Zhou Yun shook her head vehemently, tears falling drop by drop. “It’s not like that, it’s really not, Xiao Ran. You have to believe me. I’m not that kind of woman…”
Seeing the faint traces of doubt and disgust in Zhao Ran’s eyes as he looked at her, her heart felt as if it were being twisted and sliced apart. She wanted to open her mouth to explain, but the situation was far too complicated. It was impossible to clarify everything in such a short time. Moreover, she didn’t want to drag Xiao Ran into this mess.
But… why? Why did it hurt so much to see him looking at her like this? Her heart felt as if it had stopped beating.
Zhou Yun wanted to say something, but in the end, no words came out. Through her tear-blurred vision, all she could see was the retreating figure of Zhao Ran walking away.
She reached out a hand, but caught nothing but empty air.
From that day on, Zhao Ran and his stepmother fell into an endless cold war.
The mere thought that while his father’s fate hung in the balance, his stepmother had been seducing another man over the phone in such a mannerβand perhaps had even been yielding herself beneath another man, twisting and moaning in pleasureβfilled Zhao Ran with uncontrollable rage and resentment.
Soon after, it wasn’t long before Zhao Ping, succumbing to his severe injuries, passed away without ever regaining consciousness or having the chance to utter a single word about his final wishes.
That day, Zhao Ran did not shed a single tear. Perhaps deep within his heart there was a sliver of sorrow, so faint it was barely perceptible, but not a hint of it showed on the surface.
And when he saw Zhou Yun, her eyes swollen and red from overwhelming grief, Zhao Ran could only see it as an act. He even began to suspect that his father’s death might not have been a simple accident. After all, everything had happened so suddenly.
Every time Zhou Yun encountered Zhao Ran’s distrustful gaze, she felt utterly tormented yet unable to voice her suffering. Several times, she tried to initiate a conversation with him. But before she could even get close, he would directly avoid her.
Zhou Yun’s heart felt like cold, dead ashes. Gradually, she seemed to become aware of a terrifying truth: her feelings for Xiao Ran might have already transcended the boundaries of a typical mother-son relationship. During this period of excessive grief, she sometimes even had the impulse to throw herself into Zhao Ran’s arms, to weep uncontrollably without a care for anything else, and to seek comfort from him.
But alas… reality rarely complies with our desires.
The relationship between Zhao Ran and Zhou Yun grew increasingly strained. Zhao Ran even began avoiding any contact with Zhou Yun’s relatives, almost completely severing ties with them.
Although they still lived under the same roof, and occasionally Zhao Ran would see her red-rimmed eyes, he couldn’t help but feel a faint pang of heartache. After all, she had once been the person he considered his closest family, the one he had always wanted to protect and hold dear in his heart.
But in the end, rationality prevailed. Zhao Ran chose to act as if he saw nothing.
After handling Zhao Ping’s funeral arrangements, Zhao Ran had no desire to stay at home. He directly applied to his college advisor for early return to campus and made preparations to go back to school after completing the necessary procedures.
On the morning Zhao Ran was leaving for school, Zhou Yun stood in the living room, watching him gather his things. She wanted to help, but as she approached and before she could even touch his clothes, Zhao Ran coldly snapped at her to stop.
“My affairs are none of your concern.”
Zhou Yun’s hand froze mid-air, her entire body going stiff as if her blood hadεεΊ. Zhao Ran continued as if nothing had happened, and the room fell into silence again. Soon, after packing the last of his belongings, Zhao Ran picked up his suitcase and walked out of the house without another word.
Watching his figure gradually disappear beyond the doorway, Zhou Yun’s legs gave way. She collapsed to the floor, sitting there dazed and unable to collect herself for a long time.
Little did Zhou Yun know that Zhao Ran would be gone for a full year. If she had known then how uncontrollably the situation would escalate in the future, she might have mustered a bit more courageβto strive to make him stay right then and there, and to explain everything to him clearly.