Chapter 91 Apology

"Zhiwei, are you free tonight? I... need your help with something, it's urgent, I don't know if it would be convenient for you to come out."

Song Zhiwei paused for a moment, a hint of doubt flashing through her mind, but she quickly suppressed it.

After all, they have known each other for so many years and have always trusted each other implicitly.

After a moment's thought, she replied, "Okay, you tell me, where to?"

...

When Song Zhiwei arrived at the "Zhuoye" club at the agreed time, the city lights were already on.

The entire street was ablaze with neon lights, and people were mingling together.

She looked up at the magnificent signboard and gently pushed open the door to the corridor where the private room was located.

She hesitated for a moment, then reached out and pushed the door open a crack, her gaze sweeping into the room.

At a glance, you can see Mo Huaizhi sitting on the large sofa.

And sitting right next to him was Qiao Yiqing.

Song Zhiwei stopped abruptly.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she paused for a moment before slowly walking inside.

"Zhiwei, you've arrived."

Mo Huaizhi immediately stood up with a smile to greet him, trying to ease the tension.

Song Zhiwei forced a smile and nodded, but her gaze did not fall on him.

Instead, he glanced discreetly at Qiao Yiqing on the other side.

Since what happened last time, she has been deliberately avoiding this person.

Unexpectedly, Qiao Yiqing stood up first, walked towards her, and affectionately took her arm.

"Zhiwei, we've been waiting for you! Huaizhi and I have been waiting for so long, but we haven't dared to make a move first."

Song Zhiwei's body stiffened slightly, and she instinctively wanted to pull her hand back.

But the movement was only a slight struggle; it didn't actually shake them off.

Qiao Yiqing seemed to sense her resistance, but did not let go.

“I asked Huaizhi to bring you here, so don’t blame him. I do have something on my end that I need your help with… More importantly, there’s been some misunderstanding between us that I want to clarify with you in person.”

Mo Huaizhi stood aside, looking at the two with a complicated expression.

He then spoke in a low voice, his tone clearly apologetic.

“Zhiwei, Yiqing meant well. She said that you never replied to her messages before, and she was afraid that you would think she was playing tricks on you, or that you would misunderstand her... so she thought of talking to you in person, which is why she asked me to call you over.”

Song Zhiwei listened with her eyes lowered, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the hem of her skirt.

In the past, Mo Huaizhi had always been very considerate of her and never made things difficult for her.

Hearing that he needed to see her, she didn't even ask for details before dropping everything and rushing over.

But now she finally understands that it wasn't him who needed help, but rather that he wanted her to help others persuade him.

The room fell silent for a moment.

The light was soft, but it couldn't penetrate the chill in her heart.

But she didn't turn hostile or speak coldly to him.

After all, they had been best friends for so many years.

She just smiled faintly.

"Okay, I understand."

Qiao Yiqing's face lit up with joy when she saw that she did not refuse outright.

She picked up the wine glass on the table, filled it with red wine, and stood up to walk over to Song Zhiwei.

"Zhiwei, let me toast you as an apology. In the past, I was not considerate enough of you, and my words and actions were not thoughtful enough... This drink is my sincerity."

Song Zhiwei raised her eyes and quietly looked at the swaying red liquid in the glass.

She didn't reach out to take it, she just shook her head.

"I'm sorry, I have to go to work tomorrow, so I can't drink tonight."

The air seemed to freeze for a moment.

Qiao Yiqing's smile faltered slightly, her eyes dimmed instantly, and her fingers tightened around the wine glass.

Mo Huaizhi quickly sensed that something was wrong and stepped forward, taking the wine glass from Qiao Yiqing's hand while smiling and saying, "How about this, Zhiwei, you can drink juice too. As long as the sentiment is there, there's no need to drink alcohol."

As he spoke, he turned around and took a glass of orange freshly squeezed juice from the small bar next to him, and handed it to Song Zhiwei.

"Look, fresh orange juice. I even asked the waiter to prepare it specially, so don't worry."

Song Zhiwei raised her head, glanced at him indifferently, her eyes showing little emotion.

She paused for a second, her fingertips curling slightly.

She eventually reached out and took the cup he offered.

Qiao Yiqing gently touched her cup, making a soft "ding" sound.

“I was too impulsive last time and wronged you. Because I care too much about Yu Ce, I become very sensitive and easily lose my temper whenever it involves him. Now I understand that the problem between Yu Ce and me is ultimately our problem and should not involve you at all.”

She paused, her brow furrowing slightly, as if she were seriously reflecting on her actions.

"I was not nice to you back then, and my words were a bit harsh... Zhiwei, I'm really sorry."

As she spoke, her gaze remained fixed directly into Song Zhiwei's eyes.

But Song Zhiwei didn't feel at ease.

The apology came so suddenly and was so perfect that it made her a little suspicious.

But out of respect for Mo Huaizhi, she didn't want to cause any more trouble.

After all, he had helped him a lot in the past.

She lowered her head, gently pinched the rim of the glass with her fingertips, and slowly took a sip of juice.

"Thank you for your understanding, Zhiwei."

Qiao Yiqing's voice continued, tinged with gratitude.

"Huaizhi often talks to me about your past, saying that you are the kindest person and the most considerate of others. I have always kept that in mind and really admire you."

As she spoke, she suddenly put down her cup and reached out to hold Song Zhiwei's hand.

Song Zhiwei almost instinctively withdrew her hand.

She lowered her eyes, concealing the fleeting coldness in them.

The three of them exchanged a few more polite but meaningless words and chatted about some trivial topics.

But the air remained frozen.

No one wanted to say more, yet no one could truly end this situation.

Suddenly, Qiao Yiqing stood up, her high heels making two crisp sounds on the floor.

"Huaizhi, Zhiwei, a friend of mine is arriving soon. We arranged to meet here. I'll go to the door to greet him."

Mo Huaizhi nodded, his expression calm.

"Go ahead, it's windy outside, don't stand outside for too long."

Qiao Yiqing responded and turned to walk towards the door.

The sound of high heels clicked a few times, then gradually faded into the distance.

The two chatted for a while longer, the topics still being trivial, but the atmosphere was even more awkward than before.

Time passed second by second, and the sky outside the window gradually darkened.

But Qiao Yiqing still didn't return.

Mo Huaizhi's brows furrowed slowly. He took out his phone, glanced at the time, and a look of confusion appeared on his face.

"Strange, it's been half an hour already. Does it take this long to pick someone up? If her friend had arrived, she should have come in by now."

He looked up at Song Zhiwei, his tone suggesting a discussion.

"Zhiwei, shall I go downstairs and check on her? Maybe something has happened that's holding her up."

Song Zhiwei nodded gently, her voice calm.

"Okay, go ahead, be careful."

Mo Huaizhi responded and got up to walk towards the door.

He reached out and grasped the doorknob, then pulled it gently.

The door remained completely still.

He paused for a moment, his brow furrowed slightly, and then he pulled hard again.

But the door remained firmly shut, showing no sign of loosening.

"What happened?"

He muttered to himself, a hint of surprise in his voice.

Is anyone there? Is anyone outside?