Chapter 123 Standing Up for You
Zhou Huaiqing did not reply.
He gave a cold laugh, his tone becoming increasingly stern.
"Zhiwei, you're a young lady, you need to know your limits. You should know what you should and shouldn't do. Don't think I don't know what you young people are thinking."
Even though she didn't have much of a relationship with Zhou Huaiqing normally.
These words still stung her eyes and made her throat tighten.
She couldn't understand what she had done wrong.
Just because she's gentle and never fights or grabs anything, does she deserve to be pushed out as a target?
In the past, whenever she saw Zhou Huaiqing, she didn't even dare to breathe heavily.
But now, the pent-up frustration in my chest suddenly exploded with a "boom".
She suddenly raised her head and met his gaze.
“Uncle Zhou, what exactly do you mean by that? What do you mean by ‘you and Yu Ce’? From the first day I entered this family, I have always been dutiful and respectful to my elders, and I have never overstepped my bounds. What makes you doubt me like this?”
Zhou Huaiqing was taken aback, clearly not expecting his usually quiet and obedient stepdaughter to dare to talk back to him in such a situation.
He narrowed his eyes, a vein throbbing on his forehead, and forcibly suppressed the anger in his heart.
"It's absolutely impossible for you and him. Don't even think about it, let alone have the thought."
"I never thought there was any possibility between us!"
She looked directly at him.
“Uncle Zhou, don’t forget, it was the Zhou family that accepted me first, not me clinging to them. Zhou Yuze is the pride of the Zhou family, and the Zhou family is a wealthy and powerful family, but that doesn’t mean I have to kneel down and beg to get close to them, does it?”
Zhou Huaiqing then took a serious look at her.
This stepdaughter, in his eyes before, was like a shadow in the corner.
He never looked at her properly, let alone cared about her.
But now, she sits there, her back ramrod straight, her eyes showing neither retreat nor servility.
That quiet stubbornness gave him a slight jolt.
Song Zhiwei noticed his gaze and secretly pinched her palm; the sharp pain made her even more alert.
She took a deep breath, mustered her courage, and spoke, word by word.
"Uncle Zhou, please rest assured. From now on, I will have no further connection with the Zhou family. After the engagement is dissolved, I will move out and will never appear in any setting as a member of the Zhou family again. I will give you the innocence you desire; I will also give you the distance you need."
She will remember Xie Lingling's slap for the rest of her life.
The blow made her eardrums ring and half of her cheek burned with pain.
But what hurts even more is my heart.
She stood there, not daring to shed a tear.
It's not that I don't want to cry, but that I've long since learned to swallow my grievances.
From then on, she was no longer the little girl who would tiptoe to pour hot tea for Xie Lingling.
There was nothing in the Zhou family that she would miss.
Let's take this opportunity to speak frankly.
She had long since stopped pretending to be warm and respectable.
Some things, kept hidden for too long, were suffocating her.
Today, she wants to live for herself, even if it's just to say a few words from the heart.
"What do you mean?"
Zhou Huaiqing frowned deeply.
Song Zhiwei took a deep breath.
"As you know, my mother and I broke off our relationship a long time ago."
“I am grateful for the care you have given me over the years. I will always remember this kindness.”
“But from now on, I will not go back to the Zhou family. I will also not admit to having any connection with the Zhou family in any way.”
"As for child support, just name your amount, and I will pay it back monthly, in full."
“I will calculate and return in full all the living expenses, tuition fees, housing and other items you have given me over the years.”
Zhou Huaiqing's face turned completely gloomy.
"Are you trying to distance yourself from the Zhou family?"
He stood up abruptly, his voice rising sharply.
With a "bang," he slammed the teacup he was holding onto the table.
"You are Lingling's biological child. Blood ties cannot be severed so easily."
His tone was questioning, and also somewhat incredulous.
Having lived in the Zhou family for over a decade, how could they just leave like that?
Cut ties so easily?
In his view, this was simply ingratitude.
For him, that amount of money meant nothing.
The Zhou family is wealthy and powerful; hundreds of thousands or millions are just numbers on their books.
But these words felt like a slap in the face to him.
It's not about money, it's about attitude.
How dare a junior talk about "repayment" with an elder in such a cold manner?
Even if she is Xie Lingling's daughter, she is still Zhou Huaiqing's stepdaughter whom he raised single-handedly.
Even if she's a stepdaughter, she can't be so arrogant!
His anger burned ever brighter.
The Zhou family provided her with a comfortable life, supported her education, and gave her a formal status.
Now that she's all grown up, does she think she can just kick her aside?
If word gets out, people will say that the Zhou family can't tolerate anyone.
This is a real blow to the Zhou family's reputation.
Song Zhiwei bit her lip and said softly, "But... no one has ever really cared about me, has they?"
“My mother doesn’t want me, and you take me in, for which I am grateful. But that’s just a responsibility, not a family bond.”
She looked up, her eyes devoid of tears, only filled with exhaustion.
"When I needed it, who stood up for me and said a word? Who stood up for me even once?"
Even if she is Xie Lingling's biological daughter, so what?
Blood ties are one thing, feelings are another.
Xie Lingling was able to slap her in front of the whole family.
What's the point of having a mother like that?
When faced with a choice between two options, she is always the one who gets abandoned.
When I was a child, I had a fever of 40 degrees Celsius, and my mother was accompanying me to a competition.
She was admitted to a top high school, and her whole family cheered for Zhou Yuze's admission to a prestigious school.
During the Lunar New Year reunion dinner, she always sits at the very edge.
No one remembers these things, but she has etched them all into her heart.
She didn't want to complain to Zhou Huaiqing, and simply said, "Uncle Zhou, I've grown up. I remember your care over the years."
“I know you have your difficulties and your position.”
"I just don't want to act anymore, I don't want to force myself to love a family that has never accepted me."
"As for my uncle, I can assure you that I have no relationship with him other than that of relatives."
“I know there are some rumors going around, but I have never done anything out of line.”
"I liked him, it was just a crush when I was young, nothing more."
"Now that I've let it go, please let me go too."
She just wanted to live a quiet life.
She did have feelings for Zhou Yuze before.
She was twelve years old at the time, and it was the first time she had been bullied by her classmates. It was Zhou Yuze who stood up for her.
He was six years older than her, but he protected her like an older brother.
In that cold home, he was the only one who ever smiled at her.
What's wrong with liking him?
But things are different now.
She saw things clearly and let them go.
Zhou Yuze only ever had his ideals in his eyes and never really paid attention to her.
She is no longer that little girl who craved a little warmth.
Zhou Huaiqing's expression didn't soften at all as he listened.
He didn't have much affection for his stepdaughter.
But in his heart, she was a member of the Zhou family.
From childhood to adulthood, my household registration was with the Zhou family, and I also filled out my school application with the Zhou family as my family member.
Her name once appeared in the appendix of the Zhou family genealogy.
Even without blood ties, I've benefited from the Zhou family's influence over the years.
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