Zhou Fuguang dropped a massive bombshell right beside Qin Baozhu’s ear.
Once she was left dizzy and reeling, ears buzzing and vision spinning, he opened the door and walked out.
Qin Baozhu stood there in a daze. Then as if suddenly remembering something, she whipped her head around and looked toward the window.
In the pitch-black night, the transparent glass reflected her face.
A delicate, beautiful female face—familiar yet strangely unfamiliar—appeared before her eyes.
She seemed… much taller than she remembered.
The baby fat that used to fill her cheeks was completely gone. Her chin was sharp, her face small and heart-shaped, her brows curved like willow leaves. She sat right between girlhood and womanhood, carrying a gentle, womanly allure.
Her too-delicate jawline gave her a touch of fox-like charm, yet her round, bright almond eyes softened that seductive edge, making her look innocent and youthful.
Qin Baozhu lowered her head and stared at the full curves beneath the white lace dress she was wearing. Her chest—full and well-developed—rose prominently under the fabric. She swallowed hard.
She really had grown up.
At least…
In her memory…
Her chest had never grown like that.
Qin Baozhu sat down on the sofa, staring blankly into space.
Suddenly—
The door creaked.
A small head peeked in from outside.
It was the little boy with blunt bangs from earlier.
The moment Zhou Jingrui met her gaze, his eyes lit up. His short legs bustled quickly as he shuffled over to her side.
Zhou Fuguang was downstairs talking to Jiang Canran—who knows about what. The two of them looked grim and troubled, and they hadn’t allowed him to come upstairs to see his mama.
Staring at Qin Baozhu, Zhou Jingrui remembered how Mama didn’t recognize him earlier. His eyes turned red. He held out his little hand—inside it was a piece of candy he had secretly saved to eat tomorrow.
“Mama, let’s make up, okay?” he said in a milky, childish voice. “You can have my candy.”
“……”
Qin Baozhu looked at the hopeful eyes of the tiny dumpling in front of her, and at the candy held out to her. Her headache intensified.
“Wuu wuu… Mama…”
Seeing she still wouldn’t take the candy, Zhou Jingrui burst into sobs. “Don’t be mad at me… I won’t be greedy anymore… I’m your Rui-Rui… Even if you don’t recognize Daddy, you can’t not recognize me!”
Qin Baozhu felt like crying too.
“Wuu… I’m not your mom…”
She had just woken up. In her memory she was only eighteen. How was she supposed to accept the fact that she had married some fierce man and given birth to three children?
When Zhou Fuguang finished speaking with Jiang Canran and came upstairs, the first thing he heard was the sound of one big cry and one small cry coming from the bedroom.
His brows, already furrowed, tightened even further.
He pushed open the door with a dark expression—only to find little Zhou Jingrui refusing to sleep in his own room and instead rolling around on the floor beside Qin Baozhu, throwing a tantrum.
Qin Baozhu was crying too, seemingly overwhelmed by him. She looked up at Zhou Fuguang, tears hanging on long lashes, like a frightened, helpless little flower in the rain.
Zhou Fuguang’s Adam’s apple bobbed. Face still cold, he strode in and grabbed Zhou Jingrui from the floor with one hand.
“Stand properly.”
Zhou Jingrui sniffled as he stood in front of him.
Zhou Fuguang brushed away a tear at the corner of his son’s eye with his thumb. His tone was stern: “Didn’t I tell you to go back to your room to sleep? What are you doing in your mother’s bedroom?”
Zhou Jingrui had always been mischievous—probably inherited from Qin Baozhu. Zhou Fuguang had to be strict with him, or the boy wouldn’t listen.
So when his father’s tone turned harsh, he immediately shrank back.
Sniffling, he whispered, “Mama wouldn’t talk to me… I… I missed Mama…”
As he spoke, he glanced at Qin Baozhu from the corner of his eye—big round eyes silently begging for help, just like hers.
Qin Baozhu also felt Zhou Fuguang was way too harsh.
This was really the children’s father? Being fierce to her was one thing—but to the kids too?!
“Y-You… why are you being so fierce to a child?” Qin Baozhu said timidly, voicing a bit of justice.
She didn’t mean much by it.
She just didn’t like adults yelling at kids, that was all.
Zhou Jingrui hadn’t expected her to defend him. He looked up at her, eyes sparkling—the kind of brightness that said he wanted nothing more than to throw himself into her arms.
Wuu wuu… He knew it! Mama liked him best! She would never stop recognizing him!
His mama was the best mama in the world!
Qin Baozhu felt her scalp tingle under that sparkling gaze.
“……”
Zhou Fuguang paused, giving Qin Baozhu a long look.
Then he lowered his eyes, voice a little softer than before—though still cold. “Go back to your room. You have to go to kindergarten tomorrow.”
Hearing his tone ease, Zhou Jingrui’s courage returned slightly.
Before leaving, he ran back to Qin Baozhu, stood on tiptoe, and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.
He also sneakily stuffed the candy into her hand.
“Mama, see you tomorrow. Good night.”
His little legs pattered away—deng deng deng—until he was gone.
Once he left, the room fell silent.
Zhou Fuguang stood by the door, his tall figure casting a long shadow across the floor. Qin Baozhu slowly looked away, afraid to meet his eyes.
Even though everything was chaotic, she had more or less accepted that six years of her memories were missing.
But what she couldn’t accept—not yet—was suddenly having a husband and children.
It was nighttime… They were married, so…
Did that mean they shared a bed?
Her whole body stiffened.
“It’s late. Get some rest.”
Zhou Fuguang’s dark gaze lifted slowly from her thin shoulders.
He turned toward the door. “Whatever you need to say, we’ll talk tomorrow.”
Click.
The door closed.
It even sounded… like he locked it.
His steady footsteps moved farther and farther away until she could no longer hear them.
Qin Baozhu exhaled deeply, collapsing bonelessly onto the leather sofa.
She stared absentmindedly at the sparkling crystal chandelier above.
If what that man said was true, and he picked her up at a train station…
Then what about her parents?
For six whole years—
They must have been searching for her like crazy.
The thought made her heart pound wildly.