Zhou Shuhua felt that every second was incredibly long and unbearable, but she still mustered up her last bit of courage and pleaded in her voice.
"Qiqi, I know just saying sorry isn't enough, look... these things,"
She pointed to the pile of expensive gifts on the table.
"It's not just these things... If you ever have any difficulties in the future, just let us know. Whether it's something we can help with or not, Lao Lei and I will try our best to help!"
After she finished speaking, Zhou Qiqi finally slowly raised her head, her gaze calmly falling on her face.
That one glance sent a chill down Zhou Shuhua's spine, and her fingertips went cold.
"Comrade Zhou."
She finally spoke, but her tone was flat, as if she were stating something that had nothing to do with her.
“I heard everything you said today and I saw your apology.”
Upon hearing this, Zhou Shuhua's tense shoulders suddenly relaxed, and she and Political Commissar Lei exchanged a quick glance, assuming that Zhou Qiqi was planning to forgive her.
Unexpectedly, Zhou Qiqi's next words were like a bucket of cold water, chilling them to the bone:
"But I'm sorry, I cannot and do not intend to forgive you."
Zhou Qiqi's gaze passed over Zhou Shuhua's pale face and fell on the world outside the door, washed by the rain.
She seemed to see the inexplicable glares that had come her when she first arrived at the family compound;
I saw Zhou Shuhua's scrutinizing and critical gaze from behind;
I could see that cold, oppressive conference room more clearly—the overwhelming false accusations, and those scrutinizing, disdainful gazes that were like knives!
So close, so very close!
She's about to be completely ruined by that bucket of dirty water!
Even if it's eventually cleaned up, the stench of the splattered sewage is enough to make people gossip behind your back for a long time.
This can't be brushed aside with a simple "sorry"!
She slowly withdrew her gaze, fixing it once more on Zhou Shuhua's pale face. Her tone remained calm, yet carried a resolute determination:
"Forgiveness means letting go, it means the knot in your heart is untied, and you can trust again. But my trust in you..."
She paused, her voice growing even deeper.
"It was completely shattered in that conference room, and can never be put back together."
"But...but you saved me in the conference room that day! You could have just stood by and done nothing!"
Speaking of the meeting room, Zhou Shuhua became agitated again, her voice trembling with tears, "I thought you..."
"To save you,"
Zhou Qiqi interrupted her, answering crisply and decisively, without the slightest hesitation.
"It's out of human instinct. If anyone fell in front of me, I would save them if I could. It doesn't matter who she is."
She also decisively severed this last ties of "gratitude".
Zhou Shuhua's last hope collapsed completely. She swayed and was caught by Political Commissar Lei.
Her lips trembled, and there was still a hint of resentment in her eyes.
"Then... is our ten-year relationship with Huaichuan just going to... just like that..."
She couldn't go on; overwhelming disappointment and regret made her vision blur.
You've misunderstood.
Zhou Qiqi calmly replied, her posture clear and her boundaries perfectly defined.
“You and Political Commissar Lei are Huaichuan’s mentor and mistress. This relationship is between Huaichuan and you. How he moves forward and how he maintains it is his freedom. I will never interfere.”
Her gaze turned to Shen Huaichuan, filled with complete trust.
"I will never stop Huaichuan and Zhouzhou from visiting Political Commissar Lei and you. I, Zhou Qiqi, mean what I say."
She raised her voice slightly, "But from now on, you and I are strangers."
The air seemed to freeze, with only the increasingly loud rain outside the window remaining.
Zhou Shuhua seemed to have all her strength drained away, and she only managed to stay upright because Political Commissar Lei was supporting her.
Political Commissar Lei, who had been silent all along, watched his wife collapse instantly. His gaze turned heavily to Shen Huaichuan, carrying a final question and a profound sense of helplessness:
"Huaichuan... what do you think about this?"
Shen Huaichuan stepped forward, his arm naturally wrapping around Zhou Qiqi's shoulder, pulling her closer to him.
He looked at his master with a frank and resolute gaze:
“Master, Mistress, you are my family for life, and that feeling will never change. I will treat you the same as before, but…”
He tightened his grip on Zhou Qiqi's arm.
"In this matter, Qiqi is the biggest victim. I know better than anyone how wronged she has been. She is my lover, and her decision is my decision. I respect all her thoughts!"
These words completely blocked any possibility of reconciliation.
Commissar Lei sighed deeply and helplessly, supporting Zhou Shuhua, his voice sounding tired.
"That's settled then... Shuhua, let's go."
Zhou Qiqi nudged Shen Huaichuan's arm and gestured with her eyes to the pile of eye-catching gifts on the table.
Shen Huaichuan immediately understood, released Zhou Qiqi, walked over and unhesitatingly picked up the heavy net bag and the snack box.
“Master, it’s getting late, and the rain is heavy and the roads are slippery. I’ll take you back.”
Political Commissar Lei looked at the things being handed back to him, and finally just nodded heavily, without making any further refusals.
Shen Huaichuan reopened the umbrella, carrying things in one hand and protecting Political Commissar Lei with the other, half-supporting and half-carrying the distraught and unsteady Zhou Shuhua, and walked into the torrential rain outside.
Under the dim light, the shadows of the three people stretched long on the wet ground, quickly becoming blurred by the dense raindrops.
Zhou Qiqi stood at the entrance of the main room, looking at that figure, and suddenly felt a sharp pain in her chest.
She didn't know where the stinging pain came from.
I could only shake my head forcibly, close the door, and try to stop myself from thinking about such messy things before lying back down on the bed.
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