Hearing the woman's voice, Zhou Xuan endured the excruciating pain and struggled to stand up. "Little Si Zhou was staring at him with her round eyes, neither crying nor shouting."
Zhou Xuan took him from the woman's arms. Little Si Zhou didn't struggle at all and just stared at him. Perhaps it was an innate father-son bond.
“His name is Si Zhou, Si Zhou…” Zhou Xuan held little Si Zhou and murmured softly. “From the name Si Zhou, he could feel Wei Xiaoyu’s endless longing and pain for him. After the breakup, Wei Xiaoyu probably spent her last days in pain and longing. After giving birth to little Si Zhou, her life also vanished. Perhaps it is true that beautiful women are destined to have short lives!”
Zhou Xuan looked again at the photo of Wei Xiaoyu and Xiao Sizhou on the platform. Wei Xiaoyu's eyes were full of sorrow, and her face and figure were extremely thin. "This photo must have been taken on the day Xiao Sizhou was born. Wei Xiaoyu looks extremely haggard."
Zhou Xuan was fine until he saw it, then his heart ached even more and he couldn't stop crying. Tears fell one by one, soaking a large part of Xiao Si Zhou's sleeve.
The woman clearly knew nothing about Wei Xiaoyu or the Wei family; she was just a nanny hired by Wei Xiaoyu to take care of Xiao Sizhou.
The woman waited a moment, then said, "Sir, Mr. Wei is waiting for you outside!" Zhou Xuan paused, wiped away his tears, and slowly carried Xiao Si Zhou out of the room. The woman followed him out and went downstairs, not staying in the living room.
The old man's face was truly ashen and pale, and Wei Haihong's eyes were also wet. No wonder he hadn't uttered a word since they arrived in Beijing.
Despite his overwhelming grief, the old man calmly pointed to the seat opposite him and said in a deep voice, "Sit down!"
Little Sizhou had just finished nursing and wasn't crying. He seemed to get along very well with Zhou Xuan, perhaps because of their blood ties. For some reason, Little Sizhou was very compliant with being held by him and didn't cry or fuss.
Zhou Xuan sat down opposite the old man, holding Xiao Si Zhou in his arms, without saying a word. At this moment, Zhou Xuan no longer had the strength to speak. It would be useless to say anything. Xiao Yu was gone. There was no going back. Even if Zhou Xuan were to use all his wealth and fortune to save Xiao Yu's life, he would do so without hesitation.
The old man looked very old. It is said that losing a son in old age or a spouse in middle age is the most painful thing. In the old man's family, he lost his grandson and his sons lost their nephews and nieces. It is no exaggeration to say that the white-haired people sent off the black-haired people.
"Zhou Xuan, Xiaoyu has never contacted us since she arrived here. She only called to inform us the night she left, the night she gave birth to Xiao Sizhou. In the past month, Haihong, Xiaoyu's parents, her second uncle, and I have considered whether to tell you. Today, I think it's best to tell you. Also, Xiaoyu has a letter for you!"
Volume 1, Chapter 585: Regret at the First Step
The old man stretched out his thin, bamboo-like hand, holding a letter in it.
Zhou Xuan was heartbroken and couldn't stop the tears from flowing. He looked at the little Si Zhou in his arms, who was staring at him with wide eyes.
Zhou Xuan took a deep breath with his eyes closed before taking the letter from the old man's hand.
The envelope was intact, and it was clear that no one had seen the letter, including the old man's family; no one had opened it.
Zhou Xuan stood there stunned for a long time before tearing open the front edge of the envelope. Inside, there was a thick layer of folded paper, seemingly several sheets. Zhou Xuan slowly unfolded the paper, and at the very top it read: "My most beloved man!" Just seeing these words, tears began to fall onto the paper. Through his blurred vision, he seemed to see Wei Xiaoyu writing this letter to him with her extremely weak body. God, you really love to torment people!
Zhou Xuan couldn't be with Wei Xiaoyu, but no matter what, he couldn't accept the fact that Wei Xiaoyu was dead. It was too cruel, causing Zhou Xuan unbearable pain and making him feel like he would be burdened with a heavy debt from then on!
After wiping away her tears, Zhou Xuan continued reading.
"My dearest love, by the time you read this letter, I may already be ashes in a jar. If that's the case, please don't blame yourself. From the beginning, I was the one who wronged you. I lied to you. I never dared to ask for your forgiveness. I know you are a kind person. Even though I deceived you with such pain, you never blamed me or resented me. I think you understand that this is all because of one big reason—that I love you deeply, without regret, and with unwavering devotion until death!"
"My beloved man, since childhood I've been a strong and assertive girl, always striving to surpass others in everything. I'm even more competitive than some boys, and my parents raised me like a boy, which brought them a lot of pride. Whether in academics or career, I always excelled. In comparison, my younger sister is much more feminine, gentle, and the opposite of me in everything. But I know that while she's outwardly gentle, she's inwardly strong, while I'm outwardly strong but inwardly soft. My strength is only superficial; deep down, I'm very weak. Of course, having grown up this far, I just haven't met the person who could hurt and wound me!" "After meeting you, from initially disliking you, to..." Gradually, I came to accept you, and finally, I fell head over heels in love with you. Only then did I truly know you, and truly know myself. Zhou Xuan, I love you so much, but God is so unfair, making me meet you only after Yingying. I once felt sorry for myself, lamenting God's unfairness. But now, at the moment Xiao Sizhou was born, I suddenly realized, "God is actually very fair!" "Because God let me meet you, gave me a passionate love in my life, and gave me a son, Xiao Sizhou, who shares your blood and flesh." At that moment, I felt that God was truly fair, allowing me, the bad woman who hurt Yingying so much, to receive so much. God is fair! “Zhou Xuan, you are lucky. Yingying is a kind, bright, and gentle girl, much better than me. She loves you as deeply as I do. I am not jealous of her, nor do I hate her. I wish her well and hope that she and you will grow old together, supporting each other until the end. Zhou Xuan, I think you understand the meaning of Xiao Si Zhou's name. I love you, miss you, think of you, and long for you. So my son represents my longing for you, and that's why his name is Si Zhou!” “Originally, I had decided that I would never bother you or bother you again in this lifetime, but I had no choice but to break my promise. On the day I gave birth to Xiao Sizhou, I knew I wouldn’t make it through. Actually, I was so scared, so lonely, and so heartbroken at that time. I really wanted to see you then, but I didn’t let you know because you and Yingying had just reconciled. If I appeared again, it would only damage your relationship. But then I thought that if Xiao Sizhou grew up under the care of my parents and uncle, he would lack parental love. I really can’t imagine what kind of person a child would grow up to be without parents and the warmth of a family. In my family, my parents might love him very much, but my family is too strict. My sister and I grew up in such an environment, so I would rather my son grow up in an ordinary environment. I’ve thought about it, and Yingying and you are both kind people, and Xiao Sizhou is your biological son, so I want to entrust my son to you to raise!” When Zhou Xuan read this, tears streamed down her face and fell onto the letter, blurring the words.
“Zhou Xuan, I didn’t tell my parents about this because I was afraid they would blame you. I only told my grandfather and uncle because I know that my grandfather trusts you and my uncle is closest to you. I feel at ease leaving this to them. Don’t blame my grandfather for not telling you beforehand. They didn’t actually know either. I left a will for my grandfather. After I died, my nanny and friends at the hospital informed my grandfather. In the letter I left for my grandfather, I instructed him to inform you a month later. That way, perhaps you won’t be too sad!”
"Zhou Xuan, I'm entrusting Xiao Si Zhou to you. I don't need to say anything more. I want to say something else that I'm concerned about, and that is my younger sister, Xiao Qing. I've protected Xiao Qing since she was little, and I love her very much. In a family with a military-style father who strictly controls things, my sister and I hardly felt any fatherly love. So I cherish my sister even more. Therefore, in the end, I ask you to treat my sister well, and treat our son well!" "You will always love you, Xiao Yu!" Upon reading this, Zhou Xuan's tears had soaked through the letter. One pain after another came in his life. In his grief, he couldn't help but clutch his chest and say with resentment, "Xiao Yu... you're so mean, you're really too mean!"
At this point, Zhou Xuan already felt that Wei Xiaoyu was deliberately causing this because of her guilt towards him. She knew Zhou Xuan possessed special abilities; regardless of whether he could save her life, there was always hope. Moreover, she was a young girl, completely different from the old man's dying state. Zhou Xuan couldn't save the old man because his bodily functions had deteriorated and his cells couldn't recover, thus preventing his death. Wei Xiaoyu, however, undoubtedly possessed fresh and active bodily functions. Zhou Xuan had cured terminal illnesses and severe gunshot wounds; restoring Wei Xiaoyu's condition shouldn't be a problem. But Wei Xiaoyu ultimately chose not to let Zhou Xuan know, meaning she deliberately chose death, which was why Zhou Xuan resented her!
He resented Wei Xiaoyu for not even giving him this chance. At first, he hated the old man and Wei Haihong for not informing him. But now he knew that it wasn't that the old man and Wei Haihong didn't want to inform him. The old man and Wei Haihong also cared about Wei Xiaoyu. If they had known earlier, no matter how much Wei Xiaoyu objected, they would definitely have notified Zhou Xuan to come and save her life. As long as Wei Xiaoyu's life was saved, he didn't care how she blamed him.
Unfortunately, Wei Xiaoyu knew what her grandfather and uncle would do, so she didn't inform them. With her determined to commit suicide, there was really nothing she could do.
In the living room, there were three men and a baby. These people, who were originally unrelated, were now connected into an inseparable whole because of the baby.
The old man suddenly understood Wei Xiaoyu's actions. At least until now, Wei Xiaoyu's actions were mostly due to Zhou Xuan and Fu Ying, but there were also factors related to the entire Wei family.
If Wei Xiaoyu hadn't died, Zhou Xuan definitely wouldn't have faced her, and he wouldn't have been able to wholeheartedly help the Wei family. Wei Xiaoyu knew that Zhou Xuan would only go all out for Wei Xiaoqing, his uncle, and his grandfather; he wouldn't do the same for anyone else.
However, if Wei Xiaoyu leaves this world, Zhou Xuan will definitely feel guilty towards the Wei family, will do everything he can to help them, and will make up for all the guilt he feels for letting her down by giving it back to the Wei family.
Grandpa spent his whole life exploring this question. It is said that wealth does not last three generations. What the old man was worried about was that the second generation of the Wei family would not have a successor. If he passed away, it was hard to guarantee that his old rival would not take revenge on the younger generation of the Wei family. The only thing that could put the old man at ease was that Zhou Xuan could take action. But after he passed away, who could predict what would happen next?
Zhou Xuan was really angry at Wei Xiaoyu for being so heartless, but then again, if Wei Xiaoyu hadn't died, would he have come back to her? Could he have abandoned Yingying to face Wei Xiaoyu?
The answer is naturally no. Zhou Xuan would never abandon Fu Ying. Humans are selfish and shameless; they only realize the value of something after they've failed. When they have it, they certainly don't think that way. As for Wei Xiaoyu, after several dangerous experiences with Zhou Xuan, he understood that this girl, after falling in love with him unconditionally, had devoted all her attention to him, leaving no room for anyone else in her heart. Yet, Zhou Xuan could never be with her!
A heavy atmosphere of sadness permeated the living room, and so did everyone else.
The three were startled awake by a loud cry from a baby, snapping them out of their grief and realizing that their little Si Zhou was crying.
Perhaps Xiao Sizhou was hungry. Zhou Xuan quickly stood up, picked up Xiao Sizhou, and paced back and forth to coax him. Because of family affection, holding his own flesh and blood, Zhou Xuan had no reason not to love this child. He also poured all his pity and sorrow for Wei Xiaoyu onto Xiao Sizhou!
Little Sizhou seemed to be refusing to listen to anything, just crying and fussing. Zhou Xuan couldn't soothe her, so Wei Haihong quickly called the nanny up again to prepare formula for her.
Volume 1, Chapter 586: Returning Home
After the nanny took Xiao Sizhou to feed her formula, Zhou Xuan, the old man, and Wei Haihong all fell silent again. Wei Xiaoyu's death had been a huge blow to them.
Faced with the old man and Wei Haihong, Zhou Xuan felt even more ashamed and wanted to disappear!
After a long pause, the old man finally spoke. He said in a low voice, "Zhou Xuan, our Wei family certainly has the ability and qualifications to raise this child, but I still think it's best to respect Xiaoyu's wishes. She never wanted to trouble you again, even until her death, but she was worried about Xiao Sizhou. It's the most tragic thing for a child to grow up without the love of his parents and family. So I agree with Xiaoyu's opinion. It's up to you to decide. If you feel that Xiao Sizhou will cause discord in your family and is inconvenient to raise, then our Wei family will raise this child!"
"Absolutely no problem. Xiao Sizhou is my son, and Xiaoyu died because of me. If I can't even fulfill her last wish, would I even be considered a human being!"
Zhou Xuan flatly refused the old man's request. He had no room for negotiation on this matter. At home, Xiao Si Zhou was his own flesh and blood, Zhou Xuan's own flesh and blood. His parents, siblings and relatives were happy and would not hate him. The only problem was Ying Ying!
Zhou Xuan wasn't sure he could keep Yingying from getting angry, but he believed that with Fu Ying's kind nature, she should be able to accept Xiao Sizhou. However, no matter what, he would not let someone else raise Xiao Sizhou unless he was unaware of it!
A hint of relief finally appeared on the old man's face. Xiaoyu's death had pained him, but it was too late to bring her back. Zhou Xuan's acceptance of Xiaosi Zhou relieved the old man of a great burden. He felt indebted to Xiaoyu because of Xiaosi Zhou and Zhou Xuan, and he would not hesitate to give his all in the future when it came to the Wei family's affairs!
"Alright, we'll head back to Beijing right away. The tickets are already booked!" The old man stood up and said without hesitation. Then he instructed Wei Haihong, "Third son, you and Ade stay here to handle Xiaoyu's affairs. Don't leave any loopholes!"
Zhou Xuan, holding Xiao Sizhou, sat in the back with the old man. The old man's bodyguard and driver sat in the front, while Wei Haihong and Ade stayed behind to handle Wei Xiaoyu's property and other matters.
On the plane, Zhou Xuan was in a state of numb heartache, while the old man seemed unable to hold on and fell into a deep sleep. Zhou Xuan secretly checked on him and found that the old man was physically exhausted and even weaker due to excessive grief. Originally, Zhou Xuan estimated that he had about two months left, but now it seemed that he probably had even less!