Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Consciousness stripped away slowly.
I opened my eyes, my vision remaining out of focus on the ceiling for a long time.
Every breath I took felt like a dull ache.
Liang Qiezhao had a layer of weary stubble on his jaw, and his eyes were bloodshot.
Seeing me open my eyes, he immediately leaned in, his voice raspy and low.
“How are you feeling? Is your head still spinning? I’ll get you some water.”
I closed my eyes, my voice dry.
“Is Miss Ni the marriage partner your family arranged for you?”
Hearing this, his lashes lowered slightly, his gaze becoming unfathomably deep.
“Yes, but-”
“Liang Qiezhao, I already fled to Shanghai. Wasn’t that enough?” I interrupted him directly, leaving no room for explanations.
The motion of him pouring water suddenly froze.
The stream of water made a faint sound against the glass.
After a long silence, he set the glass down, his voice barely a whisper.
“I apologize on behalf of Jingzhi. She shouldn’t have come looking for you; she shouldn’t have disturbed your life.”
“She came with massive funding, appearing at my company like a godsend. She gave me gifts and even introduced me to new investors without holding anything back.” I paused, my tone flat. “What did she do wrong?”
Liang Qiezhao frowned, his voice darkening.
“She investigated you, came to Shanghai to disrupt your life, and brought this disaster upon you. That is wrong.”
“She was curious about me because she cares about you.” I turned my head and looked him straight in the eye.
“Liang Qiezhao, is caring about someone a mistake too?”
He was momentarily stunned.
“Everything started because of you. So, the one at fault is you,” I said ruthlessly.
“The way you’re acting now is unfair to me, and it’s unfair to her.”
Liang Qiezhao fell silent.
The muscles in his jaw were tight, and his chest heaved sharply.
He seemed to want to open his mouth to argue, to say something else.
But in the next second, his gaze suddenly froze.
Following his line of sight, I looked down at my left hand.
My pale fingers were crossed over the duvet; on my ring finger, a plain band sat at the base.
I met his trembling gaze calmly and said indifferently:
“Oh, right. Also, I’m engaged.”
“If you continue to entangle yourself with me like this, it’s unfair to my fiancé as well.”
Liang Qiezhao stared fixedly at that ring, the color draining from his face bit by bit.
His thin lips twitched slightly, then closed again.
After a long, suffocating silence.
He looked at me deeply and suddenly let out a low chuckle.
It was just like many years ago, before we broke up, whenever I would lecture him with a serious expression.
It was full of indulgence and longing.
“Yes, our Xiao Zhi…” He lowered his eyes, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “I should accept whatever you say.”
“It was a lack of consideration on my part,” he said softly.
“In the future… in the future, I’ll be more careful.”
Liang Qiezhao
This was Li Qizhi.
She had a sweet, gentle face, but when it came to serious matters, she was more earnest than anyone.
Liang Qiezhao often wondered.
If he hadn’t stayed with her back then.
If he had just been like the other playboys in their circle, finding any random female companion to pass the time with.
Today’s situation.
Perhaps it wouldn’t be so difficult to handle.
His days wouldn’t be so agonizing.
Xiao Zhi was not in the wrong.
He also knew very well that if they continued to drag this out.
If he didn’t let go, didn’t separate.
It was unfair to her.
But who would care about what was fair for him?
If it were any other pair of lovers in this world of vanity.
Many conditions could be negotiated.
Many things could be said.
But they were different, after all.
Facing Li Qizhi, there were things he, Liang Qiezhao, could not say.
He couldn’t bring himself to say them.
He would rather endure a separation that felt like his bones were being carved and his skin flayed.
It was better than debasing a girl or insulting a sincere heart.