The Fallen Film Queen’s Possessive Alpha - Chapter 27

Zhou Qing had once envisioned her ideal little family. with Du Ning and children, two would be enough. She’d raise a few dogs for her two precious ones, companions who could play with her daughters and protect them outdoors. In their free time, she and Du Ning could take the children out together, just as she herself had been raised.

That would have been perfect.

The arrival of their third child was an unexpected surprise, and the timing couldn’t have been worse.

At the time, Zhou Zhao was six and Zhou Mu was four. Du Ning’s career was at a critical stage, while Zhou Qing was fully occupied managing Jiuzhou Enterprises with no time to spare. Zhou Qing initially didn’t plan to keep this embryo, but by the time she discovered the pregnancy, she was already nearly three months along. Maternal instinct surged within her, and she ultimately decided to keep the baby.

She even told Du Ning that this child would surely be very well-behaved and adorable. Like with their previous two daughters, they could hire nannies to help care for the baby without too much trouble. Following the naming pattern of their first two children, they pored over books before finally deciding to name her “Qiwei.”

[“Although Zhou is an ancient state, its mandate is ever-renewing”] thus the child was named Zhou Qiwei, carrying her mothers’ blessings for their unborn baby.

When the baby arrived, the two mothers now experienced parents for the third time, discovered this child was completely different from her sisters. This was a textbook high-needs baby. Their first two daughters had been easy to raise, whether feeding or putting to sleep, but the newborn would only allow Zhou Qing to hold her. She would cry if anyone else tried.

Moreover, she would refuse milk when she didn’t want it, and would wail incessantly when displeased, crying until she made herself sick enough to require hospitalization.

All these challenges overwhelmed the not-so-new mothers. Considering their work commitments and two other daughters to care for, they decided to hire several seemingly reliable nannies when the baby was six months old. They entrusted the high-needs child to the nannies’ care to free themselves from the exhausting child-rearing routine.

At first, everything went smoothly. They could focus on their careers, Du Ning’s business developed steadily while Zhou Qing led Jiuzhou to new heights. while still finding time for their two older daughters. As for the third child, she was still young and slow to learn speech. When her mothers and sisters talked, she would sit nearby causing disruptions, demanding everyone’s attention.

Every time Zhou Qiwei acted up, her elder sister Zhou Zhao would try to “discipline” the unruly younger sister, resulting in one crying and the other shouting, ruining precious mother-daughter bonding time. After much reflection, Zhou Qing decided that until Zhou Qiwei grew older, she wouldn’t participate in family days, allowing limited time to be allocated to the more mature children.

Business trips, work, more business trips constantly traveling domestically and internationally, they distributed their scarce free time between the two older children, with only occasional attention for the youngest. The first couple years passed without major issues. Zhou Qiwei grew up following the normal developmental milestones, showing no particular problems except for delayed speech.

Later, as Zhou Qiwei grew older and ready for kindergarten, the number of nannies directly responsible for her care was reduced to just one.

However, even after starting kindergarten, Zhou Qiwei still spoke slowly and remained small in stature. During family gatherings, she no longer demanded everyone’s attention, appearing much more sensible. Yet, if anyone tried to make her do something she didn’t want to, she would still throw tantrums.

By all appearances, she seemed less bright and lively compared to her two older sisters, her stubbornness as unreasonable as during her infancy. Perhaps high-needs children were all like this?

Whenever Zhou Qing saw her, she comforted herself inwardly it didn’t matter if she wasn’t clever, nor if her temperament was odd. After all, the Zhou family trust wouldn’t shortchange her share.

That was until later, when Du Ning’s retired mother finally had time to visit her daughter’s home to see her granddaughters. With both adults working and the two older children at school, only little Zhou Qiwei remained at home. The elderly woman went upstairs and found her youngest granddaughter sitting alone on the stairs. When she picked her up, the child’s stomach growled loudly.

The nanny, caught mistreating the child on the spot, even tried to make excuses, eventually arguing, “This child isn’t as bright as the eldest and second young misses. She doesn’t even know when she’s hungry or thirsty.”

Furious and humiliated, Zhou Qing scolded, “My daughter just doesn’t like to talk she’s not an idiot!” Du Ning was so enraged she wanted to throw the nanny into the sea, but in the end, they pursued legal action instead.

Little Zhou Qiwei, still at the scene, was held in her grandmother’s arms. The old woman surveyed the mess before her and ultimately decided to take the child home to raise her.

“That nanny was right about one thing if family doesn’t care, how can outsiders treat a child well? When Zhaozhao and Mumu were little, A-Qing’s mother was still around, and you weren’t as busy. You took care of them yourselves most of the time. Now that you’re busy, and I’ve retired, let me take care of this little one.”

Twenty years passed in the blink of an eye, and so much more happened afterward. Even when Zhou Qiwei underwent differentiation, Zhou Qing never got a single chance for a deep conversation with her daughter. She vaguely sensed that Zhou Qiwei was protecting herself through physical isolation, but she didn’t understand why.

If Zhou Qiwei knew what she was thinking, she’d probably laugh herself silly. Both mothers were only children, some things were truly hard for them to grasp.

“Business is business,” Zhou Qing said coolly, as if discussing something irrelevant, delivering her verdict on the conflict between the children:

“Zhou Mu, you and Youyou go back. Handle things as you see fit. Zhou Zhao, your work is your own. I can’t interfere. But you should think carefully. Situations like this will happen again. Do you plan to personally intervene every time, or take reckless risks each occasion?”

“Let each rely on their own skills. If you’re outmatched, learn to admit defeat.”

Du Ning personally opened the door, ushering the young people out. “Go on, get to work.”

“Wait!”

Zhou Qiwei raised her phone, grinning as she showed Zhou Zhao the screen. “If you want to ask about Song Haoyin, you might as well ask me directly. And I’d advise you not to escalate things recklessly. By now, everyone who needs to know already does.”

On the phone screen was the front-page breaking news from a well-known online media outlet in Luocheng: Heir of Dingyi Group Possibly Taken by Investigators at Cloud Summit Villa Over Artificial Pheromones

Zhou Zhao suppressed her anger, staring at the other’s utterly unrepentant smile before finally nodding after a long pause. “Thanks for the heads-up.”

The two Zhou family heiresses and Li You had already left. Zhou Qiwei, who was grabbing her coat to make a quick escape, got stopped by Du Ning and thus failed to slip away.

“We want to ask you do you plan to marry that Miss Song?”

“Huh?”

“You’re not getting any younger for marriage. If you two get along well, it’d be great to plan for marriage sooner rather than later,” Zhou Qing said with hopeful anticipation. “The family will prepare the wedding for you. What style do you prefer? What kind does Miss Song like?”

Zhou Qiwei stared at the two of them before collapsing onto the sofa in laughter, unable to straighten up from how hard she was laughing.

“Your mother is being serious with you,” Du Ning frowned slightly. “Be serious.”

“Ahem, serious. I’ll be serious, alright?”

Zhou Qiwei cleared her throat, straightened up with a stern face, and solemnly declared to the two before her: “Listen carefully. I, Zhou Qiwei, am a marriage-free and child-free advocate. That means I will never marry in this lifetime not only that, but I also won’t have children.”

Tragic news!

A calamity!

A bolt from the blue!

Years of mutual probing had given the couple enough experience to recognize that Zhou Qiwei wasn’t joking. Zhou Qing leaned forward urgently. “How could you make such a decision? Don’t let your feelings toward the family don’t let your relationship with your mother dictate your entire life! You’re not even 30 yet. This decision is too rash!”

“It has nothing to do with you.”

Zhou Qing’s face was clouded with doubt and guilt, while Du Ning’s brows were tightly knit. At this moment, both of them showed faint traces of aging.

Zhou Qiwei pretended not to notice and patiently explained: “Some lab mice are endearing, but when there are too many, some affection turns into favoritism. Favoritism might come from long-term companionship, raising them by hand, or some special connection. Whatever the reason, the result is the same, those mice will have different fates because of that favoritism. If this is how we treat mice, imagine how much worse it is with people.”

“You made your choice among three children, but you didn’t mistreat me. I could go to boarding school if I wanted. My name was on the trust beneficiary list. I enlisted in the navy without trouble. You didn’t interfere when I started my business. I also understand why you always want to meddle in my life. The Zhou family has climbed too high any instability is terrifying.”

“So, you absolutely had to interfere in Jiuzhou and Dingyi’s negotiations? You want to take control of Jiuzhou’s entire cultural media industry?” Du Ning seized the moment to ask.

The Zhou family’s original plan was for Magic Cube Industries to acquire the TV station, taking advantage of the fact that outsiders didn’t know Zhou Qiwei’s identity to minimize public concerns about “conglomerates expanding their scope.” Meanwhile, Jiuzhou would establish Panyan Culture to acquire Dingyi’s film distribution business, making it seem like a straightforward entry into the film industry.

This was also Zhou Mu’s major move since becoming CEO a large-scale project she spearheaded to accumulate experience and prestige. But by now, too many variables had emerged.

Zhou Qiwei chuckled and shook her head. “I’m not that ambitious, and I know full control is difficult at least not now. I still want to collaborate, but it depends on Zhou Mu’s stance. If I’m only responsible for bidding on the TV station, I’d be uneasy with that kind of partnership. Jiuzhou is too big it’s hard for me to trust them. But we could still sit on the same board.”

“What about Song Haoyin?” Zhou Qing slightly closed her eyes, feeling dizzy. “What exactly is between you and her…”

“If I weren’t your child, would you let your daughter date and marry an Alpha like me?”

Zhou Qing felt waves of vertigo. Such questions always plunged her into memories. She wanted to defend herself but found no words. At her most vulnerable moment, Du Ning grasped her hand: “We won’t criticize your decisions. It’s just that your mother and I had a relatively smooth marriage. Perhaps you could consider some life advice in this regard.”

“Don’t decide your future too early. When you chose your university major, you didn’t anticipate studying pheromones, did you? Even if you never marry or want children, you can still date and love others.”

“As for you and the Zhou family, I understand your unease. True, the Zhou family would never allow one of its heirs complete freedom, but your private life is your own. Don’t let irrelevant external factors hold you back.”

Zhou Qiwei raised an eyebrow but didn’t lose her temper: “I don’t find joy in life, but I’m not so miserable as to abandon living. So, thanks for the advice.”

Tonight’s chaos should finally end.

After prolonged silence outside, scattered footsteps suggested someone had left. Song Haoyin exchanged glances with Qu Yuanzhi, who whispered: “Seems they’ve all gone.” It was unclear how that Zhou heiress managed it, but she’d smuggled in several subordinates, three were stationed at this door alone.

As they spoke, the door suddenly opened to reveal Zhou Qiwei, who smiled apologetically: “Sorry for involving you.”

“The apology should be mine,” Song Haoyin interrupted. Zhou Qiwei looked weary the Zhou heiress hadn’t come for her, meaning Zhou Qiwei must have negotiated terms with the Jiuzhou faction.

“Enough apologies from both of you it’s like a wedding bow,” Qu Yuanzhi rubbed her stomach. “Aren’t you hungry? I’m starving. Let’s get dinner!”

Qu Yuanzhi never got that midnight snack summoned home by Qu Jinghan after hearing about Zuo Xingyu’s incident. The exhibition center parking lot now held only two exhausted adults, with no mothers calling them home for supper.

In the passenger seat, Song Haoyin fiddled with the stereo. Zhou Qiwei’s music taste surprised her expecting rock, she found only jazz. Languid melodies and relaxed rhythms filled the confined space with notes possessing a magical power to uplift moods.

“Shall I take you home?”

“Ange is home alone. I told her I had studio work and she went to bed.” Song Haoyin’s fingers swayed with the music as she smiled: “Could you drop me at a hotel?”

Zhou Qiwei heard her own heartbeat. Worried she might misinterpret, she still ventured: “If you don’t mind would you like to see my place?”

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