Zhou Yanchen saw Shen Qingli sitting on a lounge chair in a corner. Her posture revealed a bit of loneliness. Her back was slightly curled up, and she looked like she would fall down at any time.
His heart suddenly tugged. She was loved by her family, but she was also the one who hurt him the most at that time.
He now deeply regrets what he did then.
The damage he had done to her might really be irreparable no matter what he did in the future.
Zhou Yanchen turned around to buy an ice pack. When he hurried back with the ice pack, Shen Qingli was still sitting there with her head lowered, blocking her expression.
Zhou Yanchen sat down slowly beside her, and gently placed the ice pack he had bought on her slightly red and swollen face.
Shen Qingli suddenly came back to his senses and subconsciously shrank back, "Thank you, I can do it myself."
There was a slight tremor in her voice, and she reached out to take the ice pack.
Zhou Yanchen looked at her deeply, his eyes full of pain and self-blame, "Shen Qingli, you can't be so strong."
His voice was very soft, as if he was afraid to break this delicate and fragile atmosphere. "In fact, sometimes you can try to rely on others."
Shen Qingli raised her eyes to look at him, her gaze was as calm as water, but it seemed to contain endless stories, "Who do you rely on? You?"
After saying this, she laughed at herself, and the bitterness in that smile hurt Zhou Yanchen's heart. "After going through some things, I realized that the only person I can rely on is myself."
Zhou Yanchen was speechless for a moment, as those past scenes flooded into his mind like a tide.
Once upon a time, his attitude towards her was so cold, and he chose to ignore her countless times when she needed him.
It seemed as if he never gave her any sign that she could rely on him, leaving her to drift alone in the wind and rain.
"I'm sorry, I was such a jerk in the past. In the future you can..." Zhou Yanchen wanted to make amends anxiously and give her a solid support.
Shen Qingli interrupted him, her tone calm but full of unquestionable determination, "Zhou Yanchen, everything is over."
She raised her head slightly and looked into the distance through the glass, as if she was reminiscing about the past years. "I hate you, after all, I did it willingly before."
She sighed softly, "All the results should have been expected. I really hate you."
Zhou Yanchen listened quietly. He knew that the past hurts could be healed with just an apology.
He looked at Shen Qingli, his eyes full of regret and helplessness.
Shen Qingli slowly took off the ice pack. Although the stinging in her cheek had eased a little, the severe pain in her body was like a surging tide, drowning her wave after wave.
That slap just now completely shattered the last bit of attachment she had to her home.
Once upon a time, she was also a treasure held in the hands of her parents.
But now, she felt extremely strange as she only saw interests in her own eyes.
She raised her hand and touched her cheek, which still hurt a little, and secretly swore in her heart that she would be softer in the future.
She would take back everything that belonged to her from the Shen family.
Zhou Yanchen looked at Shen Qingli's appearance with pain in his eyes.
Seeing that the redness and swelling on her face had subsided a little, he said softly, "I'll take you to dinner."
Shen Qingli shook his head, his voice a little hoarse: "It's ready, go eat."
At this moment, she felt mixed emotions and had no appetite at all.
"How can you skip meals? You still have to go to class in the afternoon. Without energy, how can you treat others properly?" Zhou Yanchen's tone was full of concern. "If the children knew that you treated yourself like this, they would definitely be worried about you."
He knew Shen Qingli's attitude towards work and children, and tried to use these to change her mind.
Speaking of the child, Shen Qingli's expression softened a little.
"Zhou Yanchen, eat now. I'll eat later if I get hungry." Her voice was a little softer. "Go and get busy. Think for a while."
She needed time to sort out her chaotic thoughts and digest this sudden event.
Zhou Yanchen knew that she was in a terrible state, and he also knew that he couldn't force her at the moment. His eyes were full of worry.
"Okay, I'll order some takeout for you to send to your department. Remember to eat when you're gone."
"Then you're leaving first. Remember to call me if you have anything."
After saying that, 꺗 looked at her deeply before slowly getting up and leaving.
After Zhou Yanchen left, Shen Qingli covered her face with her hands, tears streaming down her face.
She has always tried to keep herself rational and deal with all kinds of difficulties in life calmly.
But inner feelings can be deceiving, and sometimes rationality defeats sensibility.
That was her mother, the one who once loved her like a treasure, how could she become like this?
Her heart was full of doubts and pain. The once beautiful memories were intertwined with the cold reality of the present, leaving her heart tormented.
Sometimes, she had to admit that she envied others for having a harmonious family and a warm home.
The scene of a family sitting together, laughing and talking happily was so far away for her.
Although Zhou Yanchen is very enthusiastic about her now, she dares not take another step.
The difficult times I went through while abroad are still with me.
There were many nights when she could not sleep, facing the endless darkness and loneliness alone.
She was afraid of dying again, afraid that she would never be able to endure the pain again. She was not sure if she could survive the death.
…
Zhou Yanchen returned to the car. The moment the door closed, it seemed to isolate him from the noise of the outside world, leaving only the suffocating silence in the car.
His face was terribly gloomy and his eyes were bloodshot.
Before, he had never known Shen Qingli's family.
But now, the truth was like a sharp dagger, piercing straight into his organs, making him unable to breathe due to the pain.
It turned out that since her mother left and her father remarried, Shen Qingli had completely lost love.
The little girl who once laughed happily under the care of her mother had her life trajectory ruthlessly twisted.
The source of all this seems to be him.
His waist was suddenly clenched, and his breathing became rapid.
If it was her mother who saved her, Shen Qingli's life would be different. She might still be surrounded by love, but would have to endure the ups and downs of life alone.
"How could I be so stupid?" Zhou Yanchen murmured in a low voice, his voice full of pain and self-blame.
Why didn't I notice the clues earlier?
Why have you never taken the initiative to ask about her past or listen to her pain?
Every word he had said was like rubbing salt into Shen Qingli's wounds, leaving her alone to endure the pain that she should have endured.
All the sufferings that Shen Qingli had endured now weighed heavily on his head, as if every scar was inextricably linked to him.
Shen Qingli's strong yet tired face kept appearing in his mind.
Zhou Yanchen struggled painfully inside, and he kept asking himself: "What should I do now?"
What could he do to make her feel better again?
He was eager to do something for Shen Qingli, to make up for his past neglect and to heal the pain in her heart.
But he felt extremely confused and didn't know where to start.
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