Chapter 9

Chapter 9

From reporting the case to coming out of the police station, it took over an hour.

Ethan Zhou insisted on pressing charges against Charlie Zhou for intentional assault. But since they were father and son by blood, the police station suggested that they reconcile.

"He hurt my friend, not me. I have no right to forgive on her behalf. Besides, two years ago, I already paid him all the alimony in one lump sum—you can check the legal documents for proof." Ethan Zhou's face was expressionless. "Officer, please handle this according to the law."

As the victim, I went through all the procedures with the police, then got up to leave.

Ethan Zhou walked down the stairs step by step. He was completely different from usual—his aura was icy cold, radiating a "stay away" vibe.

We walked home in silence.

When we passed a pharmacy, Ethan Zhou suddenly stopped.

"Wait for me a minute."

Before I could react, he had turned around and walked in.

Ten minutes later, he came out, holding a plastic bag in his hand.

"Stretch out your hand."

I was stunned, but slowly lifted my hand.

The cold iodine stung my skin, and only then did I feel the pain. I subconsciously pulled my hand back.

Ethan Zhou frowned. "Now you know it hurts? Will you still dare to talk to strangers like that in the future?"

"But he was cursing you! I was just standing up for you."

"When did you find out?" He glanced at me.

"From the game—your game. And when you asked me to get your ID card, I saw the photo. Later, I called Old Lin and asked him about it—he told me everything."

"You're very smart." He looked at me, a soft light in his eyes. "When we first met, you asked me if I wanted to be Miss Lin's child. I wasn't lying when I answered you then.

In my mind, a father was someone like Charlie Zhou—selfish, controlling, and irresponsible. But even so, I share the same blood as him. Countless nights, I hated myself. I was so scared—scared that I would become like my dad.

Later, my mom divorced my dad. But because she was in poor health, she didn't have the ability to fight for custody of me.

She left me, but I never blamed her.

Ever since she married my dad, she never had a single good day. Because of me, she endured it all for so many years.

I thought my life was completely ruined—until I met Miss Lin. He helped me apply for a student loan and lent me money for college. That's when I realized there were still honest, kind people in this world.

So, Olivia, I really envy you."

Listening to him say all this, my heart ached, and my eyes were about to tear up.

Even though my mom passed away when I was little, Old Lin had been both a father and a mother to me all these years, making up for the lack of maternal love in my life.

But after meeting Ethan Zhou, I realized how miserable he had been. I felt so bad for him.

No wonder he always imitated my dad. No wonder he always dressed in such an old-fashioned way.

I couldn't even imagine how he had endured all those years alone to achieve what he had today.

"Your dad is your dad, and you are you. He's that kind of person—but that has nothing to do with you. You're such a good person, so outstanding. You're just... you."

My vision blurred, and tears poured out instantly.

Ethan Zhou panicked. He didn't know what to do, so he reached out to wipe my tears.

He didn't have any tissues, so he used the sleeve of his shirt. But I couldn't stop crying—it was like a faucet that had been turned on.

"Sweetheart, why are you crying?" His eyes were red too. He pulled me into his arms, patting my back gently, like he was comforting a child. "Don't cry, Olivia. When you cry, I lose my mind."

"Ethan Zhou, you've been so miserable~ How could you have been so miserable~" Instead of being comforted, I cried even louder, sobbing. "Don't worry—from now on, my dad is your dad, your son is my son, and your wife..."

Ethan Zhou laughed. "Why did you stop?"

My tears stopped suddenly. I punched him on the back. "You... you deserve to be single forever."

His chest rose and fell as he let out a low laugh. Then he changed the subject. "By the way, Olivia, you can't stay at my place for a while."

My heart dropped. I looked up at him. "Why?"

"Charlie Zhou already knows where I live. Even though we gave him a warning today, there's no guarantee he won't come back. I'm afraid you'll get dragged into this." He ruffled my hair. "I just contacted a friend of mine—he has an apartment available for rent. Don't worry about the money; I already..."

Before he could finish speaking, I gently pushed him away.

"Ethan Zhou, I'm an adult. You've been taking care of me this whole time. And from what my dad told me, after you made money, you paid back all the money you owed him. You don't owe me anything. I also get advertisers coming to me for my social media work—I can definitely afford the rent. Can you...?" My voice broke as I spoke. "Can you stop treating me like a kid?"

Ethan Zhou stared at me for a long time, his eyes filled with complex emotions. He whispered, "Okay. Then let's go home, little sister."