

No matter how intelligent Jiang Qiu Nian was, he was still just a child. He couldn't accept that his mother had been away for so long, nor could he accept that she had chosen to take only Jiang Ke Hong and not him!

Studies? Just an excuse.

He was so smart; missing a period of school wouldn't affect him at all.

But when Jiang Qiu Nian tried to plead again, he saw Jiang Nian's chillingly cold eyes, and he was speechless.

Jiang Qiu Nian was sent back to his room.

The house was very soundproof. Jiang Qiu Nian nestled in bed, unable to hear any noise outside. He didn't turn on the light, and in the silence, he bit his fingers.

His mother could ignore him, be indifferent to him, but she couldn't choose anyone else, couldn't fall in love with anyone else!

How could she be special to others?

How could she abandon only him?

Suddenly, the window was illuminated by car headlights, the light reflecting off Jiang Qiunian's face, revealing an expression so indifferent it seemed devoid of emotion. In

that instant, Jiang Qiunian also thought of a solution.

He got up, opened the window, stood on the windowsill, and watched his mother walk towards the luxury car below. Jiang Qiunian excitedly shouted, "Mom—"

The moment Jiang Nian looked up, Jiang Qiunian felt no fear, but rather jumped off the windowsill with great joy. With

a loud crash, a huge sound echoed downstairs.

As Jiang Nian, trembling with lingering fear, ran to Jiang Qiunian's side , Jiang Qiunian, his legs deformed and lying on his side, looked at the shocked Jiang Nian, stretched out his arms as if wanting to be hugged by his mother, and smiled brightly

. He said, "Mom, look, now I can't take care of myself either."

"Take me with you."

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