After being reborn, the aloof female CEO became a paranoid.

However, when faced with Zhou Yu's sobbing, Xu Xinran merely glanced at him indifferently, without a trace of sympathy in her eyes. Her cold and ruthless voice rang out, "I didn't do anything. You brought this on yourself and are reaping the consequences."

Zhou Ze stiffened, realizing that begging Xu Xinran was a dead end. He immediately changed course, bursting into tears and looking utterly pathetic. "Brother, brother, we grew up together. You won't abandon me, right? Brother, I really know I was wrong. Please, please help me! I really don't know what to do!"

Faced with the man's heart-wrenching cries, Zhou Yu paused for a moment, his voice calm and indifferent, "There's nothing I can do to help you..."

He had heard a little about Zhou Ze's situation before. He had done such a thing, and he deserved his current predicament. He was simply reaping what he sowed, and he had no one to blame but himself.

Zhou Ze is currently in need of someone's help, which is why he humbly chose to ask him for help. But if he really considered him as an older brother, how could their relationship have developed to this point?

Zhou Yu wasn't a very kind person either. He might have been weak and easily bullied in the past, but now... he couldn't forgive Zhou Ze. Now, all he could do was stand by and watch.

Because for his younger brother, not choosing to kick him when he's down at this time is already the greatest leniency he can show Zhou Ze.

Zhou Yu hardened his heart, picked up the puppy, and walked into the villa without looking back.

Hearing Zhou Yu's pitiful cries and curses outside, Zhou Yu paused for a moment, then turned to look at the woman who was walking in beside him.

His lips twitched slightly, and he hesitated before speaking, "Xu Xinran...am I too heartless?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Xinran's deep eyes momentarily dazed as Zhou Ze's actions from her previous life unexpectedly flooded her mind.

In his past life, Zhou Ze meticulously planned and manipulated her sympathy, gradually pushing Zhou Yu towards his death.

Compared to what Zhou Ze did, what does Zhou Yu's mere abandonment amount to?

If it weren't for Zhou Yu's sake, Zhou Ze would have been spared even if he died a hundred times over.

Seeing the woman's deep eyes and silent demeanor, Zhou Yu continued, "Zhou Ze is quite pitiful right now. Don't you feel sorry for him? If you want to help him, then I..."

"No no!"

Before Zhou Yu could finish speaking, Xu Xinran immediately rejected him in shock, "No, Zhou Yu, what are you talking about... Whether other men are pitiful or not, whether they live or die, has nothing to do with me! Besides, Zhou Ze deserved it. You did the right thing. You were already very merciful to him. If it were me, I wouldn't be able to eat or sleep until I tore him to pieces."

Xu Xinran became more and more excited as she spoke, a layer of coldness veiling her eyes, "I know you're kind, but such a menace can't be kept around. Keeping him by your side is tantamount to raising a tiger to cause future trouble. Giving him a chance to breathe, who knows what he might do to you..."

Listening to the woman's incessant chatter, Zhou Yu smiled helplessly, "I know, stop nagging... After all, he's my blood brother, and he's already suffered the consequences... Just let him fend for himself."

Actually, everything he just said was just to tease Xu Xinran.

Although he was very bothered by her past relationship with Zhou Ze, now that he has decided to trust her, he will no longer hold onto her past mistakes, doubt her, or feel insecure.

Because Zhou Yu knew deeply that if he did that, it would be harmful to their relationship. He wanted to live a good life with her, so he chose to trust her.

Xu Xinran only gave a lukewarm response to his suggestion, without expressing any opinion.

After calming Zhou Yu down and getting him back to his room, Xu Xinran immediately took out her phone and called her assistant.

"Mr. Xu."

Xu Xinran's voice was cold and filled with furious rage, "Get Zhou Ze and his whole family out of Yuncheng!"

The assistant paused for a moment, then spoke hesitantly, "A whole family... even your father, sir?"

"Anyone who has ever harmed Zhou Yu will be spared!"

"Yes."

A week later was the anniversary of Zhou Yu's mother's death. On that day, they drove dozens of kilometers to reach the suburban cemetery.

The autumn wind was bleak, and the dry, yellowed leaves rolled gently on the ground.

I don't know when it started, but that bit of sunlight disappeared, and the sky seemed to be covered with a layer of gray-white cloth, all shrouded in mist.

In this kind of weather, it's easier to feel depressed.

Xu Xinran wore a dark gray dress, and she looked as if she had emerged from the darkness, with a lingering somber aura surrounding her.

She reached out and opened the trunk, took out a bunch of white lilies and held them in her arms, then watched Zhou Yu carry the fruit basket in his hand.

Zhou Yu wore the same black coat today, his expression was indifferent, and his eyes held sadness.

After the two entered the tombstone, Xu Xinran picked up a clean handkerchief, wet it with mineral water, and then squatted down in front of the tombstone to gently wipe away the dust, doing so meticulously.

Seeing his mother's tombstone, Zhou Yu felt as if he had eaten the most bitter fruit in the world, his heart filled with even more bitterness and unease.

He knelt quietly on the ground and placed the fruit and bouquet in front of the tombstone, thinking that doing this would make him feel better, but his throat became increasingly sore.

Zhou Yu's eyes reddened as he tried to force a smile, but the smile was pale and unsightly. "Mom, are you doing well over there?"

"If you could see me, you would probably think I'm a complete loser... I'm so old, and I still miss my mom."

In Zhou Yu's memory, only his mother truly treated him well, teaching him knowledge and the principles of being a good person.

But that love disappeared when I was very young.

Although his father was by his side, over the years, he really seemed to be struggling alone in the mud, like a child abandoned by the world.

He didn't understand why his father didn't like him, even though they were both his children.

Zhou Yu couldn't hold back his tears, which welled up in his eyes. He quickly lowered his head, not wanting his mother to see him in this vulnerable state.

If my mother were still alive, what would she say to me?

She must be concerned about his health and worried about whether he's doing well.

Thinking of this, Zhou Yu smiled and raised his head again, but his clear eyes were filled with tears, and his voice trembled and choked with sobs, "Mom, I am very happy now. Can you see me from heaven? Xu Xinran and I are doing well. We have our own baby now, so please don't worry."

“Xu Xinran is truly good to me. No one can bully me, so you don’t need to worry about me… You are a world-renowned painter. Although I am not as good as you, I will work hard and make you proud to have a son like me.”

As he spoke, Zhou Yu's body trembled uncontrollably a few times, and soft sobs escaped his lips, "Mom, I really miss you so much..."