A pampered young lady from a prestigious family, pampered by her childhood sweetheart, a CEO.

"When are you coming back that day? I'll pick you up from the airport and give you the blessing I prayed for your safety."

"Tomorrow... tomorrow at 3:30 pm."

"So fast, so sudden, why didn't you tell me beforehand?"

"I told you in advance where there was any surprise. Besides, if you hadn't patted me on the shoulder today, I wouldn't have known how to start our chat. Look at our chat history, it's all photos. I couldn't even find a single reason to start it."

"..."

"..."

The two were silent for a moment, probably knowing what the other meant, but with a thousand words stuck in their throats, neither dared to break through that barrier and speak out.

Wishing you peace...

"Ah...ah"

He suddenly called his name, and Zhu Ping'an didn't react at first, staring blankly at him.

"Aren't you scared being all alone out there? Do you sometimes think about what happened at Kyoto University when you're resting at night?"

"..."

This was a subtle and profound question, and Zhu Ping'an didn't know how to answer it in detail.

Was she scared? Of course she was scared. When she was climbing the mountain, she stood on the highest peak and looked down. Her legs were so weak that they were trembling. She didn't even dare to take out her phone, for fear that she would drop it if her hand shook.

Yet she was also incredibly moved. She was grateful to the version of herself that bravely overcame obstacles, allowing her to enjoy more scenery she had never seen before.

“I was afraid, but I won’t stay afraid forever. Since I’ve chosen to step out of my comfort zone, I must have enough courage to face the unknown problems that may arise... It’s a very risky thing. I’ve thought about it countless times: Will I run away? Will I back down halfway?”

"Xu Qiluo, do you know? I attempted suicide when I was a child..."

He attempted suicide...

It was as if a curse was suddenly playing in Xu Qiluo's mind. He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

"Don't you find it ridiculous and unbelievable? Actually, I never thought I would do such a thing." Zhu Ping'an found a new angle and seriously recalled everything that had happened before. "My mother didn't want me, and my father thought I was a burden. But he was a teacher and was respected by all teachers and students, so he couldn't not raise me. He told me when I was a child that I was a burden, a drag on, and a stain on his life."

"..."

Silence, or rather, endless silence.

Zhu Pingan almost suspected that Xu Qiluo's network was lagging, otherwise why was he not moving at all?

Her eyes were filled with heartache for her. Xu Qiluo tightened her hands and asked in a hoarse voice, "And then? What kind of resistance did you put in back then?"

"How could that be? How could I have possibly put up any resistance back then?"

Her voice rose as if she were shocked by Xu Qiluo's words, and then she said very seriously, word by word, "At that time, I silently agreed to all of this. Perhaps it was because of his influence at that time that I always felt that I was a very, very bad person, that I was a jinx, and that I shouldn't be with everyone. At that time, my name was not Zhu Ping'an, but Zhu Yu. You should know that my name was changed by my family later."

"After changing my name, it felt like all my suppressed nature was released, but I still couldn't argue with my dad. He's a professor, and he's good at planning for anyone. He planned my elementary school, my middle school, my high school, my university, and even wanted to plan my future life. What kind of clothes I should wear, what kind of shoes I should wear, what kind of socks and hair clips I should wear—all of this had to be approved by him."

“Xu Qiluo… So that day, when he kept asking me to persuade you to become his graduate student, I was especially scared. I was afraid that if you really agreed to become my dad's graduate student, would he control you the way he controlled me?”

"But I have to admit that he is an exceptionally responsible teacher. He is dedicated to his work and values ​​his academic pursuits, his research, and his students more than anyone else. When one of his students had a high fever, he would leave me behind, grab an umbrella, and rush into the rain to take the student to the hospital, forgetting that I was alone in the thunderstorm at that time."

"..."

"..."

"He told me to wait, and I waited for several hours until my dad's colleagues saw me after get off work and then took me home."

Zhu Pingan took a breath. "The next day, the student's parents brought a banner, expressing their deepest gratitude to my dad. I sarcastically remarked from the side, 'Of course, you should thank my dad properly, because he left me alone in the rain and chose to take your child to the hospital.'"

"Isn't it ridiculous?" Zhu Pingan chuckled and continued.

"The student's parent was upset, and so was my dad. After the student's parent left, he locked me in my room, refusing to give me food or water, and kept me locked up for a whole day."

Zhu Ping'an looked at him and said, "I kept pestering you and making sure you completed so many assignments, partly because you are indeed a promising student, and I didn't want to see a good student go astray, although that's impossible. I can tell that your so-called ambitions don't lie in these academic reports... so I've never forced you to become my father's graduate student..."

“Xu Qiluo, I’m so sorry for that period of time. I caused you a lot of trouble and some unnecessary misunderstandings… Now everything is fine. I will no longer bother you, and my dad probably won’t look for you anymore. I don’t know if his regret is real or fake, or if it’s just a reason to trick me into going back.”

"But none of that matters... What matters is that I now have the ability to resist him and protect my younger self, to say on behalf of that time, 'Don't be afraid.'"

A tear, wishing for peace, fell silently into Xu Qiluo's heart, spreading a wave of pain with a soft thud.

"I wish you peace... You've never been a particularly cowardly person... You're exceptionally good, truly. You stood up for your younger self... You protected that younger version of yourself... You became a hero in your own life."

Xu Qiluo softened his emotions, his handsome eyes softening with tenderness. "Come back. I'll treat you to a meal then, and I also have a gift for you. Make sure you take the gift with you; it'll be like I'm traveling the world with you."

"it is good."

This topic has finally come to an end.

Xu Qiluo was once again certain that she had truly fallen in love with Zhu Ping'an, and was even filled with unspeakable heartache over all of Zhu Ping'an's childhood experiences.

"I wish you peace, you are really brave."