Chapter 27: Slender Waist

On the way back, Gu Yao inquired about the specific background of the man surnamed Zhou.

Su Yu was driving; he paused at her question and asked, "This may involve some privacy issues. Are you sure you want to hear it?"

Gu Yao thought for a moment and nodded. "I should hear it. I’ll likely have to deal with him in the future, so it’s better to be well-informed."

Su Yu began, "This 'Second Master Zhou,' whose full name is Zhou Qingyan, isn't actually the second child in his family. He has ten older sisters and one older brother above him. The older generation in Hong Kong is quite traditional and didn't even include the daughters in the family genealogy. Below Zhou Qingyan, there is also a younger brother."

Gu Yao remarked, "I have heard of such practices. In some rural families, even with several daughters, they will claim to the outside world that they have only one 'sole son'."

"Exactly," Su Yu continued. "The Zhou family's rise didn't start long ago; it began with Zhou Qingyan's father and has only spanned two generations up to his own. You may or may not have heard of a very famous jewelry store in Hong Kong called Mingsheng Jewelry—that is their family business. Zhou Qingyan's father, Zhou Mingsheng, started from scratch in his early years, mining for jade in Myanmar and discovering top-tier stones. Later, he returned to Hong Kong to open that jewelry store, and as the business grew, they gradually branched into all sorts of industries."

After hearing this, Gu Yao was surprised. "I heard that man surnamed Zhou say his family is related to yours. How does that work?"

Su Yu looked dismissive. "It’s just a very distant kinship. If you trace it back, our families were close relatives three generations ago. My grandfather probably kept in touch with them back then, but after they moved their entire family to Hong Kong, the contact was lost. It was only after both families became successful that relations resumed."

"Then what about Zhou Qingyan's mother?" Gu Yao asked.

Su Yu explained patiently, "His mother was from our city, Y City. She was a waitress at a hotel when Zhou Qingyan’s father took a fancy to her. He likely used some coercive tactics, leaving her with no choice but to follow him. At that time, Zhou Mingsheng was already in his fifties and had a family; he followed the old-fashioned ways and had four concubines. Mingsheng initially wanted to take Zhou Qingyan’s mother back with him, but later decided she had too fiery a temperament, so he abandoned her when he returned to Hong Kong. Who would have guessed that not long after, she would become pregnant? Back then, abortion wasn't allowed, so she had no choice but to give birth."

Gu Yao understood by now. "So, shortly after the child was born, he was taken away by the Zhou family?"

"That’s right," Su Yu nodded. "From then on, the mother and son were never allowed to see each other again. Zhou Qingyan grew up in Hong Kong; though his life was wealthy, it wasn't necessarily a happy one. With so many siblings and his mother not by his side, he was raised by nannies and likely didn't see his father even once every fortnight."

"Such an environment would certainly affect a person's character, but Zhou Qingyan’s disposition is quite unique. Being separated from his mother alone doesn't seem enough to make him the way he is," Gu Yao mused.

"Your intuition is correct," Su Yu said after a thoughtful pause. "I didn't intend to mention this, fearing it might upset you. As I mentioned before, Zhou Qingyan had an older brother, born to Zhou Mingsheng's first wife. Five years ago, he was arrested and imprisoned by the Hong Kong police for murder. The news was suppressed and never reported by the media. Rumor has it that he was a cruel man who took pleasure in torture. He had hundreds of victims, all kidnapped and brought home in secret to be tortured to death."

"And then?" Gu Yao frowned.

"According to local gossip, the victims included Zhou Qingyan. Because he had no one to protect him in the Zhou household, he was frequently beaten by his older brother since childhood. He wasn't killed only because his brother feared exposure, so he was kept under physical control until he came of age and gained his own power to break free."

After Su Yu finished, the two fell into a long silence.

Although Zhou Qingyan did not seem like a good man, his experiences were undeniably sympathetic. Whether being born into such a wealthy family is a blessing or a curse is perhaps something he himself cannot define.

Gu Yao returned to the hospital that afternoon. Upon seeing her, Cen Xi complained, "Where did you go? I came out with my wallet to find you, and you were nowhere to be seen. You didn't even answer your phone."

Gu Yao didn't tell her the truth and simply made up an excuse.

Just before getting off work, she received a call from Gu Shisheng. The boy jumped straight to the point: "Mom wants me to study abroad. Did you know about this?"

"When has she ever consulted me on decisions she has already made?" Gu Yao laughed, then asked, "Besides, weren't you prepared for this? Mom has such high expectations for you, so of course, she would arrange a good future. Your grades aren't great, so studying abroad is your only path."

Gu Shisheng’s tone softened. "I don't want to go. My English is poor, and I'll be all alone out there. It’ll be even more miserable than it is now."

"At least you'll be free. With the mountains high and the emperor far away, isn't it good to enjoy your own life?" Gu Yao comforted him.

Gu Shisheng scoffed. "Forget it. Mom can check up on me via video calls; she’ll drive me crazy."

A patient arrived, so Gu Yao cut the conversation short and hung up. In truth, compared to how she was treated, her mother had been quite lenient with Gu Shisheng. Aside from strict demands regarding piano, she basically turned a blind eye to his studies.

The hospital had been very busy lately. With the change of seasons, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases were prevalent, and there were many patients with cerebral hemorrhages.

After finishing a surgery, Gu Yao went to the rooftop to catch some air. On her way back down, she bought a can of coffee from a vending machine and strolled back to her office, sipping slowly.

Cen Xi approached her and said, "A new patient just arrived, and it's quite a spectacle."

"What's the condition?" Gu Yao tilted her head to finish the coffee and tossed the empty can into the trash.

"Terminal brain tumor."

Hearing this, Gu Yao felt a stir in her heart.

There was a patient of hers in the top-floor VIP ward. She took the elevator up, intending to check on them while she was there. As soon as she reached the hallway, she saw three bodyguards dressed in black, looking quite menacing.

Gu Yao raised an eyebrow. "I'm a doctor here."

"Show us your ID," one of the bodyguards said aggressively.

Having just changed her clothes, her badge was still in her pocket. Gu Yao was about to take it out, but feeling annoyed, she crossed her arms instead and asked, "Why should I? This is a hospital, not your private property."

Su Yu’s bodyguards had guarded the top floor before, but they had simply rented out the entire ward and hadn't inconvenienced anyone else. Seeing these familiar faces—she recognized them as some of the men who had surrounded Su Yu—she felt even more frustrated.

Just as she was about to push past them, she calmed herself down. She took out her badge, flashed it, and asked in a forced, calm tone, "Can I go in now?"

"We need to verify if this is authentic," the bodyguard pushed his luck.

Gu Yao finally lost her temper. She snatched the badge back and threw it against the wall with a slap. "You want to see it? Go pick it up yourself."

She took out her phone, intending to call hospital security. Regardless of the situation, she had to get inside; she couldn't let them interfere with her work.

"Let her in." A tall, thin man with handsome features walked toward her against the light. His cheeks were pale and bloodless, and the string of red beads in his hand was particularly eye-catching.

Standing there in the shadows, his skin looked almost translucent under the sunlight. He seemed to loathe the sun, as his expression darkened, and someone immediately jogged over to close the curtains.

The bodyguards moved aside. Gu Yao walked in and looked at him. Away from the dim hallway, his face seemed much gentler and carried a hint of fragility, though the sinister air about him remained.

However, she couldn't deny that this subjective feeling was largely due to her having heard his backstory and feeling an involuntary sense of pity.

Gu Yao pushed that thought aside, raised her guard, and stared at him. "Mr. Zhou, what is the meaning of posting guards here? There are other patients on this floor."

"You remember the previous promise, don't you?" His gaze locked onto her, sending a shiver down her spine.

"Of course." Knowing that communication with him was futile, Gu Yao didn't waste words and moved to walk past him.

Suddenly, she was shoved hard. Caught off guard, she slammed into the wall. As she looked up, the man’s translucent, pale face was inches from hers—so close she couldn't even see his pores. His long eyelashes hung low, and his eyes scanned her before settling on her face.

His eyes were pitch black, dark and devoid of any emotion.

His slender fingers reached out to touch her chin; they were chillingly cold. "Your relationship with Su Yu seems quite good—good enough to sacrifice yourselves for each other?"

His voice was low, devoid of any inflection.

Gu Yao looked at him expressionlessly, noticing a faint, elusive scent of sandalwood on him.

She gathered strength in her leg and kicked him sharply in the shin. Because of the close distance, the kick landed perfectly, but the man didn't flinch. He stood still, letting her walk away quickly.

The woman’s silhouette was graceful, her high ponytail swaying slightly with her measured, composed stride.

After that encounter, Gu Yao was in a foul mood. She walked downstairs with a dark expression, hearing shouting from outside the hospital, which only added to her agitation.

"What's going on?" she asked a nurse.

"It's Qin Qing. She's outside, screaming that she wants to see the director," the nurse replied.

Gu Yao didn't respond and kept walking. This had nothing to do with her, and she felt nothing but disgust for Qin Qing. The woman hadn't just stolen her clothes; she had worn them to have an affair with Director Zhang, only to be caught by the director's wife, who had mistaken Gu Yao for her and splashed her with water.

But running away was useless. Qin Qing's actions were eventually exposed, and both she and Director Zhang were fired.

Gu Yao had thought that was the end of the farce, but the woman refused to give up, guarding the hospital entrance every day to demand an audience with the director, even after the police were called.

The driver, Xiao Zhang, saw Zhou Qingyan walk out of the hospital entrance and reflexively tensed up, stepping out of the car to greet him respectfully.

Only after watching the gloomy young man get into the back seat did he return to the driver's seat and start the car. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw several black cars behind them slowly pull away in pursuit.