Chapter 160 A Moment of Confusion
She nodded, her cheeks slightly flushed.
It's as if it's been infused with the aroma of tea.
She seemed a little shy because of his gaze.
"Mmm, it tastes great."
Qiu Zishu responded softly, her voice carrying a hint of genuine admiration.
"Good tea should be savored slowly, and so should life."
Lin Zhiming spoke in a gentle tone.
As he spoke, he picked up the teapot and poured her another cup.
"Miss Qiu is like a tender bud just picked in spring, clean and bright, making people want to get closer."
Upon hearing this, Qiu Zishu's heart beat even faster.
She lowered her eyes, not daring to look directly into his smiling eyes.
I felt a sudden heat rising from the base of my ears.
She now felt even more strongly that the "him" Lin Zhiming and Qiao Wanyin had been talking about...
They are not the same person at all.
The Lin Zhiming that Qiao Wanyin described was frivolous, opportunistic, hypocritical, and cunning.
They always gossip about others behind their backs.
But the person in front of me is well-educated, reasonable, and speaks politely...
He was completely different from the straightforward men in the military camp.
She couldn't help but whisper, "Mr. Lin, you really know a lot."
Lin Zhiming's smile deepened, his expression remaining as gentle as ever, showing no trace of smugness.
"You're too kind."
He shook his head gently and responded in a mild tone.
"I'm just someone who enjoys drinking tea and having a quiet time. What do you like to do in your spare time? Besides training and duty in the military, do you have any particular hobbies?"
Qiu Zishu was just about to say that she likes reading and occasionally writing in her diary,
Suddenly, the door to the tea room was flung open with a bang!
The door slammed against the wall with a loud bang.
Qiu Zishu was startled.
With a tremor of her hand, the scalding tea spilled from the cup, splashing onto her skirt.
The blue cotton cloth was immediately soaked, and the dark brown tea stains spread rapidly.
"Sister Wanyin?"
Qiu Zishu looked up at the familiar yet unusually disheveled figure at the door, and was somewhat stunned.
Qiao Wanyin stood at the door, her hair disheveled, clearly having rushed over.
"Come on, come with me!"
She rushed into the tea room, her steps hurried and heavy.
Before she could finish speaking, Qiao Wanyin had already reached out and grabbed Qiu Zishu's wrist.
What are you doing?
Qiu Zishu instinctively shrank back, her wrist aching from being gripped so tightly.
A sense of unease welled up in my heart.
She had absolutely no idea what was going on.
The atmosphere instantly became extremely tense.
In the midst of this chaos, the teacup slipped from Qiu Zishu's fingers.
The white porcelain cup crashed to the ground and shattered into several pieces.
Lin Zhiming immediately stood up, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
But in the blink of an eye, that gloomy look vanished without a trace.
He put on that calm and gentle demeanor again.
"Aqing, what's wrong? Let's talk this out."
Lin Zhiming's voice was soft, and his tone remained steady.
Qiao Wanyin glared at him fiercely, her eyes revealing anger and disgust.
"Shut up! Get lost! Don't think I'll believe you just because you're putting on this act!"
"Here we go again? What are you pretending to be so sentimental for? Are you trying to fool me again?"
Qiu Zishu was completely dumbfounded.
She had never seen Wan Yin like this before—
His eyes were bloodshot and he was breathing rapidly.
It was as if years of suppressed resentment had all erupted at this moment.
This is quite different from her usual calm and capable demeanor.
"Calm down first..."
Qiu Zishu finally came to her senses and quickly stepped forward.
His voice carried a mixture of alarm and reassurance.
"There are so many people here, can we...can we go outside first?"
You don't understand him!
Qiao Wanyin turned to look at Qiu Zishu, her eyes filled with anxiety.
"Lin Zhiming is a liar! His smiles are all fake! Every gentle word and every considerate gesture is a calculated scheme!"
Back then, wasn't the original owner completely fooled by his charming gentlemanly appearance?
This man is a master of pretense.
A few kind words and a skillful tea ceremony.
It can make people completely infatuated.
Everyone in the tea room quietly turned their heads.
Their gazes darted back and forth between Qiao Wanyin and Lin Zhiming, and they began to whisper among themselves.
"Who is this woman? Why are they arguing with Boss Lin?"
"I heard it's from an ex-boyfriend, he dumped her, and he's still resentful..."
Qiu Zishu's face flushed red, and his ears burned.
I just felt extremely ashamed and embarrassed.
She kept her head down, her chest heaving violently.
"Sister Wanyin, please don't do this..."
Qiu Zishu lowered her voice, pleading almost in tears.
"Can we talk outside? Let's not make a scene here, it's too embarrassing..."
"No, let's make this clear right here!"
Qiao Wanyin stood still, her voice trembling slightly, yet still firm.
"Lin Zhiming, do you dare to tell Zishu how you lied to me back then? Tell me how you tricked me step by step, making me willingly empty my savings, only to be kicked aside by you in the end?"
She gasped for breath, her chest heaving, tears welling in her eyes but stubbornly refusing to fall.
"Tell me how many women you've seduced in Hong Kong! Tell me about your shady dealings! Gambling debts, bounced checks, fake identities—which one of you is clean?"
Qiao Wanyin was so angry that she lost her temper and her voice rose higher and higher, her emotions almost out of control.
They didn't even notice that Qiu Zishu's expression was strange.
Lin Zhiming took a deep breath.
It was as if he was trying his best to suppress some complex emotions.
He raised his hand and slowly took off his gold-rimmed glasses.
Then he took a soft piece of velvet out of his pocket.
Begin gently wiping the moisture off the lenses.
After a moment, he spoke in a low voice.
“Aqing, I know you hate me. Over the years, I owe you an explanation and an apology. I was wrong back then, I let you down, and I'm sorry.”
Stop pretending.
Qiao Wanyin sneered, a mocking smile curving her lips.
“Zishu, do you know how he treated me back then? He lied to me, saying he wanted to marry me, to give me a home, and that he would have a grand wedding once his business was stable.”
"And what happened? It was all a scheme to swindle my money! My savings of five years were all used by him to pay off his gambling debts! He even wanted to send me to work as a dancer, saying that it would help me pay off my debts and 'make use of my value'!"
By the end, Qiao Wanyin's voice was trembling.
Qiu Zishu was stunned.
She seemed frozen in place, her breath almost stopping.
She had never heard Qiao Wanyin talk about these things.
Those hidden past events, those deep-seated wounds.
It never surfaced amidst the aroma of tea and laughter during their casual conversation.
“What Aqing said…is indeed true.”
Tears welled up in Lin Zhiming's eyes.
“I was foolish when I was young and hurt her. Back then, I didn’t know how to cherish her or take responsibility. I only cared about my own impulses and ambitions. Looking back now, every scene feels like a knife stabbing my heart.”
He took a deep breath, trying to control his emotions, but his voice still carried a suppressed sob.
"But all these years I've been regretting it. I've been tormented day and night, trying to be a decent person. I want to atone for my sins and start over."
“I never intended to send her to a dance hall; she misunderstood.”
"I mishandled what happened back then, but I never intended to take advantage of her."
Lin Zhiming looked at Qiu Zishu with sincere eyes.
“Miss Qiu, I admit that I approached you at the beginning because I knew you were A Qing’s friend.”
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