Ji Chenai didn’t know where Zhou Yaoyun was headed. Zhou Yaoyun didn’t say, and Ji Chenai didn’t ask.

However, when Wang Zhixiu heard the news, she seemed relieved. Over the phone, she gave Ji Chenai a long list of reminders and told him she would come to take him back home in a couple of days.

Listening to Wang Zhixiu’s rambling, Ji Chenai didn’t feel the least bit impatient.

At the end of the call, Wang Zhixiu said. “Xiao Qin, don’t blame Xiao Yun. Our family doesn’t owe him anything, and he doesn’t owe us either.”

Ji Chenai froze at her words, faintly understanding the hidden meaning behind them.

Wang Zhixiu continued, “If you want to blame someone, blame your dad and me. It’s our fault for being so incapable…”

After hanging up, Xiao Qi informed Ji Chenai that another part of Zhou Yaoqin’s memories had been unlocked.

Looking at the forgotten memories of Zhou Yaoqin, Ji Chenai finally understood why they had been so saturated with negativity that Xiao Qi had forcibly locked them away.

Zhou Yaoyun wasn’t the Zhou family’s biological son. His origins were a mystery, but Wang Zhixiu and Zhou Yumian had treated him like their own child. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have chosen to save Zhou Yaoyun’s life at the cost of Ji Chenai’s legs when faced with such a difficult decision.

After learning that Zhou Yaoyun wasn’t the Zhou family’s biological son, Zhou Yaoqin’s personality grew increasingly erratic. He stopped speaking to others, shut himself in his room all day, and seemed to harbor a deep resentment toward the world.

Wang Zhixiu and Zhou Yumian couldn’t bring themselves to be harsh with Zhou Yaoqin, so they let him be.

But no one expected Zhou Yaoqin to ultimately choose death. He envied Zhou Yaoyun, but the person he hated most was himself.

Zhou Yaoqin despised the kind of person he had become—selfish, extreme, and hypersensitive, completely out of sync with the world around him.

Adding to his despair was Liu Ziming’s relentless harassment, which pushed Zhou Yaoqin to the brink. He lost all hope in the world. A single bottle of sleeping pills transported him to another world—and gave Ji Chenai a chance at a new life.

Zhou Yaoyun planned to leave in a week, and Ji Chenai would soon leave as well. With Zhou Yaoyun no longer attending school, Ji Chenai saw no reason to stay here any longer.

Before leaving, however, there was one thing Ji Chenai wanted to do.

In his bedroom, he took out his phone and dialed Shen Shuya’s number. The phone rang twice before it was answered. On the other end, Shen Shuya’s voice came through. “Hello, who’s this?”

Ji Chenai remained silent for a moment before asking, “Is this Ms. Shen?”

Shen Shuya replied with a quiet “Yes.”

Ji Chenai said, “I’m a friend of Ji Chenai…”

Shen Shuya’s breathing quickened, her voice turning hoarse. “What… What do you want?”

Ji Chenai paused and then asked, “I just wanted to know… Are you doing well?”

When Shen Shuya heard the question, she snorted coldly before answering in a hoarse voice, “Are you really a friend of Ji Chenai? Why didn’t you come to his funeral?”

Ji Chenai was taken aback, not understanding why Shen Shuya would ask such a thing.

Shen Shuya continued, “After my Chenai passed away, two friends came. But I have no idea where you, this so-called friend, came from.”

The sharpness in her words shocked Ji Chenai. He couldn’t believe such accusations were coming from his mother—the gentle, even somewhat timid woman had become so aggressive.

Ji Chenai had initially planned to use this call to sever ties with his past completely, but unexpectedly, he found himself with an unexpected outcome.

He said, “Do you have time soon? I’d like to meet with you.”

Shen Shuya responded, “Sure, I’ve got plenty of free time these days.”

After setting up the time and place, Ji Chenai ended the call.

Standing at the door, Zhou Yaoyun had been listening to the conversation. As Ji Chenai hung up, he asked, “Should I take you there?”

Ji Chenai put his phone into his pocket and asked, “How do you know the name Ji Chenai?”

Leaning against the doorframe, Zhou Yaoyun smiled and said, “Do you remember the time we went out together to order a cake?”

Ji Chenai: “For your birthday, right?”

Zhou Yaoyun: “In the mall, you were staring at a man for a long time.”

Ji Chenai was momentarily speechless… Somehow, this statement seemed a bit ambiguous.

Zhou Yaoyun continued, “Zhou Yaoqin would never stare at someone like that. He wouldn’t go out with me to buy a cake either… To be honest, the moment you took over his body, I started to feel something was off.”

Ji Chenai had always known that Zhou Yaoyun was sensitive to details, but he didn’t expect Zhou Yaoyun to be sensitive to this extent, even noticing the truth from seemingly insignificant details that most people would easily overlook.

Zhou Yaoyun went on, “At first, I thought it was strange and maybe I was overthinking, but then I looked into the man you kept staring at. His name is Ji Suming, right?”

Ji Chenai replied, “Yes…”

Zhou Yaoyun smiled. “Then I noticed the similarities between Ji Chenai and Zhou Yaoqin. When you slipped up, the only conclusion left was the final answer.”

Ji Chenai sighed. “What slip-up did I make?”

Zhou Yaoyun glanced at Ji Chenai before turning and walking into the living room. After a moment, he returned with a rough berry cake. “I bought this for you at lunch. Eat it while it’s fresh.”

Ji Chenai didn’t know what Zhou Yaoyun was hinting at, but he accepted the cake and began eating it with a spoon.

After Ji Chenai ate a piece of the fresh rough berry cake, Zhou Yaoyun smiled and said. “Hasn’t anyone told you that Zhou Yaoqin doesn’t eat fresh rough berries?”

Ji Chenai paused with the spoon in his hand. He clearly remembered that on the first day he took over this body, Zhou Yaoqin had brought him a cute panda-shaped cake, and the panda’s ears were made of rough berries.

He had slipped up the moment he arrived here.

Zhou Yaoyun continued, “But don’t worry. Mom and the others haven’t spent much time with you, and they don’t pay attention to these little things. As long as you’re a little more careful, your identity won’t be exposed.”

Ji Chenai furrowed his brow. “So… you’re not going to tell Wang Zhixiu and the others the truth?”

Zhou Yaoyun lowered his eyelashes and casually replied, “If you knew what kind of person Zhou Yaoqin was, you wouldn’t think it’s a bad thing that he disappeared. And as I’ve told you before—I, Zhou Yaoyun, have never been a good person.”

He was very selfish. The Zhou Yaoqin, who wasn’t even related by blood, had long since exhausted his last ounce of patience.

If Ji Chenai hadn’t suddenly taken over, Zhou Yaoyun didn’t know how much longer he would have been able to tolerate it.

Ji Chenai sighed. “Forget it. Let’s not talk about that. I’ve arranged to meet with Shen Shuya tomorrow morning. Can you take me there?”

Zhou Yaoyun hummed in agreement and turned to prepare dinner.

Ji Chenai lost himself in thought for a while, deciding to go to bed early since he felt a little tired today.

The next day, Zhou Yaoyun took Ji Chenai to the place he had arranged to meet Shen Shuya.

When Ji Chenai arrived, he saw Shen Shuya already sitting at a tea table, drinking tea. She was wearing a plain coat, and her appearance was the same as when Ji Chenai saw her in the hospital.

Zhou Yaoyun helped Ji Chenai to his seat before turning to leave.

Shen Shuya’s eyes initially showed some hostility, but when she saw Ji Chenai’s legs, the hostility faded, replaced by a look of suppressed pain.

Ji Chenai greeted Shen Shuya, “Hello, I’m Zhou Yaoqin.”

Shen Shuya replied, “You must know my name by now…”

Ji Chenai nodded and said, “I’m sorry I couldn’t attend Chen’ai’s funeral. I was out of town and couldn’t make it back in time.”

Shen Shuya replied, “I understand.” After a brief pause, she asked, “When did you meet Chen’ai?”

Ji Chenai lied casually, “I met Ji Chenai online. If I may ask, how are you doing now…?”

Shen Shuya knew what he was going to ask and gave a bitter smile. “I divorced Ji Zhongming.”

Ji Chenai showed a look of surprise.

Shen Shuya continued, “People only realize what’s right and wrong after being taught a lesson. I’ve avoided facing it my whole life, but in the end, I still have to face it.” As she spoke, a bitter smile appeared on her face. “It’s just… I’m sorry to my Chenai…”

Ji Chenai had never imagined hearing these words from Shen Shuya. In his memory, his mother had always been so gentle to the point of weakness. He never thought there would come a day when Shen Shuya would choose to divorce Ji Zhongming.

Shen Shuya was over forty now. Although she had taken good care of herself, she was still close to middle age. She had been taken care of her whole life and didn’t know how to navigate the world on her own.

But looking at her now, though much more haggard than before, she no longer had that shrinking, weak demeanor that Ji Chenai despised.

Shen Shuya said, “At Chen’ai’s funeral, only a few people came, and even Ji Mingzhong didn’t show up. I finally saw him for what he really is, and I also realized what kind of person I am.”

Ji Chenai watched as Shen Shuya spoke with a calm expression, as if she was no longer shaken by any of it.

At first, Ji Chenai had only come to check on how Shen Shuya was doing, but he hadn’t expected to hear such words.

Shen Shuya continued. “During the time when Chenai’s leg was injured, I was so terrified. I didn’t dare say much to him, because I was afraid he would ask me, ‘Mom, you always taught me to do good things, but why is it that when I do good, there’s no good outcome?’”

Ji Chenai had also thought about this question, but now he no longer dwelled on it.

Shen Shuya sighed softly, “I couldn’t answer Chenai’s question. Everything I taught him was wrong. In this world, there’s no need for ‘good people.’”

Ji Chenai had never imagined that he would hear such words from Shen Shuya.

Shen Shuya took a sip of tea, her gaze still calm. As she looked at the young man in front of her, who, like her late son, also had difficulty moving, she seemed to see her son’s shadow in him. She smiled softly and said. “The person I owe the most in this life is Chenai. I never fought for his name, nor did I fight for anything that belonged to Ji Mingzhong. When I finally thought to fight for something, he no longer needed it.”

=^_^=