After breakfast, the "Ghost Hand Doctor" called the waiter to clear the table, and then left with Eleven.
Zhan Jingting followed Qiao Wanwan to the sofa and squatted down in front of her. "Wanwan, the weather is nice today. He was frightened a couple of days ago during the National Day holiday. Shall we take him out to play and relax?"
Qiao Wanwan said calmly, "It is precisely because you were frightened that you should rest at home and not run around."
Zhan Jingting grasped her hand. "Wanwan, how long are you going to stay angry?"
Qiao Wanwan looked at him and said, "Do you remember how many times I asked you if you were hiding anything from me? Even now, are you still unwilling to tell me the truth?"
Zhan Jingting frowned. "Wanwan, I don't understand what you're talking about. I did hide the fact that you used Eleven as bait, but isn't that all in the past?"
"Is this the only thing you've kept from me?"
"Otherwise what?" Zhan Jingting asked, puzzled. "Wanwan, explain yourself clearly."
"Okay." Qiao Wanwan closed her eyes briefly, and when she opened them again, her eyes were filled with determination. "Since we've come this far, I'll make things clear to you. Wait for me a moment."
Qiao Wanwan got up and went to the study. When she came out again, she had several sheets of paper in her hand.
She handed her the paper, saying, "I printed this out so you can see it clearly. Take a good look!"
Zhan Jingting took the paper from her hand, looked at the printed photo on it, and his pupils suddenly contracted. "How did you get this!"
"You don't need to know how I got these photos, you just need to tell me if these photos are real!"
Zhan Jingting pressed his thin lips together, and after a long silence, he finally spoke in a deep voice, "Wanwan, I'm sorry..."
Qiao Wanwan was taken aback. "So you admit it, right?"
Zhan Jingting closed his eyes. "Yes."
"Zhan Jingting, what did I do wrong that you treat me like this!" Qiao Wanwan's tears flowed uncontrollably. "It's your business if you can't have the one you love, but why are you hurting me? Just because you're unhappy, does that mean I have to suffer with you?"
Zhan Jingting suddenly opened his eyes, looking at her in confusion, "Wanwan, what nonsense are you talking about?"
"You still don't dare to admit it?" Qiao Wanwan wiped away her tears haphazardly. "Is this something you find hard to talk about? Fine, then I'll say it for you. You love your cousin Ruan Tang, but because you're cousins, you're destined not to have her!"
"After meeting me, you were surprised to find that I looked a bit like her, which is why you married me and kept me, your substitute, by your side!"
Zhan Jingting looked completely bewildered. "Wanwan, what nonsense are you talking about!"
"Your best friend, Gu Runqiu, sent you a WeChat message late at night. He understands your pain and your unspeakable secrets. Unfortunately, I saw that message, which was quickly deleted. What do you have to deny now!" Qiao Wanwan raised her head, forcing back her tears and maintaining her last bit of self-respect and pride. "Zhan Jingting, I hate being lied to the most, especially about matters of marriage. I can never forgive you for this! I, Qiao Wanwan, will never be a substitute for someone else! So you've come to the wrong person!"
Zhan Jingting chuckled softly, looking at her helplessly, "So, Wanwan, the reason you've been so angry these past few days isn't just because of Shiyi's disappearance, but more importantly because of this?"
Qiao Wanwan remained noncommittal, "I've just been busy looking for Shiyi, I haven't had time to settle accounts with you!"
Zhan Jingting nodded, his tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxing, and calmly asked, "Since you've already decided that I'm using you as a substitute for Ruan Tang, why don't you just confront me directly?"
Qiao Wanwan was taken aback, then slowly said, "I admit, I'm scared. I really want to lie to myself, that this is all fake, that there's no Ruan Tang between us, that it's all a misunderstanding on my part, and that I'm afraid to face the truth..."
"Wanwan, given your personality, you should have exploded long ago and torn me to pieces, but you didn't. Instead, you're running away. Do you know why?"
"Why?"
“Because you love me.” Zhan Jingting held her shoulders and said, word by word, “You love me too much. You’re afraid that if you confront me, we’ll be completely broken up. So you’re afraid to face it, but you can’t forgive me. That’s why you’ve tormented yourself for so many days.”
Qiao Wanwan burst into tears, pushed his hand away, and cried out in despair, "I love you, and the more I love you, the more pain I feel. Are you satisfied now! Zhan Jingting, guess how much I hate you!"
"Wanwan!" Zhan Jingting gripped her shoulders again. "You'd rather believe a random WeChat message than trust your husband? You think I'm using you as a substitute? That's utter nonsense!"
Qiao Wanwan was stunned. "What do you mean? You're not admitting it?"
"Why should I admit to something that's not true?" Zhan Jingting looked at her with heartache. "Wanwan, if I really like Ruan Tang, do you think blood ties can hold me back? Not to mention that Ruan Tang and I are not related by blood at all."
"What did you say?" Qiao Wanwan frowned. "You and Ruan Tang are not related by blood?"
“Ruan Tang was adopted by the Ruan family and is not related to me by blood. Because she is not their biological daughter, the Ruan family treats her only so-so, but my mother likes her very much, so she is closer to my mother,” Zhan Jingting explained.
"But that WeChat message..."
"I will investigate this matter thoroughly; there is definitely something fishy going on here."
Qiao Wanwan bit her lip, "But you were really good to Ruan Tang. You gave her jewelry and didn't keep your distance from her. That night I saw you two very close together, looking at something on the computer..."
"So you concluded that I had feelings for Ruan Tang based on that WeChat message and my unusual attitude towards her." Zhan Jingting said, both amused and exasperated. "Wanwan, my mother has always treated her like her own daughter, so I naturally treat her like my own sister. Plus, she is indeed quite sensible and caring, so I have been very generous to her. As for what you said about not keeping a distance, I really haven't paid attention to that."
"You know I've never been in a relationship, and I can't really guess what girls are thinking. I didn't know you were angry about these things these past few days."
Qiao Wanwan was completely stunned. "You really don't like her?"
Zhan Jingting almost laughed out of anger, "I only like you."
Qiao Wanwan felt like her brain couldn't keep up. "Then what's with this photo? Wasn't this taken when you were disabled in the car accident? You come here every day, not to see Ruan Tang, but to see her?"
Zhan Jingting: "......"
The man's face showed difficulty. "Wanwan, how did you know I was disabled in a car accident at this time?"
“Your mother told me, and then I remembered that I had seen you before.” Qiao Wanwan pointed to the photo. “It’s this picture.”
Zhan Jingting smiled faintly, "Then why do you think I'm looking at Ruan Tang, and not at you?"
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