Chapter 387: One day during winter vacation

Generally speaking, parents are considered to cherish and pamper their children. But she could not agree with this general view.

Zero has no memory of being loved or cared for. Her parents gave birth to her, gave her minimal care, and then sold her to a hybrid experiment institution under the guise of scientific research, which was the former Russian Black Swan Port project. Of course, her parents didn't know this information, and they didn't care about anything other than money.

Zero actually understands the affection that ordinary people have for their parents. If you are treated like this since you are old enough to understand, it is inevitable that you will not feel affection for your parents as you grow up.

Since the day she escaped from Black Swan Harbor, she has no feelings for her parents but has been seeking to be loved. However, she still has expectations of her parents, but also feels disgust towards them. Zero has always had such twisted emotions, but recently this emotion has slowly sunk deep into her heart.

"Good morning, Ling-chan. Unfortunately, Zhuo hasn't gotten up yet~"

After staying in Zhuo's hometown for a few days, Ling completely got used to the life here.

She got up at the same time as when she was at school and went to the living room. Sa Chiko greeted her with a bright smile. She couldn't help but squint her eyes at that dazzling smile.

"Good morning. It's okay, I just woke up early."

"Oh my, Zhuo has been getting more and more outrageous lately~"

"Zhuo usually gets up around this time. He has been getting up earlier for school recently, so he may be more relaxed when he comes back here. It's no problem for him to get up later when he goes back to his hometown during the holidays."

"Hehe, don't even think about speaking for him~~ You can see that kid's messy sleeping face~~"

"If he can't get up in a little while, I'll go check it out."

"Oh my, Ling-chan really likes Zhuo~~"

"That's right... But as he watched, he got up strangely. Why?"

Although she thought that it might be Zero who made the sound or touched Zhuo, Sa Chiko did not point it out specifically. She just smiled happily at Zero who was puzzled about this.

"Oh, only Zhuo is not here?"

As the two were talking face to face, Shuichi appeared with a peaceful smile, and he seemed to have just woken up.

"Ah, Shuichi, good morning~"

"Good morning, Sachiko."

Sa Chiko showed a different smile than when she was with Rei, and the two of them embraced each other passionately, oblivious to the others. Rei couldn't bear to watch and looked away.

Although he knew that they had a good relationship, Ling still felt uncomfortable seeing them act so openly in front of him.

However, she felt that the scene she saw now was exactly the ideal couple for her, or what were called parents.

(…Parents, huh.)
Those were two people who had long disappeared from Zero's memory. Zero said that her father was an old man with no real talent and liked to show off all day long. His biggest worry every day was how to keep the professorship he earned by selling his daughter; her mother was a lecherous person, a frequent guest at dances, and would gladly agree to dinner with her as long as she gave her a small gift.

Neither of them are qualified parents, but no matter what, Ling thinks that he once really longed to have parents like they do now.

There was no abuse, her parents just didn't need her anymore, Zero didn't think there was anything wrong with that. But how should she view them as parents, Zero didn't know and didn't want to know.

(…How complicated.)
To be honest, Zero has certainly thought about what she would be like as a parent in the future. She doesn't have much confidence about this, or it would be more appropriate to say that she is worried.

Just as she once said to Zhuo, first of all, pregnancy itself might require a miracle, and the stability of the child's bloodline would also require a miracle... Whether she could become a qualified mother and wife might require even more.

"…Zero-chan, you don't look well, are you okay? Are you feeling unsightly?"

Sa Chiko seemed to notice that Zero was in a daze and asked worriedly. In order to avoid them misunderstanding, Zero shook his head solemnly.

"No, I envy you two for being so harmonious at all times. I couldn't see such scenes when I was a child, or even see people, there was nothing I could do." "...Does it remind you of something unpleasant?"

Although Zhuo did not tell these two people, they must have learned something from Zhuo.

"It's not like that. It's just that I admire couples like you two. It's great, I always think you are a great family."

This is what she really thinks, or rather, Zero would hardly lie unless someone asked her to.

Ling thought that Zhuo was born in the company of such good people. It was completely understandable that because of the family relationship, they could cultivate a child who would cherish those around him and each other.

Ling had no intention of blaming the two, so he tried his best to make his expressionless face look a little less cold.

Sa Chiko widened her eyes slightly, then revealed a different smile.

"Zero-chan is like my child now, it's okay for her to act like a spoiled child, right? Come on, you're welcome~"

Perhaps, what Sachinko shows to Zero now is the same thing that she showed to Shuu—something kind, gentle, and full of warmth, like a loving child.

As Ling was thinking this, she had not moved at all, but was naturally embraced by Sa Chiko.

"Ah——How cute! Even when we were kids, Zhuo wouldn't let me do something like this."

"After all, he's still shy. That kid is pretty shy."

"Isn't it the same if Shuichi doesn't touch me?"

"It's not nice to touch a girl of this age. Of course, I think of her as my daughter... But if I do that, Zhuo will get jealous if he finds out."

"Well, if you're just jealous of your parents, then it's okay. It would be better to be peaceful. Don't you think so, Zhuo?"

"…Why have you been restless since this morning?"

It seems that Zhuo has also gotten up, and his dumbfounded voice can be heard from behind Ling.

"Good morning, do you want to join us?"

"I want to participate, but I might think of monopolizing her. Since she doesn't resist, I think it's okay. But this is the limit. If it's more, I'll be jealous... Although I'm already jealous."

Zhuo said this in a cheerful manner, and then said, "Then I'll go wash my face," and left the living room. Sa Qianzi gave a slightly bitter smile.

"...That looks like she has really grown up."

"is it?"

"I think so too. Ling-chan, you may not know that when he was a child, Zhuo never cared about anything, and those things he really cared about were secretly hidden in his heart and not revealed. He couldn't do what he does now..."

"Like this……"

Although I don't know much about Zhuo's past, but when I think about the first time I met Zhuo after transferring to the central university, he avoided me like the plague, and then when we got along later, he treated me in a frank and casual manner that was completely different from others... I can almost imagine what kind of person Zhuo was in the past.

In other words, Zhuo had changed a lot without her noticing...

"… Envy of our relationship~ I don't think that's necessary. I think Rei-chan should be able to do better than us, right?"

As Sa Chieko whispered, Zero was still staring in the direction of the bathroom in a daze, or rather with some reluctance.

(End of this chapter)