Chapter 64 - 65: Aunt

"Aunt... you... Aunt, you also dislike me, don’t you?" Although it was posed as a question, Zhou Qing’s tone was absolutely certain. His aunt must be just like the others, rejecting him. But it wasn’t what he wanted! What could he do? "Aunt, I didn’t want this either! I didn’t know he had a family! I thought, I thought, I thought he truly liked me and that’s why he was with me!" Zhou Qing’s words were somewhat disordered, and his hands grasped his aunt’s already weak shoulders, desperately explaining to her. "He was really good to me. He knew what I liked and disliked very well. Every time he came to see me, he would bring me small gifts. How could he not like me? He treated me better than my sister did. Yes, he will definitely come to find me again!" At hearing Zhou Qing mention Zhou Xue again, his aunt finally reacted. She raised her hand and slapped Zhou Qing, looking at him with deep disappointment. "How can he compare to your sister? Since you were young, she did all the dirty and tiring work just to make sure you were fed and clothed. To make sure you could go to school, she even considered dropping out herself. Later, she became a celebrity, and life got better. How can you compare him with Xuexue?!" "She’s a liar! A wicked woman! Aunt, haven’t you heard? She was on drugs! You know how she died, don’t you? Hallucinating from drug use! She changed long ago; she’s no longer the sister she used to be!" His aunt looked at Zhou Qing’s manic state and was left speechless. She simply couldn’t believe Zhou Xue jumped off the building due to drug abuse. Since childhood, Xuexue was a child who was strong and self-loving. Even in the difficult life, she never gave up. There must have been a reason other than what Zhou Qing claimed. Indeed, someone changed, but the person who changed was Zhou Qing. The day before Zhou Xue jumped, she even messaged her aunt, saying they would soon leave this hellish place together. The aunt finally decided to divorce the evil creature of a husband. Yet the next day, she received the news of Zhou Xue’s suicide. His aunt still couldn’t believe Zhou Xue took her life because of drugs. But this brother, who grew up leaning on his sister, could say such things... Zhou Qing was obviously a good child too; how did he become like this? Just because a married man showed him some supposed kindness? Even now, he still wanted to continue being with that man. The blame lay with the aunt and Xuexue for raising him without understanding how to manage life, nurturing such a naive and foolish personality. Now it’s time for him to face life on his own. Ah, it was because she couldn’t provide a better environment for the siblings that one jumped, and the other devotedly became someone’s mistress. Ultimately, it was her fault for not teaching them well. What meaning was left in living now? With Xuexue gone and Little Qing grown, he should take care of himself now. His aunt lovingly touched Zhou Qing’s hair and spoke gently, "Little Qing, you’ve grown up too. Aunt’s words you won’t listen to anymore. Aunt can’t be with you forever. You should face this reality of society now." Zhou Qing panicked; he heard his aunt’s words meant she wanted him to leave. "Aunt, you don’t want me either? You’re going to abandon me too, right?" His aunt suddenly smiled, "Silly child, you will always be Aunt’s child. How could Aunt not want you?" Zhou Qing raised his head, tears in his eyes, "Then what do you mean, Aunt?" Looking at the six-fold resemblance to Zhou Xue in Zhou Qing’s face, Aunt felt some nostalgia. When Xuexue was wronged, she would also lean on her knee, crying and complaining just like him. Gently stroking Zhou Qing’s face and wiping his tears dry, Aunt finally said the words to send him away, "Little Qing, Aunt has some things to handle today, you should leave first. Once Aunt finishes, I’ll call you, okay?" Zhou Qing didn’t want to leave and tried to stay spoiled by Aunt. He didn’t want to return to the school filled with gossip and slanders. He didn’t understand; was it wrong to like someone? Even if that man had a wife, he was the one who first treated him well. He couldn’t understand where he was wrong. Aunt’s face changed, sternly repeating, "Aunt has things to do today, you should leave." Zhou Qing hesitated, then left. Seeing Zhou Qing’s slightly frail back, Aunt felt a bit reluctant. She opened her mouth to call him back, but suddenly thought of Zhou Xue. Every time Xuexue left her, it was the same frail back. She supported this so-called family. She, a woman without education or much insight, believed her Xuexue wouldn’t do such things. Her Xuexue wouldn’t have. How could a brother grown up with his sister not believe the sister who stood by him? She would ask about the truth of the matter from Xuexue. Aunt took one last look at the direction of Zhou Qing’s disappearing back, then closed the door. The next day, eagerly waiting in the dorm for his aunt’s call, Zhou Qing didn’t receive it. Instead, it was his "vampire" uncle’s call he got. He didn’t want to answer, but feared if he didn’t, Aunt would be beaten, reluctantly answering the call. "You little brat, taking so long to answer! What a mess your dead sister has made! Get back here, something’s happened. Damn it!" His uncle cursed at him over the phone before hanging up. Zhou Qing stared at the phone that was cut off, unsure if he should return home. Thinking of his aunt, he decided he should go. Aunt promised to call him today, but it was already afternoon with no call yet; could something really have happened? Thinking this, Zhou Qing quickly packed his things and went to his aunt’s home. What greeted him wasn’t his aunt’s warm embrace but a cold corpse and his uncle’s ongoing curses. Zhou Qing stepped back several times, unable to believe. "How could it be? Aunt wouldn’t commit suicide. Yesterday she told me she would call me today!" Seeing his uncle could offer no helpful information but only insults, the police turned their attention to Zhou Qing. "The forensic examination found a large amount of sleeping pills in the deceased’s stomach. According to the deceased’s medical records at the hospital, they were suffering from severe depression, and recently the condition worsened." Zhou Qing still refused to believe his aunt died just like that. He turned to his uncle, "It was you, wasn’t it! You hit Aunt again, didn’t you!" "Hey, you little brat! What nonsense are you talking! When did I ever hit your aunt?" Uncle first shouted at him to stop, then sheepishly looked at the police. "Officer, don’t listen to his nonsense, I never hit her. Couples living together can’t avoid bickering, right? It’s just bickering, haha, bickering!" The police were tasked to investigate the case, while family disputes are hard to adjudicate. "The assessment shows the deceased consumed a large amount of sleeping pills yesterday afternoon between 4 to 5. If the stomach was pumped in time, it wouldn’t be fatal. So, where were each of you during the time? Please answer truthfully." ====================== Blocked again... Anyone who wants to watch, remember to add a group