Hard work after winning the lottery

That ambiguous "ah" was like a fine needle chilled to ice, passing through the porch, crossing the courtyard, and precisely piercing the already riddled nerves of Hua Yun.

Back in her room, she leaned against the cold wooden door, feeling as if all her strength had been drained, and slowly slid to the ground.

My heart was pounding like a drum.

One sound after another struck her delicate eardrums.

Every question he asked, every glance he gave, played back repeatedly in her mind like a slow-motion replay.

"Your three children are adorable."

Where is the child's father?

He didn't question her, he didn't pressure her, he simply stated in the most calm tone the truth she was desperately trying to cover up.

He found out.

He knows everything.

This realization filled her with more fear and despair than any harsh trial.

Cold sweat trickled down her forehead and dripped onto the back of her hand, sending a shiver down her spine.

What should I do?

Why did he come here?

What exactly does he want to do?

Countless questions, like an impenetrable net, entangled her tightly, making it hard for her to breathe.

Outside the window, the moonlight was cool and clear.

Hua Yun hugged her knees and buried her face in them.

In the darkness, she bit her lower lip tightly until she tasted a slightly metallic sweetness.

The pain brought a sliver of clarity to her confused mind.

No.

We can't just give up like this.

She remembered Da Bao's sensible eyes, Er Bao's innocent smile, and San Bao.

They were her life.

It was the only treasure she possessed in this world, one she would protect at all costs.

Zhou Yanjin...

He didn't explicitly say it out loud.

He didn't say, "Those three children are mine."

As long as he doesn't say that crucial sentence, there's still room for maneuver.

Correct.

She would pretend not to know as long as he didn't say anything.

I'd rather die than admit it.

This innate, unyielding tenacity, like a cockroach that can't be killed, was like a spark that rekindled a faint light in her cold limbs and bones.

She slowly raised her head, and the terror that had almost overwhelmed her eyes gradually faded, replaced by a resolute determination.

No sleep for one night.

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, Hua Yun got up.

The person in the mirror was pale, with two obvious dark circles under their eyes, looking as haggard as a flower that had been hit by frost.

She slapped her face hard, forcing herself to cheer up.

She went into the kitchen and began preparing breakfast for the family.

The warmth of everyday life always brings the most comforting solace to people.

As the first rays of morning light streamed through the window into the courtyard, the aroma of breakfast filled the air.

Grandpa Hua and Grandpa Zhou Yinchuan, two old comrades-in-arms, were sitting at the stone table in the courtyard, drinking hot tea and chatting in high spirits.

"Old Zhou, you're still so healthy, much better than this old man!" Hua Mutou laughed heartily.

"Don't give me that! You can still work in the fields, but my old arms and legs can only take a stroll!" Zhou Yinchuan said modestly, but his face was full of smugness.

Hua Yun's parents, Hua Shu and Li Guifen, also sat beside her, their faces showing the simplicity and warmth typical of rural people.

Everything was as usual, warm and peaceful.

Apart from……

The man sitting beside Zhou Yinchuan, even dressed in casual clothes, still exuded an air of aloofness and arrogance that kept strangers at bay.

Zhou Yanjin.

He held a cup of hot tea that Hua Yun had just brewed in his hand. The rising steam blurred his handsome features, but it did not diminish his powerful aura in the slightest.

Hua Yun came out carrying a plate of freshly steamed meat buns.

"Grandpa, Grandpa Zhou, Dad, Mom, breakfast is ready."

She placed the steamed buns on the stone table, and from beginning to end, she didn't even glance in Zhou Yanjin's direction.

She's like a busy spinning top.

She would go into the kitchen to get porridge one minute, and then go to get side dishes the next.

Her figure moved back and forth in the yard and kitchen, deliberately creating an atmosphere of "I'm too busy to pay attention to you".

But she could clearly feel a gaze, like an invisible net, constantly and firmly locked onto her.

That gaze carried an unmistakable penetrating power, almost burning two holes in her back.

She could only straighten her back and pretend nothing was wrong.

"Xiaoyun, stop busy, sit down and eat with us." Zhou Yinchuan greeted her with a smile.

"Okay, Grandpa Zhou."

Hua Yun responded, but did not sit at the main table. Instead, she sat down on a small stool next to her mother, Li Guifen, hiding herself in the safest spot.

A breakfast that was the subject of much turmoil.

Zhou Yanjin remained quiet throughout, his movements during the meal were elegant and refined, without making a single unnecessary sound.

He only occasionally raised his eyes, his gaze seemingly casually sweeping over Hua Yun.

And each time, Hua Yun would precisely lower her head or turn to the other side to chat and laugh with her mother before he looked over.

A silent contest unfolded quietly in the dimly lit courtyard of a farmhouse.

Zhou Yanjin wanted to talk to her.

This thought grew stronger when he saw her deliberately evasive gaze.

However, he found himself unable to find any opportunities.

This seemingly delicate woman possesses an astonishingly slippery, eel-like quality.

She can always find all sorts of reasons.

"Mr. Zhou, I'm sorry, I need to go check if there's enough hay at the sheepfold."

"Mr. Zhou, my mother asked me to go to Aunt Li's house at the edge of the village to borrow some things."

······

She armed herself like a high-speed machine, leaving him no opening to cut in.

Zhou Yanjin leaned against a pillar under the corridor, watching the figure moving freely among the crowd. For the first time, a barely perceptible hint of helplessness flashed across his deep black eyes.

He discovered that the decisive and efficient methods used in the business world seemed to be completely useless here.

Just as he was pondering a solution, a pair of small hands gently tugged at his trouser leg.

Zhou Yanjin lowered her eyes.

There was a little boy, about five years old, looking up at him with a face that looked just like his own, his big, dark eyes wide open.

It's the second baby.

His second son.

Erbao was holding an Ultraman toy with some paint chips on it.

"Uncle, why does your face look so sour?"

Tong Yan Wuji.

The crisp sound was exceptionally clear in the quiet corridor.

Zhou Yanjin's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly.

Before he could speak, Da Bao and San Bao peeked out from the side.

Da Bao was more reserved than Er Bao. He just pursed his lips and looked him up and down with the same scrutinizing gaze.

Blood ties are a very mysterious thing.

It is invisible and intangible, yet it possesses an irresistible attraction.

Despite his icy expression, Zhou Yanjin's face remained unchanged, enough to frighten away any adult within a ten-meter radius.

But the three little ones seemed completely oblivious to the chill.

They were simply attracted to this handsome uncle who resembled them somewhat.