Chapter 231 Part 2

Chapter 231 Part 2: Chu Yuanqing Reveals the Truth. Please Take Good Care of Our Daughter (2)

The girl’s eyes sparkled with curiosity, and like a little child, she couldn’t help but ask many questions:

"Little Shu, is she doing well in her studies? Is she as super beautiful as me? Will she listen to you? Where is she now? Is she happy? By the way, do you have any pictures? Show me quickly!"

Chu Yuanqing seemed to have waited for this moment for many years. No matter how boring or trivial it was, she answered all of Charlotte’s questions with a smile and patience, even drawing little dots on the table with silver magic to connect the memories and bring them to life.

At the same time, a gentle breeze mixed with light and shadows, creating a private space that could not be seen by others.

From the outside, this little corner looked like two girls quietly enjoying their coffee.

Chu Yuanqing shared her treasures with her wife—17 years of careful and loving moments. These memories, pure and blissful, appeared one by one as magical visions.

Charlotte watched closely, while her father, Chu Yuanying, gently explained beside her:

"Look, this is what she looked like as a baby. She was super well-behaved back then. Although she would cry at night, being so tiny made us worried she might get hurt. She was very clingy, but taking care of her made me feel alive again."

The baby in the cradle was so small, her soft, tender body seemed like it could get sunburned easily. Her dark eyes were clear and innocent, and whenever she looked at the camera, she would always smile, pure and adorable.

"At that time, when I first came here, all my blessings and powers were reduced to ashes, turning into fuel for pure white flames."

"In the history of the world, there is no place for me. When I first entered society, I didn’t have an ID card and didn’t know how to live in peaceful times. When I couldn’t find a place to stay, I was always afraid it would make Little Shu sick. When I heard her cry, I felt helpless and panicked about what to feed her."

When Chu Yuanqing said this, her face was full of smiles. She didn’t seem to feel tired at all, and her eyes were filled with nostalgia and happiness, her tone a bit more passionate than usual.

Charlotte looked stunned. She knew the fool beside her truly didn’t feel wronged, because Chu Yuanqing was just that simple, silly, easily satisfied, and only needed a hug to be happy. Yet, she couldn’t help but feel sad for her.

If planetary consciousness really revived the memories of the first playthrough, it certainly did not do justice to the sacrifices and achievements of this savior, and neither did it for all of humanity that had suffered under "pure white" protection for 17 years.

Charlotte’s sacrifice was voluntary; she didn’t need people’s gratitude or rewards, nor did she need applause and flowers. Yet, she didn’t want the person she loved to suffer so much after bringing happiness to the whole world, living in such a mess.

Even if this neglect was a natural outcome after history was corrected, feeling wronged for Chu Yuanqing was something that also made sense.

Charlotte didn’t interrupt Chu Yuanqing’s speech, still wearing an expectant and happy smile. She wanted to respond to her expectations and also wanted to know about the experiences of the past 17 years.

Chu Yuanqing continued to flip through the memory album, recounting what happened with sincerity:

"The lady next door praised Little Shu for being very smart; by just seven months she could crawl and walk, and she could even say ‘Dad’ to me."

This is a video, in which the little snowball is rolling on the bed. When she notices someone coming, she blinks her eyes, struggles to get up, holds onto the railing of the crib, walks towards the camera with a happy smile, and calls out "Daddy" in unclear words.

Charlotte’s eyes sparkle, and she praises how cute the little girl is, causing Chu Yuanqing to pause for a moment, looking for a long time before reluctantly moving on to the next part.

"This is Little Shu’s first day of elementary school."

In the picture, the little girl carries a red backpack. She still looks so small, delicate like a snow doll, but she is no longer as fragile as when she was a baby, like a seedling that has grown into a small tree, silently telling the story of time passing.

"When Little Shu was in second grade, she asked to sleep in her own room. But halfway through the night, she quietly hugged her pillow, crying and saying the room was too dark, then squeezed in beside me, saying she would grow up more tomorrow."

Chu Wang Shu never expected that her nearly forgotten past could be uncovered by her biological father in this way, frame by frame, for her own mother to see.

Charlotte couldn’t help but laugh while watching her cute daughter in the video. She touched the screen with her fingertip, her eyes filled with strong emotions, and softly said:

"So adorable! Does she think sleeping alone means she has grown up?"

Chu Yuanqing nodded in reply:

"Children are like this: the smaller they are, the more they want to grow up quickly."

"Later, in third grade, Little Shu could sleep alone, but on stormy nights, she would still come over."

Chu Yuanqing played the rest of the clips, year by year. They showed her taking her lovely daughter out to play, having meals at home with her daughter, celebrating her birthday, Little Shu holding up a certificate with a big smile, showing off after winning a prize, and her daughter crying with scraped knees after a wrestling match at the sports day, trying to be brave…

These little pieces of time were threaded together by a line called a father’s love, creating a picture that stretched over 17 years.

Chu Yuanqing forgot many things, and sometimes she would even forget who she was, but she remembered those 17 years spent with her daughter so clearly, almost as if she was afraid of losing them, so she tried very hard to remember.

Charlotte looked at Chu Yuanqing like this and suddenly remembered a short poem by Tagore: if a bird’s wings are tied with gold, that bird can never soar in the sky again.

But perhaps, whether one can soar is not important.

Or perhaps, gold can also become a reason for the bird to fly again.

Chu Yuanqing’s smile was soft yet lasting, and she softly said:

"She is a very strong child, always outstanding since she was small, trying hard to share my burdens, so kind that even without knowing why, she can forgive my faults."

"Actually, I have never been a good dad. When she was still a baby, I was always clumsy, and the first dishes I made were not tasty. I was always late to sports days and parent meetings, and I rarely found time to be with her. When I took her out to play, I always had a tight budget."

"I will cancel plans, make mistakes, and be careless, and I cannot tell her that she has a mom, and she is not a child without a mother."

Chu Yuanqing looked at the beautiful girl in the picture, who was pulling her suitcase and saying she was going to live at school. Her fingertips touched her daughter’s brows at that moment, as if in hope and firm belief, she spoke slowly, word by word:

"Your mother is very beautiful and gentle. No one will love you more than she does. She will do better than I can. She never breaks promises and will not miss any important moments in your life."

"In the future, she will come to see you, to love you, and to fill the gaps I have left."

The young girl’s light blue eyelashes drooped, her beautiful face showing sadness. She felt guilty for being absent for so many years, blamed herself for almost forgetting her daughter, and felt uneasy about the mood of this conversation.

Charlotte had sensed it from the beginning.

Why did Little Qing not come to find her for a whole 17 years?

Why is the pure white suppression becoming weaker and its stability shaking and collapsing more often?

Why did Little Qing not know about the inner workings of "Dazzling Stage" at first, yet still choose to participate in this audition show, which felt difficult and embarrassing for her?

These questions must have a common reason.

But…

Charlotte did not want to think about it, nor did she want to believe that her beloved had suffered so much, experienced hardships and pain, with both his soul and body covered in wounds, only to come to the peaceful era he worked hard to create, and after raising their daughter to adulthood, face the so-called… death.

This is too absurd and unreasonable.

Charlotte knew the risks of being a beacon, but she agreed because she had tasted the love and warmth of the world in the small town of Sankt Wolfgang.

Sister Ellie at the orphanage was like a mother to her, the visiting villagers and adults all liked her; she was the darling of the whole town, receiving enough birthday gifts each year to fill her room, and even without blood relatives, she lived very happily.

Before Charlotte recovered her memories, she felt the world was beautiful and gentle. She wanted to protect everyone’s happiness and eliminate the disasters that could destroy countless families, even if it meant sacrificing herself.

All of this is because she feels it is worth it.

But Chu Yuanqing is different; she has received so little, so little, that it makes no sense for her to deserve such an ending.

Charlotte’s eyes filled with tears as she tried to hold back her emotions. She looked at Chu Yuanqing, who was gazing back at her, and wanted to squeeze out a smile like before, saying she would be a good mother, saying that their future would be happy, saying let’s go meet our daughter together…

Yet the tears still fell like pearls from a broken string, crashing heavily into the coffee cup, creating swirling ripples.

Chu Yuanqing gently wiped away the tears with her fingertips; her face was blurred in the backlight, but her smile shone through the thick fog, reaching deep into the heart along with her words:

"Charlotte, I don’t have much time left. Please promise me my last wish: give me the location of the lighthouse, and as a mother, take care of our daughter with my share, allowing her to live happily and fully."