Chapter 141 A dull ache struck; even breathing hurt.
Stepping on the thick wool carpet and passing through several corridors, Lin Zaoyi followed Butler Zhao to the door of a private room called 'Qushuiting'. He pushed open the door and said, "Grandpa is inside."
Before taking a step, Lin Zaoyi took a deep breath without making a sound. Since she was already here, what was there to be afraid of?
Stepping inside, he said, "Grandpa Tan, you were looking for me?"
Without looking up, the old man leisurely blew away the tea leaves and said, "Sit down and let's talk."
She replied with an "okay".
He maintained his flawless smile and asked, "What do you want?"
"What do you think?" The elder raised his head, his eyes filled with a threatening intensity. "Someone as intelligent as you shouldn't be unable to guess."
Lin Zaoyi lowered her eyes and stared at the tea leaves in her cup. After a moment of silence, she said softly, "I guessed it. If you can't persuade Brother Zhaojing, start with me."
"Not stupid."
The old man's emotionless voice reached my ears, "You still intend to continue being with my grandson?"
She unconsciously took a breath, pressing a round red mark into her palm. "Yes."
The old man opposite her suddenly laughed, a laugh that sent chills down her spine. "It seems you still don't know."
This statement is very informative.
She suddenly raised her head and saw the old man staring at her with disgust and coldness. "Your mother agreed to divorce so that you could be with my grandson."
"What did you say???"
It felt like she'd been hit on the back of the head with an iron rod. Lin Zaoyi's ears were ringing, and not only her nerves were affected, but her breathing became disordered. It took her quite a while to slowly regain her senses.
She managed to utter a strained murmur, "My mom... how could she..."
It's not an illusion.
No wonder Mom acted so strangely. And Tan Zhaojing—he didn't mention a word about him, but his emotions eventually betrayed him.
Tears welled in her eyes, but she forced them back, "Why did you do this? Knowing that my mother and Uncle Tan—"
"Then I'll have to ask you!" The old man interrupted her forcefully, his aged voice cold and hard. "Who told you to shamelessly be with my grandson!"
"Now I'm giving you two options: either you separate, or you're kept by Zhaojing outside. The choice is yours."
These words were like a bucket of ice water poured over her head, making Lin Zaoyi tremble all over. She tried her best to control herself, and said each word clearly and firmly, "I won't choose any of them!"
"It's not up to you!" The old man stared at her, his cloudy pupils revealing a chilling aura. "If you want to marry into a wealthy family, I can pave the way for you. You can choose any scion of a prominent family, but you can't set your sights on Zhaojing!"
A cold snort followed, "Whatever kind of mother you have, you'll find her too—"
"Don't talk about my mom!"
Lin Zaoyi jumped up from her chair, shouting defiantly, "You can insult me all you want, just don't drag my mother into it! She didn't provoke you. As for how she got together with Uncle Tan, I don't need to go into details, do I? Her marriage to Uncle Tan was arranged by him from the very beginning, you have no right to insult her! As for Tan Zhaojing and me, we certainly have the right, but don't do that to me. As of now, I am not a member of your Tan family!"
Outside the door, Steward Zhao could hear everything clearly through the crack in the door. Just five minutes ago, he was worried about the maid, but it turned out he had been worrying for nothing.
That little mouth of hers, just like Zhaojing's, is quick and efficient.
Inside, the old man sat in a camphor wood chair, his chest rising and falling noticeably. His cane tapped the ground, making only a few muffled sounds because of the carpet, without any sense of oppression.
"I really underestimated you! Fine, I'll see how long you can last!"
After saying that, he shouted towards the door, "Come in!"
Butler Zhao opened the sliding door and glanced at the girl out of the corner of his eye. Her back was straight and her lips were tightly pursed. No matter how stubborn she was, she could not hide the fact that her face was pale.
He sighed silently and helped the old man up.
The moment the figure disappeared, Lin Zaoyi's pent-up emotions collapsed. She slumped into a chair, and tears welled up in her eyes, which she had been desperately trying to hold back.
At that moment, her emotions surged like a tsunami, instantly overwhelming her.
Mother…
Talk about Zhaojing…
******
In the biting cold of winter, Lin Zaoyi walked out of the tea shop expressionlessly; her mood at that moment was not enough for her to drive back.
I wandered aimlessly along the path.
A few meters away, a low-profile black SUV drove slowly, always keeping its distance from that slender figure.
The car owner tried to get out of the car several times, but finally dialed a number and said, "Your grandfather contacted Zaoyi, which is probably not a good thing. She is in a very bad state right now."
The pen hovered in his hand, leaving a blot of ink where it stopped. Tan Zhaojing's jaw immediately tightened. "Where?"
Ji Baishen glanced at the street signs outside the nearby window, "This way, Chunjiang Road."
"I'm coming over now, please keep watch for me."
The car sped through the thick fog.
When Tan Zhaojing arrived, Zaoyi was curled up and sitting on the steps by the street.
My heart clenched as if stabbed by something sharp, a dull pain washing over me, making even breathing painful.
The girl in front of him slowly raised her head when she heard footsteps. Her eyes were no longer clear; they were empty.
Tan Zhaojing's Adam's apple bobbed several times. He picked her up, and as they passed Ji Baishen's car, he thanked him.
Ji Baishen's lips moved slightly, "No need."
I lightly pressed the accelerator and drove into the traffic.
Another car drove in the opposite direction, and the bustling city street scenes kept flashing by, but Lin Zaoyi couldn't see anything clearly. Her heart was filled with a dense tightness and confusion.
"Brother Zhaojing," she said in a hoarse voice, "how about we go back to Xiyuan?"
"Um."
Winters get dark early, and by the time the car entered Xiyuan, it was almost completely dark. The streetlights in the courtyard were on, and the lights in the living room were also on. Mingxian had just arrived home and was leaning wearily against the sofa. The cushion beside her sank in, and she instinctively slumped to one side. Her father took the opportunity to put his arm around her shoulder. "How did the transfer negotiations go?"
“That’s good.” Mingxian swallowed her sobs. “The station director agreed, but we have to wait three months. I’ll move out of Xiyuan after the two children get their marriage certificates, otherwise Zaoyi will get suspicious.”
"As for the transfer to Haicheng... let's talk about it on that day."
She couldn't help but grasp his hand, "I'm sorry, I broke my promise, I couldn't... I couldn't..."
In the end, she couldn't hold it in and choked up uncontrollably.
He understands everything, just like his father does.
He squeezed her hand back, tears welling in his eyes, and said, "We're still family, after all."
Hearing this, Mingxian laughed through her tears, "Yes, we're family."
In the entryway, Lin Zaoyi was sobbing uncontrollably. How could she... how could she be so selfish...?
The sound of sobbing reached the ears of the couple in the living room. They exchanged a glance, immediately composed themselves, and looked towards the door.
When Mingxian saw her daughter's tear-streaked face, her heart skipped a beat. She strode over and took her daughter from Zhaojing's hands.
Tan Zhaojing's voice was calm after restraint, "Grandpa has asked Zaoyi and Aunt Ming for help. I'm going out for a bit."
After saying that, he turned around, his back to the cold wind, the hem of his clothes fluttering in the breeze.
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