Chapter 268 A Lifetime of Regret

But what about him?

He kept his head down, his hands clenched into fists, his nails almost digging into his palms, but he didn't say a word.

His back was stiff, his shoulders trembled slightly, and he stood there like a wooden stake, letting Xiao Shui perform in front of him, while he only dared to lower his head and remain silent.

Shen Cuifen abruptly pulled her hand back, the movement swift and decisive, and the stack of money fell to the ground with a thud, scattering several bills.

Her face was pale, her lips pressed into a thin line, but her voice remained steady, each word clear and calm:

"Xiao Shui, the bond between Da Jun and me as husband and wife cannot be bought with money."

She raised her eyes, her gaze sharp as a knife, piercing straight at Xiao Shui: "It's not that I don't love him."

"Just seeing your children reminds me of the one I lost."

"I've been pregnant, I've been in pain, I've bled, and I've cried. That child didn't survive, and that's my lifelong regret."

"But I don't want a child to be born without a father and to bear the stigma of being an illegitimate child from a young age."

She paused, her voice trembling slightly, but becoming even more resolute: "Do you think you can price your child's life with a few banknotes?"

Song Yu'an breathed a long sigh of relief, the weight on his chest finally lifted a little.

She quietly loosened her clenched fist, her fingernails leaving four crescent-shaped red marks on her palm.

Fortunately, Shen Cuifen was not led by the nose by Xiao Shui, and she did not lose her backbone in the face of tears and money.

Xiao Shui clutched the wad of loose money, tears streaming down her face, her shoulders heaving violently, as if her soul had been ripped from her body.

She sobbed, her words incoherent: "Sister...it was my fault, please don't be angry with me."

"I was just so scared. Seeing Dajun so upset broke my heart. I... I just wanted to save him, to save this family..."

Her voice grew softer and softer until it was just sobbing. She slumped limply in the chair, as if all her strength had been drained away.

Shen Cuifen's eyes also reddened, the corners of her eyes glistening with moisture, but she held back, not shedding a single tear.

She raised her gaze and coldly swept it over Zhou Dajun, her eyes filled with disappointment, pain, and the last vestige of hope.

But Zhou Dajun seemed to be burned, and suddenly lowered his head. Then, as if driven by something, he suddenly rushed forward and hugged Xiao Shui into his arms.

His movements were hurried, his arms held tightly, as if afraid she would suffer the slightest grievance.

Xiao Shui huddled against his chest, burying her head in his shoulder, sobbing and apologizing, crying as if she had lost her soul, her mouth breaking as she said, "Sister, I was wrong," "I shouldn't have come," "You all live well."

Zhou Dajun's face turned pale, veins throbbed on his forehead, his chest heaved violently, his eyes were red-rimmed, and his lips trembled slightly.

He dared not look at Shen Cuifen, but held Xiaoshui even tighter, as if she were his only salvation.

Shen Cuifen raised her hand to wipe her face, and only when her fingertips touched the corner of her eye did she realize that it was already wet.

She smiled, but the smile was more bitter than tears, as if she had squeezed out the last bit of dignity with all her might.

She felt suffocated, as if a red-hot iron was stuck in her chest, making it painful to breathe.

He turned his head away, not looking at them again, and just stood quietly by the window, gazing at the gray sky outside.

Song Yu'an was filled with regret—he should have just told them to get lost.

She should have known that Xiao Shui wouldn't sincerely apologize, and Zhou Dajun would never admit his mistake.

If she hadn't been so angry at Zhou Dajun's cowardly appearance, she wouldn't have impulsively raised her hand and slapped him.

The slap was loud and crisp, drawing blood from the corner of his mouth, yet he remained silent.

"The walls of the new house haven't even been painted, the cement isn't even dry, and you come here crying. What are you trying to do?"

She looked at Xiaoshui coldly, her tone sarcastic, "You're quite the convincing pregnant woman. Do you want to kneel down and kowtow?"

She knew that Xiao Shui was pregnant with a grandson, which was the most important thing to the Zhou family right now.

But can that be used as a reason to bully someone?

So you think you can climb up the social ladder by stepping on the original wife's face?

She clenched her fists, her anger surging, but she could only suppress her voice and grit her teeth, saying:

"Don't think that having a child can ruin someone's life."

Xiao Shui froze, her tears seemingly frozen in the corners of her eyes, hanging there for a long time without falling.

Her lips trembled slightly, as if a thousand-pound burden was pressing on her heart, making even breathing difficult.

She slowly raised her head and looked at Zhou Dajun, her eyes filled with helplessness and grievance. Her voice was so soft it was almost inaudible, like the faint buzzing of a mosquito on a summer night: "I...I really didn't know...about these things...I really didn't notice..."

Song Yu'an sneered, his expression cold and harsh, showing no mercy whatsoever.

Her gaze was like a knife, piercing Xiao Shui's heart, her tone filled with undisguised sarcasm: "Don't know? Are you blind? The stairwell is piled with cement bags, a dusty mess, there's not even a place to step; the house is empty, there isn't even a decent chair in the eye, you can't even find a stool when you come in, and you still dare to say you didn't see anything?"

"Do you think that just because we've moved and our lives have changed, you can pretend to come here, shed a few tears, and say a few pitiful words to gain 'sympathy points'? That you can make us feel so moved that we'll treat you like family?"

Upon seeing this, Zhou Dajun felt a pang of anxiety and immediately stood in front of Xiao Shui, shielding her behind him.

He stared intently at Song Yu'an, his eyes filled with reproach and dissatisfaction, his voice low but firm: "Mom, it's my fault for not being clear, for not being thorough enough. Xiao Shui just arrived, and she was already scared, afraid that you wouldn't acknowledge her, afraid that she wouldn't be accepted. She was only worried about that, how could she have the mind to pay attention to whether there were any stools or chairs in the room? It's not her fault."

Shen Cuifen quickly stepped forward and gently tugged at Song Yu'an's arm, her voice pleading and anxious: "Mom, please stop... Xiaoshui is now Dajun's woman, your rightful daughter-in-law. Even if we haven't had a wedding banquet or registered our marriage, she's pregnant and has suffered. Please, for the sake of the child, give her some face and don't berate her like this in front of others..."

Song Yu'an abruptly shook off Shen Cuifen's hand, but immediately gripped her wrist tightly again, his knuckles turning white.

Her tone was resolute, each word like a hammer blow: "When Zhou Dajun had his accident, who stayed by his bedside every day? Who brought him tea and water, and fed him medicine spoonful by spoonful? Who slept on the cold sofa at night to take care of him, afraid that he would develop a high fever in the middle of the night? It was Cuifen! It was my daughter! But what about him? Now that he's recovered and sober, he doesn't appreciate that kindness. Instead, he comes back with a woman who is pregnant out of wedlock, forcing her to be magnanimous and forcing her to forgive him?"

She paused, her voice growing even harsher, her eyes burning with rage: "How can I let him squander my daughter's feelings like this? How can I let Cuifen's hard work go to waste? How can I let him treat Cuifen like an outsider? My daughter, Song Yu'an's daughter, is not mud to be trampled on!"

After she finished speaking, she suddenly pulled Shen Cuifen behind her, blocking her in front of her. Facing Xiaoshui directly, her gaze was as sharp as a knife: "You and Zhou Dajun got pregnant out of wedlock, and you didn't get a marriage certificate or even a marriage certificate—what kind of legitimate couple are you? What right do you have to stand here, talking nonsense, and expect Cuifen to make room for you and give up your status?"