Chapter 27:You Can’t Leave Me

Xu Weiping’s anger surged when he saw Zhou Yu’s indifferent attitude. He grabbed Xu An’s arm, ready to take her outside.

Xu An quickly stopped him.

“Brother, there’s another reason why Zhou Yu went to prison.”

“No matter the reason, the fact remains he went to prison. Come with me.”

Xu An took a deep breath, no longer holding back, and raised her voice.

“Brother, he went to prison to take the blame for someone else. He was only 19 years old at the time, just a kid.”

After Xu An shouted, Xu Weiping loosened his grip on her hand. He turned to look at his sister and then glared at Zhou Yu, who stood idly by, not bothering to explain himself.

In a cold voice, he asked, “What’s going on?”

Xu An seized the opportunity, pulling him into the house while Zhou Yu lazily followed behind.

Xu An pushed Xu Weiping into a chair, sat down beside him, placed her hands on the stove, and looked seriously at her older brother.

Taking a deep breath, she explained how Zhou Yu had been forced to take the fall for Zhou Hongguang when he was 19.

After hearing this, Xu Weiping frowned as he looked at Zhou Yu, unsure of what to say for a moment.

Xu An softly added, “Brother, after I married Zhou Yu, we separated from his family. You can tell we don’t get along with them.”

“But now I can earn money from the stall, and Zhou Yu can run a small business too. We don’t need to rely on his family.”

Xu Weiping stared at his innocent sister and said in a hoarse voice, “The two of you may be fine for now, but what about the future? If you have children, our family is all in Nancheng and can’t help you. Zhou’s family is unreliable, and you’ll have to rely on each other. It’ll be exhausting, An An.”

He glanced at Zhou Yu, his gaze falling on Zhou’s leg, making it clear what he meant.

“With his condition, he’ll probably never change. How can Mom and Dad feel at ease? How can I, as your brother, feel at ease?”

Xu An knew her brother was thinking of her, so she said softly, “Brother, we’re not even thinking about kids yet. Let’s not worry about that for now.”

“Even if we do have kids in the future, we can make enough money to hire help.”

Her brother shook his head at her naive thinking. Looking at Zhou Yu, he saw a man with parents but still as good as parentless, with endless future troubles. He couldn’t let his sister take that risk.

But seeing his sister so carefree and without a second thought, Xu Weiping didn’t know whether to ask her to divorce or not.

Marriage wasn’t something to be taken lightly. Xu An could decide to marry, but as her older brother, he couldn’t let her divorce so easily.

Xu Weiping sighed and turned to Zhou Yu, speaking in a low voice.

“We need to talk.”

With that, he stood up and walked outside. Hearing that he wanted to talk to Zhou Yu, Xu An immediately looked at Zhou Yu, anxious.

“Zhou Yu, don’t forget.”

Zhou Yu’s expression darkened slightly as he looked at her worried face. He gave a low, quiet response and followed Xu Weiping out.

The door closed behind them, and Xu An strained her neck to see outside but couldn’t. Zhou Yu and Xu Weiping had already left the yard.

Xu An placed her hands on the stove, resting her chin on them, silently praying that Zhou Yu wouldn’t say anything wrong.

The two didn’t talk long before returning. Xu An quickly looked at her brother’s expression, noticing that it had softened.

Seeing that their relationship hadn’t worsened, she sighed in relief and smiled at Zhou Yu.

“It’s getting late. Let’s not eat at home. Zhou Yu, take my brother to the state-owned restaurant for a meal.”

Xu Weiping declined a couple of times, but seeing that his sister insisted, he didn’t say anything more. They all closed the door and left the yard.

Zhou Yu took Xu Weiping to the state-owned restaurant and booked a private room.

He handed the menu to Xu Weiping, while Xu An smiled and said, “Brother, don’t worry about our money.”

Xu Weiping only ordered two dishes out of courtesy and then returned the menu to Zhou Yu. Zhou Yu casually added a few more dishes before handing it to the waiter.

When the tea was served, Xu An stood up to pour tea for her brother. Watching her, Xu Weiping spoke in a serious tone.

“An An, if you really want to keep living with him, I won’t force you.”

Hearing this, Xu An’s eyes lit up, and she looked at her brother, her voice sweet with happiness.

“Thank you, Brother.”

Xu Weiping shook his head helplessly. “I have to head back tomorrow. Someone has to take care of things at home, and it’s almost New Year’s. If I catch the train tomorrow, I’ll make it back in time for New Year’s Eve.”

“Brother, isn’t that too rushed? Why don’t you stay here and celebrate the New Year with us before heading back?”

Shaking his head, Xu Weiping explained, “I originally came to make sure you weren’t being deceived and planned to take you home. Now that you’re staying, I need to go back and explain to Mom and Dad. The longer I stay here, the more they’ll worry.”

Since he put it that way, Xu An couldn’t find a reason to insist further and nodded obediently.

Shortly after, the food was served one dish after another, and Xu An scooped rice for her brother.

Watching her and Zhou Yu, Xu Weiping couldn’t help but advise quietly, “Since you’ve decided to stay with him, let the past be in the past. Don’t think about those people anymore.”

Cough!

Xu An choked on his words, quickly glancing at Zhou Yu beside her. Seeing that he didn’t seem angry, she sighed in relief and nodded.

“Brother, don’t worry. I’ve long since stopped caring about the past. I’m doing just fine now.”

Xu Weiping nodded, not saying anything more.

Xu An was caught off guard by Xu Weiping’s words and quickly looked at Zhou Yu beside her. Luckily, there was no sign of anger on his face, so she sighed in relief and nodded.

“Brother, don’t worry. I’ve long since stopped caring about the past. I’m doing just fine now.”

Xu Weiping nodded and didn’t say anything more.

After lunch, Zhou Yu went to pay the bill while Xu An led Xu Weiping out of the state-owned restaurant, tilting her head as she planned to suggest going to the mall with her brother.

Before she could speak, Xu Weiping interrupted her. His expression was neutral as he looked at his sister. “An An, I have something to do in a bit. You go home with Zhou Yu first. I’ll return after I finish.”

“Brother, what’s the matter? Do you need Zhou Yu and me to help you?”

Her brother was unfamiliar with the capital, so what could he possibly need to do?

Xu Weiping didn’t want to discuss it further. Just then, Zhou Yu came out after paying the bill, and Xu Weiping addressed him, “Take An An home.”

With that, he headed off in another direction.

Xu An watched her brother’s retreating figure, confused, and asked Zhou Yu, “This is my brother’s first time in the capital. What could he possibly have to do?”

Zhou Yu’s eyes darkened slightly, and he shook his head, taking Xu An back home.

As they walked, Xu An suddenly remembered something and tugged on Zhou Yu’s sleeve, raising her voice. “My brother is leaving tomorrow. Can you come with me to the mall to buy him a few things to take home?”

Zhou Yu turned back, his gaze drifting to her hand gripping his sleeve, and he casually responded with a quiet “Sure.”

The couple went straight to the mall, where Xu An bought gifts for her parents and sister-in-law. She also picked out a few things for Xu Weiping before they returned home with their bags.

Xu Weiping didn’t return until after dark. He came back empty-handed, looking exactly as he had when he left. Xu An found it strange but didn’t ask.

She simply called out, “Brother, dinner is ready. Eat first, and then Zhou Yu will take you to the hotel.”

Xu Weiping acknowledged her with a simple nod, not mentioning where he had been.

Xu An asked Zhou Yu to set the table while she poured hot water for her brother to wash his hands. As she was about to leave, her eyes caught sight of Xu Weiping’s knuckles. She noticed the scrapes and dirt on them but said nothing, merely frowning slightly.

Returning to the room, the three of them quietly ate dinner by the stove.

Xu An’s gaze occasionally drifted to her brother’s knuckles, fixating on the marks. She blinked and asked, “An An, our family can support you. If you ever want to leave here, just send me a letter, and I’ll come back to get you.”

Even though she knew it wasn’t likely, Xu An still felt a little down and nodded.

“I know, don’t worry.”

Xu Weiping glanced at Zhou Yu and said calmly, “He’s got one bad leg. Don’t be afraid of him. If a fight ever breaks out, he probably couldn’t even beat you.”

Xu An burst into laughter, tilting her head to look at Zhou Yu beside her. She smiled and nodded.

“Brother, I bought a few things for the family. I didn’t get too much since I know it’ll be hard for you to carry, but take them with you tomorrow.”

She gestured toward the pile of items in the corner and spoke softly.

Xu Weiping saw the pile and shook his head helplessly.

“You’re running a household now, so be more frugal. The family doesn’t need anything. Just focus on taking care of your own home.”

“I know,” Xu An responded, not arguing, and obediently nodded.

Xu Weiping had been worrying about many things lately. He had rushed all the way from home without rest. After dinner, Xu An quickly had Zhou Yu take him to the hotel to rest so he could at least have a good night’s sleep before heading back.

When Zhou Yu returned after escorting Xu Weiping, Xu An had just finished washing the dishes and taking a bath. She sat by the stove, warming herself. Seeing Zhou Yu enter, she immediately asked, “Did you take him?”

Zhou Yu nodded casually. “Yes.”

Xu An sighed in relief, then tilted her head up to look at Zhou Yu in front of her, raising her voice slightly. “Tomorrow morning, we’ll take my brother to the train station together. Could you buy him a sleeper ticket? He came here sitting in a hard seat, and I don’t want him to go through that again on the way back.”

Zhou Yu quietly agreed.

Xu An, remembering what she had seen earlier, frowned and asked, “Did you notice the scrapes on my brother’s hands just now? What was he up to this afternoon to hurt himself like that?”

Zhou Yu leaned lazily in his chair, letting out a chuckle.

“Here? Besides you, who else could he possibly know?”

Hearing the slight edge in his tone, Xu An frowned and thought for a moment before realization suddenly struck her.

“My brother… Could he have gone to see Gao Jincheng?”

The more Xu An thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Did her brother go beat up Gao Jincheng? Is that why his hands were scraped?

Zhou Yu raised his eyebrows, neither confirming nor denying her guess.

Thinking that her brother had spent the entire afternoon tracking down and fighting a scumbag, only to then lecture her about living a good life, Xu An lightly pressed her lips together, stifling a laugh.

Coughing softly, she looked up at Zhou Yu in front of her and asked gently, “What did my brother talk to you about today?”

After talking with Zhou Yu, her brother’s attitude had noticeably softened.

Zhou Yu’s gaze lingered on her delicate, porcelain-white face as he calmly replied, “I told him you can’t leave me, so he shouldn’t worry so much.”

His expression was playful, and it was clear he wasn’t being serious. Xu An pulled a wry smile, ignoring his teasing.

Zhou Yu’s dark eyes deepened as he recalled the events of the day. He lowered his gaze slightly, saying nothing further. In his mind, he had promised this woman absolute freedom — she could leave if she wished. But it was a promise he knew he could never truly keep.