After the school beauty rejected me, I became her mom's number one fan!

Qiao Feiyu paused for a moment, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her pajamas.

"He was furious. He dropped his cane and started yelling at me, saying that I, a vice-ministerial level official, was 42 years old and was stealing a man from his own daughter. He said I was going to stomp his face on the ground."

Ning Xiuyang did not interrupt her.

"I took out the sleeping pills and placed them in front of him."

"It contains vitamins."

"He didn't know; he thought it was true."

Ning Xiuyang glanced at her.

This woman is gambling her life with fake medicine.

What if Qiao Jingtang doesn't buy into this?

What if the elderly person directly says, "Go to hell"?

But she won her gamble.

Because she knew her father too well.

Qiao Jingtang can get angry, he can curse, he can sever ties, but he can't just stand by and watch his only daughter die.

This is not a threat of suicide.

This is a precision strike.

A woman who had spent twenty years navigating the treacherous waters of officialdom used the same tactics she employed against her enemies on her own father.

tough enough.

Qiao Feiyu continued.

"I told him that I've been divorced for eighteen years and haven't touched a man in eighteen years. I said I don't want to live like a walking corpse anymore."

What was his reaction after hearing that?

"He walked up to me, and I thought he was going to hit me."

"Didn't you fight?"

Qiao Feiyu's voice shattered.

He put his hand on my head and pressed it down lightly.

She took a breath, but choked halfway through.

"He hasn't touched my head in twenty years. The last time was on the day of my divorce, and he did the same thing."

Ning Xiuyang reached out and pulled her into his arms.

Qiao Feiyu's body was trembling.

It wasn't cold; it was the uncontrollable tremor that comes after a string that's been stretched for too long finally snaps.

Her face was buried in Ning Xiuyang's chest, and a small patch of her pajamas collar was quickly soaked.

She didn't cry out loud, but her shoulders were trembling.

Ning Xiuyang had one arm around her back and the other on the top of her head.

He didn't pat her or say anything like "Don't cry."

Sometimes, words are superfluous.

After a while, Qiao Feiyu's trembling gradually subsided.

She lifted her head from Ning Xiuyang's embrace and rubbed the corner of her eye with the back of her hand.

Ning Xiuyang asked in a low voice, "How much did you tell him?"

Qiao Feiyu looked at him. "I said you're my man. I didn't go into details..."

Qiao Feiyu hesitated for a moment, then added, "But he definitely guessed it. With his experience, it was only a matter of time before he did."

Ning Xiuyang nodded.

Who is Qiao Jingtang?

Having spent most of his life working within the system, he's a better judge of character than an X-ray.

The old woman must know in her heart how much is behind her daughter kneeling in front of her and saying, "He is my man."

He simply chose not to ask further.

Sometimes, it's better not to ask than to ask.

"You did a great job today," Ning Xiuyang said.

Qiao Feiyu didn't react and looked up at him.

Ning Xiuyang looked into her eyes and said, word by word, "Not as Qiao Nu. As a mother, and as yourself."

Qiao Feiyu was completely stunned.

Her mouth was open and her eyes were wide open.

She had been with Ning Xiuyang for so long, and she had heard him say "very good," "well-behaved," and "not bad."

But those words were all spoken in the context of a master and slave.

It's the owner's evaluation of the pet, carrying a condescending tone.

This is the first time.

He affirmed her as a person in an equal tone.

It's not about affirming her obedience, nor about affirming her humility, but about affirming her.

Qiao Feiyu, a decision made by a living, breathing human being.

Her tears welled up again.

This time, she couldn't hold back and buried her face in his chest, bursting into tears.

It wasn't the silent trembling of the daytime, but real crying.

The kind that makes a sound.

Although she was trying her best to keep her voice down, the suppressed sobs were especially clear in the room late at night.

Ning Xiuyang made her cry for a while.

Wait until she stops on her own.

After Qiao Feiyu finished crying, she remained quiet for a long time.

Then she sat up straight and wiped the tears off her face with her sleeve.

She stood up, went to the sink, washed her face with cold water, and returned having regained about 70-80% of her composure.

She gently straightened Ning Xiuyang's wrinkled collar with her fingers.

"Master should go back now. It's not safe to stay too long, what if Linlin finds out..."

Ning Xiuyang checked the time on his phone; it was almost 12:30.

He pinched her cheek and stood up.

I looked back as I reached the door.

Qiao Feiyu knelt on the bed with her hands on her knees.

His posture was respectful, as always.

But something was different in her eyes.

It wasn't the usual humility and fawning; it was a strange sense of security.

It's like someone who has been wandering for a long time has finally found a place to stay.

Ning Xiuyang pushed open the door and walked barefoot into the corridor.

He took three steps and then stopped.

wrong.

The air in the hallway feels off.

……

Qiao Jinlin was woken up by the urge to urinate.

It was a little past 2 a.m.

She groggily opened her eyes; her bladder signaled to her more precisely than an alarm clock.

She lay in bed and hesitated for about twenty seconds.

My grandfather's bed was so comfortable; the cotton quilt was thick and warm, making me not want to move at all.

But physiological needs wait for no one.

She threw back the covers and sat up, slipping her feet into the cotton slippers beside the bed.

The room lights were off, but moonlight streamed in through the window, making it difficult to discern the outlines of the furniture.

Qiao Jinlin grew up at his maternal grandfather's house until he was eight years old, so he was very familiar with this courtyard house.

But that was twelve years ago. I haven't come here much since, and my memories of many routes have become hazy.

She pushed open her bedroom door and peeked into the hallway.

The corridor lights were off, with only the motion-activated nightlight in the corner emitting a faint green glow.

She remembered that the bathroom was the second door on the right.

Or was it the third one? I can't quite remember.

She took a few steps to the right.

As she passed a room, she noticed light coming through the crack in the door.

The light was a warm yellow, from a table lamp.

Whose room is this again?

She silently ranked the positions in her mind.

The senior's room is the first one in the east wing, and mine is the second one in the east wing, so this one...

It's her mother's room.

Qiao Jinlin hadn't thought much of it at first.

Mom is probably looking at documents; she can't shake her workaholic tendencies even when she's at Grandpa's house.

Qiao Jinlin muttered to himself, "What time is it? Why aren't they asleep yet?" and continued looking for the bathroom.

But she took two steps and then stopped.

Because she heard the sound.

Voices.

Two voices.

One of them was her mother's voice.

Another, a man's voice.

Qiao Jinlin's mind went blank for a moment.

She instinctively took two steps back and moved closer to the door.

The door was ajar, not completely closed, leaving a gap of two or three centimeters.

From this angle, you can see a small portion of the room.

The table lamp is placed on the bedside table, and its light shines on the wall.

She could see a corner of the bed.

Then she saw it.

The mother, wearing cotton pajamas, knelt on the carpet beside the bed.

Place your hands in front of your knees and lower your head slightly.

Ning Xiuyang sat on the edge of the bed.

One hand rested on the back of her mother's head.

Just this one scene.

There was no transgression.

There were no offensive or disturbing scenes.

One person was sitting, and the other was kneeling.

But the meaning of this image is all too clear.