After I awakened my inner voice, I became the treasure of my family.

Chapter 88 The Poor Mrs. Zhou

“Daughter, Consort Wan’s Persian cat recently gave birth to a litter of kittens! I’m thinking you must be feeling bored and stifled staying cooped up in your room these past few days.”

So, your father shamelessly went to the Emperor's behest to bring you back the most beautiful and obedient Persian cat to keep you company and keep you entertained.

As he spoke, her father gently placed the delicate little basket he was carrying on the table. Zhou Jingyao eagerly leaned forward, peering into the basket with great joy.

Inside the basket lay a tiny kitten, its entire body covered in snowflake-white fur, resembling a fluffy snowball.

The little guy was blinking his big, round, watery eyes, curiously looking at everything around him.

Just that one glance was enough to capture Zhou Jingyao's heart. She couldn't help but reach out to touch the adorable kitten, but she was afraid of scaring it, so she moved rather cautiously.

"Wow! Daddy, this kitten is so cute! How can it be so adorable and endearing? I absolutely love it! Thank you, Daddy, you're the best!"

Seeing his daughter so happy, Zhou Liang felt that he had made the right decision to shamelessly ask for the cat today. Look how happy his daughter is!

Madam Zhou stood there quietly. When her gaze fell on the father and daughter, a fleeting, almost imperceptible pain flashed across her eyes, as if she had been stung by something. But it was only for a moment before she quickly concealed the emotion.

A fake smile returned to her face, and she said in a coquettish voice, "General, you're back?"

Hearing the voice, Zhou Liang slowly turned his head and looked at Madam Zhou beside him. His eyes were calm and indifferent, and he simply responded with a soft "Mm!"

Then, his gaze inadvertently swept over Jiang Mianmian and Li Tingxue sitting to the side.

When he saw Jiang Mianmian, his brows furrowed slightly involuntarily, and he immediately thought of her son, Shen Xiujin, his expression becoming somewhat unnatural. Although she was a bit stubborn and always spoke frankly, he wasn't stupid.

So, although he was still somewhat dissatisfied, he still nodded gently to Jiang Mianmian and greeted her.

Seeing this, Jiang Mianmian politely responded with a greeting. Just then, the previously harmonious atmosphere in the room suddenly became extremely awkward.

Li Tingxue kept her eyes on her mother-in-law, who was staring intently at Zhou Liang, looking as if she were mesmerized.

Li Tingxue muttered to herself: Good heavens! Could it be that my mother-in-law... has taken a fancy to this General Zhou?

She was startled by the idea, but seeing her mother's blank expression, she realized that she had misunderstood and probably didn't know what her mother-in-law had discovered.

In that instant, Li Tingxue was startled by her own sudden thought, which made her shudder.

However, when she caught a glimpse of her mother-in-law's bewildered expression, she felt a sense of relief. Thank goodness, it turned out she had misunderstood.

I wonder if my mother-in-law... discovered some secret about Zhou Liang, which is why she looked so confused.

The moment this thought crossed her mind, she became even more terrified!

ah ah ah...

Li Tingxue is particularly worried now, fearing that her mother-in-law might say something shocking again.

What worries her even more is what if this brute gets angry this week? Oh dear, what if the two of them... they won't be able to leave the general's mansion?

Thinking of this, Li Tingxue sighed and couldn't help but secretly lament her predicament.

At this moment, Jiang Mianmian's eyes were fixed on Zhou Liang's forehead, scanning it repeatedly. The reason was that his forehead was shiny and difficult for her to ignore.

At the same time, Jiang Mianmian's gaze was fixed on Zhou Liang's forehead, and she couldn't take her eyes off him.

Because at this very moment, on Zhou Liang's shiny forehead, dazzling characters were flashing, and their meaning seemed even more intriguing.

[Wow! What the heck is this?] Jiang Mianmian couldn't help but exclaim in her heart.

[Zhou Liang is actually the tragic supporting male character in "A Lifetime of Misguided Love"? Wow! This is getting interesting! Who exactly is involved in this misguided love?]

A flood of questions welled up in her mind, fueling her growing curiosity.

[My God! What did I just see? I never imagined that the General's Mansion would hide such a secret. Zhou Liang... he... he actually...]

At this moment, Zhou Liang suddenly widened his eyes, his gaze sharp as a knife, and quickly scanned his surroundings with undisguised anger.

His gaze was sharp as a storm, as if he wanted to find out who dared to talk about him behind his back.

"Who is it? Who dares to gossip about our master behind his back? Don't let him catch her, or she'll be in big trouble!"

He whispered in Madam Zhou's ear, "Madam, did you hear anything just now? I wonder..."

Madam Zhou nodded blankly. She had heard it, but she hadn't seen who spoke.

Zhou Jingyao, fearing that her parents might say something else and cause further trouble, quickly handed the bamboo basket containing the kitten to Xiao Taohong.

Zhou Jingyao swiftly took a large step forward, reaching out to tightly grasp the arms of General Zhou and his wife. Then, she put her index finger to her lips, gesturing for them to be quiet.

She lowered her voice anxiously and said, "Father, Mother, you two just need to listen quietly to what the Lady of the Marquis has to say... But... please don't make a sound and disturb what she's about to say, or it will be troublesome?"

Zhou Liang and his wife were completely bewildered by these sudden words. They couldn't understand what their daughter meant by expressing her true feelings, and they only knew that their daughter didn't want them to say it out loud.

Seeing their daughter's serious and tense expression, and recalling her usual boisterous personality, the two men, though filled with doubt, didn't ask any further questions. They nodded in acknowledgment, determined not to speak.

Zhou Jingyao felt relieved after receiving her parents' assurances. She exchanged a glance with Li Tingxue and nodded.

Li Tingxue finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Just then, the exclamation suddenly rang out again in the room.

[Holy crap, holy crap, this... Zhou Liang actually has a twin brother! My god, no one has known this for so many years!]

Upon hearing this, everyone in the room was astonished. Zhou Liang and his wife, who were already full of suspicion, widened their eyes even more upon hearing Jiang Mianmian's words, with Zhou Liang's face filled with disbelief.

How did she know? Could it be, like my daughter just said, that she knew through special abilities?

Wow, does Mrs. Zhou know about this too?

The gazes of the Zhou father and daughter instantly focused on Madam Zhou. Madam Zhou was slightly taken aback, a fleeting hint of panic flashing across her face, but she quickly regained her composure.

Wow, so Madam Zhou... she knew all along too? And back then, Madam Zhou and the two brothers met by chance at the same time. But she mistakenly thought they were the same person and fell in love with Zhou Liang's elder brother.

However, fate played a cruel trick on her. She never expected her brother to elope on the eve of their wedding, leaving her unknowingly married to Zhou Liang, who was to marry in his place. My God, what kind of melodramatic plot is this?!

[Without a ten-year stroke, Zhou Liang's brother wouldn't have pulled this off! You say you don't like it, then why don't you refuse the marriage?! But he's such a love-struck fool, he actually eloped with the woman he loves on the eve of their wedding! Seriously touching, tsk tsk tsk!]

Poor Madam Zhou! Not only was she betrayed by Zhou Liang's elder brother, but she also only learned the truth after their marriage! Not only did she not receive his love, but she was also neglected by her husband for twenty years.

Zhou Liang believed she had driven his elder brother away, but he failed to consider that if a powerful family needed a marriage alliance, she could simply refuse to marry. What wrong had she done?

Jiang Mianmian's fingers flipped through the plot summary of Madam Zhou's story, each page carrying endless sorrow and helplessness. Her gaze wandered between the lines, and a deep sense of sympathy welled up in her heart.

[Sigh, this Mrs. Zhou is so pitiful! She might as well dump her current boyfriend and find a young, handsome lover to keep and play with, making them all so infuriated.]

Jiang Mianmian couldn't help but sigh softly in her heart, her tone full of pity.

At the same time, Zhou Liang stared wide-eyed at Madam Zhou in disbelief. His throat seemed to be choked by something, and he could only utter hoarse sounds:

"You...you knew all along that I wasn't my older brother? Then...why did you still..."

Madam Zhou stood there quietly, her eyes, which should have been bright, now as still as stagnant water, without any ripples.

She slightly curved her lips into a half-smile, a look that was neither a smile nor a frown, and slowly began to speak:

"What is there to say? What is there to say? Anyway, the marriage between the Zhou and Wei families back then wasn't about who we were, but just about the final outcome."

Even if I weren't the one marrying into the family, it would have been one of the other sisters in the household. What difference would it make to me?

Upon hearing this, a hint of embarrassment and guilt flashed across Zhou Liang's face. He lowered his head somewhat embarrassedly and muttered softly, "My older brother... he didn't actually do it on purpose."

However, Madam Zhou seemed unconcerned, responding coldly:

"Whether it was intentional or unintentional, does it even matter now? In the end, it's you who will marry me, not him. What's the point of mentioning your older brother again?" After saying that, she turned her head away and refused to look at Zhou Liang again.