Chapter 9: Bai Qianzhou—She Wants to Refuse

"Didn't you say yourself that breaking Lulu's curse requires the blood of a direct blood relative?" Pei Hexuan's tone carried a hint of helplessness, yet it was laced with tenderness.

Bai Qianzhou was momentarily stunned, recalling the moment she had unhesitatingly used her blood to break the curse, a wave of melancholy washing over her.

"May I call you Zhouzhou?" Bai Lu asked cautiously, testing the waters.

"Sure, it’s just a name," Bai Qianzhou shrugged casually, her tone tinged with nonchalance.

"I know you’re blaming me for losing you. I..." Bai Lu’s words seemed to be squeezed from the depths of her heart, filled with remorse and guilt.

"I never blamed you. I also know it wasn’t you who lost me," Bai Qianzhou's voice was as calm and gentle as a breeze rippling across a lake.

"You know?" Surprise flickered in Bai Lu’s eyes.

"Yes, and I know that all these years, you and Mr. Pei’s family have been looking for me. So, I have no reason to blame you. Besides, you have your own life now; you don’t need to be shackled by the past," Bai Qianzhou said with such tranquility that it immediately broke Bai Lu’s defenses. Tears welled up uncontrollably as she covered her mouth, sobbing silently.

Her daughter did not hate her, yet there was little affection either, and no intention of accepting her. How could this not shatter her?

Pei Hexuan watched his wife weep with heart-wrenching sorrow, feeling deeply pained. He embraced her silently, offering quiet comfort.

---

"Zhouzhou, now that you’re back, live with us. We don’t expect you to accept us right away. Lulu and I have searched for you for many years, and we’ve always been worried about you when you were ill."

"Ah? Can I refuse?"

"Of course… not," Pei Hexuan smiled with a mixture of playfulness and warmth. "You are Lulu’s daughter, and naturally, you should live with us."

An embarrassed smile flickered across Bai Qianzhou’s face—she wanted to refuse!

"Zhouzhou, please stay. Let me make it up to you. If later on you really don’t like it here and don’t want to live with us, I can arrange a place for you to stay. Just let me visit you often, okay?"

Bai Lu, tears streaming down her face, looked at Bai Qianzhou with a pleading expression. Any attempt Bai Qianzhou made to refuse was immediately shut down.

"Wife, don’t be anxious. We have to give Zhouzhou time. Zhouzhou, the doctor said your energy is low after sleeping for so long. You must be hungry. Let’s go downstairs to eat first," Pei Hexuan said, gently patting his wife’s shoulder before turning his kind and concerned gaze to Bai Qianzhou.

"I…" Bai Qianzhou’s voice was faint as she tried to refuse, but at that moment, her stomach let out a loud growl, as if reminding her it was time to eat.

Her face instantly flushed bright red, and she scolded herself silently: You’re really hopeless.

"Come on, Auntie made lots of delicious food," Bai Lu’s eyes sparkled with hope, and Bai Qianzhou chose to surrender, nodding slightly.

Entering the dining room, she was greeted by a table full of fragrant, colorful, and appetizing dishes. Bai Qianzhou couldn’t help but swallow hard.

---

Since she could remember, plagued by constant misfortune, she had almost every day eaten only steamed buns and plain water.

"Go ahead and eat, don’t be polite," Bai Lu said, not knowing what Bai Qianzhou liked, so she just picked some dishes nearby for her.

"Thank you," Bai Qianzhou picked up her chopsticks, ready to start, but before she could taste the food, the bowl in front of her suddenly cracked with a sharp snap.

Her hand froze mid-air, and she silently cursed: Again? Why is it so hard to have a good meal?

"It’s okay, it’s okay. You’re not hurt, right?" Pei Hexuan immediately called for the aunt to replace the bowl, his brows creased with concern.

"I’m fine," Bai Qianzhou forced out an awkward smile.

What could possibly go wrong?

She was long accustomed to it.