If we swapped lives, I'd be the CEO and you'd take care of the kids.

Although she hadn't even stepped inside, Zhu's mother's voice could already be heard: "Oh dear, it's all your fault! I told you, as long as Yueyue is alright, that's all that matters. Why did you make her go to work? She wouldn't even go to our own company, she insisted on going to work outside. Now look what's happened, her foot is injured. If anything happens to her, Zhu Mingchuan, I'll never forgive you!"

"Alright, alright, let's stop talking now and go check on the situation."

The two of them came in as they were talking.

When Zhu's mother saw Zhu Tingyue on the hospital bed, her eyes were filled with heartache. She took her hand and said, "Yuanyue, how are you feeling? Are you badly injured? I'm sorry, it's all my fault for not taking good care of you."

Zhu's father also cautiously chimed in from the side, "Yes, it's all Mom and Dad's fault."

Under the combined concern of the two, Shen Yanqiu couldn't utter a single word and had no chance to interrupt.

Looking at this warm family, Zhu Tingyue tried her best to hold back her tears and silently turned away.

Shen Yanqiu seized the opportunity and exclaimed, "Mom and Dad, I'm fine. The doctor said it's nothing serious, don't worry!"

"Oh dear, a broken bone takes a hundred days to heal, how can it be nothing serious? Mingchuan, go and call Dr. Sun over to have Yueyue examined again." Mother Zhu didn't believe it and instructed Father Zhu.

"Hey, I'll go right away."

"Dad, it's okay, you don't need to go. The cast is already on, and the doctor has already checked it."

"We'll be more at ease if we check it again."

Shen Yanqiu's words had no effect; Zhu's father still went.

Shen Yanqiu met Zhu Tingyue's tearful eyes and felt even worse. Zhu Tingyue should have been enjoying her parents' care, but now she stood by like an outsider.

Zhu's parents had been surrounding her since she entered the door, completely ignoring Zhu Tingyue and the others at the entrance. Judging from Zhu Tingyue's appearance, she must have been crying!

It's all my fault! He looked at Zhu Tingyue apologetically, wanting to apologize for stealing her affection. But Zhu Tingyue had quickly regained her composure; apart from her slightly red eyes, there was nothing else wrong.

At this moment, Zhu's father also came with the doctor. After a second examination, the results remained unchanged. Zhu's father and mother were relieved, but couldn't help blaming themselves.

No one blamed Shen Yanqiu. The two of them took the blame upon themselves. Shen Yanqiu felt guilty and said to them, "Mom and Dad, it's not your fault. It was my carelessness. It won't happen again. Don't worry."

Zhu's mother held his hand tightly without letting go. Hearing him say this, she sighed in her heart that her daughter had grown up and was already thinking of her.

Unable to fit into the world of the mother and daughter, the father glanced around and suddenly noticed someone standing at the door!

It's Shen Yanqiu! What's he doing here?

"Yan Qiu? What brings you here?"

Upon hearing her father's voice, Zhu Tingyue realized that her father did not recognize her, and the tears she had just held back were about to fall again!

Blinking hard to force back her tears, Zhu Tingyue said, "I'm sorry, I didn't take good care of Tingyue and she got hurt."

"What? It's you!"

Zhu Mingchuan's voice rose eight octaves. This brat! He thought he was here to care about his daughter, but he turned out to be the culprit!

"Dad, it's not his fault. It was my own carelessness. It has nothing to do with him."

Hearing the sudden increase in his voice, Shen Yanqiu knew that he was angry. He would never blame "Zhu Tingyue", but he might not be so lenient with others! Coincidentally, "Shen Yanqiu" was that outsider.

My daughter actually sided with an outsider? Her regard for her father is growing ever lower! Shen Yanqiu is just an illegitimate child; how did she even know him? What happened between them? Why did he hurt her? Was he deliberately deceiving her?

My innocent, kind, lovely, beautiful, and generous daughter! She was just deceived like that?

A thousand thoughts raced through his mind, but he couldn't bring himself to ask his daughter the question. His expression shifted repeatedly as he looked at himself, then at his daughter's fixed gaze, and finally sighed helplessly, "Sigh!"

Mother Zhu shared the same thought. From a mother's perspective, Shen Yanqiu was not a good match. Besides, Yueyue had never suffered hardship and had always been pampered by others. If she were to fall for Shen Yanqiu, she would inevitably face a lot of gossip and rumors. She would never agree to it!

Without them needing to speak, Zhu Tingyue could guess their thoughts. Without them having to say anything, she would give the excuse she and Shen Yanqiu had prepared. She didn't mention how the two of them met, only saying that they met by chance.

"You said you met at Chongming Temple. Today is during working hours, what were you doing there?"

When facing "Shen Yanqiu," Zhu Mingchuan adopted the air of a superior, ignoring his own daughter and instead relentlessly questioning "Shen Yanqiu."

"I made plans with my friends to go there today, and I never expected to run into Miss Zhu."

She addressed him awkwardly, trying her best to distance herself from "Zhu Tingyue".

"Which friend of yours? Do I know them?"

Zhu Tingyue's eyes widened. She was "Shen Yanqiu"! How could he know her friend? Did he think she was his daughter?

"Uncle Zhu, you don't know my friend."

"Dad, don't ask anymore. They're just trying to help. You're scaring them by asking!"

His daughter was defending him again! Zhu Mingchuan carefully examined Shen Yanqiu and found that his only redeeming quality was his face; what else was good about him? Was his daughter a looks-obsessed person?

"Hmph, what's there to be afraid of? If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear!"

Zhu Mingchuan tossed his head away, refusing to look at him anymore; he was in his way!

Zhu Tingyue didn't argue. She had already gotten past her father's hurdle, and her mother was still waiting for her!

Since she came in, her mother hasn't said a single word to her, which makes Zhu Tingyue feel wronged.

I looked up at my mother cautiously. She hadn't changed much, but I could vaguely see fine wrinkles at the corners of her eyes.

She looked at "Zhu Tingyue" with eyes full of affection. Such a gaze used to belong only to her, but now, she couldn't receive even a fraction of it.

She stared at her mother for so long, but her mother didn't turn around to look at her even once.

Zhu Tingyue felt a dense, persistent pain in her heart. She had always known that her parents loved her, but she didn't have a concrete understanding of how much they loved her.

Now, from an outsider's perspective, she admits she's jealous! Jealous of Shen Yanqiu now, and even more jealous of her past self!

Shen Yanqiu couldn't bear to see her like this, so she gently squeezed Zhu's mother's hand, signaling her to speak.

Zhu's mother sighed inwardly: "A daughter is like a tree that cannot be kept at home once she grows up!" In the end, she still agreed to her wish.

"Yanqiu, thank you! Tingyue is so immature and has caused you trouble!"

My mother was so polite to me, but her words were so distant!

Zhu Tingyue couldn't hold back her tears any longer, and a crystal tear rolled down her cheek towards her mother!

She quickly raised her hand to wipe it away, and replied with her head down, "You're welcome."

His voice was muffled, and he couldn't say anything else.

"Look at you, child, why are you crying? Your aunt and uncle aren't blaming you. We were just too worried about Tingyue. Auntie apologizes!"

The gentler her voice, the more Zhu Tingyue wanted to cry, and the more she wiped away her tears, the more they flowed, startling even her father.