Chapter 144

After Zhou Yu brought Pan Yuxin back to the villa, Zhou Yu's parents had already changed into thick cotton-padded clothes. They were sitting solemnly on the sofa, while Nianyu and Xiao Jie sat nervously on the adjacent sofa.

Seeing Zhou Yu enter, his father motioned for him to sit down and said he wanted to have a talk with him.

Zhou Yu said, "Dad, let's go to the study. Let Nianyu fix something for Mom to eat, and by the way, have them clean up a room upstairs for you."

After following Zhou Yu into the study and sitting down, his father said, "Give me a cigarette."

Zhou Yu tossed a cigarette and a lighter to his father and asked, "What is it?"

Taking a drag from the cigarette, Zhou Yu's father asked, "I heard from those two young girls that you've killed people?"

Zhou Yu smiled and said, "So it's about this. Yes, I really have killed people."

His father asked, "Why?"

Zhou Yu replied, "Because I want to survive, and live a little more comfortably."

His father said, "You want to live comfortably? Then why didn't you study hard and find a proper job?"

Zhou Yu asked, "Am I the kind of person who could hold down a steady, routine job?" He added, "Besides, if I really became the kind of person you describe, what would our lives be like in today's society?"

When I was little and got bullied, it was you who told me to fight back. Now, you want to lecture me about holding down a steady job?

As he spoke, Zhou Yu grew a bit emotional.

His father puffed on his cigarette in silence. After this cigarette burned out, he lit another one.

After a long while, his father asked, "I never meant to lecture you about your job. As long as you were in the right when fighting, I would back you up even if it meant selling everything we own. But you killed people. Do you realize you've destroyed families this time?"

Zhou Yu lit a cigarette, took a drag, and said calmly, "I can't guarantee that everyone I killed deserved to die without exception. But none of them were good people."

"I know you're different from Mom. Even though you don't say it, you've always protected me like a child, quietly aching for me in your heart, crying in secret, and hoping above all that I would amount to something great."

"However, no matter what kind of life I lead, I am still your son."

"Deep in my heart, I always remember the two things you taught me. First, if anyone bullies you, bully them right back."

"Second, as a son, one must be filial."

"Besides, Dad, I'm no longer a child. I've long since been able to tell right from wrong, black from white."

His father let out a sigh and said, "I'm old, and you're grown now. I can't control you anymore." He paused, then added, "Still, you should try to comfort your mom. She's very worried about you, and very angry."

Zhou Yu said, "Don't worry. Just stay here and rest assured. At the very least, you won't freeze or starve."

Sighing again, his father said nothing more and went back downstairs.

Zhou Yu smiled bitterly. He had known all along that his parents would react this way if they ever found out he had killed people.

He followed his father downstairs, sat down beside his mother, and softly comforted her.

A moment later, Nianyu brought over a bowl of noodles.

Xiao Jie and Pan Yuxin came downstairs shortly after, letting Zhou Yu know that Xiao Jie's former room had been cleaned up for his parents.

Zhou Yu nodded and said, "Then I'm going to bed. Mom and Dad, you should get to sleep early too." He turned to Nianyu and the others, "Nianyu, keep my parents company for a while. I'm a bit tired."

Nianyu nodded and replied with a soft agreement.

With that, Zhou Yu went upstairs, headed straight to Nianyu's room, and went to sleep.