Chapter 42 Suffering All Kindness

He couldn't bring himself to do it and nodded in agreement to see Qiao Yiqing.

But that blind date felt more like fulfilling an obligation than the beginning of a spark.

He only reluctantly agreed in order to reassure the old man.

After all, the elderly are getting on in years, and what they care about most is the marriage of their children and grandchildren.

He didn't want the old man to worry about this before he died, so he reluctantly nodded in agreement.

Although he knew in his heart that this engagement was just for show.

But in order to ease his elders' worries before they pass away, he had no choice but to cooperate.

He had already made it perfectly clear to Qiao Yiqing.

This is nothing but a play, a play for others to see.

From the very beginning, he never intended to be sincere.

He had no feelings for her, nor any plans for the future.

It was only because of family pressure and the expectations of elders that she had to put on the act of being about to get married.

He repeatedly emphasized that this was just a temporary measure and that she shouldn't take it seriously.

Qiao Yiqing, however, held onto his arm tightly.

Large tears streamed down her face.

"Zhiwei, tell me what's wrong with me, and I'll change, okay?"

Her voice was choked with sobs.

She didn't understand why, even though she had tried her best, she still couldn't keep him.

Zhou Zhiwei frowned.

"You're fine; it's my own fault."

He didn't want to shift the blame onto her, but he also couldn't tell her the whole truth.

Some hurtful words, even if unintentional, can never be taken back once spoken.

Qiao Yiqing was still unwilling to give up; her chest heaved violently, and her eyes were red-rimmed.

Her voice rose unconsciously, filled with a desperate question.

"Don't you really have even the slightest feeling of liking me?"

She stared into his eyes, trying to find even the slightest hesitation or wavering.

Zhou Zhiwei remained silent.

He lowered his eyes, avoiding her gaze.

Silence was his only response.

Some things, if said out loud, will only hurt people.

It's better to leave her with some dignity, let her gradually understand, and let go.

Qiao Yiqing looked at his indifferent face and forced a bitter smile.

What else is there that she can't understand?

His avoidance, his alienation, his indifference—all of this has already explained everything.

She was just deceiving herself, thinking that if she tried a little harder, he would eventually change his mind.

But reality slapped her hard in the face.

She stood up awkwardly, her steps unsteady.

I grabbed the bag from the sofa, my fingertips trembling.

She didn't look at him again and rushed out without turning back.

The door was slammed shut with a loud "bang".

Xie Lingling was sitting in the downstairs living room, holding a cup of warm tea, listening to the pattering rain outside the window.

Suddenly, I heard arguing coming from upstairs.

Just as she was about to ask a question, she saw Qiao Yiqing run out with tears streaming down her face.

His eyes were so red they looked like they were about to bleed, and his lips were pale.

She was stunned, unsure whether to chase after him or first find out what had happened.

However, given her awkward position, it was inconvenient for her to ask too many questions or get involved in such matters.

She could only silently put down her teacup, gaze at the rain-soaked figure outside the door, and sigh softly.

——

the next day.

Song Zhiwei felt that her body could handle it, so she went to the company as usual.

I didn't sleep well last night; my dreams were full of courtroom scenes.

She stood there, her lips pale, unable to utter a single word.

When she woke up, she had a splitting headache, but she knew that running away wouldn't solve the problem.

She cannot give up because of one failure.

As soon as Xu Xiaoting saw her walk into the office, she immediately dragged a chair next to her.

"Zhiwei, what exactly happened the day before yesterday?"

She was extremely worried, and since she couldn't get in touch with her, she was restless and couldn't sit still.

"It's nothing, we just lost that lawsuit."

Song Zhiwei forced a smile, her tone calm.

But the disappointment in her eyes couldn't be hidden.

She sighed, her voice lowering.

"This was the first case I took on after returning to China. I was hoping to do well, but..."

She paused, her throat tightening slightly.

"Because of my lack of experience, I was deceived by the parties involved. When I got to court, I couldn't even produce the key evidence and I couldn't say a word. It was extremely embarrassing."

Xu Xiaoting frowned as she listened and couldn't help but take her hand.

"Don't say that. Everyone has a first time. The important thing is that you tried your best."

"You have no idea how worried President Sheng was when he couldn't find you that day."

Xu Xiaoting spoke while gesturing.

"He called you but no one answered, and his assistant didn't know where you were either. He even called the police; they were almost ready to call the police!"

She recounted the events of that day over and over again.

He even perfectly imitated Sheng Tingzhou's frown.

Song Zhiwei listened quietly.

A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, as if she had been gently bumped by something.

I didn't expect Sheng Tingzhou to find her so quickly.

They actually checked the surveillance footage outside the courthouse, frame by frame, until they confirmed her whereabouts after leaving the courthouse.

She didn't know whether to be moved or panicked.

I couldn't quite describe the feeling in my heart.

She smiled, the corners of her mouth slightly upturned, a hint of warmth in her eyes, and said softly, "President Sheng is actually quite considerate."

Xu Xiaoting crossed her arms and leaned against the desk.

"Your client caused a huge scene at the company yesterday, crying and shouting, and was eventually taken away by the police. I heard he hasn't been released yet. I guess President Sheng intervened; otherwise, who would dare to handle things so decisively?"

Upon hearing this, Song Zhiwei unconsciously rubbed the edge of the desk with her fingers.

The image of Sheng Tingzhou leaning against the window in the office that day flashed through my mind.

He said in a calm but unwavering tone, "If anything happens in the future, call me first."

She remembered that he didn't even look up at the time; he was just tapping his phone screen with his fingertips.

“I’m your boss. If something happens to you, I’ll have to pay compensation. Your safety is my top priority.”

At that moment, she only felt that he was setting conditions and assuming responsibility.

But now, looking back, I feel a sudden warmth in my heart.

Whatever his reasons, it was he who reached out to her when she was most helpless.

It was he who brought an abrupt end to the scandal that nearly destroyed her professional reputation.

He did save her.

When Xie Yi was at work, he learned that she had encountered such a distressing situation.

He always protected his own, and he took special care of people like Song Zhiwei who were down-to-earth.

Perhaps feeling sorry for her being wronged, they quietly postponed several of her projects.

She also specifically instructed other colleagues not to contact her if they had any urgent matters.

As a result, the mountain of work was arranged in an orderly manner.

After a busy day, she actually left work at around 6 p.m.

The sun had not yet completely set, and a faint orange-red hue still lingered on the horizon.

She walked out of the office building carrying her bag, her steps much lighter than usual.

As I approached the entrance to the residential area, I suddenly caught a glimpse of that familiar black Maybach parked quietly by the roadside.

It was Sheng Tingzhou's car.

The car window slowly rolled down, making a faint mechanical sound.

The man looked at her, his eyes cold and his jawline sharply defined.