Chapter 57. It's my turn to leave. ...
My heart felt as if it had been struck hard by a heavy hammer, and excruciating pain suddenly spread.
Xie Tang looked up at Chu Song, her eyes already brimming with tears: "Yes, I like you. So what? In your heart, do I need to resort to such despicable means to get into your bed?"
"Isn't that right?" Chu Song's eyes were red, filled with disappointment and hurt. "That glass of water was for you, but by some twist of fate, I drank it!"
Tears welled up uncontrollably, blurring my vision.
Xie Tang stared at him, feeling an unprecedented sense of estrangement: "Chu Song... so in your heart, I am such a despicable person?"
Chu Song remained silent, a silence that seemed to be the cruelest answer.
"Okay..." Xie Tang tried her best to keep her voice steady, not letting her sobs slip out, "Then what makes you so sure it's the water that's the problem? You also drank alcohol that night, why didn't you suspect the alcohol was the problem?"
"Why?" Chu Song's anger was completely ignited by these words. His voice suddenly rose, filled with the pain of being offended. "Because the person I was drinking with that night was my brother! My own brother! Would he harm me?"
As Xie Tang gazed at the person she had long admired, her heart sank deeper and deeper into an icy abyss.
Faced with his accusations, she choked up, and all her words ultimately amounted to a weak and feeble defense: "I didn't, I'm not..."
A deathly silence spread between the two of them; the air seemed to freeze.
Xie Tang didn't understand why things had come to this.
Chu Song's eyes were filled with complex emotions, a helpless yet struggling undercurrent.
Finally, he broke the silence, his voice low and hoarse, with a barely perceptible tremor: "I apologize."
These two words pierced Xie Tang's heart like needles. She couldn't believe it: "No matter what I say, you won't believe me, right?"
“Admit your mistake. Apologize, and I'll forgive you this time.” He looked away, as if using all his strength to say, “I've thought about it for a few days, and I'm not entirely without feelings for you.”
Is she not entirely devoid of emotion? Should she be happy about that?
Can an apology really make this all over?
Xie Tang retorted, "In your eyes, am I really that untrustworthy?"
Chu Song returned the gaze coldly; silence was a deeper form of denial.
Xie Tang suddenly smiled, a bitter smile on her face, and gently shook her head: "No... I won't apologize."
Chu Song was taken aback, not expecting her to be so stubborn.
She was given plenty of opportunities, but she refused to take them.
He thought she would understand his struggles and concessions.
"I know you don't believe me, but I just didn't do it." Xie Tang's voice was clear and firm, each word as sharp as an engraving.
A strong sense of frustration overwhelmed Chu Song.
I've been thinking about her for days, trying to understand her, but it's all in vain.
“Calm down for a few days before you answer me,” he said, trying to take control of the situation.
"I'm calm. You're the one who needs to calm down." Xie Tang met his gaze. "Since you're convinced I did it, why are you keeping me around?"
Chu Song turned around abruptly, his voice hoarse: "The agreement hasn't expired yet."
"The agreement states that you can terminate it at any time."
"I didn't say it was over!" Chu Song turned around angrily.
Xie Tang's eyes churned with emotion as she said softly, "But you've been avoiding me. This is your home, yet you treat me like a venomous snake. You're conflicted, aren't you? Because of the video, you believe me to be despicable; yet because of those feelings, you can't bear to end the deal. You can't face me, and you can't reciprocate my feelings."
With his innermost thoughts laid bare, Chu Song was speechless for a moment.
She was right: the impact of the video lingered, and the thought of driving her away was painful just to think about.
Looking at his tired and angry face, Xie Tang said, "I'm the one who should leave."
A feeling of indescribable unease welled up in Chu Song's heart, and his anxiety intensified. "I didn't tell you to leave!"
She didn't want to see him suffer anymore, nor did she want to get herself into trouble: "Give me time, and I will prove my innocence."
She took one last deep look at Chu Song, then turned and left.
The setting sun lengthened her shadow, imbuing it with a deep sorrow and resolve, which was etched into Chu Song's melancholy eyes.
Xie Tang arrived in the height of summer and didn't have many clothes, so she quickly got ready.
Seeing her dragging a suitcase, Aunt Yu asked, "Are you going on a business trip?"
"No." Xie Tang forced a smile and handed over a black card. "Could you please return this to Brother Song?"
"Have you been wronged?" Aunt Yu noticed her slightly red eyes and, just then, saw Chu Song coming downstairs. She quickly said, "He's down. You can give it to him yourself."
Xie Tang turned around and handed the card to him: "Here you go."
Chu Song didn't answer, his eyes blazing with suppressed anger: "How long?"
Xie Tang placed the card on the table, unaware of what he was talking about.
"How long will it take you to prove your innocence?"
"I don't know." With that, she turned and walked away without looking back.
Aunt Yu watched this scene unfold, and even after Xie Tang had walked far away and Chu Song hadn't tried to stop her, she suddenly sensed something was wrong.
"You two had a fight? Couples shouldn't hold grudges overnight. Just talk it out. If A-Tang is wrong, be more understanding. Why make a scene and run away from home..."
“She wanted to leave on her own.” Chu Song picked up the black card that had never been used, his knuckles turning white.
Aunt Yu sighed, deciding not to try to persuade her any further, and turned to go to the kitchen.
With one less person, it's difficult to control the portion sizes of the food.
-----------------
Xie Tang hesitated for a long time before leaving the villa.
Not wanting her low spirits to affect the elderly, she didn't go back to Xie Shuang's place, but instead moved into the old house that was slated for demolition.
The afterglow of the setting sun bathed the dilapidated balcony in a warm golden light.
Xie Tang sat blankly in the rattan chair, staring at the darkening sky, feeling a tightness in her chest.
After sitting there for a long time, my mind was a jumbled mess.
I went back to my room and fell into a deep sleep. When I woke up, it was already dark.
Hunger struck, and the takeout arrived at eight o'clock.
She had no appetite, and her thoughts drifted back to that chaotic night.
If the problem really lies in that glass of water, then which part of the process was tampered with?
Was it the water Tang Zhi gave me? Or her medicine?
She immediately ruled out the former—the water bottle was intact and unopened when Tang Zhi handed it over, so the problem must be with the medicine.
She jumped up and rummaged through her bag from that night; the medicine bottle was empty.
The medicine was just prescribed, and it's already gone?
A surge of anger mixed with resentment rushed to his head—the medicine had been switched!
The person who could change her medication must be someone close to her who knows her medication habits.
Tang Zhi, Yin Xi, Gu Chang.
That night at the bar, Tang Zhi was the only one who interacted with her the most; Yin Xi and Gu Chang barely spoke to her.
With a splitting headache, she pushed aside the leftover food and collapsed onto the sofa.
Even after making this deduction, she still couldn't doubt Tang Zhi.
My thoughts are stuck in a vicious cycle with no solution.
-----------------
At the dining table, Chu Song only ate a few bites before putting them down.
Seeing this, Aunt Yu said with concern, "Not to your liking? I'm sorry, I'm used to making two flavors and I didn't pay attention to the portion sizes. Some of the dishes were also spicy. How about some green okra? You like it. It was grown by Atang in the yard."
Upon hearing this, Chu Song frowned.
Aunt Yu realized she had misspoke and quickly changed the subject: "How about we make something lighter again?"
"No, I have no appetite."
"Shall I make you a midnight snack later?"
Chu Song agreed and got up to go upstairs.
Passing by the guest rooms, my steps involuntarily slowed, and I finally pushed open the door and went inside.
The room was simply furnished, and Xie Tang's belongings were still there, silently proclaiming the traces of her existence.
He looked around, his gaze sweeping over the dressing table, and a fleeting sense of relief crossed his mind.
But when she saw that all the jewelry left behind was a gift from him, and even her everyday wedding ring was gone, her mood plummeted.
Opening the wardrobe, all that remained were clothes he had commissioned to be made.
She was determined to break up.
This realization plunged Chu Song's heart into an abyss, with an unprecedented surge of loss and sharp pain.
Could it be... that he really misunderstood her?
-----------------
Xie Tang stepped into the detention center again. This meeting would determine whether she would accept Hao Ruoxiang's request to defend Zuo Meng.
She cut to the chase: "Have you offended Xiang Shaoyun?"
A flicker of surprise and confusion crossed Zuo Meng's eyes, then she lowered her head: "What do you know?"
“I’ve thought about this all night. This case seems to have overwhelming evidence, and you know that the chances of overturning the verdict are slim, yet you insist that I plead not guilty. I’ve decided to believe you are innocent for now. So, why would Xiang Shaoyun frame you? I can’t think of any other reason besides the fact that you’ve offended him.”
“Yes,” Zuo Meng’s voice tightened, “framing me was his revenge.”
Xie Tang stared intently into her eyes, "Why did you offend him?"
This question touched on a sensitive topic, and Zuo Meng fell into a painful silence. After a long while, she finally managed to say, "I can't say."
Xie Tang had never met such a stubborn person: "It concerns your innocence, and you still won't speak?"
“I didn’t want to take this case. It was your mother who scraped together 20,000 yuan and waited for me at the law firm every day. She firmly believes you are innocent. If you still don’t trust me,” Xie Tang said calmly but firmly, “I have no choice but to refuse to take the case.”
Zuo Meng was stunned for a moment, then covered her face and burst into tears.
I listened to her ramble on for a long time; it was all just trivial stuff.
Before the meeting ended, Zuo Meng suddenly stood up, her eyes filled with a desperate plea: "Attorney Xie, could you please go to my rented apartment? There's a backpack in the closet; it might contain something you want to know, although... it might not be related to the case..."
Xie Tang understood that this was the trust she had placed in him after making a difficult decision.
She nodded: "Okay."
Xie Tang went to Zuo Meng's rented room and, as she had instructed, found a backpack in the closet.
The bag contained a cell phone and a set of unwashed clothes—the clothes showed signs of being torn.
Xie Tang could almost imagine what Zuo Meng had gone through, and an indescribable anger welled up in his heart.
She found a charger and plugged in her phone.
While waiting for the machine to start up, Hao Ruoxiang brought in hot tea and asked her what she had discovered.
Xie Tang put down her phone, took the paper cup, and said, "I found it, but I'm not sure if it's evidence. I have to take it back."
“Okay.” Hao Ruoxiang said gratefully, “Attorney Xie, thank you for taking this case… Mengmeng and I are all alone in this city, and we really don’t know who to turn to.”
Xie Tang forced a smile, finished his tea, and took his leave.
Back home, Xie Tang found many photos of Zuo Meng and Dou Xiao together in Zuo Meng's phone album, as well as several videos.
Her hands trembled slightly, and she dared not click on it.
But Zuo Meng gave these things to her, wasn't it so that she would know?
Xie Tang composed himself and finally clicked on the video.
After watching it, my heart felt like it was shrouded in thick fog, a heavy, suffocating feeling.
The scene was like a knife, piercing the heart: Zuo Meng was pressed down on the bed by Xiang Shaoyun, her desperate cries echoing in her ears, a mixture of fear, helplessness, and anger.
Xie Tang was overwhelmed by anger and grief, and it took her a long time to recover.
Although these videos are unrelated to the theft case, they may be key clues for Xiang Shaoyun to take revenge on Zuo Meng.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
