“Tell me, what is it?” Aunt Zhou asked briskly.
Ning You got straight to the point. “I want to ask about my mother.”
While speaking, she carefully observed Aunt Zhou’s reaction.
She clearly saw the other woman’s eyes flicker, looking slightly troubled.
Ning You grew curious, but on her face she showed a hint of disappointment.
Her raven-like eyelashes trembled lightly, casting a faint shadow over her pale, creamy face.
“Is it not allowed to talk about it?”
“I remember one day after school, I never saw my mother again. Ning Zhongyi said my mother was dead. Is my mother really dead?”
Aunt Zhou fell into a brief daze, recalling the past.
Then, seeing Ning You’s pitiful gaze—like she wanted to ask more but was afraid of troubling her—she sighed softly.
“If you want to know, I’ll tell you. You’re grown up now… hiding it from you may not be a good thing.”
Ning You’s expression was calm and attentive, as if she was listening carefully.
Aunt Zhou continued, “After your mother gave birth to your younger brother, her health was never good. Around that time, your maternal grandfather also had an accident, and your father he…”
Mentioning Ning Zhongyi, she shook her head and sighed.
“No one knows exactly what happened to your mother…”
“She passed away in the hospital. When we heard the news and rushed over, the ward she had stayed in was completely blackened by fire, and there was a body inside.”
“Later, your father hurriedly buried your mother in the outskirts of the city, and less than a month later, he married He Meili.”
At that time, Wen Ya’s identity was awkward, so no one objected.
But later, whenever they thought of it, those who knew the truth always felt a deep sadness for Comrade Wen.
Ning You lowered her eyes, her expression unreadable.
Aunt Zhou felt pity and comforted her gently, “Child, your mother had a hard life. She didn’t marry a good man. Your future is still long—don’t dwell on the past. You should look forward.”
From Aunt Zhou’s perspective, a girl without support should survive and grow by moving forward.
Every word she said was meant kindly.
But inside Ning You’s body was someone else—Ning You, who had drifted for who knows how many years. She understood right and wrong very clearly.
If she did not avenge the original Ning You, she would never find peace in her lifetime.
But there was no need to say these things to outsiders.
Ning You nodded. “I understand. Thank you, Auntie.”
So Wen Ya actually died in a fire?
From memory, Wen Ya, the only daughter of the Wen family, loved beauty and cleanliness. No one would have expected such an ending to her life…
Ning You also noticed Aunt Zhou’s hesitation. There must be more troubling details behind this, and it was highly likely related to Ning Zhongyi.
No rush.
She had plenty of time—she would investigate slowly.
In any case, until the Ning family was ruined, she would never stop.
Ning You was deep in thought, her long eyelashes lowered, hiding her expression.
The young girl carried a cold, distant air, as if nothing in the world could comfort her.
Aunt Zhou felt a lump in her chest and suddenly thought of Ning You’s younger brother.
The Ning family… was worse than having none at all.
If that child were here, he and Ning You would be siblings of the same mother—they could rely on each other.
“Auntie, do you know anything about my brother?” Ning You suppressed her emotions and asked again.
“Your brother?” Aunt Zhou was startled, not expecting that right after thinking of him, Ning You would bring him up.
Coincidence?
Whether it was or not, she didn’t dwell on it.
“Why are you suddenly asking about your brother?” she asked.
Ning You had already prepared an explanation and gave a bitter smile.
“It’s not sudden. I’ve always remembered him.
Back then I couldn’t even take care of myself, so I didn’t dare ask about him.
Now I’ve finally stood on my own, I want to know… how is he doing?”
Hearing this, Aunt Zhou filled in the gaps with her imagination.
So that’s it…
No wonder the girl’s personality seemed to have changed. That must be the reason.
How much hardship had this girl been holding inside?
Ning You: Please don’t add extra drama. That’s not it at all.
“You’re a good child,” Aunt Zhou said emotionally.
This child truly takes after the Wen family—nothing like the cold-hearted Ning family.
“I really don’t know your brother’s whereabouts. Back then I went back to my hometown for a while, and when I returned, I only heard that your brother…”
Ning You looked at her expectantly. “Not even a single clue?”
Aunt Zhou tried hard to recall, but found nothing. She shook her head.
“I’m sorry, I really can’t remember.”
Ning You felt as cold inside as if she had been fishing for ten years in freezing water.
Seeing the disappointment on her face, Aunt Zhou couldn’t bear it and quickly said:
“Don’t worry. I’ll help you ask around. I may not know, but someone definitely does. Don’t rush.”
A turning point appeared.
Ning You’s face showed gratitude. “Then I’ll trouble you, Auntie.”
“Don’t worry. As long as someone knows anything, I’ll find out for you,” Aunt Zhou said confidently.
With that promise, Ning You left the Zhou household and returned home.
As soon as she opened the door, she was shocked by Ning Hong’s new hairstyle.
Cough!
She almost choked on her saliva.
Emmm… was that supposed to look good?
Ning Hong already had wide cheekbones and a large face—she was basically a textbook “big face.”
After cutting her hair to shoulder length, her face looked even bigger.
Worse, she had no self-awareness at all and smeared a lot of hair oil on it…
Making her already messy hair stick tightly to her scalp.
She looked like she was carrying the scent of earth all over her body.
Extremely eye-piercing.
Ning Hong saw Ning You’s shocked expression and mistakenly thought she was stunned by her beauty, becoming very pleased.
“Hmph!!”
She snorted through her nose, flipped her shoulder-length hair (even though it barely moved), and went to the kitchen.
Ning You: “…”
Suddenly, she deeply agreed with a saying—
For ugly people, looking closely is an act of cruelty.
Deeply so.
Just then, He Meili walked out of the room.
Ning Hong immediately showed off her new hairstyle.
“Mom, what do you think of my hairstyle?”
He Meili looked up—and froze.
A stiff smile appeared on her face, but the words of praise just wouldn’t come out.
“…Why did you suddenly decide to cut your hair?”
“I just wanted to cut it,” Ning Hong said casually. “Does it look good?”
He Meili couldn’t bear to look anymore and quickly looked away.
“You think it looks good?”
“I think it looks great! Our factory is organizing a movie this afternoon—I’ll go like this…”
Ning Hong looked very pleased with herself, as if she wanted to keep looking in a mirror all the time.
She worked at a leather factory as a temporary worker, earning less than 20 yuan a month—still considered a decent job.
Looking at Ning Hong’s increasingly round face that resembled her useless father, He Meili’s mouth twitched.
“Wash out the hair oil. Go clean and fresh.”
“No!” Ning Hong refused. “I used half a bottle of hair oil—it’s expensive.”
Helpless, He Meili said, “Suit yourself.”
Knock, knock, knock—
Just then, someone knocked on the door.
“Go open it. See who it is,” He Meili ordered.
Ning Hong went to open the door—and saw three strangers outside.
“Who are you looking for?”