Zeng Jingchu was dragged out of the courtyard by Li Zhengguo: "Zeng Lin, take your family head away. Don't come over unless something happens."
Zeng Lin had just caught the second young master as he rushed down the stairs from the second floor when the door behind them slammed shut.
"Second Young Master, what's wrong?"
Zeng Jingchu also wanted to know what was wrong. Why were there so many "what ifs"?
If they were just "what ifs" and hadn't happened, how could he answer?
When he couldn't answer, the chill from Tian Tian was even colder than when he had learned her true origins.
...
Li Zhengguo returned to the living room and told his wife to quickly wash up and go to sleep, not to think about unrelated people or things.
Tian Jing let out a breath: "Yes, I won't think about those unrelated people and things."
Lying in bed, Li Zhengguo couldn't help but ask Lin Duoer what had happened, how she had been taken away by Zeng Jingrong.
Tian Jing recounted for the third time Lin Duoer's entry into Jin Meigui...
Li Zhengguo held his wife and said, "Sleep, you're tired."
...
For two consecutive days, Tian Jing was busy with the nursery.
First, she had to reimburse employee expenses and collect the fees levied on their families.
She only needed to sign these on the accounting statements.
Secondly, it was the arrangement for the New Year's holiday. Because there were families involved, Tian Jing told the men to go back with their families for the New Year. The nursery's on-duty personnel would be rotated by employees from the village and would return before March 1st of the following year.
Then, she announced Lin Duoer's resignation:
"Before leaving, you must sign a non-disclosure agreement. Failure to comply with the terms of the non-disclosure agreement will result in legal responsibility."
"You are all people I have chosen who are worthy of trust. Remember that words can lead to trouble."
"After receiving your wages and bonuses, you are free to go. Meeting adjourned."
As Tian Jing was about to leave, Sister-in-law Niu caught up: "Tian Tian, did Lin Duoer really stay in the capital?"
Tian Jing shook her head: "She made a mistake and was locked up."
Sister-in-law Niu breathed a sigh of relief: "I thought something was off. Never mind those forty men, these ten of us were personally chosen by you. When you suddenly mentioned the non-disclosure agreement, I felt a bit panicked."
Tian Jing smiled and comforted her: "I was worried you weren't taking it seriously, so I reminded you again."
...
A few days later, the men and their families had left, and the nursery's duty was carried out according to the rotation schedule.
Tian Jing was free and notified Zeng Jingchu to wait for her at the hot spring valley; she would take him to see Yulia.
Zeng Jingchu waited for Tian Jing at Yuan's private restaurant in Laoyingzui.
Looking at his elder brother, who was wielding a cleaver, Zeng Jingchu was reminded of Tian Jing's words.
Speaking of which, both Sister-in-law and Elder Brother were saved by Tian Tian and Li Zhengguo.
Sister-in-law and the entire Yuan family were extremely respectful of Tian Tian and Li Zhengguo.
Although Elder Brother and Tian Tian were close, they didn't interact much, mostly through Sister-in-law.
He had always tried hard to get closer to Tian Tian.
In these ten years, Tian Tian had also let the children call the three of them "uncle."
However, after Tian Tian spoke of those "what ifs," he suddenly realized that what he thought was his acceptance by Tian Tian was just his own wishful thinking.
He had never gotten close to Tian Tian.
Even the anger when Tian Tian rescued him was like dissatisfaction when a friend was bullied.
In Tian Tian's heart, he was no more significant than Sister-in-law Niu.
Even Tian Tian's firm insistence on taking him to see Yulia was only because of Jixiang, a desire to heal his inner wounds.
Tian Tian's affection for Jixiang was also greater than for him.
"Brother."
"Hmm?" Zeng Jingliang didn't look up.
"Are you done chopping? Let's talk. Tian Tian will be here soon."
Zeng Jingliang paused, put down the knife in his hand, and sat next to his brother: "Go on."
"What do you feel about Tian Tian?"
Zeng Jingliang thought for a moment and said, "Someone I can trust."
Zeng Jingchu sighed: "Brother, back then when I destroyed Wang family's private restaurant, you asked me why I was acting crazy."
Zeng Jingliang looked at his brother: "Are you going to tell me now?"
Zeng Jingchu nodded: "The Wang family wanted to poison you and frame another opponent with your life. Tian Tian, I don't know where she heard the news, but she told me."
"I sent people to investigate, and it was true, and they were preparing to execute it. Tian Tian is your savior, the savior of the Yuan family."
"And the savior of the Zeng family. If something had happened to you, the current situation of the Zeng family would have been unpredictable."
Zeng Jingliang froze entirely. He looked at Zeng Lin, who was beside his brother.
Zeng Lin nodded: "Lin investigated this matter personally."
Zeng Jingliang frowned: "You didn't say anything before because I was weak, and I understood. Why are you telling me this suddenly now?"
Zeng Jingchu sighed: "Tian Tian suddenly asked me some inexplicable questions, some of which concerned the possibilities after your death. I couldn't answer her."
"I don't know what answer she got from my hesitation. Although she didn't get angry, I knew her heart had closed. The slight crack that had opened with such difficulty over the past ten years had closed."
Zeng Jingliang patted his brother's shoulder and comforted him: "We haven't experienced what she has. Her inner knot will never be untied. Don't get your hopes up. You should be content that you can interact with her."
"As for my life-saving grace, I don't think Tian Tian will take it to heart."
Won't take it to heart? In Tian Tian's words, there was clearly a comparison, not a comparison of jealousy and rivalry, but a comparison that directly pointed to the self-interest at the bottom of people's hearts.
Zeng Jingchu glanced at Zeng Lin beside him and sighed inwardly. He couldn't relay Tian Tian's words to his elder brother in front of Zeng Lin.
His phone rang. It was Tian Jing's number. After Zeng Jingchu answered, he instructed Zeng Lin to wait for him there and then followed the direction Tian Jing indicated to find her.
Tian Jing threw him a black eye mask and told Zeng Jingchu to put it on.
After putting it on, Zeng Jingchu felt his body lift off the ground.
Just as he thought he hadn't moved from his spot, he heard Tian Jing say, "We're here. You can keep the eye mask."
When Zeng Jingchu took off the eye mask, he found himself in a dimly lit basement.
There were many cuboid structures in the basement.
Standing in front of a cuboid structure was a person, his cousin Zeng Jingrong.
"Jingchu," Zeng Jingrong walked over. "I'll take you to see Yulia."
Tian Jing waved at the two cousins: "You two catch up. I'm going to see Yao Yao."
...
Because she didn't care about being locked up, Yulia didn't care about her appearance. Although many clothes and shoes were sent to her, she was wearing pajamas and slippers.
Hearing a noise above, she lay on the bed with her eyes closed, resting, unconcerned.
Looking at Yulia, whose mental state was completely different from when she was locked up, Zeng Jingchu's expression was unreadable.
After waiting for a while and hearing no one speak, Yulia opened her eyes. She was stunned for two seconds, then in the next second, she grabbed the quilt beside her and covered herself:
"Go away, go away."
Yulia's panic stirred a hint of pleasure in Zeng Jingchu's heart.
The superiority that ability users felt towards ordinary people, he had not only experienced it from people like Matvei, but also from Yulia.
Even when Yulia initially had feelings for him, there was a hint of condescension in her gaze.
After he returned Jixiang and then left, Yulia's expression towards him was no different from other ability users.
He endured it, thinking he would bring this woman back to the country and let her see that although he was an ordinary person, his family was extraordinary, and his family background was also extraordinary.
However, this woman didn't give him that chance.
Even the promise she made to spend the New Year with him and return with him at the end of last year sounded like a reward from someone in a higher position.
Now that the roles were reversed, the pleasure in his heart told him that Yulia was not wrong, and Matvei was not wrong.
This was how the strong viewed the weak, just as he viewed Yulia now, and how he used to view the poor...
Suddenly, Zeng Jingchu turned around: "Cousin, let's find a place to talk."