The following days passed uneventfully.
Zhou Qingyu’s filming for Crazy went smoothly, and Zhou Yanci was recovering well in the hospital.
During this time, due to the needs of the Crazy production, Yan Xi invited Chi Wei to serve as the film’s music consultant. Zhou Qingyu’s role as a cellist required orchestral accompaniment. While most productions would simply hire extras and add the music in post-production, Director Wei wanted a more authentic effect and decided to have Chi Wei’s orchestra perform on set.
As a result, in addition to learning acting, Zhou Qingyu frequently rehearsed with the orchestra.
Chi Wei grew increasingly impressed with Zhou Qingyu’s musical skills. In her opinion, Zhou Qingyu’s talent was wasted merely acting in a film.
She proactively gave Zhou Qingyu two tickets, inviting her to attend a weekend concert.
As the third female lead, Zhou Qingyu didn’t have many scenes, and it had been a while since she last attended a concert, so she surprisingly agreed.
On Friday evening, Yan Xi picked Zhou Qingyu up after work and helped her request leave from Producer Xu.
Yan Xi had mentioned the leave request to Producer Xu days earlier, asking the production team to adjust the shooting schedule accordingly.
Producer Xu remarked, “The young miss has been in great form lately! Director Wei and I were just discussing wrapping up all her scenes in one go!” Maintaining emotional continuity during filming greatly helped actors immerse themselves in their roles.
Producer Xu wasn’t against granting leave, but he felt it was a shame for Zhou Qingyu to break her momentum when she was performing so well.
Moreover, Zhou Qingyu was taking the entire Saturday off—the same day as Chi Wei’s concert. To Producer Xu, skipping filming for a concert simply wasn’t worth it.
After a brief silence, Yan Xi decided to be honest.
“The concert isn’t the main reason. Tomorrow… is the anniversary of Qingqing’s mother’s passing.”
Every year on this day, Zhou Qingyu would withdraw into herself.
It had become a habit. During her school years, she would skip classes entirely. After entering the workforce, she would have Qiao Yan clear all her schedules for the day.
On Saturday, as dawn broke, Zhou Qingyu rose early.
Dark clouds blotted out the sky, lightning flashed, and a torrential summer downpour began. Though August’s heat lingered, the oppressive humidity and relentless rain drenched the parched world.
Zhou Qingyu wore no makeup, her face bare.
Her beauty was usually striking—bold and captivating—but without cosmetics, her fair, almost translucent skin and soft pink lips lent her a youthful innocence.
At just 23, she was barely out of university. She dressed in a simple Chanel skirt suit, her wavy hair cascading loosely down to her waist.
A maid asked if she wanted breakfast, but Zhou Qingyu had no appetite. After sipping a cup of black coffee to reduce puffiness, she left the Zhou residence.
In the first few years after her mother’s death, Zhou Qingyu had forced Zhou’s Father and Zhou Yanci to accompany her to pay respects. She had even demanded that all the household staff join them.
As if a large enough crowd could prove her mother still existed—that she had never truly left.
But when she was thirteen, Zhou Yanci was tied up with competition interviews, and Zhou’s Father threw him a celebration banquet. In the end, Zhou Qingyu went to the cemetery alone.
From then on, she understood—everyone had gradually forgotten her mother. Forgotten their wife, their stepmother, the lady of the house.
Only she remembered.
But then again, it was her mother. As long as she remembered, that was enough.
So in the years that followed, Zhou Qingyu stopped demanding company, not even from Yan Xi. She didn’t even ask for a driver, choosing instead to visit the cemetery alone.
The Zhou residence was a renovated classical garden, designed with traditional aesthetics in mind, meaning there was no driveway for cars. Zhou’s Father had built an underground garage outside the estate to house the family’s collection of luxury vehicles.
As Zhou Qingyu stepped outside, instinctively heading for the garage to pick a car, she suddenly noticed a Mercedes already waiting.
Yan Xi sat inside, drowsy, gulping down a large cup of coffee.
Hearing footsteps, she glanced toward the gate and saw Zhou Qingyu approaching. Setting her coffee aside, she grabbed a black umbrella and hurried over.
Zhou Qingyu asked, “Why are you up?”
She had assumed Yan Xi would still be asleep. Her gaze flickered to Yan Xi’s outfit—a black skirt suit, just like hers. “You never even met my mom. I can go alone.”
Yan Xi linked arms with her, tilting the umbrella slightly in Zhou Qingyu’s direction. “I’m here to keep you company! Besides, Lin Zhi and the others can handle things at Starlight. Nothing will go wrong!”
Zhou Qingyu pursed her lips. “I don’t need company.”
“Come on, I’m already up!”
Without giving her a chance to refuse, Yan Xi pulled her into the Mercedes.
This was Zhou Qingyu’s first time riding in Yan Xi’s car. Usually, when they went out together, Yan Xi took Zhou Qingyu’s van.
A van, yes—but Yan Xi knew Zhou Qingyu’s so-called “van” was a four-seater Lexus luxury edition worth 1.58 million. Her own 400,000 Mercedes couldn’t compare.
Once inside, Zhou Qingyu’s disdain was immediate.
“This is the car the company gave you?”
Yan Xi scratched her head. “Over 400,000 isn’t bad, right?”
Zhou Qingyu scoffed. “Only 400,000… Why don’t you pick something from my garage?”
Yan Xi had seen the Zhou family’s garage—dozens of cars, each belonging to Zhou Qingyu, Zhou Yanci, or Zhou’s Father… the cheapest one still cost over a million.
She shrank back. “No thanks!”
If Master Zhao accidentally scratched this Mercedes, she could still afford the repairs. But a million-dollar car? A single scrape would bankrupt her!
Up front, Master Zhao shuddered in agreement.
He’d once heard Zhou Yanci’s driver say he never dared lose focus while driving—after all, he was behind the wheel of a Rolls-Royce. Even a minor scratch would ruin him financially.
Master Zhao preferred peace of mind. A 400,000 car was just fine!
When Yan Xi refused, Zhou Qingyu didn’t push. Though the Mercedes was beneath her standards, the backseat wasn’t uncomfortable. After a few sips of Yan Xi’s coffee, she succumbed to exhaustion and dozed off against Yan Xi’s shoulder.
By the time Zhou Qingyu woke, the Mercedes had arrived at Pine Crane Cemetery on the outskirts of Hai City.
The rain that had battered the city all night had stopped, leaving behind the crisp scent of earth and greenery.
Zhou Qingyu slowly opened her eyes. The solemn cemetery gates came into view, flanked by towering, straight pines and cypresses. Sunlight filtered through the clouds, casting golden streaks across the damp ground.
It was all familiar yet strange.
Familiar because she came every year. Strange because standing at the cemetery entrance was someone she never expected to see.
Zhou’s Father, and Zhou Yanci.
Zhou Qingyu froze for a moment.
Zhou’s Father was dressed in a white Tang suit, looking just as he did after his morning exercises; beside him, Zhou Yanci wore a black shirt and dress pants. His ankle injury hadn’t fully healed yet—he had just been discharged from the hospital—and he sat in an electric wheelchair.
"What are you standing there for?" Zhou’s Father said. "It’s time to go in and see your mother."
Zhou Qingyu suddenly felt awkward. "Why are you here too?"
After all these years of not coming, why suddenly visit her grave now? It felt overly sentimental.
Zhou’s Father declared matter-of-factly, "The woman lying in there is my wife. Why shouldn’t I come?"
Zhou Qingyu could only turn to Zhou Yanci. "And you? Shouldn’t you be resting in the hospital instead of dragging yourself out here?"
"Don’t say you’re here to pay respects to my mother!"
Zhou Yanci nodded. "Mm. I’m here to pay respects to your mother."
Zhou Qingyu choked on her words.
It wasn’t like Zhou Yanci had outright insulted her, but something about his tone felt off.
Maybe it was because of her last visit to the hospital to see him. Zhou Qingyu thought—perhaps this was his way of returning the courtesy.
"Alright, alright!" Yan Xi mediated. "Let’s go in already! Or else Auntie will be waiting impatiently!"
Zhou Qingyu mumbled an agreement. Zhou’s Father led the way, and the group slowly made their way into the cemetery.
It was the same path she had walked for years, only now, there were more people by her side.
Zhou Qingyu remembered that when her mother was alive, their family had been harmonious. Back then, she was young and loved going out with her family. Her father was often busy, but he would occasionally join them.
As for Zhou Yanci, he was still a student. Zhou Qingyu would drag him along, insisting that studying could wait—fun was more important!
Back then, the Zhou family had still felt like a home.
After her mother’s death, everything fell apart.
Zhou Qingyu and Zhou Yanci grew distant. Not only did Meng Yingrong despise her, but Zhou Yanci also seemed to resent her family. Their arguments became more frequent, their common ground vanished, and eventually, they became outright adversaries.
Then, in the last two years, for the sake of Pei Yubai, Zhou Qingyu had recklessly thrown herself into the entertainment industry, clashing endlessly with Zhou’s Father over it.
The family that had once surrounded her had scattered. Both she and Zhou Yanci had moved to the city, rarely returning to the old house.
But today, they were walking together again.
Even if Zhou Qingyu still disliked Zhou Yanci, even if they still fought—there was something about this feeling of moving forward as a family that she didn’t hate.
.
After paying respects to Qu Ying, everyone began to leave.
Zhou Qingyu stayed behind.
This was Hai City’s most luxurious cemetery, meticulously maintained and cleaned daily. She sat beside the gravestone, idly playing with a few flowers at her feet.
There was so much she wanted to tell Qu Ying. Last year, when she had come, she had been in tears, complaining about all the misfortunes in her life: Pei Yubai didn’t care enough about her, her father favored Zhou Yanci more, her management of Xingyao Entertainment was a mess, she was constantly mocked online, and she always seemed to fall short compared to Ye Luoyi…
But this year?
Zhou Qingyu thought for a moment. "Mom, this year hasn’t been perfect either, but the last month… I’ve been doing pretty well."
"In a few days, I’ll be attending the Weibo Gala! Before, I was always seated in the back rows, but this time, the organizers placed me in the second row. That means I’m practically a top-tier celebrity now!"
"I’ve been sneaking online lately, and no one’s insulting me anymore—they’re all saying how pretty I am!"
"Yan Xi’s been helping me manage Xingyao. I think she’s even better than Yu Xiao. She actually turned the company around. Dad’s been doing well too, his health’s holding up, so he probably won’t be joining you anytime soon…"
"Oh, and Zhou Yanci. He’s still annoying, but during his last check-up, they found a tumor. Yan Xi said if it hadn’t been caught in time, it could’ve been fatal. And suddenly, I realized… I don’t actually want him dead. I just don’t like him, that’s all…"
Zhou Qingyu rambled on, recounting everything that had happened recently.
"As for Pei Yubai…"
At the mention of that name, her eyelashes trembled slightly.
Two years of feelings couldn’t just disappear overnight. But Zhou Qingyu realized she no longer felt that same heart-fluttering excitement when she thought of him.
"We’ll see," Zhou Qingyu said. "Things will work out. I’m still young—who knows what the future holds? If you want to meet your son-in-law, you’ll have to wait a little longer."
She gently wiped the raindrops from her mother’s photo, revealing the beautiful face she missed so much.
"Mom, this year… I’ve been okay."
"I miss you so much."
Tears fell, one after another, landing softly on the cold stone.
To Zhou Qingyu, the warmth of family had always come from her mother. Even with Zhou’s Father and Zhou Yanci—people tied to her by blood—time had changed everything. The bonds they once shared were nothing like before.
As she spoke to her mother, a cemetery caretaker passed by.
Noticing the fresh flowers by the grave, the caretaker paused. "What a coincidence. Your family came together to pay respects to Madam Zhou this year."
The caretaker had worked at Songhe Cemetery for decades, and Zhou Qingyu recognized him.
Wiping her tears, she forced a smile. "Yeah, the old man’s about to retire, so he finally has time. Before, he was always too busy with work."
As for Zhou Yanci? Just returning a favor—nothing worth mentioning.
The caretaker stroked his chin. "That’s not right. I remember Chairman Zhou and his son coming every year."
Zhou Qingyu shook her head in disbelief. "You must be mistaken."
The caretaker chuckled. "How could I mix up someone like Chairman Zhou and Young Master Zhou? Look, isn’t that them outside the cemetery? They come every year on this day, just at different times—sometimes early, sometimes late. Always missing you."
"I’m the one who cleans up the flowers you leave. There’s no way I’d remember wrong."
Zhou Qingyu stood frozen, staring blankly at the gravestone for a long, long time.
.
Outside the cemetery
The system perched on Yan Xi’s shoulder, its tiny glowing form watching Zhou Qingyu from afar. Through the cemetery’s surveillance, it waited until the caretaker had left before returning to Yan Xi.
[Host, how did you know Zhou’s Father and her brother visited Qu Ying every year? The novel never mentioned this!]
"Of course the novel wouldn’t," Yan Xi said, still gazing in Zhou Qingyu’s direction. "Qingyu’s just a supporting character, not the female lead. Her backstory isn’t fleshed out."
But perhaps fate really did exist—Lin Ranran’s biological mother’s death anniversary also fell on this day.
Before the truth about the switched identities came to light, Yan Xi had visited the cemetery every year to pay respects to the woman she once called "mother."
The reason she had been able to give Zhou Qingyu that bouquet of lilies in the first place was because of this very connection.
"I've seen Zhou‘s Father and Zhou Yanci before," Yan Xi answered truthfully. "That night when I came to pay respects to my mother, I happened to run into them."
At the time, however, Yan Xi wasn’t close to Zhou Qingyu, let alone Zhou‘s Father and the others. She had only glimpsed them from afar, assuming they were strangers who had also come to visit the graves.
Everyone believed Zhou‘s Father was cold and indifferent, that he didn’t care about his wife from a business marriage.
But even if it was a marriage of convenience, she had still been his late wife. She had died in the prime of her life, and when Zhou‘s Father thought of her, unlike Meng Yingrong—whose warmth had long since faded—he still held a deep fondness for Qu Ying.
He was simply too busy to visit as early as Zhou Qingyu did, but he hadn’t forgotten her. He still remembered the woman who had given him a daughter.
The cemetery caretaker passing by Zhou Qingyu at that moment had been Yan Xi’s doing.
But the fact remained—Zhou‘s Father and Zhou Yanci came to pay their respects every year.
Some things were done without being spoken of. How else would others know?
Outside the cemetery, everyone was waiting for Zhou Qingyu.
Zhou‘s Father studied Zhou Yanci’s ankle. He was the elder among them, yet it was Zhou Yanci who sat there leisurely.
Zhou‘s Father tilted his chin slightly. "How’s the wound?"
Zhou Yanci: "The stitches are out. I’ve been discharged and can go home tonight."
Zhou‘s Father nodded. He hadn’t expected that at his age, he’d still be in good health while his son would be the one diagnosed with cancer first.
Fortunately, it had been caught early and was treatable.
Because of this, Zhou‘s Father was grateful to Yan Xi, and lately, he found himself looking at her with increasing approval. When Zhou Qingyu had promoted Yan Xi to VP at Xingyao, Zhou‘s Father had initially thought she was too young for the role. But now, observing how she carried herself, he was more and more impressed.
He knew Meng Yingrong had arranged a match for Zhou Yanci—someone with impeccable family background, looks, and capability. Zhou‘s Father had considered these factors before, which was why he hadn’t interfered in Zhou Yanci’s marital affairs. But now, he thought Yan Xi wasn’t a bad choice either.
The Zhou family was already wealthy, and both of Zhou‘s Father’s marriages had been business alliances. A marriage without love felt like a duty, and he didn’t want his children to experience the same.
Zhou‘s Father glanced at Yan Xi, lost in thought, then at Zhou Yanci, who was discussing work with Assistant Sun.
Honestly… wouldn’t Yan Xi make a good daughter-in-law?
But these things couldn’t be forced.
The real issue was Zhou Yanci—single-mindedly devoted to work and utterly clueless about matters of the heart.
Zhou‘s Father rubbed his temples in resignation. It was his fault. Zhou Yanci took after him, pouring all his energy into work. Back in the day, countless beauties had thrown themselves at him, yet he remained unmoved. There were even rumors in the company that he was… lacking in that department.
Probably because he had no talent for romance—all his intelligence had gone into his career.
If only his daughter’s romantic inclinations could rub off on him a little!
"You!" Zhou‘s Father suddenly clapped Zhou Yanci on the shoulder, exasperated. "How can you be so dense? You need to wake up sometimes!"
Such a lovely girl like Yan Xi was right beside him—how could he not feel anything?
Zhou Yanci had no idea why his father had suddenly said this, his expression blank with confusion.
A screech of brakes cut through the air behind them. A pink Lamborghini swerved sharply, taking up two parking spots.
Amid the somber tones of the cemetery, the flashy pink car stood out jarringly.
Yan Xi looked up, squinting slightly.
She recognized this Lamborghini—it had belonged to Zhou Qingyu.
Zhou Qingyu was a skilled driver, but the second time she took it out, a delivery rider ran a red light and scraped the car. Zhou Qingyu hadn’t made him pay for the damages, simply sent the Lamborghini to the shop for repairs.
Now, seeing it again, the car had a new owner.
Qu Yan stepped out of the Lamborghini, and just like the garish pink vehicle, she was entirely out of place in the cemetery despite wearing a black suit.
The tailored black dress cinched at the waist, accentuating her curvaceous figure. Her makeup was flawless, down to the pores.
She approached Zhou‘s Father first, greeting him warmly.
Zhou‘s Father responded with polite detachment, maintaining just the right distance—never too familiar with his late wife’s younger sister.
Qu Yan knew her boundaries too. After exchanging pleasantries with Zhou‘s Father, she turned to Zhou Yanci.
"President Zhou, that was too harsh!" she chided playfully. "All I did was ask a few celebrities to accompany some drinks—was firing me really necessary?" She shot Yan Xi a sidelong glance. "We’re family, aren’t we?"
Zhou Yanci remained expressionless, ignoring her entirely.
It was Zhou‘s Father who spoke up. "If this hadn’t been exposed, it might have been manageable. But once it got out, do you have any idea how much damage it could’ve done to Xingyao? Even the group could’ve been affected! Thankfully, Yan Xi handled it well and kept things from escalating. Letting you go was the lightest consequence!"
Qu Yan pouted unhappily. "Brother-in-law, I know I messed up. But didn’t my sister ask you to look after me before she passed? It was just a small mistake… Now that everything’s settled, can’t you let me come back?"
"No." Zhou Yanci cut in before Zhou‘s Father could respond. "If not for Stepmother’s sake, Qu Yan, do you really think you’d still be at Xingyao? You’ve enjoyed the benefits she brought long enough. It’s time to pay it back."
Even seated in a wheelchair, shorter than Qu Yan, Zhou Yanci’s presence was towering, leaving her momentarily cowed.
Qu Yan’s face twisted in anger.
She’d made mistakes before—Zhou Yanci had never been this ruthless. Yan Xi must’ve said something!
With that thought, she shot Yan Xi a venomous glare.
"Enough," Zhou‘s Father said. "Weren’t you here to pay respects to your sister? Go on in."
His tone carried a clear dismissal, signaling an end to the discussion about Xingyao’s CEO position. Qu Yan knew her chances were slim. With a toss of her hair, she strutted into the cemetery to visit Qu Ying’s grave.
Behind her, Butler Yu and Aunt Zhang watched her retreating figure with disdain.
—Butler Yu had accompanied Zhou‘s Father, while Aunt Zhang had been caring for Zhou Yanci in the hospital. Since Zhou Yanci had come straight from his discharge to the cemetery, Aunt Zhang had tagged along.
Standing a short distance from Zhou‘s Father, the two muttered under their breaths.
"Coming to pay respects dressed like that—who is she trying to seduce?"
"These young women nowadays will do anything to marry into money! Doesn’t she realize there’s a twenty-year age gap?"
Curious, Yan Xi asked, "Did Qu Yan often appear like this in front of Zhou‘s Father before?"
"Absolutely!" Aunt Zhang huffed. "There was a time when Qu Yan lived at the Zhou residence. A twenty-year-old girl, dolled up like a flower every single day!"
"The master allowed her to stay out of consideration for her being the younger sister of his late wife—there was nothing else he could do. And so she lived there for several years. The young master knew about it too and was so angry that he moved out to live at school!"
The system popped up, cracking open a melon seed: [Ohhh, more tea! Go on, go on!]
"What happened next?" Yan Xi asked.
"Later, during one summer break, the young master returned to the old estate and caught that woman trying to seduce his father. So Zhou Yanci drove Qu Yan away!" Aunt Zhang said, her tone full of approval, clearly siding with Zhou Yanci.
"Just think about it—a girl barely in her twenties, strutting around the house in skimpy clothes all day—what else could she be doing but trying to seduce him?"
As a woman herself, Aunt Zhang saw right through Qu Yan’s intentions. "Unlike you, Xi’er—you dress so properly, always in those cartoon pajamas! All covered up, no funny business with you!"
Yan Xi: "…"
She muttered to the system, "I think Aunt Zhang just low-key called me frumpy."
[HAHAHAHAHA!]
[No doubt about it, she did!]
Yan Xi asked Aunt Zhang, "If Zhou Yanci drove Qu Yan away, Qingyu must’ve been upset, right?"
"Of course she was!" Aunt Zhang huffed. "The young lady threw a huge fit at the young master! That’s when their relationship started going downhill."
Butler Yu sighed. "The young lady was too naive back then. It’s common for a sister to pass away and the younger sister to marry in as the new wife. Why else would the Qu family send Qu Yan over? The Qu family is wealthy—it’s not like they don’t have properties of their own. Was there really a need for Qu Yan to live at the Zhou residence for years?"
"They said she was there to keep the young lady company, but staying for years? That’s just too long."
"Exactly!" Aunt Zhang agreed. "And Qu Yan was young—they probably thought she had an advantage. If not for the young master, Qu Yan would’ve been Mrs. Zhou by now!"
While they were talking, Zhou Qingyu finished paying respects to her mother and walked out of the cemetery with Qu Yan.
Qu Yan clung to Zhou Qingyu’s arm, the two appearing close.
"Let’s get in the car," Zhou’s Father said. "It’s getting late—time to head home for dinner."
"Okay~"
Zhou Qingyu hadn’t even responded yet, but Qu Yan was already smiling brightly.
At first, Yan Xi hadn’t fully grasped the weight of Aunt Zhang and Butler Yu’s words. But just now, when Qu Yan and Zhou Qingyu left the cemetery, Zhou Qingyu was still lost in grief over parting from her mother, while Qu Yan’s eyes were already shimmering with mischief, her gaze repeatedly flickering toward Zhou’s Father.
The system perched on Yan Xi’s shoulder, muttering sagely: [Host, based on my years of experience analyzing melodramatic romance novels, Aunt Zhang and Butler Yu weren’t wrong at all!]
