Slow to mature after marriage

Zhou Yu'an found Bo Yan's current mood rather inexplicable, so he carefully put his arm around Bo Yan's shoulder and touched his forehead. "Bo Yan, what's wrong? Is the anesthesia still wearing off?"

"It's alright." The man chuckled softly, looked up at her, and said, "I'm really looking forward to our wedding."

Zhou Yu'an felt the warmth of the man's embrace and saw the rare, unguarded softness he revealed. Her heart felt like it was being gently squeezed. She lowered her head and buried her face in the crook of his neck.

"Me too, Bo Yan."

-

Bo Yan was discharged from the hospital after two days. When he left, the attending physician followed him to the door, repeatedly reminding him to eat a light diet, avoid overexertion, and attend all scheduled follow-up appointments. Bo Yan nodded and nudged Zhou Yu'an forward, saying matter-of-factly, "My wife will keep an eye on me."

Zhou Yu'an glanced at him expressionlessly, without denying it.

He then swiftly resolved the mess in North America—layoffs, restructuring, accountability, negotiations—a series of decisive actions that terrified everyone in the branch office. Five days later, he boarded a plane back home.

At the same time, the Zhou family also arrived from Haicheng.

Shen Ruoqing, along with Zhou Shuyan, flew to Beijing half a month in advance.

The two families had a meal together.

Shen Ruoqing and the old lady hit it off immediately, chatting about everything from the weather in Haicheng to housing prices in northern Beijing, from parenting tips to health advice, and they even exchanged WeChat contacts.

Although Zhou Shuyan and Bo Yan's grandfather had never met, they got along well when talking about shipping and business. However, Zhou Shuyan would occasionally glance at Bo Yan sitting opposite him, his eyes filled with a complex emotion that seemed to say, "My daughter was taken away by this guy."

Zhou Xubai sat next to Zhou Yu'an, eating his food, listening to his parents' enthusiastic discussion about "staying close to each other after living in Beijing." He gradually became petrified.

He put down his chopsticks, looked at his mother, then at his father, and asked with difficulty, "What about me?"

Shen Ruoqing was drinking soup when she heard this and paused. She looked up, blinked, and gave an innocent look.

"Oh dear, son, didn't you know we were coming to Beijing?" She put down her soup bowl, wiped her mouth, and said in a light tone, "Your dad and I have been busy for most of our lives, it's time for us to retire. You should stay busy for a while longer, then come visit us in Beijing."

Zhou Xubai: "..."

If it weren't for the fact that the Zhou family had been in the shipping industry for generations, he wouldn't want to work this lousy job.

-

The wedding was set for two weeks from now.

Meanwhile, Zhou Yu'an needed to go to the police station to change his name back before that.

Before changing her name, she thought for a moment and went to Beijing North University to find Mu Sigui.

It was during the afternoon break, and the campus was bustling with people. Sunlight filtered through the leaves of the plane trees, casting dappled shadows on the ground. Mu Sigui received a message from Zhou Yu'an and ran towards her as soon as the bell rang.

The two walked along the path lined with sycamore trees for a long time. Zhou Yu'an told him in detail about finding her biological parents, the situation of the Zhou family, and her own background.

Mu Sigui listened quietly without showing any surprise.

"Xiao Ning has already told me." He tilted his head to look at me. "But I still wonder if my sister will come and tell me about this herself."

"As expected, you still came to tell me today."

Zhou Yu'an stared at him, noticing the boy's eyes slowly reddening, and felt guilty, so he lowered his head.

"sorry."

I'm sorry. If she were still called Mu Siwan, then having both Mu Sigui and Mu Siwan side by side wouldn't feel so lonely. They were like two blades of grass that grew from the same ruins, their roots intertwined, their branches touching. But now, if she changed her name, Zhou Yu'an felt like she had abandoned the little brother who had once huddled with her in the darkness.

But she hated the surname Mu. She hated every discomfort, every wound, and every night locked in the attic that the name Mu Siwan brought her.

Mu Sigui sighed and said softly, "Sometimes I feel that although my sister seems cold on the surface, she is too kind-hearted. It really makes me worry."

He stopped and turned to look at Zhou Yu'an.

"You don't need to apologize to me at all," he said softly. "If I had a choice like my sister, I would not only want to change my name Mu Sigui, but I would also want all the blood in my body drained and replaced with fresh blood, so that I would never have anything to do with the Mu family again."

"So, sister, just go and enjoy your new life."

Mu Sigui turned her head and looked at the lawn in the distance, which was shining in the sunlight.

He hadn't talked to his sister this much in a long time. He knew he was being hypocritical and selfish. He was saying, "Go and enjoy your new life," but in his heart he was thinking, "Please take me with you."

He had actually rehearsed how he should say goodbye to his sister if she really found her family. He thought of many versions, and in each one, he ended up saying it with a smile. He would smile and wish her happiness, and preferably, he wouldn't call her "sister" anymore.

Only by completely bidding farewell to him can my sister say goodbye to that corrupt past.

Why is my sister so soft-hearted? Let him do it then.

Mu Sigui took a deep breath, and despite her reluctance, she still said with difficulty.

"Then I won't call you 'sister' anymore, just call me Zhou Yu'an." He paused, "Zhou Yu'an, we're no longer related. Go and enjoy your new life."

The air was quiet for a moment.

Zhou Yu'an slowly raised his eyes, stared at the boy's already red eyes, slowly furrowed his brows, and then said.

"How dare you be so disrespectful, Mu Sigui!"

Mu Sigui: "...Huh?"

"Who gave you permission to call me by my first name?" Zhou Yu'an asked calmly. "It's a capital offense for a younger brother to call his older sister by her full name, don't you understand?"

Mu Sigui: "...Huh?"

Zhou Yu'an turned around and quickened his pace.

"Huh?" Her voice drifted over from the front. "Your brother-in-law said he's busy preparing for the wedding and needs your help. If you don't have class this Saturday, we'll come pick you up."

Mu Sigui paused for a moment, then quickly followed. He took long strides and caught up in a few steps, but he didn't dare to walk side by side, only half a step behind, just like when he was a child.

"Then I should call you now..." he tentatively began.

"You dare call me by my full name—" Zhou Yu'an turned his head, gave him a cold glance, and warned him, "I'll turn you into a cadaver and put you in formaldehyde."

Mu Sigui was stunned for a moment, then smiled and begged softly, "I won't dare to do it again, sister."