chapter 43
Gu Qingning glanced at the photo album in his arms, her eyes flickering slightly.
Regarding the person called “Mother,” she was a stranger; her memories were a complete blank.
Gu Zhao looked at the album in his hands, a trace of sorrow flashing in his eyes. He pleaded, “Qingning, Mom passed away before she even had the chance to see you. Please, take a look at her.”
His nasal voice was a little heavy, slightly choked, which made Gu Qingning feel an inexplicable ache in her heart.
Perhaps because of their blood connection, seeing the man at the door stirred a hint of sympathy within her.
She turned and walked back inside. “Come in.”
Gu Zhao’s face lit up with joy, and he followed her in with the album in his arms.
After closing the door, he moved a chair next to Gu Qingning and sat down.
He had expected her to be displeased, but to his surprise, she only gave him a faint glance and said nothing.
Gu Zhao was secretly delighted. He quickly picked up one of the albums and opened it for her to see.
“Look, this was taken when Mom was four months pregnant with you. At that time, she knew you were a girl and was so happy. Every day, she’d call you ‘my little princess,’ ‘my little cotton-padded jacket.’”
As Gu Zhao spoke slowly, Gu Qingning lowered her eyes to the photos.
The woman’s profile in the photo was delicate, bearing some resemblance to her. The woman looked down at her prominent belly, smiling with tender eyes.
The scene was so beautiful that even the entire garden couldn’t compare to the grace of her smile.
Gu Qingning, almost unconsciously, reached out and gently traced the woman in the photo with her fingertip.
For some reason, a dull ache welled up in her chest; her heart twisted painfully.
“This one was taken when you were five months along. Mom often said you were her little cotton-padded jacket. She cared about you the most. She couldn’t bear to suffer, and when she gave birth to the three of us, she often had severe morning sickness. But when she was carrying you, she could eat anything without issue, and even gained a few pounds.”
As he spoke, Gu Zhao tugged at the corner of his lips, his smile more heartbreaking than crying.
He paused while flipping through the photos and pointed to a picture of the mother with the three children. “Look, this is the three of us. Every day after school, we’d come home and tell you stories.”
In the photo, three little boys were gathered around the woman, wearing identical school uniforms. Whatever they were saying, the four of them were laughing together.
Gu Qingning pressed her red lips tightly, staring at the woman in the photo, the dull ache in her heart intensifying.
A faint pink rose over the corners of her eyes; her eye rims gradually reddened. She blinked, hiding a thin veil of mist deep within.
Sensing the person next to her was feeling down, Gu Zhao turned his head and met her reddened dark eyes. Panic instantly flashed across his face.
“Qingning, wh-what’s wrong?”
Gu Qingning turned her head, avoiding his gaze. “Nothing… my hair got in my eyes.”
A flimsy excuse, but Gu Zhao could easily tell it wasn’t true.
He looked at the back of her head and let a bitter smile slip from his lips.
“After that car accident, Mom passed away after giving birth to you. By the time we reached the hospital, you were already gone. Over the years, we searched for you countless times, facing disappointment again and again. When we finally found you, we still doubted ourselves, fearing that higher expectations would only lead to greater disappointment.”
He raised his hand carefully and placed it on her shoulder, speaking gently. “We love you just like Mom did. We weren’t there in time before, so you got bullied. Third Brother apologizes. Will you forgive him this once?”
Gu Qingning didn’t speak, her brows lowered slightly, concealing her complex emotions.
After a while, she turned her head, her expression returning to calm, and her voice lowered. “Can I borrow the album?”
She initiated the conversation, and Gu Zhao was overjoyed, instantly brushing off his previous gloom. His smile almost reached the ceiling. “Of course. Whatever you like, it’s yours. I have many more photos of Mom in my room; you can take any you want.”
“Also, there are some videotapes. After every prenatal checkup, Mom would record a short clip, saying it was for you to watch when you grew up. But all the tapes are with Second Brother. When he comes back, I’ll get them for you to watch.”
Gu Qingning nodded and returned her gaze to the photos.
Seeing her interest, Gu Zhao continued introducing each picture to her.
The siblings sat side by side—one chatteringly speaking, the other quietly listening.
The scene was warm, almost too tender to disrupt.
Another update coming soon… keep going…
