Chapter 70: You

Long Aofei felt an irrepressible itch; he desperately wanted to learn about that reclusive expert from Zhou Chu.

Therefore, he could no longer concern himself with the decorum expected of a Grand Commander, and he draped his arm over Zhou Chu's shoulder like a buddy, his face full of smiles.

"Let's go, come back to headquarters with me, and I'll settle your military merits while we're at it!"

As Long Aofei spoke, he pulled Zhou Chu toward the helicopter.

Zhou Chu was a bit bewildered by this gesture, but he couldn't easily break free, so he could only say: "Chief, my aunt is still here recovering from her injuries; I can't leave right now."

Long Aofei then stopped and said with a strange look: "I heard you mention before that your aunt was a teacher at Shenxia University. How is it that she is now recovering from injuries on the front line? What exactly is..."

Zhou Chu did not beat around the bush and said directly: "My aunt is the captain of the Xiaolong Squad, Chu Shuangshuang!"

Upon hearing this, Long Aofei's expression couldn't help but shake, and he muttered to himself: "Chu Shuangshuang is your aunt? You are called Zhou Chu, could it be that you are Lao Zhou's son..."

Zhou Chu nodded: "Yes, my father is named Zhou Zhengguo, and my mother is named Chu Ningzhi!"

Hearing this, Long Aofei's face was filled with shock and deep emotion.

He stood there in a daze, as if lost in memories, and only after a long while did he slowly speak:

"So that's how it is, no wonder... truly, a tiger father has no dog for a son. Your parents were prominent figures in the Exorcism Army back in the day, and they performed great military feats in the fight against the Calamity Legion. It's just a pity..."

Speaking of this, a look of deep regret appeared in Long Aofei's eyes, and he sighed heavily.

"In fact, your parents' disappearance is related to that Calamity Lord you killed. He was once a staff officer in my Exorcism Army."

"During a reconnaissance mission, it was due to his erroneous command that this tragedy, which should never have occurred, took place."

"That he could die by your hands is only what he deserved!"

"Child, you have already avenged your parents, which can be considered a comfort to their spirits in heaven. If your parents knew in the afterlife, they would surely be proud of you."

Long Aofei gently patted Zhou Chu's shoulder to comfort him.

Only then did Zhou Chu recall that the Calamity Lord had indeed been wearing an Exorcism Army uniform at the time.

What he hadn't expected was that this Calamity Lord was also the culprit behind his parents' disappearance.

In truth, after so many years of his parents being missing, the chances of them being alive were truly slim.

Yet the Military Department had never issued a formal notice of their deaths in battle, which made things a bit hard to understand.

After so many years, could it be that in the eyes of the Military Department, there was still a possibility that his parents were alive?

And upon learning that Zhou Chu was the son of Zhou Zhengguo and his wife, Long Aofei did indeed feel quite surprised.

At the same time, it made him feel even more that there must be other secrets behind Zhou Zhengguo and his wife.

Because in his view, that expert who had been assisting Zhou Chu might well be an old acquaintance of Lao Zhou.

Otherwise, as a high school graduate who had just finished school, it would be impossible for Zhou Chu to befriend such a person.

In this way, Chu Shuangshuang, as Zhou Chu's aunt, might also know of this expert's existence.

After all, ever since Chu Shuangshuang joined the Exorcism Army, she had never mentioned that she had a nephew named Zhou Chu.

Back then, to be able to have a student from Shenxia University pass through the layers of selection on the Shura Battlefield and become an elite officer of the Exorcism Army.

Chu Shuangshuang could have been an excellent leader, but she was willing to give up the stability of the rear and repeatedly requested to go to the front-line battlefield.

Eventually, she became the captain of the Xiaolong Squad.

All of this indicated that Chu Shuangshuang, who was determined to go to the front line, actually harbored a major purpose in her heart.

That was to scout and search for the missing Zhou Zhengguo and his wife on the front line.

Chu Shuangshuang not only kept her relationship with Zhou Chu a secret but also hid her true identity from him.

In fact, Long Aofei empathized with her thoughts.

By doing this, she not only took on the burden of a family alone but, more importantly, wanted to protect her only living relative.

Indeed, Zhou Chu was her only relative in this world!

The people of the Lao Zhou family truly have no cowards; every one of them is outstanding!

For a moment, a heavy atmosphere permeated the air.

Zhou Chu and Long Aofei were both immersed in their own thoughts.

"A-Chu."

But just then, a weak voice suddenly broke the silence.

Zhou Chu hurriedly turned around and saw his aunt, Chu Shuangshuang, supported by Lin Yue'er, standing not far behind him, though he didn't know when she had arrived.

"Aunt, you're awake!" Zhou Chu was overjoyed and hurried over.

Chu Shuangshuang's complexion was still somewhat pale, but her eyes revealed a trace of helplessness: "I didn't expect that after racking my brains to hide it for so long, you would still find out."

Zhou Chu walked up to Chu Shuangshuang, his heart aching as he said: "I know you did this for my own good. You kept your identity hidden because you wanted to come to the front line to find Mom and Dad, and you didn't want me to worry."

Chu Shuangshuang shook her head slightly and smiled bitterly: "Don't you understand all this? A-Chu, I originally thought that once I found your parents, or when you were older and more capable of facing these things, I would tell you everything. I didn't expect..."

Thinking of how Chu Shuangshuang had nearly fallen victim to that Calamity Lord, Zhou Chu's heart felt as if it were being cut by a knife.

If he had arrived a minute later, he might never have seen her again.

If he could have arrived a minute earlier, Chu Shuangshuang would not have been so severely injured.

At twenty-four or twenty-five, Chu Shuangshuang was in the prime of her youth, at an age where she should have been enjoying life in a stable environment and living a peaceful, smooth existence.

Yet she had resolutely given all of that up and chosen to throw herself into this front-line battlefield full of danger and the unknown.

Only because in her heart, finding the whereabouts of her sister and brother-in-law and protecting her only relative was far more important than her own safety and a comfortable life.

Now, seeing her weak and haggard appearance, Zhou Chu's heart was filled with self-reproach and regret.

"Aunt, I'm sorry, it's my fault. I was ignorant before, and I've let you suffer for so many years!"

Hearing Zhou Chu's self-reproachful words, Chu Shuangshuang's eyes were filled with even more surprise.

How did this kid suddenly seem to have had a breakthrough in his thinking?

Could it be that for the past eighteen years, he had been pretending to be foolish on purpose?

But for no reason, why would he pretend to be foolish? It made no sense.

However, after hearing these heartfelt words from Zhou Chu, Chu Shuangshuang still felt a warmth in her heart.

She smiled and shook her head, saying, "A-Chu, what are you saying? Auntie has never felt it was bitter; this was all Auntie's own choice. Auntie just thought about being able to find your parents sooner and being able to protect you as you grew up safely; nothing else is important."

As she spoke, she raised her hand and gently pinched Zhou Chu's cheek, just like she did when she scolded him as a child.

Only this time, it was full of affection and tenderness.

"Right, Xiao Chu, didn't you tell me on the phone that you obtained the qualification for the College Entrance Exam? Why aren't you properly preparing for your College Entrance Exam instead of coming to the front lines to cause trouble?"

Saying this, Chu Shuangshuang revealed a look of reproach again, huffing and puffing as she started her "puffing out her beard and glaring" mode at Zhou Chu.

Zhou Chu could not help but smile knowingly.

He still felt that this was the state Chu Shuangshuang should be in.

Her previous actions had still made him feel a bit unaccustomed.

Moreover, it was evident that Chu Shuangshuang seemed to be completely unaware of what had happened earlier.