Chapter 171 Involves Significant Matters
As she put on her coat, she replied without turning her head, "I'm afraid you'll cling to me, so I won't dare come again."
He chuckled softly, his voice carrying a hint of seduction: "Then I'll come find you. Then you can cling to me."
She buttoned up the last button, glanced back at him, a slight smirk playing on her lips, and said in a light, disdainful tone, "Dream on."
——
On my way to work, the morning sunlight dappled the plane tree leaves along the street.
Song Zhiwei hurried into the company's spacious and bright lobby and saw Zhou Huaiqing standing not far from the front desk, his hands in his suit pockets, looking at her with a calm expression.
Her brows furrowed immediately, her steps instinctively halted, a wave of displeasure washed over her, and she subconsciously wanted to bypass him and take the side elevator.
But Zhou Huaiqing's gaze locked onto her precisely, and without hesitation, he walked towards her, blocking her path in just a few steps.
"Zhiwei".
He spoke, his tone calm but firm, "Uncle Zhou has something he'd like to talk to you about, just for a few minutes."
She quickly looked down, checked her watch, and said anxiously, "I'm going to be late. I have a morning meeting later. Can we reschedule?"
Zhou Huaiqing smiled calmly, his gaze meaningful: "Aren't you with Sheng Tingzhou now? This company belongs to him. If you come into the office a few minutes late, who would dare to say a word? Why are you so nervous?"
When he said this, his eyes were sharp, and his tone revealed obvious doubt and disdain.
Last night, he saw with his own eyes the two of them hugging intimately, behaving affectionately and without any restraint.
In his view, Song Zhiwei was just an ordinary girl, and her relationship with the young master of the Sheng family was nothing more than youthful frivolity.
The threshold of the Sheng family is not one she can easily cross.
Her lips moved slightly, as if she was about to defend herself, but he interrupted her without any politeness: "This matter is related to your uncle. As the person involved in yesterday's accident, you cannot escape responsibility no matter what."
Her heart sank, her expression changed slightly, but she still nodded, her tone firm: "I understand. My monthly salary isn't high, and I'm not well-off, but I'm willing to contribute some of it to help you pay for your uncle's medical expenses. It's my responsibility."
Zhou Huaiqing's face suddenly darkened, and his voice turned cold: "The Zhou family doesn't lack that little bit of money! Are you giving charity? Or do you think you can feel at ease just by paying some money?"
Song Zhiwei did not back down. Instead, she raised her head and looked directly into his eyes, her gaze clear and firm: "But this is my responsibility. My uncle got into this accident because of me. He shielded me from that out-of-control car and was so badly injured... Whether from a moral or emotional standpoint, I should do my part. This is not about money; it's a hurdle in my heart."
Zhou Huaiqing's tone lowered, his voice revealing a hint of weariness and suppressed heaviness: "I've raised you for so many years, and I never expected you to repay me. From childhood to adulthood, I've taken care of everything for you, from food and clothing to school fees. I'm not asking for anything in return; I just feel... it's what I should do."
"But your uncle may never be able to stand up again in his life."
He paused, his Adam's apple bobbing as if those words weighed heavily on his breathing. "The doctor said the spinal cord is severely damaged, and the chances of recovery are slim. I don't want you to pay me, nor do I want you to admit your mistakes. After all, it's already happened, and nobody wanted it to come to this."
"Spend more time with him, talk to him, and make him happy."
His voice grew softer, as if afraid of disturbing something, "He used to be such a lively person, but now he's lying in bed every day, needing help even to turn over. Tell me, is that too much to ask?"
Song Zhiwei's hands, hanging by her sides, clenched quietly.
The fingertips dug deep into the palm, almost leaving red marks.
Her eyes were lowered, her eyelashes trembling slightly, like a thin piece of paper in the wind, bearing invisible pressure.
This requires...
It really doesn't count as a mistake.
Reason told her she should agree, but a dull pain welled up in her heart, as if something was blocking her throat, preventing her from speaking.
Zhou Huaiqing stared at her face, his gaze slowly sweeping over her pale complexion and tightly pursed lips. His voice softened considerably: "Yu Ce used to be such a splendid person, young and promising, respected by everyone in the company. And now? Lying in the hospital, unable to move his hands and feet, needing a nurse even to drink water. As his brother, every time I visit him, my heart feels like it's being squeezed tightly, making it hard to breathe."
"After you finish your work, take some time to spend with him."
His tone softened, almost pleading, "Don't let him overthink things. What people fear most isn't pain, but loneliness. If he keeps overthinking, his condition will only worsen."
"I won't say anything more, you can go and get back to work."
He finally stopped talking, seemingly realizing that he had said too much and that his emotions were too obvious.
He gave Song Zhiwei a deep look, his eyes filled with complex emotions, including reproach, disappointment, and a hint of unconcealed heartache.
Finally, he turned around and walked out of the law firm, his back view appearing particularly heavy.
Remembering Zhou Yuze's words yesterday, "Don't make things difficult for her," Zhou Huaiqing couldn't bring himself to speak directly, so he had to take a roundabout approach and phrase it more tactfully.
He knew that Song Zhiwei was soft-hearted, and that as long as he said the right thing, she would always be moved.
But he knew in his heart that this was not a request, but a silent pressure—he wanted her to go, but he didn't want to push her too hard.
When Song Zhiwei returned to her office, her steps were unsteady, as if she were walking on cotton.
The bright sunlight outside the window reflected on a cup of cold coffee on the corner of the table, giving it a soft glow.
Seeing her lost in thought, Xu Xiaoting waved her hand in front of her eyes and said with concern, "Zhiwei, what are you thinking about? Are you out of your mind? I called you several times and you didn't respond."
She snapped out of her reverie, blinked gently, trying to suppress the turmoil in her heart, and said softly, "It's nothing, I just looked at a case and my mind is a bit muddled. It involves family disputes and liability determination, it's quite complicated."
"What case?"
Xu Xiaoting kicked the chair away and nimbly slid in front of her, tilting her head to look her over. "You said it's complicated, it's probably some kind of messy emotional entanglement again, right? Don't hold it in, tell me about it."
Song Zhiwei hesitated for a moment, her fingers unconsciously tracing the edge of the table before she slowly spoke: "I have a friend who used to like someone. He got into a car accident while trying to save her. It was raining and the road was slippery. He pushed her away and was hit by the car and thrown more than ten meters away."
"He is still in the intensive care unit, and his condition is not optimistic."
She continued in a low voice, "The other person's family hopes that she can visit the hospital often, even just to talk to them, so as not to let the person who saved her life feel disheartened."
Xu Xiaoting frowned, her face showing obvious confusion and dissatisfaction: "What's wrong with that? She almost lost her life for him, isn't it only natural for her to go and see her? Let alone go and see her, it wouldn't be too much for her to stay by her bedside every day."
Song Zhiwei was silent for a moment, then lowered her voice: "But she... already has a boyfriend. Her current boyfriend isn't too happy about it, feeling that she shouldn't be involved with people from the past too much."
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